An informative fun blog to share information and stories with people who love their "Kritters". "Dogs & Cats are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole". In memory of my sweet little shy Shorty.
Scruffy went to Heaven last night.He was lying on my neighbor’s porch on Thursday and he threw up
and was acting lethargic.She thought
he might have had a heat stroke.So she
took him in the house and put him in her bathroom but he still wouldn’t eat and could
barely move.
I went to visit him last night and took her some antibiotics
and he looked terrible. But he did purr and attempt to meow when I scratched
him.He died an hour later.She just called me. She was crying saying
she should have brought him in the house sooner.I told her she gave him love.He died knowing someone cared about him.He was eating good and getting lots of attention probably for the
first time in his life.She buried him
this morning with her other kitties.
I will say a prayer for Scruff. I became attached to him as
well. I’ll miss his cute little face.
She takes after her namesake, Aunt Melinda, who liked to
sleep in.We miss you Melinda.Can’t believe it’s been 7 years today.But I know that’s why I have my little girl,
who has an excitable voice and personality just like you.
It's not Scruffy! I haven't seen this cat for a few years and he just showed up again several months ago. Someone said they had seen him in the gazebo across the street and because the kitties all look just like him, I assumed he was the daddy. He is a mess, that's for sure. I think a dog got a hold of his neck. It has no hair and there is a scar down to his right leg. And his hair is half out, going every which way. He obviously didn't get the memo that cats spend a third of their lives grooming.
So wasn't I surprised when the spay/neuter alliance emailed me and told me that Scruffy had already been fixed. But they dewormed him, gave him shots and he is back now. My neighbor has taken a liking to him so I think he may have a home. In fact, I told her if she would take him in, I would pay for it. He hasn't left her porch since. He's actually semi-tame. We have both scratched him. He did swat at me once but the claws were in. Another one taken care of. Hopefully, this will be it for a long time.
That Melinda is a smart little bugger.She saw me pull out the towels and fill all
the water jugs with warm water and she was gone.Under the bed.
The more I read about steroids, the less I want to use them.
They can have severe long-term side effects like lowering the white blood cell
count making it easier for bacterial infections, an increased chance of
pancreatitis and possible permanent organ damage. Since I may have to give them
a shot later in the summer while I’m on vacation, I would really like to figure
this out. And I doubt my pet sitter
will want to bathe them multiple times a day.
But I will call the vet again tomorrow since the
Claritin and Benedryl don't seem to be working as well as I want them to. I read
an article today about spraying them with Apple Cider Vinegar. Crossing fingers…..
Melinda and Stinky have me stumped. I
have tried about everything I can think of to get them to stop itching.I’ll probably take them for a cortisone shot
but that can cause health issues in dogs and is only a temporary fix
anyway.So I’ve been trying to figure
out what the cause is so I can eliminate that.
In the past, I have only had to bathe them and give them Benedryl
for a week… problem solved.For the
last month, I have been bathing them at least once a week, sometimes
twice.Not always with shampoo, just to
wash the pet dander off.I give them
fish oil twice a day, Benedryl twice, sometimes three times a day.I have been wiping off their paws almost
every time they come in the house. I am even giving them sponge baths often throughout
the day.
Today I washed all the bedding, mine and theirs (well mine
is theirs), with hypoallergenic laundry soap.I also changed their food to Blue Wilderness Freedom Grain Free after
another holistic brand didn’t result in any change. According to my vet and
what I have read, when they have food allergies, the most common ingredients
are the corn and other fillers.And
this particular food has lower protein, so it’s better for older dogs.
It’s probably dust mite allergies from the high pollen count
due to the mild winter we had. I thought the baths and wiping their paws would
work for that. I read about a product call Paw Clean so I will have to look
into that.
All of my “treatments” have helped but then all of the sudden;
they will have an itching attack. And I feel so bad for them because I had
poison ivy a few months ago and I know it’s miserable to itch.
I know it’s not fleas and they don’t have any hot spots from
itching.Their fur is lush and soft
because of the fish oil and the high-qualify food they eat.And lately, the hypoallergenic baby oil that
I sometimes wipe them down with.They
actually really like that.Spoiled
puppies…. Wish me luck!
It’s that time of year again…. Allergies! Stinky, Melinda
& Georgie all have them. Georgie has what’s called Miliary Dermatitis. It’s
usually caused by a poor diet, mites, mange or flea bites. But in her case, it’s something outside she’s
either touching or breathing. My guess,
touching. She rolls around in the grass,
hides under trees, just acting like a cat.
It is characterized by scab-like bumps around her head, neck
and back with some hair loss. Her skin feels really dry. Luckily, she’s not itching a lot. So before I result to steroids, I’m going to
try to keep her in the house more, give her the liquid benedryl (this is going
to be fun) and wipe her down daily with a wet rag and olive or fish oil. This
will help with the dryness of her coat and skin. My vet said I could also give liquid antibiotics for a few days
in case any of the crusty scabs have bled.
Mommy and me share the same birthday but she was busy so she didn't have time to post this. It was a barkalicious day. I got hamburger and sweet potatoes for breakfast. Then she gave us a bully stick for a treat. We had a little party, played tug-a-war and she sang to me and gave me kisses. And I got a new toy. The very best part of the day was pork chops for dinner. They were yummy. She cooked them in the crock pot all day with green beans. It was a fun day and the weather was pretty. We took 2 walks and we got to visit the all the neighbors and they gave me scratches.
My neighbor called me today asking if I’d seen Cowboy. He grew attached to him, feeds him (really well) and he hasn’t shown up to eat for a few days.
He went looking for him and found him in the grass in someone’s yard up the street. Unfortunately, Cowboy got hit by a car. He was the last cat to trap and since my neighbor kind of adopted him, he was going to try to trap him. I’m just guessing he was a boy because he never got pregnant or went in heat as far as we know.Even though I fixed all the other cats, there’s always a cat somewhere in every neighborhood that hasn’t been fixed.
He took him home to his house and buried him.I felt bad for him.He’s not really much of an animal person and said it was like losing part of his family.I will miss seeing him. He was the prettiest of all the cats and seemed to like it when I sang to him.
If any of you have any old items you want to get rid of, consider donating them to the ASPCA Thrift store.
You list your item(s) in the store, the buyer pays shipping, ASPCA provides you with a prepaid shipping label and you just have to get it to the Post Office or have it picked up with your mail. There is even a link to request a USPS pick-up.It’s tax deductible and a great way to help the animals. The minimum amount must be at least $5.
They have some nice affordable things for sale as well if you want to shop.Jewelry, purses, clothing and not everything is used. There are even paintings from an artist who has painted covers for Time Magazine.If you have large items, you can also arrange to have them picked up from your house.To read more on donating or to start shopping – click here:http://aspca.webthriftstore.com/about
Georgie and Joey love their new kitty condo. Although Georgie hasn’t quite figured out that you’re supposed to sleep in the enclosure.
I bought it so they could use it as stairs to the window bed since I gave away my weight bench, which they were using. And hopefully, they’ll use the scratch post…. anything to entertain and keep them off the furniture. They think my couch and chair are a jungle gym.
I have sprayed eucalyptus on the furniture, sprayed the cats w/water when I catch them and now I have packaging tape on all the legs.
I might get a taller one with larger perches to put
in the den if they keep using this one. I already
have 2 scratch boxes and a post downstairs.
Gives new meaning to the term Animal House.
It took close to three months but I finally got to pet Midnight, the mommy cat. She is still not quite sure of me and prefers it when I’m sitting on the floor or bending to her level.But she started rubbing up against my leg so I figured I would give it a try.
My neighbors keep telling me they aren't seeing Midnight and Charley (baby cat) anymore. I said “that’s because they have it made in my garage”.Initially, they found the large dog crate that I had set up for the cats to recover in after their spay/neuter. It has food, water, a bed and a litter box. But it was a little small for two full-grown kitties. So I stuck one of my old dog beds in it.I put a large (hooded) litter box and their food and water on some cardboard. Even gave them a few toys, which they are playing with.Such is the life of a feral cat in my neighborhood.
Poor little guy had to have his teeth cleaned yesterday. I was more than petrified because of the anesthesia but the Doc promised me nothing would happen.
I had to hurry and get him in the car before feeding any of the other pets in the morning. He knew something was going on and was shaking the entire drive over there. But it wouldn’t be fair to feed them and not him so I just gave them breakfast when I got home.
They called me at noon and said he pulled through and they wanted to monitor him and I could pick him up at 3. I took Georgie over to have her eye checked as well, and it’s healing really well. The ulcer is so small now. He said it might take a few more weeks and she might have a small scar but her eye is open all the time now and she can see out of it.
Stinky had a rough night, he couldn’t get comfortable and was a little whiny from the anesthesia wearing off but he wanted to walk this morning. He ate a nice big breakfast and seems to feel pretty good now.
Georgie is napping in one of the window beds. I had just given her the eye drops and it ended up all over the window. She is the hardest cat to give medicine to.I told the vet today I might have to come in and get more.I am losing as much as I am using. I even got a little scratched up last night while I was trying to squirt the Prednisone down her throat. It may be time for the towel wrap.
Unfortunately, her corneal ulcer is the deep kind but the good news… there is plenty of blood going to the area and the vet thought it had improved a lot for 2 days.She even opened it a little today.
The clear outer capsule of your pet's eye is the cornea.Instead of being nourished by blood vesicles, the clear cornea is bathed in a protective liquid, the tears. Because of its position on the outermost edge of the eye and delicate nature, the cornea is subject to scratches, scrapes and ulceration.
If the ulcer or scratch is superficial, the cornea heals quickly. If left untreated, corneal ulcers can develop serious complications that can destroy vision, even leading to removal of the eye.
The ulcers can be shallow or deep. Deep ulcers take longer to heal requiring new blood vesicles to grow into the area. They may also leave a corneal scar. When there are underlying causes for the ulcer, some refuse to heal or heal only to re-ulcerate again.
Once the layer of the cornea has been torn, the area becomes irritated, itchy and painful. This causes the pet to squint and the eye to tear. It is referred to as blepharospasm. Things to watch for:
· The pet keeps its eye closed · A discharge nearest the nose · Enlarged blood vessels · The pet pawing or rubbing its eye
Hopefully, Georgie’s is just a shallow superficial ulcer.
I took Georgie to the vet about a month ago because she had an upper respiratory infection. The vet gave her a steroid shot, gave me some liquid Prednisone and Amoxicillin to give her at home.re
Everything seemed to clear up, her eyes weren’t goobery anymore, she wasn’t sneezing and acted like she felt much better. Almost a week ago, I noticed her right eye was watering again and she was keeping it closed so I called to get more medicine. I have been giving it to her twice daily but it didn’t improve at all. So I pried it open yesterday and it almost looked like she was blind.
I took her back in today and she has a corneal ulcer. Because I caught it so fast, he thinks it will heal and she won’t lose her eyesight. I take her back in on Friday for a follow-up. I’m only being optimistic right now.
He gave her a steroid/antibiotic shot and put a drop of Atropine in the eye. Atropine will numb the eye and can last a week to 14 days so that her eye won’t hurt and she won’t be tempted to rub it, which luckily she hasn’t. I brought home some Ofloxacin drops, which I have to give her 5 times a day, and some more liquid prednisone, which she hates. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Hopefully, this is just from a scratch or some other irritant and not some underlying condition. It’s usually caused from a wound, a scrape, even rubbing up against a tree with a limb. I’m really trying not to let her out but she’s sneaky sometimes. More about corneal ulcers in the next post…….
Yes… I’m a Valentine’s Day baby.Just a big lover boy!I am 5 years old today, although mommy says I act like I’m still 2.She says I am one of the sweetest dogs she’s ever had but I’m really loud, naughty and she has to wipe my paws every time I come in the house.She calls me her little pony.She also calls me a Migraine Inducer but I wasn’t going to tell you that.So big deal…. I get a little loud sometimes, especially when I use my sissy voice.But when I’m outside, I use my big boy voice and that isn’t so obnoxious.
We all had a little party.Just the dogs, no kitties allowed.We got Banana Biscotti, new toys, we sang and played and rolled around on the floor.And for dinner, I got an entire chicken breast all by myself.It’s a secret… don’t tell the other pups, they didn’t get as much as I did. I feel so special.I love birthdays!I wish they came everyday.
When I wrote about the “Cat Stats”, I was asked if dogs went into heat and could have the same amount of litters per year as cats. So I decided to write about the Dog Reproduction cycle.
Dogs usually don’t go into heat as early as cats but they can start as early as 6 months. The average time is more like a year but some dogs don’t reach mating maturity until 18 months old. And also unlike cats, they usually don’t go into heat as often but some dogs can go into heat 4 times a year, hence having 4 possible litters a year. The difference though is that dogs can sometimes have up to 15 puppies per litter so in six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies.
Unlike cats, dogs do not have a dormant cycle and can get pregnant any time of the year. They have 2 heat cycles. The first phase, pro-estrus, lasts about nine days. In this phase, female dogs will attract male dogs and may show bleeding, but usually won’t allow male dogs to mate. The second phase, estrus, also lasts about nine days. During estrus, a female will allow a male dog to mate with her and can easily become pregnant. And if a dog mates with multiple partners, she can have a litter with each puppy having a different daddy. If you’ve ever wondered why litters can look so different.
The average pregnancy time lasts about 2 months, or from 58 to 68 days. And unlike cats, dogs are unlikely to become pregnant while they are nursing. But they can go into heat and become pregnant as early as three months after giving birth. So as soon as the puppies are weaned, make sure the mommy is spayed.
And just like cats, female dogs do not go through menopause and can have puppies until they are old, although fertility does decline as they age. And of course, like cats, litter mates can also produce litters. Also like cats, they can be spayed while pregnant, but it’s a little more difficult on the dog. All the more reason to make sure they are fixed before they go into heat.
At the Shelters, they usually start the spay/neuter program at 8 weeks for dogs so they can adopt them out. But if you have your pooch at home and there are no unaltered dogs, it’s safe to wait until 4 months. And of course, make sure your pup is healthy before having the surgery.
Last night, I tried another method of cleaning their teeth and I think it might be the one that works for me. I put the gel on my finger and rubbed in on both sides of their back outer teeth, and then I quickly scooped some peanut butter with a spoon and just let them eat it right out of the spoon. It covered up the taste of the gel, helped them make more saliva but swishing it around their mouth and my fingers were clean and I didn't have to wash between each dog and get the containers all sticky. And of course, I bought an organic, low sodium, low fat peanut butter.
Brushing is still the most effective and fastest way to remove the tartar but it's really hard to spend any time in their mouth and do it properly.
