Winter Hazards

We're joining The Cat on My Head again for Sunday Selfies although this might be titled Easy Like Sunday Morning.

Jabberwoky Glitter and B.W. Huckleberry

 Our weather took a turn toward winter this weekend. Saturday we had our first hard freeze. I bring this up because it reminds us all to be sure we have our pets prepared for winter hazards. Even if your dog is “indoor only” he will be going outside a few times a day to tend to business and maybe go for walks.

First remember that some breeds relish winter weather but even they aren’t prepared for the worst that winter can throw at us. My late American Eskimo dog, Blizzard, loved to run outside after his baths to roll around in the snow – he was still wet! But even he knew that once the temperature hit below zero, inside was a much better place for him.

Two-y when he decided to be an indoor cat

Walks are another story. Think about all the things your dog’s paws touch during your walks. Remember he’s barefooted. He could be walking through salt or other thawing agents from the roads or sidewalks. There might even be anti-freeze mixing in there. And imagine all the ice that could be packing in his paws. That builds up and hurts his paws. Two possibilities can help. First, be sure to clean your dog’s feet off as soon as you get back to your house. Second, consider getting some boots for him. Pet supply stores usually carry them so you can try them on before buying.

Then there are the times when you might be transporting your pet somewhere. Be sure to line the carrier with something warm and cuddly. Also consider a cover for the carrier. I made a couple for my carriers when I was showing my cats. They are made of fleece and sewn to fit the carriers. I used Velcro on the front flap to make it easy to open. You might also put sweaters on your cats or shorthair dogs to help keep them warm.

This cold spell may only be temporary but winter is coming. Let’s all prepare for it now.

How do you protect your pets from winter hazards? Do you have some that I’ve left out?

Prayer

Oh, dear God,

Please hear my prayer

Please help my Mewdy Blue

Fight of this awful monster

Wracking his weak body tonight

He fought off this virus when he was a baby

I know I should be asking instead

For that which is best for him

But I am selfish

I ask for myself because I don’t

Want to be without him

I ask for him because he doesn’t

Want to give up yet

He was always a "Tough Guy" Here he's picking on Bluebird

Please God hear my prayer

And help us both tonight

This selfish human who can

Bare no more loss

And this wonderful feline

Who has given so much to so many

Littermates (clockwise) Bluebird, Question, Mewdy Blue, Sky, Fuzzball

Mewdy Blue is challenging me again!

Just a short note to let you all know that Mewdy Blue is fighting liver failure once again. He has been to Iowa State twice today but is home for the night. Believe me, if I sound like I'm doing okay, I'm not. I'm a total wreck!

Mewdy Blue decided against food on Wednesday and has been fighting me ever since when it comes to eating. Early Friday morning he actually ate 1/2 can of his D/D but then while I was out he "expelled" it all over the kitchen floor. (At least he did it on the tile floor rather than the wood floor and since the dog can't get into the kitchen I was able to see that it happened)

This morning he was turning a little yellow again so I figured maybe another night of IV fluids might bring him out of it like it did in January. Well, the doctors didn't think that would be necessary. You see, while he was in the clinic Mewdy Blue ate another 1/2 can of food!!! They decided to send him home with me though I was a little leery of the car ride. Mewdy Blue has always been one to get car sick so putting food in his belly before a ride........well, you can see what I mean.

However, he made it home just fine. All the time in the clinic he was bright and alert entertaining all the staff and even walked out on his own on leash. At home, though, he basically collapsed. He found his hiding place in the hottest part of the house and fell asleep. Every couple of hours I offered him some more food that he only nibbled. Then at 6 pm he "expelled" it all again. This time in the living room, on the wood floor, in front of the dog. But at least I was there to see it even if I couldn't get to it before it disappeared into the white fluff-ball that is Blizzard.

By this time Mewdy Blue was so depressed/lethargic that he was limp when I picked him up. He couldn't even walk across the living room without stopping to rest halfway. So I rushed him back to Iowa State. This time he saw a different clinician. After a thorough exam and a lot of paperwork (all a repeat of just this morning!) we agreed that they would give him an anti-emetic (something to keep him from vomiting) and I'd take him home again.

Now at home, he's gotten his subcutaneous fluids, antacid, something to calm his stomach, something to stimulate his appetite and he's back upstairs in his hot spot. I've offered him food several times but all he would eat for me is a little baby food. And he's extremely weak and depressed again.

I think, and it is all just conjecture on my part, that perhaps he has cholangiohepatitis and receiving his vaccination 1 1/2 weeks ago set off his immune system. He then stopped eating setting of his liver and this whole cycle of problems. Then of course I let him eat too much at once when he did want to eat causing him to vomit. And they did the same thing today in the clinic so he vomited again.

Please pray with me that I am right, at least partially, and that this anti-emetic will settle his stomach enough for him to recover and get back to his normal appetite. At least for tonight I doubt I'll be getting any sleep!

Hopefully my next post will be lighter. I'm working on one about Rabbit Hopping. I promised to write about this way back in May so it's about time I got it on the blogosphere. Stay tuned - I have pictures and video!

The Iowa Pet Alert

Here’s what things have been like around Iowa this spring:

But now we’re getting a taste of sunshine! Unfortunately that means our pets are also getting a taste of sunshine by slipping outside unattended.

This year I’ve been working with a group of pet lovers in central Iowa to help reunite missing pets with their people. The group operates under the umbrella of The Pet Project Midwest but the lost and found branch of this tree is the Iowa Pet Alert. Through the IPA website people who have lost pets of any kind can post an ad for free and people who have found a pet can post an ad for free.

The internet is a magical thing. It can unite us from all over the world. But here at the Iowa Pet Alert we are bringing Iowa people together with their pets.

Lady Butterfly safe at home

When I first found the IPA website I started comparing lost ads with found ads and searching craigslist ads for similar descriptions. It was extremely rewarding to help someone find their pet reaching out from the comfort of my own home. I expanded my efforts by contacting rescue groups as well for those animals that weren’t claimed by their owners.

A dog that was "found" twice!

But then I decided I should become more involved. When the IPA decided to start a newsletter I volunteered to write “some” of the articles. Little did I know that I had volunteered to become the editor! I love my new role and truly believe in our mission.

Have a look at the website here. Do you know of any similar programs in your area? Have you ever done anything to help reunite lost pets with their owners? I’d love to hear your stories.

National Senior Pet Health Month

Mouse

Do you know how to best care for your senior pet? For that matter do you even know what senior means in the pet world?

September is National Senior Pet Health Month in the U.S. so this is a good time to stop and think about your pet’s age and relative health. How old is your pet? Most cats are considered mature at about age 7 and “senior” after age 10. With dogs the determination is a little more difficult and individualized. Larger dogs generally have shorter lives than smaller dogs and thus mature much sooner.

Blizzard

Dr. Bianca Zaffarano at Iowa State University’s Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department talks about this on the ISU website:

http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2012/09/13/agingpets

If your pet isn’t yet a senior you can still protect his future health today. Familiarize yourself with your pet’s normal health condition. Fix in your mind the following behavioral tells:

·      Routine playtimes

·      Favorite toys

·      Favorite foods and amounts eaten

·      Drinking habits

·      Litterpan habits (bowel movement consistency, color and normal urine appearance)

Basically know your pet’s normal everything. At some point in your pet’s early adult life have your veterinarian run basic bloodwork in order to set a baseline for your pet. Any lab work run later will be compared to this baseline to determine if anything abnormal is going on. Also weigh your pet on a regular basis. If your pet’s weight changes drastically from month to month consult your veterinarian immediately.

Twygal

This month talk to your veterinarian and ask what you should be doing for your senior pet. Make sure his diet is appropriate for his age and activity level. Watch his activities to be sure he isn’t suffering any pain from arthritis or other maladies.

Most importantly cherish this time with your senior pet. You’ve shared so many years with him, so many experiences, so many special moments – now is the time to sit back and truly appreciate them. Love those seniors but make sure they are living a happy life.

Ozma and Zeit Geist

Twygal's last day

Twygal on Wednesday: she didn't like her trip outside

Friday morning Dr. Tammy will be helping Twygal escape her suffering. But I’m afraid she has already left the fold in part.

It has been a difficult week because Twygal has continued to eat, drink, and even play despite the growing lump on her face. However, on Wednesday she stopped eating. On Thursday she became very grumpy, refusing even to be petted. She has always been a very sensitive cat and I’ve had to tread lightly with her emotions and moods but that’s just a part of her wonderful personality.

Thursday evening she started bleeding from her mouth and nose again and she’s having even more difficulty breathing. I’m just comforted that she will still sleep on top of me in bed. That is, as long as I don’t touch her.

I worried about her last moments because she always gets very stressed when I take her to the clinic. I don’t want her passing to be so traumatic for her, though it definitely will be for me. To make her transition a little less stressful I will be giving her a light sedative before leaving home.

Though they were never friends in life perhaps Twygal will join with Bluebird and Rainbow and romp happily in heaven.

Pet Hospice

Bluebird in better days

Though the practice has been around for a long time most people don’t understand what pet hospice is. This is one article about the practice:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111227/NEWS01/312270033/Animal-hospice-care-lets-owners-say-goodbye-pets-home

However, I don’t want anyone to believe that hospice is only about helping a pet to die but rather it is caring for a pet in the home; focusing on palliative care rather than curative; giving your pet that last little bit of dignity. In essence pet hospice is a way to keep the pet at home, feeling little to no pain and getting all the attention and comfort from family as he fades due to a terminal illness or injury.

I had to face this reality when my cat, Lando Calrissian, became seriously ill with mast cell leukemia. At first he only had the occasional mast cell on his skin that were easily and completely removed. Unfortunately his disease progressed to the visceral form where mast cell tumors formed on his internal organs such as his spleen and liver. This stage of the disease is treatable but in most cases not curable. Lando’s surgeon removed what tumors she could then we started him on chemotherapy. From there on my job was to pay attention to Lando’s demeanor and make sure he wasn’t suffering in any way.

Lando as a youngster

Up to his very last day 19-year old Lando remained the head of my cat household. With only a slight grunt he put all the other cats in their places. But that last day I think we both knew it was over. He did not seem to suffer, he ate and drank normally but he wanted something. I don’t even think he knew what it was he wanted he just kept looking for something; something that was just out of reach. He wandered the house determinedly. I took him outside in the sunshine and he took off toward the west. At one point he finally seemed worn out so I took him back inside and held him for the rest of the evening. Sometime during the night he hid himself away in a closet and passed away quietly.

I happily gave Lando that extra time at home and would do it again. In fact, I have done so several times with other cats. On Bluebird’s last night my veterinarian gave me some pain killers that I was able to administer during the night so that Bluebird could be comfortable until I could face facts. Most of that night she slept peacefully in her bed on my lap. I appreciate that little extra time with my sweet girl.

If at some point you face the dilemma of making major choices about your pet’s life please discuss the possibility of hospice care. It just may be that you can spend a little extra time with your pet at home rather than leave him at the hospital. Even if this is not an option and euthanasia is inevitable ask your veterinarian about home euthanasia. Not all veterinarians perform this service but some do. Perhaps your veterinarian can suggest someone.

Effie in her last days

It is not pleasant to think about the final days of our pets but it is inevitable. Our pets’ lives are shorter than ours so we must face up to the fact and make life as comfortable for our pets as we possibly can for as long as we can.