Old Dogs are the best!

Posted by Charlene Eberle on March 2, 2017

As I deal with getting old myself, I see my best friend aging too.  Like me his tolerance for young people is limited. I feel bad for the young pups at the park who want to play with Jake and are met with an old man snap. Most likely due to him protecting his painful hips. He has more lumps and bumps now but loves to chase the ball like he did when he was a pup. He moves slowly after a good run and heads straight to his bed but is smiling because he chased and caught the ball every time. Having an old dog also teaches you patience and to have a few on hand items in your fridge or cupboard for when they are feel off.

Somethings that I have learned to have at home for my Old Man Jake are. 

Acidophilus – This is great to have on hand for when their tummy are having issues. Obviously if the symptoms continue you should see a vet. Sometimes though if your dog is old like mine it helps their bellies. 

Glucosamine – You may need  to try a couple of brands to make sure it can be ingested properly via treat style, or tablet so don’t give up on the search. I makes a huge difference for them.

Hot water Bottle – Sometimes when its really cold and damp I put a hot water bottle in his bed under the pillow to keep him warm.

Baby Aspirin – Do not use ADVIL. Baby Aspirin should only be used very very moderately. Usually used in cases where your dog is in pain right before their vet appointment.

Food – Don’t change their food or try not to change their food. Their stomachs are so sensitive in their old age very similar to when they are puppies.

Activity – Try and keep them active only to what they can do. Over walking or over stimulating may not be good for them. Everything in moderation. Remember they can’t speak so they maybe in pain but you don’t know.

Teeth – Try and clean their teeth as much as you can. They are way more susceptible to dental work like tooth decay, tooth abscesses and tooth loss.

Vet – Get them check for their lumps. You should also ask your vet what the difference is between a fatty tissue lump and a serious lump. Fatty tissue lumps are really normal in an old dog so you don’t want to be going to the vet every time you find a fatty tissue lump.

FUN!!! – Enjoy every minute with you old dog because it will be so hard when that day comes to say good-bye.

The memories we have shared together are priceless and I only wish he could be around for another 14 years. Taking everyday of his old age one day at time.

Dog Blindness

Posted by Charlene Eberle on December 3, 2014

Back in March of 2014 we decided to foster a lovely 6 year old dog named Dennis. His former owner had given him up because he was showing signs of blindness. As we fostered him his sight became much better and soon he was on the mend. Vet’s concluded that it was a mystery that he had his sight back and there were no guarantee’s that it would not be lost again. You see Dennis was diagnosed with Canine Encephalitis, sometimes caused by tick/mosquito bites. This diagnoses was also a best vet guess and was not concluded as Dennis was a mystery to them.

Cut to present day  after 10 months, Dennis is loosing his sight again and this time it is seeming permanent. Dennis takes it in stride and is still as happy as ever. The other dogs can sense a change in him and at times are a bossy to him but they still help him when he get’s stuck walking around, bumping into trees :). We do our best to ensure he has the best next 6 + years.

I’m writing this to let people who maybe in the same situation to not give up hope and to be patient. A dog loosing their sight does not warrant to put them down. It just means re configuring you house a bit. Other then that, their day to day routine get’s easier as they adapt to their newly loss of a Sense. Salmon Oil and high quality food with a moderate protein count helps. We also feed him dried Sardines, which he just loves.

Dennis modeling a Sammy and Stone Bed

The cutie pie before we decided to keep him – AKA Lumpy Stumps 🙂

The Dried Sardines

Out for a walk

Pets and Fireworks

Posted by Charlene Eberle on June 30, 2014

This week with Canada and the US celebrating, US Independence and  Canada’s Birthday. There will be parks full of people enjoying a long weekend. Neighborhoods having block party’s or people hosting BBQ’s in their back yards. To celebrate we like to use fireworks…But our little fur friends and or babies are not so fond of the loud crackling/banging noises of Fireworks. So please remember to keep your pets inside and if you see a dog or cat that looks lost bring it in to the local pound or SPCA. Don’t hold on to the pet in your home (unless over night), people will be looking for their pets. Also please remember to keep your children safe, there are many avoidable accidents that happen this time of year to children and pets. Safety first! Most of all enjoy this time of year with your family and friends!

HAPPY CANADA DAY and 4th OF JULY

GARDEN TIME – Toxic plants and soil you should be aware of

Posted by Charlene Eberle on June 16, 2014

It’s SUMMER yay!! Spending time with family, BBQ’ing. Lying in the sun or taking a dip in your pool. Summer means planting flowers and growing food in your garden. There are some plants and soil that are toxic to you furry family member so please do your research on plants especially flowers in your garden and or inside your home.

Heliotrope- Toxic indoor plant – please read below

We got the biopsy report back and with great sorrow I must share this….Our darling girl died from the toxin in this plant that I have on my deck. It is called heliotrope and is highly toxic, causes total liver destruction. The pathologist said our angel had the worst liver damage he’s ever seen. Goldie would nibble at the leaves of this plant every so often and we had no clue it was toxic. (It can come in white or purple.) Please share with any dog owners you know to hopefully prevent their dog from becoming a statistic like Goldie. We are even more heartbroken now knowing her death was preventable. Please share her story so that something positive may come of it and create awareness of toxic plants. Our own vet had no idea this was a toxic plant!!

Cocoa Mulch – Mulch Soil for the garden – Please read below

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know.
Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Halfway through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s web site,

This product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim that “It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.”

*Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp .asp>

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats

Posted by Charlene Eberle on June 15, 2014

I’ve notice lately that a few of my friends and family’s dogs have been diagnosed with Pancreatitis and I wanted to get some more information. This disease and or intolerance to food seems odd to me or is it just a sign that all our food, unless we grow it ourselves is chalked full of badness that our animals are getting sicker. The research only speaks of fatty food so I’m probably over analyzing but it is odd to me that in under 6 moths 5 dogs have been diagnosed. Non of them are over weight, most of them are very small dogs.

Pancreatitis is inflammation and swelling of the pancreas. It can occur in a mild or severe form. The cause of spontaneous pancreatitis in dogs is not well understood. Dogs taking corticosteroids are at increased risk. There is a higher incidence of pancreatitis in dogs with Cushing’s syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and idiopathic hyperlipemia (a disease of Miniature Schnauzers). These diseases are associated with high serum lipid levels. Pancreatitis is also more prevalent in overweight spayed females and dogs on high-fat diets. An attack may be triggered by eating table scraps or a fatty meal.

What happens during a bout of pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, causing leakage of the digestive enzymes whereby the pancreas literally starts to “digest itself”. Pancreatitis can be acute (sudden) or chronic (happening over a course of time).

Both acute and chronic forms are serious and can be life-threatening, especially the acute form.

What causes pancreatitis?
For the majority of cases, the cause is unknown. Pancreatitis can occur in both dogs and cats, but is more common in dogs, especially the acute form. Cats more commonly have the chronic form, and it can be difficult to diagnose.

Here are some potential risk factors:

• High fat meal (trigger for hyperlipidemia)
• Hyperlipidemia (high fat content in blood)
• Obesity (especially dogs)
• Concurrent disease – i.e. Cushing’s, Diabetes Mellitus
• Contaminated food or water
• Certain drugs and toxins – i.e. some types of diuretics, antibiotics, and organophosphate insecticide
• Bacterial or viral infection

What are the signs of pancreatitis?
The signs can vary from mild gastrointestinal upset to collapse and death. Most animals present with common gastrointestinal signs of upset, such as:

• Vomiting
• Not eating
• Painful abdomen, hunched appearance (more common in dogs
• Fever or below-normal body temperature
• Diarrhea
• Depression
• Dehydration, evaluated by noting sunken eyes, dry mouth, and increased skin turgor (skin tents when pinched)

These signs are not specific for pancreatitis, and can be seen with many gastrointestinal diseases and conditions. All or some of the signs may be noted in an individual patient with pancreatitis.

Cats can be especially difficult to diagnose due to the vague signs they exhibit with chronic pancreatitis – depression/lethargy and poor appetite are seen with regularity, and gastrointestinal signs of vomiting, diarrhea, and / or pain are seen intermittently.

How is pancreatitis diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet’s history (i.e. getting into the garbage, eating a lot of food they normally don’t – especially fatty foods, etc.), do a thorough physical examination, and likely do blood tests to rule out other diseases and to check pancreatic enzymes. Radiographs may also be done to rule out a gastric or intestinal foreign body or other GI diseases or conditions.

What is the treatment for pancreatitis?
Treatment for this disease is supportive, meaning that there isn’t usually a direct cause and cure, but supporting the animal while allowing healing. The veterinary team will take care of the animal’s fluid needs via IV, pain management, and will address any other disease processes (infection, diabetes, etc.) while letting the pancreas heal on its own.

Resting the pancreas and gastrointestinal system is key, and this means no food or water by mouth for 1 to 5 or more days while on IV fluids. This is dependent on the severity of each case, and the animal must be on fluids and other support to survive and heal the pancreas while off of oral food and water.

What about follow up care post-recovery, and what is involved in the management of chronic Pancreatitis?
Your vet will likely prescribe a low-fat, high-fiber diet to aid in your pet’s recovery and to prevent future bouts of pancreatitis. Depending on your pet’s case, the diet recommendations may be for life for optimal health and preventative care.

Keep your dogs weight under control. Looking for low fat foods, no table scrapes are helpful in not having your dog or cat contracting this disease. Once they get it they will always have it so best to keep it under control as much as possible and those of you with puppies should stick with a good diet as well.

I’ve started my dogs on GO – http://www.petcurean.com/?gclid=CPb9_PzJ_L4CFUFrfgodVwsA_gI’m a firm believer on no Asian products imported, this company is Canadian. Check their website out.