Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Ticks and Lyme Disease

The mild winter and the early warming was good for ticks.   Unfortunately, it was not good for the animals bitten by the Lyme Disease carrying tick.  My own dog tested positive for Lyme Disease and I had to give him a course of antibiotics to prevent further damage.  I'm not an expert on the disease so if you need information about the disease, there are plenty of sources to read.  What I do know is what I've seen in our shelter dogs.  The disease can affect the joints or organs of the animals.  The important thing is that if you see unusual problems in your dog, you should have the dog examined by a veterinarian.  Recently, we had two dogs suffering from renal failure.  One guess is that the dogs had untreated Lyme disease.  A few years back there was a recall on dog food that affected dogs' kidneys.  So you can't be sure.  However, once an animal is in renal failure, euthanasia is recommended.

A simple blood test can help determine if your pet is suffering from Lyme disease.  Isn't your pet worth the expense?

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Bumper Stickers and Car Magnets

Do you read bumper stickers?  If I am a passenger I do.  Some are hilarious.  I drove by a row of parked cars and saw several animal related car magnets.  Some of my favorites are:

Shed Happens
Obedience School Drop Out
Spay and Neuter
I love my Granddogs (or grandcats)
Back Seat Barker
You fetch it!
Who rescued who?
A pet is the only relative you get to choose.

What a Sight!

I was in a car with a friend and saw a man walking a Mastiff.  At the intersection he crossed the street.  Then I noticed a calico cat on the corner.  It approached the intersection and I worried about it getting hit by a car.  So I rolled down the window and asked "Is that your cat".  The man replied "Yes it is" and kept walking.  So did the cat. 

I thought it was amusing that this family was out for a walk, the dog on a leash and the cat following closely behind.  (I hope he wasn't trying to lose the cat).  Anyway, its the first time sight for me!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Can you afford a pet?

Almost daily, we receive calls from people who need  help paying for veterinary care for their pets.  Unfortunately, we do not have extra funds to pay veterinary care for the public.  As it is, we spend almost $25,000 per year on medications, vaccines, and veterinary care for our shelter animals.

If you want a pet and have to make payments just to afford the purchase, you probably should not own a pet.  This is a sad fact but very true.  Pets need to be vaccinated against disease.  Plus, you are required by Pennsylvania state law to have your pet vaccinated against rabies.  You need to establish a relationship with a veterinarian.  If you wait until your pet is sick to take it to a veterinarian, you may have difficulty finding a vet who will care for your pet when you don't have the funds to pay the fees.

To be clear, veterinarians must pay for their office space, employees, insurance, utilities, and supplies and still make a living.  So if someone they have never seen before wants veterinary care, and can't pay for it, it ends up costing them money.

If you want a pet, keep in mind that you need to set aside money for its care or pay for pet insurance.  Think about the costs you will incur.  First there is the purchase price of the pet.  Sure, you can get a free pet so maybe the initial cost will be zero.  But you really, really, need to get vet care.  Your vet will give you good advice about its care, give it shots to protect it from disease, and be available when you really need care. 

Then you have to consider the food, spaying or neutering, (trust me-you want to have it done), food and water bowls, collar, leash, treats, toys, flea treatment, heartworm treatment, cat litter, waste disposal, bedding, dental care, and annual checkups.  Annual costs average from $500 to $2,000. 

Sure you can get really inexpensive food (which is probably bad for your pet and will lower its life span).  And you might want to skip some of the recommended treatments (again shortening its life span).  The moral of the story is; wait until you can afford a pet before you get one.  If you can't live without the loving companionship of a pet try volunteering at your local shelter, or volunteer to take your neighbor's dog for a walk, or play with the cat.  Don't put yourself in a position where an animal will suffer because you can't afford its care.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Loss of a Pet

Everyone is different and everyone handles grief differently.  Pet owners requesting euthanasia for a sick and ailing pet always find it to be a difficult task.  My heart goes out to them because it is not easy to watch a pet suffer, but it is no easier to make the decision for euthanasia.

When people find out I work for the SPCA they often tell me their pet stories.  Sometimes those stories include the loss of a pet.  Because pets are often considered a 'family member', the loss can be devastating.  The grief response can range from the immediate need to adopt another pet to the threat of 'never going through that again'.

I had a Great Dane that I loved very much.  When I lost him I realized how empty my home seemed.  I was depressed for weeks.  A year later my brother gave me the gift of another Great Dane.  She was a wonderful dog and as she aged I began to fear for her loss.  I read an article about adopting another dog to keep the older dog active and have companionship when losing the older dog. 

When her time came, I did grieve her loss but I had another dog to comfort me.  I was surprised that my grief was helped by having a second dog.  I was also surprised that he sensed when I needed comfort.  It's been almost 18 years since I lost that female Great Dane.  I still remember her fondly, as well as the male that followed her.  And I often think of Paco, the shelter cat that adopted me. 

So now I have three dogs and another cat.  The dogs are small (no more Great Danes for me), and the cat reminds me of Paco.   It is with fondness that I remember my past pets and my wish for everyone who has lost a pet is that your grief can also be relieved through the love of another four legged creature.  They really do love unconditionally.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Challenges of a Deaf Dog


Astro is a small, young dog, weighing about 17 pounds.  He is totally deaf which creates training challenges.  Plus, he seems to have cattle dog breed characteristics.  Since cattle dogs are a herding breed they exhibit nipping at heels behaviors.  This is how the dogs herd cattle-by nipping at the back of their legs. 

So he was adopted to a family with children.  Not understanding his breed behaviors the family returned him for "biting ankles and calves". 

SPCA trainer Tracy Free spent time evaluating him.  She found him to be a sweet, playful pup.  She recommended a vibrating collar to help train him and suggested that he goes to an adopter that is knowledgeable about cattle dogs and is willing to accept the challenges of having a deaf dog. 

Anyone up to the challenge?

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Fosters Gone Wild

These little guys were in foster homes and brought back for adoption.  Looks like a fun time!

Monday, April 9, 2012

We Recycle

I care about the environment.  It is amazing to me that not everyone shares my enthusiasm. It took some work but I finally have the SPCA at a point where we recycle as much as we can.  And it is a lot! 

We receive a lot of cardboard.  Some of it is via the delivery of supplies.  But just as much is from the transport of kittens, puppies, and other small animals.

Of course there are a lot of cans from all of the cat and dog food.  Many bottles of plastic from laundry and bleach bottles.

Not too much glass.  If we do have glass it is usually from an employee's beverage.

I'm surprised by the amount of office paper we recycles.  That is the only recyclable that our county will pick up from us.  Supposedly, the recycle center picks up all recyclables from businesses in our area.  After weeks of putting out recyclables for pick up, we finally gave up and take it ourselves.

We even have containers for recycling at our fundraising event.  The funny thing is, that people will throw their bottles or cans into the trash rather than look for a recycle bucket.  If I'm at an event I usually ask if they recycle.  It's because I care about the environment and you should too.  It's the only one you have.

Monday, April 2, 2012

The Name Says It All

This is Murmur.  He came to the shelter with his mother and litter mates when he was just days old.  He was adopted at 8 weeks of age but then returned because he had a heart murmur.  He weighed just two pounds and fit into the palms of my hands. 

So I decided to take him to my vet to see what could be done for the murmur.  He was referred to Cornell Veterinary Hospital and had a surgical correction of the problem.  Of course I adopted him and along with the responsibility of the care of the animal, is the name. 

I like names that express the personality of the animal. Cuddles is a good one, so is Lovey.  Some are funny, like Klepto or Stinky.  Others need to be changed like Demon or Killer.  (Although a little Maltese could get away with the Killer moniker.)

Some people don't like animals to have people names.  Some people are insulted to find animals with their same name, others are flattered.  Sometimes you can have funny results with some names.  We had a dog with my name.  Our kennel manager was trying to get her to come inside and was calling-Vickie!  Vickie!  Come here Vickie!  So I said OK and we had a good laugh about that.  (You had to be there.)

Another time I was walking my dogs and a collie began to chase us.  A man came running down the hill yelling "Precious, Precious".  It struck me funny to see this large, burly man chasing down Precious.  When he got the dog he was quick to point out "It's not my dog." 

My dad had a dog who liked to lap beer out of his glass-his name was Boozer.

So when you want to name your pet, try saying it out loud first.  You might not want to be running down the street to get "Naked". 

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Poor Neena!

The collar with rinestones was imbedded in the skin under Neena's right leg.  Despite her need for surgery to remove the collar on January 16, she has maintained her sweet and loving attitude.  The infection from having the collar cut into her skin is still beign treated with anitbiotics.  Our hope is that her newest treatement will work well to heal the gash under her leg so that we can make her available for adoption.  For a cat to go through so much, it is quite a testament to her character that she remains a wonderul feline.