Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Follow-Up Friday – May 27, 2016

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Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up the week.

You Make Me Smile – May 22, 2016

Cupcake said, “When any space sneaks in between Mom and me, I stand up in the bed next to her head and stare at her till she wakes up and opens a place in the covers for me to slide under and resume my position against her. If I can’t feel her heartbeat, I am too far away. When she says the word, “Get offa me, weirdo!” Then I know I’m in the perfect spot.”

Cupcake, you always make me laugh. Maybe I should feature YOU in one of my Sunday posts. 🙂

Hailey and Zaphod said, “Similar things have happened to me. I have been sure it was one dog in the bed and it was the other!”

Do you find that you typically KNOW which dog it is because of the way they get on the bed? Both my dogs have different techniques, which is what totally threw me off.

Jan K said, “Cricket always goes behind my legs, and Sheba doesn’t look for snuggles too often. It’s usually Luke if someone piles themself behind my back! Once he knows I’m awake he rolls right onto his back looking for a tummy rub. 🙂”

That’s super cool. Both my dogs will roll onto their backs for tummy rubs too!

Blueberry’s Human said, “You get to sleep in on Sunday?? I have to get up an hour earlier than the work week to get in a quick walk before church. It figures B feels most like snuggling and sleeping in on Sunday which makes it challenging to get up. And B doesn’t care if I want to snuggle or not. She will press herself as close to me as she can get. Sometimes she will press her nose into my neck and I will feel her nose juice drip down my neck. Makes me giggle every time.”

Yes, Sundays are my sleep in day. Don’t get so excited, I’m usually up by 8:00 am. 🙂 Nose juice makes you giggle? I can’t stand it when Delilah drips WATER on my feet!

Monika and Sam said, “Snuggles by any fur-iend means a big smile, on our face and in our hearts.”

You are spot on right there. 

Jan said, “They all like to pose three inches from my nose until I open my eyes to the horror that is before me.”

Ba ha ha, I only get that when someone has to go potty.

2 Brown Dawgs said, “LOL brown dawgs are not big snugglers so I usually don’t have to worry about them getting on the bed. Oh they don’t mind waking you up, but not by getting on the bed.”

So how do the brown dawgs wake you? 😉

Jen said, “When Leroy wants to snuggle he just jumps on top of me. When Sherman wants to snuggle he rolls over for belly rubs 🙂”

Good lord Jen, that dog weighs more than you! Doesn’t he crush you?

The Most Important Question You Can Ask Your Vet

Well no surprise, you guys rose to this challenge and gave some amazing suggestions, things I hadn’t remembered or thought of because I was so focused on supplements. Because the responses were so detailed, I’ve only briefly touched on them here. I highly recommend you go and check them out.

Golden Labrador

Jana Rade says vets hate that question and she’s probably right. I still ask the question though, because I’ve been with my vet for quite some time and she knows my dogs very well. She does keep on top of current nutrition and treatments and since our views are very similar, I depend on her for guidance. 

Emma pointed out that some products work better with some dogs than other ones do. You may have to experiment to see which ones (or combinations of treatments) work best for Lily, and also suggested chiropractic care. 

Jen Gabbard shared, “When it comes to glucosamine supplements we’ve noticed some of them seem to lose their effectiveness after awhile…”

This is something else I forgot about. At first the Rejenease was amazing for Sampson, it is what got him over that CCL repair hump, and then after a bit it seemed like Sampson needed a little something more. 

Jan K mentioned a product called “Wag” from Pet Research Corp, and fish oil.

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom suggested a ramp to help Lily with the stairs. Which is also a great idea.

Monika and Sam said, “There’s no substitute for diagnostic tests and physical exams by professionals….Nutrition is also something that should probably be reviewed as nutritional needs change as pets get older.”

Good thought! I totally spaced on the nutrition piece. Weight can also play a factor, even a pound or two can often times make a difference!

Colby has his guys on generic glucosamine and chondroitin and always asks his vet what he would do if it were his dog.

Cupcake said her mom gave a previous dog Cosequin.

As you can see, there are some fabulous suggestions here! And if your vet is like mine, you can always call them up and run stuff past them.

Silent Fireworks – It’s a Thing!

Pets and War Vets

Taryn Tipton said, “That is a wonderful meme! You should post it over on FaceBook (if you didn’t already) so we can all share it! Just last night, I had the boys out in the yard after dark and I heard a very loud POP, followed a split second later by Jimmy’s frantic pawing at the storm door to be let in. Just one firecracker is all it takes to ruin his night! Sadly, Memorial Day starts the season of never knowing when evening poppers (as we call them) will ruin our bedtime walk. Jimmy begins to get so phobic, he won’t go out after dark. ;-(

Thank you Taryn, I did post it on Facebook, and thanks for sharing it. That is so sad that Jimmy gets phobic, I wish more people put some thought into how their actions affect others.

Genevieve said, “Cupcake is not bothered by fireworks at all. I, on the other hand, am NOT a fan. The neighborhood street fireworks seem especially pointless.”

I’m with you, I don’t get it at all either.

Emma said, “I hate all the fireworks the people around here have. They used to all be illegal in MN, but they are now legal and people feel the need to start practicing about a month before the 4th. It doesn’t phase me, but it keeps Mom up! Katie used to be terrified too, but now not being able to hear has solved that problem.”

They used to be illegal here too, and you only had to worry about a few people that went to neighboring states to buy them, but now they are legal.  They can be super disruptive.

Sue said, “It is like WWIII every July here in our very rural neighborhood. It starts early and lasts way past July 4. The money these folks invest in fireworks makes me shake my head and my animals hate it. I close blinds and draperies, put dog calming music on and pull out the Kongs. The Thundershirt upsets Rudy even more and I have yet to find anything that really helps much at all.”

I would have thought you’d have less fireworks in your area. That really stinks about Rudy. Jan (two comments below) just posted about a new drug that is being marketed for this. It’s very new, but you may want to check into it.

Two French Bulldogs said, “We are moving to a small town in Italy.”

Ba ha ha!

Jan said, “I will never understand the joy in setting off $10 worth of noise for a few minutes of noise and smoke. Only one of my dogs is bothered by the noise, but it is enough for me to want to go to the silent fireworks. We live close to the university campus where the fireworks ground zero is, but it is the all day neighborhood ones that I really hate.”

That must suck! I know how loud our local campus gets! I’m with you though, it’s the neighborhood ones that really suck. The town ones have a specific time frame, where the neighborhood ones seem to go on and on and on.

Jen Gabbard said, “And any little thing we can do to help make lives easier for Veterans is A-OK by me. PTSD can be triggered by so many things, yet most of us are completely unaware.”

You are so right! It doesn’t even have to be a gunshot/fireworks pop, I watched my nephew duck and cover once when someone moved a large table unexpectedly.:-)

Well that’s it for me folks, have a safe and Happy Memorial Day!

Silent Fireworks – It’s a Thing!

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Did you hear about the town in Italy that banned noisy Fireworks and began using Silent Fireworks instead? Yes, Silent Fireworks are a thing!!

Realizing how many animals were stressed out and how many ran away during celebrations,  the town of Collecchio (in the province of Parma) passed an ordinance requiring citizens to use Silent Fireworks. Settee Fireworks the manufacturer of the silent fireworks, tailors the fireworks to fit the venue.

Oh how I wish it would catch on here in the states.

Truthfully, we live far enough from the town celebration so the booms are very faint. If I put the air on and the TV up loud, Sampson doesn’t even notice.

No, it’s not the town celebration that I worry about. It’s the neighborhood fireworks that really does my puppy in. Even with the air on and TV loud, he’s a panting stressed out mess.

We have one neighbor, two houses up that usually has a party on 4th of July and right around 9:30, he starts with the fireworks right in the street. Which can sound SUPER loud when he’s a bit farther uphill from us. Luckily for me, his neighbor across the street will call the police if the noise goes one minute past 10:00 PM.

Recently a friend shared that Melatonin can help dogs with separation anxiety. After speaking with my Vet she suggested it for thunder storms and I figure it might help with the fireworks as well.

And animals aren’t the only ones who suffer from noise phobias. Many of our veterans are suffering from PTSD and loud and sudden noises can send them into a panic.

I know, I know. It’s not 4th of July and I know (at least around here) that many people don’t celebrate with fireworks for Memorial Day weekend.  AND I know you all are careful and considerate when celebrating the holidays, but not everyone is.

Pets and War Vets

This has been a public service announcement on behalf of animals and veterans everywhere.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend, from all of us at Heart Like a Dog.

The Most Important Question You Can Ask Your Vet

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Disclaimer, I am not a veterinarian and any supplements or treatments discussed in this post should not be taken as advice, you should ALWAYS consult your own veterinarian regarding your pet’s health.

I had a question from one of my readers, Alexa88. Typically, I would respond to this during my Follow-Up Friday post, but since I suspect the answer to her question will be quite lengthy, I decided to make it into a post.

Here is her question, “Lily has a vet apt. on june 6th. she is 11 years old. she has days where she gets up more slowly and takes the 4 outdoor steps slowly going up and down. she doesn’t seem to be in pain at all.  any advice on questions for our vet about joint supplements that might help with her joints. can’t stop the aging process but want to help in any way we can.  she is medium size and weighs 60lbs.”

So everyone knows I’m pretty Type A when it comes to my dogs. I routinely go in for their vet visits with a list of questions regarding their care. I think it’s a great thing to have core questions ready, and you can follow up with other questions as you get your answers and more questions pop up.

Probably the first thing I would ask if Lily were my dog is – WHY Lily is slow in getting up and using the outdoor steps? Is it a normal part of the aging process? (Sampson’s back legs tremble sometimes, which my vet says is similar to an older person’s shaking.) OR is there an underlying issue such as arthritis or hip dysplasia? Once you have your answer to the WHY you can then switch to the WHAT, being WHAT can we do to support or help her with this issue?

You say she doesn’t seem to be in pain, but dogs are super stoic. I had no idea Sampson was struggling with his knee until the vet told me he’d lost muscle mass in his back legs. 🙁

Your vet will more than likely have their own ideas of what types of supplements he/she wants Lily on, but here are some of the ones I’ve used for Sampson, in case your looking for a reference.

For his arthritis:

  • Dasuquin –  a joint supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin.
  • Carprofen – (a pharmaceutical) an anti-inflammatory drug that helps both his arthritis and his knee.

For his knee injury:

  • Green Lipped Mussels – (I’m using Super Snouts Lipped Mussel powder)  pronounced Green Lipid Mussels (don’t make the same mistake I made and call it lipped, I felt like an ass when my vet pronounced it.) 🙂 Green Lipped Mussel contains Glucosamine and Chondroitin, it has a myriad of health benefits for joints, heart, eyes, skin, bone and brain.
  • Ligaplex II by Standard Process – With his initial injury we did a bottle of Ligaplex I which supports tissue repair, healthy joints and muscles, bone growth and synthesis of cartilage, and it also supports natural anti-inflammatory response. The Ligaplex II supports tissue and joints, helps feed the muscolosketal system and facilitates freedom of movement, and is also involved in maintaining healthy fluid levels. When I was researching the I vs II, I found out that the Ligaplex I is good for an initial injury to help get the healing process moving along. It was recommended for a six week course and then to switch over to the Ligaplex II for long term support.
  • Gabapentin – I put him on the Gaba because he keeps licking at those front paws. Honestly, his paws are a mess, but I can’t get the damn dog to stop licking them! The Gaba is used for nerve pain and since we’ve been unable to determine WHY he keeps licking those paws, we use the Gaba. But it is a medication I hope to remove shortly.
  • Tramadol – is a opiod pain medication. I didn’t initially start him on this, but I did put him on it for a couple of months, and I just recently stopped it. The main reason I put him on this was for its sedation powers. I really wanted to Sampson to rest more and allow his body’s natural healing process to work, (he kept tweaking that knee) and I felt that would work best if he wasn’t in pain.

I have also used a number of different supplements that all worked really well, among them Rejenease and Omagease by Finest for Pets.  And I have also used (and Jen from My Brown Newfies still uses it) Natural Strides. They are all really great supplements and have all helped Sampson at various stages of his recovery.  If you click on the Omegease link, there is a discount code for your first bottle and the Rejenease discount code is in the side bar of the site. The only reason I stopped using any of these supplements is because my vet recommends the Dasuquin.

Adequan injections are also an option. The usual dose is once every four days initially and then it tapers off and is administered dependent upon the dog. Some dogs need it more frequently than others.

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog if you keep giving me short, slow walks!

You’d think getting needles stuck into you would hurt, but it actually makes me feel better.

Acupuncture is also good if there is a veterinarian in your area that does it. At my vet clinic an acupuncture treatment costs about $55. This is another treatment that is dependent on how well the dog reacts to it.

You didn’t mention exercise, so I’m curious, what types of exercise does Lily gets and how frequently? I might consider asking my vet what types of exercise would be recommended for Lily.

That should give you some ideas of what’s available and what they are used for. I could go on and on as I’ve learned so much these past two years working with Sampson, but your head is probably spinning right now. So I’ll leave it here, but if you have any more questions, please feel free to ask, you can even send me an e-mail. (There’s a contact section at the top!) Also, the community page has links to a number of different blogs where you will find a variety of information regarding injuries and illness regarding pets.

So yeah, the title of this post.

After I get ALL of my questions answered to my satisfaction, I always, always, always ask my vet one last question, which in my opinion is the most important question you can ask your vet.

And that is: If it were your dog, what would you do?

Does anyone have any ideas for Alexa? A product you’ve used for your pup that might help Lily? If so, please share.

And thanks for asking that question Alexa, I hope we’ve given you a starting point for Lily’s vet visit. Please update us after Lily’s appointment!

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