[jakes mom]

My understanding is that once you have a couple of weeks of below freezing temps the mosquitos should have died off so there’s no reason to protect the dog from them. I used to live in RI, Kristin, and always stopped the meds in the winter. Should be the same for you “next door” in CT. Last dose in Nov or Dec if Nov was mild, then start again in May.

[jakes mom]

Has anybody ever used Capstar? Kills fleas for just 24 hours. Could maybe use for a couple of days until the DE has time to do it’s thing?

[jakes mom]

If he’s having trouble with kibbles while he’s teething maybe you could try The Honest Kitchen or Fresh Pet.

[jakes mom]

these are great ideas! I’ll have to remember them! They don’t need much for a UA so if you can just get a few tablespoon’s worth you should be ok. Less than that if all they’re doing is a macroscopic (dipstick) test.

[jakes mom]

Akari, haha…I would love some of those stupid 80 degree Decembers! I will be visiting family near Tampa next Feb. and hope to see some stupid 80s then, too! Thanks for the comment about taking dogs away from the owners for nail trims, blood draws, etc. That was my reasoning, too. Read that somewhere I guess…
I will give Jake a break over the winter and resume his hw meds this spring and hope he has a better experience with his test next year.

[jakes mom]

I agree, you need to report that woman’s conduct to corporate. No excuse for her to treat you like that. Then let it go and enjoy your holidays and school break.

[jakes mom]

I don’t think that’s the case here in OH. My old vet let me sign a waiver that I consistently gave meds thru the hw season and she did not test every year before giving them the meds. The current vet (I moved) tested him this past spring as he was a new patient, now I have the option of seasonal meds and testing in the spring or year round meds and no test. I know that you should not give a hw pos. dog the meds but since I was sure he got his pill every month I was ok with the waiver at the old vet. I kind of got the impression that it was something she did for clients she was sure she could believe/trust, if you know what I mean.
Dori, I agree, I do take the pets to the vet regularly, especially, as C4C says, I have a geriatric cat ward, lol. Five cats, all teens, oldest is 19.
I can’t feed Jake to distract him, they take the animal out of the exam room to do any procedure, biopsy, whatever, even take blood. I guess my main question was, is it ok to keep him on year round or should his body get a break from the chemicals if it’s not necessary ( we have very cold winters, no doubt there). BCNut, I know you’re in Fla and give meds year round but if you lived elsewhere and had the option, would you take the dogs off the meds in the winter months and test every spring?

[jakes mom]

Yep, that’s what I ended up doing with my NV frozen kitty food, it became a topper for Jake’s food. Cats not interested in frozen raw, but a couple love fresh.

[jakes mom]

I’m hoping to retire to Fla near my brother and his family. Really would be happy to never see snow again. Will learn to love the heat and humidity lol.

[jakes mom]

BCNut, that’s funny, I was born in San Bernadino. Moved to RI when I was a baby.

[jakes mom]

I know, Marie, I’ve been watching the weather on the east coast! I grew up in RI but now in Ohio. My brother and his family are in RI so I keep track of the weather there. My other brother is in Florida, I’m jealous, I really am NOT a fan of snow.

[jakes mom]

Very happy for you, but that means we’ll hear even less from you on DFA! 🙁
Congrats!

[jakes mom]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I agree with the comments about people working on the holiday. I’m a lab tech (working Christmas this year) but knew what I was getting into as far as working holidays and weekends. Not the same for retail. Plus I don’t have to deal with all the crazy people. I’m off today but you won’t find me anywhere near the mall! Off to the park with Jake if the snow stops!

[jakes mom]

will she eat a bit of pumpkin? Isn’t that supposed to be good for tummy troubles?

[jakes mom]

Thanks, I’ll check it out! 🙂

[jakes mom]

Akari, cute pics. I have those same doggy stairs! lol! Cats use them more, tho.
BCN, I have friends who have a hawk problem and have to escort their 2 tiny dogs every time they go outside. Scary thought.
Naturella, just bought Jake his first bag of Back to Basics, had an $8 off coupon! I’m lucky, he’s never had any problems with food, eats anything without issues. Sometimes I don’t even think he chews, just vacuums it up!

[jakes mom]

Naturella, I’m so proud of you. Stay strong and do what you need to do. I hope your family comes around and accepts things but if not, that’s on them, not you. You can only control yourself and your life, nobody else. Make the choices that make you happy.

[jakes mom]

I would have taken that “Human Grade” phrase differently, that the protein was human grade, ie. the beef or chicken or whatever, before it was made into meal. Not that the final product was “human grade”, suitable for humans.

[jakes mom]

Akari, you aren’t near Wimaua by any chance are you, that’s where my bro*** and sil are. That’s about an hour from Tampa but not sure what direction, I just know they go to Tampa for doc and hospital, closest big city for that stuff.

[jakes mom]

I had to laugh at you Florida guys talking about the cold weather!! Last winter here in Ohio I had a lot of minus zero days. Got an email from my SIL on one of those days (she’s outside Tampa) and she complained about the frigid temp! It was 47. Um, really? lol I hope to retire to those frigid temps some day.
PS costumes are adorable

[jakes mom]

You and Brian will be in my thoughts this weekend.

[jakes mom]

Alek, I echo the other thoughts posted here. So sorry you had to be married without your family present but it sounds like it was the best decision for you. I will be thinking of you on Friday and hope it goes well.

[jakes mom]

Drs FosterSmith has them on sale now, $25.19 for one. I used them when I moved last year and the cats seemed to be more comfortable than they were when I’d moved in 2006. They explored the new place sooner and ate better. Can’t swear it was because of the Feliway, tho.

[jakes mom]

thanks Kellye

[jakes mom]

Check out the DrsFosterSmith site. They have lots of crates on sale now.

[jakes mom]

C4C, yes, my guys drink clam juice on occasion. Not the best for them I’m sure but sometimes anything is better than nothing if they’re not feeling well and won’t eat/drink. I’ve also used meaty baby food (check ingred. for garlic/onions) watered down to a slurry.
Do you have a water fountain? I bought one last year and I’m glad I did. I’m sure my guys drink more than they used to.

[jakes mom]

forgot to ask, does anybody know if I can freeze FreshPet cat food? I’m talking about the bagged stuff that’s shaped like kibble, the “roasted meals”. I came across a great deal at my grocery store last nite, a 2# bag for $4.50 (regular $8.99) so I got a bag of each flavor. Would like to portion it out and freeze some.

[jakes mom]

Glad he’s doing better and at least he likes the Purina food. Have you tried giving him some clam juice?

[jakes mom]

BCN, you may need to email me about the ***** ban, it must have been before I joined and I don’t want to do/say anything I’m not supposed to. When/if you ever have a free minute, that is!

[jakes mom]

C4C, yes, Andy was on the Hill’s for a while, he didn’t like it either. Still had problems, like BCN said, sometimes scarring is an issue. I decided to have the surgery as he was so young, only about 2, so we could all breathe easier. Only problem after that was an occasional UTI caused by fecal bacteria, vet said, since the 2 openings were closer. But a bottle of antibiotics now and then was no big deal in comparison.
Also, to maybe make you feel better, Dustin, my 19yo hyper-t kitty, had similar problems in the past. He ate the Hills’ and Royal Canin. Made lots of trips to the vet late at nite! I also gave him sub-q fluids at home, easy to do and will help flush all the crap out of his bladder. After he’d been symptom free for a while I slowly swapped him back to regular food. Watched him like a hawk for a while but he’s been fine now for years.

[jakes mom]

I am VERY lucky with my hyper-t cat, he comes when I call him and all I have to do is open his mouth and put pill in. I put it in as far back on his tongue as possible and he swallows. Then gets a yummy treat, both for reward and to make sure pill gets all the way down. The dogs with medical issues are at the Bridge now but my hyper-t cat, Dustin, is 19 and still going strong.

[jakes mom]

C4C so sorry to hear about Caspar, glad he seems to be getting back to normal. Is this the first time he’s had this problem? Years ago I had a male kitty, Andy, with recurring blockages. We ended up doing a PU, pretty drastic but solved the problem once and for all. I’m sure BC can explain it better than me, but essentially the vet reconstructs the cat’s urethra to make it more like a female, wider, so it doesn’t get blocked so easily. Something to keep in the back of your mind, maybe.

[jakes mom]

Patty, so sorry for your loss. I agree with Dori, what a nice gentle way to go. I know he was a lucky little guy to have you in his life.
On another note, thanks everyone for the chicken posts, I laughed out loud a couple of times.

[jakes mom]

Didn’t get all the info you asked for, sorry. The insulin is Humulin N, needles are U100. She says she’s tried a couple of different things. First couple of days she just kind of went over to him and did it and it went ok then he got wise to her. She next tried injecting him while he was eating, again, ok for a couple of days then he caught on and started to resist. Now she lets him eat then they just kind of sit and cuddle for a few minutes and she tries to sneak the shot in. Says it’s not going well. She gets the feeling that’s she’s not hurting him, exactly, more like he’s just annoyed with her bothering him. The vet also said he’s got some arthritis so maybe that’s contributing to the general grumpiness. I’ll get back to her and try to get more specifics.
Susan, I cut my Jake’s nails while he’s asleep, too!
Thanks for the input so far!

[jakes mom]

Kellye, I haven’t gone through quite as much as you have with Duffy but I’ve had my share of pet issues! Cats with urinary tract issues, dog with diabetes, another dog with hypothyroid and seizure disorder, a dog with heart disease, cat with hyperthyroidism…a few years ago I was juggling 11 meds between 3 pets. It was pretty much get out of bed, feed and give meds, go to work, come straight home, feed and give meds! What we do for our furry kids, huh? Glad to hear things seem to be improving, he’s adorable.

[jakes mom]

Nina Pham has tested neg for Ebola and been released from hospital, Bentley has also tested neg and they should be reunited soon. Happy ending for all. So glad the people in Dallas had more compassion than the Spaniards. But then, Spain doesn’t have a very good reputation as far as animal rights goes.

[jakes mom]

Kellye, Duffy is one lucky dog!! Best of luck, I admire your determination.

[jakes mom]

Tough love is right, it’s hard to say no to those big eyes, isn’t it? I have the same problem with Jake, he always follows me to the kitchen just in case he can mooch. I throw him a baby carrot once in a while.

[jakes mom]

Didn’t I read somewhere that pork needs to be frozen for a few weeks before feeding raw? I have pork neck bones in the freezer now, was waiting a little longer before giving one to Jake.

[jakes mom]

She’ll have to skimp on something else, but she loves this dog. Worse comes to worse, I’ll take him.

[jakes mom]

Jake tolerates the small finger brush better than a big toothbrush. I’ve been using pet chix flavored paste but may try coco oil, he already loves it, has a bit every day. And I’ve started giving an occasional RMB, too.

[jakes mom]

Yeah,Patty, that’s what I thought, I was hoping there was something kind of in between that would work for both. That would make things easier with just one food.They are eating Purina Fit and Healthy or something like that. Low enough fat for the dog with pancreatitis I guess, and I was surprised that the vet didn’t recommend a low carb food, but she didn’t. I was hoping to use this diagnosis to gently point them toward a better food but if the vet isn’t recommending a change I don’t know what I can do.

[jakes mom]

Don’t feel guilty about not doing raw. I feed kibble and do the ABC diet, although I add fresh throughout the week instead of all on one day. I think that’s better for my guy’s tummy, I’m afraid all fresh one day might be a bit much for him. I agree, there’s way too much info out there, hard to sort thru it all. I think a good quality kibble and the ABC diet is a good compromise.

[jakes mom]

Not quite up to Akari level, but between sales and coupons I saved $37 at PetSuppliesPlus yesterday. Had 2 Wellness coupons ($5 each) an $8 coupon for Natural Balance and a $5 off $30 spent at PSP. Easy to spend $30 at the pet store, isn’t it!

[jakes mom]

you may want to check out the Diet/health issues forum. Look on page 2, there’s a lot of discussion about the same problem.

[jakes mom]

If you or your parents have a membership to BJ’s their Earth’s Pride Pet brand is highly rated on this site. They have 3 varieties including a grain free. My dog loves all 3, they’re part of his rotation. Naturella made a really good point about rotation diets, good for the dog and the budget.

[jakes mom]

If he’s always outside I would give him all his shots every three years. Who knows what he might come in contact with outside. Last time I read about vaccines, I believe the new theory was that the vacs lasted at least 3 years. You say he doesn’t leave the yard but you never know what might be passing through your yard spreading disease.

[jakes mom]

Akari, Ginger is a very lucky girl! I just wanted to throw one possible thing out to you about the staring into space/ aggression thing. My old guy, Rascal (lost him last year to lymphoma) had partial seizures. He would just “space out” wouldn’t respond to anything for a few seconds then he would focus on the first thing he saw, usually poor Jake but sometimes a cat, and start growling and be very aggressive. Scary as hell to watch! I had to get between him and his “victim” and grab hold of him and talk to him to get him back. He would look at me as if to say, “why are you holding on to me like this?” and then was fine. Got him on phenobarb and he was fine in a week and never happened again. It does seem as tho you’re on the right track with rough handling and maybe some arthritis pain, but I just thought I’d mention the possibility.

[jakes mom]

OK thanks everybody, it sounded interesting, with the custom option and all so thought I’d throw it out to you. Out of my budget, anyway.

[jakes mom]

It does seem as tho something in her evening meal may be the issue. Glad to hear she’ll be going to the vet soon. She’s a little young for thyroid issues but my Walker/beagle had a lot of anxiety and improved quite a bit when he got on thyroid meds. Good luck.

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