As I mentioned in my last post, I love my dog. I take him for regular veterinary checkups, just as I take my children for their annual physicals, eye exams and dental appointments.  He receives monthly treatment for flea and tick prevention as well as pills to prevent heartworm. My puppy (yes, he is an adult but I still call him “puppy”) has skin sensitivities, which seem only to bother him in the summer. We give him food supplements and medicated baths using prescription products from our vet, however his sensitivities have lead to hives and hotspots on occasion requiring more medication and treatment. All of this is EXPENSIVE! 

I, like most budget conscious people (with the price of gas averaging $4.00 per gallon, who these days can afford not to pay close attention to their budget?) have researched my pet’s medications to see if I could find them at a lower price than what I pay at my vet’s office. In doing some research, I found some websites online that offered medications with no prescription required. Some asked for a health history with a questionnaire, or offered to review and “diagnose” a health problem in order to determine the best medication for my pet. Honestly, this made me suspicious. How could a vet accurately diagnose my pet’s problem or needs without seeing him? How was I supposed to be assured that it was actually a vet reviewing the answers to the questionnaire? 

I decided to dig a little deeper into the subject. 

I found that the FDA has posted a PDF with warnings about buying pet meds online. This article helps you determine what you should look for when purchasing these medications online or from a source outside your vet’s office.

I’m all for saving money where I can, but I am not willing to risk my pet’s health in order to do so. If you are considering ordering pet medications online, please read this fact sheet so that you can make an informed decision.

Hi Everyone,

MumblesMom is busy with summer courses at the moment, so she has passed the blogging torch to me for now.  I’ll do my best to keep you informed and entertained. To that end, I would like to discuss an important topic, picking a pet to adopt, and tell you a story that had a happy ending.

Often people show up at animal shelters or the humane society and choose a pet because it’s cute, or has double paws, or long hair, or looks like a previous pet. Selecting a new member of the family should involve more than just finding a cat or dog whose look appeals to you. Animals in shelters come from a variety of places. Sometimes they are from an unwanted or “accidental” litter, brought in when the kittens or puppies are just old enough to leave their nursing mom and too cute to resist. Some kittens are from feral (untamed) mothers, brought in when her litter has been discovered. Some animals are old family pets brought in because families are moving or an owner has passed away. Other times, animals in shelters have been rescued from an abusive situation. Although these animals may make good pets for some people, they have special needs that must be considered for a proper placement. An abused animal usually cannot handle a home with smaller children or a great number of people. Loud noises and sudden movements can make them feel threatened. This can be dangerous for both the pet and the people around it.

Your home situation, the number and age of household members, the frequency that someone is home with the animal are all factors that should be considered when adopting a pet.

With that caution in mind, here is a story that had a happy ending all the way around.

My mother had orange tiger cats her entire life. It wasn’t planned, it just happened that every time she got a cat, it turned out to be a male orange tiger. From as long as I can remember our house had an orange kitty running around. We had three altogether, Benjamin our first, then Christopher, then Johnathan. (Notice a theme with the names? No Morris or Felix at our house.)

When her last cat, Johnny as we called him, passed away at the age of 19, my Mom held off on getting another. She was in the process of building a new home and did not want to traumatize a pet by moving.
When her new house was complete, every last switch plate installed, each piece of furniture in place, she had created a lovely new home, but something was missing. There was no kitty perched on a bookshelf, or threading through her legs as she stood at the stove. No cat curled up and purred on my Dad’s belly while he watched television or tried to chase the pages of the book he was reading.

My daughter decided to make it her mission to find a new orange tiger cat for her grandmother’s upcoming birthday. She scoured the internet and called every local animal shelter for weeks. She got lucky. At last she found a listing for an orange tabby at a local shelter. He was estimated to be six months old. We made an appointment to visit the shelter and get to know this cat that looked so adorable from the photos posted online.

When we arrived at the Branford Animal Shelter, we met with a lovely woman who wanted to give us a head’s up about this particular cat. He was found by a shelter staff member outside of the facility, with his head stuck in a dog food can. Staff members believed that the kitten had not only been neglected but appeared to have been abused as well. How he ended up outside the shelter was a mystery.

Staff members named this cat “Roy Boy” and took care of him. He was cleaned up, seen by a vet regularly and gently nurtured to accept human attention. It was a few months before the shelter put him up for adoption.

My mother, my daughter and I were a little anxious about meeting Roy Boy after we heard his story, but thought “why not just meet him?” My Mom and Dad both love cats and there are no children living in their house, so the situation seemed ideal, especially to the shelter staff. We got our first glimpse of Roy Boy in a cage half hidden under a blanket. The room also housed all the other cats and kittens available for adoption. It took a while to coax Roy Boy out of his cage and into my mother’s arms. In the meantime the room was full of adorable fluffy kittens all mewing and playing and catching our attention. We spent over an hour with Roy Boy and all the other felines frolicking around the room. My daughter was a little disheartened because Roy was so shy and kept trying to hide, but my mother, being the trooper that she is, kept holding him and talking to him softly. After a while he settled down a bit. Staff members explained that it would probably take up to 6 months for this particular cat to become comfortable in his surroundings and with other people. They would not adopt him out to a home with small children or too many people. My mother decided she was up for the challenge of loving this little guy and making a comfortable home for him and that she was happy with such a precious gift from her granddaughter.

For several weeks Roy, whose name eventually morphed to Pretty Boy and then Mr. Kitty, would only come out from under the bed to eat and use the litter box. When visiting my mom I would often find her hanging out from under the bed where she was petting or playing with the cat. After a few weeks Mr. Kitty decided that he would come out from under the bed and spend his time under the comforter on top of the bed. When anyone would go in and visit him, we would see only a slow-moving lump under the covers. At the 6-month mark, after hours of coaxing and gently cajoling by my patient mother and dad, Mr. Kitty was comfortable enough to roam both floors of the entire house and climb onto the furniture to cuddle or play with Mom or Dad.

He is now a very happy cat that gives and receives lots of attention and affection. He loves to lay across my mom while she has her morning coffee, he follows my dad around the house like a shadow.  Lying across the sofa on the screened in porch and watching the egrets in the marsh is a favorite pastime. He is still shy when the house is full of visiting grandchildren or there is a party underway, but all in all my parents turned out to be the perfect fit for Mr. Kitty.

Summer is fast approaching. I’m excited about the long, warm sunny days ahead. Our pets are sure to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine as much as we are. However, with the glorious days of summer also come some very real dangers for the pets we love so much. Heat.

Animal can suffer from sunburn, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

While it’s wonderful for your pet to enjoy the fresh air, you must be certain to keep track of the temperature outside and the amount of time your pets spend in the heat . Please make sure that if you chain your pet up outside that they have adequate shade to go into when they get hot, and also make sure they have fresh water at all times so they do not dehydrate. Refill water bowls frequently with cool water. Also, remember that a spot that is shady in the morning may not necessarily be shady in the afternoon or early evening! Check on your pet often.

Another real danger in the summer time is leaving a pet unattended in a car. Often people take their dogs with them in the car thinking it will be okay to just “run in” to the grocery store to grab a few items. Without intentionally meaning any harm, an animal can be left to swelter in a car. Perhaps you had the air conditioner running and the car seems cool. Thinking you will only be a few moments, and that your dog may be fine, you head in to the store. What if there is a long line at the checkout or you run into a friend and begin chatting? Within 10 minutes the inside of your car can heat up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit; and if you think that’s hot for you, just think about how much hotter it is for your poor pet who’s got a very thick fur coat. While you are searching for a hard-to-find item or standing in line, or talking to a neighbor, your pet continues to absorb the heat. This can become a very dangerous situation very quickly. If you plan to run errands and you would like to bring your beloved pet with you, ask a friend or family member if they would like to go with you so that someone can sit in the car with them. This way, if the car starts to get too hot someone can either turn the air conditioning on or just simply open the windows to allow for some air flow in the vehicle. If you have to run to the store alone and must bring your pet with you, the best bet is to park in the shade and have the windows down while providing water to your pet in the vehicle; but understand that this is not and ideal situation and your pet could still very easily overheat.

If your pet is showing signs of heat exhaustion; panting excessively, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, or a loss of consciousness, be sure to poor cool water onto their fur coat and work it thoroughly into the fur. If your pet has lost consciousness this is considered a life-threatening situation, a true emergency, and will require immediate veterinary attention.

Leaving an animal unattended in a parked car in the heat, or chained up outside with little to no shade or water is considered animal cruelty. Should you see signs of this or any mistreatment to an animal, please report it to your local animal welfare agency, ASPCA, or the police.

Taking good care of your pets as well as yourself will help ensure a happy summer for you and your family.

MumblesMom

The 2 other very other important animals that have made a huge impact on my life recently is this trouble making pair of siblings, Carley and Smokey. Born in the same litter, these two English Springer Spaniels love to cause a ridiculous amount of trouble in or out of the house. They’re cute and young so they seem to get away with a whole lot around my household. As you can see by the picture above (Carley on the left, and Smokey on the right) these two are the most adorable puppies ever. Carley feels as though she is the princess of the household, while Smokey thinks he runs things, until Carley reminds him that he does not and indeed she does. Almost a year old, they’re both very fast learners, create tons of mischief and want to play outside all the time regardless of weather or temperature. Their favorite outdoor activity is digging up the entire yard, including all the flower bulbs from previous years and the gardens all around the yard.

Both Carley and Smokey attended some puppy training classes and they graduated with flying colors. They have both now surpassed what they learned in their class, though Carley seems to enjoy training with her mommy much more than Smokey. Carley has learned many tricks such as shake, sit pretty, kiss, shake (with both paws), jumping through a hoola hoop, and she is slowly working on learning how to roll over. Smokey on the other hand seems to learn from watching Carley doing all these things, and he only does it because he seems jealous that his sister is getting more attention than he is. Since they recently moved into the same house Smokey has started doing kisses, jumping through the hoola hoop , and learned to shake with both paws all just from watching his sister. I find it really funny how animals can learn things so quickly from just watching and observing one another.

Over time you will see Carley and Smokey, as well as Riley and Jasmine, more and more often in my stories.

What about your pets? Who are they and how do they play a role in your life? I would love to hear from everyone who has a special pet.

Be well,

MumblesMom

Almost immediately after welcoming the newest addition to our family, I became concerned with Mumble’s health. As a student of animal studies, I was noticing some disturbing things about him physically. He never really seemed to rid himself of the little pot belly he had when I picked him up that very first day. Thinking it was just round worms – which many kittens and puppies have – I had him tested and found out that he was not infected with this nasty parasite. Over time his pot belly didn’t disappear, but seemed to grow a little more each week. At the same time he was not gaining any weight. I brought him back to the veterinarian to figure out what was going on. As a student, I did not have enough information to make any determination and my mom had not seen this before with any of her cats. It turned out Mumble had a rare disease called Feline Infections Peritonitis (FIP), a disease that is deadly to young and old cats.

My very first question for the veterinarian taking care of my little baby was, “What can we do for him?” I didn’t care how much it was going to cost; I was going to try my best to make sure that my kitten made it through! We soon found out that FIP was not a disease that was easily treatable, and the medicines used had unreliable results. The next month was very rough for the whole family, knowing that on any given day Mumble could leave us, but still we did everything we could to keep him happy and comfortable and to help him make it through. I was away at school during the week and it was up to my mom to care for him and contact me with any and all changes. One morning, she called to tell me that she knew it was his time. As hard as it was to let go, I knew I had to. He was more jaundiced than I have ever seen any animal, he could hardly breathe on his own, and his belly was very large and very hard. I came home to be with him and held him as he passed away. My only solace was that he was no longer in pain and he was not alone. Mumble will forever be a part of my heart. I always feel he is an angel watching over me. The bond between us was immediate and strong and I’m grateful for the time we had together. I felt it was important for the Whales & Friends Blog readers to get to know me and the pets that have impacted my life. They drive me to work even harder at becoming a vet. Now that this said portion of my story has been told, you can look forward to regular posts with a happier theme. Have you hugged your pet today?

What is feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)?
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease caused by a coronavirus infection. Many different strains of coronavirus are capable of infecting cats, but most do not produce serious disease. FIP-producing strains are distinguished by their ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cells. The infected cells transport the virus throughout the cat’s body. An intense inflammatory reaction occurs in the tissues where these virus-infected cells locate. It is this interaction between the body’s own immune system and the virus that is responsible for the disease.
Infected cats shed coronavirus in their saliva and feces. Most cats become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus, either by direct contact with an infected cat, or by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces like clothing, bedding, feeding bowls, or toys. Although the virus can survive for a number of weeks in the environment, it is rapidly inactivated by most household detergents and disinfectants. An inexpensive and effective disinfectant is one part of household bleach in thirty-two parts of water (4 ounces of bleach per gallon of water).

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