How can you help her feel better again? If you’re paying attention, you usually can spot something wrong before it becomes too big a threat to your pet’s health. Or you can spot an oncoming emergency in time to get her to the veterinarian and minimize any damage to her health. As soon as you notice that she’s just not herself, certainly first we need to figure out why she’s feeling off. Is it really just an “off” day, or is it something serious? Here’s a checklist to help you get to the root of the problem quickly. Does she have diarrhea, is she sneezing, is she dehydrated, are her eyes watering, does she have a rash on her feet and tummy, is she throwing up, is she lethargic, does she feel fevered, is her breathing fast and shallow, does she cry if you try to pick her up, etc.?

Interpreting The Symptoms.

Once you assess all the symptoms, you can begin to figure out the ailment.  If she’s throwing up, you need to know–did she chew on a toxic plant, ingest a household poison, swallow a foreign object, overeat at dinnertime? Look back over the previous 24-48 hours. Did you introduce a new diet or treat? Did you give her people food that she’s not used to? If so, then she may have a simple tummy ache. Watch her closely for awhile to see if it resolves on its own. If not, take her in to your veterinarian.

If she has diarrhea, perhaps it’s because of a new diet, food allergy, overeating, intestinal parasite, or even a thyroid imbalance. If your pet has diarrhea, then she’s also dehydrated. Diarrhea not treated for an extended period of time can take your pet’s life–this goes for infant pets as well as seniors. Never underestimate the importance of hydration. See paragraphs below for treatment. If you did in fact feed her people food or introduce a new diet too quickly, then probably no reason to panic. The upset tummy and diarrhea should resolve itself and she’ll feel better within 12-24 hours. Keep her hydrated in the meantime, and get her back to her routine diet. You know your pet–if your instincts tell you something more is going on, always err on the side of caution and get her in to your veterinarian right away.

If you’ve not made any changes in her diet, then it could be an intestinal parasite. Gather a stool sample and take it to your veterinarian for analysis. Intestinal parasites are treated with antibiotics and she should be good as new in a week or so. While this may not seem like an emergency, intestinal parasites left untreated can cause acute anemia in your pet. Also keep in mind that diarrhea can be fatal to your pet. Intestinal parasites are also contagious to any other pets in the home.

If the test for intestinal parasites comes back negative, however, then you should request your veterinarian draw a blood sample to look for other possibilities, for example a thyroid imbalance. Diarrhea can be a distinct signal of thyroid issues. If the blood test results confirm this, the problem is very easily treated with ear drops or a daily pill. See my video in the side panel “How To Pill A Cat.” Dogs, of course, are even easier to “pill.” Just wrap the pill in bacon or peanut butter or whatever–he doesn’t care.   🙂

Pet Poison Helpline publishes a list showing the many indoor and outdoor poisons to be aware of: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/. Examine all your houseplants–outdoor plants too, if she goes outside. Do any of the leaves appear to be chewed? Look through your house for any possible household poisons within the pet’s reach. Examine her toys–do any of them appear damaged and maybe the stuffing is coming out or pieces are missing? Are any of your socks or scrunchies missing? If you can answer yes to any of these, then feel her abdomen. Does she cry out or flinch? If so, then get her to the veterinarian ASAP. She may have swallowed a foreign object or be in toxic shock from a poisonous plant, and EVERY MOMENT COUNTS. Don’t waste any time — GO.

If she’s sneezing and her eyes are watering, maybe she has a respiratory bug, or simple allergies? If the nasal discharge is clear, then hopefully it’s just seasonal allergies. If it’s green and getting thick, then it’s more likely a respiratory virus. Either way, your veterinarian can advise you the proper treatment. Make an appointment to take your pet in. Doubtful it’s an emergency, but still not to be ignored. Plus, respiratory ailments are contagious to other pets in the home, so the sooner you get her treated, the better.

What about a rash? If your pet has a rash on her feet pads or tummy, it could be a couple of things. Outside: did you just fertilize your yard or spray weedkiller? As soon as she walks on it, or sits or lays, it could be irritating her skin. Keep her indoors for several days after these applications. Be sure the patio and sidewalks are hosed down to get rid of residue. Inside: what do you clean your floors with? If you use bleach or a harsh cleaner, that may be irritating her delicate skin and feet. Be sure you rinse the floor thoroughly after cleaning–twice to be safe.

What Do I Do?

First, be certain she’s kept hydrated. A great item to always keep on hand is unflavored Pedialyte. You can find it in the baby department of any grocery store or pharmacy. Or you can get it online from Amazon. See the icon below for purchase. Add Pedialyte to your pet’s water dish. If your pet is feeling poorly enough that she’s avoiding the water dish, then give it to her full strength from an eye dropper and start her on sub-q fluids. Continue this until you can get her in to your veterinarian. Once you get fluids in her, you’ll see her begin to perk up pretty quickly. If your pet is feeling rotten enough that she’s not even getting out of bed or sitting up, then definitely get her to the veterinarian sooner than later.

You can determine if a pet is dehydrated by pinching and lifting the skin between her shoulder blades or hips. When you let go, does the skin spring back to her body, or does it stay pinched and standing? If it doesn’t bounce back, then you have a dehydration problem. Be very mindful that dehydration can ultimately be fatal for any pet. You must act quickly to treat it. You can get the sub-q fluids and supplies from your vet, and they can also show you how to administer the fluids.

Whatever else you do, ALWAYS keep your pet hydrated. I have brought MANY of our rescue pets back from the brink of death with Pedialyte and sub-q fluids–seniors and infant pets as well. Too often, kittens and puppies are taken from their mothers much too soon (12 weeks is ideal, anything younger puts them at risk). An infant kitten or puppy can die very quickly of simple diarrhea and dehydration. If your pet has diarrhea, then she’s also dehydrated. Diarrhea not treated for an extended period of time can also take your pet’s life. Never underestimate the importance of hydration.

Second–don’t panic. Pets can have “off” days and feel generally poopie just like us. It may not be serious, BUT–on the off chance something is seriously wrong, DON’T ignore the symptoms. Keep very close watch and be prepared to act quickly if needed.

How Can I Know If It’s Something Serious?

Does she seem to be in acute distress? Is she crying, whining, breathing heavily, or breathing fast and shallow, is she shaking, is her abdomen tender to the touch, is she unable to stand, does she cry if you try to pick her up? These are signs of something very serious–get her to your veterinarian ASAP. It’s much better to rush her to the vet and find out it’s nothing serious, than to have ignored the signs and end up losing your pet for lack of timely treatment.

REMEMBER: the best thing you can do for your pet’s health is to PAY ATTENTION. If you catch something quickly, you can minimize the negative impact it might otherwise have on your pet.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post When Your Pet Doesn’t Feel Well. appeared first on BareFootPets.

Right off the bat I’m going give you one word – FURMINATOR. It will save your life. Don’t struggle anymore with only a conventional bristle brush or comb that pulls and tears at your pet’s delicate skin. Add the Furminator to your grooming toolbox. It has razor blades safely buried deep into the teeth that gently slice away the knots as you comb, without all the pain. Life just got a whole lot more comfortable for both of you. Knots and mats will become a thing of the past. But, if your pet is already a bit matted, start with the Furminator or similar functioning tool. Save the conventional brush and comb for simple maintenance grooming later when his coat is all tangle-free again.

Okay, so much for plugging a product. Let’s get down to the “knots” and bolts.  🙂

Happy Happy Joy Joy!!

When you groom away loose fur and dust and dander in your pet’s coat, his coat will flow more freely, stop itching, and be overall healthier. And big bonus – you’ll want to snuggle and cuddle and love on him again, too. Everyone’s happy! 🙂 And, grooming also stimulates your pet’s skin surface and makes him feel refreshed and revitalized – that is, if you’re using the right tools that promote gentleness instead of ripping and tearing.

Think how fabulous you feel after a shower – you want to give your pet that same wonderful feeling, right. One of my favorite things is belly-laughing at my dog as he zooms all crazy through the house after a bath or a grooming session. He’s so thrilled it’s like he thinks he can run faster. I love making him feel THAT good. You can get that same response with the right grooming practices, too.

First, Protect Your Pet’s Faith In You.

IMPORTANT: If you continue trying to groom your matted pet with the wrong tools, causing him pain and distress, you will eventually lose “pet quality” – that special bond between you. Because he will no longer trust you. He’ll run from you, hide from you, nip at you, pee on the floor, whatever it takes to avoid that terrible thing you’re going to do to him. He doesn’t speak “people” so he can’t understand that the pain you’re putting on him is for his own good. You both are miserable, and you have effectively become the enemy. Let’s avoid that.

Don’t Ignore Your Pet’s Grooming Needs, Not Even For A Day.

I’ve been active in pet rescue for decades, and it’s amazing the number of longhair pets that get surrendered to shelters because someone never groomed them and just gave up. Persians, Himalayans, Maltese, Shih Tzus, etc., are the higher percentage of rescues my organization (Milagro Senior Pet Refuge) takes in, because no one wants to take on all the work of getting them back in good shape … and keeping them that way. If you ever get a chance to see their condition when they come in, it will make you cry. I’ve seen even big grown men brought to tears for what these poor animals have suffered. Heartbreaking.  >> It’s VERY important to recognize that life will be profoundly happier for BOTH of you if you take a brief moment every day to quickly run a comb through her coat to remove any mats or knots that may be starting. Takes no longer than brushing your own hair. A small effort to show a giant expression of love and devotion.   🙂

Does Skipping A Day Or Two Really Matter?

If you have a longhair, high-maintenance pet, and are tempted now and then to ignore its grooming, please reconsider. The cat or dog will suffer untreated itching, matting, pulling, pain; and then suffer through a brutal shave-down session when you finally wake up and realize it’s overdue. So it’s like constant misery for the pet. This is especially true for cats, who are much more sensitive to abrupt and drastic changes. Some folks opt for a yearly shave-down and leave it at that. While not the ideal practice, it’s better than no grooming at all. But, even with once-a-year shade-downs, you still must be diligent the rest of the time to brush regularly and keep any knots from forming and causing her pain in between shave-downs.

Always be thoughtful and aware of her comfort, or lack of. Skipping a day or two can have a snowball effect. For example, you’re tempted to skip a day or two and don’t see a big difference in Fluffy’s coat. So you figure it’s probably okay to skip even another day or two and, next thing you know, you weren’t paying attention and now you’ve lost track. It’s been weeks or months, and now you’re looking at more than simple combing – now you’re facing damage control, unpleasant no matter how you look at it.  Kind of like allowing yourself an ice cream cone today … and another one tomorrow, thinking it won’t really make a difference in your weight.  Same thing next week, another ice cream cone, then another. And all of a sudden, three months down the road, now you can’t fit into your little black dress, or your favorite jeans.  Ignoring responsibilities always catches up with you. In this case, it will be your precious pet who suffers.

It’s very important to know that, when your pet sheds, all that loose fur doesn’t just release and fall away. Lots of what has been shed stays right there in your pet’s coat causing matting, knotting, itching, and even aggravates allergies for both you and your pet. If the mats and knots aren’t removed right away, they become tighter and tighter, making it hard for your pet to walk or even move normally, and causing your poor little pet’s skin to tear and get infected.

Once your pet’s coat gets to that point (God Forbid!), it becomes necessary to hire a professional groomer to shave your pet totally down all over so the skin can be treated and start to heal, and the coat can start growing in healthy again. A pet should not have to suffer like that. So let’s share some good and easy guidelines to prevent all that bad stuff.

P.S. Unless you’re experienced with electric clippers, DO NOT try to shave your pet’s coat down yourself. There is a very real likelihood that you’ll cut her skin, even to the point of needing stitches. Protect your pet – don’t take unnecessary chances.

Grooming = Love.

Grooming also helps in more ways than just detangling fur. Grooming your pet promotes a close relationship between the two of you. It’s a time for you to enjoy each other’s company and build trust.

Reminder: As I said above, always protect the trust that exists between you and your pet. Using the wrong grooming tools, causing her pain and distress, or trying to shave her without the proper experience, can cause the pet to lose trust in you and, just like people, trust is difficult to rebuild once it’s lost.

Grooming also is a great way for you to stay up-to-date on what’s happening with your pet’s health. While you’re grooming your pet, you can feel for lumps, bumps, injuries, parasites, over-grown toenails, dry eyes, ear infections, etc. And watching on a regular basis for early signs of such health issues gives you a jump on them, so you can get your pet to a veterinarian before the issues become more challenging and cause your pet to suffer. These demonstrations of care for your pet translate into love, and THAT is a language he understands.

Do-It-Yourself Or Professional Groomer?

If your pet really hates grooming and you just don’t want to be the “bad guy” who puts him through it, then consider having a professional do the grooming for you. That way, the groomer becomes the bad guy and now you’re the good guy, the hero, when you come to rescue him after the session is finished.  And after your pet is professionally groomed, then you can do the easy maintenance grooming in-between professional sessions, and your pet will love you. It’s a win-win!   🙂

If cost is a consideration and you can’t afford a professional groomer on a regular basis, then think about having a professional groom your pet just once in awhile, even if only once or twice a year, with the commitment that you will be conscientious and do the easy maintenance grooming the rest of the time. As long as you keep up the regular at-home grooming in between, that’s still infinitely better than ignoring your pet’s grooming needs altogether. Like I said in one of my other posts about dental care – ignoring the need doesn’t make it go away. In the end, you will only invite a bigger problem upon yourself and more suffering on the pet.

ShortHair Pets Need Grooming Too.

Even though you won’t need a Furminator for grooming your shorthair pet, you should know that shorthair pets still shed as much as longhair pets. And short fur aggravates allergies – yours and his – just as much as long fur. Plus, even tho it may not mat like long fur, short fur causes itching and discomfort for your pet. And don’t forget that grooming revitalizes your pet’s skin surface and makes him feel refreshed – the simple act of grooming/brushing your shorthair pet equals love. These are good things we want to give our pets.

Final Touches.

Your grooming sessions should also include a bath, nail trim, teeth brushing (see my post), ear cleaning, eye drops (see my post), and expressing anal glands.

Okay, expressing the anal glands is “acky” so most people opt to have their veterinarian do it, which is a good idea, considering it typically costs under $20. And usually once a year is enough, unless your pet is prone to infections.  How do you know?  The most obvious sign is if he scoots around on his butt a lot. That’s a real give-away.

Nail trimming is also inexpensive at the vet. But, if you want to do it yourself, here’s the first rule. Look closely at each nail and be very sure that you can see the “quick” – the pink internal coloration that is where the pet’s nerves and soft tissue begin. Be VERY careful not to cut into that. If your pet has dark-colored nails so that you can’t locate the quick, then trim conservatively and take only small amounts off the tip to avoid cutting the quick. Better to trim small bits more often than trying to take big cuts in one session and injuring your pet.

NOTE: A great trick to minimize allergies for both you and your pet is to wipe your pet down head-to-toe after grooming. This removes loose dander, which is what actually causes allergies. As I’ve said in other posts, it’s not the pet that people are allergic to; it’s the dust and dander and pollen in its fur.  So every night before bed, and at the end of grooming sessions, quickly wipe your pet down head-to-toe – first with this handy glove (below) to remove any remaining loose fur, and then with a damp rag to remove leftover traces of dander, dust, and pollen. Then begin to notice the difference, how much better everyone will start feeling.  🙂

Watch for my next post on eye care.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Grooming ~ Make It Happy. appeared first on BareFootPets.

Your Allergy Symptoms.

Sneezing, runny nose, headache, the usual miserable stuff?  Lots of people are allergic, they think, to their pets.  And lots of people end up giving their pets up just to get some relief from allergies. But you don’t have to send your precious pet away. Truth is it’s not even your pet that you’re allergic to–it’s the dander and pollen and saliva on your pet’s fur that’s causing you allergic distress.  And, like most loving pet parents, you let your pet sleep with you in your bed. So your nose is getting up close and personal at night with all those allergy inducers. Even if your pet doesn’t sleep with you at night, you still snuggle with him during the day, right. Up close and personal with the allergens. Good News ~ Totally Fixable!  

Try this: every night before bed, wipe your pet down, head to toe, with a damp washcloth–his face, all of his fur, bottoms of his feet. This will take away any loose dander, pollen, and dust that will aggravate your nose and eyes. Next, flush your eyes with saline or warm water. Doing this rinses away pollen that can start trouble with your eyes.  Also flush your nose with nasal saline mist; it’s a simple rinse, all natural, non-medicated. You can get it at your local pharmacy or on Amazon–it is not a prescription. Here are the simple products that can become your lifesavers.

Once you have flushed the pollen away, now you need to coat the inside of your nose to protect the nasal surface from more pollen. Using a q-tip, spread a thin layer of vaseline on the inside of your nose; be careful not to go too high to avoid injury. It will probably feel a little weird at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly, especially when you realize how much better you’re going to feel. The vaseline will comfort your nasal passages and protect the nasal surface from reacting to new pollens. Now you’re ready for a comfortable, peaceful night’s sleep. Sweet dreams!  

Your Pet’s Allergy Symptoms.

Check your pet for signs of allergies as well. Are his eyes red and runny? Does his nose run and he sneezes a lot?  Sounds like he’s got allergies, too. Poor little guy’s as miserable as you are. You can feel his pain, right. But never fear–you can help him with simple solutions at home and give both of you relief at the same time. One really effective habit to get into on a daily basis, even when it’s not allergy season, is to run warm water through your pet’s eyes to wash away pollen and debris, just as you do your own. I find the best way to do that is to fill a cotton ball with warm water and let it drizzle through his eyes. This will cause him to sneeze, also removing pollen from his nose. VERY important — do NOT rub his eyes with the cotton ball. Just hold it over his face and let the warm water drizzle over his eyes.  NEVER rub his eyes with the cotton ball–you could cause corneal injury and damage his vision.

Once you’ve finished flushing your pet’s eyes, put lubricating drops in each eye. Systane Ultra by Alcon is the one I use, for my pets and myself. It was recommended to me by my pet’s ophthalmologist. It’s really really soothing, preservative-free, and we all get immediate comfort and relief with it.  NOTE: don’t use ointments in your pet’s eyes. Ointments are tacky and actually trap pollen and debris, which can make allergies worse, and also scratch the surface of your pet’s eyes. Stay away from ointment!

Okay, now you’re all informed with some easy, non-drug home remedies to fight allergies and some links to help you quickly purchase your supplies. It’s going to feel great to feel great again–aren’t you excited?!   🙂

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Allergies? God Bless You! appeared first on BareFootPets.