This is a subject that doesn’t come up often, but it surely should. Pets’ eyes are delicate and very susceptible to injury and blindness. By simply ignoring your pet’s eye health and simple preventive maintenance, you’re setting him up for damage and ultimate blindness when it can be easily avoided. Especially if your pet has “bug eyes” – like a Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, Pekingese, Cocker Spaniel, Persian, Himalayan, etc.

What Are The Dangers?

There are a few: allergies, sharp objects, pollen, dust, pollution, sun, rough play, ingrown eyelashes, and more.

Allergies.

Allergies can cause conjunctivitis which is a red inflammatory response in the eyes. Conjunctivitis is very painful – it feels like rocks in the eyes. Just blinking is excruciating.

Sharp Objects.

This one is kind of obvious, especially if you live in the Southwest like I do (Arizona), where cactus is prevalent and the risks are really high. Dogs and cats are naturally curious and will run up to anything to sniff it and check it out. Their innocent little minds won’t understand that sharp, unforgiving prongs are waiting for them on each interesting plant that they want to smell. So it’s on you to protect them from those hazards. When out walking your pet, always be alert and aware of how much lead you give him and what the surrounding landscape is made up of. Same thing in any area of the country. Every neighborhood in every state has its hazards – rose bushes, barberry bushes, pigmy date palms, and on and on. As long as you pay attention, tho, your pet will be safe.

Pollen, Dust, Debris, Pollution.

With so much of their eyeballs exposed, “bug-eyed” pets are at greater risk of damage to the surface of the eye. It’s also tougher for them to produce enough tears to wash away debris. Double jeopardy. In my many years of pet rescue, I discovered an ideal daily habit to help keep my pets’ eyes clean and lubricated to protect the delicate surface from damage. Once a day, I fill a cotton ball with cool or barely warm water, and drizzle it into the pet’s eyes.

Keep drizzling and flushing. NEVER touch the cotton ball to the surface of the pet’s eyes. Just drizzle and let it flow. As his eyes fill with water, it will cause the pet to start sneezing. This is good – it helps clear away pollen, not only from the pet’s eyes, but his nose as well. Once the pollen and debris has been flushed away, your pet will instantly begin to feel better, and the surface of his eye is now free of damaging debris. And it took you only seconds to do. What an easy preventative – no excuses.   🙂

Rough Play.

Another obvious one. Wrestling with your pet is fun for both of you, but always be mindful of his eyes when rough-housing. It’s easy to pop an eyeball right out of its socket. Talk about painful! And if that should happen, it’s not always fixable, either. Don’t let playtime become dangerous for your pet.

Teach your children as well to be alert and very careful to be gentle and respectful with your pet so as to protect his eyes during play. If the unspeakable should happen, tho, get your pet to the veterinarian as fast as you can in hopes that the eye can be saved. Don’t wait for a minute – just go.

Drops Versus Ointment?

I stopped using eye ointments years ago, even tho they were prescribed by my veterinarian. My reason is this: ointments are gooey and tacky – they can trap pollen, dust, and debris and actually keep it right there on the eye. These are the elements that scratch the surface of your pet’s eyes. Scratches become corneal ulcers, and corneal ulcers either leave scars or become infected, too often ending in blindness. So I use drops exclusively, whether medicated or non-medicated. First, once a day, I do the wash with cotton balls and water, then follow with non-medicated lubricating drops. Here are two excellent choices for non-medicated, non-prescription lubricating drops for your pets:

Whenever there is a diagnosed medical issue going on with my pets’ eyes, I do the wash first and follow it with whatever instructions and medication the veterinarian has provided. If he prescribes an ointment, I always ask for a liquid alternative instead. If not, I follow his instructions as given – he is the expert.

The “Wash.”

If there are no health issues, I still do the cotton ball and water wash EVERY SINGLE DAY. It’s not a big deal, either – takes only a second or two for each eye, that’s it. Not only for the pet’s vision protection, but also for his comfort. It has been one of the most reliable daily regimens I use for my pets, with the greatest results. The first time you do the wash, watch how your pet lets out a big sigh of relief afterward and his whole body relaxes. He feels instantly better all over.

Sure, he’ll probably object when you first begin the wash because it’s new and feels weird. But once he realizes how good it feels and what relief it gives his sore little eyes, he’ll most likely stop arguing with you. Remember – NEVER touch the cotton ball to your pet’s eyes. Just drizzle. And be certain the water is cool or barely warm. Never hot – check the temperature. NOTE: the “wash” isn’t just for bug-eyed pets. ALL pets benefit from it – cat or dog, bug-eyed or not – and feel immensely better after a wash.

Keep Your Veterinarian In The Loop.

Lastly, include your pet’s eyes in all veterinary exams as a matter of routine, even if you think everything’s okay. Your veterinarian can find things on close exam that you may not notice on your own. There also are specialized eye doctors for pets who can help you take excellent care of your pet’s eyes. Always follow their instructions and DO NOT EVER use any medications on your pet’s eyes that have not been prescribed by the veterinarian. If you should give your pet the wrong medication, you can damage his eyes even more … even irreparably. Don’t make that mistake.

So, in wrap-up, you can see how easy for you and how quick it is to protect your pet’s eyes each day. Start when they’re as young as possible, and your pet will enjoy healthier vision as he gets older, thanks to your loving 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 The Eyes Have it. appeared first on BareFootPets.

If people more fully understood what declaw actually means, I have no doubt the practice would be outlawed. It’s commonly believed that declaw means to remove only the cat’s nailbed. If that were the case, then not so awful. After all, I’ve lost a fingernail a time or two in my life and it wasn’t the end of the world. But the truth is, the cat’s toes are surgically cut way up at the mid-knuckle and the entire lower toe is amputated. This amputation often includes a portion of the main foot pad underneath. This is a whole new ballgame now. To cut half the toe off and compromise that lower pad means to take away the cat’s natural cushion, balance, and movement. It also means nerves are being cut away, which will leave the cat with residual pain for years and years to come, maybe the rest of her life. She has now lost not only her grip, but also her balance, her natural movement, and even basic comfort.

Even after a cat is declawed, she will still have the biological urge to “sharpen” her claws on scratching posts, etc. She’s hard-wired for this. She also will still have the desire to play with her toys. But play time will be entirely different for her now – she can’t grab her toys and toss them in the air like before, or play tug of war with you and her favorite ribbon. These things just slip through her fingers now. She has been robbed of these simple enjoyments.

Also consider this: cats are very stealth. No matter how careful we are, they can still sneak out the door. If your declawed kitty gets out, she is now at the mercy of neighbor dogs, feral cats, coyotes, owls, hawks, and even just plain nasty people. And poor little thing, she can no longer climb a tree for safety, or lash out to defend herself, or even run fast enough to get away. Plus, if she’s out for any length of time and gets hungry, she can’t even catch a bird or lizard for food. Exposing your kitty to so many potential risks just cannot be justified.

Is There A Good Enough Reason Then To Declaw My Cat?

Lots of people still feel declawing a cat is okay if it’s done for the “right reason.” Decades ago I might have agreed. That was before I had Monet, one of my cats, declawed. I realized immediately what a horrible mistake I’d made when I picked him up from the vet, because his feet were now so very very tiny. That’s when the vet explained what was really done. It was decades ago, but I’ll never forget that day. I almost threw up.

But it was done, and my poor little Monet was the one who had to live with it. He was in such pain and struggled to learn how to walk again on the little nubby feet he was left with. I couldn’t have been more sorry or felt more miserable for what I’d caused him. I began reading up on declawing, and learned more and more about what an awful thing declawing is. Boy, do I wish I’d done the research before putting my beloved pet through it. In my humble opinion, and now that I am more fully informed about it, I believe declawing is cruel and should be banned.

But Are There Suitable Alternatives To Declawing My Cat?

!! Yes, Absolutely, Yes !! 

First, get into the practice of trimming Fluffy’s toenails when she’s quite young, and do it regularly, say once a week, to keep her familiar and comfortable with the routine. Even if she’s a bit older, still start the habit — better late than never. That’s the single best thing you can do to minimize her scratching inappropriately. If Fluffy totally resists, however, don’t force it. You don’t want to become the “bad guy.” Take her instead to your veterinarian or neighborhood groomer or Petsmart and have her nails trimmed for a nominal cost. Let them be the bad guy if necessary. You need to get those nails trimmed, but you don’t want to compromise her trust in you. So it’s perfectly okay to enlist someone else’s help.

Once you’ve established the nail trimming routine, here are some really cool added options to ensure that she won’t even think about scratching your furniture and drapes anymore:

Also, here’s a “home remedy” to discourage your cat from scratching your furniture. Simply apply a strip of packing tape to the spot where she insists on scratching. She won’t like the feel of it or getting it stuck on her toes. Then position her new scratching post right near that same spot and, in a very short while, she’ll figure out the scratching post is a much better option. I always sprinkle some fresh catnip on the new scratching post to attract her even more quickly. Cats go crazy for catnip, you know. TIP: Be sure to pinch it between your fingers before sprinkling it; this releases the fragrance more fully so your kitty gets the whole effect. And it’s SO much fun to watch cats play in catnip. You might even want to have your camera phone handy. Voila!  Problem solved.

With medical technology advancing at lightning speed nowadays, it’s entirely possible, maybe even likely, that declaw surgery could be improved upon so as to prevent kitty’s nails from growing long, without mutilating kitty’s little feet. Until that time, this animal lover is dead set against declaw. Alternatives, such as those listed above, are SO much more humane, available, affordable, and provide interactive fun for you and your kitty.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

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 Declawing Is Wrong … Right? appeared first on BareFootPets.