Annual Doggy Checklist for responsible, adult dog owners

Hi everyone,

because we are busy people living in a fast paced city, I have taken it upon myself to compile an annual check list of things you should remember when it come to your dog. I have had some minor issues come up (do you remember the dewclaw incident?) that could have been prevented if I was more vigilant with our grooming routine, but hey, we all forget and make mistakes from time to time and part of being a responsible adult dog owner is putting some or other checklist on the fridge/mirror/ceiling so we don't make the same mistakes again, right?
Here is said checklist.

ASAP!

• Get you dog microchipped - this way you will literally NEVER be able to lose him!
• Change your dog's bowls from plastic to ceramic or stainless steel.
• Groom your long haired dog and check for things like ticks, lumps and bumps and infected ears.

WEEKLY

• Groom medium to short haired breeds and check for lumps and bumps, ticks etc.
• If your dog has smelly breath, it's time to brush teeth! I got Salvador some toothpaste and a toothbrush the other day and he loved it, probably because the doggy toothpaste is quite tasty. A much easier alternative is providing your dog with plenty of raw boned to chew on as this acts as a toothbrush, not to mention it saves you time!

MONTHLY

• Do some or other tick and flea prevention. There are the store bought varieties and now a days there are also great natural varieties around - which we haven't tried yet, but soon will!
• Check your dog's nails, especially those nasty dewclaws! 

EVERY 3 MONTHS

• Deworm your dog. You don't have to go to the vet to do this. You can buy a deworming tablet from your nearest vet shop and do it yourself. You don't even have to hide it in a piece of vienna or cheese anymore as the modern day deworming tablets are basically as delicious as a treat.

ANNUALLY 

• Take your dog for a vet check up. I know there is currently debates going on how vaccinating adult dogs aren't all that important, but living in the city doesn't just mean your dog comes into contact with all kinds of gross things, if your dog's vet record is not up to date, a doggy daycare won't allow him in or say you were planning on leaving the country and you are taking your dog (which you obviously should do) you will need to have a good recording of annual vet checks and vaccinations. 

Print this out and stick it on you fridge, add it to your calendar, write it in your diary, but whatever you do, don't say you didn't have ample prep time...

Licks & Kisses!

xxxx

Winter Warmers

Although you might revel in the idea of sitting in front of the fire while watching whole seasons of your favorite series this winter, this might not be your dog’s idea of fun (unless you have one of those very relaxed and sleepy dogs like Salvador’s friend, Jameson)

I’ve decided to round up some fun things to do with your dog during the winter months and here they are!

Rainy day walks

Now, I know while your sitting all comfy-cozy, in front of the fire, every fiber of your being is kicking against this, but taking your dog for a walk in the rain might just be the best thing that happened in his or her day! It’s really not that bad. Pull on that coat and open up that umbrella – no doubt you’ll be the only one under it. Salvador loves nothing more than getting wet and mucky!

Treasure Hunt

Instead of feeding Salvador the usual way, I sometimes hide his food all around the house. He loves this game so much, because sniffing around is his favorite past-time (all dogs love it!).

Obstacle course

Gather all your brooms, mops, chairs, step ladders and build an obstacle course. You can guide your dog around it with treats and lots of encouraging words.

Stair climber

Are you lucky enough to have a set of stairs in your house? Use these to up the normal fetch game by dropping the ball down them. Exercise for the day done!

Teacher-teacher

Find yourself wishing your dog was more responsive to those basic commands (sit, heel, stay etc.)? Why not use this time and the confines of your home to practice these?

Play date

If you have children this is probably your worst nightmare – as if organizing your human child’s social life is not enough…but seriously though, if you have a friend with a dog that lives nearby and your dogs get along, you could use this time to catch-up and let your dogs have a play date.

These are but a few fun ideas to keep you and your dog busy this rainy season. Have fun with it!

Licks & kisses!

xxx   

The FAT issue

Hi all,

there is still a quiet gloom hanging around the house this morning because of yesterday's Blue drama. I obviously get attached way to quickly! I was mulling over it all in my head and suddenly remembered chatting to the vet about dog weight.
I asked her if she thought that Salvador was at a good weight - now that his hair is short, one can get a much better idea - and she said he is definitely on the porkier side of thin. I wasn't shocked and freaked at all. I knew that moving him from the farm to the city was going to be a challenge in terms of getting him the huge amount of exercise that he was accustomed to and needs, so I've looked into other ways than merely focusing on that to also make sure he doesn't gain too much.

I've been very clear from the start on the subject of owning a dog that is not overweight and I'm not afraid to take the necessary steps to insure this, yet I know so many people that struggle with this issue.
Growing up, our dogs' food bowls were always full. My mom didn't believe in rationing their food, being of the school of thought that they would eat when they are hungry. Now, whether your dog will stop eating when he's full or not is very much personal (once again proving that your dog is more like you than you thought). The biggest problem is perhaps YOU!
How many times have you watched one of those reality shows about the severely obese and their carers, who often turn out to be as much part of the problem as the actual over eating, just to say something like "he/she is enabling the eating". Meanwhile Scruffles is lying under your feet, struggling to breath due to all the extra rolls around his neck ?

Fact #1: Your dog can only eat as much as you feed him.

It is your responsibility to figure out how much your dog should be eating. Dietary guides on the back of food packets can be tricky to get right as there are many factors that come in to play. Working dogs, puppies and pregnant females should be getting more food than is prescribed and remember, just because you own a dog with the word 'hound' audible in its name or just because your dog brings you the newspaper in the morning, does not mean it is a 'WORKING' dog...think hard labor people!

To get a rough estimate of how your dog weighs in, follow this link to a calculator and also take a look at this great diagram I found.

From http://www.aplaceforpaws.com/blog/canine-obesity-a-huge-problem

Fact #2: Indulging your dog might make you feel good for a while, but is it making him sick? 

Overweight dogs are at risk of suffering from diseases very similar to those that an obese human would suffer from. You don't want this for your best pal! Here are a few of the common things your dog might suffer from if he is on the chubbier side of plump:

• Heart disease
• Respiratory issues
• Diabetes
• Cancers
• Osteoarthritis
• Cardiopulmonary disease

If this worries you, start sorting our his diet today. Your vet can help you by calculating the right amount of food he should be having or suggesting a special diet. 

Fact #3: There's no point trying out that new diet if your not going to try out the exercise program with it!

Keeping your dogs' weight in check is simple. EXERCISE! Any old exercise will do and your dog will love you for it! 

As dog owners we all want the best for our besties and that sometimes involve turning a blind eye to those cute little needy eyes, subtly demanding a little nibble of something. We will all have to toughen up!  

Licks & Kisses!

xxx

Blue Wednesday...

Salvador's aunt and I might, or might not have saved a puppy off the streets today...

Okay so quite clearly we did rescue a puppy this morning, but don't get too attached, the story doesn't end too well...let me start from the beginning. 

Salvador's aunt was driving along when she spotted a man with a puppy in arms, clearly hawking it to whoever stopped at the intersection. She decided to contact Animal Welfare who was understaffed and therefor could not send out an inspector. She came to pick me up and we managed to get the dog from it's sad owner (who was telling us he couldn't afford to take care of the dog anymore etc. I personally think this was just a scam for various reasons that I will not go into). She arranged for us to take it into Animal Welfare to have it checked out. I didn't want to introduce it to Salvador if it was carrying weird viruses! 

We arrived at Animal Welfare and filled out the necessary forms, only to be sent away because we don't fall under the right salary bracket, so we decided to make an appointment at our regular vet instead. 

We named the puppy Blue, as he had the most amazing blue eyes and upon closer inspection at home it was quite clear that this guy was severely malnourished and skinny - WARNING SIGN #1 although strangely he wasn't too keen on the food I gave him - WARNING SIGN  #2. 

Eventually it was time to go to the vet. We got there and the first thing they did was test Blue for Distemper and unfortunately it turned out that Blue did indeed carry this rather shocking virus. At first I thought, oh well, I'm sure we can get that sorted out with a shot, but it was not until they started sending cleaners through the whole practice with sprays and chemicals that I got worried... My boyfriend Googled the disease, but it was the look on the vet nurse's face and the call for the euthanizing liquid that really made it ring home...there was NOTHING we could do for Blue...

I didn't know anything about this disease before today, apart from reading the name on Salvador's vaccination certificate, but I've never come into such close contact with it, so I thought I would enlighten all of you on the subject of this very scary disease.

It is a virus similar to Measles and it affects the gastrointestinal, respiratory system and  central nervous system of dogs, rats and ferrets to mention a few. 

Symptoms include vomiting, coughing, thick mucus from the nose and eyes, anorexia, lethargy and the list goes on.

Puppies in general and especially puppies that come from moms that have not been vaccinated against it plus adult dogs that have not been vaccinated are at risk and it spreads rapidly through close contact with a contaminated dog, through sharing of bowls etc. 

THERE IS CURRENTLY NO KNOWN CURE FOR THE DISEASE  thus prevention is key. According to the vet at Cape Animal Medical Centre , some dogs can 'recover' from the disease, but medicating a dog with Distemper is expensive, as they have weak immune systems for life and are therefor susceptible to all kinds of other viruses too. One also runs the risk of your dog spreading the virus to other dogs as they never totally get the virus out of their systems. Were we to keep Blue, he would have started getting seizures 2-3 weeks in and often the symptoms start showing in old age. 

So there you go...what an eventful day. I'm sad it didn't turn out better, but it did make me rush Salvador to the vet to get all his shots up to date and I hope that this story taught us all a lesson or 10!

• Never buy a puppy from someone on the street or from any shop or person that is not a reputable dog owner/breeder or animal welfare. If for whatever reason you do so, get it checked IMMEDIATELY  and do not let it come into your house or get close to your other pets until you've done so!!!!!
• Get your puppy vaccinated as soon as possible - call your vet and arrange it when you get your puppy or make sure whoever you get it from has done so and demand to see vet certificates.
• Keep your dogs' vaccinations up to date. Dogs over 2 years should go to the vet once a year to have a check-up. If you can't afford to do this for whatever reason, go to an Animal Welfare organization that will help you for much less or in some cases for free. 
• You don't have to be rich to own a pet! Not getting your dog vaccinated is stupid and ignorant. I'm not going to go on a rant about how you shouldn't get a pet if you can't provide it with posh healthcare. People are going to have pets. This is why there are places like Animal Welfare.

Rather be safe than sorry!

                  

Rest in Peace Blue - We are glad that your last few hours were happy-sitting-in-a-warm-lap-bathing-in-the-sun hours!

Licks & Kisses ( although with all the viruses going around....)

xxx

Jenni's Pet Parlour

Guess who went to the parlour today...??

You guessed it! This monster of fluff and all things stinky.
Spaniels might strike you as noble, elegant and classy dogs, but I assure you - none of that has been passed on to Salvador. Although he usually sports a really gorgeous silken coat of golden, sun streaked fur, keeping it that way is no easy task. With his devotion to rolling in stinky things and running through tall grass and all manner of thorny bushy plants, we had enough. I hate to share this, but I was starting to dread cuddling him and this is a serious issue for all involved so we decided that it was time for a parlour visit.

Salvador's friend Jameson regularly goes to Jenni's Pet Parlour when he comes to visit so we decided to send you Salvador there for a trim - or more accurately, a 'Seal cut' - meaning as much hair off as possible. Now you might think I'm insane as it is mid-winter and what am I doing shaving all his hair off, but I assure you, that dog jersey I had him model for the TEARS animal rescue post did not leave this house with the rest of the jerseys I dropped off yesterday...Salvador claimed it and it will come in very handy now.

The staff at Jenni's is absolutely amazing. Somehow they just 'get' Salvador, who can be off-ish towards strange adults at he best of times. Give him a child any day, but not so much a fully grown human male... Before I could suggest taking precautionary measures and plying him with treats, he was very happily whisked away and the next time I saw him he looked like this-

Jenni's is situated very close to Cavendish Square so while your dog is getting groomed you can keep yourself busy. They sell an array of yummy dog treats and also stock some holistic dog pet food brands. All-in-all, a really amazing parlour with friendly and competent staff!

Take a look at their Facebook page for their contact details.

Licks & Kisses!
xxx

On being charitable

Hi everyone,

you might remember a while ago I did a post on a great organization called TEARS animal rescue. I also mentioned that I would be making them some fleece dog sweaters which I did over the weekend! I just came back from dropping off 18 of them at their charity book shop in Bergvliet - amazing, big bookstore by the way - and decided to share the good news.

A very kind, dog obsessed friend sent me 10m of fleece all the way from Johannesburg, which we received with much interest and excitement on Saturday morning.

It was tricky explaining to him that is wasn't his...

I got a great sewing pattern online - which I will sharing later on this week - and got sewing. Once I got the basic idea down I was on a roll and soon made up 18 sweaters. It's amazing how many sweaters you can get out of a 3m piece of fleece and at around R35 per meter, it's a really great way to help a lot of cold dogs with a very small donation! 

Below are some pics of Salvador modeling the finished product.

Salvador and I will both sleep very soundly tonight, knowing that some fur children will be kept warm for the rest of this winter!

If you would like to make any donations to TEARS, have a look at the wishlist on their website. 

Licks & Kisses!

xxx

Mdzananda Animal Clinic

‘Welcome to the world of the Mdzananda Animal Clinic - the only permanent, veterinary council registered animal clinic in Khayelitsha, a township area just outside Cape Town, South Africa, estimated to be home to more than a million people.’

This is the short description on the Facebook page of Mdzananda Animal Clinic that has been running out of six recycled shipping crates since 1996.

They consult, hospitalize and in general, see around 1000 animals a month and if that sounds tough, just imagine how much more tough it is during the freezing winter months!

Unfortunately many of the animals come out of surgery and then don’t make it through the recovery period due to the extreme cold.

Due to hefty electricity bills they are forced to switch off heaters and instead rely on less effective ways like bubble wrap on the windows and keeping doors closed to keep the heat in.

This NGO is in just as much need of basic goods such as polar fleece blankets, pet food and goods for their charity shop as they are of more expensive things like surgical equipment, spay kits and an ultra sound machine.

There are endless ways in which we can all make a contribution to this amazing organization. Visit, Like and hit the Share button on their Facebook page or visit their website for more information. Below is a great kennel building event happening the 18th of July.

Licks & Kisses!

xxxx