Dogs, like people, can have allergies that flare up in the spring and summer (even fall for some sufferers). What can a pet parent do to help alleviate the scratching, licking and self-chewing which affected dogs do – sometimes non-stop?

First: Have a vet check the dog for allergies. Just scolding him for the behavior will not address the cause. You need to find out what he is allergic to. Then treat it. If the behavior continues after treatment, it may have become a habit you need to address behaviorally.

Second: Identify other stressors in your dog’s life. The chewing, licking behavior can also be caused by other types of stress. List the things you know that stress the dog, even a little bit. Then, one-by-one, eliminate or work to alleviate the stressor. After discarding the items, such as aversive behavior aids (shock collars, etc.), begin to de-sensitize your dog to stimuli that freak him out – Children, skate boards and thunder come to mind. You can teach him that these threatening sights and sounds can become signals for treats.

Third: Exercise him. Walking, running and playing hard help to burn energy and take his mind off his troubles. It also releases “feel-good” hormones that help to lessen stress. Mind exercises help, too. Shaping (training), interactive toys and puzzles can also help.

Fourth: Try stress-reducing products, like calming classical music made especially for dogs; Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap help some dogs feel safer and calmer; Pheromone therapies come in a plug-in and spray and work to calm the dog by mimicking the smell of a mother dog.

Fifth: If the chewing, licking, scratching behavior has become a habit, consult your vet about anti-anxiety medication – or to recommend a behaviorist/dog trainer. Most dog trainers have not had actual behavior training. You want a behaviorist.

If all these efforts fail, you and your dog just may have to live with it. We all have stress in our lives and some of us are just more sensitive to it than others.

Eventually, they all moved into their new home. We went over to see them and pick up the new key. When we arrived, Carly’s owner opened the front door and Carly came bounding out to greet us, running in circles around us. Suddenly, she stopped and ran into the house. As we reached the front door, she came from the back of the house, dragging a stuffed toy dog, nearly as big as she was. She brought it to us, shaking it as she came and dropped it at our feet. She wanted to share her new toy and home. She was so happy to have room to finally run around in.

We still see Carly periodically. She is still just as happy to see us as she was when she lived in the apartment. She is just one happy dog. And we love her.

A client and his partner live in the UTC area and have two Shi-Tzus, Lucy and Ethel. They were my first clients and have been with me ever since. The dogs’ owner called me and arranged for me to make midday visits to take the girls out for a breather and to relieve themselves three days in a row.

Their apartment is on the second floor. When I arrived on the first day (Tuesday), I found the stairs torn up and no landing. There was no one around and no way to get into the apartment. I just knew the dogs were waiting for me. I was frantic. I called their owner and had to leave a message. While waiting for him to return my call, I went through all types of scenarios in my head: Could I find a ladder to get in through their patio? If so, how would I get the girls down – and more troublesome, how would I get them back up?

I finally left without being able to get to the dogs. I was so frustrated!

The owner did call me back – after I got home. He had been in a long business meeting and had just picked up my message. When I explained what I had run into, he was furious. The HOA was supposed to give him plenty of notice when they planned to repair the stairs. But, they hadn’t notified him. He called them and gave them a piece of his mind. Of course, everyone was pointing fingers at everyone else; no one wanted to take responsibility for the screw-up, but they promised to have a fix in place by the time I was scheduled to be there on Wednesday.

The next day, I arrived to find a sturdy plywood platform where the landing should be and was able to get into the apartment and take the girls for their outing. I reported to the owner and we were both relieved and thought the worst was over.

Today (Thursday) I arrived to find fresh cement had been poured for the landing. No way to get past it to get to the girls. Again. Before I could call the owner, one of the workers came over and we talked about the problem. He told me to go ahead and use the landing, but try to step on it as little as possible. I went up the stairs and looked to see how I could make it from one stairs riser, around the landing to the next riser. I knew if I tried, I would land on my butt right in the middle of their perfectly poured cement. I did the best I could and made it into the apartment where I was greeted enthusiastically by the dogs.

I put their leashes on, and thought about how I could get them past the wet cement. I could see myself trying to wash it off their feet. But, when I got to the landing, the worker called up to me to hand the dogs over the banister to them. He had gone to get help and the two of them each took a dog and held them for me until I could get down the stairs.

The worker asked how long I would be gone with the dogs. I told him and he agreed to wait until I got back before re-troweling the surface. The girls did their business and we went back to the apartment. No one there to help me lift them over the banister – and they had re-troweled the cement. I went to look for the workers and found no one. But, when I got back to the stairs they were waiting for me.

They again asked me to swing around from one riser to the other. I informed them that I was not as young as I once was and they really did not want to see me try that. So, I did the best I could to leave as few tracks as possible in the goop. They handed the dogs up to me and we made it back into the apartment with no further delays.

When I got back to the car I called the dogs’ owner to bring him up-to-date. We laughed about it and he suggested I write about the “Days in the Life of Grandma Dee” for my blog. We agreed that this would be remembered by both of us for a long, long time.

You know the saying, “All’s well that ends well.” This adventure did end well.

As most of you know, we lost our Sheltie, Willie last May. We finally could not stand being without a Sheltie any longer. Joe said he wanted a girl this time; a little sable. What we found was DJ, a tri-color Sheltie male pup 9 weeks old. We fell in love! He has only been with us for a week and already he comes when his name is called, takes himself out to go potty and sleeps through the night. We are so thrilled!

I read an article the other day that mentioned a vaccination for snake bite venom. I had never heard of such a thing, so I checked with my vet (Rancho Mesa Animal Hospital).  They confirmed that the vaccine does exist, but they have chosen not to carry it for at least two reasons:

1. It is not that effective. It does not protect against the venom. Instead, it works to slow it down, which can provide more time to get the pet to the vet.
2. The vaccination might give the owner a false sense of security, which could result in the pet being allowed to be in dangerous situations or environments, thinking the pet was safe if it did meet a snake. That is false and dangerous thinking.

If you decide you want the vaccine, call around, some vets in the area do carry it.

The best protection against snake bite always has been, and still is, prevention. Follow these steps to safe-guard your pet from this ever present danger:

1. Clean up your yard. Undergrowth, toys, tools can be inviting places for snakes to rest
2. Keep brush, flowers and shrubs clear of walkways.
3. Spilled food, fruit or bird seed, can attract rodents—and therefore snakes—to your yard.
4. Keep your pet on a leash and close to you when walking.
5. Keep your pet clear of long grasses, bushes and rocks where snakes could be resting.
6. If you see a snake, head back the way you came. They can strike across a distance equal to about half their body length.
7.  Know which snakes are common in your area. Snake identification could help with the pet’s treatment if it is bitten.

Suspect snake bite if your pet exhibits any of these symptoms:

1. Swelling or bleeding, especially of mouth or paws. These are sometimes hard to spot with thick coats.
2. Your pet appears to be in pain: pacing, panting, whining, etc.
3. Low blood pressure, general weakness or lethargy

If you even suspect that your pet has been bitten, do this:

1. First:  stay calm.
2. Limit your pet’s activity and do your best to keep him calm.
3. If possible, elevate the bite area.
4. It is imperative to seek immediate veterinary care for your pet.
5. Do not attempt to treat the bite yourself. Cold packs, ice, tourniquets, alcohol, bleeding the wound and trying to suck out venom waste time that you may not have.
6. Be safe. Do not try to catch, kill or handle a snake yourself. Some dead snakes can bite by simple muscle contractions.

Just like people, fat pets are at higher risk of health problems like diabetes, bad joints and a shortened lifespan. Pets at a healthy weight enjoy their lives more, are more active and live longer.

How to Tell If Your Pet Is Overweight

Here are ways to identify and correct obesity in your dog or cat.

It’s not always easy to tell if your dog or cat is overweight, especially if he or she has a long coat. Consult your vet, if necessary to find out what your pet should weigh. In the meantime, here are some tell-tale signs.

• Look for a tucked tummy. When you view your pet from the side, does its belly tuck up into the area between his ribs and hindquarters? That’s where you want it. You don’t want it to sag below his ribcage, or even hang on a straight line with his ribcage. For furry pets, wrap a thin cloth around their torso in order to see their shape.
• Feel his ribs. Position yourself over your standing pet. Reach down and feel its ribs. You should be able to feel them easily, with only a slight layer of fat. You should be able to feel each individual rib.
• Look for a “waist.” With your pet still standing, look at him from above. You should be able to see a definite waist between his ribcage and his hindquarters.

Be alert to physical signs. Fat pets, especially dogs, might have difficulty jumping onto couches or beds. Or they may show labored breathing after climbing the stairs or walking up a hill. The very obese pet may even have trouble getting its feet.

Help Your Pet Maintain Its Ideal Weight

Again, just like people, pets need a healthy lifestyle to main their ideal weight.

• Change the way you feed him. Cut back on the number of treats you offer your pet, and/or offer smaller pieces. Better yet, treat them with small carrots or pieces of apple (No grapes, raisins or onions as they can be toxic to your pet). Monitor your pet’s weight and adjust until you reach the balance that is right for your pet. Do not free-feed (leave food out for the pet to nibble on all day). Some animals can handle free-feeding without weight problems. Most cannot.
• Gradually increase your pet’s exercise. If you are not exercising your pet, you’re not only letting him down, you are missing out on a great bonding experience. Start now. Play fetch with your dog or take him to the dog park and be sure he runs and plays with the other dogs. Most dogs won’t exercise themselves when put out in a yard alone. Taking your dog out for walks also gets in your exercise. Start slowly – regular exercise is much better than high-energy workouts once in awhile. As he becomes more fit, begin to gradually increase his exercise intensity and duration. Cats need exercise too, though they may act like they couldn’t care less. Sometimes you need to trick them into it. Laser lights and wind-up toys they can chase across the floor, and tall cat trees they can climb are all things you can try with your cat. The main thing is to get her moving. Go slowly; a cat’s interest span is shorter than a dog’s. Use your imagination and before you know it, you and your kitty will be having a great time playing together – in other words, exercising!

Most of us have never thought that much about it. It was brought to my attention recently, when, not only did I lose my own beloved Willy (Sheltie), but several other pet parents, clients and friends, have also lost their beloved pet. All had to answer the question: What do I do now?

I did an internet search and found several sites for Pet Grief Counseling, but very little information about the actual disposal of the body of the dearly departed pet.

When I lived on a ranch in the country, it was common practice to bury the pet in the backyard, garden or other place where we could visit the gravesite when we wished. It is illegal to do that in most cities. It’s now part of the required disclosure when you sell a house. If there is a pet buried in the backyard, the seller must pay to have the remains removed and disposed of properly.

Okay. So, what do you do?

I called my vet who gave me the name of two local companies who will pick up your pet and bury or cremate the remains for you. Or, I could leave the pet’s body with the vet, where the burial company can pick it up and carry out your instructions for end of life services.

Here, in San Diego, you have the choice of burial services or cremation. The burial services are usually more expensive and include a maintenance fee for keeping the site attractive.

Three types of cremation services are available: Communal or Mass Cremation means that the remains of your pet are cremated along with a number of other pets. The remains can be disposed of as you wish – scattered at sea or some other place the crematorium provides; Private Cremation places the pet in a separate compartment for the cremation. The ashes are then returned to the pet owner; the third type of cremation is Individual Cremation where the pet is cremated entirely alone.

You can have the ashes stored in your choice of urns. The crematorium will help you choose one to suit you, the pet and your pocketbook.

To find the burial and cremation sites near you, search the internet for “Pet Remains” and your city.

What is your personality type?

1. Are you laid back and take things as they come?
2. Are you active and like sports or other energetic activities?
3. Are you introverted or shy?
4. Are you an outgoing extrovert?

2.   What are you looking for in a grown dog? Remember, the pup will grow up.

1. Do you want a watchdog?
2. Do you want your dog to accompany you in sports?
3. Do you want your dog to curl up on your lap and cuddle?
4. Do you want him to sleep at your feet?
5. Do you want him (or her) to be large or tiny – or in-between?

• Research the personality of different breeds to find one whose natural tendencies are what you are looking for in a dog.

2.   Bond With Your Dog

Teach him to let you…

1.   Cradle him on his back
2.   Lay him on his side and flip him over
3.   Examine his body, ears, feet and teeth

These actions, done correctly, establish trust in the pup and help him to see that you are the leader.

3.  Housebreaking

  Three Golden Rules

1.   Confine him
   1. a)       Use a crate
      1.  Confine him no longer than his age in months plus 1(example: a three-month old should not be confined longer than four hours at a time without a break).
2.   Supervise him
   1. a)      When he is not in the crate, tether him to you.
3.   Regulate him
   1. a)       Let him out on a regular schedule
      1. Do not use harsh corrections when he makes a mistake

4.   Explore And Socialize –

Poor Socialization is the most common cause of aggression in a dog.  

Take him to explore and familiarize him with:

1.   People, kids playing, strangers who want to pet him.
2.   Traffic, kids on skateboards, loud trucks.
3.   Other dogs.
4.   Leave him alone at times so he knows you will come back.
5.   Grooming – including bathing, brushing, nail trimming, teeth and ear cleaning.

 It is important that you do NOT comfort him when he shows fear. Instead, re-direct his attention until he becomes less sensitive to the experience. Reward him as he shows less fear.

5.         Teach Him The Rules Of Your Pack

Train him:

1. Leash Training – Walk on a leash without pulling
2. Come (or Recall) – The most critical cue to teach him.
3. Sit, Stand and Down – These will help you to control him in all types of situations and environment.
4. Stay and Wait – Stay means to remain in position until told to break; Wait means to pause, usually while you are doing something, like going through a door. You tell him to “wait,” you go through the door and then ask him to join you. You will use this command a lot.
5. Leave it – means “Do not touch it, smell it, lick it, pick it up or pay attention to it in any way.”
6. Gently – A courteous dog takes food “gently” from your hand.
7. Greeting guests with manners – Teach him to wait until he is invited to greet guests.

I can assist in all aspects of the dog adoption and parenting process by providing:

• A personality quiz for the prospective puppy parent.
• Breed-specific characterizations.
• Accompany parent to pick out the pup.
• Housebreaking assistance – from schedules to hands-on.
• Basic obedience classes or one-on-one training.

For more information, visit me at www.grandmadeespetcare.com.

Kira lives, along with her “sister” Samantha, with their pet parents, Susan and Tony. Kira is a small, beautiful, friendly Manx.

Samantha is larger and gorgeous with long white hair and brown spots. We have taken care of the two of them several times. Their litter is kept in two boxes in an upstairs bathroom. They eat separately downstairs in the kitchen. All had been going well. When Susan called for a booking date in late October she mentioned that Kira had been having “accidents” in the living room, downstairs. She couldn’t understand it because Kira has always been so well behaved.

I suggested she have her vet check Kira to be sure there were no health issues. She came back with a clean bill of health. During the Thanksgiving visits, Kira, indeed, did indeed leave several “gifts” (both urine and excrement) in the living room.

Samantha usually makes herself scarce when we come in to feed them and clean the litter boxes. During these visits, she did not show her beautiful fluffy face, but we did not think too much of it. She usually hides under the bed in the master bedroom. Then, we realized that Samantha had not been coming downstairs to eat. We began taking her food and water upstairs for her.

It occurred to me then that “the girls” were having some kind of spat. I thought that Kira was not going upstairs and Samantha was not coming downstairs. They had gotten along for years, but for some reason seemed to be having a problem now. I mentioned this to Susan and Tony upon their return and suggested they leave a litter box downstairs for Kira for a few days to see if that helped the situation.

When we visited again in late December, Susan reported that placing the extra litter box downstairs seemed to work. Kira had not had any more accidents in the living room. And we saw no signs of wavering during that entire two-week visit.

I checked with Susan to get her permission to write this story and here is how she responded:

“Hi, Andee. I still use it.  They both seem to love it downstairs–especially Kira. I take it out and put it in the entry area of the living room when we go to bed and leave it out in the early am until after they are fed.  Kira will sometimes use it after she eats.  Once she uses it in the am I clean it and put it back in the garage.

She has had 2 “accidents” (only poop not urine) since I started using it in as per your suggestion back in late October.  My house doesn’t work to keep a downstairs one all the time but this is fine with us.

Thanks for the advice and yes write about it as it might help someone else.”

All of these stories are from “Healthy Pets and other creatures great and small,” compiled by Ginny Vaughn and Betsy McMahan, Copyright © 2001.

Dog Story from Mary Kaczor

“Duke is our 12 year old, very loved, yellow Lab. In the past nine months, his joints have gotten progressively stiffer. Getting up and down steps is difficult. In the morning, he could hardly get up. We started giving him 8 Alfalfa and 2 Osteokinetics per day. After two months, he was going up and down steps with ease and getting right up in the morning!

Within the last six months we also noticed he was panting from the slightest exertion. I started calling him the Pink Panter! This panting had nothing to do with his being hot or thirsty, he just panted all the time. He only stopped when was asleep. We started giving him 1 Vita-Lea a day. After a few weeks, my husband commented, “Duke isn’t panting anymore. It has to be the Vita-Lea!” It’s amazing! Thanks to Shaklee, I think we may be blessed with Duke for a few more wonderful years.”

Cat Story from Lynn Toney

“Schaltzie’s short black hair, once thick and shiny, was thin and scraggly, with scaly, itchy lesions on the skin of his back, stomach and legs. It looked like mange. Schaltzie, 16, constantly licked, itched and scratched, often breaking the skin open. Advice and medicine from the vet did not help. I began giving Shaltzie Instant Protein 2 x a day. Within several days he seemed happier and friskier than I’d seen him in ages. His hair started growing back in the bald spots and the itching seemed less severe. His skin cleared up quickly.

For years, Schaltzie had fibrous fatty tumors. One day after we’d started Shaklee products, I was petting him and accidentally hit one of those very large, hard lumps and witnessed a strange sight. On top of the bump was a tiny hole. It looked like a worm was trying to come out. The more I  pressed around the lump, stiff material curled up out. It was like paste. I washed the wound with Basic-H and water. I continued this process and in 2 days, that lump was gone. In a week, all the lumps were gone. I was SO amazed. Much time, money and trouble had been spent in vain over the years. Shaklee products took care of the problem with a few weeks. If I had been giving the animals Shaklee products from the beginning, we probably would not have had all the problems in the first place.

As animals age, they tend to lose weight and interest in life. I kept Schaltzie on the Protein and Liqui-Lea and, periodically, Herb-Lax for the rest of his life. He gained weight and had a skip in his step until his death several years later.”

Vet Gives Personal Testimonial from Molly C. Spicuzza, DVM, White Lake, MI

“This is a personal testimonial about the wonderful Basic-G germicidal cleaner. Two employees at my clinic were very sensitive to chemical odors. When we began using Basic-G, there were no more complaints of headaches from chemical fumes. Basic-G is also a great cleaner. The kennel help finds it removes dried blood better than any product we have used. The clinic also uses Basic-G in the mop bucket to disinfect the floors throughout the day.

I personally use Basic-H (now Basic H²) to wash my hands between patients. In the past my hands have been dry, red, and cracked from washing with harsh soaps. Basic-H doesn’t strip the natural protective coating from one’s skin. The dry, cracked skin has healed.

I’ve been using Shaklee’s nutritional products to help animals with allergies and hip dysplasia and been happy with the results. I’ve been using Osteokintetics(now Joint Health Complex) to help dogs with osteoarthritis with good results. It’s the best glucosamine product on the market, and is less expensive than any comparable veterinary product. It’s worked better than I expected in dogs with hip dysplasia. The recommended dose of Osteokinetics(Joint Health Complex) for dogs is as follows: Less than 25 pounds – 1 x day, 25 to 50 pounds -1(capsule) 2 x day, 50 pounds and over – 2 in the AM, 1 in the PM.

Note: The parentheses are mine.

These are just a few of the stories I have. If you have a specific problem, contact me and I will see what others have found as helpful and get back to you.