fbpx

Navigation

Senior Dogs and detecting health problems early

Senior check ups are extremely important

Bella is 11 and Fitz will be 10 in June. They are big dogs, and they do age faster than the littles. It happens so fast, and we have to prepare for what is to come. Have you changed your dogs food to senior food? have you done a senior screening? Do they have arthritis? Do I give all of the supplements they need? Some things to think about as our loved ones age. Please make an appointment with your vet and come up with a solid plan to make your pups senior years comfortable ones. Both of my dogs have arthritis, so we give them MSM/Glucosamine as well as fish oil and several others. We have recently started pain medication as well.

When I took my boy Fitz in, he weighed in at 109lbs. He is a big boy! I have noticed he does not go upstairs at night anymore, and he is getting up less and less to greet us at the door when we come home. These are signs that something is off with him. I had a full senior blood and urine panel done on him. The results came back, and most of the report was good. The liver enzymes were elevated quite a bit, so we decided to schedule an ultrasound and have his body X-rayed for arthritis while he was sedated. We are so very happy we decided to do this. It turns out he has a a gallbladder mucocele. What that is, is the distention of the gallbladder by an inappropriate accumulation of mucus. Decreased bile flow, decreased gallbladder motility, and altered absorption of water from the gallbladder lumen are predisposing factors to biliary sludge. It is the reason his liver levels were so high. We will now need to do an ultra sound every 3 months to make sure it is not enlarging too much. He may have to have his Gallbladder removed.

We also found severe arthritis in three different parts of his back. We have come up with a good treatment plan to keep him comfortable. I will also be looking into acupuncture. My point is, we would never have known all of this was going on if we did not take him in. This is a part of being a responsible pet parent. Please read below on some more information on how we can care for our senior dogs and what to look for.

After our vet appointment, we stopped to get our boy Fitz some ice cream.

[Read more…]

What is the best cat food on the market?

 After assessing more than 2,000 formulas, we’re happy to recommend 18 of the best cat food brands, both wet and dry.

The best cat food will keep your cat healthy and happy, and will come in a flavor he or she loves. Any high-quality food needs to feature protein front-and-center, and won’t include any low-quality fillers, artificial additives, or ingredients that are toxic to cats over time. To find the most high-quality options available, we scoured the formulas of over 2,400 dry and wet cat foods on the market, read through research and regulations, and talked to veterinarians about what cats need to thrive.

In the end, we identified a shortlist of the best cat food brands and lines that you can count on. Now it’s up to you to figure out what flavors sit well with your cat’s preferences and to find the food that fits your budget. If you’re having trouble deciding between a wet or dry food diet, or you want more information about our top picks, check out our comparison tables and guide to cat food types, below.

[Read more…]

Health Insurance for Dogs in 2018

 

Knowing exactly what you need in an insurance plan for your dog can reduce insurance-claim letdown.

As we gathered information for this update, we immediately noticed an improvement in what the various insurance companies cover and don’t cover. We also noticed that there are many more companies offering pet insurance than there were three years ago; perhaps the competitive rates are due to the greater number of insurance-company choices.

We’ve listed the major players in pet health insurance, and the details of each plan, at the bottom of this article. But first, here are 15 things to pay attention to when deciding which of these plans might be best for you and your dogs.

If your dog becomes seriously ill or has an accident requiring surgery or other advanced treatment, having even lousy pet health insurance is better than having none at all. And having a good plan and knowing you can afford the co-payments can give you peace of mind at an otherwise terrible time.

[Read more…]

DOG AND CAT FOOD RECALL ALERT!

 

Primal Pet Foods Recalls 5 Specific Primal Canine And Feline Freeze-Dried Poultry Formulas [Read more…]

How to Keep your Dogs Safe: Martingale Collar

Auntie Em’s uses a martingale on EVERY single dog we care for. We will also use them along with a harness as a safety precaution. If you or someone you know is not familiar with martingale collar, we highly recommend you try one. This is a great alternative to using a collar that can slip off, and it is cruel free. [Read more…]

New Year, New Puppy! Puppy tips for your new family member.

Are you planning to add a furry member to your family in 2017?  You’re not alone. Although the downsides are often touted, a well thought out addition is fine. The reality is that many families choose this time of year in order to use to begin house training and bonding with their new family member. Today I’d like to offer a few tips from the Whole Dog Journal, along with my own enhancements to their ideas, sure to aid in helping you raise a fear-free pup. [Read more…]