Search Results for: blog poor itchy puppy pt 2

Canine Body Language, Pt. 1

Just as she did for felines, animal behavior consultant and author of 23 pet care books Amy Shojai recently shared her wisdom on canine communication on website Paw Nation. Many of us might think it’s easier to read dogs than cats, and while that’s sometimes true, it never hurts to try to learn what your dog might be thinking. Let’s switch it up from my previous posts on cat language a bit; first I’ll start by going over what the actual canine body language means, then I’ll cover the emotions behind various dog sounds. One thing I will copy from … Continue reading →

Poor Itchy Puppy, Pt. 2

Weeks ago I wrote about my dog Chihiro’s problems with constant itching. She scratched and licked at herself much more than normal. We applied a couple different treatments to her in an attempt to fix the problem and now I am able to report on the results. The first solution we attempted, which I described in greater detail in my previous article, was giving her probiotic treats and powder with her evening meal. The probiotics returned good bacteria to her body that had likely been wiped away by the antibiotics she took over the summer. After giving her the probiotics … Continue reading →

Poor Itchy Puppy

Scratch my belly, please Unfortunately, Chihiro’s health saga has continued. At least nothing is so wrong with her that we need to take her to the vet or spend a lot of money, but it’s annoying that we have to keep treating her for various maladies. At least I can blog about her troubles to share tips with you should any of your dogs ever have similar problems. Chihiro’s always been an itchy dog. Early this year the vet confirmed that she has an inverted vulva, a disorder that’s apparently somewhat common with mixed breed dogs. That means she has … Continue reading →

Why Pets Do Weird Things: Licking

Why do our pets lick us? We think we know some of the reasons: affection, we have something tasty on our skin. But there are additional reasons why they might lick us. Let’s look at them. One of the first things a mother dog does for her puppies is to lick them: it helps stimulate their senses. Doing so means comfort for dogs, so when they lick you they might be trying to pass those feelings onto you. It’s basically social bonding. Licking can also symbolize submission. In the wild subordinate dogs lick their alphas, so if a dog is … Continue reading →

Pets Have Allergies Too

It’s that time of year: my car, porch, deck, and even some of my plants, are covered in a yellow dust. Pollen season is upon us, and for many unfortunates that means it’s time to suffer through allergies. As is true with many things, humans aren’t the only ones that might be affected by the dreaded plant powder. All this past week my dog has come in with her snout, muzzle, and sometimes even her eyes, covered in pollen. She didn’t seem any different than normal, however, which leads me to believe that despite her many itching problems pollen is … Continue reading →

Grain-Free Food Can Improve Behavior and Allergies

I started an experiment the day I took Chrestomanci to the vet: I put all of the animals on grain-free food. I’ve always wondered about whether or not I ought to take my pets off of corn-filled kibble, but the extra expense has always given me, and especially my husband, pause. When I asked the vet about Chresti’s dandruff problem she said that wetter grain-free food might help. A locally-owned store next to the veterinarian’s office sells a variety of such foods, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least go in and get a bunch of samples. I … Continue reading →

How Far Would You Go to Save a Sick Pet?

Me, aged about 10, with my childhood cat Boots When my husband and I prepared to adopt a dog he asked me one question that really startled and upset me. “We need to decide how much we’re going to spend on this dog when it’s sick,” he said. He meant we had to decide the maximum amount of money we were willing to spend on it for medical treatment; if it ever had a health problem the costs of which exceeded that number, we’d automatically agree to put it down. I was shocked. How could he suggest such a callous … Continue reading →

Buying Pet Medication Online

I don’t usually have a lot of deals to post here. That’s because the majority of discounted pet items I see are too localized: coupons in the local Penny Saver, sales specifically at my branch of Petco, that sort of thing. This weekend I made my annual bulk purchase of our various pet medications and treatments. Then it occurred to me that I’ve been using discount websites for pet purchases for years now and I’ve never remembered to share the scoop. If you’re a pet owner I’m sure you’ve heard it before; when buying your flea treatments, heartworm medications, and … Continue reading →

Those Dreaded Allergies

After a year of having severe allergy problems, including a persistent cough, that followed my seasonal allergies and never went away, I finally went to the allergist. There I heard the news that every pet owner dreads: I’m allergic to one of my animals. My exchange with the doctor went something like this: he told me I was allergic to cats. I said that was strange, because although I’d been having problems I currently own a cat and have lived with one at several points in my life. I’d been told I had other severe allergies, so I guessed my … Continue reading →

The Complexities of Pet Insurance

People need insurance, or want it if they can get it, but what about insurance for pets? At families.com we’ve previously covered the different types of insurance one can purchase for one’s pets, but today I’d like to go over whether or not purchasing pet insurance is the right decision for you. I need to disclaim my forthcoming statements: coverage and policies with pet insurance are entirely dependent upon the particular company. Because they are not government mandated (even if some claim to follow government standards), different companies can offer different types of coverage, and problems that occur with some … Continue reading →