Search Results for: blog the fox in the woods a lesson in rabies

What Is Rabies?

Posted on by

Chances are, your pets are vaccinated against rabies. But do you know what rabies is? Rabies is a disease caused by a virus. The virus targets the nervous system — specifically nerve cells. When a pet (or person) is bitten by a rabies virus carrier, the virus moves through peripheral nerves towards the brain and spinal cord. Any mammal can get rabies, although the symptoms can be somewhat different in different species. Early symptoms of a rabies infection in humans include: Headache Fever Decrease in appetite and/or vomiting Pain, itching and/or tingling at the bite site The early stage of … Continue reading →

The Fox in the Woods: A Lesson in Rabies

The other night when I took Murphy for a walk, we ran into Sophie (a husky/Shepard mix) and her mom Nila. Sophie is one of Murph’s dog pals (actually, I tease him she’s his girlfriend) who’s always happy to see her boyfriend. (Nila’s usually happy to see us too, but she doesn’t jump around and carry on with glee like Sophie does.) Since we were both just starting our walks, we decided to walk together. That’s when Nila told me that Ms. Tina, who’s Lady’s mom (Lady, a beagle, is Sophie’s best friend and Murph’s other good buddy) knocked on … Continue reading →

Bats in Your Belfry?

Posted on by

Bats can be a welcome addition to your yard — but you probably don’t want them in your house! If you have bats in your walls or attic, here’s a good way to get them out. Try to plan your bat eviction for early spring or late summer — these are times when there will be no young, flightless bats in the roost. Watch the house at dusk to find the place where the bats emerge. Get a piece of heavy plastic or bird netting that is slightly bigger than the hole. Secure it at the top but allow it … Continue reading →

Vaccine Allergies in Dogs

Most of the time, our four-legged friends handle their annual vaccinations with no problems. Once in a while, a pet may experience an adverse reaction to the vaccine. Ischemic dermatopathy (also known as cutaneous vasculitis) is a rare reaction to the rabies vaccine. Symptoms include: Ulcers, scabs, or lumps at the vaccine site Darkening of the skin at the injection site Scarring with loss of hair Lesions developing on ear flaps, elbows, footpads, and face Fever Symptoms of this reaction can show up within a few weeks of injection but can take several months to develop to a noticeable level. … Continue reading →

Time-Sharing Pets: A New Trend?

Yesterday on our evening walk, Murph and I ran into his gal pals Sophie and Lady. Sophie is a white shepherd/husky mix and Lady is a beagle. (We’ve written about them before in articles such as Murphy’s Fan Club, Tabby’s a One Cat Kind of Dog Lover, and The Fox in the Woods: A Lesson in Rabies.) Last night it was a bit warm. Like mid-70s. Most of the time Sophie’s a high energy dog who loves to run and wrestle with her pals. She gets very mellow, however, when the temps start creeping up past 70. So while she … Continue reading →

The Elusive Stray Dog Roaming Our Neighborhood

Drat! This morning the stray dog that’s been roaming our neighborhood the last few weeks eluded me again. I want to say it was about 3 weeks ago when I first saw her. But I wasn’t sure she was a dog. I spotted her when I was walking Murph at dusk one evening. She was up ahead about a block or so, trotting towards us. At first my guard went up. Stray dog with no owner in sight could spell trouble if she was an aggressive dog. But as soon as she spotted us, she high-tailed it between some houses … Continue reading →

The Freaks Come Out at Night

Murph gets at least two round-the-block walks a day. Once in the morning and once in the early evening. We rarely take him on longer walks through the neighborhood after dark. (During Daylight Savings Time, that is. Once we fall back and it gets dark by five we don’t have much choice.) For now, however, while there’s still light in the sky come his six o’clock walk, we’re only out past dark when we take him up the cul-de-sac for a last pee-pee of the night walk. Most times. Sometimes we walk a little farther than normal, or Murph dawdles … Continue reading →

The Freaks Come Out at Night

Murph gets at least two round-the-block walks a day. Once in the morning and once in the early evening. We rarely take him on longer walks through the neighborhood after dark. (During Daylight Savings Time, that is. Once we fall back and it gets dark by five we don’t have much choice.) For now, however, while there’s still light in the sky come his six o’clock walk, we’re only out past dark when we take him up the cul-de-sac for a last pee-pee of the night walk. Most times. Sometimes we walk a little farther than normal, or Murph dawdles … Continue reading →

Six More Weeks of Winter or an Early Spring?: Punxsutawney Phil’s 2007 Prediction

He’s kind of like Santa Claus. There’s only one day a year when Punxsutawney Phil, the “prognosticating groundhog,” is called upon to do his job and today was it. This morning, amidst much pomp and circumstance in front of thousands on Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle members John Griffiths and Ben Hughes pulled Phil from his burrow. If he saw his shadow and made a dash back to his hovel, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. If he didn’t and instead lingered outside, Spring’s on the way. So what happened? Did he dash or loiter? According … Continue reading →