A Cat Named Rufus

Way back before my son was born we had a cat named Rufus. Rufus was the meanest cat you've ever seen. He wasn't a friendly cat that wore cute cat clothes and costumes like Daisy The Curly Cat.  Instead he hated people! And, although he was my baby and I would have given him only the best cat products on the market... he wouldn't have any of it!

He was so mean that my mother-in-law was scared to death of him.  If we didn't put him up, she wouldn't come in. (Many would consider this a blessing!) And, he especially hated women.  He'd sit on the edge of the couch and hiss/growl.  It was an awful noise, one that made it quite understandable that people should fear him.

One of the funniest stories from my past comes from this dumb cat.  Believe it or not, this is true.

The cat was in the bathroom closet, (that's where we kept the litter box) and he was howling.  Hubby and I went in to see what his problem was.  He jumped out of the litter box when we came in and started scooting his butt across the floor.  As gross as this sounds, there was something hanging from him.  It was red and we realized it was a shoelace.  Hubby stepped on it and the cat moved forward until the entire shoelace...  all 36 inches of it, were out!  Yes, it was a high-top, 36" basketball shoe shoelace!  I would catch him chewing on them from time-to-time, never thinking the stupid animal would eat one.  But he did, and somehow managed to pass it without any problem.

We had to take Rufus to the local shelter when my son was born.  We didn't want to and tried a few days to wait it out and let them get acquainted, but the way he hissed at women was what he did to my baby.  When I found him standing over the top of my son hissing and growling I had to do something.

I like to think that since he was neutered and declawed he found a nice owner who spoiled him with cat costumes and a nice plush cat bed, but a part of me thinks he was probably put to sleep.  It's been so long now that I guess I'll never know.

If you have a cat and want to spoil it be sure to check out ShopWiki.  They bring items from more than 30,000 stores together in one place and in addition to cat food, beds and other essential cat products, you'll also find important information on cat care.

Glucosamine Helps Spanky Get A Good Nap

When my son was little he started the usual chant of many a small child, "Can we get a dog?" I was fine with the idea, but hubby on the other hand, had never really had any pets that he was close to and didn't think he should start now.

After months of begging and explaining that the benefits of having a dog outweighed the negatives. (Studies show that children with a pet learn to care and nurture others, develop a sense of responsibility, establish a daily exercise routine and develop friendships. See Kids & Dogs for more info.) DH said that when he got his new truck we could get a dog!

The first puppy we got turned out to be dud. OK, that's putting it a little crass. Actually she had a genetic defect and died at 3 months old. It broke all of our hearts, but it hit my husband (the man who didn't want a pet!) the hardest.

Two days after she she passed, we drove almost two hours away to a breeder to see her last two Lab pups. We named our new puppy Spanky and didn't know what a crazy adventure we were in for!

If you've never had a Lab pup you should probably watch Marley And Me to get an idea of what you are in for. (Although I've only seen the trailer - my friends tell me I couldn't handle it because Marley looks too much like Spanky.) You may think it's an exaggeration - I assure you, it's not! Our new, cuddly, cute, puppy tore every pillow and towel in the house. He ripped my skirt off me one day and he also cost us a small fortune when he dug through our bathroom's vinyl floor and we had to replace it with tile.

No, we didn't kill him, (though there were moments I said I would like to) and we somehow managed to get through those two horrible years of chewing. Now, Spanky is almost 10 and is nothing but gentleness. He is my son's best friend. They slept in the same bed for years until Spanky's arthritis got to the point that he seldom heads upstairs any longer. Now we can't even take him for short walks or he cries in pain at night.

When we went to the Vet this summer, (Which was a job in itself! Getting a 75-pound dog in and out of a Jeep without having dog ramps takes some skill.) she suggested I give him glucosamine. It's helped some. Though he won't generally go upstairs at night, now he will venture up the stairs after a good night's rest just to get in a bed for a nap!

I had thought that he should be on glucosamine but found out that I was giving him way too little. She told me that a dog needs quite a bit more than a human, between 3,000 and 4,000 mgs a day.

Though he'll never be a puppy again, and we dread the day that we lose our friend, at least he doesn't cry at night any more. If you have a dog that's having a hard time getting around, be sure to speak to your Vet about your options, including glucosamine. Your best friend will be happy you did!

Amazing Video - Dog Saves Dog

I received this in an email and found it so amazing that I just had to share! It brought me to tears. You wonder how much our dogs understand. This one was incredibly smart!

Your Dog Doesn't Need Sugar-Free Products

Speaking of dogs, I received an email yesterday about dogs and xylitol. I checked it out on Snopes.com and it's true. So if you have a furry friend, be aware that this sugar alcohol used in certain sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and other products can cause illness, even fatality, depending on the amount ingested.

Here's the story as I received it:

Warning to all dog owners - pass this on to everyone you can. Last
Friday evening, I arrived home from work, fed Chloe, our 24 Lb.
dachshund, just as I normally do. Ten minutes later I walked into the
den just in time to see her head inside the pocket of Katie's friend's
purse. She had a guilty look on her face so I Looked closer and saw a
small package of sugar-free gum. It contained xylitol. I remembered
that I had recently read that sugar-free gum can be deadly for dogs so I
jumped on line and looked to see if xylitol was the ingredient. I found
the first website below and it was the one. Next, I called our vet. She
said to bring her in immediately. Unfortunately, it was still rush hour
and it took me almost 1/2 hour to get there. Meanwhile, since this was
her first case, our vet found another website to figure out the
treatment. She took Chloe and said they would induce her to vomit, give
her a charcoal drink to absorb the toxin (even though they don't think
it works) then they would start an iv with dextrose. The xylitol causes
dogs to secrete insulin so their blood sugar drops very quickly. The
second thing that happens is liver failure. If that happens, even with
aggressive treatment, it can be difficult to save them. She told us she
would call us. Almost two hours later, the vet called and said that
contents of her stomach contained 2-3 gum wrappers and that her blood
sugar had dropped from 90 to 59 in 30 minutes. She wanted us to take
Chloe to another hospital that has a critical care unit operating around
the clock. We picked her up and took her there. They had us call the
ASPCA poison control for a case number and for a donation; their doctors
would direct Chloe's doctor on treatment. They would continue the iv,
monitor her blood every other hour and then in 2 days test her liver
function. She ended up with a central line in her jugular vein since the
one in her leg collapsed, just as our regular vet had feared. Chloe
spent almost the entire weekend in the critical care hospital. After her
blood sugar was stabilized, she came home yesterday. They ran all the
tests again before they released her and so far, no sign of liver
damage. Had I not seen her head in the purse, she probably would have
died and we wouldn't even have known why.

Three vets told me this weekend, that they were amazed that I even knew
about it since they are first learning about it too. Please tell
everyone you know about xylitol and dogs. It may save another life.

For more info visit, http://www.aspca.org/

Yikes! My Dog Has Lumps!

I've mentioned my spoiled little Jack Russell that sleeps next to his bed, instead of in it, in a previous post. But I don't think I've mentioned that we also have an old yellow Labrador. His name is Spanky, and he's my son's best friend, protector of my little 'napoleon complex' dog, and lover of everyone who will give him any type of attention.

Labs are the most destructive puppies in the world! But once they reach about 3, they are awesome pets. My Lab ate more towels, pillows, socks and sticks than you could 'shake a stick at' when he was young. Now though, he just lays around.

We just found two lumps on him. At first I freaked out, but after searching the net, and finding a site (PetWave.com) that has a comprehensive pet health library, and then talking with my friend who's been raising Labs for years, I think they are lipomas. Which can be, but usually aren't, malignant. I still need to get him checked by a vet, but I feel a little better.

Petwave.com is a great site. In addition to health information they also have breed information, which described my little dog to a 'T' when it said, "They are also known for a "Napoleon complex" regarding larger canines that can get them into dangerous situations. Their fearlessness often scares off a larger animal, but their apparent unawareness of their small size can lead to a lopsided fight with larger dogs if not kept in check." (He actually to fight with a Bull Mastiff one day! He lost, needless to say!) And additionally there is care and nutrition information, a forum and more.

Soothing Kennel Cough

So your dog has that honking, dry hacking, coughing, retching, sneezing, snorting, gagging, Kennel Cough. What do you do now?

• If the cough is not productive ask your vet for a cough suppressant. (You'll both sleep much better!)
• There are both viral and bacterial strains of Kennel Cough. Your vet may want to prescribe an antibiotic to treat any bacterial infection.
• Give your dog a steam treatment. Let him breathe the moist bathroom air while you take a hot shower.
• Be sure to use a body harness instead of a correction collar that can press on his windpipe.

Kennel Cough can last from 10 - 20 days, but the prognosis is good. Be sure to have your dog vaccinated if you plan to leave him at a kennel.