Dog Ear Infection and the Dreaded Cone

A few weeks ago, Abigail underwent surgery for an ear hematoma. As a result, she wore a collar for the last few weeks to keep her from scratching her ears and causing infection. Yesterday, she finally got the collar off around 3 o’clock. We were so happy for her because you could tell she hated it.

After arriving back home, my wife had to run some errands, so she let Abigail out on the back porch to enjoy the nice afternoon. (This is one of Abigail’s favorite spots.)

Around two hours later, we got home and checked up on Abigail.  We were looking forward to seeing her tail wagging because she was happy to have the collar off. Instead, we found her underneath a chair with her back leg, which had been fine when she was at the vet earlier, bright red and a great deal of fur missing. Over the course of 2 hours, she had chewed on her leg so much it was bleeding in spots. After having seen dog hot spots before, we called the vet and made an emergency appointment.

A Trip to the  Vet

We were extremely lucky that our vet had one appointment available before  closing in 2 hours, but it required that I get there in 10 minutes.  I rushed out the door and made it in time. After taking one look at the dog he had seen just two hours before, he was amazed. He said the hot spots had probably been itching her for a while, but with the collar on, she could not get to them. He believes the inflammation was probably caused by a flea bite to which Abigail is highly allergic. He gave her a shot of steroids and told us to put the collar back on until the hot spots get better.

In my next article, I’ll give an update on our battle with fleas and what we’re using to fight them.

I’m happy to report that Abigail is currently laying down in my office sleeping while I type this post. After some additional antihistimine, she finally seems to be getting some relief.

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I can tell Shadow is up to something. He keeps walking through the kitchen with his nose in the air. I’m sure he’s seen that big bird in the oven and I know he smells it. Every year, we get a few pieces of the turkey.  I hope it happens soon, it’s “better than snuff”.*

Foods dogs should avoid during Thanksgiving dinner

By the way, did ya’ll know that there are a lot of things during Thanksgiving that dogs can’t eat? Some examples that can frequently be found at the dinner table are listed below.

Too much turkey

Too much turkey can cause dog gastric distress. This never bothered me much but it can be a quick ticket out of the house and into the back yard.

Turkey Skin

Turkey skin has a lot of fat. Excess fat can cause dog pancreatitis (dog vomiting and dehydration are not fun at all)

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Turkey Bones

Turkey bones are similar to chicken bones. They can splinter and cause a dog intestinal blockage or cause an intestinal perforation.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg can cause tremors, central nervous system deterioration and possibly death.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sweetener made from sugar alcohol. It can be found in chewing gum and candy, but also in some baking ingredients used at Thanksgiving. Xylitol is safe for humans, but can be extremely toxic to dogs. If a dog eats a product with Xylitol, it may cause an excess of insulin created in the pancreas, dog vomiting and seizures. As little as three grams of Xylitol can be enough to kill a 60 pound dog.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs if they eat enough of it. The good news is that it takes a large amount of theobromine to cause a reaction. For more information, see Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs.

Macadamia Nuts

According to my research, researchers do not know what causes macadamia nuts to be toxic to dogs. However, depending on the size of the dog, as few as six nuts can be toxic. The symptoms of macadamia nut poisoning can be dog vomiting, abdominal pain, stiffness, pale gums, difficulty in movement, tremors and depression.

Onions

If dogs eat too many onions, raw or cooked, they can get hemolytic anemia. Most dogs can handle small quantities of onions without any issues. However, it can prove toxic with whole onions or a chopped portion around a cup or more.

Garlic

Large quantities of garlic can be toxic similar to onions.

Grapes and Raisins

Feeding dogs grapes and raisins is generally not a good idea. Some dogs can handle eating grapes, but others can’t. For those that have a problem, renal failure is a possibility. Dog vomiting and diarrhea are the first systems of toxicity with raisins or grapes. Acute renal failure can occur within 48 hours of first systems. For more information, see Grape and raisin toxicity in dogs from Wikipedia.

Dispose of the remains properly

First, make sure when you take the turkey out of the oven, dispose of all of the stuff that comes with it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but all the grease and fat in the bottom of the aluminum foil pan that you leave on the top of the garbage can, can quickly become ours. Let’s face, we can’t help ourselves. Pups, resist the urge to eat that stuff. It will only make you sick later.

What can my dog do while we eat Thanksgiving dinner?

I’m going to try and distract Shadow when the turkey is taken out of the oven. Hopefully, I can keep him from getting his nose burned.

So, what can you do while the humans are at the dinner table? Go find your favorite toy and enjoy it. Do not beg at the table. I, for one, am far too civilized to beg for food from the human guests, and you should be too.

I hope if any humans are reading this, ya’ll have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’m going to go sneak a nice turkey bone and enjoy it in my bed (just kidding).

Happy Thanksgiving,

Abigail and Shadow

* This reference was from Chris’ Grandfather that passed away this year. Whenever the family would get together for a big meal, his would alway say, “that was better than snuff”, at the end. Since no one in the family (other than him) has tried snuff, we’ll take his word for it.
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I was as happy as a tick on a fat dog to find out that Shadow came out of his surgery okay. In case ya’ll didn’t hear, he got neutered today and, as expected, he survived.

I reckon that’s one way to lose a little weight (although with him, it won’t be much  ;  ).

Ya’ll be good.

Abigail

I’m willing to bet Shadow doesn’t even know that he has a surgery coming up. That right, he’s gonna get the ole “snip snip”.

“Snip… snip??” They’re going to do what to my… Dog, that ain’t right! What about all of the puppies I was going to sire? What about all of those great times wandering about the neighborhood unleashed?

Wait a minute, maybe if I can provide some good reasons why I should not be neutered, I can stop this crazy idea.

[a few minutes later]

After doing some reading, I found the following information about neutering.

Male dogs that have been neutered:

• Are often better behaved than their intact friends.
• Are less likely to roam.
• Are less likely to mark their territory around the house.
• Are less likely to have prostate problems as they age.
• Won’t get testicular cancer.

Wow… so maybe its time I rethink this. Since my human doesn’t let me wander by myself anyways, maybe it won’t be so bad. According to Abigail, the vet will give me some medicine so I’ll take a nap, and when I wake up, the procedure is done. As I get older, I can skip some of the health issues that that intact dogs could have.

I guess its time that I admit to myself, that having puppies really isn’t that important all, especially when you consider all of the dogs that are euthanized each year because they don’t have a home. If I really wanted a little brother or sister, there are lots of shelters around.

Okay, where do I sign up? Maybe being fixed isn’t such a bad thing after all. Thanks Abigail for helping me with what needs to be done.

From Chris: The last time I checked, Shadow doesn’t have any money.  :  )  The cost of neutering can vary depending on geographic region and veterinarian. However, for a Humane Society or low-cost clinic neutering can cost $45 – $135.  Some regular animal hospitals charge $200 – $300 or more.

For instance, I’m willing to bet Shadow doesn’t even know that he has a surgery coming up. That right, he’s gonna get the ole “snip snip”. Boy, will that puppy be surprised.  : )

As Shadow said, I will be blogging about different aspects of dog health. Things like, why it’s important for male dogs to get neutered, and how it can reduce health risks as they age. (I bet he doesn’t know about that part either.) I think I’ll also rewrite some of Chris’ articles on dog pain relievers like aspirin and Rimadyl (let me you honey, that’s some good stuff) to help dogs with arthritis.

My life is simple. I prefer the finer things, like lying in the dirt in the backyard or finding a nice spot in the shade. One of the nice things about living in the south is that you can be outside year round. Unlike Shadow, I’m not fond of water. I’ll take baths, but they aren’t my favorite.

I look forward to sharing comments with each of you and getting to know you better.

Ya’ll stay in the shade,

Abigail the Southern Belle

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It was almost dark when the door bell rang. Fred  ran to the door wagging his tail and waiting impatiently for someone to open it. However, when the door opened, small children yelled, “Trick or Treat” in strange clothes and wearing masks. Poor Fred was scared by all of the noise and confusion.  He immediately barked and then ran to the couch, not to be seen until a few minutes after they left.

After the third time this happened, Fred stayed on the couch until long after the doorbell last rang.

Halloween can be a scary time for dogs. The normal looks and smells of people they know can be altogether different.

On the other hand, it’s a great time to pick up candy off the floor! Unfortunately, as you probably know, chocolate is toxic for dogs.

Shadow and Abby will be spending Halloween in a room by themselves with a bone or two so they can have some peace and quiet.

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What Would A Dog Do has an excellent article about the day, problems caused by pet obesity, and ways to avoid it.

I’ll admit that I’m guilty when it comes to making sure I give the dogs enough exercise. As our lifestyles become busier, it becomes more and more important to properly care for and exercise our canine friends.

Shadow with spots

Shadow is almost a year old and maybe the chocolate coat is just a bit too plain. What do you think of a chocolate lab dyed purple with white spots? Do you think he’ll be all the rage on the next trip to the dog park?

Dog Dying

Dog dying has become a growing trend in certain parts of the world. Ex-Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day has recently been in the news with her Maltese, Ginger dyed pink, green, and orange. According to Aubrey, she does the dye job herself with foils and paint.

The Perez Hilton site also gave their opinion on the pup’s new colors.
Here are some great examples of dye jobs from Flickr.

The dogs can come in a wide range of colors.

According to the comment on Flickr, this dog was even died pink with Koolade.

Is it safe?

The process of dying your dog may cause them stress and the dyes can sometimes irritate their skin. It is important that you purchase dies that are made specifically for dogs and not those for humans.

I found these sites online that offer a wide variety of colors.

Paw Palace Online

Posh Pet Glamour Boutique

By the way, I was just kidding about Shadow’s dye job. Its amazing what you can do with a graphics editor these days. The only change in Shadow’s beautiful brown coat will be when he turns gray like me.

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Husky

My son, Thomas, asked if I would post this article for him.

By Thomas Hardee

Some people may say that trimming a Siberian Huskies’ coat will help them stay cool. This is not true. The outer coat is a barrier to all sorts of things. It protects them from bugs such as insects, mites, and parasites.

If you go to a professional groomer, the groomer may even shave the dog without your consent, while others will say not to shave the dog.

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By shaving a husky, you are removing the outer coat which when growing back after being shaved may grow in a different color, may cause sunburn on the dog, and, may ruin the dog’s coat.

Despite what you might think the outside coat actually protects the dog from harmful rays and keeps it cool. All in all, shaving a Siberian Husky may cause all sorts of problems and does not keep the dog cool.

Please feel free to leave comments to encourage this young author to learn and grow as a writer.

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