Family…

What’s is a family?

Is it a couple? Is it parents and their children? Is it a group of folks who are involved in each others lives and care about each other whether dwelling together or not? Is it a group of persons related by blood? Is it a group of people living under the same roof? Is it a group of folks who share common attitudes, interests and goals and invest into each others lives?

Whatever your definition, mine includes my dogs. My dogs look at me with more love than anyone else on some days. My dogs are always in a great mood, always thrilled to see me and are extremely devoted.

They shower me with unconditional love. They never ask for anything in return. It’s pure, unselfish, unmanipulative love.

I show my dogs love daily. I give them the best care possible daily. They are an important part of my live. How could I not include them in my family?

Trina Daniels

“If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.” James Thurber

Is there such a thing as a “bad veterinarian”?

In my humble opinion, unfortunately YES! There’s the occasional BAD veterinarian. At least I PRAY it is occasional!

If you’ve ever ran across a truly bad veterinarian, I’d love to hear warning signs that your intuition told you if only you would have listened!

I don’t mean…did you have a bad experience. I mean is there a bad veterinarian??
Everyone is going to have an off day now and then. Every veterinarian is going to get behind, say the wrong thing, have a regret and even make a mistake sometimes.

Warning signs that you’ve really encountered a BAD veterinarian:
1) New STAFF members EVERY time you call
2) New STAFF members EVERY time you visit
3) Unprofessional Veterinarian
4) Unprofessional Staff

If the clinic is a revolving door for staff, why?

If the clinic is in an area where there’s a School of Veterinary Medicine, then…okay….possibly there’s STUDENTS revolving in and out. But…that shouldn’t be the entire staff.

Does the STAFF see something “behind the scenes” that is offensive, heartbreaking and repulsive?

Does the STAFF have to compromise their values to stay?

Is the Veterinarian unprofessional? Don’t they care about their appearance? If they are sloppy, wrinkled and wearing sweatpants….do I really want to trust her/him with my dog?

Is the staff unprofessional? If I can’t be treated professionaly while I’m there, how is my dog going to be treated when I walk out the door?

Trina Daniels

“If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.” James Thurber

What if you didn’t brush your teeth?

Can you imagine what your teeth would look like if you didn’t brush them? What if you brushed them once a week or once a month? The odor alone would be incredibly offensive not to mention the appearance.

What if our dogs were talking and you could see their teeth with every word? Would you take better care of them?

It’s up to you to help your dog. You’ve been entrusted their life and you want to do the best you can.

We need to brush their teeth daily. Never use human toothpaste. Dogs can’t spit it out so they swallow it and get sick. Buy toothpaste specifically for your dog from your veterinarian or local pet store. I buy CHICKEN flavored toothpaste and it makes brushing teeth fun, at least for one of my dogs.

My other dog won’t let me touch her mouth. I didn’t start it when I got her due to lack of knowledge. She’s had several dental. She now has heart disease and can’t have additional dentals. Her teeth are getting really bad. I purchased a dental aide to squirt in her mouth and a naturopathic product to rub on her teeth. Both are still hard to do and usually result in coughing episode. Needless to say, it doesn’t get done like it should.

If your veterinarian recommends a dental, it most likely needs done. If you don’t feel certain and can’t see the obvious things the veterinarian shows you, get a second opinion. Unfortunately, there’s the occasional BAD veterinarian in this world.

Dental problems can lead to pain, tooth loss, difficulty eating, bad breath and even the spread of infection throughout the body.

Dogs don’t get their teeth cleaned as simply as we do. To clean their teeth, the veterinarian must do pre-testing to be sure pet is healthy enough, monitoring equipment and use general anesthesia. Extractions may be necessary and they usually can’t tell you that until during the procedure when they have a full view of everything in the dogs mouth.

After your pets teeth are cleaned, try to stay on top of the brushing to lengthen the time before the next dental cleaning is necessary.

Trina Daniels

“If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.” James Thurber

Diagnostic Testing

We have to have occasional blood panels and x-rays. Our dogs need them too. We can’t expect the veterinarian to be able to look at our dog and give us a diagnosis. They need a blood and urine sample to look for things like heartworm disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid disease and more. They need xrays to help diagnose heart disease, arthritis and even cancer. Sometimes they need more extensive testing like additional bloodwork, an ultrasound or a referral to a specialist.

Trina Daniels

“If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.” James Thurber

Gracefully Aging

Manda is my 16 year old Pomeranian. Ned is my 10 1/2 year old German Short Hair Pointer and Collie Blend. As they entered their senior years, I started trying to pay even closer attention to little things.

Nobody likes to go to the doctor including dogs. My senior citizens must have routine examinations. They are aging on an accelerated rate and should be checked by the veterinarian every six months. This will help you become aware of and treat any diseases such as diabetes, kitney failure, arthritis, dental disease and cancer. Some of these problems can be diagnosed and treated before it becomes too difficult to manage. This can extend the quality of life and the life of your pet.

During the “geriatric exam”, the veterinarian or staff will ask you about any changes. This is where paying attention to little things is very important. Since dogs can’t tell us their symptoms, we must make notes of any changes in their daily routines. A change in appetite, thirst, urination or behavior (to name a few) could be warning signs of a potential illness.

We can’t stop the aging process but we can do everything possible to help our pets live healthy, happy and as long of a life as possible.

Trina Daniels

“If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.” James Thurber