Healthy Pets

Arwen · 11-12-2009, 11:10 AM

Let's share things that keep our feathered, furred, finned, scaled and shelled friends healthy.

Got recipes?
Got questions?

I'm not a vet and I don't play one on TV either, but I am an animal lover. Let's talk about what keeps our companion animals healthy!

Arwen · 11-12-2009, 11:12 AM

From Banfield's newsletter:

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued a statement confirming that a cat in Iowa tested positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Iowa state officials confirmed that this is the first time a cat has been diagnosed with a strain of influenza.

The cat, which is recovering, is believed to have contracted the virus from a human in the household who had H1N1. There are no indications that the cat passed the virus on to any other Pets or to other people. Prior to this diagnosis, the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus had been found in humans, pigs, birds and ferrets. The virus was confirmed in two ferrets in Nebraska and one in Oregon. There have been no reports of infection in dogs.

As with humans, supportive care is the only treatment available for Pets with this virus. However, if your Pet has a fever, cough/sneeze and nasal discharge and someone in your household has had an influenza-like illness the week prior to the illness of your Pet, you should contact your local Banfield veterinarian.

So this really surprised me. I didn't realize H1N1 had been found in birds and ferrets either.

Arwen · 11-12-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jackhammer

Oh NO

I was just looking at our baby (Sister Amazing Gracie Fabulosa) the other day and wondering if this H1N1 crud could be passed to her.

Not good.

Right now it has not been found in dogs but I'd certainly be cautious.

Darth Denkay · 11-12-2009, 10:22 PM

Great thread! I imagine I'll be hanging out here quite a bit, figuring out what to do with 4 cats and a dog...

blackboot · 11-12-2009, 10:41 PM

I used to own a grooming salon and also sold product. I always cautioned dog owners about the choking danger of solid (not shredded and compressed) rawhide bones with the knots on each end. Those knots easily slide down a dogs' throat and can become lodged. A piece of rawhide can also cause intestinal blockage. I refused to sell these products in my shop. Another common danger is using a choke chain in place of a collar or leaving the choke on unattended.

Arwen · 11-13-2009, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackboot

I used to own a grooming salon and also sold product. I always cautioned dog owners about the choking danger of solid (not shredded and compressed) rawhide bones with the knots on each end. Those knots easily slide down a dogs' throat and can become lodged. A piece of rawhide can also cause intestinal blockage. I refused to sell these products in my shop. Another common danger is using a choke chain in place of a collar or leaving the choke on unattended.

Nod. Choke chains are dangerous. I also owned a grooming salon (I think we talked about this once) but I did not sell product.

One of my clients died from a cow hoof treat. Beautiful Husky.

Best bet with any big chewy treat is to watch your pet. I know it's an easy thing to give them a chew while you are gone, but the things that could happen are myriad. And many of them are fatal.

Hate to be a drag, but better that then losing your pet.

Rook · 11-13-2009, 01:06 AM

I never Ever gave my pets Rawhide treats....my family + companion always complained that i was being too severe, snobby....
I would tell them exactly why I refused and of course the inevitable "Ohhhh" followed....
I did give Natural treats...
Dried chicken breast treats specifically for my pooch...
Greenies....
Real bones...femurs, oxtails...and the occasional pizzle stick...
Of course for my ferrets, Cheweasels, n-bone, and a maximum 2 nuggets of Marshal treat or the all-meat treats, plus Ferret crack..or Ferretone....

When I found out Ferrets can get h1n1, I doubled my effort to sanitize and avoid snibbly people upTown....
my county has a few cases, and 1 infant fatality....

For other ferret owners that have Sickly ferrets or Older ferrets that can't eat solids well..

duk soup can be as basic as you want it to be
3 chicken Thighs/legs (about a lb)
about 1/2 cup of premium FERRET kibble
about 1 tbsp of Ferretone*or more..if they're stubborn*
half jar 1st stage baby food MEAT..{beef, chicken, turkey, lamb...your pick...i oftentimes did chicken, turkey or lamb]
Pedialyte (non-flavored) 2 tbsp

Pretty simple, boil the chicken and keep the broth, break the chicken up into small piece and put into a blender, add about 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend untill liquid. Add a bit of the broth to the kibble to allow it to soften up, then blend with a bit of broth, adding Pedialyte + baby food. Mix all the liquids together, add some ferretone and mix. You can add more broth if needed to make it liquidy..
The consistency is really up to the ailing/older ferrets ability to eat..try not to make it too soupy...
Gotta keep in mind, they will poop it, and it'll be incredibly "Ripe" if it's not balanced out...
like a baby eating baby food...
If there's leftover, pour them in ice cube tray, freeze, then heat up whenever needed, not too hot..just lukewarm...

Legendryder · 11-13-2009, 06:35 AM

Great thread. I have two dogs myself, one young, one old. My older furkid has started having problems eating hard food, so she started dropping weight a bit. I went to the store, bought cans of wet food and a tube of Nurtical, and she is back to normal. I do have to stick Bob in another room, as a chihuahua, he will eat any and everything. He is already a walking furry table as it is. So, he gets dry food, and the Queen gets wet food. All good.

Diavolo · 11-13-2009, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arwen

Nod. Choke chains are dangerous. I also owned a grooming salon (I think we talked about this once) but I did not sell product.

One of my clients died from a cow hoof treat. Beautiful Husky.

Best bet with any big chewy treat is to watch your pet. I know it's an easy thing to give them a chew while you are gone, but the things that could happen are myriad. And many of them are fatal.

Hate to be a drag, but better that then losing your pet.

And don't forget those weird little soft ball like things from China that my brother's dog swallowed. Lots of dogs have had to have surgery over those. I just had to pick up Doberman puke.

Legendryder · 11-13-2009, 11:42 AM

My dogs get milkbones. Only. If they feel like chewing, they have Kong balls and rubber toys for that.

Bit · 11-13-2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arwen

So this really surprised me. I didn't realize H1N1 had been found in birds and ferrets either.

They call it H1N1 because it is a mutant combination of Swine Flu and Bird Flu, so yes, birds can get it.

I didn't know about ferrets and cats getting it, though.

Thank you for the thread, Arwen!

Eddie · 11-13-2009, 12:14 PM

I'm looking at taking ownership of my friend's pet. She has to give her away (long story) and I would rather take the pet than her giving it to a random person. It's a miniature chocolate dapple dachshund. The great thing is that the pet knows me and she's house broken, crate trained and so on. The not so great thing is that I will no longer be able to pick up and leave for weekend getaways on a whim like I am able to now. I want the pet and have been thinking of having one for a long while now, but I know it is a huge responsibility for me and I know there's a lot to ponder over with this new addition to my home.

Arwen · 11-13-2009, 12:16 PM

My niece makes dog cookies. She shared some with the Del Valle dogs who LOVED them. Here is her recipe.

A*'s Dog Cookies

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Combine:
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
Set aside.

Slowly pour 1 Cup milk into 1 Cup Peanut Butter (Crunchy or Smooth – your dog’s choice). Mix until smooth

Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until all ingredients are mixed together. Form into a ball and then knead on a LIGHTLY floured surface for a few minutes. Flatten (or roll) out to about ½ inch thickness and cut with cookie cutter (A* uses a tree shaped cookie cutter, but you can use whatever you have on hand).

Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Store in an airtight container

I think I might be inclined to use a different liquid for the mixing. I'll have to experiment.

Bit · 11-13-2009, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arwen

I think I might be inclined to use a different liquid for the mixing. I'll have to experiment.

Chicken broth!

Thank you for the recipe; I'll have to try these for Lady after I get my oven fixed.

Darth Denkay · 11-14-2009, 12:33 PM

Hey Legend!

You may have already done this - if so ignore me - but have you had your furkid checked by a vet to see if she needs a dental? Gum disease and tooth problems will make them go off eating anything that's going to be painful. Just a thought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legendryder

Great thread. I have two dogs myself, one young, one old. My older furkid has started having problems eating hard food, so she started dropping weight a bit. I went to the store, bought cans of wet food and a tube of Nurtical, and she is back to normal. I do have to stick Bob in another room, as a chihuahua, he will eat any and everything. He is already a walking furry table as it is. So, he gets dry food, and the Queen gets wet food. All good.

MsDemeanor · 11-14-2009, 01:33 PM

H1N1 in cats is not a surprise, as they can contract type-A influenza. They don't pass it to other cats, but they can get it from humans. Flu in ferrets is quite common; they are one of the animals that are used in flu testing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I always feed my dog the best possible dry food and treats that I could find. Most of his life he was on Natura products, first California Natural then, when it became available in my area, Innova. He got the occasional table scrap, but never enough to impact his diet. I kept him away from the vet and medications as much as possible, he had minimal shots and didn't take any of those expensive monthly pills that vets always recommend. He never had a flea or tick problem, so this decision didn't jeopardize his health in any way. He finally passed this week at the age of 18, so I figure that I must have been doing something right all those years.

Inuus · 11-14-2009, 03:47 PM

MsDemeanor Im sorry for your loss. Your pup lived a full life Im sure

This site has some great pet recipes if anyone is interested. I have tried making a couple myself...uumm for my dog Gouda of course although I will admit I tried them after they were baked. Hey I love Gouda too much to allow her to try something I wouldnt eat myself

http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm

Bit · 11-14-2009, 04:07 PM

{{{{{{{{{{{Mr. and MsDemeanor}}}}}}}}}}

Hello Inuus, welcome!

MsDemeanor · 11-15-2009, 11:38 AM

Thank you for the kind words. It's kinda hard to be too sad, 18 years is twice what most folks get with their furbabies.

Dude · 11-18-2009, 10:49 AM

No sooner had we got home from Austin on sunday that our little chihuahua/shitzu two year old started having a seizure.
She has had about 5 in her lifetime now.
This one and the one previous (4 mnths ago) continued until we got her to emergency vet for a shot of valium.
We took her to our vet yesterday and are waiting on blood work to come back.

I thought it was worth a shot to see if anyone here has gone thru this with such
a young dog.

11-12-2009, 11:10 AM	#1
Arwen Joy Seeker How Do You Identify?: Smartly-Flavored Preferred Pronoun?: Goddess Relationship Status: Mrs. Syzygy 1/9/14 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Joyville, NM (aka Land of Enchantment) Posts: 10,140 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,636 Thanked 28,123 Times in 6,414 Posts Rep Power: 21474862	Healthy Pets Let's share things that keep our feathered, furred, finned, scaled and shelled friends healthy. Got recipes? Got questions? I'm not a vet and I don't play one on TV either, but I am an animal lover. Let's talk about what keeps our companion animals healthy! __________________ I wrote a book, y'all! *FREE* Tarotscopes Seek Joy, y'all. Eschew hate. 9Words: A Poetry Challenge \| Do you like me?

11-12-2009, 11:12 AM	#2
Arwen Joy Seeker How Do You Identify?: Smartly-Flavored Preferred Pronoun?: Goddess Relationship Status: Mrs. Syzygy 1/9/14 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Joyville, NM (aka Land of Enchantment) Posts: 10,140 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,636 Thanked 28,123 Times in 6,414 Posts Rep Power: 21474862	CONFIRMED: Cat with H1N1 From Banfield's newsletter: On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued a statement confirming that a cat in Iowa tested positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Iowa state officials confirmed that this is the first time a cat has been diagnosed with a strain of influenza. The cat, which is recovering, is believed to have contracted the virus from a human in the household who had H1N1. There are no indications that the cat passed the virus on to any other Pets or to other people. Prior to this diagnosis, the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus had been found in humans, pigs, birds and ferrets. The virus was confirmed in two ferrets in Nebraska and one in Oregon. There have been no reports of infection in dogs. As with humans, supportive care is the only treatment available for Pets with this virus. However, if your Pet has a fever, cough/sneeze and nasal discharge and someone in your household has had an influenza-like illness the week prior to the illness of your Pet, you should contact your local Banfield veterinarian. So this really surprised me. I didn't realize H1N1 had been found in birds and ferrets either. __________________ I wrote a book, y'all! *FREE* Tarotscopes Seek Joy, y'all. Eschew hate. 9Words: A Poetry Challenge \| Do you like me?

11-12-2009, 10:22 PM	#4
Darth Denkay Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: I'm good with whatever Relationship Status: in love and loved Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Tennessee (Memphis, from Chattanooga) Posts: 315 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 456 Thanked 463 Times in 150 Posts Rep Power: 891935	Great thread! I imagine I'll be hanging out here quite a bit, figuring out what to do with 4 cats and a dog... __________________ Darth

11-13-2009, 01:06 AM	#7
Rook Senior Member How Do You Identify?: A.G - Stone Butch - GenderFuck Preferred Pronoun?: Hym, Hyz...or, just b respectable, it's not that hard.. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Columbus Posts: 2,280 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,227 Thanked 3,182 Times in 1,287 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	I never Ever gave my pets Rawhide treats....my family + companion always complained that i was being too severe, snobby.... I would tell them exactly why I refused and of course the inevitable "Ohhhh" followed.... I did give Natural treats... Dried chicken breast treats specifically for my pooch... Greenies.... Real bones...femurs, oxtails...and the occasional pizzle stick... Of course for my ferrets, Cheweasels, n-bone, and a maximum 2 nuggets of Marshal treat or the all-meat treats, plus Ferret crack..or Ferretone.... When I found out Ferrets can get h1n1, I doubled my effort to sanitize and avoid snibbly people upTown.... my county has a few cases, and 1 infant fatality.... For other ferret owners that have Sickly ferrets or Older ferrets that can't eat solids well.. duk soup can be as basic as you want it to be 3 chicken Thighs/legs (about a lb) about 1/2 cup of premium FERRET kibble about 1 tbsp of Ferretoneor more..if they're stubborn half jar 1st stage baby food MEAT..{beef, chicken, turkey, lamb...your pick...i oftentimes did chicken, turkey or lamb] Pedialyte (non-flavored) 2 tbsp Pretty simple, boil the chicken and keep the broth, break the chicken up into small piece and put into a blender, add about 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend untill liquid. Add a bit of the broth to the kibble to allow it to soften up, then blend with a bit of broth, adding Pedialyte + baby food. Mix all the liquids together, add some ferretone and mix. You can add more broth if needed to make it liquidy.. The consistency is really up to the ailing/older ferrets ability to eat..try not to make it too soupy... Gotta keep in mind, they will poop it, and it'll be incredibly "Ripe" if it's not balanced out... like a baby eating baby food... If there's leftover, pour them in ice cube tray, freeze, then heat up whenever needed, not too hot..just lukewarm... __________________

11-13-2009, 12:16 PM	#13
Arwen Joy Seeker How Do You Identify?: Smartly-Flavored Preferred Pronoun?: Goddess Relationship Status: Mrs. Syzygy 1/9/14 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Joyville, NM (aka Land of Enchantment) Posts: 10,140 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,636 Thanked 28,123 Times in 6,414 Posts Rep Power: 21474862	My niece makes dog cookies. She shared some with the Del Valle dogs who LOVED them. Here is her recipe. A's Dog Cookies Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Combine: 2 C flour 1 T baking powder Set aside. Slowly pour 1 Cup milk into 1 Cup Peanut Butter (Crunchy or Smooth – your dog’s choice). Mix until smooth Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until all ingredients are mixed together. Form into a ball and then knead on a LIGHTLY floured surface for a few minutes. Flatten (or roll) out to about ½ inch thickness and cut with cookie cutter (A uses a tree shaped cookie cutter, but you can use whatever you have on hand). Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Store in an airtight container I think I might be inclined to use a different liquid for the mixing. I'll have to experiment. __________________ I wrote a book, y'all! *FREE* Tarotscopes Seek Joy, y'all. Eschew hate. 9Words: A Poetry Challenge \| Do you like me?

11-12-2009, 10:41 PM	#5
blackboot Member How Do You Identify?: TransgenderMasculineQueer Preferred Pronoun?: H with a y Relationship Status: fluxing the solder. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Australia Posts: 484 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,964 Thanked 835 Times in 184 Posts Rep Power: 7482394	I used to own a grooming salon and also sold product. I always cautioned dog owners about the choking danger of solid (not shredded and compressed) rawhide bones with the knots on each end. Those knots easily slide down a dogs' throat and can become lodged. A piece of rawhide can also cause intestinal blockage. I refused to sell these products in my shop. Another common danger is using a choke chain in place of a collar or leaving the choke on unattended.

11-13-2009, 06:35 AM	#8
Legendryder Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: Single Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Queen City, MO Posts: 420 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 14 Thanked 969 Times in 261 Posts Rep Power: 7270131	Great thread. I have two dogs myself, one young, one old. My older furkid has started having problems eating hard food, so she started dropping weight a bit. I went to the store, bought cans of wet food and a tube of Nurtical, and she is back to normal. I do have to stick Bob in another room, as a chihuahua, he will eat any and everything. He is already a walking furry table as it is. So, he gets dry food, and the Queen gets wet food. All good.

11-13-2009, 11:42 AM	#10
Legendryder Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: Single Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Queen City, MO Posts: 420 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 14 Thanked 969 Times in 261 Posts Rep Power: 7270131	My dogs get milkbones. Only. If they feel like chewing, they have Kong balls and rubber toys for that.

11-13-2009, 12:14 PM	#12
Eddie Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: Don't matter Relationship Status: Meh Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Why is it hot in here and what am I doing in this hand basket Posts: 151 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1 Thanked 67 Times in 27 Posts Rep Power: 219425	I'm looking at taking ownership of my friend's pet. She has to give her away (long story) and I would rather take the pet than her giving it to a random person. It's a miniature chocolate dapple dachshund. The great thing is that the pet knows me and she's house broken, crate trained and so on. The not so great thing is that I will no longer be able to pick up and leave for weekend getaways on a whim like I am able to now. I want the pet and have been thinking of having one for a long while now, but I know it is a huge responsibility for me and I know there's a lot to ponder over with this new addition to my home.

11-14-2009, 01:33 PM	#16
MsDemeanor Member How Do You Identify?: queer stone femme Relationship Status: Happily married to MisterMeanor, the man of my dreams Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 703 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 165 Thanked 1,853 Times in 511 Posts Rep Power: 2698180	H1N1 in cats is not a surprise, as they can contract type-A influenza. They don't pass it to other cats, but they can get it from humans. Flu in ferrets is quite common; they are one of the animals that are used in flu testing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I always feed my dog the best possible dry food and treats that I could find. Most of his life he was on Natura products, first California Natural then, when it became available in my area, Innova. He got the occasional table scrap, but never enough to impact his diet. I kept him away from the vet and medications as much as possible, he had minimal shots and didn't take any of those expensive monthly pills that vets always recommend. He never had a flea or tick problem, so this decision didn't jeopardize his health in any way. He finally passed this week at the age of 18, so I figure that I must have been doing something right all those years.

11-14-2009, 03:47 PM	#17
Inuus Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: She/Her Relationship Status: Single Not Looking Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 265 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 242 Thanked 377 Times in 143 Posts Rep Power: 3733068	MsDemeanor Im sorry for your loss. Your pup lived a full life Im sure This site has some great pet recipes if anyone is interested. I have tried making a couple myself...uumm for my dog Gouda of course although I will admit I tried them after they were baked. Hey I love Gouda too much to allow her to try something I wouldnt eat myself http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm __________________ “Kindness and compassion toward all living things is the mark of a civilized society.”- Cesar Chavez

11-14-2009, 04:07 PM	#18
Bit Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Stonefemme Relationship Status: married to Gryph Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,177 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,126 Thanked 3,770 Times in 1,264 Posts Rep Power: 10778870	{{{{{{{{{{{Mr. and MsDemeanor}}}}}}}}}} Hello Inuus, welcome!

11-15-2009, 11:38 AM	#19
MsDemeanor Member How Do You Identify?: queer stone femme Relationship Status: Happily married to MisterMeanor, the man of my dreams Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 703 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 165 Thanked 1,853 Times in 511 Posts Rep Power: 2698180	Thank you for the kind words. It's kinda hard to be too sad, 18 years is twice what most folks get with their furbabies.

11-18-2009, 10:49 AM	#20
Dude Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: Perusing Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: exit 5 with an exit 21 goal Posts: 1,725 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 15,351 Thanked 10,606 Times in 1,477 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	No sooner had we got home from Austin on sunday that our little chihuahua/shitzu two year old started having a seizure. She has had about 5 in her lifetime now. This one and the one previous (4 mnths ago) continued until we got her to emergency vet for a shot of valium. We took her to our vet yesterday and are waiting on blood work to come back. I thought it was worth a shot to see if anyone here has gone thru this with such a young dog.