Archives for: January 2017

Noah Parr on Water Torture:

Posted on 30 January, 2017 in Laugh

noah towelThere’s been a lot of howling going on over the past couple weeks about water torture. I keep hearing it in the morning when my mom puts on that show she calls “the news.” Not sure why she calls it that, especially since all she needs to do to get news is sniff around the neighborhood like I do. Anyway, there’s all this talk about water torture, right? So since you pups come to me looking for advice, I’ll share my thoughts on the subject. Here it is: water torture is VERY BAD.

Not sure what your parents call it, but my parents call this torture, “the bath.” I thought baths were supposed to be relaxing… LOL. I hate baths with a passion. So embarrassing, but I even start shaking sometimes before my mom starts this bath situation. I’m supposed to be the tough guy here. But when it comes to baths, count me out. Luckily, thanks to the big dog upstairs, I’ve learned how to navigate the situation. Here are some tips on how you can avoid being tortured:

  1. Run. Not sure how fast you are, but I’m pretty Dog darn fast. Sometimes my mom has to chase me for so long she gives up on bathing me. But PSA, you might get in trouble for this. One time, my mom made me sit in the scary box she calls the “cage” for an hour after I made her chase me. And then she took me to the water torture anyway. It was just a bad day.
  2. Cry. Sometimes, if you put on your cutest puppy dog face and fake cry a little, your humans will feel too guilty to make you bathe. This rarely works for me anymore, because my mom caught on. The woman is smart, I tell you. But if you’re a newb at this, give it a shot. Howler at me if works.
  3. Try Scrubby. So, since my mom knows how much I hate baths, she bought this cool thing called Scrubby. It’s a mitten she puts on her hand that has soap in it. All she does is put a tiny bit of water on the mitten, washes me and then dries me with a towel. It’s pretty awesome. Especially since I hate the water with every fiber of my being. I bet even you cats would like it, or as some of you like to call yourselves now… “alternative dogs.” Whatever. Seriously though, try it. Check out my beautiful mama using it on me below.

Tips from the Pro: Noah Parr on Potty Training

Posted on 25 January, 2017 in Laugh, Learn

noah's linkedinNoah has 2+ years experience in potty training and is now offering counseling services to other dogs looking for guidance.

Hey pups of the world, Noah here. It’s about that time when all the humans start getting mad at you pups for making doo doos all over the house. They usually get us as babies during Christmas time and are all excited because we’re so cute. By now, I bet that excitement is almost over. Now you’re getting yelled at every time you make a doo doo. I mean, really? When you gotta go, you gotta go. Anyway, since I went through all that trouble 2 years ago with my crazy mom, I thought I’d share some tips and save you guys the dog headache, it’s really not worth it.

  1. Let your human put you in the scary box. They might call it a “bed,” or “cage,” or a “crate,” or my favorite, “home.” Let’s be honest here, that box ain’t home. But let me tell you, the scary box, has become my SAFE HAVEN. My mom is like, my favorite thing in the world and all, but she also annoys the poop outta me because she loves me so much. Sometimes I just need to you know… escape. The scary box is now my man cave. And I love it. Also, it really helps with that whole potty training thing the humans like. Because, let’s face it, no one wants to sleep where they poo… that’s just gross.
  2. Eat your food right when the human puts it down. Listen to me. THEY WILL PICK IT UP IF YOU DON’T. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll be starving and trying to eat weird things to hold you over until dinner… like poop. But don’t do that, I have a problem I think. Do not try this at home. At first, I couldn’t figure out why my mom gave me like…10 minutes to eat, but now I know. She wants me on a feeding schedule so she can predict my doo doos and take me out so I can do them on the neighbor’s lawn and not in her room 🙂
  3. Let your human put the shackles on you. Honestly, I was terrified when my mom put that thing on my neck. She calls it a leash… “What in God’s name is a leash? This is totally a shackle” I thought. My mom was trying to get me to walk with it on so I would go to the bathroom. She tried everything: treats, praise and dancing, to get me to walk with that thing on. You name it, she did it. Weirdo. One day I worked up the courage to do it. And guys let me tell you, IT IS AWESOME. Every time I poo or pee I get a treat and hugs. Honestly, I think my mom is kind of ridiculous. But I saw my friend down the street getting treats the other day for the same thing. I guess humans are just silly. That being said, MILK IT GUYS. The leash is cool. I get to go on walks and I get treats when I poop. Life is good.

If you have any questions, send me a howl. I love helping you pups. Good luck!

Beau’s happily ever after.

Posted on 18 January, 2017 in Live

Beau’s story is the type you hear often in dog rescue. He was neglected, on the street, taken in and at risk of being put down. He had a small window of time to be saved, but thankfully someone stepped up.

beau 1Beau at Animal Services, waiting for that special someone.

Beau was found on the street by animal control, and taken to Animal Services with an embedded collar. Embedded collars occur when dogs are tethered and neglected for a long period, causing their skin to grow over their collars. Beau got away somehow. He was found as a stray and taken to Animal Services. This was his chance at a better life.

Beau got lucky. He was randomly chosen to participate in a training program with other dogs and volunteers every Friday. Making friends with other dogs and people he became one of the star students. But one day Beau didn’t show up to class. His volunteer handler was confused. “Do I get a new dog… but… WHERE is Beau,” she worried. Beau was in 2-week quarantine to be sent to a rescue in New England. The shelter does this to make sure they don’t send sick dogs to rescues. Before they leave for transport, the dogs are evaluated by a veterinarian. This was GREAT NEWS for Beau. Not many dogs get this chance. But, Beau didn’t pass his veterinary examination before transport, and the rescue who wanted him decided he wasn’t good enough for them anymore. Turns out Beau had ringworm which can be quite annoying to treat on animals. Unfortunately, Beau was sent back to Animal Services, and this time had to be kept in isolation so he wouldn’t contaminate other animals. No one knew he was there. His handler, who’d made a point to keep tabs on him during this process, was the only person outside of Animal Services staff who knew Beau was still in the building. Apparently Animal Services sent out a plea to rescues asking them to please step up and take Beau, but they never heard back. Beau was running out of time, and his life was about to be cut short.

His handler couldn’t stand the thought of Beau dying because of ringworm, which she laughed “It’s embarrassing to say but, I’ve had it myself, and it’s really not that big of a deal.”  So, she took him in as her foster. It was a rough start, getting Beau acclimated to living in a home, which he clearly had no experience doing. He was terrified to walk down hallways and refused to be in the same room as a television that was playing anything. He was withdrawn, scared to be touched and spent all his time curled up in the corner. Committed to making it work, his handler’s family decided to adopt Beau and work on his issues. They’re happy to announce that after 9 months Beau is now completely adjusted and living the life of his dreams. He gets daily walks, two dog brothers to play with, a huge yard to chase squirrels in and a big family of people to love on him. This is Beau’s happily ever after.

beau safe

From his handler: “Beau is in heaven, and so are we.”

Ask Dr. Wendt: ALLERGIES and APOQUEL

Posted on 11 January, 2017 in Learn

Puppy Retriever Scratching fleas in the park

There is no cure for allergies, and that is why they can be so frustrating to both humans and animals. Your pet’s allergic organ is their skin and that is why you see them having chronic recurrent itchy skin and ear infections. I see so many frustrated owners battling with allergies in their own pets every single day in my clinic. Unfortunately, in Florida the allergens are unavoidable.

Pets with allergic dermatitis basically have 4 types of allergies that show up as itchy skin and ears: they include Flea Allergic Dermatitis (FAD), Food Allergies, Contact Allergies, and Atopic Dermatitis (inhaled allergens inside and outside your home).  Many people go through several types of therapies with their pets to provide them with some relief. Most people have tried anti-histamines such as Benadryl/Hydroxyzine and medicated shampoos and sprays for pets that are less affected. For pets that have more significant itching and secondary infections, many times they will be prescribed corticosteroids (prednisone pills or a steroid injection) and an antibiotic by their Vet. That will manage the flare up when the root of the problem has not been addressed, however the allergy and symptoms will recur at some point in time. Also, your pet cannot be on corticosteroids long term due to deleterious effects on internal organs.

When trying to rule out allergies, flea allergies are easiest to target. Giving your pets oral flea preventatives can be a way to rule out that option before exploring other possible allergies that are more difficult to pinpoint.

Ruling out food allergies can only be done with a veterinarian-prescribed prescription diet and it requires commitment from the owner to feed their pet ONLY that food for 8 weeks or longer.  Spending more money on an expensive grain free, or limited ingredient over-the-counter(OTC) diets is not sufficient enough to eliminate a food allergy.  Actually, only less than 1% of all pets are allergic to grains.

Atopic Dermatitis, or inhaled allergens both outside and inside your home, is the hardest to treat and manage. Many clients even give up on their pets since they have such severe, chronic symptoms and secondary infections. We do have a blood allergy panel which will help determine what your pet is allergic to. The goal of this test is to gain more information for avoidance of specific allergens and to start a series of desensitization drops or shots (like allergy shots kids can get) and over time the body’s immune system is supposed to react less. There are other long term treatments like Atopica which is not a corticosteroid, (it is an immunomodulatory drug) to help reduce allergies but it can be very expensive especially for any pet that is not a toy breed.

There is a new option called Apoquel to treat allergies and it is not a corticosteroid, anti-histamine, or an immunomodulatory drug. It can be used long term without the side effects of steroids and will usually start working within the first week. We carry this product in our clinics and recommend it to patients after doing a thorough examination. Please don’t give up on your itchy, miserable pet if they have been suffering with allergies for years as there is now another option. Please make an appointment with us to discuss all options for you and your pet.