For Dog Lovers.... Part 3

[VintagePunk]

Yeah, they're essentially both the same thing, blood thinners. That's why vitamin K is an antidote, it's a coagulant.

I'm sure they'll be able to give him a blood test tomorrow that will give you some indication as to how much (if any - he probably vomited almost all of it out) is left in his system. I'm not sure how dog metabolism relates to human, but I know with my mom, before she has any surgeries or dental procedures, she has to be off her blood thinner for 3 days. At that point, the blood is "unthinned," for lack of a better word, and there will be no excessive bleeding. Conversely, I think going back on the meds, the levels start to rise within a day, and it's back to it's maximum effectiveness within three or four days. That's with taking a daily dose, of course.

Poor thing, you're probably not going to get any sleep tonight, are you?

 

[kafrun]

OMG, Lies, keep us posted on the boy Puppies Can't turn your back for a second.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Yeah, Falstaff's vet recommended children's Benadryl (aka Dimedrol, diphenhydramine hydrochloride) for the grass(?) allergies he used to have. In his case the allergies didn't cause skin problems, just swollen eyes and wheezing from being outdoors at certain times of year, but the Benadryl really seemed to help. Definitely call your vet before going out and buying some though, as there are some medical conditions and other medications which contraindicate it, and also you'd want to be sure you're giving an appropriate dosage for her weight.

ETA: oops, just realized you said "besides an antihistamine." Erm, well, there's always the route of regular soaks in cool water with colloidal oatmeal lotion added, followed by fatty acid supplements (again, check with the vet before giving these supplements, as they have mild anticoagulant properties). Those can both help reduce allergic inflammation and itching.

My lab girl used to get seasonal skin allergies so severe she would scratch till she was raw, and the sores got infected once. My ex used to take this prescription antihistamine for itchy skin, and the vet told us that it was okay to give Kelly one of these when she started scratching. It worked really well.

A few years later when I was on my own, Kelly was going through a really bad season, and since I no longer had access to my ex's pills, I called the vet and they recommended I give her Benadryl, and told me the correct dosage. Within a couple of days, she could hardly walk - she was stumbling around like something was seriously wrong with her. I took her to the vet, and I was in tears, I was so upset. Turns out, the Benadryl was interacting with the phonobarbital she took daily for seizures. Since she'd been on the phenobarb for years, and being on it entailed ordering the drug from the vets every three months and twice yearly visits to the vets for blood testing, I assumed they would have taken this into account when they told me to give her the Benadryl. Turns out they hadn't. Within half a day off the Benadryl, she went back to normal.

I (and several others around here) am obsessed with this site these days: Shiba Inu Puppy Cam, Ustream.TV: Tune in daily to see the cutest Shiba Inu pups... EVER! The. Travel&Nature,Nature,Webcam,Entertainment,Funny Cats,

Thanks so miuch for the advice, guys. I'll have to go to the vet again and re-ask. It's snake season, so I'm sure we'll be there soon enough anyway for something or other. I only want to avoid a human medication because I will need something that she can pretty much take nearly everyday without any long term risks. She's so sensitive to the grass, I think our only long term option would be to kill the backyard lawn. I've got no idea how I can make her more comfortable. I just can't convince myself that a Polaramine everyday is going to be OK.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I actually don't know what breed my dog is, but she seems to be a Spaniel mix or something.
I've been brushing her constantly but it doesn't seem to be helping. I think she's avoiding me now because I've been brushing her so much. I wouldn't be surprised if she was sore too. Not only is the fur an issue, but now I gotta figure out how to clip her nails.
It makes me sad whenever she flinches and thinks I'm gonna hurt her. I hate that feeling.

I recommend proper dog nail clippers! It's hard enough to do anyway, and you need all the useful tools you can get your hands on. I'm not sure what colour her claws are, but even with my sandy coloured Sally, I am so worried about not seeing properly and trimming them too close to the inner vein part and hurting her, that even clipping just a mm or 2 off the end is often enough to stop them scratching you or clicking too much on a hard floor. And it's better to have to clip them frequently than have her get hurt by a clipping and be difficult forever with her nails! My sister's cocker once had her claws clipped down too far and she was never OK after it. She's now 10, and this was about 8 years ago. You can't even say to Lilly, "Where's the clippers?" without her running under the nearest bed. Poor thing.

As for yours shedding, have you tried a Furminator? I paid $70 for ours but it was the best grooming tool I've ever used. You have to be fairly gentle because they are rather ferocious with digging through the coat, but you will remove a lot of the under coat. Just take it slowly, even do it in sections. I doubt you can do much to end the shedding though!

 

[samralf]

How is Nikon doing?

 

[starsgoblue]

Does anyone have any good tips for grass allergies, besides an antihistamine? Sally, my cocker, is bad with her red tummy again, and mum groomed her last week and said she is quite red around her hind legs. I hope there's something more than polaramine.

Hey Angela Harlem,

Do you happen to try any hypoallergenic shampoo bathing for your cocker? Frequent bathing with a shampoo designed for allergens can help reduce the amount of allergen exposure, especially if it seems she is getting it on her belly and legs and it helps with the itching too. If the allergies are severe, you can try and see if there is a veterinary dermatologist in your area to get allergy vaccines, they are usually injected weekly with great results. I work at a specialty & emergency veterinary hospital that has a dermatology department...if you are interested I believe the shampoo that our dermatologist makes has them available online, I use them on my pet and love the smell. PM me if you want.

 

[youtooellen]

I recommend proper dog nail clippers! It's hard enough to do anyway, and you need all the useful tools you can get your hands on. I'm not sure what colour her claws are, but even with my sandy coloured Sally, I am so worried about not seeing properly and trimming them too close to the inner vein part and hurting her, that even clipping just a mm or 2 off the end is often enough to stop them scratching you or clicking too much on a hard floor. And it's better to have to clip them frequently than have her get hurt by a clipping and be difficult forever with her nails! My sister's cocker once had her claws clipped down too far and she was never OK after it. She's now 10, and this was about 8 years ago. You can't even say to Lilly, "Where's the clippers?" without her running under the nearest bed. Poor thing.

As for yours shedding, have you tried a Furminator? I paid $70 for ours but it was the best grooming tool I've ever used. You have to be fairly gentle because they are rather ferocious with digging through the coat, but you will remove a lot of the under coat. Just take it slowly, even do it in sections. I doubt you can do much to end the shedding though!

Yeah. I had a puppy a few years ago and I clipped her nail too far.. there was blood gushing all over the pavement and I was never the same after that. She probably wasn't either. If I were a dog, I sure as hell wouldn't be.
Furminator? Hm. I'll look into that. My dad assumed that a shaving tool for humans could be used for dogs... didn't happen. Haha. Human hair and dog fur are two completely different textures so I know for a fact he was a bit frustrated after trying repeatedly for a good hour or so. And yes, I tried to reason with him.
The Furminator doesn't hurt the dog, right? I looked at the page and watched that video clip of the woman brushing the dog. She's quite vigorous. Is it safe for me to assume the brushing process to be so simple??

Oh... and here's another picture of my dog. I'm in it too.

 

[Liesje]

I went to the vet this morning and picked up the antidote for both Nikon and Coke. I kinda freaked out this morning b/c Coke had been outside too, and a few days ago the dogs were chewing on a dead mouse by the shed. I always wondered how that mouse died..... So they said if Coke was not exposed, the antidote will not harm him. They did not do blood test. I looked up the MSDS on this stuff and apparently it can stay in the system pretty long. The antidote is almost a month of daily pills (which both boys thing is an awesome treat, lol).

Nikon is doing fine. He did puppy class this morning. The only real danger this early is if he were to get a big cut, his blood may not clot well. Now that he is on the vitamin K he should be fine.

I cleaned up the spill just now, what a pain. Hundreds of tiny granules, most stuck in a crack. I found boxes of the stuff way up high but threw it all away. I also removed the top soil where Nikon threw up last night.

 

[Liesje]

As for nail clipping, I use a cheap scissor style clipper. I try to do it once or twice a week. If you wait long between trims, you can't cut back as far. The more often you do it, the farther back you keep the quick. I do big dogs with big, thick, solid black nails, I cannot see quick in any of my dogs' nails. Both hated it at first, but I'm a bitch about it and just do it. They don't enjoy it but they let me do it. Someone gave me a dremmel kit, which is the best way to do it, but I can't figure out how to change the bits and using the scissor clipper is way faster.

I recommend a scissor clipper over a guillotine clipper b/c it applies pressure more evenly.

 

[VintagePunk]

So glad to hear they're both going to be fine, Lies. I've been checking this thread for updates all day.

Nail clipping my dog is something I could never do. I tried, Kelly yelped and backed away from me (no blood or injury, she just didn't like it), and I lost my nerve. After that, I always her done at the vet's. The funny thing is, I do the kittens' nails regularly, with no problem at all. Depending on their mood at the time, they're not always fully receptive to it, but I do it anyway.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Lies, I am so so glad to hear that Nikon and Coke are doing good. Phew, u must of been a worried mama.. It's over tho.. On to the next incident, hopefully not.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Hey Angela Harlem,

Do you happen to try any hypoallergenic shampoo bathing for your cocker? Frequent bathing with a shampoo designed for allergens can help reduce the amount of allergen exposure, especially if it seems she is getting it on her belly and legs and it helps with the itching too. If the allergies are severe, you can try and see if there is a veterinary dermatologist in your area to get allergy vaccines, they are usually injected weekly with great results. I work at a specialty & emergency veterinary hospital that has a dermatology department...if you are interested I believe the shampoo that our dermatologist makes has them available online, I use them on my pet and love the smell. PM me if you want.

I've tried a tea tree oil based shampoo, and one with a eucalyptus extract. I don't use either regularly though, so I don't know if they help really! I've never even thought of a shampoo for allergens. I don't think I knew they existed, lol. I might PM you to find out more info! Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[Angela Harlem]

Yeah. I had a puppy a few years ago and I clipped her nail too far.. there was blood gushing all over the pavement and I was never the same after that. She probably wasn't either. If I were a dog, I sure as hell wouldn't be.
Furminator? Hm. I'll look into that. My dad assumed that a shaving tool for humans could be used for dogs... didn't happen. Haha. Human hair and dog fur are two completely different textures so I know for a fact he was a bit frustrated after trying repeatedly for a good hour or so. And yes, I tried to reason with him.
The Furminator doesn't hurt the dog, right? I looked at the page and watched that video clip of the woman brushing the dog. She's quite vigorous. Is it safe for me to assume the brushing process to be so simple??

Oh... and here's another picture of my dog. I'm in it too.

Awwww! She's so cute!
And the furminator doesn't hurt them at all. I'm nowhere near as rough as the people on these websites are, but Sally has finer hair anyway and I suspect she has sensitive skin in general so I always try to be gentler. Under her legs and on her feathering she sometimes gets knots and it will pull, but I think anything is going to pull where matting or knots are. If I had the time to maintain her it would be even easier, but as it is she gets a groom every few weeks/month or so and is really OK with it this infrequently. If I had my way, I'd clip her coat down, but my mother is a dog snob and used to show dogs, so she's all, "No, her coat is glorious, I insist on clipping her to the breed standard" blah blah

 

[Angela Harlem]

I went to the vet this morning and picked up the antidote for both Nikon and Coke. I kinda freaked out this morning b/c Coke had been outside too, and a few days ago the dogs were chewing on a dead mouse by the shed. I always wondered how that mouse died..... So they said if Coke was not exposed, the antidote will not harm him. They did not do blood test. I looked up the MSDS on this stuff and apparently it can stay in the system pretty long. The antidote is almost a month of daily pills (which both boys thing is an awesome treat, lol).

Nikon is doing fine. He did puppy class this morning. The only real danger this early is if he were to get a big cut, his blood may not clot well. Now that he is on the vitamin K he should be fine.

I cleaned up the spill just now, what a pain. Hundreds of tiny granules, most stuck in a crack. I found boxes of the stuff way up high but threw it all away. I also removed the top soil where Nikon threw up last night.

So glad he's going to be OK. What luck you caught all this in time! Nikon might prove to be one of those pups who is just always into everything. I hope he grows out of it!

 

[Liesje]

Nikon the Naughty

(that last one is one of my favorite pictures)

 

[Liesje]

Nikon the nice

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

aww lookie at that cutiepie nikon.

 

[VintagePunk]

Aw, great pictures, as always, Lies! I think he's the most adorable little thing. Seeing all the Nikon pictures has seriously made me rethink my loyalty to labs. My brother has had a few German Shepherds, and I've bonded with his dogs, too. I'd definitely consider one for my next dog.

 

[yolland]

Ha! Falstaff did that as a puppy too. Only he was a bit sneakier about it--he chewed a discreet little hole through the back of the bag, then helped himself to a few pieces at a time when I wasn't looking. Of course, he still wound up blowing his cover by removing too much, so not only did I eventually notice the kibble level mysteriously declining, but also even he couldn't manage to eat everything he took, so he wound up hoarding it beneath the sofa, under the bed, behind the desk etc. For a couple weeks after I finally caught onto his scheme, I still kept finding little stashes of abandoned kibble in very strange places.

 

[youtooellen]

And the furminator doesn't hurt them at all. I'm nowhere near as rough as the people on these websites are, but Sally has finer hair anyway and I suspect she has sensitive skin in general so I always try to be gentler. Under her legs and on her feathering she sometimes gets knots and it will pull, but I think anything is going to pull where matting or knots are. If I had the time to maintain her it would be even easier, but as it is she gets a groom every few weeks/month or so and is really OK with it this infrequently. If I had my way, I'd clip her coat down, but my mother is a dog snob and used to show dogs, so she's all, "No, her coat is glorious, I insist on clipping her to the breed standard" blah blah

Haha, yeah. We used to get our dog groomed and she would always come back home as if she were a sheep shaved for their wool. Here.. I actually have a picture...

She doesn't look too pretty when she's butt-naked bald. I enjoy keeping her furry because it keeps her "unknown" breed to stand out, something I still gotta figure out.. haha

About the furminator... yeah. I'm gonna look into that and probably invest in one of those. I'm sick of paying a bunch of money to get my dog groomed in some shady place where they don't give a flying shit about my dog, also known as Puppy Lovers.. though I'm not trying to discriminate.. (I caught them holding my dog by her forearms before... ... I mouthed off of course, who the fuck wouldn't?)

On a lighter note, haha, I have to build up the courage to clip her nails. I'm so scared to since it requires pressure in order to do it quickly.

 

[VintagePunk]

About the furminator... yeah. I'm gonna look into that and probably invest in one of those.

I got one on eBay a month or two ago, at about half the price I would have paid here, in a store. $20, plus extremely cheap shipping to Canada, something like $3.

 

[Liesje]

Yeah the Furminator won't hurt the dog, but you CAN over-furminate, depending on breed/coat type. And you can definitely over-Furminate a cat! lol

For grooming, I didn't want to have to pay someone either, so I learned to do Coke's haircut myself. I have a regular scissors, thinning shears, rake brush, and pin brush, though with a Cocker you'd probably want a shaver and some blades. Technically I'm supposed to use that on Coke's private areas and his feet, but I get by with a scissors. He doesn't *look* groomed, but I brush him at least once a week and give him his hair cut every 2-3 weeks. I do a lot of work on his ears (if not groomed the hair would be like 6 inches long and he wouldn't really have a shaped ear), cut back the feathering on his front legs, use thinning shears on his chest and around his "mane", pull all the long hair on his feet up between his toes and cut it off along the top (cutting under the foot tickles and they hate it), trim the hair along his belly/underside, do a "sanitary trim", and keep his tail shaped. I was scared to do it at first but now it's second nature. Since Coke's not a breed there's no standard I have to adhere to.

My cut

Not cut (notice the ears, feathering on front legs, and "pants"/butt)

 

[VintagePunk]

And you can definitely over-Furminate a cat! lol

How do you know when you've over-Furminated a cat? I could do my guys for hours, and I swear fur would continue to come out. I could make 20 new cats with the excess fur. I've looked online, and I can't find any guidelines.

(sorry for the cat talk in the dog thread )

Coke is such an attractive dog, too.

 

[youtooellen]

^ Your dog is beautiful. The coat is magnificent.

I loved how you described your dog's long fur as "pants/butt" haha. Yeah, I do well trimming my dog's ears because her ears lose shape after a few weeks. Those are easy to take care of, but from the looks of it, the furminator will be the most worthy opponent for my dog and her fur.
I hope my dog enjoys it as much as I'll enjoy brushing her!

 

[Liesje]

OMG looking at my own pics I can't believe I let his hair go that far! lol

Yeah I call his butt hair his "pants". I think that's what Aussie people call it? I trim Coke's a bit. I do a "sanitary clip" which usually means shaving the private areas, but for me I just straddle him on his back and hack as close to the skin as I can get. This is mainly b/c that hair is coarse with no undercoat and needs to be brushed with a pin brush, which obviously he hates so it's better to hack it off every once in a while than brush his man junk constantly.

VP, I have not done it myself but heard from others who have. You can easily over Furminate my dogs because of their coat type. An undercoat rake is better for them, it removes the right hair.

 

[VintagePunk]

OMG looking at my own pics I can't believe I let his hair go that far! lol

Yeah I call his butt hair his "pants". I think that's what Aussie people call it? I trim Coke's a bit. I do a "sanitary clip" which usually means shaving the private areas, but for me I just straddle him on his back and hack as close to the skin as I can get. This is mainly b/c that hair is coarse with no undercoat and needs to be brushed with a pin brush, which obviously he hates so it's better to hack it off every once in a while than brush his man junk constantly.

VP, I have not done it myself but heard from others who have. You can easily over Furminate my dogs because of their coat type. An undercoat rake is better for them, it removes the right hair.

So, when you're doing your cats, how do you know when to stop?

Not that mine will sit still long enough to let me do an effective job, but I can dream.

 

[anitram]

Our Collies really hated the furminator or anything that looks like it so we stopped using it. I have a feeling it can break the hair. Because Samson is so good with being brushed, I do take cues from him when he responds to a new brush because I know he's not just being fussy.

But I could literally make pillows out of his hair.

 

[Liesje]

Yes it breaks hair. I'm not sure how a Collie's coat looks but a GSD's coat is different colors so getting black hair in the brush is bad, and that's what I get with a blade or a Furminator. It rips and breaks guard hair. An undercoat rake only pulls the cream or gray undercoat.

VP I'm the wrong person to ask, I brush my cats maybe twice a year! Even Marijke who has long hair doesn't really get dirty or matted. She's very small and lean though (like 5lbs), maybe that helps?

 

[anitram]

P.S. I kinda like Coke's shaggy ears, he's hilarious with them.

 

[Liesje]

Ugh they were icky! Stringy and very hard to keep clean and looking nice, as I'm sure you can tell. With his ear leather trimmed and shaped, he has more expression. You can see how he changes his ear set depending on what's going on. At first I wanted to him him all long and natural like a Collie but I think his "retriever" trim suits his personality better.