Bringing our pets back to nature... (original) (raw)

	Bringing our pets back to nature...

July 18th, 2010

Hi, I just joined. I have two dogs:Tyler - 10.5yr old Husky/Mal (my user picture)Dez - 3 yr old Rat Terrior/Jack RusselTyler has a very sensitive stomach and I was feeding him non fat, organic, plain yogurt for probiotcs but Dez has allergies and the yogurt seems to make him itch more then normal. Do any of you supplement your dogs with probiotics and what manufacture do you use? Thanks in advance!

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February 11th, 2010

Hello, I'm writing an article for an AOL website and am looking for stories of amazing animals. Do you know a story of a heroic animal? Is your pet heroic? I'd love to hear all about the story. My email address is wendyrgould AT yahoo DOT com or you can respond here. I'll likely have some follow up questions. Please, share the story of wonderful pets!Wendy
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January 28th, 2010

My cat is just over 2 years old. I've had her on clay litter since she was a kitten (Arm & Hammer Multi-cat, mostly) and in the past month have been slowly replacing what I take out when cleaning the box with Swheat Scoop. She has been litter box trained since the beginning, and the only time she's gone outside the litter box was when I didn't clean it for several days (and even then she goes on the mat right in front of it) or when she had a little kitty UTI (then she would go wherever she happened to be).I probably have a half-and-half mix of Arm & Hammer and Swheat Scoop at this point. But in the past 10 days or so she's started pooping next to the litter box. I would immediately say that she just doesn't like the new litter, but she's also pooping IN the litter box. All her peeing is done in the box, and half the time she poops in there, too. It's not a need to clean it, because I've been cleaning it every other day since she started doing this (originally I thought it was dirty).Anyone have any experience with this? She's driving me insane and I REALLY don't want to go back to clay litter. I could try new litters, but I'll need to mix it with clay again to slowly get her used to the change. I made the change in the first place because after she did her business I couldn't let her in the same room as me because the clay smell was all over her. I'd have to wait until she'd cleaned off some before she could jump in my lap. That and I got sick of breathing in clay particles whenever I changed her litter (and I don't think it's healthy for her to be breathing it in). Honestly I don't know if the Swheat Scoop will work out either, because I've noticed a lot of dust when I clean her litter box.Thanks in advance.

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December 10th, 2009

I've got a nice citronella collar to keep my dog from barking like a nutter in his crate (its more for my neighbor's sake I'd rather train him properly) However I can't find refills for the citronella sprey and its made in china wich worries me. THe thing i really struggle with is the nozel end its an odd little straw thing. wich fits into a round little plug wich i don't know of any other things would fit in.thoguhts? alternatives welcome.

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April 13th, 2009

Hi everyone, Hope I can get some cat feedback, it seems its been a while since anyone posted here. Background: Matilda is my too-cute-for-her-own-good companion cat. She is about three years old, adopted at six months, a rescue, a smallish/runtish (gimpy leg, ears too big, etc) indoor tuxedo short hair female. She is a little high maitenance in that she LOVES to snuggle and sit on your lap, sleep on the couch with you, and get you to play with her favorite string and her. We moved in with my boyfriend into a house (from tiny apartments) with stairs and lots of windows and places to climb, so she's been quite happy these past six months. He and her have a great relationship too. Problem: About three weeks ago we went out of town for two nights. We left her plenty of water, food (she's just fine at regulating her eating), a super clean litter box and the cable box on (joke, sort of ...). Well, miss thing wasn't so happy with her lack of string game, so she peed on our bed. We understood, washed everything, moved on. We came home the next night from work and she had done it again. Washed things again, decided to keep the bedroom door shut and that seems to have solved the bed peeing problem ... Until yesterday. We were out for the day for the holiday and came home to a wet bed. Now, the mattress has been thoroughly cleaned, does not smell at all, no stains, everything is cleaner than its ever been - it cannot be mistaken for a second litter box. So, what's the deal? Other info: Like I said, she's a little high maintenance, so I am thinking this is just her letting us know that. She hasn't peed anywhere else. Her diet is the same, she is drinking the same amount of water as usual, she isn't itching, weezing, or doing anything else out of the ordinary. Her litter box was moved to the basement about a month ago, but she has been using it just fine. So, thoughts? Feedback? Anything I should know/do before heading over to the vet? Many many thanks in advance!
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Hi everyone, Hope I can get some cat feedback, it seems its been a while since anyone posted here. Background: Matilda is my too-cute-for-her-own-good companion cat. She is about three years old, adopted at six months, a rescue, a smallish/runtish (gimpy leg, ears too big, etc) indoor tuxedo short hair female. She is a little high maitenance in that she LOVES to snuggle and sit on your lap, sleep on the couch with you, and get you to play with her favorite string and her. We moved in with my boyfriend into a house (from tiny apartments) with stairs and lots of windows and places to climb, so she's been quite happy these past six months. He and her have a great relationship too. Problem: About three weeks ago we went out of town for two nights. We left her plenty of water, food (she's just fine at regulating her eating), a super clean litter box and the cable box on (joke, sort of ...). Well, miss thing wasn't so happy with her lack of string game, so she peed on our bed. We understood, washed everything, moved on. We came home the next night from work and she had done it again. Washed things again, decided to keep the bedroom door shut and that seems to have solved the bed peeing problem ... Until yesterday. We were out for the day for the holiday and came home to a wet bed. Now, the mattress has been thoroughly cleaned, does not smell at all, no stains, everything is cleaner than its ever been - it cannot be mistaken for a second litter box. So, what's the deal? Other info: Like I said, she's a little high maintenance, so I am thinking this is just her letting us know that. She hasn't peed anywhere else. Her diet is the same, she is drinking the same amount of water as usual, she isn't itching, weezing, or doing anything else out of the ordinary. Her litter box was moved to the basement about a month ago, but she has been using it just fine. So, thoughts? Feedback? Anything I should know/do before heading over to the vet? Many many thanks in advance!

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December 13th, 2008

We recently (October) moved from a home with mostly hard flooring to a home with all carpet. Our 6-year-old lab mix, Joe, has more recently (the past few weeks) been scooting his bum across said carpet and leaving poo streaks that I end up Bissell-ing clean. He got to the point that it was happening once a day, so I took him to the vet and had his anal glands cleaned, and the vet applied a salve that he uses on dogs with, as he called, a chronic problem. For five days I enjoyed a poo-free carpet until today, when I caught him right as he was finishing his scoot.The vet said the cleaning and salve combined should last 3-6 months. It cost $160 because we had to sedate Joe. He's an anxious pup and very protective of himself (to the point that he only gets a nail trim about once a year, when he's been sedated for something). Anyway, back on track.Is there anything I can do to prevent him from doing this? We reprimand him when/if we catch him in the act or just finishing, but I guess the itch just needs to be scratched.Some things to point out, aside from lots of carpet being around:- We changed his food about a month and a half ago from the Nutro's "over 50 lb adult" to just regular adult food.- Our cat had worms (tapeworms, I believe) and was treated for it also about a month and a half ago. The vet said that the dog wouldn't be able to get it unless he'd eaten an infected parasite. The cat had fleas as a kitten, and the vet said that the worm was most likely from that. Neither of my animals have had fleas since we've had them.If anyone has any experience with this and ways to fix it, I'd be eternally grateful!Thanks in advance.x-postedEDIT: We can't remove the carpet.
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We recently (October) moved from a home with mostly hard flooring to a home with all carpet. Our 6-year-old lab mix, Joe, has more recently (the past few weeks) been scooting his bum across said carpet and leaving poo streaks that I end up Bissell-ing clean. He got to the point that it was happening once a day, so I took him to the vet and had his anal glands cleaned, and the vet applied a salve that he uses on dogs with, as he called, a chronic problem. For five days I enjoyed a poo-free carpet until today, when I caught him right as he was finishing his scoot.The vet said the cleaning and salve combined should last 3-6 months. It cost $160 because we had to sedate Joe. He's an anxious pup and very protective of himself (to the point that he only gets a nail trim about once a year, when he's been sedated for something). Anyway, back on track.Is there anything I can do to prevent him from doing this? We reprimand him when/if we catch him in the act or just finishing, but I guess the itch just needs to be scratched.Some things to point out, aside from lots of carpet being around:- We changed his food about a month and a half ago from the Nutro's "over 50 lb adult" to just regular adult food.- Our cat had worms (tapeworms, I believe) and was treated for it also about a month and a half ago. The vet said that the dog wouldn't be able to get it unless he'd eaten an infected parasite. The cat had fleas as a kitten, and the vet said that the worm was most likely from that. Neither of my animals have had fleas since we've had them.If anyone has any experience with this and ways to fix it, I'd be eternally grateful!Thanks in advance.x-postedEDIT: We can't remove the carpet.

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December 12th, 2008

My hubs and I rescued a 6 week old puppy running along I-10 in Texas a few months ago. We brought her home to NC and everything has been going well until about 4-6 weeks ago when she got the nastiest case of scratchies. I apply flea prevention every 3-4 weeks and when I comb her, I find no fleas or flea eggs. I bathe her every month to month and a half with an oatmeal dog shampoo and conditioner. She is to the point where I can no longer sleep at night. She is scratching herself so hard she's got scabs on her head. I have tried Benadryl. Didn't stop it. I tried Baytril. She still scratched. I gave her some Tramadol to help her just get a good night's sleep - nothing. I tried herbal antibiotics. Nothing.I am giving her Fish Oil and a Skin/Coat supplement.I'm switching her food to Natural Balance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice (Allergy Formula) thinking perhaps it could be food allergies. The only other thing I can think of is that she is having a reaction to the carpet cleaner as I've had to clean my carpets 2-3 times in the last couple of months (yep, she's STILL a puppy). What other things would you suggest in order to soothe her skin? I was thinking of picking up some ACV and bathing her in a dilution of that. I'm hoping this food takes affect but I don't know how long I'll have to wait for the chemicals in the carpet cleaner to wear off. I vacuumed today and it's been a week since I cleaned them. Any ideas?
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My hubs and I rescued a 6 week old puppy running along I-10 in Texas a few months ago. We brought her home to NC and everything has been going well until about 4-6 weeks ago when she got the nastiest case of scratchies. I apply flea prevention every 3-4 weeks and when I comb her, I find no fleas or flea eggs. I bathe her every month to month and a half with an oatmeal dog shampoo and conditioner. She is to the point where I can no longer sleep at night. She is scratching herself so hard she's got scabs on her head. I have tried Benadryl. Didn't stop it. I tried Baytril. She still scratched. I gave her some Tramadol to help her just get a good night's sleep - nothing. I tried herbal antibiotics. Nothing.I am giving her Fish Oil and a Skin/Coat supplement.I'm switching her food to Natural Balance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice (Allergy Formula) thinking perhaps it could be food allergies. The only other thing I can think of is that she is having a reaction to the carpet cleaner as I've had to clean my carpets 2-3 times in the last couple of months (yep, she's STILL a puppy). What other things would you suggest in order to soothe her skin? I was thinking of picking up some ACV and bathing her in a dilution of that. I'm hoping this food takes affect but I don't know how long I'll have to wait for the chemicals in the carpet cleaner to wear off. I vacuumed today and it's been a week since I cleaned them. Any ideas?

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November 23rd, 2008

Ena (Chinese Crested, 9 months) has had skin issues, since forever. Emma (Parson Russell Terrier, 5 years) has, too. A month ago, an online friend recommended a different supplement, for us. We went and got it, because... what the heck? Why not?It's Nordic Naturals Omega 3-6-9 Junior. It's made for human children. The ingredients are:Purified deep sea fish oil, (from anchovies and sardines), soft gel capsule (gelatin, water, glycerin, natural lemon oil), borage oil, natural lemon oil, d-alpha tocopherol, rosemary extract.The girls love the taste. I also added a 3.4 billion human probiotic, split, about 2:1 (emma getting twice as much) between them. Emma gets 2 of the fish oil caps, and Ena gets 1. Both girls are itching significantly less. Ena has had NO breakouts. She still has a couple of healing bumps, but literally.... the constant battle is gone. I don't know if it's the balance they've created, or the quality of the product, but it's WORKING for them. The company makes an omega 3 pet product, that doesn't have the borage oil in it. I may try it, in the future, but I doubt it. The girls are doing SO WELL!
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Ena (Chinese Crested, 9 months) has had skin issues, since forever. Emma (Parson Russell Terrier, 5 years) has, too. A month ago, an online friend recommended a different supplement, for us. We went and got it, because... what the heck? Why not?It's Nordic Naturals Omega 3-6-9 Junior. It's made for human children. The ingredients are:Purified deep sea fish oil, (from anchovies and sardines), soft gel capsule (gelatin, water, glycerin, natural lemon oil), borage oil, natural lemon oil, d-alpha tocopherol, rosemary extract.The girls love the taste. I also added a 3.4 billion human probiotic, split, about 2:1 (emma getting twice as much) between them. Emma gets 2 of the fish oil caps, and Ena gets 1. Both girls are itching significantly less. Ena has had NO breakouts. She still has a couple of healing bumps, but literally.... the constant battle is gone. I don't know if it's the balance they've created, or the quality of the product, but it's WORKING for them. The company makes an omega 3 pet product, that doesn't have the borage oil in it. I may try it, in the future, but I doubt it. The girls are doing SO WELL!

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November 21st, 2008

Hi all. So I want to make my dog a toy for Christmas (she's recently become fond of a couple fleece ones we have) and I've seen some 'organic cotton' dog toys at the store. Does anyone happen to know where I could buy some organic cotton to make a toy? I don't think it's something I can find at Jo-Ann's so I thought I'd ask.
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October 27th, 2008

Hi, I went back several entries to see what I could find re: getting rid of cat urine odor from my rug. My cat has been hitting it regularly & I only just discovered it. I saw someone mention an enzyme cleaner. I want to rid of the scent so that she won't be attracted to peeing there again. Anything I can make or use that someone out there would recommend?Thanks.
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	Bringing our pets back to nature...