Business of the Month

We at A Pet Nanny Plus have been nominated as the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month for December. So exciting! We get a banner to hang in our place of business so we can show it off to all our clients. Unfortunately, my place of business is an office in my home, so no one will see the banner and be suitably impressed by it, so I decided to take pictures of it and plaster them all over the internet, newsletters etc. :)

I decided there needed to be a pet in the picture, after all, we are a pet sitting business. Oak got chosen as the model. And since it's December, he should be suitably dressed for the occasion.

So I tied the sign to the fence and started difficult task of getting a GOOD picture I could use.:) It took about 3 hours and 101 pictures (thank goodness for digital cameras!) but I think we finally got 1 or 2 I can work with.

First we had Oak being camera shy :)



Then the timer went off before we got into place! We look like we are admiring the sign :)



Then Oak decided the Santa hat was a great toy and he should pull it off and run away while I had my back turned setting the timer on the camera.



Trying to get the hat to stay on his head was a bit of work :) He was ok with the antlers, but he thought the hat was a lot of fun to play with!



Finally our a great shot I can use of both of us.



And a good one of just Oak too. Now I have to decide what to do with them!

What was Once Old is Young Again :)

This post is an update to the last post about supplements for Zanara's hip dysplasia. I went to my nearest Global Pet Foods (Kim's Store, what a wonderful lady :) and tried to find the Hylaflex I mentioned in the last post. She didn't carry that brand, but she did have a product called HYALcare. It contains hylauronic acid, as well as Boswellis, Herring oil, Glucoation Hydrochloride, L-Glutamine, MSM and Shark cartilage. I wasn't sure about buying a product with so many things in it, but I discussed it with Kim and she called someone who had used it with fabulous results, so I thought, what the heck. Let's go for it. Boy am I ever thrilled I did!

CHASING OAK FOR A STICK :)



After only 3 weeks Zanara was running, smiling and chasing the kids. I don't remember the last time she did that. Probabely a couple of years ago! We went up to the cottage last weekend, she ran after the frisbee, caught a frog (spit it right back out) and swam all weekend.



She was definitely stiff on sunday morning, but after going for a bit of a stroll she was ready for action again. I would recommend this product to anyone (and I do) who's dog has arthritis. It is a life saver for our new "puppy" girl :)

No Hippy, Hippy, Shake, Shake yet :(

It's been awhile and I'm doing a bunch of research right now, so I thought it would be a good time for an update on Zanara's hips.

The Dog Gone Pain did work, but not enough to justify the price and the reuslts weren't perfect. We want her to be pain free (not just in less pain). So we decided to keep looking. Next we tried a supplement called Wysong's Missing Link Canine Plus. Unfortunately, there was no improvement at all.

So we thought about it some more and brilliantly came to the conclusion to try Sasha's Blend! Afterall, Oak has been on it for 2 years now and he is doing wonderful! I know, why didn't we try it earlier? Really dumb I think :) Mandy put it in her breakfast on saturday and she did something she has NEVER done before in her life. She refused to eat breakfast! Unbelievable, Zanara eats everything! So I guess this isn't going to work either. Time to try something else, she's getting really sore again and we can't wait until she, hopefully eats the Sasha's Blend.

Back to google :) The last time we were at the Chiropractor, she suggested trying Hylauronic Acid. she said it has been used on horses for years, now it is also being used by people and pets. What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic Acid (HA), also known as hyaluronan or hyaluronate, is a carbohydrate, more specifically a mucopolysaccharide occurring naturally throughout the body. It can be several thousands of sugars (carbohydrates) long. When not bound to other molecules, it binds to water giving it a stiff viscous quality similar to “Jello”. In other words, it is a very important part of good joint function.

I found, what seems to be, a great supplement for pets (they also make one for people I will be trying at the same time). It is called Hyaflex. I haven't found this one in Canada yet, so I'm going to order it online. Wish me luck (Zanara actually). Hopefully this will be the one to help.

While I was searching for a good source of HA, I also came across a few more interesting sites pertaining to pet supplements that I will feature in upcoming blogs.

The Annual Humane Society Walkathon 2011

An important part of being a healthy pup is to get emough exercise. So today we went on a 5 kilometre walkathon for the Humane Society of Durham Region and I thought I'd share a few pictures of our adventures!

We went up the hills (the others were much steeper!) ....



Jewels thought we were going a bit too slow! Are you guys coming?



A stop at the river to cool down and have a drink.



Maybe a bit of landscaping too. Oak decided there were too many rocks in the river, so he started to clean them out :)



The beavers made a mess of this tree! There were a few others in the area they munched on too.



Oak loved the treats at every drink stop :)



We found Lady Slippers ...



And Morrells...



And mud! Jewels got her feet all muddy and had to be dunked in the river :)



After the walk we had a yummy barbeque with hot dogs, pop and some doggie games.



And then for dessert cupcakes. Aren't they adorable?



Time to go home, on the way back to the van, we stopped at the bridge to look for fish. It was a very entertaining morning.



If you didn't make it this year, make sure to come out in 2012. Don't miss all the fun!

Arthritis and Zanara

Zanara, if you don't already know, is our 12 yr old golden retriever. At 2 years of age, she was diagnosed with 3rd degree hip dysplasia. That was when we started researching dog foods, supplements and hip dysplasia. We decided at that time, that what we were feeding was not good enough for our babies and we switched everyone to B.A.R.F. (raw food) plus supplements. This has REALLY helped Zanara over the years, but now she is starting to slow down and show signs of pain. I've been taking her to the chiropractor, which has definitely helped as well, and she is a on glucosamine/chondrotin/msm supplement but I think she needs more. It is painful for her to get up and she is moving slowly, unless there is swimming involved :) She LOVES water!



So back to Google I went. What I found is a product called Dog Gone Pain or DGP for short. It contains alot of herbs that I already knew were helpful for joint pain, like: Feverfew, Boswellia Serrata, Bromelain, Papain, Cayene and Turmeric. There are also a few I never realized would be useful like: Corydalis Root, Wheatgrass and Celery Seed.



On their website they state DGP works faster and it contains ingredients that support the nervous system, gastrointestinal, skeletal and immune health.

I don't know if it works as well as they claim, but I do know I have an expensive bottle sitting in my purse and a sore doggy who needs some help, so we'll see how it goes. I'll let you know in a few weeks if there are any improvements. Cross your fingers summers coming and Zanara will want to get out there swimming again!

Changes ....

I have decided it is time to change the focus of this blog. As I mentioned in the last blog I wrote, we have been having numerous health issues not only with Jewels, but with all our dogs. We have been researching and trying different things to improve their health and we have also been doing the same with our own. I would like to start writing about the things we are learning (and trying) and the things that are helping. So stayed tuned for a BRAND NEW BLOG :)



By the way, the rabbit still isn't here :(
Jewels was scheduled for her cataract surgery on Tuesday March 22. She had developed a heart murmur, so our vet wanted her to have an xray and possibly an ultra sound to make sure she'd be ok to have the surgery. They discovered she wasn't ok to have the surgery she has a tumour on the bottom of her heart. It is a condition called Chemodectoma . More research, more changes, a healthier bunch of furry friends :) Our Journey Back to Health is about to begin. Want to come along for the ride?

It Tea Time Again

Once again we had a fabulous time, yummy food, delicious tea and a great atmosphere (it was at Vandermeer's Nursery again) My granddaughter and her friend really enjoyed the chocolate fountain and went back for seconds and thirds.


Once again this year we made our way to the Durham Region Humane Society Victorian Tea.

They also had a hat contest (my friend Corinne won last year) where everyone had to make their own hat. This is Mandy sporting her lovely hat with it's living garden. Yes, those plants are alive!



Julie went with an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party theme for her hat :)



They also had a few pyschics, tea leaf readings (by Corinne),



raffles, chocolates for sale and so much more. I came home with a few new plants ( a hyacinth that smells absolutely wonderful!) and a full tummy. Thanks for the great day! We'll see you again next year :)

When's the Rabbit Coming?

In Chinese astrology 2011 is the year of the Rabbit. I read the motto is: "Let there be peace -- and let it begin with me". Last year was the year of the Tiger. It was supposedly a year of "roller coaster ups and downs." I think, around here at least, the year of the Tiger decided to hang on for a bit so that we would appreciate the calmness to follow. Hopefully that will happen soon!

One major thing I have learned so far this year is cat's claws and dogs eyes are a bad combination.



On January 5 our little Jewels was accidently scratched in the eye by one of the cats she lives with. She was rushed off to the emergency clinic in the area. Unfortunately, our local emergency clinic is not set up to handle eye emergencies. They weren't much help at all, except to recommend that Jewels be taken to see Dr Michael Zigler in Oakville. He was able to sew her iris back on and send her home with lots of eye drops and meds to be taken in hopes of saving her eye. We went back the following week for a checkup and then again 2 weeks after that. She was able to cut back the 4x a day eye drops to 3x and some even only twice a day. He was cautiously optimistic that she would regain some of her sight and keep her eye. Yeah she was on the road to recovery!



Well, things didn't work out quite the way we had hoped :( On Sunday February 13 we went for a lovely walk, then a bit of a nap (for the dogs) and some treats. Suddenly I heard a squeal from upstairs. Jewels came running downstairs very upset with liquid running down her face! Back to the emergency clinic (who were once again no help), then back to see Dr Zigler.. After a 2 days of tests he discovered a stitch had come out and her retina had detached. There was no way to save her eye. He did an enucleation of her eye on the Tuesday and we were able to pick her up on Wednesday. She had just been able to take her cone off once in a while, but now she was back in it for the next two weeks.



After lots of rest, relaxation, hugs, kisses and treats, she is healing wonderfully and looking fabulous. She does have cataracts in the remaining eye so can only see shadows. It does seem to cause her some stress especially at night and when a certain golden retriever starts bouncing around. So she will be having cataract surgery on her remaining eye (they did lots of tests to determine it was a perfect candidate for surgery). She has her cataract surgery. scheduled for March 22 and then she'll be done. Then maybe the rabbit part of the year will finally begin and fill the rest of her year with PEACE and CALM.

Dogs in Antlers :)

It's the holiday season again! Do you know what that means? It's time to get out the antlers and take pictures of the clients (and our pets as well). Would you like to see some of our lovely pictures?

First we have Oak, looking very handsome and regal in his green furry antlers.



Next we took a picture of Jewels. Doesn't she look impressed? If looks could kill we'd be in trouble :)



We didn't want Lulu to feel left out, so we enticed her into wearing them next. She doesn't look any happier then Jewels did!



Now to try someone a wee bit harder. Max the golden puppy with the antlers in his mouth. then he tossed them about as I tried to get them back.



Then finally a picture with the antlers on his head and not in his mouth!



Off to the park, with antlers in hand, to get pictures of Zanara ...



then Beau. Big dogs just don't seem as peeved when we put the antlers on them. Beau even looks kind of regal!



Next we brought the antlers to the daycare. This is Miss Holly sticking her tongue out at us ...



Then Linus, with his big brown eyes :)



and his little sister Lucy ...



Tomorrow we are off to get some Christmas pictures of Twilight, Radar, Quincy and many more!!! Ha, ha, ha !

Dr Dodds - Part II

"Wholesome nutrition is the key to a healthy immune system and resistance to disease."





This statement is so true! I have been researching the proper nutrition for my dogs for years and am still continuing to learn new things everyday. What did I learn at the seminar? I think the one bit of information that got me thinking the most was titled Nutritional Management for Aggression.

Oak can be aggressive with other dogs. He didn't used to be when he was a puppy (and he was socialized) but as he grows older, he has shown some aggressive tendencies sometimes while on leash, sometimes while off. He is also hyperactive after he eats. It doesn't matter if it is morning or evening, as soon as he eats his meal he runs around like a crazy dog for about an hour and tries very hard to get into trouble! So maybe making a few changes to his food can help. It's definitely worth a shot.

Some of the suggestions were:
- use a high quality-low protein food
- increase tryptophan (turkey)
- limit "hot foods" (beef, bison, duck)
- limit high copper foods (lamb)
We are definitely going to try turkey, I'll let you know how it goes :)

I did try a turkey based frozen food. I gave it to him for about 4 days (breakfast and supper) and I think he was more hyper after meals! Maybe I should have tried it for longer, but I figured we get tired after one meal of turkey, so 4 meals were enough of a test.


I also bought two books written by Monica Segal: "Optimal Nutrition" and "K9 Kitchen". Right now I feed a combination of some supplements, raw ground chicken backs and preground frozen veggie mix, but I'm not sure the combination is right, so I've been considering making my own from scratch. More stuff to read up on :)

The main topic of the day was thyroid disease. How. What. When. Why. We went through some of the signs (some you may know about already and some you may not). For example, I already knew some signs could be: weight gain, lethargy, mood swings, cold intolerance, chronic infections, aberrant behavior ( aggression, fear, hyperactive) but I didn't know about seizures, facial paralysis, "tragic expression", head tilt, slow heart rate, cardiomyopathy or corneal ulcerations.

Then she discussed the blood tests that should be done. It isn't good enough to do the basic tests (T4 & T3) we have been doing for years, these my not show a problem. It is very important to have a thyroid panel done. If you think your dog may have a thyroid problem go to Dr Dodds website and check out the fabulous information there. You can also have your vet send a sample of your dog's blood there to be tested. As I am writing this, I am saying to myself, "maybe you should take your own advise!" I have been wondering if maybe Oak has a thyroid issue. I had the blood tests done through my vet last march, but have never sent them into Hemopet. He has many symptoms and no other solution has been found yet.

If you ever get a chance to see Dr Dodds in person, jump at it. It was a fabulous learning experience.

The Canine Condition by Dr Jean Dodds - Part I

I went to see a fabulous speaker yesterday, Dr Jean Dodds (maybe you've heard of her:). She talked about many different subjects, starting with a discussion on vaccines, then a bit about nutrigenomics for companion animals and finally autoimmune disorders with a focus on thyroid issues.

Vaccines: Should we vaccinate, should we not vaccinate, maybe just a few vaccines? What should we do? I think every pet owner is asking themselves the same question, but what is the answer. Well, I still don't know the answer for everyone, but personally, I choose minimal to none. Oak had his puppy shots following Dr Dodds suggested vaccine schedule and hasn't had any of the yearly boosters since. I have had his titers checked though and am happy to report he has more then enough antibodies circulating in his blood!
She spoke a bit about vaccine reactions, optimal age for puppy and kitten vaccines, the core vaccines, why vaccine should adjusted based on body mass and factors that increase the risk of adverse vaccine reactions.

One thing that did stand out in what she had to tell us is if your pet has had a severe vaccine reaction do not vaccinate him again! Another thing she brought up that I never really thought of before is to question as to why a 10lb chihuahua gets the same vaccine as a 90lb lab. Vaccine dosage should be based on body mass, shouldn't it? Does a small dog need the same dose as a large dog, it seems very unlikely to me.

Another thing I learned yesterday is that some breeds, even some colours of dogs, are more predisposed to vaccine reactions then others! Huh! I never really thought about that before. Did you know that white dogs are more likely to have a vaccine reaction then a black dog? Interesting...

There are even dogs who are nonresponders. You as a doting pet parent may give them their vaccines as you were told, thinking they are protected but when you get their titers checked, you find they have no antibodies! It is a genetic characteristic in some breeds or dog families. They can fail to develop an immune response!

I think one of the main discovers I made yesterday is that there is just so much out there that I want to learn about, I'll probabely be researching things to help my Oak for many years to come.

In my next blog post I will share with you a bit about nutrition and autoimmune disease.

We also got a few handouts that she said we could give to others (as long as we say where the information came from), so I'm going to be posting them here on my blog over the next few weeks as well. Sooooo much information! So fascinating! So exciting!

Tea at Primrose Donkey Santuary

Today the Primrose Donkey Sanctuary held a tea for a fundraiser. What a great time we had! Rory ( my granddaughter ) came along and got to pet donkeys for the first time. When we first arrived we went over to the fence to meet Phillip. He's only a youngin', I think we were told he's about 8 months old. He just loved Rory.



A lovely black kitty came along and wanted her belly rubbed :)



Then we enjoyed our tea and sandwiches and dessert. Yummy!



Look there was even a chandelier, so elegant!



We asked to go on a tour so we could meet more of the donkeys at the sanctuary. On our way into the barn, we had to stop and pet Princess, isn't she beautiful with her lovely ribbon?



Rory asked if she could brush some of the donkeys. Cory was enjoying it!



Then little Goliath got a turn.



Rory even met Primrose :)



Bandit wanted to play with the straw, what fun!



And finally a tea leaf reading by Corinne!



A fabulous afternoon, if you didn't make it this year, be sure to come out next year!