Spring brings squirrels!

Satchmo is a rat terrier and as such, he loves to hunt for "rats".  Since he has never ever seen a real rat, he finds make-believe rats everywhere and chases them.  Squirrels are his all time favorite prey.  He loves to chase them and bark at them.  What is even better is that they seem to love tormenting him just as much. 

I live in an apartments complex that has numerous ancient oak trees.  We probably have hundreds of squirrels, both old timers and newly born.  Satch has developed a "second sight" about when a squirrel is in the tree next to him.  He can find a squirrel in the highest branches and we all know that dogs don't have the best eyesight.

There is a big oak right in the middle of our yard and we have a large, fat, male squirrel that must winter over in that tree, because he has been there for the last two years.  Now whenever I take Satch outside, he goes directly to the base of that tree and sniffs all around then he will look intently up at the branches until I have to drag him away.  Heaven help us if he actually sees the squirrel.  Then no pulling will get him away from the tree and he will bark until he is hoarse.

It's funny but really its pathetic.  Here is a dog that wants to hunt and he lives in an apartment.  So sad!

 I just discovered the most wonderful rattie blog.  It is about Yodi, the three-legged rat terrier.  The pictures are delightful and the text is amusing.  I highly recommend a visit just to see the antics of this feisty little dog.
He redefines the "feist" that denotes rat terriers.

To read more about him and see his antics, click here

I have posted the entry that describes how he became a three-legged dog.  This is just after our recent brush with a loose and uncontrolled pit bull while we were out for a morning walk.  Dog on dog violence is never okay.  Do you suppose the owners of that dog helped pay for any of the care these pet owners gave to their precious little boy?  I'm sure they did not, but I can also assure you that the total cost was large.  Thank heavens we have people like Yodi's Mommy and Daddy in the world.
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Yodi's Accident
On June 27, 2003, at about 9 months of age, our rat terrier Yodi (12 pounds) was attacked by a loose pit bull that ran onto my parents' property just as we got out of the car. Yodi had to have surgery at an emergency vet to repair several tears and bite wounds on his chest. A few days after that surgery, we brought him to our vet in Sarasota, who kept him for a few weeks for observation, pain control, and a few procedures. Yodi was very weak and tired and when we went to visit him, he was often just laying down; he could hardly move around and sometimes could barely lift his head. Yodi's red blood cell count dropped severely so he received a blood transfusion from one of the technician's dogs, a Weimaraner. (He got big doggie blood, which helped him feel a lot better.) Yodi's left front leg was swollen due to trauma and the vets applied heat and massaged it in hopes of getting the swelling to go down. A large patch of skin/tissue was dying on his chest (where he had been bitten) and he had to have surgery to remove the decaying tissue. Days later, we learned that his left front leg still wasn't doing much better and we were referred to an animal hospital in Tampa. We took him up there for a consultation and learned that the tissue in the leg was dying, which was sending toxins into Yodi's body; the toxins were making him sick and weak and were entering his body too fast for his body to be able to fight them and heal himself. This left us with the decision to either amputate the leg and save Yodi's life, or let our little puppy go. The obvious decision to us was to amputate the leg. We didn't have second thoughts about it. The amputation was done on July 10th. We couldn't believe it when the vet called and told us that Yodi was sitting up in his cage and had even walked outside - all by himself - to go to the bathroom. We saw him two days after the surgery, and we were allowed to take him outside for a walk. We couldn't believe how well he was getting around. Especially because the last time we saw him before the surgery, he coud barely lift his head. We saw him a second time, about a week later, and he was actually gobbling up his treats, giving lots of kisses, and running and jumping on and off the sidewalk. His final procedure, a skin flap (skin graft) was done on July 21st to cover the large patch where the tissue on his chest had died and been removed. The day after that, July 22nd, he came home with us.

July 5, 2003 - (Beneva Animal Hospital, Sarasota)
This was the first time we got to see the stitches and scars from Yodi's first surgery. He had two incisions which were stapled, and one area that was just stitched up. We could tell that he'd lost a lot of weight. In some of the pictures you can see how swollen and bruised his left front leg was. The area under his arm that is black and bruised is the area where the tissue would decay and need to be removed.

For a very close, detailed picture of Yodi's injuries, stitches, and staples, click here. (It's not pretty, and might be hard for some to look at.)

July 12, 2003 (Tampa)
This was the first time we saw Yodi with 3 legs. I don't think any of us really cared about how he looked or that he had 3 legs - we were all so amazed at the way his health turned around. He was kind of groggy that day because he still had a pain patch on, but we were thrilled to see him walking. What a tough little doggie.

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With Easter here remember--Dogs cannot eat Chocolate!!

Image by cliffandally via Flickr

Easter is here and that means lots of chocolate candy lying about.  If you have dogs, please read this article below to learn why you must be careful with chocolate and dogs.  There is also a video that explains this for those of you who learn better by hearing information.  This is a serious risk for your beloved pet and I know I will be watchfull around the kids and look out for my best buddy, Satchmo!


Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs

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We've all heard it, "Don't give your dog chocolate it will kill him". We'll how true is it you're probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M's?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

Toxic Levels

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

On average,
Milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per oz.
Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg/oz.
Baker's chocolate 390mg/oz.

Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as:
1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker's chocolate.

So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker's chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems.

Clinical Signs

Xanthines affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs:

Hyper excitability
Hyper irritability
Increased heart rate
Restlessness
Increased urination
Muscle tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Treatment

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the the proper treatment for your pet.

Here's the link for this article

Boys, 10 and 12, charged with dogfighting

Here's an article and a news video that breaks my heart.  What, exactly, are we teaching our youth about respect and the value of life?  I read this article because I was sure there was an error in the ages of the perpetrators of this vicious abuse; imagine my surprise when I was wrong.

How can such young boys be so twisted?  Where are they learning these things?  How can we, as a society, help prevent this from becoming full-fledged epidemics?  These boys have lost their humanity before they even knew what that was.  I am so sad.
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Two boys — aged 10 and 12 — have been charged with fighting, baiting and cruelty to animals after deputies say they discovered the boys were operating a backyard dogfighting operation.

A neighbor called deputies in Orange County after the boys dumped a dead dog on his property. When deputies arrived to ask one of them about the allegations cops say the boy picked up a puppy and started beating it until deputies forced him to stop, according to Fox News in Orlando.

Three dogs were taken from the property after they were found covered with wounds, spray painted and living in unhealthy conditions.
 

Winston, dog that chewed up police car, gets a break

Could you ever imagine vandalizing a police car with an officer sitting behind the wheel? Probably not. As a law abiding citizen, you know that the end result of that kind of behavior would mean jail time. However, recently, a canine named Winston didn't realize the true consequences of this kind of act. So, after chewing off the front bumper of a Chattanooga, Tennessee police car, he was detained and locked up in a shelter. The good news is that officials gave him a break and sent him home.

Even prior to meeting with a judge, the police and Winston's owner had come to an agreement. While in the shelter, this newly famous dog displayed a meek and mild personality - a temperament opposite to the one caught on camera on the day of the incident. (See video below.) As a result, the presiding judge agreed to let him go home on a few conditions.

The main conditions of Winston’s release were that his owner secure his fence better and also take his wayward pet to obedience school. Considering the world wide attention this incident got, the sentencing was easy. Both Winston and his owner were left off easy.

Trouble in the life of my two dogs!

Here is a quick post about an incident we had yesterday.  I took the two boys out as I usually do.  We were on our way up to the mailbox to check the mail and drop off some letters in the slot.  As we were about to cross the parking lot toward the office, my left knee just buckled and Austen picked that exact moment to pull to the end of his leash, after wrapping my other ankle up in it.  Needless to say, I went down on the asphalt like a sack of potatoes.  I hit my hip and shoulder and rolled over onto my back.  Got a fairly big gash cut out of my toe and some nasty abrasions on my right knee.

As I lay there taking inventory to see if anything was broken, both my boys came running up to me and started licking me in the face.  It was then that I realized that even in falling, I had not ever let go of the leashes.  That's a good thing, because Satchmo will be gone with the wind if he has a chance.

Once I determined that I was not broken, I realized that I was laying in a huge grease puddle and everything I had on was now soaked with motor oil.  Great.  I had a terrible night and went to get checked out today, but I learned my lesson and will be walking these two young men separately for a while!

Here is another photo of Austen after the haircutting fiasco.  He finally let me take his picture, but he still looks ridiculous!

I just found this video on YouTube that shows the cutest hairless ratties!  Watch this and see if you don't just fall in love.....

The continuing saga of the foster dog!

Image by This Year's Love via Flickr

It is time to renew my lease, so being the proper person I am, I told them about the "foster dog" and added him to my pet form.  Well......I was asked, not too politely, a million questions about this "dog" and told quite rudely that there are stipulations and he needs to meet their rules or leave.  I answered all of their questions about Austen and apparently he meets the requirements--over 1 year old, small, all shots, etc.  I now am informed that I have to pay an additional $325 deposit (my original deposit was $175 for Satchmo) since the pet deposit for two pets is $500 total.  WTF???

So, OK, I will pay the deposit because I believe in rules and try to be a good pet owner.  My dogs go outside every two hours on leashes and I walk them in the area allotted for pets.  I even have bags to clean up after them when they are out to "do their business".  They are in good health, well-fed and have manners.  They do not run loose and bite or growl at others.

The big issue for me began this morning.  As is their norm, they woke me up early (still dark) to go out for their morning "constitutional".  Being dogs, they have a particular area that they have chosen for that purpose.  Makes taking them out easy and quick.  Anyway, we are on our way to this area when all of a sudden there is a Pit Bull male dog growling at my leashed little ones.  It seems that the owner of this dog, being lazy or uninformed, simply opens the door and allows his dog to run outside to do his business.  He never looked to see if there might be a problem. 

Austen and this dog are growling and sniffing and the pit bull starts getting excited.  I literally have to pick Austen up by his harness and hold him up in the air to prevent attack from the pit.  Meanwhile, Satchmo has finished his business and runs over to "see the new dog" who then begins to attack Satch.  I have to throw Austen down and lift Satch up by his harness out of "harms' way". 

So I am holding Satch up in the air and yanking Austen's leash to try to get away from this dog when the owner finally comes out to get his dog.  His only response was, "Did it rain all night?"  I, meanwhile, am dragging my dogs off as fast as I can and he has to call his dog "Champ" numerous times before he will come.

This family not only has this male pit bull dog, but also a pit bull puppy in this apartment.  I never would have thought they would simply open the door and let the dogs run out!  The issue here is not that these are pit bull dogs.  I actually like that breed of dog and have owned two pit puppies when I lived out in the country.  Generally, they are loving and loyal dogs--but the breed has been bred for years and years to fight and once the dogs get excited it is difficult to shut down that behavior.

All I could see in my mind's eye was the little dogs lying lifeless on the ground after being attacked by a much bigger dog.  I was shaking and so were the dogs.  Satch began to vomit once we got home.

So, do you think the apartment manager knows about these dogs?  Do you think these people paid $500 deposit?  I don't know and I don't care, but it will be some time before we walk by this apartment again.

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Austen got a haircut....and what a haircut!

My neighbor came over this week and graciously agreed to clip Austen.  I agreed to help him and we set about doing just that.  However, we both forgot to ask Austen if he wanted to participate...which he most definitely did not!  We got most of his hair clipped until we came to the face.  At that point, he went ballistic and we had to stop, so he looks kinda like a hairless schnauzer.  He is absolutely horrified at the way he looks and tries to hide under funiture and under bedcovers.  I think he probably is chilly, too, since he no longer has any extra hair on his torso.  His poor little tail is just a twig sticking straight up from his back.  I'll try to see if he will let me take a picture of him, but I don't think he will. 

I was going to try to work on his face tonight or tomorrow, but I am not sure if he can stand anymore trauma.  I think he may have to go to "The Pretty Parlor" from now on so he can get his hair clipped.

Okay, he let me take pictures, but he refuses to stand up and let me show you the full effect!

More on those cats!

Image via Wikipedia

Well, we now always have one of the black kittens sitting on the chair outside; every now and then the other will show back up and sit out there with the litter-mate, but then that little cat will disappear for days.

The one who stays on the porch, KT, is becoming friendly.  I still don't know if it is a boy or girl, but it will now rub against my legs and let me touch him/her to scratch its head.  I have even picked it up briefly.

It probably helps that we set canned food out twice a day for these little black fuzz-balls.  Hopefully, soon I will entice KT into the house and then I can see about getting medical care done.

My dogs, Satchmo and Austen, both seem oblivious to these cats unless they start darting around.  Then they want to go play with them.

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Austen still needs a haircut!

I have tried and tried to clip this foster dog's face and feet.  All to no avail.  He is more adept than I and he squirms out of my grasp and runs off to hide.  All I have really done is to make his situation worse.  I finally broke down and asked my neighbor, who clips his own dog, if he would help me.  I'll let you know how that goes, but I have some reservations.  I think this dog will outwit both of us.

About the cats--both are still alive and well.  They show up every morning to eat and get fresh water.  The largest one, I call it KT, is very curious about us and he/she has started to let me scratch his/her head.  I even got to pick that one up very, very briefly.  These little kittens hardly weigh a pound.  I have simply got to get them caught and taken to the vet.  With summer coming, I need to get them immunized and neutered/spayed.  I also want to have something done to help them with fleas.  Since they hang out on my porch, I don't want the little jumping bugs to decide to jump on into my house.

I'll just have to continue to be patient and if I can get the one to let me hold him/her, maybe I can get the other into a trap and then take them both together.  More to follow.......