Please Pray for My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy?

Please Pray for my Cavalier, Knightley?

He is only 9 months old and has

symptoms of a horrible neurological

disease. He sees a neurologist later

in the month.

Prayers greatly appreciated 🙏💜

 

Top 10 Cat Toxins in 2013

I couldn't leave out the Kitties in our lives. Although both of mine are gone now, I know some of you have them at home and may benefit from this...

1. Lilies	The variety of lily determines whether it is relatively harmless or potentially deadly. Non-toxic varieties include the Calla, Peace and Peruvian, and typically cause irritation of the upper GI tract. Toxic lilies -- including the Tiger, Asiatic, Stargazer, Casablanca, Rubrum, Day, Japanese Show and Easter lily -- can prove deadly for your cat. Just a tiny amount of any portion of these plants can cause kidney failure.
2. Household cleaners	General-purpose cleaners are relatively safe (all-natural products are a much better choice), but concentrated products like drain or toilet bowl cleaners can cause chemical burns.
3. Flea/tick spot-on products for dogs	Never use a canine flea/tick product on your cat. Depending on the ingredients in the product, just a drop has the potential to kill a cat within hours.
4. Antidepressants	Cymbalta and Effexor topped Pet Poison Helpline's toxic antidepressants list in 2013. For some reason kitties are drawn to these medications, which can cause severe neurologic and cardiac effects.
5. NSAIDs	Cats are more sensitive than dogs to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. And because kitties are so sensitive, veterinary-specific NSAIDs should be used with extreme caution, if at all.
6. Prescription ADD/ADHD medications	Just as with dogs, these drugs, which are amphetamines, can cause tremors, heart problems, seizures and death in cats.
7. Over-the-counter cough, cold and allergy medications	Many of these preparations contain acetaminophen (a painkiller) and pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine (decongestants). Acetaminophen is especially toxic to cats – it damages red blood cells and causes liver failure.
8. Plants containing insoluble calcium oxalate crystals	Peace lilies, philodendron and pothos can cause oral and upper GI irritation, foaming at the mouth and inflammation when ingested.
9. Household insecticides	If you use insecticides on your indoor plants (which I definitely do not recommend, since they are environmental toxins), make sure to keep your kitty away from plants after application until the products have dried or settled.
10. Glow sticks and glow jewelry	Many cats enjoying gnawing on glow sticks and glow jewelry. These items contain dibutyl phthalate, a chemical that can leak out and burn your cat's fur and tongue.

Link for credit and full article

Pet Poisons: The Top 10 Suspects for Dogs - And for Cats

To go along with my last post-directed at our four-legged friends. I thought I would post this article (the link with the credit and full article is at the bottom if you would like to read more, or subscribe to her newsletter)

1. Chocolate	Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are both classified as methylxanthines. These compounds can cause hyperactivity, increased heart rate, tremors, and potentially death. The more bitter the chocolate, the more toxic it is. Bakers and dark chocolate are the most toxic, and milk chocolate can be dangerous if ingested in large amounts.
2. Xylitol	Xylitol, a sugar substitute common in sugar-free chewing gum and many other products, can cause life-threatening hypoglycemia and liver damage in dogs.
3. NSAIDs	Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil, Motrin and Aleve, can cause GI ulcers and kidney failure.
4. Over-the-counter cough, cold and allergy medications	Many of these preparations contain acetaminophen (a painkiller) and pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine (decongestants) and are highly toxic.
5. Rodenticides	Rat and mouse poison can contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to dogs. Aside from eating the poison itself, dogs can also become sick from eating a rodent that has ingested poison. Exposure to rat and mouse poison can cause bleeding, seizures and kidney damage.
6. Grapes and raisins	These foods, even in small amounts, can cause kidney failure in dogs.
7. Insect bait stations	The danger here is primarily bowel obstruction when a dog swallows the plastic shell that contains the bait.
8. Prescription ADD/ADHD drugs	These drugs are amphetamines that can cause tremors, heart problems, seizures and death in pets.
9. Glucosamine joint supplements	These supplements are often flavored to appeal to dogs. Overdoses usually produce nothing more dangerous than diarrhea, but in rare cases, liver failure can result.
10. Oxygen absorbers and silica gel packs	Oxygen absorbers are found in packages of pet treats, beef jerky, and other consumables, and they contain iron that can cause iron poisoning in dogs. Silica gel packs are the small white packs found in new shoes, purses and backpacks.

Link to full article

Advice for Pet Owners

If you are like me, you love your little (or big) four-legged friends.

I wanted to share this article with you from a holistic vet,

Dr Karen Becker, about pet health.

Many Diseases Can Be Prevented By Following These 5 Recommendations

Pet guardians can prevent many of these conditions from befalling their furry charges by following a few common sense recommendations for raising a healthy, long-lived pet, including:

• Feed a balanced, species-appropriate diet that is anti-inflammatory. The right nutrition can prevent or alleviate diet-related skin allergies and infections (including hot spots), ear infections, gastrointestinal issues, and bladder and urinary tract disease.
• Keep your dog or cat lean and fit. A pet in excellent physical condition is less likely to develop debilitating arthritis and degenerative joint disease.
• Brush your pet's teeth daily or several times a week to prevent or control buildup of plaque that leads to tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral conditions. Follow through with professional veterinary cleanings as needed.
• Keep your dog’s immune system healthy by eliminating unnecessary vaccines.
• Stay on top of all changes in your pet’s health by performing regular at-home wellness exams, and scheduling twice-yearly wellness visits with your veterinarian.

When you consider the money pet owners spend on veterinary treatment for preventable conditions, it’s easy to see there are also financial benefits to helping your dog or cat remain healthy.   Link to full article.

It's a BOY!

If you have been following my blog recently, you know that we recently lost our beloved Cavalier Maddie. We have been quite lonely without her, and were thrilled to get a call this week from the sweet lady from the Cavalier Rescue.

She had an 11 month old puppy that was rescued, and needed a home! So, we have a new family member now! His name is Chips! He is going to be keeping us quite busy as he hasn't had any training, and needs a few pointers. :0)

In the picture above, Chips is playing peek-a-boo in the garden...

He seems to enjoy being around the kids alot--he's fitting right in!

And so, we're the proud owners of a 17 lb boy!

It's nice to hear the pitter-patter of little paws again!

There's a Leopard in the House!! Or...Am I Seeing Spots!

A Leopard Gecko that is!

I have the unique privilege of living with a daughter that loves all of God's creatures. Yes, I do mean all. Creepy or not! LOL Insects, tadpoles, snakes, salamanders, fish, spiders....you name it! (And she wants to have all of them live in the house!)

And so, this fella shown above (whose name is Frodo) has his own space in our little house. He has been with us about 3 years I guess. He's quiet (read:doesn't sass ya or keep you awake at night!), moves slow (read:I can out-run it!), and I don't have to feed it (read: eats things that are alive--ewwwwwww) my daughter does! (feeds it I mean--not eats live things) :0)

Oh, and he's friendly and doesn't bite--another bonus!

My daughter took these pictures, and I thought they came out quite well, so I thought I'd introduce you to one of her menagerie!

(Doesn't he look like he's smiling in the pic above!?)

Two Lovebirds

We have such an interesting situation pictured here....

You see the little striped female cat that we call Shadow, is shown curled up with our big gray male cat Muffin.

What is unusual about this, is that Shadow is a feral cat. She has always been wild. Several years ago we trapped her and a litter of her kittens.... found home for the kitties, and had Shadow vaccinated and spayed, and then we released her.

Even though she spent several weeks caged in our home for recuperation after being spayed-she would never tame. :0(

But, as you can see, she loves our totally domesticated cat! Our Muffy is really an indoor cat, but he will go out in the daytime in our fenced yard. Mostly, he lays on one of the chairs on the patio.

These two will curl up together, or lick each other just like 2 domestic cats.

Even more unbelievable? This totally feral cat also loves our little dog as well! Will rub on her and everything....