My Pet Lady

02/06/2024

Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody (CPMA)
This will be a game changer for dogs who get Parvo!

A mortally ill puppy named Richard has been given a second chance at life after receiving a new state-of-the-art medical treatment for parvo.

02/06/2024

A mortally ill puppy named Richard has been given a second chance at life after receiving a new state-of-the-art medical treatment for parvo.

12/05/2023

Here is your feel good story for today. I think most dog owners can relate.

During the pandemic I chose a breed often compared to a velociraptor. It ruined my life—until I discovered that he’s the best dog who’s ever lived.

11/13/2023

Oh yes.😆

07/22/2023

test

05/02/2023

This sweet boy needs a family!

03/11/2023

I learned about this disease at a pet sitter conference I attended a few weeks ago. One of our attendees did a great write up and I am happy to share. Ask your vet if they test for this!

While at the Texas Pet Sitters Conference recently, we had the chance to hear from Dr. Roy Madigan, a veterinarian, and the principal scientist in the Canine Chagas Treatment Study.

We felt it imperative to share with our clients, and our community, the surprising information we learned.

Chagas disease is a parastic disease that is spread by kissing bugs. Similar to heartworm disease, animals can become infected with Chagas if they're bitten by, or ingest, a kissing bug.

The symptoms of Chagas can show up in a variety of ways. For less severe cases, lethargy, decreased appetite and weight loss may present. In more severe cases, you may see fluid in the abdomen, heart failure, vomiting, and unfortunately, sudden death.

Dr. Madigan estimates that up to 23% of companion dogs in Texas currently are positive for Chagas (compared to about 3.3% that are heartworm positive).

Chagas tends to attack the heart tissue, and is a progressive disease. The most common symptom seen when this happens is arrhythmia. It is also known to attack the brain.

Testing for Chagas is not common. The pet owner usually has to seek it out. There is currently a reliable test called "ELISA" that costs around $120.00. Dr. Madigan tells us that by next year, a new version will be available that will cost around $35.00 and will include a heartworm test. It will be readily available to all veterinary practices. They are currently awaiting approval from the FDA.

The treatment for Chagas is in a pill form and lasts for 12 months. Dr. Madigan reports that while it is 100% effective, it does not fix the harm that has already been done to the body by the parasite.

Our best defense against Chagas is preventative action. Pyrethroid insecticides will kill kissing bugs. Oral flea and tick medicine will kill Chagas.

If you see your pet with a kissing bug, do not squish the bug. Use a plastic baggie to capture it (don't touch it!) and contact https://kissingbug.tamu.edu/contact/ for instructions on how to submit it for testing.

It takes up to three weeks for a pet to test positive after exposure to Chagas, so don't immediately get your pet tested.

It is not only dogs who get Chagas. Cats also are affected. Chagas is the number one cause of seizures in cats.

Humans can also get Chagas. If your pet tests positive, every pet in the house should be tested, as well as all humans.

Antibodies are not effective at preventing reinfection, so a vaccine is not an option. Researchers are currently working to develop a slow-release injectible to protect pets.

Our takeaways:

*Chagas is impacting more pets than most people know. If your pet is showing unusual symptoms, ask your veterinarian to test them for Chagas. The sooner it is detected, the better off your pet will fare.

*Chagas is a treatable disease.

*Be aware of your enviroment. Keep your yard clean. Turn off outdoor lighting. Bring pets inside at night. Remove piles of rocks, leaves or wood near your home. Keep vegetation trimmed regularly. If you find a kissing bug, submit it for testing.

*If your pet tests positive for Chagas, test ALL your pets. Also, test all humans in the house.

For more information, please visit https://kissingbug.tamu.edu and www.vidapharmacal.com

02/22/2023

Yes, foster fails happen and as many people will tell you, the best!

02/20/2023

Seniors dogs are dogs with a lot of love to give! Having adopted a senior dog last year, I can tell you they bring so much joy to your life. Give one a try!

02/02/2023

Looking for a sweet, quiet, pup to have as a companion?

We haven’t had an update about Mellow in a bit and we haven’t found the right home for her just yet either but she’s ready for adoption. Foster mom Amy sends us this latest update:

It’s been a few months with Mellow figuring things out in her foster home and she is making slow and steady progress. Being in a mill for 7 years has taken its toll and she is still a bit timid but so very sweet. Potty training is going slow, but using potty pants have helped a ton and she now has the freedom to sleep in bed with us at night and loves it!! She is comfortable and quiet in her crate when I’m at work, but has really made huge improvements the last two weeks with me being home so much. I think she would do great in a quiet home where people are around more. She gets along with all dogs big and small. Not cat tested, but I can’t imagine a problem there. She is a perfect little lap dog and ready to find her forever home!

Applications can be submitted at dogranchrescue.com

01/31/2023

I am a big proponent of all three!

Dogs need to sniff, forage, play and feel safe in order to fulfill their natural instincts.

12/31/2022

12/05/2022

Good advice from a fellow pet sitter.

With the holiday season fast approaching I wanted to share THREE things NOT to do in regards to your pets..🐈🐕

1) If you have cats, please DO NOT use tinsel to decorate your tree 🌲 Tinsel is a fun shiny thing cats LOVE to play with but if ingested it can get tied up in their digestive tract and require emergency surgery to remove!

2) DO NOT leave your purse (or that of a guest) out where your pet can have access to it. People carry medication with them in their handbags which if ingested by your dog or cat can lead to serious medical issues. Most people also carry sugar free gum and mints with them. Quite a few of these products are made with xylitol (a sweetner that is toxic to dogs) 🚫

3) NO turkey bones. While your dog may be giving you their best puppy dog eyes, please refrain from sharing your holiday meal with them. All the delicious rich, fatty foods we eat over the holidays can cause serious illness in our 4 legged friends. Also turkey bones splinter very easily and can cause severe intestinal damage.

Let's all do our part to help keep our best friends safe this holiday season 💕

11/30/2022

This!!

Do you use air-scenting products? Please read this for the health of your pets. ❗👇

Learn more about the health risks of air-scenting products to pets, along with pet-safe ways to keep your home smelling fresh, in today’s free pet blog post linked in the comments.

11/19/2022

A constantly available food source is the perfect way to wind up with an overweight pet. ❌

Keeping your pet at a healthy weight is key to improving their quality of life and longevity. 🔑🐈🐕 Check out today’s free article to learn how to get your pet’s weight under control.

Here are the dos and don’ts of keeping your pet at a healthy weight: http://bit.ly/3GczJdL

11/18/2022

Anyone need a new buddy?

I’m not sure what’s more impressive your eyeliner or your thigh muscles. 😂

This is Anchovy and she’s a cuuuutie Pie…

We have little to no interest with applications for her and I am positive she's just been overlooked. Her vetting is all finished, she's a happy silly girl that gets along well with others, let's find her a home..

dogranchrescue.com

11/10/2022

Don't leave your cat along while you are gone. Give us a call!

A Myth That Can Hurt Your Cat 😿

Many people believe that one of the advantages of having a cat is their independent nature, which allows them to be left on their own for long periods. But, while cats may not require as much hands-on attention as dogs do, it’s never a good idea to leave them alone for days.

Leaving your cat alone with an all-you-can-eat kibble buffet (the only food that won't spoil sitting out in the open for days) and an unattended stinky litterbox, with no one to see if they become injured or ill, can stress them out and endanger their health. 🐈👎

Read today’s free article for more myths about cats that you should ignore.

Don’t follow these 5 misleading and outdated cat myths: https://bit.ly/3zJvJgE

10/31/2022

Safety hints for your fur friends!

Today is Halloween, and while this is a fun holiday for many humans, it's important to safeguard furry family members from potential holiday harm.

09/11/2022

I’ll say goodnight and close out the day with a request for help.

This is Cleo, she’s the sibling to the 4 Bordeaux’s that lost their home when their dad who is a veteran was evicted. They spent a month in the shelter and have been with us just as long. She’s weary she’s depressed she’s lost her dad and she’s lost her home. She gave up eating several days ago and we haven’t been able to generate interest in any kind of food. I asked Cassandra today if she could foster her and when she said yes I drove her over to Cassandra’s house myself.

Cleo is perfect, she is absolutely perfect, she is sweet and gentle with everyone and everything. The volunteers all love her, she’s a perfect first time bear owner and I am here to plead with you to share her far and wide to help find her a home again. It’s just sad to see her like this and what she needs is a place to call her own again.

As I say goodnight will you please share her?

dogranchrescue.com

05/29/2022

The dogs who stay with us make the best of friends.

05/23/2022

Yes, we do take pride in what we do and spend a lot of time learning how to be the best sitters we can be!

For the next time somebody says your prices are too high, remember all of the work you have put in and all of the dedication you bring. 💪

We all know it’s not all puppy cuddles and kitty kisses! Pricing is difficult, not exactly a linear process, and is something we have to approach from our own viewpoint and background.

You are worth it!

05/09/2022

Two of the cuties we take care of on a regular basis.

05/08/2022

Finn wants to wish all the dog moms and moms of humans a happy Mother’s Day!

04/23/2022

Guess who has never received an application?

It’s exhausting to repeat the same words over and over again but alas my job is to tell each dogs story for all the world to hear. This is Zions story. He has no interest.
He’s a good boy, he’s been cat tested, he’s good with most dogs at the sanctuary, he’s barking at the two big boys Dale and Brennan but they are both intact so there’s no surprise there. He’s a mixed breed shepherd mix and they are literally a dime a dozen in Texas. The shelters are full of pit mixes and shepherds mixes and they have little home of finding a home. Zion has the additional setback of only having 3 legs. He doesn’t need an extra strikes agains him because he’s got enough already.

Can you please share him to help?

dogranchrescue.com

04/07/2022

Warning! Cat parents, make sure to cat-proof your home by keeping these toxic household items somewhere inaccessible to your kitty. 🐈These things can poison your best friend!

04/07/2022

A good read on pet food!

HERE’S WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ADD FRESH “HUMAN FOOD” TO YOUR PET’S KIBBLE

Today, ninety-six percent of pet owners around the globe are feeding dry commercial pet foods. Of those 96%, there is a large majority that believes dried commercial pet food is really all their pet needs and would never stop to consider the benefits of adding fresh “human food”.

(“Human food” definition in this article: clean sources of meat-based proteins and some organic plant matter, not beer and nachos 😉)

There are many reasons why some of these pet parents feel this way, however the most popular reason today seems to be the 50-year-old rumor that is in existence and still spreading.

You know the one: “Giving your animal table scraps is bad!”

How or when did this terrible rumor start?

Well, if we go back in time, research shows that shortly after the invention of processed pet foods, manufacturers were having a hard time convincing pet parents to make the switch from foods in their refrigerators to their commercial pet foods.

So in 1964, the pet food industry, along with the PFI, joined together with a whole bunch of marketing dollars and launched one of the most influential campaigns the pet world had ever seen: the “Ban All Table Scraps from your Pets’ Bowls” campaign!

Through thousands of newspapers, magazines, and news stations, the public was warned about the dangers of table food scraps or “human food” and the importance of feeding “processed” commercial pet food. From there, the giant smear campaign took off!

Not only did this clever campaign work, but it was so impactful that now, 50 years later, folks are still in fear of offering anything that is not labeled pet food.

SO IS IT A GOOD THING TO ONLY OFFER YOUR PET DRIED KIBBLE?

Not according to ongoing research it isn’t, especially with today’s cancer rates being 1 in 2 dogs!

In a 2005 study conducted at Purdue University on Scottish Terriers, the results showed that adding fresh vegetables to dry commercial kibble actually prevented and/or slowed down the development of transitional cell carcinoma (aka bladder cancer)!

In the study, dogs ate a diet of dry commercial pet food, while some got an assortment of vegetables added to the mix at least 3 times per week.

When the study was concluded, according to the researchers, they weren’t really shocked by the results.

Here’s what they found:

Dogs that ate any green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, had reduced the risk of developing bladder cancer by 90% and the dogs that consumed any yellow – orange vegetables like carrots reduced the risk by 70%!

Seriously! A lousy carrot helped smash the potential of cancer.

( http://ilarjournal.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/1/100.full ) (Raghavan, Knapp, Bonney, 2005) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16013542/

Yes, of course cats are obligate carnivores (must have meat to survive) and our dogs are facultative carnivores (carnivores with omnivorous potential if circumstances demand) so offering clean meat-based protein sources should always be top priority and essential.

However, because today’s world is ever-so changing due to factory farmed livestock being fed genetically modified grains and our planet being contaminated with every type of pesticide, fungicide and larvicide, the importance of fresh, organic plant matter to help detox the body couldn’t be more crucial.

So if the “cancer reducing benefit” doesn’t tickle your fancy enough to convince you to add any “human fresh foods” to your pet’s bowl, then maybe think of it this way:

How bad would it suck if someone forced you to eat dry processed foods your whole lIfe?!

By: Rodney Habib

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

04/05/2022

Ask your vet if they do Titer testing!