Maritime Dog First Aid and Hiking Safety

24/11/2023

We did a little photo shoot for our Christmas cards while there was snow on the ground. We think it went really well! 🤣

23/11/2023

We recently visited one of our favorite community trail systems and were so sad to discover that a large portion of the trail system has been clear cut. It really is disheartening to see the destruction of such a beautiful community trail system. We are grateful for the many years that we got to enjoy but it is a great loss to the community. It’s disheartening to think of all the wildlife and fauna that will be impacted and there is a waterway that will also see negative effects from erosion now that the trees are no longer there.

21/11/2023

We were so excited to see some snow! It was a light dusting but enough to make us very excited! And we hiked with some old friends that we haven’t seen in a while so it was an extra special day!

20/11/2023

Happy Monday! Have a good week and be safe!

19/11/2023

Beautiful view! And I don’t mean my cute little cinnamon bun! 🤣

17/11/2023

We had a road trip in the farm van to collect brush for Christmas wreaths. Let’s just say that not all workers were doing equal amounts of work! Relic and Holly played tug with Mr. Care Bear! And Relic, Tuukka and Holly had WWF wrestling preoccupying them! Reba spent a lot of time sleeping on the job! So, I carried the load for all the dogs and helped Mum and Julie. I was grumpy by the end of the day and made sure everyone knew it on the way home in the van! No shenanigans while driving!

16/11/2023

We explored along a beautiful brook today! This spot was new to us so there were so many great smells!

15/11/2023

We had a great run along the trail by the river. We hiked with our buddy, Kuro. He’s a silly, young lab and he thinks we are awesome! And Holly is feeling well enough to go on big hikes again so she was happy to join us!

🐾

14/11/2023

Pink sky at night, hiking dogs’ delight!

13/11/2023

We had the best day with this lovely group, teaching canine first aid! Some were dog owners, some rescue volunteers and all just love dogs! They shared some great stories and we really enjoyed meeting everyone! Thank you to for hosting us!

12/11/2023

We are teaching canine first aid at today!

11/11/2023

Lest we forget

10/11/2023

Holly had a quite a scare this past week. Thankfully, she has recovered quickly.

Last week Holly stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating during her spay surgery. The veterinary team did ventilations and compressions and managed to get her to breathe again on her own. They believe she had an adverse reaction to her anesthesia. She was not able to see after the event so when she came home, she was partially blind. With rest and medication, she has recovered her sight and seems to be able to see now. We have a check up early next week and are hoping for a clean bill of health.
It’s a call a dog parent never wants to get when you send your dog for surgery. Thankfully, we have the most wonderful vet and staff and they were able to get Holly back. And thankfully, Holly is a tough little nugget with a strong will to live. She has had a couple close calls now but she is a fighter!

09/11/2023

See that broken off tree up there? There was someone in that tree! I think it was a raccoon! I really wanted to stay and wait for him to come out! Mum said it was best to leave him alone!

08/11/2023

A great Christmas present for the dog lover in your life is a gift certificate to take our canine first aid course! You can choose the amount and your family member/friend can apply it to one of our upcoming courses in the new year! Contact us for details!

08/11/2023

Showing off those long poodle legs!

07/11/2023

Your Fur Babies Pet Care is doing a fundraiser!

🎄🐾 3rd Annual Pet Supply Drive! 🐾🎄

PLEASE SHARE. Even a few dollars will help.

I'm now collecting monetary donations, as well as new & gently used pet items, dog & puppy food (wet & dry) cat & kitten food (wet & dry), bleach, toys, litter, treats, dish soap, paper towels, etc in support of local animal rescues.

Etransfer: [email protected]

I have $100 from the sign making fundraiser I held in the spring. Thank you everyone!

I understand that it's very tight times for all so please share this post & that will help contribute immensely.

❤️ THANK YOU!
Your Fur Babies Pet Care

07/11/2023

Interesting chart showing temperatures that ticks are active.

🔸Tick season is every season!🔸

It's not uncommon to look at the calendar and think it's "November, it's cooling off so we are good to stop our tick control." This is false information!! Ticks don't care what month it is, they care what temperature it is.

Below is a copy of the weather from 2022 created by Merck Animal Health, every 🔴 represents a day the temperature was above 0°C (aka a day that ticks are active.)

This is a fantastic visual because as you can see, there was not a single month that your pets weren't at risk of tick exposure. This being said, our recommendation is quite simple - continue your tick preventatives all year around!

07/11/2023

The two best girls!

06/11/2023

“Even I never dreamed of magic quite like this”
Mum said that fall reminds her of entering a different world. The forest takes on a different look, the trails are hidden under the leaves. That’s why it’s fun to visit all our favorite places during the different seasons.

05/11/2023

It’s important to train your dog to accept treatment!

Have you trained your dog for treatment?

When speaking to many veterinarians we hear stories about how terrified some dogs are going to the vet. This can escalate into a dangerous situation for the vet, handler, and the dog. If your dog is in distress and requires veterinarian care but going to the vet escalates their stress this could delay everyone's ability to get your dog the help they need!

Training for treatment is referred to a lot in Canine Health Canada's K9 First Aid Courses, not only in comfort and behaviour at the vet, but also in being handled for treatment.

🐾Is your dog comfortable being carried?
🐾Is your dog comfortable with you taking their temperature, heart rate, checking capillary refills?
🐾Is your dog comfortable with you wrapping their leg and paws?
🐾Are you able to check and touch your dog everywhere? This means their ears and mouth...

Training for treatment should be part of your foundational training with any dog, because the worst time to train your dog for treatment is when you need it!

05/11/2023

What are you up to today? The time changed here last night so I had a late breakfast, which is not okay! I hope my supper isn’t late or I might have to move to a different time zone!

03/11/2023

Mum bought new jackets for us at .ca so we wore them on this cool, wet morning. They were very cozy and kept us dry! Tuukka walked like a zombie for the first half of the hike because he doesn’t like wearing clothes but then he got over it!🤣

02/11/2023

“Look into my eyes and you will see what you mean to me..” Bryan Adams

Mum says I’m very annoying, but then I look at her like this. And then she forgets how annoying I can be!

01/11/2023

This is us in cartoon form! We tried this trend and didn’t have much success. Thanks to for creating this for us! We love it!

31/10/2023

Some Halloween tips to make sure your pups feel comfortable and are safe tonight!

Halloween is meant to be a fun, exciting night for children and adults alike, but please do not assume that your dog will enjoy being part of the festivities. Good, bad or ugly . . . your dog's "stress bucket" will get filled very quickly this evening if you allow them to be part of the festivities. If you choose to have them participate, please consider giving them a "bucket holiday" over the next few days. Even the happiest, most easy going dog can be very overwhelmed at Halloween so please consider his or her well-being.

Here are a few tips to help make this a better experience for your dogs.

* walk or exercise your dog earlier in the day so that you are not out and about while trick or treaters are walking around your neighborhood
* prepare frozen stuffed kongs or Toppls that your dog can enjoy in a quiet space away from the chaos of the front door
* if necessary appoint a household member or maybe employ a friend to come and sit with your anxious dog in an area of the house far away from the action
* do not use this time to "socialize" your dog . . . some costumes will be scary and the energy of the trick or treaters can just be a lot for your dog . . . we do not want any dog to have a bad experience
* do not force your dog to interact with anyone they seem fearful about, even if it is someone who they know well, respect their decision to not say "Hi"
* do not take your dog out trick or treating with your family . . . they may get part way and decide they have had enough and you will be faced with the choice of forcing your dog to continue or returning home with very disappointed kids
* if your dog reacts to the doorbell ringing maybe put a sign outside telling visitors that your doorbell lis broken and ask them to to sing "trick or treat" to let you know they are there
*make sure your children keep their Halloween candy safely away from your dog's reach
* if you want your dog to wear a costume please respect their choice whether they actually enjoy it or not . . . maybe take a quick picture then remove it
* do not feel guilty about not including your dog in the festivities . . . give them a little extra attention for the rest of the week and enjoy the time with your children tonight

Feel free to pop a picture of your pup in a Halloween costume in the comments.

Have a safe and fun Halloween everyone!

31/10/2023

Happy Halloween!
Last year Mum and I had a spooky ride on the paddle board!
Mum said dogs make better companions for witches than cats do.
🐾

30/10/2023

Did you receive our Fall Newsletter?🐾🍁

Enter your email address at this form link to sign up for our seasonal newsletter: https://forms.office.com/r/08VSba4HU5

22/12/2022

Christmas is a busy time of year for visitors so keep this in mind when new friends are visiting. Not all dogs want to meet new friends!

22/12/2022

13/12/2022

Is your dog protected?

You have likely heard of Heartworm and Lyme disease, but what about Ehrlichia and Anaplasma?

Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos, but the others are all tick borne diseases. And as ticks become more prevalent in Nova Scotia, positive tests for tick borne diseases have become much more common.

The test below, a 4dx snap test, can check for all these diseases with just one sample. Some hospitals may offer it as part of their yearly check up and screening, while others may only use it if a tick borne disease or heartworm is suspected. (In the past this test needed to be kept refrigerated before use and then slowly warmed, but new advancements means it can now simply be stored at room temperature, significantly cutting down on wait time for results.)

This photo shows a 4dx test that is positive for everything but heartworm, meaning this patient was exposed to ticks at some point and contracted 3 tick borne diseases. Ticks are now a year round problem in Nova Scotia - as such, they can be very difficult to fully avoid, even with excellent care.

The best way to protect your pet : check for ticks after a walk/being outdoors and use a suitable tick prevention. If your pet is not currently on tick prevention, reach out to your family veterinary team to assess their risks and find out what might be best for them.

12/12/2022

Some holiday safety tips!

10/12/2022

Looking for a gift for the dog enthusiast in your life? We sell gift certificates to use towards an upcoming course! Message if interested!

Did you know we have gift certificates available? These are a great gift for the dog lover in your life that would like to take our canine first aid course! They can be made for whatever amount fits your budget and they can be applied to any of the upcoming courses for the New Year! Contact us for more information!

10/12/2022

08/12/2022

The best hikes are the ones where our friends come along and we all get to run and sniff! Sometimes it’s hard to get us to stay still for a photo but we did pretty good here!

07/12/2022

We hiked to a giant pile of rocks and had the best day exploring!

05/12/2022

Mom found these giant tree fungi when we were hiking so we stopped for a photo. She also likes the way the sun is behind us in this photo, lighting us up. She says we light up her life! Hope you find some light today!

04/12/2022

“Sometimes I lead, sometimes I follow”
We were off trail and I was showing Mom an easier way to go with less obstacles.

03/12/2022

We had the best hike with our friends! A sunny day, beautiful forest, off trail exploring and good friends! All of our favorite things!

02/12/2022

Mom said I was a gift so she wrapped me in bows!
I was actually helping yesterday for the fundraiser. Mom made 50 bows to decorate 50 wreaths. We tied them on and then they were delivered!