McCoy's Mates Pet Sitting

20/11/2024

My hackles just went up! Someone claimed 'IBD is difficult to diagnose.' Let me set the record straight:

🚨 IBD is NOT a diagnosis. It’s simply a description of what’s happening: inflammation in the bowel.

Any kid can tell you there’s inflammation if there are GI signs.

Plain. And. Simple.

Now, here’s where it gets trickier—your pet doesn’t need obvious GI symptoms to have inflammation in the gut. Skin issues, ear infections, anxiety, and pretty much every other health condition can originate in the gut.

But let’s be clear: 'IBD' is just a label. It doesn’t tell you why it’s happening or how to fix it (and YES, it can be fixed!). That’s where the real work begins.

👉 Want to get to the root cause? Let’s make it happen—drop a 🐾 in the comments I’ll send you the link to my free masterclass where I break it all down!

12/11/2024

Most wildlife control companies in the United States use box traps to capture and relocate wildlife. They will tell you it is a humane solution, but one quick Google search will show you they are far from humane.

- Relocated animals rarely survive more than two weeks in unfamiliar territory.
- Relocated animals are unable to compete successfully for food and shelter with the existing population of wildlife in that area.
- Many of the trapped and relocated animals are lactating females whose orphans are left behind to starve.
- Trapping and relocating animals does not solve the problem. If animals are removed, other wildlife from that area will move in to take their place.

11/11/2024

The GOODEST Doggies Club🩵🐶🩷🐶🩵🐶

11/11/2024

Did someone say 🍖T R E A T S🍖?!?
I'm sure they were all thinking💭put down the bloody camera and come to the treat cabinet!

11/11/2024

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting and then having a visit with this good girl!

🐶💞🐾🐶

16/10/2024

Thank you to Fozzie's Friends for sharing this important LIFE SAVING information! Be proactive, not reactive!

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS INFORMATION AND BEING PROACTIVE CAN SAVE MANY LIVES AND PREVENT MANY EMERGENCIES.🆘🆘🚨

I have been thinking about making this post for a long time. This is a lengthy but IMPORTANT post for cat AND dog owners!

The following link talks in depth about feline urinary health.
https://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/

The following information is about crystals and stones that can form in the bladder and cause life threatening blockages for male animals especially. It can be the cause of a very expensive emergency vet bill that many people can't afford and as a result, animals die either by bladder rupture or people euthanize their pets.

I believe proactively/periodically monitoring the urine in animals can save lives and prevent emergencies. Most wait for symptoms to happen such as straining in and out of the litter box or even worse an emergency event such as a urethral blockage which can cause the bladder to continue to fill and eventually rupture. This is fatal, can happen fast and is very painful.

There is a sweet spot for urine pH. You do not want it too high or too low, otherwise, problems will happen!

The ideal urine pH is 7.0–7.5 in dogs and 6.3–6.6 in cats
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/pharmacology/systemic-pharmacotherapeutics-of-the-urinary-system/cystine-binding-agents-used-to-treat-urinary-disease-in-animals

Oxalate crystals form in urine with a very low pH (generally below 6.5). Struvite crystals will form in urine with a high pH (generally above 7.5).
https://drjudymorgan.com/blogs/blog/crystals-in-the-urine?srsltid=AfmBOors-8hHAAGswK0E8J5al6FyKPRTC8bVCryF9z-OEMY1zX2ZLIPS

Testing the pH of the urine requires a collection of a fresh liquid urine sample. This is easier to do with dogs that urinate outside. Collecting it from cats will take some effort, but it's possible.

For a dog you could hold a ladle spoon under them as they urinate to collect the sample.

For a cat you will need plastic “nosorb” litter and will need to confine them to a room with this in a clean litter pan and periodically check to see if they have urinated. If you have a camera on the area and can watch without opening the door and tempting them to come out, this will be helpful.

Once the urine is collected a test strip should be processed while the urine is fresh.

Do not put the plastic litter down the drain or toilet. We have too much plastic pollution in our waterways.

Nosorb links
https://amzn.to/3UcYcWl
https://amzn.to/3YnlgnR

pH and other parameters urine test strips
https://amzn.to/3Ud27lX

Pipette to collect urine and deposit onto test strip
https://amzn.to/3Yblb5g

Cat litters exist and claim to be able to accurately monitor the pH of the urine. I have first hand experienced their inaccuracies and multiple sites online discuss this. The following is one of them. I do not recommend them, at all.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CatAdvice/comments/10j5bsv/how_reliable_is_the_health_tracking_feature_of/

If your pet does have a urinary pH that is too high or too low, Wysong makes supplements that can be added to any diet to adjust the pH. Remember, you do not want it too high or too low though. Most prescription pet foods are not made with species appropriate ingredients and are made with unnecessary GMO carbs like corn, etc.

This is a healthy prescription food, however they only make a diet for cats with struvite crystals, not oxalate. Remember struvite means the pH is too high.
https://medicusveterinarydiets.com/product/bladder-health-diet-cat/

Wysong Biotic pH-™ is a pet supplement designed for cats and dogs needing assistance generating and maintaining an acidic urine to help prevent struvite/triple phosphate crystal formation.
https://amzn.to/4f5cgZZ

Wysong Biotic pH+™ is a cat and dog supplement designed for pets needing assistance generating and maintaining an alkaline urine to help prevent oxalate, urate or cystine crystal formation.
https://www.chewy.com/wysong-biotic-ph-supplement/dp/44731

The following is a post I wrote that discusses a commonly prescribed mainstream pet food brand that is used for struvite crystals.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/RRuq9cWrd62BPh1f/

An excellent Facebook group for feline lower urinary tract disease. Not all cats who have FLUTD have crystals. They can have sterile cystitis and bacterial UTI without crystals or stones present.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FelineLowerUrinaryTract/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

That group mentions/discusses useful supplements such as; d-mannose, cantharsis homepathic remedy and corn silk.

In the event your animal needs a bladder stone removal, emergency vet costs can be something some cannot afford.

Providence Animal Center in Media PA performs these surgeries for a reduced cost. Their phone number on their site is a phone number that can be called or texted. I am unsure if they send the stones out for analysis, but the analysis is IMPORTANT!
https://g.co/kgs/sYTxHuz

In the event Providence doesn't send out stones for analysis OR the vet you're having surgery with charges a large fee for this, if they are willing to give you the stones after removal.. see the link below for a way to submit them for analysis as an owner.

Vets or owners can send stone samples. Must complete online submission and ship specimen. Complimentary service. Donations via their site appreciated.
https://vetmed.umn.edu/urolith-center

https://jameshornervets.com/newsletter-blog/bladder-stones-in-dogs-and-cats

**For anyone with any questions, I happy to answer as best as I can, but I am not a vet, I have experience working in the veterinary world for 10 years. If your cat is urinating blood, straining and going in and out of the litter pan, licking at their private area, crying in pain, this is an emergency.

Pain medications are needed such as buprenorphine and potentially removing a blockage of the urethra with a catheter. Urethral spasm medications can also help greatly.

This post contains a lot of information and links. Feel free to bookmark to come back to later.

15/10/2024

🐈Tabby Tuesday!🐈

Not identical twins, but close enough! These litter mates are the sweetest!

12/10/2024

https://www.microchiphelp.com/

12/10/2024

Siberian huskies!! One of the main reasons so many huskies end up in rescue is because people get them for their beauty, but fail to prepare themselves for the mannerisms and personalities of these dogs.

High energy, high prey drive, heavy shedding, talking, digging, escaping… all these traits are manageable, but if not expecting them, owners will be in for a fast reality check!! 🐾💗📚

📸 Dogs of Rockbridge

11/10/2024

Anyone have any recommendations for what Fozzie's Friends needs for the cats?

04/10/2024

Today, the 4th October, is the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of the environment, animals and birds, because of the respect he gave to all the creatures on earth.🦣🐏🐬🕊
🎨Pauline Baynes

30/09/2024

28/09/2024

The Good Doggies Club😍🐶😍

27/09/2024

25% off all day at Boscov's for a $5 donation to the cats!

Donate $5, get a shopping pass to Boscov's!

Order through the link until October 15th to receive your shopping pass by mail.

After 10/15/24, passes will need to be picked up in person.

https://forms.gle/Fn2gQM6USv6iLPro8

23/09/2024

Need Pet Care?

There is some availability left for October and booking into the holiday season for November, December and January.🎃🍂🌽🥧🌲⛄

📍Drop-in pet sitting services, in your home for Wenonah, Woodbury, Woodbury Heights and certain areas of Deptford, West Deptford, Sewell and Mantua.

💠No overnight visits or boarding is offered, drop- in visits in the owner's home, only.