The Girls

I grew up in East Vancouver in a ‘male’ household. My world was all about hockey, baseball, fishing, hunting and Labrador Retrievers. For the last 30 years, I have been living in a ‘female’ household…which comes complete with cats.

Our current inventory consists of two Himalayan Persian Blue Points—sisters…princesses In their world, I am an employee, a person to be tolerated. In order to have the honor of these two lovelies live with us, the breeder allowed me to make monthly payments.  We also signed an agreement stating that we would not breed the ‘girls’ and thus offset some of their room and board. It has been 14 long years now since they came to live with us; 14 years of vet bills that would almost equal the price of that boat I have always wanted.

It was discovered early on that the ‘girls’ do not tolerate the normal cat food that one can purchase in the supermarket.  Oh, no…Like everything else in their pampered, temperamental lives, they will only eat one brand of food–sold only by their favorite vet at a much-inflated price Not only am I putting my last daughter through university, but I am sure the vet’s kids are enjoying a good education courtesy of the ‘girls’.

When I make my monthly trek to the vet’s office to purchase their special food, the staff always asks Shanni and Chloe how they are doing.  The only question they ever ask me is “How do ya wanna to pay for this?”

- Bruce Thomson

Pet Proofing Your Home

I’m not sure how it happened but one day I looked around and found my home filled with seven golden retrievers. They range in age from 11 months to 13 ½ years and are the best family I could imagine.

Twenty-six years ago I thought about rescuing a dog but then I learned that the golden retriever I had in mind was not waiting for me at the SPCA.  In addition, I needed advice and wanted the advantages of using a good breeder.  I have no regrets and, oh yes, they are addictive; it is very hard to have just one!

With seven dogs, there is always something to do.  We attend competitions in agility, conformation, obedience, tracking and anything else that looks like fun. Any extra time is filled with exercise, grooming, play-training, and lots of house cleaning.

One of the biggest issues for me (other than the dog hair and mud) is keeping the house safe.  Like children, dogs are very adept at finding things you wish they wouldn’t. All cleaning products (including cloths) are locked in a cupboard.  I have ensured that no fragile treasures are left at tail-clearing height and that valuable papers aren’t left out to become chew toys. Clothes and shoes are never left on the floor or within easy reach. My dogs love things that smell like me and they love to retrieve.  I have become particularly good at repairing pockets that once held dog treats and have long-since accepted that if I leave it in range and they chew it, the fault is mine.

To entertain my dogs, I leave baskets filled with a variety of safe toys (stuffed squeaky toys, toys that can be filled with treats, and safe bones) in areas where we spend time together.  If soft toys get torn, they are relegated to the “toy hospital” and are repaired until there isn’t anything left to repair. 

I have a great collection of washable dog beds too…Soft cushy ones in the living room for supervised lounging (and to use at night for those who have earned “non-destructive” status), and hard-wearing PVC-framed beds for those who just can’t resist chewing. When I’m not home, all the adults hang out in the family room. After tripping on baby gates for years, I finally installed wrought iron gates at either end of the room. They keep the dogs safe, look great, and are far too high for me to even think about stepping over!

My two puppies are housed in pens in the “dog room” when I’m not home. They have lots of room and are very happy there, patiently waiting for my return.  I know they (and my home) are safe and I don’t come home to find my curtains shredded. 

Of all the dogs in my world, the most “creative” has been 13-year-old Gaelyn. When he arrived, I already knew a lot about keeping the house and yard safe for dogs (no carpet samples—with dangerous bits of nylon–used as dogs mats; no stuffed toys if I’m not watching, and no food on the counters) but Gaelyn stepped it up a notch or two. 

Gaelyn has taught me many things:

• To remove swallowing-sized rocks from the yard (he swallowed four at eight months old and my vet (bless him) managed to get him to throw them back up again)
• Not to leave knives on the counter or in the sink (Gaelyn appeared at the door one day with two large knives extending from either side of his face—pirate-style)
• Not to use soft quilts as dog beds (he ate the batting from the inside and had to have his intestine cut open in eight places to remove the batting)
• Not to take my eyeglasses off in the family room (yes, he ate them and left me with a small twisted bit of metal frame)
• To keep the bathroom door closed. His favourite thing is to eat the toilet paper by the roll and, on one occasion, he chewed up the entire wooden holder! 
  Still, Gaelyn smiles his big, goofy grin and I forgive him.  He just has a different idea of what “edible” means.

- Maralyn Redford

Puppy Lessons for the Obama Family

It seems lately that the focus of Americans is not on the new president, but what dog his family should choose for their new home.  Shelter versus breeder controversy aside, have the Obamas given any thought to what it’s like to own a puppy? 

Four months ago, my fiancé and I decided to add a puppy to our household.  We had recently moved to a larger house with a fenced backyard and we wanted to share it with a dog – preferably one that didn’t have the best start in life.  That’s how we settled on Cypress, our Labrador/Doberman mix.

I browsed adoption websites and the SPCA daily, and checked the newspaper regularly.  Finally, we found a rescued litter and went for our first visit.  The six tiny pups had been severely malnourished and were very shy.  However, seeing them play, eat, and sleep together gave us a sense of their “status” in the group.  Cypress approached us with curiosity but warmed up to us quickly.  When we picked him up he was calm – not trying to squirm or get away–and he wasn’t biting or being pushy.  We knew this was a smart puppy that would fit in well with us.  The Obamas should take a close look at how the puppies interact with one another as an indication of how they will act at the White House.

We preferred a fairly large dog–assertive, yet not a bully or too hyperactive.  We also wanted to be sure he was healthy, and had all his vet papers. We researched breeds to find out about dispositions and we talked about who would be responsible for the puppy during the day, who would take care of food and training, and of course, who would scoop the poop. The whole Obama family needs to think and talk about these responsibilities (although I’m sure they’ll have a paid “scooper”) together before and after the puppy arrives.

The most valuable thing we have done for Cypress so far was to enrol him in a puppy class, where he could socialize with other dogs and people.  We made it a priority to go together every week and we all did the “homework”. We also learned how to let Cypress play without getting hurt or overwhelmed—an extremely valuable lesson.  I’m not sure how the president of the United States will manage a puppy class, but I’m sure there’s a group catering to the presidential sect.  The whole Obama family should go to the class to help the adults and children train the dog, and become comfortable with dog handling. 

We have enjoyed every moment of “puppyhood” so far, even when he wakes us up in the middle of the night, when we have to stay at home on Friday nights to be with him, and when he chews my shoes….sometimes.  Getting a dog has brought us closer together, given us more responsibility, and Cypress is part of our family.  It’s fantastic that the Obama family is getting a dog (regardless of breed or where it comes from) because there is nothing like seeing the happy face of a puppy when you come home at the end of a hard day (and I’m sure the new president will have a few of those).

-Jessica Cameron

DrinkBetter Bowl Makes “Becker’s Best”!

While we have always known it was great, we are thrilled that Dr. Marty Becker (Universal Press syndicated columnist and veterinarian) thinks so too.  Dr. Becker recently included the DrinkBetter bowl on his list of “new products that make owning a pet easier”.  He also featured it—and its companion, the EatBetter bowl—on a recent Good Morning America Now segment as well as on his website:  www.PetConnection.com.

Monty and Me

What Pet Parents Should Know About Bloat

I have five rescued pets:  three dogs (Monty, Libby, and Dudley) and two cats (Wisco and Elliott).  I was mom to the furry kids long before the human variety came along.  In relative terms, I think I’m a pretty good pet parent…I’ve rallied for beginner and intermediate obedience classes, we were playgroup “regulars” at Elaine’s Pet Resorts and I know a fair deal (most of it experiential) about pet health and oddball skin, gum, and joint diseases.  Until recently, however, I knew nothing about bloat.

Bloat (or gastric dilatation), as it turns out, is a fairly common and dangerous condition in which the stomach becomes filled with air, putting pressure on the surrounding organs.  When it strikes it is sudden, scary, and often fatal.  It is the condition that twice-plagued Marley of Marley and Me fame.

Bloat is more serious if the distended stomach rotates (gastric dilatation and volvulus), trapping air and cutting off the blood supply to the other organs.  Bloat can be fatal in a matter of hours and has a mortality rate of 20 to 40 percent in treated animals.  The average cost to treat bloat is at least $1500.

Certain dog breeds:  Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, German Shepherd, Weimaraner, are more susceptible.  In addition to breed, dietary and other factors can contribute to bloat:  increasing age, eating one meal a day, eating dry dog food exclusively, fearful or worried temperament, and gulping or eating food too quickly.

According to Doctors Foster and Smith and peteducation.com,  signs of bloat include:  abdominal distension, non-productive vomiting, restlessness, rapid, shallow breathing, and profuse salivation.  If you suspect bloat, take your dog to the vet immediately.

Reduce the likelihood of bloat by:  feeding two to three small meals a day rather than one large one, limiting activity before and after meals, avoiding stress, feeding a combination of wet and dry food, and slowing down eating and drinking with special bowls.

Two of my dogs are predominantly German Shepherd and one is a major chow hound.  I’ve slowed his eating with an EatBetter Bowl (although he still makes an end run for the bowls of the other two) and I’ve switched them all to two, small meals a day.  More importantly, I’ve learned what I can about this condition and plan to discuss it with my vet during our next visit.

- Tracey Robertson