Meeting Katrina and Puerto Rico rescue dogs

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Lily has been feeling better and so we took her to one of her favorite places…Red River Beach.

Dogs are not allowed on the beach in the summer, but there is a long parking lot adjacent to the beach and in the early evenings, lots of dogs and their people go there. It is a very beautiful spot and we met some friendly people walking dogs with interesting backgrounds.

Molly the lab/hound mix is a Katrina rescue. She was adopted by a very nice couple who saw her picture on the internet. She was very anxious when they first brought her to the beach…maybe it brought back bad memories from her past…but she soon made good friends with a dog who was able to show her how much fun the ocean can be. Now she loves the water and her people have a hard time getting her out when it is time to leave.

Little Edie was rescued from a hard life on the streets in Puerto Rico. I have read articles about the amazing work being done by some of the animal rescue groups in Puerto Rico and it was nice to actually meet a dog who had been adopted from one of these groups.

It’s interesting to think about the conversations that these formerly homeless animals would have if they got together.

Although I imagine they prefer not to look back, but rather, as animals do so well, to focus on the present and living life to the fullest.

Lily has a visit to the veterinary clinic

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My sister’s dog Lily has been under the weather for the past week or so. She doesn’t seem to want to chew any of her regular food although she is scarfing down rice, hamburg and chicken. She also seems lethargic and sad.

We took her to the veterinary clinic and have gotten the results of her blood work back so far. The vet said everything looks pretty normal. The most striking thing is that she has lost 5 pounds since April.

The only thing that was slightly elevated in the blood work was the liver enzyme ALT. Normal is about 1.07 and Lily’s level was 1.54

We are also investigating the possibility of a broken tooth or a problem in her gum or jaw. She will not let us open her mouth which is unusual for her (my sister has been brushing her teeth everyday for quite some time). The weight loss began just after her teeth cleaning in March.

So we are waiting for the urinalysis test results right now and trying to get her more interested in her food.

It is hard to see her not feeling well. I hope we can find the solution to the problem soon.

Lily and me…the beginning of the journey

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Reading about the death of Oprah’s dog

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I just read that one of Oprah’s dogs tragically died from choking on a toy ball. It reminds me, once again, of how fragile our dogs’ and cat’s lives are.

Being the owner of a pet health care company (www.thepetcheckup.com) I get to speak with very caring and involved animal caregivers all the time. I remember one man called to thank me for our product and told me that one day his dog was in seemingly perfect health and the next day she fell off the couch in a coma. It turned out she had advanced diabetes and, within a short time, she became completely blind.

Life by nature is uncertain as we all know, but when I hear stories like this, I am so happy to be involved with a product that can so easily help people to protect and extend their pets’ lives.