Dogs, Cats and Unexpected Moments

Someone sent me the following quote~

“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.” (Ashley Montagu)

It made me think of all the times my cats did something which caught me totally by surprise and made me laugh out loud:

The time I woke up on a cold winter morning to find a then tiny Chloe fast asleep under my armpit.

Watching Kate drag her long feather toy on a stick from one room to another with such a sense of purpose.

How excited Oliver was the first time he stayed in a motel room.

Animals certainly seem to be masters in reminding us not take things so seriously. I , for one, am very grateful for all the much needed reminders.

Pet Home Urine Test

When I first had the idea about creating a product where people could perform a urine test on their dog or cat at home, I wondered how easy it would be for people with no medical background to do this test.

We ran focus groups, gave away lots of free tests and found that when people realized how valuable this tool could be for protecting the health of their dog or cat, they were very open to learning how to do it. And it really is true that after you have done one test, you will feel like a pro.

More and more I am finding that it is often the simplest solutions that are the most effective.

Preventing Dog and Cat Diabetes with Early Detection

We received another testimonial from a customer who was able to detect diabetes in his dog at a very early stage of the illness by using ThePetCheckup monthly. His vet thinks he will be able to treat the dog just with a special diet as it was caught so early.

I love to hear feedback like this.

There is no doubt that early detection is the key to helping us keep our dogs and cats healthy.

Many of our customers are already pretty proactive with their animal’s health care, but I wonder how many other pet owners out there would be too if they knew that there was such an easy way to monitor their animal’s health.

Dog Urinary Tract Infection

I came across an interesting statistic today regarding urinary tract infections in dogs.

According to the information I read, 20-50% of dogs who have experienced a urinary tract infection will have a recurrence of the infection at some point during their lifetime. This makes it extremely important to be vigilant for signs that the problem may be resurfacing.

A special diet tailored to the individual needs of the dog, along with an alert caregiver, can prevent the infection from recurring.

Anyone who has ever experienced a urinary tract infection, knows how painful it can be. I would think dogs feel a similar kind of discomfort which makes it really important to prevent the infection, or at least to catch it very early.

Meeting Katrina and Puerto Rico rescue dogs

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

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

Reading about the death of Oprah’s dog

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.