I’ve been on vacation all week, spending some time with my Grandparents in Quincy, IL, and the rest of my time doing odds and ends around the house. What I didn’t realize is that we passed by Wednesday so quickly, and I didn’t get a topic written up! Since I’m still on vacation, this week will be a mish-mosh of topics. You choose what you’d like to discuss, and we’ll run with it.
I was listening to talk radio on my way home from Quincy, and heard some good news for a change. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug to help treat canine cutaneous mast cell tumors(cancer.) GREAT news on the pet health front! Here’s an article with more: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/06/03/new-drug-fights-cancer-in-dogs.html
Two topics have been bugging me this week, and one of them was touched upon just a couple weeks ago. First, if you like taking your pets in the car when you run errands, you may want to think twice. This is your annual reminder your car quickly becomes a furnace EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS CRACKED! Be wise and leave your pets at home. A friend of mine said she just encountered a dog in a hot car, panting heavily. She happened to see the owner walking out of the store and approached her, asking why she would endanger her pet. The lady quickly got in her car and took off, completely ignoring my friend. I tell you what, if I see a pet suffering in a locked car, I’ll make one attempt to find the owner. If my trip into the store is unsuccessful, I won’t hesitate to break the car window!
The second pet peeve of mine is an off-leash, roaming pet. There are at least 2 dogs along my block(and if my neighbors read our blog, they know who these dogs belong to) that freely roam the area. Not only do they dart in front of cars, but they bolt for me and Chase on our walks. Chase is well-behaved when he’s with other dogs, but a dog running at him while he is on leash unsettles him. I’m afraid these roaming dogs will either try and bite him, start a fight with him, or take a nip out of me! I’ve had to reach down and attempt to keep a couple small dogs away from Chase twice in the past month, owners no where to be found.
Please use common sense with your pets. Your annual reminders include making sure they have a cool place and plenty of water on hot days. Keep walks shorter and on really hot days, try and avoid pavement walks as they burn paw pads. Keep your eye out for those who leave their pets in cars, and turn them into the authorities(animal cruelty laws apply!)
Until next week- Bryan & Chase ^..^
Brian, I hope your vacation was great!!!!
I heard the same information on the radio the other day. I was pleased to hear about it, but the station I was listening to didn’t know what the cost was. Which made me think of how much money is too much money to keep a beloved pet alive. I know a friend of a friend that spent well over $7,000 in vet bills when their dog got cancer. They ended up in Minnesota treating the dog. They did get about 18 more months with the dog then they would have if gone untreated, but again, I don’t know too many people who can afford this. Especially in during this economic time.
As much as I adore and love Lucca, I really don’t know to what monetary extent I would be willing to go to keep him alive. I guess some would depend on his quality of life, but it really does make one think.
I also have issues with pet owners not putting them on a leash. In fact I almost ran over a dog today because it ran out into our street. I would have been horrified if I would have run them over.
Everyone have a wonderful weekend. Hopefully the rain won’t be too bad.
When Dakota tore her ACL we spent $1,800 to fix it at a dog hospital in Des Moines. People look at us strange when we tell them what it cost, but I considered that dog my furry daughter. I wouldn’t hesitate to spend any amount of money on my daughter. Then Dakota tore her other ACL (even worse) and she had other medical problems so we made the very, very hard decision of putting her down. She didn’t have a good quality of life anymore and as much as we loved her we couldn’t let her go on suffering and not enjoying her walks. I am not rich by any means and debated the cost of her surgery but as I mentioned I wouldn’t hesitate to fix my kids if they were sick these kids just have 4 legs and fur.
Another subject is dogs running loose. We are constantly running into dogs that the owners let run loose anytime of day. I am worried they are going to try and fight my dogs or bit me. We have a neighbor that lets her dogs run loose and still hasn’t learned what a leash is for after having 3 dogs hit and killed by cars. If you are going to have a dog you need to take the resposibilty of keeping it on a leash when outside.
Just a reminder to those living in Des Moines, There is a 6′ leash law. Any dog off leash, the owner can be fined. Animal control can pick the dog up, (cats too but it’s harder to catch them), then the owner has to pay the fine, pay to get the dog out of jail, pay the registration fee and penalty (This time of year), and for rabies vaccines.
I had a friend that lived out around Saydle school, with he county police station across Hwy. 69. She would get out of the house, and actually presented herself to the front desk of the police station. They had the front door open, and she trotted into the station and sat in front of the desk.
The desk clerk was still grinning about it when my friend came to get her. The clerk had gotten her phone number off her tags. Boo-Boo just sat there in the office, enjoying the attention.
Enjoy today
Kim and clan
With all the bad weather we have had I have an issue with the people who leave their pets outside when the thunder and lighting starts. If being outside in the lighting is bad for us it is just as dangerous or more dangerous for our dogs that has a metal chain attached to his or her collar , even with a doghouse to get into it still not a good place for the dog. I just want to go get the dog and take it home with me .
Stay safe all.
Judy
Oh my god i hate when i see a poor deffensless dog in a car while the owner is in Wal Mart or some other place like that … the only Cali is in the car with us is when we are taking her some where so she is never left in the car alone! … there are times its forgiven such as in the fall or early spring when its cool enough out and cracking a window is plenty comfortable for them… a few weeks ago on memorial weekend i stoped at walmart for a few things and there was a truck parked with a kennel in the back and a dog sitting there panting .. of course they weren’t locked in the cab but still bothered me seeing the dog under the bright sun just stuck there while the owners had to stop for something they must have forgot ..
and as for the no leash that DRIVES ME crazy … Cali gets deffensive when another dog comes running towards us she gets between me and the other dog doing her protective thing … its a pain bc then im trying everything to keep Cali from hurting this other dog.. i know if she did happen to bite them they wouldnt be able to get mad at Me or Cali for it bc it was their own fault but i still dont want her to hurt a poor dog that the owner didnt know how to follow the law!!! .. i dont hesitate calling our apartment office when something like that happens!
I saw a dog that was left in a van at Valley West Mall before I entered the mall. When I returned to the car an hour later, the poor dog was still left in the van. I called Animal Rescue League who referred me to police and the police said they would send someone.
It is sad that some people don’t realize the pain they give their pets.