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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Our Pack

I just saw a headline that talked about a woman who moved out of her apartment to a new place...and left the pets behind! Now, as the saying goes, you don't know what someone is going through until you've walked a mile in their shoes (was that Confucius?) so it is difficult to judge this person too harshly until you know the full story. I don't know the full story so I will restrain myself, somewhat.

When I think about my dogs and some of the experiences I've gone through with them, like with Meko's illness and what we went through to get her back to good health, and the years they have been with us as part of our family, leaving any of my pets behind when I moved to a new place would be like leaving my child behind. It is impossible to imagine. I know there are a lot of apartments that do not allow pets (unfortunately this is usually because the homeowner had some previous bad experiences with irresponsible tenants who let the pets do their business on the carpets or tear up carpets, etc. - destructive behavior - this is called respecting other people's property). This makes it tough and almost punishes the tenants who are responsible and restrict their pets to certain areas, or cage them when they are not home, to convince a homeowner that they are different. So, the homeowner just decides, that's it, no pets.

There are other apartments around - perhaps that isn't the only place to live and you can find one where the homeowner does like animals and had a good experience with responsible tenants. Or perhaps you know someone who would love to take them and add them to their family of pets. I mean, don't we all know people who have pets? Usually adding one more to the pack isn't too much of a problem. Or there are people who would love a pet and have none. There are a lot of elderly who could use the company - a dog, in particular, can make an elderly person living alone feel more safe and secure in their own home.

All I'm saying is, there are always other options to just walking away from your pets. How someone can do that though is beyond my comprehension. My pets are my family.

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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Our Pack

To buy or not to buy pet insurance, that is the question. With all the vet expenses we have had with our 3 dogs, I wonder if it would have saved us money if we had bought it years ago when our pets were younger. With expenses soaring over $10,000 for Meko when she was very ill, I wonder how much pet insurance would have saved us. I think about insurance for pets working the way it does for us - if you use it too much they will find a reason to cancel it. Or if you have a deductible, nothing will ever be covered because you won't reach that deductible in a single year.

Since I don't know much about pet insurance, before we get another puppy, I would at least definitely research the various pet insurance companies that are out there.

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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Our Pack

I've noticed recently that one of my poms, Kitsune, will sometimes drag her butt on the ground (well, at this point we have snow outside) and go around in circles while barking. It reminds me of some unusual ritual that she is performing. But I think it is something more than that.

Although she doesn't do it everytime she goes out, she does it maybe every few days. Concerned about her health, I did what any dog owner would do - I researched on the internet.

One of my favorite websites to check for dog issues is Pets WebMD. I made the mistake of checking a couple of other sites, which I don't usually do, and they were composed of silly comments by people with no real knowledge of a dog's health issues. Pets WebMD shared several possible problems that should alert an owner if their dog is dragging their butt.

The first one was anal sac problems. The anal sacs are located on either side of the anus. They can become abscessed, blocked, or inflamed. If that happens, they need to be expressed, or rid of the smelly, fatty fluid that has built up in them. This is more common in small breed dogs. Although you can do this yourself, it is probably best to let a professional veterinarian handle this.

Other problems that can cause scooting is from fecal contamination, particularly if your dog has had a recent bout of diarrhea. Then there are tapeworms, that show themselves as tiny pieces of what looks like white rice around the anus. And finally, rectal prolapse where a cylindrical mass of the intestine will stick out of the anus. You should bring your dog to the vet immediately if this is the problem.

Some of these issues can be avoided with changes to their diet. But again, consult your vet if your dog displays any of these symptoms.

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