ThePetCheckup

Puppy mills in Iowa

2009-07-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Carol Griglione, the IA Director of HSUS came to Fairfield and spoke to a group of us about current legislation for animals in the state. We also addressed some of our biggest issues here in Fairfield and what actions we can take to strengthen local laws on animal cruelty.

One thing Carol said was that Iowa was third in the country in regards to having the most number of puppy mills. I knew MO was first, but didn't realize Iowa was not much better.

There are some current puppy mill dogs at the Noah's Ark shelter and I visited them this morning. They are very sweet and beautiful. 2 have already been spoken for and will soon be in their new homes. That means the shelter will be able to rescue more of these dogs.

Another statistic I found interesting was regarding contacting our state politicians on pertinent issues. Even 5 phone calls is significant to them and they take these calls seriously.

Keep those phone calls coming!!!

Treating cats with FIV

2009-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

One of our customers contacted us to tell us how helpful ThePetCheckup has been in caring for her FIV cat.

Although FIV cats can certainly live normal, healthy lives, it is a good idea to be extra alert about safeguarding their immune system. As with any chronic illness, the immune system has to be supported to keep secondary infections and other potential diseases from developing.

And that is just what ThePetCheckup does! Gives an early warning that something may be developing with your dog or cat before outward symptoms appear.

Other preventative measures to take with FIV are to keep the cat inside the house and feed them the best quality diet you can. Of course, it is not that easy to get your cats to eat a high quality diet as Chloe and Kate would be the first to confirm.

Diagnosing dog bladder infections, diabetes and urinary tract infections

2009-06-08T16:43:00.001-07:00

I know dog and cat caregivers can get in a situation where they do not do annual blood and urinalysis testing because of the expense involved, but sometimes the tests are not done simply because the veterinarian never suggested it.

Sometimes our customers tell us that their dog or cat became seriously ill in a very short period of time. Several people said they bring their animals in yearly for routine check ups, but their vets never suggested routine diagnostic testing and they never thought to ask.

After the last call, I did a little research to see why that happens. It seems like some vets are so used to their clients refusing the tests that they get out of the habit of even suggesting it.

Test at home urine strips for pets

2009-06-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spoke with a very nice woman who has a dog with recurring urinary tract infections and crystals. She uses ThePetCheckup to help monitor her dog in between veterinary visits.

Our customers are so well informed about their animal's health. I am always interested to hear about the alternative remedies and care that they are pursuing.

We are trying to come up with an addition on the website where people can talk with each other and give suggestions for different health conditions and what worked for them. Our customers who are caring for animals with chronic conditions have a wealth of information and they definitely would like to share it with others.

Be on the lookout for changes in behavior: dog bladder infection

2009-05-31T14:20:00.001-07:00

One of the most valuable aspects of ThePetCheckup is that it can catch the beginning stages of so many illnesses before changes are apparent to the caregiver.

I speak with many wonderful, attentive, and very caring animal caregivers, but changes in a dog and cat's health can happen very quickly.

That is why our veterinary technical advisors suggest using ThePetCheckup regularly on a monthly basis...to catch potential problems at very early stages of an illness.

Once symptoms have manifested, the illness is more advanced.

For bladder infections in dogs for instance...the 4 major outward signs are:

1. increased frequency of urination
2. increased drinking
3. blood in the urine
4. incontinence

These signs are signals to get medical care right away before the infection progresses and becomes more serious.

Maddie and her kittens...happy rescue story with lots of cool pictures

2009-05-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Laura Cohen is in charge of cat adoptions at Noah's Ark animal shelter here in Fairfield, IA . Laura is very experienced at raising baby kittens who have been abandoned or need extra care from birth.

Eight weeks ago she took in an abandoned pregnant cat and has been helping her raise the little ones.

Below is the link told in several episodes. It is so charming. There are many adorable pictures of the litter, beginning on day 1, through opening their eyes, and growing into the now healthy 8 week olds soon to be ready for adoption. Check it out. You will love reading about Maddie and her adorable babies. Go to http://www.noahsark.org/ and scroll down to "kitten season has arrived." Enjoy!

Michael Vick

2009-05-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

I just read on line that Michael Vick's representatives have approached the Humane Society about Vick working on some programs and publicity aimed at preventing youths from ever getting involved in dogfighting.

Some of the programs will be aimed at kids who are currently involved in dogfighting activities as well...at least the ones who have been caught.

I hope it is true and I hope that he is sincere. It would be wonderful if this tragedy could lead to something positive.

flea season is around the corner

2009-05-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

As much as I look forward to spring and summer every year, there is always the dreaded knowledge that flea season is once again on the horizon. My treatment in past years has revolved around diatomaceous earth powder, lots of vacuuming and lots of flea combing.

While I do find the occasional flea or two (or three) this protocol has kept the situation from getting out of hand. I have not had to use anything chemical on Chloe or Kate which makes the twice a day flea combing and the almost daily vacuuming tolerable.

What do you do to prevent fleas from getting out of control with your dogs and cats?

more on feline urinary tract disease

2009-05-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, Chloe was diagnosed with ideopathic feline urinary tract disease. She went on antibiotics and recovered very quickly.

At the time, I couldn't find too much information on this subject, but more has been written lately. The term ideopathic means relating to a disease with no known cause. And over 1/2 the cats diagnosed with FLUTD are considered ideopathic...the cause is not clear...and the illness is called IFLUTD (the "i" stands for ideopathic).

An interesting thing has been discovered with IFLUTD however. It is often triggered by some stressful event - the addition of a new animal or person in the household, construction or remodeling in the home, a move to a new home, etc. Chloe's IFLUTD developed after I came home from an extended trip. Even though her housesitter adores her, perhaps my being away for several weeks was hard on her. I am thinking of ways I can make the situation easier for her next time I am away for awhile.

The good news is that IFLUTD usually clears up quite easily with antibiotics, and can even clear up on its own.

Meanwhile Chloe is happily sleeping on my lap right now as I type...and I do plan to do more research into this interesting topic and will report back.

diagnosing a cat urinary tract disease

2009-05-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

When our customers find the beginning of an illness with ThePetCheckup, it is often early stages of lower urinary tract disease. This is true for both cats and dogs, although it is more common in cats.

There are many causes of FLUTD, but the symptoms are very similar:

1. the most common is straining in the litterbox: cats will make frequent and repeated attempts to use the box although the amount of urine they pass is very small

2. urinating outside the litterbox: often they prefer cool surfaces such as bathtubs and tile floors. Many people don't realize there is a problem until they find little puddles of urine around, sometimes containing blood.

I also have been reading about idiopathic lower urinary tract disease (Chloe was diagnosed with this once) and I will write more about this tomorrow. It is quite common.

at home urine pet health kit

2009-05-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

We got another wonderful testimonial for ThePetCheckup. It is so great to be helping so many people avoid serious urinary tract infections in their dogs and cats. Besides being a potentially serious health condition, they can sure cause their people alot of worry...not to mention cleanup!

I would LOVE to recommend this product!!! My 4 1/2 year old "Princess" has had horrible problems with urinary tract infections and crystal formations in the past.
Before I had heard of ThePetCheckup, I had to just wait until she showed signs of straining or had accidents in the house! Now that I regularly use ThePetCheckup, I can catch any irregularities before she shows signs of pain.
Thank you for giving me peace of mind with the ThePetCheckup!—T.U., Raleigh, NC

When your cat refuses to use the litter box

2009-04-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting article today about hooded cat boxes.

It seems some cats who pee outside the box do not like their hooded litter box.

From the human perspective, these types of litter boxes can be desirable as they tend to keep the odor inside. But many cats find the smell undesirable ~ especially if the box is not cleaned often enough.

Removing the hood is one of the simplest solutions to try first for anyone having this problem.

Help for Dog's Chronic Urinary Tract Infections

2009-04-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

We are currently adding some new material to the website (http://www.thepetcheckup.com/) and asked some of our repeat customers if they wanted to send a testimonial to add to the others on the site.

Here is a heartwarming one that just came today:

"I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am for your product. We have two Chihuahua's and one of them has chronic UTI's. For several months she was on antibiotics and nothing was helping her. We spent thousands of dollars on tests and treatment. I finally found ThePetCheckup and was able to save time and money. Unlike most dogs with UTI's my dog is very stoic and you would never know she was in pain. ThePetCheckup allows me to check her every month so we are able to treat her at the early stages of her UTI's. ThePetCheckup is my peace of mind. I wish I would have known about this product sooner. I would recommend it to any pet parent whether you have a healthy or sick pet!!!! A very cost effective way to stay on top of your pets' health."

Obama dog in the news

2009-04-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

It looks like the official announcement of the White House dog will be made tomorrow, but the story has been leaked early.

What a huge disappointment that the Obama's new dog came from a breeder.

I feel so discouraged for all the dedicated people in rescue and especially for all the homeless animals out there. This was a wonderful opportunity to bring to light the truth about dog overpopulation and encourage people to adopt from a shelter.

I have felt disappointed all day and more so since I just read a response from Jana Kohl (A Rare Breed of Love) commenting on how she feels betrayed by this development. I think of brave Baby and how we let her down.

Feels like a sad day for rescue.

Feline Gingivitis -- Kate's story

2009-04-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Kate had her gingivitis re-check last week and she is very much improved. I still saw a faint red line on one side of her mouth, so it is not completely gone. But she doesn't have to be on antibiotics anymore which is great.

Our vet said we need to keep an eye on it and she may need to get her teeth cleaned more often than most cats...perhaps every year. But because I don't want to subject her to that much anesthesia, I am doing a lot of research into preventative measures. She is definitely going to have to get used to having her teeth brushed, but I think that she will.

When she first came to us, she wasn't used to being touched or brushed, but now she is a real snuggle bear who LOVES to have her fur brushed. So I am hopeful she will get used to a toothbrush.

In any case, we will go back to the vet and get her gums looked at in about 6 months.

Fortunately, Kate is such an easy going gal that she doesn't seem too concerned.

My cat Kate has gingivitis!

2009-02-25T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a surprise yesterday at Kate's yearly veterinary exam.

She has the beginning of gingivitis.

I was really surprised as she is only 3 years old (we think). So she is now on an oral antibiotic and will be getting her teeth cleaned in the next two weeks.

I feel badly about this. Being the owner of a company that developed and sells an at-home, early detection health care product for animals, I am certainly aware of the importance of catching things at an early stage. I have never had to deal with gingivitis before and am now in the process of learning about it.

My cats, Chloe and Kate have always resisted me trying to clean their teeth and I had pretty much given up on it. I will be starting that process again though.

Chloe is not going to be happy about this news at all.

2009 Spay Neuter national day

2009-02-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

Well, today is officially National Spay/Neuter Day. This is the first campaign in 5 years that I haven't worked on and I miss it.

We made it a policy to create February is Spay/Neuter month in Fairfield,IA back in 2002 and the campaigns have been very successful. All the area veterinarians give discounts all month to people who bring in their dogs and cats for fixes during the month. Our CCSNAP program offers more financial assistance when needed as well.

Hopefully, this year will be another great success. I am noticing alot of posters around town of people selling dogs that they have bred. Maybe more than ever because of the economy.

The challenge has always been how to reach the people that are breeding or letting their animals breed, but I feel optimistic as alot of great people have their attention on this problem now.

Maybe 2009 will be the breakthrough year for the animals. I know Chloe and Kate who are fast asleep right now are hoping so.

Lily winters on Coronado Island, CA

2009-02-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, I visited my sister Bobbie and Lily who were spending the winter on Coronado Island, CA. It was such a fun week. And the weather really cooperated....it was close to 80 degrees everyday.

We walked along the harbor, took yoga classes, rode bikes, and did some fun exploring along the coast.

This is probably the most dog-friendly area I have ever been to. People were continually walking or jogging with their dogs, often 2 or 3 at a time. And they always picked up after them too~everything was so clean.

The only downside was that the navy resides on the north side of the island and they create some unexpected loud noises that totally freaked Lily out. It happened a couple of times and she became too fearful to walk along the harbor.

Bobbie and Lily are now headed back to Cape Cod. I think Lily will be happy to be home again.

Cats and clean teeth

2009-02-19T09:25:00.001-08:00

Chloe and Kate's annual vet exams are usually done in the spring, but I am going to bring them in next week. They both seem to have bad breath and I want to get it checked out.

Since both of them are young, (5 and 3), they have never needed dental work, but it may be time for Chloe to get her teeth cleaned. She's not going to like it!

I know that dental disease is extremely serious and if left untreated the bacteria can cause life-threatening problems, such as kidney, liver, and heart disease which will only get worse as the animal ages.

I regret that I didn't make more of an effort to clean their teeth when I first adopted them. Chloe especially gets very upset when I try to look in her mouth, or try to get to her back teeth.

My sister brushes Lily's teeth almost everyday and Lily doesn't seem to mind much at all.

Hopefully, it isn't too late to get the cats accustomed to some teeth cleaning at home, but I will have to make sure their nails are trimmed first--another big challenge with Chloe.

Joe Biden to adopt a second dog from shelter

2008-12-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

I just read something interesting online.

After buying a German Shepherd puppy from a breeder recently, Joe Biden has stated that he wants a second dog and will be adopting from a shelter this time.

Although this is certainly good news, it seems as though he wants to keep everyone happy. Too bad, he didn't make a more powerful statement by adopting both of his dogs.

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Testimonials for at home pet urine test

2008-12-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

The weather is getting pretty cold here in IA already, but we received two more really nice testimonials regarding ThePetCheckup. That always warms our hearts!

From a repeat customer in TN:
ThePetCheckup has helped with early detection of infection on 2 separate occasions with my little Gracey. It is easy to use and the results log is a great additional tool for her vet.

And from a dog trainer and rescuer in CA:
This is such a great product. Being a trainer / behaviorist and rescue person I am always thrilled when a product is available that can mean a world of good for the pets and the people they love. ThePetCheckup gives me the info to make decisions on what to talk to my vet about and where my dog's health is. Its so easy to use. I will be recommending this product to everyone I know.

One more step closer to putting puppy mills out of business forever

2008-12-10T17:43:00.001-08:00

There was some really wonderful news today cited on the Best Friends Animal Society homepage.

In a huge endorsement by the public, an upscale mall in Beverly Hills, CA announced that it will not be renewing the lease of Pet Love,a pet store that buys their dogs from puppy mills.

" Pet Love is to pet stores what FAO Schwarz is to toy stores, says Julie Castle, director of Best Friends Community Programs and Services.

Interesting to note that Best Friends was not trying to shut the store down, but to educate the owners that there was a more humane and responsible model to use. Apparently, the owners refused to listen, but the public did and expressed their indignation.

This is a great Christmas present for the animals.

Very catchy feral cat rescue song

2008-12-09T11:22:00.001-08:00

I just watched a really funny, but extremely well done song about rescuing a feral cat.

Really well done. Check it out!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaSgrDBd4Cw

Feral Freedom program for feral cats

2008-12-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

Over the holiday weekend, I started hearing about a new program based in Jacksonville, FL to help out the feral cat population there. From just the preliminary info I have read so far, it looks like they are giving vaccinations and microchipping in addition to spay/neuter which is great.

The ferals in our program are not microchipped, but do get an FCRVP shot in addition to the spay/neuter surgery.

It is great to hear that communities are starting to address this problem. My experience in this area in southeast Iowa is that volunteers can only do so much. I think our town feels like they don't have to address the situation since the volunteers are doing such a good job. But after several years, people are burned out and discouraged.

One thing I wonder about the program in Florida is if it encourages people to abandon their unfixed cats, since they know the city will pick them up and fix them.

Diabetic dogs and cats living longer and healthier lives

2008-11-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

We are hearing from more and more of our customers who are caregivers to a dog or cat with diabetes.

Animals that have a chronic health condition often have more compromised immune systems, so caregivers have to be even more alert for symtoms of secondary conditions developing.

With diabetes, infections are a common conditions that can develop: urinary tract infections, skin infections, and respiratory infections. If caught early, these conditions are very treatable.

Diabetic dogs and cats require close monitoring, and I look forward to the day when we can eliminate this disease, but it is heartwarming to hear how well many of these animals are doing.

With a cousin who passed away last year from complications of diabetes, I am very aware of how serious this disease can be.