Category Archives: Health

Health, Holidays, Nutrition

Happy National Coffee Day

BigStockPhoto
BigStockPhoto

For many, that morning cup of coffee is an absolute necessity, so I hope you are enjoying a free cup today from one of the many retailers offering that perk.

However, please remember that caffeine is toxic to your dog. Even decaf can cause some stomach upset.

Although there are a few brands of “dog coffee”, they are really more of a collection of herbs that just look like coffee.

It’s much better to stick with the occasional “puppuccino” cup of whipped cream if you want your dog to enjoy your Starbucks with you.

Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!

Health

Chewy Introduces Free Vet Chat

Vet ChatThe good folks at Chewy recognize that the pandemic has changed everything, including vet care. They’ve now introduced a feature allowing you to chat with a licensed veterinarian for free, right from home. To participate, you must be an autoship customer, which means you set up your pet’s food and other items to ship to you automatically on the schedule you choose. The service is available 8 AM – 8 PM, Monday through Friday, for dogs and cats residing in the following states: Connecticut, District Of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Once you are an autoship customer, simply sign into your Chewy.com account and navigate to the Connect With a Vet page to get started.

Chewy continues to amaze with excellent customer service, and this is just one more example. Kudos!

Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!

Health, Human or Doggy Nature

Carbon Footprints

BigStock Photo
BigStock Photo
One need only look at the wildfires raging in the Western US or the storm activity in the Caribbean to know that climate change is real. We all know we have a carbon footprint we should be trying to shrink, but did you know your dog has one that can be reduced, too?

Sherry Listgarten, writing at PaloAltoOnline.com, lists ways in which we can reduce the carbon pawprint. Here’s what I see as the top three of her suggestions. Continue reading Carbon Footprints →

Health

Buddy: COVID’s First Canine Victim

Buddy. Photo: Robert Mahoney and Allison Mahoney
Buddy. Photo: Robert Mahoney and Allison Mahoney
From National Geographic: Buddy, the first US dog diagnosed with COVID19, has died. The sweet German Shepherd crossed the Rainbow Bridge on July 11th.

Vets say the dog likely had lymphoma, a kind of cancer, so it’s impossible to know precisely what took him, or if the cancer made him more susceptible to the virus, but the US Department of Agriculture has verified he was definitely COVID-positive, likely infected by a family member. Continue reading Buddy: COVID’s First Canine Victim →

Health

Brachycephalic Dogs and Heat

Temp Brachy Dogs

I’m not sure who made this handy-dandy graphic, but it points out why you have to be careful with brachycephalic dogs in the high heat of summer. These are dogs who have smooshed in faces, like Pugs.

All dogs need a steady supply of fresh water and some shade to lay in during the summer, but these dogs need a little special care to prevent overheating.

Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!

Dog News, Health

Not One More Vet

For many of us, it would be a dream job: caring for animals all day long. However, what we don’t often see are the long hours, the stress of dealing with sick animals – and their families, and the heavy school debt load. Combine these negatives with easy access to lethal medications, and you see an alarming suicide rate among veterinarians.

BigStockPhoto.com
BigStockPhoto.com
According to a recent story on NPR, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found female veterinarians were 3.5 times as likely, and male veterinarians were 2.1 times as likely, to die from suicide as the general population. Continue reading Not One More Vet →