Pawcurious Vet Blog: With Pet Blogger and Veterinarian Dr. V

Giveaway Tuesday: Papergirl designs

Congratulations to the winner, Kelly Ann T!

Ever receive a beautifully wrapped present that was so adorable you don’t even remember what was inside? It doesn’t even matter what’s inside. The packaging sets up such a great expectation for the contents that you just know it is going to be wonderful. Same goes for getting a really, really cute card. Even if the sentiment is “Sorry about the layoff, man,” you’re just too busy being happy about the card to worry too much about the content.

Notecards and cute paper crafts are the little rays of sunshine that make daily life tolerable, that’s what I say. Never underestimate the power of a simple piece of paper to make someone else happy. And that is why my desk looks like a Papyrus exploded inside the top drawer.

Which is why I really love the offerings from Papergirl designs:

I’m pretty easy to peg: if it’s cute, colorful, and canine, I’m all over it. Bonus points if it comes from an individual artisan’s small business. This? Yes, please.

I like the simple joys in life, like sending someone a really great little note for no reason whatsoever. If you do as well, Carolyn over at Papergirl has offered one lucky reader an item of their choice from her Papergirl Etsy shop!

To enter: Leave a comment below with the name of the item from the Papergirl Etsy store that most catches your eye. Seriously, how cute are these?

If you win and you get the note cards, promise to send me one. We live for that stuff, Brody and I.

Contest open through 11:59 PM August 12, 2011! Winner will be chosen at random using random.org. You can enter once per day. Good luck!

Giveaway Tuesday: What’s in your toy chest?

Congratulations to the winners:

Dog pack: Jessi and Duke

Cat pack: Heather T!

Every pet is different when it comes to toys. Some dogs love, love, love their toys and drag them around like Linus with his blanket, dropping their slobbery offerings in your lap like a sticky love note.

If the object of their affection has the misfortune to be a stuffed toy, well, the affair may be short lived. Loved to death, shall we say. (more…)

The Litterbox Chronicles: Scoop Free Litter Box Review

As you know, Apollo has some marking issues that have made life rather, well, pungent. That is not a good thing.

On the bright side, by following veterinary behaviorist Dr. Yin’s advice to create a beautiful, austere, absolutely delightful potty palace for the cat I have been able to reduce a large amount of that behavior.

So now that we’re in a good place, I think you can understand why I was nervous to mix things up and try a new litter box, but in the name of technological advancement, we all must soldier on.

I’ve used the LitterMaid back when it first came out, but it was kind of a pain, messy and sticky and clumpy. The makers of the ScoopFree litter box sent me an Original Scoop Free box to test out, and lo and behold, automatic litter box technology has come a long way. And that is a good thing. (more…)

Giveaway Tuesday: On the Go Kits from VPI

Congratulations to our winners: Quinn, Pamela J, Shelly, Elizabeth and the Lab Crew, and Oralia!

For going on a year now, I’ve been suspicious that Kekoa might have Cushing’s disease. Her symptoms have waxed and waned, certain bloodwork values have gone up and down, but I haven’t quite been able to pin it down.

Have I tested her? Oh yes, I have, over and over. And ACTH stimulation tests, if you haven’t had the pleasure, don’t come cheap- even to us vet types. The tests for Cushings continue to come up normal. So I wait, and a few months later test again. It adds up. Like Mulan, my “free” Golden who waited an entire year before blowing out her cruciate ligament and needing a several thousand dollar TPLO, no pet truly comes cheap, not even a free one.

It’s hard to convey that to the average owner, though. The true cost of pet ownership can be pretty significant, depending on what life and fate throws your way. Sure, $800 for a pug puppy sounds like a lot at the time, but just you wait until you have to throw in the soft palate resection, the cherry eye repair, and the cryptorchid neuter. When owners aren’t prepared for those unexpected expenses, everyone suffers- most of all the pet. (more…)

Giveaway Tuesday: Iams Sensitive Naturals and Simple and Natural

Congratulations to our winner, Elena! I hope your pet loves the food!

I spend a lot of time reading pet food labels. I usually have to shoo off at least three well meaning but unhelpful store employees every time I’m at the store. Sometimes I’m reading to make sure it’s a good choice for Brody and Koa, and sometimes I just pick up a bag of cheapie food to remind myself of the crummy stuff that’s out there.

I know I’m not alone in this- it seems like every time I go into the store, from a pet food boutique to a big-box super center, the pet food section is devoting an increasing amount of space to premium foods. Fortunately for us, pet food manufacturers are also taking note of this trend and coming up with lines that appeal to the more particular buyers out there.

This week, Iams launched 2 new products in its Healthy Natural Line: Sensitive Naturals and Simple and Natural. To get a little more information on the new products, I conducted an e-mail interview with Dr. Marcie Campion, a nutritionist at Iams. And for one winner I have a 25 pound bag of either formula to give away. (more…)

Giveaway Tuesday: Wellness Cat food!

Today, while we’re all digesting the remnants of our Independence Day feasts, I have for you a special giveaway for the kitty in your life. I have to swear you all to secrecy that you won’t share the details with Apollo, for if he knows what I had to give away instead of sharing with his sad food-allergic self I’m sure I’d be finding more than a few slimy furballs on my pillow.

I have a special place in my heart for the Wellness brand. When my dear old hound Nuke developed a nasty splenic hemangiosarcoma, it didn’t take long for his already-thin self to start showing the signs of cancer cachexia. Basically, the fast growing tumor steals all the body’s nutrients for itself and leaves the poor body to waste away.

These were the days before prescription cancer diets, and I was looking for a super high quality, high protein diet to help his body stay on top on his wasting away. There were few choices, but I found Wellness in a pet boutique, and because of that helped him eke out several happy months of decent body condition he might not otherwise have had. (more…)

Giveaway Tuesday: Freezy Pups

Congratulations to our winner, Rachel- who won from her FB wall post! I hope Preston loves them!!

With the fourth of July just around the corner, a man and beast’s thoughts turn to tasty frozen treats. As anyone who saw my pupsicle post is well aware, we are all about tasty frozen treats around here.

And while making such elaborate affairs is fun and rewarding, I’m the first to admit there are two main problems with making homemade Frosty Paws or similar sorts of treats on a regular basis:

1. They’re big, which means unless you have a huge dog they represent a large portion of their daily caloric intake.
2. They are time-consuming to make, which means I don’t make them all that often.

Which is why I am super excited to have, in my hands as we speak, a tray of Freezy Pups for review. And soon, my friends, one of you will too. (more…)

Giveaway Tuesday: SureFlap Cat Flap

And the winner, randomly selected by random.org, is Tricia Thompson!

Today’s a doozy of a giveaway for the cat people: a SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap!

I know a lot of people- including this one- keep their cats indoor only, and that’s OK. We will have other things for you. For those who have secure and safe outdoor places for cats to roam, this is your lucky day!

I’ve heard the stories firsthand: you install a cat door, only to find your neighbor’s tabby chilling in your living room, eating all your cat food. Then he won’t leave. Reminds me of college. That would be distinctly unpleasant.

The SureFlap cat flap is a battery powered cat door with an embedded microchip reader. Any cat can get out, but in order to get back in the door must recognize your cat’s microchip. It can store up to 32 microchip numbers (though if you have 32 cats in your house, we should talk.)

The embedded chip reader is designed to work with the most common types of microchips used in Europe and the US, including the AVID chips and the ISO chips.

For now, SureFlap only makes this one cat-sized door, though I’m crossing my fingers they come up with a dog sized one. I could totally use that. In the meantime, the official SureFlap video demonstrates the process as well as gives you an idea of the sizing. It is also narrated by a person with a British accent, which always makes videos more enjoyable (speaking as someone who has had a combination Boston/Valley Girl accent my whole life. I would kill for a British accent.)

We have one SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap to give away to one lucky reader! Retail value of this product is $150.

To enter:

Leave a comment below with a tale of which adventurous kitty or kitties will be getting to use it should you win. Contest is open to readers worldwide!

I’m trying something new and I’ll see if I like it or not: You can enter once per day until the contest closes, so you can get up to 7 entries.

Deadline: June 28th, 11:59 PM PST.

Good luck!

Giveaway Tuesday: Dog is Good IS Good!

Congratulations to our winner, Terri P! Can’t wait to hear what you got!

One of my favorite games to play with co-workers is Who Can Find the Ugliest Scrubs. It’s a pretty easy game since there are so many options. Black cat witches on orange gingham? Check. Frolicking roly poly dachshunds on a sickly sea of seafoam green? Check check. Last year’s winner was a festive holiday top featuring Westies, poinsettias, and plaid that looked like something Aunt Edna took her aggression out on with a bedazzler at the retirement home craft party.

Let’s face it, most scrubs are kind of dorky, which is why I try to stick to unobtrusive solids for lack of better options. And this is exactly why I was so jazzed to get a set of the new Dog Is Good scrubs to review. (more…)

Giveaway Tuesday: Premier Pet Products!

Congratulations to the winners: Steph B, Elizabeth, and Kathy!

Despite having been around for over a decade, I am still astounded by the number of people who refer to a Gentle Leader as a muzzle. It doesn’t matter that it’s pink, covered in flowers, and about a centimeter wide around the muzzle of a fluffy Golden Retriever, there’s still always that person who kind of edges sideways and scooches by with an apologetic “I don’t want to get bit.”

I use it as an opportunity to teach people, of course. I mean, of all the thousands of dogs you see on a regular basis, how often do you actually run into one with an actual muzzle on it? It’s very rare. I always fall back on the old “horse halter” analogy, which people seem to get.

I am so into this whole thing because, without a doubt, it is still one of the finest dog products ever produced, in my opinion.

I’ve seen firsthand the successes, crazy shepherds who can suddenly be walked by the family kindergartner, people who had given up hope on taking their pet in public finally feeling like they had a shot at doing so. I’ve tried everything with Brody from Martingales to no-pull harnesses and I still ended up back with the Gentle Leader as the product that works best for him.

(more…)

Jonesing

My Dyson is in the shop. This is a bad thing.

My Dyson is one of those things I never knew I would love so much until it was in my hot little hands. Who knew a vacuum cleaner could inspire such passion? Such undying devotion? Only someone with multiple animals can appreciate the depths to which one can bond to a good vacuum cleaner.

So when something went clank and it stopped performing its wondrous miracles as official tumbleweed remover, I found myself looking up repair places faster than you can say “this sucks.” ha! And off I went to the shop with the Dyson tucked into the backseat like a sorry little ambulance ride.

“My Dyson is broken,” I said breathlessly to the shop owner. “I have a big hairy Golden at home so please fix it as soon as possible.” He shrugged.

It’s been three long and lonely days now, and I’m starting to get antsy. Running after hairballs with a broom is decidedly unrewarding, as is trying to stay on top of this hot mess with a handheld.

I’d write it a country song full of longing and woe, but I don’t like country music, so I’ll just have to leave it at pestering the repair shop for an estimate so we be joyfully reunited.

It’s just one of the many things I never knew I would love so much (Furminator, no-stink collars) until I had it. And now I can’t live without it. What’s your Can’t Live Without it pet item?

A look inside a research facility AND a giveaway

One of the main reasons Iams invited a group of pet bloggers to Dayton for Behind the Paw was to show off the Pet Health and Nutrition Center in Lewisburg, Ohio. Before I get into what we saw at the facility, I wanted to give you a little background into the wild and wooly topic of animal research.

Background

It is obviously a controversial topic. An institution who is going to use animals for research purposes needs to have a clear justification as to the benefit of the research as well as established protocols in place for the physical and mental well-being of the animals.

A significant standard in animal ethics is the concept of the 3 R’s: reduction, replacement, and refinement. This is essentially an ethical guideline that anyone using animals in research needs to keep in mind when they are continually modifying their protocols: (more…)