Doggie Love

My dog Brooklyn is always there for me with unconditional love so I decided it was time for a new toy. I had seen the doggie bubble blower that blows bacon flavored bubbles..Yes, I said bacon flavored bubbles. What dog could resist? While watching the Animal Planet show “It’s Me or the Dog” I was amazed at how much fun the puppies were having chasing the bubbles as they sniffed away.

I set out to find the bubble blower for my dog. With help from facebook friends I found the site and immediately ordered it. Two days later it arrived. I was so excited. What fun Brooklyn and I were going to have. I opened the package as quickly as I could and began blowing bubbles in the air waiting for the fun to begin. OH no, after one sniff he looked at the bubbles as though they were aliens. He then looked at me as if to say, “What are you doing?” After a few more bubbles he got up and went outside. Mmm maybe he’ll like them if we’re outside and he can really run after them. So I followed him outside and began to blow more bubbles. Oh dear, he gave me that look again. Okay, I may not be as smart as my dog but I got the message: He HATES the bubbles.

Of course I was disappointed and I thought back to the Kong toy that he didn’t like either. All my pet sitting and dog walking clients like their Kong toys. That’s it!! I’ll use the bubble blower with my pet sitting and dog walking clients. My “other” dogs will like the bubble blower. I know my Labrododdles will love it. I’m still a little sad that Brooklyn won’t play with me but I know I’ll get to play with my other “furry friends”.

Local Pet Sitter Attends Premier Pet-Care Business Convention in San Diego, California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PR Log (Press Release) – Feb 10, 2010 – Debbie Floyd of The Dog Walker Ca LLC was one of nearly 200 professional pet sitters and industry supporters to attend Pet Sitters International’s 15th Quest for Excellence Convention, held February 3-6. in San Diego, California.  Considered the professional per-sitting industry’s premier educational convention, Quest welcomed association members and industry professional from across the United States and abroad to the Bahia Resort Hotel.

This year’s convention boasted the most diverse agenda ever-with four days of general sessions, hands on workshops and breakout classes led by pet-care veterans, veterinarians and industry experts.  Attendees increased their knowledge on a variety  of business and pet-care topics such as animal acupressure, holistic pet care and marketing, as well as new techniques in pet care, training and pet first aid.

“Investing in new ideas, learning new pet care techniques and networking with fellow pet-care professionals is important to my business as we strive to best serve our clients and their cherished pets’, said owner Debbie Floyd

Debbie Floyd also participated in PSI’s Quest Charity Auction, which raised money  to benefit PSI’s Early Education Program. The E.E.P. in an initiative to donate age- appropriate books to elementary schools across the country t teach children the importance of pets in our lives and the necessity of providing excellent care for those pets.

The Dog Walker Ca LLC invites anyone interested in learning more about The Dog Walker Ca or the advantages of hiring a PSI-member pet sitter to visit www.TheDogWalkerCA.com for more information. For more information on the pet sitting industry  or to learn more about becoming a pet sitter, visit www.petsit.com

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Offering pet sitting, dog walking, & overnight pet sitting among other services for your pets. Bonded and insured pet sitters available in Huntington Beach, Ca and surrounding cities. Members of the BBB, HB Chamber of commerce & Pet Sitters International. pet CPR and First Aid

How to Identify and Treat Food Allergies

Is your companion itchy?  Does she have digestive difficulties?  These are some of the most common issues that cause guardians to seek veterinary care for their companions.  Sometimes it is difficult to get to the bottom of those troublesome itches and tummy upsets.  They may be a sign of food allergies or sensitivities. 

The most common symptoms of allergies are:

• excessive scratching
• licking
• paw chewing

Additional symptoms of allergies:

• chronic ear infections
• respiratory symptoms such as coughing or nasal congestion
• eye discharge
• vomiting
• loose stools & diarrhea
• inflammatory bowel disease

Many holistic veterinarians also believe that seizures, arthritis, asthma and chronic urinary tract infections can be caused or complicated by food allergies.

If you and your veterinarian have ruled out other causes of your companion’s itchiness such as fleas, mange, ringworm or infection, then changing the diet may help alleviate the itch.  If tummy troubles are the predominant symptom, a diet change may help this as well.

Controlling Allergies with a Raw Food Diet

Many dogs with food sensitivities and allergies have seen dramatic improvements by switching to a raw food diet.  It’s a good idea to stick with one protein source when you begin the new diet, and then switch to another if symptoms do not begin to subside after 10 days on a raw food diet.  Often the change to raw food and elimination of grains is all it takes to begin to see improvement.  If symptoms persist, however, then switch to another protein source for another 10 days.  Duck, buffalo and turkey are often good proteins to use for an allergic animal.

If you typically mix kibble with raw, it is best to eliminate the kibble component of the diet until symptoms subside.  Then find a high-quality kibble, preferably grain-free, that contains the same protein you are feeding in the raw diet.

Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) supplementation with high quality fish oil can be beneficial for both itchy skin and digestive troubles.  EFA’s aid in reducing inflammation and support the health of both the skin and the lining of the digestive tract.

Keep in mind that any secondary bacterial or yeast infections must be treated during the switch.  Hot spots must be closely monitored as infection can easily ensue.  These must be controlled with bathing and topical treatments while the animal’s immune system is recovering.

Resources:

Natural Veterinary Medicine by Susan G. Wynn and Steve Marsden

Herbs for Pets by Gregory L. Tilford and Mary L. Wulff

I found this to be informative and felt a need to share it.  My dog has allergies,  but not from his food, from something that is air born. I know this because his constant scratching starts the minute I walk out to my car and see the yellow pollen on the windshield.   A vet can do an allergy test on your pet but it is very expensive and some vets don’t even offer the service. (Mine does not)

So I am now on a quest to find out what works for my dog. Of course each dog is different but if you can offer any advice regarding non-food allergies PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. I tried Children’s Benadryl ( which my vet told me to continue using) but it didn’t help.  Last year I used a hard to find Shampoo, NuSal T and it seemed to work but I only found it at the end of the pollen season. I’m starting the use of this shampoo again and we’ll see what happens.

So, as of now, no more trips to the groomers for a while I’ll be doing the washing. Brooklyn will love that!  He doesn’t like to go to the groomers and besides he can pay me back for that bath that he dislikes so much. And pay me back he does. Shaking water on me as many times as possible until I’m wetter than he is. I swear he’s smiling as he watches me jumping back to TRY to avoid getting wet.

Below are a few of the symptoms of allergies:

• excessive scratching
• licking
• Red Eyes