February 8, 2012

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Do You Have A Puppy Vaccination Schedule?

February 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

When I brought home my first puppy over 7 years ago I had no idea about his puppy vaccination schedule.  The animal shelter told me he had his initial puppy vaccinations, gave me some paperwork, and told me to bring him to my local veterinarian for his next round of puppy shots.  Okay!?!  I knew my next step was to get my new pup over to the veterinarian as soon as possible for his first check up and I really wasn’t too sure what else to expect.

Those first few days were a whirlwind with my new shelter puppy as he ended up having a plethora of health problems including parasites (worms, mites, fleas, and ticks), stomach disease, and anemia.  If you’re a regular here at the blog then you probably know all about my Australian Shepherd Mix puppy, Linus and the good news is that today he’s 7 years old and a happy member of our family.

Australian Shepherd Mix Puppy - Linus

Was Linus on a Puppy Vaccination Schedule?

Back to his puppy vaccination schedule…as I mentioned I had no idea what vaccination he needed and lucky for me after my first visitation to the vet I was handed a schedule and told to come back every few weeks for a while to get the proper vaccinations.

A long story short…when it comes time for your puppies vaccinations just visit your local veterinarian and they’ll put him on a puppy vaccination schedule.

Many of you know that since then I’ve been raising guide dog puppies and as guide dog puppy raiser we are given a vaccination schedule that tells us exactly when we should vaccinate our pups.  Here’s a sample of the paperwork we are given:

Puppy Vaccination Schedule

VACCINATION SCHEDULE FOR PUPPY RAISERS

Congratulations on your new puppy!

Your puppy has been given his/her 6 week (Distemper/Parvo) vaccination at Guide Dogs of America.  This is the start of a series of vaccinations commonly known as “puppy shots“.

Your puppy should receive vaccinations as follows:

6 weeks     DHP-P                                Date Due_____

7 weeks     Bordetella                        Date Due_____

9 weeks     DHP-P                                Date Due_____

12 weeks   DHP-P                                Date Due_____

16 weeks   DHP-P & Rabies             Date Due_____

20 weeks   DHP-P & Bordetella     Date Due_____

Please have a stool check done when your puppy receives its 12 or 16 week vaccination

A DHP-P and Bordetella booster will be due when your puppy is one year of age.

REMEMBER, THESE VACCINATIONS ARE VITAL TO YOUR PUPPY’S HEALTH AND WELL BEING!

This is the vaccine schedule for puppies I follow as a guide dog puppy raiser.  The first column in this puppy vaccination schedule is the age of your puppy.  The second column is the type of vaccination your puppy should receive.  The third column is for us as puppy raisers to fill out so we remember what day to get our puppy vaccinations.  I add a fourth column signifying the exact day of the vaccination.  I make sure to get within 1 or 2 days of the actual due date listed.

As mentioned at the beginning the first DHP-P (Distemper/Parvo) vaccination is given at the Guide Dogs of America before picking up your puppy.  The other vaccination in this schedule are up to the puppy raiser to complete.

Our Guide Dogs of America group leader administers all of the puppy vaccinations (except rabies) at no charge.  I usually get the rabies vaccination done by the guide dog school veterinarian also free of charge.

Puppy Vaccinations Cost

I still have to pay for vaccinations when I take my own pet dogs to my local veterinarian.  So you’re probably wondering how much are puppy vaccinations?

I pulled Linus’ old records from the archives and found the prices on some of his old puppy vaccinations.  Granted these prices may be different in your area or you might be able to find somewhere that does cheap puppy vaccinations or even free puppy vaccinations!  It’s always a good idea to do a little research beforehand.  Anyhow here’s the information from Linus’ records on how much puppy vaccinations cost:

DHP-P – $16.00
Bordetella – $8.00
Rabies – $7.50

Not too expensive, but not too cheap.  As I mentioned do your research to find the best prices.  A while back I highlighted the Affordable Spay and Neuter clinic that offered reasonable veterinary services in Laguna Hills, CA (not too far from where we live).  Hopefully there’s an affordable veterinarian in your area too.

How about you?  Do you have a puppy vaccination schedule?  Is the cost of puppy vaccinations reasonable in your area?  Tell us what you do for puppy vaccinations in the comment section below.

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Raisins And Grapes Can Be Toxic To Dogs

February 23, 2010 By 1 Comment

I always worry about the health and well being of my dogs and today I was reminded that raisins and grapes can be toxic to dogs.

While reading the Only Official Blog Guide Dogs For The Blind I came across the article: A Grape Reminder.  Here’s a little excerpt from that article:

This is a very sad case – a great dog, with great owners who had no idea raisins and grapes could be a toxin to dogs. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as seven raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

Several years ago I received an email warning how raisins and grapes could be toxic to your dog.  It seems odd because raisins and grapes are such a common food for humans.  I see children eating raisins out of the little sun-made raisins box on almost a daily basis.  I have the image of ancient rome and the ruling class being hand-fed grapes.  If you’re as old as me then you might remember the California Raisins commercial with dancing raisins singing “I heard it through the grape vine.”  Those are some of my fond memories of grapes and raisins.

Never in my dreams had I thought of grapes and raisins killing my dog.  However, now that you know that they can be poisonous be sure and keep your dog away from them and by god don’t use them as a dog treat.

Grapes, Raisins, and Dogs

I had a few close calls in recent years with grapes, raisins, and dogs.  About two years ago my friends one year old twins were eating raisins out of the little sun-made raisin box.  As kids do he dropped more raisins on the ground then he put in his mouth.  Lucky for me I knew raisins were toxic to dogs and I kept Derby from eating any of them out of the sand.

My second close call was probably only one year ago.  My girlfriend unknowingly fed Stetson a couple of grapes as treats thinking that it was a fruit and harmless to dogs.  That was a scary moment and I kept a close eye on Stetson to be sure that he didn’t show any signs of sickness.  Some of the symptoms mentioned in the article from Guide Dogs for the Blind mention:

…He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1 a.m. on Wednesday but the owner didn’t call my emergency service until 7 a.m…

…He started vomiting again overnight and his renal values continued to increase…

Lucky for me Stetson was okay, but at any sign of sickness we would have been at the emergency vet.

Be careful what you feed your dog.  Some of the things we eat as humans are toxic to your dogs and remember the two common foods we mentioned today: raisins and grapes can be toxic to dogs.

Have you had any problems with your dogs eating raisins or grapes?  What other common foods do you know about that are toxic to dogs?

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Top 5 Reasons Why A Dog Sticks His Head Out The Car Window

February 2, 2010 By 8 Comments

Yesterday I was driving home from work when I saw a dog stick his head out the car window.  It was a beautiful Golden Retriever wearing a gentle leader, sniffing the air, and in general just enjoying the car ride.  I pulled out my handy dandy new DROID Phone and snapped a few pictures while waiting at the stop light.

This got me to thinking why do dogs like to stick their head out the car window?  As usual I began my search on the web and also asked a few dog loving friends the question: Why do dogs stick their head out the car window?

Dogs, Cars, Windows, And Safety First

I wanted to start off by saying it can be very dangerous to let your dog hang his head out the car window.  There’s all kinds of debris scattered on the road and it often kicks up from the cars in front.  Just take a look at my windshield (several nicks) or the front of my car (chipped paint and minor dents).

Now just think about your dog hanging his head out the car window getting pelted in the eye by a tiny rock at 50 mph.  I don’t even want to think about the vet bill let alone the pain and suffering your dog would endure if he caught a pebble in the eye.  I’ve never used them before, but I’ve heard that some people have their dogs wear Doggles when they hang their head out the window of a moving car.

A friend of mine used to let his dog hang her head out the window until one day his collie mix jumped out the car window at 30 mph.  Lucky for him there was no oncoming traffic and his dog didn’t get injured on her fall to the ground.

Also, if your dog has allergies like mine then all the pollen and dust flying into your dog’s face could cause an allergic reaction.

I just wanted to let you know about some of the dangers of letting your dog stick his head out the car window.  After all you wouldn’t let your own child stick his head out the window of a moving car so why would it be appropriate for your dog to hang his head out the car window?

As a child my parents never let me stick my head out the window.  The few times I tried I seem to recall receiving a quick smack to the butt.  I’ll crack the window for my dogs and they’ll put their nose about against the window, but I never let my dogs put their entire heads out the car window.

Top 5 Reasons Why A Dog Sticks His Head Out The Car Window

Now that I got my safety speech out of the way we can get to our list of Top 5 Reasons Why A Dog Sticks His Head Out The Car Window. Lets do it David Letterman style and begin with a countdown.  Drum roll please……….

NUMBER 5 – It helps them to cool off faster inside a hot car.

NUMBER 4 - So they can pretend like they’re running at an incredible rate (see the movie Dumb and Dumber).

NUMBER 3 – To make sure you’re driving safely on the road.

NUMBER 2 – This is a sure sign that you stink!  Your dog is obviously trying to avoid your stench.

NUMBER 1 – They love to sniff the air…

Of course just like the David Letterman list the Number 1 answer is always anti-climatic although in today’s case it’s probably the closest to the truth.  It’s my understanding from what I’ve heard from friends and family, read in books and on the internet, and observed, dogs have such a keen sense of smell that being able to put their noses entire heads out the car window is like a natural high.  They get to catch many different smells passing through the air and because the car is moving so fast these smells are constantly changing.  I guess it might be similar to watching some beautiful scenery pass by.

Anyhow that’s my take on why a dog sticks his head out the car window.  Just remember, if you do let your dog hang his head out the car window then please be careful and protect your dogs eyes with a product like Doggles, get him a safety restraint so he can’t jump out of the car, and maybe just try cracking the window so he can catch the scents with his nose, but not put his entire head out the window.  As I mentioned earlier, you don’t want to end up with a huge vet bill just because your dog was hanging his head out the window of your car.

How about you?  What kind of experiences have you had with dogs sticking their head out the car window?  Do you allow your dog to ride with his head out the window?  Do you take any safety precautions?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.


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Heatstroke and Dogs – Tips for Summer

September 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

It’s still pretty hot out there if you live in Southern California (and I’m sure across the rest of the country)  I know it’s the end of the summer and summer tips usually come at the beginning.  However, I came across a sad article recently that made me want to write about the dangers of heatstroke and dogs.  We did cover summer tips for you and your dog a few months ago at our guide dog meeting.  Anyhow I wanted to share some information that might come in handy during these final days of summer.

Heatstroke and Dogs

First of all, you might already know that dogs have inefficient cooling systems.  Dogs don’t sweat the same way you and I do.  Dogs pant to regulate their body temperature.  Be very careful with your dog because they can’t protect themselves against extreme heat.

The sad article I told you about had to do with a K9 who died from heat exhaustion.

The Carrollton Police Department’s only K9 officer, “Rudy,” died after suffering heat exhaustion in the back of a patrol unit.

Unfortunately, Rudy was left in the car with the engine and air conditioning running while his partner went to a meeting.  When Rudy’s partner returned the car was no longer running and Rudy was found with a shallow pulse and was later pronounced dead by the vet.  Check out the full article on K9 Office Rudy.

If you plan on taking your dog for a car ride be very careful if you leave him in the car for any extended period of time.  The temperature in your car can rise in a hurry.

Signs That Your Dog May Be Suffering Heatstroke

  • Rapid Panting
  • Bright Red Tongue
  • Red or Pale Gums
  • Thick, sticky saliva
  • Depression
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting – sometimes blood
  • Diarrhea
  • Shock
  • Coma

Things You Can Do For A Dog With Heatstroke

  • Remove your dog from the hot area
  • Before taking him to the vet lower his body temperature by wetting him with cool water and pointing a fan at him – Don’t use extremely cold water
  • Don’t let his body temperature get too low
  • Check rectal temperature every 5 minutes once temperature is 103 degrees stop cooling your dog.
  • Dry your dog and cover him so he doesn’t lose too much temperature.
  • Even if your dog looks to be recovering take him to the vet for a checkup.

For more information on how to treat heatstroke and heat exhaustion check out these articles:

Why Do Dogs Pant?

Heatstroke

How about you?  Is there anything special you do to keep your dog cool?

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Is It Time For Pet Insurance?

August 19, 2009 By 3 Comments

If you know me on a personal level then you’ll know that I love to research products, services, including something like Pet Insurance before purchasing.  Most people would not even consider not having health insurance for themselves or their family.  My mother being one of those people has instilled in me the importance of health insurance and how you can never be over prepared for your next accident.  Health insurance is very important for me because I love to play sports like hockey, tennis, golf and love the active lifestyle.  This is very healthy as far as being well conditioned, but it also wears on your joints and there’s always a possibility of injury even more so as you get older.

Why Pet Insurance?

Now that I’ve discussed health insurance for people why not Pet Insurance for your dog, cat, or other favorite pet.  Many pets are just as active and susceptible to injuries as humans.  Pets will also succumb to certain health issues as they become older.  And if any of you have visited the veterinarian recently you’ll know that vet bills are almost if not just as expensive as your regular doctor.

I guess your probably wondering why are we talking about Pet Insurance today.  Well, Stetson has had a skin irritation for a while now.  He’s been treated three times over the past year and his rash/skin allergy comes and goes.  We decided to visit a different vet to see if we could nip this little allergy in the bud.  While we received good news, medication and information on how to control Stetson’s allergy our 30 minute visit to the vet cost us nearly $200…and that was for something I’d consider very minor.  Just think if we had a major incident…surgery for elbow or hip dysplasia, broken bones, torn ligaments…the list can go on and on.

So now we’re researching Pet Insurance.  And what better place to start then a post to the blog.  We’d like to hear what you think about pet insurance.  Do you have Pet Insurance?   Who’s your provider?  Why did you choose them?  Let us know in the comments section below.

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Dog Skin Allergies – My Itchy Dog

August 17, 2009 By 16 Comments

Have you had to deal with Dog Skin Allergies?  This is my first dog that I know of with dog allergies.  I’m sure our past dogs may have had minor allergies that went unnoticed.  However, Stetson’s dog skin allergies are very irritating for him and definitely require the attention of a vet.

Stetson and Linus are so different in many ways.  People often say they look like brother’s, but if you look closely or are accustomed to distinguishing the differences in two breeds you’ll know they do not have the same momma or papa.

Stetson is a pure-bred Black Labrador Retriever bred for the Guide Dog program and career changed just over a year ago.  Linus is from the shelter and is presumed to be an Australian Shepherd mixed with possibly a Chow, maybe some Lab, possibly some Husky…we really don’t know.  He may be a good candidate for one of those breed identification tests.

There are many other differences, but today I wanted to talk about the difference in their health and visits to the vet.

Linus The Aussie Mix

When we first picked up Linus from the shelter he was very sickly and tired.  He was covered in fleas, anemic, had a stomach infection, worms, and basically didn’t want to move his first couple days home.  We cleaned him up, got him meds from the vet, and ever since he has been a very healthy dog.

Stetson the Labrador Retriever

Stetson came from a sterile environment and was perfectly healthy when we picked him up.  He did require the regular vaccinations (Linus went through the same series of vaccinations), but that’s where similarities ended.  Stetson has had at least four trips to the vet for ear infections, four trips to the vet for his dog skin problems, and two trips to the vet for injuring his foot.  While I don’t consider this a lot of visits it’s a steep contrast compared to Linus’s yearly checkups.

Dog Skin Allergies

That brings us to our visit with the veterinarian the other day for Stetson’s latest run in with his dog skin allergy.  As I mentioned earlier Stetson has already been to the vet several times for this dog skin condition.  In response we changed his food to Natural Balance Duck and Potato Allergy Formula. We thought that helped, but later this summer realized Stetson’s skin was red and irritated again…thus our latest visit to the vet.

Here’s what we were told about Dog Skin Allergies and Stetson’s condition.

  • No ear infections which commonly occurs from allergies – good news!
  • Red irritated skin and scabs are a result of allergies and bacteria setting in as a result of allergic reaction
  • Could be mites – Derby had Demodex also known as mange not long ago which was very nasty.  After looking under the microscope the vet said she didn’t see any mites, but they could still be causing the allergies
  • It’s probably not from his food since we have him on Natural Balance Duck and Potato Allergy Formula
  • The most likely culprit is fleas.  We’re not diligent about giving Stetson flea medication only applying his Frontline plus during the hot months.
  • She said it could be, but most likely wasn’t ring worms.  She checked under a black light and didn’t see ring worms.

She concluded that the skin allergies were most likely caused by fleas and recommended we keep Stetson on a strict flea prevention schedule.  She started us out with a flea and mite medication just in case the mites were causing Stetson’s allergies.

We went home with a topical medication called ProMeris and antibiotics called Cephalexin to clear up Stetson’s skins.  She Stetson should be clear of his allergies within a couple weeks and if not we have to head back to the vet.

Eeeeekkk…and the vet bill was almost $200…lucky for us a couple months ago we won a $200 gift certificate to our vet at the Orange County Super Pet Adoption at the Irvine Animal Care Center, but it really got us to thinking is it time to go Pet Insurance for Stetson and Linus?

Are you dealing with dog skin allergies?  If so, how do you treat it?  I’ve also actually heard that my aunt treats her dogs with simply a mixture of vinegar and water.  I’ll have to check in with her and find out how that works and report back.

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Pet Evacuation Safety Tips

November 20, 2008 By 4 Comments

In light of the recent fires in Southern California it has come to my attention that I should have an emergency evacuation plan for my dogs. One of our readers sent us a link to an LA Times article that lists a few safety precautions to help prepare us and our pets for a disaster evacuation. Here’s the list from the LA Times article: Southland wildfires: When pets must be evacuated:

Pet Evacuation Safety Tips

Disaster officials recommend that you put together an emergency preparedness plan specifically for your pets. Various organizations such as Homeland Security, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the American Red Cross recommend the following:

  • Prepare a pet emergency supply kit. In watertight containers, pack at least three days of food and water for each pet and include medicine and veterinary records, first aid kit, collars with ID tags, a harness or leash, a crate or a pet carrier, and sanitation supplies such as plastic bags, disinfectants and paper towels.
  • Preselect shelter sites and resources. Prepare a list of phone numbers of local animal shelters and hotels and motels that take pets. Include the names and numbers of friends or family who can temporarily care for the pets. Have a buddy system with a good neighbor who would be willing to check on your animals in case you’re not home.
  • At first warning of an evacuation, act quickly. Bring pets into the house so you don’t have to look for them if you must leave quickly. Try to call ahead to arrange emergency shelter for your pet. Make sure your dog or cat has current identification.
  • If pets must be left behind … alert local animal control and, if necessary, give animal control officers permission — and keys — to enter your home to rescue the pets.

One other point I remember hearing/seeing/reading somewhere was that you should have a pet emergency card on your refrigerator alerting rescue officials of the pets in your house, their names, and any additional information. This can be very important information as I’m sure many animals would hide from:

  • A firefighter in full uniform
  • A stranger
  • When scared by natural disasters (fires, earthquakes, hurricanes…etc.)

If rescue officials know that their are two cats and two dogs in the house then they could look for all four pets.

Does anyone else have helpful pet evacuation safety tips?

We also recently experienced the horrible earthquakes and tsunami’s in Japan and the horrific aftermath.  If you’re looking for some more information on safety then take a look at our article on Earthquake Safety Tips For Your Pets.

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My Friend Has Spent Over $10,000 On His Dog!

November 9, 2008 By 6 Comments

Stetson and I took another trip to the veterinarian yesterday and it cost us $150…eeeekkk.  It got me thinking on my drive home: How much money do you spend on your dog? I know some people buy their dogs lavish gifts and others have very expensive vet bills I’m somewhere in between where I do get my dogs some silly gifts (like Halloween costumes) and also spend the mandatory dollar on vet bills.

My Friend Spent Over $10,000 On His Dog!

I guess I shouldn’t complain about my dog expenses.  A friend of mine has spent over $10,000 on vet bills alone.  Here are a few of his vet visits.

  • As a puppy his American Staffordshire Terrier had diarrhea and pushed so hard when pooping that he pushed out his rectum – they said it looked like a pink bubble coming out of his butt.
  • At about 2 years of age his dog tore his ACL.  At the time they told him there was an 80% chance he’d tear his other ACL.
  • At 3 years of age he tore his other ACL.
  • He’s also had miscellaneous other visits to the vet totaling over $10,000

Money I Spend On My Dog

I thought back to the past 6 months or so and tried to come up with a dollar amount I’ve been spending on my dogs. Here’s what I found:

Approximately Monthly Expenditures for my 3 dogs:

  1. Dog Food: (2 bags a month): $80
  2. Dog Treats: $10
  3. Dog Toys: $10
  4. Heartworm Medicine (2 dogs): $10
  5. Flea Medicine (3 dogs): $10
  6. Vaccinations: $10
  7. Other Expenses: $20
  8. Veterinarian visits: $50

The grand total for my three dogs is $200 a month. It’s probably a little higher then that as I’m not thinking about. This is the cost for three young healthy dogs. Stetson is the only regular visitor to the Veterinarian as he seems to have ear and skin issues about every other month. Linus is still a young pup turning 4 years old a couple days ago and he’s been very healthy and strong. Derby has more expenses because he’s still just a puppy at only 6 months old, but Guide Dogs of America covers all of his vet bills.

Should You Get A Dog Keep Expenses In Mind?

The poor economy, people’s lack of funds, and foreclosures are forcing people to relinquish their dogs. We talked a little about the economy and the difficulty with dog adoptions at the local shelters in Tough Times For Cat And Dog Adoptions.

If you’re interested in getting a dog beware that there are expenses (sometimes significant) involved. I feel like I’ve been very lucky with my three dogs as they’ve all been very healthy. As I mentioned earlier I have a friend who’s dog has cost him well over $10,000 in vet bills and surgeries and that was all before the age of 4 years old.

What about you…how much do you spend on your dog? Is there anything I’m missing on my list?

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Dog Halloween Safety Tips

October 22, 2008 By 1 Comment

Over the past week I started receiving dog Halloween safety tips in my email inbox and through my RSS reader. I did take the time to scan several of the emails and articles and decided that it might be a good idea to share some of these dog Halloween safety tips with all my doggie friends.

A lot of the tips are common sense, but just getting a short refresher list will help you and I be aware of any dangers that might be lurking this Halloween.

Dog Halloween Safety Tips

Here are a few Halloween safety tips for you and your dog:

  • Dressing Your Dog In A Halloween Costume – Is Lex dressed up as Pink the Pig for Halloween?  Some dogs and dog owners enjoy dressing up in Dog Halloween costumes.  We put a post of The 6 Best Dog Costumes On The Internet here on Puppy In Training.  Guide Dogs of America encourages us to dress up our dogs. The main reason being that they want us to handle our dogs paws, ears, claws, face…etc. so the dog won’t be shy or timid when their blind owner reaches for them or grooms them. Dressing up your dog is a good way to teach your dog to be tolerant when getting handled in different ways.  That being said I wouldn’t dress my dog if I did not think he was comfortable in his costume.  Linus does not like getting dressed up, so when Halloween rolls around he does not wear a costume.  Be careful with your dog costumes.  Make sure the costume is comfortable fitting.  Also, do not leave your dog unattended when in a Halloween costume…keep a close eye on him and make sure he does not accidentally choke himself or ingest parts of the costume.
  • Keep Your Dog Indoors – This may not always be possible, but Halloween brings added noise and activity that can potentially frighten (isn’t that the point of Halloween…not for your dog) your dog.  While this may be fun for kids running around in costumes it’s not so fun for your dog.  If possible try to keep your dog indoors away from those scary ghosts and goblins.
  • The Counter Surfing Dogs – I’m sure no one likes their dog counter surfing (taking items from the table top).  This can be especially harmful to a dog during Halloween…chocolate can be quickly gobbled up (especially if you have Labrador Retrievers like me), but it’s quite toxic to your dog.
  • Scary Halloween Decorations – While scary Halloween decorations can be fun for you and the family they can potentially be harmful to your dog.  Candles in Jack-O-Lanterns can be knocked over burning your dog.  Glass decorations can be broken or consumed.  I’ve even heard of a dog consuming an entire pumpkin.  When decorating your home be sure to keep your dog in mind and a close eye on his actions when he’s around any Halloween decorations.
  • Trick or Treaters - Some dogs can be quite fearful of people in scary costumes.  Others might be just fine.  If you live in a neighborhood with lots of children then you will potentially have lots of trick-or-treaters.  If your dog is like Linus my Aussie mix then he will not enjoy the ringing of the doorbell over and over as well as children in scary costumes.  It also might be a good idea to keep your dog away from the front door with a baby gate.  If you invite guests inside you should introduce them to your dog in a positive manner.  If your dog’s still frightened you might want to keep him in another part of your home to avoid the commotion of Halloween guests.

I hope this list of Dog Halloween Safety Tips helps keep you dogs and puppies safe this Halloween.  If you have any additional tips I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.

Do you have any additional Dog Halloween Safety Tips?  Anything you’d like to add about this coming Halloween?  By the way if you enjoy seeing dogs in costumes check out the Halloween Dog Costume Parade in Long Beach this coming Sunday, October 26th.

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Affordable Spay and Neutering

August 1, 2008 By 3 Comments

I just got this one today from our OCGDA group leader. If you follow this blog I’m sure you know about the over population in our local shelters. Many agree that spaying and neutering your pet can drastically reduce the number of animals euthanized in our shelters each day.

Here’s the information I received from an email today:

Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic

Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic of South Orange County is opening Wednesday July 16th, 2008!

We need your help if this endeavor is going to succeed. Most everyone understands and believes that spay and neuter is the key to drastically reducing the number of euthanized animals in shelters. Efforts like The Pet Rescue Center are fantastic but do little to stem the tide. Many of you have personally requested that I focus on low-cost spay and neuter. Well, not only have I done that at Alicia Pet Care Center, but now I have built a facilty specifically dedicated to that effort. Additionally, all net proceeds from the Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic will be donated to The Pet Rescue Center.

Now I need your help. We need to get the word out immediately to the public that this option exists. I anticipate to have some significant media coverage but it is slow in coming and I cannot rely on it at this time. I have also sent out several emails and phone calls for some financial help but have received none. This means that we are running with no safety net in place for slow days.

I need you to send out this email to some of your email list and suggest that they do the same.

I need you to utilize our services if you are with a rescue group.

I need you to print the flier (webpage) that is available here: www.affordablespays.com and display it at your place of business.

I need you to contact anyone that you know in the media (tv, online, newspaper, magazines, etc.) and request that they do a story on spay and neuter and our effort to save the pet world.

We truly need your help if this is to succeed. I thank you in advance for all of your efforts on our behalf. You are doing much to ensure a solution to this ever growing problem in Southern California.

Wish us luck!

Dr. Matthew Wheaton

The Affordable Spay And Neuter Clinic Flier

You can click on the image below to magnify the size.

Here’s text of most of the information contained on the flier:

Make your appointment today…Call (877) 277-7938
or Email: info [at] affordablespays [dot] com
Open Monday-Friday 7am-6pm

Pricing Pricing Cont.
Cat Neuter: $50 Cat in heat surcharge: $20
Cat Spay: $75 Cat pregnant surcharge: $30
Dog Neuter under 20lbs: $75 Dog in heat surcharge: $30
Dog Neuter over 20lbs: $100 Dog in pregnant surcharge: $50
Dog Spay under 50lbs: $100 Vaccines: $12-$17 each
Dog Spay over 50lbs: $2 per lb. Microchip: $25 plus 1st year registration

Pre-Anesthetic Blood Panel (Optional): $50
(determines your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia)
Small Umbilical Hernia Repair: $50

*Sorry, we do not accept personal checks*
Cash or Credit Card only

All cats must leave the clinic in a cat carrier. If you cannot provide one when you drop off your cat, one can be purchased for $7

We do not accept any animals other than Dogs and Cats

Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic offers low-cost spay and neuter services but with a high quality service. Most patients will receive an iv catheter and iv fluids during their procedure to ensure proper hydration and blood pressure. (Male cat neuters will not routinely receive iv catheters due to the short procedure time.)

Our patients will also be anesthetized with safe anesthetic agents and will be maintained during their procedures with Sevoflurane which is seen as the safest inhalant anesthetic in veterinary medicine. Patients will have anesthetic monitoring via pulse oximetry, EKG, and blood pressure. All patients will be sent home with pain medications at no extra charge.

We recommend but do not require pre-anesthetic blood work for all surgeries. Blood testing can be performed at an additional cost in the clinic the day of the procedure.

Our doctors are experienced and trained specifically on methods to increase safety and efficiency with spays and neuters. We only employ veterinarians that are licensed in California.

Best Of Luck To The Clinic

I don’t usually like to forward emails, so anytime I come across something I feel like forwarding I just post to my website. Hopefully I can bring awareness to some and help out the Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic.

I haven’t visited the Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic, but I’m also wondering if they offer reasonable prices on puppy vaccinations.  Have you visited the Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic?  Let us know what you think about the clinic in the comment section below.

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