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March 2011 


Greetings! 

Spring is really coming to Minnesota! The snow is melting and we have lots of huge puddles! Like the cycle of the seasons, our pets have life cycles - puppy or kittens, adolescence, middle age, senior companions. We expect all our pets to live long full lives. Sometimes there are other plans for them than what we expect or want. We can help them live healthier lives by observing their subtle changes. The following stories explain why this is so important.

 

In the past two months I experienced the  joys and sadness with a friend about her eight Golden Retriever foster puppies. When they were rescued from North Dakota, they looked like any four-week old puppies - active, eating, and being poop factories. Suddenly overnight several of them became severely ill.  Fortunately Denise was very observant and quickly figured out which puppies had diarrhea.  She whisked them off to the vet. Then they became known as the "Parvo Puppies."  With Denise's dedication and her past nursing experience, she observed every change in the puppies which probably saved more of their lives. Five of the puppies are going to their forever homes at the end of March as their brothers watch them from the Rainbow Bridge. We are rejoicing in the survival of five, since they had a 50% survival rate at 5 weeks!

 

In another case, a four-month old Samoyed became lethargic. Arktos was taken to the vet several times and a cause wasn't found. Then he wasn't eating. He was put on antibiotics and fluids. Definitely he was not acting like a healthy puppy. He was nauseous and vomiting when I was contacted to give him a Healing Touch for AnimalsĀ® (HTA) session. After my distant HTA session, he was able to eat without vomiting.  Within hours, Joellen took him to his scheduled appointment for fluids. His blood work had little improvement. Immediately she got a referral and took him to a veterinary teaching hospital.  He was placed in the ICU. Unfortunately later that night, Arktos showed signs of neural disorders and was having seizures. Joellen helped Arktos cross Rainbow Bridges. Later results showed he had Leptospirosis which may not show up a young puppy's blood test.

 

I'm sharing these stories as an animal lover. Please remember I am not a veterinarian and request you call your vet for all medical care. I want to remind you of what you already know about your pet's care.

  • If you are concerned about a change in your pet, feel free to call your vet for advice.
  •  Watch for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, not eating, behavior changes, etc.
  • Remember you can always have a second opinion. This may help you with any doubt.
  • Puppies and senior pets can be very vulnerable to illness.
  • Let you pets only drink clean water and not what I call "street tea" from puddles on walks.
  • Be sure to follow-up on all vaccination boosters with your vet.
  • Since it is spring in the Midwest, remember to talk to your vet about Heartworm protection. 

I hope you have long, wonderful relationships with your pets. If you are suddenly on the end of life journey, please read the Animal Bridges blog on preparing for euthanasia and ideas for memorials. Remember you can always call me for a free 10 minute consult.

 

Enjoy spring and take care,

Elaine  

P.S. To catch up on old newsletters, check out the Animal Bridges' Archive.  



 
 
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Animal Bridges
 
612-237-9580
 

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