by: Richard Delgado



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In this issue:



1) "Don't Let This Tragedy Happen to Your Beloved Pet!"



2) "Cleaning Your Pet's Ears, and Maintaining Them"



3) "8 Easy Steps to Ruining Your Dog"



4) "Tell Us What You Think!"





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1) "Don't Let This Tragedy Happen to Your Beloved Pet!"



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I had a different article that was supposed to be on this

newsletter, but I needed to write about what happened a few

days ago. This is important, and I don't want any of you to

experience a loss like this. I have to get this off of my

chest.



I was on my way to an assignment a few days ago, and for

some reason, I went a different way. Up ahead there was a

slowdown in the traffic. From what I saw, a man on a bicycle

was crossing the street near the tracks. Then, as I got

closer, I saw a small dog crossing the street behind him,

off leash. I was just saying to myself that this bonehead was

taking a big chance letting his dog follow him off leash, AND

crossing a busy street. "What an idiot," I thought.



The van in front of me started moving forward, then all of a

sudden, the dog came running back across in front of the van.

The van did not stop, and it ran over the dog completely. The

dog was a little Chihuahua, and it yelped out as it went under

the tire. The dog did not move much after that.



This happened right in front of me, and I was horrified! I

couldn't believe what I had just seen, yet this little dog lay

in front of my truck, not moving much at all. I quickly pulled

over, and as I got out of my truck, I yelled at the man on the

bicycle if this was his dog. He barely turned around and said no,

it was not his dog. This guy didn't even act like what had

happened was any big deal.



I walked up to the dog, and I could see a great big hump on its

back. I think the poor dog's back was broken. I reached out

carefully to see if the dog would snap back and try to bite me.

My pet first aid training and knowledge told me that "any animal

in pain, or that will be moved into pain, can and will bite."

I assessed that the dog could not feel anything, or that it was

in shock, or both. You do not want to muzzle a dog in shock.



I figured the dog was not a threat to bite, and he was breathing

and had a heartbeat. I stabilized him the best I could, and

brought him into my truck. I knew I had very little time, and I

was just a minute or two from the nearest vet. Unfortunately,

while I was caring for the dog and readying him for transport, a

commuter train began crossing on the tracks and I had to wait

another few precious minutes. Finally, I was able to get the dog

to the vet, still in just a few minutes after the accident.



I could tell during that short trip to the vet that the dog was

starting to breath more shallow, and that he was really

struggling. When I took the dog out of my truck, he was in even

worse shape. I could tell what the outcome would be already.

I rushed him inside, and the vet staff rushed him to the back.

After about a minute, the vet tech came back out and I filled

out a report. She told me that the dog was not going to make it,

even though I already knew that would be the case.



Another concerned motorist had followed me to the vet office,

and came inside. We were all talking to the vet tech and we

were still amazed at what had happened in just a few minutes

time. A dog needlessly lost his life, and all it took was a

brief moment in time.



So, why am I telling you this tragic story? Well, certainly

I don't want to bum you out. I am telling you this story

because this is an example of what could happen if we as pet

owners relax too much and don't take the time to make sure

our pets are safe and secure. The dog didn't have a collar on,

but I could tell he was well taken care. This was not a stray,

but someone's beloved pet that got out. And, they would soon

be looking for their dog, and may not ever find out what

happened to him.



I don't know where you are located geographically, but here in

Fremont, CA we are having Spring-like weather. Of course, we

just officially entered Spring. As the days get nicer, female

dogs and cats can go into heat, and the males may start

to wander. This time of year there is an increase of pets getting

out of the back yards, and out of the house. Please, don't let

your pets get out.



You should always make sure your fencing and gates are secure,

and that there are no cracks or spaces where your pets could get

out. This is especially true as the days get nicer. And always

be very careful when opening doors. Animals are very quick,

especially if they have a mate on their mind. Make sure windows

are secure too.



Please, if you know your dog likes to roam, or will not come

to you on command, then get training for your dog. Teach your

dog its boundaries. You can teach them not to exit the door

unless you say so, or you can teach them never to leave the

curb. It can be done, and should be done. You can also train

your cats as well. Yes, cats are trainable, and if you only

teach them one thing, then you should teach them their boundaries.



No one cares for your pets like you do. Certainly, the guy on

the bicycle couldn't have cared less about what happened to that

little Chihuahua. He shocked me by his callous attitude. And the

guy who ran the dog over didn't care either. He didn't stop to

check on the dog. Some of the other drivers were concerned about

the dog, but none of them got out of their vehicle to help the

dog. Even though I could not help the dog, I feel that I was

meant to go that way so I could at least take the dog to the vet

so he could be put out of his misery.



So aside from myself, and the motorist who followed me to the vet

office, no one cared enough about that little dog. Remember,

NO ONE cares for your pets like YOU do. They depend on you to

make sure they are kept safe and secure. Please, do this

for your pets. They love you, and you love them, and you would

not want to come home and find them missing, and you certainly

would not want any harm to come to them.





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2) "Cleaning Your Pet's Ears, and Maintaining Them"



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The next time you call out your pet dog or cat's name

and watch his/her ears move in response and how they

turn toward and move toward you, remind yourself just

how important his/her sense of hearing is for overall

well-being.



Being aware of this will help keep you on track with

checking and maintaining the health of your pet's ears.



*Check ears regularly

It's easy to check your pet's ears on a regular basis. A

weekly check is probably the best. It's just a matter of

remembering to do it. First of all, observe your pet's

behavior. If there is something wrong, a pet will resort

to shaking his/her head and scratching at the ear. If you

see your pet doing a bit too much shaking and scratching

around the ears, there may be something wrong, so keep

an eye out for these telltale signs.



Even if you don't notice your pet doing anything unusual,

it's best to keep on top of any potential problems by

taking a good look at those ears. Checking your pet's

ears is something that is best started when they are

young so they become accustomed to it. But, even if

you're getting a late start, it's something you should

start doing regularly.



First, check the outside. Move your fingers over the ears,

watching for an abnormal reaction from your pet, like

flinching as if he/she is reacting in pain or discomfort.

There shouldn't be any swelling, redness, discharge

or crustiness around the outer ear.



Next, take a look inside the ear. Using a penlight

or flashlight is a good idea since the inside of the ear

can look like a complex maze. Hold the tip of the ear

and move it back to get a good view inside. Again, there

shouldn't be any sort of redness, discharge, crustiness,

or foul odor.



*Clean ears weekly

If you allow your cat or dog spends time outdoors,

his/her ears may get a bit dirty. Or, there may just

be a bit of wax build-up. A weekly check and cleaning

is a good idea, especially for those dog or cat breeds

that have folded-over or floppy ears (as opposed to

upright) and those that tend to have excessive hair/fur

in and around the ears.



To clean the ears, just use a cotton ball or a cleansing

pad made especially for cleaning ears. If a dry pad

isn't good enough, wet it with a bit of cleansing solution

made specifically for cleaning a dog or cat's ears.



Pull back the ear flap a bit and gently rub the

cleansing pad to remove dirt from the flap and inside

just the middle portion of the ear. Do not insert

anything (like a Q-tip) into the inner part of the

ear canal.



There are ear cleaning and wax removal solutions

you can use to clean the inner portion of your pet's

ears. A few drops or a squirt of the special solution

into the ear and a gentle massage at the base of the

ears for about 25 seconds are usually all that are needed.

Place a cotton ball inside the ear and massage a

bit more to soak up solution and pick up debris.

Repeat if there is a lot of wax or dirt.



Note that you should not leave the ear moist with

solution. Excess moisture in the ears is an inviting

environment in which bacteria can thrive.



Your pet may not like this, so be prepared to

hold onto your pet when you do this. However, you

don't want this to be an unpleasant experience for

you pet, so don't use too much force when holding them.

You can also give them treats as part of the cleaning

process so they associate this with something good.



If you don't have experience cleaning a dog or cat's

ears, you might want to get advice and instructions

from your vet so you don't hurt your pet's ears. And

excessive cleaning is not a good idea either. You

don't want to be the cause any problems!



*Visit the vet when something appears wrong

Get to know your pet's ears so you know when something

is wrong. When something looks out of the ordinary,

get your pet to the vet for a thorough check.



*Common ear ailments

Some of the most common ear problems for pets include ear

mites, foreign objects in the ear, and infections.



EAR MITES

Mites are tiny insects and this contagious condition

definitely needs the attention of a vet. The ears need

to be cleaned out and you will have to apply medication

to your pet's ears for a prescribed period of time to kill

the insects.



FOREIGN OBJECTS

It's not uncommon for cats and dogs to play outside

and then come home with foreign objects, most commonly

plant life like foxtails, inside their ears. This

condition is usually easy to spot because your pet will

be shaking his/her head and scratching around the ears.



Do an inspection and see if you spot the problem.

Sometimes it will be something you can see right away

and will be able to remove yourself. If it's embedded

too deeply in the ear or you can't even see the source

of your pet's discomfort, a trip to the vet will be

necessary to have the object removed.



INFECTION

As a warm, moist environment, the ear can be the

perfect place for a bacterial or yeast infection. Infections

can cause pain, swelling, and discharge from the ears.

Like the mites, this is something for the vet to take

care of. Again, medication applied to the inside of

the ear is usually used to kill off the infection.



Remember, if you catch a small problem early, you can

avoid a very big problem later on. Awareness and

consistent effort on your part will keep your pet's

ears clean and working at their best.



REFERENCES: www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=106

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=165

http://www.thepuppynetwork.com/grooming/dog_ear_care.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Cat-Ear-Care-Do-You-Know-What-To-Do?&id=421436



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3) "8 Easy Steps to Ruining Your Dog"



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Follow these rules, and you are certain to ruin your dog.

When you read these,make sure you understand that you need

to think about what the opposite of these would be, and

how to properly interact with your dog, and how to properly

train your dog, socialize him, and lead your dog.





1. Isolate him. Make sure he thinks the world is a strange

place.



2. Soothe him whenever he is frightened. Tell him it's okay

and stroke him gently.



3. Allow him to growl. Tell yourself "It's OK. He doesn't

really mean it."



4. When he struggles to get out of your grasp, let him go.

This teaches him that you have no control.



5. Hold the leash tight every time something frightening

happens. Even better, say "Uh-oh" as you pull the lead tight.



6. Never let him play with other dogs.



7. Don't neuter him.



8. Leave him with children unsupervised. Allow children to

harass him because he is such a good dog.



Remember, read the title of this article again, and re-read

these. Make sure you are not doing these, and start doing the

opposite.





"Good Owners, Great Dogs," Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson

Warner Books, 1999





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4) "Tell Us What You Think!"



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We'd love to hear what you think of this issue! This is

just one issue, with much more important information

coming in future months.



Please send your comments, questions, and ideas for

upcoming issues to us at:



rdelgado@thewoofpack.com



Your feedback matters to us!





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Copyright 2008 by The Woof Pack.

All rights reserved.



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