Plastic Surgery for Pets?

Tummy tucks for Tinkerbell?  Fanny lifts for Fido? Is plastic surgery for pets the new wave of the future?

More pets are getting nipped and tucked.  According to an article on msnbc.com, some Hollywood-area veterinarians have received requests for just a little work on the family pet to spruce things up a bit. Dr. Alan Schulman, a board-certified orthopedic veterinary surgeon who has been dubbed "Veterinarian to the Stars" says that elective procedures are on the increase, although he indicates that he refuses to complete procedures that are purely cosmetic.

The article proceeds to list several procedures that some may consider "plastic surgery" while others say they are medically necessary.  You be the judge!

Skin-fold issues in a variety of breeds, such as bulldogs with a wrinkle over their nose, can lead to bacterial infections. Hmm....wrinkle free bulldogs?

Nose jobs in breeds like pugs, bulldogs and Boston terriers are done to alleviate breathing problems.

Eyelifts may be needed in breeds that tend to have congenital problems with their eyelids.

Chin lifts?  Yes...that can curb the excessive drooling in big dogs like Newfoundlands and Mastiffs. Ok. What would the movie "Beethoven" been without the copious amounts of drool?

Let's not forget orthodontia. I will be the first to say that dental care is important to both cats and dogs. It helps prevent periodonatal diseases that can lead to more serious health issues. And if a tooth has a cavity or is broken/cracked?  Sure...fix it or, more likely, pull it. But braces for dogs?  They are out there!

picture compliments of Dental braces for dogs

I won't deny that each of the above procedures has some validity as far as medical concerns go. But neuticals? (Fake testicles for your neutered pet).  Eye implants? I guess it is up to each owner to determine how much cash they want to spend on procedures that are purely cosmetic.

Exercise and Your Pets

I wish I can say Xena (dog) and Harley (cat) are resting after a vigorous round of exercise. No such luck. However, as a responsible pet parent I really need to do a better job of making sure they aren't turning into couch potatoes.

For both cats and dogs, 30 minutes of daily exercise is recommended. Some people may thing dogs are easier. Throw a leash on them and head for a walk.  Take a trip to the dog park. Or, as is usually the case at our house, put them out in the fenced back yard and let them run around. Xena has discovered the miracle of snow drifts this week, and three times has been found in the neighbor's yard after merely walking over the drift. So, our "normal" routine isn't working for us right now. Nor does a walk in this oh so chilly weather sound fun.

Harley, yeah...we can't get him to wear a collar without freaking out like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. There is NO WAY we are attaching the offensive device to a leash and going for a walk!  Like dogs, 30 minutes of daily exercise is best. (Petlane recommends three 10-minute intervals throughout the day). So, what can we do? 

In our house, Xena and Harley spend AT LEAST 30 minutes each day chasing each other up and down stairs to protect "their turf". That helps. Xena loves to play fetch. Well....at least the going to get the ball part; she isn't always so great about bringing it back.  Harley will chase a ball of foil for hours. Just like with little kids, they think they are just playing. Shhh....it is good for them!

Exercise reduces obesity which lessens the chances of diabetes. A healthy weight is better on your pet's joints. In a nutshell, being overweight can cause animals as many problems as humans.

Post your comment on your favorite way to exercise your pet when the weather isn't fit for man or beast. Any suggestions are welcomed!

Girl Scouts help Homeless Pets

I am a co-leader, along with 3 other wonderful moms, of a Junior Girl Scout troop. The highest award a Junior Girl Scout (4th and 5th graders) can earn is the Bronze Award. In addition to several pre-requisites, the girls have to complete 15 service hours each to receive the award.

Our 5th grade girls wanted to help pets. They decided they wanted to donate items to a local shelter, and then the fun began!  They attended a local pet adoption event this fall and talked with several rescue groups and shelters. There they decided they wanted to assist the Town and Country Humane Society. They had to complete two badges related to the project and all earned their "Pet Care" and "Wildlife" badges. They each earned their Junior Aide award by assisting with Daisies and Brownies in our troop. They also earned a Sign of the Star patch by completing various activities.  All of this was required BEFORE they could start working on the actual service project!

A few weeks ago we got the girls together and made homemade dog and cat treats. Everyone was amazed that we made over 500 treats for well under $20.

     Salmon treats are stinky!

Everyone took turns

Today the Juniors met with several of our younger girls to complete more of their hours. We created fleece blankets, rag rugs, dog tug toys, and happy socks (socks with stuffing and catnip). It was wonderful to see everyone working together, and amazing at how many items we could create with some donated items. We are helping the animals AND recycling!

One group worked on fleece blankets (made in several sizes)

Some cut strips for rag rugs...

And others made "happy socks"

The girls each have about 4 hours of work to complete their projects. With our luck, Claire was sick and unable to attend today so we will be doing some work at home. Next, we will apply for our Bronze Award, and hope that the girls will be presented with them at a ceremony in June. It is so rewarding to see them get involved in the community!

Living with a pet and pet allergies

Harley has been a great addition to our family, other than the fact that the warmth of my laptop seems to be a definite attraction, which makes typing a little difficult...

Harley wants to blog too!

Other than his tendency to hog the computer, Harley has one other little "issue" that I am learning to deal with. He makes me sneeze. And sniffle. And itch my eyes (ok...I know it is scratch my eyes, but that sounded too violent).

Who knew that a tiny little scratch from a cute little kitten claw could swell up in seconds and itch for forever?  Yep, it's true!

The funniest thing about all of this? I knew before I brought the cat home that I was allergic to cats. Ask me about the time I had a Petlane booth at a cat show...with 150 frisky felines in the room. Fun stuff!

So why, oh why allow Claire to have a cat? Well, they are both just so darn adorable!  I had been told by numerous people that they "knew someone" who had built up a tolerance to the pets they were allergic to. I hoped it was true, and it actually seems to be happening. I no longer swell when scratched. I'm down to 20 sneezes or so a day, and they are usually spaced pretty evenly...10 or so in the morning and another 10 or so late at night. When I'm in bed. Where the cat sleep. Hmmm...

On to the informative stuff. How can an allergic person live with the animal that makes them suffer?  Here we go. (I'm not a doctor. This is either stuff I read somewhere, heard somewhere, or seems to be working for me)

• Zyrtec-D.  Not Zyrtec...the "D" is critical. Not sure why, but it is, and it requires the signing of the "you can track me down in case I end up cooking meth with this stuff" at the pharmacy desk, but the stuff works.

• Maintain an allergy-free zone in your house. This was supposed to be our bedroom, but if you have been paying attention you already know we failed at this one.

• Frequent bathing of the pet. I've heard this alot. Haven't tried it yet. I'm scared. (and using Harley's recent neuter as my excuse)
• Try to keep the animal away from your face, and avoid touching your face after petting the animal.

• Some people choose to begin an allergy shot routine.

• A fellow "dance mom" says she has a "witch doctor" I can visit that will de-sensitize me. Um...not at this point!

Bottom line is this. A pet is a commitment. For YEARS. Claire will grow up and go to college, and I'd bet Harley will still be hanging with Mom and Dad. So this is not a decision to take lightly. Visit houses with pets, be exposed to them, etc before making the decision to bring one into your home. Pets are like kids. You can't give them back.

So, for now....every season is the season for sneezin' at the Watson house!

Never a dull moment!

We added a new pet to our small menagerie. Ok..can I truthfully call it a menagerie when there are only two pets? Regardless, Harley joined our family on December 23rd as an early Christmas present for Claire. He is a 5 month old orange/white tabby cat that we adopted from the Humane Society. He came with the name “Ringo” but was quickly renamed because according to Claire, “he purrs like a motorcycle”.

Already having one pet with a chronic illness, we hoped our luck would be better this time around. It is…maybe. At our first well-kitty checkup it was determined that Harley has a heart murmur. It doesn’t appear to be too significant and could be something he “outgrows”. Or, it could be something we will have to address as he gets older. For now, we hope for the best and our vet will continue to monitor with regular checkups.

Xena and Harley are getting along 23 hours out of every day. That other hour can be iffy if Harley wants to play and Xena doesn’t, or vise versa. They both seem to hold their own very well though and there hasn’t been any bloodshed. Xena loves having another family member, especially one with such yummy food. I don’t think she has touched her dog food more than a handful of times, as she quite often “sneaks” the cat food. I need to do some research as I’ve heard that can be bad, but so far no ill effects for either pet.

It has been alot of fun to get out some of the cat toys from my product box and watch Harley go to town. His favorite so far is the Kitty Calisthenics. During the day he zips across the room and pounces into it, then proceeds to roll around a bit as he bats at the dangling toys within. When he has calmed down, we canoften find him laying on top of it and smooshing it down to create a sort of hammock-like bed. It is adorable!

Did I mention I’m allergic to cats?! Stay tuned for further postings on how to live with a pet you are allergic to.