Winterizing. Getting the Pets Prepared.

In southern Pennsylvania over the last few days the thermometer has taken a dive into the frosty chilly winter digits. For us the end of October signals the coming of winter, the holidays, and the approaching end of another year.

The last few weekends have been dedicated to moving plants from their sunny spots on the open deck to the steady temperate enclosure of the house.

Jackets and corduroy has replaced the t-shirts and shorts and the days grow shorter quickly.

For us the preparation for winter also includes the pets.

As the days grow colder and shorter we all spend more and more time sleeping. For Jekyll sleeping is a coveted art form that he excels at. To get him ready for winter we exchange the cotton sheets for flannel, and his reflective collar (or Halloween collar) and monitor him with with the close eye of a paranoid worrisome mom. The fall brings out the hunters and Jekyll lacks the ability to distinguish welcomed guests from men with guns who are not out in the woods to meet small friendly beagle puppies.

Whether its fleece, flannel or faux fur, Jekyll knows how to stay warm and comfie!

A 18 years old Savannah needs a jacket to keep her warm. As all pets age they lose muscle mass and fat. These are super important to keep you warm. I also keep a harness on her. The harness helps her stay upright and walk easier. She has lost a significant amount of muscle in her back legs so the extra support and guidance through a harness that is directly around her primary legs to provide her ambulation is key.

Normal dogs carry about 60% of their body weight on their front legs, For Savannah I would estimate that this number is actually much higher. When we pick her up and place her down we use her harness as a handle. It prevents her from tea kettling over. It also makes her feel much more secure when being handled.

Savannah gets her fleece jacket with reflective collar so she is easily visible in lower light although she is NEVER off leash. She wanders and doesn't hear or see well anymore.  She also gets a thorough end of summer grooming to remove any shedding hair and keep her skin healthy under the jackets.

Remember to change your dogs jackets daily. Sores from chaffing and laying on bony joints happen and a jacket will keep them covered and hidden. Your older pet should be monitored very closely for these.

I make sure that her nails are trimmed, her teeth are looking good and her coat is brushed and healthy.

For older dogs these things become more and more their parents responsibility.

For Savannah  the maintenance of coat, nails, and teeth is my job. Her ability to walk is hard already due to her decreased muscle mass, arthritis and lethargy. All are normal for a dog her age. The challenge is to keep her active and happy.

For Jitterbug, my cat who found us, and refuses to become a domesticated inside only cat, I keep many places around the house where he can find shelter and warmth. He comes inside every night and on days that it is cold or rainy. But he is his own master. I worry about him and watch him very closely.

Because he is outside daily I keep him on a heartworm, flea/tick, and parasite preventative. Those pets who come and go are moving vans to transporting unwanted blood sucking parasites into your home. As the weather gets cold all creatures seek warmer options. Your home is their best choice, so try to keep them outside the front door.

The Jitterbug

For cats remember to check teeth, nails, ears, and coat. As winter approaches cats coats will get thicker and fuller. Any cat that is outside should also be checked regularly for any matted or tangled hair. Outside cats will often get burs, sticks, or other debris caught in their coat.

It is also very important to mention that all pets should be microchipped. It is your best way of getting them back home to you should they wander, be abducted, or become lost and found. 

The last signs of flowers.
The tiny specks of pink cyclamen.
Keeping the squirrel's food company.

Our biggest winterizing challenge is keeping Strawberries house warm and dry.

She is ample thick enough to ward off the subfreezing cold. But the below zero days she will stay buried in her house under a pile of straw. I tell people that my pig composts herself all winter. Inside her house with all of the windows closed and her dog door closed it is always about 50 degrees F. Inside her hay pile it is about 70. The only problem is keeping her fed, hydrated, and using the outside bathroom facilities.

If the snow falls we shovel her a path outside to keep her walkway clear. Her legs are about 6 inches long remember. She has no ability to snowshoe on little hooves. 

Can you see Strawberry?

For her snow maneuverability she does get very good traction on those little horned toes. So as the snow approaches it is important to give her a hoof trim that will keep her flat footed on the icy slippery ground.

She looses her summer hair early and as the fall advances gets a thick course hair coat. Between that and her thick skin and inches of fat she is well suited (and actually quite happy) in the winter. (Keeping her from overheating in the summer is the bigger challenge).

To keep her fed and hydrated every winter meal is made into a soupy-gruel-like consistency. This insures she is hydrated and warm.

I always make sure that she knows her food is delivered, that she is walking well, and give her a quick look over at every feeding. As soon as she is done her meal she heads back inside.

Strawberries house is cleaned, new shavings are put down in a thick layer to absorb any bathroom mishaps, and bales of straw line her whole interior. This provides a thick layer of insulation. Over the winter I pull apart the bales to provide bedding, and additional warmth.

Of course the pups always help with all of the around the house chores.

After the work is done we get to decorate! And Halloween is pumpkin time!

My mom and I with our first trunk load of pumpkins!

Decorating the front gate.

Our second load of pumpkins!
Delivered by Pumpkin Santa and his helper in the farm vehicle.

And the front porch (aka dog perch porch).

My best model, Wren.
She is always by my side, and in almost every picture.
Like it or not..(I Love it!)

Have a wonderful fall everyone! 

If you have any pet questions you can find me, and a whole bunch of talented others, at Pawbly.com.

House Cleaning, Pig-Pen Style.

Today is Friday, July 5th, 2013.

Yesterday, the Fourth of July the clinic was closed so we all got a day off and a reason to hit the pool parties, fireworks, and barbecues. I took full advantage of all!

Today, is the second day of my long weekend and the first official day of the long To-Do list.

At the top was pig house cleaning.

Now I realize most people don't have a pet pig, but, most of us have pets, and all of those pets need a scheduled cleaning and exam.

For the dog people out there I recommend the following schedule:

• Puppy. Visit the vet within 3 days of adopting your new pup. See puppy primer.
• Puppy. Visits for vaccines based on the puppy visit schedule your vet prescribes.
• Puppy. Set up a schedule for nail trimming, grooming, tooth brushing on a calender. You may also need anal sac visits, ear cleaning, skin fold maintenance and behavior classes. Schedule as needed for as long as is needed.
• Adulthood. Yearly veterinary visits, which may include; fecal examinations, dental cleanings, heartworm, and tick borne disease tests, urinalysis, blood screenings, set up monthly heartworm and flea and tick prevention schedule. Discuss any items to be addressed before the next yearly examination. (This may include re-checks, bi-annual exams, maintenance of persistent or chronic problems, like allergies, arthritis, heart or other disease monitoring, etc.).
• Senior. Bi-annual examinations to better monitor onset or progression of disease or change in health or ability.

My point is to remind all of us that a coordinated and agreed upon schedule is the best way to avoid time sneaking up on us and problems slipping through the cracks of our ever busy lives. 

Every aspect of our pets care benefits from a thorough understanding of what is needed when and how to do it efficiently.

A few very good examples will follow in the next few blogs.

It is always my hope that I can educate my clients to understand, identify and address their pets needs before they get out of hand and need my intervention.

For my house my pet pig, Strawberry, this is; spring hoof trimming (ugh, the drama of that. pig hoof trimming, .), summer housecleaning, and fall is winter prepping. I also check on her daily when I feed her. Everyday is a quick visual exam and careful monitoring for her overall health and mentation.

I watch her walk to her food bowl.

• Is she walking comfortably and in a direct path? Is she using all feet equally and fluidly? Are her hooves too long? 
• Are there any wounds, scratches, or evidence of bruising, hair loss, or drainage from eyes, ears, mouth, etc.
• Does she seem bright, alert, responsive, AND happy? This is an assessment of mental health and mental well-being.
• Does she dive into her food..let me tell you, for a pig, or my beagle this is the one sure sign that they are feeling good. 

I check her house to make sure it is safe, sound, clean, and comfy.

Strawberry's house is emptied from all of the hay that insulates her house during the winter.

For your pet remember to clean bedding, toys, clothes, bowls, and their coat, nails, teeth, anal sacs, ears, etc. on a routine set schedule.

For dogs I recommend;

• Daily. Monitor for mentation, eating, ambulating, hearing, seeing, attitude, sleep behavior, teeth, urination and defecation, etc. Clean food and water bowls.
• Weekly. Monitor, ears, nails, coat. Brush and comb out the coat. Clean bedding. Check all toys, wash or dispose of if damaged.
• Monthly. Provide monthly flea & tick and heartworm prevention. Check grooming schedule. Check yearly, or bi-annual schedule for veterinary needs. Check all pets identification collar, tags, leashes. Replace any that need to be.
• Yearly. Check microchip and confirm information with microchip provider. Plan for the next month and year. Discuss your pets care with your veterinarian at your visit. 

For cats the same schedule applies except I would add; 

• Weekly. Change and clean litter boxes. Add fresh catnip to scratching mats. Clean out the water fountains. 
• Monthly. New scratching mats. Fresh grass to grow in the cats flower pots.

Food is the best way to get pig out of her house so it can be overhauled.

Watermelon is the best summer snack for pigs.
Lots of water and fun to eat!

A clean house, new hay, and fly tapes.

 For those of you that have a pig, or an outside pet. It is imperative to have a shady spot, a safe protected house, unlimited always available fresh water, and a place to hide, or retreat to, if needed.

Strawberry may not be the most popular pet in America, but she shares basic needs that all of our pets do. Like all of my pets, I am responsible for her health and well-being, and I love her for the independent self-reliant little bundle of obstinacy that she is.

The best care that you can give your pets is to be attentive to them. Whether you are two or four legged, toed or hooved, we all need food, housing, attention, medical and emotional care.

This is an interactive blog! Please comment any items that you check with your pet. And please share your thoughts, experiences, and pet stories with me. I can be reached anytime @pawbly, pawbly.com or here, at KMDVM.blogspot.com.

Have a wonderful summer everyone!