 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
               |
Ask Ella
Do I look fat in this collar???? Approximately 25% of dogs are overweight. Obesity in dogs can cause medical problems for the cardiovascular, respiratory and skeletal system. How to know if your dog is overweight? Rib Check: Place both of your thumbs on your dog's backbone and spread both hands across his rib cage. On an obese dog, you won't be able to feel the ribs through the fat covering, or will only be able to feel them when you exert significant pressure. Feeling your dog is important, as the coat of many dogs makes a visual check difficult.
Overhead Check: While observing your dog from overhead, see if you see a waist behind the ribs. An overweight dog will not have a discernible waist.
Ways to avoid obesity; Limit treats. Turn one biscuit into 3 treats. Avoid table scraps. Exercise your dog! A vet once said "If your dog is overweight, that means you're not getting enough exercise". Just like people they need to burn more calories than they take in. Measure their food. A healthy dog is a happy dog!!! www.fleacontrols.com/fleainfo.htm . Fleas are parasites, feeding directly on man or other warm-blooded animals. Usually you or your pet serves as these "hosts". A flea can jump 7-8 inches vertically and 14-16 inches horizontally. A skin reaction to a flea bite would be a slightly raised, red, itching spot. Sometimes bleeding does occur. Fleas usually require warm and humid conditions to develop. Due to the flea cycle and weather conditions many people don't realize they have a flea problem until they return home from vacation or a move to new premises and are confronted by "hungry fleas". There are several types of fleas but the most common is the cat flea (even on dogs). Fleas are attracted to body heat, movement, and carbon dioxide exhaled. Fleas go through a complete metamorphosis. There are four distinct stages: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult. Flea eggs are laid on the host or are deposited on the floor or ground surface. They also are often found in upholstery or pet's bedding. A female flea will continue to lay a few eggs every day until she has reached up to 200-400 eggs. These eggs will develop into flea larvae from 2 days to several weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity. Flea larvae are active and look like maggots. The larvae will feed on organic debris, but particularly like to feed on feces of the adult fleas. This "flea diet" contains undigested blood. The flea larvae are hard to spot and are found deep into the carpets or the cracks and crevices of floors and upholstery. They are very difficult to vacuum, becoming entwined in the carpet fibers. The next stage called the pupae will look like a cocoon, also hard to spot. No spray will kill flea pupae - but a vacuum cleaner can pull them up. Under warm conditions many adult fleas will emerge from this protective cocoon within 7-14 days, longer under less favorable conditions. This flea cycle from eggs through the adult stage is generally 30-60 days. It is critical to break the flea cycle as soon as possible. The insect growth regulators do break the cycle, but at the larvae stage. You have several weeks of the pupae, continuing to hatch out, so a good residual insecticide is needed to kill the emerging adults. Many times you need to spray the residual insecticide again, because the emerging pupae can be very forceful. Whenever you see adult fleas crawling on your pet, it is only a symptom of a much larger problem. Current studies indicate that adult fleas account for only 5% of the total flea population in any given situation. Eggs account for 50%, larvae account for about 35%, and the remaining 10% are the pupa cocoons. That means that for every single adult flea living on your dog or cat, there are 10 eggs, 7 larvae, and 2 cocoons. These various life cycle stages will be found anywhere in the pet's environment, but will be most concentrated in the areas that the pet spends most of its time. Remember, when the adult flea on the pet lays an egg, it will fall off the hairs in just a few minutes - very similar to them sowing "seeds". So, areas where the pet sleeps or lies around will have the most eggs. If the pet usually walks through certain paths (either indoors or outdoors), there will also be a substantial amount of eggs scattered in those areas. What this means is that environmental flea control must be spread over the pet's entire environment, focusing on the areas the pet spends the majority of his or her time. FLEA & TICK INFO My belief is that knowledge is power; therefore, I'd like to refer you to a few of the websites that I trust and have learned a great deal from regarding flea and tick control, prevention and treatment. www.Drsfostersmith.com has a question and answer department as well as an overview of the different flea and tick treatments and preventatives. Remember, prevention is the key! www.k9advantix.com has a web page dedicated just to ticks and another one dedicated to fleas. The best part of K9advantix is it remains effective after repeated swimming and bathing. Please note though, K9advantix is TOXIC to cats and should not be used anywhere near them. www.frontline.us.merial.com focuses on the flea and tick life cycle and how the topical solutions interrupt the multiplying process. www.ah.novartis.com is a website that focuses on the monthly pill, Sentinel. Sentinel is used for the prevention and control of flea populations and the prevention of heartworm. It also controls roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms in dogs. Sentinel has to be prescribed by your veterinarian because a yearly heartworm test is required before continuing on a heartworm preventative. www.peteducation.com has a web page that breaks down each flea and tick control product that's currently available. There's a chart, which illustrates the active ingredient in each product as well as the dosage and administration, the effects, and any comments regarding the product.
Dear Ella, My dad is Mr. Efficient and he's always trying to hit two birds with one stone, so to speak. Well, when he showers he hauls me in the shower with him and soaps me down with HIS shampoo. Is this okay??? Signed, Mr. Worried Hey, MW: I gave your letter to Teri, our wonderful groomer, and she said that there are several reasons why this isn't a good idea. Human shampoo will dry your skin and fur which will aggravate skin & coat problems. Skin conditions often require special formulations that are not available in human products. Dog skin reproduces more quickly than human skin, making it more susceptible to skin turnover problems. Your hair follicles have multiple hair shafts that make the follicles more prone to blockage by debris or Sebum (a waxy oil your skin secretes which contributes to an accumulation of dirt, supporting the growth of bacteria, skin diseases, and offensive odors). Choosing a moisturizing shampoo, spray or conditioner made especially for your particular fur and skin is a must! Dear Ella, When my mom & I go out for a walk after work I'm always excited to go, but then when I see another 4-legged kid coming towards us I go nuts & start barking. My mom calls it sidewalk rage and gets all upset, then she's pulling on my leash and then I'm upset & I start barking lots more. What's going on?? Love, Slick.
Dear Ella, last week I came into Paradise to board for my first time, I was nervous and developed some diarrhea the first day I was there. Your manager gave me two Imodium to help me out and made sure I drank lots of water. I was fine the next day and had a wonderful time with you and all my new friends. The problem is, I came home yesterday and had to get back into my “home” routine and of course having to adapt to change… which means I once again developed diarrhea….is this normal?” Love, Fancypants Dear FancJ…sorry, I have to smile. Yes, this is normal – and generally it will clear up within a day or two, just make sure to drink lots of water! Here’s a tip though for the future ~ don’t eat the first night you return home from Paradise unless you were only fed breakfast here. The reason I say that is our schedule is to eat early in the afternoon and your system isn’t used to an evening feeding. Also, an evening feeding means you’re getting more food than your stomach can handle which can also result in diarrhea. So make sure to ask your parents to ease you back into your normal home schedule starting the day after you return and emphasize that the “pleading” look on your face is not for food but for an extra scratch under the chin and an evening walk! Love, Ella. Dear Ella, My vet has recommended that I get the Bordatella vaccine every six months ~ what do you think about that? Love, Missy Dear Missy, I know it’s another trip to your vet and the ol’ squirt up the nose bit, but around here they think it’s a good idea too. Mom’s puttin’ together some kind of handout that talks about kennel cough in general and Bordatella especially. It’ll be sent out in addition to the monthly newsletter and in the reception room as well. Des & I get the Bordatella vaccine every six months - my vet requires it, but that’s okay because I know my immune system is at its highest when the summer hits and that’s cold & flu season for dogs. Mom says, “According to the AAHA website (commonly used among vets) the Bordatella vaccine is good for about 9 months and then it starts to weaken.” I know I want to be fully protected all 12 months! The winter months are when our folks are concerned about flu and colds. Lots of folks get flu shots before winter hits in order to boost their immune system – your folks might’ve too. Doing this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not going to get the flu, but they probably won’t get it as bad, it won’t last as long, & they shouldn’t contract the nuisance viruses (sniffle & sneeze) that come along off & on. Summer (June – Aug) appears to be the cold & flu season for dogs. It rains a lot, everything is blooming & growing, and viruses don’t have a chance to get wiped out by a cold spell. The weaker your immune system, the more chance you have of contracting a cold virus. If you’ve gotten a “flu shot” (Bordatella) within 6 months of summer, there’s a really good chance you also can avoid the nuisance viruses that come along (and better yet, avoid the flu.) Remember though, it takes 7 days (some vets say 14 days) for the vaccine to become effective, so to be safe, tell your folks you want it now for the summer. Love, Ella.
Dear Ella, My dad takes me out for my nightly walks and sometimes when I come home he finds ticks on me. Is there anything we can do? Love, Chipper Dear Chipper, Ticks, ticks, everywhere are ticks. Those little suckers are just jumpin’ out all over. And being the furry creature that I am, I’m ALWAYS getting checked for ticks! Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t mention them, including vets, groomers, trainers, and pet sitters; AND at dog parks and in daycare and everywhere! Mom says the best way to avoid them all together is to move to Minneapolis where the snow & ice has wiped them all out – can you imagine? But my Dad would never go there and so we stay here in sunny Florida and deal with bugs, lots of bugs. In case you were wondering, here at Paradise the maintenance folks spray the trees, bushes, and grounds for fleas and ticks on a monthly basis and the staff thoroughly cleans the rooms top to bottom on a daily basis. But most importantly, everyone who comes into Paradise is required to be on a flea and tick preventative at all times. Prevention is the key and when your mom or dad removes YOU as a food source to these critters, that’s the BEST way to avoid a flea and tick infestation. They do that by getting you on a really good prevention program. My mom applies my K9 Advantix (not to be used on cats!) every 3 weeks. I go to pond party twice a week and get bathed once a week, so she thinks it’s more effective this way. She also takes 10 minutes to apply it. First she parts my hair up near my neck and applies a small bit directly on my skin. She then parts my hair all the way down my back in small increments and applies it in small amounts (again, right on the skin). She feels doing it this way causes the solution to go directly into the oil glands and not have to soak through my hair first. Also, I don’t have a big greasy spot between my shoulder blades. I can’t get wet for 72 hours following the application so that week I only get one pond party. Last, but not least, I also get to wear a necklace! It’s a beautiful, tan colored collar that prevents ticks from even wanting to get on my body. Mom says it’s called Preventic and it provides a full 3 months of added protection! Ooops, Angie’s calling me so I’ve got to run ~ everyone’s had lunch and it’s off to the fields we go!! Love, Ella
Ask Ella Dear Ella, “I have this totally rad-looking spike collar and I want to wear it when I come to Paradise. Dad’s ok with it, but mom says no. What do you think (you’d love it!)”…….Karma. Hey Karma, “Sure, Des & I’d love to see it, but the managers say no….too many kids roll around with each other and it’s way dangerous I guess. They have collars for sale in the reception room here (Lisa asked me to put in a plug for them!)”…See you soon, Ella.
Dear Ella, “I know it’s a long time until Halloween, but I have an idea for one of the contests, “Best Tail Wag.” I’m sure my dog is crossed with a cat, because when I try to teach him to sit up or fetch or even stay, he just looks at me like “I’ll get back to you.” But, when I say “treats,” his tail & butt go off the Richter scale. I know he’d win!!….Love Ernie. Dear Ernie, I asked my Dad what he thought of this new contest idea and he said to tell your dog to “get his rear in gear” ‘cause he’s in the lineup!!” Love, Ella.
Dear Ella, "My name is Kristie and I'm a big dog and I play at the Gatehouse. My mom is new at dropping me off for daycare and wants to be sure I'm having a good time. She watches me watch her car when it's leaving and she's afraid I'm feeling sad. How can I tell her that I am having lots of fun with my new people and dog friends??
Dear Kristie, "Please tell your mom that when you're new, it's normal for you to watch her & her car as she drives away. Moms & Dads sometimes misread "watching eyes" for "sad eyes". You and I and the dog handlers here at Paradise know that as soon as her car is through the gate, you will immediately and instinctively turn around to find someone to follow now. That's why the handlers are always there to greet you at the gate - so you won't be alone and you'll know immediately that they're there for you. If you come just once in a while, you will have "watching eyes" a lot. Dogs that come often learn that the handler is their new leader/friend for while they're here and most of the dogs run eagerly through the gate to become part of playtime! I hope you'll come back often - I love playing with you & the other big dogs (especially in the pole barn field!!)" ~ Ella McConnell Ask Ella Dear Ella, “ Why do we need to put Max’s food in all those plastic bags – especially when he’s there two weeks… can’t we just use a scoop & bring a bag of food?” Dear Max’s Mom, “When mealtime comes, we get your baggie of food, pour it into a stainless steel bowl, and put your baggie with your name on it on top of your bowl and it’s ready to go. If we had to scoop everyone’s food & write names on pieces of paper, you would have to wait much longer for us to get everyone’s breakfasts & dinners ready. We appreciate the moms & dads who help us with this!” ~ Ella McConnell Ask Ella Dear Ella, for day care, do I need to pre-register or do you accept drop in's? I have only used your overnight/long care in the past. Also, how much does it cost? Thank you ~ Heidi's mom.
Dear Heidi's Mom.... Reservations are not necessary for daycare. Pets coming in for daycare just need to be dropped off between 7 a.m. and noon and picked up by 6:30 p.m. on weekdays. On Saturday they may be dropped off between 7 - 10 a.m. and then picked up between 3 - 5 p.m. There is no daycare on Sunday.
The large dogs are dropped off with Paul at the Gatehouse gate. It is helpful when you are driving to Paradise to call us when you are about 5 minutes or so away so that Paul can anticipate your arrival and meet you at the gate if at all possible. Just tell him "Heidi is here for daycare". (Small dogs are dropped off at the office)
Daycare dogs are not fed during the day because we assume they eat before and/or after they come in. They are taken out every hour and a half for play and exercise so by the end of the day you should have a tired Heidi!
When you return to Paradise to pick Heidi up, you'll need to come to the office to pay for her day - at that time we'll announce to Paul that Heidi is going home. The cost is $22.00. Or, you may just want to give Paul a check for payment at the gate - again, it's helpful if you can call a little ahead of time and let us know you're getting close to Paradise and Paul will try to anticipate your arrival.
If you'd like to bring Heidi for a whole week (5 days), it's only $90 - that means you can come Friday for only $2.00!! Hope to see you soon! Ella
Ask Ella Dear Ella, “My mom would like to know what kind of doggie treats your dad & mom give the big dogs at Paradise. I haven't gotten any treats since the dog food scare – she threw out every treat I had here (bummer!). So, since I spend more time at Paradise than at home, she wants to buy me the kind of treats you guys give out.”……Jewel (large dog). Dear Jewel, “Because you come here so much, you know that the kids here aren’t given any treats (unless they’re specifically brought by their mom or dad, so thanks for writing and letting me tell her. There are lots of kids here with all kinds of food allergies and so the Paradise policy is "NT" (No Treats- from Paradise). If your mom or dad sends them with you, the treat will be given to you with your food at mealtime. That way it's not obvious to the other kids that someone’s getting anything "special". Sometimes the DH (Dog Handler) or PC (Paradise Companion – title for newbies who haven’t become DH’s yet) is asked to put the treat underneath the food so the kid has to dig for it! I guess it’s that “eat your meal first” thing parents try to force on us!! …...Ella P.S. My mom & dad give me & Destiny natural oat biscuits.…not very exciting, but better than nothin’ I guess. Dear Ella, “The first time I came to play at Paradise I scared my mom when she couldn’t even get me up to go outside to poop after I got home. I was too pooped to poop!! Even the next day I was a real couch potato and that was REALLY strange! On the third day I was my old self and couldn’t wait to go back to Paradise to play with my friends again. Is this normal?”…..Elvin (small dog). Dear Elvin, “Totally! New small kids that come here are lots of times coming right out of their folk’s couches, beds, chairs, chaise lounges, and laps and have been carried around a whole lot and don’t get lots of exercise at home. (I hit my “we can’t lift you” weight at about 6 months and that ended my being carried-around days!!) Some little kids even come to Paradise without leashes because they never had one! Their folks buy them one so they can walk them into Paradise….Ella P.S. You can always tell who’s lucky and gets carried a lot ‘cause their leashes are brand new!!
Dear Ella, Dear Dixie, “My mom says that 1/2 cup dry in the morning and 1/2 cup dry in the evening is plenty for you guys. She says wet food is more for taste and has a lot of extra calories. She said to tell you, “Ella doesn’t eat wet food at all and doesn’t miss it a bit” (her words) Just between you & me it’s still pretty cool to stumble into a morsel now & then – but I know she wants the best for me!”….Ella
Ask Ella Dear Ella, “Hi! My name is Lucy and I stay at the gate house about once a week with the larger dogs. My owner would like to know why I've been coming home with colored ribbons on my collar lately. Do they indicate which room I was in, or my disposition for that day? She has heard both and is confused. I told her it's because I'm Paul's favorite, but she's not buying it. Can't blame a dog for trying :-)” Hey Lucy, “My mom said they're not a mood indicator (but that might not be a bad idea). Like people, dogs that are usually pleasant & agreeable can have "moments" too. Especially during the full moon - boy, did I hear lots about that during the last full moon!! Me & Destiny got put into "time out" ~ older sisters can be so grouchy! Anyway, Mom said that the ribbons are given to show what playgroup you will be in that day. Every day we have different kids come to Paradise and each day they are put into the right playgroup for that day. I think the handlers do a super job of putting us in our groups & you'll always be on Paul's good side if you stay inside the fence ~.which you do! ~ Ella (p.s. Paul likes pizza if you're thinkin' of a bribe for extra playtime!)
Dear Ella –
I wanted to give you a break from answering questions. This letter
is just to tell you how much fun I had at daycare this week. What an
adventure! I was doing what I like best – grazing in the grass –
when I found this little, cute fuzzy thing to play with. I even
caught it in my mouth. What fun! Maybe the fuzzy thing (I think I
heard them call it a “bee”) was tired and didn’t want to play,
because it stung me on my gum. I was so surprised, I swallowed it!
Dear AJ: “Wow, Dude - you sure looked funny that day you were in here in the special needs room – I heard someone say, “That’s a golden retriever??” You sort of looked like a golden with a Sharpei head. I’m glad I got to see you before the swelling went down cause you KNOW I’m not gonna eat one of those fuzzy things!” ~ Ella. P.S. Mom says she gave you Benedryl and she’s glad to know you’re back to normal. Dear Ella, I’m Midnite & Margie’s mom and we’re going on a cruise and want to give a “thank you” tip to the dog handlers when we come back. What would be appropriate? Dear M&M’s Mom, “The other day I heard my dad tell someone that there isn’t anything “appropriate” here for tips. He said, “After your cruise just put in whatever’s left over in your pocket (if folks are going to Las Vegas he suggested they do it before the trip)! ~ Ella P.S. It’s way cool laying here on the couch all day and they think I’m asleep all the time. They get really chatty when I’m on my back and have all four legs in the air! Dear Ella, "How come when I get home from having my bath and my nails trimmed, my dad doesn't think I got them cut 'cause they don't look that much different??" ~ Signed, Stubby Dear Stubs, "I asked Teresa, the small dog manager, on this one because my nails are manicured and I wasn't sure. She said that if your nails are pretty long they can only cut the tips off because the longer the nail is, the longer the "quick" inside the nail is and then the nail can only be cut back just to the quick ~ if she cut into the quick it would make your nail bleed and that would feel bad for you and for her. Each time the nail is cut "to the quick", as they say, the quick will retract and then you can have your nails cut again in about a week. If your dad wants you to have shorter nails, you'll have to get them cut more often. (By the way, here a nail trim is only $5.00!) Love, Ella. (ed note: Ella's nails are not manicured & I've told her to quit telling you that ~ Paul cuts her nails same as the rest :-) ts.a
P.S. You know, just between you & me,
that rectal thing isn't as bad as it sounds, however, if you
want to get an ear one you can purchase it at
www.PetEdge.com
Dear Ella, "I sort of freak out a bit (actually a lot) when it's lightning ~ what do you do at Paradise when it's lightning?? ~ Frightened Freddie (large dog).
Dear Freddie, "Gosh, Florida sure does have lots of lightning and it's kind of scary to me too ~ but at the Manager's meeting the other day I heard Paul say that all of the houses are "grounded" and the big generators that can run electricity in the houses for many days are both "grounded" too. I know that the dog handlers calmly scoot everyone into their playrooms when lightning is coming. Then we have our country western music to drown out the kabooms and we can't see the flashes of light through the covered windows. Also, most of the kids here don't care about the lightning & thunder and I've found personally that being in with them helps me be calm too." Wish I had more space to write, but they only gave me this much, so I'm going to play in the pole barn field!" ~ Love, Ella
 Dear Ella,
"What's the funnest thing about coming to Paradise? Should I bring
some of my toys?" Love, Annie.
Dear Annie, "Guess what - we have lots of fun stuff that goes on here and some of it doesn't have anything to do with what your folks might buy! Yesterday I watched Ishka Bibble (true name) get out of his car and run right over to chase a squirrel up a tree! Bibble circled the tree a few times and then when Paul called him to the gate he immediately left the squirrel tree (honest!) and ran right over to the gate and through to go play with the other kids. We have tunnels and hills and trees and lots of fun grass to play & roll in and when the kids are in the play/sleeping rooms they have Paradise toys to play with if they want. We have play equipment, agility equipment & lots of ball throwing - but if you aren't real athletic, it's still fun to sit in the shade and watch some of these kids who think they're hot stuff!! Love, Ella
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
