Animals Unfolded

I felt him behind me before I heard him — the rumble of an old work truck, slowing down. "Hey there, old timer…" the driver called out, nodding at my charge that day: a 14-year-old Labrador with a fresh cancer diagnosis, osteoarthritis that had been along for the ride for a while now, and a muzzle so gray it looked like he'd stuck his face in a bowl of powdered sugar. I rolled my eyes — privately — then turned and gave a polite nod. Comments like that don't bother me much anymore. I've come to understand they're usually less about the dog and more about the person saying them — a reflexive way to deflect the discomfort of being reminded, out of nowhere, that life is short and bodies fail. I get it. There are bigger things to focus on. Like being safe. I don't see the world as a scary place. If you handle dogs for a living , you accept that it  can  be, under the wrong conditions — and that with training and skill, it's a lot less so. Defensive handlin...

I run up against a lot of carelessness in my day-to-day adventures with dogs. That has nothing to do with the dogs themselves, mind you. It’s always the humans: the unnecessary distractions on the biped’s part (usually because of mobile phones, and more on that in a minute), people who insist on interacting with my charges , dogs off-leash, the ‘ my dog is friendly !’ folks and most of all, the guardians that insist on using retractable leashes. Yes, that last one, oh, so annoying. And dangerous. I’ve written about retractables in the past ; while they seem like the perfect solution when walking a dog, the dangers are numerous and aren’t limited to the dog. Admittedly, I use them in some situations, but they are extremely rare. When my dog, Bruiser had been diagnosed with cancer, his sleep and potty schedule was off kilter. I found a retractable (one with an LED flashlight attached!) quite useful so that he could have some autonomy to go potty at any hour of the day/night, ...

Did you see this? A resourceful dog - a chocolate lab named Honey - satisfied her penchant for fresh fish after the Skokomish river near Seattle, WA flooded. The fish were, as you can see, were frantically swimming across the roadway and Honey promptly sauntered over, picked up a salmon and took off with it. Check out the video . While I was at it, I found some more video of a yellow lab having a ball on a fishing trip, too. Enjoy! Lorrie Shaw is a dog walker and owner of Professional Pet Sitting , and is a regular contributor to AnnArbor.com's pet section with her blog, More Than Four Walls , where she also wrote the popular blog post, " Take your dog to work day, 2010: A tale of two local dogs ". Reach her via e-mail and follow her on Twitter @psa2

Have you traveled with your big dog? Have you had problems finding accommodations , because of your dogs' size? I have traveled in the past with Gretchen, and used to take her to Traverse City each summer, as we traveled by car. We stayed at a motel and things worked out great. It was a little work, especially since we spent a lot of time at the beach - and getting her cleaned up and sand free before returning to the motel took only a little time. It was a blast, and some of my most treasured memories are from those vacations . There were times when other folks were a little put off by her size , but her calm demeanor and friendly disposition quickly won them over. Good training and careful attention to our proximity to other animals helped. Also, we made a point to not take her to places that were crowded or to do certain activities when it was too hot. Our motel was great, and very accommodating. Others, may be a bit ambiguous. There are others that I know are not so...

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Does your cat abide by the famous "three foot rule?" I don't know one that does! You know, when you're working at the kitchen counter, you step away and who is sitting right behind your feet but your faithful kitty. Ever walk through the house with a basketful of laundry and hear the familiar "screech/meow!" as you step on them, trip and maybe fall or twist your back. (Usually not harming the cat; their only mighty miffed by you not watching where you're going.) A few months ago I arrived at a clients' home to dog sit and knelt down (as I commonly do with all animals) to greet my charge, a lab mix. She was feeling especially enthusiastic that day and as I came down, she hopped up and banged me right underneath my eye. Ice pack! In our day to day activities at home , our pets are typically at our side and it's natural for them to be curious about what we're doing and to be close. One of my big rules at our house is that in the kitchen, the do...

With the warmer temperatures, we're all itching to get outdoors and do something - even our pets. Dogs need to get out stretch, bark - and run! Sure throwing a tennis ball is a fun game that not only my dogs love, but most of my clients. Want to amp it up a bit? Get a Chuck It ball launcher . This ingenious, simple tool is inexpensive, easy to use and fun for both human and dog alike. Available at pet stores everywhere, the washable, plastic device 'launches' a tennis ball with a simple arm motion - great for those dog owners who have range of motion issues . It's sure to make your dog a serious playaholic . The Chuck It drives our dogs insane with enthusiasm when we grab it and head outside. The best part? No more slobbery, spit covered hands from throwing a tennis ball.

I was reminded of a handy tip a short while ago... An acquaintance of mine was working with polyurethane a couple of days ago, dropped it and splashed everywhere, including on their skin. Pretty tough to remove, as you can expect! Vegetable oil or peanut butter is effective at removing polyurethane residue from your skin - simply rub either into your skin well, and wash off with liquid dish soap and rinse well. The same procedure can be applied to dogs and cats. Typically the polyurethane contamination occurs when curious pet wander through a freshly urethaned floor (which is usually done perfectly, right?), and their paws are just sticky with the mess. Be sure to rinse well and inspect all areas of the body, as the hydrocarbons in the poly can cause severe respiatory dysfunction and even death. As with all chemicals, there is a serious risk of poisoning when pets have had contact. Get in touch immediately with the ASPCA 's Emergency Veterinary Hotline: (888)426-4435

Heartworm (HW) infection is caused by a filarial (worm-like) organism, Dirofilaria immiti. The carriers are nearly 70 species of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes hosts the worm in it's larval stage , where it then may transmit it to it's wild or companion animal victim. Ferrets and dogs are highly susceptible; cats are somewhat resistant (but not entirely immune). Long story short, the larvae incubates in the mammalian host - and present themselves in the pulmonary arteries, typically. The chambers of the heart become impaired, affecting overall function. Symptoms include weight loss, shortness of breath, weakness, respiratory dysfunction (including cough) and death, possibly. Only your vet can diagnose heartworm. An antigen test , which is the most effective way to diagnose heartworm, is administered in your vet's office via a blood sample. Test results are usually quick. (Tests are done in-office in my experience.) Treatment options can only be determined by ...