Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Back From Our Backpacking Trip with Miles

Just got back yesterday from our seven day backpacking trip with Miles in the incredibly beautiful Gila Wilderness. We are so lucky to have this area virtually in our back yard. Even if you live back East you should consider a visit if you love the back country. Drop a few bucks with our local merchants on the way in.

There are so many memories from the trip it's hard to pick one to get started with. Miles had a wonderful time of course. There is nothing quite like the unfettered freedom of the wilderness for a dog like Miles. We were fortunate to have had some test runs with him and we used all that learning to good advantage.

A Holistic Approach to Nutrition

I've done a series of posts over on the pet insurance blog about a new approach to nutrition being advocated by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN). The latter group is made of of board certified Veterinary Nutrition specialists.

 Most ACVN members practice at university teaching hospitals at Veterinary colleges around the country. Others work in specialty referral practices or for pet food companies helping formulate and develop new diets. Purina has several on staff and consulting arrangements with many more around the country and the world.

Back Packing Tune up For Miles

Chris and I took Miles up to visit Alice, Phil and Martha at the fire lookout tower on Hillsboro Peak last weekend. It was Miles' first trip to the peak and a great opportunity to do a test run for our week long backpacking trip coming up.

I really wanted to nail down how much food Miles would need and make sure his new pack was working out well. We learned other valuable lessons, too.

The new pack worked well. We've had problems with other packs. We bought one from REI that looked really good in the store, but didn't hold up well on the trail. Both Miles and Alice have torn the saddle bags off these packs by hanging them up in brush.

Figuring Out How Much To Feed Your Pet

In the last post, I went through a convoluted process tying to figure out how much food to take for Miles on our upcoming backpacking trip. It can be tricky, especially when you consider the tremendous variation in caloric need created by different activity levels.

For most people it should be easier.

There are basically two ways to arrive at a starting point for how much to feed a pet. I say starting point because there can be significant variation in caloric need even in dogs and cats of similar weight and activity levels. That's important because most problems with excess weight happen because an owner feeds slightly more than a dog or cat needs over a prolonged period of time. As few a 15 extra calories a day over a year can add up to several excess pounds.

Fixing Fido: A Film About Man's Best Friend

A few days ago I wrote about Amazon Cares, a fantastic group working to care for all living being in the Peruvian Amazon region. As anyone who regularly reads this blog knows, we are in favor of better health for all - but especially for the least among us: our dear anipals and pets.

Well, Amazon Cares is affiliated with a group called Fixing Fido - A Feature Film about Man's Best Friend.  WARNING: Some images may be and should be disturbing to view!

From the site: "The stench of garbage, meat and fish overpower the air at the Belen meat market alongside the rising waters of the Amazon. River. Barefoot children crowd the streets helping their families sell their wares.

A Visit to the Chiropractor

Who knew...that chiropractors could also benefit our pets? Almost seems like common-sense but we do know that the differences between humans and pets are nothing to sneeze at. For instance, we must be more responsible with pet food and treats. Our pets are NOT garbage cans...allowing them the table scraps or a bite of our chocolate chip cookie could cause major health issues. (great interview at this link, with Michael Gleason from 1998 - on this topic)

But, what about their aches and pains? Dogs and cats don't come to us whining with that, "I hurt," look on their face for the most part. They endure. Yet, observant pet parents know when Fluffy and Fido are not themselves, and when that limp is more than just a minor twist of the paw.

Old Dogs and Old Cats: Moving A Bit Slower

This week's Scratchings and Sniffings Out Loud podcast with Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry revolves around arthritis in our dogs. And, somewhat in our cats. Both animals are much like humans in the way they age - old age brings creaky bones with it.

In our podcast, we learn that exercise and diet go a LOOOooonnggg way to heading this off at the pass. While arthritis is not preventable, we can "treat" it - at least make ourselves and our pets more comfortable. Better yet, with the proper diet and exercise, old age doesn't have to make us old.

Listen up as Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry tell us how to keep our dogs and cats young, for as long as possible:

Our Aging Pets: Why Nutrition is so important for them

Truth is, nutrition is vitally important throughout our dog's and cat's lives. We know that, right? But, do we understand what it really means? Are we, as pet parents, actually paying attention to the health benefits of a proper diet?

I know that I have been guilty of grabbing the cheapest bag of dog food, in the past. (long past - I haven't done that in many years) But today I concentrate on the needs of my cat, Wabby, who graces these pages now and then with her grumblings. And, when we adopt dogs, Tom and I will be selective about their diet. (I promise we'll try not to share too much people food, Dr. Larry - really, I promise!)

Dream Big for the Dogs

Beneful, one of Nestle Purina's dog food brands, is holding a national video contest that invites dog folks to create their own dog park. They're giving asking us what we'd do if we had $500,000 dollars to create the "dream dog park."

"The Beneful WagWorld Dream Dog Park Contest, which launched May 3, invites dog owners to submit a short video (less than 2 minutes) at Beneful Dream Dog Park that answers the question: If you had $500,000 to create the ultimate dream park for you and your dog, what would you do? Entrants must also describe in 100 words or less how a makeover of their neighborhood dog park would enhance their daily adventures with their dogs.

Miles Gets The Runs

OK, I know that's kind of a gross title for a post, but I learned at Blog Paws the importance of an attention getting headline. I thought about something like, "Miles Experiences an Episode of Diarrhea" but that was too clinical. Miles gets the shi???s was a little too racy for a family blog.

You can probably tell that I'm not too concerned about this development. Stuff happens to dogs and cats from time to time.

 

Diarrhea is one of the most common conditions that result in a veterinary visit. It is a little disconcerting to hear the news from the owner of the boarding facility, as we are on the road, but considering Miles' penchant for eating anything he comes across, It's not surprising that he gets a little GI upset every so often.