Rusty-Dawg Pet Products has attended a few events to support local rescue groups this past summer. On July 23rd we attended Take the Plunge with Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services, donating a portion of our sales that day to BHRR! It was a great day, wonderful to spend it with such a caring group of people and the rescue dogs that BHRR brought with them for the day were so well behaved.

On Sept 18th we attended the Ottawa Westie Walk & Fun Day. The weather was perfect, they had more Westies in attendance this year than they did last year and the day was a huge success! Jingles, my 20 yr old Beagle, came with us that day as an honorary Westie & he was so well behaved! I was very impressed with how good my ole boy was :)

Coming up this weekend, Oct 1st, we're going to be at the International Greyhound Planet day! It promises to be a fun filled day! We'll be selling a variety of items ranging from collars and leashes, to dehydrated treats, to deer antler chews and more! My prices at these events are always discounted and they include HST as well!

The last event for this year is being hosted by Under My Wing Pug Rescue & it's their 6th Annual Howl-O-Ween PugStock! I can't wait! I'll have special deals that day as well and I'll be bringing Jingles with me. He's going to dress up, but I'm not sure as what yet! It has to be something "bad" because the older he gets, the badder he gets :)

I really hope to see some of Rusty-Dawg's supporters at Greyhound Planet Day & PugStock!

Always Get a 2nd Opinion!

Jingles has had a few bad episodes this month. When it happens he can barely lift his head, his right side gets very weak and he has a really hard time walking, he doesn't wag his tail and he doesn't eat because he's in so much pain. His first episode was earlier this month and I took him to my regular vet but she didn't really know what the problem was, gave the typical suspects for neck pain and sent us on our way with a very low dosage of Tramadol. That episode lasted 4-5 days and then he seemed ok. Not perfect because if I touched near his head when he wasn't expecting it he'd yelp but other than that he was back to his ole Beagley self! That lasted for about 10 days and then he had another bad episode.

During this recent bad episode I took him back to my regular vet and she said to put him back on the Tramadol that he was prescribed during his first episode but other than that she didn't have anything else to offer. His pain kept up, the Tramadol was not helping & he was not eating & could barely move. My poor ole boy, I was so upset, I really thought we were nearing the end (for those who don't know, Jingles is 19 yrs old but he's a very active senior!). I took him to an emergency vet that weekend and again she had very little to offer. My heart was breaking thinking that I may have to euthanize my boy because he had absolutely no quality of life, he was in so much pain, and the two vets I saw did not have anything to offer me to help Jingles.

This is a video of Jingles taken during his first bad episode and he was worse off during his second one:


Determined to do something to try to help Jingles, I took him to another vet who specializes in rehabilitation and physical therapy for animals, the same vet I wrote about previously in regards to Tiki's rehab, Dr Gumley at Cedarview Animal Hospital. OMG, I wish I had of taken Jingles there from day one! He did not twist Jingles head all around trying to make him scream as the other vets did (and likely causing more damage), he could tell where Jingles was hurting simply by gently feeling his neck and spine, checking his reflexes, etc. The vet could feel the heat radiating from Jingles' neck and he could feel the muscles twitching (which you could also visibly see) and he was able to pinpoint the specific vertebrae that were causing Jingles so much pain.

Now, only a week after seeing Dr Gumley, I have my Beagle back! He's able to hold his head up properly, he's rolling in the grass again, he's trying to steal the cats' food, he's able to get up on my bed and the couch, he's eating well, he's energetic and wants to go for walks and he's wagging his tail! Jingles is my silly Beagle once again!

Without an MRI we will not know for sure what's really going on with Jingles but based on his findings, Dr Gumley is fairly certain it's a bulging disc in Jingles' neck which is extremely painful and debilitating. He increased Jingles' Tramadol dosage four fold, and also added in another pain reliever that works with the Tramadol to increase it's effectiveness. Jingles has Chronic Renal Failure (which is under control) and a Grade 5 heart murmur so we're limited with what we can give him but the pain meds he's on are kidney and heart safe. I've been icing Jingles neck and we've also been doing the Cold Laser Therapy every other day for the past week and I think that's really helping to reduce the inflammation but we won't know for sure what's actually helping until we start to decrease the pain meds.

Here's a video of Jingles taken today, June 20th, 2011. Such an improvement!!:


Jingles goes back to see Dr Gumley on Wednesday and if he determines that we now have the pain sufficiently under control than we can start some gentle physical therapy exercises for his neck. I know we aren't out of the woods yet and it could easily recur, but I'm so thankful for Dr Gumley! He's given me hope, he's given me my silly Beagle back and most importantly he's given Jingles his quality of life back!

Always, ALWAYS, get a 2nd opinion and if you still are not satisfied, get a 3rd opinion and a 4th! We have to be the voice of the animals we care for and we know them best. Don't be afarid to speak up for them! I often hear people say "but my vet is so nice" as a reason not to go elsewhere. Your vet may be the nicest person in the world but that doesn't mean they have the experience to deal with the problem at hand. I really like my regular vet and she's very nice as well but from now on if any of my animals has any mobility issues I am going directly to Dr Gumley.

If you missed my previous post about my cat Max and the issues I had in getting a true diagnosis of HyperThyroidism, please read it here: T3 Suppresion Test For My Cat Max.

Maxxy had his follow up bloodwork and checkup 6 weeks after he was finally diagnosed with HyperThyroidism and started on the Tapazole and almost everything looked good! We were concerned that treating his thyroid might exasberate his kidney issues but one of kidney levels stayed the same and one actually decreased. So that was really good news! We also retested his thyroid using the T4 and it was within normal ranges. Although it was within normal range before when he was definitely HyperThyroid, but the reason we checked it was to make sure he wasn’t going HypoThyroid due to the meds but he seems to be on a good dosage. One of his liver values were quite high, higher than it has been in the past, so that’s a bit worrisome but I’m keeping an eye on him and so far I don’t see any signs of liver problems.

[caption id="attachment_1263" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Mysterious Max"][/caption]Overall Max seems to be feeling better since being put on the Tapazole but I was hoping for even more positive changes. The positive changes I have noticed are that he’s seeking attention and coming upstairs once again, which he had stopped doing when he was feeling really crappy. That in itself is a big change but I guess I was hoping for more, such as gaining some weight back etc. I did recently start Max on a Standard Process supplement called Thytrophin PMG just to help support his thyroid and to hopefully make him feel a bit better. It’s a safe supplement to use in conjuction with the Tapazole medication.

What I think Max really needs now in order to feel even better is some relief from his arthritic pain. He’s a very sore and stiff boy. He’s been taking Tramadol for pain for a while now but I know he could use more than that. Tramadol doesn’t do anything for inflammation so the condition is still active and progressing even though I’m trying to control his pain. With cats, you have to be extremely careful when it comes to non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and I try to avoid them at all costs for my cats and even for my dogs. And with Max’s elevated kidney and liver numbers, NSAIDs are contraindicated anyway.

[caption id="attachment_1192" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Beautiful Tiki-Belle"][/caption]I just started my 15 year old cat, Tiki, on Cartrophen Vet to help her with her arthritic pain. Do not confuse this drug with Carprofen (Rimadyl) which is an NSAID and one that I would never use for any of my animals! Cartrophen is a safe alternative to NSAIDs for both dogs and cats. It is in the class of Chondroprotective Drugs. It has great anti inflammatory properties and it actually works to stop the progression of arthritis. I am going to start Max on Cartrophen as well! I’ll write more about Cartrophen in a few days when I post about Tiki and her rehabilitation protocol thus far.

Even though Maxxy is 19 years old, he’s still very active and alert and he deserves to be as pain free as possible. I will do whatever I can to help him so his golden years can be happy years!

[caption id="attachment_1208" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Sweet Tiki-Belle!"][/caption]

Looking for great gifts for your cats this holiday season? For the kitties in your life, Rusty-Dawg Pet Products has many items to choose from!

If your cat loves catnip, I have several healthy cat toys including hemp mice filled with organic catnip, hemp hacky sacs filled with organic catnip, hemp Silly Kitty toys filled with organic catnip, crocheted amigurumi mice filled with a packet of organic catnip and they are all on sale too!

I also have some ecofriendly, catnip toys in my Etsy shop that I hand craft myself including some with Christmas designs! They are made fresh when they are ordered so the catnip is nice and potent!

For those kitties who love to snuggle on their own special beds, I have crocheted cat mats that come in a variety of colors and they also have a kitty related saying on them, either “Here Kitty Kitty” or “Cat Nap”. The cat mats are made using a thick, fluffy wool based yarn so they’re cuddly and warm. My own cats love their crocheted cat mats!

[caption id="attachment_1209" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Such a cute furry Santa!"][/caption]If your cat likes to burrow under the covers, the purrfect bed will be one of these Snuggle Sacks!

I also have fleece blankets that all cats love to lay on!

If your kitty is the adventurous type and likes to go outdoors then a hemp, breakaway collar is just what they need! Breakaway collars are the only safe collars for cats and the hemp will not be irritating to their skin.

Do your cats love treats but you’d rather not give them junk food? I have a variety of healthy treats that most kitties will love!

And for the cat lovers, you can find great cat themed items on my website in my Gifts for Dog and Cat Lovers category such as Christmas gift tags with cats throwing snowballs, greeting cards with gorgeous cat portraits and a glass cat pendant.

Order soon so your cats' gifts make it in plenty of time for Christmas! Don't forget, I ship world wide (except for the treats, sorry)!

T3 Suppression Test for My Cat Max

[caption id="attachment_1148" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Maxxy sitting pretty in a box."][/caption]Is it weird that I'm hoping Max has HyperThyroidism? Considering the other possible diangosis' such as Lymphoma etc, I don't think so. As I type this I'm awaiting the results from Max's T3 Suppression test.

The past two years or so my smokey grey cat, Max, has not been feeling quite up to par. He's had bloodwork and urinalysis done several times, a few sets of xrays, physical exams etc but we have not been able to pin point what's going on with him.

When I look at Maxxy, I see a stereotypical HyperThyroid cat, although his T4 and FT4 by Equilibrium Dialysis tests came back within normal ranges more than once. Some of his symptoms include weight loss despite having a great appetite, he was vomitting his raw food immediately after eating because he was so ravenous and eating so fast but I solved the vomitting by adding canned food to his raw so it slows him down, he has a bit of muscle wasting in his back end, he possibly has high bp, he seeks out cold spots to sleep in areas of the house that he never went to before, his meow changed (almost as if he's losing his meow and he makes an oy oy oy sound), he's more vocal when he makes that strange sound, he paces, etc. [caption id="attachment_1147" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Maxxy Playing!"][/caption]That all sounds pretty awful when I list it like that but Max still looks good. If you just met him you wouldn't realize he's lost weight because he's still about 10 lbs but I know that Max used to be about 14 lbs so that's a big drop for him over the last two years. Max's fur still looks nice and he still purrs and gives me head butts when I pet him and groom him and love him up.

In older cats, the normal range for T4 is lower than in younger cats so this adds to the confusion when trying to determine if an older cat is HyperThyroid. Also, the T4 results can come back within normal ranges if they have concurrent health issues (some diseases can depress the T4) and considering Max is now 19 yrs old with a lot of symptoms he still may have HyperThyroidism even though his T4 levels are within norm. So, to finally rule HyperThyroidism in or out, we did the T3 Suppression test.

Based on what I've read about this test on several different websites and based on conversations with other knowledgable cat guardians who have been in the same situation with their cats as I am with Max, the T3 Suppression test is the best test for truly determining if your cat has HyperThyroidism. Of course, it can come back in a grey area as well but that's not usually the case. The only other accurate test available is a Scintigraphy, a scan of the thyroid (which should always be done before doing the I-131 treatment!) but that procedure is only done at specialized clinics and the closest clinic to me is about 3 hours away and since Max doesn't travel well, I opted for the T3 Suppression test instead.

The T3 Suppression test involves taking baseline T3 and T4 blood tests and then giving your cat 7 doses of a T3 medication called Liothyronine every 8 hours and then repeating the blood tests for T3 and T4 four hours after the last pill. The medication has to be given every 8 hours on the dot. Max took his pills at 9:30 am, 5:30 pm and 1:30 am for two days. If Max is not HyperThryoid than his T4 level will decrease after giving him those meds for two days. If he is HyperThryoid than there will be no suppression of his T4.

Today, I have the results of Max's T3 Suppression test and yes, he is HyperThyroid as I suspected all along! Now the tricky part is to determine how best to treat him, with Tapazole (meds) or I-131 (radioactive iodine). The meds will not cure the disease but the I-131 will. The problem is that treating HyperThyroidism can unmask other diseases such as kidney disease and with Max's renal numbers being slightly elevated the past few years we could possibly make his kidney disease worse.

With the HyperThyroidism Max has excess levels of thyroxine circulating in his body which actually increases the blood flow to the kidneys making it an advantage if the kidneys are imparied. The I-131 treatment would completely eliminate the thyroid disease and would therefore stop the excess thyroxine so the kidney problams could in all likelyhood become more serious. Right now he's doing fine in that regard except the slightly elevated levels. It's a tricky situation but from what I've read and from what my vet has said, treating with the meds might be better in Max's case to ensure we are not causing more problems for the kidneys and we can adjust the meds accordingly to make him feel better from the HyperThyroidism without aggravating the kidneys. Bloodwork will have to be done to evaluate how he's doing as well as me keeping a very watchful eye on him for any positive changes and for any negative changes.

Now at least I know what Max's main health problem is and I'm glad it's HyperThyroid as opposed to some of the other more serious diseases that were being tossed around. I'll post again with an update on his treatment.

Greyhound Planet Day is this weekend, Saturday, October 30th from 10am to 3pm at Christ Cathedral Church Hall on Sparks St in Ottawa. If you're in the area, please consider stopping by, checking out all the vendors, including Rusty-Dawg Pet Products and supporting the Greyhound Supporters of the National Capital Region (NCR)!

There is a $5.00 entrance fee per family and all breeds of dogs are welcomed! It's not just for Greyhounds! There will be fun contests and raffles and all funds raised at the 6th International Greyhound Planet Day will go to support the retired racing greyhound adoption program of the Greyhound Supporters.

It's the perfect time to start your Christmas shopping as there will be many vendors selling items for dogs and for people too!

Rusty-Dawg Pet Products will have great deals on many items such as Frozen Raw Tripe, Leather Leashes, Martingale Collars, Dublin Dog Collars, Handmade Wooden Leash Hangers, Dehydrated Elk Tripe, Dehydrated Beef Lung, and much more! My prices at this event will also include HST! I will have FREE samples of the dehydrated treats for your dogs to snack on!

I look forward to seeing you and your dogs at this greyt event!!

To learn more about Greyhound Planet Day please go to the Greyhound Supporters of the NCR's website.

Today is Blog the Change for Animals day! It is a great initiative to help spread the word about helping animals, to promote an animal cause that's near and dear to your heart, to announce your own commitment to helping animals, and to inspire others to Be the Change as well. Every little bit helps as I've just figured out!

I wanted to participate in this event as soon as I heard about it but my first thought was, what do I do to help animals that I can blog about? I don't run a rescue group, I'm not able to foster due to my current animal household, I haven't been able to help on transports for quite a while, and I don't feel like I really do much to help.

But then I remembered the small things that I do. I have a home based business called Rusty-Dawg Pet Products and I donate a portion of my sales to the Ottawa Humane Society and also to Big on Beagles rescue. Since business has been a bit slow I haven't had much to donate but I give what I can. I've also donated to other rescue groups such as Tiny Paws Dog Rescue and New Moon Rabbit Rescue. I have a category on my blog called "Rescue Posts" where you'll find blog posts for different rescue groups.

[caption id="attachment_436" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Spencer, my gorgeous 22 yr young Himilayan!"][/caption]All the animals in my life are rescues as well and I love to adopt the older animals! The oldest animal I've adopted is Spencer, a beautiful Flame Point Himilayan, and he was 13 yrs old when I adopted him. He's now 22 years old and I love that lil punkin head so much! Anytime I hear that someone is considering bringing a dog or cat into their life, I always recommend that they look into rescue and consider an adult.
[caption id="attachment_870" align="alignright" width="150" caption="What do you mean I\'m not allowed on the kitchen table?"][/caption]
There are many rescue groups that I think very highly of but my favorite rescue group is Big on Beagles. Beagles have a special place in my heart because I've been sharing my life with a crazy Beagle for the past 13 years! Jingles is an amazing Beagle, so silly and full of life and you'd never guess he's 18 years old. Every day I shake my head in disbelief at his antics and energy and I wouldn't change him for the world! I love him for his foolishness and he always makes me laugh.

[caption id="attachment_394" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Big on Beagles"][/caption]Big on Beagles is an assistance and adoption agency for Beagles experiencing troubled times. They are located in Toronto, ON, Canada. They currently have 15 Beagles in their care that are awaiting adoption. You can view their Beagles that are ready for adoption on their Petfinder page.

You can help Big on Beagles too by volunteering, fostering, donating or spreading the word. In addition, please post this message to your website, blog, Facebook, Twitter (with hashtag #BtC) or other social media sites. Together, we can all Be the Change for Animals!

To see more of the participants in Blog the Change for Animals, check out the blog hop!