petsr4us

Previously, I had said I would highlight some of my pets online.  The picture above is Angel Baby.  She is a smooth coat tan pure-bred Chihuahua that I got from a friend of mine.   Angel is often called Chunky Butt because of the weight she has gained that has made her chunky. 

Angel is a sweet dog who prefers to sit right next to me and sleep with me in bed.  She often takes over the second pillow I have as if it belongs just to her.  Angel does the best little dance when she wants to play where she seems to be moving sideways.  Angel is a lover and can often be found in someone’s arms.

Angel will play with Sparky and she is gentle with him even though she is very rough with her sister Princess.   Angel has a special place in my heart and is slowly winning over my husband too.

 Isn’t she just the cutest?

Do you have multiple breeds of pets in your house?  I do.  We have cats and dogs.  Contrary to popular myths, dogs and cats can get along.  The biggest factor I have found is to bring new pets into the house as babies.  Older dogs or cats have trouble adjusting to a multiple pet household whereas kittens and puppies don’t know any different.  Additionally, it is easy for your other adult animals to be accepting of a new pet if they are a baby and not a worthy adversary.

I would strongly encourage slowly introducing your new pet to the existing furbabies in your house.  We do this by isolating the new kitten or puppy in a room that is off limits to the other pets in the house.  Slowly introduce the newest member of the house to each of the existing pets.  You will see their reactions and know if you need to do this process for a day or for a week or more.  Continue introductions until the pets are more used to each other.  Don’t hope for them to be best buddies right away, but rather they will slowly get accustomed to each other and over time, they may just become those best buds you hoped for.

Always supervise new pets when they are together until you are assured they will be fine if left alone.

How do you introduce your new pets to one another?

First off, I wish to apologize for not posting so much lately.  A new job and a nasty cold seemed to have slowed me down.  When I get home from work, all I had time for before falling asleep was taking care of my pets. 

Sparky is doing awesome now.  He is a little over 10 weeks old and he weighs in at 1 pound 2 ounces, which means he gained 4 ounces in the last two weeks.  He is fully eating his dry puppy food and he is readily drinking his own water.  He has his own water dish since he is so small and he goes to it (which is a long way from the living room) when he is thirsty.

He is still learning how to gown down the puppy stairs.  He can get up in a heartbeat but I think the down part is still scary to him.  He is really into playing with several of the other Chihuahuas.  He is particularly fond of Angel Baby (who is 4.5 pounds) and Maxwell (who is 10 pounds).  He is also good buddies with Chimi (3.5 pounds) although her sister Changa doesn’t really care for Sparky.

I will try to post a little more regularly as my life gets back to normal.

 How have you all been?

My pet dog Sparky, who weighs in at 14 ounces, had another couple episodes of hypoglycemia this weekend.  He will definately be visiting our vet as last nights episode scared the dickens out of me.  I really thought he was not going to make it through and of course its the middle of the night.  We finally were able to get him to eat honey off a spoon and then he was able to eat his regular food.  Sparky, since he is so little, is prone to attacks but we are usually good about making sure he has food every few hours.  I’m not sure if I just didn’t notice due to the fact that I was sick with a cold, or what but it seemed to sneek up out of no where.  Have any of you experienced this?  Is there any thing you’ve tried that isn’t the standard: karo syrup, honey, peanut butter, cheese, etc.?  If you have hands on experience with this issue, please post a comment on what works for your dogs.  I’d like to have several remedies to try when this happens again.  I know it will happen because Sparky is so small.  Thanks all!

Valentine’s Day is in a little over a week.  How about getting your sweetheart a pet related gift that also helps the ASPCA? They have some really cute things, such as a sterling silver pawprint pendant.  Or how about a coffee mug, t-shirt, key chain, tote bag, or other item that will help the ASPCA?  I know the standard gifts are chocolates and flowers, but a sweatshirt will last longer.Personally, I am planning on donating money to the ASPCA and my local animal shelter in honor of my husband for part of his Valentine’s Day present.How about you?  What are you going to do? For gift or donation ideas, visit http://www.aspcaonlinestore.com/index.php

Today was the first time I have ever experienced hypoglycemia in one of my small Chihuahuas.  Sparky, who is 10 weeks old, just didn’t seem like himself and when he was walking, he kept falling over.

Here are some of the signs/symptoms to watch for in your pet (from PetPlace.com & my own personal experience):

• Loss of appetite
• Extreme lethargy
• Uncoordinated
• Trembling
• Muscular twitching
• Weakness
• Seizures
• Unusual behavior
• Dilated pupils
• Apparent blindness
• Stupor or coma

One thing you can do to bring up your dogs sugar levels is to rub Karo syrup or honey on their gums or in my case, Sparkly was coherent enough to lick it off my fingers.   This is fairly common in toy breeds and puppies less than three months old.  In either case, you should make your veterinarian away of the episode as there may be another underlying cause.

I’ve included a link to an article that will provide you with even more information: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/hypoglycemia-in-dogs/page1.aspx

Do you have a favorite pet?  Out of all of your pets that you have or had, which one is your favorite and why?

My favorite right now is Chimi.  She is a small long-haired Chihuahua who is gorgeous.  She has so much energy and a zest for life.  Chimi is about 8 months old and weighs a little less than three pounds.  How can such a small dog get into my heart?  It must be her endearing spirit and her love of life.  She will gladly kiss anyone she meets and I don’t think she knows what a stranger is.  She has fun riding in the car and is good at the vet’s office.   I guess the biggest part of my love for Chimi is that she is so lovable herself.  She is huggable, kissable, and just plain CUTE!

Who is your favorite?