PRESSURE SORES ON DOGS

I've always heard about Pressure Sores, or Bed Sores in people, especially elderly folks in nursing homes. They spend a lot more time lying or sitting in one position than they used to when they were healthier and more active. It's important for them to move and shift often so they're not applying too much lengthy pressure on one part of their skin, resulting in bed sores. Pressure sores on dogs, also called Decubitis Ulcers or Bed Sores, are a skin condition that is similar to bed sores in humans. And they can be just as painful, uncomfortable and subject to infection as bed sores are in humans.  

What Are Pressure Sores On Dogs Skin

Pressure sores on dogs occur when continuous pressure is placed on one area of a dog's body that results in reduced blood supply to that area of the skin. These pressure sores can lead to tissue damage and necrosis (dead tissue) on the dog's skin.

Dog pressure sores need to be addressed quickly, as they can become infected. We found this out the hard way, with my Siberian Husky dog, Icy.  Many of you know that my dog turned 15 in September 2024, and has been experiencing some common senior dog health issues.  

One of the senior dog health problems Icy has been having is mobility limitations, particularly in her hind legs.  She isn't nearly as active as she once was, and she has a lot of weakness in her hind legs. Icy is also much more tired than she used to be, and sleeps a lot more during the day. These days, she prefers to sleep on cool tile floor rather than her many comfy dog beds. And that seems to be how the problem started.

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Photos of my dog's Pressure Sores, taken 8 weeks apart

One day my husband noticed what looked like a bit of shedding in one small area of her left hind quarters. She had also been biting at that area a little. Upon closer inspection, spreading her fur out, he saw there was some kind of sore on her skin. We though it was a "hot spot", which is common in dogs. 

I cleaned the sore with hydrogen peroxide and put antibiotic ointment on it. We monitored the area for a  week or two, but it didn't improve so we took Icy to our Veterinarian.

During the appointment the Vet asked a lot of questions about our dog's behavior with respect to the sore, how long it was there, and about her sleeping habits. She did a skin test and could see that the sore was infected. Our Vet knows about Icy's mobility issues and after some discussion, it was determined that the sore was likely a pressure sore. Our Vet prescribed a topical treatment as well as a round of antibiotics.

Causes of Pressure Sores In Dogs

A few things can cause pressure sores in dogs;

Lying in one position or on one side of their body is a common way pressure sores develop in dogs. This can cause sores on one side of their body, on their elbows, and feet since when they're lying down for long periods of time it creates prolonged pressure to one or more of those areas.

Dogs with arthritis, or paralyzed dogs often develop pressure sores because they may not be able move around much and therefore sit or lie in one position for long periods of time. In this photo you see Icy lying down on her left side, which is what we think caused her pressure sore.

My dog lying down outside at an outdoor cafe

Senior dogs like Icy often have a similar issue. Their energy level is much lower, and they often develop mobility limitations. This causes them to sleep many more hours, often in one position, than they did as younger pups. Lying in one position for long periods of time can easily cause pressure sores.

Dogs with health issues often have less energy and move less which causes the same problem of remaining in one position for long periods of time. If the dog has lost a significant amount of weight and is quite thin that can also contribute to developing pressure sores more easily. Icy has lost a lot of weight as she's aged and she is a bit boney. We try to get her to eat more and put some weight back on but it's a challenge.

Another thing that can cause dog pressure sores is inadequate padding to sleep on. An orthopedic dog bed is a really good way to help avoid pressure sores. When we moved to a hot climate, Icy developed the habit of sleeping on tile floor in the bathrooms. We didn't think anything of it - she liked the cool tile floor, and she's a Husky so.... That was fine until she began having mobility issues and wasn't moving as much.

The Vet (strongly) suggested we work to ensure Icy didn't sleep on bare floors anymore. She suggested we place rugs or mats around the house, especially in the bathrooms, for her to sleep on.

Sounds simple enough, but our stubborn Husky just loves those cool floors! We have to really keep on top of her and make sure she lays on bath mats or rugs. There are times we actually have to life her up onto a mat or rug to get her pressure sores OFF the hard floor! It's a constant battle, but we have to do it.

Symptoms of Pressure Sores In Dogs

As in my dog's case, it began with a small area of shedding on her hind quarters. Shedding in one small area like that wasn't normal for her.

Any kind of sore on your dog's skin could indicate a pressure sore. They look very similar to hot spots, so if you see this on your dog call the Veterinarian to determine if it's a hot spot or a pressure sore. 

If an area of the dog's skin looks red and raw, darkened, or callused this could indicate a pressure sore

If the fur looks like it's flattened, or a patch of fur has come out it could be a pressure sore.

If you see puss or discharge coming out of what looks like a sore, or if it looks like the sore has opened up call your Veterinarian right away.

If  your dog appears to have pain or sensitivity one area of her body, check the skin to see if any sore is present.

How To Treat Pressure Sores On Dogs

In our dog's case, the Vet recommended treating her pressure sore with a topical foam containing Chlorhexidine Digluconate, a broad spectrum antiseptic and disinfectant, and Ophytrium, a natural ingredient used for various skin conditions. She also prescribed a round of antibiotics. 

When Icy's pressure sore hadn't healed after more than a month, the Vet took another skin test and saw there was still some bacteria and yeast present. She then prescribed a topical ointment called Animax, which is used for skin conditions resulting from fungal or bacterial infections in dogs or cats.

Part of helping dogs pressure sores heal might be making sure your dog sleeps on an orthopedic bed or other padded surface to reduce the pressure on that part of the skin.

Depending on where the sore is on the dog's body, you may be able to bandage the sores. When it's on the hip however, like Icy's sore, it's very difficult to bandage. It's easier to bandage a foot with a pressure sore.

Keep the sore clean and free of debris, and use wraps or clothing to help reduce friction in the area of the sore.

How To Prevent Dog Pressure Sores 

Pay attention to your dogs habits, especially if they're sleeping a lot during the day. Young dogs and Healthy dogs don't usually sleep half the day away. If your dog has started sleeping significantly longer hours than she used to due to age or health related issues, keep an eye on her skin and fur condition.  If they're sleeping many hours, they may be laying in the same position, creating pressure points on their hips and sides of their feet. 

That's what Icy was doing. She gravitated towards lying for many hours on her left side, and because of that she developed pressure sores on her left hip.

Look closely at your dog's fur and skin. If you start to see shedding in a small, specific area of your dog's body, take a closer look. Spread the fur out and see if there might be missing fur, redness, or even what looks like a sore developing. Sometimes dogs will bite at a certain area, as they do with hot spots. If you see any of these signs, call your Veterinarian right away. 

Keep your dog's skin and coat healthy with regular brushing, bathing and grooming. Keep the skin moisturized as well to prevent the skin from cracking.

Give your dog an orthopedic bed to sleep on, or at least a heavily padded bed. This is especially important for senior dogs, dogs with arthritis, paralyzed dogs or dogs with limited mobility, and dogs with health issues that may cause them to be less energetic and sleep more. We saw a very interesting YouTube video of a woman with a paralyzed dog who used pieces of egg crate padding with a soft fur cover over it for her dog. She could easily move it around to wherever her dog was lying down, easily travel with the padding, and she could re-position it on the dog's body anytime. What a great idea!

Helping your dog change position frequently is very helpful. We joke that we now "flip our dog like a pancake" every couple of hours to prevent her from lying in one position for hours and hours. It also gets her up and moving a lot more. We used to think it was better to let her "rest" for most of the day, but now we now that isn't ideal at all.

If your have hard flooring throughout your home like we do, try to place rugs, bath mats, or rubber mats throughout the home wherever your dog likes to lay down. Keeping your dog off hard flooring for too long can help avoid pressure sores.

It's been over a month and Icy's pressure sore on her hip is still there. I pray it heals up and the infection goes away. I wish we had known all this information before our sweet dog developed these pressure sores. But we will do everything we can to keep our dog free of pressure sores by paying close attention to her fur, skin, and sleeping habits. We'll regularly check her skin for signs of pressure sores and contact our Vet if we see any more sores on her skin.

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Have you ever dealt with pressure sores on your pet's skin? Let us know in the comments, we always love hearing from you!

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DOG ANAL GLANDS ISSUES

I hadn't thought much about my dogs' anal glands. I knew they filled up with fluid and that expressing the glands was important to avoid dog anal glands issues. I also knew that most groomers would express a dog's anal glands as part of their basic dog grooming service. Beyond that it was never a concern, until recently when my dog Jessie went to the groomer for what I thought was going to be a routine grooming service!

DOG ANAL GLANDS AND DOG ANAL GLAND ISSUES

I made an appointment for a badly needed grooming for Jessie. I usually get a bath and groom for her, which includes expressing my dog's anal glands. There's a Starbucks a few doors down from the groomer, so my husband and I went there for a caffeine break.  Afterwards, we planned to food shop at the grocery store in that same shopping center. Then we'd head home and wait for the groomer to call and say that Jessie's groom was finished and we could pick her up.

My dog Jessie on her way to the Vet

No sooner had we started enjoying our drinks when I got a phone call from the groomer.  Actually, the owner of the grooming salon called me herself. She told me that my groomer had put Jessie in the bath and was about to express her anal glands when he noticed a problem. Apparently, her glands were super filled with fluid and extremely tender to the touch.

She told me that they didn't feel comfortable doing the gland expression there, and suggested I take her to the Veterinarian to have my dogs anal glands expressed. 

She explained that if a dog's anal glands are extremely fluid filled, it could potentially be dangerous. They could abscess, and even rupture! I had never heard that before, so of course I was worried. I immediately phoned my Veterinarian's office and was able to get Jessie in to see the Vet later that afternoon.

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The Vet examined her and said Jessie's anal glands weren't as bad as he had feared, and he was able to properly drain her anal glands without incident. When I told him what happened at the groomer and that they were the ones who suggested I take her to the Vet, he commented "that was smart! I'm glad you brought her in right away." He said that if we'd waited longer it could have been worse. Possibly much worse.

WHAT ARE DOG'S ANAL GLANDS AND WHAT IS THEIR FUNCTION?

Dog anal glands are two pea sized glands, or sacs, on either side of a dog’s anus. The glands secrete a strong smelling fluid that runs through ducts that open into the dog’s anus. The anal sacs secrete this fluid naturally when dogs have a bowel movement, thus keeping them properly drained. 

The most common purposes of dog anal glands I've found in my research are:  

🐶 The strong scent secreted by the anal glands serves to scent mark a dog's territory and communicate information to other dogs such as; identification of the dog, the dog's gender, health, and approximate age. 

🐶 The excretion from the anal glands acts as a lubricant that helps a dog pass a hard stool.

The anal sacs usually drain naturally when a dog defecates, releasing the anal gland fluid. But sometimes they can get too full and fail to drain naturally. When that happens the anal glands need to be manually drained, or "expressed", either by an experienced groomer or a Veterinarian. Some people actually express their dog's anal glands themselves, but for me that is a bit too much to handle so I leave it to the pros! 

For the most part, the anal glands will drain naturally and you don't need to do anything unless a problem occurs. But sometimes dogs have issues draining the anal glands naturally and they need some help.

WHY DO DOGS NEED ANAL GLANDS EXPRESSED?

For a variety of reasons, dog anal glands can become impacted or infected which can be uncomfortable and painful for your dog.

If it progresses, the anal glands can potentially abscess and could even rupture, which is very painful and can be serious. This may even require surgery for your dog.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR DOG NEEDS HIS GLANDS EXPRESSED? Symptoms of dog anal gland issues:

🐶 SCOOTING. Jessie scoots her bottom along the rug every now and then, but it doesn't appear to be a symptom of an anal gland problem for her. Keep an eye on your dog and if they're scooting their bottom on the floor, give your Veterinarian a call and discuss it with them. 

🐶 BITING at or excessively licking their butt.

🐶 STRAINING when pooping - Jessie did this one night. I couldn't understand why it was taking her so long to poop! Now I know it was one of the symptoms of her anal gland issue.

🐶 BLOOD in a dog's stool could be a symptom of an anal gland problem. But blood in the stool could be caused by a number of things - if you see blood in your dog's stool, contact your Veterinarian immediately!

🐶 DISCHARGE coming from your dog's anus could be a sign of an anal gland issue, or possible something worse. Contact your Veterinarian right away!

🐶 FOUL SMELL coming from your dog's anal area could be emitting from the dog's anal gland sacs.

WHAT CAUSES DOG ANAL GLAND ISSUES

Several factors could cause your dog to experience problems with their anal glands. These include:

🐾 Obesity

🐾 Lack of Exercise

🐾 Not enough Fiber in their diet

🐾 Certain Allergies or Skin conditions

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TREATMENT OF DOG ANAL GLAND ISSUES

Talk to your Veterinarian about what you can do to help keep your dog's anal glands functioning properly.  If your dog is having issues, your Vet may recommend more frequent expression of the anal glands, or may prescribe a medication like Clavamox or Zeniquin, if the issue is significant. 

There are several over the counter dog anal gland chews and supplements that can help keep your dog's anal glands functioning smoothly, such as Native Pet's GlandAid Dog Supplement, or Glandex Dog Anal Gland Support.

Jessie was fine after her anal gland expression and exam at the Vet, thankfully. Her Vet said the hole through which the anal glands get expressed on their own during the dog's bowel movement was a bit small. He suggested that I bring her in every several weeks to have the anal glands expressed for the next few months to get her anal glands back to normal. I will definitely do that, staying on top of my dogs' anal gland health is an important part of overall dog health! 

You can learn more about Dog Anal Glands on the PetMD web site.

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The benefits of adding Pumpkin to your dog's diet

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DOGS BIRTHDAY PARTY

ICY's FABULOUS DOG BIRTHDAY PARTY!  

Recently, it was my dog Icy's 15th birthday party. 15 is a big birthday, especially for a dog, so I wanted to make it as fun and special for her as I could. 

I had big plans for this birthday bash, and it was terrific! However, I didn't get to do everything I planned. Isn't that always the way - you have big plans but you end up scrapping some of it because life just gets in the way.

Icy and Jessie enjoying some dog birthday cake!

But I'm not complaining, it was an awesome dog party and it's a day I'll always cherish.

DOG BIRTHDAY PARTY STUFF 

 

Once I had my ridiculously grandiose plan for Icy's party, I needed to actually go out and get all the birthday party stuff I'd need.

Once I scaled down the dog birthday bash and got back to reality, here's what I actually did have for her birthday.

First up, my girl had to have a beautiful birthday cake! If I wanted to get really ambitious about it, I could have found a great dog birthday cake recipe and made her a birthday cake myself. But why would I when there's a wonderful dog bakery where I could easily buy a fabulous dog birthday cake near me. It's right next door to the grocery store we go to every week, so that's a no brainer! Right? 

They always have frozen dog birthday cakes available. Their dog cakes are beautiful and obviously delicious. I know that because my dogs LOVE their birthday cakes!

Icy's beautiful birthday cake and party hats

Needless to say, my dog's birthday cake was a huge hit with both Icy and little Jessie!

DOG BIRTHDAY SUPPLIES 

Dog Birthday Decorations 

Last year for Icy's birthday party I had pink and white balloons and pink streamers. I loved that, it looked so pretty! 

Unfortunately, this year I didn't do balloons or streamers. I actually bought more streamers. I was going to decorate with both pink and purple streamers but that didn't happen. I ran out of time and I ran out of steam! I didn't stress about it though, Icy didn't notice and neither did anyone else.

So my big dog party decoration bargain was the adorable Happy birthday sign I got at the dollar store! Only $1.25 for this cute, colorful birthday sign. I love it, and even if I went to an expensive party store I don't think I'd find one I liked better.

The Happy Birthday sign I got at the dollar store

The Piece de resistance of all the party decorations was (drumroll please!) the party hats I made for the dogs! OK, so really it was THE party hat I made for Icy our Birthday Girl. I made a cute one for Jessie too, which she refused to wear for more than 3 minutes LOL!

It took me 2 days, but I made a beautiful party hat for Icy. I wanted her to have a really special birthday party hat. Not to toot my own horn, but I think it came out great! I'm actually quite proud of it. It wasn't easy and it was time consuming, but so worth it!

Icy and Jessie wearing their birthday party hats!

I didn't know if Icy would cooperate and wear her party hat. But I swear I feel like she knew it was something very special just for her. We got that hat right on her no problem, and she wore it the whole time with no objections whatsoever! I got some adorable photos and video of her in her party hat. I will cherish that hat and the memory of her wearing it while happily chomping on birthday cake, forever!

My dogs birthday party hats

Making the party hats are probably why I ran out of time to do much else, LOL!

Dog birthday presents

It wouldn't be a birthday party without presents, would it? Icy got some presents that she loves! She got several bags of treats and chew sticks which these days are her favorite things.  She also got a couple of toys, which Jessie has been diligently attempting to steal at every turn! That's doggie sibling rivalry for you - not much different than human sibling rivalry. They always seem to want what the other one has!

 

Some of Icy's presents and her cake!

Even though my big dog birthday party plan got scaled down a bit, it was a wonderful time! Dogs and people alike had so much fun. It was great to see Icy being treated like the beautiful Princess she is. 👑

Here's a cute video of Icy and Jessie chowing down on birthday cake! (No sound, 45 seconds)

I am so ....

THANKFUL FOR MY DOGS

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On a more serious note, recently Hurricane Helene has devastated Florida's West coast, leaving a wave of disaster in communities all the way up to Virginia! Disasters like this drive home the importance of Emergency Preparedness. No matter where you live being prepared for an emergency is imperative, and should include our pets too! 

People can, and should, take their furry family members with them when evacuating. Preparing early helps families be prepared to take pets with them in the event of an emergency or disaster. Our prayers go out to all the people and pets impacted by this monster hurricane. 💔

I have an Emergency Go bag for both myself and my husband, and my dogs. To avoid scrambling to find all the items needed to evacuate our home with our dogs, I had created an Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Dogs for myself. I now offer it for sale as a downloadable file in my Etsy Shop for $1.50. It can be printed and filled out manually, or used digitally on your Phone, PC, or Tablet. It can help pet parents prepare to take pets with them in the event of an emergency or disaster.

Emergency Preparedness Checklist
for Dogs and other Pets

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Please Stay Safe out there 🩷

DOG FRIENDLY VACATION IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

We fell in love with the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains the first time we went with our dogs! We discovered this great dog friendly vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains by chance, when another vacation plan with the dogs fell through. We needed to quickly find a different dog friendly vacation destination. But I'm so glad we found this North Carolina mountain area - talk about a happy accident! 

This is the second year we took Icy to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Last time we had a wonderful vacation hiking with our dogs along the trails in Boone, NC. That trip was a bit more rugged as Icy was much stronger then, even though it was only one year earlier.  

You can see how strong she was in the below video. We all had a Blast on that trip! It's a treasured memory with my beautiful Husky, and I feel so blessed to have been able to experience it with her. She is a senior dog now, at age 15, so we need to adjust to her capabilities. 

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IMPORTANT: As of September 28, 2024 much of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, including Boone and surrounding towns, have been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the wonderful people of Boone, and others who have been devastated by this monster hurricane. We hope they can all rebuild and move forward as soon as possible. Food and Water are being airlifted to hard to reach areas of the North Carolina mountains. As with most natural disasters, much of the communications have been lost. If you need help locating missing family members in the mountains of North Carolina, the Red Cross has a hotline to help you reconnect with those affected by Helene. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), select Disaster. They will try to help locate missing people. People can also use this line to list themselves as safe. Here's a link to the FEMA Hurricane Helene information web site.

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We will continue to enjoy taking our dog on adventures whether they be long or brief, challenging or easy, for as long as she is able. Senior dogs don't need to be left on the sidelines! They can and should still enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, with all the stimulating smells and sounds. They just need to do it in a slightly different way.

Not every Blue Ridge Mountain outing with dogs has to be a strenuous or challenging hike. There are beautiful walking trails all around the area. Like The Middle Fork Greenway Trail which is a lovely, easier trail with two quaint bridges that cross a pretty flowing stream. We all enjoyed the beauty of this trail. Here's a short video of Icy on this lovely walking trail (video contains music).

Excerpt from the ExploreBoone website: The Middle Fork Greenway project, led by the Blue Ridge Conservancy,  has been in development since 2013. Eventually, the Greenway will be an uninterrupted walking, biking, and hiking path that follows the Middle Fork of the New River all the way from Blowing Rock to Boone's existing Greenway trail.

Another thing we enjoyed doing with our senior dog is simply relaxing at great dog friendly coffee shops. We found 3 great cafes in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountain area that we visited pretty much every day! My husband and I really enjoyed it and so did Icy. Whether it was after a nice leisurely walk or after a very short mountain hike, Icy loved it. She loves to people watch and get occasional pets from folks passing by!

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I know how much our pet's health means to all of us. Keeping close tabs on their health is essential. My Husky Icy is 15 years old and experiencing some different health concerns. I was having trouble keeping up with all of Icy's vet visits and new medications, so I created a Pet Health Tracker to keep track of her Vet visits, Medications and preventative treatments, Vaccinations (our Vet recently waived several of them), and more. 

Now I can easily organize her healthcare details in one place. I loved my Pet Health Care Tracker so much I decided to offer it for sale in my Etsy shop!

Complete Pet Health Care Tracker

This brief slideshow clearly shows you each page of the Pet Health Tracker:

Both a Printable and Digital format are included in the low price of $3.50  And, for a limited time I'm including a valuable Pet Emergency Preparedness Checklist as a Free Gift with Purchase! 

The Pet Health Tracker is an instant download product, so upon purchase you'll have access to the files. Visit my Etsy Shop and check it out!

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CARING FOR A SENIOR DOG

My Husky Icy is nearly 15 years old, so at this point we've been dealing with caring for an old dog. I guess she's been considered a "senior dog" for the last few years, but until very recently it really hadn't been a concern at all to deal with caring for a senior dog.

Caring for an older dog

In the last year or so Icy has "aged" very noticeably. Her three biggest issues have been pretty advanced arthritis, dog dementia symptoms, and the fact that she's lost a considerable amount of weight in just a few months. 

Caring for My Senior Dog

During Icy's regular twice yearly wellness Vet visit, we wanted to discuss her advancing arthritis symptoms and some dog dementia symptoms she started experiencing. 

However, our Vet was most concerned that she had dropped several pounds in just a few months. So, in addition to Icy's scheduled bloodwork, the Vet wanted to take x-rays to see if anything was present that could account for Icy's rapid weight loss. Because of these three health problems, our Veterinarian sent us home with a few medications to help keep our senior dog more comfortable. 

The Vet gave us 4 medications for Icy:

> For her arthritis pain the Vet gave us two medications; Gabapertin for pain and Galiprant for inflammation. 

> Because Icy has been experiencing some dog dementia symptoms, which is a common older dog mental health problem, we were given Anipryl.

> The icing on the cake was that totally unbeknownst to us, my sweet dog apparently had an infection! It didn't show up in the bloodwork and she showed no symptoms of infection that we could see. 

Our wonderful, astute Vet noticed that as she was taking x-rays of Icy, some discharge was visible while she was being manipulated on the x-ray table. Because of this, our Vet also gave us an antibiotic to fight the infection. It worked like a charm! My poor dog's appetite had really diminished for no apparent reason. We though it was just an old dog thing, but 4 days after taking the antibiotic her appetite returned!

Now the infection is cleared up and we're left with three of the medications, which Icy will need to continue long term. She also gets monthly Flea/Tick/Heartworm medication. We regularly give her a number of supplements and a probiotic as well.

Whew! Old dog care can be a lot to manage! I'm not used to giving my dog many supplements and medications, but it's increased significantly since she's aged. In fact, the very first day I had to give her all 4 of the medications I really messed up!

The writing on those darn medication bottles is so small! Am I right about that?! I read them all and was sure I had it right - but nope! Each medication's instructions is a bit different and I'm embarrassed to say I messed it up. 

One of the pain medications is given once a day, but the pill needs to be broken in half! I sort of missed the breaking in half part and I gave Icy the whole pill. I quickly realized my mistake and called my Vet's office in a panic!  They said to just keep an eye on her and call them if she experienced any adverse effects. Not a great way to start off my dog's new medication regiment! Don't worry, she was fine.

After that I decided to write out all of the medications and their doses and instructions.  It didn't work out so well, small pieces of paper are easy to misplace. And once I put the instructions on the kitchen counter, which turned out to be wet - LOL!  I wanted a better way to track all the medications and supplements I need to give Icy so I created a tracker to help me keep it straight and keep everything in one place.

It worked out so well for me, I decided to expand upon it and create a Complete Pet Health Tracker and offer it for sale in my Etsy shop. I'm really proud of it and I hope it will help others stay on top of their pet's health. It's perfect for both dogs and cats.

Complete Pet Health Tracker

My easy to use Pet Health Tracker helps pet owners keep track of their pet's healthcare including Vet visits, Pet medications and preventatives, Pet vaccinations, and Pet allergies. All the details can be organized and kept in one document.  

Both a Printable and Digital format are included in the low price $3.50. For a limited time, I'm also including a really useful Free Gift with Purchase! 

The tracker is an instant download product, so upon purchase you'll have access to the files. Visit my Etsy Shop and check it out!

Here's a preview of what you get in the Pet Health Tracker: 

Fortunately, Icy is doing well with her medications and supplements, and I haven't screwed up any more of her medications! 

We are so relieved that once her infection cleared up she started eating again. She's eating almost as much as she did before the infection was detected, so I hope she can gain back some of the weight she's lost. We'll be back at the Vet in a few more weeks for a re-check. I'm anxious to see if she puts some weight on. Stay tuned!

Icy splashing through the river on our hike!

We had been so worried that Icy wouldn't be able to make our trip up to the Blue Ridge Mountains in August, but she did great! We had a wonderful vacation. I'll be posting more about that trip very soon, but you can see my post about a few of the dog friendly coffee shops we visited there. I'm so happy she was well enough to go on this vacation, and thoroughly enjoy it! 

How do you keep track of your pet's health care? Leave us a comment and share!

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3 GREAT DOG FRIENDLY COFFEE SHOPS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Whenever we travel, we bring our dogs along. They deserve a vacation as much as we do! Dog friendly travel is a priority for me, I'm always searching for pet friendly hotels and destinations with fun activities for dogs too. We fell in love with the dog friendly Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina last year, so we went back again this Summer. The beautiful hiking and fresh mountain air are fantastic, but after you hike, kayak, and fish all day you need to relax! I want to share 3 great dog friendly coffee shops in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Relaxing at the Local Lion dog friendly cafe, Boone NC

We spent quite a bit of quality time relaxing and chilling with our dog at these charming dog friendly cafes in the Boone area of the Blue Ridge Mountains! 

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IMPORTANT: As of September 28, 2024 much of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, including Boone and surrounding towns, have been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the wonderful people of Boone, and others who have been devastated by this monster hurricane. We hope they can all rebuild and move forward as soon as possible. Food and Water are being airlifted to hard to reach areas of the North Carolina mountains. As with most natural disasters, much of the communications have been lost. If you need help locating missing family members in the mountains of North Carolina, the Red Cross has a hotline to help you reconnect with those affected by Helene. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), select Disaster. They will try to help locate missing people. People can also use this line to list themselves as safe. Here's a link to the FEMA Hurricane Helene information web site.

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CHOOSE THE RIGHT DOG BOARDING FACILITY FOR YOUR DOG

Dog boarding is a service I hadn't used in a long time. Years ago, when Icy was young we used to board her when we went on vacation. We used the PetSmart near our home and it was fantastic. They had trained her since she was 16 weeks old, and she went to doggie daycamp 3 times a week for years. All the staff there knew her and loved her. We trusted them completely and we really liked them so much as people. They became like family. But when we moved, it was challenging to choose the right dog boarding facility for our dog.

I want my dog to be safe and comfortable in a dog boarding facility

Fast forward two moves across the country and several years later, we no longer had a pet boarding facility we could trust with our dogs. It hadn't been an issue since we began road tripping with our dogs about 10 years ago. We no longer needed to send our dogs to a boarding kennel. But that changed last month.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DOG BOARDING KENNEL

If you follow the blog or our social media accounts, you probably know that Icy, our nearly 15 year old Husky, has been experiencing some common senior dog health issues. We have had to pay very close attention to her health needs and make quite a few accommodations for her. 

We had planned a Summer vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which we took our dogs to last year. But we felt torn. We felt strongly that Icy should have another fabulous road trip, possibly her last one due to her advancing age and growing limitations. Our other dog Jessie, who we adopted 2 years ago, is much younger and super energetic. They are not exactly close, unfortunately. Jessie is fearful of other dogs, something we didn't know when we adopted her. The rescue organization wasn't entirely forthcoming about her many "quirks", which is why it's so important to thoroughly research the animal shelter or pet rescue organization you adopt a dog from.

Because of the less than ideal dynamic between Icy and Jessie, and Icy's advancing age and special needs we decided not to bring Jessie on the trip. That may seem unfair to some of you. Traveling with two dogs can be a lot of work as it is. But when you throw in dogs with special health needs or incompatibilities, it is that much more unpredictable. 

We moved here during the Pandemic and have very few family or friends living here. I'm not fortunate enough to have family or friends who are able (or willing) to dog sit for more than a weekend. None of my family or neighbors could take Jessie for the 10 days we would be away, so we looked for a dog boarding facility that could care for her while we traveled with Icy. I looked at several places and finally decided on one that met all my requirements and more.

🐾They provided a full tour of the facility well in advance, and answered all my questions

🐾They offered one free day of day camp or boarding so we could check out the facility and see how Jessie would do there. She did very well!

🐾They have a couple of different room choices for the dogs

🐾They provide two play sessions daily, both indoor and outdoor play areas 

🐾They have veterinary care on site just in case it's needed

🐾And here was the clincher for me - they have Live Web Cams! I could go online and check in on all the play areas during the day. Rather than have to call them every day to see how Jessie was doing, I could pop into the web cam and see her myself. Ok, so I did call them a couple of times just to get the full report on how she was eating, pooping, and overall getting along. I'm a Dog Mom, of course I went on the web cam every day and called a few times! 

I feel confident that I did the research and made the right choice of a boarding facility for Jessie. If you need to board your dog, be sure to thoroughly check out the facility well in advance.

Visit my Etsy store, Nature and Critters for pet and animal inspired digital and printable cards, gifts and other products! 

I had thought about a pet sitter, but I felt safer having Jessie in a secure facility where she had supervision 24/7, and veterinary care available on site if needed. There are some amazing pet sitters, and they are a great fit for many pets but I felt a facility was the right choice for Jessie.

If you want to board your dog, in addition to what the facility has to offer they will have requirements for you to meet as well.  Make sure you know all their requirements, restrictions, etc. well in advance of booking.

DOG BOARDING REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for dog boarding usually means that your dog must be current on the following vaccinations. This is to protect your dog as well as other dogs at the facility that may come in contact with your dog. 

In a kennel situation, diseases can spread fast so you want your dog to be protected against the most common canine contagious diseases. These vaccinations usually include:

• Rabies Vaccine
• DAPP (or DHPP) Vaccine (Distemper, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Adenovirus)
• Leptospirosis Vaccine
• Bordetella (aka Canine Kennel Cough) Vaccine

Some dog boarding facilities may also require that your dog be vaccinated for Canine Influenza Virus (Dog Flu). I have never had to get my dogs vaccinated for Canine Influenza, but definitely make sure you are aware of all the requirements. 

Be sure to get your dog the required vaccinations in plenty of time for your dog's boarding check-in. I have found that most facilities require pets to be vaccinated about 7 days prior to check-in. You also want to leave some time just in case your dog has an adverse reaction to any of the vaccinations.

Some dog boarding kennels may have additional requirements such as only accepting dogs that are friendly towards people, have no bite history, or other behavioral restrictions. Make sure you know all the requirements and restrictions before making a dog boarding reservation.  

Also be sure you find out all the dog boarding charges you may incur, over and above the daily boarding fee. Know exactly what the daily fee includes. You probably need to bring your dog's food, with every serving pre-measured and packed up separately.

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Give yourself time to find the right situation for your dog, whether that be a dog boarding facility, pet sitter, family member or friend. Do you vacation with your pet, or do you use a dog boarding facility, pet sitter, family member or friend? Leave us a comment and share!

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You may also enjoy these articles:

 Dog friendly Boone, NC in the Blue Ridge Mountains

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