Wagadilly Clinic: Dog Health , Medical Care, Flea/Tick & more

No Fleas were seen Fleeing the Scene

Dog groomers Lucky me! I gave four dog baths this morning and, as usual, was pleased to see zero fleas. Bath time is a good time to examine your doggies for bumps, lumps, scraps, scratches, rashes… and Fleas! Look carefully at the water; fleas don’t want to drown and will usually “abandon ship” and jump off the dog.

We’re all about Adopting Rescued Shelter Dogs and sometimes, you’re “welcoming” more than just the Dog into your home ):

You’ve Got to be Shedding Me !

Time for that Winter coat to come off and to bare it all for Summer! Have you tried a SHEDDING BLADE? Wow it makes it SO much easier! because it’s not “bristles” – they get so full of fur so fast it’s almost futile. This is a blade with teeth, so the fur just floats off and you never have to be picking it out of a brush.
Cost: Only about $5 to $10… I SHED YOU NOT !

There are plenty for Sale on Ebay and most any Pet or Farm Supply store.
I recommend the kind that comes apart and can be used straight, as well as curved – the pictures will explain what I mean. You’ll get no resistance from your Pooch… it’s THE BEST SCRATCH EVER!
* scatter the fur outside – birds will use it for their nests IMGP4002lower IMGP4000lower IMGP4003lower

Yearly Dog Vaccine Boosters. DIY for $6.99 each

Time for our Yearly Canine Booster Vaccines – poor Doggies! But they hardly even notice the shot, actually.

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April Showers.. and Baths

Dog Bath Soap — Image courtesy of Labelstone at Etsy

Bath Time! Yay! Every Dog’s (NOT!) Favorite thing!
Here are some tips I have learned over many years, many dogs and many Bath Times.
Though I have had lots of dogs, I have never taken a dog to a Groomer in my life. I like to Save a lot of Lives, Adopt a lot of Dogs and few people can do that if their Dog Ownership costs are going to include Professional Grooming for them all.
During Flea Season, I bath everybody once a month, and less often during the cold months.
I always put the dog’s comfort first… far above my desire to see them looking fancy, so when warm months come, any long-haired dogs, I shear very carefully with scissors, or with an electric Dog Clipper. Sometimes, it’s not pretty! Poor Nanna has a dark undercoat, but light tan just above it. When I chop her fur off, she looks like I put her through a Cuisinart. But, that and a bath – and she feels great! All set for Spring & Summer.

Seam Ripper

Puppy Class – Potty Training Success

By Emily Ridder-Beardsley
Puppy Page Editor

CHALUPA Photo courtesy of Rhonda Gregorio gregoriophotography.com — CHALUPA
Photo courtesy of Rhonda Gregorio
gregoriophotography.com

This is my new baby, the to-die-for-adorable, Chalupa, who I Adopted two weeks ago. When they are this precious, it’s not too hard to have patience… and patience IS needed!
One of the most difficult parts of puppydom – especially for first time dog owners – is potty training! Yes, it’s messy. No, it doesn’t always go as planned. YES, you can conquer it!
Don’t get bogged down by pet stores trying to sell you expensive solutions, there are DIY ways to take on the problem without spending a lot of cash.
The first step, and in many cases the most difficult, is time commitment. Make sure your puppy gets lots of outside time (when I adopted my first puppy, Pesto, I actually trained him to learn the words “Outside Time” and “Inside Time” – which was very helpful to me because he knew exactly what I was asking!).
The second, and perhaps most important is to remember to be patient! Getting angry with your puppy for having accidents will never help in the training process.
Read more…

HOW I TRIUMPH OVER FLEAS & TICKS: Phase Three – Under The Dogs

play pups

HOW I TRIUMPH OVER FLEAS & TICKS IS A THREE-PHASE ATTACK:
IN The Dogs, ON The Dogs and UNDER The Dogs. The first Two Phases were covered in previous Articles which are Below – or you can also find them in CATEGORIES on the Right. They are under :

Wagadilly Clinic: Dog Health , Medical Care, Flea/Tick & more

How I Triumph Over Fleas & Ticks. Phase One: IN The Dogs

penny post

My Yard: Three (totally dog-proof fenced) Acres of Woods!
Dogs Lifestyle: I have a Dog Door (it’s the Key To Happiness) All dogs can race in and out as they choose, and play in our Woods (except when I leave for errands. then I shut them off from the Woods; they still have the house and the Dog Door and a nice sized yard, but it’s a much smaller section)
The Number of Fleas on My Dogs: ZERO
The Number of Ticks on my Dogs: Maybe 1 or 2 per dog per year!
Amount I Spend on Flea & Tick Prevention: About TEN DOLLARS TOTAL PER MONTH
paw tracks

HOW I TRIUMPH OVER FLEAS & TICKS IS A THREE-PHASE ATTACK:
IN The Dogs, ON The Dogs and UNDER The Dogs Read more…

How I Triumph Over Fleas & Ticks. Phase Two: ON the Dogs.

Recently Adopted, Suzie with her new "Big Sister", Angel — Recently Adopted, Suzie with her new “Big Sister”, Angel

penny post

Quick Tip. Go to the Vet – Without Your Pet

puppy

Did you know that most vets – (most COOPERATIVE vets, that is) will and should – let you bring only a Specimen, when appropriate? If the concern is about one of the Three P’s: Poop, Pee or Puke , then most of the time – all they really need (at least for the initial screening) is the specimen, and not the Dog. This would be true of cases of suspected Intestinal Parasites, (“worms”). Take the Poo, leave the Pup at home, ask for a “Fecal Float” (that’s the name of the test and will make it sound like you know what you’re talking about !) and save an Office Visit charge. Ask for a few specimen containers the next time you’re at the vet and have them on hand.