Category: Blog

Information and stories related to all types of animals.

OC Pet Expo

Another great year at the Pet Expo Orange County.  I ran into some old and current friends in the rescue areas.  Loved that.  If you have never been you should go at least once if you are an animal person.  We were able to get a lot of samples for food options for our Coco, who has Pancreatitis.  Looked at some super  cute clothes, which made me miss Snickers all that much more. Coco has never worn clothes, I wish she would, but she refuses a harness.  Seriously, she will hide under the bed, and not go for a walk if get means wearing anything other than her collar. We got her at 4 mo and it has been that way along.  No matter what we do, she is adamant.

Anyway, the expo is great for getting to see K9 shows, reptile exhibits (my husband is not a fan, but I love ’em.) when we met I had an iguana, well, he loved me not the iguana. And of the many animal shows, vendors and exhibits you have adoption.   Whatever, the breed, cat or dog anything, it’s a great place to either find your new family member or find the organization to help you locate it. Any breed has an adoption agency so Do Not buy.

The expo is over for this year but make plans for next April to attend.

 

Pancreatitis in dogs.

Our Coco, who is our oldest Daschund was diagnosed with Pancreatitis.  We are watching her everyday, what she eats, her stool etc.  It is a constant monitoring disease

Here is an article from PetMD on it. Please, if your dogs are showing any signs get them to a vet.

Pancreatitis in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatments

When your family dog doesn’t want to eat and is throwing up, you hope it’s a passing thing.

Many times, it is — but it could be a condition called pancreatitis. If so, he’ll need treatment.

The condition happens when the pancreas becomes inflamed. That’s an organ near the stomach that helps digest food and control blood sugar.

Pancreatitis can come on all at once and then pass, or it can stay for longer periods.

 Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat
 Symptoms

Often, a dog:

  • Lossesappetite
  • Vomits
  • Has belly pain

Other symptoms are:

  • A fever or low body temperature
  • Diarrhea
  • No energy
  • A hard time breathing
  • Dehydration
  • Irregular heartbeat

If your dog has some of these problems for more than a day, or if these symptoms keep coming back, take him to the vet. It could be pancreatitis, or it could be something else. Either way, you should get it checked out.

Your vet might make a diagnosis based on symptoms alone. Usually, though, she’ll need to do blood tests or an ultrasound, which uses sound waves to make an image of what’s going on inside the body.

Causes

Experts aren’t sure what causes the pancreas irritation, but some breeds, especially schnauzers, are more prone to it. Older dogs and ones who are overweight are also more likely to get it.

Sometimes, the condition comes on as a side effect to a drug, or after surgery. Often, a fatty meal, like bacon grease or table scraps, triggers it.

Dogs usually recover from mild cases, but if it’s severe, it can sometimes lead to death. If your dog is overweight or has diabetes or epilepsy, he may have a harder time getting over an attack.

Treatment

If your vet can figure out what caused the pancreatitis, he’ll try to deal with that first. For instance, if it was a reaction to a drug, he may take him off it. If it’s related to diet, he may put him on prescription food.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what causes it, and there’s no clear treatment to fight it. The focus instead becomes keeping the dog as comfortable as possible until the attack passes.

For the first 24 hours, vets often recommend no food, water, or medications by mouth. That gives the pancreas a rest. If your dog has a severe case, he may need to be in the hospital to get IV fluids.

When he gets home, you’ll need to give him lots of water to make sure he doesn’t get dehydrated. He may need medication for pain, too. He may also get drugs to help ease nausea and vomiting.

When your dog starts eating again, make sure it’s a low-fat diet. Look for food that’s easy to digest. Talk it over with your vet, but it’s probably a good idea to stick with this diet for several months, and possibly for life.

Prevention

Watch your dog’s diet. Make sure he doesn’t have too much high-fat food.

Don’t cave to his puppy-dog eyes, even on special occasions. Your dog doesn’t need to eat human food. Keep your garbage secure. Vets report more cases of pancreatitis during the holidays, when people are eating more fatty foods and so are their pets.

WebMD Medical Reference

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Our History

Welcome to PetExpress.  I want to provide you with information, a blog and fun about dogs and animals.

Abut us and our animals.

Hi, my name is Tricia and my husband is Angel.  I have been supporting rescue since the early 90’s when I rescued my first dog Banjo.  She was from a backyard breeder in Moreno Valley in a trailer park.  She had been dropped on her head.  It was awful.  After getting her vetted and the help she needed, I found a great home for her with a  couple in Palm Springs who travelled with her and sent me notes for the first so many months telling me of her adventures about where she had been.  It was great.

My husband and I have been together since December of 1999.  We started out with my German Shepherd mx, Bailey.  I found her at the Huntington Beach, shelter on Newland St.  She had 5 puppies, was filled with fleas, under weight and ill healed broken ribs.  I had to have her.  Age unknown when she died, around 10 – 12 years. We were together from 1993 to 2002.

Since Bailey we have had six dogs.  Two are still with us. Our youngest Daschund, Snickers  a foster failure, I’m happy to say, died only a couple months ago, in February 2016.  I’m in a wheelchair due to MS and while in the kitchen I rolled backwards and I heard a yip from him. I thought I hit his paw but the vet assured me that was not the case. It was a herniated disk in his back. She said it was not much different from when you or I twists or bends and knocks are back out.  It took only a week and a half for his back to paralyze him but he still felt pain. I miss him so much. He was only six.  Born October 2008 died 2016.

When we got together I had Bailey and we added Max who was rescued from the Mission
Viejo shelter. She was a Boxer mix.  Her shelter name was Angel, same as my husband and she was listed as a pit.  When we took her to the penned play are a guy walked in and introduced himself and as it turned out he was the guy that found her.  She was so good he came everyday to check on her.  He was unable to keep her but wanted the best for her.  He kept her and looked for her owner as long as he could until he had no choice but to relinquish her.  We ran home and got Bailey, introduced them and left with her.  She was immediately grateful and showed it in the things she did and was an amazing girl. She died of anal cancer, common for her breed.  Her age was unknown when she died but we figure around 10.  She was with us from 2000 to 2006.

Allie came to us when Bailey tangled with a possum or some other animal.  She had an obsession with cats, thats, probably how she fed herself the years prior and mistook this character for one. She had a deep gash under her eye so when we went to the vet for emergency surgery Allie was being adopted from a rescue that saved animals from euthenation from the Los Angeles pound.  She was about 4 or 5 months old.  The first year was amazing than her knee gave out.  At least 4 surgeries later left our Frisbee loving dog barley able to stand.  She would walk and sit.  It was heartbreaking. She later got Cushings and she couldn’t fight. She died at 7 years old.  Way to young for such a sweetheart with the biggest heart.

Rocky and Coco:

Rocky was a clients dog.  I had a pet sitting business and took in borders. This girl was a UCI student who went home during the Summer but never told her parents about him.When she graduated, they found out and forbid it.  They had a pit who ruled the house and it wasn’t a good combination.  We had told her after his stay with us, knowing her situation, we would take him and three years later, she dropped him off and he has been here since.  He used to try and run away – to us, when we left. He had seperation anxiety but now ten years later he doesn’t leave the yard.

Coco was a turn and a foster failure. Our pool man knew I was into rescue and had the pet sitting business.  He had a client who had a dog locked in her garage. She bought Coco, then Roxane to keep her kids company until she found out it requires training and time.  She has been with us 2004 her birth year and owns the place. She is a well breed Daschund.

Welcome to the site and blog.