CanineTruth

Bit of an update since my last post, plus a question.

As some may remember my dog wasn't feeling well the past week. Diarrhea, vomiting, etc etc. I got her in to a vet yesterday and he gave her some fluids and shots to help calm her stomach. She seemed to perk up but by 6 last night she was once again not feeling good - vomited five times in the night and was out a lot to strain to get a few small bits of bloody poo out. This morning is was like a geyser went off and she shot out oatmeal consistence bloody poo.

So i called and he had me bring her in and now she's there overnight, possibly until Monday/Tuesday.

Her blood work is normal (a little dehydrated but nothing to suggest an infection or disease like parvo or pancreatitis) and she's perky (i believe his exact words where "she's very energetic and just wants to play with us".) He's got her on IV fluids and meds to calm her stomach.

He mentioned Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, and that's what they're treating this as. Never heard of it personally. Any one care to explain or discuss experiences? I only talked to him on the phone, and i assume i'll get all the info when i go in to pick her up in a day or two - just curious and looking for possible answers now.

Before anyone rants at me, my dog has an appointment with the vet on monday (soonest they could get her in given she isn't considered an "emergency"). I'm just looking for ideas. Input.

Long story short: we boarded her this past Friday to Monday morning. She had some loose stool the morning i picked her up (Monday). Got her home, it was like an eruption of poo and jelly-like gunk for that whole afternoon. One eruption had flecks of blood in the jelly gunk. She threw up twice. Called the vet, they had me fast her for 12 hours and then put her on chicken/rice.

Well, today i noticed her itching a lot so i flipped her over and saw that her belly was bright red all over, some areas looked inflamed slightly, and there where some blood red irritated areas on chest and throat. She's digging at her feet and scratching everywhere else.

No fleas, no new food (except for the bland diet), and the kennel didn't give her anything new and no reports of anything similar in the other dogs. She's otherwise acting okay.

Any ideas? Vet doesn't think it's an emergency so i'm just looking for input on what it could be. First thought was fleas but she's on Advantix and i checked her - nothing. So then I was thinking maybe it's allergies to the rice or chicken? She's on a fish/potato kibble normally because we thought she had corn allergies... but she's have chicken/rice before with no problem.

Just looking for input. Plus, i don't like to see my girl uncomfortable.

I've been looking around for home made crafts i could sell on my site to raise money for the site and different organizations (maybe even get myself some pocket change that i could use to spoil my pets and maybe buy a dog training book or two i've been wanting!)

I came across the idea of home made dog collar and leash sets, and I even found a pattern or two. I was just wondering if anybody on here has ever tried to make a home made collar, and what pattern they used (or how they did it). And how do you know that one of these things is going to be sturdy enough? Safe enough?

Obviously i won't sell any until i've perfected the idea and tested them out to make sure they where safe (if i even do it). I'm just curious. There seem to be a lot of people in my area that are into custom collars, so i figure why not try and see what the demand is like.

Note: the patterns i found call for using 100% cotton materials with interfacing or nylon webbing.

Again, just curious.

Also, what would you want to see before buying a "home made collar/leash set"? Video demo, etc?

Okay, i posted this about half an hour ago and it never showed up that i could tell....

It's getting to crunch time - i'm starting to get things set up for the neighborhood sale and i'm still looking for votes on what topic i should cover this year. So far there is a tie between two topics (won't say which yet) so i need more votes to pinpoint what i'm going to do!

Only seven weeks left! Also feel free to vote here, i WILL take answers into account.

http://canine-truth.webs.com/donationvote2011.htm

Legit: What trait(s) drew you to your dog (or to your chosen breed)?

It's getting to be the time where i start setting up the information and things i need to set up my table at our annual summer garage sale. Some people think i'm crazy for thinking of this so soon but it gives me something to do and i'm not left rushing in the end.

Last year i was able to donate $30 (money i made form selling brownies and hand made beaded jewelry) to help end puppy mills and donated another $30 to my local shelter. I passed out over 40 brochures and talked to dozens of people.

This year i want to offer more items for sale in hopes of making more money to donate. But i'm torn as to what topic to cover and what i could sell. So I set up a poll on my website - if you all would vote and let me know (or let me know through an answer) then that would be great!

http://canine-truth.webs.com/donationvote2011.htm

Legit (just in case this isn't a legit question): Does your dog always wear a collar or do you let him/her/them run around "naked"?

My dog has been up at 1 or 2 every night the past two weeks. Took her in and had her anals drained, stool sample negative for anything. That didn't help so we took in a urine sample, came back positive for MILD bladder infection.

She was on Clavamox and she was seemingly doing better. Started getting up again three nights ago. Finished the meds yesterday. Took in another sample today. Vet called and said to bring her in.

Got an appointment for 2:15. Just curious if anyone had a vet call them in for a "mild bladder infection". I'm a bit worried cuz "x-ray" was thrown around. Anyone ever had a dog x-rayed for bladder infection? Or could it be something else?

Not looking for diagnosis, obviously just looking to see if anyone has similar experience. Probably won't even get any answers till after we get back.

Okay, quick question. My friend and i noticed that the gerbils in our local pet store are ill. Visibly ill. We asked about them and the employees brushed us off until we demanded to talk to the manager - they too brushed us off and claimed the animals where healthy.

So is there anything we can do? Such as report them, or prove they're offering sick animals for sale?

We where playing around with the idea of buying them (after obtaining assurance that they are "healthy") then getting them vetted to prove they where ill - could that be used against the store? Obviously we won't let on that we KNEW we bought ill animals.....

Just looking for ideas. We want to remain anonymous unless that absolutely won't be possible. If we can't, we'll go after the store as a whole (won't be hard, they sell puppy mill pups so i'm sure we can get a big bunch of people together to protest it - this would just be a good first start.)

I would like to switch my dog to raw feeding and have a few questions. I've done a bunch of reading but i wanted to hear from actual raw feeders and many sites are giving different information and don't have an actual answer to the basics:

I've heard of gradual swap and "cold turkey" swap when changing from kibble to raw: which is best? And which is the best meats to start with - chicken, pork, beef? When do i add organs? How much and what would i feed my 18 pound schnauzer/poodle mix - leg, shank (i've heard NO necks)?

Plus where should i get my meat (taking into mind there are NO butcher shops, as such, within an hour of me - just grocery stores and wal marts?)

Okay, setting my educational stuff up at my garage sale in May. But i'm still torn:

Puppy mills and pet stores?

or

Breed bans and "Pit Bulls"?

I know people think there's a lot on puppy mills but there are three stores within ten minutes of one another that are selling puppies and doing GOOD. People keep buying. But at the same time there is a lot of breed bias and i don't want BSL to come HERE.

Additionally i wanted to make a video or powerpoint on either topic to set out on my laptop - which would be better? Video or powerpoint?

I've got a little over two months to get my stuff together for the annual neighborhood garage sale. Yes, i'm thinking about it a bit early but that's just how i am - get it all ready long before i need to.

I've narrowed my topics to two: BSL (and "pit bulls") or Puppy Mills. Taking a vote now to see which is should do (or if i should do one in the morning and one in the afternoon.)

Also looking for ideas on stuff i could sell that would be cheap and people would be likely to buy AT a garage sale. I'm doing brownies and cookies, any other ideas? Any ideas that could relate to either topic?

What would YOU be most likely to spend 25 cents to a dollar on?

I've put up a basic outline of my new website: Canine Truth Organization.

For now i plan to do flyers/brochures and sell my stuff to donate profit to SPCA, though i eventually want to make this an actual non-profit type organization and expand (when i'm financially stable) to become a very small scale rescue (one to two dogs at a time to start.)

That won't be for a while, though, so i'm focusing on education.

But what could i do to make the site BETTER? What information could i add? Any tips?

There will also be a neighborhood garage sale again in May and i would like to set up like last year to sell stuff and pass out flyers. Which topic should i cover? Last year was puppy mills but i'm considering BSL/"pit bull".

Suggestions?

Here's the site:

http://canine-truth.webs.com/

I'm just curious to see what people look for in a trainer or in a behaviorist. I'm considering getting into the field because i think it would help my eventual goal to run a SMALL SCALE rescue.

So what would it take to get hired by YOU and why?

I know there was a question before about starting non-profit organizations but i wanted to ask something a bit different:

Namely - i plan to start a small group that deals with the education of the people in regards to dogs ad dog care. Pass out (or pin up) flyers, pamphlets, etc. I plan to sell things (jewelry on-line, food, garage sale profits, etc) and donate that money to actual organizations at the end of each month.

Do i have to DO anything "legally" to make my "organization" legit? Or would it be considered a business of some sort that i would have to "register"?

Second, if i plan to ask for donations so i have to do anything about THAT (such as file stuff, apply for anything, etc.)

I mostly want to hand things out or pin things up. I offer stuff on the website (or will as i get going with it) and we have tons of garage sales come summer i plan to have "bake sales" at. It would be nice to have a donation tin but i don't know if it's legal for me to ask for "spare change" or if i need anything for it....?

Here's the site if anyone is interested:

http://canine-truth.webs.com/

At current it's just me and a friend who would be doing this, though i'm hoping to get more people in my community involved (even if it is just them passing out flyers and such).

Last year i sold some of my jewelry and made about $50 (which was donated to SPCA effort to stop puppy mills) at a local neighborhood garage sale.