These four little kittens have survived a fire and need a great home. The adoption fee for each kitten is $75.00 and that includes their leukemia/fiv test, fecal test, dewormings and whatever vaccines and medications we have given. It also includes their neuter when they are old enough! Please stop by to visit our homeless kittens and help tell others about them.
Please see our “Every Pet Deserves A Home” for more information.
FLEA ALLERGY
Signs of flea-bite allergy result from hypersensitivity (allergy) to flea saliva. In an allergic dog, the bite of a single flea may cause a serious problem. Extensive skin damage may result from biting and scratching, causing areas of hair loss and sores, frequently seen at the base of the tail. Although flea-bite allergy can be controlled with medication, the best treatment is to protect your pet from flea bites with products one of today’s prescription products available, such as Advantix.
Flea allergies are most common in late summer and fall in areas with cold winters and warm summers. In warm climates or in heated flea-infested houses, flea allergy may occur throughout the year. Treatment of the environment as well as the pet is important, because fleas spend most of their time in the environment, and not on the dog or cat.
Flea allergies usually worsen as animals age. Signs may begin earlier in the flea season and last longer. Also skin reactions generally become more severe. Treatment includes flea control on the pet and in the environment and suppression of the allergic reaction. Corticosteroids, food supplements, and antihistamines may be used in acute flare-ups, the veterinarian will recommend the best course of treatment for your dog or cat.
A call came in recently from a client with an ill pet. The client asked “How will I know WHEN it’s time?, “How do I know when she’s suffering?” and “How do I know when to let her go?”.
My heart goes out to this client who is struggling with making this decision and with this illness with her pet.
There’s no easy answer or easy way to make the decision. The client lives with the pet every day and is the one who knows the pet’s quality of life better than anybody. Each situation is different and the answer is often different for each one of us.
Anyone who has ever loved a pet dreads this decision. It is very difficult and painful. We all beg for our animals to pass peacefully in their sleep. This is the hardest decision we make when it comes to our pets. It never gets any easier. We can offer your advice and support but no one can make the decision for you.
Everyone makes the decision a little differently. Some pet lovers do not wait until their pet’s discomfort becomes chronic and they choose euthanasia much sooner than others. Some owners wait until their pet has stopped eating or has lost interest in normal things that they typically love to do. Some wait until there’s no doubt the time is at hand while others select euthanasia upon diagnosis of an illness.
There’s no absolute rule, and every method for deciding is right for some pets and some owners. As you live life with an terminally ill pet or geriatric pet, you enjoy each and every day and you do the best you can.
The advances in veterinary medicine have made the decisions even more difficult for many people. We can keep a seriously ill pet comfortable and even offer treatments such as chemotherapy. If you can have a realistic expectation that a course of treatment will improve your pet’s life — rather than simply prolong it — then those options should be considered. But you must also ask yourself: Am I doing right by my pet, or am I just holding on because I can’t bear to say goodbye?
Choosing to end a pet’s suffering is often the final act of love we can give to our beloved pet.
