- Karyn Stratton
A Note From The Editor :
One of our precious pups passed away last month . Her name was Natalie , and she would have been 17 this summer . A good long life for a dog , but still ... it ' s always so difficult . We have three other dogs - all rescues - with various baggage and issues from their previous lives . Natalie lived with a dog hoarder . She was one of 39 Chihuahuas from a woman in Kentucky , who , sadly , could not turn away homeless pets and didn ' t have the means to take care of them properly . Nattie was lucky . Although she was missing most of her teeth when we adopted her , she was otherwise fairly healthy . She and the rest of the dogs were saved by a rescue in Ohio when their owner passed away . Natalie was an absolute sweetheart ... just so happy to have a new home and family , and grateful for a bed she didn ' t have to share . It ' s been a little more than a month , and things are just starting to get back to " normal ." Her canine sibling , Chloe , was so distressed , she had four vet visits and a trip to an emergency clinic the week after Natalie ' s passing . She suffered an extreme pancreatitis flare-up , and both doctors we saw felt grief was a definite factor . She and Nattie were extremely close and did everything together . Chloe didn ' t eat for three days and we feared we ' d lose her , too . Thankfully , she pulled through , but as she was recuperating , our youngest pup , Tracy ( who never had a stomach issue in her life ), also suffered a bout of pancreatitis . I can only attribute that to the changes in our household , as well . I began reading up on how to help dogs through their grief and applying some of those tips , such as sticking to their daily routine , and keeping them distracted with extra activities - more play time , cuddles , walks , etc . Sounds pretty basic but it definitely helped . Anyone who loves their pets knows they ' re not " just dogs ." They are loyal , loving , compassionate , and emotional beings . We knew our crew would be affected by losing one of their own , we just hadn ' t anticipated the depth of their despair , or the physical manifestations . That was a close one , and I ' m so thankful we got through two serious cases of pancreatitis . If you live in a multiple dog household and one passes , be prepared so you won ' t face the prospect of another gut-wrenching goodbye any time soon .
- Karyn Stratton
In This Issue :
Pet Calendar of Events ........................................... page 2 Upcoming Pet Events ............................................. page 3 Around the Hydrant : News You Can Use ............ page 4 Anaplasmosis in Dogs .............................................. page 4 Working Cats ........................................................... page 5 Rescue Spotlight : Nittany Greyhounds , Inc . ....... page 6 Breed All About It - The Golden Retriever .......... page 7 Cute & Crazy Critters ............................................ page 8 Health Highlights : Pet First Aid Kit ..................... page 9 Adoption : A Loving Option ................................. pages 10 , 11 Pawsitively Delicious ............................................. page 12 Ask the Groomer - Grooming Anxiety ............... page 13 Win a Kong Dog Toy ............................................. page 13 Subscriptions - Let Us Fetch Your Next Copy ..... page 15
On our cover : " Daphne "
Thanks to
Celine Sayuri Tagami of Guarapuava , Brazil
for providing us with her photo !
Pawsitively Pets -- April
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