August in Ohio. What a wonderful time for warm summer days, county fairs, bountiful harvests, and….allergies? Yep, you read that right: allergies. It is ragweed season, my friends! For some, that means runny noses, itchy eyes, and lots of sneezing. Guess what? If you’ve ever experienced seasonal allergies, you’re not alone. It turns out, seasonal allergies can also affect your pets.

When dogs experience these allergic reactions, you may notice them scratching between their legs, biting and licking their paws, and rubbing their face more frequently than normal. If left untreated, these symptoms can lead to bacterial and yeast infections, so it is important to get your pet into the Vet to diagnose the problem and learn how to provide relief for them. After all, we all want our fur babies to be as happy and as comfortable as possible!

For more information on seasonal allergies, check out the articles below.

https://lakeviewanimalhospital.ca/2018/09/06/ragweed-allergy-dogs/

https://www.vetdermclinic.com/when-do-allergies-in-pets-appear-what-is-a-pets-allergy-season/

Cortney Ley, Fospice Mom and Board Secretary

Many of the dogs that enter the Laber of Love Pet Rescue come into our homes with different skin conditions. These conditions leave our precious pets with itchiness, pain, and general discomfort. We do our best to alleviate that discomfort with better diets, ointments, special shampoos, and supplements. With my fospice dog, Patrick, I liked to use coconut oil for his dry skin. It provided moisture and relief for him while also giving me the chance to massage his arthritic back and legs (for our article on arthritis, click the link below).

https://www.laberoflovepetrescue.com/arthritis/

One of the difficulties with skin problems is that they can emerge because of several different factors. Some of the most common causes include:

To crate train or not to crate train is a personal preference. The attached article states some benefits of crating your dog at any age. As a pet owner of 4 dogs and a constant foster, I could not imagine managing our k9’s without a crate set up in the house. Our household’s current dog’s ages are 14 yrs to 3 months and they are all crate trained. So, do they all use a crate? No. Each dog uses the crate according to its needs. Whether it is learning to be a calm, appropriate member of our household (puppy) or to help introduce and acclimate a new dog to our current pack(fosters). Also, a medical issue that requires a few days of rest and restrictions. These are just a few ways the crate helps create smooth transitions and comfort in a house (not quite) full of dogs.
I sometimes feel like a broken record when it comes to the benefits of crate training. This is a process that can produce calm, manageable dogs within a few months and will last a lifetime. I have explained it like this before, teaching a dog to relax on their own offers them the gift of being able to live a calm, enjoyable life. And isn’t that what we envy most about our dogs, napping when they feel like it and watching the world go by without a care in the world?
It is never too late to crate train a dog.
Some things to remember are:
*Crate training is not only putting your dog in a crate when you leave the house. This is a big reason dogs do not accept the crate when being introduced to this form of training.
*Using a crate for a reset or time out before you are fed up with a certain behavior is not a punishment, it is part of the training. Make it short and remember to redirect the correct choice when you let them out.
*Your dog will more likely have to be crated at some point in their life so why not set them up for a stress-free experience. This will also relieve some stress for you when having to leave your pet behind.
As always Laber of Love Pet Rescue thanks everyone for their continued support. Loving our furry family members is one of the greatest blessings we are given. Thank you LOL family for doing your part in saving lives and making a difference!

https://www.totallygoldens.com/the-benefits-of-crate-training-a-dog-or-puppy/

Chastity Crowder, Fospice Mom and Board President

Enjoying the outdoors with your pet comes with taking some precautions and giving your pet some extra attention.
It seems like every year I am surprised by how early I experience my 1st tick. The reality of it is that tick season starts in the early spring. It is important to take the precautions necessary to ensure your pets’ safety as well as your own. I know those pesky parasites are not going to keep our pack from exploring so we will have to stay alert with our precautions and checking our pets over daily. Jedi loves to go for long walks sniffing and romping in the woods. So, I imagine we will be going out frequently to do just that.
This is another way to care for and support our animals to ensure they live a long happy, healthy life. As always, check with your Veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns regarding what is best for you and your pet.
Chastity Crowder, Fospice Mom and Board President

What will happen to your pets if you unexpectedly become ill or pass away? Will a family member take them in? Will they be taken to the local animal shelter? Does anyone know that you have them and that they will need taken care of? These are questions that most people have never thought about or considered the answers to. Even though few pet owners have considered these questions, this is a very important topic for responsible pet owners to think about and plan for.
Unfortunately, there are many pets each year that are left alone with no plan. The owner either didn’t think anything would happen or the people they thought would step in don’t for one reason or another. These pets are left with no other option than to end up in a shelter where hopefully someone else will step in to adopt them. Unfortunately, whatever happens, the pet is scared and alone. Being with someone that the pet knows can ease that transition.
Please consider reading this article and taking some time to make a plan for your pets. Hopefully, nothing will happen and you and your pet will never need to rely on this plan, but won’t you rest easier knowing your beloved pet will be taken care of if the unthinkable does happen? I know I will!

https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/bringing-a-dog-home/providing-pets-future/

Nicole Laber, Fospice Mom and Board Treasurer

When you think of the issues senior dogs typically face, urinary incontinence is likely one of the first that comes to mind. There are a variety of reasons a senior dog can start having accidents in the house, and it is best to work with your Veterinarian to make sure you determine the cause and treat it accordingly.
My dachshund, Annabelle, is nearly 17 and has had incontinence issues for several years. As a spayed, senior female, she is more prone to urinary tract infections – and as a dachshund, she is even more prone to them due to nerve issues in her back that sometimes prevent her from fully emptying her bladder. She has even had one drug-resistant UTI! Since she has experienced recurrent UTIs, whenever her Vet suspects she has one, they culture her urine sample and then send it off for a sensitivity panel to determine what antibiotics will best treat the infection. I personally feel this is worth the added expense because it eliminates the trial & error of different medications and allows us to accurately treat her quickly!
UTIs are not the only incontinence issue Annabelle has faced. A few years ago, she began leaking small amounts of urine when she sat, and sometimes in her sleep! The Vet ruled out infection and other causes, and it was determined she was experiencing age-related incontinence. They prescribed a daily hormone (Incurin) – starting at a higher dose and tapering down until we found the lowest possible effective dose. I’m happy to report it’s worked perfectly and stopped her leaking!
If your senior pet is experiencing incontinence issues, check out the article below for more information, and schedule a Vet visit to determine the cause and treatment options! And I can personally recommend Amazon as an excellent source of both disposable and reusable pee pads and doggy diapers to save your floors, furniture, and sanity while you wait for your dog’s treatment to take effect! (Be sure to use Amazon Smile and choose Laber of Love as your preferred charity as an easy way to benefit fospice pets while you shop!)

https://www.seniortailwaggers.com/old-dog-incontinence/

Jennifer Studebaker, Board Member

We hear the phrase “please spay or neuter your pets” frequently. But often the time isn’t taken to explain why that phrase is so important. The article included below does a wonderful job of pointing out the many benefits of spaying or neutering so I won’t go into those. Please take a moment to read it, it won’t take long.
As senior pet lovers, we have seen first-hand the devastating health effects of not spaying or neutering. Mammary tumors can quickly metastasize and cause cancer in other areas of the body and become fatal. A pyometra (infected uterus) can be life-threatening and require emergency surgery. Testicular cancer is also fatal in most cases. All of these things can be avoided by spaying or neutering your pet. Shouldn’t we do all we can to help our beloved pets avoid these awful diseases if we can?
Not only can we help our pets lead healthier lives, but we can all be happier too. As the article notes, unwanted behaviors can be helped by spaying or neutering too! One procedure that can do all this? Yes, please!
Even adult and senior pets can have these procedures performed if they are otherwise healthy. If you adopt a pet or already have one that isn’t already spayed or neutered, talk to your vet. They can advise you on the potential risks for your individual pet if they foresee any. We brought Chance into the Laber of Love family at the ripe old age of 13, and he wasn’t neutered yet. He had some of the issues described in the article, in particular marking his territory inside the house. We were concerned about the possible health effects of him not being neutered, but we were also concerned about possible complications due to his age and long term exposure to smoke. We talked to our amazing vet and did a full blood work-up. She didn’t foresee any extra complications with putting him under anesthesia so the little guy was neutered right away. Chance did great through the procedure and healed very quickly. Both he and his fospice family are definitely happier since we made that decision!
If you haven’t already, please consider spaying or neutering your pets. And if you have already, thank you for helping control the overpopulation and for helping to keep your pet healthy and happy!                                                           https://pets.webmd.com/reasons-spay-neuter-pet

Nicole Laber, Fospice Mom and Board Treasurer                                                         

As responsible pet owners sometimes, we just listen to our vet and do what they know is best for our pets. This is true with our heartworm preventative. Without this precaution we’d be risking our pets contracting more than some annoying parasite or bug, they would be facing a life-or-death situation. This is the condition of our latest fospice rescue Daisy. She will be living out the remainder of her life being heartworm positive due to the aggressiveness of the treatment and the uncertainty the effects will have on her already frail body. But this issue could have been prevented.  Heartworms are transmitted from a mosquito bite. It is suggested to give heartworm prevention year-round and to have your dog tested every 12 months. The treatment for heartworms can be aggressive and hard on the dog to go through. Making them sick and require bed rest for several months while going through treatment. This also can be expensive due to the number of injections and vet visits your dog will need.
This is another disease that can be prevented with regular medication and testing. This will help your dog live a happier and longer life. And give you the peace of mind that you are doing the best for your beloved pet so that you can have them around for many healthy and loving years.
Chastity Crowder, Fospice Mom and Board President

Getting a new dog as a puppy has many rewards, and I love puppies too. However, senior dogs have so many qualities that make them much more appealing to many people who don’t want all the work of raising a puppy. I am most definitely one of those people. Yes, senior dogs are not with us as long as puppies, but the joy and love they share more than makes up for the lack of time. From the moment we adopted our first senior dog, I knew that senior dogs would from that point forward own my heart completely. Many people have asked me over the years why. There are so many reasons that I can’t put into words. Here are several that I have been able to.

One of the worst feelings for me as a dog owner has been watching my pet’s mental decline. Their bodies were willing, but their minds were not able to process everyday tasks nor were they aware of their surroundings. Eventually, our boy Chewy didn’t even know who I was anymore. This decline was gradual, and as a pet owner, I noticed little things that made me look twice in the beginning but became more and more clear as time went on. I had no idea at first what it was but I did research and talked to my vet. The diagnosis – canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD). Or more commonly referred to as doggie dementia. This disease acts much like Alzheimer’s in humans and robs pet owners of many good years with their pets.  The good news is, there are ways that we can help our pets cope with CCD and also things that we can do to possibly keep it at bay for our pets. As always, we as the owners are the first line of defense as we know our pets and can spot the early warning signs. However, the assistance and proper diagnosis from a trusted Veterinarian are key as well; there are other diseases that can cause the same symptoms so a proper diagnosis is vital to making a proper treatment plan. A trusted Veterinarian can also help ease the symptoms for your pet and offer guidance and support for you, the owner. The most important thing to remember is to love your pet unconditionally as some of the symptoms are hard to love through, but your pet needs you during this time more than ever.  Please check out this article for key symptoms, how the disease is diagnosed, and possible treatment options.

There is no doubt we love our pets. The companionship they give us is irreplaceable. So taking care of them is important for a long, healthy, happy life. This month’s humane education health topic is exercise. Exercise is an important key to optimal health in all dogs. This is a valuable lesson I learned from my very 1st fospice love, Hope. Hope came to us hardly able to walk or get around. She was falling all over the yard at the shelter. We brought her home thinking she would rest comfortably until it was time to say goodbye. But with this spunky girl that was not the case. She got a little more pep in her step day by day and before long, after being fed a healthy diet and getting a spine adjustment at the vet, she was going on daily walks with our girls. She kept this up for 11 months until her body made her stop. I believe those daily walks were part of what kept her healthy and happy for the remainder of her days with us.

Please check out this article for more info.

http://pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-checkups-preventive-care/6-simple-tips-exercising-your-senior-dog

Chastity Crowder, Fospice Mom and Board President

Did you know that your pet’s teeth can affect the overall health of your pet and lead to heart, kidney, or liver issues? Keeping your pet’s teeth and mouth healthy can help avoid so many issues and allow your pet to live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Over the years, we have seen many pets with dental disease, and this too can be prevented. Dental cleanings and extractions for elderly pets can be painful, costly, and even life-threatening. And oftentimes when they get to rescues like ours, it is too late to reverse the health problems that the dental disease has caused. Please help keep your pet happy and healthy by reading and following the advice in this article and working together with your vet to ensure your pet lives his or her best life!

Please check out this article for more info.

https://www.stfrancisvh.com/blog/7-reasons-why-dental-care-for-dogs-is-important/

The first dog that became a Laber of Love Pet, Grace, joined us with many issues. She was mostly blind and deaf, extremely overweight, and had severe arthritis. Most of the issues Grace presented with were manageable, and Grace certainly had a will to fight. However, the arthritis was so severe that we felt that her pain was no longer manageable. After giving her a week and a half of love and pampering, the decision was made to end her suffering. It was a very difficult decision, but it was the best one for her. The part that was probably the hardest for her fospice mom was knowing that her pain was more than likely preventable. Some arthritis in dogs is unavoidable, but with weight management and early detection, much of the pain and suffering can be avoided. The pain that sweet Grace went through may have been lessened or avoided all together if her owner had been aware of the dangers.  Be sure to talk with your vet about how to keep your pet trim and fit.

To learn about this disease and its prevention, please take a look at this article.

https://www.thefarmersdog.com/digest/guarding-against-arthritis-in-dogs-awareness-and-weight-are-key/