Got Kittens?

A stray Mama cat moved kittens under a client's porch a few weeks ago.  She already has several cats, so she can't keep them.   Mama Cat has disappeared or something happened to her, so it is just the kittens now. 

She hates to send them to the pound. Someone was going to take them on Monday, but was a no-show.  Upon further consideration, that would not have been an ideal situation.  So I went and photographed them yesterday, to share around, to see if I can help find them a home. 

They are SOOOOO  cute.  Probably 6-7 weeks old now. Eating on their own just fine.

If you are local-ish and looking for a kitten, let me know.  Please feel free to download photos from flickr and share them with your friends and family.

Photos on Flickr.

Have you downloaded the GHAC app yet?

So, watcha think? 

I am planning on adding a few menu items to the GHAC app over the next few days.  (I thought I broke it the other day. ... but was able to get it reconfigured and back to working after a "slight" panic attack)  

The Android version needs the most tweaking.  

Do you have any suggestions?   I'm adding a link to the online pharmacy and store, and some pet health care information pages.  Maybe a play list of Pet Health videos from Youtube.

Some people use their phone for everything. I tend to use my phone as a phone so what I think people need/want is very limited.  For me, one click email, one click phone call, and a location map would be the most important.

Everything else is nice to have in there, but it also eats up your memory, takes longer to download, and means the app is more likely to crash, especially on older phones.

Having small  menu buttons with tiny text, so tiny that is difficult to read, also annoys me.  I like simple --easy to read, easy to find what you need, and easy to use.

If don't have the phone app, you can find it by searching for Granite Hills Animal Care in the App store or on Google Play.

Leave a comment if you have a suggestion.  Also if there is a pet related app that you really like, mention it in the comment. I would like to see it.   Thanks.

The Latest Issue of Shelter Pet Magazine

The latest issue of Shelter Pet magazine is available in the App Store. 

Happy Mother's Day!

whether your children have 2 legs or 4 . . .

My hospital iPhone/iPad App is out today.   You can find it here in iTunes.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/granite-hills-animal-care/id633274966?mt=8

There is also an Android Version in Google Play, but some of its features have to be changed. What works in ios devices doesn't work on Android.   But the basics are there- call the hospital, email, etc.

Aspirin? for Dogs? Is it Safe?

I just had a second dog come in along with a big honking bottle of Aspirin.  I cringed just a little.

I saw this same bottle the last time I was in the pet store and I cringed there too.

The answer to "is it safe?"  is  both "yes. and no."

Aspirin is a NSAID. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.  People take it for a variety of reasons.
And dogs can take it too, but it needs to be monitored closely for side effects.

I like how this says Veterinary Formulated.  That doesn't mean Veterinary Recommended.

There are 2 pathways when talking about inflammation-  Cox-1 and Cox-2.  There are some good things about Cox-1.  Protecting the stomach lining. protecting the kidneys.  Effects on Platelets and Red Blood Cells.   The Cox-2 pathway deals more with inflammation.  

Aspirin suppresses both pathways.  The good effects of Cox 1 and the bad effects of Cox 2.   If a dog is taking aspirin for arthritis and degenerative joint disease/ aging, the newer NSAIDs  tend to suppress more of Cox 2, and spare Cox 1,  leaving the good benefits alone.  Rimadyl, Derramax, Metacam are a few of these.   That is why veterinarians recommend these drugs over aspirin.   And because they are prescription, I can monitor the patients taking the medications for side effects before they get serious.

 I have no idea what people are giving their pet from the pet store.  I worry that people will assume that since Aspirin is so readily available, it must be safe, or safer, than other options.  That isn't the case.
The only thing that is more beneficial about aspirin is that it is cheap.  

Cheaper? Yes.  More Effacious? No  Safer?  No.

Here's one article about aspirin usage in dogs. 

Here's an article from Wiley that explains the Cox1 and Cox 2 pathways (about halfway down the page). 




Boo started walking outside on a leash this past week.  And she finally pooped outside yesterday.  HOORAY!

 Have a nice Easter weekend.  Stay safe if you are traveling.

The March Issue of Shelter Pet Magazine.

Hi all. The March issue of Shelter Pet magazine is finally out.

 Yeah, we sort of skipped February. and almost skipped March as it took forever to put together.

 Priscilla is on the cover. Here's the link in iTunes.  The pdf is also available at MagCloud.com and at Gumroad,  if you want to read the issue on your computer, or download and sync the pdf to your Android device.

If you download the issue, and have a free half minute, leave a comment or rate it in the App store.  Apple tends to like it when people comment on apps, I think.   Thanks. 

Happy Friday everybody.

This is the latest update with Boo.

 Yesterday, she barked at me as she waited for me to open her cage to let her out. This was new as she had only been whimpering and whining before. Sort of like she does on the first part of this video. She wouldn't bark when I had the camera in my hands though. (Isn't that how it always is?)

 I did get her to step out the door last night. It was dark outside so maybe she felt safer under the cloak of darkness. Don't know. We didn't get too far from the door, and we didn't stay out long. But she did sniff around in the grass.

 This morning, she did actually follow Lena outside for a little walk. So that is all improvement for her. The second part of this video is from Wednesday when Lena and Boo were wrasslin'.

Update on Boo.

We finally saw a tail wag from Boo.  First it was towards Lena.  and now she'll do it for me. 

Last week, she moved from the cat room, to the dog kennel, and that seemed to be good for her.  Seeing, smelling, and watching the other dogs.  She'll step out of her cage on a leash.  And just yesterday, she'll get back in her cage without me having to pick her up.  That is new. 

Over the weekend, I let her out with Blue, a pit bull puppy.  Blue was abandoned by her owner a week or so ago, when he (owner) decided to not pay his vet bill when Blue ate rat poison.  She (Blue) is fine now, but that is another story, for another day . . . .

I've been trying to get Boo to follow Blue or Lena outside on a leash,  and she doesn't want to do that yet.  What she does want is for them to come back inside and play.    This was Boo and Blue on Sunday- their first play episode.  

I'll try to tape her and Lena playing  tomorrow.  You can see her confidence growing.

I didn't tell you about Lena . . .

Here is a new video, just out today, of Lena.  I took her in back at the first of January.  Long story, but she was living on a chain, with no hair, in a makeshift dog house made out of chest freezer with no door. Sounds cozy, right?  I know . . . .

Her family couldn't provide for her, and if she went to the animal shelter, they wouldn't have treated her, and it is unlikely that anyone would have adopted her with her skin as bad as it was. So I felt like I had to do something to help her out.

She  still has a little ways to go, but this video shows how she has progressed over the past 10 weeks or so.  She's small, about 25 lbs. if anyone is looking to adopt a smaller dog.