When a pet won't eat

So you pet doesn't want to eat. Should you be concerned? I think it depends.

If your pet is a picky eater and frequently turns his nose up at what you offer, it's probably not a concern. (And do you want to know why he is picky? It's because you've fed him people food or gourmet pet food and now you want him to eat kibble. Don't look at me like that. You know who you are.)

If your pet is a voracious eater and scarfs down whatever you put in front of him, it may be a concern if he doesn't want to eat, but even then, only if it's for a day. After that, it's time to check him out.

Start by looking in his mouth. Does he have a bad tooth? Are his gums swollen? Time to call the vet. Don't wait for it to "get better" or "go away."

If his mouth is OK, give him a massage all over. Does he wince or yelp when you rub a certain spot? It could be he's in pain and doesn't feel like eating. Again, time to call the vet.

In the meantime, what do you do?

A neighbor called me this morning and said their dog wasn't eating and they had discovered an abscess on one of her canine teeth. (I know ... the indignity, right?) She wanted to know if Hookah could have an aspirin.

I passed along the advice I got from my vet and said she could have one buffered aspirin twice a day. Hookah's about 50 pounds, same as my late, great hound, Jethro, who took aspirin for his arthritis. But NO ACETAMINOPHEN. Do not ever give a pet Tylenol or any other medication for that matter without checking with your vet. Aspirin is usually safe and if it were a small dog, I would give half a tablet to start with.

My neighbors are good pet parents, and already plan to take Hooka to the vet in the morning. And that's the bottom line:

When in doubt, call the vet.

Do you go for critter costumes?

Halloween is just a week away, and I'm wondering how many people out there dress their pets in costumes.

Reba has some rabbit ears that she wears sometimes, and will now be "pawing" them down to Ella. My ex used to say, "Don't you dare put those ears on that dog. She will be embarrased." OH PLEASE!!

One year, Reba wore them to the vet's office for her annual checkup. She's always gone the last Saturday in October, and sometimes it actually falls on Halloween.

We waited patiently for her name to be called, and when Doc Mossler turned around to go toward the exam room, I whipped out the rabbit ears and put them on Reba. On the way behind him, I said, "Doctor Mossler, I need you to take a look at Reba's ears."

Then when I hoisted her up on the table, he got a laugh out of it. And Reba wasn't embarrased one bit.

So ... do you dress your pet for Halloween? I would love to hear about it and see your photos. Just click in the comment box and let loose.

Got spare change?

Stopped by PetSmart on the way to work today and saw some really cute kittens.

Sponsored by Kitty Korner, a division of the Animal Network, the adoption event is a great way to see cats needing homes while you do your shopping for kibble.

Kitty Korner also feeds about a dozen colonies of "community cats," and welcomes donations to help in that endeavor. Maybe if everyone dropped their change in the box on the way out of the store, it would add up to saving a hungry kitty.

A few dimes here and a few quarters there, and pretty soon, you're taking serious money.

It's cats vs. dogs!

The Humane Society of Manatee County is promising a tail-wagging good time at the fifth annual Cause for Paws party to benefit the homeless animals of Manatee County.

This popular fundraiser will be held 6:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Palma Sola Botanical Park, 9800 17th Ave. NW. in Bradenton.

There will be finger-licking barbecue and other favorites catered by LeeRoy Selmons, music and dancing with DJ Robb Smith, and some competitive tailgating games. You can enter to win a 42-inch HDTV or other great prizes and bid on fabulous silent auction items including a photo safari in South Africa. Dress is casual and fun.

Tickets are priced as follows:

Faithful Friends: $85 a person; includes all you care to eat plus beer and wine.

Humane Heroes: $500 includes two event tickets along with beer, wine and specialty drinks. You will also receive a listing in the program highlighting your generosity.

For more information or tickets, visit http://humanemanatee.org/cause-for-paws.

Sponsorships are still available, too. For those, call (941) 747-8808, ext. 311,or e-mail info@humanesocietymanatee.org.

Does your dog need to go to school?

If your dog could use a little "etiquette training," you may want to visit the Sarasota Obedience Training Club during its open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The club is hosting the open house as part of the American Kennel Responsible Dog Ownership Day. There will be food, fun and dog sports demonstrations of obedience, flyball, agility, rally, earthdog, tracking and gundog work.

Not sure what those are? Come watch dogs who love what they do.

The Sarasota Obedience Training Club facility is at 7505 County Road 675 in Manatee County. For more information, visit its website: sotcdogtraining.com.
 
After the open house, you may decide to take the little nipper (no pun intended) to an obedience class. The next beginner's class level 1 (also known as companion dog obedience) starts at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at SOTC. This class, for pups 5 months or older, meets once a week for six weeks for 50-60 minutes a class. The fee is $95.

Handlers will learn to train their dogs using basic cues in a group situation using only positive training methods and positive reinforcement (no correction or punishment). Basic behaviors taught include attention, sit, down, come, heel, wait, loose leash walking, stand, take it, leave it, stay, distraction work and more.

Details can be found at the SOTC website.