Separation Anxiety

Many dogs, including my own, Coco, suffer from separation anxiety.  There are many remedies and training methods that you can use to bring yourself and your dog relief.  It's not going to be a quick fix, but it does get better if you are consistent.  
Try your local pet store. They have collars and air-freshening type plug-in sprays that imitate the mother's pheromones and help calm the dog down. I have seen a collar that worked fairly well, while I was working in a doggy daycare and I bought the plug-in type for Coco, but I'm not really sure if it helped.

As far as training, you can practice leaving your dog (probably in a confined room), for five minutes at a time.  Prepare to leave as you normally would. Get your jacket, keys, etc., and leave, locking the door behind you.  Don't make a big deal about leaving- no long goodbyes! Just get your stuff say "see you soon" and leave for about 5-10 minutes.  Come back in, say hello, but again, don't make a big deal about coming in. Just put your things down, get a drink, sit down in front of the tv and act like everything is normal, because it is! It's totally normal to come and go from your own home!

Later that day do another 10 minutes and another.  Gradually work up to 20 minutes, try that several times until you are ready to try an hour.  Just make sure that you remain very matter-of-fact about the activities of coming and going so your dog sees it's normal and you will come back!   Definitely don't act overly emotional about coming back!

Don't forget this needs to be repeated quite often. The problem probably won't go away overnight. And consistency is key to training dogs. Even when you are bored and sick of going out for 10 or 15 minutes, keep doing it!  Give him some time in between to relax too!  Training a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences you'll ever have, so stick with it!!

You can also try having your dog sit for a treat just before you leave, to remind him or her that this is a pleasurable activity. 

If you come home to an accident or destroyed property, remember that it was your own lack of planning that caused the problem and do not be angry with your dog. Being angry will reinforce the anxiety. 

I got most of these tips from a good friend, Brittany Magallenas and the book "Little Dogs: Training your Pint-Sized Companion" by Deborah Wood, which is probably available at Amazon.com

Golden Retrievals by Mark Doty (a poem)

Fetch?  Balls and sticks capture my attention seconds at a time.
Catch?  I don't think so.
Bunny.  Tumbling leaf. A squirrel who is , oh joy, actually scared.
Sniff the wind, then I'm off again.
Muck. Pond. Ditch. Residue of any thrillingly dead thing.

And you?  Either you're sunk in the past half our walk,
Thinking of what you never can bring back,
Or else you're off in some fog concerning... tomorrow.
Is that what you call it?

My work?  To unsnare time's warp and woof.
Retrieving, my haze-headed friend, you.
The shining bark, a zen master's bronzy gong,
Calls you here.  Entirely.  Now.


Bow wow.
Bow wow.
Bow wow.

Beware of foxtails!

Since we are in the summer months, I thought it was important to warn against foxtails.  These innocuous looking weeds can be extremely dangerous! I saw so many dogs come in with these when I worked as a veterinary assistant. Here's what they look like:

 Watch out for these! Even if you live in the city, they grow in parks and even in cracks in the sidewalk.  They can get caught in out-of-sight spots on your dog, like between their paws, in their nose, throat or ears, in their butts and other "private" areas.  They usually need to be surgically removed and have a very dangerous bacteria that can cause severe problems including death!  So if you see any of these while walking your dog stay far away from them!

Have any questions or problems with your pet?

Please post your questions in the comments section.  I have had experiences with most of the vets in San Francisco.  I've worked in, interviewed at or brought my pets everywhere in the last 18 years.  I'd be happy to share my experiences and recommend good vets and groomers too!

cats get sick from new food

My stepmother was telling me recently that she bought a new catfood that was on sale and had a problem with the cats vomiting after eating it.  My suggestion:  Buy a small bag of the old food and mix the food about half and half- old and new for a few days, then mix a quarter old and three quarters new and so on, gradually switching the food.  And if that food is not on sale again, gradually switch back to the old food again.  Sometimes a sudden change in diet can cause stomach upset in dogs and cats.

Butt scooching!

So, recently a friend called me and was wondering if he should give his dog some tapeworm meds that he had leftover when the dog was scooching his butt on the floor and biting at it.  My suggestion:  Check his anal glands.  The anal glands are located around the anus and should naturally express themselves when dogs go to the bathroom.  Sometimes these glands get clogged and will fill up and create angry little cyst-like bumps on the dog's butt. Groomers or your vet can "express" these glands for a small fee. Or if you are one of my friends and this is a problem you are having, give me a call.  I have experience and can help you out!  The friend that asked me about this happened to have worked as a groomer and was able to take care of the problem himself, but do not attempt to express the anal glands without experience!!

Hello and welcome!

Hi! My name is Kara and I am a dogwalker and petsitter in San Francisco.  I do private walks and love to take care of special needs pets.  A little bit more about me and my experience:
I have worked as a veterinary assistant and attended some vet tech courses.
I worked in a doggy daycare as a dog handler,
I am a Pet First Aid Leader, certified by the American Red Cross. 
I have volunteered at the SF Animal Care and Control as a dogwalker and I've attended their dog socialization class.
I've also worked as a field marketing rep for Eukanuba dogfood.
I've taken care of diabetic cats and other special needs pets, such as birds.
I have two dogs, a chihuahua named Coco and a Jack Russell terrier mix named Rio.
I've had cats growing up and also had an iguana.

Friends are always asking my advice on animal care, so I  thought I'd create a blog with some of the questions I've been asked and the responses I've shared.  I welcome any of your questions and hope to be of service to you with anything you may need help figuring out!  I am not a veterinarian and can only offer practical suggestions, based on my experience, not formal medical advice. Thanks for stopping by :-)