I bought a new 500gig hard drive off of ebay over the weekend.  My computer has started slowing down a bit because it is bogged down with 10’s of 1000’s of photos. I stared taking digital photos way back in 2000.  Since I don’t print them all out, they are all cataloged and stored on hard drives instead of old cardboard boxes (I do have a giant one with all my pre-2000 photos).  So having them on hard drives and with the nature of viruses and mass produced electronics (they eventually wear out), I run the risk of loosing them all.  I have several back ups which makes me feel a little safer, but i had to delete all the images off my main hard drive to give my hard drive a bit of a break.  So I made sure they were all backed up on the the external USB drives I have.  Then I deleted them - it made me sick to my stomach.  So I bought a bigger drive to use as a secondary internal drive where I will store them for easy access.

Why do you care… well this has just been a segway to show you some of the photos from Saint Patty’s day… I was looking through them and couldn’t believe I hadnt posted them on here.  You know how I love dressing up my poor Saints for holidays and what good sports they are so I couldn’t resist sharing my Saint Bernards in their “St Patty’s” costumes.  Enjoy!

Happy Monday!

I have received a couple of emails from Dogster over the past few weeks reminding me that this week (April 18-24) is National Pet ID Week.  Well since this is something that is near and dear to my heart, I thought I would just pass along some of the tips they have suggested and a few of my own.

Dogs get lost every day. In fact, statistics show ONE IN THREE pets will get lost at some point in their life. I have noticed the number of “lost pet alerts” from Home Again has increased dramatically in the past two weeks or so.  The weather is warming up here in Ohio and more people are out with their dogs and are leaving them unattended in their yards - dogs get out and roam free. I have read statistics as high as 90% of pets with out current identification never return to their families. 90% are you kidding me!

There are several things you can do to increase the odds of reuniting with your lost pet.

Always have your pet wear a collar with a sturdy ID tag displaying your current information.

Not only are collars fashionable, they your first line of defense (btw - this is how I justify my collar addiction).  People are much more open to helping out a roaming dog that has a collar and tags.  It is a homing beacon to the Good Samaritan that this stray is loved and someone wants it back (ie: if they get involved they have the expectation they will not get stuck taking the dog to the pound/shelter, or having to keep it).  Most Pet Shops, Walmart and engraving shops have machines on hand to make an inexpensive metal tag on the spot in less than 5 minutes.  That 5 minutes could be the difference between your dog being euthanized or sleeping on the foot of your bed tonight.

I suggest putting your cell number on the tag as a primary number.  Since you will most likely be out looking for your lost pet, you won’t have your home phone in your back pocket or purse, it will be your cell phone. I have my dog’s name, my cell number and home number listed, in that order on my tags.

Many online shops have gorgeous designer tags that give your dog a little bling and added p’nosh.  My dogs wear large 1.5″ Red Dingo Tags - stylish, sturdy and guaranteed for life. My favorite collar maker Sew Crazy Dog Lady carries them at the lowest prices I have found anywhere…..

• $9.50 for small (3/4″ round)
• $10.00 for medium (1″ round)
• $10.25 for large (1.5″ round)

Have your Pet MICROCHIPPED.

There are several companies that provide microchipping various services and programs.  Most shelters, veterinarians and rescue groups have or have access to a microchip reading wand.  In the event your dog is brought in, they will be able to look for a chip and contact the company to get your personal information to call you.  You will be provided with a tag listing the microchip number for your pet to wear alerting who ever finds the dog that it is microchipped.  Periodically check to make sure your information is up to date, including alternate contact numbers (you can log into your account online to view your information). Some microchipping companies provide an insurance policy for your pet covering injury and illness arraising while it is lost.

The most widely used microchip companies in the US are AVID and HomeAgain. These companies are both widely recognized. Most veterinarians carry one or the other, but not both. The local animal shelters are generally able to scan for both chips, if they scan an animal with an AVID scanner and a HomeAgain chip has been inserted in the animal, the scanner will alert the handler that a chip is present.

So regardless as to which microchip you choose (exception ISO chips) to use your pet can be found with a scanner, and when a veterinarian decides to carry microchips the microchip company will give a scanner to the veterinarian and the local shelter.

ISO frequency chips (134.2 kHz frequency) are used through out Europe and are NOT compatible with most US scanners.  Currently Banfield located in Petsmart stores use the European chips… make sure you ask what chip you are having inserted and make sure it is an Avid, or HomeAgain chip (125 kHz microchips) To read more.. here

My dogs are microchipped through HOME AGAIN - There is an initial fee for signing up for the service and for an additional  $14.99 per year, I opted for the “premium service”.  If my pets go missing Home Again will send out a LOST PET ALERT to all veterinarians, shelters, rescues and (opted in) Good Samaritans alerting them that your pet is on the lamb.  They are also covered for upto $3000.00 in medical charges resulting of injuries or illness while they are missing.  Dog vs. Car incidents usually dont end in the dog being the victor… its a great value for $14.99/year.  Hopefully you will never have to use it, but its comforting knowing it is there in the event you need it.

Mirochips are available for insertion at most veterinary clinics, shot clinics and at a reduced cost through some rescue groups at fund raising activities.  All of my dogs were chipped at rescue events for a reduced fee.  Make sure you know who is going to register the chip… I was not aware I had to have my chip registered myself and Zeus and Apollo were not in the system for over a year……  So double check with the provider and make sure you have a good understanding before you leave.

Some municipalities require dogs and cats to be mircochipped and registered with the auditor.

Have a current photo of your pet

Having a current photo is very important for creating a lost pet flyer.  It is also important to note that you should be able to have access to this photo at all times. Many pets go missing while their owner is on vacation.  Being able to access a photo online (flickr, photobucket, snapfish and dogster are examples of free photo hosting sites) while away from home will provide invaluable when trying to locate your lost pet.

Keep you dog license current

Most states require that you register dogs (and in very few cases cats as well) with the auditors office through a dog licence.  Some are as local as a city and others (like where I live) are through the county.  Ohio requires all dogs over 3 months of age to have a current rabies vaccination and yearly dog licence on file.  My county has a searchable database with all dog tag numbers to reunite dog with their owners.  Remember a few months back I found the wandering beagle?  The dog was wearing only it county license.  I contacted the dog warden and was given the phone number to call the owner.  With in 10 minutes the dog was reunited with the dog sitter.  Not only will having your dog licence keep you from getting a ticket, but it may just save the life of your pet.

MANGE…..

I am pretty sure at this point that Apollo has Mange.  Remember that spot on his thigh…. well, it isnt really getting any better, nor is it getting a whole lot worse.  It has darkened up some.  Dont know if that’s from the sun (its what his elbows look like from laying on them and rubbing the hair off) or if it’s the dreaded mange.  Looks like I am going to have to take him in for a skin scraping… chaching! chaching!!!  As much as I love my vet, its expensive and they really sock it to you with the bill. This will no doubt cost $200+ just for a diagnosis then treatment on top of it.  He is a real veterinarian’s cash cow I tell ya!

That psuedomonis infection in his ears really has taken its toll on him and if this is mange, its from his immune system being so battered.  There is still a chance it is allergies though.  He doesnt itch it at all.. thats whats so strange.  Mange is very itchy and he doesnt seem to be bothered.

I took some pictures for comparison and now that I look at them closely, the spot appears a little smaller than it was on 3-13-09.  Shocking how I was able to get almost the exact same pictures with out even trying.  I figured I’d have to photoshop til I dropped to get the aspect and sizing the same… came out first time like a charm.

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

I’ll give the full low down on Mange if this is indeed the problem.  Fingers and paws crossed.

We made it home from the beach and all the dogs are in one piece, unscathed!  Whoo Hooo!  I am absolutely thrilled with the our dog sitter, Eric.  He did a great job taking care of them.  I do have to have the carpets cleaned, they didnt get outside as often as they needed to and that its my fault for not letting the sitter know their “tells”.  I should have known I was going to come home stained carpets when he asked the 2nd day what the tells were - oh well, I’ll know for next time to add it to the 4 page “dog bible” I left behind!

The only “real incident” that happened was on day two.  Rufus managed to get the bottle of Glucoseamine off the counter and chewed open the bottle and consumed a handful of the pills.  The sitter called me the next day to tell me and was very upset.  He called my vet and the ASPCA Dog Poison Control Center (phone number - (888) 426-4435, a $60 consultation fee applies) to make sure he would be ok.  He presented some signs of discomfort/distress but basically amounted to gastric upset.  The sitter said he has never seen a dog with nastier runs in his life… lol Saint Bernard Sized Patties are umm HUGE and stinky! lol.  Rufus was fine by the end of the next day and a “solid” gold pupper.

I cant tell you how wonderful it was to get away!  I havent had a vacation with the whole family in 5 years!  Yes 5 years, and I cant tell you how nice it was to have someone I trusted watching the “kids” - it gives me hope that I can actually have a semi-normal life.  We are hoping to plan a cruise for our anniversary in May.

Glad to be back home and getting my clan back in order.  Lots of stuff (new toys and collars and treats) to tell you about.  The rain has stopped and the sun came out today with the promise of another glorious day which means… DOG PARK tomorrow and indoor baths with my RapidBath® Pet Bathing System - I thought this thing was great outdoors, but I cant tell you how great it is hooked up to the shower with warm water!

Now I just need to catch up on everyone’s blogs too… they must think I fell off the face of the earth.  So I will leave you with this… the Florida sunshine and beautiful sands.