Home improvements for pets
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- July
- 12
Check out this story in today’s Life&Style section on LoHud.com about people who make home improvements geared toward their pets. These range from some low-cost, low-tech changes to some fancy add-ons like separate showers, bathrooms and living rooms for dogs and cats.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t foresee adding a doggie bathroom to my house anytime in the near future. Right now, their “baths” consist of those occasions when they go out in the rain or get caught by the sprinkler system. Thankfully, we’ve been lucky that neither has ever rolled in anything bad enough to require a soaking or tangled with a skunk.
On the other hand, Maggie’s getting older and I can see she has some stiffness every once in a while. I’ve briefly wondered what it would entail to build ramps up our stairs or steps so she can still get up on our bed. We did install a carpet runner on the stairs to give her a little more traction, so I guess we’re not completely oblivious to the home improvement trend.
What else are people doing to accommodate pets?
This entry was posted
on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 at 1:03 pm by Tracey Princiotta.
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Tracey, I have four dogs, three Cocker Spaniels and a mini-Dachshund (a tweenie size) who has severe visual problems and is almost deaf due to genetics.
I’ll be honest here, your comment that your dogs get baths whenever it rains borders, to me, on neglect. As dog owners/guardians my feeling is that we are responsible for the health of our dog, not only after they get sick but in preventing it. That includes decent food, medical care, and as you feel accommodations for health or aging.
I have dog ramps at all the beds in the house and couch because Dachshunds and Cockers have longer backs than legs so blowing out a disc jumping is a real concern, or perhaps a knee. If you do some research you’ll find many great ramps out there at varying prices. Some good supplements and foods are also important as dogs age.
My dogs are bathed and groomed every three weeks – I do it myself or I’d be broke. It’s important for owners to be ‘hands’ on with their dogs to find any health issues, skin problems, ear infections, tooth infections which might cause kidney or heart problems from the infections spreading. A lot of things hide under the fur, and handling a dog frequently makes them used to it so that other people, vets, etc. can in case of emergency. I’ve seen a lot of dogs needing ear ablations because the owners never cleaned their ears. Sorry to be harsh, but your comment isn’t funny, it’s upsetting.
To put your mind at ease, my two dogs are definitely not neglected by any stretch of the imagination. Each day my husband and I spend a considerable amount of time on grooming tasks such as brushing them, running our hands through their fur and over their coats to make sure they don’t have any unwelcome “passengers” or scratches or cuts or bumps. (Of course, it’s calming for us and they love the attention, too!)
At least once a day one or the other of us is checking their eyes and in their mouths and ears (Otis especially gets his ears cleaned every couple of days, which he absolutely loves). In addition, they get checked every time after they have been outside because we have woods and I want to make sure they haven’t picked up any ticks.
We clip their nails every week, they go to the vet regularly, they are up-to-date on all shots and vaccines and get heartworm medicine monthly.
As for baths, there are two schools of thought. I know some people have their dogs on a regimented schedule of bathing. However, Maggie is a Lab and Otis a ridgeback, so using a lot of unnecessary grooming products could serve to strip them of the natural oils in their skin and dry them out. When they get dirty, they get cleaned, but they are not on a schedule of baths.
I appreciate your concern, but if you ask anyone who knows Maggie & Otis they’d tell you they are in better shape than my husband & I probably are!
That’s great to know. I don’t know what grooming products you use, but I have no issue with zymox shampoo and conditioner which are made from the enzymes in milk and great for keeping skin healthy, or Relief shampoo and conditioner with essential fatty acids. I get both on-line at entirelypets.com which has great prices.
petedge.com has some great ramps at distributor prices if you need them, they make them for cars, beds, stairs, pools etc.
my son-in-laws next dog is going to be a Ridgeback – it’s a lot of puppy!
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Cheers
Marko Fando
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