All the Creatures

Today we have a guest blogger

Guest blogger Jamie Harless

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 6 out of 10 people in the United States come in contact with cats or dogs. In this country, the total pet population is more than 100 million which works out to four pets for every 10 people.  Allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common.  A high percentage of people with allergies also have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.

Cat allergies are about twice as common as dog allergies. Most of the time the culprit is the cat’s saliva combined with your cat’s dander.  The dander flakes off and the proteins get on your carpet, drapes, or other fabrics in the home.  People with dog allergies may be allergic to all dogs or to only some breeds.  Symptoms can include itchy eyes, a runny nose, asthma symptoms, a rash, or itchy skin.  These might seem trivial to some people, but they negatively affect your quality of life.

If you suffer with pet allergies, you do have some options besides getting rid of your beloved pets.  You definitely want to keep your pet out of your bedroom.  Keep your bedroom door closed.  You also can control pet dander around your bedding with mattress covers and pillow encasements.  This allergy bedding zips shut and keeps pet dander from sticking to your bed.   One great treatment that I have found for my pets is to wash them with an anti-allergen pet shampoo.  This treatment can help your pet’s skin and at the same time limit pet dander.  The pet dander is a major allergen for most people.  Finally, you definitely should consider a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.  These filters can help remove pet dander from surfaces and from the air inside your home.

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There was a time when I looked desperately for the best appetite suppressant for my little blimp of a dog. I did find a great dog food for senior dogs (he is 7 or 8 years old) that worked well, but the store I got it at no longer carries it. I switched him back to a regular dog food and then found out he was begging food from our neighbor who thinks he is cute.

So now he is restricted from making visits to the neighbors but then he was stealing food from our cats. So what to do? After almost pulling my hair out over a growing blimp with 4 legs, he stopped gaining weight and is starting to be very fit. I am at a loss to what is going on with his body.

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A few years back I was fortunate to help rescue a small shetland pony from it’s sadly knowledgeable owner. The owner lived across the street from us. Normally the pony would graze their 1 acre pasture until the bought an angus calf. Then the pony and calf would share the pasture. One day I saw the pony penned up and the calf had now gotten large. I thought nothing more about it until 6 months later. The angus ended up in their freezer and the pony still remained penned up.

My daughter was now 6 years old and had expressed an interest in ponies. I went across the street to find out where they got their pony from and ended up with their pony. You see the pony had foundered during the time the calf was with them. In order to fatten up the angus for the dinner table, they fed large amounts of alfalfa and the pony had enjoyed it too. Unfortunately the free feeding of alfalfa had caused the pony’s hooves to founder and the owners solution was to pen the pony up……………for months on end. They got their solution from another “horse expert” in the neighborhood and never had a vet look at the pony.  After hearing that story, I was only too happy to take the pony out of that situation.

After getting the pony home the first order of business was to get it’s hooves trimmed (they had them trimmed over a year ago!!!). After finding out the condition of the hooves from my farrier the next order of business was to balance the pony’s diet to encourage good and fast hoof growth. I added a good quality biotin supplement and powdered gelatin to the pony’s feed. After 5 weeks I had the farrier come back and trim the pony’s hoofs again. This time he asked me what I did since he noticed a marked difference in the amount of blood in the hooves. I told him and then another 5 weeks past and he came out for another visit. This time he was amazed…..no blood in the hooves at all!!! In just 3 months I had managed to improve that pony’s feet to the point they were no longer ouchy for the pony and the pony could now start it’s training for becoming a riding pony.

My daughter showed the pony in English classes and won a few ribbons with her. After my daughter outgrew the pony we found a wonderful home for her.

A friend of mine now owns that pony and she is a pasture pet and companion for her other horses. She continues to keep an eye on her hooves.

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