Nauset Kennels

We field quite a few phone calls from pet owners throughout the year with concerns about their pet(s). Sometimes it has to do with a lack of interest in food. Many times it has to do with “an upset stomach,” which is often code for loose stools. Still other calls invovle limping. Many of these owners will call us after scheduling a vet appointment, asking questions about shampoos, food or treats, exercise, and other possible contributing factors. Reasonable questions. And while we would never presume to anticipate what your vet would say, we do have up some common-sense practices that we can share.

Sometimes, it helps to remember that our own bodies don’t always act the same every single day throughout the years. For example:

Allergies develop in some people, but not others. You can go for years without having allergies, and then boom, you are sniffling and sneezing with the rest of us.

There are days when I am ravenous, and other days, not so much. 9 out of 10 days I will eat somewhat regularly, yet there’s always that day or two where I’m just not that into food.

Even when I was younger, sometimes I would tweak an ankle or wrist. It would hurt for a day or so and then the pain would dissipate.

And while my mother will have a chat with me about appropriateness and sharing too much information, the same concept applies when that food leaves my body. Some days everything works like clock-work, other days aren’t as stellar.

I know, TMI (too much information). But sometimes, when your dog’s poop is a little softer than usual or you see that he’s not eating with the same gusto as usual, people need that gentle reminder in terms of our own bodies. Sometimes, you can be a bit “off” without being sick. I certainly don’t call my doctor every time my stomach acts a little funny.

That said, when do you call the vet if your dog or cat is acting off? (This is where I’d love my veterinary friends to give some free advice or give me a shout out on any information they feel isn’t up to their standards).

Call the vet if there is blood in the stool and your pet hasn’t experienced any stress ( a long car ride, company or fireworks for example), particularly if the blood continues to be present in more than one stool.

Call the vet if diarrhea doesn’t clear up after two days, assuming you fasted the dog for one day and followed with rice for the second day (dogs only on this one!). Call the vet if the dog’s eyes are glassy or her gaze seems distant.

Call the vet if the pet is having trouble walking that seems more than a “sprained ankle” type injury.

Call if your pet is sickly, elderly, or currently under veterinary treatment.

Call if it just feels like the right thing to do.

Remember: your vet is there to help and will be happy to answer questions. If you feel like every time you call to ask questions you are rebuffed or told that you have to come in, then consider finding a vet that will work with you on a level you feel comfortable with. And if you still want to call us to chat about a problem, we’re happy to oblige.

*Note: We are not vets. We don’t pretend to be vets. And we don’t play vets on t.v.

My kids and some of their friends had a glorious playdate yesterday at Drummer Boy Park in Brewster. The rain held off and it was actually warm. We started on the playground, laughing as rear ends got wet at the bottom of the slide. From there we started running towards the huge open area with our soccer balls, ready to run like the wind. Instead, we ended up playing “dodge the piles of poop” that were everywhere.

Now I work with some serious poop at the kennel, so I can tell you that I am not exaggerating here: there was no escaping the poop piles. We stepped in it, played baseball and soccer in it, we even found it on our clothes. It was disgusting. We tried moving to a different area - poop, poop, and more poop. Kids, being kids, just kept playing, while I tried not to think about it. But I did keep thinking about it and it really bothered me.

Dog owners on Cape keep complaining about how limited the options are to run their dogs. We know it. Old Cape Cod, where dogs, particularly black labs and goldens, used to roam the neighborhoods and beaches, doesn’t exist anymore. So we congregate at the few areas dogs are allowed off-leash, chatting with fellow owners, lamenting the loss of yet another beach or dog-friendly area.

After yesterday though, I am seriously thinking about switching to the other side. Blasphemy, I know, but what’s a girl to do when she has to choose between letting her dogs run free at a place like Drummer Boy or letting her kids run unimpeded by piles at Drummer Boy? Come on!

Some of you are horrified right now, and probably not for the same reason I am. You are sitting there thinking, “Well, I pick up after my dog, so I can’t be blamed.” Unfortunately though, you will be blamed; you are being blamed. All are lumped together because of some. It happens all the time. It’s why new laws are created, why new stop signs are put in where there used to be none, etc. etc.

Personally, I can’t figure it out. We are provided this fantastic area for our dogs to run. Bonus that kids can be entertained too! And yet we don’t keep it clean? A friend suggested that it can’t be the Sunday regular group since they are always cleaning up after their dogs. It sure wasn’t the group of dogs there yesterday, because I actually saw people picking up the piles. Wait, I was certainly distracted at times. I might have missed a poop or two, right? And, now that I think about it, sometimes the owners were busy chatting or actually in the process of cleaning up when another one appeared (surprise!). And, there were even times when the dogs were out of the owners’ sights; while not for very long, it does make you wonder. So, where do these mysterious, unclaimed piles come from?

Rather than play the blame game, I’d like to encourage everyone with dogs to bring plenty-o-poop bags when you go out to run your dog. While you are there, be super courteous and pick up a few extra piles that may, or may not, belong to your dog. Think of it as making up for those you unintentionally miss, okay? Or think of the mantra that I try to instill in my children: leave a place better than you found it. Or, follow Eastham’s lead.

In Eastham, a group of citizens have banded together to form the Eastham Dog Owners’ Association. One of their functions is to facilitate and participate in poop pick-up parties. Rather than see their options dwindle even more, they decided to make it a group effort, even providing prizes for the heaviest bags! Yuck! (By the way, the first poop party is tomorrow 4/4 at 3 pm at Wiley Park. Another will be held on April 4/18 at 3 p.m., at Bee’s River, First Encounter Beach. For more information, go to the EDOA website http://www.easthamdog.org/). While poop parties aren’t the only focus of the group, you can bet your poop pile that it is one of the most appreciated by everyone who enjoys Wiley Park and Bee’s River.