Hip Dysplasia

One of the chances that you take when you adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue is that it will develop diseases along the way -- some of them that don't show up until a dog reaches adulthood. My dog, Daisy, was a rescue from the Bill Foundation in Los Angeles. They were thorough in their evaluation of my home as a place for my dog to live, but as my dog was only a year or so old when I got her, her bones and joints would not have been fully formed.

Daisy and I love going to the dog park. She's a runner/chaser and loves to retrieve tennis balls. A short while ago, I started taking her to a different dog park, for a change of pace. This one had hills and inclines, vs. our regular, flat park. I noticed that she was developing a limp and as it worsened, took her to the vet. $500 later, I was poorer, but much better informed. And quite sad. My little Daisy has quite severe hip dysplasia in both hips and a joint problem in her left back knee. For those of you who don't know about hip dysplasia, here's a quick overview. The ball of the hip fits into the socket. The ball is called a ball, because it is supposed to be round. In hip dysplasia, the connective tissue between the ball and the socket grows incorrectly forcing the ball away from the socket. The result can be joint degeneration (such as the ball has straight edges, which causes the hip joint to hit and scrape against the socket as the leg moves) and osteoarthritis.

Eventually, the dog is incapacitated, cannot walk and will suffer pain in the joints. The doctor has started Daisy on Glucosamine/Chontroidtin tablets that will hopefully give her some additional lubrication and encourage new cartilage growth and we are on a doggie diet -- if Daisy can lose 17 pounds (she's solid and a little bit overweight, but not too much) then it will lessen the strain on her much smaller vertebrae over her hips and lower the weight on the joints.

For more info, here is a comprehensive article from Pet Education: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1569&articleid=444

Earth Day -- and poop scoopin'

Like many dog owners, I feel a sense of responsibility to the environment. Being in the business of dog care, it is then doubly important, to me, to leave as little of my carbon footprint as I commune with dogs and nature.

The first challenge is the poop and scooping. How to take care of the poop without the always present plastic bag? I use biodegradable bags! No more guilt about filling the landfills with plastic bags that would survive 50 years or more. And now, when a dog does his/her business, she is helping the environment rather than contributing to more non-decomposable waste.

Second challenge: car emissions. I have to have a van for transportation, but I plan my routes to minimize travel and if possible, I'll take my bicycle. More exercise for me, less carbon emissions.

Third challenge: dog friendly treats. Solution...I bake 'em. Yummy, delicious, delectable dog biscuits that each dog gets at the end of a visit. No chemicals, no preservatives and made with love!

Fourth challenge: paper waste. Most of my marketing is via the web. I do have to use some paper, but whenever possible, I'll use the power of the internet. I'm using electricity, but not wasting forest resources.

What are you doing to help offset your carbon footprint? Happy Earth Day.

Dog walking in the San Fernando Valley

I was a corporate executive for over 15 years. Dealt with multi-million dollar budgets, managed dozens of people and multiple locations, retail outlets...basically worked very hard, drove very far, for a very long time.

Now, I've decided to follow my bliss. I have multiple bliss! Some of you may know my site (Gen Plus and the Gen Plus blog) dedicated to Boomers and 50 plussers looking to reinvent themselves. I love social media and Web 2.0. I love helping Boomers and 50 plussers find new jobs, new directions and new job/career solutions. As a consultant, I take my years of corporate experience to help others redefine their image, their branding, their customer relationships.

And as fulfillment of my heart, I walk dogs. I recently started a dog walking service focusing on the San Fernando Valley, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and will be expanding to the West side of LA and beyond. If you need help with your pet care, please get in touch and I'll do my best to help you out. At the same time, I have the opportunity to be an employer. So stay posted for all the bits and bites that I share as the business evolves (including any great pet products I come across).

If you need dog walking, visit my site at http://www.poochbuddies.com/.

If you are looking for a job, head over to my job site http://www.genplususa.com/ or my 50 plus blog at http://genplus.blogspot.com/.

And if you want me to consider you for a dog walker position, email me your resume and your reasons at info@poochbuddies.com