Valentine Love | Long Island Small Dog Boarding

Valentine Love  |  Long Island Small Dog Boarding

We love our dogs don't we?  Big, small or tiny they leave a permanent imprint on our hearts.

This past year, we had to say goodbye to two of our three little dogs.  Skjegg our 12 pounds yorkie passed away a year ago, Kumpa our tiny yorkie passed a month ago.  My husband and I shed many tears after loosing them.  How can you not be impacted by 15 years of joy and love and not feel a great sense of loss when they are no longer with you?

One thing I discovered, Kumpa my little 4 pound Yorkie, who was only 2.5 pounds at the end of her life, was the biggest personality in the house.  When I came home the house was always rocking with barking.  My dogs--our boarding guest dogs-- everyone was barking.  Then my little one would run laps around the house with one of her favorite little toys in her mouth.  She continued to do laps for 5 to 10 minutes every time I came home, even if I was only out for a few minutes. I loved watching her express her happiness at mommy being home again.

Now that she is gone, I come home to a very quiet house.  Bella, the only one left of our three dogs, many times doesn't even get out of bed to greet me.  Bella is wonderful and loving, but the house is very quiet.  In time, I think we will get another tiny terror or two who will hopefully bring as much joy into our lives for the next 10 to 15 years.

My little Kumpa

I miss those noisy homecomings, but it has been very comforting to have our guest dogs come and spend their vacations with us.  We have had so many wonderful little dogs here through out the years

Here is a video of two recent guests-- Sadie and Shayna who became best friends! This is why I LOVE being The Doggie Nanny!

If you live on Long Island and are need of boarding for your little dog, we offer private home boarding for small breed dogs, 15 pounds and under.  While they are here, we treat them like family.  No cages, or crates.  They live with us like our own personal pets.

One word of advice-- wherever you decide to board your little dog-- DO NOT leave them with a facility or person who mixes big and little dogs.  That is a disaster waiting to happen.  Don't do it.

Long Island Small Dog Boarding With The Doggie Nanny.  TLC for little doggies...minis, toys and teacups.    www.doggienanny.com

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2016 Masquerade Ball for Little Shelter of Long Island

2016 Masquerade Ball for Little Shelter of Long Island.

I had such a fun evening at the Little Shelter Masquerade Ball and Fundraiser!
We enjoyed great food, dancing and lots of raffels. Held at the Westbury Manor.
Here are some photos of the event.

Event photography by Linda McNally.  www.lindamcnallyphoto.com

If you have a small dog and need a loving, home environment for boarding, call The Doggie Nanny at 631 742 4176.  www.doggienanny.com

The Doggie Nanny Boutique is open

Being a small dog lover has taken me down many roads. From pet sitting, to pet photography and now to pet fashion designer!  I am happy to announce the opening of The Doggie Nanny Boutique!

One of a kind items, handmade my me are on sale through this popular site where people sell unique items not found anywhere else.  I am especially proud of my Mini Top Hats which start out as a flat piece of felt and are sewn and decorated into a one-of-a-kind miniature hat that can be used for pets, dolls and even as newborn photography prop!

Great gifts for pet lovers, my items are made from quality materials, hand sewn and crafted by me!

After years of sewing my own clothing, drapes, pillows etc, I took on pet fashion as well and that led to the hat collection.  More hats to come!  They are just about my favorite thing to make now.

Be sure to visit my boutique and tell your friends!

Click here to visit The Doggie Nanny Boutique

Treating Chronic Ear Infections caused by Yeast and Bacteria in Dogs

My mother's beloved and pampered dog has had severe ear infections for years and despite many trips to the Vet, changes in his diet and the constant vigilance of my Mom, the ear infections kept occurring.   

As I was researching this problem for her, I  came across three products on Amazon that had a huge number of favorable reviews.  I placed an oder for all three and had them delivered to my parents. 

When Bailey recovered from his last ear infection, she began cleaning his ears weekly with Zymox Ear Cleanser With Bio-Active Enzymes, (see photo). For the first time in years, Bailey has had a long period of pain free, normal ears.  

Gone is the redness and scabbing that used to plague him!   
Regular cleaning once a week with a solution just for ears (especially after bathing), will help prevent an ear infection and keep your doggie happy and healthy. If you have chronic issues with your pet's ears caused by yeast, please do some research on these products.  They might bring relief to your fur baby and save you money and trips to the vet.

I also ordered  Zymox Topical Pet Cream with Hydrocortisone and Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone--both very favorably reviewed on Amazon, (photos below) which she has yet to use because the Zymox Ear Cleanser has worked so well.

For more information on mites and ear infections click here

Be sure to give your doggie lots of TLC and keep them healthy!

Here are two other products for treatment of yeast/bacterial infections to look into.  Based on customer reviews--they seem worth a try!

Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone

Zymox Topical Pet Cream with Hydrocortisone
 

Treating Ear Infections in Dogs | Treating Smelly Ears

Scroll down for how-to videos.

Mites, ear infections and treatments for your dog.

If you notice a smell coming from your dogs ears, if you see a brown discharge, if your dog is scratching his ear or shaking his head, you need to to treat your baby for an ear ear mites or an infection caused by moisture and yeast in the ear. 

EAR MITES

Ear mites are a tiny spider like parasitic mite that usually live in the ear canals but can also live on other parts of a dog or cat's body. Ear mites are the most common cause of ear infections seen by vets.  More commonly found in cats than dogs, they are still a considerable cause of ear infection in the canine population. As they feed they bite through a dog's skin, causing discomfort and pain. Other symptoms of ear mites include black or dark brown discharge from the ears (this may resemble ground coffee grounds), sores or hair loss around the ear. Left untreated, they can cause your dog considerable pain and damage to the eardrums.


YEAST
The other common cause of ear infections is yeast-- caused by moisture trapped in the

ear.  Dogs with floppy ears are especially prone to yeast infections in the ear canal. Left untreated it can cause pain and even lead to hearing loss.  Hair can grow in the ears, causing moisture and wax to build up. This hair and wax needs to be removed.  I just had the groomer take a look at one of my Yorkies.  She took an instrument and took hold of the hair in her ear and gently twisted the hair out.  There was no pain to the dog, but I was surprised at the knot of hair and dark brown wax that came out of what looked to me like a clean ear!  Be sure to have your groomer or vet check your dogs ears periodically.  

DIAGNOSIS
An infestation of mites usually causes an allergic reaction in most dogs.  Since an infection caused by moisture and yeast in the ear can produce similar symptoms as ear mites, it is important to get a proper diagnosis from your Vet. 

TREATMENT
If your dog has mites, and there is a buildup of debris in the ear, the ear will be cleaned with an ear cleanser and gently swabbed out with cotton. Anti-inflammatory drugs or an antibiotics may also be prescribed to relieve infections. A routine ear cleaning once a month can inhibit the presence of ear mites. If your pet has recently recovered from ear mites, be sure to thoroughly clean his bedding and check your other pets for infection.

If your Vet has determined your pet has an ear infection caused by yeast, he or she will prescribe an ointment-- to be used twice a day.  The one I recently received for my dog is under the name "Tri-Otic Ointment" by Phonex and it has worked for him--my dogs have only had an occasional ear infection. 

CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS

My mother's dog however, has had chronic ear infections for years in his floppy ears. My mother tried different foods, and diets--thinking his problems were caused by a food allergy.  He would improve for a time, and then the ear infections would start again, which would necessitate another visit to the Vet, and more meds. She was running up quite a vet bill-- on a retirement income it was becoming a drain on their finances. 

Every time Bailey had a new infection, the Vet prescribed the same salve.  My mother asked if there was anything else they could try since the infections reoccurred so often. Her Vet said, "No--this salve was the only medicine we use". 

Recently I was researching this problem for her and came across three products on Amazon that had a huge number of favorable reviews.  I placed an oder for all three and had them delivered to my parents. 

When Bailey recovered from his last ear infection, she began cleaning his ears weekly with Zymox Ear Cleanser With Bio-Active Enzymes, (see photos below).

For the first time in years, Bailey has had a long period of pain free, normal ears.  Gone is the redness and scabbing that used to plague him!   I also got her Zymox Topical Pet Cream with Hydrocortisone and Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone (both very favorably reviewed on Amazon) which she has yet to use because the Zymox Ear Cleanser has worked so well.

Regular cleaning once a week with a solution just for ears (especially after bathing), will help prevent an ear infection and keep your doggie happy and healthy. If you have chronic issues with your pet's ears, please do some research on these products.  They might bring relief to your fur baby and save you money and trips to the vet.

Here are some how to videos to show you how to clean your pet's ears.  Scroll down for how-to videos.

Be sure to give your doggie lots of TLC and keep them healthy!

 

Fostering Rescued and Relinquished Dogs

I have been part of a small dog rescue group for the past few years.  In total, I have fostered 8 dogs who were adopted into forever families.  I am one person who has played a very small part in helping foster dogs that have come through www.Yorkie911Rescue.com .

Remi kisses the hand of his mommy 

Yorkie 911 Rescue is a wonderful organization of small dog lovers who give an enormous amount of time, effort and resources to help abandoned and relinquished small breed dogs-- primarily Yorkies, but not exclusive of other small breeds.  We have had small breed dogs of all kinds, ages and shapes come into the rescue.  Some are young, adorable and in excellent health, others are at death's door due to abuse and neglect.  Our foster parents take in dogs that are in all stages of training, from the well trained, outdoor toileting dog, to the incorrigible leg lifter.  The dedicated group of volunteers work to train, socialize and bring neglected dogs back into good health!

Remi

What I have learned about foster groups is that they go to great lengths to help save pets and find them permanent homes.  My last foster dog was a 10 year old Yorkie that I will call Remi. He was my 8th foster dog who actually belonged to a friend of mine.  Her husband was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and she had her own health issues--as many of us do as we get older.

My friend first contacted me to ask if her pup could come and stay with me for a while, she did not know for how long... her world was spinning out of control.  She and her husband have known each other since their teens--he was her life...her strength.  She needed to give her all to her husband and there was no time to give to their dog during this prolonged crisis.  They would be away from home for months at a time as her husband went for surgery and treatments.  She didn't know what to do--their fur baby was a senior dog; he has some issues, he was very timid; he was on prozac; he was paper trained--but that could be hit or miss.

I reassured her that he could stay with us as long as she needed.  In time, she came to the difficult decision that her little guy would need to find another home--her focus would have to be the treatment and healing of her husband--but what could she do? She loved this quirky little dog.  She had had him for 10 years.  Who would take him?  Who would love him?

In a panic one day, feeling overwhelmed with the emotions she was dealing with, she called me saying that she felt she could no longer impose on me, she was going to discuss putting Remi down with her Vet.  I told her ABSOLUTELY NOT!   Remi had already been added to the adoption list for Yorkie 911 Rescue.  Heidi Walker, the head of the group had assured me that they had adopted out all kinds of dogs that seemed un-adoptable. We would find a home for this little guy.

Later my friend told me that her Vet refused to euthanize Remi and he assured her that foster groups were dedicated to saving dogs just like him.  But really, I knew she was just reacting to the terrible situation she found herself in, and could never follow through on ending the life of the little dog she dearly loved--that would only add to her suffering.  Not to worry, Remi would find a loving home.

It took 7 months, but eventually Heidi of Yorkie 911 Rescue found my little foster his new home. There was a couple who had been watching his story on the Yorkie 911 Rescue website.  One day they decided they had room in their home and hearts for another senior dog.  Heidi drove Remi to their meeting point and this lucky little guy was delivered to his new family. His story has a very happy ending.  The ironic thing is he left Long Island and wound up back in the state of Delaware--which is where he was born and his life story started.  His new family adores him and he loves his new adopted sibling-- they have another senior dog that Remi bonded to right away.  Another happy story thanks to the dedicated ladies at Yorkie 911 Rescue!

There are many wonderful little dogs of various breeds that are being fostered by the Yorkie 911 Rescue group.   Please considering adopting a waiting dog.  Experience the joy you will receive when you save one of these little lives!  Click here to view available little doggies!