Claire's New Harness

We finally found a harness that seems to work for Claire! Shaped much like a backwards diaper, Claire steps into it. It has a velcro closure at the top with a loop on each side. Hooking the harness to both loops ensures it will not come apart. It's made of fabric and does not seem to be wearing rugburns under her armpits the way the last one did.

The brand is GOOBY. Their website is www.GOOBYfashion.com.

We found and purchased it at C&C pets, who kindly had a donation can out for us for about three months in the summer/fall. It was nice to be able to give them a little bit of business for their generosity.

Custom Harnesses

One thing that's really been an issue for Claire is finding a harness that works for her. She was trained to an extremely lightweight mini prong collar, but I understand collars of any kind are bad for IVDD dogs, and harnesses are generally recommended. The mesh one I got following her diagnosis has consistently caused rugburns and scratches in her armpits. She now refuses to walk in it at all, so I finally returned it.

This company will make a custom harness based on your measurements of your pet. I haven't ordered one yet, so will have to follow up with a review once we've tried them out. I wanted to pass along the source.

http://doxidelight.com/hugadog.htm

New Supplement: Excelerite

I just heard about another supplement that an IVDD dog has been taking, called Excelerite. I looked up the ingredients, and since we have Claire on several supplements I don't think she needs this right now, but I wanted to bookmark it as another alternative in case I change my mind. Again, I have no personal experience with this to recommend it, but here are the links if you want to do your own research:

Info on the powder form:

http://www.originalearthsoils.com/products-page/5lb-excelerite-dog-and-cat

Buy capsules here:

http://www.biomultimin.com/?page_id=4&category=5&product_id=3

Customized Pet Carrier Purse

I attended a pet fair and grand re-opening at our local pet shop, Pet Haven, in Burbank over the weekend. It was a great opportunity to spread the word about Dodgerslist and canine disc injury. I got tons of dog food samples that I'm going to package into gift baskets for the raffle on Claire's facebook page. And, I discovered this easy craft:

This cute little guy has a very inventive mom. She couldn't find a travel/carry pet bag that had the pockets she was looking for, so she bought a regular purse from the gap that was roomy enough for her little pup, cut holes, and hand stitched some plastic canvas of the type used for needlepoint or cross stitch.

The purse was lined, so she was able to insert the plastic canvas in between the layers, leaving the sheet whole for added stability. She made multiple windows on several sides and recycled an insert for the bottom from another bag that she didn't like as well. The purse she used had both handle straps and a shoulder strap, so she's able to loop the bag over one shoulder, or carry it freestyle.

I never thought to alter a purse to make it into a pet carrier. And I love the added pockets in her bag! I'll have to keep my eye out for one that would suit our needs.

New Source for Traumeel

One of Claire's supplements that we've yet to streamline is a holistic liquid anti-inflammatory called Traumeel. I know that what the vet charges for prescriptions and supplements are about double what I could find elsewhere.

Today I spent a solid hour or more calling pharmacies and pet stores to find a better/cheaper source for this, and I think I've found one.

I'll be stopping by Capitol Drugs in Sherman Oaks to check out their prices and sizes.

Valley Drugs on Ventura in Encino near Balboa 818-788-0635 also carries a tablet that dissolves under the tongue--I'm wondering if I can crush this and add it to Claire's food. Each tablet is 300mg.

Of course, I'll consult the vet to make sure I get the proper dosage for Claire's tiny weight. I'm just trying to use our financial resources efficiently so Claire can get the most and best care possible.