Daphne, here again. 

Wow!  What wonderful responses to my column!  Thank you all so much for your support!  Now, keep those letters and pictures coming!  I’ll try to respond to as many and as fast as I can.  I especially would like to hear from my 4-legged neighbors on the east (or is it south?) side of the bridge.  My mom spoke with Karen Brown, a friend of ours, dog lover, and inveterate walker around Marsh Point Circle, and asked her to spread the word about the Spoonbill Courier and (especially) my column.  Now, on to your letters:

“Dear Daphne, I’m a 13-year old rescue pooch (golden retriever-wheaton terrier mix), who still enjoys breakfast and slow walks with my parents.  I have two problems:  (1) Why do I lick my paws so much?  (2) All my life, I have been terrified of thunderstorms and go into the nearest closet to hide.  I’m wondering if anyone has a tip or two to help distract me; my parents worry about my ferocious shaking that comes with this fear.  Thanks, Dexter”

Dear Dexter,  So good to hear from you up there in Maryland!  Give your folks my best regards!  You are so not alone with both of your issues!  I’ve heard about these problems from numerous friends and their parents.  I’ve asked around to get some, hopefully, helpful answers.  (Everyone out there:  please feel free to add your experiences and suggestions to any of the questions posed in this column!).

Regarding your itchy paws, I asked my good friend, Cooper (a yellow lab), who’s been suffering from this condition for—it seems like forever.  Poor Coop, he’s seen so many vets about his paws.  He asked his folks, Saima and Bill Upham, for their thoughts. They say that allergies are the culprit about 95% of the time.  Interesting fact:  animal and human allergy symptoms are different!  Dogs don’t get itchy eyes or sneeze or cough; they lick constantly.  The current treatment for itchy dog paws is oral Apoquel, which your vet can prescribe (you get used to the taste).  If this doesn’t work, you may need to see an animal dermatologist (good grief!).  Many vet schools have dermatology departments; your vet can recommend one.  If you have to wear that “cone of shame”, please don’t fret; your 4-legged pals understand your pain.  

On to thunderstorms.  Here, I went directly to Chanel Peed, a 15-year old standard poodle, who lives with Marcus (a standard poodle, just turned 12), and human parents, Meri-Kathryn and John.  Chanel is just terrified of thunderstorms!  She’s happy to share some remedies her parents have tried for her.  Some work better than others; it just depends.  First, she wears a compression “thunder jacket”, which really helps (check Amazon). She also goes to her special, confined space—would you believe, it’s the laundry room with the dryer turned on!  Other ideas include various prescription and OTC medications (ask your vet); sentry calming collars, sprays, and nose ointment (her mom uses chewy.com); and being wiped down with Bounce (weird, but it works sometimes).  I hope these suggestions help!

Finally, please join me in saying farewell to Major Reillo, who recently crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  My mom and I were fortunate to catch up with Major (a large, 13-year old chihuahua) and his mom, Michelle, just a few days before he passed away in his mom’s arms.  (Please know I won’t note our friends’ passing without getting permission from their human folks.)  

‘Til next time……Woof!

Daphne

daphne4legs@gmail.com