Friday, June 27, 2014

Fuel the Cure

   We are doing double duty today with our co-hosting duties of the always fun Pet Parade and joining our friend Oz the Terrier in his Zuke’s #FueltheCure cancer awareness and fundraiser blog hop.
   I am very fortunate to have never heard the words, “Your dog has cancer.”  I pray that I never will.  It is the primary cause of death in mature dogs and cats.  There are many terms that you will hear if your pet is diagnosed with cancer.  You can familiarize yourself with them here.
   Do you know the warning signs of cancer in your pets?  Here are ten things to keep an eye out for in your best friend.  While these do not automatically mean cancer, if your dog or cat displays any of the symptoms, a trip to the vet is in order.
1.    Lumps & bumps ~ Any lump or bump that does not go away or grows in size needs to be examined.  A needle biopsy is usually done and a veterinary pathologist can tell if the cells are cancerous.
2.    Abnormal offensive odors ~ This is not the common bad doggie breath or the stinky dog smell.  Those smells we have all experienced at one or the other.  The smell that you are looking out for is a distinctively foul odor that can’t be brushed or washed away.
3.    Abnormal discharge ~ Any blood, pus, vomiting, diarrhea, or any other weird substance being discharged for any part of your pet’s body needs to be examined by your vet.  Also, be wary of their abdomen becoming bloated.
4.    Non-healing wounds ~ A sore that does not heal in a reasonable amount of time requires a trip to the animal clinic.
5.    Weight loss ~ Sudden or unintentional weight loss is cause for concern.
6.    Changes in appetite ~ Refusing to eat their food is a red flag.  Even the finickiest of eaters will eat when they are hungry.
7.    Coughing or difficulty breathing ~ This requires immediate attention.
8.    Lethargy or depression ~ If your pet is unusually down in the dumps and all of their get up and go has got up and went, it’s time to see the doctor.
9.    Changes in the bathroom habits ~ If there are changes in your pet’s urinary or bowel habits like frequent bathroom use, blood in urine or stools, these are reasons to be concerned.  A sample of the stool should be carrying in to your vet.
10.  Experiencing pain or limping ~ This is often issues with joints, muscles, or arthritis, but it can also be a sign of cancer.  Any signs of pain or limping require a visit to their veterinarian.

Thanks to our friends at Zuke’s, every blog that joins in Oz's Fuel the Cure blog hop, they will donate $5.00 to The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund.  You can find all of the information to this fund raising blog hop at Oz the Terrier. 
What if you don’t have a blog?  No problem, you can upload a photo or video of your dog being active and share it on your favorite social site and Zuke’s will donate $5.00 to the DCCFund too!  Just be sure that you tag it with #FuelTheLove!
One of the requirements for the blog hop is to show photos of our pets loving life.  Since both of the boys definitely have a love for living a fun and pampered life that is an easy requirement! 

Bentley and Pierre love taking walks!

Both boys had a blast at the Barkus & Meoux Mardi Paw parade!

Bentley is the Fuel for My Love!

Resources: PetMD http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/general_health/top-ten-signs-of-cancer-in-pets

The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund http://www.dccfund.org/

Zuke’s Fuel the Love http://www.zukes.com/fuel-the-love/





You don’t want to miss being a part of the Pet Parade this week.  I co-host with my friends Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat's Blog, Jan’s Funny Farm, and Love is being owned by a Husky.  We have no rules, just fun!



38 comments :

  1. Excellent post! We joined Oz's fundraiser too. Looks like lots of others have joined since then too!

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    1. It's such a great opportunity to help raise both awareness and a bit of money!

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  2. Excellent post! My favorite part is that last picture of you and Bentley! He reminds me so much of my neighbor's Bassett Hound!

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    1. Thanks! Do you get to play with your neighbor's Basset? According to Pierre, their ears make great pull toys!

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  3. Thank you so much for this. You know I have lost huge chunks of my heart from my babies dying from this dreaded disease. Thanks for pointing out the warning signs. Hopefully, this will help others overcome the pain it brings.... Hugs!!!

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    1. Thanks Leiah. I hope to never have to face this disease! I appreciate you sharing our video too. ♥♥

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  4. Mom lost her last dog to pancreatic cancer and our last kitty Biene had cancer as well. Such a nasty disease for any creature! You look great on your walk, Bentley...maybe if you turn it into a slow jog you could avoid the diet and get more treats? Mom wants me to run, but I prefer to let Bailie handle that nonsense! Have a great Friday my friend.

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    1. I'm so sorry that you experienced cancer twice. It's just a dreadful illness. I try to run/jog on our walks now that I am on Revitamal. Mom has a bum knee though so she is limited to her speed. *sigh* She used to run with my brother Tucker a lot.

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  5. Oh MK...we love that photo of you and Bentley doing kissy-face. You can see how much you LOVE each other. We all need to live life to the fullest every day! Thank you for joining my hop in support of the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund. Have a GREAT weekend.
    Oz

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    1. Thank you Oz. We get many kisses every day as well as belly rubs and hugs. I'm glad that we were able to join in your campaign.

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  6. Thanks for a great post! It's so sad that we can enter the moon and on the other hand we are so helpless against the big C. I hope we will find a cure soon.

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    1. It does seem that with all of the advances in science, a cure would have been found by now!

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  7. LOVE that kissing photo :-) Glad you guys join the hop. One reason we LOVE Zukes and what they do for the dog and cat Fund. Golden Woofs

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    1. Thanks Sugar! It is great that besides making great treats, that Zuke's gives back in such a generous way.

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  8. What a great informative post MK!
    #FuelTheCure is such an impawtant cause. It's funny we both decided to participate in this today! BOL! Go figure! :)
    Love the photo of you and Bentley! Pricesless
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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    1. I noticed that we both did the double hop today, so we could join Oz. Is this where I say "All great minds..." Haha!

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  9. Because I was a newbie (and still am) and you reached out to me via Twitter, I've nominated you for the Shine Award! All the shining goodness is on my latest blog post: http://69.89.31.249/~bargerbi/?p=161

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    1. Awww, thank you so very much! The award is just gorgeous! ♥♥♥

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  10. excellent post - we sure wish more people had joined in as it is such a wonderful cause

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    1. It is a terrific way to raise money for research into cancer among our pets. Perhaps more will join for Saturday!

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    1. It is a great cause and I am very appreciative to Oz the Terrier for hosting this hop and for Zuke's wonderful donations. ♥

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  12. Thank you for joining in for Zuke's #Fuelthecure. What a great cause. Hugs to you, Bentley and Pierre. :)

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    1. We were happy to take a part in this blog hop. Thanks for the hugs!

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  13. That list is such great information. I can attest to the fact that some of those things are definitely signs, and important to watch out for.
    I love the photos of those two boys enjoying life and that last one with you and Bentley is definitely priceless!
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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    1. Thanks Janet! The boys certainly make our lives much more enjoyable too. Bentley is my love bug! ♥♥

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  14. Just joined #Fuelthecure. So cool! Such an easy way to help an important! ~RascalandRocco

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    1. I am so glad that you joined too. We can Pet Parade and help Oz raise much needed funds for cancer research and assisting pet parents with treatments.

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  15. Unfortunately, we have heard the words. It's not something you're ever prepared for, even when you have suspicions. That's a great list!

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    1. Thanks. I can't imagine how painful it would be to hear your best friend's diagnosis of cancer. Hopefully, a treatment or cure will come sooner rather than later.

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  16. Thanks for sharing tjr Fuel the Cure blog hop information. I will head over to Oz's blog yo find out more. It sounds like a real easy way to help.

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    1. Thanks Mark! I hope that you have a chance to join the hop!

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  17. Thanks for the great warning list! We are lucky here too....I did have a calico who was diagnosed, but she lived a full 17 year life before she succumbed!

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    1. Seventeen years is such a wonderful amount of time to have with your cat. Of course, all of our pets leave us too soon. Like the saying goes, it's their only fault. Thanks for visiting! ♥

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  18. Really great advice. Our furkids aren't always the greatest at telling us when something is wrong, so it's good to have an idea of things to look out for.

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  19. Great post and advice! Thank you for sharing. Love these sweet pictures, especially the one of you and Bentley, so sweet!

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  20. We're a day late, but we finally made it. We hope we never hear the word "cancer" around here. Scary word!

    Thanks for coming by our blog and helping make Jan's birthday special.

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  21. Thank you for sharing the excellent warning signs. Your dogs sure are loving life! love to share in their life.

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I'd love to hear from you! Bark back!