28 ~ Sunday, July 25, 1999 — PI HARLEY, my German shorthair pointer, came rushing back out of the woods with the stick I had just thrown. He was covered in his usual stick retrieval attire. A few brambles stuck to his collar, a vine wrapped loose- ly around his back leg. His two front feet were dipped North Shore News anning first al in the blackest mud 1 have ever seen. And white frothy %¢ Firet Came Tags and Tattoos Then Came the Microchip StNow there's ' Don'tleave your pet unprotected! Register them ipday! Call G17-7777 north shore news ETS slobber ran down the side of his neck. Ech, what a sight! As he approached me I noticed his face was all con- torted. He was blinking his left eye rapidly and drawing his cheek up as if trying to wink at the same time. I looked closer to see what was the matter, then shrieked, “Oh my God!” Upon closer inspection J noticed he had a small rwig stuck in the corner of his eye. I inmediately went to grab him, thinking he was in severe discomfort, when he tossed his stick at my feet, looking at me with his right eye as if he was saying, “Forget about it, just throw the stick, I still have one good eye!” Weli, needless to say the game of fetch was over and a trip to my veterinarian quickly followed. Over Fiarley’s three-year life span he has given me many opportunities to prac- tise some emergency first aid. You see, he is a bir acci- dent-prone, and of course these accidents always seem to happen one hour into a two-hour hike. The eye thing was an obvious vet trip. But some of his mishaps were solved by a phone calf, such as when he jumped over a log ad for Fid on a trail and landed smack dab on a hornets’ nest on the other side. I called my vet after we rushed home and she gave me verbal instructions over the phone which included administer- ing an over-the-counter entihistaminz. Her instruc- tions included the proper dosage according to Harley’s weight and what to watch for over the ensuing hours to ensure he did not go into anaphylactic shock caused by a severe allergic reaction to the bites. My clinic now offers a printed version of these instructions for their clients to take home. Other misfortunes ‘included him almest slicing his toe off on a broken beer bottle in a park. I had to wrap his paw tightly with a piece of towel while apply- ing direct pressure to con- trol the bleeding as my hus- band rushed us to the clinic, When Harley ripped his toe nail off while playing Frisbee, another vet visit was in order. The ripped nail is not the problem — that grows back soon enough. It’s the infection which may occur in the exposed quick. This infection can spread into the bone, leading to possible lameness. Therefore, antibiotics were recommended. See Bites page 30 NEWS photo Paul McGrath Humans’ names: Srodie and Sideau Alladice, aged 12 and 8, Puts’ namas: Squeaks the ham- ster and Dice the Maitese, eight months oid. if you would like to appear with your pet in Pet Pause, please write to Terry Peters c/o the North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C., V7 2H4. Or send e-mail to . Your new puppy is the joy of your life. He’s cute, he’s cuddly, he’s piavful, and he’s making & mess ail over your house. So how do you train puppies? What do you feed them? When will they sieep through the night without making your neighbors insane? These are quesiions all new puppy owners ask themselves. Weil, now you can find the answers. Our fun-loving puppy parties give you a chance to meet other new puppy owners. You can trade advice, share experiences, and discover some tried-and-true methods cthers have used to care for your new, . already much-loved family friend. It?s also a chance for your puppy to make some new friends, too. So give us a call and find out when our next puppy party is. Your living room rug will appreciate it. Fo : 165 Riverside Drive North Vancouver cast Off the U; Levels at ‘be g: Sonat Nattous Bridge)