Hill's Science Diet - Fitness Formula

[ej]

http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-adult-advanced-fitness-o...

 

My neighbors have gone for vacation so I am babysitting their two pups again (remember the last time I wrote about one of the pups' ear infection).  I found a bag of Hill's Science Diet on their kitchen counter top :(  These are two pups with recurring UTI, and skin/ear infection... I wonder when & why they decided to switch from Solid Gold to HSD.  The pups smell really bad (several other neighbors have already commented); one of them is constantly scratching, the other is constantly chewing on her paws/arms... and I found ticks and ringworm on them.  Last Friday before I took over the pups, my neighbor informed me that the pups are having UTI (yet again) hence need more potty breaks.  I asked if he could just bring them to the vet and get some meds before leaving for his vacation, but he seems to think that this could wait till they return on Wed/Thur. :(  Sighs... DH warned me not to say too much to my neighbors when they return lest I come across as being nosey and a nag.  I guess I just needed to vent...

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ringworm is highly contagious and can be transmitted from dogs to humans, and then to your dogs.
This whole story breaks my heart; they probably switched food to save money. Science Diet is cheaper than Solid Gold. They probably haven't treated their assorted ailments for the same reason, and I doubt they will be going to the vet when they come back from vacation, either. However, no food in the world could do anything to help ringworm, ticks, or infections, and little to help with UTIs. These poor puppies have cheap, negligent owners and there is not much you can do for them. If it were me, I would refuse to babysit them; why should you put yourself, your family, and your own dogs at risk? You can't really help them unless you can convince the owners to give them up to someone who will take proper care of them.
It makes me sick that these people will not spend money to care for their dogs, but can spend money to go on vacation...which is, IMO, the ultimate luxury. Nobody needs to go on vacation. I really would stop helping them enjoy themselves while their dogs suffer.

[ej]

Karen, my DH feels the same way too... I know that my first priority is to take care of my family including my two own furkids. But I love the pups... I hate to see them going to the kennel where they will be neglected, and locked up in the cold sterile cage in the night waiting and wondering what's happening.

Fortunately they left me their home key. So instead of them staying over at our place (our initial plan), when I found that they have ticks and ringworm, I sent them back to their home, and mopped and wiped down my place with antiseptic and bleach. I have been taking them out for 5-6 walks every day (they love chasing and fetching tennis balls in the field). Like what Nancy suggested, I really need to prepare a "script" for when they return I would know what to say. I really would like to know the real reason for switching to HSD. I can't imagine them to be such cheap owners... I hope they are simply ignorant.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

But why do the dogs have three different infections and ticks besides? That isn't due to the food. How could anyone know their dog has a UTI and not get treatment for it, unless they are too cheap to pay for a vet visit?
Poor puppies.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All you have to do is look at the homeless doodle listings on the main page to see that many people don't care about their dogs the way we do. :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You know, it might even be better in the long run for the dogs if you did refuse to babysit them. A decent kennel with a competent staff would refuse to take them with infectious diseases, and they would be forced to have them treated or they'd have to cancel their vacation plans.

[Kyoko]

Wow... That's a difficult situations..... If they were a human kids, it will be reportable for neglegent....I wonder if there are any way to report these poeple for health neglegent without giving the hint that you might be the person who reported ..?

[ej]

I believe the local authority here will not consider this a case of negligence since these puppers do have proper shelther (they sleep in the master bedroom, on the bed), food & water and basic care (they have just been groomed -one of them has been shaved down), and they have been treated with revolution (although I still find ticks on them). I just feel that my neighbors do not treat them like the way we treat our two, i.e. valuable family members, almost like human kids. I'm sure many people (even pet owners) find us excessive and obsessive over our two furkids. Afterall, these infections (ticks, ringworm, UTI, etc) are not life threatening, although we could never imagine letting it go on with our dogs without treating them!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ticks can be life-threatening; and any infection can cause great pain and irreversible damage to skin & organs.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Not being educated on dog food is one thing, but it is another story when poor puppies have ringworm, ticks, infections, etc............ This is not all coincidence.

I would be worried about your dogs being around them, so just be careful. I am not one for confrontation, but I think I would muster up the courage to say something when they return like "your dogs really need medical attention for xxx and I am worried they are really not feeling well"...something to that effect. At this point, Science Diet may be the least of their worries :(

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

I think your neighbors are idiots. Hmmm - if you had your choice between taking your dog to the groomer or taking them to the vet....I'd choose the vet and wash and trim them myself. Vacation vs medical treatment for my dogs/cats? What's a vacation? Seriously.
If anyone has ever had cystitis and had to run to the bathroom a zillion times a day....and it hurts when you go and you have a low-grade ache all the time they would never, ever put off treatment for their dog. I would assume it's the same with dogs as humans -- if you put off treating a UTI, the bacteria can end up attacking your kidneys.
You're an angel for watching out for these dogs.

[ej]

Neighbors came back from vacation yesterday (woohoo!! the pups were so thrilled to see them!)

They said they would take them to the vet in the next couple of days. The pups are awesome, they did not complain, they had but one accident in the bathroom (my bad, I slept in 10 mins more yesterday morning). They explained that one of the pups was treated just a month ago for UTI, apparantly it did not clear up completely, and now it seems like the other pup also has it.

I really hope they get them to the vet for a full check up soon. One of them has a lump on her toe, and the initial dx was it is a tumor (that was seen around 4-5 weeks ago).

I love walking these pups, they are so well-behaved. Can I adopt them? Kidnap them ;-)

[Linda Lynch]

An untreated uninary tract infection can eventually get into the blood stream in humans-I would imagine it's the same in dogs. That can lead to entire body shutdown starting with kidney failure and death. Not something to mess with-need to be treated asap!