Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 14, 2015

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 14, 2015


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND??

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


WHEN THE BEE STINGS

........to be your Valentine? 

 Asia is an adorable Pekingese mix, about 3 
years old and weighing 14 pounds. She has a 
beautiful long fawn colored coat that looks soft 
and silky when she is cleaned and brushed.

 Asia seems to love people, as well as other 
dogs she has met at the shelter. She has a happy, 
friendly personality and usually has a smile on 
her face when she greets you.

 Asia has an eye condition, which is causing 
her to lose her vision, so she will need to go to a 
safe and secure home where her family can care 
for her and give her an environment where she 
can learn her way around. As with most dogs that have visual problems, she has an excellent sense of 
smell and hearing. 

 Asia can go for walks on leash, but she needs some gentle guidance to help her find her way. She can 
be coaxed with little “kissing” noises to let her know the direction of her handler.

 In spite of her sight limitations, Asia is a very playful dog. She loves soft, squeaky toys and will take 
them in her mouth and shake them vigorously to entertain herself. A toy that makes some kind of noise 
will give her more stimulation.

 Asia is a sweet, cheerful dog who has a lot of love to give and would be a wonderful companion to the 
right family or individual who is willing to take on the challenge of her visual condition. If you can see 
this lovely girl in your life, please come in to meet her.

 She currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in San 
Gabriel with her roommate. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., north of Mission and south of Las 
Tunas. 

 To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Asia, please stop by any time from 10:00am to 4:30pm Tuesday 
thru Sunday. 

 Her adoption fee is $120 which includes her spay surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a 
free wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Asia. 

 See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for information and photos of all our wonderful pets.

As a pet sitter, I enjoy spending time with a variety 
of different dogs on any give day, and I am on a 
constant quest to learn more about my canine 
companions. Most importantly, I endeavor to 
educate myself on various canine health topics, 
and I try to be prepared for whatever emergency 
might occur on my watch. I am vigilant in paying 
attention to what my curious little clients are 
poking their noses into when they sniff about in 
the grass, and I pull them away from anything that 
might be harmful or unhealthy, such as a dead bird 
or droppings left behind by a previous passer-by.

 I also watch out for wildlife whenever I am 
walking dogs in our hillside village. It is not 
unusual to sight a deer, a coyote or a bear roaming 
the streets in Sierra Madre, and some dogs tend to 
react radically, causing a potential confrontation 
which is totally up to me to avoid. Then there are 
the small creatures that we either don’t see or are so 
used to seeing, we take them for granted. Birds and 
butterflies always add an aesthetically pleasing and 
interesting dimension to the outdoor experience, 
but some creatures can cause serious injury to our 
pets. Clearly, our elusive friend the snake is one 
we should always steer far clear of. And there are 
also other types of creatures that can pose a threat 
to our pets during an otherwise pleasant stroll 
through the neighborhood.

 Last week I was walking around the local block 
with my little girl, Molly when she suddenly put 
the breaks on, sat down on the sidewalk and began 
licking fiercely at the underside of her front paw. 
Assuming she had stepped on some sort of prickly 
sticker, I lifted her foot up to take a look and I saw 
a bee fall to the asphalt. I immediately turned her 
around and we ran back to the house to get a pair of 
tweezers so I could remove the stinger. Having read 
an article on the subject, I knew it was important to 
get that stinger out as soon as possible, then apply 
baking soda and water to the affected area. If the 
stinger is left in place, it is sure to cause further 
swelling and discomfort, followed by infection.

 Before I had a chance to settle Molly down enough 
to look for the stinger, her gut began to heave and 
out came her breakfast in a messy pile on the floor. 
She continued to vomit until the full contents of her 
stomach had been purged. That’s when I ran to the 
phone and called my veterinarian. I told her I was 
on my way with Molly, who’d sustained a single 
bee sting and was apparently having an allergic 
reaction. She told me to come quickly and they 
took Molly back to the treatment room the moment 
I arrived. The vet promptly gave her injections of 
a steroid and an antihistamine, to counteract the 
venom in her bloodstream and 
stabilize her system. They kept Molly 
for the rest of the day, to observe her 
and make sure her allergic reaction 
was under control.

 Fortunately, Molly pulled through 
the ordeal and experienced no 
further symptoms of concern. The 
vet told me to give her 50 milligrams 
of Benadryl every 12 hours, for the 
next couple of days while the venom 
continued to work it’s way out of her 
system. She told me how pleased 
she was that I had gotten her there 
in such short order, because had I 
waited much longer it could have 
been fatal! Who knew a single bee bite could be so 
devastating to a dog? I was relieved that I had acted 
in a timely enough manner to avoid the untimely 
death of my precious dog. While most dogs don’t 
react so intensely to a single bee bite, there are other 
symptoms that indicate allergic reaction, such as 
swelling and disorientation. These signs should be 
observed and treated promptly to prevent serious 
injury.

 That experience with Molly served as a blatant 
reminder of how important it is for me to be aware 
and prepared in case of an emergency when I am 
out and about with my animals. Had I not been 
paying close attention, and had I not investigated 
right away, Molly may not have gotten to the vet 
in time. I thought later, about how horrible it 
would have been if I hadn’t had my car to take 
her to the vet, or if I’d been aloof and allowed too 
much time to pass. The outcome would have been 
heart-wrenching.

 This situation is only one of many potential 
circumstances that can arise when I am taking care 
of my clients’ pets, which is why I consider it so very 
important to be aware and be prepared. I know of 
one other dog walker in our area who does not own 
a car, only a bike and I can’t help wondering what 
would happen if one of his canine clients were to 
have a similar experience. Sometimes we don’t 
think of these things until it is too late. I, personally 
will do whatever it takes to save the life of a furry 
four-legged friend and would never put them at risk 
by being less than prepared.

 I hope my experience helps others to be aware 
of what can happen when a dog is stung by a 
bee. From what I understand, few dogs react the 
way my Molly did, so I don’t want to put fear in 
the hearts of my fellow pet owners. However, I 
do want to emphasize the importance of paying 
close attention to what your dog is up to while you 
are strolling down the street. And, in the case of 
a bee sting or stings, you definitely want to look 
for signs of an allergic reaction, in which case you 
should transport your pet to the vet as quickly as 
possible. Even if your dog shows no apparent signs 
of reaction, you still need to remove the stinger and 
apply baking soda and water to the affected area 
right away. Whether there is a reaction or not, it is 
still a good idea to contact your vet for advice on 
whether you should administer Benadryl, and if so, 
the proper frequency and dosage.

 Enjoy the great outdoors with your beloved 
animals. Don’t be fearful of the amazing creatures 
with which we share our natural spaces, just be 
aware and prepared!


DogWalking & Sitting ServicesSierraMadre, Californiawww.canyoncanine.comchris@canyoncanine.comChris LeclercCanyonCanine626-355-8333 626-533-9536CCConCaCanyonCanineCanineeeieCCChris LeclercChris Leclercae,
chris@canyoncanine.com.canyoncanine.comwwwnCaSierraMadrare, CaliforCaalking&SonDogWWalking & Sitting ServicesonCa626-355-8333 62onCayeclercinnia6-533-95362eclerccanine.comanine.comani,CaliforirnanineSittingServiceseaninee
PET OF THE WEEK Fili: Animal ID #A4798307

Meet the prettiest little fluffball at the shelter, 
Fili (A4798307). Fili is a 1-year-old golden-
brown-with-black female Papillon mix 
puppy who came as a stray to the Baldwin 
Park Animal Care Center on February 5th. 
Weighing approximately 12 pounds, Fili 
is, understandably, affected by the shelter 
environment—she is anxious and fearful to 
be in this strange place. But once out of the 
kennel, she channeled her stress and fear into 
a mad dash into the nearest available lap! She 
appears to have had no training but is clearly 
eager to love and be loved, which means she 
will likely respond to a patient adopter or 
rescue who will give her the structure, basic 
training, and love she needs to develop greater 
confidence and blossom into a secure adult 
doggie. We think this pretty little girl with her 
soft and sweet face will be a rewarding and loving 
indoor pet and companion for the members of an 
adult household who enjoy training and socializing 
a young dog and watching her come into her own. 
To watch a video of Fili, please visit the following 
link: http://youtu.be/XXsrdyVG53o

 To meet Fili in person, please see her at the 
Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 
or 626-962-3577). She is available now. For any 
inquiries about Fili, please reference her animal 
ID number: A4798307. The shelter is open seven 
days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 
10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake 
shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more 
information about Fili or the adoption process, 
contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer 
Adoption Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@
hope4animals.org. To learn more about United 
Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin 
Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, 
as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and 
sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit 
http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/
shelter-support-program/.