Oily Drop Bullies

05/10/2026

Love to all the moms 🤍🫶

All mom's deserve to be recognized. Those who have miscarried, lost children, cats, dogs, horses, cows, rabbits, ferrets, any animal(s), and those who have children. This is a rough time for many and hard reminders of pain.

04/12/2026

"The "Master Key" to Your Dog’s Bloodwork 🧬🐕

Does looking at your dog’s lab results feel like reading a foreign language? You aren’t alone.

Most pet parents see a sea of acronyms and "H" or "L" markers without knowing what they actually signify for their dog's health.

Today, we are breaking down the basic chemistry and CBC panels using interpretation principles consistent with modern veterinary diagnostics.

🔖 Save this post...you’ll want it for your next vet visit.

1️⃣ The Renal (Kidney) Panel 💦

These markers help assess how well the kidneys are filtering waste from the blood, aligning with standard veterinary diagnostic frameworks.

▪️ BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen): Reflects protein metabolism and renal excretion. It may increase with kidney dysfunction, but also with dehydration, high-protein intake, or GI bleeding.

▪️ Creatinine: A primary marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Elevated levels typically indicate reduced kidney function.

▪️ SDMA: A renal biomarker shown in veterinary diagnostics to detect reduced kidney function earlier in some cases than creatinine, and is best interpreted alongside other renal values.

2️⃣ The Hepatic (Liver) Panel 🔬

The liver plays a central role in metabolism, protein synthesis, and detoxification. These markers reflect hepatocellular injury and bile flow.

▪️ ALT: An enzyme released with liver cell injury or inflammation.

▪️ ALP (ALKP): Associated with cholestasis (bile flow). It may also increase with bone growth, corticosteroid exposure, or endocrine disease.
Note: Low ALP is generally not considered clinically significant in isolation in most veterinary references.

▪️ GGT: A marker associated with bile duct function and cholestasis.

▪️ TBIL (Total Bilirubin): Elevated levels may reflect hemolysis, liver dysfunction, or biliary obstruction.

3️⃣ The Pancreas 🧪

▪️ Lipase: A fat-digesting enzyme. Elevations may occur with pancreatitis, but are not pancreas-specific, as supported in veterinary clinical pathology references.

▪️ Amylase: A carbohydrate-digesting enzyme. Like lipase, it lacks specificity and should be interpreted within the full clinical picture.

4️⃣ The CBC (Complete Blood Count) 🩸

This evaluates circulating blood cells and is foundational in veterinary clinical assessment.

▪️ WBC (White Blood Cells): Reflect immune activity. Elevations may occur with inflammation, infection, stress, or corticosteroid response; decreases may indicate bone marrow suppression or severe systemic disease.

▪️ RBC (Red Blood Cells): Carry oxygen. Decreases indicate anemia; increases may reflect dehydration or, less commonly, bone marrow disorders.

▪️ HCT (Hematocrit/PCV): Percentage of red blood cells, used to assess hydration and anemia.

▪️ PLT (Platelets): Essential for clotting. Low values increase bleeding risk, though platelet clumping can artifactually lower counts.

▪️ Lymphocytes: May increase with chronic immune stimulation; decreases are commonly seen with stress leukograms.

▪️ Neutrophils: Often increase with inflammation, infection, or physiologic stress responses.

▪️ Hemoglobin: Oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells; decreased levels indicate anemia.

5️⃣ The Protein Profile 🥩

These markers reflect hydration status, hepatic function, and immune activity.

▪️ TP (Total Protein): Combined albumin and globulin. Elevations may indicate dehydration or chronic inflammation.

▪️ Albumin: A major protein synthesized by the liver. Low levels may reflect liver dysfunction, renal loss (ex., protein-losing nephropathy), or gastrointestinal loss.

▪️ Globulins: Include immune-related proteins. Elevated levels may indicate chronic inflammation, infection, or immune stimulation.

6️⃣ Endocrine & Metabolism 🧬

▪️ Total T4: A screening marker for thyroid function. Low levels may be seen in hypothyroidism, but also in non-thyroidal illness (“euthyroid sick syndrome”), as widely recognized in veterinary endocrinology.

▪️ TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone):
A high TSH with a low T4 supports a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, though additional testing (such as free T4) is often recommended for confirmation in clinical guidelines.

▪️ Glucose: Blood sugar levels. Elevations may reflect diabetes mellitus or transient stress hyperglycemia.

7️⃣ Electrolytes: The "Electric" Balance ⚡️

These regulate hydration, nerve conduction, and muscle function.

▪️ Sodium (Na): Often reflects hydration status; abnormalities may also be seen in adrenal disorders such as Addison’s disease.

▪️ Potassium (K): Critical for cardiac and neuromuscular function. Abnormal levels can be associated with renal or adrenal disease.

▪️ Chloride (Cl): Works in conjunction with sodium and helps reflect hydration and acid-base balance.

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How to Use This Guide

✔️ Look for Patterns: Interpretation should focus on trends across related markers rather than isolated values, consistent with veterinary diagnostic standards.

✔️ Compare to Baseline: Longitudinal data provides the most clinically meaningful insight.

✔️ Ask “Why?” Determine whether findings reflect a primary disease process or a secondary response (ex., stress, hydration status, diet).

The Big Picture Reminder
A single abnormal value is rarely diagnostic on its own. Bloodwork represents a moment in time and must be interpreted within the full clinical context.

Always request the full lab report and track values over time."

— The Holistic Canine 🐾 theholisticcanine.us

12/28/2025

11/26/2025

🎇What NOT to feed the dog this Thanksgiving🎇

The internet has a bunch of do's/dont so i dont necessarily agree with everything here, but i will comment on some that should be a hard pressed "NO".

1️⃣ Turkey Skin, Drippings & Gravy
Fatty Foods are difficult for your dog to digest and commonly cause gastro distress. Avoid pancreas inflammation and/or pancreatitis in general (a very serious life threatening condition)
🎇White meat turkey is the safest to give them if you so wish as the dark meat is known to be "richer".

2️⃣ Turkey Twine
Aside from obvious gastro obstruction/ blockage. Twine also can carry harmful bacteria that can cause stomach issues. Make sure it goes in the garbage (and securely put out of the dogs reach)

3️⃣ Turkey Bones
Most of us already know that cooked bones can splinter and/or break causing obstruction in the digestive tract and/or tears to the lining. Just throw em away...

4️⃣ Ham
Ham and other Pork products are very high in fat and can lead to gastro upset, vomitting and diarrhea and of course pancreatitis.

5️⃣ Corn on the Cob
While corn off the cob should cause no issue fed in moderation (if the dog is not allergic to corn of course), corn does provide good sources of protein, carbohydrates, lineoleic acid and antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals...
However, the cob itself, is a no no. for risk for obstruction/blockage.

6️⃣ Onion
Onions (raw or cooked) contain sulfides, which are extremely toxic to dogs. Digesting these sulfides can quickly cause anemia

7️⃣ Mushrooms
Not all mushrooms are the same, and although MOST mushrooms bought from your local grocery store pose no toxic threat to your dog, Mushroom Poisoning in dogs is a real thing and is common at the ER vets.....mushroom species in general is its own class room; unless you are a mycologist, I personally wont pretend to know how to identify what is or isnt toxic for them. So just my warning, to avoid them anyway on this holiday to be safe

8️⃣ Walnuts/ Macadamia Nuts/ Grapes/Raisins
Avoid "macadamia nut toxicosis" - typically within 8-12 hours symptoms present as vomiting, fever, tremors, unable to stand, elevated heart rates, etc.
Raisins and grapes can cause renal failure/ kidney damage.

9️⃣ Bread Dough
Funny enough, raw bread dough when ingested can "rise" in your dogs stomach due to their natural body heat which will naturally release toxic levels of ethanol into the blood stream.
Sounds funny, but unfortunately, it happens EVERY YEAR. As it expands in the stomach, your dog is commonly going to experience vomitting, severe abdominal pain and bloating (which can be life threatening)

🔟 Chocolate
We've all heard this before. However, im here to tell you, its the TYPE of chocolate that you need to be cautious of....
Dark Chocolate/ Bakers Chocolate - the most toxic to dogs
Milk Chocolate - less toxic, but may still experience gastro issues (diarrhea, vomitting, etc.)
White Chocolate - VERY low risk (unless it contains another toxic substance ie: raisins/nuts/etc)

1️⃣1️⃣ Alcohol
Both Ethanol (the intoxicating agent in beer/wine and liquor) and hops (used to brew beer) can cause alcohol intoxication in pets which can lead to vomiting, disorientation, high body temperature, muscle tremors and seizures.
In extreme cases; failure of the organ system and even 🪦⚰️...

11/25/2025

Many may have already been following the unfolding story of November 22nd's dogfighting raid in Newton County, TX

The Identities of the 43 arrested have been released

Identities:
https://shorturl.at/7pAtd

Full story:
https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/newton-county-dog-fighting-bust/285-902393e7-17ce-4c56-9e7f-11aabe4da1df

11/22/2025

Random Poster in a dog group: "Who Feeds their dogs Yogurt? And what kind/how much? "

Me: This is a mix of yes and no...... so more people should indeed be informed about yogurt with their dogs.. :

1️⃣. Never feed a "flavored" yogurt -no vanilla, comes with fruit inside, etc
2️⃣. Be sure there are 🚫no🚫 added sugars or artificial sweeteners (Xylitol -can unalive your dog).

If you're feeding yogurt for the probiotics, this is not the best way to get these into your dog for a few reasons:

🅰️. pasteurization kills GOOD bacteria (the temperature during pasteurization is not high enough to kill DANGEROUS bacteria but the temperature is also too high so will kill many of the enzymes that are actually good bacteria and do help with digestion)

🅱️. Many dogs are actually "lactose intolerant" so you may very well notice diarrhea, constipation, frequent farting, stomach cramps, etc. STOP FEEDING IT if you notice these things...
c. Added Sugars/ Artificial Sweeteners (Xylitol/ Birch Sugar) - even in small dosages can be deadly to your dog -- its also pretty famous for causing liver failure or hypoglycemia, and can cause increased blood sugar levels. Either way, its a bad time for your pet, so just avoid it completely.

Even a Greek Yogurt or Nonfat yogurt still holds risk for pasteurization and lactose issues.... so if they're only being fed for the "PrObIoTiCs".... find a supplement (chew or powder) instead.... avoid the headache (and the atrocious farts 🤮)

✨Probiotic Supplement Shopping Tip: ✨
✅ Find a supplement that is soil-based (lactobacillus, bidifobacterium (sp?) type probiotics are not as strong and probably wont even survive the trip through your dogs stomach acid in the digestive tract)
✅ Find a probiotic that has more than one strain of bacteria (typically you'd want at least 5 strains) and has a *MINIMUM* of 20 billion colony forming units (CFU's) -- this is usually advertised on the sticker label itself.

Hope this helps someone🙏

10/08/2025

In the heart of Buenos Aires, inside the old frigate Presidente Sarmiento, a secret is kept — one that doesn’t beat with clocks or cannons, but with the memory of a friend who never wanted to leave: Lampazo, the sailor dog.

He wasn’t born to be a hero, nor to have a place in a museum. He was a Newfoundland, with deep eyes and a thick coat, who one day simply climbed aboard the ship without asking permission, as if he had found his destiny.
They named him “Lampazo,” like the brush used to scrub the deck, perhaps because of his shaggy tail that swept the floor as he proudly trotted among the men. But in truth, he wasn’t a tool: he was company, he was comfort, he was laughter in the middle of the storms.

One day, the sea roared with fury and a sailor fell overboard. There was no hesitation. Lampazo leapt after him, facing waves that would have broken any man. He swam with the strength of a silent warrior and held the castaway until he was rescued. From that moment on, no one ever called him just a “dog” again: he was comrade, brother, guardian of the ship.

The years passed, and like every living being, Lampazo also came to know eternal rest. But the sailors couldn’t bring themselves to bid him farewell by casting him into the sea, because how could they throw into oblivion the one who had saved lives, the one who had shown them the meaning of loyalty? They embalmed him and left him there, on the frigate, so he would never abandon his post.

Today, when someone visits the museum, they find him. Behind a glass, his calm gaze still lingers, as if he were still watching over his companions. Children look at him with tenderness, veterans leave him flowers, and some whisper into the ears of their grandchildren:
—That wasn’t just any dog. That was a sailor.

And then, among old wood, silent cannons, and flags worn by time, Lampazo’s presence reminds us that true greatness doesn’t always wear a uniform, nor does it speak with words. Sometimes, it simply wags in a tail, beats in a furry heart, and becomes legend…

Because Lampazo never really left. He’s still there.
The purest loyalty can be found in the soul of a dog.

09/29/2025

Heads up! You may see these green, brown, or black pod-like balls on the ground in your neighborhood at this time of the year.

They are nuts from black walnut trees.

The picture shows black walnuts in various sizes and stages of maturity and decay.

⚡️⚡️Every part of a black walnut tree (nuts, shells, leaves, and wood) is highly toxic to dogs⚡️⚡️.

The initial symptoms of black walnut poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and loss of appetite, followed by tremors, seizures, and jaundice.

The toxins in black walnut trees can be fatal to dogs if not treated promptly.

Do not attempt to use any home remedies if your dog has ingested black walnut.

Time is of the essence--get your dog to a vet immediately.

09/04/2025

Telling your dog you love them makes a huge difference!

A study conducted by Canine Cottages explored how dogs physically respond to hearing affectionate words from their owners.

The researchers monitored the heart rates of four dogs and found that when the dogs heard their owners say "I love you," their heart rates increased by about 46 percent.

On average, the dogs' resting heart rates were around 67 beats per minute, but after hearing the phrase, they rose to about 98 beats per minute.

This sharp increase is seen as a sign of excitement and happiness, much like how people experience a racing heartbeat when feeling joy or affection.

Importantly, the study suggested that the rise in heart rate reflects positive emotions and a deep bond with their owners, rather than stress or fear.