Old Socks May Hold Cure For Dogs’ Skin Problems

Tue., Sept. 19, 2000

Melodie Little Correspondent

For dogs with skin conditions, the treatment can be more annoying than the ailment.

Canines that can’t quit licking or biting their skin suffer the ultimate degradation of wearing lampshadelike cones over their heads to prevent them from bothering their injuries.

It’s a pitiful sight to watch a dog bounce off a door jam as he tries to maneuver through the house in this cumbersome object. The poor pooch can forget about taking solace in his doghouse, because his conehead can’t fit through the door.

Steve and Candy Seigle of Nine Mile Falls have a humane alternative. Scout, their 9-year-old yellow Lab, had a hot spot on his forepaw.

The cone didn’t work so the couple put one of Steve’s tube socks over Scout’s leg. Candy used an old garter belt to hold the sock in place.

Scout put up with his classy new look for three days before he trashed the sock and garter.

* Tux & Tails: The Spokane Humane Society is hosting Tux & Tails 2000 on Sept. 30 at the Spokane Club. Tickets are $65 and include dinner, cocktails, a silent auction and a fashion extravaganza, featuring several local politicians and their four-legged pals.

There are over 50 auction items, including a Royal Caribbean cruise, a pickup truck bed liner and a ride with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department.

For $20, guests can purchase a glass of champagne that contains either an inexpensive cubic zirconia or the grand prize, a 1.1 carat diamond valued at $6,000. Call 466-9272 or 467-5235 for information and reservations.

* Polly wants a toy: Club-Avi! meets Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Learn to make inexpensive bird toys that are sure to entertain even the pickiest bird. To join, call 326-3690.

* Helping paws: A group called Paws Across the Northwest is recruiting rescue groups from Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to make adopting a pet easier. So far the organization includes cats and dogs, but groups that cater to other pets are welcome to join.

Director Michelle Durheim says local rescue groups desperately need families to provide foster care for pets. Visit www.geocities.com/ paws—northwest if you’re interested in joining, foster “parenting” or adopting.

* Prize kitty: The Idaho Panhandle Cat Club (an affiliate of American Cat Fancier’s Association) is hosting the Northwest Regional Championship Cat Show, Saturday and Sunday at Greyhound Park in Post Falls.

For information, call (208) 623-3805.

* A smile is worth a thousand barks: Thanks to Weekend Today pet expert Warren Eckstein, we have answers to such puzzling questions as: Why does Rover do the Twist over any mound of smelly organic matter he can find, and do dogs really smile?

Rover’s filth-rolling is an instinctive ploy to cover his own scent. In the wild, this would allow Capt. Stinky to track prey without being detected, Eckstein explains.

It’s best not to know all the tawdry details of why dogs do what they do. Still, it’s heartwarming to know the big, toothy grins some dogs get when they’re pleased are indeed genuine smiles.

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