Wednesday, June 10, 2009

7 Steps To A Happier Pet

Being a member of HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States), I receive mailings every few weeks. Today, I received a pocket planner that had something I would like to share with you:

7 Steps To A Happier Pet
The Humane Society of the United States, in its constant battle to end animal neglect, cruelty and abuse, encourages all its members to take the following actions in support of animals.
  1. Make sure your pet wears an identification tag to enable him to be returned to you if lost.
  2. To prevent animal behavioral problems, make sure you enroll your new puppy or dog in behavioral training classes, and visit www.petsforlife.org
  3. Animal behavioral problems can be health related. Make sure your pet has a complete medical exam by a veterinarian at least once a year.
  4. Prepare for disasters. Make sure you have a plan for your pet in the event of a hurricane, tornado, fire or flood.
  5. Plan for your pet's future in case something happens to you and visit www.humanesociety.org/petsinwills for more information.
  6. Learn how to avoid dog bites, and how to prevent your dog from biting, by going to www.NoDogBites.org
  7. Have a heart, be smart and make sure your pet is spayed or neutered.

Monday, May 4, 2009

A Wonderful Adoption for a Cruelly Treated Puppy


A Wonderful Adoption for a Cruelly Treated Puppy

"Jazz’s" Story (m.schaffer)

I got an email from my nephew, who had just adopted an almost 1 year old Collie/ German Sheppard puppy mix. It wasn’t an ordinary adoption; he drove from Omaha, Nebraska to Kansas City, Missouri after reading of her story on the internet. She was a rescued puppy from an abusive owner. Thankfully she shows no signs of neglect and is very playful. Her current name is “Jazz”, but he is looking for something that is special for her new life.

Here is "Jazz’s" Story as seen on the internet:
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13189748

Quoted from the site: "Her prior owners got her as a puppy and put a collar on her neck when she was small then never removed that collar....as she grew the collar became tighter and tighter until it became embedded in her neck cutting her and strangling her more and more every day. The collar acted like a saw and sawed away at her neck tissue cutting her deeper and deeper every day. Her neck became infected from the open wounds caused by the collar sawing into her neck and I'm sure you can imagine the excruciating pain she endured for weeks and weeks. Luckily someone saw her and called animal control and she was saved in time!

Jazz had to endure having that horrible collar removed surgically and the weeks of recovery as the infection and the wounds slowly went away."

My nephew found out when visiting the kennel that Animal Control prosecuted the previous owners. However, Jazz had remained in the pound and was slated to be euthanized. The vet called the PAWS Kennel stating that she couldn’t bring herself to kill such a wonderful dog after all she had been through in her young life.

Even then, Jazz was taken to “A Dog’s Funhouse” Kennel where she stayed for a couple months before being adopted by my nephew. While staying at that kennel, she was attacked by another dog. Enduring more pain and suffering! She now has scars on the top of her head and on her ear.

I was so happy to have received that email. What a heartbreaking story and such a great ending. I know he will be a good dad to his new found love, Jazz. He has already signed her up for obedience training and is puppy proofing his house.

With everyone’s help, maybe there will be more puppies getting to live the life they were meant to have and not ending up with the ugliness of animal cruelty. Amen to the one that saw the need to call the authorities. We all need to be aware and take the initiative to care for those that can’t help themselves.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Healing Powers of Pets

The Healing Powers of Pets
by Mary Schaffer

In 1993, I lost my father to non-Hodgkin’s type Lymphoma. He had been ill for many years, but in late 1992, it was determined to be terminal. This isn’t really a story of his death, but of his love for his cat, Kitty.

Kitty started out as my cat, but when I moved home for a short time, my father bonded with her and she just adored him. They were a match from the very beginning. She would follow him everywhere and, of course, she claimed a spot in his bed. He would make her little treats, brush her long coat and sit with her on the swing, rocking back and forth while petting her. As much as I loved her, I couldn’t break the two of them up. My dad got “custody” of my kitty.

Kitty was a rescue cat. My apartment didn’t allow pets, but I kept her anyway. She appeared at my back door one evening during a rainstorm. I didn’t have the heart to leave her out there, so I brought her in, dried her off and she won my heart immediately. She was the perfect companion for lonely nights and a perfect comfort after a long day at work. She knew how to snuggle and make you feel that you were the most important thing in her world.

I would go to my parents to visit and reconnect with her. I loved that she still came to me, like her mommy was home. She knew that I hadn’t abandoned her, as she had been when I found her. My dad seemed happy that she was there and he had someone to look after. I knew she was in excellent hands.

When my dad’s condition started to recur, he would get large swellings in his neck. He would lie in bed most of the time. Kitty knew that the man she loved was not feeling well and would lie with him as close as he could tolerate. He would actually feel better with her there.

One such episode occurred that made my mother and I believe in miracles. My father had a large lymph node swelling in his throat causing him difficulty in swallowing. Kitty laid on top of my father as close as she could to where the swelling lymph node was located. She slept there most of the night.

When he woke the next morning, he called out to my mother. She came into the room to find him sitting up, feeling his neck. He asked her to feel the area where the tumor had protruded. There was NO lump to be found. Both were in disbelief! He could swallow and breathe much more freely. It was truly a miracle.

A few days later, he told this story to his doctor. The doctor had no explanation for what had happened.

Eventually, after having a few weeks of remission, my father grew too ill for Kitty to sleep near him. He was in too much pain and discomfort for her to be in the bed. My mother put a blanket on the floor for Kitty to curl up on so she could still be nearby.

After his passing, you could see that Kitty truly missed him. She would sleep in his bed and would look for him in the house and outside.

Kitty lived the rest of her life with my mother. It wasn’t as close of a relationship as she had with my father, but I think it did my mother good to have her with her. When Kitty became ill, my mother chose to do the humane thing and euthanize her. She had congestive heart failure and could barely breathe because of the fluid surrounding her heart.

Kitty was a wonderful cat and will never be forgotten. I hope that my father and she are reunited in heaven.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Pets and Vitamin B1, Thiamine-Is There Really a Need?

Pets and Vitamin B1, Thiamine - Is There Really a Need?
by Frank Will

The answer is a very definitive YES, especially for dogs and cats. While the use of Thiamine in humans has been firmly established, especially in the disease Beriberi, the positive benefits it can have with your pets, either dogs or cats, is just starting to fully surface.

Vitamin B1 is also referred to as thiamine or thiamin, is in the family of B vitamins, and is a water soluble vitamin, which means that your pet's body will need a constant supply of this critical nutrient, either through their diet or by the form of supplements as their body cannot store it.

This vitamin will help your pet metabolize fats and proteins, and help them also to convert food, or carbohydrates, into fuel, which in turn is then turned into the energy that runs their body. This critical vitamin is also essential for healthy skin, hair eyes, and the liver.

Vitamin B1 is also extremely helpful to both dogs and cats in that it assists the nervous system to function properly as well as helping your pet cope with stressful situations as it improves the immune system.

Thiamine, which is found naturally in both plants and animals, also plays very critical role in particular metabolic reactions as it required by your pet to form ATP, also known as adenosine triphosphate, which every cell of your pet's body uses to produce energy.

Thiamine deficiency has been reported in both dogs and cats that have been fed uncooked meat that contains sulphur dioxide, which is used as a preservative in most pet foods.

In commercial pet foods, especially cat food, thiamine is broken down by what is referred to as thiaminase, which is an enzyme that is present in certain types of raw fish that include tuna, salmon, shellfish, as well as rice brain. All of these ingredients can be found in most types of commercial cat food.

To make matters worse with this potential condition in cats, repeated feeding will eventually cause thiamine deficiency in your feline friend. A thiamine deficiency in your cat can lead to brain damage, seizures, and an eventual loss of movement control of muscle tissue, which could potentially cause the death of your cat. However, treatment by injection with Vitamin B-1 is so effective that once thiamin deficiency has been diagnosed, full recovery is extremely common within 24 hours.

It would only seem to make perfectly good common sense that supplementing your feline companion with the valuable nutrient on a daily basis would be a preemptive measure all cat owners would take. In fact, many breeders supplement thiamine regularly as it also helps in hyperactivity as well as internal muscle weakness.

What is not well known, however, is that Thiamin is also natural retardant for fleas as well as mosquitoes in both cats and dogs, as both hate the taste of thiamine in your pet's bloodstream. Either your cat or your dog that eats supermarket pet food, if not supplemented with thiamine, has a very good chance of developing thiamine deficiency.

Although thiamin deficiency in dogs is not nearly as common, it still exists.

When your dog lacks the enzymes found in thiamin, they may develop a very unnatural condition known as Coprophagy, which by definition, is feeding on dung or feces.

This condition is an intentional ingestion of either your dogs own feces, or that of another animal, usually a cat or a horse. Once your dog has acquired a taste for this very unpleasant as well as unhealthy practice, it is very hard to correct until you can build back their thiamine levels.

Adding certain enzymes such as papain which is derived from the fruit papaya will help to correct this, but so will making sure that your dog is supplemented with Vitamin B-1.

Thiamine deficiency in dogs can also result in a lack of appetite, vomiting, unsteady muscular behaviors, as well as spasticity in their hind legs, especially in middle aged or older dogs and can very easily be ignored as arthritis.

Just like us, your pets are what they eat, and what you, as their owners, supplement them with.

I am not a veterinarian nor claim to be, just a lover of pets that loves to research and pass on some knowledge that might be helpful, or at least stimulating to the thought process.

Several of the articles that I have written can be found on my website; Liquid Vitamins & Minerals for Humans & Pets
http://www.liquid-vitamins-minerals-humans-pets.com/

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Create Fun Dog Exercises You and Your Pet Will Surely Love

Create Fun Dog Exercises You and Your Pet Will Surely Love
by Alex De La Cruz

Walking and stretching are just a few of the many exercises that you could choose for you and your pet to enjoy. Exercise is good for the body but many people don't treat it like a privilege. Instead they view exercise as something tiring and the last on their to-do list if ever included. However, it should never be the case because as mentioned earlier it brings a lot of benefits for the body like keeping you in shape. Involving your pooch with fun dog exercises strengthens your bond, paves the way for a sporty activity and it keeps both of you healthy.

When you are running out of the things you want to do for the weekend and you definitely don't want to spend the whole day snoozing with your pet, why not try creating some fun dog exercises? You might be surprise with the possibilities that you could choose from. Aside from the traditional dog walking, you can try fast walk, jogging, trekking or hiking. Just make sure that you bring all the stuffs you would need along the way. In line with this you get to discover beautiful spots in your neighborhood or in your state at the same time getting fit.

With more and more people getting excessive fats in their bodies, you do not want to have them too. This exercise can be a great way to avoid those unwanted body fats. Fun dog exercises also include sporty games such as tug of war, a race or just plain hide and seek. It would be better if you would choose games that will involve the mental abilities of your pet. It helps attain the balance in your pet's total well being. You can try playing catch either with a ball or a Frisbee which involves both the mind and body.

If you have a sporty dog it will surely embrace this kind of activities. It body is built for this kind therefore it will cooperate well. On the other hand having a toy dog or those that are not so active, light exercises are still needed. Actually you can make use of fun dog exercises whenever you want. Having these kind of breeds doesn't mean that you free yourself of physical health obligations. Everyone living thing needs to stretch their bones and muscles to be in shape. And that can only be done thru moving their bodies or to put it simply to exercise which can make a lot of benefits for the body.

Make the situation exciting by creating fun dog exercises. The only obstacle that you have to pass is to get the energy needed to start it. Some don't like it that is why it takes a lot of energy to lift an arm. But if you have set your mind that this activity would be enjoyable for you and your pet it will surely be a long way to go. So take out your sporty outfit, get your pup ready and hit the park, gym or any venue to get started.

The author of this article, Alex De La Cruz, is a Dog Expert who has been successful for many years. Because most people think that Arthritis is a humans-only disease Alex now informs dog owners with his http://www.doggybooks.info/ EBook on how to discover this disease and let their dogs live as pain-free as possible.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Artificial Plants Can Be Just As Dangerous As Live Plants

As Featured On EzineArticles

Artificial Plants Can Be Just As Dangerous As Live Plants
by Mary Schaffer

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you cannot always protect your pets. I found out the hard way, that it was not only live house plants that can pose a danger to your pets, but artificial plants as well.

It was Christmas, and for years I had eliminated tinsel, live poinsettia plants, live Christmas cactus, live Mistletoe and any other potentially dangerous items of that season. I had researched to keep my pets safe during the holiday seasons, but I had never seen the dangers of artificial plants.

I am writing this in loving memory of my Maine Coon cat, Miranda. She was never one to nibble on the artificial plants, so I never expected that to be the cause of her not feeling well. She had been skipping meals, losing weight, not cleaning herself regularly and keeping to herself. My husband and I decided she needed to see the vet. She was quite dehydrated, so they kept her at the clinic. They couldn’t find anything wrong with her at first, blood tests came back fine, but she was still not eating. The vet put a scope down her throat to see if anything could have been lodged in her esophagus, but they found nothing.

She stayed in the clinic over Christmas and we were to pick her up the day after. Before we were to pick her up, the vet called and asked if we had any artificial plants that she could have eaten. I had an artificial arrangement on the coffee table, but it didn’t look like it had been chewed. Miranda had coughed up a small stick that had been lodged sideways in her throat that morning. The doctor hadn’t seen it during the scope procedure. It had come from the plant on the coffee table.

She was on the road to recovery! It took a few weeks for her to resume eating; her throat was quite irritated from the stick. She seemed to be getting back to normal, but that was misleading.

Two months after bringing her home, my husband and I rushed her back to the vet. I found her lying on the floor, having trouble breathing and gasping for each breath. She was suffering from congestive heart failure. The fluids were making it hard for her to breathe. She was in a lot of pain and the vet did not think she would survive. We made the heartbreaking decision to ease her pain.

When talking with the vet, she felt that the previous incident with the stick lodged in her throat caused the distress on her heart. Over time, the fluid built up until she could no longer breathe freely.

It is so hard to know what dangers are in your house. I can’t bring my Miranda back, but I can help others from making the same mistake. Check all of your plants, artificial or real, and make sure that your cats or dogs are not going to be harmed if they think this is something to eat or play with. It will take only a few minutes of your time, but the rewards will be a happy, healthy and safe pet!



Champion Doberg’s Miranda Rule of Schamare


Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2008

Being a pet owner has many responsibilities along with having tremendous rewards. Not only do we have to keep them safe, healthy and happy, we need to protect them from the everyday hazards in our homes. Below I have included an article from the ASPCA March Newsletter that lists the Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2008. It is your duty as a pet owner to read and familiarize yourself with these top 10 categories, so that you can enjoy your pets for many years to come.(m.schaffer)

Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2008
With various dangers lurking in corners and cabinets, the home can be a minefield of poisons for our pets. In 2008, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic substances, many of which included everyday household products. Below is a list of the top ten pet poisons that affected our furry friends in 2008.

Human Medications
For several years, human medications have been number one on the ASPCA’s list of common hazards, and 2008 was no exception. Last year, the ASPCA managed more than 50,000 calls involving prescription and over-the-counter drugs, such as painkillers, cold medications, antidepressants and dietary supplements. Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands or gobble up medications accidentally dropped on the floor, so it’s essential to keep meds tucked away in hard-to-reach cabinets.

Insecticides
In our effort to battle home invasions of unwelcome pests, we often unwittingly put our pets at risk. In 2008, our toxicologists fielded more than 31,000 calls related to insecticides. One of the most common incidents involved the misuse of flea and tick products—such as applying the wrong topical treatment to the wrong species. Thus, it’s always important to talk to your pet’s veterinarian before beginning any flea and tick control program.

People Food
People food like grapes, raisins, avocado and certain citrus fruit can seriously harm our furry friends, and accounted for more than 15,000 cases in 2008. One of the worst offenders—chocolate—contains large amounts of methylxanthines, which, if ingested in significant amounts, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination, hyperactivity, and in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures.

Rodenticides
Last year, the ASPCA received approximately 8,000 calls about pets that had accidentally ingested rat and mouse poisons. Many types of bait used to attract rodents contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to pets as well. Depending on the type of rodenticide, ingestions can lead to potentially life-threatening problems for pets, including bleeding, seizures and kidney damage.

Veterinary Medications
Even though veterinary medications are intended for pets, they’re often misapplied or improperly dispensed by well-meaning pet parents. In 2008, the ASPCA managed nearly 8,000 cases involving animal-related preparations such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, heartworm preventatives, de-wormers, antibiotics, vaccines and nutritional supplements.

Plants
Common houseplants were the subject of nearly 8,000 calls to the Animal Poison Control Center in 2008. Varieties such as azalea, rhododendron, sago palm, lilies, kalanchoe and schefflera are often found in homes and can be harmful to pets. Lilies are especially toxic to cats, and can cause life-threatening kidney failure even in small amounts.

Chemical Hazards
In 2008, the Animal Poison Control Center handled approximately 5,500 cases of pet exposure to chemical hazards. A category on the rise, chemical hazards—found in ethylene glycol antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals—form a substantial danger to pets. Substances in this group can cause gastrointestinal upset, depression, respiratory difficulties and chemical burns.

Household Cleaners
Everybody knows that household cleaning supplies can be toxic to adults and children, but few take precautions to protect their pets from common agents such as bleaches, detergents and disinfectants. Last year, the ASPCA received more than 3,200 calls related to household cleaners. These products, when inhaled by our furry friends, can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and irritation to the respiratory tract.

Heavy Metals
It’s not too much loud music that constitutes our next pet poison offender. Instead, it’s heavy metals such as lead, zinc and mercury, which accounted for more than 3,000 cases of pet poisonings in 2008. Lead is especially pernicious, and pets are exposed to it through many sources, including consumer products, paint chips, linoleum, and lead dust produced when surfaces in older homes are scraped or sanded.

Fertilizer
It may keep your grass green, but certain types of fertilizer can cause problems for outdoor cats and dogs. Last year, the ASPCA fielded more than 2,000 calls related to fertilizer exposure.


Prevention is really key to avoiding accidental exposure, but if you suspect your pet has ingested something lawn-side, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

PET HEALTH CARE

Trying to give your pets the best care possible can be a difficult task if you don't know how. Knowing what to look for and reacting to the signals of an ill pet, can be the first step in helping your pet live a long and happy life. I have researched some articles to include for this category. I hope they will be helpful. (m. schaffer)

Cat Health Care - Essential Tips
by Joe Hayes

Your feline friends need proper care for them to stay healthy and fit. To ensure that they get nothing but the best care they deserve, here are some health care tips for bringing the vibrant life out of your pet cat or kitten.

1. Aging - When your cats turn the age of 8-10 years, it is highly recommended that you bring them to the vet for routinely checkups at least twice a year. Doing so will help prevent health complications that are being brought about by aging. Older animals are usually affected by stress-related illnesses so as their guardian; it is your duty to provide them with a stress-free environment. To do this, you'll have to eliminate sudden noises, off smells, and other disruptive routines.

2. Adoption - Before considering an adoption of a new kitten, it is recommended that you first look at his future living space before anything else. Check the space for anything that might put your kitten's life in jeopardy. Examples of this might be loose electrical wiring, chemicals under the cabinets, and others things alike.

3. General Care - To check for lumps or bumps, place both hands over its head and move slowly down the chin, and then behind the front legs right under the shoulders, move over down the back, to the hips and finally go down the hind legs. Whatever the hair may be, long or short, wavy or straight, either way it should be glossy. Hair must not be dull or greasy. If the fur separates into sections of spikes, then that might be a sign of a dietary deficiency which requires a trip to your vet.

4. Ears - Ears might be a nest for moisture and bacteria. To ensure that nothing else ever exists in there, clean the ears with baby oil moistened cotton ball by wiping the cotton in a circular motion. Do not get inside the ears but clean only on the front and outer part.

5. Convalescing - The best method of convalescing is by tempting with a meal of white fish. A cat with a poor appetite often cannot refuse this. However, you should never ever feed him or her any kind of raw fish though. Poach the fish first or steam it then remove all bones before serving.

Your pet needs love and proper care from you in order to grow healthy and fit. Remember these cat health care tips to ensure that your cat gets what it rightly needs. Doing so will ensure a long, happy and healthy life for years to come.