With Halloween upon us, and the holiday season in full effect, with upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is essential to keep your pets safe and out of harm’s way with all the hustle and bustle that occurs during the holiday season. There’s much more food, candy, and other trinkets around the home that can easily harm or cause other hazardous health problems, including death. Listed below are several, important tips that are not only effective on Halloween, but throughout the holiday season and year.
Always make sure pets are in a secure area that they are comfortable with.
Keep pet license and/or ID tag visible and available at all times. It will aid heavily if your pet gets lost.
If you have an outside pet unattended, it’s best to bring him inside to a safe area.
Keep away from loud noises and children, teenagers and adults in costumes (it can and does startle them).
Keep chocolate out of reach and sight, as it can cause nerve damage and death if injected.
Always throw away candy wrappers because your pet can choke on them if they attempt to swallow them.
Keep decorations, candles, etc in hard-to-reach places for your pets because they can knock them over causing burns, and other potential hazards.
If you dress your pet up for the holidays, make sure your pet is accustomed to it and the costume won’t restrict their breathing, vision, hearing or movement. Costumes also should not have small accessories that your pet can easily ingest.
Have any more tips to share with us that you’ve experienced with your pet during the holidays? Share in the comments below!
Announced in a PR Newswire press release in Los Angeles, Purina ONE and GOOD have teamed together to recruit ‘hero pets’ that have made a difference in their owners or other people’s lives. The hero and video challenge is aptly titled “Hero Pets to the Rescue”. Pet owners have until November 11 to submit a photo or video, including their pets story about “how their cat or dog has helped someone in need.” Afterwards, the panel of judges will submit 15 applicants that they think are the best candidates to proceed to the finalist round.
The GOOD community will vote on the 15 finalists between December 2 through December 9, 2013. The pet hero with the most votes will receive a one-supply of Purina ONE brand pet food, a featured story on Good.is to share their pet’s story, and a $5,000 donation to one of the four pet-service non-profit organizations; Pet Partners, Support Dogs Inc., New Horizons Service Dogs, Inc. or Working Dogs for Conservation.
At Purina ONE, we’re always striving to highlight the positive difference pets make in everyone’s life,” said Christina Schneider, Assistant Brand Manager, Purina ONE. “Whether in small ways or in bigger ways, all cats and dogs are heroes to the people who love them. We look forward to seeing the inspiring stories that pet owners submit to the ‘Hero Pets to the Rescue’ Challenge.
“Our partnership with Purina ONE has celebrated the many ways that pets change our lives, and we’re constantly amazed by how pets help people with even just the smallest of gestures. We’re excited to recognize the heroes that pets are,” said Jay Ku, Head of Partnerships, GOOD.
Details on how to enter the contest:
Submit a brief story and/or video about how your pet has been a hero to someone.
The website to enter is: http://heropets.maker.good.is/
Entry deadline is November 11, 2013.
The winner will be announced on or before December 16, 2013.
For more information about the contest, Purina ONE and GOOD, copy and paste the link below in your browser:
Fostering a pet can be a lot of work, but the rewards are worth the effort for many homeless pets that have been vetted and rescued, needing a cozy and warm home to rest before they arrive at their forever home. Of course, fostering can place an emotional toll on those who get especially attached to those they foster, but you’ll never regret saving a life or two. When you foster, you’re helping another pet get a chance at life, and you are helping the pet you’re fostering learn valuable social skills to easily be adopted.
“The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals makes more than 1,000 foster placements a year,” said Gail Buchwald, the ASPCA’s senior vice president of adoptions.
There are times when a foster will adopt the pet their fostering, although shelters have to begin locating new fosters. Of course, saying goodbye is the hardest part, but here are some tips that may help with carrying a lighter burden:
You are saving not only one, but several lives. Pets are euthanized less the more fosters there are.
Remind yourself that your helping pets find loving, permanent homes.
Encourage a successful adoption and be happy!
Never feel saddened or guilty that you’re giving your foster pet to another home. As long as they’re treated with love and kindness, they will continue to adapt to their new family.
Join a foster network or community.
Don’t constantly foster; take a breather every now and again.
You have great memories of saving lives; never forget them.
There are no statistics about how much nationwide data there is available referencing fosters in shelters. Even high kill shelters have foster programs. Be resourceful and do some research on the shelters in your community to inquire how you can be involved in your wanting to foster a pet.With the economic decline, there are more and more pets without homes, ending up in shelters. Sadly, many of them are euthanized, but with incredible foster individuals and families, some of them get a second chance at life.
Do you foster a pet? What do you love the most about it?
There is a fairly recent website that includes informative articles, including news pieces, blogs, forums and much more referencing pets and their owners. It is featured as an interactive community, created and ran by veterinarians. The website is based out of Australia and is meant to be a collaborative effort between veterinarians and pet owners, so that they can and will make the most informative decisions.
The community was created with the thought in mind that there needs to be better and more efficient communication between pet owners and their vets. Dr. Nick Wonders, one of the vets who is a part of the website community, states, “Pet owners are constantly bombarded with misleading and dangerous advice online. During consultations, we are often made privy to some of the more concerning myths and misconceptions getting about on the internet, such as the theory that garlic is an effective flea preventative (when in fact, a single clove can potentially cause life threatening anemia in cats). Therefore, Vetico was developed to provide a reputable, trusted source of online information, written by Veterinarians and freely available to educate pet owners.”
Although based in Australia, we at Pet Nanny, feel that the message of the online community, Vetico, is relevant worldwide and can bring all kinds of people from all walks of life to join together with a mutual love and well-being for their pets.
Check out more information by copying and pasting the link below in your browser:
A new company, Pet Pace, is in the process of developing a collar that will monitor your pet’s health, thoroughly and on an-going basis. The collar will produce a warning signal to alert the pet owner of anything that has gone awry with your pet’s health. They can send you an alert through e-mail, text or phone. Pet Pace’s chairman, Avner Schneur, states that they plan to release the collar sometime this year. There is an estimated cost of $150 for the collar, along with a base station that collects data with it. Furthermore, a $15-$20 per-month subscription fee will also be accumulated.
The base station that will be with the collar is a “matchbox-size device affixed to the collar holds sensors and a radio that transmits data to the base station when the pet comes within 1,000 yards of it,” claims Schneur. The animal’s movements, respiration and pulse will all be tracked. The battery is expected to last for several months, as well as the battery needing charging will occur. The collar will also work for cats that weigh 10 pounds. The company’s focus is hospitals for now, and then will eventually venture towards consumers. Veterinary hospitals will be their sole source of selling.
During this busy and hectic holiday season, there is a rise of pets entering veterinary clinics, because either they have ingested something they shouldn’t, or something is out of the ordinary that places your pet’s health at risk. Leaving out foods and other items that are hazardous to your pet’s health can be avoided by putting things up out of a pet’s reach, and knowing what’s in it that can harm them.
The following is a list of the most common complaints veterinary clinics receive.
Gastritis– In other words, stomach inflammation, and the symptoms are mostly vomiting. This occurs by your pet ingest something other than food.
Enteritis– This is intestinal inflammation, with symptoms of diarrhea. Like gastritis, is caused by ingesting something your pet shouldn’t, and is also caused by bacterial infections.
Colitis– Intestinal inflammation in the colon segment of the intestine, caused by infection and stress. Symptoms are diarrhea that is bloody and full of mucous.
Pancreatitis– Inflammation of the pancreas, caused by eating an overzealous amount of food high in fat. This can become a life-threatening condition that can cause excessive diarrhea, vomiting, along with extensive dehydration. Take it easy on the table scraps, so to speak!
Gastric foreign body– This occurs when an object like toys, balls, or anything foreign ingested by a pet, gets stuck in the stomach. Vomiting is a common occurrence, and sometimes it has to be surgically removed.
Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis– Bloody vomiting and diarrhea, and occurs when the pet has ingested garbage (trash) of spoiled food, commonly known as “garbage gut.” This is a very serious condition, as the bacteria from the spoiled food causes toxic-shock like reactions, and the pet needs to be treated immediately.
Intestinal foreign body– Results when an object gets lodged in the intestine. This is one of the more serious conditions, as it is most commonly treated with surgery, because blockage has occurred.
Methylxanthine toxicity– Probably the most dangerous, as too much chocolate acts as a stimulant, resulting in tremors and chocolate toxicity. Other serious symptoms include seizures and severely elevated heart rates. Treatment depends on the amount and type of chocolate your pet consumes.
Hopefully, none of these will be a problem in your furry and feline household. If it does happen, please take adequate and proper precaution, and consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Do you have any other recommendations of what to watch out for with your pet getting into during busy and rushed seasons?
With this article, we’ll focus on the last three remaining skin issues mostly common in our dogs and cats. Most of these problems occur with dermatitis. The first three focused on environmental, nutritional and parasitic dermatitis, which explained the causes and effects, and we provided several of our products that will eliminate and prevent these common skin issues.
The next three common skin issues are:
Infectious Dermatitis, which are transmitted through bacteria, fungal and yeast organisms that present themselves in the form of ringworm, malassezia pachydermatitis, which is a common irritant for pet’s skin. With a yeast infection, it is suggested that something else much more serious is going on, and is consistent with hypothyroidism; chronic administration of cortisone medication or dietary fatty acid deficiency. The most common of these is bacterial dermatitis, as dogs will lick the infected area causing sores or lesion to re-open, thus reversing any healing the infected area has completed. The best treatments for infectious dermatitis are topical ointment or oral antibiotics, and sometimes clipping the hair from the area to dry easier and faster. Many infections and irritants lie in the urinary tract, and our Wholistic WholeCran Intense, with organic cranberry powder, is loaded with antioxidants to maintain a healthy urinary tract.
Allergic Dermatitis is exactly what one thinks it is; it’s an allergic reaction that affects the skin. Dogs and cats, much like humans, are affected by various factors in the environment, as well as food ingredients, synthetic and natural fibers, medications and pharmaceutical products, among many others. There are several different kinds of allergic dermatitis, however, and the most prominent one is atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis occurs when there “are a number of antigens, including inhaled substances such as molds, dust, pollens and other static and airborne microscopic organic substances.” Much like infectious dermatitis, preventative methods come in the form of topical ointments, baths to relieve the itching and scratching, including sprays. The biggest proponent to relieve the stress of allergic dermatitis is cortisone. Changing your dog’s diet is one helpful way to reduce the onslaught of allergic dermatitis, along with substances in the home causing an attack of allergies that affect them inwardly and outwardly. Try giving a bath with our Wholistic Heavenly Herbal Pet Shampoo to ease the itching of your precious pup. For your feline, try giving our Wholistic Sea Blend, fortified with rich minerals from nutrient rich waters, that are free from pollutants and heavy metal contamination.
The last most common skin problem is Neurogenic Dermatitis, which is caused by a persistent, obsessive and compulsive licking, which is a result of boredom, stress, anxiety, or a physical abrasion, such as a tiny scratch, lesion, etc. Because of this incessant licking and picking at the area, bacteria infection sets in and, as a result, can cause permanent damage. It is recommended that a specialist in dermatology or a behaviorist could best determine the reason for this specific portion of dermatitis. Overall, determining the cause behind your pet’s dermatitis is the underlying and most important matter. If you need to change your dog’s diet, there are many ways to cease and remove the constant of your pet’s dermatitis. Being patient, yet persistent, in determining the underlying factor is key.
We hope these six common skin issues in dogs and cats have helped you with determining the ailing factor of your dog and cat, and hope that some, if not all, of our recommended products will help you in alleviating and maintaining your pet’s skin issues. Have you tried any of our products that you would recommend that have helped you with your pet?
Although our dogs and cats will occasionally scratch when they have an itch, whether it behind their ear or front leg, etc., incessant scratching is not common. According to PetMD.com, there are six main reasons why dogs and cats scratch.
Often times, when we see our pets scratch we don’t think much of it. On the other hand, there are times when the scratching is persistent and we must not dismiss it.
These six reasons are part of a main category resulting from dermatitis, and the categories are listed below.
*Environmental
*Nutritional
*Parasitic
*Allergic
*Neurogenic
*Infectious
These categories also become more challenging the more frequently they are diagnosed. T.J. Dunn states that the simplest diagnosis begins with environmental dermatitis, and is progressively complicated with the diagnosis of neurogenic dermatitis. Environmental dermatitis is a result of what pets are exposed to, but their skin doesn’t agree with it. By matching the environmental irritant to the pet’s skin, you can determine preventative methods. There are different examples, such as moist eczema and contact with plastics can cause environmental dermatitis. We will focus on the top three most common categories; environmental, nutritional and parasitic.
Nutritional dermatitis occurs because of a lack of nutrition. When fed appropriate amounts of a balanced diet, your pet’s nutrition is stable, and you’ll see results immediately. Quality dog and cat food consists of organic, all-natural, grain-free and veterinary-prescribed diet food. Our products, Wholistic Canine Complete for dogs, along with Wholistic Feline Complete for cats, adds in essential organic and super-premium ingredients for your pet. These are both supplements that can provide optimum results for your pet’s health, in addition to their current diet. Your pet will also maintain a shiny and supple coat when eating well, and this can be maintained also with our Wholistic Flax Seed Oil, which is pure, organic and cold-pressed flax seed oil that produces heavy concentrations, resulting in a high-shine coat for your pet.
Parasitic dermatitis is mostly a common form of fleas and ticks, and an overexposure to an area where they are inhabited, can result in an overly sensitive reaction to even a single bite from a flea. The bite results in allergic dermatitis due to the saliva of the flea. Other intense reactions from parasites similar to fleas are Cheyletiella mites, scabies (red mange), and Demodex mites. All of these parasitic dermatitis result from excessive or repeated exposure to an infected environment, stresses from a disease, poor nutrition or immune disorder. This can be prevented by providing supplements and nutrition support to your pet, such as Wholistic Diatomaceous Earth, Wholistic Alfalfa Powder, both excellent and highly recommended for your dog and cat. We will focus on the next three categories of dermatitis in a future article.
Do you find yourself struggling with common skin problems with your cat or dog? If so, what preventative method(s) have you found to be the most effective?
At the start of a new year, it’s always great to have resolutions for each year; have you accomplished yours for you and your pet? With the year coming to an end soon, and crisp weather happening upon us, have you included your pets through your year resolutions? Since many people use losing weight and exercise as yearly resolutions, why not involve your pet. Most pets love to receive exercise as much as possible and need it just as much as we do. I know with my pets, they love the cold weather, although I don’t really care for it. They have much thicker coats than we imagine, so that sometimes cool and frigid air feels glorious to them. However, there are pets who dislike the cold weather as much as we do, especially little dogs who do not have as much coating as bigger dogs; i.e., Chihuahua, Toy Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, etc.
Linda Wilson Fuoco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests several tips on how pets can brace colder weather:
Dog or coat sweater helps keep them warm. They can be used for big or tiny dogs.
Their feet can get cold too! Did you know that snow can clump and form ice balls between their toes and feet of their pads, which results in walking painful for them. There’s a cure for that too, with Musher’s Secret Wax, which also provides a solution for sidewalk salt and de-icers, which burn and sting your furry pal’s paws.
Linda also suggests what vets and other responsible pet owners express often, and I believe that we can’t suggest it enough. Regular monthly and yearly exams are vital and crucial to the well-being of your pet. Don’t overlook their health needs because often times they won’t show any symptoms, as many pets, especially cats, are very good at hiding their ailments. She also notes that it was suggested to her by an animal clinic that it is great to have “yearly or twice yearly blood and urine testing. Blood and urine tests can spot diseases or problems before there are any symptoms.” In addition to the importance of blood and urine work, these tests can “uncover a wide range of problems including anemia, infection or organ disease, as well as bacteria, blood and evidence of infection.”
I would have never thought to have my pets tested for blood or urine work in the past, until my cat of almost 15 years took a quick turn for the worse, and came to find out he more than likely had a severe case of heartworms. Although my cat was vaccinated and checked regularly for heartworms, they are much more difficult to detect in cats, as they show no symptoms of distress from heartworms, and the attack of heartworms happen very quickly.
Vow to make the end of 2013 a year of health, vitality and happiness for you and your pet, as you countdown to 2014!
The purchase of pet insurance is on the rise and with it comes multiple companies to choose from. You wouldn’t choose just “any” health insurance for yourself or a family without conducting a thorough research, and many of our pets are our family too. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose the best plan for your pet to receive the utmost benefits. John North of Dayton Daily News has produced an article that features several tips and suggestions from the Better Business Bureau. Read the following guidelines to aid you in your search for the best pet insurance for you and your pet.
Obtain several quotes. Every plan is NOT the same.
Recommendations from vets, family and friends can go along way in your determination. Word-of-mouth is the strongest referral there is.
If you find the right plan, don’t put off purchasing it, because it’s not guaranteed and often difficult to ensure your pet when they’re older when they have what insurance companies consider a “pre-existing condition.”
Ensure clarity of particular coverage and start date. Keep a copy of the plan for your records.
Want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Make sure you know what you’re paying, and make sure you ask whether it’s automatic renewal and what cancellation procedures are involved. Deductible and co-pays may apply. Make sure you know what you’re insurance is and what you are and aren’t receiving.
As with all contractual, business agreements. Make sure you receive everything in writing.
Always keep your receipts and documentation.
Do you have pet insurance for your pooch or kitty? What do you think of the varied insurance companies and plans out there?
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