Colder Weather, Helping your pet stay safe and Warm

Well as my little herd of Chihuahuas are telling me, "it's gettin' down right cold out there mom!"



So, I thought I might post some tips to help your pet through winter's cold months. And again note that inside is best for them really. Even though they have fur, they are so domesticated now that they just don't have the natural wherewithal to survive long times out in the cold anymore.

Both the ASPCA and Humane Society give these tips:

1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.


2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.


3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.


4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.


5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.


6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.


7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.


8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.


9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.


10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.


11. Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy. Routinely check your pet's water dish to make certain the water is fresh and unfrozen. Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal.


12. No matter what the temperature, windchill can threaten a pet's life. A dog or cat is happiest and healthiest when kept indoors. If your dog is an outdoor dog, however, he/she must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large enough to allow the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to hold in his/her body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The house should be turned to face away from the wind, and the doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.

And for your shorthaired pups, sweaters for them are good if they'll tolerate them. Some dogs love their sweaters! And some dogs love to play in the snow as we all do (for those of us who choose to let our inner children out... LOL). So have fun this winter, and be sure to take a little extra time to ensure your pets enjoy it with you.

Life or rather work is better with pets?

Ok, so after the serious subjects lately I figure it's time for a bit of humor. Meet Yummy, my extrovert, and my brother's newest PR assistant.



My brother is currently visiting with us to help my father with things and while he is here, he is telecommuting for his work. He provides technical support and troubleshooting for a communications archive company. So while he is working during the day, it is from my home. While it's nice for us to think about bouncing out of bed and going straight to work in your jammies, having your sister's pets around can make those customer support calls interesting. Or retriving information on your computer while talking to a customer.

Well, I think Yum had decided that my brother needs a little PR help now and then. Yesterday apparently my brother had a an unhappy customer on the line he was patiently trying to help. The customer asks him where he's located and he tells the customer that he's based out of Portland, Oregon.  Little bit further into the call, and the customer is still grumpy when Yummy comes into the room, puts his front paws on my brother's knees and meows at him in a plaintive voice, obviously looking for love and affection.  The client hears this siamese meow and asks my brother, "What the heck was that? A Cat?"  My brother replied "Yep, it's my sisters cat.  I'm working remotely and he seems to think anytime is a fine time for him getting loved on."  To which the customer responds "Don't I know it. My Cat thinks the middle of a trading rush is a prime time to sit down in front of my computer screens."  They ended up laughing about it, and the situation was taken care of with the customer in a much better mood.

Hmmmmm, Now if only Yum would do that on cue! Animals are so good at relieving stress. And sometimes I think my brother thinks he's there to create it. He has also without warning jumped up, and either walked across the keyboard or in front of his monitors at inopportune times, usually at least once a day. Personally I think it's comic relief, reminding you to take time out and not get so wound up over things.  But then Yummy does it to me too, if he is adamant about wanting attention, he'll get up on the desk and then into your lap and stretch his bulk over your tummy and chest and then give you the sweetest, most polite, kiss on the tip of your nose, give you the baby blues, and demand attention. I am sure he's tried this trick on my brother too.

Maybe we need more like him working in public relations jobs!

More on Pet Food recalls, some info...

Ok, we all know from the 2007 pet food recalls just how scary they can be. We all went through that time wondering just what was left to feed our pets? And if we fed it to them, were we still unintentionally poisoning them? Many of us watched the news very closely, we found online forums and blogs to stay updated on, we taught ourselves which foods were produced by Menu Foods and tried to avoid them like the plague. Some of us made food for our companions from fresh ingredients for people. Some of us went back to feeding the way nature might have intended them to be and fed raw, in fact alot of cat owners did go to feeding raw. At one point some of us who were/are members on the Feline Diabetes forum who feed raw, including Dr. Lisa Pierson DVM were interviewed for an article in one of the big papers, I forget now which one, about raw feeding. However, when the article came out we were dismayed and angry that he completely misrepresented us and our reasons for feeding raw.

That aside, the point to this is we are still very, very gun shy about our pet foods and the word "RECALL" still strikes terror in our hearts. I personally do my best to watch for new recalls of not only foods, but any pet associated product. I do my best to avoid buying any products from the company, because if they had one type of food with problems, the likelihood of one of the others having problems is too great for me.

The FDA tries to regulate the pet food industry, however, we all know they are way understaffed and unable to keep an eye on everything. But they are a good source to get recall info on from 2006 to present. And you can subscribe to alerts that come to your email box. The Animal and Veterinary page is where to start, there is a link to subscribe to email alerts, and you can select what alerts you want to receive. They also have links to file a complaint about a food that you or your veterinarian feel might have a problem that is making your pet sick. While they might not have all the truth there, they are about the most consistent, and one can confirm or deny rumors on the site.

While it might seem to be a hassle to some of you to check on all this information before you buy food for your companion. Wouldn't it be worth it in the long run? I mean what if you didn't check and your pet became suddenly, fatally ill, and it might have been prevented if you'd fed the better food? And remember, just because it costs more doesn't mean it's any safer. You do the best for yourself, why wouldn't you for your pet?

Pet food and product warnings and recalls

It seems that the pet food companies still cannot get their quality control fixed and stop killing or endangering our pets. Didn't they learn anything from the massive recalls in 2007 from Menu Foods? Didn't we learn anything from those same recalls? I know I did, and I certainly try not to use or feed any brand that was part of that recall. I just don't think it's worth the risk to my beloved pets.

Here are some recent ones:

Nutro is still on the hot seat with numerous consumer complaints on their dog and cat foods, here are two links to read more on the Nutro problems, especially about the puppy food that may contain plastic.

Consumer Complaints on Nutro

Article on Nutro pulls some puppy food

Nutro Cat food and zinc poisoning

If you read these articles above, you will find links other links on the pages for other pet food product problems.

Also Diamond pet food products has recalled the following date codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball Cat with codes of RAF0501A22X (18-lb. bag), RAF0501A2X (6-lb. bag), RAH0501A22X (18-lb. bag) and RAH0501A2X (6-lb. bag).

The petfood in question is low in thiamine, which can cause neurological symptoms and brain damage. More than a dozen cases have been confirmed.

It is recommended that pet owners whose cats have eaten the food specified below contact their veterinarian. Diamond is also asking consumers to return the potentially tainted food.The calls from pet owners or veterinarians regarding this issue! have been centered in the Rochester, NY area. Diamond says t! hat all retail outlets shipped the above lots were contacted, asking them to pull the product from the store shelves; and to contact their customers to have them to check the date code of the food. If you or anyone you know has these date codes of Premium Edge cat food, Diamond is asking you to return them to the retailer (presumably for a refund).

And now one of the scary problems found with Advantage spot on flea product. Seems it's gluing itself and the pet to anything plastic. Read the article HERE .

The Humane Society is a good resource for recalls and product warnings.

It seems that anywhere you go these days, we still have problems and companies who aren't fully disclosing those problems. While I can understand the pet owner's plight to make some care products simpler or more convenient, not all of these wonderful gadgets or foods are good for our furkids. If you really do love and care for your pet, please research and learn about their needs and what truly is best for them before you purchase. And in my humble opinion, while we rely on our veterinarians to provide us trustworthy information and to know what's best, not all of them do. Many believe the sales pitch of the sales rep from the companies they buy their presecription diets or other products through. In many veterinary schools nutrtion is taught by someone from the pet food industry, not someone who knows the digestive system, or endocrine systems in our pets. Take the time to be an informed pet owner, be an advocate for your pet, learn about proper nutrition and such for them. Once you do and then compare labels with the prescription diets in your vet's office. You'll be surprised actually that even some foods off the store shelves are better made than the Rx diets, and are cheaper too.

I know this is one of my favorite rants, but if we were more informed, fed our pets better and proper foods, they would be healthier, live longer and happier lives, and the vet bills would be a whole lot less expensive. And..... when you feed correctly, there is less poo to pick up because your pet is using all of his food as intended and so there is less waste. If you're feeding your pet a food with lots of grain fillers in it, lots of by products, etc., then you will have A LOT of poop to clean up. When you have A LOT of poop, it means that your pet is actually getting very little nutrition from their food and you are feeding more than you would with a proper food. It just makes sense!

Signs of the Seasons

Ah our loving pets. The little things they do to entertain us or annoy us? Think about the little things they do or habits they will change according to the change in seasons.

Right now it's fast turning into winter conditions here. Last week was still warm though. Welcome to New Mexico! Wait a bit and the weather will change. We woke up to snow this morning. Of course it's still too warm for the snow to stick on the ground yet, but the trees and shrubs had a nice coat of fluff. Then it melts. However, at 5:30 in the morning, my crew of chihuahuas have watched the snow come down over the night, and refuse to go outside. MOM! It's white, cold and wet out there! We can't possibly do our business out there! So I put them out, they stand at the door and wait and yell to hurry up and get the cats fed so they can come right back in and eat. Ah but they forgot that I put them out again right after eating. Ha! Crap, they are more stubborn than I am. They won't leave the porch and looking in through the sliding glass door. The old man, Lil'Shit stands there looking in blindly, shivering, and whining. Ok, I'm no hard heart, I give in.

Ok, so perhaps I should have noticed before the little changes in them and their habits before this snow hit and it got cold. Besides the usual fur growth. The dogs are adamant about cuddling and arguing over the best cushy warm spot or who gets to whom first to be held in warm arms. Lil' Shit is worshipping the sun more than usual, almost like he's trying to get his winter supply of vitamin d in a hurry. And then when it's time to put them to bed in their kennels, they give you the total sad puppy package like you are sending them to their doom. Despite the fact they have blankies in their kennels.

The cats, they are quicker than we are about getting into bed when it's bed time. And you can forget taking your time to get comfy before they are piled on you, and kneading their nest. And now instead of getting out of bed when you do, if you get up, they are extremely fast to migrate to the warm spot you left in the bed under the covers.  Although they will migrate to the bathroom while you shower for all that lovely humidity and warmth the shower creates. Then it's hurry up and feed us mom so we can go back to the warm bed when hubby gets up.

If you sit down for very long anywhere in the house that has more space than your office chair, you will probably have a cat on one side, a cat behind your head, and at least one if not 2 of the 3 dogs.

As long as it's not snowing or raining, the dogs will enjoy being outside. But they certainly  hate to be wet, but they won't stand under the picnic table to stay dry, oh no, not them, they have to stand under the drip edge of the roof, right at the door, get soaked and look pitiful. Little dogs.... they certainly have their own mindset.

On the subject of change in the spring.....

First,the evenings are different, when getting ready for bed at night and you head into the bathroom and there is the empty sink you intend to turn on to wash your face and in less than one minute you had an empty sink, then you turn to get your washcloth, turn back around and find your sink is filled with a cat. And then when you gently shoo him out and turn on the tap you get this horrified look from him that you just desecrated his cool bed. And then he proceeds to pout for a bit until the sink is dried enough to be acceptable to be a bed again.

Or being all dressed and ready (or so you thought) for work in the morning, sans pet hair (although you get this in the winter too, it's not as bad). You are enjoying your morning coffee and reading material, one of your furkids (doesn't matter who) climbs up next to you, or on one leg for a bit of petting. All fine right? Well you get to work and notice that you have enough hair attached to you to make a whole other animal! (Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated!)

Then there were the sun worshipers during the fall and winter, who loved to lay in the sunbeams, only now they drink water like a fish and avoid long periods in the sun like little vampires.

All the furkids think that the new things budding and blooming are for tasting. Thereby hacking up furballs, or grass bits into the oddest places. And the cats desperately try their best to escape the house to get at all those bright green things and fluttering birds. Thereby providing you with more exercise in one weekend than you've probably had all winter, just trying to catch the escapees.

And last but not least (so far), the kitties, ah yes, kitties..... Spring is here when Kitty TV has all their favorite channels (more birds mom! and they're here earlier!) Which entails some pretty interesting kitty lingo at 4:30 or 5am. Sounds you haven't heard for months, suddenly seem very out of place and will wake you out of a dead sleep. And due to all the noseprints on the glass, you are using your windex at least every other day so you can see out of it.

So, how do your pets tell you the seasons are changing? I'd love to hear!

Why adopt? Why Spay and Neuter?

I am sure I have covered this topic once before, however, it is one that bears repeating. And I wish to add this disclaimer, I am not an expert on this, and the numbers may be old, but they will give you a general picture and the message is still the same.

First a few statistics on euthanasia and the shelters:

1. 
   

   Every day approximately 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in this country while only 10,000 people are born. 

   
   


2. 
   

   Every year over 6 million animals are euthanized in shelters for lack of available homes.  If the number were "only" 7 million, that would mean 135,000 PER WEEK, or 20,000 pets euthanized EVERY 24 HOURS.  365 DAYS A YEAR!

   
   


3. 
   

   An animal is euthanized in the U.S. every 2 seconds.

   
   


4. 
   

   On average, 64% of all animals taken into shelters nationwide have to be euthanized for the simple reason that there is no room for them or no home.

   
   


5. 
   

   The animals at animal control shelters are not "problem" animals. The animals available for adoption have been picked up as strays or taken from the owner for abuse, or neglect. They are truly in need of a loving home and are greatly appreciative for a second chance at life.  

   
   


6. 
   

   At least 50% of the overpopulation problem is non-neutered males.  Females can't do it alone.

   
   


7. 
   

   Purebreds account for 30% off all the animals in shelters.  "Papers" don't mean an animal should be bred.

   
   


8. 
   

   For every home you find for an animal that you have bred, a home is lost for a shelter animal.

   
   


9. 
   

   Breeding to "see the miracle of birth" demands that you also "see the tragic results".  Visit a shelter and watch a puppy being euthanized for every puppy your "miracle of birth" delivered.

   
   


10. 
    

    Animal overpopulation has reached a crisis point in this country

    
    

Now, some myths about spaying and neutering

 Most of these myths have been passed along for many years without any basis in fact. People still believe false statements like: "It will calm her down to have a litter" and "He needs to sow his oats," or "It will make her/him more protective." These are all inaccurate viewpoints and flat nonsense; and you have probably heard them all! Let’s look at a few more.

"My dog is a purebred so it's ok if I breed"  The fact is that 25% of all animals found in a shelter are AKC or UKC purebreds. There is no guarantee of quality. In fact, most times purebred animals have some serious medical and behavioral problems, due to inbreeding.

"My pet is a male; I won’t have any litters"  These animals are a very big part of the pet overpopulation problem since they escape and breed with females in heat. They roam more, are more aggressive and sire hoards of litters for someone else to raise, or destroy because they are unadoptable.

"It cost too much"  It will cost you a lot more to care for the puppies created by the dog!  And there are many, many low cost to free spay and neuter clinics. It is affordable!

"My children should see the miracle of birth"  School programming, virtual computers or films can convey the same information in a more caring way.

"She needs to have at least one litter"  Does a woman need to have at least one child? Having a litter does not in any way improve or change a pet's disposition.

"Spaying & neutering is painful for the pet."  How painful is giving birth? Surgery is performed under anesthesia and animals are usually back on their feet into normal activities within 24 to 72 hours. This slight discomfort is not harmful and prevents the suffering and death of hundreds of unwanted animals that could be born if you do not spay or neuter your pet.

"If I neuter him, he won't be as protective."  Instinct is not affected by hormones.  In fact, most pets when neutered will actually be more protective and loyal to their owners and will have reduced desires to wander, mark territory and fight with other animals.

"They'll get fat and lazy".  Not true! Pets get fat because of improper feeding and or exercise. They like us, if fed too much and too little exercise will get fat.

"A litter will calm my animal and having a litter will be better for her" Veterinary medical evidence says otherwise. This is just not true.

"Only females need to be fixed, it's not my responsibility"Not true, it takes two to make a litter. This is a chauvinistic idea that pregnancy is all the woman's fault. It is everyone's responsibility.

"My pet is special"  Every animal is special. Most will never be duplicated. Think of all those special animals that are killed daily. Adoptees are very special animals.

If this section still has not convinced you to neuter your animal, go visit a shelter. I challenge you to spend some time there. Ask when they euthanize animals & witness how the animals cringe, defecate in fear, and act when they are taken out to be killed. Look them in the eyes and explain why you do not want to neuter your pet.

Now..... all this being said, please spay and neuter your pet! And please promise to adopt from your shelter for your next pet(s), or if you can, offer to foster pets from the shelter so they may have more room to help other pets in need. If we are proactive about spaying and neutering, helping shut down puppy mills, eventually someday I would like to hope that there will be less animals, who deserve a life just as much as we do, lose theirs before they can experience it.

A bit of humor: How to photograph a puppy and How to give your cat a pill

Well, as I've had such a sad start to the week, I figured by now a little humor might brighten things up. They are both "How To's" which when I first read them years ago had me in tears I was laughing so hard. I hope you'll enjoy them now......



How to Photograph a Puppy (before digital cameras)

1.  Remove film from box and load camera.

2.  Remove film box from puppy's month and throw in trash.

3.  Remove puppy from trash and brush coffee grounds from muzzle.

4.  Choose a suitable background for photo.

5.  Mount camera on tripod, check flash and focus.

6.  Find puppy and take dirty sock from mouth.

7.  Place puppy in pre-focused spot and return to camera.

8.  Forget about spot and crawl after puppy on knees.

9.  Focus with one hand while fending off puppy with other hand.

10. Get tissue and clean nose print from lens.

11. Put cat outside and put peroxide on the scratch on puppy's nose.

12. Put magazines back on coffee table.

13. Try to get puppy's attention by squeaking toy over your head.

14. Replace your glasses and check camera for damage.

15. Jump up in time to grab puppy by scruff of neck and say- "No, no outside!"

16. Call spouse to help clean up the mess.

17. Fix a drink.

18. Sit back in chair, put your feet up, sip your drink and resolve to teach puppy "sit" and "stay" the first thing in the morning.





How to give your cat a pill

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding front and rear paws lightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat's head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foilwrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for glueing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Ring the fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap,

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour ½ pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive to you to emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes remnants from right eye. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for vet to make a house-call.

And..... Remember, kitties hold a grudge and will get back at you when you least expect it!