Just another reason our pets are special!

Here's a heartwarming pet story just in time for Christmas.  Thanks to this wonderful and alert dog, this family will still be able to enjoy this holiday season.  I hope they get him a wonderful Christmas meal and a huge present! 

I found this on Life with Dogs and there is a video on that site that discusses this story in more detail.


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Boxer Puppy Saves Family

December 2, 2011Posted by ADMIN in Dog News
A six month old Boxer puppy from Georgia is being hailed as a hero for evacuating his family from their home after detecting a gas leak.
“He knew something we didn’t know. He sensed something wasn’t right,” said Jason Hyde.
Hyde and his family say they owe their lives to their faithful companion. They were gathered in their living room and decorating in preparation for the Christmas holiday when their dog Ollie became visibly agitated and started acting out to get their attention. At first they just thought he wanted to go out.
“Just started nudging and rubbing our legs like he wanted to go back outside,” said Sheree Hyde. But once in the yard, Ollie stood his ground and refused to come back inside. “He had his head up and his back was arched and he was unwilling to come back inside,” said Jason.
Ollie’s obvious stress prompted his family to follow him outside and join him in their yard. Once the entire family was evacuated, Ollie relaxed. That’s when it occurred to Jason Hyde that the gas fireplace had been left on.
He went back inside and realized that the flame was not lit. Ollie had smelled the gas pouring from the unlit fireplace and spreading throughout the home – and knew something was wrong. And when his family joined him in the yard to ascertain the source of his distress, they may very well have dodged a disaster: “We don’t know how long the gas would have poured out, and we do light candles,” said Sheree.
The Hydes are understandably grateful, and say they are blessed to have found Ollie. “I just think that it’s cool that God has made a creature, made a dog, as smart as this dog is and I am glad to have him,” said Jason.
“We are very thankful for him,” added Sheree.

Dr. Mahaney's Thanksgiving safety tips for your pets

Here's an article I found on DogTimes Weekly that I felt was appropriate to repost here.  We all will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas is almost upon us.  We need to take a moment to think about the health and safety of our loyal pets during this holiday season.  There are more dangers to them at this time than we think about.  Please heed the warnings in this article so both you and your loving pets have a wonderful holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

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This article courtesy of Patrick Mahaney, VMD, CVA

 

Starting with Halloween, the fall-winter holiday season yields innumerable hazards to our pets (see Top 5 Halloween Pet Safety Tips). The potential danger continues into Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwaanza, New Year's Eve, or other holiday of your choice. Pet hazards lurk in festive foods, decorations, and schedule and environment changes. Take the following precautions, as you will suffer emotional and financial stress caused by a pet's holiday health crisis.

Holiday Foods

Even though they may love the taste, avoid feeding your pet any of chocolate, candy, fats, proteins, bones, and dried fruits.

Chocolate and Candy- Chocolate contains chemical compounds called methylzanthines, including caffeine and theobromine, which have many toxic effects in dogs (see Pet Care 101- Why is chocolate unhealthy for my dog?). Additionally, the fat and sugar in chocolate and candy can cause serious gastrointestinal abnormalities, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis.

Fats and Proteins- Holiday foods, including animal skin, meats, and cheese are high in calories and contain large percentages of fat and protein. Even feeding your pet an amount of these foods that visually appears small can exceed your pet's daily caloric requirements. Additionally, the interruption of your dog's consistent consumption of a particular food by feeding holiday foods will increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal upset.

Bones- Cooked bones are harder than raw bones and prone to splintering, causing mechanical irritation to the lining of the stomach and intestines. Large pieces or multiple bones can be ingested, potentially causing esophageal, gastric, or intestinal obstruction. This year, don't be "that owner" berating yourself after a pet has gotten sick after eating your leftover steak bone.

Dried Fruits- Raisins (and grapes) have an unknown toxic mechanism which causes damage to the canine kidney. Although the toxic effects are most commonly seen when large amounts are consumed, it is recommended to prevent your dog from eating raisins and grapes. Along these lines, I recommend not feeding your pet any dehydrated fruits, as they are high in calories, may contain preservatives (sulfites, etc), and could lead to vomiting, diarrhea or other health concerns.

Holiday Decorations

Prevent your pet from having contact with holiday decorations, including candles and holiday plants.

Candles- Even momentary contact between a lit candles and your pet's fur can set your pet on fire, leading to life threatening skin burns. I have recently been involved in the treatment process of Buddha, a dog burned by an unknown heat source (see Burned French Bulldog Continues to Heal with Acupuncture Treatments). Besides the pain and suffering burned pets must endure, your entire family may be at risk if a pet knocks a candle over and causes combustion of flammable household materials.

Additionally, scented candles (cinnamon, fig, vanilla, etc) emit appealing aromas and may cause gastrointestinal abnormalities if consumed.

Holiday Plants- Many holiday plants are potentially toxic to your pet. A list of toxic and non-toxic plants can be found on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control website.

Despite general public perception, the poinsettia is a traditional holiday plant that is only mildly toxic to pets when consumed. The poinsettia contains a sap which causes local irritation to the mouth and gastrointestinal tract when ingested, potentially causing salivation or vomiting.

Christmas pine, spruce, and fir trees and their water can both lead to toxic reactions in your pet. Christmas tree needles contain oils and resins potentially causing salivation and digestive upset. Consumption of tree water can cause gastrointestinal problems or organ (kidney, liver other) failure caused by fertilizers, bacteria, or molds.

Schedule and Environmental Changes

Holidays create situational changes in our lives and cause additional stress for our pets. Pet owners or guests entering and exiting the home environment increases the likelihood your pet could escape. Even if your pet is not a notorious escape artist, fit your pet with a collar bearing appropriate identification. Additionally, microchip implantation will connect your pet to you should their collar fall off or be removed.

Travel plans or the presence of holiday guests may require a pet to be kenneled in a facility or confined in your home. If your pet is kept outdoors, ensure their safety from weather extremes by providing a climate controlled shelter.

This holiday season, please think ahead and plan for the possibility that your pet may be adversely affected by your festivities. Should your pet show illness or be suspected to have inappropriately consumed holiday foods or decor contact your regular or emergency veterinary hospital.

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Dr. Mahaney graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and is also a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. He lives and practices in Los Angeles, California, and works closely with local rescue organizations. He also writes for Los Angeles Pet Care Examiner column.

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Related articles

• Holiday Safety Tips for your Pet (parleyswayneighborhoodwatch.wordpress.com)
• Satey Tips For Your Pets This Holiday! [VIDEO] (now100fm.radio.com)
• Keeping Your Pets Safe During The Holidays: Tips From The ASPCA (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Holiday Pet Safety (iowadogtrust.wordpress.com)
• Holiday Safety Tips for your Pets (biskey7.wordpress.com)
• Petplan Pet Insurance Finds Turkey Day Could Be 'Fowl' for Pets (prweb.com)
• Keep holiday food away from your pooch (cnn.com)
• Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Dog Owners (munciepetsitter.wordpress.com)

Merry Christmas!

 This is the cutest video.  I just had to post it here for you to enjoy.  These dogs certainly have a knack for decorating.  I hope you and yours have a wonderful and happy holiday season!

Satchmo is going to the Vet on Wednesday--Oh boy!

Well, I finally broke down and made the appointment for my little man to go get his teeth cleaned.  He has started not wanting to eat crunchy foods, which usually means trouble.  The last time that happened, he lost 9 teeth with the cleaning.  Anyway, I am mildly excited because he will have the growth on his foreleg removed at the same time.  I am so happy because that growth is really worrying me.  It is ugly and is still growing.  He won't stop bothering it, either, so the hair around it is constantly wet and grey and looks disgusting!

So, wish us luck--we want this to go smoothly so my little man can get back up to snuff soon!

Here is the latest on the Foster Dog situation:  I think that Austen will be staying with me indefinitely.  My sister is really attached to him and I think my neighbor wants to give him to her for Christmas.  I'll let you know when I find out.  It's okay with me either way, but he does need some additional training if he is to stay here.  Also, he needs to go to the vet for some Prozac to deal with his separation anxiety!

Christmas is upon us, but let's not forget our treasured pets or the unloved animals out in the world.  If everyone would do something good for just one stray, the world would be a much nicer place.  For my part, I am feeding two beautiful feral black kittens who seem to be living on my front porch.  Hopefully, in the near future I will be able to capture them and get them neutered and get their shots--then I will let them return back to my porch. 

Brody needs some help! Will you give it?

Here's and article about a little rattie named Brody.  Brody was thrown out of the window of a moving car and ended up with two broken front legs (see the xray below).  He was rescued from his shelter and placed in a foster home by Ratbone Rescues.  Unfortunately, the first attempt to repair his legs is unsuccessful and he will now need another surgery.  The cost for the surgery is around $2000.00, but after completed Brody should be just like new!





Here's where you and your help come in.
Brody after he was picked up by a Ratbone volunteer. At this point his legs were not set correctly so he was in pain.

This was his legs UNDER the casts. No wonder he was grumpy and didn't want to be touched.

Now he has cleaned up skin and padding under the casts. He is now friendly and smells good. If that little change made him happy, imagine how happy he will be after the surgery!


This is from the original posting I found online at "two humans, three dogs, and a cat":




Brody's surgery will cost $2,000 and will be worth every penny to make this little fellow healthy and whole again. Of course, that's a lot of money for a little homeless dog, so here's where we need more of those kind souls; those who might be willing to make a small donation towards his surgery. After hearing Brody's story, several of us are taking him on as our Christmas project. (Note: We are not associated with Ratbone Rescues, other than to be supporters of and contributors to their cause to save Rat Terriers who are in danger. Also, we are not fundraisers. We are just people who care and want to help.)

What better way to show the Love of the Season than to help a little dog like Brody. Let's prove to Brody that the human race is full of kind and caring people! Let's show those awful people who mistreated this little guy that they will not win, but that Love wins each and every time! Will you help?


If you wish to make a donation to help Cody Brody with his surgery, there are two ways to do so. You may make a donation through the Ratbone Rescues website:
http://www.ratbonerescues.com/ or by “snail mail” to Ratbone Rescues, P.O. Box 3237, Seminole, Florida 33775-3237. Please note that the contribution is for Cody Brody's surgery.

Thank you all and God bless us everyone!