Life without Satchmo

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Two interesting and/or entertaining videos about our dogs

Friday, November 25, 2011

Here's a video that is well worth watching!

People are not the only ones who can be thankful and grateful. Watch the behavior of these dogs and tell me if they don't show thankfulness and gratefulness for the return of their "person".

Thursday, November 24, 2011

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.

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.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Video about special needs dogs

Dogs with special needs need love and care, too. Here is a wonderful video about just such a dog and his wonderful owner. If only all dogs were so lucky!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Dog Survives Inferno by Hiding Under Bed

Here's some good news for a change that I found on Life with Dogs. Please visit the site and leave them a comment. More people need to know about this and see that there can be some good news, sometimes.
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Here's a link to a video about this dog

A Texas family finds hope amidst tragedy when their dog is recovered alive a day after their house burned down.

Patsy Alexander dug through the rubble of her parents home after it was destroyed by a fire last week. The Tyler, Texas resident was hoping to find a few sentimental items, and was shocked to find the family dog alive and well after spending the night hiding under a bed.

“I was just glad to see at least one come out and made it through this tragedy,” said Alexander.

Alexander spent the afternoon at the aftermath of her uncle’s charred home. Alexander is worried for the homeowner, James Culpepper. He was injured after helping his family to escape the blaze and is hospitalized in serious condition. Daughter Linda Cook is caring for his dog until he is released.

Authorities say the fire was started by a faulty heater that ignited a sofa. Culpepper’s family is thankful his dog somehow survived, and said they are hoping to see the two reunited in the near future.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Friday Videos

These are cute videos of dogs being silly. I laughed and thought you might get a kick, too. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Ensure Your Pet Always Has a Way Home.

Homeless and lost pets fill our animal shelters to capacity. True, some animals are "dumped" there, but the majority of them have been picked up roaming the streets unescorted.

Satchmo, bless his soul, was the epitome of the escape artist. He could get through spaces much too small for him and be gone in a flash! Once out and about, he was only caught when he wanted to be caught. My biggest concern as I chased after him was "when will he finally get tired and want to come home?" but my next thought was always, "what if he gets hit by a car?" because he knew nothing about traffic and streets.

There are many ways a responsible pet owner can make sure that their pet is returned to them if lost.

First, start out simply click here to get your pet an engraved tag stating the animal's name and having your last name and telephone number on one side. Make sure to attach this to the animals collar or harness.

Secondly, click here to get your animal microchipped. However, a caveat. If you don't keep the information current, this is a worthless piece of junk inside of your pet. Most microchips can be reconfigured to input new information if you move, but you must notify the company to get the information changed.

Another way to keep your pet safe is to use a GPS collar to track your dog. These products have become more and more affordable as GPS gains in popularity. With this system in place, you simply notify the company and they will notify you of your dogs location.

There is also the option of joining an online pet finding company where you can register and pay, then if your pet is lost, the company will call all shelters, put up flyers, send out email alerts to your area, call all of your neighbors to alert them of the lost pet. This type of service is excellent and has a really good track record of finding lost pets.

With all the options available, there really is not a good excuse for your pet to be one of the lost and scared animals sitting in our over-crowded shelters, is there?