- Listen to the quiet..Ranking for signal to noise ratio http://t.co/GN7JmQea
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Helping “Flat-Faced” Dog Breeds Enjoy Summer
Summer is the time to get out and about with your dog, but for brachycephalic or “flat-faced” breeds like pugs or bulldogs, the warmer weather can pose serious health risks. Here are some ways to help your dog through the warm weather and still have fun:
- Walk your dog in the early morning and evening when the temperatures are lower
- Never leave your dog in the car unattended. Dogs can suffocate in a matter of minutes in hot weather
- Keep your dog at a healthy weight
- Use a halter rather than a collar to attach leash
- On extremely hot days, take short walks so you can get home easily if you need to
- Don’t overexercise your dog or get them too excited or stressed.
If you sense your dog is overheated, get him to a shady spot if outside, or to a cool place in the house such as the basement that has cool floors he can lay on. Put cool wet towels on him to get body heat down. Once stabilized, take him to the vet to be checked for any lingering problems.
Help Your Pet Reduce His Carbon Pawprint
With Earth Day coming up tomorrow, there is a lot of focus on taking care of the environment. Here are some ways you and your pet can help:
- Disposing of pet waste. It’s estimated dogs in the US produce 10 million tons of waste, cats 2 million. For dog waste, plastic bags do not decompose in landfills. Using biodegradable bags, which are often flushable, is an ecologically sound alternative. For cat waste, choosing a biodegradable litter is a good choice. Biodegradable litter is made of ingredients like wheat, corn, wheat or old newspapers. Odor control and absorption is often equal to the traditional clumping clay-based litter. Introduce the new litter gradually to minimize litter box avoidance issues.
- Spay/Neuter. Pet reproduction rates for dogs and cats account for 12-20 offspring per year, contributing to the 6-8 million homeless pets in the US. Many area animal shelters provide low cost spay/neuter services. If adopting a shelter pet, spay/neuter has already happened if the pet is of age.
- Sustainable Pet Supplies. A growing number of collars, leashes and pet toys are made with products such as cork, bamboo and hemp. Hemp is anti-fungal and breathable, making it a good choice for pets prone to allergies. It is also very sturdy, resistance to the elements is much higher than cotton. Hemp, cork and bamboo are highly renewable, making them a good ecological choice. Due to governmental regulations, hemp farming is not legal in the US. The majority of hemp used for products is imported from Canada, making the cost of hemp products higher.
Estate Planning and Your Pet
If you died unexpectedly, do you have a plan in place for care of your pets?
More pet owners are making provisions in their estate planning for their pet’s care. Most states allow pet owners to establish a trust for their pet. With a trust, property can be set aside for your pet’s care and a trustee named to manage the property.
A new owner for your pet can be named either in your will or irrevocable trust. If you don’t name a new owner, most state laws give ownership to your next of kin. In the will, you can also set aside funds to be given to the new owner for your pet’s care.
Have you planned for your pet’s care?
Info for this post from Whole Dog Journal, March 2012
Keeping the Peace In a Multiple Cat Household
Having multiple cats can be fun but it also has its challenges. Following are 
ten tips to maintain order and keep all the feline residents purring:
- If you have one cat currently and are now adding another, choosing a new cat of the opposite sex can reduce fighting among them.
- If your current cat is older, rather than adopting one kitten think about adopting two so they can keep each other busy.
- Never leave a new cat alone with the resident cat(s) until you are certain they won’t fight.
- Never give treats to one cat and not another.
- Window perches create space and allow your cats to sun themselves and give some personal space.
- Grooming your cats regularly can help reduce their stress and yours.
- Do not allow play between cats to become aggressive.
- If fighting occurs between cats, do not attempt to separate them by hand. Distract them by making a loud noise and put them in separate locations.
- Learn to understand feline body language.
- Make sure each cat’s needs are met and that each cat is treated as an individual member of the family.
Enjoy your feline family members and have a purr-fect day!
Chip Bags Can Be Deadly
I just finished reading a story on the PETA.org site of a woman whose dog suffocated because of a mylar potato chip bag.
It seems Blue was quite a mischievous fellow, escaping when he got the chance or getting into the trash when his people were gone. One day, while his mom was at the store, Blue decided to raid the garbage can and found a real treasure, an empty potato chip bag with some crumbs left inside.
He stuck his head into the bag all the way to get the crumbs and the bag got stuck on his head. In his panic to get air, the mylar bag became a suction and he was unable to get it off. He eventually lost consciousness and suffocated by the time his mom got home.
The danger of mylar chip bags to pets and children is not widely known. Blue’s family is hoping to bring focus to this issue in the hopes chip companies will begin putting warnings on the bags and eventually change the bag materials.
In the meantime, if you have empty chip bags that are made of mylar, please cut them into pieces before putting them in the trash. Blue’s family has established a Facebook page to enlighten people on the danger of mylar bags. Check out their page at https://www.facebook.com/PreventPetSuffocation
Veterinary Malpractice-A Different Ball Game
We’re all familiar with the term “malpractice” when it comes to medical care, but when dealing with veterinarians the laws are quite different than they are for medical doctors. Examples of veterinary malpractice include incorrect diagnosis, prescribing inappropriate medication, following a wrong course of treatment or abandonment of treatment altogether.
Awards for veterinary malpractice vary dramatically from medical malpractice. In most cases, if the court rules in your favor in a vet malpractice case, you recover only the costs you paid for your pet’s treatment. If your pet dies, most state laws allow for only the “market value” of replacing your pet. Damages for “pain and suffering” are not considered.
It’s best to settle vet malpractice cases out of court whenever possible, mediators can be a great help in keeping emotions on both sides in check and coming to a solution workable for both sides.
Veterinarians are licensed in the state where they practice and it is possible to lodge a complaint with the state licensing board if malpractice is suspected. Once a complaint is filed with the board, they will investigate and take whatever action they feel is appropriate. Normal sanctions include fines, suspension or revoking the veterinarians license. Some licensing boards offer a dispute resolution service which can be more cost effective than a court case.
Info for this post from Whole Dog Journal, March 2012
The Break-Up: Who Gets The Pets?
When couples split, custody of family pets is becoming an increasingly larger issue.
Although these cases can be quite heated, the parties involved are usually genuinely concerned about the welfare of the pet. Points to consider when deciding custody include:
- Age of the pet (Does it make sense to uproot the animal and force them to adjust to a new home?)
- Separation from friend-animals (would loss of animal friends impact the pet’s quality of life?)
- Stress of long-distance travel (will the animal be forced to travel a long distance to the new home?)
- Any breed-specific statues at new location (are there any breed-specific laws in the new location that could impact the pet’s relocation?)
Shared custody or visiting arrangements can be defined if both parties are willing to negotiate.
For cases involving domestic abuse, some states have passed legislation to include pets in restraining orders and remove them from abusive homes when victims are moved to a safe home. When safe homes don’t allow pets, animal shelters are often called to provide temporary housing.
In states without legislation to protect pets in domestic abuse situations, attorneys can pursue adding pets as family members to restraining orders. Many courts honor this request to protect pets if just cause can be shown.
Is Your Pet Into Working Out?
Pets require a regular fitness regimen to keep them on the road to good health, so make an appointment with your pet’s health.
Experts tend to agree that 30 minutes a day, four times a week, is enough exercise for a dog. However, just like it is for humans, a daily workout would be better. For cats, experts suggest 15 minutes of exercise each day to stay healthy. However, two 15 minute sessions for indoor cats are optimal.
Some ideas for the dog set include playing fetch with your pooch. Go for a long walk or jog. Play a wild game of chase. If your dog is a water-lover, go for a swim! Have fun! Whatever game you can drum up that will get your dog’s heart pounding is great!
Cats tend to engage in social play, such as romping, wrestling, and chasing. Or, they get into object play, such as stalking, pouncing, or chasing an object around the house. When it comes to exercising your cat, focus on the object play.
Some objects that make great fitness props include feather toys, furry toy mice, toy balls on slick floors, catnip toys, or even laser toys. (Just make sure not to beam the laser into the cat’s eyes!)
Are there some great benefits to all of this? Pets who experience regular exercise tend to act out less frequently. They will gain social skills through the constant interaction with you. You will bond with your pet. Above all, the health of your pet will be improved and he/she can most likely live a longer, healthier, and happier life!
Landscaping With Your Pet In Mind
With Spring in the air, many folks are putting their green thumbs back into action, and with that endeavor comes a responsibility to keep your pets safe when they roam around the yard. We all love our gardens and yards, but we also want to make sure our animal friends are free from harm and poisonous substances.
For example, when applying fertilizer to your lawn, please follow the instructions carefully and allow for the proper waiting period after application and before letting your pet run free across the yard. If your pet digests any of the fertilizer, it could cause stomach upset or even a life-threatening intestinal obstruction.
When using insecticides, be sure to store them in areas inaccessible to your pets. Be sure to follow the label for proper use and storage. While these products are necessary for a healthy garden, they can be quite dangerous to a dog or a cat.
Cocoa mulch is frequently used in landscapes for it attractive odor and color. However, its sweet, chocolately scent can attract dogs. If consumed by a dog, this mulch can cause vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, seizures, and hyperactivity. Consider using shredded pine, cedar, or hemlock bark, but make sure you also keep an eye on your four-legged buddy when he or she is out in the yard sniffing around!
Are you composting? Good for you! Mother Nature loves you! However, be aware of what types of food you may be putting into you garden soil that could be potentially harmful to your pet, such as coffee, moldy foods, and certain types of fruits and vegetables. Those can prove toxic to your pet.
And when using your garden tools, please be sure to put them away when you are finished using them. They may seem harmless, but if a dog pokes himself on a rake or on any other sharp tool, he or she can risk tetanus.
So, go ahead and enjoy your beautiful yard this Spring! Just be sure to employ a few safety tips into your endeavors so you and your pet can safely and happily play in the yard!
Now, go fetch!
(Information for this post was obtained at www.aspca.org)
Guest Post: House For Sale, Pets Not Included
In this post, Melinda Bartling, realtor with Keller-Williams, gives some tips on what to do with your pets when trying to sell your home.
Pets can be a dilemma when selling your home. Approximately 63% of the population
owns a pet, but the 37% that don’t own a pet oftentimes won’t buy a house that has one.
Some reasons why a prospective buyer might prefer to look at pet free homes include:
- Allergies
- Fear of dogs
- Thinks the house will be dirty
- Fear pet stains or odors might be hidden
If your home is on the market and you have a cat, put a note on the front door above the lock that there is a cat in the house. The note will help agents remember to close the door behind them.
If you have a dog that will be at home, it should be crated during showings. Allowing the dog to be in the laundry room with a baby gate may be a problem if a potential buyer wants to view that room.
Pets can be very territorial around strangers and may hiss, bark or bite prospective buyers or realtors showing your home. In one case, a seller’s dog was barking in the backyard, preventing people from going out there. They didn’t sell their house.
Another story involves the sellers who said the cat can go “in or out.” The cat was lurking at the front door and ran in when the door opened. The problem..it wasn’t the seller’s cat and did some major damage to the house after being locked up all day.
Pets are members of the family, but when trying to sell your home, take care that they don’t scare away a potential buyer.
Melinda Bartling is a realtor with Keller-Williams here in the Kansas City area. To contact Melinda, go to www.melindabartling.com
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