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Mar

18

Keeping Dogs Safe With Identification

We all like to think our dogs are safe in our yard or houses when we leave for work or to run errands, but unfortunately, little Sparky has mastered the technics of escapism that would make Houdini proud. Dog id tags are a key to keeping Sparky safe when he escapes.

In a perfect world our precious pets would always be safe and well behaved but just like people they often have minds of their own. Personalized dog collars and tags help other dog lovers help bring our pets home. With phone numbers and addresses attached to our dogs the chances of them being brought home are much greater.

There are many options in pet ID tags; personalized, colorful, lightweight, comfortable to keep Sparky happy and well documented. Leather dog collars offer comfortable options for personalized dog tags.
Not only are dog ID tags available in many options but pet ID tags in general. We had a pet iguana that routinely escaped. He would climb through the trees to neighboring yards, sometimes being gone for up to three days. Amid tears of anxiety by his beloved owner, our 12 year old son, eventually someone would notice him or more frequently we would find him still in our yard and he would be returned to his enclosure safe and sound.

Keep your pets safe with proper identification and chanced of them being return to you and not the animal shelter are much greater. Eventually Sparky may decide to stay home on his own, but probably not!

DogIDs ( http://www.dogids.com/ ) producing a custom dog collars name plates and pet ID tags for dogs is our specialty. Ryan Coisson is a freelance writer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Coisson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Keeping-Dogs-Safe-With-Identification&id=3803279

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Mar

10

Microchip ID for Dogs

What is a microchip ID?

A microchip ID is a very, very small chip (about the size of grain of rice). It is encoded with an identification number. This identification number is entered into a data bank – national or local depending on the brand – and lists the pet’s name, owner’s name, address, and phone number. There is no cost to you for the upkeep of your address and phone number if you move or to change the information completely if you give your dog away.

Three companies that produce these microchip IDs are HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service, 24PetWatch and AVID Microchip I.D. Each sponsors their own national data base for pet information. Scanners to get the identification code from the microchip are owned by a variety of pet resources from veterinary clinics to animal shelters. Scanners manufactured to read the code from the microchips made by one company will detect the presence of another company’s microchip but will not be able to read the information.

How does the microchip get inside the dog?

Much like a shot, the microchip is injected between the shoulder blades, just under the skin. It will be viable for your dog’s entire life and will never need tune up or replacing. The microchip can be scanned by a handheld electronic scanner.

Will a microchip ID hurt my dog?

Well, no one likes to get a shot. But if comfort is the concern, which is worse: a quick shot or adjusting to life in a cell – or with a new family – when her owner is a mystery.

The scanner causes no pain to the animal.

What are the benefits of a microchip ID?

If your dog is ever lost and picked up by the SPCA, the Humane Society, or animal rescue, she will be checked for a microchip. Your address and phone number will be there in the data bank, you will be contacted immediately, and your pet will be returned to you.

What are the drawbacks of a microchip ID?

None, really. But it’s important for pet owners to understand that this is far from a tracking device hooked up to a satellite in the sky. It won’t help you find your pet should she get lost or runaway from home. But it will help your pet find you if she is picked up by a shelter or animal rescue service.

And you do need to make sure that your contact information is not only registered in the data base at the clinic or shelter who puts in the microchip but also with the company who created. You must also make sure that this information is corrected if it changes. An old address and phone number won’t help your pet find its way home to you.

Can a cat benefit from a microchip ID?

Absolutely. Cats are much less amenable to wearing a collar than are dogs and will love the freedom of going without one. With a microchip, your cat will find its way home to you without a bothersome collar.

How do I get a microchip ID for my pet? Is it expensive?

Veterinarians can provide this service, as can most animal shelters. Animal shelters will provide the service for much less than a vet. If you opt to have a microchip inserted in your pet when you adopt it, the fee is only a few dollars in most cases. Data base upkeep should you move or give your pet away is free for the life of the animal.

The process is called ‘microchipping’ and it may cost anywhere from $5 at an animal shelter up to $50 at a private veterinary clinic.

Melissa Steele is a freelance writer for PawDigs.com This site features Pet Essentials with Style including large dog beds of all shapes and styles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Steele
http://EzineArticles.com/?Microchip-ID-for-Dogs&id=396228

Mar

08

Service Dogs – Avoid Problems With a Service Dog ID Card

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) legislation, enacted in 1990, is so vague that it has created two classes of service animals. The first is for animals that perform a specific task – Guide Dogs for the blind, wheelchair assistance, hearing dogs, and animals that can detect medical emergencies, like seizures, and summon help. These dogs have been specifically trained for their service mission.

The problem is the second classification – emotional support animals. All animals – lizards, chickens and snakes – can be designated service animals because they lend emotional support to the owner. In most cases they have no task-specific training. While this definition is currently under review, it has placed an enormous burden on those people who truly have a Service Animal.

This burden is particularly identified in airports and restaurants. While not required under law, it is often recommended that the handler/owner carry an ID card for their service animal. This ID card will often include such information as a picture of the dog and its name, handler/owner’s name, city, state, and microchip number or registry if available. Additional information explaining the ADA law, with reference to Department of Justice phone numbers or web address, is usually printed on the card as well.

By carrying a Service Dog ID Card the owner/handler will more times than not avoid the situations that arise when an animal is taken into a public area. This is particularly true when traveling with the service animal on an aircraft. While airline employees are supposed to be trained in this area of the law, many sometimes forget. The card will quickly explain to the check in person that you are allowed to have your dog with you on the plane.

Bringing your Service Dog into a restaurant, theater, or other public venue can also create some problems unless you can explain that your dog is allowed access under Federal law. Of course this means that you animal must be suited for crowded environments and trained to act properly around people. This is another case where a Service Dog ID Card will be of value.

It is important to have a card that properly identifies your service dog as exactly that, a Service Dog. There are other types of cards that will identify Therapy, Emotional Support, Work, and other types of dogs that will not have ADA information on them. To see these and other types of ID cards and badges visit http://www.familyidkit.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_M_Palmer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Service-Dogs—Avoid-Problems-With-a-Service-Dog-ID-Card&

Jan

09

Foods You Should Never Give Your Dog

Here is a news post that was done by City TV in Canada with information that all Pet Owners should have. To see the video that went along with you please visit: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_22992.aspx

CityNews.ca Staff
They may be man’s best friend but they certainly shouldn’t be eating man’s favourite foods. Though dogs beg adorably for table scraps, there are many things on that plate that pose a danger to canines.
Chocolate’s a well-known toxin, but did you know broccoli is also off limits?
“Dogs are always looking for something to eat and they’re not particularly discriminatory and will eat virtually anything,” laughs owner Bruce Rowlands.
It’s of a special concern around the holidays, when strangers might not know what goods are OK for the family pet.
“Alcohol is really bad. It does the same thing to your dog or cat that it does to you. It of course attacks the liver and the brain,” allows Lee Oliver of the Humane Society.
Rowland has a new plan now: “My approach is that I just stick with dog food.”
You can check out the list of forbidden foods below.
ChocolateWhy? It contains a toxin called theobromine.Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea or hyperactivity. As time passes, the dog’s heart rate increases. This can cause arrhythmia, restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination or excessive panting; and these lead to hyperthermia, muscle tremors, seizures, coma and even death.What to Do: Induce vomiting, then call your vet.
Onions and garlicWhy? They contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. That can cause red blood cells to burst inside the body.Symptoms: Vomiting and diarrhea. No interest in food. Will be dull and weak. Reddish urine. Breathlessness. What to do: See a vet immediately.
*Note: onions are much more toxic than garlic.
Macadamia nuts, raw and roastedWhy? The toxic compound is unknown.Symptoms: Tremors, weakness and temporary paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.What to do: Though these symptoms are painful, they usually don’t last very long. Still, take your pet to the vet.
What else?
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide poisoning)
Potato peelings and green looking potatoes
Rhubarb leaves
Moldy/spoiled foods
Alcohol
Yeast dough
Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine)
Hops (used in home brewing)
Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)
Broccoli (in large amounts)
Raisins and grapes
Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars
Information courtesy dogownersdigest.com; talktothevet.com; and petalia.com.

Jan

07

What Humans can Catch From Dogs

Non-contagious diseases

Diseases like diabetes, tonsillitis, anal gland abscesses can also affect our furry friends. Observe your dog for changes in their habits (i.e. excessive drinking, frequent urination, lack of appetite, eating slower). Take time to discuss with your veterinarian the particular conditions that apply to your particular breed.

Can I catch something from my dog?

This is a common question asked by dog owners everywhere. For the most part, the answer is ‘no’, but not always so. Diseases like rabies, tick bites, fleas, ring worm, and tape worms can be transmitted from our pets to ourselves. For your own peace of mind, discuss these things with your veterinarian and enquire about prevention of and protection from these types of challenges.

Jan

05

Switching Food on Dogs

Should you decide to switch brands, be cautious by ensuring that you make the switch to the new brand over a two week period so as not to upset your puppy’s sensitive digestive system. Switching too quickly has a high risk of creating illness. The most common side effect of a quick switch is diarrhea.

The two week switch-over process involves gradually weaning the puppy off the current brand of food by adding a small amount of the new food to the old brand the first day, then slowly increasing the amount of the new brand each day until you are completely switched over.

Before switching food brands, take the time to investigate which type of food is best for your puppy and for your pocketbook. Check labels to ensure ingredients are of good quality. The first ingredient should always be meat for top nutritional value. If the first ingredient is a by product or wheat, flours, and bone meals, the food is basically made up of fillers and not much meat. Be sure that the preservative in the food is Vitamin E and not BHA/BHT. BHA/BHT are known carcinogenic and can shorten the life span of your pet and reduce their quality of life.

Jan

02

Dog Bones and Clean Teeth

It has always been a challenge for most pet owners to help their dogs maintain clean and healthy mouths. There are a number of products on the market that tell you they can prevent tartar in the mouth of our dogs.

We have tried a number of the products currently being sold that claim to be good for tartar removal and to clean our dogs’ teeth, and still found that they could not prevent or even remove most of the tartar. These products all claim to clean their teeth with just a simple bite or chew and the tartar will disappear. In spite of the manufacturers claims we found it necessary to have our dogs make a visit to the Vet to be placed under anaesthetic costing several hundred dollars each time to get their teeth cleaned and removed as necessary.

We had never given our dogs beef bones because we were uncertain as to how their digestive system would handle it. A few months ago we started buying Prime Rib Roasts for our special Sunday Dinners. We decided to give the beef bone to one of our girls to see how they would react. I was a little concerned that the beef bone would possibly cause diarrhea, but when this didn’t happen we tried it again the next week with a different dog and had the same results. We now have a couple of these beef bones lying around and there wasn’t a day went by that they didn’t enjoy chewing on them. They were even good at sharing them with each other.

We had made an appointment with the vet for one of our girls to have her teeth cleaned because she had quite a bit of tartar on her teeth and found that after having the beef bones to chew on for several weeks, the majority of the tartar was gone even below the gum line. The vet was quite surprised and also very happy that he didn’t have as much work cleaning her teeth.

Now I’m not saying that these Beef Bones are the best thing to ensure that our dogs’ mouths stay healthy, but it sure helps in controlling tartar and reducing the need for major veterinary costs.

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Dec

29

Sago Palm Plant Kills Puppy

It’s hard to believe a houseplant could harm a tough cookie like the Woytek family’s Lab mix, Amber. A survivor of Hurricane Ike, the young pup was diagnosed with distemper in the months after her adoption from the Houston SPCA in September 2008. But according to Laurie Woytek, Amber defeated the often fatal virus—and went on to form a tight bond with her canine “sister” and partner-in-crime, Scout, a one-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback mix.
Early last month, Laurie discovered that Amber had eaten parts of a sago palm plant. Sago palm—with its dark green leaves and hairy trunk—has become a popular houseplant in recent years, but unbeknownst to many green-thumbed pet parents, it’s also highly toxic to cats and dogs.
Immediately ill, Amber was hospitalized at a nearby emergency clinic. Says Laurie, “I was very scared, but thought, ‘She’s tough—she’ll make it through.’” After several days in the hospital, the emergency veterinarian delivered the heartbreaking news to the Woyteks—Amber had developed jaundice and life-threatening liver failure.
“We took Amber to our regular veterinarian to discuss our options with him,” explains Laurie. “She suffered seizures in the car on the way, and we ultimately made the very difficult, yet humane decision to let her go.”
Sadly, Amber’s story is all too common. Since 2003, the ASPCA has seen an increase by more than 200 percent of sago palm and cycad poisonings, and 50 to 75 percent of those ingestions resulted in fatalities. According to Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, veterinary toxicologist and vice president of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, all parts of the plant are toxic, not just the seeds or nuts, and common signs of ingestion include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, seizures and liver failure.
Before the Woytek family said their final goodbyes to Amber, they took her home to see her best buddy, Scout. “As Amber lay still on the floor, Scout kept nudging her as if to say, ‘C’mon, get up,’” Laurie says. “They weren’t just ’sissies’—as we referred to them—they were best friends.”
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” reflects Laurie. “Amber is truly missed and will forever be in our hearts. She was our little princess.”
In memory of Amber, and to mark the end of National Poison Prevention Week, March 15-21, the ASPCA reminds all pet parents to stay informed about protecting pets from accidental poisonings. Please read our poison prevention tips online.

This article was found on the ASPCA site.

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Dec

25

Christmas Safety Tips for Curious Dogs

Christmas represents the joy of giving and peace and love. Unfortunately for some, Christmas also represents emergency veterinarian visits. Do you have tinsel on your tree? Does it mysteriously disappear from around the bottom of the tree? Well it might just have been ingested by your families’ dog. Your dog could ingest the tinsel and the tinsel can get tangled up in his intestines causing an obstruction of the bowels.
Another item to watch out for is angel hair. It’s made of spun fiber-glass, which is a skin and eye irritant. It can cause tiny cuts and eye damage.
Other possibilities of dangers can come from chocolate poisoning because careless children have left their treats out, and even turkey bones taken from the garbage while you weren’t looking would have to be removed from an intestine.
Keep electrical cords away from curious puppies and kitties. One chomp is all it will take! If you have a chewer, coat wires for the Christmas tree lights in bitter apple, or another chew deterrent.
Decorate the lower branches with decorations that you don’t mind being broken, swallowed or pawed.
If you’re having guests over, try to leave a room available as a “quiet room” for the pets to escape to, especially if there are a lot of boisterous children.
Anchor your Christmas tree to the ceiling or wall behind it this will ensure your dog or your cat won’t tip it over and hurt himself or someone else.
To help keep your dog from getting into the presents, use an exercise pen around the tree.

The gift of a wonderful new puppy for Christmas

DON’T SURPRISE SOMEONE WITH A PET FOR CHRISTMAS! We all want to give the gift of Love to those we care about. Our first thought could be the gift of a puppy for our niece or nephew. Even though we have been given permission by the parent to go ahead, this isn’t the best decision for the dog. Christmas if a very busy, exciting and confusing time especially for the little puppy who has no idea what is happening. Wait for a quieter time and if need be, give the gift of a leash, collar and a book on training for them to open and let them know that the puppy will be delivered a little while later after the holidays. As breeders, we would never allow a puppy to go to a new home during this time of the year. We would rather keep the puppy with in our home rather than subject the puppy to the added stress even if it prevented an adoption. We only wanted the best for all involved.

Pointsettias, Mistletoe and Holly
Be careful where you place your holiday plants and keep them out of the reach of children and pets.
Poinsettias were once thought to be highly poisonous. The toxicity of poinsettias is actually quite low but ingesting the leaves or flowers can cause stomach upset and skin, eye and mucous membrane irritation.
Many varieties of mistletoe contain toxins that cause stomach and intestinal irritation, diarrhea, and a decrease in blood pressure and pulse. Some veterinarians recommend that vomiting be induced following ingestion of mistletoe leaves, stems, or berries.
Holly berries of some varieties are toxic. They can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and possible central nervous system depression. Keep holly out of reach and pick up fallen berries immediately. If berries are ingested, induce vomiting as soon as possible and seek medical attention.
Christmas cactus can cause upset stomach, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Eating Amaryllis bulbs can cause vomiting, collapse, and respiratory distress and can be fatal, especially in puppies and very old dogs.
If you think your dog may have eaten parts of a toxic plant, call your veterinarian. Even normally non-toxic plants can make a dog sick if they’ve recently been sprayed with chemical pesticides. Possible symptoms are excessive salivation, runny nose, watery eyes, skin rash, breathing or swallowing difficulties, vomiting or convulsions.
Read to here. STOP now.

On Christmas morning
Don’t leave gifts of food under a Christmas tree, before or after presents have been opened. A dog can smell things that you cannot. Whether its pet treats, a box of chocolates, or a tray of bologna and cheese, dogs know when a wrapped package contains food.
Gift bows, strings, etc. can cause choking. Don’t give your dog the opportunity to play with ribbons, tape or wrapping paper, which can cause choking and serious intestinal problems. Don’t allow kids to tie ribbons or bows around a dogs neck.
Put toys away after they are opened. Have children put new toys and games, including all the small pieces, back in their boxes. Chewing on small toys can cause choking and intestinal obstruction. (In addition to making a child very unhappy because new toys are ruined.)
Keep batteries for new Christmas toys out of a dog’s reach. Batteries contain corrosives that can cause ulceration to the mouth, tongue, and gastrointestinal tract.

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