Animals Reign: Pet News You Can Use » Pet Sitting

Dog Talk Project

Vicki — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:07:54 +0000

: Want to know what I think about it?

A fun new project is underway for dog owners. When I saw the announcement, my reaction was, “I wish I’d thought of that!” With the originator’s permission, I’m posting her notice in full below. The more dog owners and pet care professionals who join in the project, the more useful the information will be, so feel free to spread the word.

Introducing The Dog Talk Project

AutumnGold Consulting and Dog Training Center announces the public launch of a new dog-related website called The Dog Talk Project ( http://www.dogtalkproject.com). The Dog Talk Project, developed and owned by AutumnGold Consulting, is a web-based system of pet owner surveys designed to study the relationships between people and their dogs. The site was launched for public access on January 1st, 2010. We are starting with a set of beta-tester data that we expect will rapidly expand as new users provide us with information about their dogs and their dog-related activities, practices, and beliefs. Data will be regularly collected and analyzed to provide answers to general and specific research questions regarding owner-dog relationships, pet-owner attitudes, and owners’ understanding of dog health, behavior, nutrition, and care.

If the Dog Talk Project sounds like an activity that you might enjoy and if you are interested in telling us more about you and your dog(s), just visit the Dog Talk Project website, register (its free!) and begin taking surveys! We have plenty of fun and interesting results posted from our beta-tester group, and will add to these pages rapidly over the next several weeks and months.

Please feel welcome to send this information to other lists and to forward to friend and clients who may enjoy participating. The more data we collect, the more we can learn and understand about our unique relationships with our canine best friends!

Questions? Feel welcome to contact me at admin@dogtalkproject.com or lcase@autumngoldconsulting.com .

Linda Case
The Dog Talk Project – A Program of AutumnGold Consulting
www.dogtalkproject.com
www.autumngoldconsulting.com

Technorati Tags: dog data, relationship between people and their dogs

Top 10 dog and cat names for 2009

Vicki — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:57:20 +0000

Pre-holiday tension getting to you? How about something to lighten the mood, like the list of most popular and quirkiest pet names for 2009? Www.Petfinder.com, the rescue website that boasts more than 13 million adoptions since 1995, has released it’s annual lists. See if your dog’s or cat’s name is on one of them.

Hi, our names are Lucy and Buddy

Talking Turkey with Pets

Vicki — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:41:26 +0000

In case your pet gets into the turkey spirit during the holidays like mine do, you might profit from a couple of my adventures with veterinary emergencies.

Because I was going to be busy on Thanksgiving Day, I cooked a turkey a few days ahead. My dogs and cat didn’t seem nearly as impressed by the aroma of roasting turkey that day as I was, but a few days later when the carcass and bones hit the garbage can their interest perked up.

Having lived with counter-surfers and dumpster divers before, I’m careful about secure disposal of food waste. My stainless steel step-lid can has worked well for my two current chow hounds until a couple of days ago, partly because they’re not smart enough to step on the pedal to lift the lid. Nevertheless, I came home the other evening to find the kitchen and living room strewn with garbage. Ernie, the Beagle/Pug mix, was hoarding a pile of chomped up leg and wing bones on the living room rug. Scooty, the perpetrator of the crime, was still foraging through debris in the kitchen searching for more turkey skin, having already downed the whole carcass.

First things first, I gasped in horror, imagining perforated intestines and life-threatening pancreatitis from the fatty skin and drippings. Next, to Ernie’s dismay, I swooped up the pile of bone shards. Scooty had already made quick work of her perilous bounty.

Then the call to the emergency vet. Are fragmented cooked turkey bones as dangerous as we always hear about? Will they perforate something on the way through? Do I need to bring them both in for Xrays?

The answer was, “This is a hurry up and wait situation.” Do not induce vomiting. That is more likely to cause perforation than just letting the bones pass through the digestives tract, which does a pretty good job of breaking them down. Watch for vomiting and diarrhea, and if there is blood in it or it goes on for long, bring them in.

I remembered my Chessapeake Bay Retriever who got into the garbage after a holiday dinner 10 years ago and ate the entire, fatty turkey skin. He developed severe diarrhea and vomiting, and spent a week in the veterinary hospital on an IV for pancreatitis. So I knew the danger of an animal ingesting too much fat.

Somehow Scooty and Ernie survived their escapade without having to cough up a year’s allowance in vet expenses. But it was a very good reminder to keep the turkey left-overs out of reach of pets!

Technorati Tags: dogs and cats eating cooked turkey bones, signs of perforation from eating cooked bones, turkey causing pancreatitis in pets, holiday precautions for pets

Happy Halloween

Vicki — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:15:20 +0000

Trick-or-treat -- we don't care if it's a cup of coffee

Halloween is one of my favorite howl-i-days. I’m not usually one for dressing up my pets, but I can’t help myself at Halloween. Here is Scooty, my angel in fur, and Ernie, my little scaliwag, trick-or-treating a couple of days early and charming the residents of the local alzheimer’s facility.

Just a few words of caution though about keeping your pets safe on Halloween:

Be careful that your pets don’t slip through your ankles when opening the door to trick-or-treaters and escape.
Watch the candy stashes, both the give-away bowl and the kids’ booty in coming days so that your pets don’t get into the chocolate.
Many candies are sweetened with xylitol, which is highly toxic to animals, so be sure they can’t get hold of any candy, even if it’s not chocolate.
Keep the candy wrappers secure in the trash so that curious cats and dogs don’t accidentally ingest them. They can cause serious harm.
Keep your pets indoors on Halloween to avoid any pranksters or malicious predators harming them. Black cats may be especially vulnerable.
Decorations can be enticing to curious cats and dogs. Be sure they are out of reach of pets.

Scooty and Ernie

With a few safety precautions, Halloween can be great fun for both you and your pets.

Technorati Tags: Halloween risks and safety for pets, dogs and cats in Halloween costumes, animals trick-or-treating

Blood Bank for Pets

Vicki — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:03:03 +0000

Did you know that pets now have life-saving blood banks in many cities? Did you even know pets sometimes need transfusisons? Maybe I’m the last one to the party, but I wasn’t aware of this until earlier this year when I received a newsletter from Seattle’s Acces Blood Bank.

If your pet has a serious injury or illness that requires transfusion, do an internet search on Pet Blood Banks or Animal Blood Products in your city. The blood is supplied by donor pets volunteered by their caring owners.

Acces and any good blood bank sets high standards for the quality of blood products, so they have to be selective in the animals they accept as volunteers. Don’t be offended if yours is disqualified. You would appreciate these standards if your cat or dog needed a transfusion. The age for donors can range between 8 months and 8 years, varying from one program to another. Here is a sample of criteria required by the Access Blood Bank:

Dogs

Must be healthy and in good physical condition
Needs to be well-behaved and have a good temperament
Is between the ages of 1 and 5
Weighs at least 50 pounds
Does not have a heart murmur
Is current on vaccines
Is able to sit still for at least 10 minutes
Has never received a blood or plasma transfusion
Is not used for breeding

Cats

Must be healthy and in good physical condition
Is an indoor-only cat
Is between the ages of 1 and 5
Weighs at least 10 pounds
Does not have a heart murmur
Is current on vaccines
Is not on any long-term medication
Has never received a blood or plasma transfusion
Is not used for breeding

If you know of someone who might be willing to participate in this program and whose pets fit these profiles, please pass along the information to them. Canine and feline blood supplies are always in short supply nationwide. If you don’t have a qualifying animal, the blood banks also need volunteer help with related activities. Please give a gift of life to another pet by volunteering with a pet blood bank.

If you’re in the Seattle area, you can contact Access at 206-364-1660.

Technorati Tags: pet blood banks, animal blood product supplies, Canine and feline blood transfusions, criteria for cat and dog blood donations, Acces

Help, My Cat is Peeing Outside the Litter Box!

Vicki — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:08:58 +0000

In the past two days two people have contacted me about problems with their cats urinating outside the box. This is a difficult and frustrating problem that often results in cats ending up back at the animal shelter. I realized a series on cat elimination problems might help some cats and their owners stay together. Today I’m going to talk about cats who get into the litter box but then pee over the edge onto the floor. Many of these remedies will address other kinds of house soiling, too, but future articles will add tips for particular kinds of soiling, so stay tuned.

I’ve run into this problem of urinating over the edge of the box a number of times in my pet sitting and animal communication business and have seen a variety of causes and solutions. Sometimes the problem is physical and sometimes behavioral.

Is it a medical problem?

It might be related to urinary tract infections (UTIs). A cat with a UTI may stand right next to you and urinate on the floor to tell you something is wrong. Or he might pee over the edge of the box to make his statement. If he is doing it in the box intermitently, the cause could still be physical. Occasionally a cat doesn’t get completely over a UTI but improves a little, then relapses, resulting in intermittent soiling. Be sure any bacterial infection has been completely eradicated. Also be sure the vet has ruled out crystals or bladder stones.

Or a behavioral problem?

Did you change anything before this started? Did someone new join the household? Did you change the location of the box or the type of litter, add liners or stop using liners? Did it start after a move to a new home? If the problem is related to a change, it is probably behavioral.

In either case, urinating over the edge of the box might be easier to accommodate than to solve.

Cleanliness is next to…litter box perfection?

First, be sure to clean all traces of previous urine deposits. Cats will often re-mark the same place they’ve left their scent before. White vinegar is a very effective neutralizer for the smell of urine, and some of the commercial products containing enzymes can be helpful. Anti-Icky-Poo is my personal favorite of the commercial products, but it is considerably pricier than white vinegar.

Are you scooping regularly and keeping the box really clean,with an unscented cleaning product? Cats in the wild have a natural instinct to scent-mark with glands in the pads of their feet, so to keep their feet clean they might stand toward the edge of the box to find clean litter. If you don’t already clean the box daily, give kitty a break and try that. For weekly cleaning of the box, never use Lysol, bleach, detergent, scented soap, or ammonia. Plain water with at most a tablespoon of vinegar, then rinsed with plain water is better for cleaning litter boxes.

The box

One cat I did animal communication with about this problem wanted two boxes, one for pooping and one for peeing. That promptly solved his urinary acting-out.

Surrounding the litter box with puppy potty pads is another possible solution. If you have disposable baby diapers
on hand, they can be used too, but be sure they are unscented. Many cats don’t like perfumed scents, including scented litter. If your cat only urinates off the back side, you might try the potty pads only on that side, so that she doesn’t have to walk on the pads while getting in and out of the box. As you know, cats aren’t fond of change, so the more you can do to minimize the appearance of change, the better.

If she won’t tolerate the unscented potty pads either, then you might try surrounding the back and sides of her litter box with bath towels to absorb the urine and make cleanup easier. You can lay an old shower curtain under the box and towels to be sure none of the urine gets absorbed into the floor. Or instead of plastic and potty pads, simply set the litter box on a large rubber-backed throw rug that can be run through the wash (with a little white vinegar).

Sometimes a bigger box will help, but if a bigger box hasn’t solved the problem, try a box with a cover on it. For some cats a cover works; however, some will just turn and pee out the door.

You can put the litter box inside a bigger box, like one of the under-the-bed storage boxes. Look for a box with a flat bottom and low sides. You can even put some litter in the outside box to make it easier to clean up any urine that spills over.

Some people have remedied this problem with a taller litter box. A large, deep tote box can serve the purpose inexpensively. You can cut a doorway in the side or front for the cat to enter.

Other remedies

Although results with pheromone diffusers are mixed, and they can be expensive, it might be worth a try. Most good pet stores sell them. Or try a calming herbal or flower essence remedy like Rescue Remedy.

After ruling out medical causes, you might have an animal communicator talk with your cat to ask why she’s doing it. In my experience, about half the time house soiling can be solved by talking with the cat.

If all else fails, you might ask your vet about anti-anxiety drugs for kitty.

Do You Have Other ideas?

If you’ve found other solutions that work or know of a good resource for help, please add a comment below. You might just save a cat from ending up in a shelter.

Technorati Tags: why cat pees outside the litter box, remedies for house soiling, using animal communication to solve inappropriate urination

Pets First, Business Second: A Model Industry

Vicki — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:55:11 +0000

Pet sitting was a small but growing industry when I opened my business as a sole proprietor eight years ago. One of the pleasant features I soon discovered about the industry was that individual pet sitters were unexpectedly collaborative. Having come from a corporate background, I expected the same kind of competition that drives most businesses to succeed.

What a nice surprise to find pet sitters more concerned about the welfare of the animals than where their next client was coming from. Having a network of other excellent pet sitters to refer clients to who are out of my service area or who need care when I’m not available has helped me offer the best service possible to the animals and their owners.

With this as a backdrop, you can imagine my dismay to hear Paul Mann, former dog walker and now the CEO of Fetch!, a pet sitting franchise, make patronizing, even critical, remarks about independent pet sitters and boarding kennels. It is so contrary to the spirit of the industry that it jars me every time I see a new press release by this guy. Here’s a sample of a recent interview with him by Ivonne DiVita on www.ScratchingsandSniffings.com:

Mann starts out nicely enough, but quickly slips into negativity, “Most independent pet sitters out there are really loving and caring people. The problem is they don’t have the full business background, meaning operations, legal, accounting human resources, marketing, all the things they need to know to run a sustainable business where they can provide great service to everyone all the time, and that’s what we encapsulated into the Fetch pet care franchise,where not only would we have a streamlined operation in the back office, but on the front lines we would put great pet sitters….” (He then describes all the same services independents offer.)

What Mann doesn’t acknowledge is that many independents also came from a corporate background. We share our knowledge of marketing, human resources, accounting, legal, and operations in active national forums to lift the professionalism of the industry and help each other. The result is that we are able to offer the same streamlined back office systems as Fetch does, but individually we can offer a customized, personal touch along with them.

I admit, I love a Starbucks Americano because I know it is going to be pretty much the same every time. But I am also delighted with the extraordinary flavor in my neighborhood coffeehouse espresso. Many people prefer the customized service they get from independent sitters, but there is certainly a place for the standardized franchises too, just as there is a place for good boarding kennels.

The fact that Mann feels compelled to take potshots at his colleagues says a lot about his personal character. Mann is missing the boat by alienating thousands of pet sitting companies and boarding kennels around the nation. As we independents have found, there is a lot more to be gained from cooperation than competition in a growing profession that has room for everyone.

Technorati Tags: pet sitting, Fetch! Pet Sitting, ScratchingsAndSniffings

Heat wave puts pets at risk – know the signs of heat stroke and what to do about it

Vicki — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:56:18 +0000

Scorching temperatures have swept the United States this summer. In the Pacific Northwest we have broken record after record. This week when my outdoor thermometer hit 105 degrees, I caught myself grousing that you could probably fry an egg on the pavement. So I tried it. In about 20 minutes the egg had cooked to “over-easy.” My dog Ernie was in heaven when he went out for a potty break and found it.

Fun and games aside, hot weather can present a very real danger to pets. Heat exhaustion, or its more extreme form, heatstroke, are not only brought on by confinement in a hot car, as I disgussed in my last blog. Just plain overheating no matter what the environment can be dangerous. And obviously, exercising too much on a hot day can result in heatstroke. Summer exercise should be done in the morning or evening for the safety of our four-legged friends in fur coats.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke

Signs of heatstroke include excessive panting, a racing heartbeat, foaming at the mouth, depression or lethargy, or conversely, agitation. The pet might vomit, and the tongue and gums will be bright red in the beginning, but will become blue or gray as shock sets in. As the body temperature rises, the pet will eventually lose consciousness and may die if not treated quickly.

Dogs cool themselves by panting. The short-muzzled dogs like Bulldogs, Boxers, Pugs, Pekingese, and Shi Tzus are at greater risk of heatstroke, so be extra careful with them.

How to Save Your Pet’s Life

If you find your pet showing signs of heatstroke, cooling them down is urgent. But ice water shouldn’t be used, because it will shock their system. Soaking in a bathtub won’t do the trick either, because the water in the tub will warm up and do little to cool them.

One of the best ways to cool dogs quickly without shocking their system is to turn a garden hose on them. Be sure after soaking them with water not to confine them to a crate. They need good ventilation to help the heat evaporate. Turn on a fan or move them to an air conditioned room if available.

For cats, put a fan near their favorite spot, or wrap them very briefly in a chilled towel. (You might enjoy a chilled towel around your own neck, so keep a supply in the frij.) Be sure to remove the towel and renew it with another chilled towel frequently so that you don’t trap body heat around your cat as the towels absorb the heat.

Pet sitter saves dog

Last summer, pet sitter Shelley Thomas arrived at a client’s house on a 90 degree day. The client had just had her carpets cleaned, because her elderly dog had begun to lose bowel control. Knowing her pet sitter would be stopping by mid-afternoon to give him a potty break, and not expecting such a spike in the tempature, she left him in his crate in the house. The heat build up inside the crate nearly killed him. The pet sitter, who had just taken a pet first aid class, sprung into action. She pulled him out of the crate and rushed him to the back yard where she turned the garden hose on him. Her quick thinking probably saved his life.

Technorati Tags: symptoms of heat stroke, heat exhaustion, first aid for overheated pets

What’s the big deal about hiring a “professional” pet sitter?

Vicki — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:12:13 +0000

Occasionally even my regular pet sitting clients ‘get lucky’ and find a neighbor or friend to take care of their animals when they travel. I sympathize with the need to economize, especially these days, and I know they’ll call on me next time they need me. But there’s a little part of me that worries when I hear this news too.

Most of us pet sitters have heard our fair share of horror stories from clients who used a neighbor or friend, with unhappy results, and will never go that route again. We’ve heard about all kinds of things that have gone haywire, from minor inconveniences to life-threatening oversights.

The following story is about Portland pet sitter Sherry Hasslacher’s experience saving the lives of three client cats by her mature, quick thinking . Her heroism brought tears to my eyes, and I think this is a profound example of why it’s so important to hire a professional sitter. This woman not only risked her own life for the client’s pets, but she helped the client save personal belongings and secure the house from looting. The moment she smelled smoke, she was off the clock. It was no longer an hour visit; it was whatever it took to make sure everyone was safe. Take a look at this true story, and then hug your fur-babies a little tighter tonight.

Sherry wrote this post to her Portland Pet Sitters Network. It is reposted here with permission. I have removed the names of the cats and used their descriptions instead, and removed references to the location to preserve the client’s privacy:

Sherry’s story –

“I took on a new client for a job starting on July 1st….The day before the job started my client sent me an email to let me know that she had hired a crew to remove the lead paint from the exterior of her home… They were using [flame torches]. On my third visit suddenly, the paint removers started beating on the door and shouting ….

I asked him in my 12th grade Spanish, “Es la casa en fuego?!?! (Is the house on fire?!)” He said, “Si!” . I went back inside and started looking for the cats while dialing 911. Amazingly, 911 put me on hold….I got through to 911 (FINALLY!!) and informed them that the house was on fire, that I was inside and so were 3 cats.

My only thought was that I had to get the cats and get out. I finished up with 911, grabbed the male cat and took him out the back door (where the fire wasn’t). I screamed at the painters “Ayudeme! (Help me!)” and when they came I gave them the male cat and told them “Dos mas gatos en la casa. (Two more cats in the house.)” …. I headed upstairs, and the smoke was already filling up the air there. I looked everywhere for him, but couldn’t see him because my eyes were watering so hard and I couldn’t breathe.

I went back down and a man was at the door telling me that there was an attic fan that was pulling in air and helping the fire to grow and I needed to shut power off to the house at the breaker box. I ran down to the basement garage and turned off everything there was to turn off after I opened the electric garage door. (I figured the fire department would need to get in that way.) I yelled up from the driveway that the electric was off, and went back in to look for the female.

Of course, the house, especially the basement, was completely pitch black now, and I couldn’t find her. Just brilliant. The gentlemen from the fire department had arrived and were telling me to get out and stay out.

I went out and called the client and told her what was going on. I’ve never heard someone begin to cry so fast. My heart was breaking for her. I was shaking so hard I almost dropped the phone. That’s adrenaline for you, I suppose.

I found a firefighter and grabbed him by the arm and told him that there were two cats inside, and they had to get them. I gave him one carrier and gave the other to another fire fighter and told them exactly where to look. “The 3-legged cat will be hiding somewhere upstairs, probably the bedroom at the end of the hall. The female will be hiding in the basement, probably towards the back of the house.”

Then I sat down on the sidewalk away from the house with the male who I had already brought out and tried to think of what else I could do. I couldn’t believe this was happening. The roof was fully engulfed at this point, and it was pretty apparent that my client’s house was going to be history. ”

For the rest of Sherry’s remarkable experience, click on the Articles tab and see the full story.

Good job, Sherry! You make all professional pet sitters proud.

Technorati Tags: professional pet sitter, pet sitting rescue, life-saving, pets, house fire