If you’ve ever lived with a dog, you’ve probably been at the end of your rope at some point with  at least one of the problems Randy Grim addresses in this entertaining but informative book. 

Grim runs a shelter for abandoned dogs (www.StrayRescueForDogs.com).  Like all of us who do dog rescue, he is faced all too often with adopters who want to return their dogs because of  behavior problems.

The chapter headings will give you an idea of his wit as well as the range of behaviors he covers.

Chapter 1      A.D.D. dogs (i.e., hyperactive dogs)

Chapter 2     Escape Artists

Chapter 3     Dogs Who “Play” When You’re Away (i.e., separation anxiety)

Chapter 4     Shuuut Up!  (i.e., excessive barking)

Chapter 5     The Turd Eaters (ahem, coprophagia)

Chapter 6     Cujo in the Dog Park (i.e., dog-to-dog aggression)

Chapter 7     Dogs Who You-Know-What in the House (i.e., housebreaking and dogs marking territory)

Chapter 8     Dogs Who Lick Baby Snot (i.e., setting boundaries around babies)

Chapter 9     Bullies With an Attitude (i.e.,  dominance aggression)

Chapter 10   Cowardly Lions (i.e., fear aggression)

Chapter 11   Allergy Season (i.e., I’m allergic to my dog)

Chapter 12   Scaredy Cats (i.e., submissive peeing)

Chapter 13   I Love Old Dogs (i.e., I love puppies and want to dump my old dog because she’s, well, old)

Chapter 14   To Crate Or Not To Crate (i.e., give them a den for security while you’re gone, not a punishment)

Chapter 15   Affordable Strays (i.e., how to find a stray dog’s owners, how to afford to keep a stray when money is tight.) 

This book is a must-read for all people working in dog rescue, and, let’s face it, for all dog owners. It is the most entertaining training manual you’ll ever read.

Technorati Tags: solving behavior problems in dogs, hyperactive dogs, escape artists, separation anxiety, barking, poop eating, coprophagia, dog aggression, housebreaking, marking territory, dogs and babies, dominance aggression, fear aggression, submissive peeing/urination, allergic to dogs, puppies versus old dogs, crating a dog

Two more companies have recently announced recalls due to possible salmonella contamination.

Earlier this year Merrick recalled their Beef Filets Dog Treats, saying it was because of improper processing. After FDA involvement, they have now announced the recalled product may be contaminated with salmonella. They have also expanded their recall to a more recent batch. You can find all the details on dates and batch numbers at www.PetsitUSA.com/blog/ or go to Merrick’s website at www.MerrickPetCare.com. 

United Pet Group has also voluntarily expanded their recall of a variety of cat and dog supplements, sold under the brand names Doctors Foster & Smith, ProPet, Petco, Excel, Nature’s Miracle, and DDS. Again, the recall is due to possible salmonella contamination. For a complete list of products involved in the recall, you can go to United Pet Group’s web site, or find an easy-to-read table at www.PetsitUSA.com/blog.

I highly recommend following the PetsitUSA blog for recall information. Therese Kopiwoda, who writes the blog, is one of the best informed, up-to-the-minute  sources on pet food recalls.   

Technorati Tags: pet food recalls

Veterinarian Nick Trout, author of the New York Times bestseller Tell Me Where it Hurts, has given us another lovely portrayal of the deep bond between humans and their pets. He draws a beautiful verbal picture of the soul connection we feel for certain animals that pass through our lives.  Trout takes us on the emotional roller-coaster the owners of dogs Helen and Cleo go through in trying to save their beloved pets.

An interesting sub-theme is how much these animals come to mean to the veterinarians themselves.  It is all too easy to see the professional neutrality vets maintain in the examining room as detachment. Dr. Nick gives us a glimpse into the compassion and dedication he invests not only in the treatment, but in the animals themselves. I found his empathy comforting.

An unexpected bonus is that Trout not only has an interesting story to tell, but he he has a clever turn of phrase and tone that makes the book a really enjoyable read.

If you’ve had a poignant experience with one of your pets that expresses the love, loss, or redemption embodied in this book, please share it in “comments” below.  The most touching story will earn the writer a free copy of the book, Love is the Best Medicine.

Technorati Tags: human-animal bond, soul connection between animals and their owners compassion in the vet’s office

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued a press release warning of canine distemper in raccoons . All pet owners should take extra precautions with their pets and be sure vaccinations are up to date.

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

April 16, 2010

Contact:
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Capt. Bill Hebner (425) 775-1311, ext. 115
or Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408
King County, Christine Lange, 206-263-9752
PAWS, Mary Leake Schilder, (206) 419-6646

Raccoon distemper suspected in King County
Residents are urged to exercise caution and take precautions to protect pets

King County residents are reminded to avoid feeding wildlife, keep domestic pets away from wild animals, and be sure their pets’ vaccinations are current, in response to a suspected outbreak of canine distemper in area raccoons.

Samples from a raccoon collected in Bellevue have been submitted to Washington State University for disease testing, and final results are expected early next week.

Canine distemper is not transmissible to humans but is highly contagious among dogs, ferrets, and certain wild animals such as raccoons, coyotes, skunks, weasels and harbor seals. Cats are not affected by canine distemper.

“Dogs are normally vaccinated against canine distemper, but the disease has become generally uncommon and some pet owners are not getting their pets vaccinated,” said Dr. Sharon Hopkins, the Veterinarian for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “If you have questions or concerns about your pets’ immunity to canine distemper, contact your veterinarian.”

Distemper causes encephalitis, inflation of the brain, in animals. Infected animals may have runny eyes and stagger, tremble, foam at the mouth or snap, according to veterinarians. Daytime activity by a raccoon does not necessarily indicate the animal is sick.

In recent days, local officials in Bellevue, Redmond and Renton have received a number of reports of sick raccoons. King County Animal Care and Control responded to a call for assistance last week from Issaquah law enforcement and captured a raccoon believed to have distemper.  Animal Control Officers have also picked up 3 deceased raccoons on the East Side of King County at the request of citizens.

“Wildlife disease epidemics tend to occur in cycles, appearing when animal populations are high,” said Kristin Mansfield, staff veterinarian with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“While we have seen an increase in the number of raccoons this year at our wildlife hospital that appear to be infected with canine distemper, we encourage people not to panic,” said PAWS’ Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. John Huckabee. “The best way to avoid potential exposure to pet dogs and ferrets is to avoid feeding or otherwise attracting wildlife, intentionally or unintentionally.”

People should feed pets indoors, and secure garbage and compost. Bird feeders and chicken food also attract raccoons. Residents should also secure pet doors so that raccoons cannot enter indoor living spaces.

WDFW offers advice for dealing with problem wildlife on its website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/ and PAWS Wildlife Center can offer tips for solving and preventing conflicts by calling (425) 787-2500 x817.

King County residents who encounter raccoons exhibiting symptoms of canine distemper can call (206) 296-PETS to receive information and suggestions about potential resources. Animal Control Officers will also pick up deceased raccoons.

Raccoons present a risk of transmitting other diseases including leptospirosis, raccoon roundworm and rabies.  For information about these risks, see http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/zoonotics/raccoons.aspx

People bitten by raccoons should contact their health care provider and Public Health at 206-296-4774.

WDFW also maintains a list of Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCOs), who are licensed by the department to respond to problem wildlife. Contact information may be found on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/enforcement/nwco/or by calling WDFW’s North Puget Sound regional office at (425) 775-1311. 

Technorati Tags: canine distemper in raccoons; pets at risk from sick raccoons

Pets & People Staying Healthy Together

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, when we celebrate the importance of learning the necessary skills of CPR, first aid, safety and care for our four-legged, furry, family members.

Please join us for a fun, information-packed first aid class on April 17, 2010 in North Seattle. No other class in the Pacific Northwest offers as much hands-on practice. Don’t delay, only for more spaces left.

Find out how to handle small and large emergencies for your pets. Know the skills to save their lives.  To learn more about the class and to register, go to www.AnimalsReign.com.

If you’ve had an emergency where your pet first aid training saved your pet from serious harm or death, please tell us your story below.

Technorati Tags: pet first aid and CPR, emergency preparedness

This week I’m going to take on introducing a cat into a dog household, or vice versa. How you handle the first days and weeks can set a lifelong friendship or rivalry. It takes knowledge and patience to do it right. If you don’t take the time to do it right, you could end up with serious risk to the cat, or pets marking the house inappropriately to express their distress over the alien in their midst.

Safety First

First and foremost, you must keep cats and dogs separate in the beginning to keep them safe, and take the introductions slow. Here are a few pointers:

• Put the dogs outside or send them for a walk with your pet sitter while you bring the cat in so that they don’t have to confront each other immediately.
• Give the cat a secure space of her own right away, a spare room with all the things she needs for comfort — her water and food bowls, toys, bed, and litter box. Close the door, but be sure to give her regular attention. The cat may need to be sequestered for for several days or even weeks. Be patient and don’t rush it.
• When you bring the dogs in, let them smell the cat’s scent on your clothes and hands.  Keep them leashed and calm while they sniff at the door of the cat’s room. Reward good behavior.
• Rub towels on the animals and then exchange them and rub them on the other so they can get used to each other’s scent. Leave the dogs’ towels in the cat’s bed and the cat’s towel in the dog’s bed.
• The next step is to start carefully exposing the dogs and cat to each other. The dogs should be leashed or crated or behind a gate. Continue to reward calm behavior.
• Gradually, as the animals remain calm, allow them to approach each other, with the dogs on leash.  Keep rewarding them for behaving well.
• Always be sure the cat has an escape route or an easy way to jump out of reach once you start removing the leash.
• If the dogs continue to get overly excited or act predatory toward the cat, you might need to muzzle them until you’re sure they won’t hurt the cat.
• Even after they seem to be getting along, eating or sleeping in each other’s presence, wandering casually past each other, be cautious about leaving them alone. Build up the time they spend alone gradually.
• Never let the dogs chase the cat, even in play.  It is ok for the cat to take a swat at the dogs to show them she can hold her own, as long as the dogs don’t react aggressively.
• This introduction process will take as long as the animals need. Rarely, they will never accept each other and they will have to remain separated, but most animals will get along over time.

Technorati Tags: merging pet families, introducing dogs and cats

If you were unhappy with the consequences Michael Vick paid for his dog fighting ring, wait until you see the sentencing for the peope responsible for the melamine-tainted pet food that killed thousands of pets. Therese Kopiwoda in her PetsitUSA blog wrote about it yesterday, and I couldn’t put it any better, so have copied most of her post here. Be sure to see her blog for the full post, www.petsitusa.com/blog.

Sally and Stephen Miller, owners of ChemNutra, Inc., the company that imported the  melamine-tainted product that killed thousands of pets in the 2007 pet food recall, are to be sentenced today. Christie Keith writes about it over on Pet Connection this morning, and sadly it looks like they’re going to get off with just a slap on the wrist. A memorandum from the government recommends giving them a light sentence:

Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, February 5, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer. As more fully explained below, the Government recommends that the Court adopt the agreement of the parties and impose a sentence of three years probation on each defendant….

There’s more, so go read Christie’s post. Just be ready – it won’t put a smile on your face.

I just don’t get it. You kill pets – whether it’s by poisoning them with melamine or pitting them against each other in the dog-fighting ring and all you get is a slap on the wrist. There’s something terribly wrong when life is disregarded so easily. But, since the recommendation letters from the Miller’s Pastor and fellow church members say they’re good people, I suppose we should give them a break and overlook the fact that they were responsible for so much death.

Technorati Tags: tainted pet food, Chem Nutra, pet poisoning

February is just around the corner. Have you scheduled your pet’s dental yet? Each February I dust off my credit card and book all three animals for their dentals. It’s a big hit financially, but it’s one of those expenses that may be saving me a lot more in the future. I think of it something like an insurance policy. Hopefully my house will never  catch fire — and my cat will never suffer heart disease from infected teeth — but I can rest easier knowing I’ve taken precautions.

This morning I received the following reminder from my wonderful vet’s office, the North Seattle Veterinary Clinic:

• More than 8 out of 10 dogs and 7 out of 10 cats show signs of poor dental health by the age of three.
• Dental problems in pets – as in people – can lead to pain, tooth loss, periodontal disease, and increased bacteria in the bloodstream.
• Pets’ oral disease invariably progresses with time, as does people’s, and can result in damage to internal organs, including the heart, liver and kidneys.

Even if you brush your pets’ teeth regularly, a dental check up could save your pet serious illness in the future.

I don't feel like going to the gym today.

If the cat's not moving, neither am I.

Holding weight gain in check has been a life-long project for me, so is it any wonder that I would attract rescue dogs and cats who have spent a little too much time at the all-you-can-eat buffet? Who better than me, the master dieter, to help them reclaim the sleek lines of their youth.

Rico, The Boss Cat, did just fine as a feral cat lunching on roof rats and squirrels. It wasn’t until the hunt ended, and his life as an indoor cat began, with a steady supply of premium kibbles, that he began to beef up. He likes to call it buffed up, but most people would put him on the cusp of beefed and buffed.  Then there was Scooty who came to me morbidly obese, a 35 pound dog in a 68 pound body. Over our four years together and many pounds of Brussel’s sprout treats, she recovered her girlish figure. Now comes little Shaktipaw, carrying just two extra pounds, but on his tiny frame he’s 15% overweight.

Judging from the statistics at the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention website, overweight in our pets is a significant problem. Here are just a few facts from their website:

An estimated 14% of pets in the U.S. are obese, compared to 20% of adult humans. Add in the pets who are either overweight or obese, and the numbers jump to 50% of all pets. Just as in humans, obesity in pets leads to a variety of health conditions that compromise either quality of life or length of life  — high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and osteoarthritis.

Almost twice as many cats are obese as dogs.  Hmmm, we keep our cats indoors partly to keep them safe from the threats of wildlife, toxins, and traffic. But this obesity ratio between cats and dogs suggests that we are putting our cats at considerable risk indoors by either over-feeding or under-exercising them.

Here’s a link to some ideal weight ranges for cats and dogs. See if your furry friend needs to cut back on the chow or step up the play time.  http://petobesityprevention.com/weight_ranges.htm

Technorati Tags: health risks of pet obesity, overweight in dogs and cats

Shakti as a young man

The house has been quiet for the past month since Scooty left for the Rainbow Bridge. The competitive eating Ernie and Scooty used to enjoy– the Dinner Olympics — came to an abrupt end. In fact, Ernie has outright boycotted the premium kibble he used to race to eat, unless it is laced with a spoonful of cat food. Rico, The Boss Cat, lies around with his chin on his paws sleeping away his sadness.  I wasn’t planning to get another dog yet, but fate doesn’t always work on our schedule.

Two weeks ago I learned a woman named Theresa Marie Gandhi, former wife of the great-nephew of Mahatma Gandhi, was near death. The word that she would be leaving behind a 16 year old, slightly pudgy and arthritic, deaf miniature Poodle trickeled down to me through a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. I have hip replacement surgery coming up in a couple of months, and this is not an ideal time for me to add a new dog who is going through his own grief at losing his life-long companion.

Never one to let reason stand in the way of compassion, I drove to Whidbey Island today and met Shakti Paw. His human had died, and the tear stains around his eyes spoke of his loss. He is a little old man with a shaggy haircut, lumps and bumps, no hearing, bad breath, and as  sweet a temperament as Scooty’s. To add to the mystique, his human mom was a woman who would probably have been a good friend if I had known her. She was an activist for environmental responsibility, she was a spiritual leader, and a writer. She rubbed elbows with world leaders, she met with Mother Theresa, she walked across the United States for peace. She was a woman of both global and local presence, and from all I can tell, she left the world a better place than she found it.  And she left behind a sweet little zen dog called Shakti Paw Love Monkey who has now joined my family. We are blessed.

Technorati Tags: adopting a senior pet, healing from pet loss, pet grief