Animals Reign: Pet News You Can Use » Senior Pets

February is Pet Dental Month

Vicki — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:49:00 +0000

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.

Fat Cats and Pudgy Pooches

Vicki — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:02:50 +0000

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

Introducing Shakti Paw Love Monkey

Vicki — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:07:45 +0000

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

Cats or Dogs — Who Wins the Popularity Contest?

Vicki — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:53:05 +0000

I sniffed out this amusing article from an OldCatsRule tweet. Who do you think is the winner?

OldCatsRule I demand a recount! http://www.wcbs880.com/Dogs-or-Cats–A-New-Poll-Answers-the-Question-/6060081

Let’s hear your comments…..are the poll results correct?

Technorati Tags: dogs vs. cats, pet popularity poll

Keeping Our Pets Safe from Toxins in the Home

Vicki — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:31:40 +0000

One of my favorite cat websites is www.LittleBigCat.com, owned by veterinarian Dr. Jean Hofve. This month’s newsletter has an interesting article on the effect of toxins in our homes on our pets.

The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org) has studied chemical exposures in pets and found them even higher than the levels found in humans. They include carcinogens, neurotoxins, and chemicals toxic to the endocrine and reproductive systems. They come from the products and furnishings we use in our homes. You might want to learn more about this to see where you can minimize exposure to you and your pets.

Other studies have confirmed that second hand smoke is also a risk to pets. Having been a smoker at one time in my life, I know how extremely hard it is to quit, so I’m not one to judge people who haven’t beat it. But perhaps knowing just how dangerous it is to our pets might give that extra boost to kick the habit once and for all. Here is an exerpt from the Little Big Cat newsletter:

Recent studies have confirmed that cats who live with a smoker have a much higher risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma, an invasive cancer occurring on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Having more than one smoker in the home, or living with a smoker for more than five years, increased the risk even more, according to a study conducted at Tufts University. Because cats groom themselves so thoroughly, toxins and carcinogens from smoke that settle on their fur are taken into their mouths while grooming. Over time, this can cause cancer to develop.

Exposure to smoke also increases a cat’s risk of malignant lymphoma. Since the lymph nodes filter the blood, inhaled or ingested toxins can build up and cause cancer. Cats living with secondhand smoke are three times more likely to develop lymphoma than other cats. In addition to cancer, cats exposed to smoke can also develop other respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

To read the full newsletter, go to http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=nlarchive&show=volume7no10

Technorati Tags: chemical risks to pets, dogs and cats are exposed to toxins in the home, effect of second hand smoke on pets

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

Favorite Pet Charities

Vicki — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:36:04 +0000

It’s that giving time of year when we focus on gifts for not only family and friends, but also the homeless animals who so desperately need our help. I’m hesitant to name just a handful of deserving pet charities because so many are equally in need of support, but let’s face it, we all have our favorites. Here’s my list, mostly smaller, less known organizations that are doing wonderful things for animals.

Grey Muzzle Organization It’s no secret that I’m a fan of older pets, so when I saw that Grey Muzzle needed an editor, I threw my hat in the ring. I’ve greatly enjoyed working with this group. Their mission is to fund other agencies all over the country who support senior adoptions. Read more about them at http://greymuzzle.org/

Old Dog Haven Another nonprofit working for old dogs needing new homes, this is a network of people providing foster and hospice care until dogs can be placed. The feature that really touches my heart is their Final Refuge program, where dogs too fragile or sick to be rehomed are placed with a loving foster family to spend their last years or months happy and safe, where they can die at peace knowing they are loved. See more about them at http://olddoghaven.org.

Purrfect Pals Cat Sanctuary Their mission statement says it all: Founded on the belief that every cat matters, Purrfect Pals provides a no-kill sanctuary, foster and hospice care for homeless cats. They are active in humane education, spay neuter programs, and placing adoptable cats in new homes. Learn more about this many-faceted organization at http://purrfectpals.org.

Rebecca’s Rainbow Here’s a new charity that fills a much-needed niche. They help owners who are critically or terminally ill keep their pets with them as long as possible, and find homes for the pets when they are left behind. This is a wonderful service. Learn more about it at http://rebeccasrainbow.org.

Rolling Dog Ranch Sanctuary And one more organization I love, this one takes in special needs animals that would otherwise be euthanized. I donate every year and look forward to receiving their heartwarming quarterly newsletter and their blog showing the joyful lives of the blind, deaf, limping, wobbling creatures who have no idea they are “disabled.” The Ranch also adopts out some of the animals to good-hearted human angels who are willing to take in a handicapped pet. Read all about this wonderful place at http://rollingdogranch.org.

So that’s my short-list. If this is a lean year for you as it is for many of us, know that it’s probably also lean for the animals who need us. If a financial contribution isn’t possible, consider volunteering your time or giving supplies you already have on hand.

Please post a comment with your own favorite pet charities.

Technorati Tags: pet charities, donating to animal sanctuaries, funding pet adoptions and education

The Lessons Our Pets Teach Us

Vicki — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:33:32 +0000

As the years have passed, I’ve become aware that each of my pets has come to me to teach a particular lesson that I needed to learn. In our focus on obedience, agility, tracking, or flyball, it’s easy to fall into thinking that we have superior intelligence, but our pets’ innate intelligence may surpass ours in some ways.

Do I look like the type to get into mischief?

Some examples from my menagerie would have to start with Copper, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, who came into my life at one year old and stayed until 11. Copper would have given Marly a good run for his money. Copper’s first drama was to chase a tennis ball into a vat of iodine at the shelter and end up on IVs for a week. Then he was chosen for drug-sniffing school but flunked out. At the first hint of boredom he ran away from home, even if it meant climbing a tree to get over the fence. Once he lived with a homeless man for half a year before coming home. This is just a tiny sample of his mischief. Suffice it to say, Copper’s sense of adventure taught me life can be pretty interesting if you throw caution to the wind once in awhile .

Next was Kutya, a livestock guarding dog called a Kuvasz. These dogs are smarter than most humans, and there’s no question she was smarter than this human. I raised

Brains, humor & heart

her from a puppy and did just about everything wrong. She was a little hellion until I figured out how to handle her around her 4th birthday. She ended up being my heart dog, that one dog we all encounter who becomes part of our soul. Just when we had it figured out, she developed bone cancer at 7 years old. She taught me many lessons, but the most profound was how to give and received unconditional love. I learned from her that I could be furious with her about some rebellion but know even in that moment that I loved her deeply.

Pewter, the gray cat who showed up at 6 months, was my first experience living with a cat. I was a dog person, so left her care and most of her attention to my husband. She punished my indifference by leaping out from under the tiger lilies and attacking my ankles. The trick did not endear her to me. Her other favorite sport was to turn belly up for unsuspecting

Wanna rub my tummy?

visitors, inviting a tummy rub, then attack the hand that rubbed her. Pancreatic cancer took her at 13. One of the lessons she taught me was that we can grow to love someone just by going through the motions in the beginning, sort of like an arranged marriage. The other, that I’ve taken to heart quite naturally, is that it’s ok to be feisty, as long as you don’t bite hard.

And last but not least, the inspiration for this article, Scooty, my angel in fur. She was the first of the senior dogs I adopted, and we enjoyed 4 precious years together. This evening I held her in my arms at home while the vet released her to join the other fur-angels. When she first came to me, her sweet, gentle nature seemed almost too bland, after the challenging and rewarding years with the other critters. Soon I noticed how pleasant it was to have an easy pet for a change. She had a calming effect on me. She didn’t have Copper’s adventuresome flare, or Pewter’s clever trickery, or Kutya’s sense of humor and intelligence. She was just easy going.

Is that her spirit sweeping across the screen?

Someone had instilled in her the most refined manners. She would stand at a door ajar all evening but never nudge it open. Unlike most pets who consider the bathroom their proprietary domain for undivided attention, she would not enter the bathroom even when invited. She would not scratch at the door to come in after a potty. If I forgot to let her in, she would patiently sit on the porch and watch the world go by. Scooty taught me one doesn’t have to be dynamic to be special. She taught me to take life easier. It was possibly the most important lesson of all for one who tends to be just a tiny bit intense.

I console myself tonight with the chorus from Alan Jackson’s Sissy’s Song:

She flew up to heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars past where no one sees
She walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting
And I know she’s smiling, saying
Don’t worry about me.

Angel in fur

That would be my self-less, easy-going girl. Rest in peace Scooty.

If you’ve learned a special lesson from your pets, please share a comment below.

Technorati Tags: pet loss, animal’s innate intelligence, lessons we learn from dogs and cats

Great Holiday Gift for Dachshund fans

Vicki — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:30:24 +0000

I’ve been active in dog rescue for the past 18 years, mainly through Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue (SPDR) as a breed rep for the livestock guarding dogs (LGDs). Maybe you’re wondering what the heck those are. Of the five breeds I handle, the Great Pyrenees is the best known. Right now I’m working on finding homes for a Kuvasz and a Maremma, the Hungarian and Italian versions of LGDs. But this post isn’t about LGDs. It is about a wonderful gift to the Dachshund fund by SPDR volunteer Amy Arsenault and her mother.

Amy’s mother has made an adorable Dachshund quilt that is being auctioned on eBay. They are giving the proceeds to SPDR’s Dachshund fund. Sounds like a happy holiday for both the recipient of the quilt and Dachshund rescue!

Here is a picture of the quilt:

And now for the link to go bid on this fun item: http://tinyurl.com/yjr69ge . The quilt has a $300 value and bidding today is only at $61, so don’t miss out on this fabulous deal.

Technorati Tags: Dachshund rescue, Dachshund gift items, Dachshund quilt for dog rescue