Dog Bite Prevention Week

NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK 2015

It's nearing the end of the week dedicated to National Dog Bite Prevention, but it's worth posting several times a year to prevent any dog bite!

If you'd like a professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist to help you with your dog please visit our well known, trusted and respected member, Kathrine Breeden at her website: www.bekindtodogs.com

How to teach your kids to approach unfamiliar dogs safely

    Cloud 9 Pet Sitting

It is important for adults to teach children how to safely approach an unfamiliar dog and how to protect themselves if they come in contact with an unfriendly dog.

According to the Center of Disease Control, 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, many of these involving children, with dog bite related injuries highest in 5-9 year old children. It is important to teach children how to approach dogs to keep children safe, to keep your pets happy, and to avoid becoming one of those statistics.

Many dog bites happen at home with our own dogs. It does not mean a pet is mean or aggressive, often; the dog simply becomes over-stimulated by the activity around it or becomes annoyed with continual harassment.

Approaching familiar dogs:

Teach kids how to read dog’s body language. Dogs use body language to communicate with us how they feel. What they like, what they don’t like.

Friendly postures include:

Ears forward
Tail wagging and held u
Relaxed body

Scared postures include:
Body lowered
Tail tucked between legs
Eyes avoiding yours

Threatening and potentially harmful postures include:
Lowered body
Hair on back of neck (hackles) standing up straight
Tail straight out
Growling

By teaching kids the three postures above, you can ensure that in most cases they will have a good impression on whether the dog is friendly and approachable or not.


Common mistakes that contribute to dog bites

· Do Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

There is truth in the old saying, let sleeping dogs lie. A dog that is suddenly awoken may become frightened and bite out of fear. Dogs are also more territorial and prone to aggression if they are feeding or chewing. Female dogs that are caring for their pups are also more likely to be aggressive.

National Pet Wellness Month

October is National Pet Wellness Month

And..... it's almost over~

We recognize National Pet Wellness Month by focusing on certain things that pet owners can do to increase their pet’s lives.

LET'S TALK PUPPIES AND KITTENS!

· Make sure your puppy or kitten receives all their booster vaccines from 6-8 weeks old until 4-5 months old. This can be determined by your veterinarian depending on what age you start their series.

· Have your puppy or kitten checked for intestinal parasites by bringing in a stool sample to your appointment.

· Have your veterinarian de-worm your kitten for intestinal parasites. Some of these parasites can be transmitted to people!



· Start new puppies on Heart worm preventative as early as 6 weeks of age and continue every month all year around. Heart worm preventative also de-worms monthly for some intestinal parasites! There are many products available for the prevention of heart worm, so please be advised by one of our amazing Veterinarians!

· Have your pet spayed or neutered to help pro-long their life span and decrease their chances of cancer. Females are spayed, males are neutered.

· Microchip your puppy or kitten so if they become lost you have a better chance of recovering them.

· Socialize your young kitten or puppy so it becomes a well-adjusted and happy adult. This should be done very early on between 2 weeks and 2 months of age!

• This also includes basic training! See our amazing Trainer, Kathrine Breeden, owner of Be Kind To Dogs. 

· Feed your pets a high quality diet (Again, ask our amazing veterinarians at your appointment!) and given them plenty of exercise and fun!

HOW ABOUT ADULTS?

· It is veterinary recommended that all adult cats and dogs are seen at least once a year but preferably twice a year. This allows you to monitor any subtle changes in their routines like elimination, water and food intake, activity and mental awareness.

· Brush your pets’ teeth daily. Preferably starting at a young age so it becomes routine.

· If your dog or cat has dental disease make sure to address it quickly so that it doesn’t lead to further conditions such as periodontal disease, heart and kidney disease.

· Update your dog’s heart worm test annually. Heart worms are transmitted by a mosquito and we have been inundated with mosquitoes this year in Arizona! Read more about transmission, prevention and treatment of heartworm disease, here: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/

· Rule of thumb! When your pet reaches the age of 7; they are entering their senior years. It is important to see the veterinarian so that you can have a senior blood panel, urinalysis and possibly X Rays giving your vet a baseline of your pet's current health. This will be very important should your pet become ill in the future!



· Update your pet’s vaccines according to your veterinarian’s recommendations.

· Check annually for intestinal parasites! It just takes a fresh (less than 7 hours) sample, typically a tbls. of your pet's stool. Simply put it in a ziplock, refrigerate and bring it with you to your pet's appointment! Results are back in less than 24 hours in most cases!

This is not just for puppies and kittens! There are a few intestinal parasites that can be transmitted from your pet to you so it is recommended that you do this each year.

· Feed your pet an age appropriate diet and make sure they get plenty of exercise! 

Here's to all the pet's we love!! Happy Wellness Month!

Thanks pet friends! 

Adopting a cat or kitten?

Adopting a cat or kitten

Before you get a new kitten or adopt an adult cat, make sure you complete your education about kitty education. If you are already living with an untrained cat with existing problems, simply designate today as the first day at Kitty College for both of you. Kitten training techniques work perfectly well with adult cats.

Check that the kitten was raised indoors, around human companionship and influence. Ask the breeder how many strangers, especially including men and children, have handled and gentled the kittens. Spend at least an hour observing, playing with, and hugging and handling (restraining and examining), your prospective kitten. At eight weeks of age, kitten activity recycles every 40 minutes so.

To get a representative feel for your kitten's overall demeanor, make sure that you observe her while she sleeps, when she plays, and when she is wild. Check that the kitten already uses a litter box and plays with her scratching post. 

Choosing an adult cat is a very personal choice: choose the one that likes all family members best, and choose the one you all like best. The secret to adopting the perfect cat is patience, patience, patience, and selection, selection, selection. The perfect cat is waiting for you somewhere, and so take your time to choose with your head as well as your heart. 

The first week your kitten or cat spends in your home is the most important week of her life. 

From the very first day, start an error-less, house training and scratching post training program so that you prevent any house soiling and destructive clawing or chewing problems.

When you are not at home, leave your kitty cat in a long-term confinement area (cat playroom), which has a comfortable bed, fresh water, a litter box, and a scratching post with several cat toys and chew toys (stuffed with food) hanging from the top. Long-term confinement prevents mistakes around the house and maximizes the likelihood your kitty cat will learn to use her toilet and learn to play with her toys and scratching post.

Confining your kitty cat while you are away, prevents any mistakes around the house, maximizes the likelihood she will learn to play with her toys, (Nothing she can swallow though!) and allows you to predict when she would like to relieve herself. Knowing when your kitty cat wants to go makes litter box training easy, because all you have to do is show her where to go and reward her for going. 

Closely confining a kitty cat temporarily inhibits elimination. Give her hourly access to the litter box, and she will promptly pee (and sometimes poop). Then voice gentle appreciation and give her three liver treats as a reward.

Confinement is a temporary management and training measure. Once your kitty cat has learned where to eliminate and what to scratch, she may enjoy full-run of your house for the rest of her life.

When cats are scared, they run and hide, sometimes remaining in hiding for several days. Indoor cats are especially scared if they escape outdoors (usually when strangers visit the house). Whether you intend your cat to be allowed outdoors or not, safety training is essential. At the very least you should teach your cat to come when called. The process is simple. 

Before every mealtime, call your cat and have him follow you from room to room before putting his food (and the following cat) in his confinement area. From time to time throughout the day, call your cat and handfeed a piece of kibble or freeze-dried liver when he comes. Back up and repeat the process several times. If you like, you can use a silent dog whistle instead of calling your cat.

Indoor cats have a longer life-expectancy than indoor-outdoor cats. If you intend to let your cat outside, you must teach him to remain in the yard, otherwise you will take several years off his life-expectancy. First, neuter or spay your cat and he or she will be less likely to want to roam. (Circulating sex hormones fragment normal brain function.) If your super ambitious you can build an outdoor, screened in, cat room!

To learn more, there are several cat Behavior Booklets available from dogwise.com. To raise and train your cat, you will need a cat-carrying crate, a very comfortable cat bed, water bowl, litter box, scratching post, hollow chew toys, catnip toys, and healthy treats; all available from your local pet store or online at www.amazon.com.

We have the author's and publisher's permission to duplicate and distribute this behavior blueprint. Thank you!

How to protect your dog in the summer heat

How to protect our dogs in the Summer Heat

Miss Charlie, Photo credit, Kim MacCrone

Fur coats are hot

Fur provides some amount of protection from the sun but thick fur prevents body heat from escaping and promotes overheating. It's a myth that shaving a dog's coat makes him hotter. Shaving it to the skin can make him vulnerable to sunburn but cutting the fur to about one inch can help him stay cooler. If you don't want to shave him brush as much undercoat as you can out and be sure no solid mats are there to trap heat and moisture. Just ask one of our groomers!

Tips on protecting pets in the heat

· Don’t walk or run your dog in the heat. That may seem obvious but we see it every day in the Arizona scorching heat! Try to take early morning short walks or late evening walks. Even short walks will help keep your pet in a routine until Fall!

· Never, Ever, Ever keep your pets in parked cars! Or children for that matter! Why do we continue to see this?
See the Humane Society's Tips. What can you do if you see a pet or child in a hot car?

· Be prepared for travel emergencies. What are some things that could happen if your car broke down while traveling with your pet and while you waited you used your only bottle of water?

Try this:

· Try bringing a cooler with ice, or ice packs that are already froze.

· Bring a battery powered fan. Trust me, they exist!

· Have a towel that you can soak in the melted part of the ice in the cooler and place it over your pet’s head and/or body to slowly cool him down.

Cooling an overheated Dog at home:

We are all human. Even the worst mistakes can happen to people with good intentions. Most of us have busy schedules and people can forget. It can be a true tragedy. If you inadvertently leave your dog outside and find him overheated there are a few things you can do at home:

Move him indoors and cool him down slowly. Don't plunge an overheated dog into ice water. This is typically what most people think they should do. This causes the peripheral blood vessels to contract actually trapping the overheated blood at the body's core -- just where it does most harm.

Instead, cool the dog slowly by placing him in cool water or by draping him with wet towels and aiming a fan at him. Offer him plenty of cool water and don't force him to drink. He will drink when he's cooled down. If you have a thermometer, cool him until his temperature reaches 103 degrees F (39 degrees C), then stop as it will continue to decline. As soon as you have him cooling transport him to us so we can monitor him. Even if he appears to have recovered he needs to go to the veterinarian because some delayed but deadly effects can still occur even days later.

Not All Dogs Can Swim! 

Although swimming is a great exercise in warm weather make sure your dog can swim first! Some breeds, such as bulldogs, French bulldogs and Pekingese, have the swimming ability of cinder blocks. Even good swimmers can drown in backyard pools if they don't know where the steps are to climb out. Be cautious of your dog swallowing too much pool water that could aspirate into his lungs. Never leave your dog un-attended around the pool! Trips, falls, stumbles are too common. If you have a senior dog who does not see or hear well, never let them alone near your pool! Just because they've seen the same pool for 10 years, doesn't mean they are not subject to a fall now that they are older!

Dogs and UV Rays

Dogs, especially light-skinned dogs and white dogs, can get sunburn and melanoma cancer just like people can. If your dog likes to be in the sun rub a sun block on his belly and the top of his nose, the most common sites for sunburn. Most sun block is safe especially if you put it in places he cannot lick. Distract him for several minutes after you apply the sun block.

IF IT’S TOO HOT FOR YOUR FEET IT’S TOO HOT FOR YOUR PETS!

Thanks pet parents! We will continue to provide articles, tips and links to help you and your pets survive the hot summer! Kim

Monsoons and Pets- Not always fun!

THE ARIZONA MONSOONS

AND PETS WHO ARE AFRAID OF THEM

The Monsoons are upon us! 

So far we've only experienced light rain, dust and medium winds, but with Arizona, we never know when the true Haboobs are coming! These are the louder, more frightening storms with crazy winds, dust storms that cover our city, and loud thunder and lightening. 

Is your Dog or Cat afraid of the Monsoon Noises? 

Many pets are. In fact some pets are so afraid that they need help from their veterinarian by taking a prescription sedative! Whatever you do, do not ever give your pet anything without seeing your veterinarian first! If your pet is so afraid and you've tried everything, then you may want to schedule an appointment to see if your vet can help. Medicating our pets is certainly an option we want to avoid if at all possible.

Here are some Tips for the upcoming Storm Season.
If your pet/s is afraid, try these simple solutions. That's right, PETS, not just dogs are prone to being afraid. One of our members owns a cat that is terrified of thunder storms!

Desensitize or counter conditioning: 

you can do this by creating loud noises and making sure your pet gets a treat during these times assuring him that Loud is OK. 

Purchase a tape of Thunderstorms: 

Play them periodically during the week. Start off with a low volume and eventually work your way up. This will help to condition your pet to respond in a Non-Fearful way to noises that once scared him.  

Have play time: 

playing your pet’s favorite INDOOR game at the onset of the storm will help him prepare for the worst. Hopefully he will be able to associate that during a storm is when it is time to have fun inside! Remember, give Positive Rewards during this time inside. Lots of praise and treats if allowed.

Calming tricks: 

Go about your business with the thunder and lightning booming outside, maybe even singing and whistling, this will convey to your pet that you don’t think the loud storm is a big deal.

Create a “Safe Place” for your pet to go to:

This can be a quite bathroom or bedroom, preferably the one farthest from windows and the quietest room in the house. A good rule of thumb to pick your pets “Safe Place” is to watch where your pet goes when he is frightened. Just because you think the bathroom is the “Safe Place”, doesn’t necessarily mean your pet does. If your pet hides under the bed like mine does, then make sure that your pet has access to that room. If you pet hides in blankets, or clothes on the floor, let him. Place a food and water bowl to assure him that he has picked a safe and happy place to go when he is afraid. Make sure you do not confine your pet, let them come and go. 

Some pets need to be able to stay active when they are fearful. Hiding doesn’t always work for all cats and dogs.

Crate Training: Some pets do better if they are in their safe and sound, pet safe crate. Remember, dogs are den dwelling animals; this is a "safe" place to most of them. This is not a great choice if your pet has not already been crate trained.

Turn on a Radio, TV or Fan to help drown out the noise.
Most of all, reassure your pet that you will be inside with them throughout the storm. Make yourself visible. If your pet needs you to hold him, then hold him. You can still implement or try any of the above examples. Puppies and kittens that may start out not afraid can develop the fearfulness at an older age so make sure to always notice how your pet is acting throughout storm season.

Check out the Thunder Shirt as another option! 

Go to www.thundershirt.com. 

Thunder shirt uses gentle, constant pressure to calm your dog, effectively aiding anxiety, fearfulness, barking and more. 

Today there are even additional items to help calm a fearful pet, like the soft Happy Hoodie that goes around their head and ears.

Wishing you luck through the entire Monsoon Season! 

The Az Pet Professionals- Kim Mac