Cbtopdog: November 2011

Kamis, 24 November 2011

PETA Kills 86% of Animals

Here's some important information that I thought I would pass on. –Kim

PETA Kills 86% of Animals in Their Care
By Dr. Andrew Jones
November 24, 2011

The animal rights group PETA is often in the news with flashy billboards, naked celebrities and pretty dramatic claims.

But now there are documented reports that PETA kills most of the animals in their care. A group called, 'PETA Kills Animals' cites figures self-reported by the animal charity showing since 1998 it euthanized more than 25,000 pets; nearly 86% of the animals in their so called 'shelter.'

In 2010, PETA managed to place only 44 of the 2,345 pets which were in their care. By comparison, a close by Virginia Beach SPCA has a tiny budget; yet it adopted MOST of the animals in their care.

PETA's 2010 revenues were more than $35 million – with that you would think they would keep most of the animals in their care alive.

P.S. The basic principle of living with integrity is to 'practice what you preach.' Clearly PETA doesn't abide by that life rule.

My suggestion is to NOT support this organization. Your time and dollars are much better spent on a local (no-kill) animal shelter, which is giving animals a second chance, and placing them in forever, loving homes.

P.P.S. Of course there are times when the 'live with integrity' principle can get you into hot water... I could still be practicing if I had compromised some beliefs. But in the long run, it's always better to do what you believe is true.

Source: http://www.theinternetpetvet.com/peta-killing-86-animals-care/
Copyright © Four Paws Online Ltd. 2011

Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM has been a practicing Veterinarian for almost 20 years. He is a strong advocate of Natural Pet Health Care, and knows that the most important way to heal our pets and prevent disease is through proper nutrition. He developed Ultimate Canine to give our dogs that extra advantage – something that will provide them with everything they need to develop stronger immune systems to fight disease, heal sore or stiff joints, and help them live longer, happier lives. Dr. Andrew Jones' main focus is on alternative, non-traditional remedies for pets. His interest in alternative pet medicine culminated in the writing of his book, Veterinary Secrets Revealed.

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Minggu, 20 November 2011

Why You Should Adopt a Senior Dog

Here's another great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it informative! –Kim

Why You Should Adopt a Senior Dog
Maryann Mott

Adopting a senior dog has a lot of advantages. These golden oldies are already housebroken, obey obedience commands, and require significantly less exercise than their younger counterparts.

"There's nothing quite so wise and wonderful as an older dog," says Judith Piper, founder of Old Dog Haven in Arlington, Washington.

The rescue group has a dedicated network of foster homes that specialize in saving dogs eight years and older. Most pets usually arrive at the organization after their elderly owner dies or is no longer able to care for them.

Senior dogs are also surprisingly in demand with adopters – in part, Piper says, because what you see is what you get.

A dog's size, personality, and energy level are already known. There's no guessing what that small pup will become as an adult, and that's a big bonus for many people looking to add a pet to their household, especially if you don't want long-term ownership commitments because of expected life changes including retirement or job relocation.

Also, in today's electronic age, an increasing number of people work from home and want mellow four-footed colleagues to keep them company. Still others adopt older companions simply to get started the world of dog ownership. "It's really easier to start with an older dog that isn't as demanding as a puppy," Piper says.

Sound tempting? Before filling out an adoption application, here are a few things you should consider:

Older dogs require more potty breaks throughout the day. That means you'll need to install a pet door or indoor potty, hire a dog walker, or come home for lunch to let your pet outside to relieve him/herself.

Large dogs with arthritis don't do well in two- and three-story homes because of the stairs, and won't be able to accompany you on lengthy walks or hikes. Inexpensive arthritis formulas and pain reliefs are available, however.

As older dogs continue to age, they might lose their sight or hearing. Because of this, adoption experts say, households with toddlers (either your own or grandchildren who visit frequently) are not ideal. Young children who accidentally startle or frighten a deaf or blind dog might get bitten.

Another consideration is the high cost of veterinary care, says Jamie Pinn, executive director of H.A.R.T Senior Dog Rescue in Fillmore, Calif. For more than 20 years the nonprofit has specialized in re-homing dogs aged 7 and older. Each pet undergoes an extensive medical exam, so adopters know upfront about any potential health issues. "We feel we owe that to whoever is going to take them on," she says.

Canines at Old Dog Haven also undergo complete physical exams. Rescue groups recommend that adopters use local veterinarians with experience in treating ailing geriatric animals, who are also known for not pushing pricey medical procedures.

Adopting an older dog is an often-overlooked option but one that many rescue groups say you won't regret. These mellow canine companions will happily pay you back for giving them a home by filling your life with so much love and joy, you'll wonder why you never considered it before.

About the Author: Maryann Mott is an Arizona-based pet journalist.

Source: https://www.dogster.com/dog-adoption/adopt-a-senior-dog

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Sabtu, 12 November 2011

HomeMade Dog Toys

Valuable Resource...

Who Else Thinks Dog Toys are
RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE?

WHY NOT $AVE BIG BUCK$ AND JUST MAKE YOUR OWN?

Save money, make your pooch happy and stop lining the pockets of pet store chains!

Save Big $$ Making Your Own Dog Toys!
Learn How to Keep It Safe!
Turn Trash into Hours of Fun!
Have Fun on a Budget!
Teach Your Kids the Value of Making Things at Home!

There is nothing like making something with your own two hands. There is a personal feeling of accomplishment, but more importantly, your canine friend will appreciate the effort.

If your dog is anything like mine, a store bought toy may get a bit of attention for a few moments, but then the toy is ignored for more personal items in the home including, but not limited to, shoes, socks, couches, or even tables depending on the dog’s size.

Everyone knows dogs love to run and chew, and this is natural for any dog. Puppies tend to teethe, and just like children, they will put anything in their mouth.

As a pet owner, you get to offer some acceptable solutions to this natural process, hopefully deterring the teething pup away from the more unacceptable items.

Nonetheless, the pup will choose something homemade over something store bought because the smell from store bought items are nowhere near as appealing as items already in the home.

Making HomeMade dog toys is COST-EFFECTIVE, imaginative, and down right fun. Almost anything in the home has the potential to be a dog toy, and believe me, your dog is well aware of this fact.

When bored, your favorite cushion sure will feel good on those teething incisors, and the smell is simply wonderful!

Those curtains hanging there sure do move nicely and make this interesting sound, and your dog will thoroughly enjoy finding out what is making that sound.

Let’s face it – your home is a cornucopia of interesting smells and sounds with everything you hold dear having the potential to be an enormous dog chew.

Instead of allowing your best friend to envision your belongings as a favorite new toy, or an adversary needing to be ripped to shreds, pet owners offer special toys to their dog. This is how a dog learns what is an acceptable opponent, and what is not so acceptable.

Making homemade pet toys is an ideal method of allowing your dog the benefit of personal scents you naturally add to the homemade item instead of the sterile or mixed scents of those store bought items.

It's Also a Great Way to Teach Your Kids the Value of a Dollar and Inspire Them Creatively!

Continued - List of toys you can easily make, plus five BONUS books....

Senin, 07 November 2011

Static Dog

Here's a really cute video that I thought I would pass on... –Kim

Static Dog

Rabu, 02 November 2011

Pet First Aid: Choking & CPR

Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...it's good to be prepared! –Kim

Pet First Aid: Choking & CPR
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM

Recently I had an emergency call from a client who thought that her pet had stopped breathing – her pet had been chewing on something behind the couch.

This scenario has happened before...meaning, it could happen to YOUR dog or cat.

I tried to talk her through performing some rescue breaths to see if his airway was really obstructed. Then, if so, I was going to try and describe how to do the Heimlich maneuver.

This is hard on the phone, and virtually impossible to do in an emergency.

An Emergency is NOT the time to learn!

But, being in this situation sure is not the time to learn this stuff. There are a few things that you need to do first.

KNOW how to check if your dog or cat stops breathing.
PRACTICE what to do IF this ever happens.

I have done a HUGE Dog and Cat First Aid Video Presentation that shows you all of these steps in detail.

The video is here (for cats and dogs):

The signs of choking are much the same as a person: Your dog is struggling to breathe, with their mouth open. They may be pawing at their mouth. They may be attempting to vomit. You may hear an unusual sound as they attempt to breathe and pull air through a foreign object lodged in their throat.

Causes

The causes of choking are with anything that can lodge in the throat. An example would be a dog fetching a ball, and having it lodge in their throat. A variety of food objects can lodge in your dog's airway.

Solutions

CALL YOUR VET IF NEEDED. Dogs are notorious for trying to swallow things that are a little too big. The result can be choking where an object lodges in the airway.

REMOVE THE OBJECT. When time is of the essence, you must act quickly.

Open your dog's mouth.
Grasp the upper jaw with one hand over the muzzle.
Press the lips over the upper teeth with your fingers on one side and the thumb on the other so that the dog's lips are between its teeth. Firm pressure may be required. The dog then can't close its mouth without biting itself and is less able to bite you. Pull his tongue out of the way.
Reach deeply in to the back of your dog's throat and try to grasp the object. If it is a ball, and you are unable to move it, try using some type of instrument; tweezers, pliers or even a spoon shaped tong.
If this method does not work for extracting the object from your dog's throat, try this technique. Lay your dog on its side. For small pets, place your palms behind the last rib on both sides of your pet's abdomen and press your palms together quickly 2-3 times. Repeat if necessary. For larger dogs, place both hands behind the last rib and push down and slightly forward sharply. Repeat rapidly until the object is dislodged.
If you still can't remove the object and if your dog can breathe, transport him to your veterinarian. However, if your dog can't breathe you must continue to try to dislodge the object either by compression or by using the Heimlich, as your dog is unlikely to survive the delay in reaching veterinary aid.
COMPRESSIONS. Gentle compressions on both sides of the widest point of the chest may help dislodge a ball or other object. Place both hands at the back of your dog over the widest point of the chest while he is standing, and give 5 firm compressions to dislodge the ball.
HEIMLICH. If after trying to manually remove the object, and after gentle compressions it won't move, and your dog is still not breathing, then proceed with the Heimlich.
TURN your dog upside down, with his back against your chest.
WITH both arms, give sharp thrusts to the abdomen.
AFTER 5 thrusts, stop and check to see if the object is visible in the airway. If so remove it and give 2 mouth-to-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths do not go in, repeat HEIMLICH.
In some cases, your dog is too large to pick up. You can lay him on his side, and make a fist. Put your fist into the hollow beneath the rib cage, then push firmly inward and upward. Repeat 5 times, and then check to see if the object has been dislodged.
If, after a few attempts, it is still lodged, but you can still hear wheezing and some noise when your dog is breathing, then you have time to rush to your vet.
CPR. If your dog completely stops breathing, then you will have to know the CPR steps (see below).
After the airway has been opened, you may need to give artificial respiration.
CLOSE your dog's mouth and breathe directly into his nose until his chest expands. If the chest doesn't expand then go back to STEP 2 – "AIRWAY" (see CPR below).
VENTILATE at 15 breaths per minute. One BREATH every 4 seconds.
PROCEED to STEP 4 – "CIRCULATION" (see CPR below).

In some cases of choking, your pet's mouth has been injured. This means feeding a soft food for 7-14 days while the wounds heal.

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)

See Pet CPR Video here.

Assess Responsiveness. Before you start CPR, ensure that your pet is not still breathing, and their heart is not beating. If so, they DON'T need CPR.
AIRWAY. Establish a PATENT airway. Perform 2 rescue breaths by wrapping your hand around their muzzle and blowing into their nose. If the chest rises, then the airway is patent. If the chest DOES NOT rise, then you need to check for an OBSTRUCTION. If this is the case then you need to do the HEIMLICH. In this procedure you are holding your pet upside down, their head is pointing down and their spine is against your body. You give 5 sharp thrusts to the abdomen – you are putting force on the abdomen to help dislodge any obstruction.
ONCE you have a patent airway – you give 2 rescue breaths. When you see the chest rise and fall, and you know that the airway is open, then you proceed to Step 4 – Circulation.
CIRCULATION. In this step you are compressing the chest, and that in turn compresses the heart. This is best performed by having your pet on their right side. The heart is easiest located on the left side of the chest, behind the left armpit. For a large dog use 2 hands, For a cat use your thumb and forefinger. Compress 15 compressions – 3 compressions every 2 seconds, then follow this up with 2 rescue breath.

Continue until your pet starts breathing again or you have emergency care at a Veterinarian.

Sources: http://www.petspawsibilities.com/?p=285
http://www.theinternetpetvet.com/dog-and-cat-cpr-do-this-if-your-pet-stops-breathing/
Copyright © Four Paws Online Ltd.

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