Happy Holidays and Winter Pet Safety Tips

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Happy Holidays Everyone!  I hope you get some time to relax with family between all those pet house visits this week.  We are having an snow storm today in Dallas Fort Worth after a beautiful day of 75F yesterday! The weather is so fickle here :)  Wherever you are - keep warm and safe and enjoy the celebration!  Here are some tips for keeping your pets safe during the winter months:

Winter time is here, and now is the time to take all the extra precautions to keep your pets safe in the cold weather.  If your pets stay indoors there is less things to worry about then if you have outdoor pets. Indoor animals can keep warm and dry, but if your pets are outdoors they run the risk of serious illness or even death caused by the cold.  Even if you have a dog house, that may not be enough protection against harsh winds and cold.  Make sure the doorway is covered or closed, and be sure to have a lot of warm blankets.  Older pets should never be left outside in cold climates, and if your pet does not have a thick coat, then it will not do well in extreme cold.  Here are some things to watch out for in the winter months.
Metal bowls - Anything metal that you keep food or water in can become a great hazard to pets outside in the cold.  Pets tongues can get stuck to the cold metal and injure themselves by trying to pull away or run.  As a solution, switch to plastic or ceramic bowls until the temperature gets warmer again.

Ice salt - Chemicals and salt that are used to melt the winter snow can be toxic to your dogs or cats. They can pick it up on their paws and lick off the salt, causing upset stomach, or other sickness.  Be sure to wash your pet’s paws in warm water after walks or extended periods outside.

Car engines - Before you start up your car, always check under the car to be sure no animals have crawled up into the engine.  Cats and raccoons are drawn to the heat of your car, and you may find one cuddled up beneath the car engine to keep out of the harsh weather.  If you start the car before checking, it could cause the animal serious injury or death.  To avoid damage to them and your car, bang on the hood or honk your horn to scare any animals away.

Dehydration - If your cat or dog spends a lot of time outside you’ll need to increase the amount of food and water you give them, because keeping warm requires a large amount of energy.  Try a heated bowl to prevent the water from freezing.  Provide them with extra food because of the calories they burn generating heat.

Lost pets - More pets are reported lost in the winter months than in any other season.  This is due to the fact that they lose track of the scent of home, because of snow and sleet.  This causes them to become disoriented and run away.  Be sure to keep your dogs on a leash at all times during walks.  This is also a good practice if you live near water.  An animal may run over to a pond, and fall through the ice. During these cold months, keep a close eye on your pets.

Frostbite - No matter how long your pet is exposed to temperatures below zero, they can still get frostbite.  Most cases are seen in the feet, nose or ears.  Check to see if skin looks grey or white and may be peeling.  The best way to prevent it is to remove any snow or ice from their fur and paws right away.

The winter months can be harsh not only on us, but also on our pets, so take some extra time to ensure the best environment for them in the cold weather.  If you do, you and your pets can enjoy the season a little better.

Guest Article - Danger! Some Food Isn’t For Dogs!

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Today’s article was sent in to me by Hayley – an 11 year old in th 5th grade.  Hayley has written a great piece to remind us of the danger of some everyday foods to our dogs. Especially important as we celebrate this weekend - keep that party food away from your pets. Thanks Hayley and keep up the great writing!

DANGER! Some Food Isn’t For Dogs!

Not all human foods are that great for dogs. Be careful not to feed your dogs the following foods:

Alcohol: Dogs absorb alcohol extremely quickly. Dogs can have seizures, have kidney damage, or maybe even die.

Chocolate: Chocolate contains theobromine as well as caffeine and both are highly toxic for dogs. The darker that the chocolate is, the worse it is for your dog but baking chocolate is the worst.

Coffee: Coffee also contains caffeine which again is highly toxic to dogs. Even if its decaf still don’t give them that, regular coffee, or any type of coffee or coffee bean candy.

Onions: Onions may taste yummy to us but are very treacherous to dogs. Raw and cooked onions can cause hemolytic anemia, the destruction of red blood cells. This is a serious condition- it can even cause death.

Garlic: This one can be confusing because as you know its often used in commercial dog foods. A little garlic is ok but a lot is not. If your dog consumes garlic in large amounts it can cause a serious condition called hemolytic anemia.

Grapes and Raisins: These simple, delicious snacks may sound healthy to us, but not to dogs! Expert veterinarians aren’t exactly sure why, but raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs.

Macadamia Nuts: Not that anyone would want to release these precious Hawaiian delicacies from their grasp but macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs so be careful!

Top 10 Pet Medical Situations Requiring Immediate Vet Care

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A real quick pet health tip for you tonight.  Some pet medical situations are best handled by a qualified vet.

If your pet or the pets of your clients have any of the following symptoms - you need to take immediate action and get them to the nearest vet clinic.

1. Trauma - Head, Chest or Abdomen
2. Seizure - Prolonged or First Time
3. Arterial Bleeding
4. Fractures
5. Poisoning
6. Shock
7. Respiratory Distress
8. Inability to Walk
9. Bloat
10. Unconciousness

Even if the pet recovers from the situation or their condition improves - you should still take them to the vet for a full check up.  You don’t want to risk another relapse when you are not around to care for the pet.

Warning - Cocoa Mulch Poisonous For Dogs and Cats

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Please tell every dog or cat owner you know. Even if  you don’t have a pet, please pass this to those  who do.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab  mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from  Target to use in their garden. They loved  the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep  cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to  eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a  few times which was typical when she eats  something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the  walk, she had a seizure and died instantly

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the  label, upon further investigation on the  company’s website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa  Mulch  is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim  that ‘It is true that studies have shown that  50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer  physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending  on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.’

This  Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.snopes.com%2Fcritters%2Fcrusader%2Fcocoamulch.asp

Cocoa  Mulch,  which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden  Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient  called ‘ Theobromine’ . It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths  already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.  Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark  or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs.  Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound  similar in effects to caffeine and  theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal  quantity of garden mulch made from cacao  bean shells developed severe convulsions  and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells  revealed the presence of lethal amounts of  theobromine.

What If the Dog Won’t Eat?

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What If WednesdayWhat do you do if you are pet sitting a dog and suddenly he decides that he is not interested in eating?  In the past 5 years I have had plenty of case studies of dogs with no appetite.  I’ve usually coaxed them to eat one way or another - some ways easier and safer than others!

When I searched the internet for “dogs that won’t eat” I got a huge number of forum postings come up written by anxious pet owners - worried that their pup had suddenly lost interest in their food. It’s a common problem and it can have many causes.  It can be a symptom of a serious health problem - so never take it lightly when caring for your clients pets.

One of the most common reasons that pets in the care of a pet sitter won’t eat is stress or anxiety. Dogs suffering from separation anxiety because their owners have left often will not eat their food. However, I find that usually they will eat treats! Eating treats is a good sign.  If they won’t even eat their favorite snacks then this can be a sign of a more serious problem.  Typically if a dog suffers from loss of appetite when an owner is away - the owner will warn you at the pre-sitting interview.  I have had many owners let me know that last time Max was left with a sitter or friend that he didn’t eat.  Sometimes they tell me to mix a little wet food into their food to tempt them, and other owners just tell me to let him eat when he’s hungry.

I have had dogs that will eat when I add a little grated cheese, peanut butter, or chicken broth to their dry food - BUT don’t add things to a dogs food to tempt him to eat unless you have the OK from the dogs owner as many dogs suffer from food allergies.

Some other reasons that dogs may lose their appetite include:

1) Hot weather.  Make sure the dog has plenty of water and somewhere to get out of the sun.

2) Male dogs often won’t eat if there is a female dog in heat around

3) An injury to the mouth or a gum condition such as an abcessed tooth that makes it painful to chew

4) Parasites such as intestinal worms. Other symptoms of worms include lethargy, weakness, and bloated abdomen

5) Puppies that are teething. For small dogs this usually occurs between ages of 4-8 months. For larger dog breeds between 6-10 months.

Loss of appetite can also be a symptom of a serious medical condition such as cancer, thyroid disease, heart disease, or pulmonary disease - especially in older dogs.  If a dog does not eat for more than 2 days you should immediately take them to a vet and have them perform a full check up.

A dog should also be given immediate vet care if you see any of the following symptoms as well as loss of appetite:

1) Vomitting

2) Diarhea or constipation

3) Stools with traces of blood

4) Stools with remains of worms

5) Lethargy

If you have a dog that does not want to eat then do your detective work to try and identify any of these symptoms early.  Don’t panic - if these symptoms are not present then the dog will probably eat when it gets hungry, so give him a couple of visits and see what he does.  If a dog hasn’t eaten any food or treats for two days then contact the owner and/or take them to be checked by a veterinarian.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

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