Happy Easter!

Rascal and his Easter basket!

Rascal loved this basket! Even before he took the toy out of it, he was rubbing on it and sticking his head down into the basket. He's such a funny cat! His goodies included a stuffed ice cream cone toy (the big hit of the items!), some chicken strip treats, some cat nip, some fish flavored treats, and some bubbles (sometimes he enjoys chasing bubbles).

Mumble and his Easter basket!

At first Mumble was much more interested in Rascal's basket. I think he was trying to figure out what was so great about it that was making Rascal so excited! Finally, he nosed around in his basket and pulled out a toy. His goodies included a new collar (really cute collar with bumble bees and little dogs w/ bee wings), some chicken strips, rawhides, soft treats, and two toys.

Mumble got one of those toys that has an empty water bottle inside and makes a loud crinkling noise. He's always trying to steal empty bottles to chew them up, so I thought this was a good choice for a toy for him. He loved it, and has been chewing on it every day since!

Rascal's toy was a stuffed ice cream cone. It's really a dog toy, but he already plays with Mumble's toys, so that doesn't really matter. For Rascal, a toy's worth is determined mostly by the texture of the fabric. The fabric on this toy was similar to a small cat toy shaped like a strawberry that he already has and loves, so I knew he'd like it. He must have played with it for a good 20 minutes when he first pulled it out of the basket!

Goodies for New Pet Parents

I love to give gifts. It is truly one of my greatest pleasures in life to give someone something and know that they will love it! So when a friend or relative gets a new pet, that is a great excuse to buy them presents!

Earlier this week, I shipped a care package off to my friend Mandy's mom in Pennsylvania, who just adopted a Black and Tan Coonhound named Semper Fi (yes, just like Mandy's dog Chopper).

Here's a picture of the stuff in the box getting ready to ship out:

And here's a picture of Semper Fi and her new stuff:

As I was gathering the stuff up to mail, I thought about all the goodies I've given to my friend's dogs when they are first adopted. There are certain things I like to give, that I think are good gifts for a new pet owner. While I order a lot of stuff for my pets online, the things I usually get for a gift for a new pet parent are things I can find at Petco, Petsmart or some other local pet store.

Here's some examples:

Treat toys: treat-dispensing toys are great because they have the capability of keeping your dog occupied and entertained - even when he/she is alone! The new pet parent may not realize right away what an important role this type of toy is going to play with their dogs, so its a great gift for a more experienced pet parent to give them. Mumble has a LOT of treat-dispensing toys. I like these for a good new-pet gift:


Petstages Occupi Treat Dispensing Toy

My sister gave one of these to Mumble one year for a Christmas present, and its a great toy. It can hold small treats and also have a skinny bone or something placed in the end. They sell specific "busy sticks" that fit into it, but I've found that other things will also work. Also, it doesn't role around like the typical treat toy, giving the dog something different to keep him occupied.









Kong Biscuit Ball

Kong has a whole line of toys that are great for keeping dogs occupied. Everyone knows about the traditional Kong toy (the one that's kind of funny shaped, and you can fill with peanut butter), but I really like the Biscuit ball. You can use different types of dog biscuits inside (we like Drs. Foster & Smith's Organic Biscuits), and they kind of "lock" into the bone shaped cut outs. The dog then is occupied by getting those bones out of there!





Poo bags: It's kind of like giving diapers at a shower; a new parent can never have too many! I usually add a few rolls to any new pet parent gift.

Other toys: Going to the toy aisle in the pet store is very overwhelming - there are soooo many options! Squeaky toys, rope toys, things to play tug-of-war with, tennis balls, frisbees, chew toys, "activity" toys! I remember the first day that Mandy adopted Chopper and we went to Petco after leaving the adoption event. We didn't know what in the world he would want to play with, but she had coupons in the little booklet for newly adopted dogs that included toy coupons. We tried to pick out a couple of different types to try out, and I'm pretty sure that at least one of them never got played with. It's hard to tell what will be a "hit" with your dog! Although every dog is different, experienced pet parents may know of some great tried-and-true toy options that any dog would love, and these would make a great gift! Here are some of the toys I've given as gifts:



Sherpa Go Dog Plush Dragons (and Dinosaurs)

What a new pet parent may not yet know, is that a stuffed toy is just waiting to be un-stuffed by the dog! Go Dog's "plush" dragons don't have stuffing to be removed and strewn about your house. Instead, they have "Chew Guard technology" - a layer of material that helps to make the toys less destructible. I first bought this as a gift for my sister's dog Penny, who can destroy even the toughest toys. Her dragon now has some holes, but it has lasted past other toys and is well-loved. They also make Dinosaur versions, which are real cute as well.



Treats: This is another aisle (or aisles) that can be very overwhelming! There are so many different varieties and options! There are lots of articles out there about good ingredients for dog food, but what about treats? How is a new pet parent to know if they are giving their dog good treats or something with the nutritional value of cardboard? I like to give new dogs treats as part of their present because new parents will need lots of treats for training (and what dog doesn't love treats?). Some of the better treats I've found, and that I like to give, include the following:

Zuke's "Mini Naturals" - Zuke's is a brand of dog and cat treats that are all wheat and corn free, with no "fillers" or additives. They have lots of good treats to choose from, but I think the "Mini Naturals" are perfect as a gift because they are really great training treats! They must have a strong flavor (they certainly have a strong smell) because dogs practically salivate for them, making it a "high interest" treat. Plus, they are a great tiny size, perfect for when you have to give your dog a million treats during those initial training phases.

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Treats - Natural Balance makes great dog food, and their line of "limited ingredient treats" is a good option for dry or "crunchy" biscuit-type treats. As a dog is getting use to the new food his new parent is feeding him, it may be a good idea to give him "limited ingredient" treats so he isn't getting use to too many new ingredients all at one time, causing an upset tummy.

Other items and What not to give:

There are many items that a new pet parent is going to need, some of which they may not even yet be aware that they were need. These might include small, generic items like food and water bowls, plastic lids for covering unused wet food, brushes and combs, bath wipes, There are big items like crates and beds. Also included are more personal items, like id tags, collars, etc. I think that simple items like the can covers are a great gift. Also, a good quality plain leather 6-foot leash is an excellent choice - a leather leash will last forever and will be much more comfortable for use than most any other leash out there. Generally, however, I'd steer clear of items that are more personal in nature, like collars or beds, as the new pet parent will likely want to pick those things out herself!

In the end, there are so many things a dog needs, many that a new pet parent won't even think of, so any gift for a new pet is going to be much appreciated!

April 2011 Deals

I keep finding all of these Groupons or other online deals for dog treats & goodies, so I decided to start a monthly (perhaps more frequently, we'll see) post about some of these great opportunities! Here are some current ones for you to check out:

Doggieloot: $15 for $30 worth of stuff at Baxter & Bailey Co.

If you haven't checked out doggieloot.com, you are definitely missing out! Click here to go to their site. Doggieloot's current deal (as of April 19th) is for a discount off of products at Baxter & Bailey Co., which sells higher end treats, fancy collars & leashes, blankets & beds, and more. They have a great collection of doggie spa products! Doggieloot's deals work like a groupon - you pre-purchase a deal where you pay a specified amount to get a credit for a higher amounts worth of stuff. Check out this deal here.

Daily Candy Deals: 50% off of merchandise at WonderDog New York

Daily Candy usually has deals and great insider information on fashion & pampering type of products. Today's Daily Candy Deal is all about fashion and pampering for the dogs! The deal is 50% off at WonderDog, a company that sells dog leashes, collars and apparel. Check out their great collection of cute leashes and collars - for the dog that needs a little fashion! This deal works the same way as the doggieloot one - you pay $40 and you get a $80 credit for your purchase of stuff at the WonderDog website. Check it out here.

Groupon: $85 for 5 one-hour dog walks from Rover Kennels

A groupon for dog walking services! What?! This is definitely an exciting deal for all of us with busy schedules whose dogs need some attention during the day! For $85 you get 5 one-hour dog walks from Rover Kennels, a $175 value! I can tell you, $85 for 5 walks (or $17 per walk) is actually a pretty good deal, as even most independent dog walkers charge more than that! This is a local deal, so it is only available in certain areas (the list includes most places in the West LA area). Now, I don't know anything about this Rover Kennels place, so I will not venture to opine about the quality of their services one way or another, but the groupon site indicates that they received a "Best of Culver City" rating - and I'm sure you can find some reviews of them online as well! Mumble is currently in need of a dog walker, so I may be taking advantage of this one myself! Click here to check out this deal.

Happy saving!

p.s. here's an UPDATE:

Just after I posted this, doggieloot switched over to a new deal and the one mentioned above is no longer available. The new deal is pretty sweet too - it's 50% off of Happy Tails Dog Spa products - you pay $20 for the deal, and get $40 worth of credit to spend on the Happy Tails website! Happy Tails sells great grooming products, like shampoos and conditions, and has a good selection of specialty products like itchy skin care, dental products, and even tonics like their "sleepytime tonic" for anxious or stressed dogs. Check out the deal here.

Free Pet Safety Pack

Here is a great freebie from the ASPCA - On their website, you can request a free Pet Safety Pack, which includes a window decal to alert rescue personnel that there are pets inside your home, and a magnet with information for pet poison control. In case of a fire or other emergency, you definitely want rescuers to know there are pets in need of rescue too!

Go to this link for the free decal: http://www.aspca.org/about-us/free-aspca-stuff/free-pet-safety-pack.aspx

iPhone Apps for Pet Parents

I love my iPhone and frequently say that it changed my life. And of course, I love my pets. So naturally, I am always looking for cool iPhone apps related to pets and designed to help out the busy pet parents. Here is a rundown of some of the apps I've tried out:

CU Pet Health

This app was created by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine to help pet parents track health related information. I've probably read about dozens of these "pet health apps," some of which will be discussed below, and most of them have pretty much the same features. You can track your pet's vaccine records / due dates, medications, reminders for vet appointments, medical conditions, etc. You can either input information about your vet or link to your phone's contacts. But what sets this one apart (and why I purchased it even though I already had some of the other apps on my phone) is the "Daily Diet" feature. A little green button on the front page that says "Cal" takes you to an info page about your pet's daily diet. From there, you insert information about what your pet eats on a daily basis, including the serving size and calorie content of each item. In addition to typical dog food items (some of which is preprogrammed), you can add information about treats your dog eats, "human food," etc. Since Mumble eats a combination of organic wet food, commercial dry food, "human foods" including pumpkin and sweet potatoes, and sometimes additional foods to address his digestive issues, I find this feature very useful. Online, I've only ever been able to locate tools that calculate recommended portions based on a single item and its calorie content, so to be able to have a combination of items and see what is recommended, and what the overall calorie intake is from what I'm already feeding him, is amazingly helpful, especially in light of those four pounds Mumble is supposed to be losing.

Natural Pet Health

If you've read this blog before, you probably know that I LOVE Dr. Shawn Messonnier's book The Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats because it is such a great resource regarding supplements, holistic and homeopathic treatments, etc, which is such a critical part of keeping a dog like Mumble healthy. Dr. Shawn's Natural Pet Therapies app is like a mini-version of his resource guides, providing information about various pet health topics and remedies. Although it is obviously much less comprehensive than his books (or other resources available), and won't meet your needs if you are looking for in-depth information, it is great for quick on-the-go information at your fingertips. For each health "topic" listed, there is a page with an overview of the health issue, and another page with descriptions of common treatments for that ailment.

Care.com

Care.com is a great online website that provides a directory of available providers for pet care, child care, etc. I've used this to find dog walkers / pet sitters and found it to be very user friendly. The iPhone app is complimentary to the website, and provides on-the-go information. From the app, you can search for providers, check your messages, send messages to possible providers, post a job listing, and other things you could also do online.

OffLeash

The Off Leash Dog Parks app is a park locator that utilizes the iPhone's map / GPS features. This is a brilliantly simple, user friendly app with no unnecessary frills. Simply click on the app, and it will first locate you, and then list out the nearby dog parks in your community. If you click on one of the choices, you will be taken to the iPhone's map application, where you can get directions to that particular park. This would be great for people traveling with their pets or in a new city. (Note: There are other apps that do the same thing, such as - Dog Park Finder Plus and the Eukanuba Dog Park app).

Pet First Aid

This is a great app! Although I don't use it often (thank goodness), I have perused it so that I would be familiar with it should I ever need it. It has quick, useful information about all kinds of pet emergency situations, instructions for first aid and quick treatment, and embedded links between pages for further in-depth reading. You also have the ability to input vital health information about your pets right into the app, so you could use this as a pet health tracker as well.

PetMD Finder

This app allows you to locate veterinary offices and clinics nearby, which would be a great resource to have in an emergency when you need to know the quickest place to take your pet. In addition to locating nearby emergency clinics and vets, you can also use it to find groomers, dog walkers, and other professionals. My only problem with this app is that it doesn't seem to be that thorough / comprehensive, and I'm not sure if all of the available options are really included in what it will show you. Still, it is comforting to know that you can find someone quickly when you need to. PetMD has other available apps, which I haven't yet tried out, including apps with explanations of pet health symptoms and apps with first aid information. There is even one that claims to put "veterinary terminology" at your fingertips.

Pet Dossier

Pet Dossier lives up to its claim to be a "lifestyle information organizer for your pets." In the age when pet owners are busy, but no less caring, and people in general turn more and more to their mobile phones to organize their lives, this is a great app for pet parents. After trying out various pet info organizers on my iPhone, this is the one I've settled on as being the best fit for my needs. I can input separate pages for Rascal and for Mumble. For each pet, you can input general information like microchip and license numbers, health related information, medications, notes, and descriptions related to your pet's lifestyle. Additionally, one of the things I like best is that you can access your iPhone's existing contacts and input them into various contacts categories in the app, like "Boarding," "Pet Sitting," "Training," "Vet," etc. This is a time saver, because really why should you have to retype everyone's contact information again and again? The app has the ability to set reminders for you for vaccines, medications, flea drops, and vet appointments. It then uses "push notifications" (like many other types of apps) to alert you of these reminders. And, of course, you can also upload one of those adorable pictures you took on your phone for each pet's page!

Dog Safety and First Aid!

Pet safety is a topic every pet parent should be educated on. Dogs are pretty accident prone in general - eating things they shouldn't, getting injured in situations ranging from simple accidents while playing to trauma from car accidents, having things caught in their paw, mouth, eye, etc. Dogs (and cats) vomit, get diarrhea, cough or gag, limp, are lethargic, or experience a host of other symptoms from a variety of causes, and our pets can't explain to us how they feel or "where it hurts." If you google the terms "common pet emergencies" or "common pet injuries" you'll get a whole host of explanations for the types of things that can happen!

Here are a few examples of "emergencies" I've experienced with Mumble:

Laceration from moving his crate - When Mumble was 5 months old, on the day he had his neutering surgery, he had to be crated while I took a friend to the emergency room (it was not a good day all around for emergencies). Mumble decided he didn't want to be there in his crate that day, and experienced an "opposite reaction" to his sedative, basically meaning he had super-dog strength. From inside his crate, he moved it about 7-8 feet across the room by continuously throwing his body against the side of it. Problem? There was one of those water bottles attached to the side of the crate that has the little metal spout that the dogs drink from, and this basically gashed Mumble's back open. This didn't stop him from continuing to move the crate, so by the time I got home, the gash was pretty bad.

Eating plastic bags - Mumble went through a phase where he thought plastic bags were the most delicious things ever. I once came home and found part of one on the floor, and thought "at least he didn't eat all of it." Turned out, however, that he had actually gotten inside the kitchen cabinet (a high one) and climbed up it, and pulled all of the plastic bags out of the dispenser and eaten most of them.

Sudden limping - Mumble had an injury recently, and I had no idea when or how it occurred, but suddenly one morning we went out for our usual walk and he was limping.

Allergic reactions - Mumble's had allergic reactions to all kinds of things, resulting in sneezing and wheezing all night, foaming at the mouth, itching and scratching to the point of making the skin around his face bleed, and panting heavily. Mumble also once had an adverse reaction to vaccinations, which made him extremely sick and lethargic.

Car accident - Mumble was in the car with me when I had a car accident. Thankfully, he was not hurt, but it really made me realize how much I need to know what to do in an emergency if he is injured!

Each of these ended up in either a visit to the vet or an emergency phone call to the on-call vet for instructions. Thankfully, none of these incidents has ended up with serious injury or illness, and Mumble has come out ok every time. Still, accidents are not infrequent with pets, so we should all be prepared!

Enter the Pet Safety Seminar at Zoom Room Culver City. The Zoom Room had guest speaker Melanie Monteiro, author of "The Safe Dog Handbook," give a talk to a group of dog owners about pet safety tips, first aid, and emergency preparedness.

First off, I highly recommend Melanie's book. You can order it online at this link. I bought a copy at her talk that night, and I've already read it cover to cover. The book is so practical and user-friendly, it is definitely a must for the shelf of any pet parent. If you google Melanie, you will also not only find her website and more information about her, but also videos on youtube with tips and info about pet safety.

At the talk, Melanie gave us great insight into the importance of being prepared and of prevention. Prevention is the biggest key to pet safety! Even though we've all been told to "puppy-proof" our homes, Melanie explained that poisoning from substances like rat poison is still common!

Being prepared for an emergency includes simple things like having all of your pet's emergency contact numbers handy (the vet, the after-hours vet, the poison control hotline, etc) to having a well-stocked first aid and emergency kit. One of the most interesting things I learned is how to read your dog's vital signs - Melanie explained that it is important to know how to do this not only in response to a crisis but in order to be prepared for a crisis. You should know your dog's vital signs at their "normal" state so that you have something to compare to.

Melanie also demonstrated some pet first aid / emergency response skills. She showed us how to make a muzzle out of gauze, for situations when your pet needs to have medical attention and you want to prevent biting, which can be common in times of stress. She taught us which way to hold a dog that is injured if you have to carry it - with the wound towards your body, cradling the dog from underneath. She demonstrated (on a moving dog dummy) how to give a dog CPR, including the chess compressions and the respiration. For "mouth to mouth" on a pet, you do not breath into your dog's mouth, but into their nose! She showed us how to form a "seal" around the dog's (or cat's) nostrils in order to do CPR properly.

Melanie's book has a comprehensive list of all of the things that you should have in a pet first aid kit. There are also lots of resources online to help guide you. At a later date, I'll put together a list on this blog of all of the things that I have in my pet first aid kit, which I am working on putting together now!

I came away from the class with a lot of useful information, tips, and resources regarding pet safety, and definitely feel like I am now more prepared for emergency situations. I think this type of class is something every pet parent should take! There are lots of options you can find, from seminar-type classes, to intensive skill-based lessons.

Here is a list of resources for pet safety and first aid classes, and other related resources:

Melanie Monteiro's Pet Safety videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MelanieLMonteiro

The Safe Dog Handbook: http://www.thesafedoghandbook.com/index.html

Classes and First Aid Training by Melanie Monteiro: http://www.thesafedoghandbook.com/services.html

PetTech's PetSaver classes on pet first aid, CPR training, etc: http://www.pettech.net/programs.html

Dog First Aid book by the Red Cross: http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=95

Cat First Aid book by the Red Cross: http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=160&Page=1&StartAtPage=1&SId=201374&LocationId=0

PETCO's Pet First Aid online classes: http://www.petco.com/product/100690/PETCO-Online-Pet-First-Aid-Course.aspx

Online info from the American Veterinary Medical Association: First Aid Tips for Pet Parents: http://www.avma.org/firstaid/

Online info from the American Animal Hospital Association: Health Pets - Pet First Aid: http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare

About.com's article on First Aid for Pets: http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/farnfirstaidtip.htm

First Aid Kits for Pets:

American Red Cross Deluxe Kit: http://www.entirelypets.com/petfirstaiddx.html
American Red Cross First Aid Pack: http://www.entirelypets.com/nepetfiaidki.html
Pet First Aid Kit: http://www.sitstay.com
Various kits by petfirstaid.org: http://www.petfirstaid.org/products.html

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall

While I was out of town last week, and Mumble was being boarded, I had a bit of a scare about his dry food because I heard the news of a recall of Blue Buffalo brand dog food. Mumble eats the Blue Buffalo Adult Chicken dry food mixed in with his wet food every day. This was one of the "flavors" on the recall list, and since I had left his food with the boarding facility in small baggies, pre-portioned for each meal, rather than the entire bag of food, there was no way for anyone to check to see if the food was one of the specific "batches" recalled! I had to have the boarding people just stop giving him the dry food altogether, just in case. Thankfully, they were able to make up the difference in his meals by supplementing his wet food with a little bit of cooked chicken and rice (which I'm sure he thought was much better anyway).

When I got back home I was able to check the bag, and thankfully it wasn't on the recall list anyway! So I don't have to worry about Mumble getting sick from the amount that he ate out of that bag before I heard about the recall.

Blue Buffalo was able to pinpoint exactly which batches of food had been affected, and even ascertained exactly how it happened. You can read the press release on their website here. If you feed your dog one of the "flavors" on the list, the way you determine if your dog food is affected is by looking at the expiration date. Here is the list from the Blue Buffalo website:

Product	Bag Size	Best Used By Dates
BLUE Wilderness Chicken (Dog)	4.5 lb., 11 lb., 24lb.	JUL1211B, JUL1311B, JUL2611Z, JUL2711Z, JUL2811Z
BLUE Basics Salmon (Dog)	11 lb., 24 lb.	AUG2111B, AUG2211B
BLUE Large Breed Adult Chicken	30 lb.	SEP 22 11 P, SEP 23 11 P, OCT 26 11 P

The recall is due to the discovery by the company of the presence of vitamin D in the product at levels "higher than specifications." According to the Blue Buffalo website, and other information available on the web related to this recall, excessive amounts of vitamin D can be harmful to pets. The FDA indicates that 36 cases have been reported nationwide of illness related to the excessive amounts of vitamin D in the recalled food (read here for more from the FDA on this recall). Blue Buffalo's website states that it will reimburse veterinary bills associated with illness as a result of the recalled food.

I was personally very curious about this vitamin D issue. Mumble eats a pretty healthy diet - his wet food is organic, and he has various supplements added to each meal. I've been reading a lot about supplements and "natural health" for pets lately, due to the high levels of supplements Mumble has to be on. So I was really curious about how a vitamin that you would believe to be beneficial, or at least not harmful, could cause so much concern. What I read was really interesting. According to many articles, etc, including the "Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats" by Shawn Messioner (I love this book!), the most common cause of vitamin D toxicity is from a dog ingesting rat poison! Of course, we all know that rat poison is one of the most common causes of poisoning to pets, but I never thought about it being linked to something as benign sounding as vitamin D.

There is an interesting article I found online on this subject, written by a veterinarian. You can read it at this link. According to Dr. Huston, vitamin D toxicity causes hypercalcemia, a condition that causes a whole gambit of problems and affects the dog's internal organs. The list of possible symptoms of vitamin D toxicity in her website is much more extensive, but with some consistency, than the list on the recall information websites. (*You can also read about vitamin toxicities at the PetPlace website).

The most alarming information I found, at least as it directly relates to Mumble, is the link between fish oil supplements and vitamin D toxicity. Apparently, fish oil supplements are known to be a good source of vitamin D, but it is possible for a pet parent to "overdose" their pet by providing too much of the supplement and causing vitamin D toxicity to occur. Mumble is on a fish oil with probiotics supplement, which, after much trial and error with various other probiotics, etc, was the best thing for him in terms of helping with all of his digestive issues. The fish oil also has a positive impact on his skin allergies. So the information about fish oil and vitamin D was definitely a reminder to me about how important it is to be extra careful with giving him the right amounts. It also made me very grateful for our vet, Dr. Shane, who is excellent at natural remedies and holistic approaches to health, and carefully helps me to monitor all of Mumble's supplements and dietary needs.