Do More With Your Dog

Do More With Your Dog is the brainchild of Kyra Sundance. Kyra is a dog trainer and dog lover, and she has assembled all sorts of ideas all with the goal of getting people to do more with their dogs.

I came across Do More With Your Dog when I was looking for something to help me do some trick training with my standard poodle, Ditto. I found one of Kyra Sundance's books on dog tricks, and have since found and used more of her products: she has a podcast where she talks about dogs, training and more; she has a handful of books on training and dogs; she has little kits with dog training supplies and instructions for specific tricks; and she has created the Trick Dog Title as a goal for you and your dog to work towards together.

After a few months of working on tricks together, Ditto and I are ready to pass off the novice level of his Trick Dog Title! I am so proud of us. I feel like practicing tricks helps the two of us bond, and also helps Ditto be intellectually stimulated and improves his behavior--not to mention just being fun. I really encourage you to take up Kyra Sundance's challenge to do more with your pet. It's so great when you do. 

Penguin Love

I recently heard a spot on the radio about Utah's Living Planet Aquarium--specifically, about the Gentoo penguins housed there. A representative talked about an adorable mating ritual the birds practice. So often, animals' habits and instincts are hard for us as humans to relate to (ahem, how your friend's dog greets you). It is delightful to find a practice that's so relatable.

The pets on the website mom.me explains it this way:

"Humans give flowers and candy when wooing a lady. Penguins give rocks. Not just any rocks, though -- male gentoo penguins search through piles of pebbles to find the smoothest, most perfect ones. When a penguin has selected his pebble, he presents it to his intended companion. If she approves, she puts the stone in her nest and the two are well on their way to becoming mommy and daddy birds. Pebbles are so important to the penguins that males often fight over the prettiest selections."

Lost Pets and Pet Amber Alert

hollowcrown_ / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

I recently saw a printed fax for a kitty that came from a service called Pet Amber Alert. "What a great idea!" I thought. But after spending some time looking into the paid service, it looks like this is a service that is a bit more complex than I originally thought.

On their website, Pet Amber Alert explains they call "thousands" of neighbors about your pet in addition to faxing and emailing a lost pet poster to local veterinarians, animal shelters, animal control, police stations, media outlets, pet stores, and "neighborhood watch volunteers."

One newspaper article, however, reported on a family who found they were paying for the service months after they cancelled it--because it hadn't helped them find their beloved dog. Another newspaper reported a similar service did not seem to actually have completed the calls and faxes as promised.

So if these services do not necessarily follow through with their promised services, what can you do in the case of a lost pet?

Part of the answer to that question is in prevention. Make sure your pets have current tags they wear all the time--an easy way for anyone to identify where he or she lives. Also, be sure your pet gets a microchip. This is a small device about the grain of rice that is inserted under your pet's skin by your vet during a visit (they don't even have to stay over night). It is programmed with a unique identification number registered to you. In the event your pet gets lost, someone at a vet clinic or animal shelter can use a scanner to read the chip's number and get your pet back to you. There are also now products on the market that allow you to track your pet by GPS when charged and attached to your pet's collar or harness.

Microchip Scanner

Tony Webster / Foter / CC BY

If your pet does wander off, it's important to get out there looking as soon as you see they're missing--that's when they're most likely to be closest to home. Most dogs are found by searching the neighborhood. Most cats, however, return home on their own. Also, if you find someone else's pet who has wandered off, taking them to the local shelter improves their odds of getting them safely home.

Here's to those lovely animals in our lives staying safe!

Adorable!

Take a look at this Huffington Post compilation of "cats who have mastered the art of collecting some TLC." 

It will melt your heart. 

Diet and Exercise--for your pet, too!

Today reported on this dachshund that lost 80% of his body weight with the help of a loving owner--simply through diet and exercise. Even if those treats make them happy, even if they beg while you're cooking, helping your pet watch his or her weight is just as important as you maintaining your own. And the "magic formula" is the same for them, too. Calories in=calories out. 

Check out the full story here. 

Cat Games

A good friend of mine recently got an adorable new kitten. It is sweet and playful in the way that only kittens are.

The other night I was at her house, and she pulled out her iPad to play with her little kitty. I was surprised! I didn't even know there's a whole genre of videos on YouTube for your cat.

This is the one her little kitten loves:

Poodle Love

A Fuzzy Valentine's Day

One thing I love about my dog: He's pretty darn consistent. I don't have to worry about how long it took him to respond to a text or whether I just put my foot in my mouth by telling him something stupid. And he's always happy to snuggle. Pretty much, I love him.

Valentine's Day is coming right up, and it's all about love--including love for our fuzzy friends. Need some ideas for special gifts to celebrate the day together?

How about some gourmet treats for the occasion?

A beautiful new collar?

A custom-made tag?

Or how about commissioning a portrait? 

Pet Dental Health Month

February is Pet Dental Health Month. Just like you, your pet needs regular teeth cleaning and may need other dental work. This is done with your pet up on an exam table, under anesthesia, by a veterinarian. They use some of the same tools your dentist does!

In honor of Pet Dental Health Month, schedule a dental at Forest Hills Pet Care by March 15th for your pet to receive 20% off the treatment!

Forest Hills Pet Care's website gives you access to information from the Veterinary Information Network library, including resources on dental care. An article from the resource by Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP suggests the following:

Do's and Don'ts of Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth

Don't use human toothpaste on your pet.

Do use a toothbrush without any paste at first so that your pet may get used to the object in the mouth before having to contend with flavor.

Don't attempt to clean the inner surface of your pet's teeth. Natural saliva cleans this surface on its own.

Do try to perform dental home care at least once daily.

Don't perform dental home care during the first week after a full dentistry in the hospital as your pet's gums may be tender.

Don't consider dental home care as an alternative to full dental cleaning if your pet has more advanced dental disease.

Dental Wipes, Rinses and PadsSome animals, especially those with tender gums, will not tolerate brushing but are more amenable to disinfecting wipes or pads. These products will wipe off plaque deposits from the surface of the tooth and, though they lack the ability to pick food particles out of the gum socket, they are probably the next best thing to brushing and, like brushing, these products are best used daily.

OraVet
This product addresses the convenience factor of pet dental care. Doing anything in a pet’s mouth daily year after year is a difficult habit for most people to establish. We have enough trouble taking care of our own teeth. Oravet is a wax-like substance applied once a week to the outer surface of the teeth with a swab (though it can be used even daily for pets with particularly bad gingivitis). Oravet prevents plaque from attaching to the tooth and provides a helpful mode of dental care on an easy to follow schedule.

Dental Treats
For many people, doing anything inside their pet’s mouth on a regular basis is simply never going to happen. Fortunately, all is not lost: chewing on a proper dental chew can reduce plaque by up to 69%. This may not be as good as brushing but it certainly beats doing nothing. There are many products available for both dogs and cats. How often does the pet need to chew? One study using the Pedigree Dentabone showed excellent results but dogs were provided with a chew bone six days a week. Many dogs are not as interested in chewing.

Not all chews are alike. Chewing provides abrasion against the tooth removing plaque and tartar. Some chews and biscuits include the ingredient hexametaphosphate, which prevents the mineralization of plaque into tartar. (In one study, two such biscuits daily removed 46% of tartar in time.) The Forte feline chews were found effective in reducing plaque and tartar but cats had to eat one chew daily to achieve benefit.

Greenies
This particularly popular chew treat has generated some recent controversy and deserves some special mention. The Greenie is a green chew treat for dogs, found effective in removing plaque and is generally found highly palatable to dogs. Original Greenies were made with wheat gluten that dissolved slowly in the stomach. Some pets swallowed large chunks of a Greenie, the Greenie failed to dissolve in the stomach and intestinal obstruction resulted. Some deaths were reported. Since then, the Greenie has been reformulated using soy instead of wheat. The new Greenie is actually flexible and its manufacturer feels past problems have been resolved. The new formulation came out mid-2006 and is available in both canine and feline treats. Both are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council, a group that awards its seal of approval to treats and diets showing scientific evidence of plaque and tartar retardation. See a list of the VOHC's approved products.

Sleep With Your Pet?

My dog sleeps with me.

He isn't a little dog, either. He's a great big 70-pound Standard Poodle. But he was still a puppy when I decided he could probably go the night in my room. And so since he was a little one, he's slept on my bed.

This doesn't always go smoothly. He's usually ready for bed before I am--it amazes me how his natural clock just takes over. He sleeps at about 9 or 10 at night, and is up for the day at about 6 or 7. Sometimes it makes me wish I worked that way. He'll curl up when he's ready to sleep, and if he gets to the bed before me, that usually means either right in the middle of it or with his head on my pillow.

Otherwise, when I climb in bed, his first reaction is to climb up and put his paws right on my chest and look me strait in the eye with his Poodle stare. 

And this is why I love having him on my bed at night. 

I pet him. He snuggles up right against me. He often puts his head on my legs. He's there so I can pet him and talk to him if I start getting the motor mind so many of us do at night that keeps us up.

He helps me sleep, and we bond. 

Is it okay to sleep with your pet, though? This was a question I Googled during those first puppy days--and I found some interesting information. 

• About half of dogs sleep with their owners in this country, and more than half of American cats

• The habit could be good or bad for your sleep. If Fido is hogging the covers and kicking, it could have a negative impact on your quality of sleep. But if you find having a pet there soothing, it could aid your sleep. Weigh the pros and cons for your situation.

• Closeness and touch have all sorts of positive benefits--for both of you.

• If you have allergies, sleeping with your pet in your bed could make your situation worse.

• Exposure to pets during childhood can actually give individuals lower rates of allergies and communicable disease during your lifetime. 

• An incontinent pet really shouldn't share your bed. Separate sleeping arrangements will probably make you both happier.

• Some studies have indicated some concern about the practice increasing the spread of disease between pets and their owners.

The conclusion? Weigh the pros and cons for you. Sleeping arrangements are just one more part of having a happy life with your pet.

Forest Hills Pet Care on Twitter!

Take a look! Forest Hills Pet Care is on Twitter. Find us @ForestHillsPet.

Source

Home for the Holidays

The holidays are a time to connect with others and gather with those you love. In our family, that also means we have a chance to get an updated picture with all of us--it's usually the only time everyone is in the same place. More and more, it seems, pets are included in these special family moments. They're part of the family! Do pets get included in your family portraits?

An article from She Knows suggests a few tips for a successful photo shoot with your non-human family member. First, pick a photographer who is pet-friendly. Next, consider the time of day for the shoot--if your kitty naps all afternoon or your pooch just wants to play in the morning (like mine), those are things to take into account. Check out their article for more info.

This post from Family Circle suggests you give your furry friend time to get familiar with big lenses and bright lights, and, if possible, take the picture in a familiar place. Also, your pet will appreciate some treats--both to help them do what you need them to, but also as a reward for their excellent behavior! 

Also, if you want to giggle at some pet family portraits gone wrong, take a look at this link! 

How Pets Improve Our Lives

I love my dog--he makes me laugh out loud, lets me snuggle with him, is excited to see me when I get home. But the benefits of having a pet aren't just anecdotal. Numerous studies have shown all sorts of benefits to having that creature in your life, from improving your blood pressure to improving your outlook on life. This article on Huffington Post lists nine ways pets improve our lives. Take a look. 

They Hate the Vet

Huffington Post recently posted a compilation of photos of pets at the vet. "Veterinarians are doing God's work," Simon McCormack wrote.  "They take care of the sick, disabled and most vulnerable of our household pets. But those pets hate them."

Take a look at their article.

Canines With A Cause

Deseret News

A few months ago, I read about a great new charitable organization based in Park City, Utah. Canines With a Cause takes dogs from shelters and works with prison inmates to train them as service dogs for veterans.

I love my dog--I love playing with him, petting him, and taking him for walks. He sleeps on my bed. He's happy to see me when I get home--he rushes up to me with his tail wagging. He makes me laugh and can cheer me up--he even gives me hugs when I ask him to. It amazes me how much a dog as a companion does.

When I was younger, our family trained puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. This gave me a small window into the world of service dogs. I learned about how the dogs would need to learn to stay on task perfectly, ignoring food on the ground, animals, people, and other distractions. They would need to guide people around obstacles--including being aware of what is above themselves but still an obstacle for the person walking with them. When they are told "sit," they have to sit every time. When they are told "down," they need to lay down every time. They are incredible dogs.

In sum, I am amazed by the healing, loving power dogs have as well as their incredible capacity to learn and serve. I love that this organization is working to harness the incredible gift of animals--rescuing the dogs themselves, giving meaningful, healing work for prisoners, and offering needed support for veterans who have suffered in the service of our country. What a wonderful organization.

Check It Out:

Military.com:Rescued Dog Helps Veteran Cope With PTSD

Deseret News: Paws in prison--Utah inmates help to train therapy dogs for veterans

Happy Happy Halloween

Are you dressing up your pet for Halloween next week? Here's some inspiration.

Cast Your Votes: Salt Lake Canine Mayor

With all the campaign posters around this election season, one that I've been seeing near my house that makes me smile:

 

I thought this was just someone having some well-merited fun during the high-pressure election season. But I looked Tex up, and it turns out you really can vote for Tex for mayor--that is, for canine mayor of Salt Lake County.

Mayor Ben McAdams explained on his blog what this is all about:

"Salt Lake County is going to the dogs – literally. Last week I was excited to announce the first-ever race for Canine Mayor of Salt Lake County! Does your dog have what it takes to be a leader?

"Your dog must be spayed or neutered, licensed, fully vaccinated and well-behaved.  As representatives for dogs throughout the county, they must earn the trust of dogs and their humans. The winner will serve a two year term and will be my sidekick at ribbon-cuttings, park ground-breakings, and so forth.

"Filing for the race closes September 15^th. Then, get ready to cast your vote for the dog of your choice on October 1^st. Each vote costs a $1 donation to the Animal Shelter’s Injured Animal Fund and all funds will directly help meet the needs of animals who come into the care of Salt Lake County Animal Services with injuries.  Voters can live anywhere and may vote online or in person at the shelter. Visit Salt Lake County Animal Services to find an application for your canine candidate."

 

Tex is far from the only candidate. Salt Lake County Service's website lists the candidates, and their Facebook page not only keeps you updated on a running total of the votes, but lists bios for them, as well. There are therapy dogs, movie stars, volunteers, service dogs, and companion animals. Whatever happens in the race, these dogs are helping earn money for a great cause--and helping raise awareness for their kind.

Essential Oils Workshop

Hey! Here's something you might be interested in. Dr. Charles Gold is leading a workshop on using essential oils for your pet. It's free!

Yum, Yum

My mom (Dr. Clytee Gold) sometimes tells about a couple of memorable surgeries here at Forest Hills Pet Care. One was a dog that came in sick--and the x-ray just showed that his stomach had turned to solid metal. When she opened the dog up, she found...hundreds of pennies, nickles, dimes, and quarters. The dog had eaten a jar of change. Another similar incidence revealed that a dog had eaten a stuffed animal. The surgery, my mom tells, almost felt like a C-section: as she opened the dog up, the eyes of the stuffed animal were peering up at her. Our dog Bomb once decided to fill her belly up with the long leaves of a plant in our yard. She couldn't digest them, and she got sicker and sicker until she had surgery to empty out her stomach.

It turns out, though, that a lot of animals eat odd objects and need surgery to help them out. This article by the Washington Post doesn't just tell the story of these poor pets, but shows the x-rays that surprised the vets treating them.

Happy Birthday

My dog Ditto just turned one (on August 25th, if anyone is keeping track). I didn't throw him a party or anything, but his birthday was definitely on my mind. In honor of the occasion, though, here are some thoughts about pet birthdays.

• Mmm, birthday treats. You've probably heard that chocolate is toxic to dogs. While a couple of chocolate chips aren't a problem, large amounts really can be harmful to your dog (which isn't as complicated as you might think. I've heard Dr. Gold point out that if you ate a quarter of your body weight of chocolate, you'd probably get sick, too). The Pet Library linked to the Forest Hills Pet Care home page has some great articles on toxicity in pets that are worth checking out.
• Chocolate Toxicity by Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP 
• Signs of Chocolate Toxicity by Tony Johnson DVM, DACVECC
• People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets by the ASPCA Poison Control Center

• If you do decide to try a pet-friendly recipe for some special birthday treats, you may still want to give them to Fido in moderation. Even when you use pet-friendly ingredients, sudden changes in your pet's diet can result in some gastric distress (read: diarrhea). 

• Petco has a special birthday club for your pets. And don't worry if you don't know the exact day. The date of adoption or just a good guess also works.

• When you come in to Forrest Hills Pet Care, you'll also be asked for the date of birth of your pet. Once again, if you don't know, your best guess is just fine. The veterinarian can also help you approximate your pet's age. Just like for people, knowing your pet's age helps match the care to their needs.

• Do you honor your pet's birthday? Feel free to share in the comments!

--Carrie