Archive for the ‘Dog fear’ Category

In the swampy woods behind Julie’s house, there lies a hurt dog. As her neighbor, Jo Ann and she get closer to the dog, who appears close to death, the dog jumps up and takes off. They think they see a wound on the dog’s back leg and Jo Ann had heard a gun shot a few hours before.

This was five weeks ago. Julie and Jo Ann have been putting food and water out for this poor, extremely frightened and probably injured dog every morning and every evening. They cannot get within a few hundred yards of the dog before he tears off into the woods again. This is as close as they can get:

These woods fill up like a lake when it rains

Tom Wargo, founder of Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen and The Backyard Sanctuary was notified of this poor dog and he felt that immediate action should be taken. Tom traps feral cats all the time, but not so many dogs. He has a coyote sized trap and took it to Julie’s, put the food in and waited.

About 4 hours later, the dog wandered into the woods where he usually gets his food and walked right into the trap. Unfortunately, the trap didn’t hold up to the terribly frightened dog’s struggling and kicking, so he busted out of the trap and left.

We are hoping someone will have a large trap that we can use, and a rescue who will know what to do with this terrified pup, or just for some tips or advice. Thank you for any help that you can give.

Contact: Tom Wargo, 404-345-6821 or Valerie Pegg, 770-363-0827

Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission–to be of service to them whenever they require it… If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.
– Saint Francis of Assisi

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Recently, I attended my monthly meeting with Georgia Network of Professional Pet Sitters and Beth Fasnacht of Pet Watch, Inc. did a fantastic presentation on disaster preparedness. She urged us to share what we learned, so this blog is  focused on disasters and what to do about your pets. I hope you never have to practice anything that you learn from this!

Assemble a Portable Pet Disaster Supplies Kit

Whether you are away from home for a week or a day, you’ll need essential supplies. Keep items in an accessible place and store them in sturdy containers that can be carried away easily (duffel bags, covered trash containers, etc.). Your pet disaster supplies kit should include:

• Pet First Aid Kit
• Medications, vet records and medical records (stored in a waterproof container)
• Sturdy leashes, harnesses, and/or carriers to transport the pet safely and ensure that your animals cannot escape (Note: Pets will be scared, so plan for it.)
• Current photos of your pets in case they get lost.
• Food, portable eater, bowls, cat litter and litter box, and a can opener
• Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to foster or board your pets.
• Pet beds and toys, if easily transportable

“Until one has loved an animal,  a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France

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Keep your pets inside for Halloween!

This blog will cover some of the dangers that your pet faces around Halloween. You can hire your pet sitter or dog walker to come and care for your pets while you take the kids out trick-or-treating or attend a Halloween party. I called the attention of Gwinnett County, which houses several cities such as Lawrenceville, Grayson, Snellville, Suwanee, Lilburn and many others, but this blog applies to everyone, not just this county, so listen up!

Your black pets are particularly targeted by pranksters around Halloween, so they should be kept inside through the entire month of October. There are some really cruel people out there that like to play “pranks” by doing things like skinning cats, among other horrific crimes. Year round the safest thing for your pet and to eliminate all danger, it is best that your pet stays indoors unless you are supervising them and have them leashed while outside. This takes all outside danger out of the equation and you never  have to worry about your pet.

Candy is another serious danger. The candy, especially chocolate, is toxic to pets and the aluminum wrappers can act like a razor blade if swallowed. This can cause internal damage, potentially killing your pet. Keep all candy stored in a safe place, removing temptation from your pets.

Fatty foods, cooked bones (chicken bones, etc), and alcohol are poisonous or dangerous as well. Make sure your Halloween party guests know not to feed your pet anything without asking you first.

When trick-or-treaters are coming and going, this can cause a lot of anxiety for your pet. You can designate a special “safe room” for your pet and keep them closed in the room so there is no chance of them freaking out and dashing out of the door. Your pet should have fresh water, favorite toys, their food if they are in there for a while, a comfortable place to lie down, and possibly even a radio or t.v. on to drown out some of the noises that scare them. If this isn’t available, just be sure that your pet is no where near the door when you open it.

Candles in Jack-o-Lanterns, on tables, or wherever you may burn them, should be kept in your sight at all times when your pet is around. If you leave the room, just blow it out and re-light it when you come back in. It only takes a second for a candle to be knocked over and not only is it a fire hazard, but your pet can be severely burned by the hot wax. The hot wax can also ruin any furniture, curtains, or carpeting that the hot wax spills on. Using electric powered Jack-o-Lanterns and candles is highly suggested.

Electrical cords should be taped or stapled down so that your pet doesn’t see it as something loose to play in. It takes very little for a pet’s teeth to go through a cord and get electrocuted. Remember the cat from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?!

Dogs, no matter how normally docile, can see kids in costumes and perceive them as a threat or become extremely frightened. Crating your dog or putting them in a “safe room” will prevent any problems from occuring. Some of those costumes are pretty creepy, so I can see why a dog may freak out and lash out at a child in costume. Preventing this from happening is up to you and your family.

If you are dressing your pet up in a costume, please supervise them at all times. They can be entangled and this can result in falling, strangling, or other ways of hurting themselves. Keep in mind that a costume can take away a lot of your pet’s normal freedom of movement, such as jumping, running, sometimes even walking. If your pet appears uncomfortable in a costume, then they are. Snap your picture and take the costume off of your pet.

I’m sure that I left plenty out, but this is a good start. Please add to the safety tips by leaving a comment. Feel free to leave your Halloween stories, we love to hear them! Have a safe and happy holiday season!

“Until one has loved an animal,  a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~Anatole France

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With storm season upon us and Fourth of July right around the corner, I’m sitting here looking at our dog, Sammie, a German Shepherd and Collie mix, wondering what to try next. She is absolutely terrified of storms and fireworks. I’ve noticed that since adding Jake (our mini-schnauzer and cairn terrier mix) a few years ago and Gizmo (our shih tzu) that Sammie’s fears have gotten a little better. She went from constantly panting and pacing to occasionally lying down either in her crate or on her bed in the living room. The discomfort in her is still very clear, though, as she still has the wide-mouthed pant.

I read something new to me on this subject that I found interesting. When dogs are showing stress during storms and fireworks (or probably any other time), there is a 207% spike in their cortisol levels. Cortisol is a chemical also produced in humans during high levels of stress. The same study also showed that dogs that live with other dogs have a lower level of cortisol in the event of high stress, but there’s a catch. They also found that dogs who already live with other dogs have a higher level of cortisol just from living with another dog. Not really too sure about how that works, but I don’t recommend running out and getting another dog just yet!

There are a lot of different opinions out there about what to do about your pup’s fears. One thing that I have learned is that consoling and petting Sammie while she’s freaking out doesn’t help anything. Infact, it seems to have reinforced her fears. Leaving her be and providing her with plenty of “safe places,” like her crate with a big, soft blanket in it (her favorite hiding spot) and several other dog beds throughout the house has seemed to keep her a little more calm.

If you know that there is a storm coming in the next few hours, give your fearful dog some good, vigorous exercise. Take them for a nice, long walk or jog, or (if your dog has been trained to) put your pup on the treadmill for a nice workout. An exercised body can sometimes wear the mind out, so then they’re too tired to be afraid.

Some people swear by putting a snuggly fitting t-shirt on your dog. I’ve heard that this works from several different people. NEVER leave your dog unattended in any sort of clothing. If he starts to rip at the shirt, remove it. A piece of shirt in the intestines can hurt or kill your dog. Also, I’ve heard that rubbing a dog down with a fabric softner sheet is supposed to help block the static and won’t allow the change in the atmosphere to affect them as much. I don’t recommend this because if your dog licks the chemical, it IS toxic and can cause harm.

There are a lot of different homeopathic remedies to try. I’ve used Rescue Remedy on several dogs in kennels that I’ve worked in. I’ve seen it work on some dogs and have no affect on others. It’s definitely worth looking into. http://www.bachflower.com

I also found a book that I’m going to pick up soon to read. It’s called The Big Bang: How you can help your dog cope with thunderstorms and fireworks and was written by Claudeen E. McAuliffe. If anyone has read this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The best thing for Sammie that I have found so far in the event of fireworks and thunderstorms is to be available for her, show leadership and use calm assertive energy, but not to pet her, talk to her in a baby voice, or show her attention while she is in an anxious state.

Remember to take your dog to the vet if the anxiety or fear becomes destructive.

Do you have any tips or opinions on this subject to share? Our cats aren’t affected by storms at all, but I’d like to hear tips on fear of noises in cats as well.

My dog is usually pleased with what I do, because she is not infected with the concept of what I “should” be doing.
- Lonzo Idolswine

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