Archive for the ‘Pet Safety’ Category

A couple of weeks ago, I attended my Georgia Network of Professional Pet Sitters monthly meeting, where Beth Fasnacht of Pet Watch, Inc. gave us an excellent presentation on disaster emergency preparation. Here is a little more of what I learned.

Caring For Birds in an Emergency

Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier. In cold weather, wrap a blanket over the carrier and warm up the car before placing the birds inside. During warm weather, carry a plant mister to mist the bird’s feathers periodically. Do not put water inside the carrier during transport.

• Provide a few slices of fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content
• Have a photo for identification and leg bands
• If the carrier does not have a perch, line it with paper towels and change them frequently
• Try to keep the carrier in a quiet area. Do not let the birds out of the cage or carrier during an emergency
• When transporting house lizards, follow the same directions as for birds

What About Other Pets?

Reptiles

Snakes can be transported in a pillowcase, but they must be transferred to more secure housing when they reach the evacuation site.

If the snake requires frequent feedings, carry food with you.

Take a water bowl large enough for soaking as well as a heating pad.

Pocket Pets

Small mammals (hamsters, gerbils, etc.) should be transported in secure carriers suitable for maintaining the animals while at the shelter. Take bedding materials, food bowls, and water bottles.

Life is life–whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man’s own advantage.
– Sri Aurobindo

I want to thank Beth Fasnacht at Pet Watch, Inc., who is in my networking group, Georgia Network of Professional Pet Sitters for providing me with this crucial information during our February meeting. I learned a lot from that meeting and will be sharing it all in previous, present and future blogs.

Pets and Disasters: Getting Prepared

Our pets enrich our lives in more ways than we can count. In turn, they depend on us for their safety and well being. In this article, you are going to learn how to be prepared with a Disaster Plan to protect you, your family, and your pet family as well.

Did you know that the Humane Society of the United States is working with the American Red Cross on providing shelter and help to victims and their pets in disasters? Do we have any of these shelters in our areas? Do you have an emergency disaster system in place for you and your family?

One way the HSUS is working with people is teaching them how to prepare for a disaster. This article will hopefully help you if a disaster strikes your home and give you some interesting facts about what is being done to help people find shelter in a disaster.

Be Prepared With a Disaster Plan

The best way to protect your family and pets is to have a disaster plan in place. This includes all supplies, and they need to be ready to take out the door and/or  use  if a disaster strikes.

Being prepared can save their lives and yours!

Different disasters require different responses. However, whether the disaster is a hurricane or a hazardous spill, you may have to evacuate your home. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them, too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe place for them, is likely to result in their being injured, lost or killed. Prepare now for the day when you and your pets may have to leave your home.

Have a Safe Place to Take Them

Red Cross Shelters cannot accept pets because of states’ health and safety regulations and other considerations. Service animals that assist with disabilities are the only animals allowed in the Red Cross Shelters. It may be difficult, if not impossible, to find shelter for your animals in the midst of a disaster, so plan ahead. Do not wait until disaster strikes to do your research.

• Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets and restriction on number, size, and species. Ask if “no pets” policies could be waived in an emergency. Keep a list of “pet friendly” places, including phone numbers, with other disaster information and supplies. If you have notice of an impending disaster, call ahead for reservations.
• Ask friends, relatives, or others outside the affected area whether they could shelter your animals on a temporary basis. If you have more than one pet, they may be more comfortable if kept together, but be prepared to house them separately.
• Prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency; include 24-hour phone numbers.
• Ask your local animal shelter if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets in a disaster. Animal shelters may be overburdened caring for the animals they already have, as well as those displaced by a disaster, so this should be your last resort. If your local area does not have an emergency shelter, maybe work with the Emergency Management Team in your area to set one up.

“True benevolence or compassion, extends itself through the whole of existence and sympathizes with the distress of every creature capable of sensation.”
– Joseph Addison

Often a warning is issued by the National Weather Service of approaching storms. They will announce hours or days before a storm hits the area.

At the first hint of a disaster, act to protect your pet and start putting your emergency plan into action.

Call ahead to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets (if there is an emergency shelter in your area).

Check to be sure your pet disaster supplies are ready to take at a moment’s notice.

Bring all pets into the house so that you won’t have to search for them if you have to leave in a hurry.

Make sure all dogs and cats are wearing collars and securely fastened and up-to-date identification. Attach the phone number and address of your temporary shelter, if you know it, or of a friend or relative outside the disaster area. You may buy temporary tags and put adhesive tape on the back of your pet’s ID tag, adding information with an indelible pen.

You may not be home when an evacuation order comes. Find out if a trusted neighbor would be willing to take your pets and meet you at a prearranged location. This person should be comfortable with your pets, they should know where the pets are likely to be hiding, know where your pet disaster supplies kit is kept, and have a key to your home. (If using a pet sitting service, they may be available to help, but discuss the possibility well in advance with your sitter/client/neighbor.)

Planning and preparation will enable you to evacuate with your pets quickly and safely.

Bear in mind that animal react differently under stress. Outside your home and in the car, keep dog securely leashed. Transport cats in carriers. Don’t leave unattended anywhere- when scared they can run off. The trustworthiest pets may panic, hide, and try to escape, or even bite or scratch.

When you do return home, give your pets time to settle back into their routines. Consult your vet if any problem behavior persists.

If you take all of these precautions, staying together as a family without injury to you or your family members (pets included) will be one less thing for you to worry about if your house is gone or damaged.

Dogs look up to you. Cats look down on you. Give me a pig. He just looks you in the eye and treats you like an equal.
- Winston Churchill

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

Causes and Types

It is a scary sight to see your beloved canine pal having seizures. There are many reasons that your pup may be having seizures. Some of the causes are:

* Brain Tumor or Head Injury

* Distemper

* Epilepsy

* Environment (toxins)

* ‘hypo and ‘hyper conditions such as gastrointestinal disease, hepatic encephalopathy, hyperkalemia, hyperlipoproteinemia, hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, renal disease, tick bites, and toxoplasmosis

If you witness your dog having seizures, it is crucial that you note all of the details. There are many types of seizures:

* Generalized Seizure: Tonic-Clonic (can be grand mal or mild): In the grand mal seizure, the tonic occurs as the animal falls, loses consciousness and extends his limbs rigidly. Respiration stops. This lasts 10-30 seconds before the clonic phase begins. Clonic movements include paddling of the limbs and/or chewing. In both phases, you may see dialation of the pupils, salivation, urination, and defecation. The mild seizure involves little or no paddling or extension of limbs and usually no loss of consciousness.

* Petit Mal Seizure: Usually described as very rare or unrecognized in animals. Signs are a brief duration of unconsciousness, loss of muscle tone, blank stare and upward rotation of the eyes.

* Partial Seizure: Movements are restricted to one area of the body, such as muscle jerking, movement in one limb, turning the head or bending of the trunk to one side, or facial twitches.

* Complex Partial Seizure: Associated with bizarre or complex behavior such as lip-smacking, biting at invisible flies, chewing, aggression, vocalization, hysterical running, cowering, or hiding. Other signs are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal stress, salivation, blindness, unusual thirst or hunger, and flank biting. Obvious lack of awareness, but no loss of consciousness. Abnormal behavior could last minutes or hours and can be followed by a generalized seizure.

* Cluster Seizure: Multiple seizures within a short period of time with only brief periods of consciousness between.

* Status Epilepticus: Can occur as one continuous seizure, lasting 30 minutes or more, or a series of multiple in a short time with no periods of normal consciousness.

If your dog has a seizure, be sure to pay close attention to the details of the seizure or seizures and get your pet to the veterinarian immediately.

Sources: www.canine-epilepsy.com and www.K9web.com

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”
–Unknown

This is a fantastic article from www.all-creatures.org

EXCELLENT GUIDELINES to SPOT and PREVENT ANIMAL CRUELTY!

1. Be aware. Without phone calls from the concerned citizens who report cruelty in their neighborhoods, we wouldn’t know about most instances of animal abuse. It all comes from the public, it all starts with YOU–that’s why it’s so important to keep your eyes and ears open. Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood. By being aware, you’re more likely to notice, for example, that the dog next door who was once hefty has lost weight rapidly–a possible indicator of abuse.

2. Learn to recognize animal cruelty. Here are some signs and symptoms that we see in many of the cases we investigate:

· Tick or flea infestations. Such a condition, if left untreated by a veterinarian, can lead to an animal’s death.

· Wounds on the body.

· Patches of missing hair.

· Extremely thin, starving animals.

· Limping.

· An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal.

· Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, often chained up in a yard.

· Dogs who have been hit by cars–or are showing any of the signs listed above–and have not been taken to a veterinarian.

· Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions.

· Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.

 

3. Know who to call to report animal cruelty. We’re lucky here at the ASPCA in New York City, because we have Humane Law Enforcement officers who have the power to investigate and arrest perpetrators of animal cruelty in the state of New York. But every state and even every town is different. In some areas, you may have to rely on the police department to investigate animal cruelty; in others, you may have to contact your local animal control or another municipal agency. If you aren’t sure where to report cruelty, you can search our Humane Law Enforcement directory online or ask your local humane organization.

4. Provide as much as information as possible when reporting animal cruelty. The details that you provide can go a long way toward assisting the investigating officer. It helps to write down the type of cruelty that you witnessed, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it took place.

5. Call or write your local law enforcement department and let them know that investigating animal cruelty should be a priority. Animal cruelty is a CRIME–and the police MUST investigate these crimes.

6. Know your state’s animal cruelty laws. They vary from state to state, and even from city to city. You can visit the ASPCA’s website and get a wallet-sized printout with outlines of the animal welfare laws in all 50 states.

7. You can fight for the passage of strong anti-cruelty laws on federal, state and local levels by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade.  It’s frustrating when I have built a strong case against someone who has been arrested for cruelty to animals and the judge treats it like a simple violation. But with stronger laws, they’ll be more likely to receive tougher penalties. You’ll receive e-mails asking you to write letters encouraging your legislators to pass these laws–and you can send them directly from our website.

8. Set a good example for others. If you have pets, be sure to always show them the love and good care that they deserve. But it’s more than just food, water, and adequate shelter. If you think your animal is sick, bring him to the veterinarian. Be responsible and have your animals spayed or neutered. And I always give my own pets lots of hugs when I get home!

9. Talk to your kids about how to treat animals with kindness and respect. I regularly see children in homes where animal abuse has been reported. If a parent isn’t treating the family’s pets right, I tell kids that their dog or cat would really appreciate fresh water every day, or if they spent some time playing with them. If the animal has been left outside without shelter, I’ll say, ‘You have a nice house, and if you get cold, you can put a coat on. But your dog can’t do that. Don’t you think he’d like a nice warm place to go, too?’ I know of families who watch Animal Precinct together, and I think it can help children realize that animals are living creatures who have the ability to feel pain, joy and sadness. You can see these emotions on the faces of the animals on the show.

10. Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. Before I even knew that police for animals existed, I was volunteering at an animal shelter. It’s a great way to make a difference. Some of our ASPCA volunteers foster animals who have been abused in their former homes, giving these dogs and cats the chance they deserve to have a good life. You can find a list of shelters and rescue groups in your area with our National Shelter Directory.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” -Mahatma Gandhi

Keeping Your Pets Safe This Christmas

This is a truly fun time of year for all of us, including our pets! A lot of the decorations can pose a serious threat to our pets. Here are a few things to think about:

* If possible, put your Christmas tree in a room that is off limits to your pets. This can save you a lot of redecorating and also your pet from harm’s way. A baby gate around the tree can help as well.

* Tinsel and any other sort of string that can be swallowed are potentially deadly, as they can become entangled up within the intestines and will require surgery.

* Electric lights should be unplugged when your pets aren’t supervised. They are tempting to chew on and can cause electric shock.

* Glass ornaments look like toys and shatter easily, causing you and your pets painful cuts.

* The tree could fall on top of your pets, not only scaring them, but possibly hurting them.

* Some Christmas plants, such as poinsettias, mistletoe, and amaryllis bulbs, are poisonous, yet tasty. Keep these out of your pet’s reach.

* Tell your guests not to feed your pet holiday foods, such as chocolate and fatty or sugary foods. Keep pet treats around for your guests to give them instead.

* Make sure your guests keep all doors to outdoors closed and that your pet is wearing the appropriate identification.

* Keep your emergency vet and pet poison control numbers handy.

* Enjoy your holiday!

As a pet sitter in Gwinnett County, I do quite a bit of driving all over the many cities, including Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Snellville and Grayson. Being that so much of my day is spent on the roads, it’s hard not to notice how many unfortunate kitties are hit by cars. If you do allow your cats to go outside, please make sure that they are up to date on vaccinations, spayed or neutered, have collar with ID, and are micro-chipped.

Although cats love to go outdoors  for many reasons, the truth is that outdoor cats have an average life span of 3 to 5 years, when indoor cats have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years old. That’s quite a difference! Being owned by 4 cats of my own, I know how it is to have a cat constantly yowling to get outside. Besides the guilt, it can get pretty loud when you’re trying to sleep or concentrate! There are a lot of things that you can do to “compromise” with your cat. I’ve compiled some good ideas for you to try out with your frisky felines:

Fence: Ok, ok, so keeping a cat in a fence can be nearly impossible. They can jump it or find holes. It’s definitely not fail proof, but to limit escapes, you can hang wire mesh at the top of the fence at a 45 degree angle. This would probably work best on a high, wooden fence. There are also invisible fences that use collars that as the cat gets closer to the boundary that you don’t want them to cross, it will tingle and as they near closer, it will actually give the cat an electric shock to tell them to stay away. Obviously the wire mesh is a bit less harsh.

Leash: There is nothing I love more than harnessing my cats and taking them in the backyard. They don’t really know how to act and it definitely takes some training to get them used to it. You want to make sure you have a well-fitted harness, snug but not tight, and perhaps a retractable leash to give your kitty more free reign. Patience is necessary to leash your cat, that’s for sure! When you start, I suggest starting at a quiet time of day, like early morning or evening.

Cat Door: Our cats have a window that they go out of into our screened porch. We have lattice work around the bottom of the screen so that they can’t claw their way out. They love it out there and we think that they are mostly satisfied with this “outdoor” time, although Comet never stops trying to fly past us as we’re going out or coming in! Some things never change. A fenced yard with the wire mesh on the fence is another place that the cat door can lead to.

Runs and Pens: You can use a wire dog crate to let your cat have some time outside, but there are great alternatives to that. There are a number of habitats, pens and runs that you can buy or build yourself at a huge range in prices, from cheap to extremely expensive. I’ll list a few of the companies and their websites at the end of this blog post.

A few things to keep your indoor cat happy besides supervised out doors time are cat grass and cat nip that you grow yourself (make sure that what you buy is for cats; for a list of poisonous plants to cats, go to http://www.bestfitpetsit.com/archives/201 ), cat trees that they can climb, window perches and boxes, and lots of interactive toys that you and your cat can play with together.

Here are a few of the companies that I found online that sell great enclosures so that your cat can enjoy the outdoors safely:

Habitat Haven

Cages By Design

Purr…Fect Fence

Kittywalk Systems

Safecat Outdoor Enclosure

Cats-On-Line.com

Drs. Foster and Smith

Wild Whiskers

Cats On Deck

C & D Pet Products

Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire, he is still only a whisker away from the wilds. – Jean Burden

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