Post From My iPhone
Monday, June 22, 2009
How one sweet pooch copes with the heat...
Otto goes to Johnny Sprockets (our neighborhood awesome sauce bike store) for treats and a short cool off on the cool floor.
Post From My iPhone
Post From My iPhone
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Going Green With Your Pet!
Alright, now is the time where we pet owners must think about what we can do to leave a smaller footprint on the earth. Considering everything nature has provided for us, I think it's about time for us to give back.
For dog owners, consider using biodegradable poo bags. Why? Think about it this way–I walk about 10-15 dogs/day and pick up about 10-15 poops/day not including my own dogs. Now think about all the other dog owners and dog walkers, think about high rise buildings, it adds up! Let's make it a little easier for the planet! For cat owners there are biodegradable cat liner bags AND even if you don't use liners think about scooping your litter into a biodegradable bag! I scoop into biodegradable dog poop bags.
Read packaging labels! You may think your bags are biodegradable but once you look closer they say nothing of the sort. One bag that I highly recommend is called Bio Bags. They are even compostable! WOOHOO!
Think about the chemicals you put onto and into your pets bodies. Talk to your vet, find out more about Frontline, Heartguard, Advantage etc. Ask if you live in an area where you need to be using these chemicals 12 months a year. Ask about annual shots and boosters. You might not need to use them if you don't board your pooch/kitty or take your pup to day care. Start questioning things!
At your home, think about what your pet is laying on. Is it a bed that is filled with a toxic foam? Does it have natural fibers in it? What about your pets collar and leash? Bowls? Food? All of these things have a large impact on the environment. Buy the largest bag of food available in order to cut back on packaging waste. Recycle wet food cans! Don't use bottle water for your pet. Get a Brita! When choosing a cat litter use a natural one instead of clay based! They smell great, plus they clump...I promise. Some brands that work great are VetBasis (lavender scented), Worlds Best Cat Litter, Nature's Miracle and Arm & Hammer (natural one).
I will also be writing a post for humans and how to green up your life and make your carbon footprint smaller. I know that it can seem like one person making changes doesn't make a difference but I guarantee it does! Keep checking back for my next post!
Thanks!
Julie
For dog owners, consider using biodegradable poo bags. Why? Think about it this way–I walk about 10-15 dogs/day and pick up about 10-15 poops/day not including my own dogs. Now think about all the other dog owners and dog walkers, think about high rise buildings, it adds up! Let's make it a little easier for the planet! For cat owners there are biodegradable cat liner bags AND even if you don't use liners think about scooping your litter into a biodegradable bag! I scoop into biodegradable dog poop bags.
Read packaging labels! You may think your bags are biodegradable but once you look closer they say nothing of the sort. One bag that I highly recommend is called Bio Bags. They are even compostable! WOOHOO!
Think about the chemicals you put onto and into your pets bodies. Talk to your vet, find out more about Frontline, Heartguard, Advantage etc. Ask if you live in an area where you need to be using these chemicals 12 months a year. Ask about annual shots and boosters. You might not need to use them if you don't board your pooch/kitty or take your pup to day care. Start questioning things!
At your home, think about what your pet is laying on. Is it a bed that is filled with a toxic foam? Does it have natural fibers in it? What about your pets collar and leash? Bowls? Food? All of these things have a large impact on the environment. Buy the largest bag of food available in order to cut back on packaging waste. Recycle wet food cans! Don't use bottle water for your pet. Get a Brita! When choosing a cat litter use a natural one instead of clay based! They smell great, plus they clump...I promise. Some brands that work great are VetBasis (lavender scented), Worlds Best Cat Litter, Nature's Miracle and Arm & Hammer (natural one).
I will also be writing a post for humans and how to green up your life and make your carbon footprint smaller. I know that it can seem like one person making changes doesn't make a difference but I guarantee it does! Keep checking back for my next post!
Thanks!
Julie
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Supersize My Dog and/or Cat
Have you ever seen the movie Supersize Me? The one where the guy eats McDonald's for 30 days consecutively? After day 5 he starts throwing up, gaining a ridiculous amount of weight, sweating without doing any physical activity, not sleeping well, etc. Sounds awful, right? You wouldn't eat McDonald's everyday so why make your pet?
I know I already wrote a dog food post when there was the recall, but I really want to write one that talks about food in general. I still see so many people walking home from big name pet stores with really unhealthy food and lemme tell you, it is getting harder and harder for me to bite my tongue. I also see that a fair amount of my clients are feeding unhealthy food as well. It's amazing how effective the media and advertising has been in training the public to think that the prettier the packaging, the healthier the food. I also think that while many vets do know about dog nutrition, A TON DON'T. This is because they often take a single nutrition class that covers all animals, from horses to dogs to cats to birds, and guess who pays for it? Hills, the maker of Science Diet. Talk about having a little push the upper hand in the curriculum. So I'm gonna break it down for everyone.
"Some companies are more forthright than others in listing their ingredients, so knowing some of the basics will help you get through the list without being bamboozled or confused.
Generally, you want to read through the ingredients carefully until you get to the first fat/oil listed. Ingredients listed before this make up the bulk of the food, and those listed after are included in much smaller amounts for flavoring, preservative value, to provide trace minerals, etc. There are some key things to look for among those top ingredients.
First, dogs are carnivores, so the meat is by far the most important ingredient in your dog’s food. You want to see specific animals rather than generic terms listed as the sources of protein (chicken/lamb/bison… not animal/meat/poultry…). “Meal” form is preferred, because it means it is weighed after the moisture has already been removed. You want to avoid foods with “byproduct” listed in the ingredients, because this pretty much means “anything left after all the stuff that is fit for human consumption has been removed.”
Let me clarify . . .
chicken meal = excellent
chicken = good
poultry = bad, because it is unidentifiable
chicken byproduct = crap
poultry byproduct = unidentifiable crap
poultry byproduct meal = unidentifiable crap in concentrated form
Second, if your food contains grain (most does), you want to check for both the type and form of the grain. Rice is generally the most digestible grain. Oats and barley are also OK. Corn is the least digestible. Other than corn, wheat is the grain most likely to cause problems because many dogs are allergic. So, generally rice is best, but not all rice is the same. Like your mother told you, brown rice is healthier than white rice. “Ground” or “meal” form is fine, but stay away from other forms of processing because any nutritional value is lost. A common ingredient is “brewer’s rice” which simply means “the crap left over from the brewery after we’ve gotten anything worthwhile out of that rice.” Stay away from that.
Third, anything that sounds mysterious on your list of ingredients is probably something the manufacturer doesn’t want you to know about. For example, stay away from foods with “animal fat” or “animal digest”—these are unidentifiable ingredients and often contain rendered animals, which can be diseased animals, animals that died before slaughter, roadkill, and euthanized pets from animal shelters. Eeeeewww!
Finally, anything that sounds like it isn’t good for your dog probably isn’t good for your dog. Stay away from “lard” or sweeteners (often used for flavoring). Stay away from foods with lots of grains listed among the first ingredients or several variations of the same grain listed early in the list (for example, ground rice, brewer’s rice, and rice flour? . . . can you say “filler”?). Also stay away from menadione (a vitamin supplement that may cause health problems).
One big confusion about dog food, I think, lies in the marketing terminology. The term "premium" has been used for years to distinguish foods you buy at pet stores from foods you buy at the grocery store. Unfortunately, the companies that produce "premium" foods are no longer committed to the same level of quality they once were. They are, however, banking on the reputation created years ago.
Companies that produce foods such as Iams and Science Diet have been bought out by corporations that also produce foods for human consumption. Therefore, instead of having their own chicken processing plant, for example, the pet food companies are getting whatever parts of the chicken we won't eat (and if you've ever had a Chicken McNugget, you know we'll eat almost anything).
Some people refer to the newer, more complete dog foods as "super premium." I avoid this term myself, because I think it promotes the same marketing confusion. I'd rather learn to understand what the labels say and decide for myself whether it's the best choice for my dog.
Manufacturers are keenly conscious of the growing awareness among dog food buyers about the ingredients listed for their products. If they have something good in them, they will highlight it however they can. So, yes, "chicken byproduct meal" may contain organ meat, but if it were all organ meat or even mostly organ meat, the label would surely indicate that. The grains listed are of little value nutritionally and there are several ingredients that are potentially detrimental.
I hope this helps. For a far more thorough and authoritative explanation, I suggest you visit Dog Food Project. This post is really intended for those who don’t have the time or inclination to sift through all the content on that site. It is definitely worth a read if you do have the time."
You can also check out Dog Food Analysis and see where your dogs food ranks and others. This site is almost right on, but there are some points that I would disagree with.
Which brands are healthy? There are a bunch! I will just name a few in no particular order. Innova, Wellness, Evangers, Canidae, California Natural, Nature's Variety, Solid Gold, Wysong, Artemis and more!! Grain Free healthy foods are Evo, Nature's Variety Instinct, Orijen and more! With grain free you will feed much less because there is absolutely NO filler.
Where can you find these foods? I'll name some stores that are in the area (Park Place Bark's service area) but there are a lot of locations in Chicago not mentioned below!
Soggy Paws
Located at
1148 West Leland Avenue
773.334.7663
and
1912 South State Street
312.808.0768
4 Legs (A walk away from Park Place Tower for all you folks!)
Located at
3809 N Clark St, Chicago
Wigglyville (Another short walk for a LOT of clients!
Located at
3337 N Broadway St, Chicago
What food do I consider unhealthy? Iams, Sciance Diet, Nutro (YES NUTRO), Pedigree, Purina, Dog Chow, Ol'Roy. Pretty much most foods from big name pet stores and big box stores are unhealthy.
Please think about what you are feeding your dog/cat, it can make a HUGE difference in their life and yours. For one they will probably live longer! Also you can expect terrific tiny poops, better breath, shinier coats, less shedding and more! Your kids are worth it.
I know I already wrote a dog food post when there was the recall, but I really want to write one that talks about food in general. I still see so many people walking home from big name pet stores with really unhealthy food and lemme tell you, it is getting harder and harder for me to bite my tongue. I also see that a fair amount of my clients are feeding unhealthy food as well. It's amazing how effective the media and advertising has been in training the public to think that the prettier the packaging, the healthier the food. I also think that while many vets do know about dog nutrition, A TON DON'T. This is because they often take a single nutrition class that covers all animals, from horses to dogs to cats to birds, and guess who pays for it? Hills, the maker of Science Diet. Talk about having a little push the upper hand in the curriculum. So I'm gonna break it down for everyone.
"Some companies are more forthright than others in listing their ingredients, so knowing some of the basics will help you get through the list without being bamboozled or confused.
Generally, you want to read through the ingredients carefully until you get to the first fat/oil listed. Ingredients listed before this make up the bulk of the food, and those listed after are included in much smaller amounts for flavoring, preservative value, to provide trace minerals, etc. There are some key things to look for among those top ingredients.
First, dogs are carnivores, so the meat is by far the most important ingredient in your dog’s food. You want to see specific animals rather than generic terms listed as the sources of protein (chicken/lamb/bison… not animal/meat/poultry…). “Meal” form is preferred, because it means it is weighed after the moisture has already been removed. You want to avoid foods with “byproduct” listed in the ingredients, because this pretty much means “anything left after all the stuff that is fit for human consumption has been removed.”
Let me clarify . . .
chicken meal = excellent
chicken = good
poultry = bad, because it is unidentifiable
chicken byproduct = crap
poultry byproduct = unidentifiable crap
poultry byproduct meal = unidentifiable crap in concentrated form
Second, if your food contains grain (most does), you want to check for both the type and form of the grain. Rice is generally the most digestible grain. Oats and barley are also OK. Corn is the least digestible. Other than corn, wheat is the grain most likely to cause problems because many dogs are allergic. So, generally rice is best, but not all rice is the same. Like your mother told you, brown rice is healthier than white rice. “Ground” or “meal” form is fine, but stay away from other forms of processing because any nutritional value is lost. A common ingredient is “brewer’s rice” which simply means “the crap left over from the brewery after we’ve gotten anything worthwhile out of that rice.” Stay away from that.
Third, anything that sounds mysterious on your list of ingredients is probably something the manufacturer doesn’t want you to know about. For example, stay away from foods with “animal fat” or “animal digest”—these are unidentifiable ingredients and often contain rendered animals, which can be diseased animals, animals that died before slaughter, roadkill, and euthanized pets from animal shelters. Eeeeewww!
Finally, anything that sounds like it isn’t good for your dog probably isn’t good for your dog. Stay away from “lard” or sweeteners (often used for flavoring). Stay away from foods with lots of grains listed among the first ingredients or several variations of the same grain listed early in the list (for example, ground rice, brewer’s rice, and rice flour? . . . can you say “filler”?). Also stay away from menadione (a vitamin supplement that may cause health problems).
One big confusion about dog food, I think, lies in the marketing terminology. The term "premium" has been used for years to distinguish foods you buy at pet stores from foods you buy at the grocery store. Unfortunately, the companies that produce "premium" foods are no longer committed to the same level of quality they once were. They are, however, banking on the reputation created years ago.
Companies that produce foods such as Iams and Science Diet have been bought out by corporations that also produce foods for human consumption. Therefore, instead of having their own chicken processing plant, for example, the pet food companies are getting whatever parts of the chicken we won't eat (and if you've ever had a Chicken McNugget, you know we'll eat almost anything).
Some people refer to the newer, more complete dog foods as "super premium." I avoid this term myself, because I think it promotes the same marketing confusion. I'd rather learn to understand what the labels say and decide for myself whether it's the best choice for my dog.
Manufacturers are keenly conscious of the growing awareness among dog food buyers about the ingredients listed for their products. If they have something good in them, they will highlight it however they can. So, yes, "chicken byproduct meal" may contain organ meat, but if it were all organ meat or even mostly organ meat, the label would surely indicate that. The grains listed are of little value nutritionally and there are several ingredients that are potentially detrimental.
I hope this helps. For a far more thorough and authoritative explanation, I suggest you visit Dog Food Project. This post is really intended for those who don’t have the time or inclination to sift through all the content on that site. It is definitely worth a read if you do have the time."
You can also check out Dog Food Analysis and see where your dogs food ranks and others. This site is almost right on, but there are some points that I would disagree with.
Which brands are healthy? There are a bunch! I will just name a few in no particular order. Innova, Wellness, Evangers, Canidae, California Natural, Nature's Variety, Solid Gold, Wysong, Artemis and more!! Grain Free healthy foods are Evo, Nature's Variety Instinct, Orijen and more! With grain free you will feed much less because there is absolutely NO filler.
Where can you find these foods? I'll name some stores that are in the area (Park Place Bark's service area) but there are a lot of locations in Chicago not mentioned below!
Soggy Paws
Located at
1148 West Leland Avenue
773.334.7663
and
1912 South State Street
312.808.0768
4 Legs (A walk away from Park Place Tower for all you folks!)
Located at
3809 N Clark St, Chicago
Wigglyville (Another short walk for a LOT of clients!
Located at
3337 N Broadway St, Chicago
What food do I consider unhealthy? Iams, Sciance Diet, Nutro (YES NUTRO), Pedigree, Purina, Dog Chow, Ol'Roy. Pretty much most foods from big name pet stores and big box stores are unhealthy.
Please think about what you are feeding your dog/cat, it can make a HUGE difference in their life and yours. For one they will probably live longer! Also you can expect terrific tiny poops, better breath, shinier coats, less shedding and more! Your kids are worth it.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Bark In The Park 2008!!! Pictures!
Well Bark In The Park was a BLAST! We did awesome with raising money this year. Together, Aaron and I combined raised $1040. Here's the cool part, $500-999 collected provides spaying/neutering for 40-100 animals!!! So we just spayed and neutered a BUNCH of puppers! wooohooo!
We had so much fun, there were tons and tons of puppers. Here's how the day went. We woke up at 7:30am, it was painful. We got the boys walked and fed, picked up bagels and met our friend Susan who had coffee for all of us, I then turned into happy Julie. We hopped in the Zipcar and headed up towards Montrose Harbor. Since it's always crazy and crowded, we always go to Wilson instead and park at that lot and walk down to the event. Once there we met up with a bunch of friends, we all said hi to each other and each others pooches and then the walk began! I will post pics with captions below! Enjoy!
Let's Start!!
Matthew, Carla, Toot, Sally and me (Julie)!
A Beautiful Pupper!
A cute pupper but the poor thing was dyed pink! ha!
Partaay! Check out all the people and puppers! So many!!
Matthew, Carla and Toot!
Group Photo at the Start Take 1
Group Photo at the Start Take 2!
Stewie (left), Gweck (right)
A Happy Sally!
Matthew and Toot
Michelle and Stewie
Our friend Joe and his ENORMOUS Dane Hogan
Me (Julie) squinting at Hogan
A cute Neapolitan Mastiff
Everyone struttin' their stuff
Gunther and Nigel
A beautiful view
More struttin'!
Our friend Chris with her dogs, Gunther and Nigel
Gweck saying "Let's go mom!"
Wooohooo! Check out Gweck's tongue! HA!
What up!? hehe
Group Photo #2 (notice Gweck and Elle staring longingly at the beach!)
Group Photo #2 Take 2
Hogan making a new buddy!
Hogan was super popular!
Joe, Sarah and Hogan, Matthew, Carla and Toot!
Hogan!
Gorgeous weather!!!
A cute Mastiff!
Hallie & Elle, Aaron & Gweck, Susan & Sally
Aaron and Gweck
Soooo many people, soooo many pooches!
Heyyyyyy! Susan and Aaron
Gunther!
Stewie
Elle
Elle, up close and personal! hehe
We made it to the FINISH!!!
Sally, A tired pupper is a happy pupper!
Thank you to EVERYONE who donated! We really appreciate it and we know that Anti-Cuelty does too!!!
We had so much fun, there were tons and tons of puppers. Here's how the day went. We woke up at 7:30am, it was painful. We got the boys walked and fed, picked up bagels and met our friend Susan who had coffee for all of us, I then turned into happy Julie. We hopped in the Zipcar and headed up towards Montrose Harbor. Since it's always crazy and crowded, we always go to Wilson instead and park at that lot and walk down to the event. Once there we met up with a bunch of friends, we all said hi to each other and each others pooches and then the walk began! I will post pics with captions below! Enjoy!
Let's Start!!
Matthew, Carla, Toot, Sally and me (Julie)!
A Beautiful Pupper!
A cute pupper but the poor thing was dyed pink! ha!
Partaay! Check out all the people and puppers! So many!!
Matthew, Carla and Toot!
Group Photo at the Start Take 1
Group Photo at the Start Take 2!
Stewie (left), Gweck (right)
A Happy Sally!
Matthew and Toot
Michelle and Stewie
Our friend Joe and his ENORMOUS Dane Hogan
Me (Julie) squinting at Hogan
A cute Neapolitan Mastiff
Everyone struttin' their stuff
Gunther and Nigel
A beautiful view
More struttin'!
Our friend Chris with her dogs, Gunther and Nigel
Gweck saying "Let's go mom!"
Wooohooo! Check out Gweck's tongue! HA!
What up!? hehe
Group Photo #2 (notice Gweck and Elle staring longingly at the beach!)
Group Photo #2 Take 2
Hogan making a new buddy!
Hogan was super popular!
Joe, Sarah and Hogan, Matthew, Carla and Toot!
Hogan!
Gorgeous weather!!!
A cute Mastiff!
Hallie & Elle, Aaron & Gweck, Susan & Sally
Aaron and Gweck
Soooo many people, soooo many pooches!
Heyyyyyy! Susan and Aaron
Gunther!
Stewie
Elle
Elle, up close and personal! hehe
We made it to the FINISH!!!
Sally, A tired pupper is a happy pupper!
Thank you to EVERYONE who donated! We really appreciate it and we know that Anti-Cuelty does too!!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Photos of Our Boys!
I've been feeling the need to do some fun, non informative posts. Hehe. I thought I would do a post with some of our favorite pics of Gweck and Beans. There are a lot so brace yourself. I figured I don't have a lot of them up on the website and I love to show them off.
We got Gweck when he was 4 months old. A family was giving him up and we were more than willing to take him and bring him up in our family. They gave us a few puppy pictures from when he was brand spanking new,
We got Beans when he was 2.5 years old (Oct 2006). He was super skinny, we put a little weight on him and he's looking much better. He and Gweck are best buds, it's amazing how well they get along.
Best Friends Forever!
We got Gweck when he was 4 months old. A family was giving him up and we were more than willing to take him and bring him up in our family. They gave us a few puppy pictures from when he was brand spanking new,
We got Beans when he was 2.5 years old (Oct 2006). He was super skinny, we put a little weight on him and he's looking much better. He and Gweck are best buds, it's amazing how well they get along.
Best Friends Forever!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Do You Feed Nutro? Think again
Consumer Affairs Nutro Info.
If the first recall didn't scare you enough (which it should have!) then hopefully this will. There are REALLY great healthy brands of pet food out there. Please switch! Go to your local pet food store (NOT a big name one) and read the ingredients. Do your pet a favor and care about what goes into them! I'll post another thread to explain how to read the back of dog/cat food bags soon.
Julie
If the first recall didn't scare you enough (which it should have!) then hopefully this will. There are REALLY great healthy brands of pet food out there. Please switch! Go to your local pet food store (NOT a big name one) and read the ingredients. Do your pet a favor and care about what goes into them! I'll post another thread to explain how to read the back of dog/cat food bags soon.
Julie
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Deck the Halls!
Hey everyone! Christmas is just around the corner and I'm sure some of you have started decorating. I just thought I'd post about some safety concerns when decorating for the holidays!
For cat owners, click here or read below:
Overview:
Christmas is an exciting time for the family, but it always pays to take some extra precautions with our pets. There are many dangers around, below are some suggestions on how to ensure your cat stays safe during the Christmas period.
Christmas Tree/Decorations
The only fool proof way to keep your cat away from your Christmas tree is to put the tree in a room the cat can't access. Unfortunately, this is often not practical. So the next best solution is to make the tree as safe as possible. Real Christmas trees are more dangerous to cats than fake plastic ones. Pine needles can puncture internal organs if eaten, they are also toxic to cats. If you do have a real tree, make sure the drink stand has plenty of water to prevent the tree drying out & losing needles. It is important that your cat isn't able to get to this water & drink it as it could result in poisoning. Ensure the tree has a good solid base so it won't easily be knocked over by your cat. Try not to have the tree near furniture & or shelves which the cats could use to jump onto the tree.
Be careful with tinsel, if you must have it on your tree, place it at the top of the tree where the cat is less likely to be able to get at it. Tinsel can be caught around the base or move down to the intestines & stomach & cause a blockage, which will result in emergency (and costly) surgery to remove it. A safer alternative are the strands of beads. Ornaments should be securely attached to the tree to prevent them being knocked off. Also place delicate ornaments up high where they're less likely to be knocked off & broken. When there is nobody around, unplug Christmas lights, you may want to try applying a cat repellent such as bitter apple to the lights to deter your cat from chewing the wires, obviously if this was to happen it could cause a fatal electric shock.
Artificial snow is toxic to cats, so is best avoided.
Candles are especially popular over the Christmas holiday period, be careful to make sure your cat can't get close to lit candles.
Please note, your cat isn't a novelty item & it's dangerous to try & decorate your cat with ribbons etc.
Plants
Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias are all popular plants to have in the home at Christmas, especially in the northern hemisphere. These plants are toxic to cats so should be placed where your cat can't get to them. Please see our page on common household toxins for an extensive list on toxic & non toxic plants.
Food/Sweets/Chocolate
Many cat owners enjoy giving their cat the occasional treat of "human" food & generally this doesn't harm the cat. However, it is important to remember that some foods which are fine for humans to eat can be toxic to cats. The odd sliver of chicken or turkey (off the bone) is fine, however it really isn't a good idea to give them large quantities of such food as this can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Never give your cat cooked chicken or turkey bones, these bones can splinter & can become lodged in your cat's throat or puncture the intestines & stomach. - Chocolate is toxic to cats, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic. Chocolate contains both caffeine & theobromine, which are both toxic. If you suspect your cat has eaten chocolate watch for signs of restlessness & vomiting, if in doubt, see your vet.
Cats will often scavenge for food in the garbage so be aware that if you've covered your turkey with foil & thrown it in the bin, your cat may drag it out & chew on it which could make the cat sick. Cooked turkey bones will also attract your cat. Be aware of this & if possible, take your food scraps etc., to your outside bin.
Xmas ribbons/wrap
Ribbons etc., pose the same problem as tinsel, if eaten, it may lead to intestinal blockages. It's important to ensure all ribbons/wrap etc., are safely disposed of.
Visitors
Some cats love the attention of visitors, others find strangers in their house stressful. Christmas is often a busy time with visitors coming & going. Be mindful of your cat's feelings & give the cat the option of somewhere quiet to escape to should the need arise, this is particularly important if your friends & relatives have young children.
Holidays
If you are going away on holiday, you have several options for your cat. You may choose to put your cat in a boarding cattery while you are gone. It is best to check out the premises prior to taking your cat there so you can ensure the cattery meets your standards. Any reputable boarding cattery will insist your cat is up to date on it's vaccinations, this is important for the well being of your cat & all other cats they have boarding there. Many vets also do boarding for cats but in my opinion this isn't ideal for more than a few days as their cages tend to be much smaller than those you'd expect to find in a boarding cattery.
There are a growing number of pet sitters available these days. They will come over once or twice a day to feed & play with your cat & to clean the litter tray. I find this most suitable when going away for a few days.
If you are going away for an extended period of time you may want to consider asking a friend or relative to house sit.
Toys
When buying toys for your cat, make sure you thoroughly check them first. Similar precautions should be taken with your cat's toys as you'd take buying a toy for a young child. Make sure there is nothing glued on that the cat can pull off & swallow. As the toy will quite likely be chewed on, ensure that it's made from a non-toxic substance. There are many wand like toys on the market which most cats love, these should be put away safely when not in use because the cat could become tangled on the string. Any toy that is small enough for your cat to swallow is dangerous & should be avoided.
Kittens as gifts
Buying a kitten as a gift is fine as long as the person receiving the kitten has asked for a pet & knows that owning a cat is quite likely to be a 15-20 year responsibility. Never buy a pet as a surprise gift for somebody. Also, because Christmas is usually such a chaotic time, it is best to try & arrange to collect your kitten after Christmas to avoid undue stress on the animal. Please, if you are considering buying a pet as a gift, really think it through before you do so. Pet ownership is a big responsibility & shouldn't be entered into lightly. Any shelter worker will tell you that their most busy time of the year is just after Christmas people bring them unwanted pets. Don't add to the problem by buying a pet for somebody on a whim.
For dog owners, click here or read below:
The “12 Pet Tips of Christmas” – A safety guide for Pet Owners During the
Holiday Season
Let the countdown begin! Here are the ”twelve tips of Christmas” to help keep your dog (or any other pets) safe during the eventful holiday season. They will keep your holidays safe, healthy, and happy!
1. Anticipate your guest's arrivals and confine your dog to prevent it from escaping or worse yet “soiling” your guest’s clothes with an unwanted jump.
2. Reduce your dog's stress by maintaining its regular feeding and exercise routine. Develop a routine for your dog during holiday parties. A special treat in a special room of your house works well.
3. Put packages out of reach! Dogs who smell food in a package will rip it open. Food is the number one holiday hazard for dogs. The foods that we eat can cause havoc on an animal's intestines. Put away children's toys after they are opened. Ingested toys can cause choking and may have to be removed through surgery.
4. Tell guests not to share indulgences with your pet. Poultry skin, fat trimmings, rich gravies, and buttery sauces can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, or even worse, a life threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Also, remember that an ounce of alcoholic beverage can put a small dog into a coma.
5. Stow chocolate candy or baking ingredients out of reach. Chocolate is the most common toxicity treat during the holidays. Small amounts cause problems. Larger amounts can cause above normal heart rhythms, nervous system malfunctions, and even death. Secure your garbage in bins with tight lids. (This is a good habit to get into all year!) A dog can chew up holiday garbage, which can result in intestinal problems.
6. Buy only decorating products (tree water preservatives and artificial snow) that are labeled non-toxic.
7. Secure large trees to the wall to prevent tipping, or consider a smaller tree that can fit on a tabletop.
8. Remember that stomach problems can be caused by popcorn and gumdrops. Avoid using these strings of edible decorations.
9. Fasten all your tree decorations securely, with the more fragile ones at the top. Dogs who chew these can suffer cuts in their mouth from broken ornaments.
10. Return paper and other gift wrapping materials to their storage places after gift wrapping is finished.
11. Place holiday plants out of reach and vacuum often. Poinsettia can cause drooling, oral pain, and vomiting. Mistletoe causes vomiting, labored breathing, shock, and death from cardiovascular collapse. When animals eat the needles from real or fake trees, they can also get intestinal blockage.
12. Display candles on high shelves to avoid painful burns and singed Whiskers and make sure that cords are tucked out of reach. Electrocution can put a huge damper on Holiday festivities.
Important Numbers to have on hand:
Chicago Emergency Vet
773.281.7110
3123 N Clybourn
ASPCA Poison Control
(888) 426-4435
A $55 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card.
There are plenty of dangerous things your pets can get into, ingest etc. Please be careful this Christmas.
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Julie
For cat owners, click here or read below:
Overview:
Christmas is an exciting time for the family, but it always pays to take some extra precautions with our pets. There are many dangers around, below are some suggestions on how to ensure your cat stays safe during the Christmas period.
Christmas Tree/Decorations
The only fool proof way to keep your cat away from your Christmas tree is to put the tree in a room the cat can't access. Unfortunately, this is often not practical. So the next best solution is to make the tree as safe as possible. Real Christmas trees are more dangerous to cats than fake plastic ones. Pine needles can puncture internal organs if eaten, they are also toxic to cats. If you do have a real tree, make sure the drink stand has plenty of water to prevent the tree drying out & losing needles. It is important that your cat isn't able to get to this water & drink it as it could result in poisoning. Ensure the tree has a good solid base so it won't easily be knocked over by your cat. Try not to have the tree near furniture & or shelves which the cats could use to jump onto the tree.
Be careful with tinsel, if you must have it on your tree, place it at the top of the tree where the cat is less likely to be able to get at it. Tinsel can be caught around the base or move down to the intestines & stomach & cause a blockage, which will result in emergency (and costly) surgery to remove it. A safer alternative are the strands of beads. Ornaments should be securely attached to the tree to prevent them being knocked off. Also place delicate ornaments up high where they're less likely to be knocked off & broken. When there is nobody around, unplug Christmas lights, you may want to try applying a cat repellent such as bitter apple to the lights to deter your cat from chewing the wires, obviously if this was to happen it could cause a fatal electric shock.
Artificial snow is toxic to cats, so is best avoided.
Candles are especially popular over the Christmas holiday period, be careful to make sure your cat can't get close to lit candles.
Please note, your cat isn't a novelty item & it's dangerous to try & decorate your cat with ribbons etc.
Plants
Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias are all popular plants to have in the home at Christmas, especially in the northern hemisphere. These plants are toxic to cats so should be placed where your cat can't get to them. Please see our page on common household toxins for an extensive list on toxic & non toxic plants.
Food/Sweets/Chocolate
Many cat owners enjoy giving their cat the occasional treat of "human" food & generally this doesn't harm the cat. However, it is important to remember that some foods which are fine for humans to eat can be toxic to cats. The odd sliver of chicken or turkey (off the bone) is fine, however it really isn't a good idea to give them large quantities of such food as this can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Never give your cat cooked chicken or turkey bones, these bones can splinter & can become lodged in your cat's throat or puncture the intestines & stomach. - Chocolate is toxic to cats, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic. Chocolate contains both caffeine & theobromine, which are both toxic. If you suspect your cat has eaten chocolate watch for signs of restlessness & vomiting, if in doubt, see your vet.
Cats will often scavenge for food in the garbage so be aware that if you've covered your turkey with foil & thrown it in the bin, your cat may drag it out & chew on it which could make the cat sick. Cooked turkey bones will also attract your cat. Be aware of this & if possible, take your food scraps etc., to your outside bin.
Xmas ribbons/wrap
Ribbons etc., pose the same problem as tinsel, if eaten, it may lead to intestinal blockages. It's important to ensure all ribbons/wrap etc., are safely disposed of.
Visitors
Some cats love the attention of visitors, others find strangers in their house stressful. Christmas is often a busy time with visitors coming & going. Be mindful of your cat's feelings & give the cat the option of somewhere quiet to escape to should the need arise, this is particularly important if your friends & relatives have young children.
Holidays
If you are going away on holiday, you have several options for your cat. You may choose to put your cat in a boarding cattery while you are gone. It is best to check out the premises prior to taking your cat there so you can ensure the cattery meets your standards. Any reputable boarding cattery will insist your cat is up to date on it's vaccinations, this is important for the well being of your cat & all other cats they have boarding there. Many vets also do boarding for cats but in my opinion this isn't ideal for more than a few days as their cages tend to be much smaller than those you'd expect to find in a boarding cattery.
There are a growing number of pet sitters available these days. They will come over once or twice a day to feed & play with your cat & to clean the litter tray. I find this most suitable when going away for a few days.
If you are going away for an extended period of time you may want to consider asking a friend or relative to house sit.
Toys
When buying toys for your cat, make sure you thoroughly check them first. Similar precautions should be taken with your cat's toys as you'd take buying a toy for a young child. Make sure there is nothing glued on that the cat can pull off & swallow. As the toy will quite likely be chewed on, ensure that it's made from a non-toxic substance. There are many wand like toys on the market which most cats love, these should be put away safely when not in use because the cat could become tangled on the string. Any toy that is small enough for your cat to swallow is dangerous & should be avoided.
Kittens as gifts
Buying a kitten as a gift is fine as long as the person receiving the kitten has asked for a pet & knows that owning a cat is quite likely to be a 15-20 year responsibility. Never buy a pet as a surprise gift for somebody. Also, because Christmas is usually such a chaotic time, it is best to try & arrange to collect your kitten after Christmas to avoid undue stress on the animal. Please, if you are considering buying a pet as a gift, really think it through before you do so. Pet ownership is a big responsibility & shouldn't be entered into lightly. Any shelter worker will tell you that their most busy time of the year is just after Christmas people bring them unwanted pets. Don't add to the problem by buying a pet for somebody on a whim.
For dog owners, click here or read below:
The “12 Pet Tips of Christmas” – A safety guide for Pet Owners During the
Holiday Season
Let the countdown begin! Here are the ”twelve tips of Christmas” to help keep your dog (or any other pets) safe during the eventful holiday season. They will keep your holidays safe, healthy, and happy!
1. Anticipate your guest's arrivals and confine your dog to prevent it from escaping or worse yet “soiling” your guest’s clothes with an unwanted jump.
2. Reduce your dog's stress by maintaining its regular feeding and exercise routine. Develop a routine for your dog during holiday parties. A special treat in a special room of your house works well.
3. Put packages out of reach! Dogs who smell food in a package will rip it open. Food is the number one holiday hazard for dogs. The foods that we eat can cause havoc on an animal's intestines. Put away children's toys after they are opened. Ingested toys can cause choking and may have to be removed through surgery.
4. Tell guests not to share indulgences with your pet. Poultry skin, fat trimmings, rich gravies, and buttery sauces can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, or even worse, a life threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Also, remember that an ounce of alcoholic beverage can put a small dog into a coma.
5. Stow chocolate candy or baking ingredients out of reach. Chocolate is the most common toxicity treat during the holidays. Small amounts cause problems. Larger amounts can cause above normal heart rhythms, nervous system malfunctions, and even death. Secure your garbage in bins with tight lids. (This is a good habit to get into all year!) A dog can chew up holiday garbage, which can result in intestinal problems.
6. Buy only decorating products (tree water preservatives and artificial snow) that are labeled non-toxic.
7. Secure large trees to the wall to prevent tipping, or consider a smaller tree that can fit on a tabletop.
8. Remember that stomach problems can be caused by popcorn and gumdrops. Avoid using these strings of edible decorations.
9. Fasten all your tree decorations securely, with the more fragile ones at the top. Dogs who chew these can suffer cuts in their mouth from broken ornaments.
10. Return paper and other gift wrapping materials to their storage places after gift wrapping is finished.
11. Place holiday plants out of reach and vacuum often. Poinsettia can cause drooling, oral pain, and vomiting. Mistletoe causes vomiting, labored breathing, shock, and death from cardiovascular collapse. When animals eat the needles from real or fake trees, they can also get intestinal blockage.
12. Display candles on high shelves to avoid painful burns and singed Whiskers and make sure that cords are tucked out of reach. Electrocution can put a huge damper on Holiday festivities.
Important Numbers to have on hand:
Chicago Emergency Vet
773.281.7110
3123 N Clybourn
ASPCA Poison Control
(888) 426-4435
A $55 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card.
There are plenty of dangerous things your pets can get into, ingest etc. Please be careful this Christmas.
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Julie
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