Heatstroke Awarenss

As you begin to enjoy the nice weather with your pet, it is important to keep in mind that pets cannot tolerate high temperatures, as well as humans.

 Some common situations that can cause your pet to suffer a heat stoke include: being left in cars, vigorous exercise, and spending too much time on hot asphalt.

 Pets suffering from heat stroke will initially demonstrate signs of excessive panting, salivating and discomfort.
As symptoms progress, they may vomit or have diarrhea, become disoriented or even begin to have seizures.
If not promptly treated, this can lead to loss of consciousness and death.

To help keep your pet from suffering a heatstoke, provide them with some shade and fresh drinking water often, throughout the day.

 If you ever suspect that your pet is suffering a heatstroke, contact us immediately.

https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/dog-health/banfield-heatstroke-dog-cat/

Two National Pet Stores Pulling China-Made Treats

 

Two major national pet stores are pulling all dog and cat treats made in China off of their shelves as years of complaints to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pile up that jerky treats from China were possibly making pets sick.

Vice President of Merchandising for Petco John Sturm said they are voluntarily removing these products after consumers voiced concerns. Another major pet food retailer, PetSmart, is pulling Chinese-made jerky treats from its stores in the U.S. and Canada. The treats have been linked to more than 1,000 dog deaths and nearly 5,000 other pet illnesses.

The FDA said it's still working to determine the exact causes of the illnesses.

While the products won't actually disappear from PetSmart shelves until March of 2015, Petco plans to pull the products by the end of this year. Click the link below, to view more details. 

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2014/05/22/newday-petco-pulls-china-made-dog-treats.cnn.html

Source: http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/22/two-national-pet-stores-pulling-china-made-treats/

World's Smartest Dog Doing Tricks

Love Your Pet Day

Did you know today happens to be Love Your Pet Day?  Every day is Love Your Pet Day for us!  There are many ways to show a little extra love to your pet.

The Importance of Spaying and Neutering Your Pet

You may have heard time and time again that it is important to spay or neuter your pet.  Maybe you have thought about it, but do not see it as a necessity.  Or perhaps you might think that your pet should not go through all the pain that surgery may cause.  The truth is that spaying or neutering your pet may help prevent different types of cancers, allowing your pet to live a happier and healthier life. 

            Take a moment to review the following reasons that spaying and neutering pets is so important ... They may change your perspective:

·         Between 3 and 4 million adoptable animals are euthanized in animal shelters each year, simply because they do not have homes.    These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

·         Spaying and neutering dramatically reduce the number of stray animals on the streets.

·         The term “spay” refers to removing a female animal’s ovaries and uterus so that she cannot reproduce. The term "neuter" refers to removing a male animal’s testicles so that he cannot reproduce. Although the term “neuter” technically means the sterilization of either a male or a female animal, today it is typically used to refer to the procedure for a male animal.

·         Pets should be spayed or neutered at young ages, before 6 months for a male and before a female’s first heat.

·         Historic records indicate that surgical procedures to sterilize male animals date back as far as 284 B.C. Such surgeries for companion animals date back about 100 years.

·         Spaying and neutering can help reduce the incidence of some of the most common types of cancers so your animal is likely to live a longer and healthier life.

·         Spay/neuter surgeries can only be performed by licensed veterinarians.

·         The cost of spaying or neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for one year.

·         Seventy-eight percent of pet dogs and 88 percent of pet cats are spayed or neutered.

·         Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering.

·         Many unneutered pets have aggression problems and often mark their territory with strong-scented urine, which can make the household unbearable. Early neutering can nix aggression

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Source: ASPCA, PETA, The Anti-Cruelty Society http://tiny.cc/u2ry8w

Pets as Christmas Presents

Sometimes it may seem like a cute idea to give someone a pet as a Christmas present, but it’s important to give that some extra thought before you do it. Most pets that are given up lose their home because their owner loses interest in them or is unprepared for the responsibility of pet ownership. This is a huge problem seen among pet owners who receive their pets as “gifts.” Children especially are given the mistaken idea that pets are all fun and games, but they are not fully ready to take on the responsibility of feeding, walking, cleaning, and training their pet.

Instead of giving pets as presents, we recommend getting acclimated to the idea of bringing a new pet into your home. Bringing your children to volunteer at an animal shelter or babysitting the pet of a friend or family member can help. Children and potential pet owners (no matter their age!) need to be reminded that pets aren’t just cute; they are also hungry, need to exercise, and need to use the bathroom. They can be messy when they aren’t fully trained, and the training process can be difficult too.

Please, don’t adopt until everyone in your family is READY. 

Boo’s Holiday Adventure