During the changing seasons it’s very important to brush your dog’s coat.  As winter approaches Mother Nature takes over and many dogs will grow a think undercoat or the hair of their top coat will  thicken. 

Unfortunately, it may cause more of a mess with fur ball throughout the house.  So brush your dog regularly and consider purchasing a Furminator.  It’s the best brush/comb I know of for reducing excess pet hair.

If you have a small dog there are a few things you might want to keep in mind.  Just like large-breed dogs, small dogs should get regular exercise, however, it should be appropriate for the type of dog you have.  Walking is good for almost every dog, but your small dog might need shorter or slower walks.  Also, watch out for stairs.  For some small dogs, stairs are not a problem, but stairs can put a lot of strain on dogs prone to back issues.

Large-breed dog food has high doses of glucosomine and chondrotine.  While these ingredients are still needed for a small dog, they do not need the large doses contained in large breed food.  Also, several brands of food have “small-bite” formula’s (dry food) that is for a small dog to chew and digest.

Finally, watch the table scraps.  Small dogs can easily gain weight.  An extra couple of pounds is nothing on a German Shepard, but it may make your Pug, pudgy.

A court abitrator ruled Michael Vic pay approximately 20 million dollars back to the Atlanta Falcons.  This was bonus money previously awarded to him.  The NFL players union is appealing the decision, but hopefully, it will not be overturned.  While this money will not benefit the siezed Pit Bulls that were used for fighting on his estate, it is a good sign that celebreties and sports figures who engage in felony activities will be held accountable for their actions. 

Judge David Doty in Minneapolis will be hearing the appeal.  Then in December Vic will recieve criminal sentencing from Judge Henry Hutson on behalf of the state of Virginia. 

To some it may seem like one man is being singled out and as a compassionate person, I feel bad for Michael Vic.  He’s lost his career, his fortune is quickly tanking, he has drug charges, he’s hated by many people, and he’s put his family through hell.  But keep in mind, he is responsible for the torture and death of dogs-many dogs.  He needs to pay the price just as anyone should. 

To read more about this issue please visit http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-vickpay-1009,0,5970438.story?coll=hr_tab01_layout

Adopting an animal can be an excellent choice for pet lovers.  The advantages of adopting are numerous; costs are lower than buying a pet, animal shelters offer a large variety of companion animals, most mixed breed animals do not inherit breed specific health issues, older animals in shelters already have developed personalities and therefore it’s easier to find a pet that will match with your lifestyle, older pets will be spayed or neutered and vaccinated, you may receive discounts for spay or neuter programs if you adopt a young pet, you can adopt a bonded animal pair or litter mates at reduced cost, and shelter workers are genuinely concerned that you find the right pet for your lifestyle.

Cost of animals and types of animals up for adoption vary by areas.  In my area a puppy adoption is $150 and an adult cat is only $60.  When you compare the cost of buying a pet, to adopting an animal, it’s much cheaper to adopt.  For example typical cost to purchase a puppy are $300-$600, plus first year vaccinations $150-$300 and possibly some health tests not provided by the breeder which can add another $50-$200.  Most often when you adopt a puppy from the shelter the adoption fee insures the puppy has already been treated for fleas, passed a health examination, received vaccinations (if the animal is old enough), and has been tested for parvovirus.  Some shelters in the south also test dogs for heart worm.  In dogs, distemper, parvo-influenza, and heart worm are terminal illnesses, if they are untreated.  Adult cats adopted from the shelter are spayed or neutered, vaccinated for distemper, tested for Feline Aids(FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FELV) (which can both be terminal illnesses), and are treated for fleas.  When you compare this with the cost of purchasing a cat ($150-$1000) or taking on a “free kitten”, animal adoption again proves to be much cheaper.  Typical costs for FIV and FELV testing are $45-$75 for each test, spaying at maturity $45-90, or neutering $30-$75, and first year vaccinations $150-$300.  So your “free kitten” can cost more than $500 for the first year of medical care.  Additionally, many shelters also test for other diseases such as worms, and the shelter will be open and honest about known disabilities such as hearing or vision impairments.

Shelter employees and volunteers do a great job of helping you pick an animal that is right for your lifestyle.  Typically, there are wide varieties of adoptable pets available.  Most shelters have dogs and cross-breed puppies ranging from tiny to large, short-haired to fluffy, and personalities that range from shy lap dogs to high energy running companions.  Cats selection can ran from large Maine-coon mixes, to high energy Siamese mixes, to fluffy mellow Angoras.  My local shelter also services other companion animal adoption such as ferrets, pot belly pigs and goats.  Occasionally, shelters have purebred animals available for adoption. (Also, see my article on purebred adoptions). 

There are other benefits of adopting an animal from a shelter.  Mixed bred animal may be healthier and calmer than some purebred animals.  Certain purebred often have genetic disorders (due to the inbreeding).  For example, many large purebred dogs develop hip dysplasia (a malformation of the hip joint that causes arthritis).  Small purebred dogs with pug noses may develop respiratory disorders.  Disorders associated with specific breeds can be found in mixed breed dogs and cats, but are far less likely to occur.  Older pets available for adoption from the shelter have developed personalities and therefore it is easier to adopt an animal that will be right for your household.  For example, if you have children, the shelter worker will introduce you to the pets that are the best suited to your household.  If you’re single and want a jogging partner, the shelter worker can introduce you to a healthy high energy dog companion.   You may think you want a dog, but after speaking with a shelter worker, realize your lifestyle is far more suited to an adult cat.  Some shelters provide ongoing benefits, such as reduced vaccination cost, reduced training costs or provide a list of auxiliary services.    

If you want to select from a wide variety of pets, the best time of year is during spring and early fall which are breeding seasons.  Shelters are inundated with strays.  Christmas is a bad time of year to adopt an animal for several reasons; many people adopt at this time of year so selection will be limited, it hard on the animal (due to lack of routines and chaos that often accompanies the holiday) and, it’s may curtail your travel plans. (See my article on Christmas animal adoption). 

To find an adoption center in your area contact the Humane Association of the United States, check with a local veterinarian, or inquire at a locally owned pet supply stores.  Each year the United States destroys more than 4,000,000 companion animals.  By adopting an animal from a shelter you are saving a life.  However, please consider the long term care required, before you purchase or adopt a pet. 

The easiest way to tell if you dog is the right weight is by touch.  Press your hand along the outside of your dogs ribcage.  If you have to press very hard to feel ribs or if you cannot feel the dogs ribs, most likely your dog is overweight or obese.  If your dogs ribs are easily definable or they protrude, your dog is most likely underweight.  It’s best if you can feel the ribs just a bit. 

If you have any concerns please refer to my article on dog obesity at www.ezinearticles.com  Just like us, dog weights can have a range but in if a dog falls too far overweight or underweight it can lead to more serious health conditions.

Last year the average insurance pay-out for dog bites was $62,000.  If your insurance company doesn’t cover dog bites, you are likely to be stuck with an enormous bill. 

Unfortunately, we live in a time when people do not take responsibility for their actions and the actions of their children.  You can be enjoying a nice walk with your dog when a two year old comes and pokes your well behaved pet in the eye, or someone’s dog escapes the back yard and runs up to you and your pet.  When your dog snaps back, you’re the one footing the bill, even though the parent of the child or the other dog parent is the one to blame.

My dog is dog aggressive.  She’s manageable on a leash and our city has a stringent leash law.  Despite this, there are times when other dogs get loose.  Because my dog is powerful, she could do substantial damage to a “friendly” dog that is running loose. 

Last month I went to see a dog behaviorist to see if there was anything else I could do to control my dog in case of a loose dog.  My anxiety level was high.  She said she could work with me, but could never guarantee my dog would not bite another dog if given the chance.  Since my dog loves to walk and is very powerful, she advised me to walk my dog with a muzzle.  This has reduced my stress level dramatically. 
If you have a dog that’s strong and dog aggressive, I’d encourage you to walk your dog muzzled so that you will never be the one paying the $62,000 bill.  Furthermore, you’ll never have to say “I’m sorry my dog hurt your pet or child”.   

On August 20^th, 2007, Michael Vic confessed to his involvement with dog fighting.  Defense attorney, Billy Martin states, “Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made,”… “Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter.”  Most likely Michael Vic will pay a fine close to $250,000 and spend 12 to 18 months in jail. 

To an NFL player, $250,000 is probably the equivalent of a speeding ticket or minor traffic violation for an average American household.  If he really wanted to accept responsibility for his action he would sell every possession he owns and donate all of his money it to animal shelters and legal defense funds for animals.  He would spend the rest of his life working to helping others see the errors of his ways, and he would volunteer his time and energy at shelters, and when and if he ever received another endorsement, he would turn that money over as well.  Additionally, he would contact every corporate entity that sought his endorsement and beg them to donate to animal rights organizations such as the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Humane Society of America and the ASPCA–or have them as their next endorsement. 

The NFL could gain respect by requiring any player found guilty (or someone who pleads guilty) to animal abuse, child abuse or spousal abuse forever be banned from the game.  Granted none of these actions would restore the many innocent lives that were taken, diminish the horrendous abuse he caused, or bring back the dogs that he strangled or drowned (at least eight were killed execution style), but it would be much more noble than a measly $250,000 and one year of his life.    

Hello,

Today I’m featuring an article by a fellow dog lover.  I have read numerous reports and have had veterinarians confirm that both grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs. All the best, Kate.

According the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, they have found that grapes and raisins can cause poisoning in dogs when eaten in large quantities. This is something that dog owners should be aware of if you normally give your pet fruits and vegetables as snacks.

The Center managed 140 grape/raisin poisoning cases from April 2003 to April 2004. According to their information, out of these 140 cases, over 50 of these dogs developed symptoms of toxin poisoning ranging from vomiting to kidney damage and kidney failure. Seven of the dogs died. At this point, no one really knows what is in this fruit that causes such a problem in dogs.

What Are The Symptoms?

The toxic symptoms can vary, but most of the signs exhibited by canines include lethargic behavior, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of kidney failure within 6 to 24 hours of eating this fruit. Should you come home to find that your dog has eaten the bunch of grapes sitting on the table or a packet of raisins, take them to your veterinarian immediately.

However, please be advised that your veterinarian may not even be aware that grapes and raisins can cause severe toxicity in your dog… so you may need to educate your veterinarian on this. Be insistent and have blood tests done immediately.

How do you know if your dog has eaten too much grapes or raisins? Here’s a true story to give you some idea:

One lady lost her Australian Shepherd/Saint Bernard mix to renal failure after her dog ingested one cup of raisins. Keep in mind that this would be a fairly large dog. After the dog began vomiting later in the day she took her dog into her veterinarian. The vet believed it was only an upset stomach and sent the dog home. It wasn’t until a few days later when the dog’s condition hadn’t improved that blood tests were finally taken. Unfortunately, by then acute renal failure had developed and the dog died, despite the aggressive treatments given.

What Is The Treatment Provided?

Care and management of this toxic poisoning will most often consist of induced vomiting, stomach pumping and administrating activated charcoal to prevent the absorption of the toxins by the body. This will most likely be followed by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours.

In addition, blood tests will have to be taken to check on the elevation of blood calcium levels (Hypocalcaemia), as well as on the elevation levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus, all of which affect kidney function.

Unfortunately in some cases, even aggressive treatment may not work due to the dog’s poor response to the treatment or length of time between realizing that your dog is showing signs of poisoning and getting help. Kidney damage and failure is very likely, which could result in death. Therefore it is imperative that you get veterinary help as soon as possible. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear if you know your pet has eaten several raisins and/or grapes.

If you have been feeding your pet these fruits on occasion as a snack (one or two grapes now and again probably won’t do any damage), it would be wise to stop the practice altogether. There are many other safe and healthy alternatives such as apples, carrots and celery that dogs are quite happy to snack on instead.

Last week I shared how I found Sabrina dying and starving to death on the streets of Nashville. 

A few days later I brought her to my veterinarian.  The scars on her back, belly, legs and face caused both of us to believe this dog had been used for fighting, then breeding, and had miraculously escaped her confinement.  My veterinarian suggested euthanasia and I strongly considered it.  Even in her appalling condition (she had 5 types of worms including heartworm, had a vaginal infection, was severely malnourished and had some problems with her teeth) she was still dog aggressive.  But then she looked at me with those tender brown eyes, gave an impressive Pit Bull smile, and licked my hand.  $1,000 and one week later I brought her home and began running ads trying to find her a loving home.  The only people interested in adopting her wanted to use her for protection.  During her three month recovery period, I frequently would hear her scream whenever she fell asleep: it was a primal sound –one that quickly made my eyes water because I have never heard such desperate screams from either a person or an animal.  Eventually, I quit running ads and she stopped screaming in her sleep.  
 
Dog fight operators scar society on many levels.  They subject dogs to a painful and hopeless future, they adversely affect an entire breed, and they place a heavy financial and emotional burden on city budgets and individuals unable to turn a blind eye to abuse.  As Wisconsin State Journalist readers know, last year, a local man cost the city approximately $200,000 when his dog fight ring was busted.  47 Pit Bulls were forced to be caged for months because the animals were considered “evidence”, other adoptable dogs were turned away from the Dane County Shelter because it was full, staff workers were overwhelmed by the responsibility, and surrounding shelters were also overwhelmed because they were forced to absorb the overflow.  In the end most of the seized Pit Bulls needed to be euthanized along with other dogs and cats that were mortally effect by the shelter’s space limitations during this highly stressful time.  

Currently the Pit Bull breed is suffering due to the “fight” stigma.  Most major cities routinely euthanize Pit Bulls immediately when they are turned in to a shelter even though Pit Bulls typically are no threat to people, and most have a very low aggression level toward other dogs.  In Denver Colorado, it’s illegal to have a Pit Bull.  If the city discovers you have a pet Pit Bull, you and your dog can move, or the city kills your dog.  Almost all insurance companies have them as a “banned” breed which means they can only be adopted by home owners, not renters, and the home owners must be willing to install a 6 foot privacy fence or be willing to keep their dog confined.  Individuals like me are forced to change lifestyle or we are forced to make the decision to end the life of a healthy dog (through euthanasia) if we cannot find someone willing to adopt.   

But, the reach of dog fight rings goes far beyond abusing animals and extends into the abuse of children, snuff films, spousal abuse and human slave trafficking.  Researchers at the University of Washington are working on a project called “the link”.  Their research supports the belief that animal abuse is typically the first sign of those that would abuse another person. 

Next week I’ll tell you a little more about Sabrina and the Pit Bull breed.  I’d recommend “Pit Bulls for Dummies” which you can buy on the link below.  You may also want to check out Out of the Pits website.

 Welcome! 

Pet Care Resource Center of America is a one stop resource center for anyone who loves animals. We provide informative pet care tips,  animal welfare information, and review products that may be helpful to pets and the people who love them.
Kate Garvey, Founder and Director

THE PLIGHT OF PIT BULLS (Part1)

Physics indicate for every action there is an equal and opposing force.  Regrettably, this belief tanks when it comes to Pit Bulls and the wreckage created by the dog fighting industry.  One dog fight operator requires a clean-up crew of about fifty animal lovers.  The dog fight operators create a social stigma against specific dog breeds and they leave an infestation that takes decades to undue.  A loving, intelligent dog breed becomes the scourge of society and many sweet dogs face a death sentence in most cities.  Any help for the animals comes from a paltry group of volunteers and underfunded shelter workers.  Unwilling, I became one such volunteer. 

Four years ago while living in the south, I found a Pit Bull dying in the streets of Nashville, Tennessee.  She was frantically rummaging through garbage cans.  She looked like she had just arrived from a third world country.  Her breast hung to the ground.  Every single rib jutted out from her spine.  I could literally count the vertebrae along her spine and easily see the outline of her hip bones.  With a great deal of fear, I approached her.  Her nervous brown eyes twitched spastically, she crouched on the ground and urinated as she slowly crawled toward me. I cautiously reached out a balled fist not knowing what her response would be, and she just as cautiously looked through those frantic eyes and hesitantly licked my hand.  Within moments, we both realized we could trust each other.  Days away from death, I began to take care of her in hopes that I could make her well and find a loving home for her.

Join me next week when I tell more about this extrodinary dog and this remarkable but deeply misunderstood breed.