Posts Tagged ‘pets’

It is important to consider how the seasonal weather affects your pets.  We have to remember that there are cold weather dangers, and our pets can become victims of improper shelter, lack of fresh water, antifreeze poisoning, frostbite and even hypothermia.  Here are a few tips that can help keep your pets warms and happy.

Winterize their Skin and Coat:

• Check the pads of their paws for cracked pads, broken nails or snow and ice damage.
• To distribute natural oils to our pets fur, brush their coat often.
• Protect their paws by having them wear booties.

Winterize Pet Shelters:

• If you have outside dogs you can add straw for insulation to doghouses.
• If you have outside cats you can provide a snug, warm bed.  Be sure the bed is not directly on the cold ground or concrete.  Your local pet stores carry outdoor heated beds.
• Watch for antifreeze leaks, it tastes good to animals, and is deadly to pets or wild animals.
• For indoor pets, always remember to maintain supervision when there is a fire in the fireplace.  Use protective fire screens.
• For yours and the pet’s safety install carbon monoxide detectors, and fire alarms. Be sure to test and replace the batteries at least two times a year.  Perhaps choose a time to replace batteries such as when the time changes, in the fall and in the spring.
• Pets are more sensitive to temperature changes than we are, so keep the temperature level.

Winterize them against Frostbite

• Frostbite affects their ears, toes, tails, scrotum and areas least covered by fur.
• Signs of frostbite on yours pets include red swollen areas or skin that is very pale and white.
• Immerse the frostbitten area in warm, not hot, water for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Call your veterinarian.

Winterize against Hypothermia

• When pets are exposed to very cold temperatures and or the wind is blowing for an extended period of time.
• Some symptoms might include shivering, low body temperature, drowsiness, exhaustion, and stumbling.
• Raise the pet’s temperature to treat hypothermia.  Hot water bottles, warm towels, or immerse the pet in room temperature water, adding warmer water slowly.
• Get the animal to drink warm liquids.
• Call your veterinarian.

Winterize Your Pet

• Many pets have increased appetites during cold-weather months so provide extra food.
• Go ahead and dress your pet up in sweaters, raincoats, hats, and booties for paw protection.
• Have their nails trimmed regularly so that they will be able to maintain their footing in icy conditions.

Pet Sitters International http://www.petsit.com

Holidays can be extremely fun for humans but may pose hidden risks for pets.  These eight tips will help keep your pets safe this holiday season.

Don’t be a turkey on “Turkey Day.”

Holiday treats, such as rich, fatty scraps, bones from pork and poultry, alcoholic beverages, chocolate and other sweets and candies can be harmful or toxic to pets.

These foods have been linked to pancreatitis in pets.  Signs and symptoms of an inflamed pancreas include vomiting and abdominal pain.  Severe pancreatitis requires emergency care and treatment.

Oh (No) Christmas Tree!

Below the tree, in the tree, on top of the tree, around the tree, you name it, and the Christmas tree poses the possibility of harm to your pets.  Pine tree water can be poisonous, so it’s best to use an enclosed tree stand. If that’s no possible, be sure to cover the open tree stand base.  The tree should be secured to a wall with strong wire or twine because a toppling tree can cause serious injuries to dogs and cats.

Decorations can be dangerous as well.

Tinsel, entices canines and felines alike.  Glass ornaments look like shiny fetch balls.  Ornaments, hooks, twinkling lights and electrical wiring all pose significant danger to pets.  When no one’s around to supervise, unplug lights and any electrical decorations a pet has access to. Be sure to cover or tack down electrical cords.

Remember, common holiday pet poisons also include plants.

Holiday plants that are poisonous to pets include mistletoe berries, holly, hibiscus, Christmas rose, as well as the poinsettia.  Keep these out of your pets reach.

Sugar free doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.

Xylitol, a sugar substitute, causes a dogs blood sugar to drop quickly.  This poisoning can be treated, but causes liver failure if not treated properly.

Macadamia nuts aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

Dogs experience severe weakness in their back legs, appearing paralyzed, after ingesting macadamia nuts.  Dogs usually recover from this condition within three days.

Pets and bread dough don’t mix well.

When bread dough is ingested it continues to rise and may cause an intestinal blockage.

Consider your pet’s long-term health when treating and feeding during the holidays.

While the tendency is to spoil with a lot of food and edible treats, this can sometimes lead to unnecessary weight gain.  Give your pet a special toy or spend some extra time playing and petting instead.

Following these valuable tips will help keep pets out of danger, while still enjoying the festivities that accompany the most wonderful time of the year!

Compliments from your Professional Pet Sitter, 2 Paws Up Inc.  “We stay home so you don’t have to!” This article was provided in its entirety by PSI, Pet Sitters International.  You can find PSI on the web at http://www.petsit.com

Protective, Territorial, and Possessive Aggression

Protective, territorial, and possessive aggressions are all very similar and involve the defense of valuable resources.

Territorial aggression is usually associated with defense of property, and that “territory” may extend well past the boundaries of your yard.

• For example, if you regularly walk your dog round the neighborhood and allow him to urine mark, he may think his territory includes the entire block.

Protective aggression usually refers to aggression directed toward people or animal whom a dog perceives as threats to his family, or pack.

• Dogs become possessively aggressive when defending their food, toys, or other valued objects, including items as peculiar as tissues stolen from the trash.

Redirected Aggression

• This is a relatively common type of aggression but one that is often misunderstood by pet owners.
• If a dog is somehow provoked by a person or animal he is unable to attack, he may redirect this aggression onto someone else.
• For example, two family dogs may become excited and bark and growl in response to another dog passing through the front yard, or two dogs confined behind a fence may turn and attack each other because they can’t attack an intruder.
• Predation is usually considered to be a unique kind of aggressive behavior because it’s motivated by the intent to obtain food and not primarily by the intent to harm or intimidate.

Individual Variation

• The likelihood of a dog to show aggressive behavior in any particular situation varies markedly from dog to dog. Some dogs tend to respond aggressively with very little stimulation.
• Others may be subjected to all kinds of threatening stimuli and events and yet never attempt to bite.
• The difference in the threshold prompting aggressive behavior is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors.

o    If this threshold is low, a dog will be more likely to bite.

o   Raising the threshold makes a dog less likely to respond aggressively. This threshold can be raised using behavior modification techniques, but the potential for change is influenced by a dog’s gender, age, breed, general temperament, and the way in which the behavior modification techniques are chosen and implemented.

o   Because working with aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous, behavior modification techniques should only be attempted by, or under the guidance of, an experienced animal-behavior professional who understands animal learning theory and behavior.

What You Can Do

• First, check with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.
• Seek professional advice. An aggression problem will not go away by itself. Working with aggression problems requires in-home help from an animal-behavior specialist.
• Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep people and other animals safe. Supervise, confine, or restrict your dog’s activities until you can obtain professional guidance.
• You are liable for your dog’s behavior. If you must take your dog out in public, consider a cage-type muzzle as a temporary precaution, and remember that some dogs are clever enough to get a muzzle off.
• Avoid exposing your dog to situations where he is more likely to show aggression. You may need to keep him confined to a safe room and limit his contact with people.
• If your dog is possessive of toys or treats or territorial in certain locations, prevent access and you’ll prevent the problem.
• In an emergency, bribe him with something better than what he has. For example, if he steals your shoe, trade him the shoe for a piece of chicken.
• Spay or neuter your dog. Intact dogs are more likely to display dominance, territorial, and protective aggressive behavior.

What NOT to Do

• Punishment won’t help and, in fact, will often make the problem worse. If the aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful, and therefore more aggressive. Attempting to punish or dominate a dominant-aggressive dog may actually lead him to escalate his behavior to retain his dominant position. This is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack.
• Punishing territorial, possessive, or protective aggression is likely to elicit additional defensive aggression.
• Don’t encourage aggressive behavior. Playing tug-of-war or wrestling games encourages your dog to attempt to “best” you or “win” over you, which can lead to a dominance aggression problem. When dogs are encouraged to “go get ‘em” or to bark and dash about in response to outside noises or the approach of a person, territorial and protective aggressive behavior may result.

Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal

behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado.

©2000 Dumb Friends League and ©2003 The HSUS.

All rights reserved.

Related topics at http://www.petsforlife.org/

_ Dealing with a Dominant Dog

Promoting the Protection of All Animals