Safe Car Travel With Your Pet

A must read from the ASPCA if your  planning a road trip with your pet this summer.   Traveling with a pet involves more than just loading the animal in the back seat and motoring off—especially if you will be driving long distances or plan to be away for a long time. The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you prepare for a safe and smooth car trip.  Paw Here for full article. 

Make Your Own Dog Biscuits

 These wholesome biscuits are so tasty and fill the house with such a wonderful aroma. Several minutes after the first batch is baking in the oven, our dog Maxxamillion will suddenly stop playing, sniff the air, and walk over to his favorite spot in the kitchen to wait for them. He recognizes the delicious aroma of these biscuits every single time. Paw Here For Recipes

Make Pet Adoption Your First Choice

Not only does Pet adoption save lives, but it's a great way to give an animal a second chance at life.  Pet finder is a great website to find your perfect forever friend. They support multiple shelters throughout the country, so finding a pet to adopt could be very close to your home. Check out their list of things you should know before adopting a pet page.  Paw Here 

Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Check out ASPCA for a great article regarding how to ease dog separation anxiety. If your dog uses his time alone in the house to bark endlessly, pee on the carpet, or tear up the sofa—and those behaviors are accompanied by depression or stress your pooch may be suffering from separation anxiety, a very common doggy behavior problem. Paw Here -- http://www.aspca.org

Heat Stroke Can Be Fatal To Your Dog

Never leave your dog locked in a car on a hot day.  Even with the windows rolled down a little, the temperatures can soar and cause heat stroke within minutes.  Heat stroke can be fatal to your dog if not treated promptly.  Please keep in mind that a dog's body is more susceptible to heat stroke, especially long haired, double fur, and short snouted dogs. 

Although Chicago's cold weather is Maxxamillions favorite time of the year, Summer is our family's favorite time of year because we get to spend a lot of time with him outdoors.  As many fun things as there are to do with our dogs outdoors, we must also take greater precautions with them on very hot days.

On very hot days, we're very careful not to take Maxxamillion on long walks.  We prefer to walk Maxxamillion in the early morning hours during the summertime so that he can enjoy his walks before the temperature starts to rise.  Also when we walk Maxxamillion in the park, we make sure we keep him hydrated by giving him water and on occasion, even soaking him to cool him off, which, by the way, he loves and which causes him to get frisky and wild every single time.

Maxxamillion loves his car rides with us, but if we are going to run errands to places he cannot go with us on very hot days, we prefer to leave Maxxamillion cool and comfortable at home. By following a few common safety tips, you and your furry child can enjoy the outdoors in the summertime.

"Download the ASPCA's PetWeather iPhone and Android App for Free
The ASPCA's PetWeather App lets you know at a glance what kind of weather your furry friend can expect for your location, and will alert you if weather conditions make it uncomfortable or even dangerous for your pets to be outside." Paw Here For the ASPCA's Know the Warning Signs

Maxxamillion's Favorite Dog Toys

Always beware when buying toys for your pets. All toys are not equal. Some pet toys may have loose parts which can cut your pet's mouth. The squeaky toys may have loose components that when chewed on may come out or fall off, which can cause choking or be swallowed and cause intestinal problems. A toy's eyes, nose or ears may come off and also be harmful and cause choking when swallowed.

Overall, most dog toys are easy to gauge for safety, but some can be deceiving so if you're not certain, read the toy's tag for any warnings and to learn about what the toy is made of. Also, if the toy's tag has very little information, make sure that the toy's material is not harmful to your pet(s).

You can also go on-line to read about any possible alert or warnings.

Joplin Adoption Event

ASPCA: The tornado that hit Joplin on May 22 left nearly 600 animals—Dachshunds, Golden Retrievers, tiny kittens and more—without homes. These wonderful dogs and cats are counting on kind-hearted families to visit our adoption event at the Joplin Humane Society on June 25 and 26. Paw Here For Details ASPCA 

Garden Plants Harmful To Dogs

As we get into the full spring season there are some precautions we have to take as furry child parents.

There are a lot of common plants that we may take for granted that could be harmful to many pets, such as pesticides and fertilizers we buy at our local box stores. Always be cautious and carefully read labels for ingredients that could seriously harm or even kill your beloved pet. Although sometimes a little more expensive, there are a lot of holistic and natural products on the market today that are safe and effective. For a full list of poisonous plants and ingredients, please paw this link to the ASPCA's Poison Control Center. 

Love Maxxamillion

Brushing Your Dogs Teeth

Oral Hygiene is as important for dogs as it is for humans.  Recently, I was watching one of the morning news shows and they had a segment about how important it is to  brush your dog's teeth to prevent diseases and how it could extend your dog's life by two years. 

They featured three dogs from a local shelter as examples of how to properly brush your dog's teeth.  The dogs were not very receptive because they were not used to the routine of having their teeth brushed.   It made us laugh because it brought back memories of when we started to try brushing Maxxamillion's teeth.  He would bark at the toothbrush, grab it from our hands and take off with it as if it was one of his many toys. 
One of the things we did with Maxxamillion in the beginning was to start him out slowly by letting him lick the toothpaste on the tooth brush.  Of all the popular flavored dog toothpastes on the market, we quickly found out that beef flavor was his favorite.   We did that for a couple of days, and on the third day we were able to brush his teeth and he was more receptive to it.
 
One of the tricks that we developed was to use two toothbrushes.  First, we would brush one side of his rear and front teeth with one toothbrush, then show him the second toothbrush, and wait until his was through licking the toothpaste from his teeth.  Then he would usually give us a nudge letting us know he was ready for the second toothbrush and we would then brush the other side.  We would brush his teeth by preparing two toothbrushes with the beef flavored dogs toothpaste and this became a ritual every night before we all went to bed.
 
When we took Maxxamillion to the vet for his first teeth cleaning  we found out that vet dental care can be very expensive and like most pets, Maxxamillion had to be sedated, and we didn't like having Maxxamillion sedated.  It was after this visit that the vet suggested that we start brushing Maxxamillion's teeth at home.  So as always, its never too late to start a good oral hygiene routine on your furry loved one. 
 

On The Road With Your Dog

Traveling with your dog can be a very rewarding experience, but it also means added responsibility on you. The best advice for traveling with your dog is to plan your trip in advance. Make sure your dog is up to date on all his vaccinations, and get a copy of your dogs medical records from your vet. It is a good practice to always have the medical records when you travel in case of an emergency or an accident. Paw Here to read more...

National Poison Prevention Week

Spring is in the air and with it comes certain precautions that pet parents should take to prevent certain gardening products from hurting your furry friend. The ASPCA puts out their list every year. They are also a great resource for all things toxic and poisonous to your pet.  Paw Here For List.

Roll Back Of The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act

ASPCA: As we informed readers last week, Missouri state legislators are moving quickly to weaken or fully repeal the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act (PMCPA), which was passed in November by the majority of their constituents. Completely disregarding the will of the people, on Thursday, March 10, the Missouri Senate passed Senate Bill 113—a bill to roll back every humane provision of the PMCPA—by a vote of 20 to 14. To add insult to injury, earlier this week senators rejected an amendment that would have referred their new, weak commercial breeding law back to the ballot for Missouri voters to weigh in on. Paw Here To Continue

Dog Adoption PSA From Best Friend

Spay Day is Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011

HSUS: Spay Day an annual event of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animals' lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. Spay Day officially takes place on the last Tuesday of February—but events will be running all through the month! The 17th annual Spay Day is Feb. 22, 2011. To support Spay Day, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International host the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest, presented by Zazzle—a great opportunity to celebrate our pets, raise funds for spaying and neutering, and win great prizes!

Things You Need to Know About Ice Melts

ASPCA:  Most of us know how to protect our pups in freezing temperatures (doggie sweaters, here we come!) but not everyone is aware of another winter danger for dogs: the ubiquitous rock salt used to melt ice. In the past five years, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) has received hundreds of calls about ice melt exposure. Here’s everything you need to know to keep Fido safe from salt melts till spring. Paw Here For Article

What Were Top 10 Pet Toxins of 2010?

ASPCA: Human medications have topped the list of pet toxins for the third year in a row, according to a new list released by the ASPCA. In 2010, the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline fielded more than 167,000 phone calls about pets exposed to common household toxins and other potentially poisonous substances... Paw Here

ASPCA Virtual Pet Behaviorist

Wow, I cant believe another year has gone by.  Today I was checking out a new service from the ASPCA called "Virtual Pet Behaviorist" the service lets you get pet-behavior advice from ASPCA experts 24 hours a day, right from your computer. Their nationally recognized team of animal behaviorists offers possible solutions to a wide range of issues at no charge. Simply type your pet's behavior problem into our easy-to-use database, and you'll receive step-by-step advice -- without leaving home.  Its a pretty cool tool!  Paw here to check it out.

Cold Weather Tips For Dogs!

Winter is Maxxamillion's favorite time of the year and when it snows, well, there is no getting him to come inside the house. But as pet parents we have to make sure we keep our pets safe through the brutal winter season. Make sure not to leave your pets outdoors for long periods of time, especially in sub-zero weather, which we're very prone to in the midwest. Short haired dogs are more susceptible to the cold weather than dogs with thick heavy fur. If you live in an area where salt is used on the sidewalks and streets, make sure to clean your dog's paws every time they are exposed to it. We use a small wet towel or baby wipes to clean Maxxamillion's paws. Maxxamillion always makes it into a game when we clean his paws with the towel by trying to play tug-of-war, and we of course cannot resist and always play his game.  For more information and cold weather pet tips, Paw on this link!

Save A Life Adopt A Pet!

Visit DogsInDanger.com

 Over 7 million cats and dogs are being killed in the U.S. each year. Please take a moment to see if you could help in any way the Animal Shelters in your local area.

November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month

November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month! Senior pets have a lot of love and companionship ready to give us. Petfinder.com is highlighting older pets this month, they are a great resource for pet  adoption. Petfinder is also featuring  some great articles about adopting senior pets.  Paw Here To Vist Petfinder.com