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. 

Bark In The Park 2012

PR:  The Anti-Cruelty Society’s Bark in the Park Brings Thousands of Dogs to Montrose Harbor
18th Annual Fundraiser Makes Noise on May 5, 2012
CHICAGO—Dogs are leading their owners to their favorite canine event of the year—The Anti-Cruelty Society’s Bark
in the Park. On May 5, 2012 at 9 a.m., rain or shine, thousands of dogs and their owners are scheduled to congregate at
Montrose Harbor for a morning of fun and an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for The Anti-Cruelty Society’s
programs and services.
Thousands of humans and their dogs are expected to attend this year’s event creating a great day of camaraderie amongst
animal lovers. Emcees, ABC 7’s Hosea Sanders and Roz Varon, will be on site kicking off the walk and keeping everyone
energized throughout the morning. Cat owners are welcome as well and given the opportunity to make a pin in honor of
the feline friends that are not able to attend the dog-friendly event.
Activities include agility courses, demonstrations, product samples from small business sponsors, Animal Intuitive Denise
Zak, a family fun tent—plus free snacks, souvenir photos, 50/50 cash raffle, and much more.
Bark in the Park is made possible by our generous sponsors: ABC7, Hill’s Science Diet, BMO/Harris Investments,
PetSmart, and many more corporate and individual supporters.
Advance registration is $35 for adults, $30 for children under 13, and dogs and children under 3 are free. Walkers may
register and raise funds online. Pick up registration packets at participating PetSmart locations, at the Society’s Education
& Training Center (169 W. Grand Ave., Chicago) on Friday, April 27 from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 28 from 10
a.m. to noon, or the morning of the event at 7 a.m. at the red tents.
For a look at last year’s walk, to register and pledge, and to find sponsors information visit www.barkinthepark.org. For
more information call the Bark in the Park hotline at 312-329-8726 or email events@anticruelty.org.
About The Anti-Cruelty Society
The Anti-Cruelty Society is Chicago’s oldest and largest, private, open-admission, unlimited stay humane society. With a
mission of building a community of caring by helping pets and educating people, its comprehensive programs and
services help over 50,000 animals and humans every year and include: adoption, charity veterinary clinic, low or no-cost
spay/neuter clinic, cruelty investigations and rescue, humane education & community outreach, a free behavior hotline,
dog training classes, S.A.F.E. program (short-term accommodations for emergencies), The Bruckner Rehabilitation &
Treatment Center, the Virginia Butts Berger Cat Clinic, and the Dog Rehabilitation Center. For more information, visit
www.anticruelty.org or call (312) 644-8338.

Flea & Tick Season Starting Early IN 2012

"CVA: Warmer Winter Season and Above-Average Temperatures Bring Out Insects Earlier. Central Veterinary Associates urges all pet owners to keep their pets safe from fleas and ticks year round and especially during the spring season. The warmer weather provides a great opportunity for your pets to go outside for a walk or to run around, but it also means that they will be exposed to these insects. It will be much easier and healthier for your pet to prevent these infestations from occurring than having to treat them.  Paw Here To Visit CVA"

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

Traveling With Your Dog Tips

 Shortly after  Maxxamillion came home we decided we were not going to leave him behind anymore after one bad experience with a pet-sitter. We did not want to put him in an airplane either because of the high risk of death. So we decided to take our vacations by auto. Problem was twelve years ago there wasn't as much information on traveling with your dog as there is today... Paw Here To Continue

Foster Dogs in NYC: Judd's Success Story

Foster Dogs in NYC: Judd's Success Story: From his adopter Charissa: I adopted Judd from a rescue that is located in Fort Collins, Colorado called A Puppy’s Voice . This organizat...

Happy Valentines Day, Love Maxxamillion

Wishing all a very Happy Valentine's Day!  Please be aware that although we canines give you unconditional love, chocolates and other foods our humans enjoy  on this holiday are very bad for us.  Paw Here  to continue...

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 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! May you all have a spectacular 2012. Thank you for your support throughout the years. Love Maxxamillion

Happy Hooowlidays, Love Maxxamillion

Wishing all my friends a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.  May you adopt a new pet and truly enjoy the love and happiness an adopted pet brings to your life. Happy Hooowlidays To All, Love Maxxamillion

Thanksgiving Pet Safty Tips

Keeping your pets safe this Thanksgiving. Did you know that some of the foods and decorations used on Thanksgiving  can hurt your pets? The ASPCA puts out a great list of items and foods to avoid this holiday season. So if you have any questions about what to feed your furry friend Paw Here For List

Keep Your Pets Safe This Halloween

Attention, pet parents, Halloween could be a very fun and exiting time for humans, but your pets face a lot of dangers you may not even know.  The ASPCA recommends taking some common sense precautions this Halloween a  great resource for all the dangers your pet  may face.  Maxxamillion always goes as himself every Halloween. Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!  The ASPCA, Halloween

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.