Archive for the ‘Pet Safety’ Category

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Cocoa Mulch can Harm Dogs and Even Kill Them

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

A lot of people start planting their gardens during Spring, and there’s a certain kind of mulch that can potentially harm their pets. Cocoa mulch is gaining popularity and can be very bad for dogs and other pets who try to eat it.

This mulch is made out of cocoa bean shells, which contain Theobromine. As mentioned in a previous post, Theobromine is very poisonous to dogs and cats. Some cocoa mulch companies have managed to get most of the Theobromine out of their mulch, but there are still others who don’t do that kind fo filtering.

The mulches are popular for their color and scent, unfortunately, that scent is also appealing to some pets. If a dog eats enough of the unfiltered cocoa mulch, it will get sick and can possibly die. Small amounts of Theobromine will cause vomiting and minor illness, but if your yard is covered in the stuff, there’s a good chance a large amount can be eaten by your pets.

There are plenty of other mulches to choose from, and if you really need to have the cocoa mulch, just make sure it’s one that has gotten rid of most of the Theobromine.

The unfiltered cocoa mulch is so bad for pets that some lawmakers are trying to get bills passed that require people to put up signs in their yards warning against the presense of the cocoa mulch. While owners should always try to be aware of what their dogs are eating, it’s not always possible to do so.

Signs would be helpful to owners who are walking their dogs, but realistically, this mulch seems to do more harm than good and should be avoided if at all possible.

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How Many Cats is too Many?

Monday, April 13th, 2009

How many cats do you think is too many? Most people have between one and three cats, which seems reasonable, but there are those people who go overboard. If you’re adopting more cats than you can possibly take care of, remedy the situation before law enforcement does.

Recently, a woman in New Jersey was found with nearly 100 cats running around her $1 million home. Law enforcement got a search warrant, and went in to check out the situation. They immediately took over 20 cats out of the house, and plan to take the remaining 70 or so in the near future.

Some of the cats had health problems, while others were thought to be offspring of feral cats that got in the house and bred with the pets that lived there.

This shows that you can’t have as many cats as you want, even if you live in a $1 million, 12 bedroom house. It’s simply too much for one person or one family to care for while still leading healthy lives themselves.

People like this seem to believe that by taking in any cat that needs a home, they are doing good in the world, but this isn’t the case. By taking in a cat when you don’t have the means to support it, you are effectively making that cat’s situation worse.

While the cat may have food and shelter, it has the share those things with dozens of other cats. Having so many cats under one roof can cause respiratory problem, fighting and an inability to clean up all of the spots where the cats will vomit, urinate and defecate.

If you know of cats that need a home, find a good shelter for them. Don’t take the responsibility on yourself to care for all of the cats, you’ll just make their lives, and yours, worse than they should be.

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Chocolate and Dogs: How and Why it Effects Them

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Easter is around the corner, and that means more chocolate in the average household. While you’re scarfing down that creme egg or solid chocolate bunny, it’s important to keep that kind of stuff away from your dogs.

Chocolate doesn’t agree with dogs in the same ways it does with humans. While it tastes good and makes us feel happy, it can affect the central nervous system of your dog and possibly be fatal if large amounts are consumed.

There is a chemical compound in chocolate called theobromine, which has negative effects on dogs and cats. In small doses, this will cause some digestive problems, but large doses can be much more harmful.

Some of the effects theobromine can have on dogs include excitability, irritability, an increased heart rate, muscle tremors, vomiting and diarrhea. If a combination of these symptoms start to appear in your dog, it’s possible that your pet consumed some chocolate.

Different kinds of chocolate have different levels of theobromine. While the amount of theobromine in each kind of chocolate can’t be pinned down, there are some general guidelines to go by. Milk chocolate has the lowest levels of theobromine, and will most likely only cause digestive problems. Semi-sweet chocolate has the next highest level of theobromine, and the largest amount can be found in baker’s chocolate. If your dog consumes a couple of ounces of baker’s chocolate, it’s time to worry.

If it’s only been an hour or two since the chocolate has been ingested, inducing vomiting can be helpful. If it’s been longer than that, you’re best bet it to call a vet and see what they have to say.

Here’s a video that explains a little bit more about chocolate poisoning:

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Watch your pet, bad economy means more dognappers!

Monday, April 6th, 2009

As the economy keeps getting worse, so do the thieves that go around stealing pets. Money is getting tighter, so people who make quick cash on the streets are more likely to snag your pup when you leave it unattended.

In the first five months of 2008, there were three times the average amount of pet thefts, according to a spokesperson for the American Kennel Club.

A lot of these thefts occur when the animal is left outside unattended. Some of these dogs are taken while at dog parks, or when they’re tied up outside of stores, but some of the pets are taken in ways you might not suspect. More expensive pets are now being taken right out of their owners’ yard.

With people around who are now more likely to take your pet out of your yard, it’s important to take precautions to prevent losing your pet for good. Some pets can’t be kept inside all of the time, so make sure your pet is protected when it’s out on its own.

Microchipping your pet is a good way to eventually get it back. Most people who steal pets are doing it so they can sell them. Someone who buys a pet on the street might eventually take it to a vet who will scan it and give you a call.

If you let your dog run around the yard all the time, it’s not out of the question to install a security camera This way, if your dog is taken, at least you’ll have an idea of who did it.

The second you realize your dog is gone, make sure everyone in the neighborhood, and possibly the city, knows it’s missing. Make sure to put up fliers, post you dog’s picture on Web sites, and make sure to tell the authorities and animal shelters. Doing these things will drastically increase your chances of finding your pet again.

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Effects of Marijuana in Dogs

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

As marijuana becomes more acceptable in society, it’s important to realize what kind of effects the substance has on your pet. It’s possible for your pet to be under the influence of marijuana in a couple of different ways. These ways include ingesting it by eating, or inhaling second-hand smoke.

Marijuana affects dogs differently when compared to the effects humans experience. It isn’t just that dogs feel the same effects to a greater extent, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) has a different effect on their biological functions.

When a dog ingests marijuana, a few different things can happen: the dog may get woozy, vomit, urinate involuntarily, and in some extreme cases, marijuana can cause seizures, comas and even death. During a study done in 2002, 250 cases of marijuana ingestion were reported to the ASPCA and two deaths resulted in those cases. While death is not a common occurrence, it shows that marijuana and pets are not something to take lightly.

Some people think it’s funny to get their dog high, but they probably don’t realize what the dog  is going through. It isn’t just the physical effects that damage the dog, mentally the dog doesn’t know what’s happening. The dog becomes fearful and scared when under the influence, even if just from second-hand smoke. It may look cute, but the amount of mental and physical damage to your dog is not worth the risk.

As the stock market falls, people are looking for new ways to boost the economy. One way people are talking about is legalizing marijuana. This may or may not actually help our country’s financial situation, but either way, it’s making the drug more main stream. If your one of the people who believes it’s okay to partake in smoking the substance, just make sure to keep it out of reach from your dog.

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Military Dogs Need to Make it Home Safely

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

During the Vietnam War, dogs were used as military scouts and had personal dog handlers. The dogs were an important part of the war effort, but when the war ended, dog handlers had to leave their companions to fend for themselves in a foreign land.

The dogs were left behind as unneeded equipment, disposable objects that would only serve as extra cargo weight. After everything the dogs did to help the war effort, they were shown little respect in return.

When Bill Clinton was president, he passed a law that said dogs could be brought back home during a war effort, but it still isn’t mandatory. We need to make sure our government knows this shouldn’t be an option; dogs should be required to be brought home, just like troops can’t be left after a war.

Dogs are playing an important role in wars now just like there were in Vietnam. Even though laws state that the military can brings dogs back if they want to, it should be a requirement. A lot of money is spent on these wars, and there is no reason why a little bit of that money can’t be spent on ensuring that dogs who serve are taken care of for the rest of their lives.

The cost wouldn’t be too much. If they were able to bring the dogs back home and advertise that these dogs were available for adoption, there would no doubt be lines of people waiting to care for these heroic pups.

God only knows what happened to those dogs who we left behind during the conflicts in Vietnam. We can’t allow the same things to happen to the dogs who are serving now. This is one of those times where we need to learn from the mistakes of our past.

Here are some of the dogs and handlers who were lost, but not forgotten in Vietnam:

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The Truth Behind PETA Killing Pets

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

A lot of negative press has come out against PETA regarding the fact that they kill, on average, about six animals a day and a total of 2,124 animals last year. Critics say this is hypocritical to what PETA stands for, and companies that PETA protests against are using this opportunity to attack PETA and cause them to lose credibility.

This is a very cheap attack, and stretches the truth behind what PETA actually does. The tragic truth is, sometimes killing an animal is the only ethical way to help it.

The kinds of animals PETA kills aren’t healthy pets that PETA maliciously steals and murders for the fun of it. Some of the articles out about PETA right now seem to make it sound that way.

PETA is peacefully euthanizing animals who are in such bad shape, that to live would only be to suffer every second of every day. Some people don’t want to admit this fact, but if you look at some of the pictures PETA includes in their article, you’d understand (WARNING: pictures are very graphic).

The information about PETA killing animals was first spread around the Internet by a group called the Center for Consumer Freedom. This group has published multiple articles attacking PETA, and is the main source behind most of the articles out that make PETA look bad. Coincidentally, this group is funded by companies who PETA attacks as being cruel to animals.

Companies like Tyson Foods and Wendy’s Corporation fund the Center for Consumer Freedom, which causes the group to show an obvious bias against those that the food corporations hate. If Wendy’s loses money because of what PETA is saying, then the Center for Consumer Freedom might also lose funds, because Wendy’s will have less money to dish out.

It’s a shame organizations will go to such lengths to attack groups that do nothing except protect the lives of living creatures who can’t protect themselves. Sure, sometimes PETA goes overboard with their demonstrations, but attacks like this are not justified.

If the information being spread around was from credible sources, things would be different. But as it stands, the biggest group against PETA is funded by massive, animal killing corporations.

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Humans Fall for Pets, Especially Dogs

Friday, March 27th, 2009

About 86,000 people a year suffer injuries because pets cause their owners to fall. Only about one seventh of the accidents involve cats, while most of the rest involve dogs.

A lot of the accidents involve children and people around middle-age, but severe injuries happen to the elderly. This only amounts to about one percent of the total falling accidents that occur, but people who own pets should still be aware of the risk.

Your pets are walking tripwires. Most of them a small, low to the ground, and love being around your feet. It would be easy to see that you’re about to step on your pet, then lose your balance and crack your head open on the side of a table. It sounds gruesome, but it does happen.

Some of the falling accidents occur on walks while your dog is on a leash. These falling accidents can be prevented as long as your dog is well trained. Don’t let your dog pull you around. If you’re in control, it’ll be easier to keep your balance and make sure you’re safe.

The Howard dog causing his owner to fallAs long as you take precautions, there won’t be a big chance that you’ll trip over your pet. While pets can cause you to fall, if you’re aware of your surroundings, it would be tough for one to sneak under you. Combine that with proper leash training, and you shouldn’t have much to worry about.

Also, if your dog is massive, make sure he doens’t try to jump on you or give you his paw while you’re in a chair. This can cause serious injury as you fly back and smack your head on the floor. It’s a dangerous situation, and may be comical to onlookers.

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Obese Pets and Their Ignorant Owners

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

About a third of pets are overweight or obese and their owners don’t realize a problem exists. This information comes from a survey that covered more than 2,100 households in the U.K.

Apparently, owners think their pets are magically immune to the weight problems that plague humans, and they don’t need to worry about keeping their pets within a safe weight range. The study claims 62 percent of dog owners don’t think they can do anything about their pet’s weight, and even worse, less than 25 percent say they read the advice on the food label that says how much to feed your animal.

The truth is, pets can suffer from the same types of problems that we get from being overweight. It’s important to know what the healthy weight range is for your specific pet and keep them within that range. If you see your pet gaining too much weight, it isn’t that hard to get your dog back on the right track.

Making a dog lose weight is just like making a human lose weight: it all about diet and exercise. If you don’t walk your dog everyday, than start. It’ll help your dog lose weight and keep increase happiness levels. If you do walk your dog regularly, consider feeding him or her less.

Make sure to check the label on the can or bag of food, then weigh your dog and see where your pet fits in and how much it should be consuming. This is an important step for a lot of owners, since the study also stated that only about one third owners knew their pet was fat.Howard wants more food

Don’t fall for your dog’s begging! Dogs can be very good and looking sad to get food from you, especially if you just put your pet on a diet. I know, it’s so cute and sad, but giving your dog what it wants now, might be hurting it later.

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Retractable Dog Leashes Cause Serious Injury

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

People are losing their limbs and their vision because of retractable dog leashes, according to some reports.

Some of the leashes have metal pieces that break off and fly up to hit dog owners in the face, while others are causing cuts and, in some cases, loss of limbs because of the material that the leash is made out of. A thinner-than-average material is required to be able to retract into the device, and this can cause injury to humans and dogs that get tangled in the leash.

Some of the victims in these cases have settled out of court, and others are still in the process of suing the companies who made the allegedly faulty products.

Companies are defending themselves by saying the leashes were misused, because dog owners were using the leashes on dogs that were too big for the product. Some companies also said injuries were caused when a dog had behavioral problems, tried to run and snapped off a piece of the leash.

First of all, dogs are going to try and run off of the leash, that’s what they do, and that’s what the leash is made for. If a dog didn’t try to run off while on walks, there wouldn’t really be a reason for the dog to wear a leash. For a leash maker to blame his leash breaking due to a dog’s behavior doesn’t work.

That would be like a seat belt maker blaming his belt breaking on the person who crashed. When the car crashes, it’s the belt’s job NOT to break. The same can be said about a leash that snaps when a dog tries to run after something.

It looks like retractable leashes are a bad idea dog owners should stay away from. There are plenty of leashes out there that are a lot safer and won’t break as easily. Please don’t be cheap when it comes to something that’s so important.

Howard goes to the vet while on a leash

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