June 2010

“Whiskers” June 2010

It’s June and time for another issue of our newsletter.  Hope
you enjoy it!
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Pet Owners Look to Alternative Medicine for Their Pets

From animal massage to animal exercise physiology, animal
rehabilitation, and chiropractic, pet lovers are looking
at alternative medical practices for their pets.

There are animal acupressurists, water massage, nutrition,
herbal supplements, essential oils, music therapy, Reiki,
healing touch, and much more available for pets.

Some pet owners are utilizing Canine Trigger Point Therapy,
Tellington TTouch® and traditional Chinese medicine for
animals.

Before you look to any of these therapies or dietary
practices, be sure to talk with your pet’s veterinarian.

Go to http://www.iaamb.org for more information.

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Some Garden Plants are Hazards for your Pet

Springtime is garden time so when you prepare your
outdoor areas for your family, take the steps to ensure
that what your garden grows is safe for your pets.

Among those to stay away from are brunfelsia, lilies, cycads,
kolanchoe, and oleander.

Brunfelsia, more commonly known as the yesterday, today
& tomorrow plant, causes convulsive seizures in dogs that
resemble strychnine poisoning.

Cycads, low growing palm trees which are used both indoors
and outdoors, are another type of plant that is toxic to dogs
as they tend to chew on the roots. The cycad has a toxin in
the root and stems that is toxic to the liver.

While brunfelsia and cycads may not be known to cause problems
in cats, lilies are especially harmful to them. Once cats
ingest lilies, they develop nausea and vomiting. Then they
get depressed, and stop eating.

Kolanchoe is a type of house plant that is known to be toxic.
This plant contains a chemical which is similar to the human
heart medication, digoxin.

The garden plant oleander also contains digoxin-like compounds.
Both kolanchoe and oleander can be toxic to all animals,
including dogs and cats, if ingested.

Another potential hazard this time of year is pesticides.

All pesticides can cause problems in dogs and cats if the
chemicals are stored incorrectly and misused.

Labels on all chemicals should be read very carefully and
followed, especially when used around pets that do not have
to eat the toxin; they can also become exposed through the
skin or by breathing the contaminated air.

Some insecticides are labeled specifically for dogs and not
for cats so it is important to read the labels thoroughly.

Take the time to make sure that everything you put in and on
your yard is safe for your family and your furry friends.

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Dog Dangers at the Beach

Lots of people take their dogs for a day of fun at the beach.

There can be dangers lurking, however. In addition to sunburns
for unprotected noses, holes in the sand, sharp pieces of
driftwood or jagged shells or trash, there are water dangers
as well.

A 2-year-old Westie/poodle mix, named Ranger, owned by Brace
and Janet Rohrer, can add stinging Portuguese man o’ wars
to the list.

The dog was playing fetch with his owner and ran out to get
the ball, but a man o’ war” – a venomous invertebrate similar
to a jellyfish – was lying next to it.

Of course, Ranger pounced on the man o’ war instead of the ball
and got stung on his right front paw.

The dog received a dose of anti-inflammatory medication, an
antihistamine, and a shot of pain reliever and was also fitted
with a soft Elizabethan collar to prevent him from licking
the affected area.

Ranger was lucky because aside from being extremely painful,
a Portuguese man o’ war’s sting can cause fever, shock,
circulatory and respiratory distress.

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Most Common Household Pet Dangers

There are never too many reminders about how to poison-proof
your home.

In 2009, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana,
Ill. Dealt with more than 195,000 calls at its 24-hour hotline
for emergency and non-emergency inquiries alike.

Last year’s top calls were:

1. Human medications. Last year, there were more than 45,000
calls that involved prescription and over-the-counter drugs,
such as painkillers, cold medications, antidepressants and
dietary supplements ingested by pets.

Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands
or gobble up medications accidentally dropped on the floor,
so it’s essential to keep meds tucked away in hard-to-reach
cabinets.

2. Toxicologists fielded more than 29,000 calls related to
insecticides – especially the misuse of flea and tick products.
Some species of animals can be particularly sensitive to
certain types of insecticides, so it is vital that you never use
any product not specifically formulated for your pet.

3. People food. Grapes, raisins, avocado and certain citrus
fruit can seriously harm our furry friends, and accounted for
more than 17,000 cases in 2009. One of the worst offenders;
chocolate.

4. Common household plants such as azalea, lilies, and kalanchoe,
were the subject of nearly 8,000 calls to the poison center.
Other varieties that can be harmful to pets include
rhododendron, sago palm, and schefflera. Also, lilies are highly
toxic to cats—even in small amounts they can produce
life-threatening kidney failure.

5. Even though veterinary medications are intended for pets,
they’re often misapplied or improperly dispensed by well-meaning
pet owners. There were more than 7,500 cases involving
animal-related preparations such as non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, heartworm preventatives,
de-wormers, antibiotics, vaccines and nutritional
supplements.

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The Pros and Cons of Traveling with Your Pet

According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2009/2010
National Pet Owners Survey, 62 percent of U.S. households
own a pet, which equates to 71.4 million pet-owning homes.

That’s a lot of people who might need to decide if traveling
with or without their pet (or pets) is the way to go this
summer.

Research shows that pets are happier and experience less stress
at home because a pet’s diet and exercise routines remain
uninterrupted and exposure to illness is minimized.

But this means finding a pet sitter to watch your animals
while you’re gone.

Before you leave your pet at a boarding facility, make use
you do your homework and get references from people who’ve
used the place.

Some experts say that travel can be disorienting for pets,
which have a better sense of smell and hearing than we do.
In other words, vacation surroundings can unnerve our pets.

Should you decide to bring your pet, be sure to make your
pet-friendly camping or hotel reservations early and fully
understand the rules and regulations for each one.

Whichever choice you make — think carefully about what’s
best for your particular pet or pets.
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Watch for our new website and blog.  We welcome your comments.

http://www.odorbgoneproducts.com