Saturday, June 29, 2013

Fireworks & Dogs - Keep Your Pups Safe





          If you live in the United States it is that time or year again, the one holiday many dogs hate the most but us Americans love......the 4th of July. If you have had dogs before you're most likely an old hand at this, for those of you new to dogs or just need a refresher here are some safety tips for you.

          During the fireworks season many dogs go missing, this is due in part to the loud scary noises that send dogs into a panic. If your dog is afraid of the thunder they are probably frighten of the noise fireworks makes. I always highly recommend dog owners microchip their pets but especially if they are easily frightened by loud noises or other things. All animals have a fight or flight reflex, and a dog frightened by loud noise will either hide or run off. Around the time of 4th of July there is a big spike in the numbers of dogs that go missing, having you pet microchipped gives you a better chance of having them returned to you.

          On the 4th is the peak time for fireworks, so what I do is I make sure that throughout the whole day when ever my dogs need to go outside that I am constantly with them. This is to not only keep an eye on them but also to monitor the yard for any stray fireworks or burning ash that may have landed in the yard. Don't let your dog eat or step on any spent fireworks, you don't want them to get burned or sick. Be weary of "duds" as they can still go off.

          Once your dog is safely inside and awaiting the fireworks volley to begin you will want to confine them in an interior room in the house, preferably a room that is the most insulated from outside noises. Then what I like to do is to turn on the TV and turn up the volume. But don't turn the sound up to loud, I would suggest to just turn it up slightly louder then what you would normally have it at to watch a movie. Play something either you know your dog would like or anything that doesn't have loud or sudden scary noises. The PBS station is usually a good channel to stay tuned to. If you don't have a TV in that room a radio tuned to a talk show will also work. Some people turn on music but I am not fond of that idea. I have heard there are studies about which music dogs like and it turns out that the kinds of music that dogs or humans like correspond to their heartbeat rhythm. Dogs and humans hearts beat at different rates, so music on the radio are geared towards humans not dogs.

          Most fireworks are set off at night which means you will want to make sure you get your dog outside to do his business before it gets dusk. It may very depending on where you live but there is a time late in the evening when your neighbors either run out of fireworks or are to tired to set off anymore for the evening. This is usually a good time to take your dog back outside for one more time before bed. Get a flash light and inspect your yard, make sure it is safe for your dog. I recommend taking them outside on leash, being tethered to you will provide them with some confidence and will keep them from running if anymore fireworks happens to be set off.

          Remember to repetitively inspect your dog's yard all throughout the fireworks season, it is better to be safe then sorry. Do you have any fireworks safety tips, I would love to hear about them.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

7 Dog Sherbet Recipes

          It is summertime once again, time for hot weather and cooling off in the pool. Why not include Fido in your summer activity like enjoying a cooling homemade sherbert together.



For each recipe you will mix the ingredients together, pour into an ice cube tray or other container, place in freezer until frozen and then serve.


Recipe #1 Ingredients
2 3/4 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup honey (store bought is ok, but honey from someone who makes it themselves from their own bees is less processed.)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Yields: 2 1/3 cups



Recipe #2 Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup cantaloupe, cubed
1/2 cup pineapple chunks in their own juice, drained
1 banana, sliced
2 tablespoons honey (store bought is ok, but honey from someone who makes it themselves from their own bees is less processed.)

Yields: 3 cups 



Recipe #3 Ingredients
2 cups low fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey (store bought is ok, but honey from someone who makes it themselves from their own bees is less processed.)
12 ounces frozen raspberries
1/4 cup water

Yields: 4 cups 



Recipe #4 Ingredients
1/4 cup honey (store bought is ok, but honey from someone who makes it themselves from their own bees is less processed.)
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup real lemon juice

Yields: 2 1/2 cups



Recipe #5 Ingredients
2 cups watermelon
3 cups water
1 tablespoon real lemon juice

Yields: 5 cups



Recipe #6 Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup non fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup honey (store bought is ok, but honey from someone who makes it themselves from their own bees is less processed.)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Yields: 3 cups



Recipe #7 Ingredients
1/4 cup honey (store bought is ok, but honey from someone who makes it themselves from their own bees is less processed.)
1 egg
6 tablespoons carob powder
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped

Yields: 3 1/2 cups

Saturday, June 1, 2013

It's National Pet Preparedness Month - Are you prepared?


Before disasters strike have a plan and supplies for all your pets. I have gathered some links to help.

Make sure all your pets are microchipped, this is the very best way to identify a pet and who is the owner.
Microchipping:
http://public.homeagain.com/
http://www.akccar.org/
http://www.freepetchipregistry.com/
http://microchipregistry.foundanimals.org/
http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/
http://www.petlink.net/us/cms2.spring?path=/welcome.html
(UK) https://www.petlog.org.uk/

General disaster information:
http://www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/disaster_preparedness.html 
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/programs/emergency-services/pet-preparedness-month.html
http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/2484
http://trupanion.com/pet-health/emergency-pet-preparedness
http://www.co.summit.co.us/index.aspx?NID=819
http://www.ready.gov/caring-animals
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/pet-safety
http://www.cert-la.com/education/DPPetOwner.pdf

Tornadoes:
http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/newsroom/news-releases/tornado-tips-to-keep-your.html

Earthquakes:
http://www.adem.arkansas.gov/ADEM/Divisions/Preparedness/Earthquake/pets.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
http://www.earthshakes.com/ebooks/PetsEarthquakePreparedness.pdf

Fires:
http://www.grabpak.com/10-fire-emergency-preparedness-tips-for-pet-owners/
http://www.co.summit.co.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1124

Hurricanes:
http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/article/pet-preparedness_2011-08-24
http://www.humanela.org/hurricanepreparedness.htm

Floods:
(not specifically pet related)  http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/
(not specifically pet related) http://www.phe.gov/emergency/naturaldisasters/Pages/flood.aspx
http://www.prep4agthreats.org/Natural-Disasters/floods/

Tsunamis:
(not specifically pet related) http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/government/departments/fire/safety_tips/TsunamiPreparedness.cfm
(not specifically pet related) http://www.noaa.gov/features/tsunami/
(not specifically pet related) http://www.cleanhawaii.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65&Itemid=85
(not specifically pet related) http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/tsunami
http://www.examiner.com/article/earthquake-and-tsunami-japan-reinforce-need-for-pet-emergency-preparedness

Blizzards:
(not specifically pet related) http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm
(not specifically pet related) http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-home/blizzard-preparedness-guide.aspx
(not specifically dog related but good info for birds) http://birds.about.com/od/livingwithabird/tp/Winter-Storm-Preparedness-For-Pet-Birds.htm

Extreme Heat (heat wave):
(not specifically pet related) http://www.ready.gov/heat
http://www.prep4agthreats.org/Natural-Disasters/excessive-heat-pets-and-livestock
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2011/07/keep_your_pets_cool_during_heat_wave_071111.html

Volcanoes:
(not specifically pet related) http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/volcanoes/
(not specifically pet related) http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/volcano
(not specifically pet related) http://www.survivalkitsonline.com/volcaniceruptionpreparedness.html

Wildfires: 
(not specifically pet related) http://www.ready.gov/wildfires
(not specifically pet related) http://www.justincasearizona.com/be-informed/natural-disasters/wildfires.asp
(not specifically dog related but good info for horses) http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01817.html
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/

Terrorists, economic and political upheaval:
(not specifically pet related) http://learntoprepare.com/
(not specifically pet related) http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-preparedness/rise-of-the-preppers-50-of-the-best-prepper-websites-and-blogs-on-the-internet_02012013
(not specifically pet related) http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/
(not specifically pet related) http://graywolfsurvival.com/
http://justonemorepet.wordpress.com/tag/emergency-preparedness/


Disaster has struck now your dog is injured, what do you do? Before a disaster happens learn how to give your pet first aid, get a book and/or print out pages from the following links. Store book/pages in a water prof bag.

First aid:
https://www.avma.org/public/EmergencyCare/Pages/Basic-Pet-First-Aid-Procedures.aspx?utm_source=oldsite&utm_medium=prettyurl&utm_term=animal_health-poison_guide-asp&utm_campaign=redirect
http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/program-highlights/cpr-first-aid/wilderness-sports-pets
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=20
http://animal.discovery.com/pets/how-to-give-first-aid-to-your-dog.htm
http://www.dog-first-aid-101.com/
http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=2+1677
(Video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApaEQlYJ7u0

Dog CPR:
http://www.chicagocpr.org/pet-cpr-guidelines-changing/
(Video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJGlsYHI9cU