Food Safety for Pets: Treats Every Owner Should Avoid

A treat here, a snack there — when indulging our pets, the temptation to slip them tiny scraps of our food can be strong. But certain human foods can be dangerous to pets, so keep them safe and healthy by avoiding these risky treats.

Chocolate — Not So Sweet. The dangers of chocolate for pets have been well-publicized, and an increasing number of pet owners are savvy about this big no-no. Even in small quantities, chocolate can be fatal to both dogs and cats, so even if your pet has consumed a tiny amount, this is cause for alarm.

Be sure to “pet-proof” your home to make sure that any candy bowls or gift boxes are out-of-reach and securely put away, since even the smallest pets can find a way to get into toxic treats. If you live in a home with especially curious and crafty animals, you might consider investing in a locking garbage can to avoid any accidental raids on leftovers.

Trim the Fat. The wafting smell of cooking meat will bring any pet into the kitchen looking for scraps. But pet owners should think carefully before indulging whimpers and meows. Foods that are high in fat, such as cheeseburgers and French fries, can be as bad for pets over time as for their humans.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, scrumptious scraps such as these — or any other human food with a high fat content, such as gravy — can lead to life-threatening conditions such as pancreatitis.

Stomp Out the Grapes. Although many dogs seek out grapes and raisins for a natural treat, both foods have been linked to kidney problems, even renal failure. Even small amounts can cause serious reactions in animals, so keep your pets away from these tempting treats.

Crying Over Onions. The dangers posed to pets by onions are less well-known than the dangers from other foods, but the reactions that onions cause can be just as severe. In any form, onions can lead to anemia in both cats and dogs, so steer clear of feeding your pets any leftovers or scraps that contain even tiny bits of this food.

Healthy Alternatives. If you simply must indulge your pet with food from your own plate, consider options that are not only safe for your pet, but also provide health benefits. Foods like brown rice, lean chicken breasts, and oatmeal can help your pet maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity-related complications such as joint problems, cancer, and kidney failure. Sweet potatoes are also a vitamin-rich, safe alternative when your pet is begging to eat just a little taste of “whatever you’re having.”

To find out more about food safety for pets, visit the ASPCA’s website.

Provided By: ZooToo

Animal Travel Safety: Protecting Your Pet In the Air

The Humane Society of the United States warns pet owners that pets should not travel by airline unless absolutely necessary.  Although baggage holds are an adequate environment for most pets, some can subject animals to temperature extremes, poor ventilation, and low oxygen levels, according to the HSUS.


The fear of unfamiliar smells and piercing sounds during take-off lead to injury as well.  In November, a dog unloaded from Alaska Airlines from Phoenix arrived in Seattle in a "distressed state."


However, if air travel is unavoidable, there are several ways to reduce the risks.  "If your pet must travel by air, your best option is to keep him on board with you," advised the HSUS.


In response to a 2005 federal regulation requiring airlines to report mishaps, some airlines have put an end to pet cargo transport altogether.


Each airline can set its own rules about in-cabin transport of pets, from the size of the carrier to the weight of the pet.  Some airlines consider the carrier part of the carry-on allowance, charging for additional carry-ons.


While considering whether to transport your pet by air, you should also take possible restrictions by pet breed into account.  Some airlines, taking not that brachycephalic, or short-nosed, dogs are more likely to suffer in airplane transport restrict those breeds from coming on board.


"Certain breeds such as brachycephalic dogs and cats may have difficulty with air travel," the American Veterinary Medical Association said, noting the respiratory issues that go along with those cute flat noses.


As a result, British Airways will no accent bulldogs, pugs or Pekinese, although the airline will accept cross-breeds.  The airline will also not accept pets so sedated they cannot stand up.  


Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will fly brachycephalic dogs and cats, but at the owner's - and pet's - risk.  Those dogs include the American pit bull, American Staffordshire, Boston terrier, Brussels Griffon, Bullmastiff, Bull terrier, Chow Chow, Dutch Pug, English Bulldog, English toy spaniel, French bulldog, Japanese boxer, Japanese spaniel, Pekinese pug, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire bull terrier, terrier, bulldog, pug and boxer. 


The feline snug-nosed breeds flying at their own risk are the Burmese, Exotic, Himalayan, and Persian.


Are there some airlines that have a better track record than others?  The statistics generally correlate with the total number of an airline's flights, but certain carriers go the extra mile to keep pets safe and happy.  


Continental Airlines, for example, received an award for excellence from the Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association for its PetSafe program.  Continental's customers can track their pet's journey on its cargo website while their pets ear travel miles throughout the trip. 


Continental also offers a dedicated 24-hour live animal information desk, as well as personal handling in climate-controlled vehicles for hub connections when temperatures climb above 85 degrees fahrenheit, or 29.5 degrees celsius.


Although touted as a PetSafe feature, such climate control is in fact a mandate of the Federal Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits airlines from exposing pets to extreme temperature for more than 45 minutes between terminal and plane, or for more than four hours in a holding facility.


The Welfare Act also prohibits pets from being exposed to temperatures less than 45 degrees fahrenheit or 7.2 degrees celsius.  Perhaps for this reason, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will refuse acceptance of a pet if airport temperatures at the origin, destination, or connecting airports exceed certain limits. 


Protecting the airborne pet is ultimately the owner's responsibility, so common sense can carry a pet a long way.  According to the AVMA, owners would be wise and compassionate to choose early morning or late evening flights in warm weather, and midday flights in cold. 


And, cautions Alaska Airlines, try to stick to direct flights for a healthy landing.  


Provided By: ZooToo

Aqua Pure Breed Dog Water

While away from home, a source of clean drinking water is often difficult to find for your dog.  Aqua Pure Breed is a portable disposable bowl shaped water bottle filled with premium spring water to ensure your on-the-go dog stays hydrated and healthy throughout the day!  It's perfect for long walks, car rides, patio dining, outdoor malls, hot days, emergency kits, or any other time your away from home.  


From pure water to mineral enhanced formulas, APB provides an array of hydration solutions for all active dogs. 
Bone & Joint Support - Green
- APB is bottled with pure premium spring water
- APB Green is enhanced with the minerals Glucosamine, Chondroitin & MSM
- Support the daily maintenance of bones, joints, and connective tissue
- For male and female canines


Healthy Skin & Coat - Yellow
- APB Yellow is enhanced with the ionic mineral Silica
- Support the daily maintenance of strong, shiny hair & nails, and aids in moisturizing the skin
- For male and female canines


Pure Premium Spring Water - Pink
- APB Pink is bottled with water from one of the nations purist premium spring water sources
- Healthy native spring water includes mineral levels
- Naturally oxygenated to increase energy and help keep breath fresh!
- There are no added vitamins or minerals to this water, only pure premium spring water
- Pink cap for your Princess


Pure Premium Spring Water - Blue
- APB Blue is bottled with water from of the nations purist premium spring water sources
- The water is high in Magnesium which helps maintain nerve function, while combating heart disease
- It is oxygenated to increase energy and help keep breath fresh!
- There are no added vitamins or minerals to this water, only pure premium spring water
- Blue cap for Mr. Handsome

Armani with his Blue Pure Premium Spring Water

I purchased my APB water from Shi Shi Pet.

7 Tips for Keeping Your Pet Safe this Valentine's Day

Nothing's better on Valentine's Day than getting flowers, truffles and those little heart-shaped candies with the cute sayings printed on them.  But for pets, all that romance can be dangerous.

"Around Valentine's Day, it's the dogs and cats, rather than birds or other kinds of pets, that get into trouble from things such as lilies and chocolate," Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City. 

1. Lose the lilies.  "My biggest concern is flower arrangements because all lily flowers are extremely toxic to cats and will cause fatal kidney failure," says Dr. Murray.  Even a tiny nibble of any part of the lily plant can be deadly to felines.  If you have cats in your home, make sure that mixed arrangements of flowers do not contain any type of lilies and, if they do, pluck them out.  "Cats can get almost anywhere," says Dr. Murray.  "And as the lilies wilt the petals can fall off and I've seen cats get toxicity that way."  If you think your cat has been exposed to any part of the lily plant, bring them immediately to the vet, Dr. Murray advises.
2. Give chocolates to your paramour, not your pooch!  Most of us know that chocolate is toxic to dogs.  How toxic, depends on the kind of chocolate - baker's semi-sweet, milk or dark - and whether it is mixed into cake or cookies.  Generally, the darker and more solid it is, the higher the toxicity, says Dr. Murray.  "The best thing to do is to call poison control because then can tell you by the amount of chocolate the dog ate, what product it was, and how big your dog is, how worried you need to be." 
3. Keep sugar-free foods out of your pet's reach.  Xylitol, an artificial sweetener found in many types of sugar-free candies and baked goods, is toxic to dogs and can cause liver failure, says Dr. Murray.  It's best to read the ingredients list on any sugar-free foods and keep any products containing Xylitol out of your pet's reach. 
4. Toss the ribbon and string.  Gifts are a nice surprise on Valentine's Day, but make sure to throw away any pretty ribbons and string they've been tied with.  "For some reason it's very instinctive for cats to eat it," warns Dr. Murray.  "It gets caught in their intestines and can saw right through them and cause a perforation."
5. Dump or drink any leftover booze.  Be mindful of half-full glasses of champagne or wine left unattended for curious pets to explore.  Even a little bit of alcohol can be very harmful to small animals, states the ASCPA, potentially causing "vomiting,, diarrhea, lack of coordination, central nervous system depression, tremors, difficulty breathing, metabolic disturbances, coma" and even fatal respiratory failure. 
6. Blow out the candles.  The warm glow of candlelight is romantic and flattering, but open flames present obvious dangers.  "You should never leave your pet alone with a lit candle or fire," says Dr. Murray.  "They can knock over candles and harm themselves and your home."
7. Every rose has a thorn, so be sure to remove them!  Make sure the quintessential symbol of Valentine's Day is pet-friendly.  "Biting, chewing or stepping on thorny roses can cause trauma, but there are also certain infections that can be passed by the thorn, too," says Dr. Murray.

Should your pet get into mischief on Valentine's Day, the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year at (888) 426-4435.  (A $65 consultation fee may apply.)

Provided By: www.peoplepets.com

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

Don't turn your nose to Fido's or Fluffy's bad breath!  That odor might signify a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only your pet's teeth and gums but its internal organs as well.  


To address the significance of oral health care for pets, the AVMA and several veterinary groups are sponsoring National Pet Dental Health Month in February. 


Click on the links below to learn more about National Pet Dental Health Month, and how you can improve the dental (and overall) health of your pets.  


Watch
Dr. Sheldon Rubin gives easy, step-by-step instructions on how to teach a dog or cat to accept a daily tooth brushing.  He also describes healthy treats, and explains the true risks of periodontal disease in pets. 


Listen
In this AVMA Animal Tracks podcast, Dr. Linda DeBowes talks about the importance of dental health for our pets. 


View
Dog breath is nothing to smile about ... even for a cat.  View the National Pet Dental Health Month ad from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 


Share
Show AVMA your pets' pearly whites!  They are looking for photos of your pet's beautiful teeth - and they mean any kind of pets: dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, ferrets, goats, cows ... fuzzy, furred or finned, you name it.  After all, pets need dental care, too.  View and submit your photos on their Flickr group: Pearly White Pets. 


Read
View the AVMA's press release on National Pet Dental Health Month.


Learn More
For more information on National Pet Dental Health Month, including educational tools and downloadable posters, visit www.petdental.com.


Remember
While February is National Pet Dental Health Month, dental health should be a daily ritual for pet owners all year long. 


Provided By: www.avma.org

G.W. Little National Pet Dental Month Sale

Top Reason Pets Break Bones: Getting Hit by Car

I was doing some research on pets and breaking bones.  My big boy Bru dawg broke his leg back in 2007 and I was just curious on some things about it, but I found this article at Pet Product News International that I thought I would share with everyone!  Enjoy!
Being hit by a car is the most common way for a pet to break a bone, according to Brea, Calif.-based Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), which received more than 5,000 claims for fractures back in 2008.  About 40 percent of fractures resulted from accidents in which pets were hit by cars. 
The second and third most common causes were jumping and falling, respectively, making up collectively another 40 percent of fracture claims.  These claims most often involved pets jumping or falling from couches, beds or the laps of their owners. 
The remaining 20 percent of fracture claims included those in which pets ran into stationary objects, fought with other pets, got caught in a tight space or were unintentionally struck with moving objects. 
Breaks to the humerus, femur, radius, ulna and tibia made up most of the fracture claims back in 2008.  The most common treatment of these breaks, surgical implantation of an orthopedic plate, had an average submitted claim fee of $1,500.
"Broken bones are painful for pets and costly for pet owners," said Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical office for VPI.  "Injury prevention includes careful management of a pet's environment by removing possible threats and elimination situations that might put a pet at risk.  To prevent pet accidents or injuries caused by moving vehicles, pets should be kept on a leash at all times while away from home.  If a pet has a tendency to bolt out the door and into the street, the pet should be desensitized to open doors or restricted to a safe area by a fence or baby gate."

For Dogs and People On the Move

Traveling with pets is a blast when you shop at Furry Travelers.  They cull the ulti-mutt in cool pet travel (and safety) gear.

While your travel destinations may span the globe, you needn't look far and wide for cool pet travel gear.  All right here in one spot.

Speaking of Spot, dogs love the award-winning To Go Bowl, the only travel water bowl designed to fit into a car's cup holder!

Equally great whether you cast a wide travel net or visit neighboring town, because the best pet travel ideas get around by woof of mouth!

Provided by www.dailykibble.com