Pet of the Week
These are two kitties that were saved, brought to a cat shelter, and adopted out to fine homes!
It's easy to get your pet into the Pet of the Week feature - here is what you need to do!
Weight Loss Pills (?) For Dogs?
Is Fido fat? Does your best four pawed canine friend, need to go on a diet? It seems unbelievable, but a weight loss drug has been developed for dogs. Sentrol, the name of the new medication, works in two ways. It makes the dog feel full so he or she is less likely to want to eat, and it also blocks fat absorption.
The thinking behind this drug is that as Americans gain weight, so do their pets. Food equals pleasure according to some, and therefore if we are loving our dogs enough, they may very well be overweight. And an overweight dog has the same health issues as an overweight person.
What I don’t get is the whole reasoning behind this. The dog may not feel full and want to eat, but he can’t really call and order and pizza, or stand in front of the refrigerator for hours grazing on this and that left over from a previous night’s dinner. And he certainly can’t buy a healthclub membership so he can work off his extra pounds.
Part of the responsibility of owning a dog (or any other pet) is feeding it properly so that weight isn’t a problem. And much of the fun of having a dog is that you always have a partner to go for walks; no matter how much a friend might not want to go out on a cold and gray day, you can count on your dog to walk with you.
Perhaps these pills will have some use for dogs with medical conditions that cause weight gain. But for the vast majority of the dogs who need to drop a few pounds, the answer can be found in owners who feed responsibly and play with abandon.
FDA Approves Weight Loss Drug For Dogs
Prevent Pet Loss: Identifying Dogs & Cats
Is your four-legged friend, whether it be a cat or dog, your treasured best friend? Then surely you have protected your 
FurBaby with the means to locate him or her, should, Heaven forbid, Socks or Rover get lost. A missing pet is one of the worst scenarios possible for those of us who live in a world of “meows” and “bow-wows.” (I have never actually heard a dog say “bow-wow” but it is the common translation for a bark, so we’ll just go with it.)
My cats are strictly indoor residents so the risk of them getting outside and becoming lost are slim. But it has happened. One of my good friends had a beautiful purebred Maine Coon cat escape through the smallest opening possible near an air conditioner. Seven days later we had all but given up hope. The hundreds of “Lost Cat” posters she had put up finally paid off one evening, with a late phone call, that resulted in Trevor returning home. He had lost weight, brought along a few hundred of his new flea friends, and had ear mites. But no matter. Trevor was home and some good meals and minor vetting had him in tip top shape in no time at all.
My Pembroke Welsh Corgis are only outside on a leash. Again, the risk of them becoming lost is minimal but leashes can break. Dogs that are in a fenced back yard can come up with the most cleaver methods of escape as well; Houdini would have been impressed at some of the escape antics I have heard about.
So how do you prevent this problem? How do you do everything you can to avoid that sinking feeling the first night that you go to bed not knowing where your lovable best friend is?
This problem not only applies to all of us with our beloved pets, but is an issue for purebred dog and cat breeders. Animals that make regular appearances in the show ring, or that are used for breeding, can be at high risk for kidnapping. This is not only an emotional issue, but a financial concern as well for the professional breeder.
Four basic tips that are the smartest ways to begin with identifying your dog, or cat, are featured by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. These tips are easy, inexpensive and can save lots of tears and worry. They can also save your pet’s life.
Four Tips on Dog Identification
Global Pet Finder – GPS for Your Dog or Cat
March 7th Recall of Cat Vitamins
The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall. Hartz recalled a specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC (USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November. However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers prior to their having been removed from distribution.(FDA)
The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk
Psittacosis Outbreak at Pet Smart
A recent outbreak of Psittacosis, an avian disease, has caused over 700 Petsmart stores to stop selling pet birds. The disease was found in some cockatiels, but as it is contagious to other parrots, the large chain decided it would be wise to err on the side of caution and suspend sales of birds until the illness could be contained.
Psittacosis is a bacterial infection that affects parrots and is also known as ornithosis when carried by birds outside of the parrot, 
or Psittacine family. It is contagious between birds and other birds as well as from bird to people. Although the incidence of serious disease is rare, and in fact the transmission to humans is very rare, it is a disease bird retailers and bird breeders do not like to see sweep through their aviaries.
Petsmart has taken a responsible position by halting bird sales until the outbreak is over. The birds will recover and soon business will return to normal. In the meantime, the spread of the infection to other birds and possibly people, has been stopped before it started.
If you own a bird, especially a parrot, and your bird displays respiratory illness symptoms, it would be wise to have your bird seen by a qualified avian bird specialist. Treatment can prevent serious illness.
And as always, bird owners should be careful about washing their hands thoroughly before and after handling their birds. Never handle a bird in a sales or show environment without knowing the bird’s health status, and be sure to wash your hands carefully before handling another bird.
Psittacosis is an easy disease to treat, but an even easier disease to prevent. Keeping your hands clean, the bird’s food and water containers clean, and not handling strange birds are the best tools a bird owner can use to prevent psittacosis. And as tempting as it is, because all bird owners, particularly parrot owners, are infamous for exchanging “birdie kisses,” any bird displaying symptoms should be on a “kissing sabbatical.”
Petsmart Speaks Out on Psittacosis Outbreak
PetSmart halts bird sales after outbreak
PETA Accused of Being “Slaughterhouse”
Once again, controversy is surrounding PETA and its policy of euthanizing pets at a very high percentage rate to those pets they take in from owners. It is now to the point that the Center for Consumer Freedom has requested the State of Virginia, to classify PETA officially as a “slaughterhouse.”
An official report filed by PETA itself shows that the animal rights group put to death nearly every dog, cat, and other pet it took in for adoption in 2006. During that year, the well-known animal rights group managed to find adoptive homes for just 12 animals. The organization killed 2,981 of the 3,061 “companion animals” it took in.
Doggie News
There has been controversy about PETA and how they have handled the pet rescue side of their business for a long time. Granted, they have achieved a lot of attention with their stands on various topics such as the wearing of real fur, lab experimentation on animals, meat eating, and other concerns on a large scale.
But the organization has been harshly criticized for how they handle the “smaller” issues, such as abandoned pets. The group “PETA Kills Animals,” states that most of the animals turned over to PETA for rescue are put down. The statistics are on that Web site and there are not any statistics on the PETA site to contradict those findings. The proof is evidenced by a form published by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
It is interesting to note that if PETA is looked up at Wikipedia, there is a dispute that has yet to be settled regarding the neutrality of the article. Wikipedia states that all entries must be written from a neutral point of view and there is controversy surrounding this particular entry with accusations it is not neutral. The results of this particular debate are still outstanding.
There will probably always be controversy surrounding PETA and its opposing organization PETA Kills Animals. This is an area that people are passionate about, on both sides of the issue. It won’t be solved in a way that satisfies all parties for some time to come.
The lesson that can be taken from the existing problem is that people need to investigate very carefully how they donate their money when they try to help various animal rights organizations. And if a pet needs to be given up, owners need to research carefully before turning their pet over to another person; it is always better to relocate a pet to a family member or friend if at all possible.
Of course, the best solution would be to reduce the overpopulation of pets by responsible ownership. Having pets altered (neutered or spayed) is the best defense anyone can use to solve the problems of ethical treatment of any animal. Basic medical care, such as dog and cat vaccines, adequate identification on the pet, and proper care, along with controlling the birth rate of pets are the best things any pet owner can do to protect their pets and family.
Virginia Asked to Classify PETA as a Slaughterhouse
PETA Kills Animals – A Web Site Opposed to PETA
PETA – People for Ethical Treatment of Animals – Official Site
VS.
The Day of the Flea Attack
Do you have all of your materials? Be sure you have everything you need. This is a big job and it is a lot easier to do it once than to have to redo it because of mistakes. Keep in mind that although it is a big job, it is a necessary one and you will be relieved when it is out of the way. Don’t forget fleas carry diseases as well as make your pets miserable so you are helping alleviate several problems.
Isolate one room of the house and put all of your pets into that room. I prefer to use a bedroom that is adjacent to the bathroom. Pick the room with the least amount of furniture and knick knacks. Avoid rooms that are used to store books, papers, fabric, yarn and so forth. The fleas that are currently inhabiting your pets will be going into that room so limiting the places they can hop off and hide is a good idea.
Now clean your house. Everything except the room the pets are in and of course, skip the bathroom for now. Vacuum like you have never vacuumed before. Every square inch and use the attachments to get into places that nothing can get into. Fleas are just about smaller than nothing and they can find those places you don’t think about. Do the curtains or blinds with the brush attachments. Do the tops of books on the bookshelves. Vacuum the corners of the rooms all the way up to the ceiling and get those cobwebs you have overlooked. Pull furniture out and get in the furniture with the attachments and under with the regular vacuum.
If you have baskets of yarn sitting around that you are either using or have for decoration, you need to get the fleas and flea eggs out of them too. Don’t destroy your yarn. Just shake them well and go over what you can with the brush attachment. If you have small area rugs that can be washed, get them into the laundry. If they are large vacuum them thoroughly and then vacuum under them.
Artificial flower arrangements are notorious for hiding flea eggs so clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I usually turn mine upside down and wash them in cool soapy water, and then rinse. That will wash away any of the flea eggs. Decorative pillows are the same way. Either wash them or vacuum depending on their construction.
Use the list I provided previously to help you organize your cleaning:
- Have a vacuum available that uses bags; a bagless vacuum is not going to do what you need right now. After you have vacuumed, take the bag out of the vacuum cleaner (do this outside) and dispose of it. Leave the vacuum outside for awhile so that the cold temperature can kill any fleas or flea eggs that might be clinging onto the surface or interior of the vacuum cleaner.
- Have your washer and dryer empty, with plenty of room to put laundry that is waiting to be washed; be sure that the dirty laundry is well away from the areas of the house your pets are in. Start washing things as you clean; don’t stack them up for later. Start with pillows, rugs, and anything that is washer safe. Keep it going and when you take things out of the dryer take them out of the bathroom and replace them in the cleaned room.
- Large plastic garbage bags you can close tightly. Use these bags to dispose of any garbage that could have fleas or flea eggs in it. If the vacuum bag has to be changed more than once, the first filled bag can go in here. Get rid of everything you can; it is a good excuse to get rid of the junk that has been collecting. You would be surprised how many flea eggs can live in a stack of magazines so ask yourself if you really need to keep them.
- One bottle of room flea spray. You can use a fogger if you wish, but again that is a high concentration of insecticide in the air, even after four or more hours. The room flea spray is easier to contain. Spray the areas that you have vacuumed that are harder to get to and are more likely to attract sleeping cats or dogs. Think of areas such as behind the television stand or entertainment center. Those are perfect hiding places for flea colonies. You don’t want to saturate things with a spray. Use it to mist the areas. Avoid eating areas and remove pet food bowls during this process. And or course be sure all food products are put away. This is a good time to put the pet food dishes in the dishwasher too! If your pets are like mine, spray under the refrigerator; the warmth there attracts sleeping pets. Same thing with the front door and the window sills; cats are infamous for sleeping on the window frame ledges and there are lots of little areas there for fleas to hide in. Give those a quick spray and you can clean the windows the next day to remove the spray from the glass.
- A flea comb made for cats or dogs, as appropriate and other grooming tools such as a normal comb and brush for your pet. This is a personal preference but I recommend it because it physically removes fleas from the animals body. The more that are removed, the less you have to try to remove in the bath. Since cats and baths aren’t my favorite combination, I’ll do anything to make that job easier! It also removes dead hair and makes the bathing process easier for both cats and dogs. It has the added benefit of letting you know just how bad the flea problem is in your house.
Once the entire house is done, and it will go quicker with help so bribe one of the kids to help you. This has got to be worth a pizza dinner at least!
Now you can turn your attention to the pets.
Since the pets are in the bedroom next to the bathroom, you can move each one into the bathroom easily without spreading fleas all over the places you have cleaned. Bring them in one at time and:
OR
As you do each pet, put them in a room you have cleaned. The theory here is that a room with no fleas and a pet with no fleas will not further the flea problem. Carry them down the hall and try to get them settled down in a room where they can dry and rest.
When all the pets have been dipped or shampooed, get those towels into the laundry. Clean the bathroom thoroughly for fleas like you did the rest of the house. Then clean the room you had the pets waiting in before their bath and you are done!
Change your own clothes and get them in the laundry. Take all the garbage out if you haven’t yet and finish up any other areas that need to be vacuumed. It sounds silly but run the vacuum one more time in the traffic areas, and then you are done!
Now keep vacuuming everyday and if you need to, redo the entire process in ten days. If your problem is bad, you may have to do this whole procedure two or three times but you will win the battle. And don’t forget to flea spray the yard this spring before the fleas arrive. You can avoid ever having this problem again!
You can collapse now, enjoy the pizza dinner and watch a movie. Lassie, perhaps? Cats and Dogs? Maybe not. How about something that is a sheer indulgence. Whatever you do, you can rest easy knowing you have done all you can to protect your pets and family from fleas and the problems they bring into your environment.
A Strong Offense AKA Fighting Fleas in the Winter
It may sound strange to be writing about fleas in December. After all, fleas are really not a problem this time of year. Fleas reach the height of their infestation, as far as household pets are concerned, in the summer. Hot weather favors flea populations, so why are we talking about fighting fleas when it is freezing or below?
Why? Because this is the time of year we can win and prevent next year’s infestation.
There are many products that are used to control fleas. Commonly available products include flea collars, powders, sprays, 
shampoos and flea dips. There are higher powered products meant to kill fleas such as the drops on the back of the neck and even prescriptions that the animal takes which when ingested by the flea (through a bite) alters the DNA so that the flea cannot reproduce.
Many of these products are very strong and can be detrimental to our pets, which is why it is important to get control and keep control of fleas while using as little insecticide as possible. The less of the powerful products used, the safer your pet remains and the safer your household is overall. This is of particular concern to people with allergies, parents with small children, and people who own pets that are allergic to flea-killing products.
So now that December is on us, let’s take those fleas out once and for all. It isn’t going to cost a lot of money. It will take some work on your part; the more pets you have, the more work it will be. But if done successfully, the flea problem you had last summer, which appears to be gone but is only dormant during the winter, will be a problem that is in the past. You can beat it now and it will only take a few days to a couple of weeks.
- Buy flea shampoo (unless your animal has an allergy to such a product).
- Buy a flea dip (again not if your pet is allergic to insecticides).
- Have a vacuum available that uses bags; a bagless vacuum is not going to do what you need right now.
- Have your washer and dryer empty, with plenty of room to put laundry that is waiting to be washed; be sure that the dirty laundry is well away from the areas of the house your pets are in.
- Basic laundry products: soap, bleach, softener; use whatever brands you prefer.
- Large plastic garbage bags you can close tightly
- One bottle of room flea spray. You can use a fogger if you wish, but again that is a high concentration of insecticide in the air, even after four or more hours. The room flea spray is easier to contain.
- A flea comb made for cats or dogs, as appropriate and other grooming tools such as a normal comb and brush for your pet.
- A ton of clean, dry towels, cotton balls, and a full day’s time to devote to your project.
Now pick your day on the calendar. You are ready to go!
Part 2 of this will tell you what to do to become flea free. If you are quite lucky you will accomplish it in one day; most people take a few days, if you have had a heavy infestation the previous summer, or have lots of pets, it will take up to two weeks. But if you follow these instructions faithfully, the cold weather will be your partner in ridding your house and your pets of fleas!
