Keep your four-legged friends safe this Halloween
Candy, costumes, trick-or-treating and frighteningly fun times are what most people think of around Halloween. But pets may find strangers coming to the door dressed as ghosts and goblins a little too scary. Here are some tips from the American Humane Association to help you and your pets have a fun and safe Halloween.
Safety first — If your pet is upset by the commotion at the front door, put her in a quiet room to reduce stress and chance of escape. Leave the TV or a radio playing as a distraction or have another member of the family stay with the pet.
Let your pets celebrate Halloween, too — If — and only if—your pet sits calmly while the door is opened repeatedly, let her help you greet the trick or treaters! Keep a supply of pet treats handy, and reach for one to give her before you open the door for trick-or-treaters.
Mr. Dress-up — Consider a Halloween-themed collar or bandanna to show your pet’s spirit, instead of a costume that may be constricting or unsafe.
Double-Check ID— Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with up-to-date ID, in case he does escape with the trick-or-treaters. Register your pet with PetLynx — just in case!
Pet-friendly Halloween decorations — Instead of an open flame in the jack-o’-lantern, opt for battery-powered, kid- and pet-friendly pumpkins. Open-flame candles and pumpkins with lit candles are especially dangerous because a pet’s fur can catch fire. Don’t let your pet chew or eat things like crepe-paper streamers; these are often colored with water-soluble dyes that will discolor your pet’s mouth and can cause an upset stomach.
Remember: No chocolate and candy! — Dogs love chocolate as much as humans do, but it is very dangerous for dogs and cats if ingested. Keep all chocolate and candy out of reach of your pets. Have healthy pet treats on hand for your pets, and enjoy the candy and chocolate yourself.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Cancer Among Most Common and Costly Pet Conditions
Cancer is not strictly a “human” condition. As the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats, cancer claims millions of pets each year. This November, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) will seek to increase awareness about the prevalence, detection and treatment of pet cancer during its fifth annual Pet Cancer Awareness Month.
VPI started Pet Cancer Awareness month in 2005 after noticing that cancer diagnoses often caught pet owners by surprise. Many either did not know their pets could develop cancer or underestimated the cost to treat cancerous conditions. In 2008, VPI received nearly 30,000 claims for pet cancer.
To raise funds for pet cancer research, VPI has partnered with the Animal Cancer Foundation and organized bi-coastal pet cancer awareness walks in Long Beach, Calif., and Brooklyn/Manhattan, NY.
VPI's website also provides pet cancer detection tips. To detect cancer early, pet owners should be attentive to any growing lump or sore that fails to heal, drastic changes in a pet’s appetite or weight, unusually strong odors coming from a pet, discharge or bleeding from any body opening, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or an unwillingness to exercise.
Overall, cancer claims were the sixth most common type of medical claim received by VPI in 2008. According to VPI’s claims data, which draws from a population of more than 450,000 insured pets, the following are the 10 most common types of cancer found in dogs and cats:
Top Pet Cancer Claims in 2008
1. Lymphosarcoma
6. Neoplasia - Liver
2. Mast Cell Tumor
7. Neoplasia – Thorax
3. Neoplasia – Spleen
8. Neoplasia – Brain or Spinal Cord
4. Neoplasia – Eyelid
9. Fibrosarcoma
5. Osteogenic Sarcoma
10. Hemangiopericytoma
Cancer is not strictly a “human” condition. As the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats, cancer claims millions of pets each year. This November, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) will seek to increase awareness about the prevalence, detection and treatment of pet cancer during its fifth annual Pet Cancer Awareness Month.
VPI started Pet Cancer Awareness month in 2005 after noticing that cancer diagnoses often caught pet owners by surprise. Many either did not know their pets could develop cancer or underestimated the cost to treat cancerous conditions. In 2008, VPI received nearly 30,000 claims for pet cancer.
To raise funds for pet cancer research, VPI has partnered with the Animal Cancer Foundation and organized bi-coastal pet cancer awareness walks in Long Beach, Calif., and Brooklyn/Manhattan, NY.
VPI's website also provides pet cancer detection tips. To detect cancer early, pet owners should be attentive to any growing lump or sore that fails to heal, drastic changes in a pet’s appetite or weight, unusually strong odors coming from a pet, discharge or bleeding from any body opening, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or an unwillingness to exercise.
Overall, cancer claims were the sixth most common type of medical claim received by VPI in 2008. According to VPI’s claims data, which draws from a population of more than 450,000 insured pets, the following are the 10 most common types of cancer found in dogs and cats:
Top Pet Cancer Claims in 2008
1. Lymphosarcoma
6. Neoplasia - Liver
2. Mast Cell Tumor
7. Neoplasia – Thorax
3. Neoplasia – Spleen
8. Neoplasia – Brain or Spinal Cord
4. Neoplasia – Eyelid
9. Fibrosarcoma
5. Osteogenic Sarcoma
10. Hemangiopericytoma
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Newspaper Carrier Delivers Really Good News!
Merlin is a seven-year-old Siamese/tabby cat who, his owners say, "is quite a character!"
"We all swear he can talk!" exclaims his guardian, Nella.
But when Merlin snuck into the garage late one Sunday evening, then ran out when the door was opened, he didn't stop to say where he was going!
"Normally, Merlin does a drop and roll in the grass and waits for you to pick him up," explains Nella. "But it was dark and by the time we got a flashlight, he was gone!"
Nella's youngest daughter made "Lost Cat" posters and put them them up in the community. Her husband suggested putting one on their own front door, with the hope that their newspaper carrier might spot the stray cat. (He's the only person around in the wee hours of the morning!)
After several nights of worry, Nella and her family were awakened by a 4:00 a.m. phone call. It was the newspaper carrier, calling to say he had their cat!
When asked where he was he replied, "At your front door. The red one."
"I went right down to get Merlin and, in my excitement, forgot to ask the man's name or give him the reward," exclaimed Nella. "No one complained when I woke the rest of the household to tell them Merlin was home!"
The newspaper carrier's identify and the reward got sorted out by calling the Hamilton Spectator office later that day. Turns out that the delivery man, Terran, had been keeping an eye out for Merlin since he saw the notice. He found Merlin quite a distance from home and carried him HomeSafe.
"We have one heck of good newspaper delivery man!" says Nella.
"We all swear he can talk!" exclaims his guardian, Nella.
But when Merlin snuck into the garage late one Sunday evening, then ran out when the door was opened, he didn't stop to say where he was going!
"Normally, Merlin does a drop and roll in the grass and waits for you to pick him up," explains Nella. "But it was dark and by the time we got a flashlight, he was gone!"
Nella's youngest daughter made "Lost Cat" posters and put them them up in the community. Her husband suggested putting one on their own front door, with the hope that their newspaper carrier might spot the stray cat. (He's the only person around in the wee hours of the morning!)
After several nights of worry, Nella and her family were awakened by a 4:00 a.m. phone call. It was the newspaper carrier, calling to say he had their cat!
When asked where he was he replied, "At your front door. The red one."
"I went right down to get Merlin and, in my excitement, forgot to ask the man's name or give him the reward," exclaimed Nella. "No one complained when I woke the rest of the household to tell them Merlin was home!"
The newspaper carrier's identify and the reward got sorted out by calling the Hamilton Spectator office later that day. Turns out that the delivery man, Terran, had been keeping an eye out for Merlin since he saw the notice. He found Merlin quite a distance from home and carried him HomeSafe.
"We have one heck of good newspaper delivery man!" says Nella.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Purr-fect Ending in Australia
A microchip helps another pet get HomeSafe
"Clyde", a Himalayan cat, was recently reunited with his owner after a mysterious three-year odyssey in which he strayed 2,400 miles (3,800 kilometres) into the Australian Outback.
Ashleigh Sullivan, 19, said she had given up hope of ever finding Clyde after he vanished from her family home near Hobart, Tasmania. A the time, he was about a year old.
"I'm positive he remembers [us]. He's not acting like he's suddenly appeared somewhere and is frantic," Sullivan said as she tearfully held her contented cat.
A nurse found Clyde wandering at a hospital in the remote Queensland state town of Cloncurry. She cared for him for four months before taking him to a local vet as she was leaving town and could not take the cat with her.
A vet traced Clyde's owner from the cat's microchip.
But no one has a clue how Clyde managed the 185-mile (300-kilometre) sea journey across the Bass Strait from Tasmania, off mainland Australia's southeast coast, and then about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometres) overland to Cloncurry, deep in the arid interior of the Outback.
An animal transport company returned the cat to Hobart for free.
"It's pretty special to have him back." Sullivan said. "I'm overwhelmed."
"Clyde", a Himalayan cat, was recently reunited with his owner after a mysterious three-year odyssey in which he strayed 2,400 miles (3,800 kilometres) into the Australian Outback.
Ashleigh Sullivan, 19, said she had given up hope of ever finding Clyde after he vanished from her family home near Hobart, Tasmania. A the time, he was about a year old.
"I'm positive he remembers [us]. He's not acting like he's suddenly appeared somewhere and is frantic," Sullivan said as she tearfully held her contented cat.
A nurse found Clyde wandering at a hospital in the remote Queensland state town of Cloncurry. She cared for him for four months before taking him to a local vet as she was leaving town and could not take the cat with her.
A vet traced Clyde's owner from the cat's microchip.
But no one has a clue how Clyde managed the 185-mile (300-kilometre) sea journey across the Bass Strait from Tasmania, off mainland Australia's southeast coast, and then about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometres) overland to Cloncurry, deep in the arid interior of the Outback.
An animal transport company returned the cat to Hobart for free.
"It's pretty special to have him back." Sullivan said. "I'm overwhelmed."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Two Rats... HomeSafe with a Cat!
The cat is this video obviously never went to "mouser" school! He's not lost... but he has found a couple of pretty unusual companions! This is proof positive the love and acceptance is not species specific. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Kind-Hearted Neighbour Helps Lost Pup
When this little dog went missing her guardians feared they might never see her again. But thanks to a kind-hearted neighbour, this little ragamuffin is now HomeSafe!
Our six-month-old Cocker Spaniel X Bichon puppy, "Bella", loves to dig! A few weeks ago she dug an opening under the fence and decided to investigate what was on the other side. This led to another fence, which she also dug under to bring her to another neighbor. They were sitting at their table in the back porch overlooking the garden when they saw this white, dirty face pop up now and again. They investigated and found our Bella digging in their garden. Bella's collar didn't have a tag on it yet, so they kept her overnight. She got to enjoy their company and some steak, then slept at the foot of their bed. These kind neighbors also placed a "Found Dog" advertisement with the local newspaper. The next morning, they took her to the SPCA.
Our six-month-old Cocker Spaniel X Bichon puppy, "Bella", loves to dig! A few weeks ago she dug an opening under the fence and decided to investigate what was on the other side. This led to another fence, which she also dug under to bring her to another neighbor. They were sitting at their table in the back porch overlooking the garden when they saw this white, dirty face pop up now and again. They investigated and found our Bella digging in their garden. Bella's collar didn't have a tag on it yet, so they kept her overnight. She got to enjoy their company and some steak, then slept at the foot of their bed. These kind neighbors also placed a "Found Dog" advertisement with the local newspaper. The next morning, they took her to the SPCA.
When my wife, Jane, arrived at the SPCA to look for Bella, the attendant exclaimed,"We have her here!" A very shaky and scared Bella was quickly brought out from the kennels. Once Bella spotted her "Momma," she lunged and jumped and climbed up to Jane's shoulders.
The reunion brought tears of joy to my wife and a lot of relief to Bella. With a name tag now and a renewed love for her momma, Bella headed home to the delight of the all the neighbors. Naturally, we were really pleased the way things turned out .
The reunion brought tears of joy to my wife and a lot of relief to Bella. With a name tag now and a renewed love for her momma, Bella headed home to the delight of the all the neighbors. Naturally, we were really pleased the way things turned out .
Later, when I was reading the paper, I spotted the "Lost dog" ad with a phone number. That is how we found the "the other side of the story" and the identity of our kind neighbors who took such good care of our little Bella during her adventure!
Bill C.
Hamilton, Ontario
Local Service Providers: Hamilton/Burlington SPCA
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Vital Stats are Vitally Important
Can you hear me now?Your dog or cat may have a wide repertoire of tricks, but no matter how smart they are they’ll never be able to tell a stranger their address and phone number. Ensuring our companion animals have traceable pet identification (I.D.) is one way that we can guarantee that they can "speak" for themselves should they become lost.
However, the most important thing to remember about any kind of pet I.D. is that it is completely useless if you fail to update your personal information when you move or change phone numbers.
Whenever you change any of your contact information, be sure to alert all organizations and agencies with your new details. Ensure your dog or cat has a "ticket home" by registering with PetLynx, too!
CITY LICENCES & OTHER TAGS
Even if your cat or dog is already tattooed and/or micro-chipped, a City licence tag is an excellent form of traceable identification.
• A collar with tags is an instant alert that an animal is owned and is not a stray.
• It provides instant contact information if a lost pet requires emergency medical care.
• Unfortunately, tags may be lost if an animal loses its collar.
TATTOOS
There are two types of tattoos for companion animals – breeder tattoos and pet identification program tattoos. Each serves an entirely different purpose.
Purebred dogs registered with the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) may have a registration tattoo on their belly or in an ear. This tattoo is applied when the puppy is just a few weeks old and identifies them as being a purebred from a specific breeder and litter. More recently, however, many breeders are opting for microchip I.D., so CKC tattoos are becoming less common. Purebred cats are never tattooed by the breeder.
Pet I.D. tattoos – which can be used for dogs, cats and rabbits – have been established in many communities across Canada. Ideally, the tattoo is put in an animal’s ear when it is spayed or neutered, because it has to be done under general anesthetic. The alphanumeric tattoo assigned to each animal is unique to them, identifying the year the tattoo was applied, the vet clinic that did the tattoo and the specific animal it is registered to.
MICROCHIPS
A microchip is a small coded device, about the size of a grain of rice. It’s inserted using a special syringe under the skin between your pet’s shoulder blades. All animal shelters and veterinary clinics in North America have special scanners that can ‘read’ the encrypted information on the microchip. The owner can be traced using this information.... if the information on file is correct!
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