Spring Has Sprung... Spring Shedding Has Begun!

Your pet may be HomeSafe.... but are you prepared for the flood of shedding pet hair that accompanies spring?

Here are some tips from the good folks that make FURminator deShedding Products... to help you cope with your pet's furry spring flurry!

Diet plays a key role in your pet's overall health. Feeding your pet a quality pet food with protein, vitamins and Omega-Fatty Acids will promote a healthy weight and topcoat and can help reduce shedding.

Scratch the Itch: Pets can itch because of fleas, dry skin or even a skin allergy, which can spread dander throughout the house. Whatever the cause, make sure to speak with your veterinarian to help your pets feel and look their best.

Love Your Pet, Hate the Shedding? Use a professional style grooming tool, such as the FURminator, to reduce the amount of fur left on floors, couches and clothes

Lessen Allergies and Sneezing by creating allergy-free areas for family members with pet allergies. Restrict animals to certain rooms of your home and consider using allergen-resistant covers on mattresses and pillows. Regular grooming will also decrease the amount of airborne allergens and dander around the house.

Remove Pet Hair From Upholstery daily with a lint roller... before fur works its way into fabric. If pets are allowed on the furniture, consider investing in furniture throws that can be laundered - this will keep your home looking and smelling better.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Portuguese Man O’ War Spoils Game of Fetch for Westie/Poodle Mix

You'll be glad your pet is HomeSafe with you after reading this unusual tale!

Pet owners visiting the beach for a day of fun and sun can anticipate the occasional safety hazard: holes in the sand, sharp pieces of driftwood or jagged shells. Unfortunately, after a recent experience with their two-year-old Westie/poodle mix, Ranger, Brace and Janet Rohrer can add stinging Portuguese man o’ wars to their list!

“My wife had taken Ranger to the beach that day and was playing fetch with him,” recalled Brace Rohrer of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. “Ranger ran out to get the ball, but a man o’ war” – a venomous invertebrate similar to a jellyfish – “was lying next to it. Ranger pounced on the man o’ war instead of the ball and got stung on his right front paw.”

At his veterinarian’s office, Ranger received a dose of anti-inflammatory medication, an antihistamine, and a shot of pain reliever. He was one lucky dog! Aside from being extremely painful, a Portuguese man o’ war’s sting can cause fever, shock, circulatory and respiratory distress.

Rohrer’s claim for Ranger’s man o’ war incident was one of more than 80,000 claims received in the month of February by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance. Rohrer’s claim was considered along with other uncommon medical claims submitted in February and selected by VPI as the most unusual of the bunch.

As the most unusual claim submitted in February, Rohrer’s claim will be placed in the running for the 2010 VPI Hambone Awards. Each month, VPI employees nominate the most interesting claim submitted and in August 2010 the company will ask the public to vote for the most unusual claim of the year.

The VPI Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was eventually found, with a licked-clean hambone and a mild case of hypothermia.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetSecure Helps Pet

PetSecure pet health insurance was happy to deliver some great news to Romelda Morson, an active volunteer in her Toronto community and pet parent of two dogs - Impulse and Fynnegan. The company paid for Impulse's $2,500.00 ligament surgery after she was attacked by a stray dog and her former pet health insurance company denied the claim.

Prior to the attack, Romelda faced a hydro explosion in her apartment and was forced to leave her home with nothing but the clothes on her back, cell phone and pets in hand. After this disaster, she formed a tenants' association to ensure everyone living in her building would be treated equally and fairly.

"As pet parents ourselves, we are proud to give back by providing resources and support to the pet community across Canada," says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of PetSecure. "When we heard what Romelda had been through, we wanted to help; our goal as a company is to ensure that pets across Canada enjoy longer, fuller and healthier lives, even if that means helping one pet parent at a time!"

"Things like this don't happen often in our society, let alone happen to me," Romelda stated after Petsecure told her the good news. "Petsecure has reinstated my faith in insurance companies and I'm truly grateful for their generosity and willingness to support Impulse. This has made a huge difference in our lives and has taken away a burden of not knowing how we would take care of this payment."

Petsecure wants all of their members to feel secure knowing that in their time of need, and when they really need that extra help, they can rest assured that they will be taken care of.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

10 Most Common Pet Poisons of 2009

Many common household goods that we take for granted as harmless can poison our pets.

In 2009, the American SPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, IL, handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic household substances, including insecticides, cleaning supplies and prescription medications.

To help you keep your pet safe in 2010, ASPCA has created a list of the 10 common poisons that most affected our furry friends last year. Here’s a sneak peek at their advice:

• Top dishonors—once again—go to human medications, which accounted for the most calls to the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline in 2009. Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands or gobble up meds accidentally dropped on the floor. Remember to keep all medications, including pain remedies, antidepressants and decongestants, in a cabinet far away from prying paws.

• Cats and dogs are often the unwitting victims of our efforts to battle flea infestations. The misapplication of spot-on flea and tick products can be especially problematic for our feline friends. Talk to your vet about choosing the right, species-specific flea treatment for your pet and never use products made for dogs on cats, and vice versa.

• Some of the most delicious people food—including citrus, avocado and raisins—can be poisonous to pets. Chocolate ingestion accounted for nearly half of all people food-related cases in 2009, so be sure to keep cocoa hidden from your resourceful cat or dog.

• Household plants may keep your house green and your air clean, but some can cause serious gastrointestinal problems for companion animals who nibble on them. Check out the ASPCA's toxic plant list before your next visit to the nursery.

As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your vet or the ASPCA’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Power Paws: The latest fashion for dogs with hip dysplasia

Power Paws – recently launched and developed by Woodrow Wear, Inc – in its most basic description are socks for dogs with rubber–non-slip treads. Power Paws combine fashion and function to help dogs (and their owners) like never before.

Basically, Power Paws enable large breed dogs with hip dysplasia to move around on slick surfaces such as hardwood, linoleum or tile floors. Far less expensive that installing carpets in your house!

Inventor of Power Paws and CEO of Woodrow Wear, Lorraine Watson, says, “Dogs slipping because of dysplasia or slick surfaces is common, yet nothing practical has been invented to help. Power Paws give dogs the power to stand, the power to stop, and the power to go. Since then, they have been 100% successful on hundreds of test-dogs. No product available is this simple or effective.”

When to Help a Stray Pet....

And when to call for back-up!

It is instinctive for most animal lovers to want to rush forward to help a stray pet. Sometimes, however, catching and transporting stray pets should be left to your local humane society or animal services provider.

Whenever you see a stray dog or cat in your neighborhood, THINK SAFETY FIRST! Never put the safety of you, your family or your own pets in jeopardy.

• If the animal is showing ANY signs of aggression, leave it alone. If there is imminent danger to people -- especially children -- call '9-1-1.' In most cases, however, you should contact your municipal animal control centre.

• If you can safely transport it, a sick or injured stray should be taken to your local animal shelter or a veterinary clinic right away. (You will not have to pay for its care.)

• Leave a mother cat or dog with a litter, or an orphaned litter, alone! (Unless they are in immediate danger.) Call your humane society for advice before taking action.

• If you have been able to safely contain the animal, check for any form of identification - PetLynx tag, city license, tattoo, rabies tag, personalized identification tag, or microchip. Call these contact numbers and, if you have no luck finding the owner, register a 'Found' report on PetLynx and call area service providers right away.

• Before taking healthy strays to an animal shelter or vet clinic, do a search on PetLynx. There may already be a record of the lost pet and you may be matched with the owners right away, saving the animal a trip to the shelter.

• If someone claims to be the animal's owner, insist on identification and proof of ownership before releasing him or her.

Cat Survives Two Mile Ride in Car Engine

A recent "good news" story captured the hearts of cat loving Americans.

TV viewers were mesmerized by the story of a cat from the Bronx, NY, who survived a two-mile drive through his northern NYC borough, while stuck inside the engine of an SUV. The stray was so severely wedged inside that the battery and other engine parts had to be removed in order to free him. Though the story has a happy ending, the incident points to a winter phenomenon that many felines do not survive.

During the winter, American SPCA experts explain, it’s common for outdoor cats to sleep under the hoods of cars for warmth and protection. Once the motor is started, however, the cat can be injured or killed by moving parts. One solution is for drivers to bang loudly on the vehicle hood before starting their car engines. This gives a sleeping cat the chance to escape or announce his presence by meowing or moving around.

Pet parents, be aware: there are many other dangers that our animal companions face during winter. Click the link for a list of essential cold weather tips to keep companion animals safe from winter threats.

SPCA doesn't like "Hot Dogs!"

BC Heat Wave Could Prove Deadly for Pets!

The heat is on, so the BC SPCA is urging pet guardians to play it cool.

With scorching temperatures predicted throughout most of British Columbia this holiday weekend, the BC SPCA is offering tips on how to keep pets safe. The first and most obvious recommendation is not to leave your pet in the car.

According to an SPCA press release, the temperature inside a parked car at this time of year can rise alarmingly fast. Dogs can't withstand high temperatures for more than a few minutes before suffering irreparable brain damage or death!

If you see a dog languishing in a hot car, call the SPCA in your area or local police. Before the authorities arrive, the SPCA says, members of the public can help prevent a tragedy by attempting to find the animal’s guardian. If the car is in a mall or grocery store parking lot, for example, ask to have the owner paged over the building’s PA system. If a window on the vehicle is cracked open, try to increase the airflow inside by fanning the pet with a portable fan.

The BC SPCA also urges dog owners to use caution when exercising their pets under the sweltering summer sun. If you run with your dog, try to run early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky.

You should also try to avoid walking your dog on asphalt because it can burn your dog’s foot pads.

Signs of heat stroke in pets:

• exaggerated panting (or the sudden stopping of panting);
• rapid or erratic pulse;
• salivation;
• weakness and muscle tremors;
• lack of co-ordination;
• convulsions or vomiting;
• collapse.

If your dog shows symptoms of heat stroke:
• Immediately move it to a cool, shady place.
• Wet the dog with cool water.
• Fan vigorously to promote evaporation (do not apply ice, which constricts blood flow.)
• Allow the dog to drink some cool water.
• Take the dog to a veterinarian.

For more information, click the heading above.