Free VIP Pet Health Care Phone Seminar

Do you know how to keep your pet healthy, heal your pet naturally at home, and help your dog (or cat) live longer?

Dr. Andrew Jones will be revealing some of his veterinary secrets, while at the same time releasing his Complete Home Study Multimedia Course Version2.1, and I’m inviting you to a free VIP teleseminar training call that he will be conducting this Thursday. In addition to all of this, you’ll find out how to heal your pet at home with his top natural remedies.

Date: Thursday Nov 19 at 6PM Pacific ( 9PM Eastern)

Click HERE to register!

On this 90-min. teleseminar, you’ll discover not only how to treat your pet at home, you will also learn . . .

• Natural alternatives for Heartworm prevention.
• What you can give for flea and ticks that won’t harm your dog or cat.
• The TRUTH behind vaccines — how to avoid the disastrous side effects, and the exact vaccine regimen Dr. Jones advises for your dog or cat.
• The TOP ways to prevent disease. This is must-know material if your pet is to stay healthy and live a long and fulfilled life.
• The best diets for your pet.  Dr. Jones can show you what to feed, how to choose a quality pet food, which  supplements to give, and the safe treats to use.

There are only 500 lines available, so register early to claim your spot.

Please remember to print out the Study Guide available to you after you register for the teleseminar.

The seminar will take 90 minutes out of your day (Thurs, Nov 19th), but what you’ll learn may make a BIG difference in the health of your dog or cat.

Dr. Jones has also put up a new video on his blog. It’s a small clip from his workshop in which pet owners were shown how to use his natural healing techniques. You can see that HERE.

Dr. Jones also has a new report available for free. Dr Jones’ TOP 10 Veterinary Secrets for Keeping Your Pet Healthy, Healing Your Pet At Home, and Helping Your Dog or Cat Live Longer

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H1N1 and Your Pets

Information for Pet Owners: H1N1 and Your Pets

This is recent information from the Canadian Vet Association (Nov 4.09) but as of today one cat has died from H1N1:

As Canada prepares for the 2009-2010 influenza season, pet owners may be concerned about transmitting the H1N1 influenza virus to their animals. Keep your pet healthy during flu season. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association suggests the following information to help reduce the risk of transmission.

Can I give my pet H1N1 influenza?

To date, there has been one reported case of H1N1 in a cat. H1N1 influenza can also be transmitted to pet ferrets. It is also likely that the virus could be transmitted to pet birds and pot-bellied pigs, although this has not yet been identified. The risk of transmission from humans to dogs, cats, rodents and rabbits is low. There have not been any cases of H1N1 reported in dogs, rodents or rabbits. Although they are probably not at risk, pet owners infected with H1N1 should be aware that there is a potential risk for transmission.

What are the signs of influenza in pets?

Common signs of illness would be expected to include not eating, drinking, or playing as usual. Pets may also cough, sneeze, or develop a fever.
How can I reduce the risk of infecting my pets? Taking the following precautions can reduce the risk of transmitting an illness to your pets:

• Cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Limit contact with your pet when you are sick.
• Avoid touching your pet’s face, as germs can be transmitted through the mouth and nose.

I think my pet is sick. What should I do?

Contact your veterinarian if your pet is showing any signs of illness. If your pet has been in contact with someone with influenza, make sure your veterinarian is notified. While it is very unlikely that your pet has developed influenza, it is important for your veterinarian to know if your pet has been exposed to the virus.

Revised November 4, 2009, by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association in consultation with Dr. Scott Weese. A French version of this document is available on the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s website http://www.veterinairesaucanada.net. Questions? Contact us at communications@cvma-acmv.org.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Waggery Note: I did hear from one vet out in B.C. that a ferret became infected with H1N1.

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Help Save Hailey

I am passing this urgent message along from my vet, and personal friend, who is hoping to be able to help a family save their little 19 week old American Bulldog puppy Hailey.

From Hailey’s vet Dr. Jones:

Hailey has an intrahepatic liver shunt and needs surgery to tie this off. Her blood is bypassing her liver so there is no filter system and the toxins from the normal breakdown of food are accumulating in her body. In addition to this, food and nutrition is not broken down into a format that Hailey’s body can use. This disease essentially starves her and causes her to feel poisoned.

Hailey also has encephalopathy, a secondary condition associated with the disease. The toxins in Hailey’s system accumulate and affect her brain. At times she has no idea what she is doing or why, or where she is.

From Hailey’s family:

Hailey is our 19 week old American Bulldog puppy. We have recently found out that Hailey was born with a rare birth defect. To date the fees we have had to pay for hospitalization, exams, and testing amount to $2500. A Liver Shunt, Hailey’s diagnosis, is terminal if not operated on as soon as possible. Essentially what is happenening is that Hailey’s liver is not filtering her blood and she is being poisoned more and more every minute. The poison is affecting her entire system including her brain. She often goes into a daze and does not respond to any sound, movement or stimulation.

Hailey is on a variety of medications to help reduce the toxins in her body. She is on a special diet in order to get her as strong as possible for surgery.

Surgery for Hailey is about $2000 and we are doing our best to come up with the money and find a way to pay the $2500 we have already accumulated up in veterinary bills to get her diagnosis. If anyone is able to help/would like to help us save Hailey please email me for donation information at alisonkelly00@yahoo.ca. Anything helps and thanks so much in advance for taking an interest in Hailey.

If you’re on Facebook, you can join the Please Help Us Save Hailey group.

The Waggery’s Good Dog Blog is sending out lots of love and positive prayers to Hailey, her family, her vet and the wonderful team of animal care technicians who will be performing Hailey’s life-saving operation.

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Miracle Dog No Longer “Broken”

All too often it’s stories of abuse, neglect, sadness and frustration that we hear about when it comes to man’s best friend, so whenever I find a story with a happy ending, I do my best to pass it on.

Meet Humphrey

Seen here as he is reunited with two of the animal care technicians responsible for his recovery.

Humphrey, a three month old Havanese-cross puppy, was found in north Edmonton, lying on the side of the road after being hit by a car on Sept. 23. A Good Samaritan (who wishes to remain anonymous) took the puppy to the Edmonton Humane Society where the initial outlook was grim.

Jessica Steinkey, one of the animal health technicians who along with three other vets performed two surgeries on Humphry to repair a fractured pelvis and severe internal injuries, was thrilled to see the miraculous mutt make his energetic return.

“He’s quite a bit of a miracle dog,” she said. “We weren’t quite sure we were even going to be able to help with him — it’s great to see he’s found the right home for him.”

On Oct. 17, after just three weeks of treatment, Humphrey was put up for adoption and mere hours later found himself on his way home with new owner, Salem Bryant of Edmonton.

“We both just saw this face and that was it — it was just total love at first sight,” she said.

“Whoever lost this little guy, they lost out on a lot and we gained even more.”

Amazed by Humphrey’s quick recovery, and grateful for all that the Edmonton Humane Society staff did for her puppy, Bryant returned yesterday for a visit.

“When we were told the medical history we were honestly shocked,” she said, noting Humphry routinely bounds up stairs but can’t quite summit the couch on his own yet.

“You’d never think that anything ever happened to him.”

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Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month

November is

Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month

 

From peteducation.com the following are some thoughts about adopting a senior pet:

• Dietary Intake: Nutritional requirements are important to an older pet. The caloric value needs to be less if they are to remain fit and trim.
• Matching Lifestyles: An adult animal’s relatively calm demeanor and less intense need for exercise make them the perfect match for a full-time, working household or an older person seeking friendship and love. Older pets often make excellent or at the very least, agreeable companions for other household pets, as well.
• Physical Demands are Low: Fortunately, many senior animals are not as demanding as a younger animal. Like any animal, they need quality time in the form of attention and exercise, but the length and intensity of exercise may not be as great. Older dogs, for example, may prefer quiet walks to running or active play and will usually not pull you around on the leash or jump up on you.
• Previous Training: Adult animals often already know how to live harmoniously with humans. In general, adult pets require far less supervision and less constant care, which can make them ideal companions for people with already busy lives. They may already be litter box or housetrained. An older dog might also have some obedience training.
• Size at Maturity is Known: Senior animals, e.g., dogs, cats, small mammals, and some reptiles have already reached their maximum size and weight and therefore will not require additional purchases anticipating future growth needs. For instance, a senior dog, unlike a growing puppy needs only one size collar, harness, lead, dog bed, or travel crate.
• What You See is What You Get: With adopted older pets you will usually know about any behavior challenges or health considerations before you adopt. In other words, there are no surprises.

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One Small Victory In The Fight Against Puppy Mills

But every victory counts, no matter how small.  Now Canada’s legal system needs to make sure that it does its part, and that its part is done right. A half-hearted slap on the wrist simply won’t do. That won’t send the message that is so drastically needed to be sent to those who neglect and abuse helpless animals in the name of profit.

Charges laid in Edmonton puppy-mill bust

City woman accused of failing to provide adequate food, water and shelter for 42 animals

By RICHARD LIEBRECHT, SUN MEDIA

The Edmonton Sun

A woman has been charged for allegedly keeping 42 animals in their own filth — in connection with Edmonton’s first puppy-mill bust six months ago.

And officials at the Edmonton Humane Society fear it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

“This was a sign there were people out there breeding without the welfare of the animals in mind,” said Shawna Randolph, spokeswoman for the humane society.

Charges against May Poon, of Edmonton, include failing to provide food and water, keeping animals in distress, failing to provide adequate care when the animal is wounded or ill and failing to provide adequate shelter, ventilation and space.

The charges have been levelled by the Edmonton Humane Society under Alberta’s Animal Protection Act.

Rows of tiny cages were uncovered in a home at 17215 60 Ave. on April 1, according to the humane society. There were 32 dogs and 10 cats found, some with bleeding cuts, others too weak to walk. They were allegedly lying in their own feces and urine.

Many were left with uterine tract infections and severe dental problems, says the humane society.

The puppies have all been adopted, but some face ongoing dental and house-training issues, said Randolph.

Poon will appear in court Oct. 28.

“We just really hope that the court system will have a situation where (the person responsible) will not be allowed to care for animals in the future. That’s what we’re hoping for — prohibition,” said Randolph.

The problem is much bigger than one operation, said Randolph.

“The (humane society) is confident there are other puppy mills in Edmonton yet to be uncovered,” she said.

There are still “designer” breed dogs being dropped off occasionally at the humane society shelter.

It raised red flags before the current case, said Randolph, but the trend hasn’t waned since the operation was busted.

“These are breeds that reputable breeders would not make,” she said.

She said a large portion of labradoodles and poo-poms — inter-species breeds — are raised in puppy mills.

That sort of cross breeding has taken hold in Eastern Canada and the U.S., she said. Now the operations are spreading west.

“We knew it was a matter of time before one showed up here,” said Randolph.

The humane society is asking neighbours to sniff out suspicious signs and report possible puppy mill houses in the city.

“If they suspect that their neighbour could be running a puppy mill, that call would not make them a bad neighbour. It could potentially save an animal’s life,” she said.

RICHARD.LIEBRECHT@SUNMEDIA.CA

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Common Plant Toxins

Keeping plants out of reach is always something a pet owner has to be concerned with. But what about those plants that can’t be lifted out of harm’s way?

There are plants that are harmless, but others that can make our dogs and cats very sick. There are those that can even cause death. Here is a video with 17 poisonous plants to look out for.

To learn how to care for a pet who may have consumed a toxin, I highly recommend Dr. Andrew Jones’ book:

Pet First Aid Secrets:
Complete Canine And Feline First Aid Manual

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Kaylee – One Year Later

One year ago today, we brought Kaylee home

Here she is today . . . quite the different dog than she was back then

Such a beautiful girl!

Last September Kaylee was malnourished, extremely timid of everyone and everything, she didn’t know how to play — not with us, not with toys, nor with other dogs.

There was just no spark in her eyes. No life.

Today she is a happy, playful, funny dog with so much love to give.

A wonderful girl who is very much loved in return.

It’s been a year of many changes, and those changes have taken a lot of time and effort on both our parts — hers and mine, but Kaylee is one of the shining examples of why dog rescue is so important. She spent the first three years of her life abused, neglected and confined to a tiny wire cage, exposed to the outdoor elements without companionship, and often without food or clean drinking water.

Others had to have seen her suffering, but no one did anything. Finally one woman cared enough to speak up and I will be forever grateful to her for that.

Many thanks, as always, to Debra at Arbed Rescue. Your devotion to the dogs is second to none. We need more people like you.

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Gidget the Taco Bell Chihuahua – RIP

Taco Bell ad Chihuahua dies

By Robert Jablon, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES – Gidget the Chihuahua, the bug-eyed, big-eared star of 1990s Taco Bell commercials who was a diva on and off the screen, has died. She was 15.

Gidget suffered a massive stroke late Tuesday night at her trainer’s home in Santa Clarita and had to be euthanized, said Karin McElhatton, owner of Studio Animal Services in Castaic, which owned the dog.

Although she was hard of hearing, Gidget was otherwise in good health up to the day of her death, eating well and playing with her favourite squeaky toys at the home of trainer Sue Chipperton, McElhatton said.

“She was retired. She lived like a queen, very pampered,” McElhatton said.

Gidget was found at a kennel and wasn’t show quality, McElhatton said; she had an undershot jaw and huge ears.

But Gidget knew she was a star, McElhatton said.

“She was a prima donna, basically. She absolutely knew when she was on camera,” McElhatton said.

In a 1997 Taco Bell television commercial, Gidget was seen as a male dog who, through the magic of special effects and a voice actor, proclaims in a richly accented voice: “Yo quiero Taco Bell” – Spanish for “I want Taco Bell.”

Viewers were charmed. What was supposed to be a single ad became a campaign that ran from 1997 to 2000.

The ads made the Taco Bell mascot wildly popular, although they provoked criticism from activists who accused them of promoting Hispanic stereotypes.

While other Chihuahuas had bit parts, McElhatton said it was Gidget who got the closeups and the quips (Carlos Alazraqui was the voice).

Gidget travelled first-class, opened up the New York Stock Exchange and made an appearance at Madison Square Garden, McElhatton said.

In later years, she did other acting work, appearing in a 2002 commercial for the insurance company GEICO and in the 2003 movie “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.”

She remained the object of affection after her retirement, going on hikes and beach visits with her trainer. She aged gracefully, and liked nothing more than to snooze in the sun.

“She was like a little old lady. She’d kind of gotten smaller,” McElhatton said.

Gidget will be cremated, McElhatton said. Her owners had not decided on a final disposition of her remains. Taco Bell Corp. said in a statement Gidget would be missed by many. “Our deepest sympathies go out to her owners and fans,” the company said.

R.I.P.

Taco Bell ad Chihuahua dies

By Robert Jablon, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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French Toast For Dogs

They say that variety is the spice of life, and I think that applies to dogs as well. Or at least it should. I am constantly amazed that the notion of feeding our dogs “kibble, only kibble, and always the same kibble for as long as they shall live” ever got off the ground. Let alone that pet care professionals actually advise such a feeding regiment.

Proof of very good, very savvy pet food marketing, I guess. But can you imagine being forced to eat the same thing day after day after day? At the very least I would like to see dog owners being encouraged to top their canine kibble off with something different every now and then.

My dogs eat a variety of healthy foods, though I am very careful when offering something new. In that case, I err on the side of caution and begin by giving just very small amounts until I know their tummies can handle it.  For the most part, however, they eat from a wide range of foods that they are all familiar and fine with; I just mix them up so there is variety.

This morning I topped off The Fab Five’s breakfast with some yummy French toast. Doggie style, of course (which means NO NUTMEG as nutmeg can cause seizures in dogs).

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 slices whole grain bread

Whisk egg and egg whites until foamy. Add milk, vanilla and cinnamon; whisk again.

Use non-fat spray to coat your skillet (a non-stick grill is great too!), and warm over medium-low heat. Dip the bread into the egg mixture, turning to coat thoroughly, and let any excess mixture drip back into the bowl.

Cook your coated bread slices in the hot skillet, turning until both sides are nicely browned, about 2 minutes each side.

And voilà!

I make French toast that way for myself and the rest of the family, so it’s easy to just use more of the ingredients and be able to include the dogs.  Just NO NUTMEG!!

Of course dogs don’t need syrup or sugary jams, or anything like that either. If you want to top your dog’s toast off with something a little extra special, use pieces of sliced fruit (apples, bananas, strawberries), a dollop of plain yogurt*,  or drizzle a bit of organic honey. Just keep it natural and healthy!

* When using yogurt for dogs, make sure it’s not artificially sweetened. Artificial sweeteners are not good for dogs, and some are toxic. Naturally sweetened with honey is the best, and I always make sure it’s probiotic as well.

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