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Archive for March, 2009
Sick as a dog?
Has anyone ever told you that they’re as sick as a dog? Well, that claim is much more realistic than you probably thought.
Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, revealed the top ten pet medical conditions from last year. The findings indicate that pets visit the vet for many of the same reasons you might visit your doctor.
Check out the following list to see how similar you and your pet really are. You might just start wondering when Fido will complain about being as sick as a human!
Top Canine Claims
Top Feline Claims
Ear Infections
Lower Urinary Tract Disease
Skin Allergies
Gastritis/Stomach Upsets
Pyoderma/Hot Spots
Chronic Renal Failure
Gastritis/Vomiting
Enteritis/Diarrhea
Enteritis/Diarrhea
Diabetes Mellitus
Urinary Tract Infections
Skin Allergies
Benign Skin Tumors
Hyperthyroidism
Osteoarthritis
Ear Infections
Eye Inflammation
Upper Respiratory Virus
Hypothyroidism
Eye Inflammation
What’s in your dog walker’s wallet?
“License and registration please,” is not a phrase typically associated with dog walking, but it may soon very well be. Lawmakers in San Francisco, CA, are debating an act that would require dog walkers to be licensed.
Anyone can call themselves a dog walker, or a pet sitter, for that matter. According to San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department such a proposal would help protect animals from mistreatment, of which many cases have been reported. It would also help to raise funds in the wake of major budget cuts and could assist with maintenance of the city parks, where the majority of dog walkers take their animals.
While perhaps good in theory, such a proposal could be difficult to enforce and would do little to truly help protect animals from rogue dog walkers or pet sitters with a penchant for animal cruelty.
The real focus should be on helping pet owners choose quality and professional caretakers for their furry friends. Pet Sitters International (PSI) offers tips for selecting a new pet sitter. PSI, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, was founded on three key principals: professional excellence, outstanding service and high-quality standards.
For assistance finding a PSI pet sitter in your area visit http://www.petsit.com/locate/
Where did that box of chocolates go?
A rubber duck, a kitchen knife, a ten-inch tent pole and a man’s wig. How are these items related? They all answer the same question:
What in the world did my pet eat?
PSDA, a veterinary chain based in the United Kingdom, released the top 20 bizarre items removed from the stomachs of inquisitive pets by its veterinary surgeons.
1. Ten-inch tent peg
2. Christmas decoration (star shaped)
3. Kitchen knife
4. Alphabet fridge magnets
5. Man’s wig
6. ‘Ann Summers’ underwear
7. Bell
8. Fishing hook
9. Socks
10. Rubber duck
11. Baby’s dummy
12. Golf balls
13. Coins
14. Balloons
15. Metal ball from a computer mouse
16. Shoe laces
17. Power ball
18. Corn on the cob
19. Needle and thread
20. Box of chocolates
If your pet happens to wolf down something other than food, please contact your vet immediately.
Preventing Pet Poisoning
What could be a better time than now, National Poison Prevention Week, to learn what’s poisonous to your furry friends?
Last year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxins. Take a look at the list of poisonous household items to help prevent your pet from ingesting poison:
Pharmaceuticals – prescription and over-the-counter medications
Human food – particularly chocolate, raisins, grapes, avocados and macadamia nuts
Chemical hazards –ethylene glycol antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals
Plants – particularly azalea, rhododendron, sago palm and lilies
Household cleaners - bleaches, detergents and disinfectants
Insecticides & Rodenticides
If your pet ingests any potentially harmful product, call your vet or a local emergency animal hospital immediately.
Choosing a name
Congratulations! You are a proud new pet parent! Now comes the tough part. What are you going to name that furry little bundle of joy?
Here are a few pointers to help you select the perfect name:
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Consider names that the pet can easily recognize.
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Animals respond better to one or two syllable names.
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Consider names that are easy to call out - Don’t go for a tongue twister!
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A pet’s behavior is a great source of inspiration for names. Study your pet’s behavior for ideas.
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Avoid names that sound like standard instructions, such as Spirit (Sit), Kay (Stay) Fletcher (Fetch), etc. It can be difficult for dogs to tell the difference between similar sounding words.
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Consider names that will suit your pet through its entire life.
Let us know how you picked out your pet’s name in the comments section!
Emergency Window Cling for Pet Owners’ Cars is Proactive Idea
Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, has created the Pets At Home Vehicle Window Cling.
The window cling is much like the animal rescue stickers for homes, only it is used on automobiles to alert emergency personnel that the injured party has pets at home in need of care. The Vehicle Window Cling provides the name and telephone number of an emergency contact. The red and white design was created for easy visibility.
The window clings are 3” x 3” and are made of bright red vinyl. They will adhere to any clean glass surface without adhesive and can be easily removed. The window clings are also reusable.
Emergency window clings are sold in packs of 20 for $14.95 and can be purchased at the PSIStoreOnline. Pet owners can receive one Vehicle Window Cling by sending one dollar and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Pet Sitters International, 201 East King St., King, NC 27021.
What happened to Buddy or Daisy?
Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, shook things up last year. Instead of tracking the most popular names among its more than 465,000 pets insured nationwide, VPI compiled a list of the most unusual dog and cat names.
Without further ado, here are the 10 most unusual names for dogs and cats.
DOGS CATS Rush Limbark Edward Scissorpaws Sirius Lee Handsome Sir Lix-a-lot Rafikikadiki Optimus Prrrime Low Jack Buddah Pest Meatwad Snoop Kitty Kitty Peanut Wigglebutt Miss Fuzzbutt Scuddles Unterfuss 80 Bucks Sophie Touch & Pee Sparklemonkey Admiral Toot Rosie Posie Prozac Spatula Toot Uncommon Did you name your pet something even more unusual or do you know of a pet with a far stranger name? Let us know in the comments area below!
Professional Pet Sitters Week is this week, March 1-7.
Pet Sitters International, the world’s largest association for professional pet sitters, encourages pet owners to help recognize professional pet sitters and the value of the in-home pet care they provide. Many professional pet sitters put in long hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to care for pets of all kinds.
To locate a PSI member pet sitter in your area, visit the PSI Pet Sitter Locator.
Let us know what you did to honor your pet sitter in the comments section below!
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