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Archive for February, 2010
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again
Pet Dental Health Month is just about over. Did you schedule or take your pet for an annual teeth cleaning? Or have you attempted to brush your pet’s teeth at home? How’d it go?
The first few times probably weren’t a walk in the park. Don’t give up. Preventative at-home care helps combat dental disease in pets and pet dentists feel it is a critical part of dental care. At-home dental care can be successful if started young, done consistently and made into a positive experience for the pet.
Still intimidated by Fido’s ferocious teeth? Check out this video developed by veterinary experts at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for step-by-step instructions to show you how to brush your cat’s teeth. These instructions will work on dogs too!
For more information, please visit Pet Dental Health Month.
Bone Appétit
Today is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. Be sure to treat your pup to a biscuit or two!
While there are a multitude of dog biscuits on the market to choose from, why not bake a homemade treat for your dog? Sure, a store-bought cookie tastes great, but there is just something about a homemade cookie that can turn a bad day into a good one.
Not sure where to start? Crack open one of these dog biscuit cookbooks to find a recipe your pooch will like and get baking. Extra tail wags for creativeness!
Trust us; your dog will thank you!
Let PSI Help Put You on the Road to Pet-Sitting Success
Interested in pursuing a career in professional pet sitting? Not quite sure where to start?
Pet Sitters International (PSI) offers all of the tools you need to put your new pet-sitting service on the road to success. And one lucky new member will receive those tools for FREE.
All new members joining PSI between February 1, 2010 - March 15, 2010 who include promo code: MRC10 on their application form will be entered for a chance to win PSI’s 2010 Pet-Sitting Success Tool Kit, valued at nearly $600!
The 2010 Pet-Sitting Success Tool Kit includes:
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PSI’s Accreditation Program ($299 USD + S&H)
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Essentials Kit from the PSIStoreOnline.com ($125 USD + S&H)
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First-year free software, PowerPetSitter.com’s Power Pet Sitter Solo ($99 USD)
Learn more about the 2010 Pet-Sitting Success Tool Kit and how to get started on the road to pet-sitting success.
Help Save a Pet’s Life
It’s a fact, pet overpopulation is a problem. According to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), five out of ten dogs and seven out of ten cats in shelters are destroyed simply because there is no one to adopt them.
Help curb pet overpopulation on Feb. 23, the 16th annual Spay Day, a campaign sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering their pets.
Check out these three ways to participate in Spay Day!
Spay/Neuter Your Pet
If your pet isn’t spayed or neutered, pledge to do so on this day. Spaying and neutering:
- increases your pet’s chance of a longer and healthier life.
- reduces your pet’s urge to roam.
- reduces the number of unwanted cats/kittens/dogs/puppies.
Enter the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest
Win prizes and raise lifesaving funds for spay/neuter by entering your pet’s picture in the Spay Day 2010 Online Pet Photo Contest, which runs from Jan. 20-Mar. 4, 2010.Each vote for your pet costs just $1, with the money going to the eligible Spay Day Event Organizer of your choice to help spay or neuter even more pets after this important day has passed. Spay Day 2009 photo contest entrants raised more that $228,000 for 173 U.S. event organizers, which allowed them to spay or neuter an estimated 7,361 additional animals.
Volunteer at an Event
Volunteers are often needed for a variety of important tasks at Spay Day events. For example, during spay/neuter clinics volunteers may assist with greeting and checking in clients and monitoring recovering animals. Other volunteer positions may include staffing information tables, hosting fundraising parties and helping to publicize the event.For more information on Spay Day and to locate a Spay Day event near you, please visit the HSUS Web site.
Meet PSI’s 2009 Pet Sitter of the Year
Did your pet sitter have what it took to be crowned PSI’s 2009 Pet Sitter of the Year™? Well, if your pet sitter is Cara Armour, owner of Active Paws, Watertown, MA, the answer is yes!
Armour was crowned PSI’s new Pet Sitter of the Year™ at the Quest 2010 Welcome Lunch on February 5, 2010.
With nearly 300 nominations for 30 PSI members in 16 states and Canada, the decision was tough! We’d like to congratulate Armour and the Top 5 Finalists in the 2009 Pet Sitter of the Year™ competition:
Scott Black, Personal Touch Pet Sitting Inc., Kingwood, TX
Kimberly Boyd, Canine Cuddle Care, Alpharetta, GA
Rita Burrows, Grand Paws at Home LLC, Dalton, GA
Donna McPherson, Pawsitively Pets Inc., Atlanta, GA
To read Armour’s story about how she decided to become a professional pet sitter, please visit the PSI Web site.
If you think your pet sitter has what it takes to be “top dog” next year, be sure to nominate them for the 2010 Pet Sitter of the Year™!
Who would you rather spend Valentine’s Day with?
If given the choice of spending this upcoming Valentine’s Day with your significant other or your pet, who would you choose?
A recent joint global poll by Reuters/Ipsos found that one fifth of adults would prefer to be with their pet. The survey of 24,000 people in 23 countries found 21 percent of adults would rather spend February 14 with their pet than their spouse.
The survey also found that age and income were more of a determining factor than nationality when it came to romance, with younger, less affluent people more likely to choose their pet as their Valentine’s Day companion.
John Wright, senior vice president of Ipsos, said 25 percent of people aged under 35 opted for their pet over their partner compared to 18 percent of those aged 35-54 and 14 percent of people aged 55 plus. Men and women were evenly split over the question.
On a country-by-country basis, residents of Turkey were the most likely, at 49 percent, to choose their pet over their spouse or partner. Next came India with 41 percent, then Japan with 30 percent, China with 29 percent, the United States with 27 percent and Australia with 25 percent.
On the other hand, the nations where residents were the least likely to want to spend the day with a pet instead of their spouse or partner were France at 10 percent, Mexico 11 percent, the Netherlands 12 percent and Hungary at 12 percent.
So tell us, who’d you rather spend Valentine’s Day with?
My Furry Valentine
According to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, each year there is a rise in poisoning cases around February 14 involving chocolate and lilies, a flower that’s potentially fatal to cats. While most pet owners know the dangers that chocolate and certain flowers can cause to pets, the ASPCA warns of a few additional items to keep out of paws reach this Valentine’s Day.
Careful with Cocktails
Spilled wine, half a glass of champagne, some leftover liquor are nothing to cry over until a curious pet laps them up. Because animals are smaller than humans, a little bit of alcohol can do a lot of harm; causing vomiting, diarrhea, lack of coordination, central nervous system depression, tremors, difficulty breathing, metabolic disturbances and even coma. Potentially fatal respiratory failure can also occur if a large enough amount is ingested.Life Is Sweet
So don’t let pets near treats sweetened with xylitol. If ingested, gum, candy and other treats that include this sweetener can result in a sudden drop in blood sugar known as hypoglycemia. This can cause your pet to suffer depression, loss of coordination and seizures.Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Don’t let pets near roses or other thorny stemmed flowers. Biting, stepping on or swallowing their sharp, woody spines can cause serious infection if a puncture occurs. “It’s all too easy for pets to step on thorns that fall to the ground as a flower arrangement is being created,” says Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine for the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. De-thorn your roses far away from pets.Playing with Fire
It’s nice to set your evening a-glow with candlelight, but put out the fire when you leave the room. Pawing kittens and nosy pooches can burn themselves or cause a fire by knocking over unattended candles.Wrap it Up
Gather up tape, ribbons, bows, wrapping paper, cellophane and balloons after presents have been opened—if swallowed, these long, stringy and “fun-to-chew” items can get lodged in your pet’s throat or digestive tract, causing choking and vomiting.Make sure no love is lost this Valentine’s Day by following these pet safety tips.
80 percent of adults do it twice a day, but what about your pets?
The American Dental Association estimates that almost 80 percent of adults brush their teeth at least twice a day. In honor of Pet Dental Health Month we want to know how often you brush your pet’s teeth?
An astounding 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3, according to the American Veterinary Dental Society. Periodontal disease is a common problem in dogs, particularly smaller breeds.
Signs of tooth decay and oral disease include bad breath, tooth discoloration and tarter buildup.
The following tips will help keep your pet’s teeth healthy:
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Inspect your pet’s teeth regularly.
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Brush your pet’s teeth weekly, if not daily.
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Feed your pet crunchy food and crunchy treats.
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Focus more attention brushing the back of your dog’s teeth because tarter builds up more quickly on the back of canine teeth.
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Vet visits should include a complete checkup of your pet’s teeth.
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Be patient, most pets won’t enjoy this new regimen at first. Remember how much you enjoy trips to the dentist?
For more information on Pet Dental Health Month, please visit the official Web site.
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