HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

I walked into my neighborhood sandwich shop and there was a lost dog alert posted on the bulletin board. It was not a handmade sign, but rather a formatted print out with the dog’s photo, microchip number, description and contact info on it. It was a Pet Amber Alert that had been faxed to all the businesses in the downtown district.

What is a Pet Amber Alert? The “America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response” code was named for missing child Amber Hagerman. Like a human Amber Alert, a Pet Ambert Alert sends the word out far and wide when a pet is lost. While your pet may not make it to the radio airwaves, the service does contact local shelters and rescues, and faxes alerts to local businesses to widen the net and possibility of your pet being recovered. A phone alert reaches local neighbors and businesses, too. The pets hit social media outlets,too.

There are other plans that include just phone alerts or just poster alerts.  For $49.95-99.95, the service can cover more ground than you can in a matter of minutes or an hour or two before the pet leaves the area. A pet detective also works with a database sifting through leads as well for you.

In the past, I wouldn’t have considered a service, but after having now experienced how the service really works in my community and having found numerous “lost” dogs, it would have cut down on the time between when I found the dog and found the owners. In the case of one dog, I never did find the owners after very diligent searches. If my dog was lost, I know that I couldn’t possibly cover the ground quite as quickly. You never know if its best to drive through the neighborhood calling your dog and looking or to wait at home hoping they are on their way.

In my experience, for every story about a dog or cat that traveled across the country, there are anecdotally 100 more that were near home after all, either picked up by someone on the next block and adopted as someone’s own without first looking for the family, a dog or cat becoming trapped in a lot close to the house and unable to break free or neighbors seeing a dog or cat roaming, but not thinking anything of it. It’s great news for Chicago, Los Angeles, West Central Frogstump and philadelphia lost dogs and cats…or really pets from anywhere.

Would you consider a service like Pet Amber Alert if your beloved family member was missing?

A few different health and wellness products for dogs and cats are frequently mentioned here. Just like some human shampoos are not available worldwide, or have different package styles of formulations from country to country, pet medicines sometimes are available under different names or not at all. The one product that seems to be quite international is Frontline flea treatment . It is the number one seller for flea and tick treatments in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

The formulation for the United Kingdom for cats includes a 10% concentration of the active ingredient firponil, which is a synthetic insecticide which kills adult fleas during the effective period. The version available in the USA has a 9.8% concentration. Virtually, it is close enough to be the same.

In my travels, I have found flea and tick preventative in wider use for dogs than for cats. It is equally if not more important to treat cats for fleas, especially if you have a cat that travels outdoors. Even the feral cat that you have been feeding could benefit in order to protect him or her from diseases carried by fleas and ticks.

In the United Kingdom, ThePetMedicineCompany.co.uk is an online retailer that services chiefly mainland addresses throughout the United Kingdom. Whether you live in the UK, or you wish to send flea and tick preventative to an animal charity in the UK, you may want to visit their site for details on payment and shipping.

My vet has a little plastic bag at the counter with something scrawled in pen on it. The pen hadn’t adhered well to the plastic, and I didn’t pay it much attention – until I saw something squirm. My eye shot to decipher the writing. “Tick from cat.” Oh great. It was not even Easter yet. With the mild winter we have had, unlike last year where the ice just kept coming, the ticks and the mosquitoes are starting to buzz around, albeit not all the time. They just start to get moving again, and then we have another cold night. They seem to be all congregating in the woods, from what I can tell. “Everything season” has just began and it looks like its going to be a bumper crop.

“I know this might be disturbing,” the receptionist said, “But it seems to be an effective way to warn people. People don’t always read signs, but bugs make them jump.” The Ziplock had the little creepy crawly well contained with plenty of air. Even so, a tick “in captivity” is just not endearing in any way. In fact, there was a duo. One bag was at each end of the counter just to ensure no one missed the point.

If you are worried about your dog or cat right now, you at least have some control keeping them in the house and out of the woods – in a perfect world.

When a dog or cat is in the shelter, they are a sitting target for everything that came in on everyone else that walks through the door. If you have an extra few spare dollars and didn’t want to write a check, you can find deals at petsmart right now on some preventatives online. If you give to a licensed non profit, you can actually write the donation off as well. (Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, but “in kind” merchandise donations often qualify.)

Sentry spray for your home, at upper right, is $15.99, down from $19.99. It has natural ingredients, such as peppermint oil if you prefer a more natural approach. If you prefer Frontline, the feline variety is $20.00 off – $84.99 versus $104.99 for a 6 pack. It can be divided up to protect 6 shelter cats for 30 days. If the flea and tick population is at bay in the shelter, the more positive the experience for a potential adopter coming to view the animals. Reaction to flea allergies and also tick diseases can be uncomfortable and even deadly.

Don’t let the cool damp air at night fool you. They’re BAAAAAAAAACKKKK

When encountering and securing injured wildlife, the best thing to remember is “Warm, Dark and Quiet.” A plastic sided crate with blankets inside and around it is a quick option for small mammals. When they are in a warm and quiet place, they feel more secure and are less likely to further injure themselves before more help arrives.

Sometimes a rare bird has died, leaving behind a clutch of eggs or leaving behind young hatchlings. While I don’t advocate interfering with every baby bird you see, as often mother is close by watching, there are times when little ones are truly and verifiably abandoned when a mother is killed or dies naturally. Other times, a mother duck is severely injured and it keeps her babies safe while she is treated.

If you run a rescue for waterfowl or regular encountered orphans, having an incubating box or a brooder box. What is the difference? An incubating box keeps the eggs warm until hatching and a brooder box holds hatched chicks to keep them warm and safe. Hatcheries have them, but you certainly do not have to be in business selling chickens or birds to have one on hand.

A brooder box typically is trapezoidal in shape so chicks or ducklings cannot hop out, and the shape also holds the heat in better than a box with straight sides. The top stays open so that air can circulate. Feeders are placed inside and a heat lamp helps keeps the babies warm until they are a bit older. Just keep them indoors and away from predators, just like a hatchery would. Just take care to leave enough space so chicks or ducklings are not crowded or stressed.

Also keep in mind that some people want baby chicks to gift to their children at Easter. Please resist the temptation to buy one for that sole purpose or to give someone one. A chick is not a good pet for most people. Interest is lost as he/she grows older sometimes and many people don’t have the resources or the town ordinances to properly and legally care for them.

Many products and companies are jumping on the conservation bandwagon. Since 1924, Citizen has strived to be “close to the hearts of people everywhere,” hence the chosen name. Now, since alternative energies and environmentalism is at the heart of the people, Citizen introduced a gift you could give as a late holiday gift or a Valentine’s gift that will convince your significant other that you have style as well as conscious. (It has not been tested on animals, either!)

Citizen Eco drive watches gets their moniker from the earth friendly fuel it runs on. It does not require battery placement. Rather, it runs purely on natural light. Artificial light will do it just fine, too. That may make you hesitate. Remember your solar calculator from third grade that you tried to “trick” into fading out by covering the little solar panel? Back in the day, solar watches quickly fizzled out as well.

In the watch, a solar cell is behind the dial, versus the power relying on making sure a pinpoint area is exposed to light. This converts the light into electrical energy and runs the watch. There is a lithium ion battery that the watch constantly recharges on its own.

I find most of the time I wear a watch until it ends up in the drawer until I am able to run to the right store and have the battery changed. It involves a special tool, most of the time, so i am not able to buy a battery and do it myself. I couldn’t pry the back open and I couldn’t seal it shut either.

I guess some jobs just need a pro and there is no way around it!

Cats are “supposed to be” finicky eaters, but a dog’s stomach is more so. The average dog may not be very selective of what goes through the teeth and through the gums, but once its there, things don’t always happen like they are supposed to. There are low grade dog foods that are supposed to be “bad” and premium dog foods and home cooked diets that are meant to be “good.”

It was the darnedest thing, but quite a long time ago when in a really awful pinch, my dog ate Pedigree. It was given to me for him during the tough time and I used it to stretch the little premium I had left. Oddly, despite how the food is not SUPPOSED to be as good for him, he thrived on it. Once he was switched to a premium food, he lost weight and benefited the room with his fragrance. What went wrong?

The premium food was formulated for senior dogs, and thus had a higher fiber content. The fiber made him feel full, but creates a lot of excess gas. In fact, his anal glands were even full of air. When years ago he was on a weight maintenance formula, he actually gained weight for the same exact reason.

The big reveal was that although the lesser dog food at more additives, the protein content was much higher. He appeared to thrive in the short term because of it, but would likely have health issues down the road because of additives and ingredients he just didn’t need. It was only an illusion that the premium food was doing more harm because of the constant flatulence.

The moral of the story? Even for a senior, the less excessive fiber, the less gas. It is a fine balance, as you don’t want so much protein your dog will pack on the pounds too quickly, so mixing a higher protein food with a secondary food or feeding the dog less will most likely do the trick.

He is now on a premium food, but has switched to a small breed formula mixed in until his senior formula is gone.

Luckily, or not so luckily, my dog will eat practically anything food-wise if I let him, aside from lemons. Before you say “my dog loves iams ” or “my dog has to have Wysong only” or Old Roy for that matter, just remember that sometimes a dog’s distaste for a particular brand might really be the symptoms we associate with it as the scarf it down, rather than turning up their nose.

If your dog is having extra fragrant problems, yogurt helps. Before you medicate, get the best food you can afford and check his/her food to make sure there is enough protein for their activity level. Going by activity level sometimes is more telling of an indicator than age. Surely, if a dog is flatulent its a blessing compared to pets with severe medical problems, but excess gas can eventually or periodically cause stomach pains and other complications. And that doesn’t exactly smell like a bed of roses.

Photo courtesy edendogbeds.com

A dog bed used to just be a dog bed. It was soft like a pillow or a thick special rug depending on canine preference. Ever since I have cared for my IVDD dog, the importance of specialized orthopedic dog beds has never been so important. He usually just beat up a blanket and arranged it as he liked. No matter how contorted he looked, I was happy as long as he was happy nestled in there.

Dogs get bed sores and develop pressure points just like humans do. Granted, smaller dogs are easier to manipulate and move into different positions than an adult person, but they do happen. Medical egg crate foam at the very least, or memory foam if you can afford it provides more gentle and even support to your pet, whether he/she has back issues or not. From there, you can even get beds made to look like antique furniture if you want to go fancy.

One may wince at the thought of the price of memory foam beds, but since you are buying a much smaller quantity for a pet than you would for a human queen- or king-sized mattress, sometimes with the cost of surgeries and long term care, you can’t afford not to. A comfortable bed can add a lot of to the quality of life of your pup who is not as spry as he or she used to be.

Frontline for Dogs and cats tops the wish lists of not only many rescue organizations, but county pounds as well. Although there are other remedies out there, Frontline is a topical flea and tick remedy recognizable to the consumer and readily available through vets, feed stores and online retailers.

Just one dog or cat coming in with fleas can spread them to a whole aisle of pets in kennels very quickly. Soon, even though the original carrier is long gone, the facility cannot shake the infestation or get ahead of it. Flea infestations can lead to everything from skin irritation to blood diseases. A flea born or tick blood disease can cause severe lethargy and can be mistaken for something a little less curable.

When pets are not infested with fleas, a rescue centre can take that extra dog or cat because they know they can immediately place them in a particular foster home that doesn’t have the means to quarantine the dog or cat from others. They might be able to keep them crated separately, but not far enough

When the public comes in and there are no more stories spread about people contracting fleas from a visit or the story about the dog that had to be taken to the vets before coming home as they were in such a poor state, the average person who would have not normally considered adopting from the shelter has a more positive view of doing so. To make a real difference in enough shelters, its not the person that has four dogs already that need to be won over to adopting from a shelter, but the people who are looking for their one and only “family dog” who feels buying would be a more positive experience.

The next time you are buying Frontline for your dog or cat, buy a few extra doses and check the wish lists of your local shelters.

My parents and siblings have always bought little gifts for my pups at Christmas time, and I have reciprocated with the same. This year, my distinguished man has enough toys and treats, so I have asked for different kinds of stocking stuffers. Sure, I hate to ask for things, but since they insist on buying dog gifts anyhow, I am merely “guiding them.”

On the top of the list, I ask for them to Buy Frontline and heartworm meds, as well as the usual gourmet dog cookie. You can buy single doses or buy a whole box online. Since there are dogs in the family that are all similar in size, it’s easy to buy a pack and give a dose to all of them. This year, a pack of Frontline for cats is on the list so that I can protect the barn kitties from ticks and flea allergies if I can catch them (don’t worry; they are pampered in the lap of luxury in a heated tack room with access to the veranda. I think they live better than me, sometimes.)

Since my guy is almost 13, but going on 2, I am extra careful about medicating him or giving him flea treatments that he doesn’t need. I don’t treat him year-round like I used to, but only do so if we are planning to travel to an unknown area with dogs outside of the family, or plan to hike in the woods. If you live in a climate where you never or seldom see a frost, the “use as needed” won’t work for you. My big Al is a special case, though. Since he had an IVDD episode last winter, once the thermometer hits the freezing mark, he only goes outside to use “The Little Dog’s Room” or to be transferred to the car, as he really feels the cold. He is doing great this year, but I don’t take chances.

If you are looking for that little extra to give to your favourite dog, or especially a new dog owner, consider some protection. Summer is going to creep up on us before you know it.

Angie’s List used to be mentioned on one of the local TV affiliates way before I regularly checked the internet for product or service reviews. There really is an Angie, and her name is Angie Hicks, pictured at left. Her “list” started out in Columbus, Ohio and has slowly crawled to include all parts of the nation.  While the company has grown, she still injects her common sense into the spirit of the site and in day to day operations.

When I first checked it out, I was a bit put off by the membership fee, but as I have recently learned, the site offers a little more than Yelp and Yahoo. Every member is verified as a real person. You won’t get the restaurant owner’s brother creating 50 aliases to write glowing reviews about a total dive. What’s more, is since the membership is paid, you can’t Google to find individual reviews. No one is getting search mileage from spewing their pearls of wisdom.

While verified identities might not matter when reviewing CDs, there is a bit more at stake when looking for reviews of contractors, child care facilities and even veterinarians and pet services (And it doesn’t seem to matter whether you are looking for a Tumbleweed City, New York City or Austin veterinarian. Just try your town or city.)

You might be able to rely on word-of-mouth on the pizza place on the corner, but when you are new in town or you only know two people that have ever dug a pool or needed surgery for their horse, you often don’t get the whole story or the service was required so long ago that memories are foggy or folks are out of business. Guess I’ll cross Dr. Livingston off the list and Pan-Am off the list.