What to Do if Your Pet is Choking

From Amy Christy - International Personal Move Counselor

It is not uncommon for a dog to choke because they swallow things they shouldn't, like toys and bones. If your pet is choking, he will start coughing forcefully, bulge his eyes and paw at his mouth.

The time to figure out how to react to this situation is before it happens, and not in the midst of an emergency. The SPCA offers the following advice:

In order to save your dog's life, there are several things you can do:


* First, open your dog's mouth and look for the object. Place one hand on the upper jaw with your thumb on one side and the rest of your fingers on the other side.
* With your other hand, push down on the lower jaw, keeping your index finger free to sweep back into the mouth.
* If you can see the object, remove it.
* If there are two of you, one of you should hold your dog's mouth open and the other look inside.

If that doesn't work, and your dog is small, hold him upside down with his tail toward your face. Place your arms around his lower abdomen for 30 seconds while gently swaying him.

If that doesn't work, place your dog on his side on a hard surface, tilted with his head down and hindquarters up. If you can grab a pillow or rolled towel, put it under his hindquarters - just make sure the front part of his body is lower than his back.


* With a small dog, place one hand on his back to steady him and the other under the center of the rib cage. Press in and up for to five times in a thrusting motion.
* With a large dog, you'll need both hands for the thrust, so place both hands beneath the rib cage. Press in and up four or five times.

If you don't have time to place your dog on his side, you can stand or kneel behind your dog. Grasp his body at the bottom of his rib cage. Repeat two to five times. Remember that once your dog stops choking, he may try to bite you!

The following video illustrates how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on small dogs and cats:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmNl9X50jxk

Pet Health - How Much Exercise Does Your Pet Need?

Just like people, dogs need a proper diet and the right amount of exercise to stay fit and healthy. But it can be hard for owners to know how much time to spend at the dog park.

ILoveDogs.com said that a good basic guideline is 30 minutes of exercise a day. But owners need to see how that works for each pet, because some dogs will be able to go nuts for much longer than that, while others poop out at 20 minutes. QualityDogResources.com gives the same guideline, but also notes that dogs bred for working farms such as collies may need two hours a day.

Regardless, the time can be broken up into chunks so that neither owner nor pet gets too tired. But remember: You can't really judge based on a dog's size, WiseGeek.com notes.

The breed, however, can give a clue. A small Jack Russell, for instance, may need a lot of play time each day, but a huge mastiff could be happy with a 15-minute walk. You can also vary how much exercise your pooch gets by changing up the activities.

PetFit.com says that walking burns twice the number of calories as resting, while jogging or playing fetch burns three times. Swimming, doing agility trials or working with livestock burn six times the calories.

Still, you must be careful about how much exercise a dog gets.

VetMedicine.com says that owners need to be careful not to overwork young, excited dogs, as well as keep an eye out for damage to feet from running or playing on hard surfaces. The site also suggests a complete health exam before starting an exercise program with a dog.

Source: wftv.com

Relieving Anxiety in Traveling Pets

We have previously written about the importance of NOT SEDATING your pets with traditional sedatives when traveling. We have also offered up some effective herbal alternatives.

Now below is a study from our friends at Vet Blog showing there is some scientific evidence for pheremones being effective in calming anxious pets.

Many dogs become terrified during thunderstorms. Wind, heavy rain, lightening or thunder trigger a syndrome known as storm phobia.

Dogs suffering from storm phobia may hide, pace, tremble or vocalize (howl or whine) during storms. Severely affected dogs may panic and injure themselves in a desperate attempt to escape from the frightening stimuli.

Pheromones are chemicals that trigger instinctive responses in animals. Several pheromones have been well documented in dogs.

Dog-appeasing pheromone is commercially available. It is marketed for its calming effects on dogs. In theory, it should be beneficial to dogs that suffer from storm phobias.

Like diet’s effects on feline diabetes, this sort of theory is easy to test with an unbiased scientific study. The April, 2008 NAVC Clinician’s Brief reports on one such study. From the Brief’s commentary on the study:

The results are clear and show that the use of the DAP [dog-appeasing pheromone] diffuser–along with other behavioral therapy, such as desensitization to storm sounds–can improve the behavior of some dogs with storm phobia.

I am very happy to have a scientifically proven way to help my storm-phobic patients. It stands to reason that dog-appeasing pheromone may have many additional uses. But, as scientists like to say, more research is needed.

How to Protect Against Lyme Disease

About a month ago we wrote about a spike in tick population this summer. The increase is not just in the US, but worldwide. The rise in the deer tick population has also caused an increase in Lyme disease.

Consequently, we wanted to share some tips from Ehow about how to prevent Lyme disease.

CLOTHING - To obtain some degree of protection against ticks ,you should wear light-colored clothing. Always make sure you wear long sleeve tops, long socks and long pants.
Keep clothing buttoned, keep your shirttail inside trousers and trouser legs inside tops of socks. A ring of masking tape with the sticky side out placed around the tops of boots or shoes will often trap ticks that are ascending to look for an attachment site. Never sit on the ground or on logs in brushy areas.

REPELLANT - Permanent, a tick repellent containing permethrin, may be applied to clothing only (avoid skin contact). This product may provide protection for a day or longer. Repellents containing Deet will protect exposed skin but will not stop ticks from crawling under clothing to reach untreated portions of the body. Applying repellents to the entire body might prevent tick bites for a while, but such extensive treatments often are impractical and may be hazardous to health. Always read and follow the pesticide label instructions.

INSPECTING YOUR DOGS AND CATS - Pets who have been bitten by ticks often bring them to their owners and into their homes. Dogs are probably more likely to get Lyme disease than their owners. Cats are generally less likely to be attacked by ticks than dogs. But, these animals should be inspected periodically and after each outing to suspected tick-infested areas. Ticks can be removed from pets as previously described and with the same precautions.

Flea and tick collars, sprays, dips and shampoos containing permethrin, pyrethrins, chlorpyrifos or other approved acaricides will give small animals some protection.

REMOVAL - Use tweezers or protected fingers, not bare fingers, to remove attached ticks.

Use tweezers or protected fingers, not your bare fingers, to remove attached ticks. Grasp the tick firmly, without crushing it, as near the skin as you can and remove it with a slow, steady pull away from your body. Hasty removal of an attached tick can break off the mouthparts and lead to prolonged inflammation, irritation and possibly secondary infection. Treating the bite with first aid antiseptic will prevent secondary infection. It is advisable to save the tick for identification in the event you later suspect signs of disease. Ticks can be kept alive by placing them in a small bottle with moistened (not wet) paper towel pieces; or they can be killed and preserved in a small container of rubbing alcohol. It will also help if you date the collection and note the geographic location the tick came from.

Earthbath Pet Products - Pet Health

Our goal is to be the standard of excellence in pet relocation. It is something we strive for every day.

Consequently, we are drawn to other companies who offer superior products and services. One such company is Earthbath. The shampoos are truly outstanding. So much so, that I have used them myself (and the puppy shampoo on my kids!). Earthbath products are also safe for the environment as they contain no harsh chemicals.

Earthbath totally natural grooming products for pets are the original "green clean" solutions for pet grooming. For over 17 years the company has been making green grooming products from renewable resources such as coconuts, ale vera and more. All are heavenly scented with essential oils and free of phosphates, artificial dyes or fragrances, soap, enzymes and animal cruelty. Earthbath products are all compatible with topical flea preparations and proudly made in California. Happy Sudsing!

Feline Aids Vaccine - Pet Health

It stands to reason that if there is a vaccine for FIV or feline aids, every cat owner should know about it and take advantage, right?

Our friends over at Vetblog explain why this isnt' necessarily the case:

The vaccine for FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) has been on the market for several years. It has been the subject of intense controversy among veterinarians since its introduction. The vaccine is not widely used.

Many experts question the effectiveness of the FIV vaccine. Laboratory studies performed by the vaccine’s manufacturer have shown efficacy of the vaccine against some strains of the virus. However, there is no conclusive proof that the vaccine works in real life. As well, there is an inherent conflict of interest in studies performed by the manufacturer.

Another major complaint about the vaccine is that it interferes with testing for FIV. The test for FIV checks for antibodies to the virus. Any cat that receives the vaccine will develop antibodies to FIV. Therefore, any cat that receives the vaccine will test positive for FIV–even if he is not infected.

This situation is unfortunate, but there is a silver lining. FIV is fatal, but the disease takes several years to run its course. I hope that a more advanced test, one that can differentiate infected cats from vaccinated cats, will be available soon.

In the meanwhile, my advice to the commenter is as follows. Enjoy your new cat, and let him live a normal life. Keep him inside to protect him from contagious disease, and to protect other cats from possible FIV infection. Get veterinary examinations at least twice each year. And keep your fingers crossed.

Tick Population Increasing - Pet Health

According to Medical News Today:

Veterinarians across the United States are citing an increase in tick-borne infections in recent years, according to Michael Dryden, DVM, a Kansas State University professor of veterinary parasitology. Researchers attribute tick migrations to warmer temperatures, increasing white-tailed deer populations, reforestation and urban sprawl. Advancements in diagnostic screening have allowed veterinarians to easily track the rise in canine exposure to tick-borne infections around the country.

Ticks have recently infested cruise ships and even delayed airline flights. It is not just in the US as increases are being reported all over the world including Canada, Turkey, Sweden, Croatia, Italy, the UK.

One of the fastest rising increases is in the deer tick population. Of course this makes Lyme Disease a big concern for pets and humans alike. A good primer for how to protect you and your companion animals is posted on this EHOW article.

Cutting Pet Care Costs

Unfortunately the down turn in the economy has trickled down to companion animals. There are numerous stories from around the country detailing the number of people abandoning pets because of the costs.

It is always helpful to find ways to help cut costs and the blog over at the ASPCA has some great tips. The full article is here, but below are some of the tips they mention:

1. Go to the Vet!
“A number-one money-saver is preventative veterinary care,” says Dr. Z. Annual veterinary exams can catch health crises early on and can save you a lot of time and money.
2. Give Your Pet Regular Check-Ups
3. Vaccinate Wisely
Not all vaccinations are necessarily required
4. Spay/Neuter Your Pets
5. Invest in Training
A well trained dog is in fewer accidents
6. Consider Pet Insurance
7. Save Up for the Future
8. Serve Healthy Food in Moderate Portions
Cheaper foods will cost you in the long run
9. Shop Around
10. Groom Your Pets at Home

Plants and Animals - Be Careful!

From Amy Christy, International Personal Move Counselor

As an avid gardener for years (and wannabe Master Gardener), I used to haphazardly plant my flower gardens, throwing in just about anything that would yield that "Cottage Garden" look. However, as the years passed, I became horrified to learn that some of the plants in my landscape were actually poisonous to animals. Without a second thought, I began ripping out beds of suspect flowering perennials, morning glories, and beautiful Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, which are used to make the heart medicine "digitalis" - one of the most poisonous plants in existence!). To this day, I refuse to have a Poinsettia in my house during the holidays. My pets' safety must come first!

It is always best to consider all plants poisonous unless you know otherwise. Dogs and cats can become extremely ill or even die from eating poisonous plants. Please always keep all unknown types of plants and any plants suspected of being poisonous out of reach of your pet. If in doubt, consult with your veterinarian or check the list of Toxic Plants provided by the ASCPA. While this list may not be all inclusive, it is a good start to ensure that the plants in your garden and your home are safe for your furry friends.