A crate is an invaluable management tool. It is an artificial den for your dog that makes housetraining a breeze and givers your dog a safe place where he can stay.

Here are some tips for crate training:
-It should never be a place of punishment.
-Your dog may adjust more easily to stays at the vet hospital when he can take his portable bedroom with him.
-Puppies can be crate trained with relative ease.
-Crates should be just large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably.
-Start with the door open and just toss the treats inside.
-Gradually toss the treats further and further until he is stepping in to get them.
-At this point you can use verbal cues, such as “go to bed”.

When your dog is staying in the crate with the door closed for at least 10 seconds without any signs of anxiety, close the door and latch it. Then step away from the crate. When you are not actively training, leave the crate door open.

Good Luck, and have fun!

Knock, Knock. Who’s there?
People will be entering and exiting the home and many of them may be strangers to your pets. Some pets will sneak out through an open door. Searching for a runaway pet or caring for an injured pet will put a damper on holiday festivities. So be careful with opening and closing doors. To minimize the risk, keep your pets in another room and away from guest traffic.

Stranger Danger!
Pets that get scared from all of the hustle and hubbub of the holidays may bite or scratch, especially if a stranger tries to pet them or pick them up. Pets that are normally friendly and socialized have been known to become aggressive during the holiday commotion. Pet owners should know what to do if their pets bite someone and should also know how to protect themselves – and their guests – from getting scratched or bitten.

Watch What Fido and Fluffy Eat.
Items such a rich, fatty scraps, bones from pork and poultry, alcoholic beverages and chocolate are all toxic to pets. It’s also important to keep all paws away from:
Bread dough. When bread dough is ingested it continues to rise, causing an intestinal blockage.
Xylitol. This sugar substitute causes a dog’s blood sugar to drop quickly. Xylitol poisoning can be treated, but causes liver failure if not treated properly.

As always, contact your veterinarian if any medical emergencies arise!

However, with a plethora of options for pet treats, the decision-making can be scary for pet owners. There are several questions to be answered: Do all vegetables and fruits make good pet treats? Should children be allowed to share their candies and chocolates with their pets? What would be safe and healthy pet treats?

And the fundamental question: Are pet treats a good idea?

Don’t worry. “Giving your pet treats is a great way of training them and it can also strengthen the human-animal bond between you and your pet,” says Dr. M. A. Crist, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM).

Her first recommendation is to opt for commercially available pet treats rather than human treats. But are pet treats manufactured for all kinds of pets?

“In the pet food industry, one can find a commercial pet treat for just about any companion pet that they may own,” Crist says.

The advantage of commercially manufactured pet foods is that they are designed to complement the pet’s regular diet. “(They) may even contain nutritional benefits such as improved digestive health or dental health,” Crist says.

If you prefer homemade pet treats, Crist recommends trying the now popular pet food bakeries which make safe and pet-friendly food. “The treats come in a variety of fun flavors, shapes and sizes and are usually associated with the holiday seasons or special occasions such as a birthday!” she says.

More than what to give as treats for pets, a big worry is what not to give. Crist lists food that should never be given to pets. Onions are a big no since they can harm the red blood cells and may cause serious illnesses, even death. Raisins and grapes can also cause severe health issues in pets and should be avoided. Some pets experience gastrointestinal upsets with milk and milk-based products.

“Bread dough is another food that most dog owners do not realize is harmful to dogs,” Crist says. “The yeast inside bread dough will expand in the dog’s stomach leading to a very serious veterinary emergency.”

Macadamia nuts can be harmful to dogs. Hypothermia, vomiting, tremors, loss of coordination, dizziness, and hypothermia are some of the symptoms seen in the affected dogs. “Luckily, these symptoms usually disappear, and most dogs return to normal within a couple of days,” Crist reassures.

Avocados — not just the fruit but also the leaves, fruit, seeds and bark — can be harmful to dogs by inducing diarrhea and vomiting. Some birds and rodents can be sensitive to avocados too, Crist says. “… (they) can develop congestion, difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation around the heart which can be fatal,” she states.

Salt in large quantities can be harmful to pets by causing excess thirst and urination. Some pets can even experience sodium poisoning. “Some clinical signs of excessive salt intake can be vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and seizures. So keep those salty chips away from your pets,” Crist recommends.

What about the flavors of the season, candy and chocolate? One main substance to avoid giving pets is Xylitol — a common sweetener in many everyday products such as toothpaste, candy, gum and baked goods.

“Toxic ingestion (of Xylitol) can cause insulin release which can lead to liver failure,” Crist stated. “The initial signs of xylitol poisoning are lethargy, loss of coordination, and vomiting. Later, seizures can occur followed by an elevation in liver enzymes and subsequent liver failure in a few days.”

Chocolate is a universal favorite for humans and animals alike. But it comes with warnings too. Caffeine and theobromine are two ingredients in chocolate that may be harmful to animals. A combination of these ingredients can cause a variety of problems. The potentially fatal side effects include heart arhythmias, cardiac, and respiratory arrests. Minor ones include vomiting and diarrhea.

How do we know how much of these chemicals are in chocolates? “It is difficult to quantify how much theobromine and caffeine is in different kinds of chocolate,” Crist said. “A good rule of thumb is that the darker the chocolate, the more harmful it is to the pet. Baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder are considered the most dangerous, with dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate somewhere in the middle, and milk chocolate and white chocolate have the least amount of theobromine.”

So what are the general rules for feeding treats to pets? Crist’s first rule when trying a new treat: “Introduce the new treat slowly and in small amounts,” she said. Just like in humans, treats should not make up for the regular meals which contain all the nutritional requirements of the pet.

High calorie treats for pets may lead to obesity. “It is advisable to always reduce the pet’s main meal by an equivalent caloric amount according to the feeding guides,” said Crist. “An ideal treat would be great-tasting, nutritious, and with low fats.”

Another tip: feed according to age requirements recommended on the label. Consult your veterinarian for any doubts about the size and the timing of pet treats, Crist advised. Her take-home message: Feeding too many treats or the wrong type of treats to your pet can cause an imbalance in the pet’s diet and lead to weight problems. Do not overdo it!

Puppies develop substrate preferences for elimination in the early months of their lives, and they similarly develop chew-object preferences. Hence the inadvisability of giving your old shoes or socks as chew toys.

If you give your baby dog the run of the house and he learns to chew on Oriental carpets, sofa cushions, and coffee table legs, you will likely end up with a dog who chooses to exercise his jaws and teeth on inappropriate objects for years to come. You’ll find yourself crating him frequently even as an adult dog, or worse, exiling him to a lonely life in the backyard, where he can chew only on lawn furniture, loose fence boards, and the edges of your deck.

Instead, focus your dog’s fangs on approved chew toys at an early age and manage him well to prevent access to your stuff. In this way, he’ll earn house privileges much sooner in life. By the end of his first year, you’ll probably be able to leave him alone safely while you go out to dinner or shopping – or even while you’re away at work.

Dr. Kelly Ballantyne, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Chicago Center for Veterinary Medicine, says that chewing for dogs and scratching for cats are behaviors that we should expect from our four-legged friends.”These behaviors should not be discouraged but directed to appropriate objects,” she says.

Starting when your pet is young, you need to supervise your pet so that you can direct him to chew or scratch the appropriate items. For puppies and adult dogs, you can do this by providing them with chewable toys. If you are not able to supervise your dog, Dr. Ballantyne recommends confining him to a crate or pen with chew toys to prevent the destruction of household items. The chew toys should be durable, to prevent your dog from biting pieces off that could be swallowed, leading to potential intestinal issues. Strong, rubber toys with depressions or cavities in which you can place food or treats can also help to encourage your dog to chew on those items specifically.

For kittens and cats, you should provide scratching posts in multiple locations to encourage scratching of those items rather than your furniture. Any given cat may differ on its scratching preferences, so Dr. Ballantyne advises that you try various set-ups to determine what your cat prefers. You can place a post vertically or horizontally and in several locations of the house. The key is that the material of the post be shreddable, because cats use their scratching as a means of visual communication.

“Cardboard scratching posts are inexpensive and typically well-liked,” Dr. Ballantyne recommends. “You can also attach toys to the post, or place catnip around the post, to encourage investigation and scratching.”

Many pet owners have trouble directing these behaviors to the appropriate outlets. Until your pet can be trusted on its own, confinement to a crate or small “pet-proofed” room can save you a lot in the way of destroyed objects. Dr. Ballantyne says that such confinement can prevent reinforcement of the inappropriate behavior, and will likely allow your pet more freedom as an adult.

When pets continue to chew or scratch inappropriate objects, you should consider what you are providing them with as an outlet and how you are presenting it. For example, if you give an old shoe to a dog to chew on, he will learn that chewing on shoes is okay and may also chew on your brand new pair. Only items that are specifically for chewing should be provided.

If your cat continues to scratch a piece of furniture despite access to scratching posts, you can also place the post directly in front of the location where the cat has been scratching. Then the cat will be more likely to scratch the post than the piece of furniture. If your cat seems to have an affinity for a particular material, you can cover a scratching post with a similar material to encourage the scratching in a more appropriate location.

You may also need to take a look at your pet’s personality overall. Some pets may be overly destructive for other reasons. If the destruction takes place primarily when you are away from the home, your pet may have separation anxiety. Puppies and kittens (as well as high-energy adult animals) can also be more likely to chew or scratch destructively if they don’t have appropriate outlets for their energy. Increasing the amount of exercise and mental stimulation your pet gets daily may also help in preventing such destructive behaviors.

In the long run, the effort to train your pet and to provide him with appropriate chewing, scratching, and energy outlets could save you a lot of heartache and money related to destroyed household items and emergency veterinary bills.

For further information on appropriate chewing and scratching, please contact your local veterinarian.

Signs of burned pads:

* limping or refusing to walk
* licking or chewing at the feet
* pads darker in color
* missing part of pad
* blisters or redness

Burned pad first aid
It is important to keep the foot area cool and clean. As soon as you notice the problem (limping along on the road), flush with cool water or a cool compress if available. Get the dog to a grassy area or if possible, carry him.

At first chance, your vet should examine your dog for signs of deeper burns, blisters and possibility of infection. Your vet will determine if antibiotics or pain medication is needed. Washing the feet with a gentle cleanser and keeping them clean is important. Bandaging can be difficult to do and to maintain (monitor and change often), but licking must be kept to a minimum. Some dogs will tolerate a sock to keep the area clean, but caution is advised for dogs that may chew and ingest the sock. Lick deterrents (bitter sprays) may help reduce the damage caused by licking.

Best advice is to be mindful of hot surfaces — asphalt and metal (i.e. boat dock, car or truck surfaces) — and walk your dog on the cool side of the street or in the grass. Another tip is to lay down a wet towel for your dog to stand on when grassy areas are not available. Good way to keep cool while loading up the car.

Several bacterial infections erupt during rainy seasons because what collects in standing water. Issues like Giardia and Leptospirosis can be spread this way; wild animals like rats or raccoons have the bacteria in their urine, and the bacteria get in puddles, ponds, or other water. Your dog can come into contact with it by drinking contaminated water, swimming in it, or walking through it.

By thoroughly wiping your pup’s paws you can minimize the risk of bacterial infections, thus saving you a trip to the vet!
Stay dry out there!

THANK YOU to all of the sitters who drove stranded sitters to their visits; helped push stuck cars out of snow; picked up visits for sitters who were stuck; and offered a helping hand to anyone who needed it! And a big THANK YOU to all the clients who helped free our schedules a bit and helped US out! We truly love working with all of you!

Dana
Owner and Pack Leader

If you do end up staying home from work, please let us know as soon as possible so we can adjust our schedules accordingly. We’re hoping that all this hype is just that, but we’d rather be safe in letting you know than sorry because we’re so late getting to your pup!

This is the experience that our animals may face when they visit the veterinarian. We cannot explain to them in words why we need to stick them with a needle or give them a pill. Because of that language barrier, veterinarians must find other ways to communicate a sense of safety and build trust with their patients. For the complete story, click here.