Cats, Dogs and their Humans

Make sure your pets are safe by following these tips provided by the Humane Society:

* Keep your pet in a quiet place, away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities. You may know that the miniature monsters and goblins who come knocking on Halloween aren't real, but pets don't. Dogs and cats are creatures of habit and could become frightened or agitated by the unaccustomed sights and sounds of costumed visitors. In addition, frequently opened doors provide a perfect opportunity for escape, which can go unnoticed during all the commotion. Be sure all pets are wearing collars and ID tags in case of an accidental getaway.

**Place live flame decorations like candles and jack-o'-lanterns out of your pet's reach. Curious critters risk being singed or burned by the flame-they could also easily knock over a candle or pumpkin and cause a fire.

**Keep candy away from pets. All those sweets may taste great to critters, but candy, especially chocolate, can be toxic to pets. Candy wrappers can also be harmful if swallowed. Instead, tempt your pet with a few of his favorite treats.

**Resist the urge to put your pet in a costume. You may think your pet looks adorable dressed as a princess, but most pets don't like the constraints of costumes. If you do decide to play dress-up, make sure the costume is safe for your pet and doesn't constrain her movement, hearing or ability to breathe. Check the costume for parts your pet could chew off and choke on and look for dangling pieces like flowing capes that could injure her.

**Don't let the family dog accompany the kids on their trick-or-treat outing. Children may have a difficult time handling a pet during the festivities and your pooch could get loose, especially if your dog is spooked by the strange sights and sounds of trick-or-treaters.

**Keep decorations that pets could chew on-like streamers and fake spider webs-and wires and cords from electric decorations out of reach. If pets chomp on Halloween decorations they could choke or become ill and, if they chew on electrical cords, they risk a potentially deadly electrical shock. Pets could also become tangled and injured by dangling cords or decorations.

Please never ever ever ever leave your dog or cat alone in a car! Besides the major risk of heat exposure which actually may kill your companion animal, there is the risk of your dog/cat being stolen or kidnapped.

Even if you leave the windows open, the temperature inside a car gets excessively high.

Be Careful with Human Medications

Human medications such as pain killers (including aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen), cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, anti-depressants, vitamins, and diet pills can all be toxic to animals. Keep medication containers and tubes of ointments and creams away from pets who could chew through them, and be vigilant about finding and disposing of any dropped pills. (www.husu.org)

Overweight Cats

If you have an overweight cat, feed him "light" food and try to make him exercise more by playing with him.
If you have more than one cat and the others are thin, put their food bowls in high places where the fat one wouldn't be able to reach, and leave the bowl for the fat cat on the floor with less food.
Also avoid "free feeding." Have a feeding schedule and don't leave food avaiable all the time.

Fresh water

Always keep fresh water for you dogs and cats. Have two, three or even more water bowls around the house, in different locations, such as the kitchen and the bathrooms. Change the water at least once a day. Cats and dogs like fresh water just like we do!
This is very important to cats and even more so to senior cats. Cats tend to have kidney and urinary issues such as crystals, which can cause serious health problems.

Browsing some online forums dedicated to pets, I was surprised to see people asking for health advice online when they should have been rushing to the veterinary hospital emergency.

The Internet has great content and "not so great" content.

If your cat or dog is sick, please do call the vet BEFORE you go online.

The vet is the best person to tell you how serious the illness might be, if the animal should be taken to the emergency or if it can wait.

If your cat or dog is not eating, drinking water, peeing or pooping normally, please give the vet a call.

If your cat or dog has diarrhea or is throwing up, please call the vet. Cats and dogs get dehydrated very fast when they have any of these two symptoms.

The longer it takes the animal to be seen by a vet - not only the treatment can be more expensive than if the vet had seen the animal right away - but most important, it can make the difference between life and death.

Watch your pets when they are healthy. Observe how they behave, so you can perceive right away if the animal is behaving differently. Being lethargic or moving differently can be a sign of illness.

When I was in vet tech school, friends would "consult" me on several pet health issues, such as what to do if the cat puked five times. My answer was always the same: if MY cat throws up three times in one day, I'm calling the vet.

Never give human medicine to a pet if it's not prescribed by a veterinarian. Human medicines can kill a pet. Not only cats and dogs can have serious reactions to human medicines, but also the dosage for a cat or dog is very different from the human dosage.

When you are adopting a dog, it's a good idea to think about your own life style:

How many hours do you stay away from home every day?
How big is your home?
Do you have a back yard?
Are you physically active or a couch potato?
Do you have small children?
What kinds of activities would you like to do with your dog?

When you adopt a dog from an animal shelter, like the SPCA, a dog trainer will help you find the best match for you. Ask lots of questions, dog trainers are very helpful. They want to make sure that both human and dog are happy and the best fit possible.

There are general characteristics for some breeds, for example:
Small dogs tend to bark more than big dogs.
Certain breeds such as labs, need lots of daily exercise.
Others, such as greyhounds can be couch potatoes.
Boxers usually get along with kids.
Bichons might suffer from separation anxiety.

But don't forget that there are always exceptions for all these behavioral tendencies.
Dogs have their own individual personalities. That's why it's so important to spend some time with the dog before making a final decision.

Sometimes we have an "ideal" dog in our heads and we fall in love with a completely different one.

Before adopting a cat or dog, make a list of all the costs involved in caring for a pet:
Good quality food, annual vet visits, vaccinations, vet emergencies, pet health insurance, dog license, dog obedience classes, toys, dog day care, cat sitter and dog walker are just a few of the expenses that you may incur.

Annual vet vists and vaccinations are extremelly important. They will prevent further and much higher expenses in case the pet gets seriously sick with preventable diseases.

TIP: Cats are known to hide their diseases very well.

Nutrition is more important than most people realize. High quality food will contribute for a pets' good health for many years.

Veterinary emergencies are impredictable and happens to lots of pets.

My Ivy has a lump on her tummy. Since the lump is near the mammary glands, I took her to the vet for a biopsy. I did an internship as a vet tech with this vet and she very kindly didn't charge me for the visit, but the biopsy cost $170.00. I was happy to find out that Ivy's lump is just a lipoma and not cancer, as I've seen in many cats in veterinary hospitals I did internships.

My friend's pug eye "exploded" and required surgery. Luckily my friend has pet insurance, which saved him a couple of thousands of dollars.

Another friend's pug got a foxtail in his paw, which required a vet visit for removal.

TIP: Get pet insurance, especially if you have more than one pet.

If you adopt a high-energy dog and work outside the house for nine hours a day or more, this dog will need exercise and a dog walker will be a good idea. In my area a good dog walker charges about $20 per hour.

TIP: Before hiring a dog walker check out your local shelter for referals.

Who will take care of you pet when you travel? You can leave you pet in a vet clinic that offers boarding facilities or in one of the new posh pet hotels. In my area, it costs about $30 a day.

TIP: Find neighbors who have pets and offer to watch their pets when they are away.

Juts make sure you have a rough idea of the costs before you adopt a pet so he doesn't end up in a shelter. Too many animals are "put to sleep" for lack of loving homes.

From five to six million dogs and cats are euthanized every year in the U.S., due to lack of space.
Lack of space caused by animal shelter overpopulation.
Overpopulation caused by abandoned and homeless pets.

One of the reasons why pet owners abandon their dogs is the so called "problem" behavior, from peeing in the carpet to chewing furniture.

Most "problem" behaviors can be solved either by the pet owner or by a professional trainer.

It does require a little work, but this work is a great chance for you to interact and bond with your dog. There is no need for expensive equipment or much time.
Training can actually, be done in short 15 - 20 min sessions, through positive reinforcement and never through punishment.

It should be a fun time for you and your dog!

Several methods can be applied and there are numerous books describing the different training techniques.

At the SPCA, professional trainers use the "clicker" technique, which produces wonderful results.

Dog Training Tips:

- Select a quiet place to start training.
- Always use positive reinforcement, from yummy treats to play time with a favorite toy.
- Never ever physically punish your dog.
- Be patient, he is a dog!
- Don't repeat the same command a thousand times.
- Give the dog a chance to do it right.
- Teach each command step by step and don't expect the dog to get it on the first or second time.
- Teach one command at a time. Don't confuse the animal.
- Be consistent.
- Use a calm tone of voice, no screaming please! Most probably your dog is not deaf, and if he is he won't hear you anyway.
- If you start to get aggravated, take a break.
- Don't train you dog when his stomach is full, otherwise he will ignore the treats.

Dog Training Resources:

http://www.clickertraining.com/

http://www.sfspca.org/behavior/dog_library/index_library.shtml

A few years ago, I joined an online photo community to post pictures of my cats, Roscoe and Ivy Filomena. It all started as a "light" hobby and from that on, great friendships were born.

Living in a foreign country, I missed my culture and through the sharing of my cats pictures, I had a chance to get in touch with several people from my country, who appreciate their pets as much as I do mine.

One of the things that caught my attention was the number of people who, without the help of any formal organization, rescued abandoned cats and dogs from the streets. These animals are taken to the vet, have physicals, treatments and vaccinations. Then, the rescuers find loving homes for these animals and they get a second chance in life.

Seeing these people's work motivated me to volunteer at the SPCA, where every weekend, I would spend hours walking the dogs. At the SPCA, I learned a lot about dog behavior and pet adoption. After a few months, I was assisting in the dog training classes and helping train the shelter dogs.

The online photo community opened the doors for a whole new world. Cats, dogs and their humans in that community taught me invaluable lessons.

Thank you all for you dedication to our furry friends.

Pets can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and feelings of loneliness.
Pets can increase your opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities, as well as
socialization.
from: http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health_benefits.htm
There are several scientific studies that provide data on the statements above.
Read more at:
http://www.deltasociety.org/AnimalsResourcesHealth.htm