Your Pet’s At Home With Us

Not sure who won.

Dog half somersault

We currently have 7 dogs in our household. All of them (except1) were probably unwillingly given to us by their owners either because they failed to fence their dog properly or let them off leash.

Our dog play yard not only has a 6 foot chain link fence. There is also another 6 foot fence behind the chain link and there is another two feet of fencing that is buried underneath the ground.

You see some dogs are what they call diggers and some dogs are what they call escape artists. We have a little of both. Again that is probably how they came to be ours in the first place. But none of them have ever (knock on wood) gotten away from us. And we want to keep it that way.

If you think your dog is safe off leash, here is a story that may change your mind, Missing Fla. dog shows up 1,000 miles away in Ill. It is never completely safe to have your dog off leash outdoors other than in an area that is properly fenced. And it is against the law.

Even if your dog will stay with you 100% of the time, you have no way of knowing if another dog or other animal will come upon your dog and attack him or her.

When I am out walking one of my dogs, who is aggressive towards other dogs, sometimes an unleashed dog will come up to us and cause my dog to go into a fit of rage. A dog that is leashed perceives that he or she is at a disadvantage when being confronted with an unleashed dog and will show more aggression than normal as a way of protecting himself or herself.

Why put your dog or other dogs/animals at unnecessary risk? Always leash or properly fence in your dog whenever he or she is outdoors.

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• No excuse for not using a leash

This is Archie.  A precious pug who lets us walk and play with him when his best friend is away on business.  I took a few pictures of Archie when I was walking him the other day but I found this one on the net and it is way better than my photos.

He loves to check out the neighborhood and make sure everyone knows he has been there.  He also likes to jump onto your lap and let you know he expects you to pay attention to him.

Arctic Archie

Archie is a playful pug who just wants to be pampered 24/7.  We are grateful to be able to be his parttime pamperer.

Top 10 Human Medications That Poison Dogs

The ASPCA by way of Dogster’s has a list of 10 most frequent medications for people that end up poisoning dog(s).  They are:

NSAIDs
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.

Antidepressants
Antidepressants can cause vomiting and lethargy and certain types can lead to serotonin syndrome—a condition marked by agitation, elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, disorientation, vocalization, tremors and seizures.

Acetaminophen
Cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen, which can damage red blood cells and interfere with their ability to transport oxygen. In dogs, it can cause liver damage and, at higher doses, red blood cell damage.

Methylphenidate (for ADHD)
Medications used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in people act as stimulants in pets and can dangerously elevate heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as cause seizures.

Fluorouracil
Fluorouracil—an anti-cancer drug—is used topically to treat minor skin cancers and solar keratitis in humans. It has proven to be rapidly fatal to dogs, causing severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest even in those who’ve chewed on discarded cotton swabs used to apply the medication.

Isoniazid
Often the first line of defense against tuberculosis, isoniazid is particularly toxic for dogs because they don’t metabolize it as well as other species. It can cause a rapid onset of severe seizures that may ultimately result in death.

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a popular decongestant in many cold and sinus products, and acts like a stimulant if accidentally ingested by pets. In cats and dogs, it causes elevated heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature as well as seizures.

Anti-diabetics
Many oral diabetes treatments—including glipizide and glyburide—can cause a major drop in blood sugar levels of affected pets. Clinical signs of ingestion include disorientation, lack of coordination and seizures.

Vitamin D derivatives
Even small exposures to Vitamin D analogues like calcipotriene and calcitriol can cause life-threatening spikes in blood calcium levels in pets. Clinical signs of exposure—including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased urination and thirst due to kidney failure—often don’t occur for more than 24 hours after ingestion.

Baclofen
Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that can impair the central nervous systems of cats and dogs. Some symptoms of ingestion include significant depression, disorientation, vocalization, seizures and coma, which can lead to death.

If you suspect your pet has ingested any of the following items, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435. And remember to keep all medications tucked away in bathroom cabinets—and far from curious cats and dogs.

Please also remember that chocolate is also deadly for dogs and dark chocolate is the most deadly.  Keep all of these items safely tucked away from your loved one(s) at all times.

Our deaf cat, Bongo, always hits the feed button on my printer in my office on his way to one of the windows. Since he is deaf, he does not really hear that he is engaging the printer and therefore never learns to avoid stepping on the button.  I am not sure he would avoid it if he did hear it though.

This video shows an instance where the cat and the printer interaction has escalated to a more dangerous level.

This is our most recent foster dog.  He is about 9 years old.  Has a little sneeze.  When he is excited he twirls around  but it is always in the clockwise direction.  Compared to our other dogs, he is about the size of one of their heads.

But he is unbelievably cute and sweet.  He will own someone very soon that will love him to death.  You just can’t help it with him.

PuBear (click to enlarge)

PuBear (click to enlarge)