Pet Connections has an article about the most common human medications and their potential harmfulness to animals.  Advil and Tylenol are especially harmful as are some commonly prescribed drugs like Advair and Abilify.

And here is some good common sense with regard to ALL medications in your home:

It’s best practice to make sure all your medications are far out of reach of your pets, and you should never store drugs in plastic (even Ziploc-type) bags. They’re too easily chewed through, and since the bags are transparent, the pets can see the potential goodies inside.

Here is another article which points out human medications for three years in a row now top the list of toxins that have sickened pets in the United States.

PS:  Also don’t forget to keep all of those delicious chocolate candies far far away from your dogs.  Chocolate is poison for dogs.

Resentment on the part of the family member who agrees to the pet sitting duties because they feel obligated to say yes when he/she really would prefer to be doing something else entirely.

The teenager down the street sees the pet sit as an opportunity to use your home for having a get-together with other friends or worse yet to throw a party.

Lack of experience and training in taking care of animal(s) resulting in your pet(s) being poorly cared for or, even worse, being inadvertently harmed or lost.

John and I have cared for our own and other people’s pets for a long time.  The number of successful pet sits we have performed  is in the tens of thousands.  We have never had an animal escape from us.  We have never lost a house key for a pet sit.  We know the signs and what to do when an animal is sick.  We have fostered hundreds of animals in our home for the Humane Society for SW Washington.  We also have numerous dogs, cats, birds and some chickens of our own.  We are trained in first aid and CPR for dogs and cats.  I am trained in disaster preparedness for animals.  John and I spent a week as volunteers in Gonzales, Louisiana caring for the abandoned dogs after the Katrina hurricane.

Both of us serve as back up for each other in the event that is necessary.  We never take a vacation together for more than 12 hours because it interferes with our pet sit responsibilities.  We have a 30 year old son who lives locally that is also available in the event of an emergency.  We have good relationships with local veterinarians and other pet sitters in the area.

In other words we take the responsibilities of providing pet sitting very seriously and we have a great deal of experience successfully caring for other people’s animals.

So when you consider asking your grandmother or aunt or the friend’s daughter down the street to care for your animals while you are at work or away from home, please consider the risks and possible negative effects of that decision carefully.

We are here to assist you.  We love what we do.  We are good at what we do.  And we want you to know that your decision to allow us to be the caregivers for your animals is much appreciated and that we take this responsibility very seriously.

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Pet Sitters Give Animal Parents Peace of Mind (baxterspetsittingblog.wordpress.com)
• Benefits of using a Pet Sitter? (baxterspetsittingblog.wordpress.com)
• Prepare your pets & home for your pet sitter (baxterspetsittingblog.wordpress.com)

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJBlZttz8QQ

Hope all the publicity finds him his caretaker(s) or at least finds him a good and safe new home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzhd3eUyO8

Sixwize.com has some advice for exercising your dog:

Even if you have a fenced backyard, your dog may not be getting enough activity unless he’s exerting himself to the point of panting.

Don’t expect your dog to start out with a 30-minute intense walk, however. You’ll need to condition your pet and work up to more intense activities, just as you need to do yourself if you haven’t worked out in awhile.

A good starting point for most dogs is a 10-15 minute, moderately paced walk. You can work up to 30 minutes, three times a week or, for athletic breeds, up to an hour per session. If you don’t have time to take your dog for regular walks, hiring a dog walker, or taking your dog to a supervised doggy day care, will provide a great alternative.

And for cats:

Cats, especially the indoor variety, can be harder to keep active but a bit of ingenuity on your part will go a long way. Experiment with a variety of toys for your cat and change them often to prevent boredom.

Most cats enjoy catnip-filled toys, such as Nigel the Octopus from GreenerWiener.com or mouse toys like the 100% natural Wooley Bully.

Another simple option to keep cats entertained is a flashlight or laser pointer. Cats will wear themselves out trying to “catch” the light, and SixWise.com highly recommends the Ba-Da-Beam Hands-Free Rotating Laser Chaser from GreenerWiener.com for all cat owners.

And some safety tips:

When exercising your cat or dog, be sure to watch for signs of overexertion, such as excessive panting or lying down. These are signs that it’s time for a break. Also, be especially careful when exercising pets with flat faces, such as pugs, bulldogs and Persian cats, as they are vulnerable to respiratory distress.

Other breeds may also be prone to overexertion or injury, including toy breeds, dachshunds, young puppies and older pets, so always use caution and pay attention to cues from your pet.

You’ll also want to avoid exercising your dog in extreme heat or cold, which can lead to hypothermia, heat stress and over-exhaustion. In bad weather, take your dog to an indoor play park, or teach him to walk (with your assistance) on a treadmill!

Of course, always make sure your pet has access to fresh water during any exercise session.

If you do not have the time or energy to exercise your pet(s), that is one of the services At Home Pet Sitting will gladly provide for you.

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Thanks for the wonderful memories you gave us.

This was Dusty. We fostered Dusty from the SW WA Humane Society in the spring of 2007. Dusty had non-contagious mange and had lost much of his hair. He was the ulgiest dog I’ve ever seen even if he had not lost his hair. Dusty was treated and cured of his mange although some of the hair never did grow back.

During the time we were treating Dusty we found out that this ugly dog had a heart of gold. There was no way that we could give him back to the shelter to be adopted out. We lost Dusty last summer. He is missed much. You can’t judge a book by its cover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk7CeW3Fxto

United Animal Nations has a website called My Dog is Cool that provides information about the dangers of putting your dog in your car during warm weather days.  Even though it may not seem hot to you in your car, unlike your dog, you are not wearing a fur coat.  You are not sweating solely through your mouth.  You have the ability to get out of your car and get a drink of water when you are too hot.  Dogs are not designed for hot weather.  They like it cool.   Keep your car cool and keep your cool dog out of it on hot days.

Cody

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

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.

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.

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)

Duncan (click photo to enlarge)

Duncan, a lively Jack Russell – Dalmatian mix, lived with us during his recovery from a leg amputation. Even though he had only only 3 legs, he would go up our stairs 4 at a time. And this was 2 days after the surgery! He was eventually adopted by a very caring couple who couldn’t resist his cuddliness and cuteness.