Messy Puppies and How to Handle Them

So you just bought home your brand-new puppy. You know training it will take time and patience, and that overtime it will learn to obey your commands and not eat food off your table. But until it learns these things, you will have a lot of cleaning up to do. Here are some tips on how to keep your pup’s messes from getting out of hand.

PUPPIES CHEW ON EVERYTHING

Be it a piece of bacon or your designer-made shoes, it’s all fair game to a puppy. The fact of the matter is it simply doesn’t know better, and will be happy to tear apart everything in its reach. So before you go out and get your new pet, make sure everything you hold dear and don’t want slobbered on is put away in safe, hard-to-reach places. This goes for food, too. Keep human goodies away from table edges if you don’t want it chowing down on your dinner. But don’t think the puppy shouldn’t get to have any fun. Replace treasured items with disposable chew toys and give your pup an entertaining (and non-destructive) way to expend energy. Having chew toys around will also give you the opportunity to share in on puppy’s playtime.

SET BOUNDARIES

Puppies will go anywhere and everywhere they can as long as there is nothing blocking their way. Sure, you can eventually teach them to stay out of certain rooms and places, but before then you have to set physical boundaries to prevent them from peeing on your brand new rug. Make sure to set up portable fences blocking them off from places you don’t want them going. If they’re not allowed on couches, reprimand them whenever they try to jump on one. After these boundaries have been set you can teach them their limitations and eventually remove the fences. Until that time comes, though, a portable fence is a safe bet.

BE PREPARED FOR LEAVING YOUR PUPPY ALONE

You can’t be around every waking moment of the day to keep an eye out for your dog. Eventually you will have to leave it home alone, and when it’s home alone, it is a lot easier to get into messes without you telling it to stop. It’s a good idea to get some sort of cage or crate to keep the puppy in while you are gone to keep it from chewing the house apart. Leave food, water, a toy or two, and be prepared to clean up any messes it leaves when you get back. It’s also a good idea to give the puppy’s cage a solid surface to make cleaning up messes easy. Once your puppy matures, you don’t have to keep it caged anymore – but at the beginning, for the sake of your home and sanity, keep it out of destruction’s way while you are out.

Puppies are resilient. You will not be able to prevent one from never making a mess. But by making your house as puppy-proof as possible you can cut down the amount of cleaning up you will have to do during that first year or so.

Vets to FDA : Pet-food labels should list info on calories

Future pet-food labels that indicate the number of calories per serving could help obese animals, a veterinarians association recommended to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday.

"Pet owners do not always know how much to feed. They may not realize the high number of calories associated with some of the pet food they are giving their pets," said John Branam, testifying on behalf of the American Medical Veterinary Association.

The FDA held the hearing as part of legislation passed last year that requires the Center for Veterinary Medicine to establish pet-food-labeling standards in two years.

According to the veterinary group, 54 million pets in the United States are obese, an "epidemic" that the association said is growing at an alarming rate.

Nancy Cook, vice president of the Pet Food Institute's technical and regulatory affairs division, said calorie labels are unnecessary and won't prevent obesity in pets.

"It doesn't work for people," said Cook, a voice for the industry's manufacturers.

The labels contain serving sizes based on a pet's size. Calorie information can be obtained from food manufacturers, she said.

But the veterinary group said it's not consumers' and veterinarians' jobs to track down manufacturers for that information.

A standard nutritional label that lists the number of calories per weight of food and per household items, such as a can or a cup, would prevent owners from overfeeding their pets, the group said.

The information also would help consumers and veterinarians compare and choose the best food, Branam said. For example, two cups of one product could have the same calories as one cup of another.

Although pet obesity is determined by other factors, such as genetics, the environment and medical influence, a standard label would make it easier for vets to recommend portions, Branam said.

Written by The Seattle Times Company

Training your Dog : Raising a Best Friend for Life

It is important to train your dog once you’ve brought it into your life. However, many dog owners incorrectly believe that having a dog should be an easy ticket for love and companionship. Nothing is ever that perfect. When you first get your pup, you will watch it go through a variety of activities you consider “bad” or “wrong.”

Your pet might soil your floor. It might jump on couches after coming in from the rain. It might bite your friend’s hand when he/she goes to pet it. Your dog might do all of these things and more. But before you throw your hands up in defeat and let your new pet become your new worst domestic nightmare, consider training your pup to adhere to your rules your way. Here are a few pointers to help you get started :

A DOG IS A DOG

You are not working with a toddler, people. When you purchase a dog and want it to follow your rules, you have to remember you are training another species of animal with different instincts than the ones we have. If you want to discipline a dog you have to treat a dog like a dog. And since their ancestors are wolves, dogs think in pack-mentality – when a dog comes into your home, it sees all those within it as part of its clan, and every clan needs a leader. So make sure your dog knows you call the shots. Don’t back down or “feel bad”. Though it might feel like you are breaking your puppy’s heart, you are actually keeping it from taking control of your home. It is your job to make it clear that you are the “alpha dog.”

START EARLY, BE CONSISTENT

The more you coddle a young pup when you first get it, the more likely it’ll walk all over you when it is older. With that said, develop rules and terms of obedience early. Fence off rooms you don’t want dogs to go in and reprimand it when it tries to get past those boundaries. If you don’t want your dog on furniture, make it clear, and don’t give any leeway. If you want your dog to follow a rule, you can never let it get away with breaking it. This is where consistency comes into play. By being consistent, you make it perfectly clear to your dog that there are certain rules it will never be allowed to break.

RESEARCH YOUR BREED

Like different people have different personalities, different dogs are more likely to act different ways. Make sure you are certain that a prospective pet’s personality will go well with yours. Don’t pick a dog with an aggressive personality if you don’t want to be butting heads all the time, and don’t pick a servile dog if you want it to protect your home.

Don’t let this article overwhelm you – having a pet is a great experience and a lot of fun. Training a dog can be hard work, but by following these guidelines you can be sure to have a best friend for life.

Frontline : #1 Trusted Choice for Flea and Tick Control by Veterinarians

When it comes to keeping your pets safe from flea and tick infections, Frontline is the name to know. It is the #1 trusted choice for flea and tick control by veterinarians. With just one dose, your dog or cat will be protected from fleas or ticks for at least a month. Frontline will not only kill any currently existing fleas or ticks already on your pet in the first twenty-four hours it’s been applied, but it will keep them off, not only killing full-grown pesticides, but also flea eggs and larvae. It’s also waterproof, allowing your pet to swim and be bathed without losing Frontline’s capabilities. It can be used on kittens and puppies at ages as early as 8 weeks old.
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USES/INDICATIONS : Frontline is indicated for the treatment of fleas and ticks in dogs & cats.

CONTRAINDICATIONS/PRECAUTIONS/REPRODUCTIVE SAFETY : Do not use on kittens or on puppies less than 8 weeks old. While temporary irritation may occur at the site of administration, animals that have demonstrated sensitivity reactions to fipronil or any of the ingredients in the product, should probably not be retreated.The manufacturer warns that the product may be harmful to debilitated, aged, pregnant, or nursing animals.

Like Owner, Like Dog

One Third Of US Dogs Are Obese, Cats Also Suffer

ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2008)

Obesity in pets mirrors that of humans, as do the reasons -- decreased physical activity, age, and an increased caloric intake, even genetic predisposition. Like humans, there are also many health problems associated with being obese, such as diabetes mellitus.

It's no secret that obesity is a problem in humans. Reality television makes millions of dollars chronicling the efforts of Americans attempting to shed excess weight. And every day, new medical research highlights the serious implications obesity has for heart disease, diabetes and other maladies.

Now, more and more attention is being paid to the problem in our pets. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the prevalence of obesity in dogs is between 22 and 40 percent. The reasons and the remedies for the problem seem to mirror each other across species.

These include decreased physical activity, age, and an increased caloric intake, according to Dr. Craig Thatcher of Blacksburg, Va., a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, noted veterinary nutritionist, and charter diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

Genetics can also increase a pet’s risk of being overweight, Thatcher said. Labrador retrievers, beagles, and cocker spaniels are all breeds that are more like to carry some extra pounds. There are also endocrine diseases that are associated with obesity that must also be considered and ruled out, before the pet undergoes weight reduction, said Thatcher.

Like humans, there are also many health problems associated with being obese. Dogs and cats that are overweight may be predisposed to develop diabetes mellitus. They may also suffer from decreased heat tolerance and stamina, increased dermatological conditions, decreased immune function, and multiple musculoskeletal and orthopedic problems. If an owner suspects his or her pet is overweight, the first step is to contact their veterinarian.

“Veterinarians are the best resource to assist clients in designing a safe and effective weight reduction program,” said Thatcher.

Veterinarians will work with the client to design a weight reduction program that is specific to the individual pet’s needs. A balanced, restricted-calorie diet should be implemented with the owner carefully monitoring intake and not allowing for free-choice consumption by the pet. An exercise regiment should also be initiated. This should be a plan the owner is willing to comply with and one the animal can comfortably perform, explains Thatcher.

As the animal progresses through a weight loss program, owners must monitor their pet’s progress by weighing and by assessing body condition. This should initially be done every two weeks to ensure the animal is successfully losing weight.

“Avoiding obesity is an important part of the overall wellness of an animal,” said Thatcher. “Pets and their owners alike will enjoy a much higher quality of life when the pet maintains a healthy weight.” The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine established one of the nation’s first clinical nutrition training programs more than 20 years ago, thanks to Thatcher’s leadership. Today, the college’s programs in this area enjoy wide respect from throughout the profession.

Thatcher earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine and his master’s of science and doctor of philosophy in nutritional physiology from Iowa State University. Prior to joining the faculty of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983 as an assistant professor, he practiced mixed animal medicine in Pennsylvania. He was one of the first veterinarians to be board certified as a diplomate by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

Adapted from materials provided by Virginia Tech, via Newswise.

Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation : Long Island's Pit Bull Predicament

Saturday, May 3, 2008
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus, Lecture Hall of the Health, Sports and Education Center, Brentwood, NY

This conference will focus on current problems being faced by Pit Bulls and explore workable solutions to curtail irresponsible breeding and enhance their public image. Featured speakers include Linda Stuurman, (President, Last Hope); Adam Goldfarb (Issues Advisor, Humane Society of the United States); Jane Berkey (President, Animal Farm Foundation); Bernice Clifford (Behavior and Training Manager, Animal Farm Foundation); Jane Hoffman (President, Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals); Jacques Lynn Schultz (Senior Director, ASPCA National Outreach); and Linda Klampfl (President, Almost Home Animal Rescue and Adoption).

This conference is open to the public. Veteterinarians, municipal shelter workers, and representatives from rescue organizations and shelters are particularly encouraged to attend.

Registration is $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

For more information or to register, contact Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation at (631) 425-1884, or visit the Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation web site.