Probiotics have received a great deal of attention lately, and this focus is absolutely justified. An increasing number of products, from yogurts to pet foods, contain probiotics. Often referred to as “healthy” and/or “friendly” bacteria (or microorganisms) in the media, their proper notation is “direct fed microbials” when used in pet foods. Basically, probiotics are helpful bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract. In fact, every digestive system contains millions of bacteria, both those with a healthful purpose (like probiotics) and some that are not so beneficial. While some kinds of bacteria can be harmful, many (like direct fed microbials) actually help the immune system adapt to internal changes within the body and thus naturally support good health.
Most people do not realize that located within the digestive system is one a very important group of immune cells called the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT), which communicate with the immune cells located throughout the body. In some respects, the GALT is the first line of defense against unhealthy microorganisms in the body. Whereas most of the cells in our body receive nutrition from the blood, this is not true for the GALT – it receives the majority of its nutrients from these helpful bacteria. Read the rest of this entry »
We recently found out about Diningwithfido.com an awesome website based in Atlanta. Suddenly there is even more reason to be dreamy of warm sunny Atlanta weather. Dining With Fido lists Atlanta Restaurants by neighborhood that have Doggie Friendly Patios.
Check out Dining With Fido’s tips for Patio Ettiquette:
1.Always call ahead to make sure tables are available.
2.Nobody knows your dog better than you. To minimize frustration and embarrassment, be sure of your dog’s public manners and ability to be calm around food and strangers.
3.Exercise prior to a meal outing can be very helpful to keep your dog relaxed and well behaved.
4.Let your dog go potty before getting seated.
5.Sometimes it is a good idea to bring your own water bowl on hot days.
6.Bring a leash that allows your dog to be tied to a post, your chair, or under the table. Leashes too long can be dangerous for the servers.
Boy, I can’t wait for Spring!
A rare disease normally found in horses has hit local Paulding County Animal Shelter. The shelter is currently under quarantine. The Georgia Department of Agriculture closed the doors of the shelter on January 19th after the sudden mysterious death of several dogs. A necropsy, by the University of Georgia, revealed that one of the dogs had succumb to Streptoccocus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. This disease is treatable in early stages by antibiotics and all exposed shelter animals are receiving antibiotics at this time. Once the shelter has gone seven days with out any additional illness it will be allowed to reopen.
For more information on Streptoccocus equi subsp. zooepidemicus check out this helpful data sheet link.
For more information on this story check out the AJC article Shelter closed after 12 dogs die from illness.
To find out more about Paulding Animal Shelter visit the Paulding Humane Society site at PauldingHumane.org.
Forbes recently had an article on how to best care for your pet after you are gone. Within the article was a slideshow of 10 ways to best protect your pet.
One of my favorite ideas and one that I had never considered is to carry a Pet Wallet Card.
“In case of an accident or sudden illness that makes you unable to care for your pet, carry a wallet alert card listing your address, the number of pets in your home, their species, size and friendliness, and their names. On the back, list emergency pet caregivers and contact info for a pet sitter, vet or kennel to watch your pets if the caregivers are not available.”
It amazes me how logical simplistic and simple the best ideas are, rest assured one of these will be going into my wallet today!
From Recipezaar:
This recipe is from 3 Dogs Bakery Cookbook. The recipes are natural and you could eat them yourself if you wanted to.
Simon’s Birthday Bones
30 large bones
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup natural-style peanut butter
1 cup skim milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl.
Combine milk and peanut butter in a separate bowl.
Mix wet and dry ingredients together
Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface
Knead
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick
Cut into shapes.
Place on a greased baking sheet and
Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.
Cool on a rack
Store in an airtight container.
Based in Canton, GA, Military Working Dog Team Support Association, Inc. is a non profit organization that works to support Supporting Current Dog Handler Teams, Veteran Dog Handler events/causes, retired Military Working Dogs and the War Dog Memorial.
From their site:
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom dogs work in rugged conditions from the craggy, snowy almost unearthly cold of the Afghanistan Mountains in winter to the hot, desolate, dry deserts of Iraq. MWDs are trained to patrol or search out explosives (weapons caches, IEDs) or drugs. Breeds most often found working in the military include German shepherd dogs, Belgian malinois and Labrador retrievers. Each breed has qualities of intelligence, stamina and special inherent genetic traits which predisposes them to be excellent working dogs.
All dogs receive basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and then are paired up with their handler. In a change from policy during the Vietnam Era, dogs return home with their handlers and at the end of their working life are generally available for adoption to their handlers and, if qualified, to the public. More information and photos about MWDs check out Military Working Dog Support Association’s the web site: www.mwdtsa.org. You can also view a wish list of needed items and find out more about the organization itself.
Wow my news feeds these past couple of days have been loaded with pets living REALLY long lives!
I hope ours live that long!
Check out the oldest dog, Otto, a 20 year old dachshund-terrier mix. That’s almost 145 years in doggie years!
One of the oldest cats, Caterack, passed last week at age 30! While that is quite old, the oldest documented cat lived to 38 years old!
Looks like the chances of our pets living this long are increasing!
Check out this article on the longer living trend in household pets. A gentle reminder that having a pet is a lifelong commitment.
How old is your pet?
Have you had a pet live longer than average?
Share you story with us!
21
Oct
2009
Dogs, Cats, Horses, Pets
It really doesn’t get easier than this for pet treats!
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Take one raw sweet potato or yam (more if like me you like to make a bunch at a time) slice in half lengthwise. Then cut lengthwise about 1/3 of an inch thick. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for a few hours, the less you cook them the chewier they will be. If you bake them longer, my personal favorite, they take on a crunchier texture.
Let the sweet potatoes cool and let your pets enjoy!
Rescuing and Rehoming Labradoodles and Goldendoodles throughout North America
International Doodle Owner’s Rescue is a group close to my heart and my home.
We were able to find our goldendoodle Barley through a rehome and have had the pleasure of fostering a few labradoodles on their way to their forever homes. Our current foster Kramer is really learning his manners well and becoming an AWESOME dog!
IDOG Rescue is always looking for foster and transportation volunteers, the more foster homes that are available the more dogs that can be rescued. If you have ever considered adding a dog to your family, volunteering as a foster can be a great way to find the perfect dog. Of course, not all fosters will come to your home with perfect behavior. Here are some things IDOG recommends you consider:
Are you ready for a rehome or rescue doodle?
Do you have some extra time to devote to the dog as he first arrives?
Do you have a secure fenced yard or are prepared for lots of walks?
Do you understand that the doodle is an indoor dog and should not be left outside unattended for long periods of time?
Do you have a total commitment by ALL members of your family?
Do you have a support network to help you get through the tough times?
Do you have the flexability to change how you help the doodle if what you are doing isnt working?
Do you have patience to let the dog adjust on their terms/timeframe and not yours?
Expect:
You will have potty accidents (even with adult house trained dogs) and you will have to either train or remind the dog to potty outside.
You will need to enroll into a training class once the dog becomes adjusted to his new home.
If you already have a doodle, do not expect the rescue/rehome doodle to be like your current dog. Different breeding, different life experiences, different temperaments create different dogs.
Expect to adjust your life at least for a while to help the doodle adjust to the new home.
Expect to keep very close attention to the dog for a while.
Expect to have 100% supervision of children while around the doodle.
Expect that it will take some time for the doodle to learn to fit into your family and learn to assoicate with other pets in the home.
If the doodle is highly submissive, frightened or fearful training will need to be much slower and approach to situations will need to modified.
But speaking from experience it is a very rewarding endeavor! And IDOG is an awesomely supportive team.
If you would be interested in becoming a foster or volunteering to transport rescue dogs please sign up!
This is a nationwide rescue group, so even if you are not in the Atlanta area we could use your help.
For more information check out the IDOG Volunteer pages.
To find out more about Kramer and the other doodles available for adoption through IDOG please take a look at the IDOG Petfinder page.
With Halloween just around the corner everyone is out to find the Purrfect Costume.
This includes the family pets too!
Petsmart is having a Pet Costume Event in stores on October 20th at 6 pm.
Bring your pet in for fun and prizes!
Can’t make the party? Submit your favorite costumed pet picture to their online Howl-O-Ween Costume Photo Contest.
Need help taking pictures of your pet?
MSNBC has a great article on how to get the Purrfect picture of your pet all dressed up for the occasion.
Will your pet be dressing up this year?
