The Purrfect Nanny & Purrfect Pet Health Blog

We received this call for help and share it with you in hopes that you or someone you know might be able to help bring these horses to safe pasture.

“This past weekend it was brought to our attention that a herd of horses was transported to Modoc,SC near McCormick for auction. As it turns out these horses belonged to Jim Fisher, who as most of you know is in really bad health.

There were 18-20 which were purchased by one individual who is planning to ship them to Oklahoma on this coming Saturday …. we all know what that means even though when approached he denied those claims.

All of the horses are registered and most are Sweepstakes nominated. The horses were bought at auction for minimal amounts. There is an opportunity to purchase from the buyer before Saturday for $300 or less is buying multiples. If you have pasture room and income to support them please contact Dean Howell at 864-429-1320, he is currently in possession of these horses and they are currently located in Laurens, SC.

Let’s rescue these horses.
Patti”

We have received a list of horses available from Tina, who wants us all to share the list

Bay 10 yr, Filly
Bay, 3 yr Name is Ariboske
Bay 15 yr Filly, Name is Elation
Chestnut, 10 yr Filly
Chest, 4yr Filly, Name Della A Rose (Star and r-Front)
Bay, 8 yr, Filley Name is Calley
Chestnute, Geld, 7yr Name is Razzan
Bay 15 yr, Filly Name is Texas
Bay Filly, 10 yr
#0437446 SBERICA Kane, Gray
#0491578 Bay MCA Xanabu 1993
#0409380 Bella Lyric, Bay Mare 1988
Bay, Mare, 8 yr Roxies
Bay Mare 18 yr
Chestnut, 12 yr mare Name is Magnolia
Chestnut, 8 yr Mare Large Blaze
Bay, 220 yrs Name is KC
Bay 8 yr, Bay Star and white on nose

Dean said if anyone could take these he will haul them to you. Please lets save
them. They are on their way to Oklahoma on Saturday morning.

Call Tina if you need more information. All of these horses are in great health
and were cared for by local Vet in Augusta Georgia.

Thank you
Tina 706-831-2543

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!

Every year, for the past 30 years, children have been submitting art to the Atlanta Humane Society’s Be Kind To Animals art contest. Over the years, they have seen the submissions change from cats and dogs, to lemurs and camels. Check out AHS’s site for more information on how your child can enter the “Be Kind To Animals Week” Annual art contest.

Available this fall, Peace. Love. Paws: The Art of Being Kind, is a 158-page hardcover book will benefit the work of the Atlanta Humane Society. The publication is being sponsored by local and national businesses and individuals – all of whom share a common goal to be kind to all beings. Look for it at local retailers and Amazon.com.

Check out a great preview of
Peace. Love Paws: The Art of Being Kind.
(it may take a minute to load)

If you are interested in more information on how to become a sponsor, please contact Jules Hermes, publication coordinator at 404-846-4308 or juleshermes@hotmail.com.
Cathy Sleva, VP Advancement AHS, can be reached at 404-974-2877 or cathys@atlantahumane.org.

Today I’d like to discuss some of the benefits of our business model.
Because we work with a team of pet sitters across the Metro Atlanta area we can ensure that there will always be a qualified pet nanny to meet your pet sitting needs. Whether you are planning a holiday trip or need service starting tomorrow there will be a caring animal lover to care for your pet. When one of our nannies goes on vacation, we can help cover your pet sitting needs by bringing in a back up. In case of an unforeseen circumstance or emergency, should your regular pet sitter be unable to visit with your pet, we have processes in place to provide immediate back up support, to ensure that your pet is ALWAYS taken care of. We are home to many caring pet nannies. All of our nannies, go through a 2 step interview process, background checks and are bonded and insured. Does the fact that we work with several pet sitters mean that your pet is not well cared for? Of course not! All of our nannies are animal lovers, and have their own pets at home. They understand the level of care we all want for our pets. Two of our nannies are certified dog behaviorists and many of our nannies work directly with rescue organizations to help needy and abandoned pets find a new loving home and love along the way. Our business model helps ensure that there will always be a qualified loving pet nanny to take care of your beloved pets.

Rupert Isaacson believes in the healing power of horses.

Rupert Isaacson says that his autistic son Rowan found healing power in the horses he rode during a family trip to Mongolia two years ago. (Courtesy Kristin Neff)

It was a horse named Betsy, after all, that Isaacson credits with helping to heal his son Rowan, who was diagnosed with autism just after his second birthday in 2004. The toddler’s uncommunicative, tantrum-ridden state devastated his concerned parents.

“Rowan would have as many as 12 tantrums a day,” Isaacson, 42, told ABCNews.com. “Everyone knows what a regular toddler tantrum is, but add a deep distress where the child is just inconsolable and unable to communicate the pain that they’re in.”

Read the full storry at ABC News

I truly believe in the Healing Power of Horses. How about you?

I stumbled across this today and WOW!
An Australian photographer makes over horses, with hair extensions!
Check out the news story here:


Photos by Julian Wolkenstein

What do you think, is your horse next?

Are you deworming more often than necessary?

Watch “Strategic Deworming & Equine Wellness” to see if you can deworm less often.

Most horse owners reach for a tube of dewormer every 8 weeks.  But did you know only 35 percent of horses on pasture shed 85 percent of the parasite eggs?  That means a lot of horses are being dewormed unnecessarily.

Tune in to RFD-TV on Monday, April 6, at 8 p.m. EDT for “Strategic Deworming & Equine Wellness,” a one-hour show that discusses strategic deworming along with overall spring health and wellness for your horse.  You’ll learn the importance of using the right dewormer at the right time on the right horse.

The show is sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and includes special guests to answer your live call-in questions.  The equine experts are Heidi Brady, PhD, from Texas Tech University and Wendy E Vaala, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, Senior Equine Technical Service Veterinarian from Intervet/Schering-Plough.

This information was shared by the 

THE ATLANTA EQUINE CLINIC

For more information about Principles of Vaccination and Rotational Deworming please  subscribe to their newsletter.

From the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters:

Grateful pet owners from around the country honor their trusted pet sitters this week during National Professional Pet Sitters Week, observed March 1 – 7, 2009. The week-long event recognizes the many contributions of professional pet sitters nationwide for their commitment, hard work, and dedication. Pet owners can thank those trusted
individuals who take such good care of their adoring pets and for the loving care they provide.

Pet sitting has become one of the top 10 professions in the past decade, according to the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). Pet ownership in the United States is continually on the rise and currently, 63 percent of all American households have pets. The U.S. pet population includes approximately 73 million dogs, 90 million cats, and 16 million birds plus fish, hamsters and other animals, according to the America Pet Products Association.

When choosing a professional pet sitter, owners should take in consideration whether the service provider has commercial liability insurance, references, and literature fully describing services and fees. The NAPPS Web site offers a nationwide referral network as a valuable online resource for locating pet sitters in all areas of the country. Accessible directly from the NAPPS Web site, www.petsitters.org, this free service provides contact information for all NAPPS member pet sitters and pet sitting companies in the area. With one simple search, pet owners can learn all about the services provided, and even details regarding the sitter’s experience and expertise.

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) is a national nonprofit trade association dedicated to promoting the concept of in home pet care, supporting the professionals engaged in at-home pet care, promoting the welfare of animals, and improving and expanding the industry of pet sitting. NAPPS provides valuable credibility, networking, and education to help foster the success of their members. NAPPS takes great pride in providing its members with the tools needed to succeed, but also provides the pet owning public with helpful information such as a Disaster Preparedness Plan and guidelines for selecting a pet sitter.

For more information on NAPPS or to locate a professional pet sitter, visit: www.petsitters.org.

Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare is pleased to announce that Grace’s Law has become an official bill. Sponsored By Rep. Tom Knox, R-HD 24, Georgia House Bill 606 can be viewed here. A similar bill is being sponsored in the Georgia Senate by Sen. Steve Henson, D- SD 41.

Georgia voters who want gas chambers banned statewide and with no exceptions should immediately contact their state legislators.

To locate your Georgia Assembly Representatives enter your zip code here.

You will need to add your home address to locate your local Georgia Senate and House Representatives. You can find their contact information by clicking on their names.

Then let them know how you feel about the bill. Ask for their support and tell them know how you expect them to vote. Call their offices or send them an email, they keep track of this stuff. It is their responsibility to represent us. It is our responsibility to let them know what we want.

In order to keep my horse’s joints  sound and lubricated I depend on joint supplements. For a long time I was used to inject Adequan until I learned about Acetylglucosamine. This product is at least as good as Adequan if not better and it cost me so much less to maintian joint health. With permission of Dr. Grisel from the Atlanta Equine Clinic in Alpharetta I post his article about joint health. Should you deside to order the product at the Atlanta Equine Clinic, please mention that you heard about it on our BLOG.

Any medication administered outside the joint (by mouth, intravenously, or intramuscularly for example) for the purpose of improving joint function and/or comfort is considered a form of systemic arthrotherapy. Anti-inflammatory medications (such as phenylbutazone), some pain relievers (such as capsaicin), and joint supplements (such as Adequan™, Legend™, and Cosequin™) are included in this category. Joint supplements have seen wide use in recent years, and are most often the client’s first line of treatment for DJD in their horse(s). The primary goal of the joint supplement is to stimulate normal activity and function of the synovial membrane thereby enhancing the integrity of the joint environment. Oral, intravenous, and intramuscular forms exist.Most studies show that the oral medications (e.g. Cosequin™, MSM, Flex Free™, Corta-flex™, etc.) are quite effective when absorbed into the system. This type of arthrotherapy works especially well in people and dogs, who are able to absorb relatively large molecules (like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) through their intestinal wall easily. Horses, on the other hand, are generally not proficient at absorbing large molecules into their system from the intestinal tract. Therefore, a portion of the oral medication (and the client’s investment) may not be completely utilized. Many companies are continually working to find ways to improve absorbability of oral supplements in the horse. Read the rest of this entry »