A veterinarian’s top 10 tips for keeping pets healthy in winter

(ARA) – Jack Frost is nipping at your pet’s nose. Winter is here again, and cold weather can be uncomfortable and dangerous to your pet.

“In colder regions of the country, pet owners should already know that they need to make accommodations for their pets, but winter can be hard on a pet even in warmer states, like Georgia, where I work,” says Dr. Larry R. Corry, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). “While we don’t get a lot of snow, it does get cold in the winter, and when it gets below freezing, our recommendation is that pet owners get their pets inside.”

Here are the AVMA’s top 10 winter tips for pet owners:

* Even if you own a sled dog, living outside during the depths of winter is very difficult. If you must keep your dog outside year round, remember that dogs must be allowed time to get acclimated to the cold with the change of the seasons. This builds up a winter coat they will need to survive. Corry recommends that dog owners with outside dogs double check to make sure their dog’s housing is well insulated, including straw or padding to sleep on.

“If you want to heat a doghouse, be careful to ensure that the heat source is installed properly so that the animal cannot be hurt,” he says. “If you can’t or won’t bring the animal into your home, consider bringing it inside a garage on bitter cold days.”

* Corry also advises pet owners to refrain from taking their pets near frozen ponds. Many dogs and cats fall through or sometimes are cast adrift on an ice float.

* Keep your pet away from antifreeze with ethylene glycol. It’s sweet and extremely lethal, even in small doses. The AVMA provides a brochure and video on this and other household hazards and poisons.

* Honk your horn or pound on the hood before starting your car on cold days. To a cat, a warm engine block can seem like a nice escape from cold winter winds.

* Carbon monoxide is just as lethal to pets as it is for people. Make sure your home has a carbon monoxide detector, and, if you bring your pet from the outdoors into a garage during the winter, make sure exhaust fumes from your car aren’t allowed to build up inside.

* Cold air is dry air, so your pet can become dehydrated easily in the winter. Give him plenty of fresh water. If the bowl of water you put outside for your dog or cat freezes, it’s of no use to the animal.

* Road salt and ice melting products are not only irritating to the pads on your pet’s feet, but when your pet cleans itself by licking off these chemicals and ingesting them, they can cause gastrointestinal problems. Wash your pet’s feet after she’s been outdoors.

* Consider booties for your dog’s feet. Booties help prevent ice balls between the toes that can be both painful and do damage to the toe pads.

* Be careful about candles, space heaters and fireplaces – pets can get burned and even set the house on fire.

* Pay close attention to your older pet in winter, especially if he suffers from arthritis. Arthritic pain is even worse in icy winds and cold temperatures. Seek the advice of your veterinarian to help your pet cope with arthritis.

For more information about animal health, visit www.avma.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Field test explores ability of pointing dogs in hunting situations

STURGEON LAKE, Minn. — Riley and Ruger eat up the grassy countryside, loping elegantly across the landscape at a farm near Sturgeon Lake. A pair of pointing dogs, they winnow the air for molecules of quail scent as they move.

They’re a study in contrasts. Riley is a 7-year-old Irish red and white setter. The dog’s coat is long, mostly white, with large dollops of Irish-setter red. He seems to flow over the land.

“We’ll see if our week and a half of training pays off,” owner Craig Wilson says, joking.

Ruger, a 4-year-old Gordon setter is petite and lean, mostly black with splotches of tan.

Both setters are taking part in the Lake Superior Pointing Dog Club’s annual spring hunt test in mid-May at the Sunflower Farm near Sturgeon Lake. They’re among 49 dogs in this American Kennel Club-sanctioned event. They are not competing against each other. They’re being measured against AKC standards for pointing breeds to determine if they merit the titles of Junior, Senior or Master hunters.

“It’s one way to give the public some proof that your dog can do what you say it can,” said Steve Koskovich of Hibbing, Minn., who will run his Irish red and white setter Padraig in the Junior test. “We all think we’re God’s gift to dog training. This is where we stand up and see if that’s true.”

The variety of breeds at such a test is impressive. Owners or trainers brought German shorthairs, English pointers, Irish red and white setters, Gordon setters, English setters, Vizslas, Brittanies and at least one wire-haired pointing Griffon.

Some of those dogs came with Duluth connections. Some of the red and white setters, including Wilson’s Riley, were bred by Bob and Evan Devlin of Duluth, who introduced the breed to this region. At least one Gordon setter came from Dean Fries’ Clearcut Kennels. Fries is a judge for this hunt test.

The tests are set up to represent the kinds of situations hunters and dogs would encounter in the field. A dog is judged for its desire to hunt, its ability to find birds, how it points birds, whether it remains steady when the bird flushes and how the dog retrieves the bird.

Riley and Ruger move into an area planted with small conifers. Along a row of small spruces, Ruger locks up in a handsome point, one foreleg lifted, tail a wand pointed at the sky, head low and focused. Jodi Hines. Ruger’s handler, flushes the quail and a gunner drops it.

Ruger charges back to Hines to deliver the bird. Nicely done.

Read More:News & Observer   http://www.newsobserver.com/802/story/1554552.html

How to Choose the Right Pet Health Insurance Plan

(ARA) – We all love our pets and for good reason. They provide a great deal of joy in our lives and offer unconditional love. That’s why whether it’s a routine annual exam, ongoing flea and heartworm control, or a medical treatment for cancer, a growing number of pet owners are making a serious commitment to give their pets the best health and preventive care available. But over time, this care can be expensive.

Recent studies show pet owners now spend $24.5 billion a year on veterinary services, over-the-counter drugs and other health supplies for pets. Tremendous advancements in veterinary technology have helped increase the life span of cats and dogs. For example, expensive medical treatments like cat scans, MRIs and chemotherapy — services once only available for people — are now being used to help save the lives of pets.

Pet owners’ beloved four-legged friends can sometimes face unexpected medical emergencies or illnesses, resulting in the difficult decision whether or not to spend thousands of dollars to save the life of their pet.  Having pet health insurance helps allow pet owners to decide with their hearts, not their wallets, what’s best for their pets in their time of need.

But with so many plans out there, how do you know which one to choose? Here are some factors to consider:

1. Insure young.
The best time to purchase pet insurance is when the animal is young.  Many pet health insurance plans do not cover pre-existing conditions so it is best to insure your pet when it is a puppy or kitten.  Insuring early can also provide coverage for certain initial veterinary procedures such as vaccinations and spaying/neutering.

2. What kind of coverage does the plan offer?
There are many different types of pet health insurance policies available. Some policies cover only accidents, some cover accidents and illnesses, while others offer coverage for accidents, illnesses and preventive care.  The preventive care coverage can include certain customary annual costs of routine vaccinations, flea and heartworm preventative medications, routine annual physical exams and lab tests, and other preventive care as outlined in the policy.  

3. Do I have to pay a deductible?
Just like with human insurance, different plans have different deductibles. PurinaCare pet health insurance, the first pet health insurance under the Purina brand, allows pet owners to choose from four different deductible options: $100, $250, $500 or $1,000. There is a 20-percent co-pay once the annual deductible has been met, and the benefit limit is $20,000 annually.

4. Are certain conditions excluded?
Pet insurance exclusions can vary depending on the policy chosen. Common exclusions include pre-existing medical conditions, cosmetic and elective procedures, fertility and pregnancy.

5. Can I use my own veterinarian?
It depends on the plan. PurinaCare pet health insurance, for example, allows pet owners to take their pet to the veterinarian of their choice, including veterinary specialists such as oncologists, neurologists and allergists, as long as they are licensed in the United States.

“Pet health insurance can help pet owners provide the best care possible for their pets in a time of need. However, less than one percent of pets are currently insured due to a lack of awareness of pet insurance, and dissatisfaction with current plan options. We are excited to use Purina’s pet expertise, innovation, brand trust and experience to deliver simple, comprehensive and easy-to-use pet health insurance that meets the needs of today’s highly involved pet owners,” says David Goodnight, D.V.M., president and chief operating officer of PurinaCare Insurance Services., Inc.

For more information about PurinaCare or to obtain a free, no obligation quote, visit www.purinacare.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Five Tips for Keeping Pets Healthy and Vet Bills Down

(ARA) – When it comes to caring for our pets’ health, most of us don’t bat an eye when it comes to spending money on expensive prescriptions or procedures, even for common health problems like skin allergies, digestive upset and urinary tract infections.

But with the average household owning 1.7 dogs and 2.2 cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 survey, those visits can add up. Now more than ever, pet owners are seeking out ways to keep their vet bills down while maintaining the health and happiness of their pets.

“We’re all trying to trim daily expenditures to compensate for rising commodity costs, and unnecessary expenses are usually the first to go,” says Dr. Susan Lauten, pet expert and nutrition consultant. “While there may be health problems that require a vet’s treatment, many common pet ailments can be treated and prevented in more cost effective ways.”

Lauten offers five ways to help keep your pet healthy while reducing healthcare costs.

1. Good nutrition is the key to good health. Instead of skimping on your pet food budget, select high quality foods with high levels of meat proteins and whole grains. Healthy pets with strong immune systems, healthy coats and strong teeth are less susceptible to disease.

2. Feeding your pet a variety of foods can minimize the development of food allergies. By providing pets with different proteins and forms, like kibble, canned and raw frozen, the Rotation Diet from Nature’s Variety offers the full spectrum of nutrients cats and dogs need to avoid food-related health problems.

3. Keep your pet clean and parasite-free. Paying extra attention to grooming during the summer months can help avoid skin disease, parasite-related diseases from ticks and fleas, and hot spots.

4. Make sure your pet visits the veterinarian for regular checkups. It’s also important to talk to your veterinarian about the importance of proper nutrition and holistic healthcare options for your special pet.  

5. If your pet shows signs of illness, be sure to visit your veterinarian right away. Early detection can reduce the overall cost of treatment.

Lauten stresses the fact that quality pet food should remain a financial priority. “Changing to a low quality food to save money can result in increased food requirements, poor immune health, decreased coat quality and poor skin health,” says Lauten. “In the end, it could result in more vet expenditures and more bills.”  

Sage’s Story
Sage was dropped off at the Benicia Vallejo Humane Society in Vallejo, Calif., when she was just a puppy. The underweight Boxer was suffering from severe skin problems, was missing large patches of hair and was in generally poor health. The Director of Human Services, Peter Wilson, was deeply concerned for Sage’s well-being and considered a variety of options for treatment.

“Sage’s skin condition was from a lack of care and possible allergies,” says Wilson. “Nature’s Variety donated product to help with Sage and encouraged us to feed her a Rotation Diet with different forms of kibble, canned and raw frozen food, and different proteins such as chicken and duck.”

The variety of foods in the Rotation Diet provided Sage with more balanced nutrition, which helped to stabilize her health and combat any possible allergies. In a few weeks, Sage’s skin had begun to heal. Sage is now happy, healthy, allergy-free and living with her new adoptive family.

“Sage’s story is a perfect example of the effect a quality diet can have on a pet’s overall health,” says Lauten. “All it took was the implementation of a broader and balanced variety of foods to provide her with the nutrients she needed to get better.”

More Quality Now, Fewer Problems Later
Strong health starts with proper nutrition. Feeding a high-quality Rotation Diet will help keep pets in top condition so they are more resistant to health problems. Adding in exercise and routine check-ups will also ensure your dog or cat maintains optimal wellness.  

For more information on the health benefits of balanced, nutritionally complete diets, as well as a feeding guide for determining your pet’s specific needs, visit www.naturesvariety.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tips for Road Trips With Pets

(ARA) – Bringing the family pet along on a road trip may seem like a good idea – you don’t have to ask friends or family to look after your pet and you can avoid the costs and concerns that go with boarding and kennels. But traveling with pets in the car also brings special challenges that, fortunately, can be met with a bit of forethought and careful preparation of both the vehicle and pet.  

According to information from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), which recently teamed with Subaru of America to produce a brochure on pet travel tips, bringing a pet along on a road trip simply involves adapting your routine to the road. All of the things you take into consideration at home – your pet’s health, happiness and safety – should be thoughtfully addressed when traveling with your pet.  

Here are 10 helpful tips for road-tripping with pets from the AVMA and Subaru:

* If your pet is not accustomed to car travel, take it for a few short rides before your trip so it will feel confident that a car outing does not necessarily mean a trip to the veterinarian or an unpleasant destination.

* Cats should always be confined to a cage or in a cat carrier to allow them to feel secure and prevent them from crawling under your feet while you are driving.

* Dogs riding in a car should not ride in the passenger seat if it is equipped with an airbag, and should never be allowed to sit on the driver’s lap.

* See your automotive dealer for pet accessories designed specifically to fit your vehicle, such as compartment dividers that separate pets and cargo from the passenger area. Several automobile manufacturers, including Subaru, offer a dog guard/compartment divider that keeps pets safely in the rear cargo area of station wagons, “crossover” vehicles and SUVs.

* Pets should not be allowed to ride with their heads outside car windows. Particles of dirt or other debris can enter the eyes, ears, and nose, causing injury or infection.

* Give small portions of food and water. Plan to stop every two hours for exercise. Remember to include a leash with your pet’s traveling supplies.

* If your dog has a problem with carsickness, your veterinarian can prescribe medication that will help the dog feel comfortable during a long car trip.

* Pack a simple pet first-aid kit that includes assorted bandages, antiseptic cream, an anti-diarrheal medication that is safe for pets (ask your veterinarian to suggest a product), gauze squares, phone numbers for your veterinarian, and a 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital at your destination, as well as a national poison control hotline.  

* In addition to a standard identification tag (which should be labeled with your name, home address, and phone number), your pet’s collar should include a travel tag with information on where you are staying while away from home. Should your pet become lost, this will allow you to be contacted locally.

* Perform a daily “health check” on your pet when away from home. In unfamiliar surroundings, your pet’s appetite, energy, and disposition may change. Watch for unusual discharges from the nose and eyes, excessive scratching or biting of any body part, abnormal elimination, or excessive water consumption. Visit a local veterinarian if you are concerned about any physical or behavioral changes.
As you can see, a little planning and a carefully prepared vehicle can make all the difference between a good time had by all and a road trip filled with regret.  

To download a color copy of the AVMA/Subaru Traveling With Your Pet brochure, visit
http://www.avma.org/animal_health/brochures/traveling/traveling_brochure.pdf.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Purr-fectly ’Green’ Cat Care Tips

(ARA) – She can jump from the floor to the top of the refrigerator, or bound across your desk without disturbing a single sheet of paper. Your cat personifies the graceful, enviable sure-footedness of her species. But what about her eco-footprint?

With 88 million domesticated cats in the country (according to the National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association), the question isn’t just academic. Like their human companions, pets’ modern lifestyles consume natural resources and can contribute to environmental issues like greenhouse gases and the waste stream.

”As consumers and responsible pet owners, we are all looking for ways to care for our pets’ health and their environment,” says Jill Cordes, host of America’s first broadband pet channel www.Petstyle.com. “Many of us are already putting eco-friendly practices into action in our own lives, from buying organic food to shopping with reusable bags and switching to natural household cleaners. Adopting ‘green’ pet care habits is a natural extension of our environmental consciousness.”

You can become a “greener” cat owner with 10 simple steps, Cordes advises:

1. Give them shelter. Overcrowding at animal adoption centers strains resources. You can help ease the problem – and possibly save an animal’s life – by adopting from a shelter rather than buying a cat from a pet store or breeder. You may also save money if you adopt from a shelter where many animals are likely to already be vaccinated, spayed or neutered. Visit www.aspca.com for more information.

2. Use protection. Get your cat spayed or neutered. Unplanned, unwanted ”deliveries” often wind up in shelters, contributing to the overcrowding problem. Plus, spaying and neutering can help reduce your cat’s risk of developing uterine, ovarian, or testicular cancer.

3. Tag, you’re it. Be sure your cat always wears a name tag (or license, if your municipality requires cats to be licensed). If he gets lost, the tag will help any good Samaritan who finds him return him to you. Plus, you’ll conserve the gas you would waste driving around the neighborhood hunting for him, and the paper for those ”missing” posters.

4. Keep it clean – and gentle. Replace traditional pet care and cleaning products that may contain harsh chemicals with gentle, all-natural products.

5. Potty all the time. Choose environmentally friendly cat litter like ARM & HAMMER Essentials Clumping Cat Litter. It’s made with natural biodegradable corn fibers which are sensible for the environment, and absorbs twice the liquid compared to regular clumping clay litter. Plus, the addition of baking soda eliminates odor problems instantly. Visit www.armandhammeressentials.com/litter.aspx to learn more.

6. Food for thought. Just as added hormones or pesticides in your food aren’t good for you, they’re not good for your cat, either. Look for pet food that is natural, organic and FDA-certified.

7. Quench their thirst. Change your pet’s water and food bowl regularly to eliminate potential disease, insect or other pest infestations. Be sure to use filtered tap water rather than bottled water, which weighs on your wallet and the environment.

8. Play ball. Purchase toys made from sustainable fibers or recycled materials, or entertain your cat with homemade toys crafted from recycled materials, like a scratching pole made from old carpeting. And remember, you will always be her favorite – and most eco-friendly – toy.

9. Into the wild … or not. Try to keep your cat inside as much as possible to avoid exposure to injury, illness and predatory wildlife. If your cat craves the outdoors, however, try to keep his outside time supervised in an enclosed area.

10. Purr-tanical gardens. In an enclosed space, plant a small garden in your backyard for your cat and stock it with cat-safe herbs and flowers. Just be sure kitty is always supervised, and stays in her own yard – otherwise you may find yourself having to explain her embarassing visit to your neighbor’s tomato patch.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Chicken lovers push to lift town’s ban on backyard coops

CARY – Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because Cary told it to scram.

That’s a growing joke in urban poultry circles. Long stereotyped for its rule-happy sameness, Cary refuses to allow backyard chicken coops. Too noisy. Too smelly. Too … well, un-Cary.

But the town’s defiance has stirred a grass-roots chicken push; its supporters hope to bust Cary’s reputation as a snooty killjoy.

Check out the new Web site carychickens.com, or the poultry fans flocking on Facebook, the popular Internet social hub.

They point to Raleigh, where chicken coops are common enough that in some neighborhoods you can pass three on a single block, and where the annual Tour d’Coop draws a curious crowd.

Wake Forest just relaxed its poultry rules — letting homeowners keep up to 10 hens — and Durham is pondering the fresh-egg benefits of city chickens.

Cary, like the farmer in the dell’s cheese, stands alone.

“They don’t want to be seen as rednecks,” coop hopeful Michael Manfre said. “I don’t see how that association works, because cities like New York, they also allow chickens.”

In July, Manfre and his wife, Alissa, laid out their chicken plan for the council.

The rules: No roosters. No slaughtering. Permits required.

The perks: Tastier eggs. Locally grown food. Pets that eat bugs.

But the idea died when the council voted down a motion to study the possibility. Cary does allow poultry in its scarce agricultural zones, but council members backed firmly away from putting birds in neighborhood yards.

“Everywhere I went, I had people begging me not to let this happen,” council member Don Frantz said. “Noise, smell, disease, property values. It’s not an urban thing. It’s best left to the country.”

As to Cary’s image, and whether the chicken ban adds to its renown for regulation, Frantz shrugged.

“I guess that’s part of the reason we win so many national awards,” he said.

Chicken supporters in the Triangle and nationwide say most of the fears are misguided.

Having a few chickens in the backyard isn’t any noisier or messier than keeping a pet dog, fans say. Roosters are a different story, but they aren’t asking Cary for anything that crows.

“I’m not a morning person,” Manfre said. “I don’t want to hear them, either.”

Most towns require coops that keep hens from wandering, and any owner will tell you that a coop needs constant cleaning.

Cary leaders warned that for every law-abiding chicken keeper, you’d see two scofflaws. But in Raleigh, longtime chicken owners say they are vigilant.

“All of us are sensible, so they don’t crack down,” said Bev Norwood in the Five Points neighborhood. “We had our chickens for months, and the people whose bedroom window is 20 feet away didn’t even know we had chickens.”

Manfre said it is ironic that Cary would hold up its award-winning status when defending the no-chicken stance.

The town recently ranked 16th on Money magazine’s list of best small cities. Nearly every place that ranked higher — including Fort Collins, Colo., and Round Rock, Texas — permits poultry.

Cary’s council might not fret about how that looks to outsiders, but some residents do.

Read More:News & Observer

Avoiding Expensive Visits and Treatment Begins with Simple Changes at Home

W.F. Young makes pain-relief products for both horses and humans.

(NewsUSA) – When it comes to finding a great shampoo or topical pain-reliever, some consumers don’t horse around. Others do, and they just might tell you that it pays off.

Using horse shampoo or other products designed for animals may seem a bit strange, but according to some pet-care industry experts, there’s a growing trend of consumers doing just that.

W.F. Young, for instance, sells an equine topical pain-relief product called Absorbine Veterinary Liniment, but company officials say that some of their human customers use it for treating their own achy muscles and joints.

“We often hear from our loyal customers that in addition to using Absorbine Veterinary Liniment on their horses, they have found that they reap the same therapeutic benefits the liniment gives their pets,” said Jaime D. McKinley, corporate vice president of sales and marketing at W.F. Young. “Our customers tell us that when they apply the liniment to their horses, they feel the soothing, warm sensation on their own hands and it feels great.”

Horse products aren’t the only ones making it out of the barn and into Americans’ bathrooms and medicine cabinets.

Creams made for moisturizing cows’ udders are used by some people to moisturize their hands, while certain balms designed for soothing animals’ cuts and skin abrasions have also proved popular in recent years.

Such products are popular enough, in fact, to be sold at many major retail chains.

CVS, for instance, sells a cow ointment product in its skin-care section, as well as a shampoo initially developed for horses. And W.F. Young’s Absorbine Jr., a pain-relieving liniment made specifically for humans but similar to veterinary Absorbine, is also sold at CVS locations as well as Rite Aid and Brooks Eckerd stores.

So why might people use animal care products on themselves? At least in regards to Absorbine, perhaps it’s a question of commonality.

“Muscle pain and stiffness are conditions common to humans and animals,” says McKinley. “We all need a little relief now and then.”

Owners can easily entertain their pets, even while on a limited budget.

(NewsUSA) – It is possible to care for, even pamper, your pet on a budget or fixed income. By planning carefully and making smart shopping decisions, you can save money on food, toys and treats.

- Save money on everyday essentials, such as pet food, by shopping at deep discount stores. Forty percent of the money Americans spend on pets is for food. You will find savings on name-brand pet food at a deep discount store such as Dollar General. Remember that you can save even more by buying private label food. Many private label products are equivalent to the national brands.

- Find lower-cost medical care. Local humane societies often sponsor free or reduced-price clinics for routine vaccinations or spaying or neutering. Learn about clinics offered in your area, which can save you from expensive vet visits. And, you don’t always have to visit the vet for some medical treatments. Dewormer, ear mite treatment and other medications are available over-the-counter.

- Enjoy the great outdoors with your favorite animal -; which doesn’t cost anything. For outdoor or indoor fun, your pet will need a few basic accessories like a leash, collar and water bowl. All of these inexpensive items are available at deep discount stores.

- Skip the pet day spa and groom your animal at home. You can save a lot of money by bathing and grooming your animal yourself. All you need to set up your own pet spa are shampoo, conditioner, a brush or comb, a hair dryer and nail clippers.

- Potty training and maintenance for pets can also be affordable. Deep discount stores such as Dollar General offer cat litter, litter pans, scoops and liners. Puppy pads are available for puppies that are being trained.

While buying the basics for your favorite animal, don’t forget to pick up a toy or treat. Dogs love toys, snacks or rawhide bones. Cats enjoy exercising on a scratching post or munching on catnip.