The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : November 2012 The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : November 2012

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Sharing Thanksgiving with Your Dog



As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches many of you are wondering if you can give your dog turkey ...Yes, you can!  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, offering your dog a small piece of boneless, thoroughly cooked turkey, plain mashed potatoes and a smidge of pumpkin pie are not likely to be harmful treats for your dog. Just be sure to avoid giving foods with large amounts of onion or garlic, or any treats sweetened with xylitol, a sweetener that can lower the blood sugar of dogs.

When placing the meat in your dog's bowl, be sure to remove all pieces of bone, and the skin! Just like chicken bones, turkey bones splinter and can cause blockage or perforation of the intestine. Rich, fatty foods such as turkey skin and dark turkey meat are difficult to digest and can cause vomiting and diarrhea in your dog, and in extreme cases, pancreatitis. Dogs and turkey bones aren't a good combination.

If you plan on serving Thanksgiving dinner in your home, it’s probably a good idea to give your dog a special chew toy and put him in a secure room. With so many people coming into and out of your house, your dog may become agitated. Dogs don’t like changes in their routine and may not find mingling with strangers to be enjoyable. There’s also a higher risk of your dog escaping to the outside when there’s so much confusion.

Dogs enjoy the revelry at least as much as humans, with bits of this and that dropping on the floor, and delectable smells wafting around the house. But Thanksgiving mustn't be a free-for-all. Just because we try to pack away all we can doesn't mean our dogs should. And there are certain items your dog really needs to avoid.

Cooked turkey bones can be a danger to your dog. They're sharp, and potentially very dangerous. You may not know a dog has a turkey bone lodged in your dog's digestive system for days. Don't leave plates with bones lying around. Ditto for the turkey carcass. Hungry dogs have been known to run off with the remains of a carved turkey. It can happen in the blink of an eye. You notice the turkey is gone. You notice the dog is gone. With luck, you find their hiding place before anything happens. Put plates in an unreachable area if you can't dispose of everything properly right away.

Onions are toxic to dogs. They can lead to a dangerous form of anemia that may not be detected for days. Make sure your dog stays away from the pearly whites, and yellows, and reds.

keep your pup away from the uncooked dough for bread or rolls. What helps make dough rise? Heat. If a dog eats raw dough, what's it like for the dough in the dog's stomach? Warm. The dough rises in the dog's stomach, and if the dog has eaten enough, the swollen dough can cause pain, vomiting, and bloating -- conditions that can send you to the doggy ER on Thanksgiving.

Remember your dog may become agitated with strangers in your home.

Tips:
  • Try to keep all foods pushed toward the back of the counter, prepared and uncooked.
  • Feed your dog in their dog bowl.
  • Keep trash cans either secured with a tight fitting lid, or under a cabinet.
  • Caution your guest on arrival about giving turkey and other table foods to your dog.
  • Once the meal is over, place turkey bones in the garbage and remove the garbage bag from the room. It should immediately be placed in a garbage bin where it can't be accessed by your dog.
  • If you have guests coming into the home around the holidays this poses many dangers to pets.  A child who does not know how to properly interact with your dog may end up the victim of a dog bite incident.
  • As guests enter and exit your home for Thanksgiving dinner this provides an opportunity for your dog to escape.
  • If you think someone gave your dog too much turkey or table food, contact your vet immediately. The same is true if your dog got into the trash and ate something he shouldn't have.
Since most vet offices are closed on holidays including Thanksgiving, you should have an emergency contact number on hand. Most likely, this will be the nearest Pet Emergency Center.

Please take a look at the video below:





Please Share, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
The Pet Tree House

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Sharing Thanksgiving with Your Cat



As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches many of you are  wondering if you can give your cat turkey….Yes, you can!  The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, offering  your cat little nibbles of a small piece of boneless, thoroughly cooked turkey. Don’t give your cat any thing sweetened with xylitol, While xylitol is toxic and even potentially fatal when ingested by dogs, its effects on cats is unknown.

If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer them raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella  bacteria.

Tips:
  • Do not leave food crumbs on plates and make sure all food items are sealed in containers with lids.
  • Also place candles where cats cannot knock them over. Never leave a cat unattended in a room with lit candles. He will gravitate to them like moths to a porch light.
  • Keep stoves and countertops off-limits to cats. Electric stovetops can be very hot without changing color, and present a serious burn hazard to curious noses and tender feet.
  • You may be tempted to put your cats in the garage to keep them out of the way when your Thanksgiving visitors arrive. This is not a good idea for several reasons. Anti-freeze is both attractive and deadly to cats. Anti-freeze and caustic chemicals stored in the garage spell certain disaster if a cat comes in contact with them. Although it may seem like an attractive idea to keep a normally indoor-outdoor cat in the garage over the winter, please keep them in the house. If you need to keep your indoor-only cats away from the festivities, consider a Safe Room.
  • Keep trash cans either secured with a tight fitting lid, or under a cabinet. Caution your guest on arrival about giving turkey and other table foods to your cat.
  • Once the meal is over, place turkey bones in the garbage and remove the garbage bag from the room. It should immediately be placed in a garbage bin where it can't be accessed by your cat.
  • If you have guests coming into the home around the holidays this poses many dangers to pets.  A child who does not know how to properly interact with your cat, may end up getting scratched.
  • Sage (Salvia species) is considered to be edible in small amounts. However, it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and even central nervous system depression if eaten in large quantities.
  • Cats are sensitive to the effects of essential oils. Keep your cat away from the sage, if  you are cooking with this while preparing your Thanksgiving dinner.
  • As guests enter and exit your home for Thanksgiving dinner this provides an opportunity for your cat to escape. Your cat may become agitated with strangers in your home. To your pet the holidays are a confusing mix of noise, people, strange sights, sounds and smells. Make sure your cat or dog has his own space, either a crate or a separate room, to retreat to when it all becomes overwhelming. You and your pet will be happier for it.
  • If you think someone gave your cat too much turkey or table food, contact your vet immediately. The same is true if your cat got into the trash and ate something he shouldn't have.
Since most vet offices are closed on holidays including Thanksgiving, you should have an emergency contact number on hand. Most likely, this will be the nearest Pet Emergency Center.

Please take a look at the video below:




Please Share, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
The Pet Tree House



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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Paperboy Terrorized and Trapped in a Tree by a Goat


Smithfield, Cache County, Utah – It started as a report for a missing child, but he was found after police got a report of a goat that had chased a teenage boy up a tree.

He may have a villainous name, but 1 ½-year-old Voldemort is a nice goat, his owner said.

“He’s really happy and plays with the kids,” Marissa Benson said. “I’ve never had him chase my kids.”

She and her two kids have owned Voldemort since he was two days old. He is a fainting goat, which means he’s narcoleptic and will fall asleep when scared. But Tuesday morning he put the fear in someone else.

Fourteen-year-old Jaxon Gessel was on his early morning paper route when the chain holding Voldemort broke. The goat made its way across Smithfield's Main Street under cover of darkness.

Gessel said the early morning dark made it difficult to make out the creature as it approached him near 300 South and Main Street. He didn’t think much of it, figuring it was a dog because he sees dogs all the time on his route.

“Then it made a weird noise, kind of like a grunting noise,” he said. The shadowy figure started coming at him. “I’m like, ‘What the heck is that?’”

He said Voldemort head-butted him off his bike. He tried to get away by jumping back on his bike, but the goat tackled him.

“It just freaked me out when it stood up on its hind legs and just wrapped its front legs around me and pulled me off,” he said.

The teenager took shelter in a tree. Whenever someone would walk by, the goat would chase after them.

“It had like a collar on, so I grabbed it by the collar to keep it off of the other people because I didn’t want anybody else getting hurt,” he said.

The boy was able to get out of the tree, but was chased right back up. He was up in the tree for about an hour when two little girls walked by and were freaked out by Voldemort, he said.

Jaxon said that brought new urgency to get down out of the tree. He grabbed the goat and chased it down for a block or two.

Meantime, Smithfield police officer Brandon Muir was working a missing child case called in by Gessel’s parents. He hadn’t come home from his paper route and was about 90 minutes overdue. That’s when Muir got a call about a boy and a goat.

Video



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Break-In at Zoo Boise Leaves One Patas Monkey Dead



Boise, Idaho - A break-in at Zoo Boise early Saturday left a Patas monkey dead from blunt force trauma to the head and neck and police were analyzing blood found at the scene to determine if it came from the monkey or one of two human intruders.

Two males wearing dark clothing were spotted by a security guard at 4:30 a.m. outside the fence near the primate exhibit, police said. Both fled, one of them heading into the interior of the zoo. Boise police used a thermal imager in searching the 11-acre zoo grounds but didn't find the person.

Police said late Saturday that a grey baseball cap with a distinctive skull design found near the site was probably left behind by one of the intruders and it might help in tracking them down.

"I've been here for 15 years and we haven't had anything like this happen," Zoo Boise Director Steve Burns said. "It's unfortunate that we have to let kids know that something like this happens. Monkeys are always among the most favorite animals here."

Patas monkeys, often called the military monkey, have reddish-brown fur with grey chin whiskers and distinctive white moustaches. They are widely distributed across central Africa south of the Sahara Desert and can live more than 20 years in captivity.

During a search of the zoo before dawn, Burns heard a groan that at first he thought sounded human. It turned out to be an injured Patas monkey barely moving near the perimeter fence.

The zoo's veterinarian was called, but the monkey died just before 6 a.m. as it was being examined. A necropsy later determined that blunt force trauma was the cause of death, police said.

An inventory done by zoo staff found no other animals missing or injured. The zoo has one remaining Patas monkey – another male – but it's unclear if it will remain at the zoo or will be sent to another zoo where it can socialize with other Patas monkeys, Burns said.

Burns said the monkeys hadn't been given names, and he didn't know their ages. The monkey that was killed was about 2 1/2 feet tall and weighed about 30 pounds, Burns said.

Burns declined to discuss details of the police investigation, including how the intruder entered the primate building, if the monkeys might have been specifically targeted, or how the monkey ended up near the perimeter fence. The zoo doesn't have surveillance cameras, he said.

'It's very disturbing that someone would intentionally break into the zoo and harm an animal,' said Sgt. Ted Snyder of the Boise Police Department in a statement. 'We're doing all we can to find who did this.'

Amy Stahl of Boise Parks & Recreation said the death shocked zoo workers.
'They're hit hard,' Stahl said. 'They care for the animals on a daily basis and they care about them deeply.'

The zoo was supposed to open at 10 a.m. but remained closed while police gathered evidence, opening about 2:30 p.m.

"They're not endangered in the wild, but there are not many in zoos in the United States," he said. "Monkeys are social animals. We only have one."


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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Michael Vick's Rescued Dogs Reunited 5 Years Later - Take a Look at the Cute Video of Their Owners Trying to get them to Pose for a Picture




They were battered and bruised but, ultimately, they were not broken.
Seven dogs rescued from NFL quarterback Michel Vick’s Virginia property when he pleaded guilty to federal charges relating to dog fighting, were reunited in California Oct. 27, tails wagging, tongues out, happy.

Five years ago they had scars, some physical, all emotional.  They wore bandannas at their reunion celebration, surrounded by 125 emotional guests and their proud owners.

“They’re very forgiving and they all really enjoy other dogs, which is probably the other big surprise that came out of the case,” said Donna Reynolds, director of Oakland-based BAD RAP, an advocacy group for “pit bull-type” dogs. “In fact, dogs were a comfort to them.”

Reynolds’ organization worked with prosecutors on the Vick case in 2007 to identify dogs that were taken from Vick’s property who could be rehabilitated. Of the 10 that Reynolds’ organization secreted out of Virginia in the back of an RV because of the ongoing investigation, seven returned to their ranch nearly unrecognizable from the dogs that they were before.


                                                  (Image Credit: Mark Rogers/www.markrogersphotography.com)



                                                  (Image Credit: Mark Rogers/www.markrogersphotography.com)

Hector, a brownish pit bull, has scars up and down his chest and missing teeth from his days in Vick’s dog-fighting arena.

“He’s got a notch out of his tongue, a notch out of his ear. He definitely had a poor life before now,” his owner Roo Yori said.

Nearly five years ago, Yori and his wife drove more than 35 hours from Minnesota to San Francisco to pick up Hector. He came back to their home almost as if nothing had happened.

“Hector, fortunately, was one of the dogs that wasn’t as affected as some of the other ones. Hector, he just kind of got out of there said, ‘That stunk, let’s move forward,’ and that was it. It was very obvious he had never lived in a house; he had never been a pet dog,” Yori said.

“He unpotted a potted plant because he wanted to play with it like a stick.”
Hector now fits in well with the family: Yori, wife Clara and their four other dogs.
At the ranch, the normally independent, 7-year-old Hector became uncharacteristically animated, wagging his tail wildly and wiggling in excitement upon being reunited with Donna Reynolds and Tim Racer, the founders of BAD RAP.

“Hector actually loved Tim and Donna … you could totally tell,” Yori said. “He’s kind of an independent dog, he’s kind of aloof. When he saw Tim and Donna, he stared wiggling. You could tell he remembered them.”

                                                  (Image Credit: Mark Rogers/www.markrogersphotography.com)

All the dogs now lead full lives.

“Dogs live in the moment; they don’t dwell on the past,” BAD RAP’s Reynolds said. “Once they have enough positive experiences to draw on, they just run right into the present.”

Seven have Canine Good Citizen Certificates and three are therapy dogs in hospitals and children’s literacy programs.

At least one, Jonny Justice, a black and white  Staffordshire bull terrier with something of an eye patch, has become a bit of a celebrity.

Jonny appeared on “The Rachael Ray Show” in 2008 and next year will be the model for a stuffed dog made by manufacturer GUND as the winner of their “Top Dog” contest.

                                                  (Image Credit: Mark Rogers/www.markrogersphotography.com)

Of the 10 dogs rescued, three did not make it to the reunion: one because of distance and another because of a last-minute emergency. A third, Ernie, was just busy being a dog, no longer a “Vick dog.”

“Ernie’s mom doesn’t want him to be a Vick dog anymore, she just wants to have a dog,” Reynolds said.

                                                                       (Image Credit: Eric Risberg/AP Photo)

As the seven dogs and their owners posed for a glamour shot, giggles and laughter rang out when the dogs tried to squirm their way to freedom.

“The tails were just flying around,” said photographer Mark Rogers, who valiantly tried to wrangle the disorderly group for a final photo.

But there were also tears that came mainly from the 125 members of the public who attended the event just to lend some support.

“There were lots of hugs, kisses, lots of crying. When people meet these dogs, they cry,” Reynolds said. “They understand that they are little pieces of positive history.”

Take a look at the cute video below. They are trying to get the dogs to sit still for the picture. Tails are wagging all over the place...these dogs are happy now!




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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Bomb-Sniffing Mice Are New Weapon Against Terror



Amazing bomb sniffing mice unveiled at Security Expo. These mice are capable of sniffing out a variety of explosive materials, narcotics and more. They may soon debut at airports across the globe.

When it comes to safety in the skies and the prevention of terrorist attacks, one company believes our best line of defense is a crack team of specially-trained rodents.

Yes, bomb-sniffing mice could well be the best way of tackling would-be plane bombers, according to security experts.

Forget sniffer dogs, pat-downs and X-Ray machines, these miniature creatures are said to be cheaper and much more accurate, according to New Scientist magazine.

Israeli researchers have designed a body-scanner style machine, but instead of taking an image of passengers, it conceals three teams of eight mice behind secret panels.

Air is passed over the passengers then pumped into the panels and if explosives are detected the mice run into another chamber, raising the alarm.

Rodents have a more acute sense of smell than dogs and don't rely on the same amount of treats and encouragement needed by their canine colleagues, making them less work for trainers.

In return for working two four-hour shifts a day, the rodents have comfortable cages and access to as much food and water as they want. And they can retire after 18 months.

The company behind the invention believes the mouse-powered machine could be the ultimate low-tech, low-cost answer to airport security.

And it would certainly solve the controversy surrounding full-body scanners which transmit 'naked' images to a member of the airport security team.

'Animals' noses are always a good solution, and the mice don't see you naked,' security expert Bruce Schneier told the New Scientist.

The first field test was run in a Tel Aviv shopping centre in December 2011 and the rodents picked out each of the 22 test 'bombers' who were carrying explosives.

The Israeli company hopes to find financial backing to expand the project, meaning a crack team of mice could soon be coming to an airport near you.


Bloomberg's Elliott Gotkine reports from Israel which is currently hosting a Homeland Security Conference. He speaks to Boaz Hayoun, chief executive officer of Tamar Explosives, who has developed an alternative to sniffer dogs.

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Friday, November 9, 2012

Young Boy Killed by African Painted Dogs at the Pittsburgh Zoo



This is a very sad story:

Pittsburgh, PA - A 2-year-old boy was mauled by African painted dogs  after falling over the railing on which his mother put him to view the wild animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo, police said.

The boy died after falling 14 feet into the exhibit, said Barbara Baker, director of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Barker said it's unclear whether the boy died from the fall or from the attack.

Zoo officials tried firing darts to scare the dogs away from the child, but the animals, which are pack hunters, did not immediately respond.

The dogs were eventually moved from the exhibit, with the exception of one, which had to be shot after it continued to "be aggressive" to the boy, Baker told a news conference Sunday.

"Unfortunately, by the time EMTs were able to get to him, the boy had passed away," Baker said.

The boy and his mother, 34, Pleasant Hills, Pa., residents who have not been identified, were visiting the zoo just before noon when police say the toddler's mother stood the boy on a wooden railing outside the exhibit. Witnesses say the boy lost his balance and fell into the exhibit.

"There is a railing with a graphic sign. And the child flipped over the top of that railing, and there is also a catch basin to catch things that fall into the exhibit. But apparently the child flipped over that as well," Barker said.

That's when all 11 dogs pounced on the toddler and began to maul him. Witnesses said the scene lasted five minutes, but felt like an eternity.

"We heard screams pretty loudly, and maybe like five minutes had passed by before we heard of what sounded like gunshots," eyewitness Carey Lenz said.

Zookeepers ran into the enclosure, luring seven of the dogs away. Other zoo officials tried to beat the remaining dogs back. The most aggressive dog was shot and killed by a Pittsburgh police officer.

"From what I have heard, this was a pretty horrific scene," police Lt. Kevin Kraus said.

Police said the boy's father arrived on the scene soon after the accident, according The Associated Press.

The zoo has been closed until further notice.

African painted dogs are an endangered species and are about the size of a medium-sized domestic dog, according to the zoo. African wild dogs are also known as cape hunting dogs, spotted dogs and painted wolves. They have large, rounded ears and dark brown circles around their eyes.

"They are one of the most aggressive predatory animals in the wild. A zookeeper, a tranquilizer gun could not have helped," said Jack Hanna, Columbus Zoo director emeritus.

The Pittsburgh Zoo has raised these dogs since birth, but it's not the first time they've caused trouble. The dogs caused a brief lockdown of the zoo in May after they crawled under a fence to another part of the exhibit. But they never left the exhibit and no one was harmed.

Baker said the Pittsburgh Zoo has never had a visitor death. She said no decision has been made yet about the future of the exhibit.



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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Have You Heard the New Rage for Feline Fans? - The Poodle Cats - Take a Look!




In 1987, a mutant kitten was born in Montana with hair like a poodle. Named Miss DePesto, this kitten grew up and birthed curly kittens of her own. As the curly cat family tree grew, Miss DePesto's descendants eventually became recognized as a new breed: the Selkirk Rex.

Now, 25 years and about nine kitty generations later, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria, have confirmed that these felines are genetically distinct from previously known breeds, making Selkirk Rex the fourth curly-haired cat breed known.

The genetic quirk that makes a Selkirk Rex's hair kink is a dominant trait. This makes the trait easy for breeders to retain even while crossing breeding to maintain genetic diversity. Selkirk Rex is usually crossed with Persians or British Shorthairs, making it a particularly laid back cat.

And while the Selkirk Rex is one of four curly-haired cat breeds, it easily has the best hair. Devon Rex and Cornish Rex are breeds with curly, downy, super-short hair, prone to balding, while the unimaginatively named LaPerm breed has curly hair of average length hair -- but not nearly as plush and thick as Selkirk Rex. Miss DePesto would be proud.

Check out some of these good looking mutant kitties below.





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