Avoid Losing Your Pet
Pet personalities vary greatly. While some animals want to snooze and hibernate away the winter safe in your warm home, other can get “cabin fever” and attempt to get loose outdoors. Make sure to keep an eye on your animal at all times!

When walking outside, always keep your dog on a leash. You may think your dog listens well to voice commands off of the leash, but you never know what to expect when it sees another animal or a different interesting smell.

Use a proper leash and collar setup or harness to keep your pet from pulling away from you during outside activities. If a dog decides to chase something they can sometimes pull the leash through your hand or slip out of an ill-fitting collar. This can be even worse on winter ice and snow. Keep leashes looped on your hand and always grasp it firmly. Pay attention to your dog so if it yanks the leash, your wrist or shoulder will not be hurt and you won’t slip on ice.

If you let your dog out into a fenced-in yard, now is the time to check the fence for damage. Check gates for proper latching and the fence perimeter to make sure dogs aren’t digging under. Continue regular checks throughout the year. Make sure the fence is tall enough to keep your dog in and other animals out.

Get your pet microchipped! Microchipping is a cheap, quick, and permanent way to always be able to identify an animal. It is about the size of a grain of rice and does not hurt the animal. Animal shelters and veterinarians always check for a microchip when a stray animal is brought in. Microchips are loaded with pet information, owner’s name, and contact info so the pet can quickly be returned. Ask your vet or shelter if they offer microchipping service.

Keep a collar on your pet at all times if you are worried about it getting loose. Make sure there are identification tags on the collar including your contact information and the pet’s rabies vaccination tags. Collars are one of the first things that clue people in that an animal is a pet and not just a stray.

When You Lose Your Pet
Check with local animal shelters as soon as you know your pet is missing! Timing is key, and there is no reason to wait. Call in to give a description of your pet, where it went missing, when, and how to contact you if it is brought in. Make sure to do this with all of the local shelters. In our area that would include Cedar Rapids Animal Control (319-286-5993) and Cedar Valley Humane Society (319-362-6288). Contact your local law enforcement who are a good resource in the community and also work closely with animal control agencies. A loose pet during the winter often gathers attention from the public or law enforcement. Check back with all of these places regularly until the pet is found.

Check online groups like facebook lost and found pet pages and craigslist posts. These are usually active groups that bring you up to date with pets that local private citizens find. Make sure to post your pet, with pictures, as missing. It is also a good idea to distribute missing posters throughout the area that your pet was lost.

Cold weather and snow cover can both make it harder for an animal to use its sense of smell to find its way home. If you lose your cat, put a used litter box out on a porch for them to find their way home. A used dog bed or some of your worn clothing can help a dog sniff its way back also.

A warm spot such as a heating lamp in a garage may also draw the loose animal back home. It’s also a good idea to put water and a favorite food nearby. Always check your car before starting it if your cat is loose. They often try to get under car hoods and in engine bays to seek out the warmth. A few good knocks on the hood will often scare any snoozing kitty out of harm’s way.

After You Find Your Pet
When you find your pet, check for injuries right away. Make sure they are standing and walking without a limp. Scour through their fur to check skin for cuts or rashes. Brush through fur to find ticks. If a tick is found remove it with a pair of tweezers or a tick removal tool by gripping as low as possible and pulling straight out. Pay attention when you take them out to use the bathroom to make sure everything is “normal” –you never know what they could have gotten into and eaten when they were loose, and how that could affect their digestion. Look for signs of frostbite, red or dark areas on the exposed area of the skin or a waxy feeling around ears, nose, and feet. Take your pet to a vet immediately if you find something wrong with them.

Toxic or not?
Dyes, heavy metals, chemicals, and plastics with BPA are all toxins that can be found in unsafe products. We worry a lot about these things when considering our own health, and it is just as important for our animal’s chew toys. Unfortunately, it can be nearly impossible for an individual to judge whether or not a toy contains these toxins. Instead, purchase your toys from reputable sources and companies with positive past records for supplying quality products.

Choking hazard?
One of the most common issues when choosing a safe dog toy is whether or not it is the appropriate size to avoid being a choking hazard. Of course, this will vary from dog to dog. Too small of a toy can be inadvertently swallowed and stuck in the windpipe. But too large of a toy can also cause problems by getting lodged in a dog’s open mouth. Remember, they don’t have hands to remove something if it gets stuck. Dogs can also be injured if they ingest parts of a toy. Fabric can clog and twist in intestinal tracts and shards of chew bones can cause damage throughout the entire digestive tract if swallowed.

Is it made to hold up?
Dog toys are not all made equally. Some brands make products that are well known to be nearly indestructible while others will deteriorate or shred to pieces after just a few minutes of play. Always get toys that are intended for dogs. Children’s toys aren’t nearly as tough and have parts that can be dangerous when ingested by your dog. Plastic eyes from stuffed animals are commonly swallowed and cause digestive issues. Some toys made specifically for dogs come without any stuffing or plastic bits to allow for safer play.

Avoiding Injury
Remember that dog toys are not replacements for your supervision. Watch after your dog while it plays and chews so that if a toy begins to come apart, it can be taken away. Toys like plastic bottles can become sharp if allowed to be destroyed too much. This can tear apart gums and cause other cuts in the mouth. Also, consider your specific dog when picking how to play and with what. If you have an elderly dog with poor teeth, it may not be the best idea to get a tug-of-war rope. Look out for toys that are too hard for dog’s teeth to handle or even oddly shaped larger toys that could poke a dog’s eyes while being manipulated in their mouth.

Allergies
Some dog toys contain food or flavoring items. These can be fine as long as you are aware of potential allergies. Keep an eye on your dog the first time they are trying out any new type of food based toy. It is also possible for dogs to have allergies to different types of rubber just like humans do. Stay on top of product recall news as well so you know your dog is getting the safest toys!

The following are NOT safe for your pet:
• Bones: These can easily splinter and become lodged in your pet’s throat or mouth. Even worse, they can perforate the intestines. Larger bones can also cause intestinal blockage.
• Onions and Garlic: These seasonings can cause anemia.
• Unbaked bread dough: Even the smallest amount of raw dough made from live yeast can expand in your pet’s stomach and cause an upset stomach. If too much is eaten, it can also cause breathing difficulties.
• Raw eggs, meat, and fish: These can cause salmonella or E coli poisoning which leads to terrible intestinal problems and even death.
• Fat Trimmings: Although very tasty for our pets, too much fat, cooked or raw, can cause pancreatitis.
• Spices: Nutmeg, for example, can cause seizures and even death. Sage causes vomiting and stomach cramps in pets. When in doubt, don’t give your pet any food that has added seasoning or spices.
• Beware of any foil, toothpicks and skewers that are left within reach of your pet. These smell and taste delicious to pets and could cause obstructions or perforations in the intestinal tract.

Given sparingly, the following are safe for your pet:
• Turkey (no bones, fat, or skin)
• Plain mashed potatoes
• Small helping of cranberry sauce
• Plain macaroni (you can add cheese if you know how well your pet’s stomach handles dairy)
• Plain steamed green beans
• Salt-free canned chicken broth
• Plain canned pumpkin (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling)
• Sliced raw apples

Make sure that these foods do not have added ingredients or spices. You can never be too careful so if you’re not sure if it’s safe for your pet, give them one of their regular favorite treats along with lots of love and attention during your holiday break. They will love you unconditionally either way!

If your pet is outdoors for any portion of the winter, it is vitally important to provide shelter, a source of warmth, and fresh, unfrozen food and water. Without these a pet is in danger of injury and loss of life. Not providing these resources for an animal is considered abuse and against the law!

During the winter months many indoor animals experience much lower levels of activity than normal. While they are hibernating and sleeping away the winter, make sure not to overfeed your pet and cause weight gain. Cater your animal’s food intake to its activity level. While some animals need less food in the winter, others that are regularly outside doing work will need more calories due to the cold.

Just like humans have body parts that are more prone to damage from the cold, so do our pets. Take care to make sure paws, tips of tails, ears, and noses are not getting too cold. These areas are sensitive to frostbite. Take animals inside or to a warm area immediately if you feel these areas are being exposed to harsh temperatures.

Antifreeze is a common leak from car engines during the winter months. It is also a common spill that can be found in driveways or garages. This liquid is a major danger because it has a sweet taste to pets but is also very poisonous. Just a small amount can be fatal, so make sure to be on the lookout for spills or leaks and clean them up immediately. If you think your pet may have ingested antifreeze, take it to the vet right away!

Salt and other forms of ice melt pose another risk to the paws of your pets. Some of these salts and mixtures that include calcium or sodium chloride can be harsh and corrosive to paw pads and toes. It’s important to purchase pet safe ice melt to use in areas around your home where your pets walk or where others may walk their pets down your sidewalk. If you take your dog on long walks during the winter where you may be in areas with non-pet-friendly ice melt, it is a smart idea to use booties or other covers over their feet. They won’t just protect their feet, they will also help to keep them warm!

It’s common for stray or lost cats to look for warmth underneath a car’s hood during the cold winter. While you may think it would be difficult for a cat to get into an engine bay, it’s not! Starting an engine can be a hazard to a furry creature inside and could injure or kill them if they get caught in the mechanical pulleys or fans. If you are worried that a stray cat could be in your area, give a few good taps on your hood to scare off any stowaways before getting into your car to start it.

Keep The Dog In A Secure Place
Your dog should stay locked in a secure, comfortable room where he can lie down and relax. This room should be as far from the door as possible to reduce the noise from trick-or-treaters and the sound of the door opening and closing. Make sure to check on your pup frequently and take him out for potty breaks.

Put On Music
You should place a radio or television in your dog’s room and turn the volume to a level that will help drown out the noise. Put on something soothing that won’t startle your pup and trigger his noise anxiety.

Training
It will take some time, but you can use certain exposure techniques to treat your dog’s anxiety. Steadily exposing him to the sound of knocking and doorbells and creating positive associations with these sounds over time will help reduce the fear on Halloween. This takes a lot of practice and hard work, so don’t expect your dog to just be fine over night.

Exercise Beforehand
Take your dog for a long walk before the action starts. Tiring your dog out will help him rest easier and maybe even sleep through some of the anxiety-causing noises. Exercise also stimulates the production of serotonin, the same chemical that makes you feel good after a workout. This will help reduce fearful reactions and eliminate some of that nervous energy.

Positive Reinforcement
Always remember that your dog looks to you for guidance in strange situations. Don’t react too strongly to the dog’s negative responses to noises. Calmly be there for your dog and give low-energy reassurances to your pet. If giving out candy is too much for your dog to handle consider putting it off this year until your dog is more comfortable.

Pick A Costume Your Pet Likes
The first step is to pick a costume that your animal will like. If your pet is finicky about costumes, then you probably want a simple costume that doesn’t impede their range of motion. Bulky costumes aren’t a good starting point. Neither are costumes with complex accessories.

Get Your Pet Used To Wearing The Costume
Don’t wait until the last minute to put on the costume. Start training your pet a few weeks before Halloween, if possible. Gradually increase their comfort level by increasing the time they are exposed to the costume.

Give Lots Of Praise
Make your pet as comfortable as possible before bringing out the costume. This can be done easily by rewarding them with some tasty treats and positive verbal and physical reinforcement so they will have a positive association with the costume.

Get Them Used To The Costume’s Scent
Letting your pet smell the costume before jumping-in will help them become more familiar with the object. Remember, you pet won’t understand what’s going on as you’re trying to dress it in the costume. Being familiar with the scent will take away one more unknown variable from the confusing situation.

Get Your Pet Used To Being Near The Costume
Once your pet seems comfortable around the costume, drape the costume over them for a few seconds while rewarding with treats. Don’t strap anything on yet- just get them used to the idea of the costume being on them. Repeat this step several times, putting it on and taking it off, to help them learn to like the costume before moving on. Be sure to praise with some encouragement and treats intermittently as you extend the periods in which the costume is atop your pet.

Distract Them
When it’s time to strap on the costume, try to distract your pet with something entertaining by bringing their attention elsewhere. Praise your dog with confidence and more treats. Make sure the costume fits your pet comfortably so that your animal is able to move around freely.

Be Patient
Don’t just put the costume on your pet and expect it to like it. It might take some time for some animals to like their costumes. Keep these training sessions short and simple. Don’t try to fight your pet into wearing it, because you won’t win. If your dog or cat just won’t cooperate with wearing a costume, there may not be much you can do to change their mind. Cut your losses and don’t overstress your pet!

Keep Halloween candy away from pets! Chocolate and the common sweetener Xylitol are both toxic to dogs. Keep all candy out of reach of pets and watch for signs of poisoning including diarrhea, vomiting, and rapid breathing in case your animals eats any candy.

Keep animals inside and confined during trick or treating. Not only will this make it easier on you while you answer the door, but it reduces the risk of your pet escaping through the door, biting, or excessively barking. Trick-or-treaters can also cause stress for your pets, so keeping them separated from the front room will help them stay calm and happy.

Keep animals inside around Halloween. Don’t let your pet become the target of a cruel Halloween “prank” because it was outside and not monitored.

Don’t leave unattended candles in Jack-O-Lanterns or elsewhere during the holiday season. Pets can knock over candles and start serious fires.

Also remember to keep wires from Halloween decorations tucked away so they can’t be chewed or pulled by your pets.

Pet costumes can be fun, but only if your animal doesn’t mind the outfit! Don’t overstress your animal by trying to dress it up. Also make sure that the costume fits correctly and doesn’t cause discomfort or have parts that can be chewed and choked on.

Remember to have all of your pet’s I.D. information up to date and visible. Even if they are wearing a costume, it’s important to have their correctly fitted collar with tags and vaccine info available. We also recommend getting your pet I.D. microchipped if you haven’t already. Halloween is a common time to have pets go missing. You can learn what to do if your pet goes missing by reading this post.

Just like humans (hopefully) keep up with dental hygiene daily, pets need routine upkeep and maintenance to make their teeth shine and be healthy. While most people don’t attend to their pet’s dental hygiene daily, it is something that must be done regularly. It won’t take care of itself if ignored!

Is your pet’s breath stinky? This is one of the most common signs that they are in need of oral hygiene upkeep. Bad breath from tartar and plaque can be a warning sign for more serious inflammatory diseases. These diseases can be more than just oral health problems, they can spread to organs and other parts of your pet’s body and affect overall health. Don’t ignore it when you smell the stinky pet breath, take action.

Brushing a pet’s teeth can be challenging, but it is something that many owners can accomplish in their own home. Brushing teeth should be approached like all training you do with your pet. Patience, treats, rewards, and calm reassurance are all needed to have a successful experience. Starting slowly is key. If you rush and your pet has a bad experience, it may be harder to get them to agree to the brushing in the future.

Brushing doesn’t have to be complicated. You can use a normal toothbrush meant for people, or buy specialized pet toothbrushes that fit over your finger and in the pet’s mouth better. Follow the same advice your dentist gives you for your teeth. Work in small, circular motions with only moderate pressure. You may want to be a bit gentler on your pet than you would be for yourself because the sensation will feel very foreign to them at first. Just like with people, make sure to get all sides and corners of the teeth.

You won’t always need toothpaste to clean your pet’s teeth. Many times it can be done with a damp toothbrush. Make sure your pet’s mouth and gums aren’t too dry when you’re brushing as toothbrush bristles are more painful and less effective on dry gums. When you do decide to use a toothpaste product, you need to use a pet friendly toothpaste. Human toothpaste is not safe for animals! If your animal is aggressive during the brushing, stop. It’s not worth a bite to do it on your own!

There are also many products available to pet owners to help keep pet’s teeth cleaner and healthier between cleanings. Dental sticks and chew toys act as teeth cleaners between brushings. Pets use the natural chewing action to scrape and brush away tarter and plaque while thinking they are just having a nice treat! Also consider a food designed to promote oral health as another way to keep up hygiene between cleanings.

If you are having trouble with keeping your pet’s teeth clean, don’t just ignore the problem. It is very important to keep your pet’s overall health in check. Have a vet or certified groomer perform the cleanings. Your pet will thank you in the long run!

Get all the necessary pet supplies ready before bringing your new family member home. Toys, bowls, food, leashes, and whatever else your pet may need. This will make the transition much easier and less hectic as you get use to taking care of your new friend.

Prepare your home before the pet shows up. Have plenty of kitty litter boxes for cats, a fenced in yard if you are going that route for a dog, and a “pet proofed” living area to help keep your new companion out of trouble.

Help your new pet ease into life co-existing with any current pet as easily as possible. Have them meet any current pet in a neutral location such as outdoors on a walk for dogs or a shared living area for cats. If you are curious about your current dog’s compatibility with a new dog, you can do a meet and greet at the shelter. If you are bringing dogs and cats together, make sure the cat has an area to escape to such as a high perch so it won’t constantly be harassed by the dog.

Set up a space for your new animal to call its own. Whether it’s a sunny window ledge for a cat or a comfy dog bed, having this space will help make the new pet feel comfortable in your home.

Set up rules ahead of time for your family to help take care of the pet. Make decisions on important questions such as: When are dogs going to be taken out? How often are litter boxes going to be cleaned? Thinking about these things ahead of time will help you be more realistic about the needs of a new pet and how your family will adapt to them.

Remember that everyone needs to be on the same page to help train the new animal if you want to be successful. If all members of the family are teaching a dog not to beg during dinner, all it takes to undo that training is one person feeding table scraps. Remember to be united and work together!

It’s best to plan to bring your new pet home when you will have some time to spend with it and make sure it is adapting well. Whether this means adopting before a long weekend or before a vacation, this will help you get a jumpstart on training and monitor your pet’s transition.

Start working on housetraining right away. Have enough litter boxes for new kitties. Bring new dogs out even more often than you normally would. This will help them learn that the correct place to go is outdoors and in the litterboxes- not in your home!

Make sure to keep up to date with your new animal’s health. Shelter staff that helped you with your adoption will also be able to tell you about current health concerns or medications the animal is taking that need to continue at home. It is also important to set up a vet visit to get a clean bill of health and get your new pet established with its veterinarian!

It’s important to have patience and realistic expectations when bringing home a new pet. Not every animal relationship will be easy from the very start. You may need to work to build trust and comfort with your pet or between the different pets in your home. But remember, if you give it time and effort, your new pet will be fitting in soon!

Cork N Canvas Fundraiser
Thursday, July 18th 6:00PM to 9:00PM
Hiawatha Community Center
101 Emmons St, Hiawatha, Iowa 52233

Do you love wine, pets, and painting? Then join us for our Cork N Canvas night in benefit of CVHS! Enjoy an evening curated by Cork N Canvas creating a beautiful 16×20 Iowa wood painting while relaxing with top-quality wines on-sale from 1st Avenue Wine House! Sponsored by TrueNorth.

Lindale Mall Adoption Event
Saturday, July 27 Noon to 4:00PM
Lindale Mall
4444 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402

Join Lindale Mall and the Cedar Valley Humane Society for a pet adoption event! We’ll have pets you can play with along with information on how you can adopt, donate, and volunteer!

9th Annual Drives for Lives Golf Outing
Thursday, August 8th 11:00AM Lunch and Registration, Noon shotgun start
Hunters Ridge Golf Course
2901 Hunters Ridge Road, Marion, IA 52302

Cedar Valley Humane Society’s 9th Annual “Drives for Lives” golf event is a great way to get out of the office for an afternoon of golf while also supporting CVHS! Individual sign up is $75, or teams of four for $300 and includes green fees, cart rental, and lunch! Presented by Skogman Realty. Can’t attend but want to help the animals? Sponsor a hole on the course for $250 as a “Hole Sponsor”, or show off your favorite pet along the course for $50 as a “Pet Sponsor.” Click here to become a sponsor!

Mutt Meetup
Saturday, August 10th 3:00PM to 7:00PM
Fairfax Off Leash Dog Park
625 Linn Street, Fairfax, IA 52228

The Cedar Valley Humane Society is hosting this casual event for all dog lovers — and that means your dog is welcome too! Bring your canine companion out for a fun day at the Fairfax off-leash dog park to socialize, play, and exercise with other animals! Complimentary Frisbees will be given while supplies last. Treats from Moo Moo’s Ice Cream Truck and outdoor toys will be available for purchase!

Volley for Charity
Saturday, August 17th 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Volleys on Blairs Ferry
265 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

Join Shive-Hattery, Terracon, and CVHS for the 4th Annual Volley for Charity sand volleyball tournament! Proceeds from this year’s event go to the Pets for Vets program of Cedar Valley Humane Society.