Just last week a friend was walking down the street. As she started to walk in front of a house a dog came out barking. It was on an extended leash. The owner told her the dog would not bite so my friend kept walking on the sidewalk. Well the owner didn’t know their dog very well because  he bit my friend on the leg breaking the skin and bringing blood. My friend called me on her cell phone and asked what she should do.

Here are the things you need to do if you experience a dog bite:

1. Get the name, address and phone number of the dog owner.
2. Ask them to provide proof their dog has been vaccinated against rabies.
3. If necessary, seek medical attention. If you have not had a tetanus shot you want to check with your doctor if you need one.
4. Wash your wound with soap and water.
5. If bleeding you can apply pressure with gauze or a clean towel.
6. Apply an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin to the area twice a day.
7. Call Animal Control or the non emergency police number to report the incident.

Did you know around 800,000 people receive medical attention each year because of dog bites? Half of these are children!

• Never leave a dog alone and unsupervised with children.
• Ask permission before petting a dog, and allow it to sniff you first.
• Keep your dog under control and observe the leash laws.
• Don’t interfere with dogs that are sleeping or eating.
• Give the dog space

Teaching children on how to approach a dog and what to do if a strange dog is seen is very important.

Children should be taught the following things:

• Not to approach dogs they do not know
• Not to antagonize dogs by pulling their tail and ears or pinching
• Not to run or scream if a dog is chasing you
• Not to bother a dog when it is sleeping or eating or has a toy

Teach your children that if they are being chased by a dog, do not run! They should “stand like a tree”, or curl up in a tight ball on the ground.

I recently read about a dog that had visited one of our doggie parks in the Dallas TX area, and then was diagnosed with parvo. A couple of days later I was at a veterinarian’s office and learned they had seen five separate cases of parvo. And then on a Linked In group the topic appeared again. One of the members had recently lost her dog to parvo. Parvo is something we have not heard much about in the past few years but with the hot summers and mild winters it seems to have come back with a vengeance.

What is parvo? There are two types—diarrhea (enteritis) syndrome and cardiac syndrome. It is a viral disease seen among puppies and young dogs but can affect the older dog. It is a very serious disease. The first type (diarrhea syndrome) damages a dog’s intestinal lining. It has an incubation period of five to fourteen days and is contracted through infected feces, soil, etc.

Parvovirus is resistant to extreme temperatures and is unharmed by detergents, alcohol, and common disinfectants.

What are symptoms of parvo (diarrhea)? The symptoms are vomiting, bloody diarrhea, foul smell diarrhea, yellow diarrhea, loss of appetite or refusal to eat, lethargy (complete lack of energy), depressed, fever and dehydration. The feces odor is unmistakable and many say you will never forget it. If your puppy or canine begins exhibiting any of these symptoms see a veterinarian promptly.

What is the treatment for parvo?  There is no drug that will cure it; the danger of parvo is dehydration and malnutrition. It is best to hospitalize the dog. The vet will focus on keeping the dog hydrated.  They will use IV fluids that contain vitamins, glucose, and potassium. In some cases they will give an injection of anti-nausea medication to help prevent the vomiting.

Cardiac syndrome parvo (myocarditis) usually happens when puppies are less than 8 weeks old. The virus multiplies rapidly in muscle cells of the immature heart. Symptoms are puppies crying a lot, difficult breathing, gasping for breath, weakness, unwilling to nurse, and sudden death. There is no effective treatment available for cardiac syndrome.

With most dogs, there is at least a 70 to 85% survival rate. It all depends on the health of the canine and how early one detects the virus and gets treatment. Length of treatment depends on the severity of disease; most are hospitalized 2 to 4 days and can require treatment up to a week. Canines that recover are usually weak and are susceptible to other diseases. Canines that recover from parvo continue to spread the virus in their feces for a month or longer.

Some guidelines for young puppies:

•        Don’t take the puppy in the front yard, for a walk around the block or to pet stores. Remember the parvovirus lives in the soil along with feces that has not been cleaned up.
•        Only have puppies around adult dogs that YOU KNOW are healthy and are current on vaccinations.  There should be no contact with stray dogs or dogs you do not know.
•        Do not let the puppy be exposed to any other puppies. These puppies could be incubating (contagious) the disease without showing any signs of illness.
•        Always wash your hands after handling any dog.

Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure for canine parvovirus disease. A properly immunized dog will have circulating antibodies in the blood that will destroy parvovirus following exposure. Dogs remain HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE to parvo until 2-4 weeks after the last injection for the immunization series.

Wow, in the past few weeks there have been a series of pet food recalls. One of my colleagues is great about staying up on these recalls, especially on Friday afternoon. She calls it the Friday night dump and run. It seems that Friday nights right before 5 is when the pet food manufacturers drop the “bombshell” that your pet food might be tainted and then no one is around to answer questions from concerned pet owners. I applaud Therese Kopiwoda with PetsitUSA.com for keeping everyone informed about the recalls. She is a good source for pet related information. I highly suggest signing up for her blogs, and following her on Facebook or Twitter to stay informed. To sign up for her blog go to http://www.petsitusa.com/blog/.

I was glad to see that several of the pet food manufacturers did post on Facebook this past weekend that they were there to answer questions over the weekend.  I cannot help but believe the open letter Therese wrote opened some eyes. Unfortunately these things do happen but it is how the pet food companies respond and help is of upmost importance.     

Every time there is a recall or I hear something about a pet related product I ask myself how I can help you the pet owner. It is my job to stay on top of things pet related.  I chose this career to help pet owners give their pet’s proper care.

 I am currently using posts on Guardian Pet Sitters’ Facebook page, Twitter, and Linked-In to reach pet owners, along with this blog. The posts on Facebook or Twitter would be the quickest way to get the latest information. Here are the links if you would like to follow us:  www.facebook.com/guardianpetsitters and http://twitter.com/GuardianPetSit.

Again hats off to Therese Kopiwoda at PetsitUSA for the great job she is doing keeping  pet owners up to date on things that affect our furry family members.

Here is a list of some of the pet foods recalled:

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul

Country Value

Diamond

Diamond Naturals

Premium Edge

Professional

4Health

Taste of the Wild

Apex

Kirkland Signature

Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain

Canidae

Natural Balance’s Sweet Potato and Venison, Sweet Potato and Bison, Vegetarian, and Lamb Meal and Brown Rice dog foods

WellPet’s Complete Health and Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy foods

I recently took a 10 day vacation/business trip and got to experience what the clients of Guardian Pet Sitters experience when they travel and leave their pets at home with one of our trained, competent pet sitters. I thought I would share my thoughts with you.

I traveled with a couple of friends on a road trip to visit my family in Kentucky. We stopped the first night in Memphis to visit Graceland. With our busy schedules we left late afternoon and arrived late evening. First thing the next morning we had breakfast and then headed to Graceland. We were at Graceland from early morning until afternoon. Then back in the car for our last leg of the journey to Kentucky. We stayed in a hotel and did a lot of sightseeing as this was the first time my friends had visited Kentucky.

I missed Chrissie, but was comforted to know she was home and being cared for while I was traveling. As a pet owner I had the thought “If I had just brought Chrissie with me.” But then I thought of how hard the trip would have been for her. Just stopping for dinner the first night would have been hard. Although it is spring, the temperature has been warm and it would have been too hot for her to stay in the car. When we arrived in Memphis she would have gotten a short potty break as it was very late and we would have gone to bed. The next morning she would have gotten a walk but then she would have been in the crate to stay in a strange room for the next 6 hours while we were out sightseeing and visiting Graceland. Then she would have been back in the car for the rest of the journey to Kentucky.

Instead she was home stretching out on her bed or favorite chair, running in her backyard letting the squirrels know the yard was hers or going for a walk in her familiar neighborhood. She was the center of attention for the pet sitter. What more could a dog want!

Once we made it to Kentucky we would be gone for hours visiting family, touring horse farms, going to Keeneland and sightseeing. My thoughts would be, “I miss Chrissie and wish she was here”.  But then I would say to myself “I am glad Chrissie is home in her familiar routine as it would not be much fun staying in this hotel room by herself.” or “Chrissie would not have liked my young nephews (she is not fond of children) and she would not have gotten much attention as I was spending long overdue time with them.”

Basically for Chrissie the trip would have been riding in the car for 12 to 14 hours and staying in hotels alone. Yes she would be with me at night (sleeping) or in the car. Yes, I missed her but overall the best place for her was “AT HOME” getting lots of attention.

I started this business 21 years ago because of my own needs when I traveled for business and had to leave “Precious”, my feisty Shih Tzu at home. It was because of her that I started Guardian Pet Sitters. I found out today the reason has not changed. Pets do like staying at home. I can travel without stress and worry! If you would like to travel without stress and worry about your furry companion, contact me. I know a great company who provides the kind of service I want for my pets!

Let’s continue our research on rabbits. There is a lot to learn about rabbits! We are giving you a snapshot of what it takes to care for a rabbit.

For housing needs you want to have a roomy cage, resting board, running space and bunny proofed room(s). You might want to have a fenced patio/porch or playpen for outdoors when the weather permits.

Some items you will need are a litter box, pellet bowl or feeder, water bottle or crock, pet carrier, and toys. You want to have both chew and toss toys.

Rabbits eat pellets, hay/straw, fresh salad veggies and fruits, barley/oats, and they will need multiple enzymes for digestive aids. They also need wood for chewing recreation and a petroleum laxative to help in passing hair from grooming.

Rabbits need to be groomed regularly.  You’ll want to have a brush, flea comb and toenail clippers. You’ll also want to have a flea product safe for rabbits.

Other supplies needed are dust free litter and a pooper scooper. Having a hand vacuum and a whiskbroom/dustpan would be a good idea. You can use white vinegar for cleaning up urine accidents.

Caring for your rabbit means having lots of interaction, play and being aware of how your rabbit is acting or behaving. Seek veterinarian treatment if you see these danger signs:

Diarrhea with listlessness

Sudden loss of appetite with bloat or abdominal gurgling

Loss of appetite with labored breathing

Loss of appetite with runny nose

Head Tilt

Incontinence (urine soaked rear legs)

Abscesses, lumps or swelling anywhere

Sudden change in behavior

Rabbits groom themselves constantly and they get furballs just as a cat does. However unlike cats, rabbits cannot vomit and so the excessive hair swallowed can cause a fatal blockage. Keeping your rabbit brushed is the best solution.

Rabbits need at least 30 hours a week in exercise time/space. They do get along with cats and dogs and if you want to add another rabbit it is easiest if the rabbits are neutered or spayed adults of the opposite sex. Rabbits do not tolerate the heat well. Teeth grow continually throughout life so you want to be sure that their teeth align properly to aid in keeping the teeth normal length and shape.

Rabbits don’t like to be held and hugged. They like staying on the ground. They can get hurt if they jump out of your arms.

The average life span of a rabbit is 7-12 years. There are many breeds of rabbits such as the Netherland dwarf, Rex, Himalayan, New Zealand, Lop Eared, Lionhead, and Polish.

This a brief overview on the care of rabbits. I hope this helps you in determining if a rabbit is the pet for you. If you do think a rabbit is the right companion for you—consider adopting.

Easter is here! Many of us give gifts to celebrate the gift of life. In the spring our focus turns to baby rabbits and chickens as gifts. Although they are adorable they do grow up into mature rabbits and chickens. As with any pet, they require special attention and have special needs of their own regarding their diet and housing. Let’s explore the needs of rabbits so you can make a wise decision on whether this is a pet for you and your family.

You never want to rush into purchasing any type of pet! Why not give chocolate or stuffed bunnies or chickens until you research if a live rabbit is right for you and your family.

Rabbits are social animals that need affection and can be wonderful companion animals. They are intelligent and can be litter box trained and taught to walk on a leash. Rabbits need to be kept inside (especially in Texas during the summer).

The benefits of spayed or neutered rabbits are many. Like other pets their hormones can cause them to “mark territory”. By spaying or neutering your rabbit, this improves litter box habits, decreases territorial aggression, lessens chewing behavior, and helps your rabbit have a happier and longer life.

Rabbits can have free run of the home but it is best for most rabbits to start with a cage.  To litter box train your rabbit, start by fastening a litter box in the corner of the cage that the rabbit uses for a “bathroom.”  As soon as she uses the box consistently you can give her more freedom. Use only positive reinforcement (treats and praises)—never punishment.

Your home needs to be bunny proofed! It is natural for rabbits to chew on furniture, rugs, drapes and electrical cords. The electrical cords must be concealed so that the rabbit can not reach them. For cords that you can not conceal you can encase them in vinyl tubing.

Give your rabbit lots of attention along with safe chewables and toys. This will distract her from chewing the rugs and furniture. A wonderful play box is a cardboard box stuffed with hay.

Some major health problems rabbits can have are intestinal blockages, bacterial imbalances with the stomach, and infectious bacteria that causes colds.

You want to have an experienced rabbit doctor as they will know the needs of your pet. You want to regularly check eyes, nose, ears, teeth, weight, appetite and droppings for signs of illness.

This is the beginning of our information on rabbits. Watch for more regarding caring for a rabbit in the next blog. We will cover danger signs to watch for, housing, feeding, grooming and supplies needed.

March is “Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month” and in honor of this we are going to talk about having a guinea pig as part of the family.  Guinea pigs are social animals and you should consider keeping a same sex pair so they have company. Their life span is 5-7 years but they can live up to 10 which would not be unusual. They need a large cage to live in. They are usually quiet but can call out loudly and can be active both day and night. Guinea pigs make good family pets.

Guinea pigs are approximately 10 inches long and weigh around 2-3 pounds. They have a rounded stout body with no visible tail. There is a variety of breeds such as the American, Abyssinian, and Peruvian. You can find them in a wide variety of colors.

When choosing a guinea pig you have several sources—pet stores, breeders (caviary) and shelters. Make sure the guinea pig(s) are in good health and condition, and well socialized and easy to handle. Sometimes those found in  shelters might be skittish if they were not handled when young,  but it should not take long for them to settle down in a routine environment.

Some steps in choosing a guinea pig:

Look for one that relaxes quickly when handled, and does not panic. Be careful if one is overly quiet and calm as this might be a sign of illness.

Choose one that is alert and active.

Guinea pigs should not be overly skinny or grossly overweight; the body should be firm and rounded.

Nose, eyes, ears and rear end should be clean and free of discharge. The coat should be full and soft. Skin should not be flaky or red. Be on the lookout for any signs of parasites such as lice.

Some top reasons guinea pigs end up in shelters are:

No matter how much time you spend with a guinea pig you can not replace the companionship of another guinea pig. Be ready to bring home two; per one article I read this is a deal breaker. If you don’t have the space, budget or time to support a pair then it is not the right pick for this stage in your life.

Here are some tips on caring for your guinea pig:

Roomy cage

If you get one with sides so they don’t kick out their food and bedding be sure it is kept clean as this type of cage restricts the airflow. Keeping it clean prevents ammonia and odors from building up inside.

Bedding

Guinea pigs use their bedding as a soft place to sleep and as their bathroom. Shredded paper or pine chips work well.

Food

Food dishes and hay racks need to be checked daily. Water needs changing daily. They should receive daily fresh veggies (dark leafy greens included) and fruits. Have timothy and grass hay available at all times. Guinea pig pellets should be fed in small amounts. Guinea pigs are dependent on high Vitamin C, low-fat low-calcium and low-sugar food choices to maintain good health.

Every other day you should clean food dishes and water bottles with hot water.

Appearance

Long hair guinea pigs need daily brushing, short haired ones less frequently; all breeds need brushing during shedding season. You want to trim the long hair guinea pigs every few weeks to keep their fur from dragging in their bedding.

Nails need to be trimmed once or twice a month depending on how fast they grow.

Activity

An untreated wooden block to chew on will satisfy the guinea pig’s desire to chew and keep its teeth worn down. The teeth continuously grow so this is essential.

Let your guinea pig out of its enclosure to play for exercise and change of scenery. Be sure it is safe! Have large well ventilated rolling ball for them to use but keep them from stairs and direct sunshine.

You can take your guinea pig outside if you have a well fitting harness and leash.

Even if you have two guinea pigs they need daily socializing and snuggling with humans.

Veterinary care

Guinea pigs do not require vaccines but preventive care is very important. Dental problems are very common in guinea pigs. Schedule annual wellness visits so the veterinarian can perform a physical and oral exam and to discuss husbandry.  

When you leave for vacation or business trips you make sure you lock the doors and secure your home. You think “everything will be okay”—will it?

Malfunctions with the home don’t just happen when you are there. In the 20 years Guardian Pet Sitters has been in the pet care business, we have seen more malfunctions with the home than we have had pet emergencies.

What can you do to really secure your home when you are away? We recommend you have a reputable company visit your home either daily or every other day to check on your house. It not only makes your home appear lived in but also means if there is an issue immediate attention will be given to resolve it.

Some of the services to benefit you and the security of your home:

1.        Bring in the mail and any flyers on door

2.        Bring in the newspaper and any packages left on the doorstep

3.        Alternate lights and/or blinds

4.        Water plants

5.        Check on the pool (summer)

6.        Monitor thermostat

7.        Walk thru of the house to ensure all appliances are working or have not been left on accidently

8.        We ensure there is no water leaking anywhere in the house

Some common situations that we have had to handle when caring for pets and homes:

1.        Drain clogged in the bathroom not allowing proper drainage from the air conditioner; water filled the sink and was found dripping in the garage. If situation had not been handled the ceiling would have fallen on the car in the garage and water would have damaged the house and garage.

2.        The number of hot water tank malfunctions we see is frightening. We had many different situations of this happening when we are in the home caring for the pets. We arrive to water coming out of the front door, hearing water running or noticing dripping from the ceiling in the master bedroom (hot water tank is in the attic).

3.        Sprinkler systems malfunction in the summer, flooding the client’s yard, neighbor’s yard, and the street.

4.        Refrigerators malfunctioning–spilling water on the floor in the kitchen and all the food is thawed and hot.

5.        If you have fish tanks with automatic feeders and automatic timers you can still have problems. We arrived at a house, opened the door, and were greeted with smoke. The automatic timer had malfunctioned.

6.        Air condition or heating system malfunctions.

7.        Alarm system struck by lightening.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know someone has been to your home and done a thorough walk-thru of your house and made sure you have not left on any appliances (curling iron, electric rollers, coffee pot, etc.) and ensure all windows and doors are locked?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that if there was a malfunction with your hot water tank or plumbing the issue will get immediate attention?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that if the weather drastically changes such as in the state of Texas where temperatures fluctuates greatly (60 ̊̊one day and 32 ̊the next) your thermostat would be adjusted to keep pipes from freezing?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that if your sprinkler system was to malfunction, attention would be given so it would not disturb your neighbor or ruin your yard?

Isn’t it nice to know your home has a lived in look and your mail and newspaper has been brought in the house and is secure?

With our “residential” services you can have “Peace of Mind” knowing your home is being cared for. You would also know that if we arrived at the home and were faced with a situation we would immediately start resolving the problem.

There’s no better security measure for your home then a monitored security system in conjunction with daily home visits.

Your home needs someone watching over it when you are not there!

Are your arrangements for your pet’s care failsafe?

Why do I ask this question? Recently we have had several situations where pet owners found they did not have pet care they could depend upon. Here are a few of the scenarios:

1. A call for service starting the same day. The person was leaving in a few hours. The person calling had two individual pet sitters but neither pet sitter was available- one was out of town and the other had surgery.
2. Another call for service for the weekend from a person whose friend was going to watch the pets but got sick and couldn’t.
3. While talking with someone at a networking meeting, she told me this story that happened to her over Christmas time. She had just moved to the area. There was a death in the family and she could not find a boarding facility for her dogs as they were all booked  nor did she know anyone to care for her pets.

If these had been Guardian Pet Sitter’s clients they would have had pet care.

If you are new to an area one of the first things you want to establish is pet care. It is good to have an in-home pet care company as you never know if you will be able to board your pets when you need to. Even if your pets would do better boarding for extended periods, most pet care companies will offer transportation to and from the kennels so that could be arranged.

Weekends are busy for pet sitters. We allocate our time and resources to the clients who have booked us. If possible we try to help people at the last minute but Guardian Pet Sitters will not compromise our service for the clients who have booked us in advance.

• A client of Guardian Pet Sitters had a father who was in his final days of life. The client called Guardian Pet Sitters and she had pet coverage for as long as she needed.
• A client of Guardian Pet Sitters had moved from one community to another and had not gotten set up in her new home. She became ill and was hospitalized. We were able to meet with a friend and get keys to the new home and provide service.  We are there for our clients!

As a Guardian Pet Sitter’s client you would not have to worry about your pet care as we have a backup system to ensure our clients have coverage when needed. After all you don’t know when you could have an emergency or need to leave town.

Guardian Pet Sitters offers:

• Bonded and insured for your protection
• Clients are kept confidential
• “Peace of Mind” program (ask about our program when you call or talk to us)
• Our backup system enables us to give our clients the attention needed in an emergency.
• Being available to our clients 365 days a year however our pet sitters are given time off to be refreshed and ready to give their best to each client.

Don’t delay in getting setup as a client of Guardian Pet Sitters!

If you don’t live in our service area find an in-home pet sitting company in your area that will be there!