Eddie's Blog

Tips for traveling safely with your pet

Eddie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:30:31 -0400

Happy summer, my friends! My human friends have begun checking travel websites and discussing various exciting destinations in advance of what they refer to as a "vacation". Sounds great to me! But let's make sure we're not putting my friends of the four legged variety at risk by overlooking them in the planning stages of the big adventure. Here are a few helpful bits of advice to get you through summer travel season without pet problems.

Get your pet's vaccinations up to date

This is especially important if you'll be traveling abroad, but you should be on top of this either way. If flea and tick prevention is on the agenda during your visit, just make sure you avoid treatments that include pyrethrins or pyrethroids! Also make sure your pet is properly identified with either a current tag or microchip, or both. Make a list of veterinarians in your destination cities and research them in advance.

Check with the airlines

Before you book your tickets, you should decide whether you think your pooch (or kitty) will be comfortable on a plane. If you're not 100% confident that your friend will be alright with the experience you should consider driving or leaving your dog or cat in the care of someone you trust while you're away. Once you've decided that flying will be something your pet can tolerate, you need to be prepared. Federal regulations require pets be at least 8 weeks old and weaned at least 5 days before flying. Generally, a health certificate must be available before pets will be permitted to fly. A valid rabies vaccination certificate may also be required.The airlines have additional, differing policies dictating pet travel, so check with your carrier. Here's Delta's pet information page. In many instances you can bring them in the cabin if the kennel they're in will fit under the seat in front of you. Bring them in the cabin if at all possible.

Try before you drive

If you'll be going by car you should make certain your pet will tolerate this. Pick a nice weekend afternoon and head out for a 3 hour drive to see how they enjoy the experience. I love car rides but some of my friends, not so much! Don't forget to bring the leash, some clean filtered or bottled water, and your pet's favorite bowl. If it's a longer drive, bring a dog (or cat!) mattress or other pet safe bedding so that they'll be able to sleep comfortably. Try to resist the urge to let your dog put his head out the window as well. As fun as that looks, it's rather dangerous. Particles of dirt can enter your dog's eyes or nose causing injury or infection. If you must leave your pet in the car while it's parked (and you should avoid this if possible), you should lock the doors, park in a shady area and leave the windows down enough to provide adequate ventilation. Leave a bowl of water too. Better, just don't leave them! You brought them for a reason, find somewhere to have lunch where they'll be welcome!

Perform a daily health check

This is especially important if your trip calls for camping or hiking. Keep an eye out for ticks, inspect your dog for them daily. Unfamiliar surroundings can cause changes in your pet you might overlook. Keep an eye on your friend and visit a local veterinarian if you're concerned about any physical or behavioral changes.

That should be enough to get you out the door safely. Don't forget the sunscreen and bottled water, and most of all have a safe trip!

Tips for a Pet Safe Vegetable Garden

Eddie — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:25:20 -0400

Honestly, I’m not much of a fan of tomatoes, peas and leafy greens but I do enjoy carrots and my human friends love to get outside work in their garden this time of year. So it is in that spirit that I’m going to offer some tips from the folks at EWG on how to plant a vegetable garden without putting your cat, dog, or other curious pet at risk.

Toxic Plants for Pets Lists
For starters, when you’re planning what you’ll be growing you should consult this list of toxic plants courtesy of the ASPCA. If it’s on the toxic to dogs list and you’ve got a dog you probably shouldn’t plant it!
No Pesticides
Do not use pesticides. Obviously these aren’t going to be good for your four legged friends or anyone else, really. Instead use organic pest management. There are a variety of methods, my favorite is incorporating animal predators such as frogs, wasps and even ducks to control pests! Of course we can’t all invite other species to summer in our vegetable gardens, so you could consider using some other non toxic options.
Use Organic Fertilize
If you’re going to use a fertilizer, please use an organic fertilizer. There are lots of options available. The same goes for herbicides. Use something organic.
Fun Plants for Cats
Lastly, if you’ve got a cat, don’t forget the catnip!
Cleo loves it and I’m guessing your cat does too.

What are you growing this year? Do you have any favorite pet safe gardening tips? I’d love to hear all about it!

Happy Gardening!

Eddie

Update on Pet Food Testing!

Eddie — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:59:23 -0400

As we're right in the middle of National Pet Week, I was at the EWG Worldwide Headquarters making the rounds today and want to give you all an update regarding the pet food tests that the incredibly smart people at EWG are doing! I ran into one of the scientists that's working on the project and she asked me to pass this along.

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and personally thank
you for your support and engagement with research on pet food safety.

I am a senior scientist and toxicologist at EWG. Researching chemical
contamination of pet food has been one of my main projects over the past
year. I and all my colleagues share with you the passion about quality pet
food that provides the right mix of essential nutrients and is based on safe
and healthful ingredients.

EWG testing has found high levels of fluoride in major brands of pet food,
which is a big concern, because fluoride has been linked to osteosarcoma, a
type of bone cancer. Veterinarians around the country have been reporting
that cancer rates are rising in dogs - and many pet owners, veterinarians,
and researchers are wondering whether the diet that our pets are getting
might be a contributing factor. We are now working on preparing the report
with our findings so as to alert the public about this important pet health
issue. This testing is just the tip of the iceberg and we certainly hope
that our work will help draw attention to the broader issues of pet food
manufacture and quality, especially the problem of pet food adulteration
with toxic nitrogen-boosting compounds.

Again, thank you very much for your support of this
research. We are deeply encouraged by how active the pet owner community has
been in the search for safer pet food and we are honored to be a part of
this process.

With warm regards
Olga

Thanks Olga! And thanks to all who supported the testing. Now back to celebrating National Pet Week!

Happy Hour! Keeping it safe and fun for dogs and their owners

Eddie — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:56:17 -0400

Now that Spring has finally sprung and the birds are chirping and the sun is shining, my human friends like to go out for something they call "Happy Hour" after they've spent the day doing whatever they do after they drop me off at the doggy day care. They certainly seem to enjoy it and it usually means I get a leisurely walk to a new place so I am happy oblige them. My human friends at EWG found a restaurant guide that lists some friendly establishments that would welcome me with open arms. and paws. If you’re in the D.C. area, the Hotel Monaco has a doggie happy hour Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-8!
I've got some friendly suggestions to make it more fun for everyone.

Alcohol is not For Dogs

I don't like alcohol:). Really. I know my 2 legged friends love it, but it's just not for me. Even in small amounts, it's toxic and sometimes fatal! So, enjoy. But do not share. At least not with me.

Think about a Water Bowl

Bring my favorite water bowl or ask the wait staff for one just for me. Either bring filtered water from home or ask the wait staff for bottled water please. Try and find me some shade too!

Investigate the Dog Specials

As long as you're chatting with the waiter, ask him if there's any pooch friendly specials. Some restaurants offer tasty menu items for me and my 4 legged friends. Just make sure you know what they're serving:) If possible avoid anything with the words meat meal or by-product in the ingredients. You’ll probably have to ask the waiter for that, but it’s important! So don’t be afraid to be persistent.

That should be enough to get your Happy Hour off to a good start. Now go enjoy the sun and make some new friends- and tell me how it went!

Have Fun!

Eddie

Can pets get swine flu?

Eddie — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:10:24 -0400

I’ve noticed that some of my human friends are a little concerned about me and my 4-legged pals coming down with something they call “swine flu”. I’m trying not to take offense :).

So I asked my friends at EWG to look into it, and it appears that currently the virus is not known to be contagious to dogs, cats or other domestic pets. Whew! However, the virus - also known as H1N1 - is an influenza virus and has the potential ability to change and mutate. So, while it appears unlikely to be a risk to us now, I’d prefer that you keep an eye on me and my friends -and take care of yourself, too!

Common sense measures for swine-flu prevention are available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

There are flu viruses that affect dogs, such as canine flu, but if you watch for signs that your pet might not be feeling well (loss of appetite, coughing, watery eyes, sluggishness) and take your pet to the veterinarian regularly, we’ll be just fine.

Who's making the doggie biscuits in the White House?

Eddie — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:39:43 -0400

Did you catch this pawesome interview with food policy expert Marion Nestle? (Her book "Pet Food Politics" is one of my faves.) She talked about the new famous four-legger Bo, the First Dog, and how we're gonna get safe pet food in the White (Dog) House.

It's on the blog Obama Foodarama -- check it out for some useful (and interesting) tips and tidbits!

Now we just need to get Bo on board as a Pet for the Environment...

PS - Woof!

New Investigation on Dirty Flea & Tick Treatments

Eddie — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:17:47 -0400

Remember back in June when I posted about a dangerous flea treatment that was causing seizures in cats? Well, I was talking about pyrethrins (also called pyrethroids), and a recent investigation found them in the flea and tick shampoos sold by major companies like Sergeant’s, Bio Spot and Hartz. These pesticides are what they use in household bug-killing products like Raid -- not exactly what I want to take a bath in!

The new report, by NBC 4 in Los Angeles, “found numerous cases of animals whose skin was burned, [and] animals that had seizures and vomiting” after using these flea & tick treatments made with pyrethrins. The good news is that the US EPA has begun a major review to see if these products really are safe (like the manufacturers claim).

In the meantime, avoid any flea or tick treatment that includes pyrethrins or pyrethroids! Instead, vacuum often, bathe your furry family members regularly and ask your vet or local pet store about pesticide-free alternatives.

Pesticides for dinner? No thanks!

Eddie — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:10:14 -0400

I’ll admit it: if you leave a burger and some apple slices out on the counter, ya don’t need to worry too much about the apples. But like a lot of you lucky dogs (and cats), I get to eat a homemade supper that’s usually got some ground-up veggies in it, and it tastes pretty darn yummy, even if it isn’t all meat.

What’s not so yummy is pesticides mixed in with my dinner. I’m all about organic foods, but sometimes I just can’t sniff out organic mangos or eggplant from my human friends. That’s when the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides comes to the rescue! My buddies at Environmental Working Group just updated this Eddie approved guide that has lists to help my owner figure out which fruits and veggies have the most and the least pesticides. If you’re tossing me watermelon, I’m OK with the conventional kind. But if there’s spinach in my dinner, organic is safer.

Not all Veggies and Fruit Are OK for Me
And while we’re talking about food (I know, I know, I’m always talking about food), when you mix up that vegetable blend for the Eddie in your life, don’t forget that some fruits and veggies that are fine for human bodies can be dangerous for me and my animal friends:

Onions & garlic -- Too much of these can damage our red blood cells and even lead to anemia (and that would really make you cry)!
Avocados -- At our next fiesta I’ll skip the guacamole and take my nachos with salsa, thank you very much: avocados have a chemical in them (persin) that is toxic to me, my cat pals and other small(er) animals.
Grapes & raisins -- And speaking of fiestas, no wine for me either! Alcohol definitely is a no-go (even if I’m over 21 in dog years), and eating grapes or raisins might hurt my kidneys.
Broccoli -- This one can really be toxic in large quantities.
Green tomatoes -- If you want to try some fried green tomatoes, that’s OK; just don’t feed me any. Green tomatoes contain oxalates, which can affect my digestive, nervous and urinary systems.
Walnuts & macadamia nuts -- Macadamia nuts have an unidentified toxin that can mess with my nervous and digestive system, too. And walnuts may be really healthy for humans, but they’re likely to upset my tummy.

Desserts first! Tips for Treat-Shopping Trips

Eddie — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:08:36 -0500

Dessert – mmmm, my favorite meal of the day. A while back I published a few friends’ recipes for homemade treats. All good food. Feel free to put more in the comments.

But if you don’t have time to bake, here are the rules of paw for shopping for a safe snack for us 4-leggers:

Avoid filler grains such as corn, wheat and brewer’s rice. If grains are low on the ingredient list, then it’s no biggie especially if they’re not a major part of your daily grub. Just make sure your humans keep an eye on how much grain you’re gobbling.
Want to add some color for extra holiday cheer? I chewed it over with the EWG science people and they said that it’s best to avoid dyes when you can. Even though FDA has approved some dyes for use in human food, remember that they haven’t always been up to ruff on what’s safe for foods (BPA, anyone?) - but if you are really interested in that juicy browned snack with some added color, check the ingredients - and make sure that it does not contain any non-food-grade colorants.
No by-products or bone/meat meal.
Remember, “human grade” is an unregulated term. Humans and pets have different nutritional needs, but we should have similar nutritional standards.
And, of course, NOOOO CHOCOLATE, which is toxic to dogs.

No matter what—read the ingredients! Sure, “natural” and “healthy” make any ears perk up, but unless your humans get all the ingredient details, then those treats are not worth their weight in bones.

P.S. The kind crusaders over at The Leash We Can Do will give a 10% discount to any pet (or human) for the environment! Just enter the following coupon code at checkout: eddie10

Me-Wow! Great Green Pet Gifts

Cleo — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:01:53 -0500

Cleo here. I just luuuuuvvvv the holidays (all that crunched-up wrapping paper and cozy boxes…ahhhh) Eddie and I can’t wait! We thought instead of giving you our usual gift of “research” we would drop some suggestions to make your pet shopping needs easier this holiday season.

Let’s kick if off by giving two paws up to the best pet gift set of the season, brought to you by the good humans at The Leash We Can Do! They have a one-stop shop for all environmentally-friendly pet needs.

Not only can you get a bag for your favorite cat, dog, or cat & dog duo, but guess what. They picked Pets for the Environment to receive a portion of the proceeds of gift bag sales. Purrrfect!

‘Tis the season, so stay tuned for more shopping tips in the days and weeks ahead.

What’s that? You have your own gift suggestions? Leave ‘em in the comments!