It’s a great day of festivities for us, however we should try to keep our pets away from those loud noises of firecrackers as much as possible.

Most of us are not aware of the fact that exposure to loud noises can actually impair our dog’s hearing ability. So, while bursting crackers in our backyards we should never take our dogs along. Instead keep them at home and put on some soothing music which would divert their attention. At times minute fire particles can also enter their eyes and cause perpetual damage.

Also, while visiting water parks we should make sure that our friends with paws don’t go out of control. There have been several past instances when dogs got drowned in water on this particular day.

Here’s what we should avoid:
•    We shouldn’t take our dogs to water parks without pet flotation devices (life jackets, life preservers)
•    If left alone at home we shouldn’t put them on chains
•    We shouldn’t keep them in fenced areas from where they can escape
•    If possible we shouldn’t hesitate to arm them with microchips and GPS dog collars

That’s right, a safe July 4 is essential to help your family enjoy the Day. And your pet is very much your family, right ?

Also, choking is a hazard, and rawhide can cause canine gastric irritation when chewed on often, which can lead to vomiting and extreme discomfort.

Now the good news: there are great alternatives for purchase online. Or, thick pieces of dehydrated organic sweet potato is nutritious, delicious, and cheap if you have a food dehydrator. At the very least, buy a brand that is made in the USA and says something on the label about being natural. Good chewing!

This blog is contributed by Nadine M. Rosin, author of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com

So from now on take him along more often when you go for a jaunt in the evening. You never know there might be hidden in your otherwise timid pet a very mirthful creature. Or if you can spare some more time take him to obedience classes. Even taking him to your friend’s place where he might come across another dog belonging to the same or different breed might work wonders.

So try and acquaint him as much as possible with all sorts of things that he may encounter in the journey of his life. It could be from different types of people, animals to unfamiliar noises on the road. If his initial reaction is a bit weird don’t panic. Give him some more time. He will automatically adapt himself to the vicissitudes of life around him.

Yet for anyone who does not get that chance, you must remember that they already know how much you love them. That is why they loved you so much.

If you lose your pet after you had to give them a shorter walk than usual, after you had to rush of to work without giving them the attention they deserved that day, remember, that is just life. There is no guilt meant to exist there. Think of your long term love, not just a moment you weren’t perfect. Your dedication, your love, your being loved, is what counts.

And, before we are put in the position of saying our last minute loving goodbyes, when we are in daily life with our healthy and happy pets, let’s make sure they know we love them.

This blog is contributed by Alex in Welderland from www.custompeturns.com. His Twitter contact is @CustomPetUrns.

There are wonderful, affordable essential oil combinations made especially for repelling fleas. Most contain oil of lemon and eucalyptus- very pleasant smelling.

If your dog does pick up fleas from another animal, a simple decoction of lemon peel poured over the dog will kill the fleas instantly. I love that solution! I mean, I’m not a scientist, but my sense is that lemon peel probably doesn’t cause cancer!

Diatomaceous earth and cedar chips are inexpensive, natural remedies for flea infested areas of the home or yard. Both can be found online.

This blog is contributed by Nadine M. Rosin, author of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com

To heal, we need to restore our souls back to that good place where it once was. Yes, we do heal on our own, and time greatly helps the journey, of course. But sometimes things get hidden, like splinters that have worked their way in and we don’t really realize they are there, we just feel the discomfort.

We can be the healthiest if we take action. After the grief, we need to give time and space for recovery. We can treat ourselves without asking why.

We need to shine a light on what has happened, allow ourselves to feel the pain, and then allow ourselves the time we need to heal it. This way, we can, and should, help ourselves through it, owing it to our loved ones, our own hearts and spirits, our mind and our other pets.

This blog is contributed by Alex in Welderland from www.custompeturns.com. His Twitter contact is @CustomPetUrns.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets: Reprinted with Permission from the SixWise.com Security & Wellness e-Newsletter

* Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
* Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
* Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
* A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
* Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list
* Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
* Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
* Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
* Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

There are many natural, affordable alternatives to be found at stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and many online companies. Just because it smells pretty, doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. Please don’t assume that large companies put your health and well-being before their bottom line.

In my opinion, it is always wise to read the label of every product your animal is exposed to in and around your home.

This blog is contributed by Nadine M. Rosin, author of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com

I wonder if we could feel the ‘enough’, would it relieve our sorrow. If we could appreciate the year, five years, 16 years, we had with our beloved pets, is there a point where we can be grateful for that time more strongly than wanting more of it? If we could celebrate that joy, that love, that togetherness that we had as the be all and end all of everything?

It is a huge challenge, but what a great way to walk through life, feeling we have enough. To focus daily on being grateful for what we have, what we have had in our past. I want to take this on, joyful in the ‘enough’ of life. Grateful and appreciative more that needy and wanting.

It is very powerful. It is very beautiful. And it is what our angels want for us.

This blog is contributed by Alex in Welderland at www.custompeturns.com. His twitter contact is @CustomPetUrns

I want all guest bloggers here to share their posts on the National Canine Cancer Foundation’s blog across the dog-blogosphere, so we can get the word about Canine Cancer where it badly needs to go – to people whose dogs are healthy. Let’s face it; people don’t want to hear about cancer if it’s not in their lives. It’s too frightening. But, if we are able to spread information that can help people take real action to promote wellness in their dogs, we can make the National Canine Cancer Foundation’s job a little bit easier.

I started thinking about canine cancer as my dogs got older, (they’ll be 7 and 9 this year) and as I heard about so many pets, both dogs and cats, who were dying from cancer. On one street not far from where I live, the cancer rate for both people and pets seems extraordinarily high. Is it because the planes landing at the airport empty their gas tanks over that area? (The tops of trees in the arboretum there are surely showing signs of damage.) Is the cancer rate due to poor diet? Heredity? Lawn chemicals? Coincidence? More frightening is the possibility that this street is not an anomaly.

When it comes to animal companions, pet owners turn to the experts for help. After all, everyone wants to be sure they’re doing the best they can to keep their pets healthy. What, then, has gone so terribly wrong? Well, sometimes, people choose the wrong experts to listen to, for instance, unscrupulous advertising agencies, who push foods that aren’t really very nutritious for animals, or more subversively, splash images of happy dogs in their ads and on the trucks of lawn care services, who use toxic chemicals.

People need to realize that they are capable of becoming the experts themselves, and more than that, they need to become the experts themselves to effectively advocate for the health and well being of their animal companions. To do this, they must read everything they can get their hands on and question, question, question – Is this food, vaccine, medication, procedure, training protocol, you fill in the blank, what’s right and healthy for my dog?- even if it means an uncomfortable conversation with the vet.

Many pet owners are not aware, for instance, of the danger vaccines pose to pets, including their contribution to incidences of immune disorders, elevated liver enzymes, kidney failure, seizures, hypothyroidism, and cancer, among others. Dr. Jean Dodds, an internationally recognized authority on thyroid issues in dogs and blood diseases in animals, has done extensive research on vaccines, and asserts “In veterinary medicine, evidence implicating vaccines in triggering immune-mediated and other chronic disorders (vaccinosis) is compelling.” She is currently working toward reducing the number of rabies vaccines dogs receive by extending the vaccination requirements to five, and then seven years.

In short, pet lovers need to read the about vaccination issues so that they can make an educated decision about which vaccines and how many their pet really needs, (within legal guidelines, of course) no matter what that postcard from the vet says.

People also need to be open to new ideas and to pay attention to evidence amassed from years of research when it comes to the health of their pets – especially when the results challenge their belief systems about medical care. People often fall into the mindset of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In the case of canine cancer, however, something in the healthcare system for animals is terribly broken, and both pet owners and the medical community need to look beyond what they’re doing now into new options with an emphasis on wellness, rather than fearing change, in order to remedy the situation.

Dr. Terry Shirvani, a Naturopathic physician and owner of cats, suggests that we can (and should!) take for the most part, concepts of holistic health for humans, which are based on wellness, and extend them to our animal friends. The holistic approach takes into account the health of the whole being, and as Terry emphasizes, animals are beings, just as much as humans are. Holism looks at each animal as an individual.

Just like people, all animals are unique in their health and emotional requirements. There is no one-size-fits-all food for dogs, and providing them with the best food we can may mean preparing their meals by hand, rather than picking up a bag of kibble at the supermarket. Sound ridiculous? Consider then, the health and lifespan of dogs before the introduction of kibble. Terry also points out how stress in owners’ lives can affect their pets who are extremely sensitive to what’s going on with their human guardians. By looking at ways to improve pets’ quality of life, their owners may be surprised to find ways in which it’s critical to improve their own.

The path to wellness is not difficult. The difficulty lies in people’s resistance to change. Looking up information on the Internet is not hard. Changing dog food is not hard. Vaccinating less is not hard (and saves money!) Trying a more natural approach to wellness instead of patching symptoms may require finding a different vet, but that’s not really so hard, either. Small changes can make a world of difference. Let’s make that world one that’s canine cancer free.

Contributed by Beth Lowell, Animal Reiki Practitioner, www.bethlowell.com

Desperate families are abandoning their animals at shelters, which are already over populated.  It is definitely a trickle down effect.  As families begin to scale back in tough economic times, certain “things” have to go…including the family pet.  As shelters fill, they reach overpopulated levels and with fewer donations coming in, money is tighter than before.

Some animals aren’t even getting the courtesy of being dropped off somewhere where they can be fed and cared for, even for a short time.  Some animals are being dumped and abandoned, left to fend for themselves.

Even worse, some animals are being left at their homes, even after the owners are long gone due to foreclosure.  It may be days or sometimes weeks before anyone finds these animals and by then, the outlook is grim.

All of these animals now have a name:  foreclosure pets.

Abandoning animals is illegal in most states under anticruelty laws, but often those laws are not rigidly enforced.

But what can we do?

First and foremost…know your limit!  Don’t take on the responsibility of an animal if there is even a chance it is going to be a financial burden.  Think ahead and wait for that new family pet until you know you can take on the responsibility.

Second, if you are in a financial bind and find you have to give up your dog, cat or whatever, PLEASE take them to a shelter or no-kill facility.  Most domesticated animals don’t have the capacity to survive on their own for very long.  Cars, wild animals, and disease can take care of Fluffy pretty quickly in the great unknown.  And, don’t, and I repeat DON’T leave them locked up in a crate or in an empty home.  Have the decency to take them somewhere!  It is the least you can do.

Third, have your pet spayed or neutered!  I know I know…you hear this all the time, but spaying and neutering helps to cut down on the pet population and gives your pets a longer, healthier life.  Nothing is sadder than seeing a older female dog after just having had her fifth or sixth litter.  Have you seen those eyes?  That dog is exhausted, wore down and probably lacking good health from constantly being pregnant.  We don’t do that to our human counterparts, so why is it okay to do it to our canine and feline females?

There are people who can help.  Contact your local shelter, no-kill facility, or rescue group.  That’s what they are there for.  Don’t be embarrased about your situation.  Just know that you are doing something right for your pet(s).

There is also a website to help the animals:   www.nopawsleftbehind.org.  This website offers tips on finding appropriate shelters and foster families, grant information for overwhelmed shelters, and a “paw alert” bulletin system for those who found an abandoned pet.

The Humane Society of the United States has also started a grant program for nonprofit shelters and rescue groups, in hopes of easing the burden of their increased populations.

Pets are there for us through thick and thin, offering no judgment and complete trust.  Why can we not show them the same respect?

This blog was by Stacy Busch
www.buschpetproducts.com