Saturday, March 29, 2008

Wheelchairs for Disabled Pets


A friend recently sent me this great article "Wheelchairs keep disables pets moving"

Our pets always brighten our day and make living a little more enjoyable, so when they're sick or need more care as they get older it's our time to return the favor.

That's what "Wheelchairs keep disabled pets moving" was all about.

Here's a little excerpt:

Eddie and Leslie Grinnell, founders of Eddie's Wheels, built their first pet wheelchair in 1989 when their 10-year-old Doberman, Buddha, lost the use of her rear legs because of disc disease and spinal problems.

Their veterinarian, impressed by Buddha's revived mobility and vitality, started referring others to the Grinnells. In 1998, they started their own business.

Since launching the business, Eddie's Wheels has shipped carts worldwide — the largest to a 220-pound Saint Bernard in Great Britain — and has made wheelchairs for several cats, a ferret, alpacas, goats, sheep, a rabbit and a possum.

They even keep a supply of tiny wheels on hand for a gerbil or hamster.


I would love to see a picture of a gerbil or hamster using a set of these tiny wheels..anyone have a picture?



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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Dog Miscellania: Fun Facts


The well-to-do once put their lapdogs under their bedcovers before retiring, in the belief that bedbugs, fleas and ticks would hop onto the dog.

People in ancient China stayed warm by carrying toy breeds up their sleeves.

President Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, was given a black Pekinese by the last empress of China.

The Welsh corgi has been called Ci Llathaid, meaning "yard-long dog."

Cartoon dog Fifi the Peke appeared as Minnie Mouse's dog and Pluto's girlfriend. Pluto and Fifi had five puppies together. However, Fifi was dropped, and Pluto acquired another mate in Dinah the Dachshund. (Player!)

Excerpts taken from Dog Miscellany by J.A.Wines


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Monday, March 24, 2008

Funny Videos: Micheal Jackson would be proud!








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Cat Vs Dog on Nintendo Wii


I didn't really know if this was real or not the first time I watched.I kept trying to see if there were wires tied to the pets' arms but I couldn't see any. Well, if pets take after their owners, and these pets owners are male ages 18-36 I guess I shouldn't be too surprised right?

How does your pet take after you?


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Saturday, March 22, 2008

Knitting with Dog Hair


Would you wear a nice soft sweater, made of dog hair?

Don't worry, there is no skin involved, we're talking about the fur that naturally comes off dogs when you brush them. This fur is then spun into thread which, when made into fabric, is 80% warmer than wool and almost waterproof.

My concern: what does it smell like?

Owner of VipFibers.com, a website that can spin any fur into usable thread, says that it doesn't smell because the spinners remove enzymes that cause odors and allergies.

I'm not so sure where I stand on this. Is this really brilliant or a little weird?


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Friday, March 21, 2008

Great Event for Friends and Family : the Haute Dog Easter Parade!



Attention Southern Californians!

Check out the 2008 Haute Dog Easter Parade & Pet Adoption Fair

EASTER SUNDAY, March 23; 2:30 p.m., sidewalks of 2nd St., Belmont Shore, Long Beach. The parade lasts about an hour and takes place on Second St. between Roycroft and Argonne avenues. There is an entry fee, but for an entry fee you and your pet can star in the parade and compete for the following:

-Best K-9 Easter Outfit will receive FREE ‘Health Food For Dogs’ for one year, courtesy of Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods and LaunderPet.
-Best "Float"
(any dog riding in, upon, or within a moving, non-motorized device; i.e. wagon, stroller or pulled cart) will win a custom "Bowser Dog Bed" (round or donut) from Wiskers, Belmont Shore.

-Top 15 will get terrific prize packs filled with gift certificates (some items listed below)
-Best Bonnet on a Dog
gift basket from Innova-Evo
-
Best Bonnet on a Human
: $100 for 1st place; and more cash to two runners-up.
- a free PetHead (wooden Intarsia portrait) by willwyles.com
-gift certificates from Wags to Whiskers pet grooming, Tidy Dog and OPC3 for dogs.

Judging this year will be:

Harrison Forbes, PetTalk on 1260AM
Steve & Neena Strichart, Signal Tribune
Miss Greater Long Beach 2008, Cynthia Salim Alek & Steph, OhLaLaMag.com Rich Archbold, Press-Telegram
There's public parking, public transit and reserved seating, for details click here.

Here's a video of past parades, enjoy!







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Thursday, March 20, 2008

One of the Many Quotes about Dogs


" The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground when the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only to be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has not food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince..."

-George Graham West


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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Breaking News: Science Finds a New Use for Poop!


Will Brinton of Woods End Laboratories in Mount Vernon, Maine is in the works to turn dog poop into energy! This technique is already being used by some dairy farms with cow manure, however, in this case Brinton says their process reduces offensive odor by 80 percent! So that answers the age old question: which smells worse, dog poo or cow?

Let's just hope with this new technique the prices of gas, oil and electricity (especially gas!) will go down.



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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Funny Videos: Puppy Knows How to ROCK to Metal Music

This is AWESOME!!!!


Death Metal Puppy - Funny videos are here

right??


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Get Rid of Dog Smell in Cars


Another great tip I found in the magazine: DogFancy

Got dog smell in your car? Sometimes even vacuuming and cleaning isn't enough to get the odor out. What's an easy quick fix? Douse a cotton ball in your favorite essential oil, like green tea or something citrus, and wedge it in a slot in your car's air vent. The air will pass through the scented cotton ball, providing aromatherapy--and banishing that doggie smell-- while on the road
--Sally Deneen


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Monday, March 17, 2008

Great Dog Care Tip from DogFancy


This is what I read in April's issue of DogFancy:

Sometimes it's OK to be Late

Dogs have an incredible inner clock and are creatures of habit who need a stable routine. However, adhering to a strict schedule can make them dependent on their routine, needlessly causing stress and worry when things don't run on time. By varying your daily patterns from time to time by an hour or so prevents your dog from relying on your punctuality and helps her handle your unexpected delays in getting home, feeding dinner, and other routine events.


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Sunday, March 16, 2008

Cute Fun Videos: Tired Baby Cat

Want more cute cats? Get pictures of fat cats, tabby cats, main coon cats, kittens and more at CutePicturesofCats.com



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Saturday, March 15, 2008

Rotten Neighbor Dog Could be Breaking the Law


Ever had your neighbor's dog take a number two in your yard?

There are two ways to deal with this:

1) If you feel like being nice, simply open up your own wallet and put up more fencing.

2) If you're feeling a little bit more courageous you can always casually mention that unleashed dogs on private property are fair game to be picked up and taken to a shelter.

Your neighbor's possible response:
" It wasn't my dog, how do you know whose poop that is?"
And this is what video and digital camera are for.

Either way, another dog's poo poses a lot of risks. There's health, if you own a pet they might get sick from eating it. And there's also the health of your lawn. A loose dog means an unwatched dog that can dig up plants and cause hundreds of dollars of damage.



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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Cat Lovers Get the Best of Both Worlds




Hampstead is a suburbs in London, it is also the home of Possum. Possum is a famous rare and exotic breed of cat and it will be at the CFA cat show March 15.

Why did I say it?

What makes Possum so unique is that Possum is male and femal
e!

The feline is a Chimera. A Chimera is a rare genetic offspring which is born when two zygotes that would have usually created two kittens, instead combine in the womb to create only one. While this isn't uncommon in the animal world, it is very rare for cats.


Want to meet Possum yourself? Go to the Schwartz Center March 15, 9am-5pm. Too far? Get your cat fix at CutePicturesofCats.com!



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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Fun Videos: English Bulldog Skateboarding

Want more fun animal videos? For cats, dogs in costumes, dogs at the beach and much more click here to watch all the Planet-Pet TV videos!



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School Kids Attacked by Dogs: How to Stay Safe


Belfast Telegraph recently printed a story about a pack of dogs running loose on school grounds, eventually attacking several children at St Therese's Lenamore Primary School in Londonderry.

Luckily none of the kids had to be hospitalized, but this attack is a good wake up call to parents with and without pets. This incident started because dogs would follow their owners to school. It's important to teach children how what to do around any dog or animal.

Here are some tips on what kids can do from Kids Health:

  • ever bother a pet when it's eating or pull its food or water away.
  • Don't tease a dog or cat or pull its tail or ears.
  • Never bother a pet when it's sleeping.
  • Don't take a toy or bone away from a cat or dog or hold it out of reach of the animal.
  • Never try to get near a pet with its babies (like a cat with kittens or a dog with puppies). Animal mothers are very protective and will bite to keep you away.
  • When lifting a rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, or gerbil from its cage, do it slowly. Be sure to hold the animal underneath its belly.
  • Never pick up or hold a rabbit by its ears.
  • When pulling an iguana, lizard, snake, or other reptile from its tank, do it slowly and carefully. Then wash your hands right away because reptiles can carry bacteria like Salmonella on their skin.
  • Never stick your hand into a fish tank, some fish can sting and the bacteria from the water can make you sick.
  • If a pet looks sick or is injured, stay far away. Tell an adult so he or she can get help for the animal.

When you're at a friend's home, the same rules apply - plus one more. Always ask your friend if it's OK to pet or hold his or her pet. If your friend says OK, move slowly and be sure to let the animal sniff your hands first.


  • Never pet or touch a strange dog, even if it runs up to you and seems like it might be friendly.
  • If a dog starts running toward you, don't run. Running away can make the dog want to chase after you - even if it doesn't want to hurt you, its instincts will tell it to chase.
  • If a strange dog approaches you, try to stand very still. This may be scary for a minute or 2, but often the dog will become bored and walk away. If the dog tries to sniff you, let it sniff - this is its way of checking you out.
  • Walk away from a strange dog very slowly. Don't wave your arms around or make a lot of noise because these actions will only excite the dog. Look straight ahead and not into the dog's eyes.
  • If you are very afraid of a strange dog or a strange dog tries to bite or attack you, tell an adult as soon as possible. He or she can find the dog's owner.

Also: Never pet or touch a strange cat, even if it seems friendly.



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Monday, March 10, 2008

What's Stronger: PETA or the Olympics??? Warning to Cat Lovers! This entry might hurt.





Beijing is preparing for the Olympic Games, meaning they want to show off their city in the best possible light. How are they doing it? A little street sweeping, some trash picking, and exterminating hundreds of stray cats a day in what are essentially "death camps."


But it doesn't even stop there, the government is also spreading propaganda that cats are harmful and carry diseases-and its working. Staff of a kindergarten recently trapped and beat two cats to death with sticks out of fear that they would harm the children.



A teacher at the nursery said: “We did it out of love for the children. We were worried the cats might harm them. These six cats had been hanging around the kindergarten looking for food.

“So three male teachers put out plates of tuna in cages for bait, trapped the cats and then beat them to death with sticks

“We were very worried the children might try to stroke them and that the cats might scratch them or pass on diseases. We had to get rid of the cats and this was the only way to do it.”

For more on this story go here.

So where the heck is PETA?? They have time to hassle celebrities about their shopping habits but don't do anything here?!?!?


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Sunday, March 9, 2008

Children Reading through Different Learning Styles


I found this great story in The Sheboygan Press:

Go to the Head of the Class:

Furry pals make reading fun at Longfellow School

Students from Longfellow Elementary School read to area dogs recently to bone up on their reading skills, thanks to a creative program developed by third-grade teacher Julie Hauck.

The program, which is open to second- and third-graders at Longfellow, is Pages for Preston Reading Therapy Dog Program.

Second-graders spend 30 minutes a week and third-graders 45 minutes a week to read to dogs from the Green Grove Dog Kennels/Green Grove Therapy Dogs.

"My goal is to provide a companion for my students to read to who will help them increase their reading fluency, attitude and confidence," said Hauck. "Therapy dogs are ideal for this job because they provide students the opportunity to read in a non-threatening atmosphere."

This allows students to focus on their reading instead of worrying about how others are judging their abilities.

"We are really enjoying it," said one of the teachers, implementing this program. "I was an elementary classroom teacher before I got into dog training and so the program combines my favorite things — children and dogs. The children seem to be excited to have the dogs come into the classroom and we work in reading circles, with the dogs and kids reading together."

The students also get the opportunity to assist in training the dogs with standard commands like sit, stay and come. This means that kids get to "practice" owning a pet before actually getting them. Which means more responsible pet owners, and less animals ending up in shelters.




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Friday, March 7, 2008

Funny Videos: Cats, Let Me In!

Want more cats? Go to CutePicturesofCats.com for everything feline! Mancoon cats, cute cats, fat cats, videos and pictures!


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Cat Health Question Answered: Wool Sucking


Does your cat have "wool sucking syndrome?"

This is when cats are prematurely weaned, or have a genetic predisposition which results in a habit of sucking on woool, like clothing and socks, the addiction can even go as far as the cat sucking on the owner's hair to get thier fix!

Doesn't sound like a big problem? This compulsion ( if gone untreated) can blow up to a full-on eating disorder and put your cat at risk.

If you really want some more information pick up Dr. Nicholas Dodman's book " The Cat Who Cried For Help," which explains how a high-fiber diet can help with this problem.




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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Funny Videos: The Dog Whisperer

The Dog Whisperer

Add to My Profile | More Videos



That's right! That's Planet-PetsTV's host! And to watch more videos, clips and episodes from Planet-petsTV click here.



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Elephants aren't the only Artists!




I found this great story in the Seattle times


When Tara McClung went out of town for about a week two years ago, the last thing she expected to find when she came home was her cat's new hobby.

Her cat Engine had discovered wire sculpting.

McClung, of Pompey, N.Y., said Engine likes to take floral wire and bend it into various shapes by using his teeth and paws. Sometimes he even bends the wire into tiny loops.

Engine is among 10 animal artists whose work will be on display at the second annual Pawcasso art show Friday in Syracuse.

Engine's work in Pawcasso is the only wire sculpture. The other artistic cats, dog, rabbit, parrot and penguin all prefer painting. Each animal has its own artistic methods and preferences, according to Debbie Tobin, penguin zookeeper at Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse.

Five of Tobin's tips on training your animal to be creative

Look at your pet's natural behavior dog like to use their mouths, primates their hands and birds their beaks and feet.

Don't force your pet

When you train animals, use a lot of positive reinforcement.

Take baby steps. Break down the entire creative process into little pieces. When painting, for example, first let the animal touch the brush. Next time, teach your pet to hold the brush and work your way up to adding paint. Keep your sessions to about 10 minutes so it's not overwhelming for the animal.

Be patient. If something is not working, take a step back and try again. If your pet can do one little thing, be thankful and reward them.




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Monday, March 3, 2008

Videos: How to Pick Pet Insurance


Video: Pet Health Insurance- Free Guide and Comparison!


This video shows that comparing and learning about pet insurance plans doesn't have to be confusing or time consuming.


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California Bill to Neuter or Spay Your Pets!


Just a friendly reminder.

In Los Angeles, California Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa just signed one of the nation's toughest laws on pet sterilization.

All dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old, unless you are a breeder!


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