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How Licensing Works in a Responsible Pet Ownership Community
How Licensing Works in a Responsible Pet Ownership Community In a responsible pet ownership community, your pet's license enables animal services to return him or her to you as soon as possible. It also tells strangers that your lost pet is not a stray and needs to be returned to its family. Your license fee pays for this service, and also funds other animal services in the community.
Spay/Neuter
Effective spay-neuter partnerships decrease euthanasia rates, encourage responsible pet ownership and support the human-canine bond. These partnerships focus on cooperation and education and make spay-neuter services accessible and affordable to all pet owners. Most dog owners want to provide good care for their pets, but some owners need assistance. Safe and humane communities provide accessible and affordable spay/neuter services so everyone has the opportunity to be a responsible pet owner. Accessible and targeted services will reach the majority of dog owners. Mandatory spay/neuter laws do not. -
1. Acana
2. Wild Callling
3. Orijen
4. Earthborn
5. Zignature
6. Victor Super Premium
7. Instinct
Here are just a few dog foods we suggest
5 Ingredients You NEVER Want to Find in Your Dog’s Food
Think back to your last trip to your grocery store. Did you pick up an item, turn it around and read the label? Now, think about to your last trip to your pet store. Did you read that label? Are you able to identify the ingredients that are healthy and the ones that are not?
Do you know what is in your dog’s food?
Do you have your dog’s food label in front of you? If not, bookmark this page for future reference to cross check the ingredients within your dog’s food.
We’re going to break down five ingredients that if found on the label, you should avoid purchasing:
Ethoxyquin Ethoxyquin is commonly found in most dog foods, as this is used as a preservative. Does anyone know what this product was developed for? Herbicide! As awareness has increased around increasing quality care for our dogs, veterinarians began noticing that ethoxyquin is often associated with the development of kidney and liver damage, cancer (liver, spleen, stomach, skin), immune deficiency syndrome, blindness, and leukemia.
Propylene Glycol If you know anything about auto care products, you may have immediately recognized this. Yes, this is found in anti-freeze! This product in placed in dog food to help reduce moisture and prevent bacteria growth. Your dog needs what is called intestinal bacteria to help absorb and digest the food. Since this ingredient decreases bacteria growth, it also reduces the “good” growth that is need. Additionally, it reduces moisture that is needed to aid in digestion. As a result, some dogs may develop cancerous lesions within their intestines or develop intestinal blockage.
BHT/BHA Butylated-hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) both are equally potent and dangerous for your pet. In fact, these two are often found in our food too. BHA is another preservative and is often responsible for kidney damage. BHT, even more potent than BHA, is used to help reduce food spoiling. BHT has been directly linked with cancer for both dogs and humans.
Corn Syrup/Corn Corn syrup is sugar often used to help “sweeten” your dog’s palate. Too much sugar over time will lead to weight gain, diabetes, hyperactivity, and even a change in mental behavior. Corn, a very inexpensive filler, over time may develop mold or fungus; in turn, may result in death.
“By Product” This could be either chicken, lamb, beef, fish, turkey and so on. “By product” are the internal remains of an animal, not including the muscle meat. Often times, this will include diseased tissues, organs and tumors.
No Rawhides
What is Rawhide?
- Rawhide is the tough inner layer of bull, cow, water buffalo and horsehides - a by-product of the meat industry
- The flesh side is scraped clean of all remaining meat, membrane, fat, etc.
- The hair is removed in either an Ash-Lye solution or a Lime solution. The Lime solution is the quickest and most often utilized by manufacturers. This process is highly caustic but the most efficient for mass production
- To remove all traces of the lime solution and to sanitize the rawhide product, commercial makers then rinse the hides in a bleach solution
The Risks
Are there risks associated with rawhide dog treats? These are the most common rawhide risks:
Given the amount of rawhide consumed by dogs each year, the risks are relatively small. Still, risks can be serious, so don’t ignore them. Weigh the risks and benefits of giving rawhides based upon your dog's chewing needs and behaviors.
Contamination. As with pet toys, rawhide chews can contain trace amounts of toxic chemicals. And, as with other pet (or human) foods, Salmonella or E. coli contamination is possible. Even humans can be at risk when coming into contact with these bacteria on rawhide treats.
Digestive irritation. Some dogs are simply sensitive or allergic to rawhide or other substances used in their manufacture. This can cause problems, includingdiarrhea.
Choking or blockages. Rawhide bones and other edible chews can pose a choking and blockage risk. In fact, this is a much bigger risk than contamination or digestive irritation. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Depending on its size and where it is located, a vet may be able to remove these pieces fairly easily through the throat. But sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.
Watch for signs of bacterial contamination, gastric irritation, or a blockage. Contact your veterinarian if your dog has signs such as:
Gagging
Regurgitation
Repeated swallowing
Vomiting
Diarrhea, with or without blood
Fever
Lack of energy
Signs of pain
Refusal to eat or weight loss
Keeping your Dog Healthy & Safe
Bloat
Please take a moment to read up about Bloat. All large deep chested breed dogs are susceptible, this includes bully breeds and the molosser breeds. Its best just to familiarize yourself.
BELOW click the link to learn about Bloat.
http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
Is your dog microchipped?
If your dog is not microchipped, do it now, if your dog ever gets lost or lands at the shelter, the microchip can possibly save your dogs life and help reunite you with your dog. For more detailed information regarding microchipping, please click on the link below.
Obesity Facts & Risks
Iv'e seen it time and time again, overweight dogs. Overfeeding your dog and allowing them to become overweight is a form of abuse, you may see it as love and giving to them, but its not healthy for them. There are several things that can come from canine obesity, just as humans, there are many reason not to allow your dog to become overweight. The Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury issue is a big issue amongst the bullies. Please know the facts and risks of an overweight dog.
PRIMARY RISKS OF EXCESS WEIGHT IN PETS:
Osteoarthritis
Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Heart and Respiratory Disease
Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury
Kidney Disease
Many Forms of Cancer
Decreased life expectancy (up to 2.5 years)
Heat Stroke
Ah, the dog days of summer! for those of us and our dogs living in Arizona, just because we humans enjoy the heat, does not mean our canine companions do. When we get hot, our bodies sweat as a mechanism to cool us down. A dog cannot sweat as we do, so they pant to cool themselves down. Unfortunately, panting is not the most efficient means of cooling an overheated body. To prevent heatstroke, never leave your dog in a parked vehicle. On an 85 F day, the temperature inside your car, even with the windows open a bit, will climb to 102 F in 10 minutes! After half an hour, it will go up to 120 F or even higher! On a 90 F day, temperatures in that car can top 160 F faster than you can walk around the block. Exercising in hot weather is another common way heatstroke can occur.
As with humans, older dogs, over-weight dogs and or dogs with heart or lung ailments are much more likely to suffer from heatstroke than younger or healthier dogs. Do not push your dog to exercise on very hot or humid days. Your dog needs a nice, cool, place with plenty of fresh water to drink. Heatstroke occurs when the dog's ability to regulate its body temperature is lost. When the respiratory tract cannot evacuate heat quickly enough, the body temperature rises. Normal body temperature is less than 103 F, but once the temperature goes over 105 F, it becomes even more difficult for your dog to regain control of its temperature. At this time, oxygen delivery to the system cannot keep up with rapidly elevating demand. If the temperature exceeds 108 F, cellular damage starts to occur in a number of organ systems including the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, heart and brain.
The extent of the cellular damage depends on the magnitude and the duration of the temperature elevation. Clearly, this can be a life-threatening situation, but for those animals that survive there is the possibility of long term problems after the occurrence. There are a number of predisposing factors for heat stroke. Some of the most significant are: heat, humidity, muscular activity, high body mass, anxiety, poor ventilation, dehydration, obesity, antihistamines, short-nosed breeds such as Pugs and Bulldogs, and increased age.
Heatstroke can lead to rapid death. Symptoms of heatstroke must be recognized and treatment must be initiated immediately.
Symptoms
Early symptoms of heatstroke are labored breathing, warm dry skin, an anxious attitude, and profuse salivation. As the condition progresses, the animal develops a glazed look, and is somewhat unresponsive to external stimulation. Looking inside the mouth, the tongue and gums have a bright red appearance. The heartbeat of the animal increases and if left untreated, he becomes weak and eventually collapses.
Treatment
Immediate emergency care is required for an animal suffering from heatstroke. The animal should be placed in a bathtub filled with cool water. If a tub is not available, the animal should be hosed down or wrapped in cool damp towels. The water used to cool down the animal should be cool, not cold. If the pet is responsive, small amounts of cool water should be offered to drink. When the animal is cooled down, he must be taken to a veterinary hospital. Intravenous fluid therapy is required for animals with heatstroke.