animal companions

Prepare Your Animal Companions for Natural Disasters

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , , ,

Out west, wildfire season has come early, and in the eastern and Gulf states it’s already hurricane season. In many places, people will be evacuated, often with little or no advance notice. Now is the time to prepare your animal companions for natural disasters.

In a major disaster, local emergency workers may be stretched to the limit, and it can take days for additional help to arrive from outside your area. The bottom line is that you are the best—maybe even the only—chance your animal has for rescue. It’s really important that you have a plan.

Your plan should cover the different kinds of disasters likely to occur where you live. Do you have hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods? What about wildfires? Earthquakes? You’ll need a plan to evacuate if a fire or flood is headed your way.

Evacuating Your Home

Take your animals. If it’s not safe for you to stay, it isn’t safe for your animals either.

Have an animal disaster kit ready. Your kit should include carriers, leashes, a litter box, and bowls, as well as a three— to five-day supply of pet food, water, and litter. Don’t forget your animal companions’ medical records and medications. Include current photos of each animal, in case they get separated from you during the evacuation. A plastic storage bin is a great way to keep your kit portable and dry. Make sure you can get to your disaster kit quickly.

Prepare your animals early. It can be very hard to load a frightened cat into a carrier or to quickly find a dog who doesn’t always come when called. You may want to confine your animals in the house (or in their carriers) before the actual evacuation order comes. It’s also a good idea to practice evacuating the house with all your animals, in preparation for the day when a firefighter knocks on your door and says you have to be out in five minutes. Of course, your animals should be microchipped and wearing ID tags with your name and cell phone number.

Know where to go. Do you have friends or family nearby who can host you and your animals? Do you know which hotels take animals?  Consider including a list of hotels in your disaster kit.

Have an arrangement with a friend. What if you’re not home when your neighborhood is evacuated? A mutual aid agreement with a neighbor or friend will ensure that your animals get out in time.

Have rescue alert stickers in place. A sticker in windows on all four sides of your residence will alert fire or rescue workers to the fact that your animals may be trapped inside.

Sheltering at Home

Make sure you have plenty of supplies. Have a minimum of 10 days of food and supplies at home. It’s much less stressful for animals to stay in a familiar environment, but if you run out of supplies, you may have to evacuate with your animals to a shelter.

Have a battery-operated radio. If you are sheltering at home to avoid exposure to a toxic spill or a flu epidemic, you’ll need to know when the danger is over. Cell phones lose power and cell phone towers can be put out of commission. A radio (with lots of extra batteries!) will enable you to find out when the coast is clear.

Consider taking a dog and cat first-aid class. In an emergency, a veterinarian may not be immediately available. You might save your dog’s or cat’s life in a disaster by knowing how to stop bleeding or treat for shock. Even without a disaster, your knowledge of how to treat heat stroke or choking may save an animal’s life. To find an animal first-aid class, contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross, or check with your nearest animal shelter.

If you don’t already have an animal disaster kit, take a few minutes today to put a basic one together. Here’s some more information on disaster planning for your animals.

Be prepared, stay safe, and please take a moment to watch this video from an old friend of mine! 

Peace to ALL the animal with whom we share this planet.

Keep Summer Safe for Your Animal Companions

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , ,

Happy Independence Day! The Fourth of July is considered by many to be the official kickoff to summer fun and recreation. Pet lovers enjoy spending time outside with their animal companions, but here are a few things to remember to keep them safe.

Dogs, cats, and many other animals are less heat tolerant than humans. They don’t sweat to cool down the way humans do and generally have an insulating coat of fur. Panting is one of the main ways dogs and cats expel heat and excessive panting could be a sign of overheating. As a general rule, don’t take your pets for long walks when the temperatures start to rise above 80 degrees. When you do go for walks, make sure to provide plenty of fresh water and avoid black top which can burn the pads on their feet.

Make sure to talk with your veterinarian about flea and tick protection for your pet. Ticks can carry many diseases including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Tick season varies by location and your veterinarian is the best person to ask about the treatment period in your area and which specific preventative they recommend for your pet. Fleas are also a major vector for tape worms and can cause severe dermatitis and allergic problems in many pets. Flea and tick preventatives are generally very safe.

Make sure to keep your pet on year-round heartworm preventative. Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and is fatal if left untreated. The treatment for heartworm disease is expensive and dangerous. Even some treated dogs won’t make it, so it is important to take prevention seriously. Heartworm preventatives also prevent intestinal parasites during the winter.

Watch out for summer-specific toxins. These include fireworks, tiki torch fluid, and some species of toads, snakes, and spiders. Research any plants you buy for the yard to ensure that they aren’t toxic. Keep dogs out of warm ponds as they may contain the highly toxic blue green algae. If your pet has exposure to something and you aren’t sure if it is toxic, please contact your veterinarian at once.

Be vigilant at the beach or around the pool. Not all dogs are swimmers. Most dogs will naturally “dog paddle” in water, but that doesn’t mean that they can keep it up for a long time. Many dogs become anxious in the water and could drown because they are scared or grow exhausted. Remember that even strong swimmers can drown if the current is strong. If you intend to do a lot of swimming you may want to consider investing in a life jacket for your dog as a precaution.

Finally, please, please never leave your animal companion in a parked car in the hot sun. If you absolutely must leave your pet alone for a moment, please remember to leave a window rolled down enough to allow fresh air in but not far enough for him or her to climb out and get lost or hurt.

Have a safe summer.

Peace for ALL the animals with whom we share this planet!

Your House Is Clean, But Are Your Pets Safe?

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , ,

In these troubled times, keeping your home clean and safe is more important than ever. But are you making your house safer or more dangerous for your animal companions?

Many cleaning products are safe for humans to use but will cause discomfort, injury, or even death to pets. Your animals may be curious about the smell or taste of these products, so be extra careful when using them. The following is a list of common household cleaners and the dangers they can pose to your animal companions.

Bleach:  Small exposures to regular strength household bleach, such as a pet walking through a puddle on the floor, may result in irritation to the skin and bleached/damaged fur. Thorough rinsing of the feet is important to remove any bleach trapped in the toe webs or between the foot pads. Bleach on the skin or fur often leads to ingestion because animals will self-groom and lick the bleach off. Ingestion can lead to vomiting and stomach irritation which, depending on the amount ingested, may need veterinary treatment. If bleach gets in the eye, this can be an emergency. Immediate flushing of the eye may be needed to slow damage to the cornea. Any animal whose eyes have been exposed to bleach should be examined by a veterinarian. He or she may apply a stain to the surface of the eye that binds to damaged cells and make them visible. If damage has occurred, treatment is likely needed. Concentrated or “ultra” bleaches can cause chemical burns, so extra caution needs to be taken when using those products. Never mix bleach with other chemicals. Mixing chlorine bleach with ammonia, for example, produces toxic chloramine gas which is corrosive to the lungs.

Isopropyl Alcohol:  Ingesting isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizers) can poison animals, resulting in symptoms such as drunkenness, low blood sugar (especially in small and young pets), stomach upset, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, acid/base disturbances in the blood, and difficulty breathing. Isopropyl alcohol is twice as toxic as ethanol (the alcohol in beer and wine) to dogs.

Hydrogen Peroxide:  Often found in cleaning and disinfecting products, exposure to hydrogen peroxide can result in skin and eye irritation/damage, vomiting, damage to the stomach lining, and sometimes potentially deadly air bubbles in the blood. The common 3% household strength concentration is occasionally used to induce vomiting in dogs but is only safe at correct doses and only in specific cases. Do not give hydrogen peroxide to a dog without consulting your vet. Never use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting in cats as it can be deadly. Concentrations greater than 3% can be corrosive to all tissues.

Quaternary ammonium compounds:  Found in some disinfecting wipes and sprays, quaternary ammonium compounds can cause corrosive injury to any tissue they contact. Cats are especially sensitive to these compounds, even at very low concentrations.

Phenols:  Found in everything from toilet bowl cleaners to all-purpose cleaning sprays, these products can be corrosive if they contact the skin and eyes or if they are swallowed.  They can also cause corrosive injury to the lungs if inhaled.

Keep your pets out of the room when cleaning, especially if using an open mop bucket. Discard paper towels that are wet with cleaner or sanitizing wipes in covered trash cans. When cleaning the bathroom, keep the doors closed and windows open. In case of spills, quickly remove pets to a safe part of the house or secure the area to avoid accidental exposure.

Remember that pets are more sensitive to household cleaning products than most humans are. In case of exposure, contact your vet immediately or call the 24/7 Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.

Peace to ALL the animals with whom we share this planet!

November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , ,

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Sure you can, but really, why would you want to? Old dogs (and cats) are perfect just the way they are.

November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month. It’s a sad fact that older animals have the hardest time finding homes and are often the first to be killed at city and county shelters. But there are so many reasons that older animals make ideal companions. Here are just a few:

Older pets are typically calmer than curious puppies and kittens and are quite content with a more relaxing day-to to-day routine. The mellow nature of older pets makes them a great fit for households with children too. Before ending up in shelters, senior pets often come from some sort of family life which makes adjusting to a new home environment much easier than it could be for puppies or kittens.

Senior dogs and cats are often already trained (and potty trained) and may even be pros at performing basic commands. The great news is that even if they’re not, they are much easier to train than younger animals. Their experience around humans, along with more established physical and mental abilities, allow them to better understand the requested commands and pick up new tasks much faster than puppies or kittens.

Senior animals don’t require the constant attention required young ones. Of course, they still love to play and go for walks, they just don’t require as much of your focus and energy. All they really want is a warm and comfortable place to sleep, fresh food and water, and a companion to love and one who will love them back. If you want an animal friend who can fit right in the moment he or she comes home, a senior dog or cat might be just what you’re looking for.

Last, but far from least, by adopting a senior pet or any animal – you are giving the gift of life. Animals, old and young, are dumped at city and county shelters every day, and, sadly, many will never leave alive. Doesn’t every animal deserve a chance at a loving and caring home?

Thinking about adding an animal companion to your household? Adopt and save a life – and why not adopt a grateful and loving older animal?

Peace for ALL the animals with whom we share this planet!

Wishing Everyone an Animal-Friendly Halloween!

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , ,

Halloween may be different this year, but safety and compassion should be the hallmark of every holiday every year. Listen to medical experts about coronavirus safeguards and follow these additional tips for a happy Halloween for everyone, humans and non-humans.

If you’re eating or distributing candy, make it vegan candy. Candy made from milk, eggs, gelatin (made from animal skin, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and bones), confectioner’s glaze (made from the resinous excretions of certain insects), or carmine color (red pigment made from crushed cochineal insects) contribute to animal suffering. I like Twizzlers but click here for a list of some other lip-smacking cruelty-free candy.

Keep candy out of reach of animals, and make sure that kids know not to share their goodies with pets or other animals. All candy (and wrappers!) can cause animals to become sick, and chocolate, which contains an ingredient that is poisonous to dogs, can kill. A simple cat or dog treat will make your animal companion’s’ Halloween great without making them sick.

I’ve seldom seen an animal happy in a Halloween costume, but if (and only if) yours is, make sure those costumes are pet friendly. Costumes that restrict vision or movement are no good. Costumes that are kept in place with tight rubber bands can cut off circulation. Costumes made of flammable materials are likewise out of the question. Pets can be curious about flickering candles and lit jack-o-lanterns – don’t make Halloween a life-threatening proposition for them. Keep those things away from animals, costumed or not.

Keep other decorations away, too. The ink that is used in some brightly colored decorations, such as orange streamers and paper pumpkins, is toxic to animals, and swallowed balloons or party favors can block an animal’s digestive tract.

Keep your pets inside. For cats—especially black cats, who have been unfairly associated with “evil forces”—the days leading up to Halloween can be dark indeed as sick people go on the prowl for cats to torture and often kill. In fact, many animal shelters refuse to adopt out black cats during the entire month of October. It’s a sad commentary on humans that it has to be this way.

Dogs should be kept indoors too. Halloween can be a terrifying experience for dogs, who often run from the noise and the strangely dressed people and can become lost.

When Halloween is over and those pumpkins on your doorstep are looking tired and sad, don’t throw them in the garbage. If there is a wooded or wild area nearby where animals live, bring your pumpkins there. Not only will hungry animals eat them, but smaller animals like chipmunks and squirrels will hollow them out and move in. Old pumpkins and gourds make warm and comfortable homes for the cold months ahead. Note: If you have deer in your area, cut hollowed-out pumpkins up before leaving them in the woods so that feasting deer don’t get their heads caught in them.

Happy Halloween, and peace to ALL the animals with whom we share this planet!

 

Preparing Your Pets for Natural Disasters

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , , ,

It’s hurricane season again in the Atlantic and Gulf states, and wildfire season out west. In many places, people will be evacuated, often with little or no advance notice. Now is the time to know you and your animal companions are prepared for natural disasters.

In a major disaster, local emergency workers may be stretched to the limit, and it can take days for additional help to arrive from outside your area. The bottom line is that you are the best—maybe even the only—chance your animal has for rescue. It’s really important that you have a plan.

Your plan should cover the different kinds of disasters likely to occur where you live. Do you have hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods? What about wildfires? Earthquakes? You’ll need a plan to evacuate if a fire or flood is headed your way.

Evacuating Your Home

Take your animals. If it’s not safe for you to stay, it isn’t safe for your animals either.

Have an animal disaster kit ready. Your kit should include carriers, leashes, a litter box, and bowls, as well as a three— to five-day supply of pet food, water, and litter. Don’t forget your animal companions’ medical records and medications. Include current photos of each animal, in case they get separated from you during the evacuation. A plastic storage bin is a great way to keep your kit portable and dry. Make sure you can get to your disaster kit quickly.

Prepare your animals early. It can be very hard to load a frightened cat into a carrier or to quickly find a dog who doesn’t always come when called. You may want to confine your animals in the house (or in their carriers) before the actual evacuation order comes. It’s also a good idea to practice evacuating the house with all your animals, in preparation for the day when a firefighter knocks on your door and says you have to be out in five minutes. Of course, your animals should be microchipped and wearing ID tags with your name and cell phone number.

Know where to go. Do you have friends or family nearby who can host you and your animals? Do you know which hotels take animals?  Consider including a list of hotels in your disaster kit.

Have an arrangement with a friend. What if you’re not home when your neighborhood is evacuated? A mutual aid agreement with a neighbor or friend will ensure that your animals get out in time.

Have rescue alert stickers in place. A sticker in windows on all four sides of your residence will alert fire or rescue workers to the fact that your animals may be trapped inside.

Sheltering at Home

Make sure you have plenty of supplies. Have a minimum of 10 days of food and supplies at home. It’s much less stressful for animals to stay in a familiar environment, but if you run out of supplies, you may have to evacuate with your animals to a shelter.

Have a battery-operated radio. If you are sheltering at home to avoid exposure to a toxic spill or a flu epidemic, you’ll need to know when the danger is over. Cell phones lose power and cell phone towers can be put out of commission. A radio (with lots of extra batteries!) will enable you to find out when the coast is clear.

Consider taking a dog and cat first-aid class. In an emergency, a veterinarian may not be immediately available. You might save your dog’s or cat’s life in a disaster by knowing how to stop bleeding or treat for shock. Even without a disaster, your knowledge of how to treat heat stroke or choking may save an animal’s life. To find an animal first-aid class, contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross, or check with your nearest animal shelter.

If you don’t already have an animal disaster kit, take a few minutes today to put a basic one together. Here’s some more information on disaster planning for your animals.

Be prepared, stay safe, and please take a moment to watch this video from an old friend of mine! 

Peace to ALL the animal with whom we share this planet.

Would You Have Your Best Friend’s Fingers and Toes Amputated?

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , ,
Cats’ claws are a vital part of their anatomy and their instinctive behavior. They use them to escape from other animals or people who are hurting or threatening them. Cats claw to have fun and exercise, to maintain the condition of their nails, and to mark their territory. They stretch by digging their claws in and pulling against their own claw-hold.
Declawing of cats, or onychectomy, is not at all like clipping your fingernails. It is the amputation of the last bone, including the nail bed and claw, on each front toe. It is the same as cutting off each of your fingers at the first knuckle. Declawing is serious surgery and puts a cat at risk of adverse reactions to anesthesia, gangrene, hemorrhaging, permanent nerve damage, persistent pain, difficulty walking, scar tissue formation, bone fragments, and skin disorders. After surgery, the nails may grow back inside the paw, causing pain but remaining invisible to observers. Declawing results in a gradual weakening of leg, shoulder, and back muscles, and because of impaired balance caused by the procedure, declawed cats must relearn to walk, much as a person would after losing his or her toes.
Without claws, even house-trained cats may urinate outside the litter box. Declawed cats may be morose, reclusive, and withdrawn or irritable, aggressive, and unpredictable. Many people think that declawed cats are safer around babies, but in fact, the lack of claws, a cat’s first line of defense, makes many cats feel so insecure that they tend to nip more often as a means of self-protection. Declawed cats often develop behavioral problems that eventually lead to their being dumped at animal shelters and killed.
Please don’t declaw your cats. If having an animal with claws in your home is a problem for you, please don’t choose a cat for your companion. You wouldn’t have your best friend’s fingers and toes amputated at the knuckles, would you?
Peace to all the animals with whom we share this planet!

Fireworks Are No Fun for Animals

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , ,

I hate fireworks, I really do. Fireworks frighten and kill pets and wild animals. More dogs go missing on July 4 than on any other day of the year; many never make it home alive. Please don’t “celebrate” this holiday or any other by causing pain, fear, and death, and protect your companion animals from being frightened by the thoughtless “celebrations” of others.

Peace to ALL the animals with whom we share this planet.

 

 

 

Senior Animals Need Love, Too

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , ,

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Sure you can, but really, why would you want to? Old dogs (and cats) are perfect just the way they are.

November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month. It’s a sad fact that older animals have the hardest time finding homes and are often the first to be killed at city and county shelters. But there are so many reasons that older animals make ideal companions. Here are just a few:

Older pets are typically calmer than curious puppies and kittens and are quite content with a more relaxing day-to to-day routine. The mellow nature of older pets makes them a great fit for households with children too. Before ending up in shelters, senior pets often come from some sort of family life which makes adjusting to a new home environment much easier than it could be for puppies or kittens.

Senior dogs and cats are often already trained (and potty trained) and may even be pros at performing basic commands. The great news is that even if they’re not, they are much easier to train than younger animals. Their experience around humans, along with more established physical and mental abilities, allow them to better understand the requested commands and pick up new tasks much faster than puppies or kittens.

Senior animals don’t require the constant attention required young ones. Of course, they still love to play and go for walks, they just don’t require as much of your focus and energy. All they really want is a warm and comfortable place to sleep, fresh food and water, and a companion to love and one who will love them back. If you want an animal friend who can fit right in the moment he or she comes home, a senior dog or cat might be just what you’re looking for.

Last, but far from least, by adopting a senior pet or any animal – you are giving the gift of life. Animals, old and young, are dumped at city and county shelters every day, and, sadly, many will never leave alive. Doesn’t every animal deserve a chance at a loving and caring home?

Thinking about adding an animal companion to your household? Adopt and save a life – and why not adopt a grateful and loving older animal?

Peace for ALL the animals with whom we share this planet!

New California Law Takes Aim at Breeding Mills

Pamelyn Ferdin Essays by Pamelyn , , , , , , , , ,

Here’s a photo of me and Muttley, rescued from a municipal shelter in the nick of time, and a member of my family for ten years.

On January 1, 2019, California became the first state to prohibit pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and other mammals unless they were acquired from a shelter, rescue group, or public animal control agency. Under the new California law, pet store operators must be able to prove the origin for animals in their store or be fined $500 per animal.

Most animals sold in pet stores come from mass-breeding facilities that churn out hundreds of thousands of animals every year in deplorable conditions. At these “puppy mills,” “breeding stock” are artificially inseminated again and again to keep them permanently pregnant or nursing. Due to stress and physical exertion, their lives are often short. Their young are typically taken away at a very early age, packed into crates, and trucked or flown hundreds of miles – often without adequate food, water, or ventilation – to brokers, who then sell them to stores. Some of the animals don’t survive the grueling journey.

This is a serious and long overdue blow to those evil breeding mills. Animal advocacy groups have fought and uncovered horrific conditions at breeding mills for years, including those at Holmes Farm, a huge Pennsylvania animal mill that supplied PetSmart, Petco, and others. Undercover video taken there documented that animals were kept in stacked plastic bins, denied veterinary care, and routinely frozen alive and gassed by the dozens. Holmes Farm was raided by agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is now under federal investigation.

Another good reason to put these breeders out of business? Purebred dogs and cats suffer from significantly higher rates of physical abnormalities and congenital defects. Over-breeding has saturated gene pools with those for deafness, heart ailments, and other physical disorders. The healthiest and most robust dogs and cats are mixed-breeds, or mutts, and they’re oh so cute besides. Every animal is beautiful in his or her own right, not just those with AKC-certified bloodlines!

California is the first to have such a law enacted statewide, but there are similar laws restricting pet store sales in towns and cities across the country. If where you live isn’t on the list, I urge you to contact your state and local legislators to push for similar legislation.

As good news as the California law is for putting an end to breeding mills, it’s still not cause for celebration. Don’t forget that every time someone buys an animal from a pet store, they are condemning another in a shelter, waiting to be loved, to death. Pet store animals will be there until someone buys them, but shelter animals are given a only a brief window of opportunity to be adopted; those that aren’t are put to death. As Public Relations Director for New York’s Center for Animal Care and Control I witnessed beautiful, healthy dogs and cats held down, injected with an asphyxiating drug, and tossed into a refrigerated room to be taken away by garbage trucks. It’s heartbreaking and sickening. Make shelter animals your first choice in adoption, and, remember, always have your animal companions spayed or neutered.

Peace for ALL the animals with whom we share this planet!