I have some experience with picky pets. My parents’ Puli would eat anything that came his way, while their Komondore was known to turn her nose up at steak. Jade (my dog) eats dog food as a last resort (only after he is convinced that no treats are coming his way), and Shana (my parents current dog) will eat if she’s hungry or if she thinks that Jade is going to get to the food or treat first (when I house/dogsit she will frequently gather up every bully stick and bone she can find, pile them up on my parents’ bed where she sleeps, and wait for Jade to innocently come along so she can pounce on him. Jade, who usually has no interest whatsoever in bully sticks, just looks bewildered while Shana settles down to happily munching on whichever chew strikes her fancy).

I have found however two human food items that no picky pet (barring medical problems that forbid the giving of this food product) can resist: chopped chicken liver and rotisserie chicken. Last night my advice was (assuming that the vet was correct and the poor puppy needed to eat something for the pain medication to kick in): stop by the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken and, if they have any, some chopped chicken liver. Forget trying to coax the dog to eat dog food (either wet or dry); for one night, he’ll be just fine. Don’t bother with mixing up kibble with chicken broth or anything like that. Rotisserie chicken - with or without skin just no bones.

Late last night I got a text: The chicken worked perfectly! Dog is sound asleep.

What is your favorite trick for tempting a finicky eater?

According to an article published in the July edition of Pet Age magazine, sleep deprivation can also lead to behavior problems in birds. The article’s author, Allie Johnson, says that it is important to keep pet birds on a sleeping schedule similar to what they would experience in the wild. In the wild, birds sleep when the sun goes down and wake up when it comes up - anywhere from 10 to 14 hours. And typically birds in captivity don’t follow this type of schedule because their human owners (understandably in this day age) don’t either.

Sleep-deprived birds often exhibit either behavioral or physical problems. Behavior problems typically show up as feather plucking (birds tend to feather pluck when they are either bored or stressed and lack of sleep can cause a tremendous amount of stress). In severe cases, feather plucking actually progresses to self-mutilation where the bird begins chewing on his or her own skin.

When it comes to physical problems, sleep-deprived birds may suffer from chronic upper respiratory infections, fungal infections, and/or fungal or bacterial infections in the crop or gut. Just as with humans, lack of sleep prevents the immune system from functioning normally and allows more illnesses to creep in.

Lack of sleep is not the only cause of these problems. Poor diet, and lack of exposure to fresh air and natural (or UV) light, boredom, or stress from other causes can also lead to behavior and healthy problems. A visit to your veterinarian may be able to help determine the cause of your bird’s behavior or health problems.

If lack of sleep is the issue, try providing your bird with a quiet, dark, cozy place where he or she can go whenever his or her biological clock says it’s bedtime. Different birds like different sleeping habitats, so you may have to try out a variety of “homes” before you find the one that works best for your bird.

1) Use the Internet

When it comes to researching places like doggy daycare centers, the Internet is definitely your friend. Start by looking at review sites like Yelp. Using a site like Yelp, you can either research a specific organization or look for local organizations in your area and read reviews written by consumers. For example, I typed in doggy daycare and San Francisco, CA and found that 13 out of 13 reviewers gave the The Grateful Dog a rating of 5 stars, while Fog City Doggie Day Care had extremely mixed reviews. These types of review sites are a great way to narrow down the list of places you personally want to contact.

2) Ask for recommendations

Talk to your groomer, your veterinarian, your pet-sitter, your pet friends, your trainer. Odds are that at least one of these people will know of someplace wonderful that would be just right for your pet.

3) Visit the place in person

Not only should you visit the place you are planning to leave your pet, but plan on visiting several different days at several different times of day. Drop off and pick up are usually fairly chaotic, so don’t be too put off if the staff does not have a lot of time to talk during those times. Coming by to see the place on Monday at 10am and Thursday at 3, is going to tell you a lot about how these places are actually run. While the place may be sparkling clean on Monday morning, by Thursday afternoon it could be covered in destroyed toys, mud, and even excrement. Also the number of animals and staff present may vary greatly during days of the week and times of day. A center that only allows you to visit at specific times may easily have something to hide.

4) Ask questions, questions, and more questions. The Colorado Association of Dog Daycares offers a wonderful list of questions they recommend a prospective doggy daycare customer ask. Here are some of my favorites:

Is the environment calm and controlled? Do the dogs seem stressed or happy? Are the staff members interacting with the dogs? If not they can’t know them well enough to detect or avoid trouble. Is the daycare sufficiently staffed? Does the daycare have a screening process? If they don’t demand proof of vaccinations from you they aren’t requiring it of anybody else. Does the daycare have a relationship with a vet that is close by? Are there specific strategies in place for handling problems as they arise? How much time to the dogs spend indoors/outdoors? How often are they taken outside to potty?

Ask questions specific to your situation. Do you have a small dog? Large dog? Do you want the sizes kept separate? How do they handle pets with food allergies? Do they give treats? How are meal times handled? Do the dogs have individual spaces as well as communal areas? What happens if your dog becomes sick or injured?

Taking time to find exactly the right place will help ensure that both you and your pet have an enjoyable experience.

In June, ASPCA agents began an investigation of this facility. At that time, it was discovered that animals were being left in poorly ventilated and extremely dirty areas (the areas where the animals were kept were covered in urine and feces). feces. Two underweight Pit Bull mixes, boarders at Bark & Play, were actually treated for severe urine burns.

According to an article published by the ASPCA, the rescued animals had been housed at the facility by local rescue groups. These groups paid a boarding fee to keep the animals at Bark & Play until such time as permanent homes could be found. If convicted, Soto faces up to two years imprisonment. Needless to say, Bark & Play has closed its doors.

In my next post, I’ll provide tips for choosing a quality daycare and/or boarding facility.

Apparently however, not all pet parents share my desire to have meals separate from their furry babies. For all those pet parents who want their pets to dine with them at the table, Hammacher Schlemmer has introduced the pet high chair. Made to hold pets up to 10lbs., the innovative catalog company states that, “[b]y providing an alternative to sitting on your lap, running disruptively underfoot, or outright banishment, the chair assuages a pet (and its owner’s) frustration, and promotes more refined behavior.”

My personal opinion? Both the owner and the pet would be much happier if the pet had a bone or puzzle toy to keep him happily occupied during mealtimes.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.

Children seem to particularly at risk for contracting Salmonella.  Young children are prone to handling contaminated food, or interacting with a pet who has consumed the recalled product (yet exhibits no signs of being infected with Salmonella) and then putting their hands in their mouths before washing them. To help keep children safe, it is critical that they not handle the contaminated product for any reason; and if their pet has consumed the recalled product, ensure that children thoroughly wash their hands after any interaction with the pet.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

The “Beef Filet Squares” & “Texas Hold’ems” were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers who have purchased 10 ounce packages of “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” & “Texas Hold’ems” are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00 – 5:00 CDT.

On the flip side, we have all seen the news stories about the “crazy cat ladies.” This has become a sort of catch-all phrase for animal hoarders; people who are not always women and who do not always hoard cats. So what differentiates someone who simply loves pets and happens to have a lot of them from someone who is genuinely in need of professional help?

First and foremost it is important to realize that a true hoarder is someone who is in need of professional help. According to the ASPCA’s article, Uncovering the Truth About Animal Hoarding, a true hoarder typically suffers from some from of attachment disorder, combined with paranoid, depression, or another type of mental illness.

A true hoarder will typically live in squalid conditions. The animals kept by the hoarder are usually in poor physical health. Human clutter and dirt and debris (including animal feces and urine) will usually cover the floors in an animal hoarders house. And a true hoarder will usually have dozens of animals. A hoarder frequently “collects” animals to fill a deep sense of need or loss. And contrary to what would seem to be the case, a hoarder does not deliberately mistreat his or her pets. It is just that hoarders are incapable of caring for themselves, let alone their animals.

Because hoarders are mentally ill, simply removing the animals from their care will not solve the problem.  A hoarder needs counseling, access to inexpensive health care (such as mobile shot clinics and the spay/neuter services offered by local shelters), and frequently a good cleaning service. With the right help and support, hoarders can change their lives. If you believe you know someone who is a hoarder, start by contacting your local animal control center and ask if they can help - or at least tell you who talk to. By reaching out, you will help the lives of both the hoarder and her pets.

While we all know that young children love to put everything they encounter into their mouths, there is no evidence that the children who became infected with Salmonella actually ate the contaminated pet food. What is more likely is that they touched dirty pet food dishes or a contaminated pet (stool samples tested positive for salmonella in pets that showed no symptoms even though they had eaten the tainted pet food) and then put their hands in their mouths.

According to the Associated Press, the outbreak was blamed on salmonella bacteria found in several brands of dry dog and cat food produced at a Mars Petcare US plant in Everson, Pa., including Pedigree and Special Kitty. The plant that manufactured the food was officially closed in 2008 after the source of the contamination could not be identified.

Since the cooking process typically kills salmonella germs, it is thought that contamination occured after the cooking process when the foods are sprayed with flavor enhancers. In my opinion, this could help explain why high quality pet food rarely if ever are found to be contaminated with salmonella. High quality foods depend on quality ingredients to give their foods taste and do not use flavor enhancers.

A study published in the medical journal Pediatrics makes the following suggestions to help reduce infection risks in young children:

_washing hands after contact with pets, pet food and pet bowls.

_routinely cleaning pet food bowls and feeding areas.

_keeping children younger than age 5 away from pet food and feeding areas.

_cleaning pets’ food and water dishes in a separate sink or tub, not in the kitchen or bathtub.

_avoiding bathing infants in the kitchen sink.

• Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas, all dry sizes and varieties with “Best-By” dates of 01Jul10 - 01Dec11
• Eukanuba Naturally Wild, all dry sizes and varieties with “Best-By” dates of 01Jul10 - 01Dec11
• Eukanuba Pure, all dry sizes and varieties with “Best-By” dates of 01Jul10 - 01Dec11
• Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin, all dry sizes and varieties with “Best-By” dates of 01Jul10 - 01Dec11

Consumers who have purchased the specific dry pet foods listed should discard them immediately.  People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.  If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.  Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

For further information and/or to receive a product refund call Procter & Gamble toll-free at 877-340-8823 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST).

Without question there a number of good cat foods on the market - Fancy Feast just does not (in my opinion) happen to be one of them. My very general rule of thumb is that one should never buy grocery pet food (as with every rule - there are a few exceptions as I happen to believe that both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods supply decent quality pet food). Fancy Feast uses low-quality ingredients such as animal by-products (e.g. chicken by-product meal which consists of the dry, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines).

Now I have to give the company a teeny tiny bit of credit because the are actually using quality proteins in their “appetizers.” However that is the first and last quality ingredient (for quality wet cat foods I highly recommend Innova, Wellness, and Natural Balance). The commercial however solely focuses on the fact that they are using “whole proteins” and “no by-products” in these new “appetizers.” If they are so proud of  this fact and believe it is such a positive thing (which it is) why on earth aren’t they discontinuing the use of by-products in their regular dry and wet foods?

My second complaint is that in this day and age of overweight pets and with diabetes on the rise in dogs and cats alike, why on earth would a pet company that claims to care about pets bring to market a product that actually encourages cats to eat more?! An appetizer by it’s very nature is something that is eaten before the meal - so now Fancy Feast buyers are encouraged to feed their cat more than ever. From this action it has become clearer than ever to me that Fancy Feast (and Purina - makers of Fancy Feast) absolutely do not have your pet’s interest at heart.

I would love to hear your thoughts.