Do You Have a Disaster Plan for Your Pets?

It's hurricane season in South Florida so there is no better time to review your emergency plans! Here is a great resource from the Humane Society which includes a checklist:

http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/disaster/disaster_preparedness_pets.pdf

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Your Dog Recognizes Your Face...But in Pictures Too?!

If you have ever had a pet dog, you know for sure that they recognize who you are - that you are their person. Research has now taken things one step further and determined that they recognize you not only in real time but also in pictures! Now this is pretty impressive stuff. Here is a report from CBS news on the matter...



"Your dog may be able to recognize your face in a photo. That’s the latest from the University of Helsinki, which published the results of its study in the journal Animal Cognition this December.

According to Science News Daily, the researchers had dogs look at facial images of familiar humans (such as their owner) and other dogs in the family, as well as unfamiliar humans and dogs they’d never encountered. Then the researchers measured the dogs’ eye movements as they viewed the photos.

Scientists say that while the dogs viewed the faces of other dogs for longer than the human faces (backing up findings from previous studies), the canines studied also studied the faces of familiar humans for longer than unfamiliar ones.

Additionally, when the dogs were given upside-down photos of faces to view, they viewed those in much the same way that humans do. While the pups stared at the inverted pictures for just as long, they tended to focus more on the eye area of the upright photos.

“Familiar faces and eyes attracted more fixations than the strange ones, suggesting that dogs are likely to recognize conspecific [relating to the same species] and human faces in photographs,” the study’s authors conclude."

Pretty awesome huh! I know I have a new found appreciation of my dog's intelligence, how about you?

Michelle Brockman for
Jonah's Place


Link to original article: http://cbsloc.al/1fpVPnq
Photocredit: Denver Post file photo

Pet Safety 101: Holiday Hazards You *MUST* Avoid

 

While we prepare to spend Thanksgiving Day with friends and family, there are often some hidden dangers to our pets that can be overlooked in the excitement. Below are six hazards to avoid to make sure that ALL members of your family have a safe and happy day. 

#1 - Hot Ranges and Burners. Be sure to keep your pets out of the kitchen and off the counter/stove! With so much cooking going on, a cat or dog is likely to try and investigate the good smells that are tantalizing their taste buds. Soft pads on their feet will burn quickly and easily so this is definitely a big one to keep an eye out for!

#2 - Bones. I can’t emphasize this enough! Some loving pet parents believe that a scrap bone is a kind gesture to include their pets on the festivities and this cannot be any further from the truth. Bone fragments, especially turkey and chicken bones, splinter easily and can cause internal bleeding and other life threatening situations. 

#3 - Table Scraps. It’s a good time of year to remember that animals cannot eat the same foods we do. Many common ingredients used in holiday dishes are poisonous or toxic to pets (onions, garlic, chocolate, raisins, grapes, turkey/chicken skin, etc. etc.). It’s always best to err on the side of caution and avoid table scraps all-together.

#4 - Watch Your Doors. When entertaining guests during the holidays, it’s good to remember that not all pets handle the company or excitement well and often times guests may not have the animals and their safety immediately on their mind. Often times, entry doors get left open for extended periods of time which gives your pet the perfect chance to escape. This actually happened to someone in my family one year – their dog ran out into the street after the front door was left open by a guest and was hit by a car...thankfully her injuries were not life threatening. A scary lesson to learn the hard way!

#5: - Candles. With all the hustle and bustle during holiday gatherings, attention usually isn’t paid to mundane things such as candles. If you have pets and also love candles, holiday events may be a good time to forgo them. It is very easy for a cat or dog…or guest…to knock a lit candle over and cause a fire. Instead, opt for pre-lit electronic candles. 

#6: - Turkey Strings. The string used to wrap and cook turkeys is a cat fantasy come to life. Please immediately discard any string and foil in a tightly closed trash can. Strings can cause choking and intestinal blockage which could be deadly. 

We hope these tips serve as a good reminder. From our home to yours, all of us at Jonah’s Place wish you and your pets a Safe, Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Michelle Brockman, Leslie Mendenhall and Stephanie Perkins

JonahsPlace.org

Reference: Petplace.com

Hoax…or Real Life Mutant?!

It IS a mutant!!!

 

A genetic mutant, that is…

Although there doesn’t seem to be anything special about the cat in this picture her genetic code would suggest otherwise. This orange cat is a…(dun dun dun)….female!! Most orange cats are male due to the genetic requirements that females have to ‘inherit’ the orange color. Ok, so maybe the word mutant is a wee bit strong, it’s really more like genetic lottery winner!

“For a female cat to be orange she must inherit two orange genes — one from her mother (orange, calico, or tortoiseshell) and one from her father (who must be orange). A male cat needs only one orange gene, which he gets from his mother (orange, calico, or tortoiseshell). This is because the gene that codes for orange fur is on the X chromosome, and like humans, females have two Xs and males are XY. Genes on the X chromosome are said to be sex-linked.”, says Dee Walter Kruleski, a professor of biology and cat enthusiast. Dee also says there is additional genetic coding required for the tabby striped pattern in orange cats which makes this kitty even more genetically special!

According to Dee, these are some of the basic genetic codes for determining the color and pattern of a cat’s fur:

• Agouti vs. non-agouti: Provides the lighter fur background with striped cats.
• Black vs. non-black
• Color deposition: Determines how pigment is deposited, and also affects eye color.
• Dilute vs. non-dilute: Gray is a diluted form of black and tan/beige is a diluted form of orange.
• Spotting: If two dominant genes are inherited, a cat will have white on more than 50% of their body. If a cat has one dominant and one recessive gene, then the cat will have white fur on less than 50% of their body. If she gets two recessive genes, there will be no white on the body!
• White vs. non-white: Just one white gene and the whole cat will be white! It is called a masking gene. A white cat could have the genetics to be a calico, black or any color cat but the white gene hides the other genes’ expression and the cat appears all white. White cats are not albinos unless they have red eyes. Albino cats are extremely rare and albinism is the result of color deposition and not the white gene.
• There are also genes for tabby stripping, silver tipping and seal-pointing.

All of this science and biology certainly makes you appreciate the beauty of your fanciful feline a little more, doesn’t it?

Michelle Brockman for

Jonah's Place 

www.JonahsPlace.org

References: Paws-and-Effect.com, Dee Walter Kruleski

The *OTHER* Use for Pumpkin…

Is it a Trick or a Treat?

As a pet owner you may have been faced before with the occasional canine or feline sick tummy. Upset stomachs can be just as uncomfortable for pets as they are for humans except there isn’t an over the counter remedy that is safe for them like there is for us. Or…is there?

One of our rescue kitties, Ruby, had a severe, and I mean severe case of diarrhea. Ruby was dewormed and checked out by the vet to make sure there was nothing else wrong. The vet gave her an injection to help but within 12 hours it returned with a vengeance! Since it was then after hours, I called our local emergency vet to get their suggestion. Since Ruby was stable and did not show signs of dehydration, the vet tech told me to give Ruby a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin twice a day. Sure enough, by the next morning ‘business’ was getting back to normal!

Come to find out, many people use canned pumpkin for their pets’ digestive upsets – whether it be diarrhea or constipation. The plain canned pumpkin is full of fiber and good stuff that helps to regulate the digestive tract. Of course, if your pet has chronic tummy upsets they need to be seen by a veterinarian asap as this could be a sign of something serious going on. However, for the occasional occurrence or when nothing else seems to be helping, the plain canned pumpkin just might do the trick.

For kitties it is recommended to give 1 teaspoon twice a day until stools start to firm and the recommendation for medium dogs is 1 – 2 tablespoons. A general guideline could be 1 teaspoon per 10-15 lbs. of body weight. Be sure to use PLAIN canned pumpkin, and NOT pumpkin pie filling, there is a big difference.*

The verdict is in - I say Treat!

Michelle Brockman

Jonah’s Place

* Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian and this article should not be used as a replacement for veterinary care or advice. This article is based solely on my personal experience and is for informational purposes only. This Disclaimer serves as notification of indemnity of Michelle Brockman and Jonah’s Place, Inc. for any results due to following this article and any advice contained therein.

**Warning** The Lethal Food Lurking in Your Pantry!

I had a recent scare with our dog Jake which reminded me of a time when I was very naive about what was, and wasn’t, toxic to dogs. Jake is a canine trash can. If he can eat it he will eat it. Not even to our approval, just because that’s what he does. He eats. Hydrogen peroxide induced vomiting has become the main staple in my first aid routine. Have you ever had a dog like that? That just eats everything? Now, a little disclaimer: we are very responsible pet owners and do not encourage or condone this behavior. Sometimes animals just act like, well….animals!

 

A few days ago Jake heard the sound of commotion in the kitchen and decided to come check things out. Before we even realized it, the bag of grapes that was one second ago on the kitchen counter, was now on the floor. I’m sure you can imagine what happened. Jake grabbed the bag and inhaled the grapes. I am so thankful that I knew how toxic and downright deadly grapes (and raisins) are to dogs (and cats)! I immediately administered hydrogen peroxide and within ten minutes or so Jake threw up his loot. Did you know that grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs and cats? If not, pay close attention!

This is what PetMD has to say about the matter:

“Grape and raisin (dried grapes) toxicity is well documented in dogs. Although the exact substance that causes the toxic reaction is not yet known, it has been shown that even small amounts of grapes or raisins can prove to be fatally toxic for a dog. Dogs of any age, breed, or gender may be affected.”

Again, this does not just apply to dogs. If you have animals you must be very careful to ensure that they do not have any opportunity to ingest this yummy but deadly fruit. After Jake’s last counter diving episode, my husband and I decided that the consequences of our dog’s potential grape and raisin eating just weren’t worth it and they will no longer be on the grocery list. Yes, we love our pets that much.

Snack on!

Michelle Brockman

Jonah’s Place, Inc.

Reference:

PetMD

http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/digestive/e_dg_grape_raisin_toxicity#.UkOXRD95GSo