Chris Fidler, Chris' Critter Care

SEVEN HOUSEHOLD TOXINS

There is no place like home. However, our houses can be a haven for toxic items that can severely injure or even kill our pets. Some common food items, chemicals, and medications can all pose special problems if pets are allowed to eat them. The remainder of this article will look at some common household items that can be toxic to your pet. Some of the items are well known toxins whereas other will be quite a surprise. Regardless, limiting your pet’s exposure to these items is the first and most important step to preventing accidental toxicosis.

1. Chocolate. We all have our craving now and then, but your pet’s should not be indulged with this one! Chocolate contains 2 ingredients that are toxic to pets - theobromine and caffeine (also making your coffee grounds toxic!). Bakers chocolate and dark chocolate have the greatest concentration of theobromine making it more likely to cause a severe reaction. However, milk chocolate and white chocolate can also cause illness depending on the size of your pet and how much they eat.

Signs of ingestion can include excitement, vomiting and diarrhea, seizures or tremors, cardiac irregularities, increased heart rate, and even death.

2. Tylenol, Aspirin, and other NSAIDs. Common over the counter or prescription pain medications found in the home can cause severe illness in animals. It is important to remember that medications like Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate contain aspirin or similar ingredients and should never be given to your pet without first consulting your veterinarian.

They can cause vomiting and diarrhea to severe gastric ulceration and internal bleeding. Tylenol can cause liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. Less than one regular strength acetaminophen (Tylenol) tablet (325mg) can be dangerous to a cat weighing 7 pounds.

3. Grapes. The National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) has recently identified acute kidney failure in dogs that have ingested large quantities of grapes or raisins. The toxic agent has yet to be identified. Although many pets love them, considering the potential risk, these should not be intentionally fed to your pets.

Signs of kidney failure can include vomiting or drooling (nausea), increased drinking and urination (or a complete lack of urination), and lack of appetite.

Sometimes acute kidney disease can be treated with aggressive and expensive treatment and hospitalization, but death can also occur.

4. Onions. Large quantities of onions have been shown to cause certain kinds of anemia and possibly a secondary renal failure in dogs and cats. Regardless of whether they are raw, cooked, or dehydrated, onions are toxic. Cats appear to be more sensitive to the effects of onions than dogs.

Signs of onion toxicity can be weakness, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, increased respirations (breaths) and heart rates and pale gum colour. Onion toxicity can be fatal and eating onions over several days can be more difficult to treat.

5. Rat Bait/Poison. Remember, any household pest you eliminate with poisons becomes toxic to your PETS! Pets can accidentally become poisoned when they ingest rat bait or a rat who has ingested it.

Warfarin (coumadin) based rat baits work by destroying the body’s ability to clot. Therefore animals that have ingested rat bait will typically bleed to death. Signs typically take a few days to appear and can include lethargy, weakness, coughing, respiratory distress, nose bleeds, bloody urine, swollen or painful joints, and death. Fortunately, rat bait is one of the few toxins that have an “antidote.” Prompt medical attention and supportive care can allow animals to survive. Even if you only suspect your pet could have ingested rat poison, contact your vet or emergency clinic immediately. The sooner treatment is administered the better.

6. Antifreeze. As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly to a cat; less than one tablespoon can be deadly to a 10-pound dog. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that will often be very inviting to pets. If left unattended with antifreeze, most animals will drink it readily. Antifreeze can cause acute renal failure. Signs of the toxicity don’t always become apparent right away so most animals that ingest antifreeze will die, which makes antifreeze one of the most threatening pet toxins. “Pet friendly” antifreeze is available on the market.

Signs of antifreeze poisoning will vary depending on the stage of illness and can include ataxia (drunken-like behaviour), vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite and increased urination followed by the inability to urinate. If you suspect your pet has accidentally ingested antifreeze, seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY, because delaying treatment by even a few hours can be the difference between life and death.

7. Orgaphosphate (OP) containing pesticides. Many common pesticides contain OPs. Examples of chemicals within this family include Carbaryl (Sevin), Malathion, Diazinon, Terbufos, and Dichlorvos, among others. Some over the counter flea and tick medications that you can purchase at your local pet store are in this category, so I always recommend you get your flea treatment from your veterinarian. OP toxicity is very common due to the large number of items that fall within this list.

Signs of organophosphate toxicity can include increased salivation or vomiting, diarrhea, tearing eyes, constricted pupils, decreased heart rate, tremors, seizures, and possibly death. If you get your pet treated early and know what he has ingested, it is very helpful. With supportive care in the hospital and early treatment your pet can make a complete recovery.

There are many other household items that can be toxic to pets. However, some are not.

I will note here that Fabreze Spray and Swiffer Wet Jet have both received a lot of negative press with respect to pet toxicity. The rumours involved with these products are false. Both appear to be safe to use around pets if the directions on the label are followed. The ASPCA's poison control center agrees and has not been able to confirm any cases of Febreze causing the death or serious injury of pets. Although they do recommend that with any cleaning product, that birds be removed from the room until the product application has dried and the area has been ventilated.

If your pet has ingested a toxin:

1. Call your veterinarian or the Poison Control Center immediately.
2. If possible, have handy the label to what you think your pet has ingested.
3. Do not induce vomiting in your pet until you have spoken to your veterinarian to be sure it is safe to do so.
4. DO NOT induce vomiting in your pet if they are in any kind of distress. Take to your veterinarian immediately.
5. If your veterinarian says to induce vomiting, you may use:

• Syrup of ipecac (0.5 - 1.0 ml's per pound; wait for 20 minutes)
• Hydrogen peroxide (0.5 - 1.0 ml's per pound; repeat in 10 minutes if no vomiting occurs).
• Concentrated solutions of salt in tepid water - roughly 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of tepid water.

If no vomiting occurs within 15 minutes - administer again, repeating the same dosage.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of your regular veterinarian. Please do not hesitate to contact your regular veterinarian if you have questions regarding your pet.

Morag Wilcox - York Professional Pet Sitting

Training Levels Seminar

2217D Hanselman Court, Saskatoon, SK

July 29, 2006 - July 30, 2006

This will be a great seminar where you learn the basic foundations of training you can use in every day life or if you would like to train to more advanced areas such as dog sports.Working spot is $150/ audit spot is $75.Includes lunch, snacks,and drinks.

Michelle Wudrick

Web Site

Newfoundland (All-Breed) Kennel Club
Saturday, July 1 2006 through Sunday, July 2 2006
(7 events in 2 days)

Held at:
St. John's Curling Club, Bonaventure Ave
St. John's, NL

Fast'N FURious Flyball
1-3 July 2006
Charlottetown Civic Centre, Charlottetown, PEI

Fast'n'FURious flyball club invites you to historic Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, for their second annual Canada Day tournament! Enjoy three days of racing, fun, and entertainment surrounded by friends, human and canine.
For details see www.dogfatherspei.com
or contact dogfatherspei@yahoo.com, Tel. (902) 894-8777

Beverly Miller - The Kitty Sitter

Dear Kitty Sitter....

Q: What's the best way to give my cat a pill?

A: Well, that depends. If your cat is fairly docile, you might be able to just pop the pill in her mouth with no problem. However, if kitty puts up a fight, you'll need some extra patience and dexterity.

I find pilling can work well if you kneel on the floor with your cat fcing away from you. Bend your body over her so she's somewhat restrained. With your left hand, hold her jaw firmly and coax her mouth open. With your right hand, put the tablet on the back of her tongue and hold her mouth closed until she's swallowed. You might have to try a couple of times, since she might attempt to spit the pill out. Talking to her gently might calm her, and a treat afterwards will likely be appreciated.

If this method fails, you could restrain her by wrapping her snugly in a towel so that only her head is exposed. Try to be quick though. You don't want to prolong your kitty's distress.

You can also ask your vet for a dosing gun, which works like a syringe.

And, oh yes... hiding the pill in your cat's food rarely works. She'll probably outsmart you and eat around it.

Q: How often should I brush my cat?

A: Long Haired cats, like persians, should be brushed almost every day. If not, their fur can become matted, especially around the legs and rump. This can be painful, as large mats can pull their tender skin and become impossible for you to brush out. At this stage, you'll need to visit your veterinarian to have kitty shaved.

Short haired cats are obviously lower-maintenance, but a good brushing about once a week will help keep their coats glossy and smooth.

New puppy? Cant decide on a name? Check out http://dogs4sale.com.au/Dog_Names.htm

Includes over 1000 great names. Some names include meanings of the word, and why it would suit your dogs breed, personality, or appearance. Some are quite funny!! Have fun reading through them!!

KIDS WITH DOGS

A kids guide to dog care.

This website includes

• Tips on teaching a dog new tricks (some including quicktime video clip demos)
• Activities for you and your dog.
• Exersizes
• Photo contests
• Games
• Safety
• How to deal with losing a pet

Some fun and interesting facts for all pet parents too! Check out the website www.loveyourdog.com

The simplest way you can boost your pet’s health is by making one simple decision. You just have to change his or her diet from unhealthy, commercial-brand fare to something entirely different: real food!

A change of diet can affect a pet’s health profoundly. If you toss out the prepackaged food, you may just begin to see alleviation of anything from skin irritations, dull matted fur, bad breath, digestive problems to lethargy and lack of appetite. If you decide to start preparing your pet’s meals yourself, whether raw or cooked, do some research. There are many books on the subject of diets for animals offering a holistic point of view. After much reading, research, and testing, my animals started eating cooked meals and gradually changed to a diet of raw organic meat, raw vegetables left over from juicing, brown rice, fish oils, vitamins C and E – and we have never looked back!

Calcium for the bones - Instead of adding bone meal that is not organic to your animal’s food for calcium, you can substitute 1/3 tsp eggshell powder for each tsp of bone meal. To make eggshell powder, bake washed eggshells at 450 degrees for 45 min & then grind them (1 tsp = 5 g; 1 oz = 30g; 1 cp = 240g). Refrigerate in airtight container.

Yogurt for digestion – My dog loves this and usually receives a serving twice a week. One sliced banana (electrolytes), 1-2 tbsp plain yogurt (friendly bacteria for digestive tract), and 1 tbsp ground flax seeds (omega 3, fibre).

Vitamin C for bladder problems – Martin Goldstein DVM in The Nature of Animal Healing states “Cystitis many times responds dramatically to vitamin C. The bacteria in the urine that causes inflammation tends to increase the urine’s alkalinity; the acidity in the ascorbic acid form of vitamin C brings the pH factor back into the proper acid range, thus killing the bacteria, and so is indicated for the most common forms of cystitis. (Note that vitamin C in its ascorbate form may raise the urine pH factor, and so is indicated in certain less common urinary problems. Obviously, a veterinarian should be consulted to make an accurate diagnosis.)”
Personally I give vitamin C powder to my cat and dog mixed in one meal each day, and have found that for the rare case of bladder infection, increasing vitamin C for one or two days does the trick.

Garlic natural antidote for fleas – Pets exude garlic through the skin. Fleas appear to hate the smell and taste of garlic, and tend to stay away from a pet who’s been eating garlic on a daily basis. Grate or chop a small amount into each meal.

Hairball prevention – My 5 year old cat has thrown up one hairball in his entire life thanks to his raw diet. Research done on cats in the wild shows that fur balls are broken down by enzymes in raw food. One teaspoon of the foam left over from my juicing, which contains the fibre from the raw vegetables, is mixed with each meal.

Bones – Raw bones provide calcium. They are broken down in the system by enzymes. Cooked bones can’t break down in the system and are very dangerous as they could perforate the colon. Before introducing raw bones, change to a raw diet first, so there are enough enzymes in the system to break down the bones. Only give knuckle bones (if not using organic bones) as the long bones with marrow contain the most toxins. You can tell if calcium is not needed in the system if the stools come out white. Otherwise stools will be a normal colour if the calcium is absorbed by the body.

If you choose to feed your animals a commercially prepared diet, make sure that whole meat (not meal) is the first ingredient on the label. Reading a book like “Food Pets Die For” by Ann M. Martin will help you choose healthy ingredients for your pets.
For more information on books or natural recipes for animals, feel free to contact Maureen at earthanimals@telus.net

• IS YOUR DOG A DIVA?
• If you answer yes to 3 or more of these questions then your dog is a Diva
• Is your dog smaller than a bread box?
• Does your dog turn it’s nose up at “working dogs”
• If you throw a ball does your dog roll its eyes and glance down at its nails?
• If it’s raining does your dog stand at the threshold and tilt its head toward the umbrella?
• Instead of the occasional practical coat/sweater does your dog have an ensemble?
• Does your dogs’ wardrobe rival yours?
• Does your dog think the best seat in the car is on your lap?
• Does your dog have a picture of Paris Hilton stashed under one of its many pillows?
• Be honest now, if you could, would buy your dog a jewel encrusted cell phone to match its collar?
• If you go away for the weekend and your dog goes to Grandmas’ does it bring more stuff than you?
• Does your dog think the love affair between Lady and the Tramp is completely unbelievable?
• Does your dog have a designer carrying case?
• If your dog picked up a burr would it react as though it was a poisonous spider?
• Does your dog visit the Spa more often than you?
  

Sue Schmidt, New Moon Animal Care

What’s the Shake on Salt for Farm Pets?

Every farm store has an array of colored salt and trace mineral blocks specially prepared for cattle, horses and sheep. Which for whom? Does it really matter? While working at a local Co-Op store I was inspired to take a good look at all the formats and formulations. After all people would ask me everyday – which one for beef cattle? Which one for horses? Is this one okay for sheep? I hadn’t a clue at first and could only help the client read the bag so we would both know!

In addition to both components of salt, (sodium and chloride) there are seven minerals needed in trace amounts to supplement animal diets. They are iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine and selenium. Salt blocks are an excellent way to deliver trace minerals that are unpalatable in their raw forms.

First of all, it’s important to look at what the animal is eating now, to determine what it needs. Horses, cattle and sheep on pasture, have different needs than those receiving supplemental feeds or concentrates fortified with vitamins and trace minerals. Trace minerals like selenium can be overfed, and build up to dangerous levels in animal tissue. Sheep can receive a fatal dose of copper from the wrong salt block. Another factor, harder to determine, is soil fertility and deficiencies. In many parts of the world, deficiencies of minerals in the soil affect the levels found in the pasture crop, grazing animals and those eating the cut hay would be affected. It’s hard to find an exact answer, and that is why large dairy farmers use the services of an animal nutritionist and do soil testing. But if one reads the labels, there is a rule of thumb for the rest of us. Heaving the correct block over the pasture fence can make all the difference.

As a rule, cattle and goats can have any type of the blocks available, so choosing the most well-rounded or a Hi Level TM supplement block for cattle on pasture is a good choice. A mix of those and the familiar Cobalt Blue blocks would keep cattle happily licking. Who could stop a goat from having any block it wants anyways? For sheep, make sure the copper content in the mineral block is not above 330 mg/kg or it has no copper added at all. Horse and cattle blocks have toxic levels of copper for sheep, 2500 to 4000 mg/kg. Horses have two choices in the salt world, if they are being fed supplements and bagged mineral, a plain white salt block would be best to make sure over-supplementation isn’t a concern. Remember that selenium. Horses on pasture or eating hay would be fine with a well-rounded block like TM Hi Boot with selenium. That’s all there is to it. Of course always make sure there is lots and lots of fresh water, no matter what time of year. Eating snow is not an optional replacement for water for any animal.

Lana Banham - Bow-Wow Meow

"Run, Forest, Run!"

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Health & Medicine Chris Fidler is a veterinary technician with well over 20 years of professional experience in the animal care field. She has done it all from mucking out stalls to managing an emergency room and intensive care unit for over 150 patients (dogs and cats of course!) Chris' Critter Care in Fonthill, Ontario is your pet's best friend when you can't be there!

Upcoming Events Morag Wilcox, along with her husband Glen, have owned and operated York Professional Pet Sitting in Newmarket, Ontario since 2000. In addition to pet sitting, dog walking and customized pet care services to a variety of species, York Professional Pet Sitting offers dog obedience, horse care and Pet Photography and employs a Veterinary Technician. York Professional Pet Sitting was nominated for "New Business of the Year 2002" by the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce.

Kitty Korner Beverly Anne Miller is the owner/operator of The Kitty Sitter, an in-your-home sitting service exclusively for cats in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. A life-long cat fancier, Beverly provides her many "fur friends" with the same level of nurturing care as she gives her own. She proud to be an accredited member of ACPSN.

Picture Purrfect Lana Banham lives in Invermere, British Columbia. She enjoys being a business owner in the small town, where the everyday pace is always manageable and even gives her time to stop and ‘smell the roses’! She have been in business for exactly 1 year and is the only in-home boarding business in the surrounding area. At present Lana manages 4 dogs and 3 cats at any given time, but has plans for expansion. Lana loves her profession and has all sorts of four legged friends who are always happy to visit Bow-Wow Meow!

Holistic Pets As a Professional Pet Sitter and Private Dog Walker, Maureen Terrey is certified in Pet First Aid, and her business, EarthAnimals Pet Services, is licensed, insured and bonded. To support her work with animals, she is a proud member of the All Canadian Pet Services network and Vernon Women in Business. Maureen has extensive training in the healing arts and also works with people introducing them to the healing benefits of Sound & Energy in their lives. Maureen shares her home with “best friends” Emily, a 10 year old Golden Retriever, and Zach, a 5 year old short hair Tuxedo cat.

Tails From The City Kelly Manis is a country girl lost in the big city. In her need to get back to nature she abandoned a life of servitude in the restaurant industry to start Kelly’s Dog Walking in 2004, Her days are now filled with packs of dogs wandering the trails, woods and beaches of Toronto. Occasionally she’ll look in various cats around town. It is a far better thing she does now.

Mouse Central Driven by the her love for animals and her desire to help the working people within the community, Laura, along with help from Sonya Benson, has derived The Doggie Walk Co. with a purpose. The main purpose of having a dog walking service in this community is to allow for healthier living amongst owner and pet. Sonya has a desire to work with animals for a living. This is a big first step in beginning her move towards that goal. She has had the opportunity to raise a few dogs in her life time, and currently has cats of her own

The Barnyard Susan Schmidt is a full-time Pet Sitter and the owner of New Moon Animal Care, a small business that specializes in pet sitting for farm pets, dogs, cats and other small animals. Susan lives in South Dundas, Ontario with three dogs, twelve cats, and three horses.