From:  K9 Companion Dog Training
September 3, 2018 at 8:06 PM

Old dogs don’t die; they can’t.

They’ve merely run up ahead; they’re waiting for us just out of sight. Close your eyes late at night and you may smell his musky odor, or perhaps hear his snuffle from the next room. Pay attention and you may feel his nose on your hand or the back of your calf. When your final day comes, you can go on to meet him; he’s never left you and never will, and when you close your eyes for the last time, you’ll open them again to be met with his Bright eyes and wagging tail.

Old dogs don’t die, at least, not those dogs who take the biggest chunks of our hearts with them when they leave us. Those dogs are inextricably part of our souls, and they go with us wherever we are. Though we may not see them, we know they’re there because our heart is still beating; we still breathe, and those of us who have been truly touched by a good dog know our lives really started the day we met them.
Magnificent dogs don’t die. They shepherd our dreams and only allow the good ones through the gates of our consciousness. They watch over us much as they did in life, and that moment when we step just barely outside of death or disaster, it’s because they moved our feet or they stopped short in front of us as they did in life.

You see, a good dog is something only given to a few people. They are a gift from the universe and, though they’re with us only a short time, they never really leave us. They are loyalty and love perfected, and once we are graced with that sort of love we can never lose it. We merely lose sight of it for a time, and that is our fault; for how can love like that ever go away?

It can’t. It can’t, and it never will. For these brave souls trade their hearts for ours, and they beat together beyond sickness, beyond death. They are ours, and we are theirs, for every sunrise and every sunset, until the sun blazes its last and we once again join the stars.

By Leigh Hester,
K9 Companion Dog Training
Port Jervis, NY

https://www.lifelearn.com/2019/02/04/californias-new-pet-medication-law/

From US News….check it out!

From iheartdogs.org

Animal Health Foundation Board Member, Dr. Alice Villalobos, is quoted in this article!

Hospice Care For Dogs: Is It The Right Choice For You & Your Pooch?

From the Humane Society

Learn what supplies you’ll need to keep your cat, dog, or other pet safe and healthy

Everyone who shares a home with a pet should have a basic pet first-aid kit on hand.

Keep your pet’s first-aid kit in your home and take it with you if you are traveling with your pet.

One way to start your kit is to buy a first-aid kit designed for people and add pet-specific items to it. You can also purchase a pet first-aid kit from a pet-supply store or catalog. But you can easily assemble your own kit by gathering the items on our lists below.

Pet-specific supplies

• Pet first-aid book
• Phone numbers: your veterinarian, the nearest emergency-veterinary clinic (along with directions!) and a poison-control center or hotline (such as the ASPCA poison-control center, which can be reached at 1-800-426-4435)
• Paperwork for your pet (in a waterproof container or bag): proof of rabies-vaccination status, copies of other important medical records and a current photo of your pet (in case he gets lost)
• Nylon leash
• Self-cling bandage (bandage that stretches and sticks to itself but not to fur—available at pet stores and from pet-supply catalogs)
• Muzzle or strips of cloth to prevent biting (don’t use this if your pet is vomiting, choking, coughing or otherwise having difficulty breathing)

Basic first-aid supplies

• Absorbent gauze pads
• Adhesive tape
• Antiseptic wipes, lotion, powder or spray
• Blanket (a foil emergency blanket)
• Cotton balls or swabs
• Gauze rolls
• Hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting—do this only when directed by a veterinarian or a poison-control expert)
• Ice pack
• Non-latex disposable gloves
• Petroleum jelly (to lubricate the thermometer)
• Rectal thermometer (your pet’s temperature should not rise above 103°F or fall below 100°F)
• Scissors (with blunt ends)
• Sterile non-stick gauze pads for bandages
• Sterile saline solution (sold at pharmacies)
• Tweezers
• A pillowcase to confine your cat for treatment
• A pet carrier

Pre-assembled first-aid kits

The hassle of creating a kit for your pet can be reduced by purchasing one pre-assembled.

Other useful items

• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl®), if approved by a veterinarian for allergic reactions. A veterinarian must tell you the correct dosage for your pet’s size.
• Ear-cleaning solution
• Expired credit card or sample credit card (from direct-mail credit-card offers) to scrape away insect stingers
• Glucose paste or corn syrup (for diabetic dogs or those with low blood sugar)
• Nail clippers
• Non-prescription antibiotic ointment
• Penlight or flashlight
• Plastic eyedropper or syringe
• Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) to clean the thermometer
• Splints and tongue depressors
• Styptic powder or pencil (sold at veterinary hospitals, pet-supply stores, and your local pharmacy)
• Temporary identification tag (to put your local contact information on your pet’s collar when you travel)
• Towels
• Needle-nosed pliers

Common-sense advice

In addition to the items listed above, include anything your veterinarian has recommended specifically for your pet.

Check the supplies in your pet’s first-aid kit occasionally and replace any items that have expired.

For your family’s safety, keep all medical supplies and medications out of the reach of children and pets.

Make sure your pets are protected when disaster strikes. Download our 5 Animal Disaster Preparedness Essentials checklist (PDF):

[English]  [Espanol]

Get more details on emergency planning for specific types of disasters:

• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Floods
• Earthquakes
• Fires

Planning ahead is the key to keeping yourself and your pets safe if disaster strikes. Follow these tips to make an emergency plan for your pets:

1. Microchip your pets
Microchip identification is one of the best ways to ensure that you and your pet are reunited if you are separated. Be sure to keep the microchip registration up-to-date, and include at least one emergency number of a friend or relative who resides out of your immediate area.

2. Keep a collar and tag on all cats and dogs
Keep several current phone numbers on your animal’s identification tag. Identification on indoor-only cats is especially important. If your home is damaged during a disaster, they could easily escape.

3. Plan a pet-friendly place to stay
Search in advance for out-of-area pet-friendly hotels or boarding facilities, or make a housing exchange agreement with an out-of-area friend or relative. Never leave your pet behind if you evacuate!

Search for pet-friendly accommodations at:

• Pet Friendly Hotels (United States)
• PetsWelcome.com (United States)
• DoginMySuitcase.com (International)
• PetTravel.com (International)

4. Use the buddy system
Exchange pet information, evacuation plans and house keys with a few trusted neighbors or nearby friends. If you’re caught outside evacuation lines when an evacuation order is issued, your neighbors or friends can evacuate your pets for you.

5. Prepare an emergency kit for each animal
Stock up on the items you may need during a disaster now so you do not get caught unprepared. Below are basic items you should include in your pets’ disaster kits. Store your disaster kit supplies in an easy-to-grab container.

• One-week supply of food. Store it in a water-tight container and rotate it every three months to keep it fresh. If you use canned food, include a spare can opener.
• One-week supply of fresh water. If officials declare your household water unfit to drink, it’s also unsafe for your pets. Follow American Red Cross guidelines for storing emergency water for your family and your pets.
• Medication. If your animal takes medication, a replacement supply may not be easily available following a disaster.
• Copies of vaccination records
• Photographs of you with your pets to prove ownership
• Photographs of your pets in case you need to make “lost pet” fliers
• Pet first aid kit
• Temporary ID tags. If you’ve evacuated, use this to record your temporary contact information and/or the phone number of an unaffected friend or relative.
• Carrier or leash for each animal. Caregivers of multiple cats or other small animals can use an EvacSak, which is easy to store and use for transport.

Get more details on emergency planning for specific species:

• Dogs
• Cats
• Horses
• Birds
• Reptiles and Amphibians

6. Identify emergency veterinary facilities outside of your immediate area
If a disaster has affected your community, emergency veterinary facilities may be closed. Pets may become injured or ill during the disaster, so make sure you know how to access other emergency facilities. You can also check with your veterinarian to find out if they have an emergency plan that includes setting up in an alternate, emergency facility.

7. Plan for temporary confinement
Physical structures, like walls, fences and barns may be destroyed during a disaster. Have a plan for keeping your animal safely confined. You may need a tie-out, crate or kennel.

Often, when animals are evacuated to unfamiliar locations, their stress and fear can lead to illness injury. Read more tips for ensuring your pets’ safety during an evacuation.

8. Comfort your animals
Your animals will appreciate your calm presence and soft, comforting voice if they are stressed following a disaster or while evacuated, and you may find it comforting to spend time with them, too. Some animals, especially cats, may be too scared to be comforted. Interact with them on their terms. Some animals may find toys, especially long-lasting chew toys, comforting.

9. Know where to search for lost animals
When animals become lost during a disaster, they often end up at a local shelter. Keep handy the locations and phone numbers of the shelters in your area.

10. Get children involved in disaster preparedness plans. The book Ready or Not, Here it Comes! by RedRover Responders Team Leader, Howard Edelstein, discusses how to prepare for all types of disasters to safeguard families and the animals in their care.

If a disaster hit your town, would you be prepared to care for your pet? Assemble your kit, then join our “We’re Ready” campaign:

Post the “We’re Ready” sign on your Facebook page to show everyone that you and your pet(s) are evacuation-ready.

Jen McCormick and Moana are sure to bring smiles on their visits!

Moana came to a high kill shelter with a mangled leg. She was unable to use the leg, but the shelter could not spend the money to remove it. Save Some Bunny Rabbit Rescue took her in and arranged for amputation surgery.

Thanks to Dr. Zambrano of Zambrano Consulting Mobile Service for applying for an Angel Fund Grant.

The grant helped the Carlson family afford surgery to remove bladder stones from their pet Iguana, Freako.

Get well soon, Freako

By Daleen Comer

Cloud, my 5-year-old male Ringneck Dove, has been working as a registered therapy animal since October of 2010. He is a popular visitor to a senior day care in Mission Viejo, and he is also certified as a “Reading Education Assistance Dog” (or “Dove”, in his case). In his role as a “Reading Dove”, he visits children in an elementary school classroom on a regular basis, and the children read aloud to him. At the senior day care, Cloud is placed in an open basket, and he is carried from person to person. The seniors are encouraged to reach into the basket and pet him and talk about him. Many of the seniors have owned birds before, but smaller birds (canaries, parakeets) are not as docile and don’t permit handling.  Cloud’s gentle demeanor and quiet cooing make them smile. Many of the children Cloud visits have never had a pet. Their first question is always, “Does he bite?” I encourage them to pet him and see that he is very tame and friendly, and soon the students are feeding him seeds or shredded lettuce, and giggling at his attempts to pick up the treats from their palms. Cloud also participates in elementary school presentations about therapy animals.

Cloud was hatched in our home, so he has been handled regularly since he was a few days old. He enjoys riding in the car, going to different places, and meeting new people, so training him to pass the therapy animal test was easy. In the test, animals must be handled by a variety of people and tolerate loud noises and other situations they may encounter during visits.  Birds must wear a harness and leash, and must be carried in a basket for their safety. The most difficult part of the preparations was getting the equipment. The harness and leash were available for purchase (“Flightsuit” by Avian Fashions), but the basket and a carrying bag had to be made. Sewing is one of my hobbies, so I designed and made a tote bag with a flexible cage built in, so he could be easily transported from the car to the facility. I got a large basket and sewed in a lining and partial cover, so that he doesn’t try to fly straight up, as doves do not have their wings clipped. Cloud had to learn to stay in the basket for an hour, the typical length of our reading sessions. By sprinkling seeds in the basket and sitting with him, with the suit and leash on, I taught him to stay in the basket quietly

Cloud is registered with AHF Caring Creatures. Although a variety of animals can be registered, including cats, rabbits, birds, mini horses and llamas, most of the therapy animals in the group are dogs. Our senior and school visits are done in a group, with several therapy dogs and Cloud. Many of our dogs are of hunting breeds, so we have to be careful to keep Cloud at a distance. The dogs are too well trained to attack him, but if they are distracted, they cannot do their job properly. Because he is so quiet, the dogs are often not even aware he is in the room with them. Cloud even worked at AHF’s booth at a pet fair, at the same time as a cat and two dogs. None of the other animals even knew he was there, because he didn’t flutter around and make noise. Their quiet demeanor and positive associations make doves ideal therapy animals.

Hedgehogs are growing more popular as pets, but some states include the prickly animals on their list of illegal exotic pets. Proponents of hedgehogs as pets say the animals are a good choice for people with allergies, and they can be handled as long as they’ve been socialized from a young age. However, opponents say owning a hedgehog does a disservice to the animals, which are nocturnal and may be forced to interact with owners when they should be sleeping. ABC News (2/25)

They’re cute, quiet and surprisingly controversial. One of the most popular pets trending across the United States is actually illegal in some cities and states.

They’re hedgehogs.

With their pointy noses and porcupine-like quills, the Lilliputian pets have seen a spike in popularity in recent years due in part to the prevalence of websites such as Cute Emergency and Instagram accounts like @biddythehedgehog that affectionately refer to them as “hedgies.”

But some say the exotic animals have no place being domesticated.

“There always are ethical and moral issues with keeping exotics,” Dave Salmoni of Animal Planet told ABC News. “In the case of hedgehogs, one of the big cons is that it is a nocturnal animal. So the pet owner either lets it sleep all day or takes it out of its enclosure to interact with it at a time in the day that the animal should be resting. Exotic animals as a general rule do not make great pets.”

New York City health code, for one, considers hedgehogs wild animals and therefore unsuitable to keep in the home. For similar reasons, some states, such as California and Maine, have also designated them illegal. Still, a permit can sometimes be obtained for educational purposes.

“Every state is different in how their laws are set up,” said Salmoni. “The laws and regulations also change often, so getting in touch with your local Fish and Game official may be a great place to start.

Another issue that can make hedgehogs tricky to domesticate is socializing them at an early age so that they are receptive to being held by humans.

“A socialized hedgehog will not mind being picked up and will lay its quills flat as a gesture of trust,” longtime Massachusetts-based hedgehog breeder Jill Warnick writes on her website. “If it does not unroll after a few seconds and begin exploring, this animal has probably not been socialized at a young enough age, and will probably not make a good pet.”

Those with sensitivities to dander from other animals may find that allergen-free hedgehogs can offer a cuddly pet alternative with relatively low maintenance. Just don’t expect to go on walks together.

“For people who want something that they can play with, a hedgehog is not for them because they don’t do much,” Amanda Munz told the New York Post, referring to her 3 1/2-year-old pet. “Gizmo cuddles and sleeps and that’s it.”

Salmoni put it more bluntly.

“If you can’t have a hedgehog, you can always bury a pin cushion in some wood chips,” he said. “Due to the hedgehog’s nocturnal behavior, you will get the same level of interaction. Otherwise, maybe a hamster might suit you.”