Recognizing Holiday Stress in Your Dog

Recognizing Holiday Stress in Your Dog

We all know the holidays can be stressful on us...but what about our dogs?

Dogs get holiday stress, too.

“A routine and familiar environment is important to most dogs and cats,” says William Craig, DVM, Chief Medical and Underwriting Director of PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance. “During the holidays pets may suffer from the constant changes taking place in their territory. There are new objects to explore, like holiday decorations, new plants and tempting foods to investigate. Being mindful of how your pet may react can make the season pleasant for everyone.”

Signs of Stress:

• Hyper-salivation or drooling

• Soiling the pet owner’s belongings

• Chewing or scratching at doors or crate

• Non-stop howling or barking (or meowing for cats)
  

• Compulsive grooming or licking

• Tearing up furniture or pushing items off counters

What to Do

How can you help your dog relieve--or even avoid--holiday stress? Be sure to:

• maintain a normal leash / walking schedule

• give positive reinforcement with praise and treats for appropriate behavior

With a little extra consideration, your dog can enjoy this time of year and take part in the family fun--without stress. After all, that's what the holidays are all about, right?

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
http://www.naturalandraw.com

Don't Spend Christmas at the Vet's!

While home may be the ideal destination this time of year, many pet owners find that there is no place like the veterinarian's office for the holidays. Unfortunately, the most wonderful time of the year is also one of the most dangerous for pets. In order to assess the impact of the holidays on pet health, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, analyzed claims submitted in 2008 for pets treated on December 25. The company found that last year more than 200 policyholders spent Christmas Day at the veterinarian's office--most with pets receiving treatment for accidental injuries or dietary indiscretion. Following are the top five Christmas Day claims of 2008:

  Top Five Christmas Day Claims

1. Gastritis/Enteritis
2. Lacerations or Bite Wounds
3. Soft Tissue Trauma
4. Foreign Body Ingestion
5. Chocolate Poisoning

"Christmas Day is the last day most pet owners want to spend at an emergency clinic with a sick or injured pet," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. "Fortunately, many of the claims we receive for conditions treated on Christmas Day can be prevented. Pet owners can enjoy a safe holiday by keeping pets away from treats intended for humans, refraining from introducing their pets to new or unfamiliar foods, and making sure foreign objects such as ornaments and decorations are kept out of pets' reach."

The data, mined from more than 475,000 VPI-insured pets nationwide, reveals that claims treated on Christmas Day skew towards accidents requiring emergency treatment, perhaps because most regular veterinary clinics are closed on December 25. The other 364 days of the year, claims for medical conditions such as skin allergies, ear infections and urinary tract infections prove far more common than claims for the majority of conditions treated on Christmas Day. Only gastritis/enteritis ranked among the top 10 medical claims received by VPI in the full year of 2008. Other claims submitted with a December 25 treatment date included claims for broken bones, gastric torsion, gastric ulcers, torn nails, allergic reactions and cruciate ruptures.

Keep your furry friends happy and safe this holiday season!

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
http://www.naturalandraw.com

Tips for Keeping Your Pets Safe During the Holidays

Keep your fur kids safe this holiday season! Here are some tips for pet-proofing your Christmas so that everyone stays healthy and happy!

holiday goodies are being prepared. Watch those hot containers filled with turkey and ham drippings. The pets can easily tip them over causing severe scalding and burns to themselves.

Don't feed pets the cooled drippings either. Human seasonings aren't good for pets, plus the fact that the rich stock and drippings can easily upset pets' digestive systems.

Though it's so tempting, don't give your pet large quanitities of cooked turkey and ham during the holidays. Again, human food is too rich; overfeeding of human food can cause additional health problems and feeding human food will often lead to unsatisfactory eating habits when given pet food at their regular mealtimes. Consumption of human food can also result in pitiful begging, an aggravating habit hard to break, when the family sits down for meals.

BONES ARE DANGEROUS! Please, please don't feed your pets bones, especially poultry bones. Poultry bones splinter easily - each year thousands of pets are treated for consumption of splintered bones, causing pain and sometimes death.

Increased activity and visitors during the winter holiday season can upset your pet's routine. Try to keep your pet on his regular schedule for feeding and exercise and be sure the pet gets plenty of love.

If you are planning to take your pet with you when visiting friends and relatives during the holidays, be sure to contact them in advance to find out if your pet is welcome. Because of the excitement during the holidays, it might be best for you and your pet to board your pet or hire a reputable pet sitter.

The lovely bubbling holiday lights are moderate to lethal toxicity, depending on the amount of fluid (methylene chloride) inhaled or ingested.

Please do not use angelhair (spun glass) - low toxicity; can cause irritation of the eyes, skin and gastrointestinal tract. Artifical snow and snow flock also has low toxicity - dry particles are inert; however, toxicity from inhalation can occur if spayed directly in the mouth.

Hang your treasured ornaments higher on the Christmas tree. Use wooden, medal, resin-cast or the like on the lower branches in case curious little paws want to play with bright and colorful ornaments. Tinsel isn't toxic, but if ingested, intestinal obstruction and choking are potential problems...please don't use.

The beauty of the fireplace colors (fire salts) is breath-taking on a cold winter's evening - moderate toxicity; symptoms are gastrointestinal irritation with vomiting and a variety of other manifestations, including convulsions.

Resist the temptation to tie ribbons around pets necks for the holidays. The pets can tighten ribbons resulting in choking or hang themselves if the ribbon is caught on an object.

Keep gift ribbons and bows out of sight to prevent chewing and swallowing.

Replace metal ornament hooks with tightly knotted fabric 1/4 inch ribbons, light-weight twine or yarn to slip easily over the branches of the tree.

Keep all pets securely indoors during firework displays. The frightening noise and the danger of exploding fireworks are hazardous to your pet.

A number of Christmas season plants are poisonous to pets if nibbled or eaten: ivy - moderate to very toxic, all parts; holly - moderate to very toxic, especially the berries and leaves; mistletoe - very toxic, all parts, especially the berries; Christmas greens such as balsam, juniper, cedar, pine and fir - all parts have a low level of toxicity; hibiscus - may cause vomiting or bloody diarrhea if ingested; and poinsettias - leaves and stems low in toxicity. This is not a conclusive listing...there are many more toxic plants. An additional listing of both non and toxic plants can be located here. It's wise to keep plants out of your pets' and children's reach.

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
http://www.naturalandraw.com

Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays

Petfinder, the online animal service website, launched a program to help give abandoned animals a new home -- if only for the holidays. The Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays program teams up with local shelters and foster agencies to give pets a foster home for a few months, with the hopes that people will fall in love with the animals and keep them for good.

The program is based on a book-turned movie by Greg Kincaid, "A Dog Named Christmas," where a boy fosters a dog for the holidays and gets his community involved. "It's a feel-good story with a great message," wrote one Petfinder blogger.

Many people have given away their pets in the recession, leaving shelters full to capacity. "Animals are a luxury," said Nicole Plank to WFMZ TV in Reading, Penn. Plank runs the Cat Works, an animal foster service that is participating in the program. "I get emails every single day... from people who have lost their job, they're losing their home and they have to give up something they've loved for years."

Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays is free. The only requirements, according to the Cat Works' website, is that "you feed them and kiss them every day, and make them feel safe and secure."

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
http://www.naturalandraw.com

Christmas is for Pets, too!

Christmas has gone to the dogs. And cats, too.

It's that time of year when the furry, four-legged friends get extra treats and jingle bells on their collars, and dogs even get a pass if they lift their legs indoors (because, hey, somebody put a tree in the living room).

Eight in 10 pet owners say they give their pets holiday and birthday gifts, according to a survey from the American Animal Hospital Association. Another 21 percent sometimes dress their pets, according to the association.

So, you're not alone! Make sure your fur kid isn't left out! Find all natural pet treats (including frozen bones and dehydrated bones) made from elk, bison, yak, ostrich and wild boar, organic dog toys by Simply Fido, and raw dog food at NaturalandRaw.com.

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
NaturalandRaw.com