Homewoods Rescue for the Wayward Hound

Pets bring so much comfort and unconditional love to our lives. A dog or cat is the friend we can always confide in - and somehow they just always understand. They greet us at the end of a hard day and stand watch over our loved ones. We frame their photographs to display at home and work, remember them on our holiday shopping list and even bring them on vacations with us. We reminisce about the joys our childhood pets brought to our lives and hope that more children will know that same happiness.

This Thanksgiving, "paws" to reflect on the important role your pets, past and present, play in your life. Their therapeutic and nurturing spirits, their loyalty and love are all priceless gifts happily given to you with nothing asked in return.

Please make a donation in honor or memory of your pet to Homewoods Rescue this Thanksgiving.

Thank you!

Animal Behaviorist Offers Pet Safety Tips For the Thanksgiving Holiday
Animal behaviorist, Diana L. Guerrero offers a few humane holiday hints along with seasonal safety suggestions for pet households.

Do you give in to cute pesky pets at the dinner table? This Thanksgiving holiday pet lovers are urged to resist the intense gazes and vocal demands of pleading pets. According to animal expert, Diana L. Guerrero. "There can be deadly consequences for animals during the holidays. Holiday threats to animals can include seasonal decorations, ornamental lighting, ingestion of inappropriate or toxic items, excessive consumption of rich foods or harmful food, candle flames, and many other hazards."

Guerrero is an animal behaviorist who writes columns on wild animal behavior, training, and animal etiquette. She is contributing editor to "Resources for Crisis Management in Zoos and Other Animal Care Facilities" and is the author of the holiday favorite, "What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality: Inspiring Lessons of Wild and Tame Creatures."

Before you sit down to feast, Guerrero suggests you take away temptation-from both guests and pets. " If you feed pets before the guests arrive you reduce the temptation for begging and stealing. You can also use a pet gate or play pen to house the pet nearby, but provide a safety barrier."

One of the easiest ways to avoid trouble is to make sure your guests know the pet rules and discourage them from feeding critters scraps from the table. Guerrero said, "The best approach is to make sure any animal is occupied with a chewy or playmates in another room. Once the table is cleared, make sure pets cannot get to scraps or bones."

Guerrero said the biggest hazards to pets on Thanksgiving include:

Rich, fatty foods (turkey skins, gravy, etc,) can contribute to pancreatitis. This nflammation of the digestive gland is painful and can be serious--requiring emergency veterinary assistance.
Cooked bones can splinter and cause tears or obstruction in a pet's digestive tract. Baking strings, if ingested, can create trouble if ingested by your pet.
Onions in holiday stuffing can lead to canine anemia if consumed by your dog.
Grapes and raisin toxins can cause kidney failure in pets.
Ingesting chocolate can kill your pet.
Caffeine and alcohol are also toxic for pets.
Keep all goodies out of reach!

"Preventative safety measures are the best strategies," states Guerrero, " Keep leftover food out of reach and in tightly closed containers. Make sure garbage cans are secure to keep critters so they are safe from e-coli and unable to chew on leftover tinfoil."

The animal behaviaorist suggests that pet households plan on providing appropriate chew toys or food occupation devices for pets during holiday activities. "The Kong Company produces a goodie dispenser that keeps dogs occupied. They also have some great bird and cat toys that provide similar activity. Most pet stores carry these products. The investment and preparation can insure that you have a happy and healthy holiday."

Even so, it never hurts to keep your emergency vet clinic or veterinary hospital number handy. You never know when you will encounter a disaster due to a delinquent guest or persistent pet.

More Thankgiving Safety for Dogs: Stuff the Turkey, Not Your Dog

Ahhh, the aroma of a fresh, mouthwatering, roasting turkey in the oven, Mom's cornbread stuffing cooling on the counter, sweet, spicy pumpkin pie tempting your passions. But don't forget the happy, little furry-feet, following your every move!

Yep, its Thanksgiving! A time to be thankful for all we have, for those around us we love, including our canine friends. Many people share the family feast with their dog in an offering of thanks and love. While this is an innocent and seemingly gracious and loving gesture, the truth is, it's more loving not to share your holiday meals with your dog. While it may seem that a little bit of turkey skin here and a little bit of stuffing there wouldn't hurt, we know how quickly the pounds can add up over the holiday season. The same rules that apply to us apply to our pets. A diet high in fat and being overweight is very unhealthy for them.

Pancreatitis is just one of the problems that occur with a high fat and unhealthy diet. The "typical" pancreatitis victim is middle-aged or older and overweight. It's common in both sexes, and very often the family has just had a party or a big holiday meal when this disease strikes. So, if your pet is often one that gets a table scrap here, a potato chip there, extra caution should be taken, as his possibility for an accute pacreatitis attack could already be high. However this doesn't OK you to indulge him if it's "just this once" or "just for the holiday." Things can turn bad quickly and with the hustle and bustle of the holidays; you may not be as alert to the first symptoms, or may pass them off as just nerves, stress or having a little too much turkey or all the family at the home for the holiday.

The pancreas produces digestive enzymes that break down food so the body can digest it. These enzymes are carefully handled by the pancreas in order to prevent them from damaging the pancreas itself or surrounding tissue. If they break down for any reason, the result is leakage of enzymes, which damage the pancreas and any surrounding tissue they reach. This breakdown is called pancreatitis. Symptoms include loss of appetite, severe and frequent vomiting, diarrhea that may contain blood, reluctance to walk, weakness, pain, crying, restlessness, irritability, or refusing to eat. Many people know their dog is sick, but may be confused as to whether or not it's serious because of a lack of symptoms or symptoms being vague and mild.

Pancreatitis may occur only once in a dog's life or it can become chronic, a condition that returns over and over again. It can quickly become fatal or just be a mild attack of pain that is over in a few hours or a day or so. It can cause serious side effects including shock, blood clotting disorders, heart arrythmias, and liver or kidney damage. So if your pet exhibits ANY of these signs, even if mild at first, get him to your vet immediately! Of course with it being a holiday, many animal clinics may be closed - another VERY valid reason to not be so sharing with your pets this Thanksgiving. And just in case, make sure you have an emergency number for your vet or the emergency vet clinic number handy for when your vet's office is closed.

Make sure your pet has no access to any food left on the counters or tables when no one is around. After you're done cleaning up the kitchen, make sure you take the garbage out, and dispose of it in a secure place where no pets can get into it. Even the best behaved, well trained pets may be too tempted with turkey bones, the string that tied the turkey legs together, and what little of what was left of Mom's stuffing in the trash.

Other Holiday Food Dangers
Besides table scraps being dangerous to your pets because of the high-fat in some of them, there are still other reasons to not share your holiday feast with pets. Cooked turkey, duck, geese and other bird bones are dangerous to your pet. They are hollow and break and splinter easily. Also, because they are so easily breakable, dogs usually won't chew them thoroughly. The results are sharp pieces that can choke the dog or block, tear the intestines. A pet that has a bone or fragment of one lodged in his intestine may not even show symptoms for a few days. When they do occur they may include loss of appetite, depression, vomiting, or diarrhea. Sometimes the bone will pass by itself; other times it may need to be surgically removed. So make sure all left overs and throw away and out of your pets' reach.

Chocolate and your dog
Yet another danger to dogs is chocolate. It contains a xanthine compound called theobromine. Theobromine is highest in dark chocolate, but even milk chocolate contains theobromine. Chocolate can be fatal to your dog! Bowls of candy, or pieces dropped by guests or children, may go unnoticed by you for hours, but pose a real risk to your pets.

Bloat is a medical emergency!
One last word of caution on holiday meals and your pet is "bloat." Bloat is a gastric condition that can be deadly and is an EMERGENCY for you and your dog. Bloat is most commonly caused by too much gas or fluid in the stomach. This gas can extend the stomach causing gastric dilation. If the stomach partially rotates it is called gastric torsion. If it fully rotates its called gastric volvolus. Each can be a life threatening problem. Usually, large, deep-chested dogs are the victims, but it has occurred in some smaller breeds and puppies that have been allowed to eat too fast. While the causes of bloat are varied, gulping of food and water, a common behavior at excitable times when yummy treats are given and then exercise, such as the excitability and playfulness a lot of pets experience during busy times like holidays and family gatherings, may be a serious threat to a lot of pets.

Bloat is a deadly condition that gives you a very limited amount of time to act. Symptoms include abdominal distention, salivating, retching, restlessness, depression, lethargy, anorexia, weakness, or a rapid heart rate. Any of these symptoms, even if mild at first, should IMMEDIATELY be attended to by your vet. The stages and manifestations of this condition can happen rapidly once started, so no time should be wasted in seeking advice and care, even if there is a little doubt. Things to avoid are not allowing your pet to overeat, even his own food. Instead of 1 or 2 large meals a day, try 3 or 4 smaller ones. Do not feed your pet at high excitability times, or when he's nervous, such as when you have a house full of company. Many dogs will gulp down their food as a "defense" to keep these "strange intruders" out of it. Calm your dog and feed him at quiet times of the day. Do not allow vigorous exercise before or after your pet has eaten.

Be careful with your pets this holiday season, and be truly thankful for them by keeping them healthy!