Last month was pet first aid awareness month, and we have talked about making lists of priority steps to take should you suddenly be confronted with a need to know – and isn’t that the way it always happens? Poisoning qualifies for that list and if you’d like to hear more from Dr Justine Lee on how to prevent flea and tick meds, items from your garden, and other seemingly innocuous things from poisoning your pets, you can listen in to an interview we had here at Animal Cafe on poison and pets.

There is also a CE webinar June 4, reviewing prescription and over-the-counter topical medications toxic to pets (don’t use that triple-antibiotic cream on Max without vet approval or before you attend the seminar). Sign up at Pet Poison Helpline!

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Tell me, are you thinking to yourself that you’ll need to put preventives on your list for the next time you go to your favorite pet supply store? Do you buy what was prescribed the last time you went to the vet, avoiding the visit perhaps? Before you do that, take a moment to watch this short video with Steve Dale and Dr Ernie Ward, Veterinarian at Seaside Animal Care. It’s not just about fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and biting critters, but a few other things that could spell trouble for your dog.

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That search and find mission turns into a story often told to friends, other pet owners you meet at parties or even out on the street. Ask me, I’ve told my pet rescue tales at the check-out line of the grocery store! I never tire of hearing someone’s voice shine with the happiness experienced when they first met their best friend. Imagine all the stories people in rescue have and all the lives that have been touched with that bit of magic when a lifelong match is made. If you love these stories too, here’s a treat!

Julie Klam, author and rescue volunteer, has written a book on her experiences revealing how the dogs we save also save us. A guest on the Today show and written up in the New York Times, Julie has a video chat with Steve Dale about her book “Love At First Bark”.

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You might be thinking, this is ridiculous, how could such a practice be legal. It’s not something you see advertised anywhere as part of a shelter’s function. Yet it is legal — in more than 30 States. How long has this been going on? How can we end it?

*If requested by research facility

Understanding Pound Seizure

Allie Phillips, attorney, volunteer and author of the award winning book How Shelter Pets Are Brokered for Experimentation, Understanding Pound Seizure, sat down with me to talk about shelters selling pets into research and the story behind it. Having had a cat taken from her arms by what is known as a Class B dealer during her volunteer shift at the local shelter, Allie got to the bottom of what was going on in the industry. Her book gives us a look inside this practice, what must be the worst kind of living nightmare for the animals hauled off to a laboratory.

Join us in this lively and informative interview, discover what’s happening in this field and how you can help end this practice. Check out the map of pound seizure States at the book title link — is your State listed? You can check out Allie’s Facebook page here. Rescue shelter pets from animal testing and help end this State-sanctioned cruelty.

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Wellness exams are important to the future of your pet’s health. Catching something early usually leads to less expensive and better outcomes, just as in human medicine. Another interesting feature of AAHA vet clinics, there is an opportunity in emergency situations for the vet to apply for a grant when the client cannot pay. It is not a sure thing, but is good to know.

Steve talks with Dr. Natalie Marks of Chicago’s Blum Animal Hospital on the level of expertise experienced by clients at accredited clinics. A recurring theme you’ll notice around the net and a topic in this video is the trend of infrequent appointments by clients, bringing in their furry friends only when disease has advanced beyond an easy fix. Check out the AAHA vet clinics in your area!

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Today was the first day I noticed my dog was getting a little stir crazy…he came over to the computer with his toy and then barked at me. He doesn’t bark unless I ask him to, for which I take no training props whatsoever – he came that way, so I was startled. All I had to do was get up and off he went…he must have zoomed back and forth from dining room down the hall to the living room 10 times with his squeaky toy in tow. He was bouncing and leaping like a puppy, growling a little. We played a little tug-o-war and keep away  and after a drink of water, he looked out the window for a bit and is now napping on his footstool.

Carol Bryant of Fidose of Reality popped in, virtually speaking, and we talked about what she does when winter doldrums hit home or bad weather keeps everyone housebound.  If you have a game your dog loves to play indoors, please share!

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If you’d like to take a look at a graphic that shows the life cycle of heartworm, check the American Heartworm Society page for more in-depth information.

“Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the lungs and occasionally in the right side of the heart of dogs, cats and other species of mammals, including wolves, foxes, ferrets, sea lions and (in rare instances) humans. Heartworms are classified as nematodes (roundworms) and are filarids, one of many species of roundworms” (AHS)

Steve Dale talks with Dr. Sheldon Rubin about what heartworm is, how in acts inside an animal, the ease of prevention and the not so easy treatment.

Further information:

Heartworm in Dogs and Cats - Podcast with Dr Rubin =)

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I had cats growing up, and we played with them with catnip toys and balls — not really like you would play with a dog, although I would not learn of all the differences until I found my first dog as an adult. Steve’s assertion rang true, that if people would engage with cats the way they do with dogs how many more would be in homes because of that change in mindset?

What Steve said all those years ago resonates today with the spotlight on enriching the lives of our pets. Yes, cats play and cat games are fun! Cats will engage with you and maybe even thank you for the romp! Watch Steve with his cat in this video. And if you have a great game you play, please…share!

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The Resting Respiratory Rate (RRR) app measures your dog’s respiration rate over time and uploads the information directly to your vet. If your dog has a heart problem, this test will detect it early. You will need to work with your vet before setting up the app.

The Mobile Dog Heart Health Tour started March 1 in Kansas, MO. and will visit other cities throughout the month. On board is one of those rare specialists, a veterinary cardiologist, who will provide free dog heart exams. This is a great opportunity, so check the schedule — is your city, or one near you, on it?

On March 14 there will be a media blitz, with veterinary cardiologist Dr. Teresa DeFrancesco, associate professor in the Department of Cardiology and Critical Care at North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, in interviews at television stations nationwide. Among topics of discussion will be the different types of heart disease, common symptoms, and how to keep dogs healthy.

Canine Heart Health Month is being sponsored by Your Dogs Heart.

Just as with people, early detection of canine heart disease can help your dog live a long, happy life. Watch Steve Dale and Dr. Sonya Gordon, a veterinary cardiologist and professor at Texas A&M talk about symptoms of heart failure in dogs (and cats), recommended tests and medications that works to improve quality of life.

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