This is featured post 1 title

To set your featured posts, please go to your theme options page in wp-admin. You can also disable featured posts slideshow if you don't wish to display them.

This is featured post 2 title

To set your featured posts, please go to your theme options page in wp-admin. You can also disable featured posts slideshow if you don't wish to display them.

This is featured post 3 title

To set your featured posts, please go to your theme options page in wp-admin. You can also disable featured posts slideshow if you don't wish to display them.

This is featured post 4 title

To set your featured posts, please go to your theme options page in wp-admin. You can also disable featured posts slideshow if you don't wish to display them.

This is featured post 5 title

To set your featured posts, please go to your theme options page in wp-admin. You can also disable featured posts slideshow if you don't wish to display them.

Pet Emergency Contact Information

June 10th, 2010 Woof

Knowing where a 24hr animal hospital is, is good information to have handy just in case something comes up. There are veterinarians in Las Vegas that are available in the late night hours. The Las Vegas Animal Emergency Hospital is open all night and on Sundays. A great resource to have for those unforseen events.

 

Las Vegas Animal Emergency Hospital – Late Night
702.822.1045
5231 W. Charelston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
M-F 6PM to 8AM
Sat. 4PM to Sun. 8AM

http://www.lvaeh.net

 We all hope we  never have to use them, but are very grateful they are there when we actually do need them.

Dogs and The Summer Heat

June 8th, 2010 Woof

Ready For The Lake

Well, the heat is here!

Unfortunately people have to be reminded every year about not leaving your dog in the car, or tied up outside with no shade in the summer months.

So remember everyone, your dog has fur and does not sweat. He/she can over heat very quickly.

Do not, under any circumstance leave your dog in the car during the summer months. Make sure there is always someone with him/her in the vehicle at all times.

If you have your dog tied up, let em in the house!!! j/k. 

Seriously though, I know not everyone allows their dog in the house, and if you are one of those individuals that believe a dogs place is outside, be sure to supply proper shelter for them during these brutal months of heat here in Vegas. Install a mister if you can, this will drop your dogs area by 10-20 degrees. Keep in mind you are in the desert, and dogs are not native to the desert.

Let em in!! go ahead, your dog will love you for it!

Have a great, safe and fun summer everyone.

Homemade Soft Food Recipe For Dogs

June 6th, 2010 Woof

Enough with what your dogs can’t eat, here’s a great recipe for your furry friend that they’ll love and is a healthy substitute for kibble.

Some of the ingredients are not easy to find, we had to drive all over and make a few phones calls to find some of it. The millet can be found at whole foods, the kelp powder was found at Wild Oats before it went out of business, and the only place we have found it since is, Rainbows End on Sahara.

FIDO’S FAVORITE

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2lb millet
1/2lb chopped spinach
1/2lb coarsley chopped carrots
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2Tbsp Kelp powder
4 to 6 cups filtered water

Combine the above ingredients in a stainless steel pot. The 4 to 6 cups of water should be used to just cover the food in the pot, not any higher. Use how ever much water you need for this. It’s 4 to 6 cups cause everyone will use a different pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for 30 mins., or until the carrots are tender. Remove from the flame and cool. Blend the mixture in to a nice puree using an electric mixer or a food processor. Don’t do this all at once, do it in batches or you will put yourself in a bad mood.

Get some ziploc bags, or tupperware and separate the food in to meal portions. Freeze whatever food you will not be using within 3 to 4 days.

This takes time, but is well worth it when you see your dog more energetic, and a shinier coat!

Enjoy!!!!!

Control Shedding By Brushing Your Dog

June 3rd, 2010 Woof

Get your dog used to his or her hair brush. Bring the treats out along with the brush and give a few to fido as you brush him/her. This will instill a though of good things happening when they see the brush come out, instead of the undesired act of running away. Brushing your dog is extremely important in the summer months, especially with long haired dogs. This will curb the amount of hair that stays on your clothes or gets in the house.

Plus it will bring you and your dog closer with quality time spent.

Socialize Your Dog

June 3rd, 2010 Woof

Dogs need to be around other dogs and people if you want them to act right whenever you have guests over. If your dog is tied to a tree or a pole everytime someone comes over, that will just up the anxiety level of fido when he hears the door. He will run from knowing that the next destination for him is outside with a limited range to travel in. Take your dogs to the dog park, let them meet others so they figure out it’s not such a bid deal after all. Socializing your dog goes a long way in having an orderly properly behaved pup.

Grapes and Raisins Are Not Good For Dogs

June 3rd, 2010 Woof

Once again Tigger was the victim on this one. I swear this guy is strong as an OX.

So this time around, it was a hot summer day, and nothing out of the ordinary, we were out at the pool and the dogs were meandering around, basking in the sun, finding some shade and just being dogs. We have some grapevines in our backyard, and some guests that day asked if they could grab a bunch from the vines. Of course the answer was yes. Well,  they dropped the first batch and decided to hand them over to Tigger.

Big Mistake! Tigger comped em down, and was very happy. When he was done, he went and found a spot to lay and finish his summer day. Tigger started going in to convulsions after a while when he was sitting on the grass, once again I was scared beyond belief. Out of the pool, and off to the Vet we went!

How the vet understood me through my hysterics I have no idea. I thought Tigger had had a heat stroke and assumed that is what had happened. He checked him out as he asked the usual probing questions, that I always thought had no purpose, now I want him to ask more. As soon as he figured out he had eaten a bunch of grapes, he seemed to know what had happened.

Come to find out, grapes are toxic to dogs when eaten in large quantities. The exact amount is not known. So you may have given your dog a raisin or two before and seen no effect, but if your dog eats the whole box, have your vets number handy. Grapes can cause vomitting and diarrhea and signs of kidney and liver problems, sometimes failure. Every dog will react different, some will be able to eat more than others before problems occur, but no matter what, they will get sick if they eat enough.

Because of the level of reactions to grapes and potential for death, the veterinarians at the NAPCC (national animal poison control center) agree that agressive treatment should be applied to any dog that is believed to have ingested large amounts of grapes. This includes stomach pumping, induced vomitting and IV fluid therapy based on the results of blood work, looking for kidney damage.

Once again the story did have a happy ending with Tigger returning home, healthy as can be. I promise I’m not careless with my dogs, I love them very much. But, it’s everyday things that you just don’t think about that can have a huge effect on your dog. And that is why I’m writing about my experiences. If I can help just one dog owner out there to avoid any of these situations, I’m happy. So remember, no matter how much you love grapes, NO GRAPES FOR YOUR DOG!

Nutmeg Is A Hallucinogen For Dogs

May 28th, 2010 Woof

I’m writing this from personal experience… poor Tigger :(

So one day as I’m making some homemade cookie biscuits for my four legged kids, I decided that I would add a little nutmeg to the food to give them a flavor treat. Big mistake!

This caused me a horrible scare and some healthy vet bills. Tigger lost the ability to use his hind legs. The poor guy could not get up. He would attempt to stand, first with his front legs, but then his hind legs just wouldn’t work and he would lay back down. You can imagine how frightned I was.

Off to the vet we went…. The first vet we visited, I was quite unhappy with. They said he had arthritis and finished at that, perscribed me some glucosamine and pain medication and sent us on our way. I didn’t understand how a dog could go from healthy with no problems moving, running, jumping and climbing to having arthritis render him immobile in a matter of hours. Didn’t make sense to me, so off to another vet for a second opinion. I will not say who the first vet was, but I can promise you, we will not be back.

The second vet was very thorough and concerned, asked a lot of questions of me and what we had done for the last 48 hours. When I had told him about the nutmeg I put in the food, he said “ahh, yes, yes, yes”. Come to find out, nutmeg is like a hallucinogen for dogs and should not be fed to them for any reason. It can be fatal and cause tremors, siezures and death And that was the problem. He examined Tigger to make sure he was not in any mortal danger, and told me to let him rest, keep an eye on him, and that he wanted to see him in 48 hours. The effects should wear off by then, but it could effect his liver.

So we did as we were told, came home, let Tigger come down. Not sure if he enjoyed it or not, but he was ok by the next morning. A little groggy, but ok, nonetheless.

The other dogs did not get effected, it wasn’t noticeable anyway, as it was with Tigger. But lesson learned! And Tigger is still kicking, having just had his twelfth birthday this year.

Lesson of the year! DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG NUTMEG!!!

Cities Banning Pet Sales In Retail Outlets

May 27th, 2010 Woof

Though a little controversial, more steps are being made around the country to curb the problem with the pet population. This effort will make the trip to the pet store in the mall to pick up a new puppy a story to be told, like those old phones with cords.;)

Albuquerque, N.M. and South Lake Tahoe, CA. have just been joined by West Hollywood, Ca. to be the leaders of the pack in approving an ordinance prohibiting sales of dogs and cats in retail stores. On deck are Florida, New Mexico and Missouri considering the same ordinance.

The only real gauge on the effect this ban has, is in Albuquerque, N.M. They have had this ordinance in effect since 2006, and the numbers are impressive. Animal adoptions have risen over 20 percent and the city shelters have reduced the animals euthanized by over 30%. A good argument for the amount of money saved by the cost of euthanizing these animals, as to the lost taxes a city loses when a pet shop is no longer in business.

 

If an ordinance like this was approved in Las Vegas, combined with the new laws that require all animals to be spayed or neutered, unless you have the proper permits, will go a long way to fix our unwanted pet population.

Pet store owners who are running their business the right way, should not worry as much as those that are getting their puppies from puppy mills, or non-credited breeders.

Proper Diets For Pets

April 30th, 2010 Woof

“In speaking with vets that practiced thirty or forty years ago, before the pet industry grew, they state that they did not see the diseases in dogs and cats that we are seeing today. Cancer, liver and kidney disease, allergies , skin problems, all were basically unheard of in pets.”

 -Ann Martin, author of Foods Pets Die For: The shocking truth about pet foods

We will touch on the pet food industry with each recipe we put here. Todays recipe is;

Lunch Time Salad Treat;

1/2 cup chopped wild shrimp, deboned organic chicken, or wild crab meat, cooked and cooled

1/2 cub mixed salad greens

1 Tblsp chopped alfalfa or red clover sprouts

1 Tsp Olive oil

1 Tblsp cottage cheese or plain yogurt

In a small bowl, toss and combine the shrimp, salad greens, sprouts, and olive oil. Transfer to serving dishes and top with the cottage cheese before serving. Freeze any portions you won’t use within 2 to 3 days

This will make 2 servings of 1/2 cup each.

Hope y0u enjoy!

Check back or subscribe to our RSS feed to be updated each time we post a home made dog food recipe.

 

New Las Vegas Pet Law

April 30th, 2010 Woof

New Vegas Pet Laws

Las Vegas has had an unprecedented growth in animals arriving at the shelter since the economy has crashed. Fortunately our city has recognized this problem and has made an attempt to help find a solution for it.

Beginning today, April 1, dogs and cats over the age of four months in the city of Las Vegas must be spayed or neutered, except under specified circumstances. Dogs and cats must also be microchipped before they can be recovered from impound or adopted from the Lied Animal Shelter.

Among the exceptions are:

  • Animals being held by a shelter or other organization for adoption; 
  • Animals held by persons with a fanciers’ permit;
  • Animals that are incapable of breeding or are medically unsuited for the procedure;
  • Service and law enforcement animals.

You can find all the details here;

New Vegas Pet Law

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More
RSS FeedSubscribe to our RSS feed!
Follow the pack on Twitter!Follow the pack on Twitter!

  • Featured Video