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Have you planned for an emergency such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster? With all of these things becoming more common preparing for an emergency is something we should all consider. The Office of Homeland Security and Ready.gov, have been providing tips on how to prepare, plan and stay informed since 9/11, and now have a section for pets.

Prepare

Food
Water
Medicines and Medical Records
First aid kit
Collar with ID tag, harness or leash
Crate or other pet carrier
Sanitation kit
A picture of you and your pet together
Familiar items like a favorite toy.

“If you are like millions of animal owners nationwide, your pet is an important member of your household. The likelihood that you and your animals will survive an emergency such as a fire or flood, tornado or terrorist attack depends largely on emergency planning done today. Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling an animal emergency supply kit and developing a pet care buddy system, are the same for any emergency. Whether you decide to stay put in an emergency or evacuate to a safer location, you will need to make plans in advance for your pets. Keep in mind that what’s best for you is typically what’s best for your animals.” From http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html

Plan

Create a plan
Develop a Buddy System
Talk to your Vet
Gather Contact information for emergency animal treatment.

Most dog owners believe that their dog has a wide range of emotions that can only be seen by you, the mom or dad, who knows the dog most intimately. Of course, we often think that we understand them because they are our babies. We know that if certain words are said around them they will react. My dog for example, knows the words d-o-g-p-a-r-k and therefore we are only allowed to say it aloud minus the spelling, right before we actually arrive. Should I choose to say it before then he’ll be so excited that it is hard to contain. Should I say it and not actually have any intention on going, I’ll feel guilty for raising his level of arousal only to let him down. I would never intentionally want to make him sad you know?

This theory has been tested and scientists now have concluded that besides anger, anxiety and surprise they can definitively express the emotion of jealousy. Through a study at the University of Portsmouth, scientists have found “In every report of jealousy in dogs you had the situation where the dog’s primary carer was being given affection by an interloper.” You and I know that when dogs are jealous they push you nudge someone else out of the way or act overtly silly to gain your attention and in my case, my dog jumps on me when I play with another dog instead of him. It is nice to know though that dogs are gaining the same sort of notoriety that once only belonged to human and primates.

For more on this story go to the Yorkshire Post Today. www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk

It seems as though dropping of your pooch at the groomers for their weekly bath and blow-dry is as safe as washing yourself right? Well that is what one dog mom thought when she dropped her darling Yorkies at her groomers one morning. Unbeknown to Kimberly Clark, this would be the last time she would see her dogs in a healthy, happy state. It was only a few hours later that one baby was dead and the other dog was being rushed for emergency treatment. “I could smell his skin burning when I got there,” she recalls. The dog’s pupils were dilating, and his kidneys had failed, she said. The vet put him to sleep the next day. Although there was no specific cause of death the suspected culprit is a malfunctioing dryer.

It seems that with the increasing amount of salons opening every year that incidents like these will become more common. Even more frightening is the fact that none of the pet grooming salons in the US are regulated. “There’s nothing to prevent any individual who thinks they have a talent for sprucing up dogs from going into business. A handful of state legislatures are considering cracking down, requiring groomers to be licensed, for example, or imposing tough penalties for safety violations.”

For many of us it is hard to imagine going through a traumatic time in our lives without the love and support of a dog. I mean, if you think about the daily mundane ways that a dog brightens your life and eases your stresses then it is inconceivable to have to undergo some loss in your life without your best pal.

The job description for service dogs usually include helping those who are blind, have seizures, are living in a hospital or special care facility, have trouble reading, and have trouble hearing. Now however, with the help of an innovative pilot progam at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., soldiers who have been injured in battle and have undergone surgery requiring the amputation of a limb will be able to reap the benefits of a service dog as they begin to recover. “Mike Sergeant, chief training officer for the organization, said he’s excited about the potential of a pilot program that will enable amputees at Walter Reed to get their own service dog, without cost. The dogs are trained to help the troops balance as they learn to walk with artificial limbs, to retrieve items the service members drop, and in some cases, to serve as braces as the troops lift themselves from a chair or the floor, Sergeant explained. The service dog will help the veterans as they learn a new way of mobility with their artificial limbs, he said.”

Through new and exciting programs like these verterans can more easily transition into a new life. Although this new lifestyle will not be easy the help, love and constant companionship of a dog should help to make the journey that much sweeter.

Ok, another plug for my employer Jakks Pacific Inc. and it’s pet line JPIâ„¢. There’s a give away at the bottom! As many of you know, Bear, our Newfoundland, is a pretty spoiled guy and with most treats that we give him, unless it’s human food, he’ll blow off like it’s cat food. (He does however like the Scooby Snacks still.) I want you to know going into this, you do have Bear’s stamp of approval - he loves this treat! And it’s a great alternative to a past favorite of his.

From White-Bites.com

White Bitesâ„¢ treats are safe and digestible, extremely tasty, baking soda infused oral care dog treats that your dog will treasure as they clean teeth and freshen breath.

White Bitesâ„¢ treats are especially formulated for dissolvability. A recent study conducted at the University of Illinois shows that the unique White Bitesâ„¢ treat formulation and manufacturing process achieves superior dissolvability. After a two stage gastric-intestinal digestibility assay, White Bitesâ„¢ treats achieved a 94.3% disappearance versus 30.7% disappearance of the leading brand. For the full press release, click here (Word Document).

Jeremy Padawer, the VP of brand development here had this to say of his own dog Bigs, who strangely doesn’t like me: “My very bizarre dog has very bad breath because he’s a street dog. He’s like a vacuum cleaner, so when I walk him around, he sucks up just about everything he can get his mouth around.” Consequently, Bigs’ gets a fair share of White Bitesâ„¢.
My own experience is positive as well. Bear has good hygiene so he doesn’t have a lot of plaque build up, but his breath does smell minty-fresh after his chew! And my nephew, (who happens to be a mini Yorkie), chewed the treat for about 15 min, but only on the right side of his mouth. The difference from side to side was more than I would have imagined; perhaps a year or two of build-up, gone, on one side.

So, I want you to try them! Rather, your dog.

So, does your dog have bad breath? Tell us about it! The 5 or 10 dogs with the worst breath, as posted here will receive a 8 oz bag of White-Bitesâ„¢ treats. Just tell me what bone size your dog would prefer, small/medium/large, and I’ll email you for your address and send them off to you. When you get the chance, let us know how your experience went!