How to Enrich Shelter Pets’ Lives

If you ask the staff here at PetSafe® brand what their favorite part of their job is, you’ll find that just about everyone incorporates their passion for dogs and cats. The desire to help the pet population runs deep within the company—even on a global level! PetSafe brand runs several programs where the sole mission is to help those pets that aren’t yet in their forever home.

PetSafe Brand Helps Pets Every Day

PetSafe brand has very successful donations and philanthropy funding efforts taking place every day. Last year we gave away more than 3.5 million dollars in grants and product donations! We’ve funded all kinds of life-saving efforts, including spay and neuter clinics, hoarding case assistance, a puppy NICU, shelter renovations, adoption vans, flood and other disaster assistance and much more.

With a super dedicated staff, we’ve also given countless hours of our own time volunteering to make the lives better for the homeless pets.

Here’s a fun fact about us at PetSafe brand-- some of our offices have been known to schedule a mid-day break for “puppy class”. “Puppy class” means someone is fostering a litter of puppies for a local organization and it’s time to socialize those puppies! We believe in proper training and socialization for dogs of all ages—and we definitely believe in having puppies around on lunch break!

PetSafe Shelter Enrichment Program Keeps Shelter Dogs Busy Playing

The PetSafe Shelter Enrichment Program is another effort designed to help the homeless pet population. This program selects qualifying organizations and supports them by enriching the lives of the animals in their care. In order to accomplish this goal, we provide the shelter with products that will make the shelter a comfortable enriching temporary home while they wait for their forever home.

First, we provide toys to the dogs and cats in the program. Did you know that our Busy Buddy® line of toys are not only fun toys, but they are also enrichment devices and behavior solutions? If a dog is engaged in a toy, they are playing. Playing is therapeutic and fun (Win #1!). All of the Busy Buddy toys require the dog to figure out how to get the food out. This level of thinking keeps the animal busy and is incredibly mentally enriching (Win #2!).  Lastly, if a dog is engaged in chewing on a Busy Buddy toy, they aren’t learning inappropriate behaviors, like jumping on the kennel doors, chewing on inappropriate things or barking (Win #3!).

When shelter dogs are regularly provided with mentally enriching durable toys, we see a transformation in the shelter. These toys contribute to creating a happy, mentally stimulated and relaxed population of dogs that are ready for their home as soon as it becomes available.

The San Diego Humane Society gives their dogs a tasty treat in some of our classic Busy Buddy toys. The Squirrel Dude toys are always a hit among the dogs! Although Sweety is an older boxer mix, her days are filled with fun until she finds her final “retirement home”.

Encouraging Better Behavior to Get Shelter Dogs into Their Forever Homes

We also provide other behavior solutions like Gentle Leader® Headcollars and Easy Walk® Harnesses. There isn’t anything worse than a potential adopter getting dragged down the street by the dog of their dreams. It’s well known that better behaved dogs get adopted faster. By providing behavior solutions like Gentle Leader Headcollars and Easy Walk Harnesses, we contribute to a better behaved population of animals that are more easily adopted.

The Nashville Humane Association develops incredible behavior modification plans for any dog with behavior problems. It’s common for our toys and other training products to be part of that plan. Regardless of their behavior needs, each and every dog has a mentally stimulating environment with our Busy Buddy toys!

We’re thrilled to help our partner organizations make their shelters happy temporary homes for their animal guests while they wait to find forever homes. Even on our hardest days here at PetSafe brand, we’re proud to keep doing the work we’re doing because of the animals it truly benefits.


Source by: http://www.petsafe.net/learn/how-to-enrich-shelter-pets-lives

Birth Defects and Pet Prostheses: Science to the Rescue

Written by
Tony Johnson ER Vet

Veterinary medicine has advanced to the point that many high-tech diagnostic and therapeutic options, once only available to people, can now be used on pets. Prosthetic limbs, while expensive and still not commonplace, have been fitted to several dogs and cats who have lost limbs through disease or trauma, or in a few cases, been born without limbs. The advent of advanced surgeries, 3D printing and newer materials has led to prostheses gaining momentum and the number of pets receiving them climbing. It's still somewhat of a medical curiosity, but new cases make the news every week.

Prosthetics and orthotics for who are pets missing limbs present some unique challenges in pets as compared to humans. The variability in size that we see in dogs, where one may need to fit an artificial limb to a 4-pound Chihuahua or a 200-pound Great Dane, means that ordering off the rack isn't usually an option. Additionally, using a prosthetic limb in a dog or cat means a big investment in terms of finances and aftercare. Preventing complications like rub sores and arthritis in the remaining limbs means that close work with your family vet and some serious research and soul-searching beforehand are in order.

As the owner of a 3-legged dog myself, I can see how for some dogs a prosthetic limb could make the difference between life and death. My dog, Rocco, who lost a leg to a car accident before I was his owner, is lucky enough to have 3 good legs to stand on and gets along just fine with a missing foreleg, but dogs who have arthritis or other conditions in the remaining limbs (or lose more than one limb) may literally not have a leg to stand on and need a new space-age titanium one to allow them to walk again.

More information on amputation and prosthetics in pets can be found online.

It's not just missing limbs that can be helped with new materials and technology. Paralyzed pets who once couldn't be acceptable pets can now wheel around with the help of specially designed wheelchairs that replace the function of their hind legs. Check out www.k9carts.com and eddieswheels.com. Wheelchairs and mobility devices are even available on eBay and Amazon.com.

To ensure that pets get the best fit, accurate measurements, often with the help of your family veterinarian, need to be made when ordering the cart. Also, some pets who are paralyzed have problems that run deeper than only a lack of mobility - their bladder and colon are sometimes affected by spinal cord damage and need to be managed at home as well.

Birth defects aren't always visible on the outside. Some dogs, especially English Bulldogs and Golden retrievers, are prone to a heart defect called subaortic stenosis, or SAS, where a valve in the heart doesn't completely form and blood flow out of the heart is impeded. Sometimes it's known as just aortic stenosis; stenosis is the medical term for narrowing. Dogs with a severe form of SAS can't run or play because the heart can't deliver oxygen through the narrowed aorta and valve. Unfortunately, in the days before veterinary heart specialists could fix the problem, these pets were often prone to shortened lifespans and sudden death.

But with the help of heart medications and invasive heart surgeries (similar to cardiac catheterization used to treat heart attacks in people and known as balloon catheterization), many SAS dogs can now live full and active lives. The heart catheter needs to be guided to the narrow spot through fluoroscopy, which is like X-ray TV: the veterinary heart specialist can see the catheter, a flexible tube that contains a small balloon in it, and guide it right to the narrow spot. Once the balloon is inflated, the aorta and the narrow area are able to widen and normal blood flow resumes. The recovery period is short since there's only a tiny incision to allow the catheter into the vein.

Some congenital (inborn) defects of dogs involve the eyes. Dogs can be born with cataracts, retinal defects (called colobomas) and an assortment of other problems. Veterinary ophthalmologists use operating microscopes to give affected pets new sight through removal of cataracts, lens implants and host of other therapies once reserved for humans. Veterinary ophthalmologists undergo years of intense training to hone the skills needed to restore vision to blind pets.

Take advantage of recent advances in medical science for pets. If you have a pet with a special condition or a challenging medical history, ask your vet if there's anything new under the sun that might be able to help. New advances occur every day and one of them might be able to restore your pet to full function and a happy, long life.

source by:http://www.petsafe.net/learn/birth-defects-and-pet-prostheses-science-to-the-rescue

How to Use an Indoor/Outdoor Potty for Toilet Training

When people call me about training their new puppy, potty training is always at the top of the list. There are options - you can choose to train your puppy indoors, outdoors, or a combination of both. Regardless of your choice, the method to train him is the same, and your involvement is crucial, especially at the beginning.

*Take him where you want him to go when he has to go.

*When he goes in the right place, reward him          with praise and a treat.

*Watch him like a hawk or confine him at all          other times.

There are several products to choose from regarding potty training your puppy indoors, one of which is a puppy potty. There are 3 main types of puppy potties.

*Ones that have synthetic grass on top of a grate   with the urine draining into a containment area     underneath

*Ones that use litter

*Ones that use sod or grass
 
Puppy potties with synthetic grass are a great option for house training.

Reasons to Use a Puppy Potty for House Training

*It feels like real grass to your puppy's feet, which is important if you want to transition him to pottying outside because he develops a preference for a grassy surface and because the surface feels different than wood, carpet, tile, etc.
*If you spend time away from home (go to work every day) so you can't take your puppy out whenever he needs to go, he has a place to go indoors.
*You don't have to get up in the middle of the night to take him outside, which is especially helpful during inclement weather or if you live in a high-rise.
*It makes you feel better because he goes in one place. Your puppy has a specifically delineated toilet area inside your house rather than eliminating throughout your house.
*Many companies offer sprays to help attract your puppy to the potty, products to congeal the urine, deodorizing sprays, or replacement grass. These products not only help your puppy in the training but also help you in cleaning.

Reasons to Use a Puppy Potty Long-Term

*It's portable so you can easily move it from one area of your home to the other - for example, you can move it from your home office or kitchen to your TV area to your bedroom.

*Your pup may have been injured and can't walk long distances.

*It's good for smaller dogs who have a faster metabolism and tend to eliminate more frequently.

*It's an excellent choice if you live in a high-rise, are not home all day, have an erratic schedule, or have mobility or health issues.

*You can clean the indoor potties yourself, and most of them are easily cleaned.

*Since the urine drains or is absorbed, your dog doesn't track it on your floors.

*He doesn't have to hold it as long as he would if his toilet area were outside.

Remember that puppies develop muscle control and mental control every day and need repetition in order to learn where you want him to go. Take him to the potty when he has to go. When he does toilet there, tell him what a good dog he is as he is going and give him a treat in the potty area immediately after he finishes. Training your puppy where you want him to eliminate takes time, patience, and consistency, and it will pay off for both of you.

source by:http://www.petsafe.net/learn/how-to-use-an-indoor-outdoor-potty-for-toilet-training