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February is National Pet Dental Awareness Month

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 11:44 pm

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February is National Dental Awareness Month and my local veterinarian just sent me a coupon for $30 off of my dental cleaning. I have a friend named Angel who will be taking advantage of this offer. She doesn’t know it yet but her pet parent thinks her kisses smell bad and she wants to freshen her breath by having her teeth cleaned.

According to the Healthy Pet report, dental disease affects 85% of dogs and cats over the age of 2. Even though there are many pet products out there like toothpaste, oral gels and rinses, pet parents today resist putting a toothbrush or finger brush inside our mouths. If you live in a multiple pet household, be patient while you are waiting in line. You may be able to sneak off and hide if you really don’t like the process.

Here are 9 reasons why you should have your teeth cleaned by a veterinarian:

Your teeth turn yellow
Your gums can become swollen or inflamed from plaque and tartar buildup
You may have gingivitis if your gums are red or bleeding
You may have oral pain
You may not be chewing your food very well
You may not want to eat
You may be drooling excessively
You may have loose or broken teeth
No one wants your kisses anymore

Your pet parent may think that by giving you raw bones, your teeth will stay clean. What they may not realize is that you have cracked or broken a tooth on a bone. Infection can set in and cause you a lot of pain.

Enzymatic chews, rawhides, porkhides, and dental toys may help you keep your teeth clean. Your pet parent may even scale your teeth periodically to clean the tartar. However, it is extremely difficult to get to our back teeth when we are awake, no matter how cooperative we are.

The truth is, studies show that as many as 80% of us dogs and 70% of those *x! cats develop signs of periodontal disease or gingivitis before we reach 3. Bacteria can get into our bloodstream and cause damage to our heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Oral disease is almost entirely preventable.

If I haven’t convinced you yet to have your pet parent schedule a dental appointment for you, then listen to my story. My pet parent scaled my teeth periodically. The vets were never concerned about the condition of my teeth whenever I went in for my exams. Even when I was under anesthesia for repairs after being attacked by other dogs, no one picked up on anything wrong with my teeth.

It wasn’t until I was almost 8 that my vet insisted that it was time for a dental cleaning because I had a strange odor coming from my mouth that was not the smell of cat poo or some other disgusting tidbit that I scooped up on the way into the office.

Plague buildup

Periodic dental scalings were not enough to keep the plague and tartar from building up on my teeth.

Yellow Teeth Ruin a Pretty Smile

A Cracked Tooth Was Removed

No one could see that I had a cracked tooth until I was “under” and they could open my mouth as my jaw relaxed.

Dental Cleaning Removes Plague and Tartar

Almost Pearly White Again After Dental Cleaning

I Have My Smile Back!

This is a big improvement!

People can see my pearly whites again!

All I can say is, find a caring veterinarian with an excellent staff and have your pet parent schedule a dental cleaning for you this February National Dental Awareness Month. Then you can celebrate having a beautiful smile once again once your cleaning is done! Have your pet parent leave a comment on your normal dental routine…we’d like to know how you keep your teeth pearly white.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia Johnson

Your Pets View of the LeashLocket Retractable Lead

Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 11:55 pm

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My pet parent and I attended BlogPaws 2011 where we spotted the LeashLocket retractable leash on display…and I immediately wanted to sniff the display to see if these lockets carried dog treats. I am sure your pet would view anything that is attached to their collar in the same way.

Leash Locket at BlogPaws 2011

Let me report first that Amelia has her reservations about retractable leashes due to some people having received serious injuries from the retractable corded leads. The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship even bans them from their show grounds to prevent not only human accidents but also a repeat of dogs being scared by retracting handles chasing them that they have pulled from their handler’s grip…causing them to run off into a dangerous situation. Those concerns aside, Amelia does attach a retractable belted lead to me when we are going on nature walks where strict control is not required.

Upon closer examination, we found out that the LeashLocket is a revolutionary retractable belted leash in that it actually attaches to a magnet that is on an elastic strap that snaps around my collar. Wow…how convenient to use on the trail. Now, instead of both of my pet parents having to carry a separate leash for times when they are not in the same location and have to put a leash on me, I can just return to them carrying my one and only leash! This allows them to have instant control without having to fumble with snapping a leash onto my collar.

The LeashLocket is so lightweight that I don’t even notice it. Amelia feels this LeashLocket will also be ideal to use in the agility and obedience training rings. Many handlers use a short tab that is attached to their dog’s collar but with a big coat like mine, a tab can get lost in my mass of fur. The LeashLocket will be much easier to locate.

So what else makes the LeashLocket so appealing? Both of my pet parents like the way the locket fits comfortably in their hands. An optional wrist strap attaches to the locket for those times when their hands need to be free to grab my doggie bag and scoop the ‘you know what.’

Retractable leads normally extend from 10 to 26 feet which gives the pet the ability to lead the pet parent wherever the trail leads…or not. The LeashLocket extends less than 6 feet so I remain in a safe walking zone near my pet parent. Cool.

We had a puppy try out the LeashLocket during puppy socialization time in class. The other puppies quickly knocked the LeashLocket off of its magnet but the snap kept it attached to the collar and the locking mechanism on the lead kept it close to the puppy. The puppy was not at all bothered by the dangling locket and none of the other puppies tried to grab the locket. If someone planned to use the LeashLocket during play time at the dog park, they may want to make sure the locket magnet is attached somewhere on the dog where the locket will remain secured to the magnet. The optional wrist strap can be removed and attached to a belt loop for later use.

The LeashLocket comes complete with Precautions and Instructions for Use. The top three tips suggest that the locket is only to be worn when dogs are supervised, that they are to be used on well-trained dogs only and handled only by adults. For more information, visit www.LeashLocket.com

Take time to watch our short and fun pet video review of the LeashLocket.

Disclosure
We received a Leash Locket from the company for our review. We were not paid for our review and all opinions about the LeashLocket are entirely our own.

Living in the moment,
Schatzi
Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia Johnson

Pets Take Action After More Dog Treat Warnings

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 5:17 pm

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Does your pet parent react with fear when they hear about more dog treat warnings? A recent warning involves chicken jerky treats from China. These may also be sold as chicken tenders, chicken strips or chicken treats. FDA officials said that the number of illnesses reported has gone up from the 54 reports filed in 2010 to 70 so far this year.

Only 70 reports of illness, you say? What if you are one of the 70? Have you lost your appetite? Has your energy level decreased to the level of only rolling over? Are you recycling your food or gushing with urgency? Are you thirstier and watering the grass more often? Have you been diagnosed with diabetes when, in fact, you may have Fanconi syndrome? If you have been fed those questionable treats, stop and consider a trip to the vet if you don’t start feeling better within 24 hours.

My pet parent took action years ago, even before dog treat and dog food warnings were in the news. I am benefiting by eating food and treats that are carefully made with a purpose in mind…and it’s not all about the money!

I can recommend a healthy alternative to you with our Holiday Gift Basket for dogs.

Holiday Gift Basket

It comes complete with an assortment of our most popular treats. When I’m looking a bit fluffier than usual, I eat wholesome hearts. When my teeth need a light cleaning, I eat the gourmet dental treats and chew on the porkhide bones. The antioxidant health bars chase those pesky free radicals away. When I am really super good at performing, I earn some Tasty Rewards.

Holiday Gift Basket for Cats

If you have a cat or cats in the house, have your pet parents order the Cat gift basket. They might stop ambushing your tail while you are dreaming if they learned that your pet parents heeded the warnings because of your health concerns.

If your pet parent would like to report a potential pet-treat-related illness from tainted treats, have them take action by filing a complaint at the FDA website.

Ask your pet parent to change the kind of treats that they give to you or your family feline so that your family can enjoy a happy holiday season. Give us your feedback.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Digging Into BlogPaws 2011 Treasures

Monday, September 12th, 2011 at 10:54 pm

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I’ve been digging into the BlogPaws 2011 treasures that my pet parent brought home from this gathering of pet bloggers. I am a discerning watchdog so Amelia took me along to keep her company. I also networked with the other pets, boned up on my social skills, and had some fun…actually the ferrets provided entertainment for me during some of the same sessions that we were in together.

BlogPaws 2011 was sandwiched in between the East Coast Earthquake and Hurricane Irene…which explains why some of the speakers never made it in or others had to leave early. We arrived Thursday, just in time for the Welcome Reception. The Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner welcomed pets in all of the educational sessions, general sessions, exhibit areas AND MEAL AREAS!! Of course, Amelia was required to fill out a Pet Waiver for me. A complimentary Pet Park and pet sitters were available too.

Friday morning’s Keynote was by Rescue Ink. Their message was both serious and humorous…and they made my tail wag.

Joe Panz, Amelia, Schatzi, and Big Ant

After meeting the Fire Safety dog Tango

Tango - Fire Safety Dog

and Travelin’ Jack,

Travelin' Jack

we listened to their pet parents Dayna Hilton and Jill Lane talk about leveraging niche blogging. Those lucky dogs get to travel everywhere with them. They even have their own products to promote their message. Cool.Our next stop was to meet Dino Dogan, the co-founder of Triberr to learn about Reach, Relevance, Design and Presentation. I don’t know what all this fuss is about tribes when most pet parents say we travel in packs…but Amelia understood the value of his message. I slept through it.

: Dreaming about Relevance

We had time for two more breakout sessions on Friday so we attended WordPress Tips & Tricks with Nikki Jeske of

Design Coyote

followed by StumbleUpon with Vijay Vachani, Business Development Manager for

StumbleUpon.

I think that is where I stumbled upon some of my own entertainment in the form of sleeping ferrets nesting in bags.

Ferret Entertainment

After snacks, cocktails for pet parents, and more networking, we were invited to the FIRST press screening in the country for Disney’s Spooky Buddies! Many of us dogs in the audience followed the action on the big screen and barked along when the puppies needed some assistance on Halloween night. I also watched the security guard at the front of the room to make sure he didn’t come to close to Amelia. He was one big dude! Amelia and I had our picture taken with Robert Vince, the Director, Producer and Writer of Spooky Buddies. He was sincerely interested in the feedback from the pet bloggers. Amelia got to hold one of the Spooky Buddies while I stayed with one very pretty lady who gave me an awesome neck rub.

Amelia & Schatzi with Robert Vince of Spooky Buddies

Amelia with a Spooky Buddy

Fresh popcorn had been served during the movie and pizza was served after the movie. No one went to bed hungry that night.

Heidi Ganahl, the Top Dog at

Camp Bow-Wow

was the Keynote speaker on Saturday morning. She found her purpose and overcame her grief after a personal tragedy put her on a journey that has been a blessing for pet parents and pets alike.

Then we learned how to Unleash Our Inner Movie Producer with Kenn Bell of

The Dog Files.

The Dog Files

One of Kenn’s dogs left the session with the pet sitter while his other dog slept through it…she’s heard it all before…

Dreaming about Dog Files

Our next session was about No Blog Being an Island. With Irene coming in, getting an internet connection was proving to be tricky but Felissa Elfenbein of

Two Little Cavaliers

persevered and the room full of people learned about topics such as Linky Lists, BlogHops, and other ways to grow blog traffic.

No Blog is an Island

Every Picture Tells a Story was the last session we attended with Brett Chisholm, the photographer for

LIFE + DOG.

Brett shared tips that we have yet to implement but we certainly hope that you have enjoyed the pictures in this blog post. We are grateful that pet bloggers will continue to bring out the Best of Pets.

How do you like my ghost costume? Do you think I would make a good Spooky Buddy for the Spooky Buddies?

A Natural Ghost Appeared at Spooky Buddies Premier!

Saturday morning, along with our room receipt, we received a letter from the Director of Operations and the Sheraton Team. The letter made us aware of the emergency preparations that were underway in preparation for Hurricane Irene’s arrival in the Washington DC area on Saturday evening, August 27th. Luckily, we drove, so we stayed to within two hours of Irene’s arrival. We sure didn’t want to miss dinner and only missed Saturday night’s networking. The remaining pet bloggers were either stranded there or chose to stay and party…Woofie Woo!

Living in the moment,
Schatzi
Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia Johnson

Are Those Natural Flea and Tick Repellents Safe?

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 12:14 am

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Adult Deer Tick - Wikipedia image

Are those “natural” flea and tick repellents safe? My pet parent constantly evaluates them since I am way too sensitive to flea and tick products. She has heard about adverse side effects and even death of pets from some toxic products.

Wikipedia image of Hooke Flea

The EPA imposes costly and strict guidelines for insecticides. Flea and tick treatments are becoming too expensive for manufacturers to produce. Our pet parents bulk at the cost of treatment but are leery of cheap imposters being sold online. As more pet parents look for healthy alternatives, companies are bringing out “natural” flea and tick products which are cheaper for them to produce. However, that doesn’t mean that these “natural” products are any safer than insecticides for us.

Have your pet parents dig deeper to find the truth. Lead them to the Green Paws Flea and Tick Products Directory on the NRDC site. It reveals the levels of safety for the toxic flea and tick products as well as herbal or natural products too.

According to Green Paws, the safest flea and tick products contain cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary and thyme. Allergic reactions in people and severe reactions in cats and dogs have been reported when products that contain citrus, cinnamon, clove, d-limonene, geranium, tea tree, lavender, linalool, bay, eucalyptus and rue oils are used too often. What is too often? Pennyroyal oil can cause seizures, coma and even death in animals.

My pet parent has used a spritz of purification oil on me and it seems to work well against fleas and ticks. However, several essential oils are known to cause allergic reactions, including severe dermatitis in people or pets. The more severe reactions, especially in cats, include vomiting, salivation, muscle tremors, seizures, and death in a few cases. Little information is available on the efficacy of these oils for flea control. Keep in mind that no current flea and tick product is 100% effective.

Since our pet parents don’t always look for symptoms and we ourselves cannot report when we’re being poisoned at low doses, it is up to you to let your pet parent know if you are not feeling well and you’d rather they try some other alternatives like:

Giving you a bath with natural vegetable based soap or shampoo rather than flea and tick insecticides. Bathe often. Adding a few drops of neem or tea- tree to mild pet shampoos may also be effective. Have them dip any fleas on your combs or brushes in a glass of soapy water to remove them.

Using a mechanical tick remover such as an OTOM or Ticked OFF that is simple and easy.

Vacuuming floors, carpets, furniture, crevices and cracks in the area where you sleep and spend time, daily if necessary. Have them dispose of the sealed bag properly outside the home or burn it so that those pesky critters don’t come looking for you again.

Have them wash your bedding weekly…which may include “their” bed.

Have them buy cedar shampoo, cedar oil and cedar-filled sleeping mats that are commercially available. Cedar repels many insects including fleas. However, be aware that you will be breathing in cedar vapors from bedding so watch for any adverse side effects.

If you have a cat in your house that you like, make sure your pet parents know that essential oils are toxic to cats, especially tea tree, which their livers cannot process. Well, let them know anyway even if you live with a cat that you don’t like.

Shop wisely:

Since natural flea and tick treatments come in many forms, including food additives, make sure that your health conscious pet parent understands that not all of these “natural” products are safe or effective for you. Have them look beyond the glowing adjectives of the flea-free advertising to keep you healthy and happy and free of fleas and ticks.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia Johnson

Therapy Dog on Wheels!

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 at 12:03 pm

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A Therapy Dog on wheels is just what a community needs during these times of economic downturn. Benjamin was training to become an agility dog before his back injury. The resulting paralysis prompted veterinarians to suggest to his pet parents that he be euthanized. They just did not feel that his quality of life, the constant care and the enormous expense would justify his pitiful existence…

One look into Ben’s pleading eyes encouraged his pet parents to do everything they could to help him not just survive, but to thrive. My pet parent has put together a Smilebox so that your pet parent can take their time and flip through the pet videos to hear Ben’s heartwarming story of love, compassion and empowerment.

If there is ever a time when life looks bleak for you, perhaps Ben’s story will help them stand by you so that you can continue to be a blessing to them.

Enjoy Ben’s story (turn up your speakers) and have your pet parent leave a comment!

Customize your own slideshow

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Blog Paws Introduces Kodak’s Pet Eye Retouch Kiosk

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 at 6:14 pm

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At Blog Paws, my pet parent had the opportunity to eliminate the pet eye that appears in so many photos taken of pets. I have no doubt that it has happened to you. Your photographer wooed you with treats and got your ears to perk up and your head to tilt for the absolute sweetest picture ever taken of you…only to have your glowing green or yellow eyes make you look like something from the world of demons.

Other software programs for red eye for people just don’t eliminate the glowing eye in pet pictures. Kodak now has picture kiosks with the ability to remove pet eye. You can learn more from Chief Blogger Jenny Cisney at A Thousand Words.

Watch this pet video Jenny did about the pet eye software reviews:

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Let’s Bark at Cars!

Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 1:28 am

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Let’s bark at cars! The Pet Safety Lady Christina Selter of Bark Buckle UP published the 2010 Top Ten Pet Safe Awards after attending the Chicago Auto show.

I have used seat belts and occupied crates while traveling with my pet parent. An unrestrained pet can be a hazard in an accident in many ways. Christina tells us that a 60-pound dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, a windshield, or another passenger. Of course, rescue workers might be attempting to care for our pet parents first and our injuries or protective behavior would add to the drama.

My pet parent has seen posters of dogs that have been lost after their pet parents have been in an accident. Some pets are never found or they may have been hit by another car. It always amazes me to see pets still traveling unrestrained in the back of pickup trucks!

A little kitten climbed out of the cardboard box it was riding in and parked itself under the brake pedal of the car my then teenage pet parent was driving. I am glad I didn’t hear that squeal as the car was going down a long, steep hill with no braking power due to the little body wedged underneath the pedal.

A recent statistic shows that 50% of dog owners consider their pet’s comfort when buying a car. That’s true in my case too. I travel around in a Honda Element.

Watch this pet video of why the Honda Element rocks!

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Toilet Training is for Cats

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 12:36 am

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Should pet parents train their cats to use the toilet? Pet parents sure go through a lot of cat litter. Different cats like different litters so that adds to the expense in a multiple-cat household. To find out more about toilet training as an option, my pet parent bought the E-book Toilet Train My Cat. She found out that some breeds of cats learn faster…sounds like the smartest dog survey.

This book also covers constructing toilet-training contraptions…pet parents will have to be trained to do this part. Toilet training goes against a cats instincts so pet parents will have to be patient. Since female pet parents expect the lid to be put down all the time, this will go against their natural instincts too. Going through the list of breeds, it would seem that a Japanese Bobtail owned by a male pet parent who never remembers to put the seat down might be the most successful cat to learn to use the toilet!

Did you hear about the cat that ran up the water bill by constantly flushing the toilet. I’ll bet that pet parent regretted the day he taught his cat to flush!

Watch this funny cat video:

Pawscript: I only recommend products that my pet parent has personally used. I may earn some treats if you purchase the product mentioned above.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Inventor Leads Dog Walkers to a New Solution

Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 12:43 am

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Napolean the dog has inspired companion Stephen Noble to invent a new solution for releasing a lead from the collar on a dog. Napolean and Stephen go biking together. Stephen would have to get off of his bike to release Napolean’s lead from his collar. This frustration led Stephen to create what he is calling the Latch-a-Lead. This patented design allows users to release the lead using a device in the handle.

As a result, Stephen has been nominated to win the John Logie Baird Award which is a financial business support package. We will be looking foward to having the Latch-a-Lead available to dog walkers in the United States.

Have you inspired your companion to create anything or do anything to help the pets in their life? If so, have them share their comments.

Living in the moment,
Schatzi
Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia