Search Results for: blog how to restrain a pet

Preparing for Pet Emergencies

When I prepared my house for Hurricane Irene last year I gathered all of the essential supplies. I had a plan for how to evacuate with my pets in case it was necessary, although I really didn’t think the flooding would get that bad in my area. Still, I was prepared. Another thing I did while I still had my power and access to the Internet was to make sure that I had the local emergency veterinary services number written down. We all know what number to dial when we have a human medical emergency, but do we have that … Continue reading →

Pet Owner Poll Tackles Health Issues

Would you perform CPR on your pet? Do you know how to do it? These are just a few of the questions asked of pet owners in a recent poll. In October 2009, Petside.com and the Associated Press sponsored a survey of pet owners about health care and emergency care. Nearly twelve hundred pet parents participated in the phone survey, answering questions about emergency plans, health care, and common owner boo-boos. More than half of those surveyed would indeed try to perform CPR on their pets in the event of an emergency. (The number was higher in dog owners than … Continue reading →

Should You Vaccinate Your Own Pets?

Are you a do-it-yourself sort of person? Veterinarians are often asked if owners can administer vaccinations at home. But this is usually not a good idea. For one thing, the written instructions that come with over-the-counter vaccines may not be enough to educate an owner on the proper way to administer an injection. At the cats-only boarding facility, I was trained to prepare and give certain vaccines and supervised until the vet techs were confident that I could do it correctly. I don’t think I could have figured it out just from reading instructions! (The same with giving insulin injections … Continue reading →

Car Pet Restraints

Do you use a pet restraint when you take your dog or cat in the car with you? I’m wondering because a couple of weeks ago when I went with my friend Karen to the Nashville Humane Society (NHS) they had a variety of suggestions posted for taking care of your pet. One of them was to always make sure to restrain your pet while traveling in the car. I don’t restrain Murph at all when he’s in the car with us. I do put both Tabby and Mr. Meow in their kitty carriers when I take them to the … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Fishhook Injuries

If you live near water or if there’s a fisherman (or woman) in the family, a fishhook injury is a possibility for your pets. What makes a fishhook attractive? It has a nice, strong bait smell that can be very enticing to a curious dog or cat. Young pets are most often the ones who get into trouble with fishhooks, but a pet of any age can get a hook caught in the lips or mouth. Signs that your pet may have a fishhook injury can include: Gagging or drooling Pawing at the mouth Trouble swallowing You may see a … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: How to Bandage the Tail

When not properly treated, tail injuries can lead to the loss of part or all of the tail! Bandaging a wound can help prevent an infection that can lead to amputation. Many pets are sensitive about having their tails touched — an injury to the tail can make them even more reluctant. You may want to have a friend or family member help restrain your pet while you bandage the tail. First things first: clean and disinfect the wound. One of my brother’s dogs lost part of her tail because a wound got infected. You can’t just bandage a wound … Continue reading →

The Top Pets Blogs of 2007: January – May

Aimee and I, along with the occasional guest blogger, tried our best to bring you informative, interesting, and entertaining articles this past year. But you seemed to like some more than others. So I decided to do a Year in Review recap of the ones that you responded most to. What Makes a “Top” Blog? Even though you all may enjoy most of the blogs we write, not all of them inspire you to leave comments or rate them. Those that received star ratings made the Top Blogs cut. January 2007 Top Blogs Assistance Dogs of the West and The … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Spider Bites

A spider crawled out from underneath the stove last night and chased me around the kitchen. Like the calm, brave person I am, I screamed for the dogs to save me. They sat and watched the show. Their lack of reaction to a spider got me thinking about spider bites. Most spider bites are uncomfortable, but not dangerous — you can treat them pretty much the same way you would treat a bee sting or wasp sting. Relieve the pain and reduce the swelling. Keep an eye out for an infection developing at the bite site. If your pet is … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Sticky Situations

Over the weekend, Moose and Lally and I were invited up to a friend’s house. The house sits up on a hill overlooking the Willamette River in Washington state. Around the yard grow wild blackberries (yum) and there are several walking paths through the less tamed areas of the hill. In other words, it’s pretty much puppy paradise! Much to my dismay, Moose came gimping out of the bushes after dinner. I grabbed his feet and checked each one out. His left front paw had all sorts of sticks and stones stuck to the pads — it seems my Moose … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid: Neck Sores

This morning, I noticed a weird matted spot on my dog Lally’s neck. On closer investigation, I found a sore around the size of a quarter on the right side of her neck, just above where her collar sits. Time to put my pet first aid skills into action! First, I soaked a washcloth in warm water. After wringing it out, I applied the warm washcloth to Lally’s neck to help soften and clear away the dried blood. Once I could pick the hair out of the way, I could see the sore. It didn’t look like a cut, scrape, … Continue reading →