July 24, 2008Another happy reunionYou may remember the story of Rocco, the wandering beagle who was reunited with his family after a five-year absence and a journey of 850 miles. 
Like Rocco, Bo was microchipped. The chip directed animal shelter employees to the Moeller family and sent Bo back home. I was one of those people who was a little hesitant at first about getting my pets microchipped. It seems so invasive and I worried about the potential health risks. But stories like these prove that the microchip gives your pet a chance to find his or her way home. (Photo by Christopher Hankins/The Daily Herald) July 17, 2008Rocco comes homeA microchip led a beagle back to his original family, five years after he went missing. NEW YORK (AP) _ A veterinarian says that lost-and-found pooch Rocco is happy and healthy — in spite of having been separated from his Queens family for five years. Rocco was reunited with his owners after he turned up 850 miles away on July 3 at an animal shelter in Hinesville, Ga. The dog had been tagged with a microchip that was used to identify his owners. Eleven-year-old Natalie Villacis was still in kindergarten when her beloved dog went missing. She says the dog acts as if "he knew he was home." The beagle was taken for a checkup Tuesday at an animal clinic. Veterinarian Dr. Steven Weinstein said Rocco was fine, aside from a scar on his ear and a case of heartworm disease. He prescribed antibiotics to get rid of the parasite. Here's the video from Rocco's guest appearance yesterday on the "Today" show. July 4, 2008Road tripping
Get your pet used to the car: Short trips around town will help your pet get acclimated to the car and let you know if a long journey is something your pet, and the rest of your family, will enjoy. Crate 'em or belt 'em: Carriers and restraining harnesses will keep your pet safely in his or her seat in case of sudden stops and starts or, worst case scenario, a crash. In that worst case, you also don't want your pet to become a projectile inside the vehicle. Comforts of home: Pack bedding and toys that are familiar for your dog or cat. You may also want to pack a first aid kit, especially if you are camping. A light snack: Keep food to a minimum on travel day, especially if you know your pet gets an upset tummy in the car. Ice, ice, baby: Packing ice chips will keep your pooch or kitty hydrated and keep spills to a minimum. Keep heads inside the car: As much as we all know dogs love to stick their heads out of car windows, the risk of injury to their eyes and face are just too great. There will be plenty of fresh air when you get to your destination Never, ever, leave a pet in the car: Even if the windows are cracked and parked in the shade, the internal temperature of a car can rise to deadly levels in a very short time. It's just not worth the risk. June 11, 2008Keep 'em on the leash
The fine for the pet parent of the errant pooch is fairly stiff and goes up as the summer goes along. Right now, it will cost you a $20 pre-payment plus $69 for court costs for each citation for a loose dog. The court costs spike up to $74 after July 1. That's almost a tank of gas in today's economy. Of course, you can let your dog off leash in Fishburn Park, but the lack of a fence between the park and busy Brambleton Avenue does not really make that a very safe option. With enough community support, there could be a proper public dog park in Roanoke by next summer. May 20, 2008Travel tips for pets on the goAh, vacation time approaches. My hubs and I are bound for Colorado this week so we can attend our niece’s high school graduation and visit with family. Alas, the pets will have to stay home. But they will have our summer class-bound daughter, their favorite pet sitter also known as The Cookie Lady, to watch them at our home, so no need for a kennel on this trip. And the whole family, me, hubs, daughter, and dogs, will all have a nice vacation later this summer, so it's all good. If you are planning to tote your terrier on a trip this summer, here are a few tips from the ASPCA to make your travel safer and more enjoyable. April 2, 2008A game of tags
A law passed last year by the General Assembly requires veterinarians to report all rabies vaccines administered to dogs and cats to the local treasurer's office. If there is no current license on file for the pet, the treasurer will mail you an application for the license, in essence a bill for you pet tax. You have 30 days to pay your license fee or your case is turned over to animal control. The fees, by the way, are not budget-busting: less than $10 in most localities if your pet is spayed or neutered. The license fee for an unaltered pet can be up to $25, depending on your city or county rate schedule. The Virginia Veterinary Medical Association is concerned that license fee and the threat of animal control showing up at doorsteps will discourage owners from getting their pets vaccinated. With the number of rabies cases at record levels last year, that's a reasonable concern. Dog owners also worry that the state government will use the vaccination records for breed profiling by insurance companies. But a new law passed last year exempts breed information on license applications from the Freedom of Information Act. What's a responsible pet parent to do? Pay up, I say. The fee is nominal and it's worth it to avoid the hassle. If you feel strongly that this is another example of government getting far too deep into your business, then reach out to your legislator and let him or her know how you feel. But the wrong answer is to refrain from vaccinating your pet. Rabies is deadly and highly communicable. It's worth whatever you have to pay to protect your pets and your family. March 11, 2008Rabies on the riseLast year Virginia had the highest number of reported cases of rabies in the past 25 years, according to a press release issued yesterday from the Virginia Department of Health. There were 730 cases of rabies in animals last year. While most of those cases were raccoons and skunks, that figure includes 36 cats and 5 dogs, mostly strays that were not vaccinated. February 20, 2008Microchip reunites kitty with familyAs you have probably figured out by now, I am a big fan of microchips for pets. And there is at least one family in Albuquerque, N.M. that is very glad they got their kitty chipped. 
Apparently a little black-and-white kitty named Miko ran off when her family fled their house during a fire in December. Weeks later, Miko turned up at an animal shelter in Pueblo, Colo., more than 200 miles from her home. Her collar was gone, but her microchip pointed her home. Having your house catch fire is upsetting, to say the least. To lose a pet in the chaos is even worse. But luckily this story had a happy ending. I have read some articles about research that may link microchips to a higher rate of cancer . I discussed this with our vet before we got our cats chipped, and while he agreed there may be some minimal risk, the far greater risk to our kitties health and safety would be to get lost and not be able to get home. Have you had your pets microchipped? istock.photo January 29, 2008When India vanishedMy heart sank when my husband told me my daughter’s cat was missing. 
I had just come home from a 13-hour workday. It was 10:30 on a brutally cold Friday night, and when he said India was gone, all I wanted to do was look for her. My husband, Phil, and my 21-year-old daughter Laura had already done that, he said, for several hours. Laura had noticed India was missing just after sundown. She combed the entire house. India usually comes when Laura whistles or calls. She never came. When Laura was certain India was not inside, she enlisted the help of neighbors for an outdoor search. We are remodeling our master bathroom. Phil figured while the contractor propped the door open to bring in supplies, India slipped out. Barking dogs in the adjacent yards may have scared her into running away. It was too dark to see a tiny, 6-pound, tortoise shell cat now. We would have to wait until morning. All I could think is how scared the little kitty must be. She’s a former stray who has been a house cat since she was 2 weeks old. She never goes outside and has no coping skills. January 15, 2008Good news from RVSPCAI got a really nice note yesterday from Kathy Perdue at the Roanoke Valley SPCA saying that their microchip clinic on Saturday was a big success. Perdue said 62 pets were chipped last weekend, more than the two previous clinics combined. If you missed out on this opportunity, most vets will insert a microchip. It only takes a few minutes, causes the pet only minor discomfort for just a minute, and provides valuable protection if they ever become lost. 
And remember pets like Walter, the handsome pup in this picture that found a family this week, that are adopted from the RVSPCA are chipped before they go home with their new families. January 4, 2008Baby it's cold outsideActually, it's starting to warm up a little. It's going to be almost balmy soon. 
But since it is winter, here are a few tips from the ASPCA, with a few added comments from me, to keep your pooches and kitties warm and happy during frigid days like the ones we've just had: 1. Keep your cat inside. Even the most rugged, all-weather kitties can freeze. 2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. Bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give napping kitties fair warning to escape. 3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags. 4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. Pooches can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking paws, and paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice. 5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. Own a short-haired breed? Consider a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck. The other dogs in the neighborhood will be jealous of your fashion icon. December 27, 2007Micro chip clinicImagine being lost, far from home, no familiar sights or faces. Worst of all, you have no identification on you, and you can’t communicate with anyone, even the people trying to help you. All you want to do is go home, but you end up in a cage, with little hope to see your family again. 
That happens to millions of pets each year. One in three pets will be lost at one time in their lives, and only 30 percent of dogs and less than 5 percent of cats will be reunited with their owners. The best way to make sure your pet can find his or her way home is with a microchip. The Roanoke Valley SPCA will hold a microchip clinic on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. until noon. Inserting the chip is a minor procedure similar to getting a shot. The chip contains the owner’s name and address, so when it is scanned at a shelter, a vet’s office or by animal control, you can be contacted to collect your pooch or kitty. The cost is $25 per pet; bring proof you adopted your best buddy from the RVSPCA and the cost is only $15. December 19, 2007The poisonous poinsettia?Have you ever heard that poinsettias, the favorite flower of the holidays, are poisonous to pets and children? I heard that years ago and banished the live plants to my desk at work, where they usually died long before the merry season ended. At home, I had a kid and pets, so I had fake poinsettias. And I hate fake plants. Very bad feng shui. 
But according to the American Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Web site, I suffered those dusty imposters for nothing. So the only the live poinsettias were in danger of death in my home. Who knew? We brought home a live poinsettia a few days ago. Most of the family zoo ignored the festive foliage, but Dexter lifted a leg on it. For those keeping score, Dexter has now peed on the PetsMart Santa and a poinsettia. I think my beloved dog may be a Scrooge.
December 17, 2007Woods are not safe this time of yearCara and Dennis McClane thought nothing of letting their dog Roxie, wander the woods near their Franklin County home. Cara McClane said her chocolate lab liked to splash in the nearby creek. And she always came home. That is, until Dec. 3, when Roxie did not show up for supper. 
It took two days of searching, but the McClanes finally found Roxie, shot in the neck, barely alive and badly infected. McClane said Roxie’s collar, with her name and address, had been removed. Her injured body was hidden under sheet metal and a tire to conceal the results of some idiot’s reckless mistake or sick idea of fun. When McClane told me this story, she said she was under the impression that hunters in this area think nothing of shooting dogs. I asked Roanoke Times outdoor editor and avid hunter, Mark Taylor, if hunters he knew had such an attitude, and he assured me they did not. Mark wrote an excellent column in Sunday’s newspaper about this and other examples of bad behavior of hooligans who should not be confused with real sportsmen and hunters. McClane told me she wished they had not let Roxie wander, but she was in an area the family thought was safe, where Roxie could play and just be a dog. But in retrospect, letting a pet loose in the woods during hunting season is probably not a good choice. Honest mistakes can happen. It’s no excuse for the vicious and cowardly act that claimed Roxie’s life, but maybe this story will save another pet from tragedy. Keep your dog on a leash or in a fenced yard, folks. It’s really the best way to keep them safe. November 30, 2007Christmas trees and poop patrolsOur newest greyhound, Coral, has been a very well-behaved girl since she came to live with us a couple of weeks ago. She's still pretty new to living in a house verses living in a kennel at a dog track, so she's still getting used to things like furniture, carpet, stairs. Everything has been going smoothly. That is, until yesterday morning when she decided to steal ornaments off the Christmas tree. 
October 24, 2007Plan for a safe HalloweenPumpkins are popping up on porches, spooky decorations are adorning homes, and the candy and costume displays are front-and-center in retail stores. Halloween is almost here. 
But the hectic Halloween holiday can be very scary for your pets. According to Animal Wellness magazine, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Halloween-Safety.com, consider these tips to keep your pets safe and healthy: Never give animals chocolate. It’s especially toxic for dogs. Giving a dog a little bit of chocolate is like giving a human just a little bit of arsenic; it may not do immediate damage, but it’s certainly not a good idea. Keep other candies and gum away from pets. Treats like this aren’t very healthy for humans, but they are actually hazardous for animals. Be sure to keep the wrappers out of reach, too. Don’t let your pets munch on the decorations. Dogs can’t digest veggies that aren’t pulverized into mush. Raw pumpkin can cause intestinal blockage, especially if swallowed in large chunks. If you expect a parade of trick-or-treaters, try to keep your pets away from the constantly-opening door to prevent an unwanted escape. A steady stream of small kids in weird costumes can make even a the most calm dog or cat very anxious. Keep burning candles far away from wagging tails and curious noses. Your pet could knock over the open flame, or could get his or her fur singed or skin burned. It won’t make for a fun holiday if your house smells like burned hair, your dog or cat is crying in pain and you have to run for the fire extinguisher. If you dress your pet in a costume, make sure the get-up does not limit movement, hearing, sight or breathing. Inspect the costume for hazards and always keep an eye on your pet while he or she is wearing it. [Editor’s note: While dogs will tolerate all manner of indignity to make you happy, I have never met a cat that likes to wear a costume.] 
October 2, 2007Low-cost microchips
On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Roanoke Valley SPCA will host a low-cost microchip clinic to anyone who wants this protection for a pet. The clinic will be held at the RVSPCA Adoption and Education Center at 1340 Baldwin Avenue from 10 a.m. to noon. |
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