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Dogs Riding in Cars | Highland Village, Lewisville, Flower Mound Pet Sitting

March 7, 2012

by thepetdepot

So, do you let your dog stick his head out the window when joining you for a car ride?

This quote is from a recent PetMD article addressing those dog owners who do:

Would you let your child ride in the front seat of your car without a seat belt while hanging half of her body out of the window? I don’t think so! Then why is it acceptable to let a dog do the same thing? If the car was in an accident, the dog would project into the windshield or out of the car, surely being injured or worse. Dogs should be secured in the car just as you take care to do for yourself.

If your dog loves a good car ride, here are some car safety tips you might want to follow:

  1. Travel with your dog in the backseat to avoid the dangers of airbags.
  2. Use a crate secured with tie downs or the car seat belt.
  3. Purchase dog-friendly car seats.
  4. Use a netting divider to prevent your dog from being thrown into the front compartment in the event of a sudden stop or accident.
  5. Crack the window for the fresh air but not so much that your dog can stick his face out. Particles such as dust, leaves, or road debris can cause serious eye damage.

For the complete article from PetMD, please click here.

 

 

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Warm Winter Brings More Mosquitoes to Texas | Highland Village, Flower Mound, Lewisville Pet Sitter

March 5, 2012

by thepetdepot

Our rather warm winter and long drought is expected to bring us more mosquitoes than normal this Texas spring. Mosquito eggs, which usually don’t survive freezing temperatures, will be hatching a lot more this year. Dallas WFAA news reported:

“So therefore, there’s going to be more mosquito eggs hatching following the rains, and once the weather starts warming up,” she said. “Like we’ve seen this past week with the 80-degree temperatures.”

Experts say warm temps, combined with dry weather, may have made the perfect storm for the pests. The worst mosquito seasons historically come after droughts. West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes thrive in those conditions.

If it turns into a wet spring in North Texas, health authorities are bracing for a surge in flood water mosquitoes, whose eggs have been laying dormant.

While mosquitoes may be a nuisance to us, they are deadly to our pets. These are the pests that cause heart worms in dogs and cats. Please make sure you have taken precautions to keep your pets safe by using a heart worm preventative, if they have access to the outdoors. Heart worm testing is also available from your vet office as a routine annual test. Heart worms are NOT treatable in cats. And, while they are so in dogs, it is still a very serious illness and requires months of treatment with very strong medications (medication which have been very scarce for the last couple of years).

For the complete story from WFAA news, click here.

 

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Toxic Toys at Petco Pet Stores

February 28, 2012

by thepetdepot

A Petco-labeled dog toy was found recently to contain toxic chemicals, including arsenic, after a Houston dog became very ill. While Petco has temporarily removed the toy from the shelves pending testing by Petco, it can still be viewed online at their site. This news story should serve as a warning to all pet owners to be very careful in selecting your pet toys. Look for toys made in the U.S. and observe your pets anytime when first playing with a new toy.

An investigation by KIAH-TV’s “The NewsFixer” has led to a removal of a dog toy that threatened the health of a Houston canine. The toy “Snuggling Furry Friend,” sold as a private brand under the Petco label, was found to contain traces of Trimethyl Benzene, Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead, along with Naphthalene, the main ingredient in moth balls.

The toxins were detected in the Petco toy by an independent laboratory after a NewsFix viewer, Mark Smith of Houston, told the station his Chow Mix “Charlet” became sick after first chewing on the toy in December 2011. After inquiries by “The NewsFixer,” Petco agreed to pay for Smith’s veterinary expenses. Petco said it would also test all similar toys sold in its retail outlets for toxic substances.

Read the complete story on the Cypress Times site.

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What Happens if My Pet is Missing | Highland Village Pet Sitting Service

February 27, 2012

by thepetdepot

You may think “Oh, it will never happen to my pet.” But, getting LOST can happen to ANY pet. All it takes is the gate being left open by the yard crew or a pet sneaking past you at the front door.

If your dog or cat does go missing, here are some tips to help you find your lost pet:

1. Contact your local shelter, preferably in person, as well as the shelters in all surrounding towns. You would be amazed at how very far a pet can travel. It helps to provide the shelter with a photo and description of your pet. Keep checking back with the shelters as they do not have the resources to follow up with you.

2. Put up lost pet signs and replace them as needed. Keep them simple so they are easy to see by drivers. Include a photo of your pet. Either state the breed or color, such as a black lab or a schnauzer. Also, include your phone number and “reward’ on the sign.

3. For missing cats, keeping out enticing food, such as tuna, on the front and back porch is helpful.

4. Contact local humane societies and rescue groups…even breed specific rescue groups. Sometimes, when someone finds a missing pet, they simply don’t know who to call. So, they may report your pet missing to a rescue group rather than your city’s animal control.

5. You can also hire a dog detective service, like Dog Gone Detectives, to help you locate your pet using scent dogs.

6. List your missing pet on online sites and facebook pages dedicated to lost pets. There are several so just goggle them and start posting your information.

7. Contact area vet offices. Perhaps your pet needed medical attention and a good samaritan took them to a vet. Many vets also have a board to post lost pet signs so you should explore that option.

8. Take your lost pet signs to area pet stores, groomers, and boarding facilities. These are all places trafficked by pet lovers who may have seen your missing pet.

9. Do walk and drive through the surrounding neighborhoods regularly looking for your pet.

10. Read this great article from Petfinder.com for more details to the above steps as well as tips to prevent a pet from ever going missing.

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Kroger Pet Medication Savings | The Pet Depot | Highland Village, TX Pet Sitter

February 22, 2012

by thepetdepot

Great pet news from Kroger!

Whenever possible, I will buy my pet medications from the grocery store pharmacy rather than the vet. With vet mark ups, it is much cheaper to have the vet write a prescription for my pet. But, that only works when the medicine is also one available for people. Kroger is changing that! They are now stocking their pharmacies with pet medications previously only available at the vet.

So now you can get most any medicine, like the common baytril, from kroger. This is a great money and time savings in my opinion. BTW, if you have a vet who claims she can’t write you prescriptions, that is untrue and it might be time to switch to a new vet.

Here is a list of the $4 generic pet meds that you can now buy at Kroger…and save:

• Tramadol Hcl 50 Mg Tablet
• Cephalexin 500 Mg Capsule
• Prednisone 5 Mg Tablet
• Enalapril Maleate 2.5 Mg Tab
• Fluoxetine Hcl 10 Mg Tablet
• Meloxicam 7.5 Mg Tablet
• Neomyc-Polym-Dexameth Eye Drop
• Prednisone 20 Mg Tablet
• Furosemide 20 Mg Tablet
• Cephalexin 250 Mg Capsule
• Enalapril Maleate 5 Mg Tablet
• Benazepril Hcl 5 Mg Tablet
• Fluoxetine Hcl 20 Mg Capsule
• Ciprofloxacin Hcl 500 Mg Tab
• Amoxicillin 500 Mg Capsule
• Enalapril Maleate 10 Mg Tab
• Atenolol 25 Mg Tablet
• Metronidazole 250 Mg Tablet
• Fluoxetine Hcl 40 Mg Capsule
• LaCtulose 10 Gm/15 Ml Solution
• Ciprofloxacin Hcl 250 Mg Tab
• Metronidazole 500 Mg Tablet
• Furosemide 40 Mg Tablet
• Levothyroxine 200 Mcg Tablet
• Prednisone 10 Mg Tablet
• Spironolactone 25 Mg Tablet
• Fluoxetine Hcl 10 Mg Capsule
• Amitriptyline Hcl 10 Mg Tab
• Amoxicillin 250 Mg Capsule
• Enalapril Maleate 20 Mg Tab
• Timolol 0.5% Eye Drops
• Tetracycline 500 Mg Capsule
• Sotalol 80 Mg Tablet
• Amoxicillin 250 Mg/5 Ml Susp
• Benazepril Hcl 10 Mg Tablet
• Neomyc-Polym-Dexamet Eye Ointment
• Tobramycin 0.3% Eye Drops
• Amitriptyline Hcl 50 Mg Tab
• Glipizide 5 Mg Tablet
• Furosemide 80 Mg Tablet
• Amitriptyline Hcl 25 Mg Tab
• Diltiazem 30 Mg Tablet
• Levothyroxine 100 Mcg Tablet
• Sulfamethoxazole-Tmp Ds Tab

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Love Your Pets This Valentine’s | The Pet Depot Highland Village Texas Pet Sitter

February 13, 2012

by thepetdepot

How to show your pets some love this February 14th:

1. February is Pet Dental Month so go in for a checkup this month. Most vets offer 20% discounts this month on teeth cleaning. (I just took two of mine in last week in fact!)

2. Most pets love a good brushing. So pull out the Furminator for a good pre-spring brushing and get a head start on all the dog and cat shedding. Brushing is a lot easier than vacuuming or stepping in a hairball.

3. Watch your pet’s weight by staying away from table scraps. All that processed human food is not good for your pet’s tummy or waistline.

4. Instead, feed healthy pet treats. My favorites are freeze-dried chicken treats, which work equally well for cats and dogs. They have one ingredient: chicken!

5. Stay away from the chicken jerky treats. It is all over the news how these treats imported from China are making dogs sick and even causing death. Purina’s Waggin Train treats and Dogswell treats are both suppliers of these deadly China chicken jerky.

6. Get your pet a new toy. Dog, cat, bird, or whatever….a new toy is always appreciated by your furry or feathered friend! Then go play together!

7. Make sure your pet is wearing a property ID tag. As one who finds a lot of strays and tries to return them to their owners, I can tell you a good tag is vital. It helps to include your mobile number instead of your home number and an address so the pet can be escorted home. Make sure the tag is secure and easy to read. If you don’t want your pet to wear a tag for various reasons, they make collars now that can have the information stitched right onto the collar.

8. Look into feeding your pet a better quality food. Try a grain-free formula or at least one not loaded with corn fillers. Just learning to read the ingredients labels on pet food is the BEST gift you can your pet any time of the year.

9. Help your dog improve his or her walking manners. I love the Halti and the Easy Walk Harness for leash training. Good walking tools make it so much easier for you to walk your dog rather than being pulled down the street.

10. Saving the best for last! Give your pet a big ol’ hug, belly rub, head scratch or whatever he/she enjoys. You both deserve that snuggly time together!

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Blood Work Results for a Raw Fed Cat

February 10, 2012

by thepetdepot

Here is the recent blood work results for my raw fed cat:

bloodwork_feb_2012

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Dog Sitting in Lewisville | Bouncy Jack Russel | The Pet Depot Highland Village, TX

November 29, 2011

by thepetdepot

This is the video to inspire you all to adopt Jack Russels because of their calm nature. Ha Ha! Check out the energy of this client’s Jack Russel over the anticipation of a dog treat. I just love it along with the complete opposite, Bella, waiting patiently for her snack.

Here is more information about the Jack Russel breed:

“The Jack Russell Terrier is a cheerful, merry, devoted, and loving dog. Spirited and obedient, yet absolutely fearless. Careful and amusing, he enjoys games and playing with toys. Stable Jack’s are friendly and generally kind to children. They are intelligent, and if you let them take an inch, they can become willful and determined to take a mile…They are highly trainable, able to perform impressive tricks. They have been used on TV and in the movies. However, if you do not show authority towards the dog , they can be difficult to train. They need a firm, experienced trainer…A Jack that stands 12 inches high can easily jump five feet. JRTs are not the breed for a inexperienced dog owner. The owner needs to be as strong-willed as they are, or this little guy will take over.”

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