texas dogs & cats magazine

d gsTexas &catsApril 2013Houston

Cypress VCA Telge RoAd AnimAl HospiTAl11430 Telge RoadCypress, TX 77429281-671-0776VCAtelgeroad.com

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Tomball VCA TomBAll

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Timing is Everything

Canine Dental Health

Centerstage

Pets On Patios

Heat Stress

Pet Heart Health & Heartworms

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Timing is Everything

Canine Dental Health

Dougie Deogi, rescue reporter

Marketplace

PubliSHErShannan Parker

Tel: 281.781.4727

[email protected]

EDiTOrTiffany Robinson

[email protected]

DESiGnErFran Sherman

314.275.2208

[email protected]

Contributing WritersTricia Fagan

Monica Schmidt

William Given

Texas A&M

Lucy Postins

Susan Randlett

pHotograpHerSonya Sellers

The Honest Kitchen

Shape up for Summer!

aDvErTiSE WiTH uS!281.781.4727 • [email protected]

next issue: May 2013advertiser’s Deadline: april 15th 2013

Spotted by The Pupperazzi

2028

66 d gsTexas &cats

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the summer months are now upon us. it gets hot in texas, our summer time tem-peratures range from the low to mid 90s. We have to remember that our dogs are much more vulnerable to heat stress than we are. Dogs do not have well developed sweat glands; they sweat through the vaporization of moisture when they pant. if

your dog gets too hot and his body temperature continues to rise, his circulatory and respi-ratory systems can fail, resulting in either permanent damage or quite possibly, death.

Some dogs are more sus-ceptible to heat stress.

These include young pup-pies and seniors. Adult dogs that have recently been moved from cool to warmer climates or those with a history of heat stress. Overweight dogs and dogs with cardiovascular or respiratory disorders are also more vulnerable to heat stress.

There are three kinds of heat stress: heat exhaus-tion, heat cramps and heatstroke.• Heat exhaustion occurs fol-

lowing prolonged exposure to intense heat or heavy exertion. It is characterized by fatigue, muscle weakness and circulatory collapse.

• Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms generally induced by severe exertion in hot weather and they

are caused by insufficient amounts of sodium chloride (salt) in the dog’s body.

• Heatstroke develops rapidly in dogs that have exposed to high temperatures, humidity and poor ventilation (such as in a parked car) and it can be fatal. Heatstroke symptoms include panting, vacant or anxious expres-sions; failure to respond to commands; warm, dry skin; an extremely high body temperature; dehydration; rapid heartbeat; profuse salivation; and vomiting.

What to do in an emer-gency.

If your dog shows symp-toms of heat stress, immerse him in cool water, spray him down with a garden hose or apply ice packs and move the dog to a cool place. Consult

your veterinarian immediately.

Precautions to prevent your dog from suffering heat stress.• During warm weather, never

leave your dog confined in a car or any other enclosure that is poorly ventilated.

• Avoid excessively exercising your dog during the hottest part of the day. Exercise only early in the morning or late at night.

• Provide small portions of fresh, cool drinking water throughout those long, hot days to help ensure your dog maintains a lower body temperature.

• Outdoor dogs should have access to plenty of shade during the hot summer months..

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Your dog’s mouth is the perfect environment for bacteria to breed and multiply. the bacteria in his mouth can be the catalyst for the development of gum disease. gum disease can run the range from gingivitis, a mild inflammation of the gums to severe peritonitis, an infection of the entire gum tissue and the supporting bone below.

dentalcanine

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Poor dental health can eventually result in an overall decrease in per-formance. The bacteria in your dog’s mouth can travel to other parts of his body. It can inhibit his immune system’s ability to fight off infec-tion. It can also damage his heart and kidneys. In extreme cases it can significantly and permanently affect his speed and endurance.

Additionally, his olfactory recep-tors may suffer damager. In a mild case, the bacteria in your dog’s mouth releases a really foul-smelling

necrotic waste that can mask smells, such as bird scent. In severe cases the olfactory sensors can be so ex-tensively damaged that they can no longer function at their fullest capac-ity and results in a dog’s inability to follow a scent.

Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald is a 1983 graduate of Colorado State Univer-sity School of Veterinary Medicine and the star of Animal Planet’s smash hit television series Emer-gency Vets. A leader in his field with three decades of experience in

the demanding and ever changing field of animal care, Dr. Fitzgerald informed me that more than 80 percent of dogs over the age of three years exhibit gum disease to some degree. Dr. Fitzgerald emphasizes that preventive measures taken early in a dog’s life will go a long way in keeping his teeth and gums healthy, and he recommends that an exami-nation of your dog’s mouth should be an integral part of every exam. So when your dog visits the vet for booster shots, heartworm tests, etc.,

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dog daycare & bakery

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you should have his mouth checked also.In addition to seeking your veterinarian’s guidance, you

should incorporate oral maintenance in your dog’s home health care program. You should exam your dog’s mouth once a month. The best defense in guarding against gum disease is to brush your dog’s teeth regularly. All big box pet supply stores sell canine toothpaste and tooth brushes. For some dogs, brushing their teeth is not a big deal, but not all dogs take to having their teeth brushed. Any tartar that has built up on your dog’s teeth can be gently scraped away with a tooth scalar. Tooth scalars can be purchased from most vet supply warehouses or from your veterinarian.

You may also opt to use an oral care water additive. There are several on the market from which to choose. You simply add it to your dog’s drinking water. These additives, in addition to making your dog’s breath smell good, work to reduce the bacteria and plaque buildup in his mouth.

Chew toys can also help maintain healthy gums, teeth and the supporting bone structure. Beware of rawhide bones or strips. Should your dog swallow a large chunk of rawhide, he may fatally choke. Also, do not give him

hard objects to chew on as your dog’s teeth may fracture. Dogs should not be given bones of any kind. Sharp pieces of bone can punch holes in your dog’s stomach or intestines. The best case scenario is your dog will require surgery.

I have seen many different kinds of chew toys come and go with the times. I have two favorites. The first is the Dental Kong Stick and the second is Nylabone Den-tal Chew. The Nylabone has a multi-textured design and really helps to satisfy a dog’s natural desire to chew. The raised bristles serve to clean the teeth, reduce tartar and control plaque build-up. Dental Kongs have grooves that massage the gums and perform a squeegee action on his teeth. A hole allows you to insert a bit of peanut butter. Your dog will love it.

All of your dog’s teeth serve a purpose. If he breaks a tooth, your dog will experience a significant amount of pain and a root canal or extraction will be necessary. An unhealthy mouth will also make it very uncomfortable to retrieve downed birds. Take care of your dog’s mouth, he will be healthier and a more valuable companion in the field.

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the heart is a complex organ and it is important for pet owners to be aware of the diseases it can develop.

heartheartworms

health

Pet owners should be aware of the signs and symptoms of heart disease so that they can provide their pet with the best possible care.

“Humid spring and summer days may cause dogs and cats to suffer more from mosquito bites that can lead to heartworm disease,” said Dr. Sonya Gordon, associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sci-ences. “Dogs have a high risk of heartworm infection, but cats are also susceptible to the disease.”

Pets become infected when a heartworm-infested mosquito bites the animal, transmitting the heartworm larvae into the tissue of the pet. As the larvae develop they travel through the tissue and ultimately settle in the blood vessels of the lungs, which leads to the development of heartworm disease.

“Heartworms should really be called lungworms because the adult worm typically lives in the blood vessels of the lungs, not

the heart,” said Gordon. “If left untreated, heartworms can lead to difficulty with breathing and even result in a clog of the right heart causing Caval Syndrome, which is when blood is prevent-ed from traveling through the right side of the heart and causes the pet’s abdomen to fill with fluid among other problems.”

Signs of heartworm disease can include coughing, difficulty breathing, fainting, weight loss, and an overall decreased activity level. A blood test from your lo-cal veterinarian can determine if your pets have the disease.

While treatment for heart-worm disease is possible, it is frequently much more expensive and hazardous than preventative medication.

Treatment for heartworm disease can cost up to $6,000, contingent on the disease sever-ity, and is generally considered a dangerous procedure since a lethal substance must be used to exterminate the worms in the blood vessels and the pet’s

body must clean up the deceased worms itself. Treatment can last up to four months, depending on the severity of the case. During this time the pet must have their exercise severely restricted.

“The best overall treatment for heartworms is preventative medicine,” said Gordon. “Pet owners have a variety of treat-ment options to choose from including once-monthly tablets, tasty chewable tablets, topi-cal medicines and even injec-tions that can be given by your veterinarian twice per year. It is important to use the treatment that works best for you and your pet.”

Preventative medicine costs approximately $30-$100 per year, and is typically adminis-tered once a month to prevent heartworm larvae from develop-ing into adults. Even pets that receive monthly preventative medicine should have a yearly blood test to ensure that they do not accidently become infected.

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T he drive to reproduce in dogs and cats that have not been altered is strong and re-sults in unplanned and unwanted litters. it may not be proper for us to look at pet overpopulation as a disease, but it is the cause of death for millions of dogs and cats each year.

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Flowers are blooming, there is a breeze in the air, and Houstonians are flocking to res-taurants with patios to enjoy as much time as they can before the sweltering heat drives them back indoors to the much needed a/c! and this year your dog might just be

welcome to join you. Wondering how to transition your four-legged bFF from dog park diva to fresh al fresco diner? Houston Humane society has put together 10 tips to help you and your pooch have your cake, and it in public too!

onpatiospets

• Be sure to check with the restaurant to see if their patio is “dog friendly.”

• Take your dog for a walk before going to a restaurant so he doesn’t have a need for bathroom breaks while din-ing. As a bonus, a tired dog will be less likely to have nervous energy or become restless.

• Leash your pet and keep him or her from social-izing with other diners or employees unless welcomed.

• It is highly recommended that you use a standard leash, not a retractable one.

• Keep your dog close to your

table or chair so he or she is not in the waiter’s path.

• Remember to tie your dog’s leash to your chair rather than the table (where dishes or drinks could be toppled or spilt). Much less likely to cause a catastrophe if he or she jumps, bolts, or simply gets excited!

• Bring your own doggie bowl and treats (just in case)

• Clean up! If your pooch makes a mess be sure to pick up after them. This doesn’t just apply to bathroom is-sues; it could be as simple as mopping up their spilled water bowl.

• If your dog becomes stressed or causes a disturbance, be prepared to pay your check and leave immediately. This may mean getting a doggy bag to go rather than dining out.

• Leave a nice tip for your server for taking care of both you and your four legged friend!It’s important to remember

nothing beats spending the day with your dog, but not every pet is destined to dine on restaurant patios. Find something you and your pet love to do together and spend the day bonding!

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everythingethology is the scientific study of animal behavior Konrad Lorenz is widely recognized

at the founder of ethology. Lorenz had many famous research projects, but perhaps his most famous project was his work on “imprinting”. Lorenz discovered that newly

hatched graylag geese would follow anY moving object, provided the moving object was presented to the birds 13 to 16 hours after hatching. Lorenz had the birds follow him (Lorenz) and odd objects like balls. of course, this behavior is designed to have the newly hatched birds follow their mother. Lorenz’s experiments highlighted, however, that the “imprinting” behavior can be diverted to give some peculiar results. a movie, “Fly away Home” was made about one of these experiments.

15{April 2013}

Tricia FaganCertified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge AssessedDogS Gone [email protected](713) 557-1949

When socializing your puppy, please keep in mind that your puppy must enjoy these interactions. Forcing the puppy to have repeated, unpleasant interactions will not socialize the puppy.

The important point is the timing. Showing the chicks the moving object too early or too late produced no result. In some biological instances, timing is everything.

Similar to Lorenz, Scott and Fuller conducted a twenty-year study on the genetics and social behavior of dogs. Scott and Fuller’s work provided much of the knowledge we have about developmental timing in dogs. As a result of this study, we know that dogs have a critical period of development. This critical period is the time that puppies learn who their friends are, or, more impor-tantly, what their friends look like. If you raise your puppy with chickens, rabbits and adult male humans, when the puppy matures it will play with chickens, rabbits and adult male humans. But the puppy will NOT play with adult female humans, pre-adult humans of either gender, other dogs, or cats.

People often say to me, “My puppy is socialized, I have another dog”. Imagine the mother of a human child bringing her six year old to the first day of school. The woman’s six year old human child has only been out of the house to see the doctor. The child has only known his or her mother, father and siblings. The woman says, “My child is socialized, I have another child”. Everyone

would be horrified if this was done to a human child, but this happens to dogs all the time.

Puppies will like, be friendly toward, and enjoy the company of those with whom they have been successfully socialized. On the other hand, puppies will avoid, move away from, be frightened of and possibly be aggressive toward those that do NOT match the profile of those with whom they have been successfully socialized.

The most difficult obstacle to socialization is the need for puppy vaccinations. Par-vovirus and distemper are very dangerous, often fatal, canine diseases. Due to the complicated nature of canine immunity, vaccinations must be given repeatedly over a period of months. Unfor-tunately, just about the time your puppy is fully vaccinated is the same time that social-ization window closes.

As soon as you get your puppy, schedule a visit with your vet. Make sure you schedule (and show up for!) appointments for all of the vaccinations your vet recom-mends. Ask your vet how often they see cases of par-vovirus or distemper. Some areas see more of these awful diseases than others. Take your puppy to locations that have only vaccinated dogs. Do not take your puppy to free-for-all areas like large

pet stores or public dog parks. Chose friendly, healthy, vac-cinated dogs and puppies for your canine baby to socialize with.

It is often said that a puppy must meet one hundred people of different types to be socialized to people. The puppy should also meet a hundred different dogs. When socializing your puppy, please keep in mind that your puppy must enjoy these in-teractions. Forcing the puppy to have repeated, unpleasant interactions will not social-ize the puppy. So, make sure that your puppy enjoys meeting healthy, vaccinated, friendly dogs and you will be the proud owner of a well-socialized dog.

Happy Socializing (and training)!

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Hello World ! Meet seymour. We all have our war stories and mine is probably no different. i was found tied to a tractor by

short Mugs rescue squad. My life complete-ly changed from that moment. i have been loved everyday since, and i am finally getting a chance to accomplish all the things in life that i always wanted to do. i have gotten my very own tempurpedic bed, a day splash-ing at the beach, tons of rides in cars, and an amazing amount of hugs and kisses from my fellow humans!! but there is still so much to do. i have recently been diagnosed with cancer (go figure, three different types!), and there are still a bundle of things i would like to accomplish. texas Dogs & Cats has placed my bucket list on the website for review. although i can not be adopted, hugs and kisses from everybody is still accepted. i will forever been thankful for the wonder-ful people at short Mugs rescue squad for giving me a chance to really enjoy the better things in life and feel the love and warmth from the loving and caring people here in Houston.

For more information about short Mugs rescue squad and the amazing work they do, visit their website at www.shortmugsres-cuesquad.org!

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shortmugsrescuesquad

{April 2013}

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honestkitchenthis month’s article is from Lucy postins, owner of the Honest Kitchen Company.

she founded the Honest Kitchen in 2002 and has been a pioneer and driving force in the natural pet food market. the Honest Kitchen is a dehydrated pet food. the process of dehydration removes only the moisture. because the foods are never

cooked, canned or extruded, much more of the natural nutrition is left in the food. Just add water and your pet will have a bowl packed full of yummy nutritious food. add wa-ter. nadine, owner of natural pawz.

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It’s not just the ingredients on many pet food label that are cause for concern, but also the processing it takes to transform what Mother Nature (or sometimes, Big Agriculture) provides, into those homogenous brown pellets.

Mammals need to consume a certain amount of moisture in order to digest their food properly. If it isn’t consumed with the food itself, the body compensates by robbing moisture from the tissues, and sending it to the digestive tract to help facilitate the

digestion of each dry meal. ( Just imagine eating a bowl of oyster crackers without the soup- day after day.) Both the liver and kidneys can become stressed, and constipation and other health problems may re-sult from insufficient moisture in the food.

19{April 2013}












Many pets don’t drink enough to properly com-pensate for their dry food diets, and holistic vets link this to chronic, low-grade dehydration, which can cause fluid retention in the body’s tissues as it tries to hold onto as much fluid as possible. In humans, studies have shown that chronic low-grade dehy-dration can result in problems with digestion, elimination, urination, kidneys, respiration, skin, blood pressure, choles-terol, joints and PH balance.

There’s nothing worse than dry food, for a dog that’s prone to urinary tract infec-tions, crystals or stones. Many holistic vets link dry kibble to urinary and kidney disorders in dogs (and especially cats). Dry food can place more strain on the kidneys and cause the urine to be more concentrated, which can

increase the risk of infections compared with a dog whose urinary system is sufficiently hydrated. Moisture-rich food helps prevent chronic dehy-dration, so it’s also better for pets that are prone to urinary or kidney problems, because it helps keep the urinary system flushed out.

Many dogs gulp down large amounts of water following after consuming kibble, in an attempt to moisten it after consumption, and facilitate digestion. However, this can

place undue stress on the organs, which may already be struggling with a ren-

dered diet of difficult-to-assimilate proteins and manufactured

nutrients. When kibble comes into

contact with moisture, it swells to several times its original size. When this hap-pens in the GI tract or stom-ach, it can increase the risk of bloat or gastric torsion and cause a potentially fatal medi-cal emergency, especially for larger, barrel-chested breeds. Foods that contain sufficient moisture don’t swell up in the stomach.

Many kibble manufactur-ers claim that dry food helps to keep the teeth clean, by scraping off tartar and plaque during chewing. However, kibble usually isn’t abrasive enough to clean the teeth, and in fact it isn’t actually crunched, either. If you’ve ever seen a dog throw up his dry food, you’ll notice it comes out just the same way it went in, as complete round pellets – just a little swollen from all the moisture it absorbed from

the intestinal tract. To really clean the teeth, a raw beef marrow bone is perfect for the job.

A great advantage of canned, dehydrated and raw food diets, is their high moisture content. A natural ‘ancestral’ or wild diet is about 70% moisture. Kibble is usu-ally 10% moisture or less.

Home-made diets are another alternative, but can be time consuming to prepare and it can take a lot of prep work to grind up the various components as well as to ensure all the necessary nutri-ents are provided over time.

Incorporating at least some fresher, less processed, wet foods like those above, or even healthy table scraps or home cooked meals served in place of just one kibble meal each day, can help provide the es-sential food-based fluids that pets so badly need.

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Check out the back cover for some awesome savings on Honest Kitchen diets for the month of April.

kitchen40 lbs* of human-grade

whole food in every 10 lb box!











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L ike their human companions, our pets tend to put on weight during the winter. We don’t exercise as much; they don’t exercise as much. We stay out of the cold at home and eat heavy meals and more snacks, and so do they. With the coming of spring, our thoughts turn to the coming bikini season and losing some of the winter

weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle. While our pets aren’t trying to fit in last season’s swimsuit, spring is the ideal time to eat healthier, exercise more, and work toward becom-ing more fit and healthy. a fit pet will lead a longer, healthier, happier life!

21{April 2013}

Many owners simply do not realize how few treats it takes to represent a significant percentage of the recommended daily calorie intake.

shapeup

So, What Should My Pet Weigh?

Like humans, dogs and cats have different bone structures. Some are short and built like bulls, others are tall and delicate. There is no easy way to say, “A pet who is this tall should weigh this much.”

Even so, there are simple ways to tell if your pet is at a good weight for his size and structure. Take your hands and place them on either side of your pet, starting around his shoulders. Run your hands over his sides from the front of his body along the ribs, pressing until you can feel the ribs through the layer of skin and fat. You should only need to apply light pressure to feel the ribs of a dog or cat who is at a healthy weight. If you can feel his ribs easily by just skimming the surface of the skin, your pet may actually need to gain a little weight. If you need to apply significant pressure to feel the ribs through the fat layer, or if you can’t feel them at all, it’s a good bet Fido or Kitty could stand to lose a few!

but, Mom, you’re Starving Me! (not really!)

So, how do we help our pets lose the extra weight? Like us, absent a medical condi-tion, an overweight dog or cat is simply taking in more calo-ries than he is expending on a given day. To lose weight, they need to decrease their intake or increase their activ-ity (and, in almost all cases, a combination of both).

To start with, most veteri-narians and veterinary nutri-tionists recommend feeding measured meals, twice daily, rather than once-daily feeding or free feeding, especially for dogs. Studies have shown that some cats, and most dogs, do not show the kind of restraint that is needed to stop eating when they are full - they will eat what is put in front of them, and it is up

to us, as owners, to feed them only an appropriate amount for their size and lifestyle. Moreover, twice-daily feed-ings seem to result in more effective use of calories than once-daily feedings, and also avoid the kind of nutritional deficit and hunger that can result from once daily feed-ings. Start with the amounts shown on the bag, and then make adjustments if necessary. It is important to use a real measuring cup - your red solo cup, your plastic tumbler from the cupboard, and your pet’s bowl are all far larger than a measuring cup, yet we all use them, eyeballing what we’re scooping up, and usually, we often overestimate what we’re supposed to be feeding by far!

If your pet is significantly overweight, he may benefit from a reduced calorie/weight loss food. Your veterinar-ian should have a variety of choices to recommend that are nutritionally balanced. These foods typically have a higher fiber content to help your pet feel full, so he won’t feel deprived.

Treats are often a huge cause of weight gain in pets. Many owners simply do not realize how few treats it takes to represent a significant per-centage of the recommended daily calorie intake. If you’re feeding your pet treats, these calories need to be subtracted from meals. Some owners do this by actually withholding a

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low fat Carrot Dog TreatsIngredients:1 med. banana (ripe)1 c. shredded carrots1/4 c. unsweetened apple juice1/8 c. water (maybe more, as needed)1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (keep some handy for rolling)1 c. rolled oats

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly

spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mash the banana and mix in the shredded carrots. To the carrot and banana, add the water and apple juice. Stir. Next, add the oats and flour. Stir all of the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.

Using your hands, knead the mixture until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll out until it’s about a half inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or the rim of a small glass, cut into 3” pieces. Place the pieces onto lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake the dog treats for 25 minutes.

Peanut butter and Pump-kin Dog Treats

Ingredients:2 1/2 c whole wheat flour2 eggs1/2 c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)2 T peanut butter1/2 t salt1/2 t cinnamon

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, eggs, pumpkim,

peanut butter, salt and cinnamon in bowl. Add water as needed to make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2” thick roll. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 min. Let cool.

few kibbles from the premeasured meal, and giving them as treats throughout the day. Others feed low calorie treats to minimize the impact on daily calorie intake. Remember, some of the same low-calorie foods that are healthy for us are terrific treats for our pets, too! Apples, carrots and green beans (try the frozen kind, straight from the freezer!) are favorites with many dogs. Don’t forget, though - never grapes or raisins for dogs, they are highly toxic to them! See the sidebar for some low-calorie treat recipes.

Get up and MOvE!

Dogs and cats in the wild were far more active than their domesti-cated cousins are today. They hunted or foraged for food, often traveling long distances and even chasing in short bursts. This activity not only exercised the body, it stimulated the mind. Our pets tend to have their meals delivered to them, and for many, the only exercise they get is getting up from sleeping to go to their food bowl to eat. While we don’t need to make them hunt for their food, we can certainly offer a more active lifestyle for their benefit.

Your dog would LOVE to join you on your morning walk! If he’s not a particularly active dog now, you may have to adjust the distance you travel to accom-modate his abilities, but it’s a sure bet that a few mornings of joint brisk walks will have BOTH of you feeling better and happier!

You can build up over time, spend quality time together, and start each day brighter and more alert!

Your dog doesn’t have to be a performance dog to enjoy chas-ing and catching a frisbee or playing fetch. And for owners, it’s a terrific way to unwind after a hard day at work; come home, change clothes, and go throw those frustrations away - literally! If you come home and go for a quick swim, encourage your dog to join you - many dogs LOVE the water! But be careful: pools aren’t “natural” bodies of water for

dogs to swim in. They may not realize that, unlike lakes and streams, not every edge is a way out of the pool, and they may forget where the steps are in their con-fusion. Take the same precautions with your pet that you would with your child:

never, ever let him swim alone!For cats, laser lights are terrific

sources of stimulation and exercise, and you don’t even have to leave your recliner! A cat will chase the light, jump on and off furni-ture, try to climb walls, all to try to catch the light. They also love feathered cat teasers, and watching them play and have fun is infec-tious - sure to make you smile!

So, take advantage of the change of season to consider whether a change in eating habits or exer-cise patterns is the right choice for your pet, and spring into a healthier lifestyle!

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‘sup peeps? It’s me, Dougie Deogi, rescue reporter. Good grief, listen to this one….

Deogi Dougie

rescue reporter

There’s a S.C.A.M. out there peeps! Yes, indeedy! A SCAM. There are people hunting craigslist for “Found dog” listings and trying to claim cute, adorable, EASILY SALEABLE, little fluffy dogs as their own. BEWARE.

Most of you good Samari-tans that find a lost dog, make the naïve assumption that the person that just called crying

that you’ve found THEIR dog, is really the dog’s owner.

Not so, grasshopper. Not always.

Never mind that the person that called doesn’t have a single photo of the dog and doesn’t have a single piece of paper showing that they even own a dog, much less this dog. Never mind that the person calling can only identify the

dog with information on YOUR flyer. Never mind that they get nasty and curse when you ask them to identify one unique thing about the dog.

Never mind that the dog they are claiming that escaped from their yard just two days ago, was matted to the skin and the mats so tight, they were pulling hair off the dog’s skin. Or that the dog that es-

{April 2013} 2525

6434 Washington AvenueHouston, TX 77007

[email protected]

Doggie Daycare, Boarding, Grooming and

Obedience Training

caped JUST THIS AFTER-NOON, has a badly broken jaw – and it’s an old break. Or that the dog that escaped just yesterday has an eye that has ruptured and is draining pus all over his face. Or that the dog that just ran out the gate this morning is so emaci-ated, he looks like a balloon stretched over a skeleton.

Never mind that this all doesn’t make any sense, most of you good Samaritans will just turn the dog over to the first person that calls claim-ing the dog. Why? Because most of you true dog lovers cannot fathom the under-handness that people employ just to scam someone out of a buck or two hundred.

But then what happens? What happens next week,

when the REAL owner sees your flyer, and wants to claim their beloved dog that’s been missing for six months – then what do you do? Real owners with three years of vet records and ten photos of their dog enjoying family life proving without a doubt that they are the dog’s owner. THEN what do you do?

Yep, it happens.Be very careful when you

find a dog. The shelters ALL ask for information clearly identifying the dog and infor-mation proving that the dog is owned by the person claim-ing the dog. The minimum is at least one photo showing the dog clearly and a vet re-cord showing a description of the dog and the name of the person owning the dog. This is standard information on any vet invoice. NO, a piece of paper with two puppy shot vaccine stickers DOES NOT PROVE OWNERSHIP. NO, a stock photo of a black and white shih tzu puppy taken off the internet does NOT prove ownership of a cream colored shih tzu.

Be cautious and do your due diligence. If you find a stray and are not comfortable assessing the people that are claiming to “own” that dog, contact a rescue organization or shelter to help. Don’t just hand the dog over to the first person that claims to “own” a dog, especially if it’s a cute, fluffy, seemingly-expensive dog or a power breed. You could be sentencing that dog to a long, hard life in a puppy mill or short, painful life as a bait dog.

Dougie Deogi, over and

Dougie is a Houston-based media personality and the official spokesdog for Lone Star Shih Tzu & Lhasa Apso Rescue (www.facebook.com/LSSTLAR). You can email Dougie at [email protected]!

‘sup peeps? It’s me, Dougie Deogi, rescue reporter. Good grief, listen to this one….

26 d gsTexas &cats

32nd annual Houston Humane Society{s

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Furr-tastic or flea infested! The Pupperazzi is on the scene and has your tail covered!

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26 d gsTexas &cats

o Your Bark, Get Set, GO! People and their pets came from all over to join the fun at the 32nd annual Houston Humane Society Fun Run!

27{April 2013}

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This perfect little lamb are sure to please your pup. Made of organic cotton and has 4 squeakers for hours of fun! available at natural Pawz!

These egg-shaped, stuffing-less critters may look soft, but they’re hard-boiled enough to stand up to the roughest players! Several to choose from at natural Pawz!

fido will appreciate giving this flea a taste of its own medicine! Pick him up at natural Pawz!

if anything’s gonna get your dog off the couch... these bacon bubbles are gonna do it! Get your video camera ready and watch your dog go crazy as a storm of bacon bubbles heads his way! available at Pawty Palace!

Get out and play with this buoyant frog! available at WOOf Pet bakery!

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amazingapril

{April 2013}

a slobber free way to play fetch! Scoop up the ball and use the racket like a sling shot to send it to your eagerly awaiting friend!

Help promote awareness for the importance of spay/neuter programs nationwide in this hip grey tank.

Tug it, swing it, shake it! Salsa is soft and furry yet durable enough to stand up to hours of energetic fun! Comes in 3 neon colors at natural Pawz!

These bubbles are made from real catnip oil for maximum kitty craziness! Our crew approved! ask your local pet store about them!

16 speakers throughout this adorable ducks body make this a fun toy for 1 or 4 dogs to play with! available at natural Pawz!

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