Cat-Related Topics, Dog-Related Topics, General Interest, Uncategorized No comments yet

Pet Sitting Portland Oregon – In Memory of Barbara Howard…

By Administrator on February 13th, 2010

Barbara Pet Sitting Some Dogs

Barbara Dog Walking in the Snow

Hello everyone, today is February 2nd 2010 and I just added this blog to my website. It is going to contain articles that will be of interest to pet owners. But first…

I know that I am starting this blog on a down note but I wanted to mention a fellow pet sitter who passed away on October 2nd of last year. Barbara Howard operated Pets in the City and provided dog walking and pet sitting to many lucky Portland pets for about four years.  She was a true friend to her animals and loved them very much. Since she passed away I have talked to many of her clients and they all tell me how wonderful she treated them and their pets.  Barbara and I provided back-up for each other and she was the first person that I would call if I needed someone to cover one of my visits.

Her website is still up and can be viewed here (Feb 2nd 2010)  http://www.petsinpdx.com/ .

This is an online obituary listing:

http://www.anewtradition.com/obituaries/2009/10/barbara-ann-howard/

Thank you for reading this I will be back with lots of interesting pet related articles! – Pet Sitting Portland Oregon Charles Sutton

Cat-Related Topics 1 comment

Pet Sitting Portland Oregon – Have you brushed your cat’s teeth recently?

By Administrator on February 6th, 2010

Did you know February is pet dental health month? Did you know that 70% of adult cats have periodontal disease?  This is because many cat owners never brush their cat’s teeth.  Noticeable pain and the inability to eat are usually the final stages of feline dental problems and will not become evident until it is too late. That is why today I have decided to compile a small list of tips that I hope will help all of you keep your cat’s teeth looking sharp.

•You should brush your cat’s teeth daily, but you need to brush them at least twice a week.  Dental disease is the leading cause of trips to the vet according the American Veterinary Medical Association.

•You should start brushing your cats teeth at about three months of age. It is good to start early but it is better to try now than let your cat’s dental health go.

•Start off slow. Try looking into your cat’s mouth for the first few days. Reward your cat with a tartar control treat. Important: If you notice bleeding, swelling or  lesions go to the vet. Inflammation and bleeding are signs of periodontal disease a condition which only a professional will be able to help with.  Angry red lesions or “cobblestones” in you cat’s mouth can indicate Stomatitis a serious condition that can lead to extreme pain and interfere with your cat’s ability to eat.

•Dip your finger into something tasty and let your cat lick your finger for awhile.  When you think your cat is ready, try gently massaging tuna oil into their gums with your finger. If your cat becomes resistant, stop and try again later.  Don’t traumatize your cat or they may never adapt to having their teeth brushed.  It can take awhile to get your cat used to having things put in there mouth so be patient and give your cat time.

•When you begin to brush you cat’s teeth don’t worry about getting the whole mouth at first. A complete brushing should take no more that 30 seconds.  Your cats mouth is not as big as yours so don’t  over do it.

•There  are a variety of cleaning tools available. A children’s tooth brush will work fine but you may decide to go with a finger brush or cleaning sponge.   Also, choose a flavored paste or wash that your cat will like.  You should have no problem finding an assortment of these at your local pet store.  Don’t use regular toothpaste it may upset your cat’s stomach.

•In addition, you can feed your cat food and treats that are designed to promote dental health.  It is recommended that you take your cat to the vet for a proffesional cleaning every six months.  Your vet should help you set up a cleaning plan.  The more dental care you perform at home the less you will need to get at the vet.

Thank you for reading this. It is not finished.  Maybe you have some advice. I am still trying to figure out what you should do if your cat will not let you brush their teeth no matter how hard you try.  Everyone seems to agree that brushing you cat’s teeth is crucial.  Should you wrap them in a blanket and force them? Should you let their teeth dissolve into mush?  Should you take them to the vet once a week for a cleaning?  I also plan to add a video of someone brushing their cat’s teeth to help you.   Happy pet dental health month Pet Sitting Portland Oregon

Written by Charles Sutton

Dog-Related Topics 1 comment

Pet Sitting Portland Oregon How to make healthy treats for your dog.

By Administrator on February 2nd, 2010

Hello,

Have you ever read the ingredients panels on dog treat packages? They’re full of coloring and preservatives and most contain no meat. Most are sprayed with artificial cheese or meat flavorings to entice your pet to even want to eat it.

Healthy dog treats are easy and fun to make! If you have a dehydrator, you can make all-natural jerkey treats. (If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven, on its lowest setting, but be sure to check and to turn the treats often.)   You can buy beef roasts or chicken on sale, (trim the fat and discard), slice as thinly as possible (partially freezing the meat and/or using an electric carving knife helps to get thinner slices) then sprinkle some garlic powder on (optional) and dehydrate until done. Store in the fridge or freezer.

My little guy loves “meat cookies” that I make for him whenever I clean out the freezer. I grind meats and poultry in the food processor until it resembles baby food. Mix in an egg or two to help it bind together then shape by hand into little balls, flatten them and dehydrate until they’re dry. Store in air-tight containers in the fridge.

I save all meat scraps from the dinner table (discarding the skin and fat) into a plastic container in the freezer. You can use it later for “meat cookies” or grind in the food processor until it resembles baby food and use in any dog treat recipe that calls for baby food such as this recipe:

Meaty Dog Biscuits

1 cup dry non-fat (powdered) milk
2 eggs
3 cups rice flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup water
1 c. cottage cheese
1 jar meat baby food

Mix ingredients well. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with small cookie cutter or cut into small squares with a knife. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until treats are hard. Let cool and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer, since there are no preservatives.

If your dog has doggy breath, here’s a recipe:

Doggy Breath Banisher

2 cups brown rice flour
1 Tablespoon activated charcoal (find this at drugstores, don’t use the briquets!)
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup lowfat milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Combine flour and charcoal. Add all the other ingredients. Drop teaspoonfulls on oiled sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake 15-20 minutes. Store in air-tight container in the refrigerator.

I feel better about the goodies that I personally make for my dog and he loves them!

Contributed by Fay Donovan Pet Sitting Portland Oregon

Dog-Related Topics, General Interest No comments yet

Why do so many people have retractable leashes?

By Fay on February 1st, 2010

A lot of people have retractable leashes these days  and I hate them.  The leashes not the people. I have had dog walking clients with multiple dogs that pull and they use retractable leashes. Why is this? Is it because they look nifty? I understand that retractable leashes have their place (in a garbage can) but walking a dog through your neighborhood is not a good time to use a retractable leash.  Never walk a dog that pulls, has a tendency to bolt or could pose a danger to other people, animals or themselves, with a retractable leash! A retractable leash is not designed for situations where you need to have direct control over your dog and when you’re walking your dog that need could arise at any moment.  You may have to keep your dog away from nasty things on the ground that would make them sick. You may have to keep them away from people on bicycles,  joggers, cars  or mean dogs, cats, children, raccoons, etc.  You need to be able to to control your dog. That is why there are leash laws. If you are at the beach or in a park and you want your dog to run free, but you still want  them leashed so you don’t get a fine or have them take off, retractable leashes may be a safe alternative to letting a dog run loose but they are not good for walking through an urban neighborhood. I have decided to make a list of  the reasons why I hate retractable leashes.  Some of these reasons can be found on the warning label that came with your retractable leash.

  • •If  you take a normal leash and wrap it around your hand there is no way it can get away from you.  A retractable leash is easy to drop especially if  the dog (or heaven forbid..dogs) you are walking pull suddenly.  This is even worse if its raining because the plastic becomes slippery or if it is cold and your hands go numb or are encumbered by warm gloves.
  • •A normal leash will not break unless it is very old , worn or has been chewed.  The locking mechanisms on retractable leaches jam and give out all the time. I have seen this myself. If you do use a retractable leash please make sure it is strong enough to hold the weight of your dog. This may be one of those situations where you want to spend more money and get a higher quality leash and not have to worry about a cheaper leash giving out when you are in a situation where you desperately need to maintain control of your dog.
  • •Since the leash itself stretches there is a chance that if the metal clasp becomes detached from the collar it may snap back a hit you in the face. This usually happens if the clasp on the leash is defective, collar becomes detached due to a sudden pull or if the leash or collar have simply not been properly attatched. There have been numerous cases of people getting bopped in the face that can be found on the internet.  Here is a link to an ABC news article about the end of a shoddy retractable leash flying off and impaling a little girl’s eye: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7058784&page=1
  • •If a normal leash is on the verge of wearing out you can look at it and say “Hey, this leash looks like it is on the verge of wearing out, I better not use it.”  With a retractable leash you would actually need to disassemble the leash and look at the locking mechanism and possibly unroll the entire cord to know there is a problem, otherwise you might not realize until your dog is running ahead of you out into traffic or terrorizing your neighbor’s cat.
  • •On the warning labels of most retractable leashes it tells you that there is a risk of being burned if the tiny cord slips through your hand very quickly. This has happened to me. It tells you only to hold the leash by the plastic handle.  If you do this how are you supposed to have control over the dog? From time to time you need to pull your dog away from something quickly.  It is rather awkward to do this with a retractable leash without grabbing the little cord.
  • •I just found a link to a Consumer Report article about a woman who permanently lost her index finger due to a retractable leash  http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/03/retractable-leashes-pose-problems-for-people-and-their-pets.html Even Consumer Report hates retractable leashes and they have never steered me wrong as far as vacuum cleaners go!
  • •In the “Community Pet Section” of the Portland Craig’s List there used to be a lady who called herself the Pet Nanny. She was a pet sitter and dog trainer. She gave helpful advice in her posts. She said that if you drop a retractable leash and your dog starts to run away the sound of the plastic handle banging against the ground behind the dog could scare them and cause them to keep running (presumably until they reach an ocean). I don’t know if this is true but I hate retractable leashes anyway. Kudos to the Pet Nanny. If you are the Pet Nanny or know her then thank yourself or her for me.
  • •There is always a the chance that your will accidentally disengage the locking mechanism yourself. If that where to happen some dogs can run the entire length of the leash before you can get the cord locked. There is obviously no chance of this happening with a regular leash.
  • •You can become wrapped up in the leash if give your dog to much slack and they encircle you. You could trip and fall injuring yourself or losing control of your dog. You can also receive burns to your calves this way.
  • •Retractable leashes must never be used with choke collars, pronged collars or over-the-nose style gentle leaders. If  a dog bolts to the end of the leash they could sustain severe injury. Some retractable leashes run out to 16 ft. If a dog bolts at full speed while wearing one of these collars and is then forced to a sudden stop they could sustain a life threatening neck injury.
  • •It is difficult and unsafe to hold something in one hand while holding the retractable leash in the other. I know you sometimes like to talk on your cellphone when your walking your dog. Maybe you like to carry a cup of coffee a ciggarette or even a baby in your free hand when you take Fido out for his walk (he he). Since you cannot wrap the retractable leash around your hand, without suffering loss of circulation or possibly amputation, your dog is not as securely attached to you as they would be if you where using a regular leash.

I hope you have figured out that I do not like retractable leashes. That is why I always have my own sturdy assortment of leashes handy when I am walking dogs for customers. Retractable leashes may be ok for some dogs in some places but I still hate them. And as it says on the Flexi Leash USA  website: ”

“This leash should only be used by responsible people who have read and can follow all of these precautions. Anyone who uses this leash must be able to control the dog and watch the dog closely at all times to keep it from running off or wrapping anyone in the cord/tape/belt. Keep out of reach of small children. Never let anyone play with this leash.”

Thank you for reading this. Please visit my pet sitting and dog walking website PDX Pets on the GO!.  http://www.pdxpetsonthego.com

Written by Charles Sutton