March, is "Adopt-a-Rescued-Guinea-Pig Month!

March, is "Adopt-a-Rescued-Guinea-Pig Month!

Many people may not realize that hundreds of guinea pigs are relinquished to shelters each year when their owners decide they can no longer care for them.

Domesticated guinea pigs are also known as cavies. Guinea pigs are generally gentle animals, and make good family pets, especially for children over six years of age.

As with all other pets, small children, should be supervised by an adult while handling a guinea pig.
Guinea pigs may live as long as 10 years, so the decision to adopt one must be made carefully.

Guinea pigs require daily care including feeding, watering, cage cleaning, exercise, and companionship. They are social animals, and will definitely want to be a part of your family.
There are 13 breeds of guinea pigs, differing in hair types, colors, and markings. The variety certainly is remarkable.

To adopt a friend for life, the Humane Society of Broward County requires the following adoption fees.

• $30.00 for Guinea Pigs

These fees include:

• Spaying/neutering for every animal
• Treatment for fleas & ticks
• Preliminary vaccinations and de-worming
• Overall wellness check

Quick Guinea Pig Facts:

• Lifespan: 4–6 years
• Also called: Cavies
• Weight: 1.5–2.5lbs
• Related to: Rodents
• Originated from: South America
• Personality traits: Docile, gentle, cheerful, harmless

If you are considering adding these fury friends to your family, here are some caring tips to consider.

Feeding:
Guinea pigs love to eat! They should always have fresh timothy hay available to munch on, as well as clean water in a ceramic bowl they can’t tip over. Guinea pigs should be fed pellets daily, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, corn, cucumber, carrot, apple, kale, red and green peppers, and strawberries. Foods with vitamin C  are especially important since guinea pigs cannot synthesize it on their own. Remove uneaten food from the cage daily.

Housing:
Treat your guinea pigs to the largest cage you possibly can, especially if you have more than one. Avoid cages with untreated metal bottoms, which can hurt their feet. You can easily build your own custom cage: find instructions at guineapigcages.com/cubes. Cavies (like their name suggests) should live indoors so they are protected from the elements and predators.
To clean your furry friend’s home, please stick to mild soap and water

Grooming:
Many guinea pigs enjoy being brushed. Brushing helps remove loose fur so they don’t ingest it when they groom themselves. Brush them at least once a week. Do not bathe your guinea pig unless you absolutely have to. Be very careful that you don’t cut your pet’s claws too short. To be safe, have your veterinarian show you how to do it the first time.

Exercise:
Ideally, your guinea pigs’ cage is large enough that they can run around and play with each other throughout the day. These little guys don’t need exorbitant amounts of exercise, but they will surely enjoy being allowed to explore a room in your house for a short time while you supervise them.

 To see all of the adoptable guinea pigs at the HSBC, just click here.

Source :http://humanebroward.com/guinea-pigs/

Abandoned Dog Turns His Life Around By Landing A Full-Time Job At A Gas Station

A dog, abandoned at a gas station by his previous owners when the area was nothing but a construction site has turned his life around by landing himself a job.

Two years ago, in the town of Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil. Sabrina Plannerer purchased a Shell gas station and discovered an adult dog named Negao, roaming about the site. After learning he'd been abandoned by his former owner and seeing he was too frightened to leave, Plannerer adopted him.

 "We adopted him immediately and got him all the care animals need," Sabrina told  Dodo.com "We bought him food, a dog house, and a leash to take him on walk."

 But Sabrina didn't just give Negao a home – she also gave him a purpose. His very own job!

Sabrina was unsure how Negao would react to the bustle of business in the place he'd been calling home, but he has proven to be a natural at providing world class customer service.

 "Negão waits for people to arrive, and then goes up to say hello, winning them over with his charms," Plannerer says. "Customers love him. Some people even bring him toys."

The hardworking pup has become a poster dog of sorts for a local initiative started by the charity group FERA, which aims to pair stray dogs with businesses in the event they cannot find a stable family to live with.

"It's been sensational, encouraging people to have more respect for animals," a spokesperson from Grupo FERA tells The Dodo.com. "And workers enjoy having the companionship of a 4-legged colleague."

All involved hope that Negão's story might influence other establishments to hire a canine staffer, also. After all, who wouldn't want to be greeted like this when checking off your daily to do's!

Read more at:
https://www.thedodo.com/dog-job-gas-station-2259388006.html

Photo credit: Sabrina Plannerer

VCA HAH- Team Member Highlight-Janika!!!

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

-Vince Lombardi

Every business' relies on the strength of its many parts for success. Each part works with the other to provide support and growth. This is no more true than with our colleagues at that VCA HAH. Our incredible staff arrives every day with a commitment to share their love of pets and their parents. 

This partnership of care has been epitomized by one HAH team member in particular this year and one we would welcome the chance to brag about!

While it has only been 4 months since Janika found us, her work ethic has elevated her from any potential shadow. Her hard work and dedication has proven her to be a true team player. She is a quick learner and willing to take on new tasks, Her commitment and compassion is visible in her willingness to help anyone and anywhere is needed. 

Janika is a pint sized powerhouse who's care for animals, care for people and care for hardwork has imprinted itself on our staff. She is a leader and we are pleased to highlight her as our team member.

Don't miss out on getting your pet fresh breath and better health!!!

VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital is offering 20% off a dental cleaning & discounted dental products! Schedule your pet's dental evaluation before March 31st

Here are some reasons why dental care is so important for your pet: 

1. A pet with healthy teeth equals a pet with better breath!

2. Dental disease can actually lead to problems with your pet’s organs, such as the heart.

3. Retained baby teeth can cause problems in pets too! Did you know that full grown dogs have 42 teeth and full grown cats have 30 teeth? Before their adult teeth grow in, though, their baby teeth have to fall out. Sometimes, not all of the baby teeth want to come out. This can lead to problems like gum irritation and tartar buildup.

4. Caring for your pet’s teeth can prevent other health problems, saving you tons of money over the long term!

5. You need regular dental care and you brush your teeth everyday – why wouldn’t your pets? Your veterinarian and these handy videos can help you learn to brush your dog's teeth and your cat's teeth.

6. Did you know that 4 out of 5 dogs over the age of 3 years have some sort of periodontal disease? It can be caused by the buildup of plaque, so it’s important to go in for regular dental checkups and cleanings. 

7. Pets that don’t get dental care can painfully lose their teeth – this can be terribly painful and cause serious health problems.

8. Your dog and cat are very good at hiding pain – you might never know that your pet has a serious dental problem until it’s very advanced. This is yet another reason it’s important to take your pet in for regular dental checkups.

9. Teeth wear out! Your pets are tough on their teeth. 

10. Periodontal disease affects up to 80% of all adult pets. It is 2.4 times more expensive to treat dental disease than to prevent it. 

Call us at 954-920-3556 and ask us how you can SAVE on incredible dental care and products. 

SOURCE: http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-checkups-preventive-care/10-reasons-why-you-should-

How often do you change your toothbrush??

How often do you change your toothbrush? How about your pet's. Oral care can be overlooked with our canine and feline partners yet it is critical to long term health. Health care routines can range from brushing to simple treats with an array of options in between. All supported by regular professional dental cleanings.
See what you can be doing to help prolong the health of your pet.  

C.E.T.^® Oral Hygiene Kit for Cats

Provides a complete kit with everything pet owners need to start a program of regular oral hygiene for their cat.

Convenient and complete starter dental care kit designed for cat owners to use at home. Contains C.E.T.^® Fingerbrush with C.E.T.^® Enzymatic Toothpaste and C.E.T.^® Cat Toothbrush.
Each kit contains:

• C.E.T.^® Fingerbrush; an ideal beginner toothbrush to help acquaint cats and their owners with the toothbrushing experience. After the cat and owner are comfortable with toothbrushing, owners can progress to using the C.E.T. Cat Toothbrush for more effective plaque removal.
• C.E.T.^® Cat Toothbrush is designed especially for feline mouths, which have very little room between their back teeth and cheeks. This toothbrush has long, soft bristles shaped into a pointed tuft. By placing just the tuft of the bristles between the cheek and the teeth, the back teeth can be brushed without causing discomfort.

C.E.T.^® Oral Hygiene Kit for Dogs

Provides a complete kit with everything pet owners need to start a program of regular oral hygiene for their dog.

Convenient and complete starter dental care kit designed for dog owners to use at home. Contains C.E.T.^® Fingerbrush with C.E.T.^® Enzymatic Toothpaste and C.E.T.^® Dual-Ended Toothbrush.
Each kit contains:

• C.E.T.^® Fingerbrush, an ideal beginner toothbrush to help acquaint dogs and their owners with the toothbrushing experience. After the dog and the owner are comfortable with toothbrushing, owners can graduate to using the C.E.T. Dual-Ended Toothbrush for more effective plaque removal.
• C.E.T.^® Enzymatic Toothpaste, which provides a natural antibacterial action and acts quickly to help neutralize mouth odors. The toothpaste is palatable and formulated to be safe even if swallowed by the pet.
• The C.E.T.^® Dual-Ended Toothbrush features soft bristles and a long handle with reverse angle heads to enable easy application. Tapered dual ends accommodate large and small tooth surfaces and conform to a pet’s mouth and teeth.

Trick your pet ito a brighter smile!!

Healthy chews can help your pet's teeth without much effort from you. In fact, the are hard at work while your pet is simply feeling loved.

C.E.T.^® HEXTRA^® Premium Chews for Dogs

Premium chew clinically proven to reduce calculus when used daily in dogs.

For daily use in dogs as a chew to help remove plaque and reduce tartar.

• Provides a well-known antiseptic effect and helps remove plaque and reduce tartar. Chews are coated with exclusive 10% solution of chlorhexidine gluconate.
• Contains beefhide for natural abrasive cleansing action.
• Helps keep teeth clean and breath fresh, even on days when brushing isn’t possible.
• Persistent action. Chlorhexidine is released into the oral cavity during chewing and may be released for up to 24 hours, providing sustained antimicrobial action.
• Appealing flavor. Dog owners may give as a daily chew.
• Available in petite, medium, large, and extra-large sizes. 

How can chews help my dog’s teeth?

With the appropriate chewing device, the mechanical action can help slow down the accumulation of plaque and tartar on your dog’s teeth. Not all products for chewing are good, however, because larger, harder ones could break your dog’s teeth. Some chews may contain additional ingredients that help fight the plaque as well.

Below are some products that Virbac has developed to provide a selection of choices to suit your dog’s needs. Regular use of an appropriate chew can be one part of a complete dental care program that will include examinations and professional care from your veterinarian. If you have questions about any of these products, be sure to talk with your veterinarian. As with any product, always listen to your veterinarian’s instructions and read the product label.

C.E.T.^® Oral Hygiene Chews for Cats

Made from freeze-dried fish, these chews control plaque and tartar buildup. Available in fish or poultry flavor and in 30- and 96-count bags.

How can chews help my cat’s teeth?

With the appropriate chewing device, the mechanical action can help slow down the accumulation of plaque and tartar on your cat’s teeth. Some chews may contain additional ingredients that help fight the plaque as well.

Below are some products that Virbac has developed to provide a selection of choices to suit your cat’s needs. Regular use of an appropriate chew can be one part of a complete dental care program that will include examinations and professional care from your veterinarian. If you have questions about any of these products, be sure to talk with your veterinarian. As with any product you use on your pet, always listen to your veterinarian’s instructions and read the product label.

C.E.T.^® VEGGIEDENT^® Tartar Control Chews for Dogs

These tasty vegetable-based chews have an easy-to-hold "Z" shape, and a tough, chewy consistency that dogs love.

Vegetable-based chew for dogs to help clean teeth and freshen breath.

Vegetable-based chews that work with a dog’s chewing action to freshen breath, reduce plaque, and decrease tartar formation.

• Cleans teeth and freshens breath when chewed once a day by dogs.
• Awarded the VOHC Seal of Acceptance for its ability to protect against tartar build up.
• Independent study demonstrated significant plaque and tartar control in dogs fed 1 C.E.T.^® VEGGIEDENT^® Chew per day.¹
• Easy-to-hold Z-shape design and tough, chewy consistency.
• Highly palatable vegetable-based chews for dogs. No animal-origin ingredients.
• Available in 2 sizes; 4-inch strips for small dogs and 6-inch strips for medium and large dogs. Packaged 30 chews per bag.

Quack! Quack! Muzzle?

Butterscotch is a very lucky girl!

She is lucky because she is now recovered from sickness due to the ingestion of a palm seed. She is lucky because she has a wonderful family that cares for her very much and is committed to keeping her safe and healthy. You see, Butterscotch has a history of eating things. Even though her family is diligent about watching her, on walks she occasionally picks things up and before you know it, she has eaten it!

This is what happened with her most recently. After sneaking a pine nut snack it lodged itself in Butterscotch’s small intestine causing an obstruction. Surgery was required and performed by Dr. Danielson at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital. After treatment and time she recovered from the toxicity that obstructions can cause. She is now doing great now!

Dogs that commonly and repeatedly eat foreign material often end up requiring surgery to relieve a blockage in the intestines. This blockage can be life threatening. Even with the most vigilant owners, animals sometimes still get into things. Something that can help to reduce the risk that your pet will eat foreign material is to have them wear a basket muzzle. A basket muzzle is different than a grooming muzzle in that it allows your dog to pant and drink water. Recently though, a company has come up with a unique version of this type of muzzle that allows pets to walk around comfortably while keeping them safe from eating foreign objects on the ground. A bonus is that the muzzle is less intimidating to strangers and frankly pretty cute.

We could not resist sharing this family’s effort to keep Butterscotch safe and adorable. We are very happy that Butterscotch recovered fully from her surgery and now is back out taking walks- safely- again with her family.

Evanger's Pet Food Recall - Update!

Pug Family Updates

In an abundance of caution, Evanger’s has made the decision to voluntarily recall five lots of Hunk of Beef.  Although nearly all product involved in this recall have already been consumed by pets without incident, we have decided to initiate the recall as a proactive measure against the remote possibility of any illness.  Although only one household in the country reported illness, out of the five lots that are being recalled, we feel it is the right thing to do.  This is our first recall in the 82 years that we have been in business.

The Facts: We feel that we have been let down by our supplier, and in reference to the possible presence of pentobarbital, we have let down our customers.  Despite having a relationship for forty years with the supplier of this specific beef, who also services many other pet food companies, we have terminated our relationship with them and will no longer purchase their beef for use in our Hunk of Beef product.  As Hunk of Beef is a very unique product, requiring very specific cuts of meat, this supplier’s meat was used in no other products.

Immediately upon learning that dogs became sick on New Years’ Eve, we launched an investigation immediately. The investigation continued for nearly four weeks, including obtaining samples of the same lot fed from the field and having them sent to an independent accredited laboratory to test for any toxin or bacteria we could possibly imagine.  All of those tests came back negative.  It was not until January 29^th that we learned about the term, “pentobarbital.”

Something like this seemed impossible.  We were unaware of the problem of pentobarbital in the pet food industry because it is most pervasive in dry foods that source most of their ingredients from rendering plants, unlike Evanger’s, which mainly manufactures canned foods that would not have any rendered materials in its supply chain.  All of our raw materials are sourced from USDA-inspected facilities, and many of them are suppliers with whom we have had long-standing relationships.
Once we learned that pentobarbital was found in the stomach contents of the dog, we dug much deeper into research about the topic.  What we found is that the FDA knows, and has conducted research, on the use of pentobarbital primarily in dry foods.  The research can be found here: http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofFoods/CVM/CVMFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/ucm129135.htm

In our investigation, we spoke with many suppliers to learn how it could even be possible that an animal that had been euthanized could ever possibly end up in the animal food stream.  What we learned was that pentobarbital is very highly controlled, and that, if an animal is euthanized, it is done so by a veterinarian.  Once this process has been done, there is absolutely no regulation that requires the certified Vet to place any kind of marker on the animal indicating that it has been euthanized and guaranteeing that product from euthanized animals cannot enter the food chain.   This is a simple task, and goes a very long way to ensure safety in many areas.

Since the launch of this investigation, Evanger’s has acted as openly and transparently, sharing all test results, what we as a company were doing to continue the investigation, and all facts of the investigation.  Once we learned of the term, “pentobarbital,” we spent many hours trying to find a lab that would test for the presence of pentobarbital in a meat substance.  It turns out that most labs only test for this in humans.  Eventually we did find a lab, and have cans currently being tested, the results of which we plan to share with the public once they are available.

In addition to fully-funding the veterinary bills for the dogs that became ill Evanger’s will be making a donation to a local shelter in honor of Talula the Pug.

Evanger’s will continue its unwavering commitment to pet nutrition and health, and our family greatly values the incredible partnership and continued trust with pet owners in the U.S. and across the world.

Here is the FDA Press Release on the Voluntary Recall

 

source: https://evangersdogfood.com/news-events/pug-family-updates/