Keeping Cool!

Hi Everyone:

Summer is here!  Just had a birthday and received one of the best gifts - no messes on the floor from the crew!  No one did a #1 or #2!!!  That is a rare thing as one of the fur kids always wants to leave me a gift (I'll take something sparkly over pee pee  anyday.)

OK.....it is HOT in most of North America right now.  EVERY year we hear about some fool that left their pooch in the car for just a minute.  did you know that just a few minutes 
in a hot car can cause serious damage to your dog?

Here are some tips that I have accumulated form around the net and my shows, Best Bets for Pets and Catitude:

1.  Always have a First Aid kit to handle the unexpected!  I had Protégé Biomedical  on the show to talk about Clotit, you can listen here:  Clotit First Aid Kit .   Not too long after doing this show, Nicky, our little dog on the crew had a chance to try out Clotit.  This amazing product, Clotit, stops a wound from bleeding.  Somehow Nicky damaged his nail on moving day (of course!) and was bleeding.  It was not serious, and I used the Clotit powder and the pet bandages in the First Aid kit.  The bleeding stopped soon after and all was OK. 
NOTE:  ALWAYS have a vet check any bleeding wound.  The First Aid kit is very useful in stopping and/or slowing the bleeding in a small wound until you can get to a vet.

2.  Keep your fur kid hydrated.  Most pet parents know that our fur kids do not sweat like humans.  Dogs' sweat glands are near their paw pads.  Dogs pant to release heat.  If your dog is panting excessively, it may be time to take a break from the heat, bring out the cool water and go indoors.   Dogs can easily overheat when it is hot and humid.  Be aware so you can care for your pet safely during the warmer months.

3.  Time for a trim!  Mr. Z is a long haired mutt.  To keep him cool, he gets a shave in the summer.   Keep your pet cool from the inside out.  Here are some great treat ideas from The Doggy Dish on Pet Life Radio Cool Summer Doggy Treats.  

Have any other cool tips for the fur kids?

World's Largest cat, Stewie!

World's Largest Cat....Stewie!  A whopping 48.5" long.  In comparison, most cats are 13" to 18" in length.  How long is your cat?

Understanding the Can (or Bag)!

Ever wonder what is in your fur kids food?  Well, there is a great place to find out more info: Pet Food Institute .  There you can find out what a Guaranteed Analysis is, a requirement for all pet food.  The Guaranteed Analysis (GA) is basically product information to regulators who review each label for compliance with nutrient requirements and voluntary label claims. The GA also provides information to consumers to help them find the levels of at least four nutrients: protein, fat, fiber and moisture. Additional nutrients must be included in the GA if a product label makes a claim that mentions a specific nutrient, such as calcium for strong teeth and bones. (from Pet Food Institute).

There is also an explanation on how the GA is calculated and why you, the pet parent, should know the importance of the GA.

Catching the Cat - TNR, Recues and Lots of cats!

Hello Pet Parents and Pet Lovers!
This is the true story of Sammy the cat.  She is a community cat that was around our studio neighborhood.  She is not feral (feral is more of a cat born in the wild and does not have friendly contact with humans).  Community cats are strays that live outdoors. 
We met Sammy about a year ago.  She is small, and we thought she was a kitten until she brought her kitten with her one day.  Since we met her, we fostered 2 of her litters and adopted 2 of her kittens.  (All of her other kittens were adopted (most) or brought to a no-kill rescue)
She was so difficult to trap!!  I finally hired a trapper after trying 3 different humane traps, and special long cat claw proof gloves.
Did you know that 1 cat can have 2 liters a year and if they are not fixed......it can result in over 11 million kittens in 9 years!!  (That is if all of the kittens are not fixed, a litter of 2.8 surviving cats).
Check your local Humane Society.  Many have Snip and Release programs.  There are also local vets that have reduced price TNR (Trap and Release) programs.

Oh - we also fixed the baby daddy!  He was easy - just went into the humane trap.

Pinterest......Really cool pet info!!

Did you ever wonder how old your cat is?  This is from Pinterest, thecatsite.com.  Very interesting information.   Cats seems to age slower than dogs.  I have no idea why, but this is a really interesting article that explains the REAL age of cats and dogs compared to humans.   So forget about the 7 year comparison, it doesn't work!

Welcome to the NEW Pet Life Radio Blog

Hi fellow pet lovers, pet parents and anyone interested in pets!

Pet Life Radio is a digital radio station with over 70 shows!!!  You can listed at iTunes, Stitcher, Aha, I Heart Radio (select shows), Google Play, AGOGO and tunein.  All shows are professionally edited and sound amazing!

What's in it for you?  EVERYTHING you need to know about pets!  Ask the Vet with Dr Jeff is a live call in show on Sundays 12:00pm EST.  Oh Behave with host  (and author) Arden Moore has celebrity guests, many behavior tips all sorts of interesting pet info.  Want product ideas?  Michelle Fern, host of Best Bets for Pets, has had over 200 products on her show!   Miss a pet from the past, listen to Brent Atwater, the host of Alive Again.  A Super Smiley Adventure takes you to the red carpet and back with host Megan Blake.  Love Cats?  Listen to Cattitude - everything and anything about cats!

Comments, tips, questions are all appreciated!!

Check out pics of the PLR home crew!  All of our crew are rescues and they all have a an interesting story.  More about the PLR crew will be posted in future blogs.

Thanks for visiting!

Chief Pet Pleaser,

Michelle Fern