• decreased activity
• vomiting
• diarrhea, sometimes with blood
• increased water drinking or increased urination
• Keep your kitty inside. Outside, cats can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed.• Never let your dog off the leash in snow or on ice, especially during a snowstorm. They can lose their scent and easily become lost.
• Wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when she comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. Your dog can ingest salt, antifreeze or other dangerous chemicals while licking its paws, and the paw pads can also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
"If they do their [slight pause] business, if they've got some poop, you've got to make sure you're not just leaving it there. So I want to make sure that my kids are taking care of their dog properly. I think they are old enough now to do that."Good for the president-elect. Getting right to the issues at the heart of young minds. Right after Iraq.
"It's not the breed, and it's not even so much where it's from," said Patricia McConnell, an animal behaviorist and host of Wisconsin Public Radio's "Calling All Pets." What's important, she said, is that the Obamas set a good example by "picking a dog based on its behavioral as well as its physical health, from a credible, responsible place."Of course, being in the spotlight can cause problems, but then the Obamas will certainly be in a position to get the best advice and training available.
White House life can be demanding for a dog. People are always coming and going, many eager to schmooze. One of Bush's two Scottish terriers, Barney, is famous with children nationwide for his "Barneycam" holiday Web videos, but more recently he popped up in a clip on YouTube nipping a reporter who persisted in trying to get his attention. The Reagans' Bouvier des Flandres, a large, energetic dog named Lucky, was moved to their California ranch after becoming too rambunctious.Didn't that happen to several Cabinet members in the Reagan administration?
Remarkably, Edgar suffered no major blood lost nor sustained any permanent nerve damage from her accident. She just needed to have her facial skin stitched back on during an hour surgery, according to veterinary surgeon Michael Pavletic.Veterinarians believe Edgar was injured by a car's fan belt when she tried to stay warm under the hood.
The holidays can be strange and trying times for the pets in your lives. A lot can be going on, and needless to say, there can be quite a few more temptations for your dog or cat not to pass up.
The people at MyPetCareTV.com have some tips to help you and your pet to pass the holidays in safety and in good health:
House guests should be reminded not to feed the pets human food, especially fatty foods and candy.
Leave pets in safe areas or outdoors during dinner parties when you are too occupied to watch them.
Be sure pets wear identification tags at all times. Visitors can inadvertently let your dog or cat out.
Keep candles out of the reach of pets.
Dangly ornaments or table decorations can be hard for a pet to ignore. Ingested decorations can require a visit to the veterinary emergency room.
If you are traveling by car with your pet, plan ahead to ensure that you can find hotels that accept pets.
If traveling by air, try to get a direct flight. Check the expected temperature of your destination airport. Luggage carts stranded on the tarmac or sat in a plane for hours while it is delayed.
If you are staying at a pet-friendly hotel and you need to leave your pet unattended, put a "do not disturb" sign on the door. You don't want housekeeping to accidentally let your pet out.
For the complete list, see the article on PioneerLocal.com.
