Happy Halloween, all you lil' devils

To get you in the Halloween mood:

Evil Chipmunk set to music.

Evil Chipmunk devil.

Evil Chipmunk zombie.

Evil Chihuahua?

LaGrange to hold dog costume contest Saturday

Like dressing up your pooch in Halloween costumes?

Well, get your dog gussied up Saturday and head over to the Town of LaGrange for the Halloween Dog Costume Contest.

It starts at noon at the See Spot Run Off-Leash Area on Overlook Road, just north of Route 55 and east of the Poughkeepsie town line.

To participate, there is a $5 donation/entry fee, which includes chances to win dog-grooming prizes. Refreshments, including cider and doughnuts, will be served.

LaGrange Supervisor Jon Wagner will be the master of ceremonies for the contest.

The rain date is noon Nov. 1.

Here is a video to give you some costume ideas.

Cat declawing outlawed in Santa Monica

Santa Monica, Calif., has axed a controversial veterinary procedure.

On Tuesday, the Santa Monica city council banned cat declawing.

Here's an article from the Santa Monica Daily Press by Melody Hanatani.

The ordinance, which will take effect 30 days after a second and final reading next month, will prohibit onychectomy — also known as declawing — and flexor tendonectomy from being performed on cats, a surgery that is likened to cutting off the last joint of all 10 human fingers.

Proponents of the ban have argued that declawing is not only physically painful, but leaves cats more vulnerable to abandonment and relinquishment because of the behavioral changes that take place following the procedure, including urinating and defecating outside of litter boxes and biting because clawing is no longer a viable defense mechanism.

Those who opposed the ban said eliminating the option for pet owners would mean more cats abandoned or euthanized.

Only one councilman — out of seven — voted against the ordinance. Councilman Richard Bloom said the ban would lead to "a far worse outcome for the cat," and he proposed an amendment.

His proposed amendment to the ordinance that declawing be allowed only to prevent abandonment, relinquishment and euthanization after veterinarians counsel pet owners on alternatives was shot down. Another amendment that prohibits licensed medical professionals to package declawing with other surgeries was also denied. Councilman Bobby Shriver, who did vote for the ban, supported the amendments.

The article said that the ban comes shortly before a new state law taking effect Jan. 1 restricting cities from banning declawing. West Hollywood is the only other California city with such a law.

Almost last-minute Boo-day safety reminder

With Halloween just around the corner — Eeek! It's Saturday! — here's a reminder of some basic pet safety tips.

From the Chicago Daily Herald:

• To avoid stress, with the door bell ringing constantly, find your pet a quiet place in the house.
• If the weather is nice, give the treats outdoors. Again avoiding the doorbell.
• No chocolate for Fido.
• Keep lit candles well away from your pets.
• Make sure pets have current identification tags. You never know when they might slip out when the door is open.

Have fun on Halloween.

My favorite: The Hulk

New Yorkers know how to celebrate Halloween with their dogs — by making them wear costumes.

Clever ones, at that.

Take a look at the costumed pooches at a couple of recent dog festivals in Manhattan, from Gothamist.com.

Maybe they can airbrush him in later

I refuse to display the official portrait of the first family on this blog, because they left out someone very important — and I don't mean Joe Biden.

See it here.

Little devils

The cute factor wears off a bit when you look at their tiny claws, but Tasmanian devil joeys, born in Australia, are really cute.

Here is a photo gallery from WCBS Newradio 880.

Then they grow up into this.

From Wikipedia:

It is characterized by its black fur, pungent odor when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils.

Who doesn't — sometimes?

Tasmanian devils are now considered endangered — since May 2009 — because of a parasitic cancer.

And of course, most of us first learned about Tasmanian devils from Bugs Bunny and the cartoonists at Warner Bros.

Here's Bedevilled Rabbit (1957).

The day after Boo-day

If you are in Ulster County Nov. 1 stop by Skate Time 209 for the Howl-O-Weiner Festival.

All dachshunds and their owners are invited to an event that features a costume parade and talent show.

There will also be the opportunity to meet show dachshunds just returned from the Dachshund Club of America National Performance Events and Specialty Show.

The event, which is from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is free. Several animal charities will be on hand to accept donations.

The roller rink and skateboard park owners Len and Terry Bernardo will be hosting the festival with their pet dachshund Sundae.

Skate Time 209 is located at 5164 Route 209 at Mettacahonts Road in Accord.

For more information, call 845-626-7971 or visit www.Skatetime209.com.

How's your ferret feeling?

According to this article from U.S News and World Report, a ferret in Portland, Ore., has come down with the H1N1 flu virus, commonly known as swine flu.

Scientists have known for a long time that ferrets can get human flu; in fact, they use ferrets in the laboratory to test flu treatments. But ferrets are also popular pets. In this case, first reported in the Oregonian, it sounds like the ferret got the flu from its owner. And it appears to be the first reported case of H1N1 flu traveling from people to animals.

And a pig at the Minnesota State Fair tested positive for the virus.

The sick pig and ferret remind us that flu isn't just a human disease. Birds get it, too, and the avian flu that’s been causing deaths in Asia has been spread by migratory birds, domestic ducks, and chickens, though there have been no infections of birds with either H1N1 or avian flu in the United States. The nation’s hog farmers are understandably worried that people will stop eating pork if H1N1 is infecting pigs. But the Department of Agriculture says humans cannot contract H1N1 from eating pork.

And since I believe that more information is best, read the entire article for tips on flu prevention — and that includes getting a flu shot.

Small number feeding homemade diets to dogs

An ABCNews.com article about homemade diets for dogs said that about 1 percent of people actually make their own dog food.

Read the article here.

The story talks about a California man who began cooking his dog's food in 2004, using it to supplement dry food.

After the 2007 pet food recall because of melamine, the man switched to all homemade food.

Dr. Richard Pitcairn, author of "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats," came to believe in the power of nutrition and that it could have a positive effect of the immune system.

"To my surprise, it made a big difference," he said, "bigger than I expected."

Animals fed some kibbles long-term, he said, show signs of lessened energy and duller coats and are more susceptible to parasites and fleas.

"It's hard for the body to repair itself if the body doesn't have the nutrients it needs," Pitcairn said.

If we believe that food can have a beneficial effect on us, why then do we have a difficult time believing the same thing doesn't happen with our pets?

Some can wear a Palin costume, some can't

Fresh from the Huffington Post is a collection of pictures of pets wearing Halloween costumes.

Or at least we hope they are for Halloween, because if they aren't, then something seriously wrong with those people.

Anyway, here is the link. Enjoy.

I have to admit I laughed out loud at the baked potato costume and the scuba dog.

Do you dress up your pet on Halloween?

The long goodbye — hopefully

It's difficult to write about things that affect you personally and deeply, but I will and hope to make some sense of it.

I received word yesterday that Kate has kidney failure. The vet said it could be a matter of months or longer.

I am hoping for longer.

On Sunday, Kate seemed fine. Her appetite was good. We went out for a walk around the complex; she sniffed, she peed, she pooped. Life was good.

She followed me upstairs when I went to bed something she hadn't been doing on a regular basis.

When I got up Monday morning, I wanted to get her downstairs while I went about getting ready for work. Kate got up from the pallet and followed me to the stairs, but she wouldn't go any further. I couldn't make her take a step off the top landing. So I got her leash and tried coercing her.

Eventually, Kate got a little less than halfway down, so I picked her up and carried her down the rest of the way.

Once on the main floor, she acted unsteady, almost awkward, bumping into bookcases, doors and furniture. And she wouldn't eat her food. She acted as if her back legs were alternately not supporting her or she was in some discomfort. I even elevated her food and water bowls so she didn't have to bend down as far.

I had some coated low-dose aspirin in the medicine cabinet so I gave her one pill.

A call to the vet got me an appointment in the afternoon.

Kate seemed to be a little better when I stopped by at lunch. It seemed the aspirin helped a little.

I got her to the vet and she was checked over. No temperature. Very little response when the vet waved her fingers in front of her eyes, so the eyes were beginning to fail.

The vet ruled out any neurological problem, because Kate was reactive to her manipulations.

Blood was drawn. Finally, the vet called Thursday with the results and said it was kidney failure.

Kate is 14; she'll be 15 in January. Doing the math puts her at 98, if indeed one equals seven.

The vet said it was age-related, manifesting in weight loss, increased urination, weakened appetite. Her blood tests were fine in May, so the problem is fairly recent.

She could have months; it could be longer.

So now we wait and watch.

I knew I wouldn't have her forever. But even going on 15 years, it still seems like not enough time.

Video Thursday

White lion cubs here.

Remember they are not pets.

- - - - -

Here's a Pedigree commercial about Echo, a dog who is up for adoption.

Then, Echo gets a new home.

- - - - - -

And then, sort of a companion video to yesterday's blog about dog food, a Kibbles 'n Bits commercial about a dog wanting to eat what his family is eating.

Don't you hate it when your dog disco dances in the kitchen?

- - - - -

Finally, a couple of cute bull dogs in this PetSmart commercial.

It's all in the diet

Kate has had a problem with commercial dog foods for a while now.

I fed her premium food from the beginning (ProPlan dry puppy food, then Iams Turkey and Rice dry food).

About five or six years ago, my vet in Shekomeko said I should change Kate to a senior food.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

The adult food I had Kate on was primarily what the name said: turkey and rice. There was very little cornmeal or corn product in it.

Not so with Iams senior food. The first ingredient was cornmeal, which was something Kate did not eat a lot of. There was a scant amount in one dog biscuit recipe I would make, but that was about it.

She broke out with bumps all over her body. And believe me, bumps was not the worst part of it.

The "end" result, if you catch my drift, was either trips outside twice an hour (I'm not kidding) or a real mess to clean up (I'm really not kidding).

I took Kate to the vet, who determined it was a food allergy and put her on a prescription food which was just potato and venison.

Flash Forward (which isn't a bad show, BTW) to a few months ago, when my new vet in Pleasant Valley told me they were no longer carrying the brand of potato and venison Kate had been on. So we switched to another (more expensive) prescription brand.

Not halfway through the second bag of the new brand, Kate developed diarrhea. At that point I went into the "white diet" mode — poached chicken, rice and fat-free cottage cheese. There was also a prescription powder — Tylan — a pinch of which is sprinkled on the food to help quell the runs.

Within days, Kate would be fine. So usually after a week of her system being OK, I would start reintroducing the dry food — slowly. It would go fine until I was up to 1/2 cup of dry, then, bam, the runs would start again.

Back to the white diet. Then reintroducing the dry. Shampoo. Rinse. Repeat.

I even decided to dump the prescription and go back to a natural/organic food like Blue Buffalo. I made sure there was no corn in it, but unfortunately the results were eventually the same.

One thing I noticed while Kate was purely on the white diet was 1) how much she seemed to enjoy it and 2) how well she did on it.

I had nothing to lose — except my throw rugs — so I decided to see what would happen if I kept her on the homemade diet. I added boiled hamburger to the mix, along with pasta such as ditalini or small elbows and mashed sweet potatoes.

Kate loved it, and frankly, it seemed to love her. She was even going to the bathroom less, which at first, freaked me out, because we are a nation that loves regularity and schedules. Once I figured out that she would go when she needed to go, I felt much better and didn't worry. As long as I was still providing her the opportunities to do so. (You have to wonder what goes into the dry concoctions that make the animal produce such quantities of waste.)

Here's a video of Kate enjoying a homemade meal. I add a couple of tablespoons of a canned, organic dog food to the food.



Since that video was made, I've been putting cooked green beans in her meal. And she's really scarfed them up. Oddly though, I offered her one as a snack and she spit it out.

As a precaution I give her a multiple vitamin, along with her glucosamine tablet. And I noticed her hair was getting a bit dry looking, but a touch of olive oil seemed to fix that.

It's a work in progress, one that seems to be doing the trick.

Is it more expensive than the dry food? The last bag of prescription, most of which is still sitting in my cupboard, was $65 for a month.

I think what I'm doing — buying hamburger and chicken on sale — is probably a little less than that.

And the relief factor? Priceless.

Get the tissues ready

Baxter is a certified therapy dog who can no long walk.

The 19-year-old comforts hospice patients.

Watch this amazing, truly moving video.

Read more about Baxter here.

Pet smart?

Think your dog is smart.

Here's a video from the old Animal Planet show "Pet Star."

This pooch does tricks and even can add and subtract.

Watch it and be amazed.

Scary time of year

Well, my neighbor finally activated the spooky sound machine that is motion activated.

And mercifully, it's been off more than it's been on.

When it is on, it certainly makes walking Kate interesting. Not that she's in the least bit bothered by it.

The other morning, the machine — which is supposed to say, "Happy Halloween," followed by demonic laughter, when, say, a leaf floats by the house's windows — was not quite working up to par.

For the entire length of our walk, the machine was saying, "Happy Howl," "Happy Howl," "Happy Howl," "Happy Howl."

Then it just said, "Happ."

That's when I let out a demonic laugh.

Are pets good for you?

Researchers are looking into the ways that having pets improve our lives.

In an article in USA Today, the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction will hold a conference later this month to explore how animals benefit all age groups.

"Research in this field is providing new evidence on the positive impact pets have in our lives," said Rebecca Johnson, director of ReCHAI. "This conference will provide a unique opportunity to connect international experts working in human-animal interaction research with those already working in the health and veterinary medicine fields. A wonderful array of presentations will show how beneficial animals can be in the lives of children, families and older adults."

As we have all heard, pets help lower blood pressure and encourage exercise. They also provide, as Johnson said, "unconditional love and acceptance."

The conference is aimed at fostering more research studies to corroborate the presumption that pet ownership has health and emotional benefits.

An indoor cat can be a happy cat

A majority of experts recommend keeping your cats indoors.

According to an article in USA Today, a study commissioned by the Humane Society of the United States found that two out of three veterinarians said cats should be kept inside.

The average lifespan of a cat who is allowed to roam outside is estimated at less than three years, compared to 12–15 years for the indoor-only cat.

The two most-cited reasons: dangers from vehicles and transmittable diseases. The consensus is that cats live healthier and longer when not allowed outside.

Besides the two reasons given in the study, which was based on data collected from 600 veterinarians, other incentives for keeping cats indoors are less chance of cats becoming infected with parasites or injured by other animals, reduced exposure to biting and stinging insects and lower vet bills.

And that doesn't include the neighborhood annoyance factor when your roaming cat uses your neighbors flower beds as litter boxes.

Some will question if a cat can really be happy inside 24/7.

Experts say the answer is yes, if you make its environment stimulating. Some suggestions include:

• Give your cat places to climb.
• Schedule regular play sessions.
• Use interactive toys.
• Provide scratching posts.
• Schedule daily quality time.
  

Pets with dementia

As it happens in humans, even pets can get dementia.

A new book by Dr. Shawn Messonnier called Unexpected Miracles (Forge Books) talks about cognitive disorders in dogs and cats.

Messonnier, a holistic vet who has a radio program on the Martha Stewart Sirius/XM channel uses the book to describe how holistic medicine can help animals when conventional treatments don't work.

His Web site — petcarenaturally.com — has an article about cognitive disorders in pets. Read it here.

While the condition appears new, it is not and has been recognized by veterinarians for many years. There are a number of clinical signs in pets with cognitive disorder. These signs are often accepted by owners as normal signs of aging, when in fact they are signs of a (usually) treatable condition. Owners must be taught that any of these signs warrants a full evaluation. Education must begin before the first geriatric visit. Regular geriatric examination, ideally every 6-12 months, will facilitate communication and allow for early diagnosis of cognitive disorder and other conditions often seen in geriatric dogs.

Common signs in dogs and cats with cognitive disorder include:

• Wandering aimlessly
• Vocalizing for no reason
• Getting stuck in a corner
• Increased daytime sleeping
• Seeking less attention
• Loss of house training
  

Messionnier stresses that these signs can mimic other conditions, like cancer and hypothyroidism, so vets should do a full checkup prior to making a diagnosis of cognitive disorder.

Drug treatment is available, he said, but some might consider the cost — $125 per month for a 30-pound dog — prohibitive.

Natural alternatives, including herbs, thyroid supplement and nutritional supplementation have been found to be effective, Messionnier said.

Repeat after me: A bear is not a pet

Hasn't anyone seen "Grizzly Man"?

A Pennsylvania woman was killed by the bear she kept as a pet for 9 nines.

Here's the Associated Press article.

The woman, Kelly Ann Walz, was cleaning the cage when the 350-pound bear attacked her in front of her children and a neighbor's children.

Tim Conway, an information and education supervisor with the game commission, said owners of wild animals usually have a two-section cage, allowing them to isolate the animal behind a locked gate while they clean the other part.

"Why this woman chose to go in the same area that the bear was in is beyond me. It's a fatal mistake," he said. "These things are not tame animals; they're wild animals."

The family at one time kept an African lion, cougar, jaguar, tiger, bear, leopard and two servals on their property. A license to keep exotic animals had expired.

Seriously. Watch "Grizzly Man."

The kakapo

OK, I will admit this is not a blog entry about pets — and if you see the video, you will definitely understand why. It's about a wild animal.

Actor Stephen Fry and zoologist Mark Carwardine have a program(me) on the BBC called "Last Chance to See," which is about creatures on the verge of extinction.

They run into a kakapo, a fat, flightless parrot, on the south island of New Zealand.

To say that the bird takes a shine to Carwardine would be an understatement.

Watch the video here. (Possibly NSFW, if you are offended by Austin Powers movies.)

Obviously, there are many reasons why the kakapo is an endangered species.

Walk your dog over the Hudson

Kate is taking advantage of a nice, warm autumn day to snooze on the patio. If this weren't the only day of my weekend, I would probably join her.

Yesterday, I had to work, covering the grand opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson, the former Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, now converted to the world's longest pedestrian span.


Above is a picture of the Poughkeepsie side entrance to the linear park. About 1.25 miles to the west is the entrance in the Town of Lloyd — over the majestic Hudson River (212 feet above the water), spanning two counties.

I wrote a story for today's paper about the Walking on Air parade.

I also got the opportunity to speak with a lot of people about what they thought of the new walkway. That story is here.

I was pleased to see a number of people bringing their dogs to the bridge on the first day.

In my second story, I spoke to Sean Ring, who along Dutchess, his 2-year-old Rottweiler, was making his first journey on the span.

Ring, a City of Poughkeepsie resident, said he would definitely be bringing both of his dogs to the new state park.

The FAQ on the walkway's Web site has lots of information for people who want to come to the bridge. There is a Web cam, provided by the Dutchess County Tourism, where you can watch people walk along the bridge.

In particular, dog owners should pay attention to the following:

• Only leashed dogs and other pets will be allowed on the bridge. Pet owners will be responsible for the removal and proper disposal of pet waste.

• The practice of carry-in, carry-out will be strongly encouraged. However, some garbage cans will be strategically located on the bridge.

I don't know whether some enterprising souls will be selling water or other drinks so it might be a good idea to bring some water for your dog as well as yourself.

Have fun, and drop me an e-mail telling me what you think of the newest tourist attraction in the mid-Hudson Valley.

Scary time of year

And I don't mean election season.

Put yourself in your pets' minds when it comes to Halloween.

If you didn't really understand what the occasion was all about, how would you feel about strange creatures coming to the door time and time again making eerie sounds?

Come to think of it, I'm not thrilled with the idea, but anyway ...

Here are some tips from the people at the American Humane Association to keep your companion animals safe this month.

• Keep pet treats handy, and dole them out if your pet sits calmly while the door.
• Put pets in a quiet room well away from Halloween commotion.
• Make sure pets are wearing collars with current ID and rabies tags.
• No chocolate or candy — for your pets, that is.
• Keep decorations pet-friendly, such as battery-powered illuminated pumpkins. Make sure decorations are out of pets' reach.
• Let your cats stay indoors for the holiday.

Personally, I'm waiting for the one house in my neighborhood that puts up a motion-based spooky sound machine. What fun that is on late-night walks.

Boo!

Like dogs? Ireland's your place

In America, more homes have dogs than cats, but not by much.

According to research by the University of College Dublin, reported in USA Today, 37 percent of homes in the U.S. have dogs, as opposed to 32 percent with cats.

Ireland, on the other paw, is different.

The research found 36 percent of Irish households have a dog, while only 10 percent have cats.

According to this story in Irishcentral.com, researchers think the Irish bias towards dogs may be linked to the significance and prevalence of farming and rural life, and the fact that many more Irish citizens live in spacious houses, rather than small apartments.

The study also states that in Ireland, dogs are viewed as pets while cats are largely considered stray animals.

That's settled. Now have a cuppa or a pint, depending on what time of day it is.