Yesterday I received a heartbreaking letter from Bobbie, she had given her pup Nikko a Windee chewie and the dog choked to death. I am not familiar with these treats but we had a scary experience with Copper years ago when she was chewing a rawhide.

I was away on business and Lisa had given her one of the chewies with the knots on the end. Copper had eaten them before with no issues, the girl can chew. This time she almost choked to death when one of the knots separated and got stuck in her throat. Lisa thought she was going to watch her die, it was horrible. Eventually she was able to grab hold of a piece and pull it from her throat, we were very lucky, she never would have made it to the emergency vet.

We have never bought those types of chewies again. I have heard horror stories about many different types of rawhides/chewies, and while some pups have no issues it is always good to be aware of what can happen. Here’s Bobbie’s story…

On Saturday night, (8/16/09) my 6 year old Shih Tzu, Nikko, was eating a dog chewie named Windee (a/k/a Moo tubes & Beef Trachea). He began choking and I tried but could not get the Windee chew from him. I thought the choking stopped before I went to bed but the next day I woke up and Nikko was dead. The necropsy performed that morning revealed approximately 2 inches of the chew lodged in the trachea leading to death by asphyxiation.

The 6″ Windee chew is manufactured by Jones Natural Chews Company (the label says Jones Gourmet Chews Company) located in Rockford Illinois.  The chew is advertised as \”good chewing for all size dogs\”. There are absolutely no warnings that choking can occur and cause death OR the Windee can lodge in the trachea and thus cause death by asphyxiation. Read the rest of this entry »

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I received an email from Dogster member Mica, she wanted to share the dangers of the Sago Palm. On May 20th her pal Tallulah Belle was poisoned, she was one of the lucky ones, she survived.

I’ve done other posts on plants that are dangerous but the Sago Palm was never on the list. This plant contains cyanide, yet there are no labels warning about the danger to animals and children.

Here’s Tula’s story, use her experience to prevent this from happening to your beloved pet.

I AM A LUCKY PUPPY / MAY 20TH I POISONED MYSELF WITH A SAGO- PALM

Howlo Pupsters,

Very important info following: Pass the word. Warn your friends. Keep your eye on the SAGO PALM plant. They are beautiful, hardy and DEADLY to dogs, cats and human kids.

On May 20th I ate part of the base of my mom’s SAGO PALM plant.

Two hours later I was vomiting repeatedly and violently. I became weak and lethargic.

The Vets had never had a case of SAGO PALM poisoning so I was rushed to the PET ER. They had never had a case of SAGO PALM poisoning either due to this NOT being a plant normally found in Maryland. That is changing now and they are everywhere.

The ASPCA Poison Control Hotline saved me. The Vets there provided the treatment protocol to the ER that saved me. THANK YOU ASPCA.

50-75% of All dogs who ingest any SAGO PALM go on to develop liver failure at 24 – 48 hours after ingestion. They die or have to be euthanized.

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Hi Dogsters, just wanted to let you know Bo is stepping in this morning to share some info on Santa Paws.

Sing along with me, “Here comes Santa Paws, here comes Santa Paws, right down Santa Paws Lane…”

Soon to be seen at a doggie mall in your area is the one and only Santa Claus. This time he’s dealing with the family pet.

Santa has a new troublemaker to contend with: the family pet.

Chickens, rodents, birds, cats, dogs – you name it – Santa’s being photographed with a lot of critters these days, and has the scratches, ripped suit and urine stains to prove it.

This is the first I’ve heard that the family pet includes rodents. I gotta ask…”Where does the writer of this article live?”

“I’ve been licked a lot,” said Harriet Farmer, 63, who’s posed with hundreds of pets over the past seven years as the Ottawa Humane Society’s volunteer Santa.

What? Santa Claus is really Harriet Farmer? I thought his name was Kris Kringle? But of course I kid, for we all know the truth. Just as most of you reading this, I was devastated when my parents told me that Santa Paws wasn’t real. My intent here is not to spoil all the young pups’ Christmas, so let’s continue on.

While dogs and cats make up most of Santa’s pet clientele, that’s not all that people are bringing in.

“My favorites have been the five baby ferrets,” Ms. Farmer said. “Oh, I had a rat with a Santa hat. He was lovely.”

Did Santa, aka Ms. Farmer, just say that his/her preference is for baby ferrets and freakin’ rats? Call me crazy but I’ve never seen a magazine titled Rat Fancy or a book about ferret friendly bed and breakfasts.

Anyway, the article goes on to provide some hints on getting a good picture with Santa and pet.

Pet and talk to the animals as much as possible so they don’t get bored.

…and don’t just make small talk about the weather. Make the discussion substantive…like talking about the pros and cons of moving back to the gold standard or what we should do about contaminated dog food coming from China or the best way to create a bunny rabbit shaped poo.

The high-pitched sound of a whistle or a squeaky toy just before the photo is taken will usually alert the animals and cause them to prick up their ears and look attentive.

This is the type of advice that gets Santa bitten. Take it from a veteran, when someone blows a whistle in your ear the last thing you’re going to do is smile for the camera. Cheese…don’t just say it, give it…and you will see a pet smile a mile wide.

Dogs can sometimes be coaxed into posing with a treat such as a dog biscuit or treasured toy.

Bag the toy and make it a biscuit, or better yet some people food. Since we’re probably taking this picture at the mall, I’ll opt for the sweet and sour chicken that’s been sitting out for 5 hours from the Chinese “restaurant”. Mmm…tastes like kitty snickers.

Cats are often aloof and don’t respond as readily to bribery. To persuade cats to stay put for a shot, conceal a hot water bottle under a favorite blanket.

Better yet, conceal a .44 magnum under the blanket and threaten them with their life. They may be cold and aloof, but they’re not stupid. You’ll get the picture you’re looking for…unless the feline punk feels “lucky” that day.

Harassing pets to get a good picture does not work. They just become more agitated.

Not only is harassing a pet a bad idea, it could result in a restraining order. We wouldn’t want Santa arrested on Christmas Eve because he accidentally delivered a present to a home that had a restraining order out on him. Think of all the disappointed young pups on Christmas Day!

Here’s my advice…say no to pictures with Santa and yes to pictures with bikini clad poodles.

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Mr. Henry gave me a bark about some safety tips to keep in mind over the holiday season.

Decorating and putting up the tree are always fun to do, but there are some dangers to keep in mind when it comes to your furry friend.

Michael’s Pet Sitting of NYC shared this wonderful list of holiday pet safety tips:

• If you decorate with plants, be careful. Cats, dogs and birds can nibble household plants, and many, including mistletoe and some poinsettias, can make your pet very ill. Be sure your holiday greenery is out of your pet’s reach.

• The same is true if you have a Christmas tree. Put only unbreakable, nontoxic decorations at the bottom of the tree so there is no danger of your little ones batting a glass ball and breaking it, or of your pup chewing up your grandmother’s antique bubble lights.

• Why not put some kitty baubles or doggie toys on the lower branches instead? Or, if you have both pets and kids, put the tree and gifts into a playpen. It may not stop Kitty, but at least the tree won’t easily fall down if she climbs it.

• If you have a live tree, wrap the base so your pets won’t drink from the tree’s water, and keep the birds away from the tree. Many modern live trees are covered in chemicals that can be toxic to your little friends.

• It’s also important to be especially careful with candles. Your cat or bird may be enticed by the flicker of the flame, and could singe his whiskers or worse. Place glass “hurricane lanterns” or other attractive covers over candles to protect your home and your pets.

Those are just a few of the great tips given, go to A Happy And Healthy Holiday Season For Your Furry Loved Ones to read the full list.

If you’re in the New York City area and looking for someone to watch over your furry friends this holiday season, please consider Michael’s, (718) 748-9059.

* The cutie pictured is Jake, see what happens when you don’t read all the safety tips.

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I want to thank Mr. Henry and his mom for making me aware of some very important information.

There are five surprising foods that can be harmful to dogs that many people don’t know about.

Mr. Henry wanted to make sure all his Dogster pals stay healthy, his mom has a blog and posted this great advice.

There are several natural and seemingly healthy human foods are also harmful-even toxic-to dogs. So before you head to the kitchen to whip up fresh batch of canine casserole, read on to discover five surprising foods that are toxic to dogs.

Garlic & Onion: Though treated as a health food and often taken in supplement form by humans, garlic (along with its alliaceae cousins onions and leeks) is toxic-sometimes deadly-for pets, with reactions ranging from stomach damage to acute dermatitis to asthmatic attacks. Pets By Nature reports the story of a Pennsylvania woman who lost her Newfoundland to garlic poisoning: “Within two weeks of feeding a popular garlic supplement available at most pet stores and over the Internet, her Newfoundland developed a bleeding ulcer and perforated intestine.” The dog did not survive.

Grapes & Raisins: While not as toxic as members of the onion family, consumption of grapes and raisins can cause vomiting, dehydration and, in large quantities, kidney failure. The exact toxin present in grapes is not known, but scientists have established that both commercially and privately cultivated grapes, as well as raisins, present a risk.

Avocado: According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), avocado leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxic substance called Persin, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal unpleasantness in dogs. While a medium-sized dog would have to consume a substantial quantity of avocado (picture a big bowl of guacamole) to become seriously ill, even a little bit is enough to cause an upset tummy.

Macadamia Nuts: Not widely consumed outside of Hawaii, macadamia nuts pose a stealth risk to canine health. The nuts can cause macadamia nut toxicosis, resulting in soreness, stiffness, and listlessness, according to Working Dog Magazine. The condition usually passes in 48 hours, but can lead to shock in severe cases.

Nutmeg: This popular spice, commonly used to season cakes, vegetables and even lasagna, should never be found on your dog’s dinner plate. Nutmeg, which has mild hallucinogenic properties, can cause seizures, tremors, central nervous system problems in dogs. In severe cases, shock and death have been reported.

Looking for Fido friendly snacks?  Grab your leash and run on over to read about some healthy foods that can be added to your dog’s diet.

* The picture above is Tank, he knows the importance of healthy snacks.

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One of our Dogster members, Cecilia, contacted me because she wanted to share her story in hopes that it would benefit others. Her best friend, Ginger, was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Thanks to a radical new treatment, Cyberknife radiation, Ginger stands a fighting chance.

When everything goes wrong…and right.

“I’m very sorry, but the MRI shows a mass in Ginger’s brain.”

These words from neurologist Dr.Stephanie Kube, at the South Shore Animal Hospital in Weymouth, MA, set in motion a series of events that turned a simple trip to the vet into a mission to save my dog’s life. Ginger is a 10 yr. old Basenji/Shepherd mix, and had been incredibly healthy up until mid-August of this year. I brought her in for symptoms that I thought were signs of Lyme disease: lameness, lethargy, and tilting her head to one side. The MRI Dr. Kube reviewed showed a walnut sized tumor in the area of Ginger’s brain that affects balance and mobility. The tumor is surrounded by healthy brain tissue, so surgery was not an option.

Dr. Kube felt that Ginger was a good candidate for radiation, and mentioned a new treatment called Cyberknife. Thanks to the internet, I learned that this treatment entails only 1-3 sessions of radiation, as compared to 15-20 treatments for traditional radiation. Cyberknife also limits damage to surrounding healthy tissue, so side effects are minimized. This treatment was developed for humans, not animals. Read about it at http://www.accuray.com/patientinfo/index.aspx .

The only clinic in the US currently using Cyberknife on animals is The Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, NY  (www.animalspecialtycenter.com) I contacted Dr. Sandra Charney on Friday, August 22nd. Dr. Charney then spent most of her weekend contacting various co-workers to arrange to have Ginger analyzed the following Tuesday, followed by 3 days of Cyberknife radiation.

We are now at ten days post-treatment, and Ginger is doing well. No side effects that are visible, and she is a happy, wagging, food monster. She’s on prednisone for the next month, to keep her symptoms at bay while the radiation takes effect. I also have her on an ‘anti-cancer’ diet (high protein/low carb), K-9 Immunity supplements (www.k9medicinals.com), and fish oil.

It’s not possible for me to properly thank all of the people at The Animal Specialty Center, from Kim at reception, to the animal handlers and doctors. Dr. Charney came in on her day off for our initial consultation with Ginger, so that we could start the radiation the following day. For us, that meant only one 4 hour drive to New York for all of Ginger’s treatments. Ginger ran in the door of the building each morning, and emerged from anesthesia happy and stress-free.

Ginger will need an MRI in a few months, so we can monitor the size of the tumor. There are no guarantees that the radiation will work, as the tumor was not biopsied, so we don’t know exactly what kind of tumor/cancer it is. I feel confident that Dr. Kube, Dr. Charney, and everyone else involved in Ginger’s care gave me the best advice available.

The Animal Specialty Center has only been in operation since January of 2008, so it’s too soon to have full data on the prognosis for animals treated with Cyberknife. Ginger was number 45 to have this treatment, including cats and dogs. I hope to tell you in another year that Ginger is still with us.

I want to thank Cecilia, and gal pal Ginger, for taking the time to write this.  Seeing as this is a very recent event, and Ginger’s prognosis is still unknown, I know how hard it must have been.  By sharing this information, and getting the word out, other dog parents in the same situation will now know they have options. An option that may very well save the life of their best friend.

If anyone has a question about this procedure you can bark back in the comment section or stroll on over to Ginger’s homepage and leave her a message. Good luck Ginger, we’re rooting for you.

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Big woofs to canine guest blogger Nika, a Dogster member who believes that crate training can be beneficial for dogs and reduce stress.

My name is Nika, and I am a ten-year-old Siberian Husky. I won’t bore you with all the details of my puppyhood and crating issues. However, I’d like to share with you my take on crate training.

Bottom line is, crating can be cruel. It is often forced on dogs in extreme situations when the last thing the dog needs to deal with is learning to like a crate. I know… you humans are already saying I would never do that! I would never force my dog to into a crate if they didn’t want to go in, and I certainly wouldn’t do it if they were already under stress.

Well, I am here to tell you that there is a good chance a situation will occur in your dog’s lifetime when they will need to be crated.

When? Here is the short list: visiting the vet’s office, recovering from surgery, flying on a plane, staying in a hotel or motel. I won’t even get into how the use of a crate could have kept so many dogs from ending up at the local shelter.

I am loose in the house during the day, but that doesn’t mean I am not crate-trained. I often get refresher courses and have seen many dogs even at the age of ten like me learn to like crates! So please don’t ever give up on the crate training! I know a lot of folks think crates are cruel, but one thing I return to is if your dog ever in his or her lifetime needs to stay at the vet’s or wants to travel, being okay with a crate make those times so much easier on the dog.

Want to know how being happy in a crate helped me out? Well…

- I get to travel more often. I can’t stay in a hotel/motel without a crate. Because if the humans go out to eat, housekeeping could still come in and let me escape!

- I go to places with my humans and volunteer at events, and the crate is my place to go when I have had enough.

- I had masses removed from my liver. Imagine how much worse my stay at the vet would have been if I really hated my crate… in a dreaded vet’s office and forced into a crate.

-Recovery from liver surgery includes extreme risk of internal bleeding. Guess where I had to stay for my recovery. Yup, a crate! Without a crate I would have been able to jump on the couch and pull out my stitches. I could have bled to death.

- Recently we had an owner who contacted us because they have to move overseas and want the dog to come with them, but they never crate trained the dog. Now the poor dog is going to have a very stressful ride in a crate on an airplane or, even worse, will have to find a new owner.

So you humans may hate crates, but guess what? Sometimes they are necessary, and today is a better day to learn to accept them rather than a day when you really need one. There is a good chance your dog will have to go in one in the future!

Next week, I’ll post tips on how to teach dogs to like their crates.

More resources:

Guide to Crate Training a Puppy
Answers to Crate Training Questions
Behavior & Training Forum

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Cameron Woo, today’s guest blogger, is publisher of Bark, a must-read magazine for dog lovers.

People Have the Power
by Patti Smith

Listen. I believe everything we dream
Can come to pass through our union
We can turn the world around
We can turn the earth’s revolution

We have the power
People have the power

After more than ten years of publishing Bark magazine—the “voice of modern dog culture”—if I’ve learned anything at all it’s that every dog has his/her day. And that day has arrived (hallelujah) for dog people. It seems every strategist from Wall Street to Madison Avenue is acknowledging the newest demographic to mark a territory—people who love dogs.

Part of my job at Bark is selling advertising space in the magazine. Lately, the quest for reader demographics has been turned up several notches. Ad agencies representing companies large and small have been asking: How much do your readers earn? What kind of car do they drive? Do they vacation with their dogs? Buy organic? The interest is palpable. In a world where information is king, dog people are what they refer to as “impassioned enthusiasts” with a strong psychographic (attributes relating to personality, attitude, values and lifestyle). In short, we love dogs—and that makes us highly desirable.

You’ve probably seen those eye-opening stats in articles about the burgeoning pet industry—75 million dogs, a third of American households owning a pet dog, $30 billion spent annually. Yes, that’s you! Someone cares about you and your dog! Or, how your love of dog influences your spending and the social choices you make. Cue up those commercials with the adorable rescue dogs and their pet food, and the one featuring a lost dog and a credit card. These are aimed straight at the heart of dog people in a none-too-subtle effort to seize your sympathies and make that all powerful brand-consumer connection.

So, now that we have accepted our card-carrying membership in this new social group, what’s next? How about using this newfound power to make a difference? I’m reminded of the bumper sticker created by a few off-leash advocacy group: “I have a dog, and I vote.” Yes, it’s time to get involved and to let your opinions be known. Worthy causes abound. Not enough off-leash areas for dogs? The local shelter threatened by budget cuts? Is that anti-puppy mill legislation being stone-walled by special interests? Well, there’s good news, as a dog lover, you are part of a special interest group 100 million strong! That’s some special interest!

So, like it or not dog people, you belong to a community and a greater cause. You have responsibilities. Embrace them and learn to love it. As they say in my hometown, the Republic of Berkeley, everything is political. Shop wisely. Vote responsibly. Exercise your freedom of speech (hey you, pick up!). And help us take a giant leap forward for all dog-kind.

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Today’s guest blogger is Stacie Tamaki, Dogster member extraordinaire and guardian of famous pooch Kitai.

You’ve found Dogster.com. You’ve posted pictures and filled in your pet’s bio, and you check back for cool contests and promotions. You feed, walk, play with, groom, pet and adore your four-legged furry buddy. If you frequent the Dogster Forums, you even pretend you are your dog: posting away under their alias and making friends with other humans who will forever be known to you first as their dog’s name. BOL’ing instead of LOL’ing, I still laugh when people call me Kitai instead of Stacie in a private email or better yet on the phone.

But did you remember to build your dog its own personal blog? Using sites like Blogger, TypePad and Wordpress, you can create a blog for little or no cost and start spreading the word that a dog’s life just keeps getting better and better.

You may ask yourself, does your dog really need a blog? Hopefully it does. Hopefully your dog has a lot to say about the great way you care for him or her. I’ve found that having a blog, or in Kitai’s case a blog and entire website, is a great educational resource for other pet owners.

1. By including photos of your pet out on a walk, at the dog park, at a play date with another dog or hanging out at an outdoor cafe, if your city has them, your blog can show owners who normally don’t take their dogs outside of their homes or yards that they can do more with their pets than they realize. Kitai recently attended his first black-tie gala! And of course his trip to NYC last fall to be on tv was a huge and exciting adventure for both of us.

2. You can add a link list to help those interested in adopting a dog from a local shelter or rescue group. The clickable links make it easy for people to go and view dogs looking for homes in their local area and will introduce them to organizations they didn’t even know existed. If you know responsible, ethical breeders, you can include a preferred breeders list as well to steer people away from backyard breeders and pet shop puppies that support the puppy mill industry.

3. They’re a great way to help spread the word on the latest and greatest news in pet care. Grain-free food? A cool new reflective leash for night walking? An upcoming pet-friendly event? Help with behavior problems? You can post it all on your blog and help bring informative content to pet owners who don’t know about all of the products, services and events available to them to help care for and have more fun with their pets.

And if you build your pooch its own blog or website, don’t forget to order some inexpensive business cards online so you can pass them out to strangers who stop you on the street to chat about your pup. Recently I gave away all 250 of Kitai’s business cards, so I just ordered another 500.

Another great option if you want to use your Dogster Diary as your blog but have a fun domain name (url) to put on a business card? Go to a domain name registrar like GoDaddy and register a url like: www.FidoAndFifi.com. It costs about $8 per year to do this. Then forward the url to your Dogster page. Print www.FidoAndFifi.com on your business card, and when people go online and enter the url, it will take them straight to your Dogster page. FYI: .info would be more appropriate than .com as the extension unless you plan on building a commerce site using the same domain url in the future.

A cute card, that includes a photo of your pet and a url, that you can hand over when anyone ever says they are, or know someone who is, looking for a new pet to adopt is a fabulous way to help shelter dogs find forever homes. Just let them know you’ve created the local shelter/rescue link list and they can go and find them all in one place.

They’ll appreciate it! I promise. )

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Most of us don’t want to think about the time after we die and what will happen to those we leave behind. I mean of course our dogs and cats. But if you have pets its part of your job to think ahead and make sure you have a plan in place to care for them if you go to the Rainbow Bridge before them.

Thanks to Eddie Essig for barking in this reminder and this link to this excellent article on how to make sure your furfamily is cared for.

I don’t know if you happened to see this announcement about Noelle’s Mom, but it sparked my thought process:

This poor Dogster Mom suddenly passed away in her sleep at the young age of 47, and left behind 3 furkids with no one to care for them, thus giving them an uncertain future. What a scary thought!! In Snoop Dogs, along with the fun, I try hard to discuss important issues also, so I made this post concerning the matter:

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