If you want to do something wonderful in 2014, why not adopt a pet?  Studies show that owning a loving dog or cat can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduce depression, anxiety and loneliness.  It’s also believed that developing a close bond between you and your pet, offers significant social, physiological and psychological benefits. Owning a dog appeals to and is beneficial to people of all ages. According to Animal League of America, children learn responsibility, value for life, socialization and have higher self-esteem while adults and seniors enjoy the companionship and the feelings of self-worth and purpose that taking care of an animal instills. Pet owners smile more, laugh more and form special friendships with other animal owners and lovers. So do your self a favor, adopt a pet in the new year!

Remember, your pets count!

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Any changes to your dogs diet should always be made gradually. Take five to seven days and mix in the new food and gradually decrease the amount of the old food.

What do you do if you have to switch your dogs food quickly due to a food recall or an illness related to diet?

There are some things that you should do.  Find a similar dog food. For example, if your dog was eating a chicken and rice formula, purchase a new brand containing chicken and rice. Read the ingredient list. If you can match up the first few ingredients, the foods will be fairly similar.  Avoid big changes to the percentage of protein, fat and fiber whenever possible. Once you start the new dog food, offer your dog a small meal at first.  If he eats it and then has some stomach trouble, offer another small meal a few hours later. Gradually, you should be able to increase the size of the meals and decrease the frequency of them until your dog is back on his normal schedule.  If, for some reason, your dog doesn’t eat the new food, offer him anything including some treats. It’s ok if he gets a little hungry. Continue offering him the new food every four or six hours.  If you can’t get your dog to eat the new food after 48 hours, consult your vet for a new formulation.

Remember, your pets count!

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This happened twice this week to people that I know very well. My brother’s dog, a wire terrier suddenly got sick. He began vomiting, stopped eating and became listless and was lying on his back obviously in pain. My brother immediately took him to the vet. The vet found an intestinal infection caused by something he had ingested. It could have been from Thanksgiving since there was lots of food around. He could have gotten into the garbage and swallowed something. The good news is that my brother did not waste any time and their dog was given pet medication by the vet which cured the problem.

Another friend very recently noticed that her cat was not making it’s usual trips to the litter box and was acting sort of strange and listless. She rushed the cat to the vet and it was determined through X rays that there were staples in it’s intestine. The vet thought that they were not ingested but were left there during a botched neutering years ago. This story is still unfolding but the cat may have to have surgery to remove them.

It both of the above cases, the owners did not waste any time. If you notice any abnormal behavior in your pet, do not try to cure them yourselves. Get them to a vet right away. You’ll probably be glad you did!!

Remember, your pet count.

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Normally, cats have a longer life span than dogs, I should say “indoor” cats. A cat that lives outdoors has a greatly reduced life span due to many circumstances. These include, getting into fights with other animals, extreme weather conditions, getting hit by cars, poisoning and many other conditions. If your cat is 12 years old, what would be the equivalent human age? The following chart  obtained from Healthy Pets.Com outlines the life stage, actual age of the cat and the human age equivalent.

 STAGE                               CAT AGE                                   HUMAN EQUIVALENT

1. Kitten                                   1 to 6 months                                                 1 to 10
2. Junior                                   7 months to 2 years                                    12 to 24
3. Prime                                   3  to 6 years                                                    25 to 43
4. Mature                                 7 to 10 years                                                  44 to 56
5. Senior                                   11 to 14 years                                                60 to 72
6. Geriatric                              15 to 25 years                                                76 to 116

Remember, your pets count

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These days it’s not uncommon to walk down the street and see pets adorned in all manner of human clothing. Paris Hilton helped to popularize the trend; her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, practically served as a fashion accessory in her own right. Hilton would parade around with the dog peering out of a purse or handbag, and it was almost always decked out in miniature pink apparel.

Dog coats aren’t just stylish statements, however – they have a more practical purpose as well. Now that the air has turned chilly and snow will soon be falling in many parts of the country, a puppy parka or rain slicker is an essential part of any walking routine. Even though dogs’ natural fur is usually enough to keep them warm, it doesn’t always cut it in harsh conditions.

Remember, your pets count!

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One day, a customer raced into a hardware store in south western Wisconsin and told the manager that there was  what sounded like a kitten yowling loudly inside of a pickup truck. The manager ran out to investigate and he heard the sound of  the frantic kitten too. The sounds were  coming from inside a wheel well. But the manager couldn’t see the kitten. The manager whose name was Bob ran back into the store and told a staff member to call the Humane Society and the police department. He asked another staff member to try to find the owner of the vehicle.  Bob got his tools and crawled under the truck. He saw the kitten but could not get to him.

Soon the animal control officer showed up, as did a patrolman. A television station crew showed up too alerted by a report on police radio scanner!

Bob still worked hard and he finally freed the tiny kitten, pulled him out and handed him over to the animal control officer. The TV Crew interviewed them and the segment aired that afternoon and evening. The kitten went to the Humane Society where it was examined and later adopted.

I love this true story because we live in a world where cats are so often devalued, there are ordinary people who will urgently do everything in their power to save a helpless kitten.

Remember, your pets count and have a Merry Christmas!

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The Christmas holiday is here and we should keep some things in mind to keep our furry friends safe. Some are quite obvious, others may not be.

• Don’t leave your older dog outside in cold, damp wet weather. Make sure he is always in a warm, dry place.
• If you have an open fire, always use a fire guard and be aware of hot radiators.
• If your dog is not used to getting left overs, don’t give them to him over the holidays. They may upset his stomach. Never give your dog alcohol of any kind.
• Car Anti freeze is sweet tasting and irresistible, but fatal to dogs (and cats). Mop up any spills as even a small amount could kill.
• Make sure that the front door is not left open by guests. Your dog may run out and get hit by a car.
• If your dog is not comfortable around people that he doesn’t know, provide a safe , quiet place for him.
• Keep up with his usual routine. A change in his routine could stress him out.
• Keep your dog out of the kitchen while your cooking. He could get under foot and cause you to trip with a hot plate or pan in your hand.
• Poinsettias and Amaryllis – These are popular plants around the holidays but are poisonous to your pets. Don’t keep them around the house.
• Never keep sharp objects around.

Have a safe, happy holiday with your pets. Thank you for your support this year. We look forward to bringing you more important and entertaining information about your pets in 20141

Remember, your pets count!

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I receive so many holiday cards featuring the cutest pictures of our pets. Some pets refuse to be photographed while some are just hams! Always have treats handy to reward your pet for sitting still, even if it’s just for a second or two. Make sure that you get some new toys for them. Both of my cats of so many toys and swing sticks that I don’t know what to do with them but every year, they get some more and they seem to play with the new ones more than the old ones. Have a great holiday. Spend your holiday with all of your great holiday favorites on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK.

Are your cats included in the Nielsen ratings?  I don’t think so but some cats are fascinated by the television. What is the reason for this? There was a study where cats were shown a variety of images on TV programs. The most popular programs depicted birds, rodents and fish — natural prey for felines. One possible reason that some cats like to watch TV is that they may have a higher prey drive and are more likely to be attracted to the quick movements of objects across the screen. The TV may be a good escape to a cat who is bored.  It a good idea to try to interact with a cat who is “glued” to the TV. They may get frustrated when they realize that they can’t catch the prey that they see on the screen. To distract her, give her some toys to play with. Even though seeing a cat watch TV is cute, you wouldn’t want to encourage her to go after the mouse running around on the TV screen!

Remember, your pets count!

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I was in real estate and one of the most annoying things to me is that so many of the condos and co-ops in Bergen County, N.J. do not allow pets! This made my job a lot more difficult because according to a recent apartments.com survey of more than 1,000 renters around the U.S., nearly 90% who responded said that they have an animal. More than 80% said an animal friendly policy played a major role in where they chose to live. 30% sought out an apartment in close proximity to desirable animal amenities such as dog parks, walking trails and a veterinary office.  Nothing annoys me more than a co-op or condo complex that does not allow pets. They’re too lazy to develop and enforce rules and regulations! Face it animals and a part of most of our lives. These places should get with the program or they may stay vacant for a very long time and it serves them right. If you are lucky enough to live in a pet friendly building, follow the rules, walk your dog in designated areas, keep him on his dog leash and clean up after him. If you own a pet, don’t even consider a co-op in Bergen County, NJ. The rules are ridiculous and pets are out without a doubt!!