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pet information that caters to your special friend

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Archive for April, 2020

Nothing will make your dog’s life calmer, happier and even safer than learning a few basic commands. You could start with “sit.”  It’s one of the easiest to learn and it’s also lets your dog know that you’re in charge and that he should obey you.  Teaching him to come is a little more of a challenge but it’s worth the effort.  You could imagine that this is important if he slips out of his dog leash and runs into the street.  “Stay” could be equally useful for keeping him out of harms way.  Another command that often comes in handy is “drop it.”  Time and again, you’ll be glad that he knows that one.  By teaching him these commands, you’ll lay the ground work for a happier relationship with your best friend!

Remember, your pets count!

Listen to the greatest oldies on Edgewater Gold Radio! The best variety from the 50s through the 80s! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website: Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Protecting Your Pet From Coronavirus

Wednesday, April 29, 2020
posted by Jim Murphy

In you weren’t aware, your dog and cat can get Coronavirus. Here’s a story published by ABC News on April 27th. Be careful and take care of your pets during this crisis.

After two feline friends in New York became the first U.S. household pets to test positive for the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pet owners should take the precaution of simply treating pets like “other human family members.”

Though there have only been a handful of known cases of animals becoming infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, the advisory issued last week suggests people apply the same social distancing measures to their pets as they do to family with whom they’re living.

That means keeping cats indoors and walking dogs on a leash at least six feet away from other animals and other people. And best to avoid dog parks.

Inside the home, it’s fine to interact with pets as you normally would, ideally with frequent hand washing and good pet hygiene. But if someone in the household gets sick, the CDC says pets should be kept a safe distance from that person — just like the human members of the family.

“Social distancing applies to your pets too,” said Veterinary Specialist Dr. Melissa Salgado. “They are at risk of developing this disease so it’s best to err on the side of caution.”

MORE: CDC adds 6 new possible symptoms of coronavirus

Salgado, who diagnosed one of the infected cats, added that testing for animals is more invasive than it is for humans and for now, routine testing is not recommended by the CDC.

“Testing requires swabs of the nose, of the mouth, and the conjunctiva of the eyes, as well as fecal testing,” Salgado said. “And there’s so many illnesses in pets that aren’t coronavirus that we aren’t advocating for widespread testing.”

According to the CDC, the two felines who tested positive for the coronavirus experienced mild respiratory symptoms and are expected to make a full recovery.

PHOTO: Arfa Yousuf, 8, holds he pet cat after completing her martial arts virtural belt test at her home in Richardson, Texas, April 23, 2020. (LM Otero/AP)
Remember, your pets count and thanks to ABC for this very helpful information!
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Outdoor Cats in Heat

Tuesday, April 28, 2020
posted by Jim Murphy

All females cats that were not spayed will come in heat at various stages of their lives. It is possible that a cat could come into heat as early as 4 months. Usually cats come in heat in the spring and summer months when the days are longer.  Cats stay in heat from four to six days.  They will come in heat every two to three weeks during this time. The cat will then come out of heat. You may ask when does this all end? It usually ends when the season ends or the cat mates.

Signs that a cat is in heat is rubbing her rear , head and neck on all objects. She will become overly affectionate.  You will then hear a kind of “howl”  which is the sound they make when trying to get the attention of her male callers.

If your cat is an outdoor cat and is in heat, I wouldn’t recommend feeding her outside or leaving her cat treats around outdoors or you may have lots of males coming for dinner!

Remember, your pets count!

Keeping your oldies flowing throughout this crisis and all the time on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio or listen from our website:  Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

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We’re continuing our journey with our cat Atlantis and his health status over the past several months. After his first visit to the vet and diagnosis of Hyperthyroidism and Kidney disease, he was given a prescription of Methamazole, and something to ease his upset stomach. Usually when one leaves the vet, they are confident that the treatment prescribed will begin to work.

In January about a day after my visit to the vet, Atlantis completely stopped eating, continued vomiting and became more listless and retreated to a quiet corner in our house. I became panicked when I noticed a small amount of blood in his feces.  We became very concerned and questioned whether or not the vet missed something during her evaluation of Atlantis. My partner and I began to get angry and after two days with no improvement we called the vet and said that we weren’t comfortable with this diagnosis. We took Atlantis back in and we were given the same results. Hyperthyroidism and Kidney disease was again the diagnosis. An Xray was taken of his digestive track. It didn’t not show anything abnormal and an appetite enhancer was added to his regimen of medications.

At one point, we were so concerned because Atlantis hadn’t eaten anything for about four days, that I began force feeding him through a syringe so I could give him some nutrition. We still were not satisfied. We were also thinking that maybe he was having a bad reaction to the Methamazole. Was he? We were about to find out stay tuned!

Remember, your pets count!

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A House of White Cotton

Sunday, April 26, 2020
posted by Jim Murphy

I wake up each morning and one of the first things that I do is walk around and pick up the white cotton balls all over the house. Not real cotton balls but the hair of our boy Atlantis. He’s a Siamese/Himalayan. Someone asked me “Do Himalayan Cats Shed?” Himalayan cats are the closest to hypoallergenic as cats can get. Yes, these cats do shed buckets, but they have less dander in there skin, so they will not necessarily make you sneeze that much.

Spring is the season for shedding so with this kind of cat, expect to be picking up those cotton balls throughout the season. The problem with Atlantis is that while grooming himself, I find fur hanging out of his mouth all the time. Make sure you keep that hairball medicine handy, you’ll be using it a lot!

Giving the shedding issue, these are beautiful smart  cats that you would be proud to own!  Just pamper them and treat them like a child and they will add much love to your family.

Remember, your pets count!

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Cats love to play but purchasing a variety of cat toys can get expensive. We are limiting our visits to stores during this Coronavirus situation.  So why not make your own? A tightly wadded ball of paper,an empty toilet paper tube, a ping pong ball or a brown paper bag are some of the simplest cat toys.  If you want to put a little more effort into it, tie three feet of string onto a stick and dangle it like a fishing pole. I used the plastic ring on a milk carton and attached it to a piece of string and it became my cat’s favorite toy.  You can also make a cat nip toy out of the top end of an old sock.  Just cut it off at the heel, put in some cat nip and stitch it closed. A plastic bottle with a secure lid can be partially filled with rice to make a rolling rattle.  Figure out what your cat likes, get creative and make sure that you always supervised her playtime when you make the toys.

Remember, your pets count!

The oldies are playing all the time on Edgewater Gold Radio—the greatest songs from the 50s 60s 70s and 80s. Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website: Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

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When our cat Atlantis was diagnosed with Kidney disease, our vet recommended putting him on a renal diet. The same suggestion was given when our cat Molly was first diagnosed with this disease. The result, both Atlantis and Molly didn’t touch this food. I was concerned because we need to keep them nourished and hydrated. The first thing I did was try to find out why a renal diet is recommended.  Here’s what I learned.

Research trials that have shown that restricted protein diets can prolong renal function. However, there is more to feeding a cat with compromised kidney function than simply restricting protein. The consequences of making poor dietary choices in these cats can be dire. A prescription renal diet means that the food contains less protein and lower phosphorus.

I needed to do more research to determine which food is lower in protein and phosphorus that my cats would eat. It took awhile but I did find a list of foods that were high quality and did contain lower phosphorus. It is hard to find non-prescription food that is low in protein so I had to compromise.

More on the continuous journey of Atlantis and his health isssues.

Remember, your pets count!

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If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably heard that pitiful “whimper” when you are trying to eat dinner.  You’ve seen those big eyes pleading with you to share just one small morsel of your delicious meal.  It’s tempting to oblige but don’t give in with food or attention.  Rewarding this behavior even once could lead to a chronic begging problem.  Eventually, aside from being unhealthy for your pet,  it will get rather irritating.  Always feed dog treats away from the table. If your dog already begs, give him a comfortable dog bed to lie on and a chew toy for him to keep him occupied while you eat.  If that’s not enough to distract him, you may need to confine him to a crate or another room during meal time.  Make sure that you feed him early so he’s not hungry during you dinner.

Remember, your pets count!

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Act Quickly When Pet Symptoms Worsen

Wednesday, April 22, 2020
posted by Jim Murphy

We are continuing our journey with our pet cat Atlantis and his health issues which began to develop shortly after he was adopted.  I was concerned that Atlantis seemed to be losing weight and noticed some diarrhea and increased urination. He didn’t seem to be ill and his vocal personality was still in full swing.

In January of this year, things quickly got worse and very concerning. Suddenly, I noticed Atlantis sleeping in a bed tucked in the corner of my home office. He preferred to remain isolated and his bubbly personality seemed to vanish. At this time his appetite diminished and he became constipated. It became very clear that Atlantis was not well.

I contacted our vet and set up an appointment. When I took Atlantis in,  he was given an overall examination and a blood test. I nervously sat in the waiting room and became anxious to hear the results. My suspicions were confirmed. Atlantis has kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. My vet indicated that she thought the kidney disease reading would drop when the thyroid is under control.

We were send home with a prescription for Methimazole for his Thyroid and some Laxatone to get things moving through his digestive system. For some reason, I still felt a little pessimistic after the visit to the vet. I always go with my emotions and usually I’m right. So were my feelings valid? Stay tuned.

Remember, your pets count!

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Rescuing Your Pet It The Event of a Fire

Tuesday, April 21, 2020
posted by Jim Murphy

Did you now that over 40,000 pets perish each year because of house fires and other disasters such as floods or hurricanes?  Cats run and hide very easily and this makes them difficult to locate them in the event of a fire or quick evacuation. I would recommend that you keep their pet carrier close at hand and close to the door. At least you won’t have to worry about searching for it if you need to get out in a hurry. Don’t spend too much time, I know this is difficult, but in the event of a fire, every second counts! If you can’t find you cat, leave it to the experts, just get out fast.

You should let rescuers know that there is a cat inside that needs to be rescued. Do this by purchasing decals that say “In case of a fire, please rescue cat.” Put them in a few prominent places and keep them there at all times.  Having a decal on the door or windows will let firefighters or police know right away that there is a pet inside that needs help!  These few seconds could mean life or death of a pet member.

Always have a plan that includes the rescuing of your pet in the event of a fire or other disaster.

Tomorrow our continuing story about Atlantis’s  an his health journey.

Remember, your pets count!

Keep the oldies playing on Edgewater Gold Radio, they continue all the time! Listen from our website: Edgewater Gold Radio.com or ask Alexa to “Play Edgewater Gold Radio”

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