Sometimes we feel the internet was made for cat videos… after watching all the amazing videos that were The Friskies award finalists was definitely one of those moments!  On November 14 in Los Angeles, an eager world received news of just which cats would receive the first-ever major industry award for Internet cat videos, “The Friskies.” And a blind cat named Oskar led the way… running away with their $15,000 Grand Prize! Watch all “The Friskies”-winning videos here. Of course we especially love that because of all your likes, votes, comments, and shares during “The Friskies” 2012 Internet cat video contest, Friskies® donated 250,000 cans of cat food to 25 cat rescue organizations across the United States. Friskies® says THANK YOU for helping us make a difference in the lives of rescue cats across America!

For more information about The Friskies donation program, visit: http://www.thefriskies.com/giving/

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Helping your new canine friend adapt to his  new home will be easier if you plan ahead. If you have all a dog’s basic needs in place you can focus on introducing him to his new surroundings and begin his training. [See all our other puppy and dog articles in our Doggie Tips section!]

Do your shopping in advance. If your choice is a puppy, you’ll need a collar and leash, a crate (a great aid in housebreaking), brush or hand mitt for grooming, toys that will be safe for the puppy, a bed for the puppy, as well as non-tippable, easy-to-clean food and water bowls. For more information, see our Puppy Necessities article.

If the puppy will be spending time outdoors when they are older, choose a well-insulated doghouse large enough to accommodate the puppy at its full-grown size. It should be located on a high, well-drained site protected from the wind. Choose a location that provides outdoor shade during the summer.

You’ll want the proper diet on hand to meet the special nutritional needs of your rapidly growing newcomer. Purina® brand Puppy Foods are formulated to provide the extra protein, calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients puppies require. Please remember: puppies have unique nutritional needs and benefit from a food formulated for those needs.

Select a veterinarian for your new puppy as soon as possible. Ask dog-owning friends and neighbors for recommendations. Choosing a veterinarian who is located nearby is a convenience and saves time if an emergency should occur.

Make arrangements with the person from whom you are getting the puppy as to the time you will pick him up. Avoid bringing home a new pet during busy times such as birthdays and holidays. Family members are generally too busy with the festivities to devote adequate time to help a puppy become comfortable in his new home. Ask that the puppy not be fed prior to pick-up time. This helps avoid the puppy’s becoming car sick on his way to its new home.

Once in his new home, remember that your puppy needs to adjust to strange new surroundings and people. Children can become especially excited. Explain to them that their new companion needs time out for naps. Show children how to pet the newcomer and the proper way to pick him up.

A puppy should be closely supervised and taken outside to relieve itself after eating, following naps and play periods.

As soon as possible after you adopt your puppy, take him to your veterinarian. At this time, a schedule can be worked out for needed vaccinations to protect your newcomer from a number of viral and infectious diseases. He should also be examined and treated, if necessary, for external and internal parasites.

Bring any immunization information you may have received when you adopted your puppy to your veterinarian to begin a case history for future reference. It’s a good idea to keep your own medical record. You may need it for reference if your pet’s veterinarian is not available.

Choose a name for your newcomer and use only that name in calling the puppy. In teaching a puppy its name, as in all training matters, 100 percent cooperation of all family members is essential. When a puppy is sent mixed signals, he can become confused and not respond to any of the contradictory signals.

Remember these key words and you’ll enjoy your new friends for years to come: Gentleness. Care. Patience. Consistency. Praise. Love.

 

Do you and your pets love Halloween? Show us your furry friend’s best Halloween photo. It can be your dog howling at the moon, your Orange Tabby playing with the pumpkin, or even your pup having fun in his favorite costume! Use your imagination and you could win an Adopt-a-Pet.com swag bag and a chance to be featured!

All you have to do is follow these three steps:

1. Follow @adoptapetcom on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook

2. Upload a Halloween inspired photo of your pet to your preferred social media account (make sure your account is set to public during the contest period for your entry to count). Make sure you are not using makeup or dyes on your pet or using a costume that can harm them in any way!

3. Caption the photo with hashtag #SpookyPets and tag @adoptapetcom in the pic

We want to see all of your pet’s spooky sides so feel free to enter often and with multiple pets! The contest will run October 4, 2017 through November, 4, 2017.

Submissions received will be judged based on creativity, originality, if your pet seems like they are having fun, photo quality, and adherence to the contest rules.

Please be sure to follow the photo guidelines when posting:

1. Pets in photos should be in a safe and relaxed environment, and you should not place makeup or dye on your pets. Please do not post photos in situations that could be harmful or stressful to your pets. If they are not having fun, don’t do it!
2. Photos must be visible to the public.
3. Entries must adhere to the Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter guidelines.
4. All photos must be original for entry to count.

One chosen winner will receive an Adopt-a-Pet.com goodie bag and will be featured on our blog and social media channels. Multiple stand out entries will be featured on social media throughout the contest period.

OFFICIAL RULES Continue reading “Trick or Treat! Awesome Contest Alert”

More pet owners are traveling with their furry friends and hotels nationwide are opening their doors to the practice. Several Web sites list welcoming facilities, allow you to make reservations online and offer reviews and advice from fellow travelers. Check out “petswelcome.com,” “petfriendly.com,” “bringyourpet.com,” “takeyourpet.com,” and “travelpets.com” or just search the Internet for “pet-friendly hotels.” Reviewing these options in advance can make the difference in how your trip unfolds.

Traveling By Car

Before taking your dog on a long trip, ask yourself these questions:
• Will your dog be welcome at the vacation destination?
• Will your dog enjoy the trip?
• Is your dog in good health?

If you’ve answered “yes,” accustom your dog to riding in a car. Begin with short rides each day and gradually increase the length of each ride. If your dog is unable to adjust to short rides, a responsible sitter or a boarding kennel is preferable. If you board him, make reservations well in advance, especially for summer months and major holidays.

• Do not feed your dog for at least three hours before leaving on a trip. Take your dog for a walk just before you start the drive and he will be more comfortable as the trip gets underway.
• During stops, provide fresh drinking water for your dog.
• Feed your dog shortly after you arrive at your destination or when you have stopped for the day.
• If your car has adequate space, using a carrier is the safest way for your dog to travel. Never put the carrier on the sunny side of the car where your dog may become overheated.
• If a carrier is not feasible for your dog, consider using a restraining harness. They come in different sizes to fit all breeds and are available at pet supply stores.
• Always put your dog on a leash before letting him out of the car. If you walk your dog on the highway at night, wear reflective strips on your clothing and place a reflective collar on your dog for visibility and protection.
• Never leave your dog in a closed car, even on a mild day. Temperatures in cars can rise quickly even if the windows are open slightly. The heat and insufficient air circulation can quickly lead to heat stress, suffocation and death.

Traveling By Air

• Try to avoid peak travel periods when delays and stopovers are longer. Traveling in extreme hot or cold weather may be dangerous if your dog must wait very long before loading and unloading. Plan a trip with as few stops and transfers as possible.
• Make hotel, resort and airline reservations for your dog well in advance. Some airlines have limited space for transporting pets.
• Some airlines allow small dogs to travel with their owner (generally for an additional charge) if the carrier fits under the passenger seat. Otherwise, rent or purchase a carrier or crate which meets airline regulations and affix a LIVE ANIMAL sticker. Mark it with your name and address and the name of a person who can be contacted about your dog at your destination if necessary.
• Put a cushion or blanket on the crate floor. Attach a water cup to the crate door. The cup should be deep, but not too full of water to avoid spilling.
• On the day of the flight, take your dog for a long walk before leaving for the airport.
• At the end of the trip, pick up your dog promptly.

Certain countries and island destinations require a quarantine period for animals at the owner’s expense. Ask your travel agent or the consul of the country you plan to visit about quarantines.

Health and Identification

• Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up-to-date.
• If the mosquito season begins earlier or ends later in the area you will be visiting, make sure you bring the appropriate heartworm protection.
• Be certain your dog is wearing an identification tag giving his name, your name and home address and telephone number including the area code.
• Take along color pictures of your dog and a written description of his colorings and distinguishing marks. Record your dog’s body size and weight. If he is lost, these identification aids could make the difference in locating him.

Packing for Your Dog

• Carry your dog’s health and rabies certificates with you. They may be needed if you fly anywhere or may be required if you board your dog during your trip.
• Pack your dog’s water and food bowls, grooming equipment and any heartworm or other medicine it may require
• If you are not certain that your dog’s usual diet will be available at your destination, take a supply with you to avoid digestive upsets which could be caused by a sudden diet change.

At your vacation site, observe all rules and regulations regarding pets. Confine your dog in a carrier or restricted space when leaving him alone. Your consideration will help keep dogs welcome guests.

Regardless of the reason for the switch, chances are you will need to transition your cat to a new food at some point in her life. When it’s time to make the change, try to take your time with your cat’s transition from one food to the next.

Cats have sensitive stomachs and may become ill or stop eating if their food is changed abruptly. This can happen when a new food alters the intestinal environment, which may lead to diarrhea, vomiting and a refusal to eat—that’s why it’s best to gradually wean your cat off the current food and onto the new one.

Our friends at Purina recommend using the “1/4 every 4 days” rule:

• Add 25% new food every four days until your cat is completely transitioned to the new diet.
• Start by feeding your cat 75% of her current food and 25% new food for the first four days.
• On the fifth day switch to 50% current food and 50% new food for the next four days.
• By day nine you should be feeding 25% “old” food and 75% new for the following four days.
• In a little less than two weeks your cat will be fully transitioned to the new food!

Dogs are social animals and bark for the same reasons humans speak: to communicate. Dogs do bark to warn and to sound an alarm, but they also bark in response to commands and at playtime. Like people, dogs can get lonely, fearful and stressed out. Their barks often give insight into their state of being.

Researchers have studied dog barks under different conditions to assess their range of tones. Findings show a contented dog’s bark is round and harmonious. An unhappy or distressed dog, on the other hand, tends to have a repeat, high-pitched, unpleasant bark. In either case, the dog is sharing information and inviting a response from its listeners.

Sudden onset shortness of breath, apparent weakness, or a distended abdomen might be signs of heart disease in either your cat or your dog. But all too often, there are no symptoms, so your pet’s best bet is regular visits to the veterinarian.

Jonathan Abbott, a Cardiologist at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, says there are a number of ways to diagnose heart disease in pets: “x-rays of the chest, electrocardiography and cardiac ultrasound or echocardiography are the tests most commonly used.”

Your veterinarian will also be able to listen for a heart murmur and use a blood test to check for heartworm. Once diagnosed, there are treatment options that will enhance both the quality and length of your pet’s life.

When the family pooch is eating like a racehorse, drinking water like there isn’t enough left on this blue planet, and requiring walk after walk to relieve himself, something is wrong! What’s going on with your friend?

Your dog may have diabetes mellitis, the most common hormonal disorder of dogs. The disease is caused by a lack of insulin, the hormone that regulates how sugar is absorbed and used by cells and tissues in the body. It most often afflicts dogs between the ages of five to seven and female dogs are more susceptible than males. Obesity seems to be a risk factor. So if you notice your pooch displaying signs of extreme hunger, thirst or urination, contact your veterinarian. Diabetes is manageable!

Giardia and cryptosporidium are two pesky parasites that can affect an animal’s small intestine, causing diarrhea and cramping. These nasty organisms are transmitted when a form of the parasite called the cyst is shed in one animal’s stool and consumed by another dog or cat.

Dwight Bowman, a professor of Parasitology at Cornell University, says that when the animal ingests drinking water or puddle water or pond water, or eats something that’s contaminated with the cyst, they can get infected. He says that if your dog has diarrhea, diagnostic tests will help determine the cause.

Fortunately, if giardia is to blame, you don’t need to worry about picking it up from your pet. Bowman says there’s no evidence that the species infecting dogs also infects humans.

Planning for a Lifetime of Mobility

Normal wear and tear on joints occurs daily throughout your dog’s lifetime. Cartilage protects your dog’s bones and joints from the friction caused by everyday movement.

Natural glucosamine, a building block of cartilage tissue, can help maintain cartilage for healthy joints and mobility. That’s why Purina has created adult dog formulas that contain guaranteed levels of natural glucosamine, so you can help your dog stay active and healthy for a long time to come.

CARTILAGE

What is cartilage?

Cartilage is a tissue found at the ends of bones in the joint areas, that acts as a cushion. It is composed of a sponge-like mass of cells, together with proteins, special substances that hold water, and the water itself. Glucosamine serves as a building block to create these special water-holding substances.

What is cartilage?

Cartilage is a tissue found at the ends of bones in the joint areas, that acts as a cushion. It is composed of a sponge-like mass of cells, together with proteins, special substances that hold water, and the water itself. Glucosamine serves as a building block to create these special water-holding substances.

Why is it important?

Healthy cartilage is absolutely essential for proper joint function and overall mobility. Happy, healthy, active dogs need healthy cartilage and a diet that supports overall well-being, including joint health.

Where does glucosamine come from?

Glucosamine occurs naturally in several common dog food ingredients. Purina uses several poultry and meat sources and guarantees the level of glucosamine in several of their adult dog formulas. Glucosamine is also produced in the body itself.

Does natural glucosamine benefit senior dogs only?

No! Wear and tear on cartilage occurs over a lifetime, so glucosamine helps maintain your dog’s joint health throughout life.

How does the body maintain healthy cartilage?

Chondrocytes are cells present in the cartilage of joints. These cells use glucosamine and other compounds supplied by the diet or produced within the body to make and maintain proteins and the water-binding substances in the cartilage. This allows the cartilage to function as a shock absorber.

What role does glucosamine play in joint health?

As a building block of cartilage, glucosamine can help support joint health and mobility.