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Megaesophagus is mouthful of a name for a rare condition that affects dogs, cats, and humans too! Those in the know refer to it as “ME” or “Mega E” and many are passionate about spreading the word to help pet owners and potential adopters understand that megaesophagus can be managed and dogs can lead fairly normal lives with ME. Sadie Mae is a shelter volunteer who is doing just that, and she’s documented her discoveries in a wonderful in-depth article here about her personal journey of ME discovery. “As a volunteer at various shelters, I had heard of this condition only once before and knew it had something to do with the esophagus and the digestion of food,” she writes. “After speaking with members of Megaesophagus Support Groups, I have learned a great deal about the condition, and I certainly do understand how overwhelming this condition, with possible underlying conditions and varying degrees of severity and symptoms, can be.” Read on to find out more about ME and see if you’re one of the compassionate adopters who are willing to incorporate the routine of a homeless Mega E Baby into your home!

So what is megaesophagus? “Megaesophagus refers to a syndrome in which the esophagus becomes weak and flaccid, and subsequently becomes much larger than normal, hence the term megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is diagnosed by taking radiographs (x-rays) of the chest,” says the Michigan Veterinary Specialists. A pet with ME needs the help of gravity to transport food to their stomach after they eat. They don’t throw up, but rather regurgitate their food before it reaches their stomach.

While for many pets there is no cure (see “Will it ever go away or be cured” in the veterinary publication here), there are proven management techniques that help many ME dogs and their owners enjoy long and happy lives together! A good DMV is key for proper diagnosis. Depending on the type and severity of the ME, they can help owners figure out if and which medications and surgery will help the most. One of the more popular – and quite adorable – techniques is the use of a “Bailey Chair” to help an ME pup stay upright. Above you can see a photo of adorable JellyBean sitting in his chair just chillin after his dinner! You can read more of Sadie’s stories and information in her in-depth article here.

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A compassionate pet person I know recently was pontificating about how amazing it was how much we enjoy having pets, despite the difficulties they can put us through with say, destroying our couch, or otherwise emptying our wallets. Pets provide us with so much joy and love, most pet owners will agree they are worth the occasional challenge a hundred times over! Obviously the love they give and enjoy receiving is a huge part of the connection we feel to the animals we tame and take care of as our own. There’s many reasons 60% of US households include pets, and why studies have shown pet owners reap health benefits including leading longer healthier lives. But as I was reading Ten Simple Things You Can Do to Be Happier, Backed by Science (looking for a mention of pets, and finding none) what caught my attention was the before and after mediation images of the brain, shared below. “Meditation literally clears your mind and calms you down, it’s been often proven to be the single most effective way to live a happier live.” Now try saying that sentence, replacing meditation with a favorite quiet activity with your pet…

For me, one would be, “Snuggling with cats and dogs literally clears your mind and calms you down, it’s been often proven to be the single most effective way to live a happier live.” I could just as easily say enjoying the sunset with my dog on the couch in the back yard, or brushing my foster cat till he flops over and shows me his bunny belly!

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You may have seen them already: big and small, yellow ribbons tied to a dog’s collar or leash. No, the dog isn’t necessarily welcoming home a war veteran! The ribbon is sending you a very visible message through a simple and pretty medium! Think of a yellow stoplight telling you to go slow. The Yellow Dog Project is a global movement for parents of DINOS aka Dogs In Need Of Space. Having fostered quite a few DINOS, I know how difficult walking them through public spaces can be! For shy foster dogs, bringing them to areas with people was part of their socialization, but taking it slow as their trainer recommended wasn’t always easy. I had to always on the alert for overly friendly people who might, in their well-meaning way, bend down and try to give my fearful or shy pooch a rough pat on the head, sending them scooting behind my knees in terror. Through social media, physical awareness, as well as educational courses for kids and parents, TYDP hopes to remind people to ask before petting, to help owners of other dogs recognize a dog that’s not interested in meeting their dog, is sick, and other situations where a dog needs some extra space. “They are not necessarily aggressive dogs but more often are dogs who have issues of fear; pain from recent surgery; are a rescue or shelter dog who has not yet had sufficient training or mastered obedience; are in training for work or service; are in service; or other reasons specific to the dog.”

We’ve so happy to hear that TYDP flyers in different languages have been spotted in dog parks around the world! So how can you get flyers for your town? Flyers and tear sheets are available for free downloading at their website www.theyellowdogproject.com or you can purchase 100 pre-printed business-card-size posters, a bumper sticker, magnet, tee shirts and more. The Yellow Dog Project is a non profit organization, and all of the monies raised/donated are used to buy more material for ribbons, t-shirts for representatives, and posters for display.

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You probably know by now that usually our Happy Beginnings stories come to us straight from the adopters who’ve given a homeless pet their new happy beginning. (If you have a happy adoption story thanks to Adopt-a-Pet.com, we’d love to hear from you! Email your story with a photo attached to info@cms.adoptapet.com.) But today we have a Happy Beginnings story direct from a rescue that lists their pets for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com!  Half The Way Home Rescue sent us this story about Gia & Gigi as part of their application for an Adopt-a-Pet.com Happy Beginnings Fund, which helped create more “Happy Beginnings” with grants for adoptions programs at shelters and rescues. Half The Way Home writes…

“It was Sept. and the middle of kitten season in the south.  half the way home had just completed all paperwork for set-up and was ready to help. The responsibility, results, and reality of animal rescuing lay before us…we were nervous.

I (Vicki) went to the county animal control facility, as I had done for several years, but this time was different. I could now help instead of simply plead for help.  In the isolation room, awaiting their fate, were the bite cases, eviction cases, arrest cases, feral cats, feral kittens, and orphaned kittens. I went in to see who we could help.  Smooched up against the back of the cage, behind the litter box, were two sets of tiny ears…I never saw their faces…just their ears. “I’ll take those two,” I said. The animal control officer said, “There are three of them.” “Okay, I’ll take all three then.”

Gia, Gigi, and Pixie, three little feral kittens, were now half the way home. The three kittens went to a foster mom who had retired from the Dept. of Natural Resources –a woman well-versed in working with wild creatures of all sorts. A month later, the girls were attending adoption events. Gia came to an all-day, outside art show one Sat. in November. She was such a hit! All the kids pet her and played with her. Gia was so very gentle and affectionate – nary a feral bone in her body. A young girl named Karma fell in love with her; but her mom said, “Not today, Honey”.  Mom took one of our cards and we all parted ways.

Two weeks later, we got an email from mom…she said she and Karma had been looking online at bunches of kittens but Karma just kept saying she wanted Gia!  Mom wanted to know if Gia was still available. She was. She and her sisters were set to be spayed and would be ready to go soon. Pixie had already found her home and went a couple days after her surgery. That was perfect because mom wanted to surprise Karma on Christmas with Gia and Gigi! Their foster mom kept the two girls until Christmas Eve and then delivered them to mom. Karma was not only surprised…she, Gia and Gigi were all very happy girls!

Three little feral kittens ALL the way home… what better way could we start.”

We’ve heard all of the untrue and often downright, absurd stereotypes before. You know, “shelter pets are aggressive” or “shelter pets have all been abused.”  It’s enough to really scare off some adopters not only from saving the life of an animal that really deserves a chance, but experiencing the tremendous gifts that rescue animals have to give. As it turns out, by and large, shelter pets are soulful animals that have been known to pay back adopters tenfold with gratitude and love.  They are fun-loving, silly, and loyal. Shelter pets are just like any other pets. In an effort to help spread awareness of how terrific shelter pets are, we’re asking those of you on Facebook to click on this link and “SHARE” the image with your Facebook following, and the rest of you can share this post by using the share options below! Because the truth is, the ONLY thing wrong with shelter pets is that they are in a shelter!

My favorite books from my childhood that I remember the most clearly are ones that told a moral tale, wrapped up in an imaginative story. The Little Red Hen was one I asked to have read to me over and over, and aside from making me love chickens (as friends not food!) I really do believe it helped me understand me the value of patience, hard work, and the fruit – delicious bread – I’d get to eat as the result of my labors. When an acquaintance I admire told me she’d written a children’s book, I was intrigued. Author Denise Fleck  is not only a talented writer, she is the Past President of the Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter, has her own line of pet first-aid kits, and she’s been on many TV shows demonstrating Pet First-Aid & CPCR. While she has written a series of animal care pocket guides, her latest book is a beautifully illustrated children’s story, Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover. Here’s more about this modern moral tale which can help teach children not to make judgements based solely on appearances – not just pets, but people too…

“Mary-Alice and her friends like pretty clothes and hanging with the in-crowd, but when she requests a puppy for her birthday, her parents decide the fluffy one with the pink bow in the pet store may not be the best choice. Instead Mary-Alice ends up at the local Animal Shelter where she not only saves the life of a loving older dog, but learns that once you look beyond the plain cover of things, you can be treated to the true joys that lie underneath! Looking beyond the cover is truly canine in that dogs do not judge others based on their income, beauty or status. They live in the moment rejoicing in every kindness they are shown. Humans, young and not-so-young, can learn pawmazing lessons from our four-legged friends and when they Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.”

And with that, we present the cover of the book, and one more illustrated page below! You can purchase Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover on Amazon.com click here.

While most of our Happy Beginnings stories come from adopters, we do hear some amazing stories of happily adopted pets from the shelters and rescues that list their pets for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com too! Here’s one now, from the S.A.V.E. Rescue Coalition in Santa Fe, Texas from their Happy Beginnings grant application: “One of our favorite “Happy Beginnings” tales is of Callie, a small maltese mix. Callie was abandoned with what are believed to be her daughters in a trailer park in a small town outside of Houston. The three pups were filthy, cold and tired, but glad to be in the pound. The small pound filled up quickly and their time was up, so a volunteer called us and asked if we could take them. We took in all three and the two younger ones were adopted shortly afterward together to a wonderful family. Little Callie had a very bad skin condition and battled it for three months, going from a mangy, ragged pup to a budding beauty. Her trouble was not up yet, as she was taken on a sleepover by a couple but returned as her skin issue had still not completely resolved. No one could figure out why her face would not heal. Finally, one of our great vets, looked at her teeth and she had a very bad abscess that was continually breaking through to the skin on her face. Mystery solved. The tooth came out and she was really on the mend this time. Throughout all of this she was a little trooper, never grumpy and always loving to her foster mom and family. Her hair on her face was still growing in but we decided that it was time to go out and meet the public again. We had our new trailer out for the second time and Callie was at the event. She was out getting ready to take a walk when this lovely couple walked in. They were there to see another dog but their eyes fell on Callie, with her slightly crooked smile and it was love at first sight. Callie had found her forever home. After some questions, an application, and a meet and greet with her new Doxie brother, Callie went “home” for the first time in months. She came back to visit a few days later, and although she was still very friendly, she was ready to go back to her “mom” right away. She knew she was where she was meant to be. As her foster mom, I missed her so much, but was so glad that she had found her very own home. Attached are pictures of Callie at the shelter, during her recovery and with her new family.”

Callie and her pups at the shelter

Callie healing

 

Cat bites are serious! A small bite from a cat or kitten may seem like not a big deal, especially if you were playing with your kitten and oops one of their teeth gave you a tiny pin puncture. But this is one situation where your immediate actions can be the difference between a momentary ouch – and days spent in the hospital with multiple surgeries. I am not exaggerating!  A cat’s teeth are like sharp needles. There is bacteria on your skin and a lot of bacteria in their mouth. When a cat tooth punctures your skin, it pushes bacteria into the wound, which because of the tiny opening size, often closes up quickly, sealing the bacteria inside. This is why even tiny cat bites should not to be ignored.  Bites to the hand are particular prone to getting infected, because hands have so many bones and lower blood circulation than other parts of the body. So what should you do if you’re bitten by your cat or kitten?

The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine recommends taking these simple steps below if you are bitten by a cat. Disclaimer: The information presented here is not intended to take the place of professional medical advice. If you are bitten by any animal, always consult your physician for his/her recommendations.

1. Immediately and thoroughly wash the wound with plenty of soap and warm water. The idea is to remove as much dirt and saliva—and therefore, bacteria—as possible. It may hurt to scrub a wound, but an infection will hurt a lot more. Scrub it well and run water over it for several minutes to make sure it is clean and all soap is rinsed out.

2. It is a good idea to follow the washing with an antiseptic solution, such as iodine or other disinfectant, but always wash with soap and water first.

3. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover the wound with gauze or a bandage.

If the wound is severe, if you notice any signs of infection (pain, reddening, and swelling), or if you have any of the risk factors listed on their page here, seek medical advice at once. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics, and may have you come in daily for an IV antibiotic drip if the bite is infected.

There are myths and conflicting advice surrounding indoor cats and what is best for their health. Though cats have been domestic pets for more than 9,500 years (and so well-loved they were buried in human graveyards!), keeping cats as “indoor-only” pets has only risen in popularity in the last 100 years or so. As our cities expanded, so did urban and sub-urban dangers to free roaming cats, and caring cat owners learned the best way to keep their cats safe was to keep them indoors.  This may be one reason why what is best for an indoor-only cat’s health is still the subject of differing opinions and debate.  One of the biggest concerns potential pet parents have about cats they adopt is their health. We were fortunate enough to have the chance to ask a well-credentialed expert, Dr. Mary Beth Leininger with the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program, frequently asked questions about adopting pets’ health, including about indoor cats. Dr. Leininger is a former President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and co-owned a successful, American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)-accredited companion animal hospital in Michigan for nearly 30 years. Read on for the 3rd and final installment of our short series of shelter pet health Q&A articles, here’s the 1st article, and here’s the 2nd. Click the more link to read what Dr. Leininger has to say about indoor cat health, and along with some indoor-cat health tips from some other cat experts too!

Question: If I adopt a healthy cat and keep her indoors only, does she ever need to see a vet?

Dr. Leninger’s Answer: “Even if your cat is strictly an indoor cat, it’s very important for all cats to receive regular veterinary care, including a complete checkup and screening tests at least once yearly. One important factor to consider when determining your cat’s vet visit frequency is its age or stage of life. If your cat is a senior (11 years of age or older) or experiencing ongoing health issues, visiting the vet twice a year should be common practice. This allows the vet to assess your cat’s overall health and catch any conditions that often surface as a pet ages before they advance. Particularly when a cat is young and healthy, it’s a great idea to have a cat insurance plan to help lend a hand with a cat’s care over his or her life.”

Indoor Cat Health & Happiness Tips

There’s no question that cats who live indoors-only live longer, healthier lives.  Since health is directly related to happiness and lack of stress, and it is up to us cat caretakers to always be adding new hunting, watching, chasing, pouncing, sniffing, hiding, and listening enrichment to their indoor environment. Here are four ideas for doing just that!

1. One way to keep your indoor-cat entertained is to give them lots of interesting and changing things to look at from their safe haven. Here’s a few ways you can give your cat a view.
   
2. Some cats are “alpine explorers” who like to climb and get up as high as they can! They are the ones you’ll see at the top of the cat trees in a shelter’s communal cat room, who can nap on the back of the couch or on the narrowest bookshelf edge way up above your head. You can celebrate their mountaineering skills by creating indoor alpine kitties skyways and penthouses for their (and your!) enjoyment. Here’s one idea: a DIY sisal pole & perch video.
   
3. Some cats are “cave dwellers” who like to hide in closets, under beds, and in cardboard boxes. Well, pretty much every cat I’ve ever met likes cardboard boxes! You can enrich your indoor cat’s life by helping a friend move and then recycling those boxes, or be inspired by this amazing video of a caring cat owner creating a cardboard box cat castle in this video.
   
4. Some cats love treats and really enjoy being treated for doing tricks! Tricks-for-treats training is a great way to provide mental stimulation for an indoor cat. Some tricks cats enjoy doing are coming when called, jumping up onto something on command, sitting, and sitting up. See one kitty (who’s for adoption!) do these cat tricks in this video.

Bad pet breath is not just an unpleasant odor – it can be a sign of dental disease! Just like with people, your pet’s teeth wear down over time and periodontal disease and infections can set in. And just like with people, dental disease untreated can lead to more serious problems, including heart and kidney disease. But unlike with people, your pet can’t point to their mouth and say when they have a toothache. This is why it is so important to prevent problems before they occur and get regular vet checkups to spot problems if they exist. There are many special toys and treats designed to help keep your pet’s mouth clean, but on top of regular cleanings with your vet, you really should learn to brush your pet’s teeth. Our friends over at PetParents know this isn’t the easiest mission to accomplish with dogs and cats! They have a simple three-step process you can follow to get your pet used to teeth brushing (click that link) if they’re not so keen on the idea at first.