Pet Lover's Expo

If you are considering adopting a new furry friend head down to the Pet Lover's Expo this Saturday, April 28th, from 9am-4pm at Our Lady of Angels Parrish in Randolph, VT. Our Lady of Angels Parrish is located at the corner of Route 66 & Heberd Hill Rd. which is just off of Exit 4 on I-89.  The Central Valley Humane Society and other animal rescue groups will be there with dogs and cats who are looking for forever homes. For more information please contact Carmella at 802-431-3540.

Protect Your Dog From Ticks

The days are getting longer and warmer and you can't wait to spend more time outside with your furry four-legged best friend. Before you head outside make sure your dog is protected from ticks and the diseases they can transmit. In our area the three types of ticks you are most likely to find on your dog are either the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the Black-legged or Deer Tick (Ixodex scapularis) or the Woodchuck Tick (Ixodex cookei).
  The adult American Dog Tick is whitish gray in color and has a more elongated body than the Deer or Woodchuck Tick. It can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis. The adult Deer Tick has a rounded reddish brown body and is the tick most people have heard of because it can transmit Lyme's Disease to both dogs and people. The Woodchuck Tick looks a lot like the Deer Tick, but unlike the Deer Tick which waits on vegetation for a host to come along the Woodchuck Tick lives in the burrow of it's host. The Woodchuck Tick can transmit the Powassan virus which is a form of encephalitis.
  How can you protect your dog from ticks and the diseases they transmit? You can apply a once-a-month topical such as Frontline Plus which will kill the ticks before they have a chance to transmit any diseases or use a tick collar which usually kills ticks within 24 hours. The downside of the collar is that the tick has to come in contact with the collar in order for it to be killed. There is also a vaccine for dogs for Lyme's Disease available from your veterinarian. In addition to these measures it is a good idea to check your dog for ticks after being outside. If you do find any ticks remove them using a tick removing tool such as the Tick Twister or Ticked Off. For more information about ticks visit www.vermontagriculture.com. Enjoy a long tick free summer!  

Many Thanks To Everyone Who Donated To February Food Drive

 

 Many Thanks to Lori and Bill Hume, Derek and Kathy Pratt, and Anna and Kyle McDonald for generously donating food in our February food drive to benefit Lucy's House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets. Jan Ellis-Clements, who runs the organization, was very appreciative of the food. I am looking forward to doing more food and/or toy drives in the future. Have a Woofderful Day!

Buy Dog Treats Made in US to Avoid Potentially Toxic Treats

One would think that after the large amount of dogs and cats that were sickened and died due to melamine contaminated pet food in 2007 pet food companies would be testing the safety of any pet food products that they sell that are made overseas. According to an article I read recently, Toxic Treats from China Killing US Dogs, Say Pet Owners by Cindy Galli, that is not the case. In the past 4 months the FDA has received 530 complaints from pet owners claiming their dogs were sickened or died after eating jerky treats made in China. Since none of the companies selling the treats or the FDA will issue a recall of any of the potentially hazardous treats it is up to pet owners to read the labels carefully on all food products and select treats made in the US.

National Pet Adoption Month

February is National Pet Adoption Month. If you are looking to add a furry companion to your family please consider adopting a dog and give one of the three to four million dogs that are euthanized each year a second chance at a happy life.

Food Drive for February

I always think of Valentine's Day when I think of February and this year to celebrate Valentine's Day Fur Baby Doggy Daycare will be having a food drive to benefit Lucy's House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets. Lucy's House for the Prevention of Homeless Pets helps pet owners who are experiencing financial difficulties by providing food to 26 food shelves statewide and directly to pet owners and helps to promote spaying and neutering to reduce the number of unwanted pets. Dog food will be collected during the month of February.

Happy Holidays

Since the end of the year is fast approaching I wanted to take a few minutes to thank everyone who has made Fur Baby Doggy Daycare a success in 2011.

 First I want to thank my friend Pnut for reminding me how much I love dogs and introducing me to Cesar Millan and Linda Tellington-Jones. Next I want to thank my husband Louis for telling me I should start a dog daycare and his generous support with watching boarding dogs for me on the occasions when I need to be away for a few hours so that Fur Baby can honor it's pledge of never leaving a boarding dog alone while staying with us. Also I want to thank my friend Katie for the fabulous job she did creating my website and her continued support whenever I want to make updates. Most of all I want to thank my clients who trust me to care for their most precious fur babies. Thank you for understanding the three times Fur Baby needed to close due to unexpected personal circumstances. Although I am no longer fostering dogs for the organization I want to thank All Breed Rescue for allowing me the opportunity to foster some of their dogs until they found permanent homes. I hope to apply the knowledge I gained from my experiences with the foster dogs and all the dogs I have the pleasure of caring for everyday to help more dogs.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Woofderful New Year!

Brigett