With lots of food, decorations, visitors and icy weather this time of year, it’s important to keep your critters safe so that all can have a happy holiday season. Here are a few tips and reminders to help:

• Poinsettas, while beautiful, are toxic to dogs and cats.

• Tinsel on trees is a tempting toy, especially for young animals. If swallowed, however, tinsel can cause serious internal injuries.

• Chocolate, a holiday favorite for people, is toxic to dogs. Read this article for more details.

• Dogs are attracted to the taste of antifreeze. If consumed, the results may be fatal. Stow containers out of reach and check vehicles to ensure there are no leaks.

• Products that melt ice on walkways and driveways irritate paws and if licked can injure animals. Choose a safe alternative available at many healthy food stores or online.

• Check with your vet for a change in hours of operation over the holidays. It’s always a good idea to have an emergency animal hospital phone number programmed in your cell phone, just in case.

• While some animals may love the extra visitors to their home this holiday, some may not. Commotion and loud noises can be very disturbing to some animals. Consider creating a safe, quiet area or room where animals can retreat to if they need a place of refuge.

Wishing you and your human and animal family a safe and happy holiday!

DeeDee (photo courtesy of Linda)

Flower essences can be powerful healing remedies for a wide variety of behavioral, emotional and physical concerns or issues for your animals. To name a few: grief and loss, anxiety, jealousy, spraying, abandonment, digestive issues, separation, and many others.

One source I recommend is Green Hope Farm. To view their animal wellness collections, go to: www.greenhopeessences.com. Click on “Our Collections”, “Animal Wellness Collections” and then click on the name of the remedy that best suits the condition. Or, give them a call for assistance in selecting the best remedy for your animal companion.

Many of my clients have used these remedies with great success. Here is Linda’s story about her dog DeeDee who benefited from flower essences for severe night terrors.

Dodger playing

This is an inspiring story from one of my clients who used animal communication to find her lost dog.

When my husband and I had first gotten our new dog, Dodger, my husband took Dodger and our other dog, Canyon, out for a hike. During the hike, Dodger took off and got lost. After a couple hours of looking for him, my husband called me at work to say that he couldn’t find Dodger anywhere and I should come help look for him. So I came home and my husband, Canyon, and I hiked around calling for Dodger for another couple hours until it was dark. We were kind of giving up hope that we would find Dodger that night. At that time, my sister happened to call me on my cell phone and I told her what we were doing. She told me that she had read somewhere that when you have a lost animal, you should

Danger

It’s Spring and for some dogs this is a time when allergies flare up and hot spots can develop. So, here is a suggestion from Susie and Danger (the adorable dog in the photo) to help relieve hot spots.

“For doggie hot spots I clean the entire area being careful to make sure I have cleaned all of it as it is easy to hide in long haired dog’s fur. Then I pat the area dry (damp really) and apply either hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver drops (available at health food stores & used undiluted), wait a few minutes and spray Skin-Lasting* directly over the entire area. I do this 2 times a day and generally by the third time it is healed. I have had people tell me that on cats for dry or patchy areas it is harder to spray and it seems to sting more. However, the stinging only lasts for a few seconds.”

* Skin-Lasting is a product that Susie actually developed for people with dry skin issues and she has found it effective to heal hot spots on her dog too. I’ve used skin-lasting for myself and it does do wonders for healing dry skin and it’s a great moisturizer for my mature skin.  It sprays on like water, it’s not greasy and it’s effective. Here’s the link to the website for more information:  www.skinlasting.com

Danger only gets one or two hot spots per year so this method of treatment has been effective for his needs. Hot spots can be an indicator of allergies or other conditions, which may require a dietary change and/or other treatment.  If your dog has chronic episodes of hot spots, consulting a veterinarian is advisable. My dog Syra used to get hot spots often; she had allergies. I found the Chinese herbs called Skin Relief to be effective for her. Here is the website link for that alternative: dogcross.com.

Okay, so maybe working with a dog trainer won’t result in Fido scooping his own poops like this clever pup (though, this photo sure made me laugh). However, there are instances when a trainer can be of assistance in resolving behavior issues. 

Getting a referral from a friend, veterinarian, holistic animal care practitioner or other reliable source may be a good place to start. Another option is to explore dog trainer associations. 

My friend, Norine Twadell, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant in New Jersey and owner of Dog Ventures, suggests these organizations to help you find a qualified trainer.

Here’s a great suggestion from one of my clients on how to keep your dog’s teeth clean the natural way.

I took Wakinyan (the gorgeous dog in the photo) to the holistic vet today and she told me about this great natural way to clean and care for dog’s teeth and gums: give the dog a raw chicken, turkey, or duck neck to chew on.  It is very important that the neck be raw because once  cooked, the bones soften and break down becoming a choking hazard.  It’s actually best if the necks are still slightly frozen since that makes for more of a workout.  Once a week is enough to maintain teeth and gums in healthy shape and it’s a good idea to subtract the calories of the neck from the amount of food so as not to overfeed. I’m excited to give it a try and so is Wakinyan.

Photo and post courtesy of Loba and Wakinyan

Did you know that cats lap water at a rate of four times per second — too fast for the human eye to see anything but a blur — and its tongue moves at a speed of one meter per second?

To learn more about our amazing felines, check out this New York Times article which explains the fascination of how cats drink.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/science/12cats.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a23

Looking for a challenging toy for your bright dog or clever kitty?

Some animals just don’t get enough stimulation from the standard tennis ball or feather-on-the-fishing-pole toys. Loree and her dog Kona, the beauty in the photo, have a few suggestions that have worked for them.  

Kona loves ball games and suggests the toys on this site: http://www.bestfriendsgeneralstore.com/dog_toys_pc/KJPP01072/Puzzle_Toys/Junior+IQube+Puzzle+with+Balls/

Hide the treat, give the puzzle a spin and see if your dog can find them. Check out this link for challenging puzzle toys: http://www.pawlickers.com/products/manufacturers/nina-ottosson. There are some neat cat toys here too.

Are there any special toys your animal companion really likes? Please let me know so we can share the info with other readers.

Have a ball!

Photo and links courtesy of Loree in North Carolina

Take your dog on a 4-day weekend retreat to the beautiful relaxing countryside and enjoy the company of other dogs and dog lovers. Immerse your dog in nature, celebrate the full free expression of dogness and see the world through your dog’s eyes.

I recently did in-person consultations for the campers and their dogs at the Asheville, NC event. It was great fun and I will be returning in May 2011.

Camp Unleashed offers agility, dock diving, canine massage, scent games, painting with your pup, yoga with your dog, disc throwing, hikes, canoeing, animal communication and more.

I just discovered the best little brush to prevent shedding and wanted to share this with you. My tiger kitty, Merlin, has very silky, thick, short fur. Unfortunately, he always sheds, even in the winter. Well, I just tried a new brush and love it. It’s called the FURminator. After only a week of use, there is virtually no more shedding. Merlin’s coat is as luxurious as always but there isn’t an airy cloud of kitty fur wafting onto the floor or sofa when I pet him now.