Animalnews2

Animal news & help (2)

Care
Winter is the time for cold weather approaches, people with animals need to make certain that their pets are prepared for the season. One part of winter that brings a number of threats to animals are the holidays.
Everyone in the family needs to know that both mistletoe and chocolate are toxic to most pets. If Spot and Fluffy share the holidays with their families, they should have their own special treats, not people's. Also, homes with decorations hung around and on a tree need to be especially careful to watch animals around the decorations. If possible, it's best to close off the room that has the tree inside. One very important piece of advice is to never leave lit candles where unsupervised animals may knock them over.
With the inside of the home safety-inspected, animals who venture outside also need special attention. Small and shorthaired dogs should wear jerseys during extremely cold temperatures, and cats should be kept inside most of the time. Outdoor dogs need dry, elevated shelter (even just a couple inches off the ground) with clean, dry bedding. A custom sized dog house with a flap over its opening will help radiate the dog's body heat and also keep drafts out.
One other important way to help keep outdoor dogs warm is to increase the calories they receive throughout the day. They need extra fuel to produce body heat. On the other hand, inside dogs and cats usually require less food because they exercise less during the winter. Besides food, animals always need easy access to water. During the winter, water can freeze in dishes, so owners need to check the dishes regularly.
One drink that is deadly for animals is antifreeze. Throughout the winter, drivers change or add to the antifreeze in their cars, and some fluid can spill on the ground. Animals are attracted to its taste, but it is extremely toxic to them. Be sure that there are no radiator drips coming from your car, and if you spill antifreeze, wipe it up and flush it thoroughly with water.
Another danger involving cars are for outdoor cats. Sometimes they may crawl up near the engine or in wheel wells, seeking shelter and warmth from the cold wind. Drivers can avoid gruesome accidents by getting in the habit of slapping the car's hood with their hands or by tapping the horn before starting the engine. Also, slowly rolling the car just a few inches before driving off will be enough to scare any cats that are in the wheel wells or under the car.
With a bit of precaution and common sense, everyone's companion animals can stay healthy and happy during the winter season.

Lost
There's one experience that most pet owners must contend with at some point during their relationships with their animals. They must experience the hysterics of trying to find a lost pet.
It is important that every pet owner know how to find a lost animal, for it may require substantial effort in order to locate it.
The first thing that will increase the chances of a cat or dog being returned is making sure the animal always wears identification (its name and the owner's telephone number is sufficient). Many people will ignore an animal that has no collar tag, but if they see identification, people will be more likely to secure the animal and get in touch with the owner. An extra measure conscientious pet owners can take is the veterinary installation of a microchip in the animal. The microchip is a back-up identification if the collar or tag breaks off and the animal is taken to a shelter, where the chip will be scanned and traced back to the owner. Knowing that an animal has identification on it when it disappears will also make the experience a little less unsettling for the owner, though searching for the animal should be no less intense.
Once the owner discovers the pet is missing, he should immediately place a call to the local animal shelter to see if the animal was recently admitted. Talking with neighbors where the pet disappeared may provide leads to when the animal ran away and in which direction it headed.
Walk, drive, or bicycle around the neighborhood, calling the animal's name over and over. If the pet has been trapped in neighbor's yard or has been too injured to move, it may respond to the owner's voice, so it's important to listen carefully. Do this search several times throughout the day.
After most of the day passes with no leads nor any signs of the missing animal, the owner should make and put up signs around the neighborhood (make certain to post them legally!) that gives a description of the animal, the area lost, and a phone number (or two). Contacting local newspapers to place a lost ad may also prove effective.
If the animal is not found after all these measures are taken, the best long-term tactic for missing pet owners are trips to the animal shelter every few of days to look at all the animals being held as strays. One trip every couple of days will ensure enough overlap of time that a stray animal will not be adopted nor put to sleep before the owner has an opportunity to claim it. Trips are much more effective than phone calls, for animal descriptions are often very vague, and it's possible that the shelter employee on the phone may not match a particular animal to a lost report.
The person who responds immediately to a missing pet and expends significant energy in trying to find the animal will have a much greater chance of recovery.