Some Pet Tips for this 4th of July Holiday

Fireworks, picnics and other Fourth of July traditions can be great fun for people; but all of the festivities can be frightening and even dangerous for animals. Noisy fireworks and other celebrations can startle animals and cause them to run away; holiday foods can be unhealthy; summer heat and travel can be dangerous; and potentially dangerous debris can end up lying on the ground where pets can eat or play with it. On and around the Fourth of July, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) sees an increase in calls concerning pets who have ingested fireworks, or are having issues due to the loud noises they make.

Whether or not you’re planning your own Independence Day celebration, it’s important to take precautions to keep your pets safe both during and after the July 4th festivities.

Preparing in advance:

1. Make sure your pets – cats and dogs alike – have identification tags with up-to-date information. If you have horses, you might consider marking a safety (breakaway) halter with your contact information and leaving it on your horse during this stressful time.
2. If your pets aren’t already microchipped, talk with your veterinarian about microchipping. This simple procedure can greatly improve your chances of getting your pets back if they become lost.
3. If your pets are microchipped, make sure your contact information in the microchip registry is up-to-date.
4. Take a current photo of all of your cats, dogs and horses – just in case.
5. If your pet has historically been anxious on this holiday, or if you have reason to expect potentially harmful reactions, consider behavioral therapy to desensitize your pet and reduce the risk of problems. Some pets may need medication. Consult your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist.
6. Make sure the environment is safe and secure. If your neighbors set off fireworks at an unexpected time, is your yard secure enough to keep your pet contained? Are pasture fences secure enough to keep horses or other livestock confined? Evaluate your options, and choose the safest area for your animals; and make improvements if needed to make the area more secure.

Safety during July 4th celebrations:

1. Leave your pets at home when you go to parties, fireworks displays, parades and other gatherings. Loud fireworks, unfamiliar places and crowds can all be very frightening to pets, and there’s great risk of pets becoming spooked and running away.
2. Consider putting your pets in a safe, escape-proof room or crate during parties and fireworks.
3. Keep horses and livestock in safely fenced areas and as far from the excitement and noise as possible.
4. If you’re hosting guests, ask them to help keep an eye on your pets to make sure they don’t escape. Placing notes on exit doors and gates can help both you and your guests remain vigilant.
5. Keep your pets inside if you or your neighbors are setting off fireworks.
6. Keep sparklers, glow sticks, fireworks, charcoal and kabob skewers away from curious pets.
7. Don’t let pets get near your barbecue grill while it is in use or still hot.
8. Avoid the urge to feed your pets table scraps or other foods intended for people. Be especially careful to keep them away from these common foods that are actually toxic.
9. Remember that too much sun and heat (and humidity!) can be dangerous to pets. Keep them inside when it’s extremely hot/humid; make sure they have access to shady spots and plenty of water when outdoors; don’t leave them outside for extended periods in hot weather; and know the signs that a pet may be overheating.
10. Never leave your pet in your car, especially when it’s warm outside. Vehicle interiors heat up much faster than the air around them, and even a short time in a locked car can be dangerous to pets.  Even when the temperature outside is a balmy 72 degrees, the temperature inside your car can rocket to a fatal 116 degrees in less than an hour’s time.
11. If you’re travelling out of town for the holiday, consider leaving your pets at home with a pet sitter or boarding them in a kennel. If you need to bring them with you, be sure you know how to keep them safe.
12. Follow safe food handling and hygiene practices to protect your family and guests.

If your pet has a fear of or aversion to loud noises:

1. Something as simple as turning on some soft music and moving your pet into an interior room with no windows can be helpful.
2. An anxiety vest may work in some cases—if you don’t have one, try a snugly fitting t-shirt.
3. If you and your veterinarian do decide that anti-anxiety mediation is your pet’s best bet, there are a few things to remember. First and foremost, give a practice dose of the medication before the big night to see how your pet responds to the medication. Second, never share the medication with another pet or give more than the recommended amount. If you do, you may end up spending the holiday at your local veterinary emergency clinic.
4. While noise phobias are not as common in cats, they can and do happen. Fortunately, cats tend to hide when frightened. Checking in on your cats, having some quiet music on and keeping them indoors during the height of the fireworks is always a good idea.

After the celebrations:

1. Check your yard for fireworks debris before allowing pets outside to play or relax. Even if you didn’t set off fireworks yourself, debris can make its way into your yard, where curious animals may pick it up to play with or eat.
2. Check your pastures and remove debris to protect horses and livestock.
3. If you hosted guests, check both your yard and home for food scraps or other debris that might be dangerous to pets, such as food skewers.

Check out our website for some Calming Aids for Pets that will help stressful situations such as fireworks, thunderstorms, travel, etc! www.mickeyspetsupplies.com

Shampoos That Are Safe For Your Pet

Everyone has their own favorite routines to bathe their pets. Many owners just use human shampoo to maintain a fresh smelling coat. But there’s a reason why pets have their own special shampoo, and no, it’s not just because of marketing purposes.

Good pet shampoos are superior to human products, and here’s why. Most human shampoos can be very harsh on your pets, even for us humans! The chemicals and fragrances in most brands are actually working against your pet’s natural ability to maintain their beautiful skin and coat. They may smell better, but it’s negative damage overall. Often the damage is so gradual that many pet owners don’t notice the effects.

The fact is, pets have more sensitive skin than we do and human shampoo is much more likely to dry them out and make them itchy. In fact, some owners are quick to suspect allergies when the real culprits are the types of products being used for bath-time!

If your pet has rashes, or has somewhat irritated, dry, flaky, and/or peeling skin then it may be time to re-evaluate what you’re using on them. If that’s already the case, try a natural oatmeal shampoo, also made for pets, which can relieve such irritations.

So now we’ve talked about human versus pet shampoo, but what makes one pet shampoo better than another? There are so many different options that it can be very overwhelming. When in doubt, read the label. An ideal pet shampoo will contain no soap or detergents, and even better if it has either low fragrance or no fragrance at all.

“But I want my pet to smell really good!” I know, we all do. But understand that a pets sense of smell is much higher than ours and adding to much fragrance to your best friends coat can be irritating and make them uncomfortable. I promise, if the pet shampoo you pick out does what it should, your furry friend should smell great even without a fragrance. “What about baby shampoo?” Believe it or not, your pets skin is actually more sensitive than a baby’s because it is covered in fur.

Back to the no-soap talk. “But isn’t soap what cleans my pet?” Well, yes, it does, but that’s because soap is a powerful surfactant that removes oil secretions from the skin. Is it needed in a pet shampoo? No. Why? Some breeds and species are prone to sensitive skin and others suffer from allergies. A soap-free shampoo will help soothe itching and keep your best pal clean at the same time. Plus, if you are using a flea treatment, only soap-free shampoos will not remove the treatment from your pets because the flea treatment needs the natural oils of your pet to absorb into the skin.

Avoid commercial shampoos with polyethylene glycol, a petroleum used as a base for cosmetics that can be an irritant; sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate, both detergents frequently found in canine shampoos.

Good pet shampoos made without soap generally contain ingredients such as oatmeal, coconut, essential oils or aloe vera. Look for labels that read ‘organic’ or ‘natural’, but always check the ingredients to be sure the product doesn’t contain soap.

“But wait, what about conditioner?” It’s not needed. A conditioner’s main purpose is to cover up the damage done by shampoo by replacing natural hair oils with artificial oils. If you are using a soap-free shampoo, you are already using a wonderful product to clean your pet without removing all of its natural oils, so there is no need to ‘cover up damage’. Conditioners stay on the hair and get absorbed by your scalp. Imagine how much fur your pet has compared to your hair. That is a lot of absorption!

Looking for a great start to soap-free shampoo? Mickey’s PetSupplies has some wonderful shampoos for every need!

• For general bathing: Cloud Star Buddy Wash Lavender and Mint and Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe Shampoo.
• For dogs that need some coat whitening: Veterinary Formula Snow White Shampoo and Tropiclean Awapuhi White Coat Shampoo.
• For puppies and kittens: Tropiclean Puppy and Kitten Shampoo.
• Facial Cleanser: Spa Lavish Tear Stain Remover.
• And our fragrance free shampoo: Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe Fragrance Free (perfect for all animals over 6 weeks)

Iams canned cat food recalled

Iams voluntarily recalls canned cat food because of essential vitamin- Thiamin- deficiency.
The company that makes a popular brand of pet foods is voluntarily recalling one brand because it doesn't contain an essential vitamin.
Proctor & Gamble said this week that Iams ProActive Health canned cat and kitten food contains insufficient levels of thiamine, or Vitamin B1. The recall includes all varieties of 3 and 5-ounce cans with expiration dates from September 2011 to June 2012 on the bottom of the cans.
No other Iams products are affected by the recall.
Cats that have eaten the canned Iams food could be at a higher risk of thiamine deficiency, but the condition is typically reversible, according to a statement from P&G. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include loss of appetite, salivation, vomiting and weight loss. In advanced cases, signs may include downward curving of the neck, falling, circling and seizures.
Those who have purchased the canned cat food should discard it and contact P&G for a refund by calling 877-340-8826.
For more information: http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=DHP

Mickey's Pet Supplies is your source for organic pet supplies- Interactive cat toys, cat scratchers, & organic cat treats.
Take 10% off your $35 order with coupon code JU53-enter code at checkout
Call 877-863-5431 or visit http://www.mickeyspetsupplies.com

Bringing Home A New Kitten

What to do when bringing home a new kitten

So you have found the most adorable kitten and want to know what do I need?

1. Litter box and cat litter
2. Food and water bowls
3. kitten food
4. kitten toys
5. Veterinarian
6. Introducing new kitten to children or other pets

First and foremost, you will need to put in some due diligence as you prepare your home for the new family member.

It is a good idea to have your kittens litter box in the appropiate place before brining her home and you will want to have a specific spot for the cat litter box pre-arranged. It should be in a quiet area of your home. It should not be in a noisy laundry room or by a furnace that makes noise. Your cat will like her privacy, but don't want continual noise. Your litter box should not be too tall for your kitten to get in and out of. Start with the smaller, more basic one. As your kitten gets older and bigger, you can move up to the larger size.

You should pick a type of litter that you feel comfortable with. Today, most people like the ease of a clumping litter, but do not use the scented litter. Cats normally prefer very fine-grained litter. Think of what cats in the wild do. They do their business in the sand. With clumping cat litter, it is easy to scoop out the urine or feces and discard. Note: Do not throw any cat litter in a toilet. It will quickly form a block in your sewer system. Instead, have a small inexpensive trash container with a liner near your box and simply put it in there. I use the diaper disposal bags from the dollar store. I simply put them by my scooper and trashcan. I scoop out the soiled litter and put it into the bag, tie it up and then put in the trash.

Choosing your food and water bowls. It is best to buy a set of ceramic or stainless steel bowls. Start with the smaller ones. Make sure that your kitten has a specific place to be fed and drink water in your home. Again, privacy is best. Make sure you clean the food bowl once a day and fill the water bowl with fresh water daily. You may want to purchase a pet fountain to provide continual fresh water.

There are many brands of kitten food on the market. Make sure that you buy kitten food and not cat food. Your veterinarian can tell you how much you should be feeding and what type of food. They will be happy calculate the exact amount of food to feed. Make sure your kitten food has a high ratio of protein in it's ingredient list. It should be at least 9-10% protein.

Toys for a new kitten are like buying toys for a baby. Kittens need toys that are safe. Do not give them a toy with a bell or anything that can be pulled off and swallowed unless you are holding it while playing and monitoring your kitten. They like things they can chase. I highly recommend that any cat toy is only out when actively playing with your kitten. That way you will never risk the kitten swallowing anything harmful. Always supervise play with children and a new kitten. You can buy a pull and chase toy like Smarty cat feather frolic. Anything that you can pull and the kitten can chase is great.

Do your research before choosing your veterinarian. Talk to friends and see who they recommend. Remember a veterinary clinic that has multiple vets on staff can be the best choice. Also, ask what hours they are open. My veterinary clinic is open every day. Ask if they also have all the equipment and area for immediate care. Find out where the nearest immediate care veterinary facility is also. Have that and your veterinarian's phone numbers on the refrigerator and programmed in your cell phones.

I have found patience is the key to introducing a new kitten to it's new surroundings. It is necessary that you ease the kitten through this adjustment period, especially when there are young children around, as well as other pets. In addition to supervising your children when they are playing with the new kitten, you should teach them how to handle the kitten with the utmost care and respect.

If you have other pets in the house you will need to separate your kitten and introduce her slowly. If you have cats living with you already, you will have to put the new kitten in a room with a door. Let your other cats sniff under the door and play with her paws. Do this for at least 24 hours before letting your existing cats see the new kitten. The same thing should happen if you have a dog in the house. Let your dog smell the kitten from under a door for at least 24 hours before allowing them to see or interact with each other. Remember the kitten is the stranger in the house to your other pets. Let your other pets gradually welcome her.

When looking for the best prices on pet supplies for your new kitten go to http://www.mickeyspetsupplies.com