Holiday Dog-Friendly Treat Recipe

ingredients

1 cup shredded roasted turkey meat

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 sweet potato--baked, skin discarded and potato coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons cranberry sauce

directions

In a medium bowl, combine the turkey and breadcrumbs. Mix gently with your hands, then mix in the egg and sweet potato. Shape into two 1/2-inch-thick patties.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Top with the cranberry sauce and let your canine enjoy!

Holiday Cat-Friendly Treat Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup of hamburger

½ teaspoon shrimp paste (see Asian food section of your local grocery store)

¼ cup shelled shrimp, washed in hot water, and minced

½ teaspoon catnip

Directions:

Mix shrimp paste with the catnip and then hand work it into the hamburger.

Add minced shrimp to the hamburger mix and make into little meatballs.

These can be fed raw, or baked at 425° F for 10 minutes.

Pet Treat Recipe: Pumpkin Ice Bites

Want your dog to have a delicious and safe holiday treat? Here's a simple recipe you can make at home:

Blend 1 cup of canned pumpkin with 1 cup of plain non-fat yogurt and freeze in an ice tray. Dogs can be given these one cube at a time (outside, because they can be a little messy for carpet!). 

This mixture can also be stuffed into a Kong or rubber stuffable toy and frozen. That will allow hours of dog entertainment!

It's National Cat Week: Protect Your Cat This Season

Did you know that cats often climb under the hood of cars to get warm near the car engine? As the nights are getting cooler, it’s important to be aware of the potential danger to your outdoor cat, as well as any neighbors’ cats. As a courtesy, it’s important to knock on the hood of your car or open it and look inside every morning before you start your car, because you never know who might be lurking inside and in danger. 

Pet Halloween Safety

Does your pet get nervous when you have guests over at your house? Then they’ll probably be more nervous when people are showing up in full costume! Be sure to introduce your pet slowly to what may be seen as scary Halloween festivities, and consider keeping your pet in a quiet place out of the action if they’re too nervous. Just be sure to keep your pet safe and comfortable this season.

Autumn Safety Tips

Ah, fall—there's nothing like crisp, cool air, the first months of school and luscious foliage to get you excited for the changing seasons. Your pet, too, is probably welcoming the break from hot, sticky weather. But pet parents, beware—fall is also a time of lurking dangers for our furry friends. From household poisons to cold weather hazards, the season is a minefield! Here are some tips to keep your pet snug and healthy during the autumn months.

• The use of rodenticides increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets—if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to your pets. 
• It's back-to-school time, and those of you with young children know that means stocking up on fun items like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. These items are considered “low toxicity” to pets, which means they're unlikely to cause serious problems unless large amounts are ingested. However, since gastrointestinal upset and blockages certainly are possible, be sure your children keep their school supplies out of paw's reach. 
• Training tip: If you and your pooch haven't been active outdoors in a while because of the summer heat, do some remedial recall training. Dogs, like people, get rusty on their skills if they aren't using them. 
• Fall and spring and are mushroom seasons. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic (PDF) can cause life-threatening problems in pets. Unfortunately, most of the highly toxic mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from the nontoxic ones, so the best way to keep pets from ingesting poisonous mushrooms is to keep them away from areas where any mushrooms are growing. Contact your veterinarian or theASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately if you witness your pet eating a wild mushroom. 
• In order to generate body heat, pets who exercise heavily outdoors, or who live outdoors, should be given more food during colder seasons. Make sure horses and other outdoor animals have access to clean, fresh water that is not frozen. 
• Autumn is the season when snakes who are preparing for hibernation may be particularly “grumpy,” increasing the possibility of severe bites to those unlucky pups who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pet owners should know what kinds of venomous snakes may be in their environment—and where these snakes are most likely to be found—so they can keep pets out of those areas. 
• Many people choose fall as the time to change their car's engine coolant. Ethylene glycol-based coolants are highly toxic, so spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants—though they aren't completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine coolants.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/autumn-safety-tips.aspx

Pet Obesity

 Have you gotten outside to exercise with your pet lately? As the days get shorter, it can be hard to squeeze in time for that too, but don’t forget the great health benefits for both you and your pet! Even taking just a short 15 minute walk each day can improve heart health, and help keep off unhealthy weight. What do you do to exercise your pet each day? 

Today is Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

When was the last time your cat visited us at Harrisonburg Animal Hospital? Did you know that all cat’s should see the vet at least once a year, and  sometimes more often if they’re considered seniors? Today is National “Take Your Cat to the Vet” Day, so please, call us and ask us when your cat had their last visit…and schedule the next one today!

Homeless Animal Day: August 18

Did you know that August 18 is National Homeless Animal Day, honoring pets in shelters? If you’re looking for a new pet, we encourage you to visit the shelter to consider adopting an animal in need. There are many great dogs in shelters, just waiting for a second chance.

Pets & Truck Beds

Did you know that letting your pet ride in the bed of your truck can be extremely dangerous, even if you’re traveling at low speeds? Dogs are known to jump and run after things or animals that appeal to them, and jumping from a moving vehicle can cause serious injury. We ask that you NEVER let your pet ride in the back of a truck, but always inside where they are safely secured.

Pets & Camping Safety

Camping with your pet can be a fun adventure, but also a dangerous one! It’s important to be fully prepared for bringing a pet with you into the woods BEFORE you go. Make sure your pet is up-to-date on all parasite prevention, and be sure to pack plenty of food and water. If you’re filtering your water, don’t forget your pet needs filtered water too! And most importantly, check campground rules where you’ll be staying, because some campgrounds don’t allow pets because of the danger of large wild animals, like bears! Make sure you keep your pets and family safe, and have a great trip!

Pets & Pools

Does your pet like to swim? Many pets enjoy the water and love to jump in the pool on hot summer days. Don’t forget that it’s just as important to supervise your pet while swimming as it is to supervise your children. Pets especially may accidentally swallow pool water while swimming, causing them to consume harmful and sometimes toxic chemicals. Instead of letting your pet swim in your family pool, consider getting them a kiddie pool filled with water for them!

Prevent your pet from starting fires

Extinguish open flames: Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.

Remove stove knobs: Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house – a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.

Invest in flameless candles: These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.

Beware of water bowls on wooden decks: Do not leave a glass water bowl for your pet outside on a wooden deck. The sun's rays when filtered through the glass and water can actually heat up and ignite the wooden deck beneath it. Choose stainless steel or ceramic bowls instead.

Pet proof the home: Take a walk around your home and look for areas where pets might start fires inadvertently, such as loose wires and other potential hazards.

Keep your pets safe

Keep pets near entrances when away from home: When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.

Secure young pets: Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home, such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.

Practice escape routes with pets: Keep collars and leashes at the ready in case you have to evacuate quickly with your pet or firefighters need to rescue your pet.

Consider using monitored smoke detection services: As an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms, smoke detectors connected to a monitoring center help save pets who can't escape when left home alone.

Affix a pet alert window cling: Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to keep the number of pets listed on them updated.

Mobilize the Earth for Earth Day 2012

The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life to speak out against the deterioration of the environment and demand change. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency was created, the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were passed,and the modern environmental movement was born.

Today, more than 1 billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. This year, in the face of global inaction on pressing environmental problems, we must harness that power.

Earth Day Network is calling upon individuals, organizations, businesses and governments to Mobilize the Earth™ and demand that environmental issues become a top priority.

Pets & Easter Egg Hunts

Easter egg hunts are so much fun for kids, and sometimes even for adults! Finding that brightly colored egg stuffed with a surprise is exciting! But don't forget the dangers of failing to find an egg that's been stuffed with candy. Your dog leads with their nose, and if you don't find it, your pet might! Consider stuffing your eggs with something safe for pets this year. If Fido finds them, he'll be less likely to break them open and eat what's inside.

March is Poison Prevention Month. Did you know that some of the most common household items that poison pets include human medication, both prescription and over the counter? With over 25,000 reported cases of pets poisoned by eating human medicine, it’s important to exercise extreme caution when it comes to storing these items! Keep your medications high up on shelves and closed inside cabinets, where your pet cannot access them. It’s also important to open bottles over counters so that any dropped pills don’t end up on the floor where they can be snapped up by a curious pet. Use precaution, and give your pet a long, healthy life.

 

Tomorrow is 'If Pets Had Thumbs Day'

February Pet of the Month: Joey da Ears

Pet Apps

These curious creatures love playing with Pet Apps on iPhones and iPads. If you have an iPad or iPhone, do you have any Pet Apps installed on them? If so, which do you recommend for pet owners and their furry family members?

Baby Deer and Baby Kitten

2011 Most Popular Pet Names

Most popular feline names for females
1. Bella
2. Chloe
3. Lucy
4. Sophie
5. Lily
6. Molly
7. Gracie
8. Princess
9. Sasha
10. Cleo
Most popular feline names for males
1. Max
2. Oliver
3.Tiger
4. Charlie
5. Simba
6. Buddy
7. Smokey
8. Tigger
9. Jack
10. Sammy
Most popular canine names for females
1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Molly
4. Daisy
5. Maggie
6. Sophie
7. Chloe
8. Sadie
9. Lola
10. Bailey
Most Popular canine names for males
1. Max
2. Buddy
3. Charlie
4. Rocky
5. Bailey
6. Jake
7. Cooper
8. Jack
9. Toby
10. Cody
VPI's compete list of popular pet names for 2011 will be released in early January, 2012.

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day! The mission of this day is to save lives by creating awareness of the vital need for pet safety in all areas of travel. Safe Travels!