Courtesy of Pet Talk
It seems that blood drives are going on everywhere all the time. As a society we are aware that blood shortages are common at hospitals around the country and that it is imperative that blood is available for those who are injured or have to undergo surgery. What we may not think of is that blood is also critical when treating our family pets.
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These 3 baby Kestrels were rescued after falling out of their nests in a palm tree.
By Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org
Before you begin tree trimming, construction work, yard maintenance or roofing, please note:
Every year W.E.R.C. and other wildlife rehabilitation facilities across the nation receive orphaned and/or injured baby birds and tree squirrels because they have lost their nests or been injured due to yard and home maintenance.
Guest blog written by our Senior Dog Volunteer Cynthia Hiatt.
Twenty years ago, most dogs spent their days outside, and if they were lucky, their evenings and nights inside with their humans. Unless the owners were interested in the show ring or raising a working dog (hunting, herding, search and rescue, see and eye, etc.), training pretty much meant house training. Getting the leash out was as likely to mean a trip to the vet as a walk in the neighborhood. Family vacations did not include dogs with the exception of camping. Taking your dog to a restaurant was pretty much unheard of. Some people took their dogs with them for car/truck rides, but the dogs stayed in the vehicle. Interactions with other dogs were usually confined to the dogs in the same household.
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Courtesy of Pet Talk
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. While this is an alarming statistic, most of these bites are preventable. “Human behavior is a major factor in dog bites,” explains Dr. Mark Stickney Director of General Surgery Services at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “Children are commonly bit by dogs because of their fast, uncoordinated and unpredictable movements that can frighten dogs and make them feel threatened.”
By Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org
Another reason to leave wildlife alone: Some animal diseases are zoonotic—which means that YOU and YOUR PETS can become ill with it, too. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators are aware of the highly contagious diseases that are common to certain species (such as pigeon canker and finch conjunctivitis—shown in photo) and know what to look for, what precautions to take, and what medications to administer. Wild animals, especially sick ones, may also be carrying internal and/or external zoonotic parasites such as roundworms, fleas, lice, ticks, and more.
Courtesy of Pet Talk
‘Be prepared’ is good advice especially if there is an emergency. To be better prepared in a pet emergency, a pet first aid kit is beneficial. “The biggest advantage for having a pet first aid kit would be so that you can concentrate on what you can do for your pet constructively rather than looking all over the place for something that might ‘work’ but is less than ideal,” notes Dr. James Barr, clinical assistant professor, Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine.
Courtesy of Pet Talk
Even though they may be taken for granted, pet vaccinations are vital for your pet. Properly vaccinating your pet is a very important part of pet care because vaccines can potentially help protect your pet against some serious health conditions and diseases.
Courtesy of Pet Talk
All pet owners recognize the signs; the itching, the scratching, the biting, the licking. While fleas can be an annoyance for any pet, for some they can trigger a much bigger problem.
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy for dogs and cats and can cause itchy skin disease along with hair loss, skin discoloration, red bumps and scabs.
By Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org
The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center has received many wild birds, including hawks and owls that have been injured from gunshots, often arriving in dire condition and terrible pain. The x-ray above shows a pellet in chest of Rudolph, a young Turkey Vulture that was deliberately shot down out of a tree in Gilroy last Christmas Eve.
Contact can lessen loneliness. Contact can lessen depression. Contact can bring a smile. And that point of contact can be a pet. An elderly person paired with an appropriate pet can be a winning combination.
Courtesy of Pet Talk
Each and every puppy is born with its own unique personality, just like humans. Some are outgoing, some are shy, some will love you unconditionally, and some are angry and aggressive. Canine aggression does not necessarily come from an abusive past, but is usually a part of the animal’s personality. Animal aggression is a big issue for families who have small children in the home, because an aggressive pet can be especially dangerous to children. There are several different types of aggression of which pet owners should be aware.
We’ve all heard about the dangers of Christmas decorations and presents. Pets can ingest tinsel from the tree or knock a candle off the table starting a fire. Package material can cause serious stomach problems if eaten by the family pet.
Here’s one that you might not have considered. Many people have “Snow Globe” decorations in their home. These small, liquid-filled orbs have an attractive Christmas or winter scene in them. Shake these and make-believe “snow” floats through the liquid, making a pretty picture as the flakes float to the bottom.
Trouble is, some of these contain ethylene glycol, the same substance found in automobile antifreeze. This chemical is extremely toxic to animals and people. And it only takes a teaspoon or less to cause irreversible kidney failure in a cat or small dog. Even a large dog can end up with terminal renal disease with only a tablespoon or more. And if a small child were to swallow even a small amount of the liquid, he or she could be in serious trouble.
So, what to do? Keep these completely out of reach of your pets as well as your small children. If a youngster were to drop one of these, breaking it, and if that child or a pet got some of the liquid in his or her mouth, the results could be devastating.
We all know about the many different working dogs and their tasks. Drug-sniffing dogs at airports and border checkpoints stop smugglers in their tracks. Arson sniffing dogs can detect the point of origin of a deliberately set fire. There are even dogs that can detect certain types of cancer, simply by their keen sense of smell.
There are also working dogs for persons with disabilities. Guide Dogs for the Blind, companion dogs for the hearing impaired, and canines that help people that are wheelchair-bound. These pooches make life so much easier for their human companions.
by Brigid Wasson
Every animal entering the South County Animal Shelter is scanned immediately for a microchip. Everyone cheers when the wand beeps to indicate a positive result: this animal has an owner who can be contacted and reunited with his/her pet the same day!
Courtesy of Pet Talk
Having a reptile as a pet is quite different from owning a dog or a cat, since feeding is relatively simple in the canine and feline world. After adopting your first snake, lizard, or other reptilian pet, there is typically a controversy over what the correct method of feeding is for the animal. Many reptilian pet owners want their pet to be able to experience the thrill of the attack with their prey, in other words, they want their pet to feel like they are a wild animal in their domesticated habitat. But sometimes snakes and other reptiles are attacked by the live prey as they fight the predator animal, and your pet can become severely wounded or even die.