Pet First Aid Twitter Party

Happy Wednesday Everyone!! :-D

I'm opting out of the regularly scheduled Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop today due to the unforeseen yet amazing information that I received last night on my very first Twitter party! :-) I saw a couple of you tweeting, but just in case you missed any and all of the crazy tips let me catch you up!

First up, let me tell you, those Twitter parties sure are confusing to begin with! Holy cannoli, I haven't concentrated that hard in a really long time! ;-) 

We spent quite a bit of the event discussing tips and suggestions to do with evacuations and natural disasters. Since I live in California, the possibility of earthquakes is always on my mind (especially after being in the 1989 quake...haha, not me, but Domeek), but we received a ton of information on tornadoes, hurricanes, snow storms, and earthquakes!

Here are a few general key points that the attendees brought up:

• Familiarize a friend/neighbor/relative with your pets in case of a sudden absence or inability to return home during a disaster.
• Designate a room or closet as a "safe room" and put all of your evacuation/pet first aid/supplies there!
• Set aside an old duffel bag or suitcase and place all supplies inside, for quick and safe evacuation (I have three: 1 small for the car, 1 small for the house, and a large evacuation kit...anally retentive much? Haha).
• If you evacuate, do so early. Natural disasters are frightening, so this will appease your pets and minimize stress.
• Make a list of all pet-friendly shelters and hotels, that are outside of the disaster zone, and their requirements.
• If you don't have a kennel available in a pinch, zip tie together two laundry baskets for makeshift kennel.
• Keep all pets in sight and be calm, animals read their humans' energies! 
• Have an evacuation plan prepared ahead of time and Practice, Practice, Practice!

I've always been petrified of tornadoes, so I was incredibly interested to hear these tips!

• Have a kennel at the ready; many animals have been found (after a tornado) safely inside their kennel!
• If caught unaware, place kennels underneath heavy furniture and away from windows.
• Make sure that you and your pet practice listening and responding to a tornado warning, especially since the warning signals can be very frightening to hear.
• Consider training your dog or cat to go to a specific "safe" zone when they hear a tornado warning siren.

Of course, there were a lot of discussions regarding general pet first aid as well! Since Dr. Emmo was the sponsor of the party, I learned quite a bit about their first aid products that sound amazing! 

• I always forget, but a great reminder about keeping hydrogen peroxide on hand and in your first aid kit: 1 tablespoon per 25 pounds of pet, repeated every 10 minutes, in case they ingest something bad!
• Put toxic chemicals and household products away from pets, if you live in a high wind or earthquake area, consider using childproof locks on cabinets as well (we do!).
• If you are traveling with your pets, remember to keep up-to-date photos on hand (either hard copy or on your cell phone) in case of an escape! 
• Never pull a string out of the mouth (or the tush) of a pet, it can cause internal injuries...this goes for Christmas tinsel as well!
• To easy your pet's anxiety, make sure to place a personal item with your scent on it, inside of their crate/carrier.

Overall, this was an incredibly interesting and time worthy event, so I'm glad that Domeek was able to attend! If you're interested in hearing more, just search #Pet1stAid in Twitter and read all about it! :-D 

Dr. Emmo is giving away their First Aid Travel Packs to everyone interested, including: 2 oz travel containers of both wound care wash and wound care gel, all you have to do is pay $3 in shipping charges. They are also offering 30% off all orders between now and September 30th, with the coupon code: pet1staid at checkout. :-D It's never too early to get an evacuation or emergency kit together...this might be a great start! 

I was so impressed with the doxies from You Did What With Your Weiner and their car emergency kit...you might want to check their list out too! :-D

So, do you have any tips or suggestions to add and do you have an emergency plan prepared?! 

Have a great day everyone!! :-)

PS. Just in case you forgot what I looked like! ;-)

FitFriday - Welcome to the Technology Age

Happy Friday Everyone!! :-D I hope that you have all had a wonderful week!

We're joining the FitDog Friday bloghop this week, hosted by the fantabulous SlimDoggy, Peggy's Pet Place, and To Dog With Love!

As you all know, it's 2013, we're living in the center of the Technology Age. You can't turn on the television, walk around the neighborhood, or visit the local dog park without seeing ads for the latest gadget, bumping into someone who's looking at their smartphone and not the street, or becoming the Mayor at Four Square! ;-) Hehe...and I love it!!

So, how can we use all these incredible technological devices and ideas to our advantage, especially when it comes to being a fit pup?

Well, thankfully, there are some seriously smart and creative dog loving geeks out there who are more than happy to help a canine out! ;-)

I want to introduce you all to three wonderful devices that are here to assist both you and your parent!

Whistle Activity Monitor

"The Whistle Activity Monitor is an on-collar device that measures your dog’s activities including walks, play, and rest, giving you a new perspective on day-to-day behavior and long-term health trends. Check-in from your phone, share memorable moments with family and friends, and send detailed reports to your veterinarian."

Not only does this pretty pawesome device let your parents know how active (or lazy) you've been during the day, but it also uses that information and alerts them when there might be a health issue going on! It's almost like a LifeAlert...hehe! Unfortunately (at least for us), they've already had too many orders on the books, so are sold out until Fall 2013, but you can pre-order the next batch for only $99 per monitor! Just make sure that you have an iPhone or iPod Touch for compatibility! 

FitBark

"FitBark is the world's tiniest wireless activity tracker for dogs. It's the first platform that leverages existing APIs of human fitness trackers to bring you a unified view of your fitness level and that of your dog. If you're not only a devoted dog parent but are also serious about tracking your own fitness, you'll love this."

If you want a device that inspires both you and your pup to get off the couch and start an exercise program, then this is the technology for you! Currently FitBark is working on their Kickstarter program, but by the looks of their designs and specs it's going to be one amazing tracker! Their app is going to be available in Fall 2013 and they'll start shipping at the end of the year! You can pre-order your tracker for $69 on Kickstarter, but if you wait, the price will go up! At least to begin with, you're going to need a Nike Fuelband, Fitbit, Withings Pulse, or Bodymedia Fit for compatibility! 

Tagg - The Pet Tracker

"Tagg—The Pet Tracker can do more than track and find your pet. With Activity Tracking, find out how active your pet is—and be proactive about her health. Detailed, easy-to-use charts will give you a complete picture you can share with your pet’s vet, so you can make educated decisions about activity and health."

Although Tagg isn't specifically fitness and activity focused (it started as a GPS tracking device for pets), it's currently one of the only products available on the market that does a good job of helping track your pup's physical activity level! The Tagg Tracker is $99 and although it doesn't require any specific smart phone or snazzy fitness device, they are charging a monthly fee of $7.95 after the first 3 months. It's also the only device that requires your pup to be over 10 pounds. 

So there you go, three incredibly pawesome devices that are about to explode on the marketplace! No matter what product, if any, you decide to go for...hopefully it will inspire you and your best friend to get out there and move!! 

Have a great Friday everyone and don't forget to run, chase, or swim!!! ;-)

It's A Dog's World And You're Just Working Here!

TGIF everyone!! :-D

It's totally been one of "those" weeks, so I can't wait to just sit back, relax, and chase a ball!! :-D

Some of you might remember, last year I wrote a post about Taking Your Puppy To Work with you...well today, I'm going to add a little bit more! You see, my Domeek is trying to change the course of her career a bit, so has just started to interview with a whole bunch of companies!

Since we live in Silicon Valley, we're lucky to have companies that have completely awesome and random perks to the job - anything from personal chefs, to complimentary espressos made by baristas (she just interviewed with this one...muahaha), to budgets of $10k per employee to personally outfit their desk area (wtf?!)...but the one that really excites both of us is the "everyday is Take Your Dog To Work Day!!"

Oh yeah pups and kittens!!! :-D

The great thing is...this type of corporate philosophy is spreading across the country! Companies are finally starting to realize that their employees will work longer and harder if they don't have to worry about their fur children and that animals add to value to the entire office environment! Score!

So, how can you find those dog-friendly offices? Great question! Well, while Domeek was doing a whole lot of research for our specific area...she came across a great site:

SimplyHired and Dogster have partnered together to come up with a fantastic job search site that only looks at known dog-friendly employers! ;-) Just take a look at what they have to offer!

Another fantastic site is DogFriendly.com, showing all kinds of dog friendly companies in 42 out of the 50 states!

You might think that only start-up style businesses are offering these perks...but you'd be wrong! ;-) Here is a few companies that are emphatically pro-pup:

• Clif Bar & Company - Emeryville, CA - Organic energy and nutritional snack company
• Amazon - Seattle, WA (plus various domestic and international locations) - Do we really need to say what they do?
• Bissell - Grand Rapids, MI - Consumer products ranging from vacuums to cleaning supplies.
• Google - Mountain View, CA (plus various domestic and international locations) - Search, Big Data/Advertising, Communications, Mobile...you name it! ;-)
• Ben & Jerry's - Englewood Cliffs, NJ (plus various domestic and international locations) - Um, can you say "delicious?"
• P&G Pet Care - Mason, OH - The brand behind Iams and Eukenuba!
• Autodesk - San Rafael, CA - World leader in 3D design software for manufacturing, building, construction, engineering and entertainment!
• Build-A-Bear Workshop - St. Louis, MO - Stuffed bears, animals, and puppies!!
• Klutz - Palo Alto, CA - Product lines including childrens toys, crafts, books, and games!
• Wonderware, Inc - Newton, MA - Software company specializing in applications for manufacturing and infrastructure operations.
• Printing for Less - Livingston, MT - The nation's first commercial online printer.
• Zynga - San Bruno, CA - The world's leading provider of social games services.
• One Call Now - Troy, OH - The leading provider of routine and emergency voice, SMS text, text-to-speech, and email messaging services.
• Oregon Research Institute - Eugene, OR - Research center that is dedicated entirely to understanding human behavior and improving the quality of human life.
• Yammer - San Francisco, CA - An easy to use software that is designed for company collaboration, file sharing, knowledge exchange and team efficiency.

If any of you have some more to add to this list, I'll happily sign them up too!

I know the economic times are crazy right now...but, if you are lucky enough to be able to be picky about the next position you chose, perhaps you might want to check out all these fabulous companies before venturing further!! I can guarantee that your pups would be happy!! ;-)

Oh and if any of you want to write a pawesome reference for me regarding my absolutely stellar personality and abilities I would be more than happy...after all, I really don't have that much "work experience" this side of Destructo Puppy tendencies and crazy ball throwing antics!! ;-D

Have a great day everyone!!

Christmas and Sandy

Happy Saturday/Sunday Everyone!

Super quick post tonight as I'm still in the middle of hibernating! ;-)

Don't you love my puffer jacket (it's not too small for me, I'm just standing in a weird position!), I think I totally look "bad to the bone" with all the skulls and crossbones!

First off, if you signed up for Finn and Jazzi's Christmas Card exchange list, then you should have received the list and like 4 changes, by now! If you haven't gotten any emails, make sure you contact one of them! We've already been contacted by a couple of new friends from the list and can't wait to reach out to the rest of them this evening!

Domeek spent about two naps worth of time putting all the information into a spreadsheet, cause she's weird like that, so if you signed up and would like to have an Excell sheet for easier access, just let me know and I'll forward it on to you! :-)

Secondly, my friends over at the Two Little Cavaliers shared a Huffington Post article that I wanted to let you all know about! It's basically a Sew For Sandy group project! :-) 

Considering that so many dogs and cats lost all of their own belongings in the hurricane and find themselves in shelters and rescues until they can return home, lots of those shelters are now running out of supplies and desperately need help! So the Huffington Post is collecting home-made animal blankets, beds, pillows, and clothes to distribute to a few of the needy East Coast shelters! If you click on the article's link, it gives you wonderful ideas and directions on how to create a ton of different items! Since I don't have opposable thumbs and Domeek's leg is out of order, we won't be able to physically sew anything...instead, we are borrowing the Cavalier's No Sew Dog Blanket instructions to make some awesome blankets! 

If you do create anything for the Huffington Post, please send the completed projects to:
HuffPost Home c/o Shana Ecker 

770 Broadway New York, NY 10003

We had a ton of fun at Joann's Fabric this afternoon and we'll be posting about our fun project time later in the week, so keep an eye out for it! :-D

Thanks as always for reading and have a great rest of the weekend!!!

November - National Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Happy Monday and Tuesday Everyone!!! :-D

So, I was browsing the internet this afternoon when I discovered that November is the official National Pet Cancer Awareness month! Did you know this? I had no clue!

Unfortunately, almost all of us (humans included) will be effected by cancer sometime during our lifetime! :-( Apparently cancer accounts for nearly 50% of all disease-related pet deaths each year and sadly one in four dogs will get cancer sometime during their lives...those are some icky numbers, huh?

Two of my cousins crossed the rainbow bridge due to cancer! My Auntie Nilla lost her chow chow, Dot in 2009 and then her brother, Wakko, passed on two years later to cancer as well!

Wasn't Wakko gorgeous? :-D I wish I could have met him!!

My Domeek's favorite childhood kitty, Biscuit, sadly passed away from cancer of the tummy. Fortunately, she lived a very long and happy life beforehand though!!! :-D

Ignore the strangulation of Biscuit, apparently she thought that cameras could steal her soul, so really didn't like her photo being taken! Hehehe!

So, the real question is: What can I do about this whole evil pet cancer thing??!

Good question! :-) Let's see...primarily, all you pet Mommas and Daddies should keep a close eye on your fur-children! If they start to act differently or strangely, that is your first clue that something isn't right! If a bump or a lump appears anywhere on their body, you should certainly get your little one to the vet to make sure it isn't something serious!

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, here are the Top 10 Early Warning Signs of Cancer!

1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetite
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating

Just like with humans, getting a cancer diagnosis isn't necessarily a life sentence, luckily there are a lot of medical/veterinary groups that are working tirelessly on cancer treatments and prevention techniques!! Phew! Thank goodness!!

Two of these organizations include: the Animal Cancer Foundation, funds and develops research focused on the biologic similarity of cancer in pets and people that will expedite therapeutic and preventive benefits for both, and then The National Canine Cancer Foundation that is dedicated to eliminating Cancer as a major health issue in dogs by funding grants directly to Cancer researchers who are working to save dogs lives by finding cures, better treatments and accurate, cost effective diagnostic methods in dealing with canine Cancer. Amazing both of these groups will assist thousands of animals each year!!

Another thing that we can really do is help out and participate in events that organizations like these put on! :-D If you can't donate or buy merchandise that they create, then no worries! How about walking in one of the many marches and 5k's that they produce?! Or if you can't do that, then why not write a Facebook or blog post on how pet cancer has effected you?!

Knowledge and awareness will always be key in fighting any kind of disease, but especially a disease that will effect so many people and animals that you know!!!

With the leaps and bounds that human cancer treatment is taking, perhaps, with all of our help, we might see a cure for both pet and human cancer in our life times?!!

Have a wonderful day everyone!!! :-D Professor Goose out! ;-)

Sandy, Sandy, Go Away!!

I don't like rain...at all, so thankfully we aren't any where near the hurricane!! Sadly though, there are over 60 million people (and pets) across the Eastern coast that might be affected by Sandy's nasty temper! Boo!!

Via Fidose of Reality

I know it's too late for most of the coast, but I wanted to pass along a load of information for all of you (especially your Moms and Dads) that might be affected now or possibly in the future with another storm!

First of all, Sandy specific information:

(Image Credit: Kathy Kmonicek/AP Photo)

• Thanks to George The Duck, I've found out that there is a Sandy Roll Call (#SandyRollCall) spreadsheet available for all animals who is affected by the hurricane, so you can check in and be checked on! Along with a Sandy Anipal Information Facebook page!
• As he has amazing information, please start with George The Duck for all Sandy Hurricane information...then check out other places!
• According to the Mayor's Alliance For NYC Animals: Under New York City Law, (1) During times of evacuation, a cab driver may not turn down a fare who is bringing a pet along. (2) An evacuation center must accept any pet as long as he/she is accompanied by a human and either leashed or in a carrier.
• A Sandy Lost and Found Pet's page has already been established on Facebook, to help reunite pet parents and their animals! 
• NYC's hurricane evacuation shelters have to accept pets as long as they are accompanied by a human and have a leash/carrier!! New York area animal care and control facility information can be found here!

No matter where you live, you should always have a disaster preparedness plan in place! Since I live in California, the land of crazy earthquakes, Domeek, my brothers, and I all have an earthquake plan in place! We know what to do, where to go, and what to take with us! Even if you don't live anywhere near earthquakes or hurricanes, it's definitely smart to have a plan in place; have you heard of tornadoes, volcanoes, tsunamis, mud slides, blizzards...omd, Mother Earth certainly has a lot of issues to deal with!

I suggest taking a look at the Humane Society of the United State, the ASPCA, PetFinder, and, of course, FEMA's own disaster preparedness plans for lots of incredibly helpful information!

I also suggest putting together a pet (and human) first aid kit, just in case something happens in the hustle and bustle of an evacuation or shut-in!

PetWave and the American Red Cross both have great compilations of everything that you might need, if you choose to build your own kit! These items include: a crate/carrier, thermometer, Vaseline, hydrogen peroxide, karo syrup, medical bandages/gauze, small flash light, hot/cold pack, emergency heat blanket, tweezers, saline solution, and a card with your vet's phone number, address, and directions. These are just the basics, so you might want to add or take away certain items for your pet specifically (especially their food, some toys, and an item from your wardrobe)!

If you don't want to make your own kit 21st Century, AKC, and QuakeKare all have great, per-packaged kits available to purchase! I still suggest adding your own personal items as well!

It also might be helpful if you took a Pet CPR class, that way you could be able to assist not only your own pets but also others if needed?!

It's very important to plan ahead of time and know exactly where you can take your pet in the event of an emergency or evacuation! Do you have a relative or friend that lives near, but out of the evacuation zone? How about a hotel or motel that you can count on? The ASPCA has a list of animal-friendly accommodations that you can take a look at, if you don't have one or two available! What about a vet or a shelter that has agreed to take animals in during disaster times? These are all very important things to know before a disaster hits!

I know that we don't want to think about what might happen in the event of an emergency, but in order to be a good pet parent or doggie brother/sister these are the things that we need to plan on! Everyone will be happier and safer if there is a plan to speed the process up, ensure our friends' well-beings, and live a long life!

Ok, Professor Goose's lecture is over for today!! ;-D

Sending lots of paw-sitive thoughts out to all my doggie and kittie friends who are in the middle of Sandy's mess!! Stay safe everyone!

Social Media...Who'd Have Thunk!

Sorry for the really late post guys, Domeek had to stay at work for soooooo many hours tonight! Boo!

Boy, has the last couple of days been full of new friends and learning about all this social media stuffs!

I tell you, before two days ago, I never stepped foot on Facebook (maybe I snuck a look at Domeek's posts but that was the extent of it) and now I have over 90 new friends from all over the world! That's kind of amazing for such a small pup! I've never been out of Northern California and now I get to talk to dogs and kitties from Russia, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Alaska! Do you want to know what I've discovered? We're all the same, wherever we're from...we all love dog parks, bacon, snuggles, and meeting new people! Domeek says that the world is such a small place and now I'm starting to believe it too! :-)

Then there's Twitter, which is a pretty confusing website...so many people talking all at the same time, it's like being in a room full of loud people! Hehe, I'm trying to pick it up though! And then there's all of you guys! I like the Blogger website! I go to one page and see all of your new posts immediately, I don't have to go to multiple places, which is awesome for a lazy pup! ;-)

Switching gears a bit!

This evening, I got to go to the Bay Trail! It's so exciting to go there, it's full of wild animal smells, nature, other people and dogs, runners, bikes...I have to criss cross in front of Domeek because there is so much to see, sniff, and do!

Don't you just want to run all over the place?! I know I did, this is what Domeek calls "warp speed Goose!"

I found a delicious stick to chew, got totally freaked out by a giant rock that I thought was a monster or troll or something equally scary, and saw some duckies!

I finally gave Domeek a face shot, but you have to be quick! :-)

I surveyed my land before hopping back into the car, I was very pleased with what I saw!

Have a great sleep time everyone!