Finnish visiting Alpaca!

Here is a heart-warming story, also covered by Finnish television, of a woman who took an alpaca to cheer folks up in the hospital.

According to the Finnish site Sirpucca the story goes like this. (Translated from Finnish via Google Translate! Not her actual English!)

“We received an invitation to visit the Gulf of Joensuu Home chronically ill hospital ward seven. Tess and I took the invitation with pleasure.”

Holidays!

Pet Pals board met this weekend for a little holiday get together at Diane's.  Maui (pictured above) and her siblings welcomed us in and we enjoyed games, appetizers and lots of laughs.   We even collected quite a few  donations for the Humane Society (a few pictured below).

Cats needing Home

One of our members is looking for homes for one cat and two kittens.  She has been feeding them all summer and borrowed a trap last week to catch them.  The two kittens (approx 3-4 months are Belle who is a dilute calico and Smokey Jo who is  charcoal.  Juliet (the mom) is all black with a white spot on her chest.

Smokey Jo is charcoal with a white spot on her chest and on her tummy.  She is tame, but very skittish yet.  When she is held,  she purrs, kneads her paws and is very sweet.  She hides right now, but she is well on her way to being someone's pet.

Belle is a dilute calico which is hard to see in the picture because she is so dilute, but she is a gray and white tiger with splotches of orange on her.   She isn't tamed yet, but she is next.

Juliet, as far as is known, has been feral all her life.  Don't know if she could be tamed or not, but she is beautiful.  It would be best if she were spayed and went to a farm where she would be cared for, but would probably need to remain an outside cat.  She is a good hunter and, aside from the food given to her before she was trapped, she would catch birds for herself and her babies.

The kitten, Belle, may also need to remain an outside cat as it's been next to impossible to get hold of her to try taming her.

Plans are to take the kitten, Smokey Jo, to the vet for adoption.  In the mean time, if anyone is interested or knows of anyone who might be interested, please contact Diane Hensley at 236-3491 or at this e-mail address:catlady50703@yahoo.com

Thanks

Gentle Dogs

I took this video today of my little niece (2yrs) and nephew (4yrs) playing in the yard.  We were impressed again at how gentle Coda is with the little kids.  He let them take the ball out of his mouth...let them hug and play on him.  I am so thankful for his personality of tolerance that makes him such a good companion to children.  If you have a tolerant, loving dog....give them a giant hug today!

-Lisa Swanson

Caleia, 7mo Ausi-Poo

One of our members has been notified of a puppy needing a good home. The puppy is a 7-month-old female Ausi-Poo, who currently weighs 35 lbs, and could get up to about 50 lbs. She is merle/gray color, and her shots are up-to-date; Dr. Den Herder is her Vet. She is paper-trained (puppy pads) and not yet spayed. Her name is Caleia and she is good with children, loves her walks, is friendly, and has a sweet personality. She does not shed and will need regular grooming. She is also NOT a barker.

Caleia needs a new home!

Her current owner, Kelley, is looking for a good home for the puppy and would prefer a family with no other pets and a home where she would be an inside dog. She is asking $250, but price may be negotiable if Caleia goes to a very good home.

If you or anyone you know might be interested, please call Kelley at 272-2080 (work phone).

 

Thanks, much. Hopefully we can help to find a new home for this sweet puppy.

First Annual Pet Fest

WHERE:         Black Hawk Park
                       2410 West Lone Tree Road, Cedar Falls

WHEN:           Saturday, August 28th 10am - 4pm

BRING:          Your dog on a leash, your family

FEE:                $5.00 per adult, dogs on leashes and
                       kids under 12 are free

CONTACT:    Karen Anderson 319-215-3336 with any questions

Chiropractic Veterinarian

Waterloo Courier Article:
Vet Settles into Clinic, Offers Chiropractic Care
Here's an interesting article about Tammy Stevenson, one of at least three Cedar Valley veterinarians to offer chiropractic care, according to the International Association of Veterinary Chiropractioners and the American Animal Adjusting Association.

Dawne Bosier, left, holds her dog Taz, a 7-year-old border collie, as Tammy Stevenson works on aligning Taz's back at Advanced Pet Care Clinic Wednesday, July 14, 2010, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor)

Darcy's New Ride

PetPals volunteer and Board member, Judy Holmes with Darcy!

Darcy's new ride!

How are you and your four-legged family members enjoying the summer!?

10m old Kitten

A 10 month old kitten is in need of a home. The owner is unable to care for it.

Details: Female

            Has all shots and is spade (very healthy)

            Beige and brown striped

            Is a real loving kitten-likes to be held

            Loves to play

For more information call Jeff at 493-2808

Sturgis Falls 2010

New Home Needed!

Two pets who are in need of a new home:  The pets' current family has two very serious ill immediate family members (the father and daughter) and the mother is continually tending the medical needs of them and thus unable to care for the pets. It is just the three of them in the home.  The pets are a small brown male Pomeranian dog who is 8 years old and healthy (not a pet pal dog) and gray cockatoo bird, also male, healthy, and 8 years old.  She would like to see them adopted together.  If you or anyone you know might be interested, contact Corrina Coverdale at 319-233-6743 or corrinac@mchsi.com for more information.

Pet First Aid Class

Pet First Aid Class this Saturday (May 22nd)!

Get Certified through ECSI and prepare yourself for emergency situations. 

Registration is $35 which includes 3-year certification,

reference book and refreshments. 

Not too late to sign up! sarah.larison@cvhumane.org

Reserve your spot TODAY!

'The Safe Dog Handbook' by Melanie Monteiro

Dogs are a loving part of the family and it's important to make sure they are safe. Each year, thousands of dogs are hurt or killed by easily preventable accidents. Dog-lover Melanie Monteiro learned this the hard way when she adopted an accident-prone Labrador puppy. She realized that there was little information easily available, so she created a great book called "The Safe Dog Handbook."

The handy resource includes tips to puppy-proofing your home, first aid information, guides to toxic plants and much more, and is essential for any dog owner who wants to ensure their pet is safe. Melanie also has a series of instructional YouTube videos on a variety of topics. If you live near Los Angeles or Central Oregon, you can also take one of her educational seminars. You can buy her book directly from Amazon, or get more information about all of her services on her website.

Sturgis Falls 2010

It's that time of year again!

We're gearing up for the 2010 festivities
June 25, 26, 27th!

Pet Pals will have a booth again on Sunday!

Please stop by our booth to hear about Pet Pals and
to buy fun merchandise to support the organization!!!

Health Alert: Grapes/Raisins

Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , OH

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet.. My patient was A 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday.  He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my emergency service until 7 AM. 

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but.... Anyway, we Contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said  to give IV fluids at 1 - 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
 
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220 .... He continued to vomit and the owners elected to Euthanize.

This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk.

 
Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's.  Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern. Onions, chocolate, cocoa, avocadoes and macadamia nuts can be fatal, too.

Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends or neighbors who do. This is worth passing on to them.

Merchandise!

Volunteers: You can support and promote our PetPals by purchasing one of several items of merchandise available now from your friends at PetPals! The following items are ready for you to enjoy:

Short-sleeved T-shirt $10.00
Long-sleeved T-shirt $12.00

Sweatshirt $15.00
Hoodie Sweatshirt $25.00

Small bag $6.00
Large, zipper bag $12.00
Backpack $8.00

Volunteers, this is a great way to provide recognition when visiting! Please consider a t-shirt or sweatshirt for wearing when you are "on the job" and a PetPals bag is really handy for bringing your supplies along!

2010 Recognition Banquet

Despite the fresh snow, tonight was the annual banquet for PetPals. We had a nice presentation by Linda Nebbe, an update from the Humane Society group, enjoyed a wonderful spread of food, loads of donated door prizes and good times/laughs together!
Andrea, Kelly, Lisa and Dawn...the Youth Shelter crew!

Annual Potluck

The P.E.T. P.A.L.S. annual potluck will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1!! P.E.T. P.A.L.S. is providing ham, along with the drinks and table service. Those attending are asked to bring an appetizer, side dish, salad, or dessert.

Please RSVP by January 28 by contacting Jan Thompsen.