Pets Eye View Camera

In today’s internet age, pet owners have more tools than ever for sharing their pets’ lives with others. As Zootooers know, posting photos, videos, and thoughts about the experience of being a pet parent can connect us with millions of two-legged and four-legged friends.  But the 21st-century pet owner doesn’t have to stop there. New applications and gadgets allow pets and their humans to interact with the world — and each other — in surprising new ways.  The digital camera “Pet’s Eye View” gives owners the chance to experience life from their furry friend’s perspective. Available through such websites as amazon.com at about $40 per unit, the device hangs loosely from your pet’s collar. Owners can program the camera to take automatic pictures every 1, 5, or 15 minutes, providing a unique record of a pet’s point of view.  If your pet isn’t ready to be a shutterbug, you can upgrade your own photos by trying out the first camera designed for pets. The Pentax Optio W90 has been programmed to detect the fuzzy faces of dogs and cats, and can be automatically set to snap the perfect pic the moment your pet’s face turns to the camera.  For pet owners who want to dive deeper into technology, social networking gadgets for pets have hit the market! Many individuals have joined Twitter on behalf of their pets, but did you know that your cat can now tweet on his own? Thanks to Cat@Log, a collar attachment, you can find out what your feline is doing all day long while you’re away from home. This small device operates with the help of an acceleration sensor, GPS, and camera — and then posts one of eleven original tweets depending on the information your cat’s movements are transmitting.

Rescue Ink

photo and article found on ZooToo News

This unique group is expanding its mission to reach more dogs in need.

When you think of animal rescue advocates, you may not immediately picture tough-looking, tattooed guys educating children and families about the mistreatment of animals. However, that’s exactly what the guys at Rescue Ink are doing.
Rescue Ink is a dedicated animal rescue group focusing on saving animals from abuse as well as neglect. The gentlemen at Rescue Ink are indeed tattooed, tough-talking, intimidating bikers, and they use their strengths and passion to change the lives of animals every day.   Composed of a retired New York City Police Department detective, club bouncers, and security guards, Rescue Ink’s members are all animal activists on an admirable mission. Some of their journeys have been somewhat turbulent, but much like the animals they fight for every day, they persevere and believe in second chances.   Rescue Ink’s shelter is a 25-acre rehabilitation center located in upstate New York. The purpose of the shelter is to provide a stable and safe environment in which the animals housed there can learn trust and allegiance. Rescue Ink is currently in the process of expanding their shelter, and with it, their rehabilitation efforts.   Rescue Ink prides itself on its many programs and areas of focus. The organization currently has a volunteer program for the foster care of animals, as well as behavioral training for troubled animals requiring rehabilitation.   Rescue Ink also features a “Jr. Ink” Members program. This initiative specializes in Humane Education as it pertains to the younger generation of pet lovers. The guys at Rescue Ink teach children about compassion and responsibility when dealing with their non-human friends.   In addition to these programs, Rescue Ink also has a Domestic Abuse program which focuses on the unfortunate link between animal and domestic abuse in households as well as an Adoption Program. Rescue Ink likes to believe in second chances—and their adoption program is living, breathing proof of this.

Treatment Puts Canine Cop Back on Patrol

A Chicago police dog beats arthritis with stem cell treatment.

October 22, 2010   By Kris O'Donnel 
 
Dasty is a happy five-year-old German shepherd who loves to be around people. He’s also very active, spending his days as a member of the Chicago Police Department’s canine unit. But his career almost came to a grinding halt when one day, in 2009, his partner noticed he had problems getting up and slipped“I watched him for a few days and it was the same thing and it kept getting progressively worse,” Officer Marion Anderson said. “He was having more difficulty going up and down steps and getting out of the vehicle.”  Officer Anderson said Dasty’s condition rapidly deteriorated.  “It was getting to be very debilitating and interfered with him doing his job. We do building searches, narcotics work, and weapons searches,” she said. “[The dogs] play a very big role in our department, removing narcotics off the street. They are very, very important,” Anderson said.   Dasty was taken to Arboretum View Animal Hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe arthritis in his left hind leg.   “He was in pretty serious shape,” Dr. Cheryl Adams said. “He was in pain and it was very painful for him to sit down. He was also experiencing muscle-wasting,” she said.  The arthritis, it turns out, was caused by Lyme disease.  “We don’t know how he caught it,” Anderson said.
But now Dasty is back on his feet and back to work, thanks to stem cell treatment, a relatively new procedure which uses Dasty’s own cells to help repair the damaged tissue.  In May, Dasty had a simple operation in which fat cells were removed from his abdomen and shipped to a California company called Vet-Stem.  “Fat contains the highest concentration of stem and other regenerative cells,” Vet-Stem C.E.O. Bob Harman said. “Vet-Stem removes the fat cells by a series of washings, centrifugations and enzyme digestion,” he said. “This leaves the stem and other regenerative cells which are shipped back to the veterinarian.”  Those cells are then injected directly into the affected area. Vet-Stem says veterinarians are using the therapy primarily for osteoarthritis and tendon and ligament injuries. More than 2,600 dogs have received the treatment and Vet-Stem say 70% have shown improvement.  “Many owners report that their dog can do things that they had not done in years, such as jump into the car,” Harman said.  Stem cells have an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces the pain, although they will not cure conditions like arthritis outright.   “If the dog has arthritis, it’s not going to take it away but it’s going to help heal some of the damaged tissue and help with the pain,” Dr. Adams said. “It can repair damage within the joint but it won’t grow new tissue.”  Dasty had three treatments in total and Anderson says she started noticing a difference just before the second treatment.  “As we got closer to the second injection, I noticed he was moving a lot easier and wasn’t as slow to get up after the first injection,” Anderson said. “It gave me a lot of hope that he would be able to continue to work. It was a big sigh of relief to see there was some improvement going on,” she said.   Dasty currently undergoes water treadmill therapy twice a week to regain muscle strength, but Anderson says he’ll be weaned off of it as his muscles get stronger.  Meanwhile Dasty continues his work with the Chicago Police Department. Just recently, Anderson says he uncovered 780 grams of methamphetamine in a drug bust, which had a street value of more than $250,000. And, his old personality has returned.  “He is back to his normal self, his natural silliness,” Anderson said. “He’s a very social butterfly. He will do what he has to do when it comes to work,” she said. “When he’s not, he’s very fun loving and enjoys people.”

Plastic Surgery For Everyone

Just when I thought I have seen it all!  Way to go modern medicine!

Halloween Pet Safety

Article found on the ASPCA website

No Scaredy Cats This Halloween: Top 10 Safety Tips for Pet Parents


Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to point out these common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy.
•Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate—and even seizures.
•Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.
•Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you

Fall Grooming Tips

It's been a long, hot summer, and your pet's skin has been probably exposed to sun, sand and surf. Regular grooming is important to your pet's good health at all times of year, but now is the time to undo the damage from all that summer fun.   Best Friends professional groomer Gabe DeLeon says that the end of summer may mean a tangled coat, skin irritation, and even ear problems caused by swims at the lake or pool, so the time to act is now.

•Check for parasites. Brush your pet and inspect his skin for signs of irritation due to parasites. Parasites are at their peak now, so if you spot any troublesome areas, contact your veterinarian and make an appointment with a professional groomer. "We get many requests for flea and tick medicated baths at this time of year," DeLeon says.

•Check your pet's ears for problems that may be triggered by summer swims. Certain organisms thrive in the moist, dark conditions of the ear. If there is a peculiar odor, signs of redness, or if your pet is trying to scratch or rub his ears, there may be an issue that needs attending. Weekly cleaning, with a solution made for ear care is a good year-round preventative measure.

•Check your pet's feet by spreading the pads and look between and under the toes. Summertime means exposure to lawn chemicals, sun-heated asphalt, thorns and grass seed. If your pet is continuously licking his paws, or they show signs or redenss or irritation, he could suffer from contact dermatitis or allergies.

•Shampoo and condition. A popular post-summer treat is a moisturizing bath with hypoallergenic shampoo, or medicated shampoo for allergies and irritations, says DeLeon. "Our groomers evaluate the pet's skin and coat and decide which types of shampoo will be best and most soothing."

There are steps that can be taken year-round to ease the post-summer grooming blues, says DeLon:

•Brush and comb regularly. Pets with long hair especially need to be tended to. A matted coat will trap heat and moisture, causing skin problems and discomfort. Groomers recommend a conditioning and untangling spray before brushing.

•Continue preventative flea and tick treatments year round.

•Shampoo and condition when necessary. Your professional groomer can help you establish an appropriate schedule based on your pet's breed, coat, living conditions and activity level.

When you visit your groomer, be sure to let him know about your pet's activities over the past few months, and don't hesitate to ask questions. To find a qualified groomer, contact the Best Friends nearest you or go to the Our Centers section of the website.