Daniel and the Superdogs, the

Transcription

Contents
Winter 2004
Departments
6
8
9
10
18
4
Pet News
Features
14
Behind The Scenes At Daniel And The
Superdogs Movie
Canadian Federation of
Humane Societies News
15
An Exclusive interview with Leonard Chase, co-producer of The
Superdogs. Daniel and the Superdogs, the much anticipated movie for
families and dog lovers everywhere, will make its English Canadian
debut early in 2005.
Canadian Veterinary
Medical Association News
16
Family Album
Claws: How Best To Take Care Of Them
23
Ask the Experts
This article by Anne Moss offers information about the anatomy of cat claws,
and some advice on how best to take care of them (and your furniture...)
25
Pet Humour
A Personal Look At Declawing
26
Pet Press
An explanation of the process involved in the very controversial procedure
of de-clawing cats.
27
Alice’s Diary
Canines, Chaos & Cake
28
New Products
An entertaining story by Teresa Hanula about a puppy shower thrown for
her new arrival, a Border Collie named Leroy.
30
Calendar
Two And Two
An extract from the recently published book Canadian Animals Are Smarter
Than Jack, this is a true story about a special Doberman named Kaos.
Wet Pets
19
It’s Just A Scratch; Or Is It?
Wound Management and Pet Fishing.
On the Fly
21
My Bird Has A Band On His Foot! Is That OK?
Have you ever wondered why there is a band on your bird’s foot, and if it
should be left there? This article gives a number of very good reasons why
it should not be removed.
On the Cover
The captivating April (played by 11-year-old Anne Boivard), Daniel's “first
love”, shares a moment with one of the pups from the Rescue Shelter that
is run by April’s mother in the movie Daniel and the Superdogs.
Photo by Jean Demers.
Visit us online at www.petsquarterly.ca
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
3
Pet News
PETS QUARTERLY
Stornoway Communications
Launches The Pet Network
Stornoway Communications is pleased
to announce the launch of an all-new
channel, The Pet Network; the first
channel to provide a 24-hour service
dealing exclusively with pets. For pet
lovers of all ages, The Pet Network is a
digital television service on everything
you’ve ever wanted to know about pets.
From dogs and cats to exotic snakes
and spiders, The Pet Network is dedicated
to providing information about pets and
their relationships with their owners.
Programs ranging from documentaries
and films to reality and cartoons are
designed to provide informative, engaging and entertaining programming for
pet owners and pet lovers alike.
The Pet Network is the first Canadian
television channel that provides public
health authorities, breeders and animal
advocates a place to voice their concerns, insights and knowledge and to
share these with the public at large.
With the tag line “Come. Sit. Stay.”
The Pet Network is on Rogers’ channel
190, and the full programming slate
began December 3.
The Pet Network is the third digital
channel offered by Stornoway; the
other two being bpm:tv, Canada’s only
dance channel; and ichannel, Canada’s
premier public affairs channel.
Redesigned RubbermaidPets.com
Provides Pet Owners With More Pet
Information
To better serve as a central source for
pet product information, and help pet
owners build stronger relationships
with their pets, Newell Rubbermaid’s
line of pet products - Rubbermaid Pets
– has announced major enhancements
to its website, RubbermaidPets.com.
Inspired by the special bond between pet
owners and their pets, newly redesigned
4
Pets Quarterly ● Winter 2004
Winter 2004
RubbermaidPets.com includes frequently updated information about
Rubbermaid Pets products, as well as
timely, helpful pet-owning tips, fun pet
surveys and promotions, pet feature
articles and other pet-related news. A
Rubbermaid Pets writing staff has been
designated to report monthly on petowning trends and ideas for enhancing
the pet owning experience.
In addition to being sold online at
RubbermaidPets.com, Rubbermaid Pets
products are sold at retail, including
PETsMART and many independent,
locally owned pet products retailers
across Canada.
Animals love us unconditionally.
By example, they teach us about our
capacity to love. In caring for the
creatures of the planet, we do much to
enhance the quality of our own lives.
Publisher/Editor
Contributors
Jim Eaton
Rick Axelson, DVM
Kim Drysdale, DVM
Kerry Vinson
CFHS
CVMA
Daniel Freeman
Jean Demers
Dee Clair
Dahlijah Rahm
Diane Nicholson
Teresa Hanula
Anne Moss
Keith Smith
Robert Fenner
Advertising Information Adrienne Ramsay
Design/Production
Hotels Adopt Pet-Friendly Policies
To Help Boost Bookings
Gourmet dog cookies... dog clothing
and booties...pet spas and upscale
grooming services...the varied and
growing pet-related industries make it
clear that Canadians love their pets.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that the
number of people who travel with
their pets continues to grow. And now
more accommodations are starting to
realize that they can benefit from our
attachment to our pets.
“Pets are family. Many pet owners
don’t want to leave the pooch behind
when the rest of the family goes away
- but they often have a hard time finding accommodations that allow pets.
By permitting pets, accommodations
have the opportunity to increase both
business and loyalty,” comments
Angela Wu, founder of the Pet
Friendly Canada Directory. In fact,
according to one study, seventy-six
percent of dog owners said they would
be more loyal to a hotel chain that
accepted dogs, even when they weren’t
traveling with their pet.
The Pet Friendly Canada Directory
is located at www.PetFriendly.ca. ✰
Kelly Chase
www.petsquarterly.ca
[email protected]
Pets Quarterly is published four times a year
and distributed through the adoption kits of
the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals and Humane Societies across Canada.
Pets Quarterly is also distributed by
veterinarians, pet food retailers, pet shops,
groomers and breeders, on the newsstand,
and by subscription.
The information contained in Pets Quarterly
is not intended as medical advice for serious
health disorders. The opinions expressed are
not necessarily those of the editor. Articles
are copyrighted and must not be reprinted
without written permission from the
Publisher. Manuscripts, drawings, or material
submitted must be accompanied by a
stamped, self-addressed envelope. Pets
Quarterly is not responsible for loss or
damage to unsolicited material.
Subscription rates in Canada:
12.95 for one year, $18.95 for two years.
Subscriptions to the USA: US$12.95 per year.
Back issues are $5.00 each.
$
VOLUME 9 NUMBER 3
Pets Quarterly is published by
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION PUBLISHERS
P.O. Box 90510, 230 Markham Rd.,
Scarborough, Ontario M1J 3N7
Tel 416-955-1550, Fax 416-955-1391
www.capmagazines.ca
CPMP Agreement #40049369
ISSN 1207-2222
PRINTED IN CANADA
Feature Article
aniel and the Superdogs, the
much anticipated movie for
families and dog lovers
everywhere, will make its English
Canadian debut ear l y in 2005.
Featuring 12-year-old Matthew
Harbour and Anne Boivard in the
leading roles and a splendid group of
actors, including Claire Bloom and
Annie Chaplin, the movie has
already won a major award in each of
the three international film festivals,
Italian, Czech and Russian, in which
it has appeared.
We had an opportunity to interview
Leonard Chase, called simply Chase
by his friends and Superdogs fans, who
is co-producer of the Superdogs along
with creator Herb Williams. Canada’s
Superdogs are considered to be the
world's most successful dog performance show and have been entertaining
well over one million fans annually
across the U.S. and Canada since 1979.
D
Thanks for visiting with us Chase. First
off, where did the idea for the movie
come from?
That’s an interesting question. In fact,
the movie is based on a true story. About
eight years ago, the Superdogs were
appearing in Vancouver and the team and
the dogs were staying at a smaller, more
relaxed hotel near the PNE. It turned out
there had been a recent tragedy in the
family that owned the hotel. The middleaged wife and mother of an only son had
just passed away tragically from cancer.
The family was distraught. The son,
who was twelve years old, was particularly morose and lonely. His father, a
good man, was nevertheless obligated to
focus on his business and the boy
became more and more reclusive. When
we arrived, we invited the boy to come
and join our rehearsals for the shows.
He soon established close relations with
not only the Superdogs team members
but one particular dog, a Bouvier named
Chase is adept at managing the business end of
Superdogs, but he’s also a vibrant emcee for
Superdogs performances at the CNE in Toronto.
BEHIND THE SCENES
AT DANIEL AND THE SUPERDOGS MOVIE
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHASE, CO-PRODUCER
OF THE SUPERDOGS
BY DANIEL FREEMAN
PHOTOS BY JEAN DEMERS
From left top: Daniel (Matthew Harbour), Colin (William Phan), and the
irrepressible William (Wyatt Bowen) take some time to cuddle with Superdogs
(left to right), Dart, Kenya, and Streak (Gypsy).
6
Bravo. And, more importantly, Bravo
helped him to break out of his shell.
After a week or so, we told him if he
could work with the Bouvier, we’d give
him a chance to perform in a live performance. I never saw anyone so
engrossed and dedicated to working
with a dog. Naturally, he did appear in
our final performance in Vancouver. The
wonderful thing was that all the waiters
and busboys and everyone, including his
father, from the hotel came to the performance. As Bravo and the young boy,
who had overcome so much, ran around
the course beaming with happiness,
there were very few dry eyes among all
the Superdogs team members, including
myself, and his friends in the audience.
He was far from perfect but it didn't
matter a wit to anyone. At that
moment, I had never been prouder of
what the Superdogs is all about: a celebration of the powerful, unique love
that exists between people and dogs.
Of course, the movie is quite different
and has a lot more going on, but the
core of the story is still there.
Why was a Jack Russell selected for the
lead role?
Well, we needed a dog that was manageable, very bright and very teachable.
A movie set is a very busy place and the
dog had to remain focused on his role
and interaction with the actors. Streak,
the Superdogs Jack Russell who plays
the part of Gypsy in the movie, was perfect for the part. Not only was the dog
very bright but he was feisty and a quick
learner. His trainer, Sue Williams, is
an incredibly gifted trainer and she
worked hard to teach Streak numerous
new tricks, like yawning on cue, jumping into a stranger’s arms, and other difficult stunts. Streak was just great. As
was Luna who played Wolf, the Borzoi,
in the movie. Wolf was trained by Seana
O'Neil, who was the other wrangler –
pet trainer – on the movie. By the way,
the real Wolf, who holds the world
record for high jumping, was Luna’s
boyfriend in real life. It was sad that the
real Wolf passed away just two months
after the film was shot. However, he did
live to a ripe old thirteen years, which is
a long life for a Borzoi. In fact, we had
more than eighteen trainers and thirty
Superdogs in the movie. Quite a handful, as you can imagine.
How did you like being in a movie?
It was inspiring and a bit overwhelming. It takes more people than you can
imagine to make a movie and frankly I
was a bit nervous when I had to act,
even thought I had a very small part.
Herb, of course, was the epitome of cool
and actually relished performing. Since
the movie was filmed in both French
and English, we were really shooting
two movies at once. I thought Matthew
Harbour and Anne Boivard, the two
lead actors, were tremendous. They are
both completely bilingual and performed brilliantly in both languages. I
just had to say one sentence and, even
though I practiced it over and over, it still
took three takes. You know when you say
a word over and over it sometimes
becomes meaningless. Well, that’s what
happened. I had to say “courir”, which
means to run, and I was so preoccupied
with getting it right that I blew it completely in the first few takes and finally
got it when I just said it naturally.
Any final thoughts?
First of all I think the movie is terrific.
Mind you I’m probably a bit biased,
but I love the movie because it’s a real
“ You look into that thing over there…I think it’s a camera.” Chase
(left) and Herb Williams, co-producers of the Superdogs, confer on the
set of Daniel and the Superdogs.
authentic dog movie – real dogs doing
real things, not re-animated through
computer gimmicks. Frankly, I’ve seen
it three times and each time there are
tears in my eyes at the end – that’s how
great I think it is. But, after all, those
are our dogs and our trainers in the
movie and I’m so proud of them. They
say working with kids and dogs is one
of the greatest challenges in TV and
movies. Andre Melancon, the Director,
was just terrific…I just can’t say
enough about him…he was patient
and gentle with all of us and never
became ruffled even when the dogs got
a little wayward during the shoot. We
all became very close…the actors, the
gaffers, the dogs, everyone was united
under Andre’s calm, brilliant direction.
It was an exciting and unforgettable
experience. I think Daniel and the
Superdogs is a great movie for everyone
from 3 to 93 years old. I think it will be
enjoyed for generations to come.
Thank you for your time, Chase
Thank you. Hopefully, we'll talk again
when Daniel and the Superdogs II
comes out!
Daniel Freeman is a freelance writer and
a marketing communications consultant to
numerous companies in the pet industry.
Jean Demers is a well respected freelance
photographer based in Montreal. ✰
Superdogs creator Herb Williams and co-producer
Chase practice their parts amid the ramps and jumps of
the Superdogs show.
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
7
Claws:
How To Best Take Care Of Them
(And Your Furniture...)
Feature Article
By Anne Moss
he c at ’s c laws, comple x
retractable appendages, are
usually withdrawn within
their sheathes above the toe pads.
The cat will extend its claws when
necessary in order to climb, grip, or
defend itself.
The visible part of the claw is made
up of two main parts:
◆ The centre of the claw, called the
“quick”, which contains the nerve endings and blood vessels nourishing the
claw.
◆ The claw’s outer cover, which is made
of layers of material called keratin.
T
The claw grows throughout the
cat’s life. It is renewed continuously
as the older outer layers wear down.
To facilitate this process, cats need to
scratch objects made of wood or other
similar materials. For cats living outdoors, there is additional natural
wearing of the claws caused by digging or by walking on various rough
surfaces.
Indoor cats experience less natural
erosion. They may try to further wear
8
down their claws by scratching such
things as doors, wooden or upholstered furniture, rugs, bookbindings,
or other such objects. Another problem occurs when claws grow too
long, which may cause undesirable
scratches on the cat’s human “family.”
In such cases, the cat’s claws can be
clipped once every few weeks.
Clipping the Claws
Cats’ claws are shortened using special clippers or sharp nail scissors. It is
very important to clip only the tip of
the claw and not to cut into the quick.
The claw should be examined before
a light source to clearly differentiate
between the pink part - the centre or
quick of the claw containing the
blood vessels - and the whitish clear
part. Then you can carefully trim the
white tip of the claw, keeping a safe
distance from the quick.
It is better to clip away a smaller
part of the claw more often than risk
hitting the sensitive centre of the
claw, which can cause the cat both
great pain and bleeding. If you have
doubts about how to clip the claws
properly, you should consult a veterinarian, asking her to demonstrate the
process for you.
Surgical Declawing
In declawing, the veterinarian must
remove part or all of the end joint of
each of the cat’s toes. This surgery is very
painful, causing cats much suffering
for weeks. After the surgery, cats have
difficulties walking and using their
litter box for some time.
Some experts - and indeed many
owners - claim that, in the long run,
this surgery causes distortion of the
c at ’s spine. This is bec ause the
removal of the last phalanx of the toes
changes the cat’s posture, making it
move in an unnatural manner. It is
also claimed that declawed cats are
more inclined to defecate outside of
the litter box in the house.
For all these reasons - cats should
not be declawed!
In fact, in many countries around
the world, including Britain, surgical
declawing is illegal. In the United
States, too, there is growing public
demand to legally ban the surgical
declawing of cats, since this procedure
borders on abuse.
Before you consider having such an
operation performed on your cat,
think - would you be willing to have
the upper joint of each of your fingers
and toes amputated?
Anne Moss is a cat behaviour counselor.
She operates two of the largest cat related
websites - www.TheCatSite.com, where
you can meet Anne on the forums as
well as read more of her articles; and
www.Meowhoo.com, a comprehensive
directory of cat related websites, products
and services. ✰
A Personal Look at
De-Clawing
By Diane C. Nicholson
worked for three veterinarians,
more than 30 years ago, and had
the unpleasant experience of
assisting in one de-clawing procedure. Like many, I had assumed that
the practice was a simple surgery,
and that the cat would awaken in
basically the same body, only now
unable to shred furniture.
What I watched stunned and sickened me. The vet was a wonderful,
compassionate man, who tr ul y
believed that this was a justifiable and
only alternative to putting the cat to
death. The owners probably didn’t
even investigate options, honestly
unaware of what their cat was about to
live through, and how her life would
change forever.
orphaned wildlife. I had never heard
such a plaintive cry from any creature.
The cat’s eyes were wide and frightened, and she tried to stay off of her
throbbing paws as much as she could,
in spite of the lingering effects of the
anesthetic. It was apparent that she
was in exquisite pain but also, that she
was terrified.
The cat had a family that loved her
and no doubt thought they were
doing the best for all. They had not
researched the long-term effects, nor
did they have any idea what type of
panic and pain their animal would go
through. Like a circumcised infant
boy, had this victim a voice she would
have insisted, loudly and clearly, on
her birthright.
When I realized that a good deal of
her paws had to be amputated, I had
a hard time supporting the surgery.
But perhaps the worst part was when
she awoke from the anesthetic, sitting
up like a frightened raccoon, waving
her bandaged paws in the air and
howling non-stop. I had worked at a
Children’s Zoo for five years, raising
and healing all types of injured and
Surgery to correct disease or to
sterilize animals saves lives and in the
process does not inhibit inherently
important behaviour. But surgery that
removes vital body parts such as protective ears and tails that express
communication in dogs, or claws
that are as fundamental to cats’ lives
as fingers are to humans’, needs to
addressed.
I
We live in a society which views
animals as a commodity; easily discarded when no longer convenient.
Science now has evidence of what
animal lovers have always known; they
have the same chemicals coursing
through their brains that we do. These
chemicals show that the emotions of
fear, love and grief are very real for
non-human animals. Just as a human
will grieve amputated limbs, so too
does the cat. However, we have technology to help us regain the mobility
and security that we lost. De-clawed
cats do not.
Diane C. Nicholson is an internationally
accredited and published, professional
photographer who specializes in horses,
companion animals and families. She is
also a published writer who has had four
stories in the Chicken Soup for the Soul
series, several articles in newspapers and
magazines, and has a children’s book currently being represented. Diane considers
herself an activist for human and animal
rights and works hard to that end. She
lives in British Columbia’s interior with
her human family which has extended
to many rescued critters including horses,
dogs, cats, rabbits, a bird and a rat.✰
Please note, the opinions expressed in the
above article are strictly those of the author
and not necessarily those of the publisher
of Pets Quarterly.
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
9
Canines,
Chaos,
& Cake
By Teresa Hanula
Photos By Keith Smith
ost people want nothing
but the best for their baby.
Many do background
checks on daycare facilities and
months of searching for the perfect
kindergarten. But for a puppy, often
very little research on their schooling
is done.
There may be some training done in
the dog’s lifetime, but usually that is
only sought out when the dog is
already “misbehaving.” Remember at
full size many puppies turned dog have
jaw capabilities strong enough to tear
through flesh and crush bone. Don’t
you want to be certain that you are
doing everything possible to insure
that your dog grows up to be a loving
companion and wonderful addition to
your family?
M
What party is complete without party hats?
Leroy was the newest addition to
my family. The banner reads, “It’s a
Boy,” But the cake says it best reading,
“It’s a Border Collie!”
It was a Saturday afternoon and as
luck would have it, it was raining out.
Does rain on your puppy shower day
feel the same as rain on your wedding
day? Would the other puppies still
arrive to welcome baby Leroy into this
world? Would all the dogs get along?
Would the dogs all enjoy a piñata
filled with treats? Yes came to be the
answer to all of these questions. The
What shower would be complete without a cake ?
We welcome the arrival of our Border Collie.
10
rain let up and a fun-filled afternoon of
canines, chaos and cake commenced.
Many owners were amused when
their invitations arrived, but did they
really understand the most important
reason for the puppy shower?
My goals for my new Border Collie
are high and socialization is the highest point of call. What most owners
don’t realize is that the biggest window
for socialization falls before 16 weeks
of age. Unfortunately, many puppies
spend much of that time alone in their
crate being exposed to very little. At
such a young age puppies are very
malleable. Exposure to the world is
extremely important. Almost anything
that you introduce to them will be
viewed as good later on in their life. If
a puppy is seemingly afraid of something, then lots of treats paired with
that item can quickly change the
puppy’s mind about matters. So items
that dogs may at first fear such as hats,
bags, men, or boxes could have been
adored by the pup by merely exposing
the pup to them early on in life.
Everyone loves a party. So, what better way to acclimate a puppy to “everything” than by inviting “everything” to a
huge celebration? This includes dogs,
men, women, and screaming children.
Lots of treats were available for owners
and dogs alike. After doggie cake and
biscuits galore, Leroy thought that any
sight of balloons and banners meant
great stuff for him.
It was required that everyone handles
him and cuddle him. Many people did
not object…who wouldn’t want to pet
a fuzzy baby with puppy breath?
However, I had a hidden agenda. All
this handling would teach Leroy that
strangers of all sorts are good and that
handling would on most occasions lead
to fun. He learned that some people
may just look weird and make strange
noises but hats and noisemakers are
just another thing that humans use.
The DO’s and DON’Ts of throwing
your own puppy shower:
DO...
✓ Be sure that all dogs attending are
healthy and up-to-date with all their
vaccinations. Be sure that young puppies have received at least their first
round of shots.
✓ Educate owners on what to look
for regarding dog fights and have them
monitor their own dogs.
✓ Have people designated as monitors to recognize the early signals of a
dog fight because it is very possible
that a dog’s owner might become distracted and not see a fight coming.
✓ Invite dogs that you know are
friendly towards other dogs, children
and adults.
✓ Have extra crates available to serve
as a time-out area for tired or overstimulated dogs.
✓ Try to separate large dogs from
small dogs. A large dog’s good intentions may not be enough to prevent
him from stepping on and possibly
severely injuring a smaller dog.
✓ Choose a fenced area with a secure
entrance/exit so that there is no chance
of a dog escaping (nothing puts a bigger damper on the celebration of a new
puppy than losing another dog.)
✓ Have several fun games and contests planned. Everyone enjoys showing
off his or her pet. Try to have all owners
leave feeling good about their dog...
even if you have to have such contests
as shortest tail and loudest barker.
Continued on page 12...
Puppy
Socialization
Tips
First Steps
The first 12 weeks of life are what is
known as the “imprinting period”.
This is the time when you should be
exposing your puppy to everything you
want it to see and be tolerant of as an
adult. It can be difficult to accomplish
this as the puppy needs to be fully
covered by vaccinations before you
risk it outside. However, if you have
friends with safe, vaccinated dogs and
friendly cats, get them to visit.
Children And Strangers
Make sure that your children are
respectful of the puppy. A puppy
teased into biting by your children will
bite them seriously when grown up.
Do not allow the puppy to jump on
them or nip them, no matter how small
or young the dog. If you can get this
message across during the imprinting
period, you will have more chance of
producing a well mannered dog.
Get as many people as possible to
come and visit. Let them handle and
play with the puppy, but do not let
them disrespect your rules. Encourage
the puppy to greet them itself, don’t
keep picking it up and handing it over.
If necessary, get visitors to offer the
puppy a treat. Discourage any excessive barking when visitors arrive.
Other Dogs
Impress on your puppy quickly that it
has to have manners around other
dogs. Do not allow the puppy to continually leap on other dogs, or grab
and bite them. From the start, encourage the puppy to come to you in the
presence of other dogs. Most safe adult
dogs will snap at and nip the puppy if
it goes too far. Do not reprimand an
older dog for this, this is normal
behaviour and is the most natural way
for your dog to learn how to behave.
Training
Start basic training as soon as you get
the puppy. Practise little and often
and concentrate on simple commands: sit, down and come. Join a
good training class as soon as you can.
Watch out for specialist puppy
socialisation classes - some are excellent, some create more problems. An
article by the Association of Pet
Behaviour Counsellors last year criticised trainers who run “free for all”
classes. This is where the first part of
every lesson is to let all the puppies
off the lead and run around together.
This teaches dogs that every time it
sees another dog it can run off and
jump all over it, ignoring you completely. The article said that many
dogs were having to have specialised
help to combat adult problems created by this type of early conditioning.
It creates dogs with no manners
around other dogs, and who won’t
come back to you when you see another dog. It can also cause aggressive
behaviour because your dog never
learns to respect other dogs and can be
injured itself by another dog trying to
teach it to behave better.
Try to get a good class with plenty
of variety, ask your vet if you don’t
know of one locally.
Final Thoughts
The golden rule is this: never let a
puppy do anything you don’t want it
to do as an adult. Expose your puppy
to as much as possible; other animals, visitors, children, travelling,
hoovering etc.
Also understand that even young
puppies can show hints about their
true nature. A puppy who shows
aggressive behaviour is quite common. The problem is that owners
seem to find a growling and biting
puppy funny and don’t tackle the
problem quickly enough. If your
puppy is too assertive and objects to
being told off or picked up, or growls
or barks at you, get some help.
You can never again have this keen
and impressionable period, so make
the most of it. ✰
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
11
Although dogs of all sizes can get along quite well, it is important to have separate
areas for small and large dogs.
...continued from page 11
✓ Give out lots of information about
the proper socialization of puppies.
Well-adjusted puppies are not an
accident. They are products of welleducated owners.
DON’T...
✗ Don’t let the dogs figure it out for
themselves. Sometimes all of us need
to be pointed in the right direction.
✗ Don’t keep dogs on leash. Owners
walking their dogs on leashes may not
even realize that they are completely
altering their dog’s body language and
thus changing the dog’s interaction
with another dog.
✗ Don’t throw treats into a group of
dogs. Fighting over food is an extremely common behavior among dogs.
✗ Don’t expose all dogs to all things
and expect that it will be a positive
experience. Most puppies will quickly
learn that if something novel is paired
with a really good treat, that novel item
is viewed as good. An older dog may
have already developed some bad associations with certain things or just fear
a novel item. i.e. Don’t just whack a
piñata expecting every dog to like it.
Especially with an older dog, it may take
more time to develop a positive association. Be sensitive to your dog’s needs!
12
✗ Don’t let dogs run wild all afternoon. Add some fun games and share
any training knowledge with all dog
owners.
✗ Don’t be stingy about giving out
information regarding puppy socialization. Owners can’t hear enough
about it!
Some owners were skeptics at first, but
once all the dogs, about 20 to be exact,
were loose all the chaos began. To the
skeptics’ surprise, all the dogs got
along and many owners realized how
much fun their dogs were having.
Suddenly their fear of their dogs misbehaving was gone and they allowed
themselves to have a great time. This
motivated them to take their dogs out
more in public and soon everyone was
asking when Leroy would have his first
birthday party. All owners left with an
informed mind of just how important
socialization is and all the different
things that dogs can grow up and fear
just for the mere lack of exposure. If
owners would even take their dogs out
more in public then the vicious cycle of
dog misbehaving and being placed in
the backyard would change into owners
being relaxed and their dogs enjoying a
more fulfilling life. When is your dog’s
next occasion for a dog party?
Teresa Hanula is a Certified Pet Dog
Trainer who has been training dogs for
over six years. She is originally from
Boston but now lives in Fairfax VA with
her two Border Collies, Charlie and
Leroy. She owns A Dog's World, a dog
training and pet care company. Her dog
training emphasizes positive and
humane methods including clicker training. Her future goals include pursuing an
acting career for her dogs. The puppy
shower helped him get to where he is
today. ✰
Leroy socializing with a piñata
Please raise your dog to be a
good canine citizen.
By Shelagh MacDonald
CFHS Program Director
Photo courtesy Stephen Loban.
Dog ownership is a profound privilege
that enriches our lives, but it’s also a
substantial responsibility. Unfortunately,
not all dog owners see it that way. Far
too many people continue to make
uninformed, impulse decisions to
acquire a dog without considering
their responsibility to the dog as well
as to the community. Sometimes the
result is an untrained, unsocialized
dog that annoys the neighbours.
Other times the consequences are
tragic when a child is bitten or a
neighbour’s dog is attacked. Maybe we
should require all dog owners to
obtain a licence, based on successful
completion of a course on responsible
pet ownership.
Some municipalities across Canada
have taken the approach of banning
certain breeds in attempt to make
their communities safer. The province
of New Brunswick recently considered
banning American Staffordshire
Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers,
Rottweilers and Akitas, but ultimately
chose a different approach. As of this
writing, the province of Ontario is
deep in debate over the introduction
of a breed ban.
The Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies joins most humane societies
and veterinary groups in opposing
breed bans due to the difficulty of
enforcement and identification of
breeds and mixes; and due to the fact
14
that breed bans exclude some potentially dangerous dogs and ban others
that are not dangerous.
However, the CFHS believes the
characteristics of different breeds should
not be ignored in this debate. Breeds or
mixes of breeds that have been historically bred for fighting or guarding are
obviously capable of inflicting significant harm and owners of these dogs
must understand and appropriately
manage the potential risks associated
with them. All dogs need proper training and socialization, but untrained
and unsocialized dogs of the guarding
or fighting breeds are potentially dangerous. I would suggest the majority of
serious dog attacks are inflicted by
dogs that would fall into this category.
Dogs of these breeds are not a good
choice for novice dog owners.
Are you a responsible dog owner? Is
your dog spayed or neutered, licensed
and regularly vaccinated? Do you keep
your dog under control at
all times? If you allow your
dog to be off leash, you
must have voice control to
get your dog back to you
at any time. This means
even when there are other
dogs around. It is great to
allow your dog to play
with other dogs, but don’t
let him or her be a bully to
others. Learn to read dog language so
that you can prevent your dog aggressing towards others or being the victim
of aggression. Watch for a stiff body,
ears back, lip curling or a dog dominating others by mounting or just
standing over another dog. These situations should be diffused before they
escalate and someone gets hurt.
Allowing or encouraging your dog to
chase squirrels, birds and other animals
is not a good idea. Besides harassing the
wildlife, this only develops your dog’s
prey drive and often leads to chasing cats,
smaller dogs, running children or cyclists.
The CFHS wholeheartedly supports
approaches that hold dog owners more
accountable and laws that recognize
potentially dangerous dogs before
a tragedy occurs. The National
Companion Animal Coalition, of which
the CFHS is a founding member, has
developed an excellent set of recommended animal bylaws for Canadian
municipalities that allow a dog to be
designated as dangerous before it bites.
In addressing the problems of
aggressive dogs, we should not place all
the blame on the dog owner. A major
contributing factor is the source of dogs.
Currently, there are no restrictions on
who can breed and sell puppies, nor
where or how. Sound, responsible
breeding programs, proper socialization and raising of puppies, combined
with appropriate matching to new
owners all play a significant role in
producing good canine citizens. The
CFHS urges provinces to consider regulating breeders and pet stores to uphold
a higher standard, as Quebec and New
Brunswick are poised to do.
There are many sides to the issue of
dog behaviour, ownership and dog
aggression that need to be addressed.
We all know what wonderful, loyal and
loving companions dogs can be. But
we also know that they derive from
predatory animals and still maintain
some of the physical characteristics,
instincts and behaviours of their predecessors. It is our job as their keepers
to train, socialize and care for them in
a way that they do not pose a threat to
the community at large. The common
thread in virtually all serious dog bite
incidents is irresponsible dog ownership and/or inadequate supervision of
children and dogs. No dog should be
unsupervised with young children. ✰
Canadian Federation of
Humane Societies
102 -30 Concourse Gate
Nepean, Ontario
K2E 7V7
Toll-free in Canada: 1-888-678-CFHS
Tel: (613) 224-8072
Fax: (613) 723-0252
Website: www.cfhs.ca
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
15
Leroy is on his first plane trip, going to Los Angeles for the filming of
Animal Planet's Pet Star. He lives with Teresa Hanula in Fairfax, VA.
Born in April 2004, Riley is a Shepherd/Collie mix. He was adopted from the
Toronto Humane Society by Michele Stinson and Jeff Sanguin of Toronto, ON.
Niki is a two-year old Papillon. She lives with Ann Varelis in Toronto, ON.
Pal (Buddy) is a 16-year-old Heinz 57, and is the oldest and wisest member
of the family. He lies in St. Stephen, NB., with Irene Billingsly.
16
Cadbury, a two-year-old chocolate Lab, gives his owner,
Jenna DesRoches, a bear hug. They live in Eastwood, ON.
Echo (right), a three-year-old Sheepdog, and Shadow, a nine-year-old Husky, are
best buddies. They live with Beverley Cunliffe in Oshawa, ON.
April is a German Shepherd cross who was adopted from the SPCA 11 years ago as a
puppy. She lives with Jenny in Vancouver, BC.
Daisy: “Was that wrong?” She lives in Milton, ON.,
with Mike and Renée.
Casey lives with the Hobsons in Dartmouth, NS.
Chance is a ten-year-old Husky x Shepherd. He was adopted 18
months ago by the Hennebury family of Brampton, ON.
Bailey is an eight-week-old Golden Retriever. He lives with
the Walton family (Judy, Chris, Kira, and Alex) in Oakville, ON.
Eight-week-old Jesse lives with Corinna Blair, and his doggy pal Beta, in
Brandon, MB.
Family Album is a regular feature of Pets Quarterly. Readers’
photos are run free of charge and are returned with a copy of
the magazine after publication. Mail your favourite photo to:
Family Album
Pets Quarterly
Scarborough, Ontario
M1J 3N7
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
17
will begin by giving you a little
background about our canine
son. One of my husband’s coworkers (Gail) is involved with
Doberman Rescue, and when we
lived in Nova Scotia she would call us
from Ontario to update us about a
particular Doberman that was up for
adoption at the Ottawa-Carleton
Humane Society.
He had been languishing in his kennel
for a month or so and was slated for
euthanasia since no one had expressed
any interest in him. He didn’t present
well to would-be adopters as he barked
constantly, jumped up on the kennel door
and was a complete menace on a leash.
Gail then called to say that all of the
breed rescues were full and could not
take him and he would be euthanized
the following day. I worked at the SPCA
in Nova Scotia at the time and was all
too familiar with that scenario, and as
always I felt bad about his circumstances. I had no intention of adopting a
dog at that point, let alone a Doberman
that I hadn’t even seen! My husband
(Marshall) told Gail we would think
about it and get back to her. Six months
earlier we had lost our 11-year-old boxer
Bosley to cancer and we just weren’t
ready for another dog, especially not a
three-year-old Doberman with issues.
Marshall and I agreed that the timing just wasn’t right and he called her
back. To my amazement he said,
“Well, Gail, I guess we’re gonna come
and get him!” My jaw dropped, and
the next thing I knew we were in the
van driving to Montreal to meet a volunteer from a rescue group who had
driven the dog there from Ottawa. The
volunteer opened up the dog’s crate
and a skinny, dull-looking Doberman
emerged. I grasped his leash and he
immediately took me across the field,
apparently oblivious to the fact that I
was attached! Anyway, the rest of that
adventure is a whole other story.
The dog’s original name was Drakkar,
but upon arrival at our home it was
quickly changed to a more appropriate
handle, “Kaos”! The cats were completely traumatized, not because he
went after them but just because he
I
18
was so loud and out of control. Many
times over the course of the ensuing
months we thought we had made a terrible mistake and contemplated having
him euthanized (and I’m a firm believer that pets are for life!). Not only did
he have severe behavioural problems
but he also had a mysterious bleeding
disorder at the tips of his ears, and a
cure was (and still is) yet to be found.
We have learned to live with bloodsplattered walls, furniture, clothing,
etc. His diet also had to be modified to
prevent him from vomiting at every
meal. Despite all of this we persevered.
About a year later we moved to
sunny Tampa, Florida, where I worked
at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
Kaos’ ears miraculously healed! His
behaviour had also improved to some
degree due to constant socialization
with a variety of people, dogs and
places, but he still had issues and probably always will.
Okay, now for our dog’s “smart” story.
One night after we had gone to sleep,
Kaos became restless, so much so that
he woke us up. He kept getting off his
chair (yes, he has his own chair!) and
walking around the bedroom. I thought
he might have to pee, so I let him out
and then brought him back in and he
curled up in his chair again. Several
minutes later he got up and starting
walking around, and we just kept telling
him to go to bed as we were both halfasleep and had to get up early the next
day. He continued his restless behaviour, and finally I woke up completely
when I realized what he was doing.
It was a cool night and it had
become cold in the house (yes, Florida
gets cold sometimes). Kaos had gone
to our walk-in closet, pulled a blanket
off the shelf and had succeeded in
dragging it over towards his chair!
People have often said that dogs are
not capable of reasoning but after witnessing Kaos I completely disagree.
He had no prior knowledge of the
existence of a blanket in that closet but
somehow he put two and two together. It was a proud and amazing
moment for us! I covered him up with
the blanket he had found and he slept
TWO
AND TWO
soundly for the rest of the night.
We now live in Ontario and I’m
working at the Guelph Humane
Society. Kaos’ ears are acting up again,
and he still has behaviour problems
despite our best efforts to modify
them. We’ve had him for four years
now and we wouldn’t dream of parting
with him. I’ve owned dogs for more
than 30 years but Kaos has taught me
more about dog behaviour than I ever
knew before. He’s a brat, but he’s also
a goofball and a great companion.
I hope my story made you smile.
Jackie Vanderheyden
Salem, Ontario. ✰
'This story is taken from the book
Canadian Animals Are Smarter Than
Jack, a collection of true animal stories.If
you have a true story you want to share
please visit www.smarterthanjack.com.
Wet Pets
crapes, scratches and abrasions
are nothing new to the passionate aquarium hobbyist; what
with all the lifting of rough decor,
sharp-edged tanks and other paraphernalia. It’s amazing we don’t lose
a limb with all the thrashing about.
Beyond consideration of damage
from physical trauma are two other
concerns for aquarists; stings and
envenomation from livestock, and secondary infection. Handling aquatics
can indeed be hazardous to your health.
However, with proper precaution and
timely treatment of wounds, aquarium
keeping can still be vastly less dangerous than driving on the freeway.
S
Concerns
The only thing more amazing to me
than how many aquarium specimens
are dangerous, is how many folks are
oblivious to knowing which ones bite,
poke and sting.
The Venomous Crowd
Includes many catfishes, including
aquarium favorites in the families
Callichthyidae, Heteropneustidae,
Ictaluridae (American catfishes),
Pimelodidae, and marine catfishes
(watch out for these), the Plotosidae;
the obvious scorpionfishes, lionfishes, and their relatives (family
Scorpaenidae), stonefishes (family
Synanceiidae), rabbitfishes (family
Siganidae), various stingray families
(Dasyatidae, Gymnuridae, Myliobatidae,
Urolophidae), and of course the freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygonidae)
which are more feared than the toothy
piranhas.
delivering toxins into unwitting body
parts they encounter.
Let’s assume you’re fast, knowledgeable, or just plain lucky, and manage to
avoid outright envenomation; you’re
not out of total range of trouble
because there is always the chance of:
“Secondary” Infection
Viral, bacterial and fungal illness is
possible from any break in the skin
exposed to water. Many infections
have been tracked back to exposure of
a hobbyist’s cut hand in an “ordinary
fish tank”. There are more than thirty
species of marine bacteria pathogenic
to humans; including such notables
Prevention
Of course, an ounce of... is better than
a poke in the thumb. What would you
describe to the uninitiated to make
them aware of what not to do? The
beginning of understanding is knowledge. By reading, talking with people
of similar interests, and observation we
gain first and second-hand experience.
For home and professional aquarists
the first rule of preventative safety is
simply be aware of what can hurt you;
the second is be careful; the third is
Wound Management and Pet Fishing
It's Just A Scratch;
Or Is It?
By Robert Fenner
as Aeromonas hydrophila (commonly
found in freshwater, a cause of serious
wound infections), Clostridium perfringens (source of gas gangrene), Clostridium
tetani (tetanus), Erysipelothrix rhusopathiae (“Fish handler’s disease”,
“blubber finger”), Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(cause of hot tub dermatitis). Other bacteria genera that will be familiar to the
advanced aquarist into pathology are
Mycobacterium (marinum) and numerous
Be aware of what can hurt you, be careful,
and react appropriately.
Other lesser known, but quite venomous fishes include the horned
sharks (Heterodontidae), toadfishes
(Batrachoididae), ratfishes (Chimaeridae),
weeverfishes (Trachinidae), stargazers
(Uranoscopidae), scats (Scatophagidae),
and surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae).
These (and a few others) are not just
painful to get spined by with their stout
sharp fin supports; they are venomous,
physician care. You are now more
aware however, of what dangers lurk in
our aquatic cages.
Vibrio species.
Do you consider your tanks “little
slices of aquatic environments?” More
likely they are “little sewers” with very
concentrated microbial populations;
just ripe for a new culture media; you.
Chances are, unless you are susceptible
to infection, have an impaired immune
system or get a good dose, you will not
develop such an infection that requires
react appropriately.
If at all possible we really should
keep our hands out of our tanks. Why
is obvious, but not nearly as much fun
as monkeying around inside them.
Besides cutting ourselves, the chance
of introducing possible pollution is too
great. For these reasons, most activity
calling for submergence can be accomplished with tongs, a probe or siphon
device engineered for aquarium use.
Real manual dexterity without contaminants and protection from infection is
attained with long rubber gloves. Use a
net as a partition when dealing with
stingerees like lionfishes and their relatives, and biters such as triggerfishes.
Moving Livestock
Moving livestock presents the premiere
opportunity for getting punctured,
poked and cut. Move your livestock like
the pros, utilizing two nets; one to
steer and direct with, the other for
swooping underneath the intended
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
19
catch. For larger, venomous, and structurally delicate specimens, applying a
container such as doubled fish bags,
along with two nets allows you to capture your pets without lifting them
into the air; this is much better for
everyone.
Ouch! What Now?
But, alas, we be but mere mortals;
given to laziness and the vagaries of
serendipity. We will put our bare arms
and hands in danger; and inevitably
suffer the occasional scrape and puncture. Then what?
So you’ve suffered an injury; is it
something you should be concerned
about; I mean should you do something? Yes. All wounds are potentially
serious, and require critical evaluation.
If stung or poked by contact with a critter, were you possibly envenomized?
Maybe with a material you have a possible allergy to? Similar to social insect
(wasps, bees, ants) sting sensitivities,
aquatic-source toxins affect people differently. If you have a known allergen
reaction to proteinaceous stings on
land, check with your doctor concerning aquatic possibilities and treatment.
Which brings us to the question of
topical treatment of stings. Some folks
suggest ammonia be applied to the
site, others soap and water, meat tenderizers (like A-1) that contain protein
digestive enzymes, papaya for the same
reason, plain white vinegar, among
other novel therapies. Wet sand
and freshwater should be avoided as
these will trigger the firing of more
nematocysts, increasing the stinging.
Don’t ignore the initial itching that
indicates your following discomfort.
You can lessen severity, even possible
scarring by prompt attention. Be aware
there are specific preparations for
fighting the effects of these stings.
Venom
Depending on where and how much
toxin is injected, you will know you’ve
been envenomized within seconds to
minutes. If any doubt exists as to
whether you should seek medical help,
do so. A standard procedure is to first
soak the wound quickly and thoroughly in hot water. The temperature should
be just below too hot for comfort; this
will help de-nature (take apart its three
dimensional structure) the protein of
All wounds are potentially serious, and
require critical evaluation.
Sting!
Let’s talk smarts from stinging-celled
animals, anemones, jellyfishes, corals,
their relatives, and other organisms
that collect and use their specialized
barbed-sting cells, nematocysts (cnidocysts). If you use gloves or keep your
hands out of the system, or carefully
touch these animals on calloused
hands only, promptly cleaning up after
handling, you might never know their
peculiar, sticky, ensuing pain.
What happens of course is that our
wrists get swiped, you touch yourself
around the eye, or other mucus membrane, and the local to generalized
burning-pain ensues. This is no joke.
Avoid contact with these invertebrates
and whatever touches them. Those
stinging cells attach to aquarium sides,
decor and in-tank tools, and can still
sting hours later.
20
the poison. Next get the person to a
physician; to have the wound cleansed,
examined and to have the individual
checked for collateral damage.
General Treatment for All Cuts,
Stings and Venom Events
Cleaning
The first order of business. Is there any
foreign material in the wound? Can/
should you remove it? Many types of
wounds are best flushed with clean
warm water initially. This flushes away
debris, and makes the area easier to
inspect. With invertebrates (e.g. sea
urchins) the careful use of forceps might
be called for. Take care to not cause
more damage. Many stings and barbs
are brittle and crush easily. When and
where there is much pain, swelling or
residual material, get medical attention.
What did your mom advise? “Wash
up good with hot soap and water”.
Good advice. This simple procedure
effectively cleans most superficial
wounds sufficiently.
Disinfect
The wound and surrounding area
should be de-contaminated, freed
from chance of outside organisms or
poisons. For aquarium cuts and biopunctures the above recommended use
of hot water and soap will do; but you
may want to employ more thorough
cleansing with peroxide, an alcohol or
iodine solution, or other commercial
preparation.
Maintenance
Two words; keep the wound dry and
clean, and a short sentence, “keep your
eye on it”. Does it hurt, is the wound
emarginated? This is good to some
degree; an indication your body recognizes that something is going on and is
reacting to it.
Treatment
Depending on the direct cause(s) of
the wound, ongoing therapy might
include anti-inflammatories, some form
of pain-killer, antibiotics and more.
Overview
Infection occurs when bacteria enters
the body through an open wound or
abrasion. Over a period of time a sore or
swelling may develop. Given time, most
of these will remedy themselves without
treatment. Cleaning, disinfecting and
keeping the wound dry and covered will
speed up the healing process.
Should you have doubts, persistent
pain or swelling for any length of time,
I suggest you seek medical help.
This article is based on material written
for www.WetWebMedia.com by Robert
(Bob) Fenner. Bob, has “lived” the science,
hobby and business of aquatics in the
Philippines, Japan and United States for
the past 30 years. Published works include
several studies on aquatic biological and
chemical questions, and an extensive publishing and photographic background in the
industry and hobby of aquatics. ✰
On the Fly
ave you ever wondered why
there is a band on your
bird’s foot, and if it should
be left there? Here are a number of
very good reasons why it should not
be removed.
Closed bands, similar in appearance
to a wedding band, are put on baby
birds when they are quite small. As
their feet grow, they get too big for the
band to slip off. The only way to get it
off is to cut it off. Other bands you
might see are ‘split rings’ that are
normally put on adult birds and can
denote if a bird has been sexed or
imported. There are also plastic rings
that are temporary and meant for easy
identification of a bird. In this article,
H
major pet store chain who in turn sold
him to a family who later did not want
the bird and abandoned him.
Without the band and the information we learned, Oscar could have been
wild caught and 60 years old! Turns
out he was just over a year old.
Bands usually can be traced. We can
learn the origin of the bird, which
aviary he was hatched in and the year
he was hatched. In one pet shop I saw
a very stunning male cockatiel in full
adult colours. I was informed it was a
baby. The band on the bird indicated
he was five years old!
Most breeders keep detailed records.
Who the birds’ parents are for example.
I have five gorgeous, blue front amazons,
bird, theft, escape, something that
might contest ownership, you have
those papers listing the band number
that links a specific bird to you. Without
a band, this could be difficult to prove.
What about micro chipping? Micro
chipping is a good idea and can tell a
lot about a bird and can help track
down the owner in the event the bird
has escaped and is found. But, it alone
cannot prove if a bird was wild caught
or captive bred. Micro chips can be put
in at any age.
Your vet recommends removing the
band. The only reason a band should
be removed is if the life of the bird is
My bird has a band
on his foot!
Is that OK?
By Dahlijah C. Rahm
I am going to focus on the the closed
band. Please, never attempt to remove
a band on your own. If a band needs
removing, get a veterinarian to do it.
Why band a bird? Closed bands serve
many purposes. They give a bird a unique
identity number, can help find a found
bird’s family, prove the bird was captive
bred or help to establish ownership.
We have a foundling military macaw,
Ara militaris. The information on the
closed band on that bird led us to the
people who bought the bird. Oscar
was raised by a local breeder, sold to a
amazona aestiva, from different sources.
There are four hens and one cock.
Two of the hens are long time boarders
and not part of my breeding program.
Tracing the bands back to their breeder, I have learned all five are brother
and sisters. I do not want to breed siblings together just as you would not
mate with your brother or sister.
Some breeders offer a bill of sale or
a hatch certificate that should show
the band info. If not, ask that it be
included. Keep these in a safe place so
that they are easy to find if you need
them. If something happens to your
in danger, example; a swollen foot.
Safety should not be an issue. If you do
your job, there should be no concern
about your bird getting his foot caught
up because of the band. Make sure the
cage and all its parts are in good repair.
Check those toys. Parrots can do serious damage to a toy in short order!
Keep in mind I am not talking just
about parrots. Finches, canaries and
other pet birds can also have bands.
One of the most important reasons
for leaving a closed band on your bird’s
foot is conservation. Many birds have
been taken from the wild, many of
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
21
Anatomy Of A Band
AAC
The organization that issued the
band, in this case, the Avicultural
Advancement Council of Canada.
For more information on this organization go to www.aacc.ca
BFB
Who the band was issued to, in this
case, the Budgerigar and Foreign Bird
Society of Canada who later sold it to
me, a member of that organization.
Many bird clubs or organizations that
provide bands keep ring registrars that
will show who the band was issued to.
312
The number of the band issued in this
series.
04
Runs across the band instead of the
rest of the numers and letters that run
around the band. This notes the year
the bird was banded in this case, 2004.
V
Indicates the size the band of band. V is
the size used for banding large amazons,
P or N for cockatiels, L for budgies.
22
those smuggled. With more awareness
of the damage that is being done to our
birds’ natural habitats, governments
are coming down harder on people
whom they suspect might have smuggled birds. And once the band is gone,
the onus will be on you, the owner of
the bird, to prove he is not smuggled.
Letters from vets or micro chipping
are not going to be enough proof.
Please note, not to panic here. This is a
worst case scenario only!
Let me finish with the story of
Christopher and Tia Maria, a pair of
yellow shoulder amazons, amazona
barbenensis. Very rare and listed as
Appendix I on CITES, they are right
up there beside the hyacinth macaw,
Anodorhynchuss spp., and palm cockatoo, Probosciger atterimus, to name just
a few of the species.
What is CITES? The Convention on
International Trade in Endangered
Species, is an agreement regulating the
trade of endangered mammals, birds,
reptiles, fish, invertebrates, amphibians
and plants world wide. There are three
appendices. Appendix I; rare or endangered because of international trade.
Appendix II; not currently rare or
endangered but could become so if
trade is not regulated. Appendix III; not
necessarily endangered but are managed
within a listing nation. It is a good idea
to know if and where your feathered
companion shows up on CITES. For
more information on CITES check
out this site: http://www.cites.ec.gc.ca/
eng/sct8/sct8_1_e.cfm
Chris and Tia came into my life
from a very good friend who was given
these birds a number of years ago. Very
little was known about either bird
acept that Chris lived in a construction
camp and has the vocabulary to back it
up! Chris had no band. My friend’s vet
put one on to show he was sexed and
was a male. Tia has a closed band that
shows she is captive bred. Because
Chris does not have a closed band, he
could be considered wild caught and
smuggled. There is no documentation
to support otherwise. For all we know
he could be 40-60 years old and stolen.
He could also be captive bred, ten
years old and his previous owner had
the band removed.
There are many types of closed bands,
many bird clubs and many countries
that issue bands. A number of breeders
also band under a private name and
although it is a closed band, it may not
include the year. Our macaw's band is
simply the breeder's initials followed
by a number. This is just a sample of a
common style used in Canada.
In closing, pet owners, breeders, vets,
LEAVE THOSE CLOSED BANDS
WHERE THEY BELONG. Recently,
the Tres Maria Amazon, Amazona
ochrocephala tresmariae, the Yellow Nape
Amazon, A. Ochrocephala auropalliata
and the Yellow Head Amazon, A.
Ochracephala oratrix were added to
appendix I of CITES. If ever a law
came down that you had to prove your
bird is captive bred or legally imported,
you have nothing to worry about as
long as that band is there. Keep all your
paperwork and receipts for your bird.
Vets, if you do have to remove a
band due to emergency situations such
as a broken leg, make sure you keep the
band or give it to the bird’s owner,
document why the band was removed
and be prepared to back it up if ever it
comes to that.
I hope this has helped to dispel some
of the mystery surrounding the band
and put you at ease that it is OK for
that band to be there.
Dahlijah Rahm has been raising
cockatiels, amazons, parrotlets and
Alexandrine parrakeets at her home in
Toronto, Canada for fifteen years.
Considered one of Canada’s top avian
exhibitors, Dahlijah is president of the
Budgerigar & Foreign Bird Society of
Canada (www.bfbsbirdclub.org),
a founding director of the Par rot
Association of Canada and an accredited
hookbill judge with the Avicultural
Advancement Council of Canada
(www.aacc.ca). Dahlijah can be reached
at [email protected]. ✰
The Dog
Behaviourist
Kerry Vinson, B.A.
Because of the ban the province of
Ontario is placing on pit bulls, I have
noticed an increase in this breed at my local shelter, and I am
considering adopting one of these dogs at this point. Do you
think this is a good idea? Also, what do you think about this ban?
My answer to this question would be the same to anyone considering adopting a dog of any breed, and that is: adopting a
dog is a good idea because there are many dogs in shelters in
need of homes. The fact that you are considering adopting a
pit bull is no different than if you were considering adopting a German Shepherd, or any other large dog. I am sure
that many of the pit bulls currently in shelters would make
good pets in the right home setting.
Before adopting any dog, you should consider the characteristics of that breed, and if it is a good fit for your personal
situation. Things to take into account are how much space
you have for the dog, how much time you have to devote to
the dog, whether there are young children in the household,
and if there are other pets present. Obviously, a large dog
requires some space, and ample time and effort in order to
exercise it. Also, some breeds may not be a good fit with
young children or other pets. A lot would depend on the
individual history of the dog you are planning to adopt. For
example, if a dog has been well-socialized to children and
other dogs, it should be able to adjust to a new setting that
contains these. Generally speaking, this information is not
always available on dogs that are up for adoption.
There are criteria that I would personally utilize if I were
assessing the suitability of a particular dog for adoption;
however, space constraints prevent me from detailing these
in this column. Regarding your specific question about
dogs of the pit bull variety, I can tell you that I have seen
many that have excellent temperaments, so I would not
rule them out as a breed that can make a good companion
animal. On the other hand, there have obviously been
some incidents involving pit bulls and their attacks on
people and other dogs. It is my opinion that the majority
of these incidents could have been prevented if the owners
of these dogs had acted responsibly by keeping them under
control and training them not to be aggressive. This brings
me to the subject of your second question about the ban on
this breed.
There is no doubt that this is a politically expedient,
short-sighted solution to the problem of dog attacks. Ample
evidence exists from the United States that breed-specific
bans are not effective in reducing incidents of dog aggression. I feel that the real cause of this problem is irresponsible
dog owners and dog breeders. Until these issues are
addressed, the problem will continue to exist. Experience
has shown that if banned, the prevalence of pit bull aggression will decrease, but incidents of aggression will increase
in other breeds. This indicates to me that this problem is
more of a “people” problem than that of a specific dog breed.
If the government of Ontario were sincerely interested in
solving this problem, they would propose regulations on
irresponsible dog breeders and dog owners, as opposed to
the simplistic solution that they have proposed. A guideline
for such regulations is contained in the recommendations of
the 1999 Trempe inquest, in which I was asked to testify as
an expert witness on canine behaviour, specifically as it
relates to aggression.
Unfortunately, pit bulls have been given a bad reputation
by some people who breed them and own them. Like any
member of any dog breed, these animals can become loving
pets when bred and treated appropriately. Therefore, I
would encourage anyone interested in providing a good
home to one of them to contact their local shelter to inquire
as to the availability of a dog suited to their situation. It is
to be hoped that in the future, other dog breeds will not be
stigmatized as has the pit bull.
Kerry Vinson has a B.A. in Psychology and has studied animal
learning and behaviour modification. He holds a certificate in canine
behaviour from Cornell University and has completed courses in
canine behaviour at Kansas State. He has written numerous articles
for veterinary publications and gives lectures and seminars at colleges.
He has been designated an Expert Witness on canine behaviour by the
province of Ontario. Please forward any questions to Kerry Vinson at
Animal Behaviour Consultants E: [email protected], or to
Canadian Association Publishers, P.O. Box 90510, 230 Markham
Rd., Scarborough, ON., M1J 3N7. Fax: 416-955-1391. E:
[email protected].
The Cat Doctor
Dr. Kim Drysdale, DVM
I adopted a kitten from a shelter 6
months ago. When I brought her home I
was told she still needed to put on
weight. However, I think now she has put
on too much weight. How can I tell if she is overweight?
So, how big is too big? Not all cats meet the ideal weight of
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
23
8 to 12 lbs. anymore. I prefer to evaluate a cat’s size by following the Body Condition Scoring System (BCS). One
system grades the cat’s body size out of 5. A score of 1 out
of 5 is an emaciated, thin cat whose ribcage is easily seen as
protruding in short haired breeds, and the back bone vertebrae are also more noticeable. The abdomen appears gaunt
or tucked up and in when viewed from the side or from
above. A cat with a score of 5 out of 5 however, has a very
large rounded abdomen which hangs down towards the
ground, and the ribcage is not visible. The idea behind the
BCS system is to train caregivers to evaluate their cat by
running their hands along the cat and try, by diet modification and exercise, to attain the desirable or ideal BCS of 3/5.
A cat with this score has a slim build with just enough fat
covering the ribcage so that you can feel where the ribs are
with your fingers, but they aren’t obvious when viewing the
cat at a distance. The abdomen is slim and follows the same
lines as the ribcage as you trace it to the back legs, not deviating down to the ground in a pendulous manner.
You may ask - why should I bother trying to help my cat
to stay a healthy weight? As in humans and other animals,
the risks of health problems increase after an animal
becomes significantly overweight. In general obesity shortens the life span of pets, in addition to increasing their risk
of Diabetes Mellitus, Constipation, Cranial Cruciate ligament tears, Cardiovascular Disease and Hepatic Lipidosis.
Dr. Kim Drysdale graduated from the DVM program at the
University of Guelph. She has developed special interests in orthopedic
surgery, soft tissue surgery, oncology, feline medicine, and exotic animal
medicine. Dr. Drysdale is a member of the Canadian Veterinary
Medical Association, Ontario Veterinary Medical Association,
Veterinary Surgical Laser Society, and Quinte District Veterinary
Association. Please forward any questions to Canadian Association
Publishers, P.O. Box 90510, 230 Markham Rd., Scarborough, ON.,
M1J 3N7. Fax: 416-955-1391. E: [email protected].
The Bird and
Exotic Animals
Doctor
My son wants a rat, do rats make good pets?
Rats are a very popular pet. I personally
feel they make excellent pets. It is sadly true that our society
has created “monster” out of rats, bats and snakes through
myth, stories and bad movies. They are misunderstood and
24
poor education perpetuates the misconception and fear. They
are an intelligent, inquisitive, easily trained, social animal and
love to interact with their humans. They are clean animals.
Rats rarely bite and are large enough and sturdy enough to be
handled by children under the supervision of an adult. Like
any animal, it is nice to start with a young animal such that
you can handle it, socialize it and train it right from the
beginning. Rats can live 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 years if well cared for.
Males and females can live together but will breed readily.
Rats are considered omnivors, that is they will eat almost
anything. It is because of this and their tendency for obesity, that we have to feed them properly. They do best on a
rodent chow or pellet (such as Nutri-blocks® or Oxbow Pet
Products®) plus an assortment of healthy vegetables and
some fruit. Seeds or nuts may be fed in very small amounts
once or twice weekly but remember, they are high in fats and
not a balanced source of nutrition. Clean water should be
provided in a water bottle.
Rats are great escapers and must be housed properly. Give
them as much space as you can. Large aquariums, with a
tight metal mesh lid, are easy to maintain and clean. Plastic
cages with solid bottoms may be used but remember, rats
may chew out of some of these. Bedding should be cleaned
regularily. It should be dust free, non-toxic, unscented,
absorbant wood shavings, paper or corn cob bedding. Hide
boxes, toys and things to chew on are an important part of
their home. Normal household temperatures are well tolerated. Rats love to come out to play and explore at least daily
(under supervision).
Rats should have twice annual veterinary examinations
with a veterinarian familiar with rats.
Before getting a pet rat, do some investigation, talk to a
veterinarian familiar with rats and read lots. Be prepared.
Generally speaking, rats are hardy animals and make excellent family pets but are prone to certain problems such as
chronic lung disease, nutritional problems such as obesity
and mammary tumours.
Dr. Rick Axelson graduated from the DVM program at the
University of Guelph. He is a member of the College of Ontario
Veterinarians, American Animal Hospital Association, Canadian
Veterinary Medical Association, Ontario Veterinary Medical
Association, Association of Avian Veterinarians, and
Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. His veterinary clinic, The Links Road Animal & Bird Clinic
(www.TheLinksRoadAnimalClinic.com) in Toronto, ON.,
deals predominantly with birds and exotic animals. Please forward any questions to Canadian Association Publishers, P.O.
Box 90510, 230 Markham Rd., Scarborough, ON., M1J 3N7.
E: [email protected]. ✰
Pet Humour
am most definitely a city gal.
I was born and raised in the
epicentre of the universe, which
on any map of the world is called
“ To ro n t o” . B u t I h a v e l i v e d i n
Calgary for the past 15 years and it
has proven itself to be the perfect
fit and size for my lifestyle.
Calgary has all the amenities that
any big city centre enjoys, we just enjoy
them a little later than everyone else.
For instance, there is a hit new play currently playing in Calgary entitled
“Phantom of the Opera”. Perhaps you’ve
heard of it…..a somewhat odd story
about an ugly, tormented guy who lives
his life in isolation and is in love with a
beautiful woman that he cannot have. I
thought it was a Woody Allen biography. In any event, by mere association
and geography, Newman is a city dog,
but that reputation was recently put to
the test when he spent four days on a
farm while Dave and I were out of town.
A wonderful gal named Kim, who
works with Dave, offered to care for
Newman while we went to Vegas to
donate our paycheques to the Nevada
Chamber of Commerce. Kim lives in a
lovely home just south of Calgary with
her dogs, Spud and Katie, her two
horses, Sherman and Mikey and one
hilarious donkey named Valdez.
As you can imagine, there is a very specific point where you have left the city
and are entering the country and that
point starts with directions. In the city,
you get to where you are going by following street names, a map and the basic
directions found on a compass. Our
directions to Kim’s place went something
like this: Drive down Highway 22X for
about the same amount of time it takes to
bale some hay. When you get to the sign
that says “Bubba and Beverley-Mae’s
Wedding” turn left. Drive for the length
I
of a George Strait song and when you get
to a huge boulder that looks like Ed
Asner, turn right. Drive down this road
and through “Pothole Junction” until you
leave paved asphalt and hit a gravel road.
Keep going for “a spell” and once you
pass a mailbox that looks like a Holstein
cow, we are the second house on the left”.
Lifestyles are very different in the
city as opposed to the country and this
includes the lifestyle of the canine in
residence. Here are a few examples of
what I observed about Newman and his
country counterparts:
1) A country dog gets up when the rooster crows and gleefully accompanies his
master while doing chores. These chores
may include mucking out stalls, feeding
the livestock, milking cows or collecting
eggs. The country dog’s purpose is to provide companionship and perhaps nip at
the heels of a wayward bovine.
When Newman is jolted awake by
our alarm clock, he blurrily looks out
from under his sleep mask and groans.
As he lounges on his foam-stuffed,
fleece-covered, custom-made bed he
assumes the snooze button will be hit
and we’ll be getting up at the more reasonable hour of 10:00.
2) A country dog wears a thick piece
of rope as a collar, with his name written on it in black magic marker. No
matter what the country dog’s name is,
he is referred to as “Bud”.
Newman has several collars in various
shades that compliment and accentuate
his chocolate fur but also reflect his
shifting moods. He has a tattoo, a
microchip and a computerized e-tag
should he ever get lost. Newman prefers
the use of his formal name when being
addressed: Whiskeycreek’s Whimsical
Fellow His Royal Highness Sir Smarty
Pants The Honorable Chocolatey Prince
of the World and Everything In It.
3) A country dog is always wounded
in some way, shape or form. He has a
broken rib from being kicked by a
horse, the tip of his ear has been torn
off by the dog on the next acreage, he’s
limping because he fell in a gopher
hole, or he has dried, encrusted blood
on him somewhere from crawling
under the barbed wire fence.
Newman arrived at Kim’s house wearing a protective vest and Eddie Bauer
Rugged Terrain Booties. I gave Kim a
canine first aid kit and a supply of cotton
swabs dipped in menthol for his daily ear
cleaning. His vanilla aromatherapy candles were to be used as an evening soother.
4) A country dog’s coat is caked with
mud, shaved in unusual places because
of burr removal and matted together
like Bob Marley’s dreadlocks. He
tends to smell of manure and he
resembles a Nutty Bar from the oats he
just rolled in. His nails only stay short
if he runs windsprints on cement.
Newman gets a bath once a month,
he’s blow-dryed, moussed and professionally styled by “Dimitri”. As a final
touch he is spritzed with “Eau My
Dog” body spray.
5) A country dog is permitted to “roam
the land”. He can wander and explore the
countryside, the ponds and creeks, he
visits with the other country dogs who
are also meandering through the woods
and he chases the deer, the ducks and
anything else in a five mile radius
encroaching upon his “backyard”. He
always finds his way home at dinnertime,
but he is mysteriously missing a tooth.
Newman gets lost from our basement to our main level and trips on air.
Continued on page 29...
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
25
When Your Pet Dies: A Guide to Mourning,
Remembering and Healing
By: Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Companion Press
ISBN: 187965136X
$14.95
Dogs Dont Bite When A Growl Will Do
By: Matt Weinstein and Luke Barber
Berkley Trade
ISBN: 0-399-53048-7
$17.50
In Dogs Dont Bite When A Growl Will Do:
What Your Dog Can Teach You About Living
A Happy Life, authors Matt Weinstein and
Luke Barber show exactly how old dogs really can teach
humans new tricks.
Dogs know how to relax. Dogs know how to have fun.
They are dedicated, loyal, and show their love openly. This
book is an insightful and witty guide to the wisdom we can
gain from our canine companions.
Greyhounds Big And Small
By: Amanda Jones
Berkley Trade
ISBN: 0-425-19982-7
$29.00
In Greyhounds Big And Small, animal
photographer Amanda Jones captures these elegant animals
in gorgeous duo-tone photographs. Iggies (Italian Greyhounds)
and Greyts (Greyhounds) have been the subject of artists’
gazes for more than two thousand years. Greyhounds Big And
Small celebrates these affectionate and beautiful creatures
with more than sixty photographs that skillfully capture the
essence of “greyhoundedness”.
Affirming a pet owner’s struggle with
grief when his or her pet dies, When
Your Pet Dies: A Guide to Mourning,
Remembering and Healing helps mourners understand why
their feeling are so strong, and helps them overcome the
loss. Included are practical suggestions for mourning and
ideas for remembering and memoralizing one’s pet.
Unlocking the Animal Mind: How
Your Pet's Feeling Hold the Key to
His Health & Happiness
By: Franklin Mcmillan D.V.M. with
Kathryn Lance
Rodale Books
ISBN: 1579548806
$20.95
From the man who pioneered the concept of feelings-based
animal care - a revolutionary work about animal moods and
emotions that shows us a totally new way to view and care
for the beloved pets who share our lives.
Dr. McMillan presents a comprehensive look at how
physical and emotional feelings are at the controls in guiding your animal's actions, from wanting to go for a walk to
hiding from the vacuum cleaner to limping on a sore leg.
Understanding the importance of your pet's feelings,
according the Dr. McMillan, is the key to unlocking the
animal mind.
Sew Dog
By: Jennifer Quasha
Creative Publishing
ISBN: 1-58923-169-4
$24.95
Focus On Freshwater Aquarium Fish
Author: Nick Fletcher
Photographed by: Geoff Rogers
Firefly Books
ISBN: 1552979369
$35.00
In Sew Dog Jennifer Quasha and Pamela
J. Hastings show dog lovers 25 ways they
can pamper their pooch with 25 easy-sew projects. The
projects are as practical as a car-seat protector, as in-style as
a fashion tote for carrying a small dog, and as wonderfully
silly as a texedo. A dog-product expert designed each project
to be supremely comfortable for the dog and practical for the
dog owner. The illustrated instructions require only basic
sewing skills and very little time.
Focus on Freshwater Aquarium Fish is a valuable reference for
fishkeepers at all levels. The book features a wide variety of
fish illustrated in a dynamic way and offers practical advice for
their care. The book presents the fish based on their families
or fishkeeping groups. Each section opens with an overview
that introduces the range of fish within that group and
explores their adaptations. The images and text provide details
of the mature size and main characteristics of each fish, its
behaviour in the aquarium and a brief look at how it breeds. ✰
26
The Memoirs of a Cat (excerpts)
This continues the series of excerpts from a
delightful book written by a six-year-old
mixed tabby from England named Alice.
It chronicles her life and the life of her
half-sister Thomasina. Alice refers to her
humans as Uprights, and with her keen
eye for detail and sense of wisdom, it will
give you insight into your own cat’s world.
December 12
I spent three hours hunting a vole this
afternoon. As soon as I had caught it
the rain started. Since I do not like
getting wet for no good reason I took
the vole into the kitchen for a little
indoor sport. The vole, however was
not prepared to behave in a very
sporting way. Within moments of my
letting it go it had scurried underneath the cooker. Since I can’t get
underneath the cooker and the vole
didn’t dare come out we had to be
satisfied with a stalemate.
So I left the vole where it was and
went to sleep on top of a pile of clean
washing. I knew that I would hear if
the vole tried to escape. I am a light
sleeper.
Of all small creatures I think I like
voles least of all. They have a strange,
unpleasant peculiarly bitter taste.
“I left the vole where it was and went to sleep
on a pile of clean washing.”
December 18
Thomasina and I had a terrible shock
this morning.
Thomasina was the first to make the
discovery. She had her breakfast and
then sleepily pushed her way through
the cat flap.
She was back in the kitchen within
seconds.
“Raining?” I asked her. I know how
much she hates the rain.
She shook her head.
“What is it then?” I asked puzzled,
“A dog?”
Another shake of the head.
She was clearly too startled to say
anything so I cautiously pushed my
head through the cat flap, keeping all
four paws firmly rooted on the kitchen
floor.
I could hardly believe what I saw.
The whole garden had turned white.
I tur ned bac k and looked at
Thomasina. She was examining her
paws. They too were covered in white.
But even as we stared at them the
white substance seemed to disappear.
Very cautiously she touched her left
forepaw with her tongue.
“What does it taste like?” I whispered.
Thomasina paused for a moment
and then licked at her paw again.
“Water,” she replied after a moments
thought. “It tastes just like water.”
By now the white that had been on
her paws had all vanished.
Slowly I opened the cat flap again.
But this time as well as poking my
head out I tentatively put my right
front paw outside on the step. The
white stuff felt cold but not unpleasant. It was soft and yet rather crunchy.
Bravely I pushed through the flap
and stepped outside completely. I
could hear Thomasina coming
through the flap behind me. As we
walked around we lifted our paws up
into the air and shook them free of the
white stuff before we took another
step. It was a most peculiar experience.
And then I suddenly realised that the
white stuff was getting deeper and
deeper. Instead of just covering my
paws it was so deep that I was sinking
in right up to my body. I didn’t like it
at all. And to be perfectly honest I
began to panic a little. I backed out as
fast as I possibly could and, followed
by Thomasina, made a rush back for
the cat flap.
By the time we got back into the
kitchen we were both shivering with
excitement, cold and, I confess, fear.
We decided to spend the rest of the
day indoors.
December 19
I woke up this morning dreaming that
a rough barked tree was rubbing itself
against my head. I quickly discovered
that Thomasina was licking my face.
“It’s gone,” she whispered.
“What’s gone,” I asked her. I didn’t
have the faintest idea what she was
talking about.
“The white stuff,” she answered.
“I’ve had a look outside.”
Suddenly I remembered what
she was talking about. I stood up,
stretched and padded downstairs
behind her.
She was absolutely right, too. The
white stuff had completely disappeared. The whole garden was very
wet and it had clearly rained during
the night and washed it all away.
I don’t suppose we will ever know
just what it was. I bet it gave the
Uprights quite a surprise too. ✰
Alice’s Diary, The Memoirs of a Cat, was
published by Chilton Designs, PO Box 47,
Barnstaple, Devon EX32 8YT, UK.
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
27
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28
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www.globalpetfoods.ca.
Nail Grinder
The Oster® Nail Grinder Kit is
ideal for filing animal’s
nails. It is a fast, convenient way to
file, smooth
and shape
pets' nails in
one easy step.
The Oster® Nail
Grinder is the first grinder on
the market to offer variable speed to
allow for careful trimming.
The new, improved Oster® Nail
Grinder Kit features a lightweight
Corded Nail Gr inder, with an
ergonomic compact design, finger
grips giving added comfort and control
with variable speed and a 12 foot
power cord. Specially designed comfort grips provide a secure hold
when trimming nails. Available at
department stores across Canada.
Hairball Control® Adult Entrees
Hairballs are going to happen, but
And Things across Canada, or from
www.dogmaticproducts.com.
there is an answer to help relieve your
cat from this stress. Science Diet
Hairball Control® Adult is specially
formulated as a complete and balanced food for adult cats with special,
all-natural vegetable fibers that aid in
bringing hairball problems under
control.
Developed to meet the nutrient and
energy needs of adult cats 1 to 6 years
of age prone to hairballs, Science Diet
Hairball Control® Adult is available in
Chicken Entree and Seafood Entree
to suit individual tastes. Available at
grocery stores and pet stores across
Canada. Visit www.hillspet.com for
more information.
Pull-Back, Spring-Loaded,
Catnip-Embedded Mouse
If you thought of
three things cats
love, most likely
you’d come up
with mice, catnip
and fast-moving
toys. Cat owners
can now find all
three elements in one productCatZip, by Dogmatic Products. This
patented product combines a realistic
looking mouse to hunt, the action of
the chase, and the aphrodisiac-like
effect of fresh catnip.
It works by rolling the mouse
backward on a hard surface to create
tension in the spring-loaded engine,
and then releasing it; the mouse races
across the floor, simulating the chase
of the wild.
The fur looks and feels like the real
thing and gives the cat a sense of
pride that they have caught a prize to
please you. It even gives older cats
plenty of needed exercise.
Fresh catnip is stuffed into every
CatZip, and the more cats bat and play
with the toy, the more the patented
catnip pouch releases an aroma of allnatural catnip.
CatZip is available from Linens
Safe Alternative to Nail Trimmers
and Clippers
UFP Technologies, Inc. is offering
R u f f R e m ov e r
Pet-I-Cure Files,
a new home pet
care product that
provides a safe
al t e r n a t i v e t o
nail tr immers
and clippers.
The dog boneshaped nail files
feature a highly abrasive surface for
dog grooming that is less likely to
cut into the nerves and blood vessels
surrounding a dog’s nails. The Ruff
Remover is most effective when
used as a maintenance tool; that is,
when it is used to file a dog’s nails
every few days rather than waiting
weeks until actual cutting becomes
necessary.
For more information on UFP
Technologies' complete line of products
and capabilities, call (978) 352-2200
ext. 7345 or visit www.ufpnailfile.com
Music Therapy
In recent trials, American Boarding
Kennel Association (ABKA) members
reported that the
same lul labies
that have calmed
babies for 20
years also calm
dogs – even anxious, barking dogs
and wimpering puppies.
Audio-Therapy Innovations, Inc.
have now repackaged the popular
Baby-Go-To-Sleep CD as “Canine
Lullabies”, due to the strong ABKA
results with dogs.
Of 113 members who participated,
91 ABKA members trying it in their
kennels said the “lullabies” worked to
calm their dogs, decrease stress diarrhea, and help their dogs sleep.
The “Canine Lullabies” CD can be
purchase online at www.amazon.com,
www.caninelullabies.com or by calling
1-800-537-7748. ✰
Continued from page 25
6) A city dog is usually transported
with great care. He is put in the back of
a Jeep/SUV with a wire partition placed
across the seats to keep him from
jumping into the front. Or, for the car
owner, there are doggie seatbelts and
harnesses for safety. The ultimate in
protection is to place your dog in his
kennel in your vehicle.
A country dog calls shotgun. Period.
7) A country dog gets to eat just
about anything. His dinner is usually
supplemented with peeled potato
scraps, gristle from the barbecue, meat
loaf, toast dipped in egg yolk, Jimmy
Dean sausage and anything you drop
on the floor that fails the 5-second rule.
Newman eats a holistic brand of kibble
and boiled rice for his sensitive stomach.
However, both city and country dogs
will run you over to devour a pile of horse
or cow poop. I don’t know what the secret
ingredient is that makes this so appealing
to dogs, but all the land is a buffet and
Seabiscuit and Buttercup are the chefs.
8) Finally, city dogs require a great
deal of affection. They love to be pampered, praised, petted, hugged and
smooched on the nose. If not, they consult their pet psychologists about their
“needy” behaviour and self-worth issues.
By contrast, country dogs think you’re
smothering them if you scratch their
ears and mutter “Atta boy”.
All in all, Newman loved being in
the country and he slept for three days
after I brought him home. He was
dirty, he smelled like pond scum and
he needed a Tic Tac, but there’s one
thing that doesn’t change from the city
to the country: The love, care, loyalty
and protection of a good Bud.
Dee Clair is a life-long animal lover who was
born and raised in Toronto, Ontario before
moving to Calgary, Alberta in 1989. Together
with her partner,Dave,she is owned by a fivemonth old chocolate lab named Newman, and
tolerated by a 7-year old cat named Wally.
When not working as wait staff and unappreciated servant to her pets, Dee is a legal
assistant in a large Calgary law firm. She has
been an active volunteer with the Calgary
Humane Society for almost 10 years. ✰
Winter 2004
●
Pets Quarterly
29
February
February 5 – 6, 2005
National Cat Show
The Days Inn, Division Street
and 401, Kingston, ON.
Contact: Felicity Hawthorn
Tel: 613-542-3221
W: www.cca-afc.com
February 18 – 20, 2005
2nd Annual Victoria Pet Expo
Pearkes Recreation Centre,
Tillicum Mall, Victoria, BC.
Tel: 403-242-0859
E: [email protected]
W: www.petexpos.com
February 19 - 20, 2005
Ontario SPCA Orangeville and
District Branch Paws, Claws and
Paddocks Expo
Orangeville Fairgrounds,
Orangeville, ON.
Tel: 519-942-3140
W: www.orangevilleSPCA.ca
February 19 - 20, 2005
White Hatters Cat Fanciers
Calgary Marlborough Community
Centre, Calgary, AB.
Contact: Jim Webster
Tel: 403-225-1934
March
March 18 – 20, 2005
2nd Annual Vancouver Pet Expo
Vancouver Convention & Exhibition
Centre, Canada Place, Vancouver, BC.
Tel: 403-242-0859
W: www.petexpos.com
March 25 - 27, 2005
11th Annual All About Pets Show
Airport Road International Centre,
Toronto, ON.
Tel: 800-250-3080
W: www.pets-show.com
30
March 26 - 27, 2005
The Edmonton Cat Fanciers Club
Shaw Conference Centre,
Edmonton, AB.
Contact: Kathy Byram
Tel: 780-461-1766
April
April 9 - 10, 2005
Garden City Cat Club
Saanich, Victoria, BC.
Contact: Marilyn McCorkindale
April 20, 2005
Workshop: Understanding &
Correcting Canine Behaviour
Problems
Centennial College
Progress Campus,
Scarborough, ON.
Contact: Kerry Vinson
Tel: 905-344-7973
April 23-24, 2005
Calgary Cat Fanciers
Calgary, AB.
Contact: Rene Copeland
Tel: 403-283-4646
April 30–May 1, 2005
Purina Celebrate Pets
Weekend Gala
The Holiday Inn on King,
Toronto, ON.
Tel: 416-447-9686
W: www.celebrate-pets.com
Do you have event news?
Send your event information to:
Editor, Pets Quarterly,
Scarborough, ON., M1J 3N7.
Fax: 416-955-1391.
Email: [email protected].

Daniel and the Superdogs, the

Transcription

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