Frame Your Pets - Info

(NC)—Assistance dogs are special canines – four-legged wonders trained to become an extension of people with a physical disability or visual impairment. As the first assistance dog training centre in Canada, the Mira Foundation was created to pair special breed dogs with people in need. Each year, the Mira Foundation places approximately 150 service and guide dogs with individuals across Canada and around the world.

The selection and training of Mira dogs begins when the puppies are just seven-weeks old. Once selected, puppies begin their training with a foster family, whose role is to socialize the puppies and prepare them for guide and service dog training. From home to work to social activities, the family integrates the dog into all their daily routines – learning to navigate malls, public transit and street traffic.

One of the most important factors in becoming a trusted and reliable assistance dog is receiving proper nutrition, starting at puppyhood. “At Mira, we have always fed Eukanuba exclusively to all our dogs because it’s specially formulated with DHA,” said Eric St-Pierre, Mira Foundation founder, breeder and assistance dog trainer. “DHA helps improves the development of the brain and central nervous system, making our puppies more trainable and giving them an edge on other dogs.”

In addition to healthy nutrition, another important part of the process is being paired with the right person. Following the one-year training period with the foster family, dogs return to the Mira facility to continue training with potential service dog recipients. Individuals are paired with dogs for an orientation to determine if the dog/owner relationship is a match based on lifestyle, personality and needs. “As an avid outdoorsman and fisherman, I needed a dog that would embrace the outdoors as much as I do,” said Lawrence Euteneier, Mira guide dog recipient and owner of Maestro, a Bernese Mountain dog. “Maestro was the perfect fit for my lifestyle. The training Maestro and I received at Mira was intense and thorough and taught us how to care for each other on our many outdoor adventures.”

After several intensive weeks of bonding and training at the Mira Foundation, recipients return home with their new four-legged companion to independently live their day-to-day lives. You can learn more about the premium nutrition that fuels these dog heroes online at www.eukanuba.ca.

Source: www.newscanada.com
Visit Eddie the Dalmatian’s Blog at: www.frameyourpets.com

Greetings once again from all of us at Frame Your Pets! I’m Eddie the Dalmatian and I just finished spending part of the day in the yard which got me pretty excited about today’s trick.

Magnum, what’s a good thing about digital cameras?

“Hmmm, let me see. I think one of the best things about digital cameras is that they can hold a lot of photos and with most of them you can delete ones you don’t want so they leave space for better photos.”

Good answer!

Today’s trick is a simple reminder to take a lot of photos. Especially when everything seems perfect for your photo session, take the opportunity to shoot some and then shoot some more.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a whole lot of photos because you may not be able to get us in the right cooperating mood again for quite some time.

“I can speak from experience. If I’m in the mood for photos, I’ll let you take a bunch. But once I’ve had enough, or I’m just not in the mood, I’ll let you know.”

Magnum’s right. Pets have their good days and bad days. So today’s trick is a reminder to take a lot of photos, just in case. And on one of our good days!

Trick #11 will be coming your way in a few days, which will give you some time to practice today’s trick.

Remember, if you’d like to let me know how you’re doing with these tricks, you can send me a note to eddie@frameyourpets.com. I’d love to hear from you.

You can also write to Yogi or Magnum as well. We read all your letters. Well, actually, one of the Humans reads them, but we hear about them all the time!

You can also visit my blog at: http://frameyourpets.blogspot.com/ where you’ll find updates on what we’ve all been doing along with photos, polls and and other fun stuff!

Copyright 2009 Bengel Publishing Inc. - www.thenewsleader.ca
www.frameyourpets.com

(NC)—Just as humans strive to have gleaming pearly whites, pet owners want the same healthy smiles for their cats and dogs. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and Hill’s Pet Nutrition are working together to ensure pets are receiving proper dental care.

Here are a few tips to make teeth brushing easier for both pets and owners:

• Introduce a brushing program gradually and early as training may take several days or weeks.
• Initially, owners may dip their finger into beef bouillon for a dog or tuna water for a cat, and rub their finger over the pet’s mouth and teeth.
• Owners can then introduce gauze on their finger with the same beef or tuna flavour and begin rubbing the teeth in a circular motion.
• Before graduating to a soft-bristle toothbrush, owners may put a small amount of toothpaste specifically designed for pets on their finger and allow the pet to taste it.
• Finally, owners can apply a small dab of pet toothpaste on a moist toothbrush and allow their pet to lick the bristles. Begin brushing gently at a 45° angle away from the gumline.

In addition to brushing, good oral health also requires food specially formulated to clean teeth and reduce pets’ gingivitis. Foods with the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance indicate proven effectiveness in controlling plaque and tartar.

Without proper dental care, most pets develop dental disease which can affect their heart, kidneys and liver. To learn more about pet dental health and about the connection between oral health and overall health, talk to your veterinarian or visit www.petdental.ca

Source: www.newscanada.com
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(NC)—To keep smiles healthy and bright, humans must pay special care to their teeth. Naturally, pets need dental care, too. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, in partnership with Hill’s Pet Nutrition, are working together to educate pet owners on the importance of pet dental care and how to spot the signs that can lead to periodontal disease:

• Bad breath
• Yellow-brown crust on teeth
• Bleeding gums
• Going to the food bowl, but not eating
• Change of chewing or eating habits
• Tooth loss
• Subdued behaviour
• Abnormal drooling
• Dropping food out of the mouth
• Swallowing whole food

If a pet displays any of the above warning signs, owners should visit their veterinarian to start a preventive program of veterinarian-supervised dental care.

Another way to help prevent periodontal disease is to feed your pet a food specially formulated to clean teeth that has the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance for controlling both plaque and tartar.

For more information on pet dental health, visit www.petdental.ca

Source: www.newscanada.com

BC Vets Association says new regulation 

will save hundreds of pets and wildlife each year.

Each year in BC, hundreds of pets and wildlife die or suffer kidney failure from accidently ingesting antifreeze or engine coolant, which has a sweet taste. The provincial government has just made BC the first province to mandate the addition of denatonium benzoate to antifreeze sold at the retail level in B.C.Denatonium benzoate, better known as Bitrex or Aversion, is the bitterest chemical compound known, and has used for years in anti-nailbiting for people and anti-chewing/licking products for pets.

Denatonium benzoate will not impair antifreeze performance or have any impact on vehicle warranties. Adding it to antifreeze is expected to prevent children and household pets from accidentally ingesting the product.

For more information on the new regulation, Dr. Jeff Grognet, President of the BCVMA, is available for comment and can be reached at 250-752-8969.

Source: www.thenewsleader.ca

VICTORIA - To increase the safety of pets and to give pet owners more
peace of mind, British Columbia has become the first Canadian province
to legally require the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze and
engine coolant sold in the province, Environment Minister Barry Penner
announced today.

“The sweet taste of antifreeze is a major reason for the accidental -
often fatal - ingestion of toxic antifreeze by pets, wildlife and young
children,” Penner said. “By making it mandatory to add an extremely
bitter substance to the product, we will make it less appealing,
reducing its likelihood of being consumed in significant quantities.”

Ethylene glycol-based antifreeze is the most common type of antifreeze
commercially available. It is also highly toxic and its appealing sweet
taste has linked it to a number of poisonings of animals and small
children. With this in mind, the government of British Columbia is
mandating the addition of denatonium benzoate to ethylene glycol
antifreeze sold at the retail level in B.C.

Better known under the trade names Bitrex or Aversion, denatonium
benzoate is the bitterest chemical compound known to date. For years,
this substance and other similar bittering agents have been used
effectively in human and animal taste behaviour modification products,
such as nail biting remedies and anti-chewing/licking products for
pets. Bittering agents have also been used to prevent accidental
poisonings from some toiletries, household cleaners and pesticides.

“We are very pleased the government is taking this initiative to reduce
the threat of antifreeze poisoning for animals across B.C.,” said Craig
Daniell, CEO of the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. “Every year our constables and animal care staff deal with
numerous cases of pets who have been poisoned by ethylene glycol
antifreeze.”

The addition of a bitterant to antifreeze will lessen its appeal, not
its toxicity. Individuals should still take personal responsibility for
the proper handling, storing and disposal of any antifreeze product or
waste. The new Antifreeze Regulation will be effective Jan. 1, 2011.

Denatonium benzoate will not impair antifreeze performance, nor have
any impact on vehicle warranties. Adding it to ethylene glycol
antifreeze has the potential to prevent children and household pets
from accidentally ingesting the product.

To find out more about proper disposal of antifreeze in your area,
please contact the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s Recycling
Hotline at 604 RECYCLE (732-9253) or 1-800 667-4321.

Source: www.thenewsleader.ca