Links and Helpful Information
To Schedule A Request:
Existing clients can submit a scheduling request by clicking the following
link:
- https://secure.professionalpetsitter.com/bpsa/usr/login.cfm?cc=prodadar
- Your login will be your email address (please make sure we always have a current email address on file).
- Your password will be the first two characters of your last name (lower case) + your zip code
- You will automatically receive a confirmation that Adette's Ark has received your request.
- Please ALWAYS make sure you receive confirmation that we have processed your request and have you scheduled.
Pet Tips (scroll down or click the following links)
Pet Diet- the Real Poop
I am a big advocate of feeding pets proper diets & getting them on a healthy vaccinations schedule.
I want all of my furry, feathered & scaled friends to be with us for a long & healthy life.
A healthy diet is so very, very important for our pets.
With a proper diet, you will spend much less on vet care because you are providing your pets the nutrition they need.
Pets that are fed a super premium diet will typically live longer and healthier. One rule of thumb is that
IF YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR PETS FOOD AT THE GROCERY STORE, IT IS NOT NUTRITIONALLY VALUABLE TO YOUR PET!! -- NO EXCEPTIONS.
Read your labels no matter where you purchase your pets' food. You might be surprised. Pets can survive on junk
food but they will not thrive and they are almost guaranteed OBESITY, DISEASE, AND ILLNESS. It is the pet owners
responsibility to educate ourselves about the food we put in their dishes everyday. There are several excellent
alternatives to the grocery store junk food. (on an aside: MANY of the common pet food companies are involved
in animal testing. Let's support pet food companies that value our pets' lives as much as we do!) We can
help our pets live long healthy lives simply by learning how to read labels and choose foods with quality ingredients.
Cats & Dogs Grazing In Corn Fields?!?
No. Check the labels. The poor quality foods include corn, corn syrup, corn gluten meal or other corn products.
Why is this? Because corn is cheaper than meat. If corn is listed in the ingredient label, please choose a new
food. Grain products are fillers. The grains in pet foods bear little resemblance to the nutrient rich cereals
we assume are present. They are merely the leftovers after the grain has been processed for humans. Most of
them are not even absorbed by your pets.
Ick Preservatives & By-Products
Preservatives added to pet foods are highly toxic. Your pet could be consuming as much as 26 pounds of
preservatives each year if they are fed these foods. Also, what are BY-PRODUCTS? By-products are a toxic brew
containing diseased and contaminated meat from slaughterhouses. It also includes dead animals picked up from
the nation's roads, rancid kitchen grease, and millions of pounds of dead animals from the country's animal
hospitals and shelters. Please do not support companies that have these products in their pet food.
Many chemicals are used to add flavor to commercial pet foods. A food is permitted to include in its label
claims such as "with real beef" as long as the ingredient comprises at least 3% of the product weight. "Real beef",
for example, can mean the part of the cattle not used for human consumption.
What is that lovely smell?
When you open a bag of food, the odor you are smelling is rendered animal fat,
restaurant grease, or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. "Restaurant grease is often
held in fifty-gallon drums outside for weeks then picked up by rendering companies and sold to pet food companies
and used to make pet foods palatable" (www.api4animals.org/79.htm)
Absorb More; Eat Less
Remember: when you purchase a super premium diet, your pet will require less food because they will actually
absorb and benefit from the nutrition it provides. READ YOUR LABELS!!!! Plus, they will poop less because
they absorb more and there is less waste.
Cats
I strongly encourage cat owners to feed wet food along with dry. (Also, feel free to give your
dogs wet food along with dry). Cats get a high percentage of their water from the moisture in food. Also,
remember, cats are true carnivores. They must eat meat.
Dogs
For dogs, I strongly encourage those of you who feed kibble to add some important ingredients that
cannot withstand storage and high heat of cooking dog food. Some foods you can add are plain yogurt,
canned mackerel or salmon, eggs, cottage cheese, and meat such as hamburger or beef heart. Dogs also
LOVE raw meaty bones. Give these as treats and you will never have to have your dogs teeth cleaned again.
What is "human" food??
It doesn't make sense to label something as "human" food. I encourage you to give your pet many of
the foods you eat. There are toxic foods so be careful. Do not feed avocado, grapes, onion, chocolate, or
apple seeds. Also, avoid anything spicy. Do research or ask me for information. Have fun finding new,
yummy food to feed your pets. PLEASE HELP YOUR FURRY FRIENDS LIVE A LIFE WHERE THEY FEEL GREAT INSIDE AND OUT!!
Also, how boring it must be to eat the same thing every day, every meal for the rest of your life.
Try changing foods now and then. Your pet will think you are great! The reason we see pets getting
diarrhea from food switching is because we do not do it often enough.
What Your Pet Sitter Recommends
I highly recommend foods with human grade ingredients. Basically use your common sense.
There are many wonderful foods out there. Super premium foods that I most highly recommend are:
Feeding a raw diet is also a WONDERFUL way to feed. I do have a great deal of information on this.
Also, Switching to Raw by Susan K Johnson is very helpful.
I have a wonderful source for pre-made raw food right here in town -- Chez Paws Real Food, prepared with
love by Marti Miller, 837-4063.
You might also try making your pets food. It's fun and educational and I promise your pets will
help you prepare this.
There are many other wonderful foods. Always feel free to contact me for more information.
There are also very helpful books you can read such as Dr Pitcairns Complete Guide to Natural
Health for Dogs and Cats, by Richard and Susan Pitcairn. Dr Pitcairns book has wonderful recipes for
home cooked food, as well as, Foods Pets Die For and Protect Your Pet both by Ann Martin, and The Truth About
Pet Foods by Dr. Wysong.
Hot Weather Tips for Your Pets
Play It Cool with Pets in the Summer
When the lazy days of barbecues and swimming pools roll around, you can make them even better by sharing them with your favorite pet. By following a few summer pet safety tips, you can keep your animal friends healthy and enjoy the months of sun and fun.
- Never leave your pet in the car. Though it may seem cool outside, the sun can raise the temperature inside your car to 120 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of minutes, even with the windows rolled down. If you need to run some errands, leave the furry ones at home.
- As you're outside enjoying the warm weather, keep your pet leashed. It will keep her from getting lost, fighting other animals, and eating and drinking things that could make her sick. This tip isn't just for dogs--even cats can learn to walk on a leash if you train them.
- Water, water everywhere. Whether you're indoors or out, both you and your pet need access to lots of fresh water during the summer, so check her water bowl several times a day to be sure it's full. If you and your furry friend venture forth for the afternoon, bring plenty of water for both of you.
- Pets need sunscreen too. Though all that fur helps protect her, your pet can get sunburned, particularly if she has light skin and hair. Sunburn in animals can cause problems similar to those it can cause in people, including pain, peeling, and skin cancer. So keep your pet out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and when you do go out, rub a bit of sun block on unprotected areas like the tips of her ears, the skin around her lips, and the tip of her nose.
- Say no to tangles. Keeping your pet well groomed will help her hair do what it was designed to do: protect her from the sun and insulate her from the heat. If she has extremely thick hair or a lot of mats and tangles, her fur may trap too much heat, so you may want to clip her/him.
- Watch out for antifreeze. Hot weather may tempt your pet to drink from puddles in the street, which can contain antifreeze and other chemicals. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that animals like, but it's extremely toxic. When you're walking your pet, make sure she doesn't sneak a drink from the street.
- Be cautious on humid days. Humidity interferes with animals' ability to rid themselves of excess body heat. When we overheat we sweat, and when the sweat dries it takes excess heat with it. Our four-legged friends only perspire around their paws, which is not enough to cool the body. To rid themselves of excess heat, animals pant. Air moves through the nasal passages, which picks up excess heat from the body. As it is expelled through the mouth, the extra heat leaves along with it. Although this is a very efficient way to control body heat, it is severely limited in areas of high humidity or when the animal is in close quarters.
- Make sure your pet doesn't overexert herself. Though exercise is an important part of keeping your dog or cat at a healthy weight, which helps her body stay cool, overdoing it can cause her to overheat. Keep the walks to a gentle pace and make sure she has plenty of water. If she's panting a lot or seems exhausted, it's time to stop.
- Take it easy on pets that can't deal with the heat. Elderly, very young, and ill animals have a hard time regulating their body temperature, so make sure they stay cool and out of the sun on steamy summer days. Dogs with snub noses, such as Pekingese, pugs, and bulldogs, have a hard time staying cool because they can't pant efficiently, so they also need to stay out of the heat. Overweight dogs are also more prone to overheating, because their extra layers of fat act as insulation, which traps heat in their bodies and restricts their breathing capabilities.
- Bring them inside. Animals shouldn't be left outside unsupervised on long, hot days, even in the shade. Shade can move throughout the afternoon, and pets can become ill quickly if they overheat, so keep them inside as much as possible. If you must leave your pet in the backyard, keep a close eye on her and bring her in when you can.
- Keep an eye out for heatstroke. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. If you suspect your pet has heatstroke you must act quickly and calmly. Have someone call a veterinarian immediately. In the meantime, lower the animal's body temperature by applying towels soaked in cool water to the hairless areas of the body. Often the pet will respond after only a few minutes of cooling, only to falter again with his temperature soaring back up or falling to well below what is normal. With this in mind, remember that it is imperative to get the animal to a veterinarian immediately. Once your pet is in the veterinarian's care, treatment may include further cooling techniques, intravenous fluid therapy to counter shock, or medication to prevent or reverse brain damage.
Even with emergency treatment, heatstroke can be fatal. The best cure is prevention, and Fido and Fluffy are relying on you to keep them out of harm's way. Summer does not have to be fraught with peril--with ample precaution, both you and your furry friends can enjoy those long, hot dog-days of summer.
Signs of Heatstroke:
- Panting
- Rapid heartbeat
- Staring
- High fever
- Anxious expression
- Vomiting
- Refusal to obey commands
- Collapse
- Warm, dry skin
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