In Health News

Finding A Lost Pet

Signs Of Ill Health

Foods Potentially Dangerous To Pet

Finding A Lost Pet :

When your beloved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. Here are some tips that we hope will help you find your pet.

* Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies.

File a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60 mile radius of your home and visit the nearest shelters daily, if possible.

To find your local shelter go to: www.pets911.com or check your phone book. If there is no shelter in your community, contact the local police department. Provide these agencies with an accurate description and a recent photograph of your pet. Notify the police if you believe your pet was stolen.

* Search the neighborhood.

Walk or drive through the your neighborhood several times a day. Ask neighbors, letter carriers, and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Hand out a recent photograph of your and information on how you can be reached if your pet is found.

* Advertise

Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, online at : www.pets911.com , and other locations. Also, place advertisement in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet's sex, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings. When describing your pet, leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it.

* Be wary of "Pet-Recovery" scams.

When talking to a stranger who claims to have found your pet, ask him to describe the pet thoroughly before you offer any information. If he does not include the identifying characteristic you left out of the advertisements, he may not really have your pet. Be particularly wary of people who insist that you give or wire them money for the return of your pet.

* Don't give up your search.

Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

A pet - even an indoor pet - has a better chance of being returned if she always wears a collar and an ID tag with your name, address, and telephone number. Ask your local animal shelter or veterinarian if permanent methods of identification (such as microchips) are available in your area.

Signs of Ill Health

Only a healthy pet is a happy companion. Assuring your pet's daily well-being requires regular care and close attention to any hint of ill health. The American Veterinary Medical Association therefore suggests that you consult your veterinarian if your pet shows any of the following signs:

Abnormal discharges from the nose, eyes, or other body openings
Loss of appetite, marked weight losses or gains, or excessive water consumption
Difficult, abnormal, or uncontrolled waste elimination
Abnormal behavior, sudden viciousness, or lethargy
Abnormal lumps, limping, or difficulty getting up or lying down
Excessive head shaking, scratching, and licking or biting any part of the body
Dandruff, loss of hair, open sores, and a ragged or dull coat. Foul breath or excessive tarter deposits on teeth

Foods Potentially Dangerous To Pets

(These are the most common ones, consult your Vet to get a complete list)

Alcoholic beverages

Apple seeds

Apricot pits

Avocados - toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle and dairy goats

Cherry pits

Candy ( particularly chocolate, which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets,

and any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol)

Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate espresso beans)

Grapes

Hops (used in home beer brewing)

Macadamia nuts

Mushroom Plants

Mustard seeds

Onions and onion powder

Peach pits

Potato leaves and stems (green parts)

Raisins

Rhubarb leaves

Salt

Tea (caffeine)

Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)

Walnuts

Yeast dough

Remember to consult with your Vet for any other "Foods" that may be harmful to your PET.