In June, Fur Kids Foundation board member Felicia was in with Dr. Darren Lynde at Animal Medical Center of Wyoming with her 11-year old dog Lucy for their yearly check-up. One of the vaccinations that Dr. Lynde mentioned that was due for Lucy was for Bordetella—aka, kennel cough or Canine Tracheobronchitis. For those who don’t know, kennel cough is a bacterial illness in the respiratory system (lungs) that your dog can catch when it spends extended periods of time in close quarters with other dogs, such as boarding facilities and veterinarian offices. If you’ve every boarded your dog, you already know that boarding services require a Bordetella vaccination before your pooch can spend the night. However, dog parks or dog walking groups (such as Yappy Hours) could also put your dog at risk. The illness is characterized by a harsh and hacking cough, which sometimes sounds like the dog has something caught in its throat. Think of it like a canine common chest cold. Your dog may not appear sick otherwise, so if you don't notice a decrease in activity or appetite it doesn't mean you're in the clear. According to PetMD.com, symptoms include:
The time it takes for your dog to show symptoms after exposure to kennel cough is between two and 14 days. Because of this, many dog owners may do a little self-misdiagnosis. While dogs are the most common victims of Bordetella, it can also occur in cats, rabbits, pigs and guinea pigs. It is also possible for people to acquire the human version, whooping cough. Dogs get rid of the Bordetella organisms for about three months, and it's highly contagious among other dogs. The good news is that kennel cough usually goes away in about four to 10 days, similar to a common human cold. Some more serious bouts of the illness can last up to three weeks. Antibiotics and cough suppressants are usually prescribed to provide your dog with some temporary relief. If you attend Yappy Hours, Fur Kids Foundation recommends that your dog(s) have a Bordetella vaccination. You have a couple of options for getting your pet vaccinated—a shot or a nasal treatment. Puppies can't get the injectable variety until they are four months old, and the nasal vaccine can be given to puppies as young as three weeks old. The vaccine is believed to last up to six months, but is only effective in about 70 percent of dogs; which means that even if your dog has been vaccinated, it could still acquire kennel cough. Also, if you plan on boarding your dog, vets recommend that your pup receive the vaccination at least five days prior to overnighting in a facility. Be sure to speak with your veterinarian about Bordetella and other vaccinations at your next yearly visit.
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FKF loves The Oatmeal! Fourth of July is this week! Don’t you just love Independence Day. While we celebrate our freedom, we generally enjoy parades, barbecues, fun runs/walks, and so much more. But, did you know that more pets get lost on July 4 than any other day of the year? Are you and your pets prepared? Petfinder has created these wonderful infographics to demonstrate some simple steps you can take to help your pet be safe on Independence Day. Petfinder encourages you all to share these infographics, which can be found on their site If you're looking for other safety tips, check out this list that the ASPCA prepared, which talks about the dangers of alcoholic drinks, sunscreen and insect repellent, glow jewelry, citronella candles and much more. And, Animal Medical Center of Wyoming has provided another option via Facebook: As the Fourth of July approaches and the annual fireworks display at the CAM-PLEX, we wanted to give you a few ideas that might help pets deal with anxiety and stress {of the holiday}. We wish you and your pet a safe, fun, and anxiety free Fourth of July! Here's another Infographic to check out from K9 of Mine -- click the graphic below to see the full graphic: With modern advances in pet nutrition, dogs seem to live longer than they ever have. Why? Well, Fur Kids Foundation believes that advancements in dog food quality have helped to extend our four-legged friends’ lives, and we want our supporters to have the best information when it comes to their dog food. Below you’ll find a way to rate your dog food that our Board member Mary has been using for a few years and sharing with people she helps at Big Dogs Huge Paws. This list was developed by Sarah Irick, civil/industrial engineer who is also a Great Dane owner and rescue volunteer. She developed this grading system because she was concerned about what she feed her dogs and wants to help others decide what to feed their own dogs. Many pet owners may not have the time to do hours of research on pet foods and/or nutrition, so Sarah created an easier way to compare labels. The system is available below, or at the Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc. Start with a grade of 100 points and:
Extra Credit:
Here’s the grading system:
Below are some foods that have already been scored.
Was your dog food on the list? If so, do you think you’ll switch to a better food? Please share this blog with your friends and family. Nutrition makes a big difference in the life of your dog. Thank you to the American Red Cross of Northeastern Wyoming for recognizing the Fur Kids Foundation as a Hometown Hero, and to the sponsors of the 2013 Hometown Hero event: Citizen Corps, Cloud Peak Energy, First Interstate Bank, Powder River Energy Corp. and the United Way. As many of you know, Fur Kids Foundation was formed in 2011 and began providing aid in September 2012. In less than a year, we have helped 10 families and contributed more than $1,000 to the Campbell County Community. "We would like to thank the community for supporting and embracing Fur Kids Foundation. Without community support, we would not be able to do the things we do and help the families in our area," said Foundation Vice President Mary Melaragno when accepting the award. The Foundation could not do any of this work without the support of our sponsors. Thank you to Cloud Peak Energy, who is sponsoring Pet-A-Palooza in September. We would also like to thank Animal Medical Center, FCA Country Store, Hands on Pottery and Photo Imaging Center for taking the time out of their busy schedule to support our cause with fundraisers and helping us with educational events. And, thank you to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Energy Laboratories, Inc., First Interstate Bank, Gillette Energy Rotary Club, Land Surveying Incorporated, Lubrication Services, Inc., McKinnon Flooring, Phagan Photography, Sol Domus and Wyoming Beverage Pepsi-7-Up of Gillette, and our donors for supporting us this past year. Thank you to the two vet clinics in Gillette, Animal Medical Center and Thunder Basin Veterinary Clinic PC., for supporting us and for embracing our mission. Thank you to the Gillette/Campbell County Animal Shelter for sending clients our way and for helping us promote our events. And, lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to our rock star volunteers because without them this organization would not run. This Foundation is run solely on volunteer support—we truly would not exist without you. Congratulations to the other groups and individuals who received awards today:
We are truly humbled to be included among this group of hometown heroes. Thank you. Regards, Fur Kids Foundation Board members If you’re like many pet owners, you probably grew up with the idea that there is only one kind of doctor for pets – a veterinarian. However, like human doctors, vets have been specializing in many different approaches and how they practice as a whole for years. The conventional approach to veterinary medicine is what most people recognize. These vets focus on treating a disease or problem that your pet presents with at a time—using a variety of modern techniques to diagnose and medication or surgery to correct what is happening. Holistic, or nonconventional vets, place an emphasis on wellness and treating the whole animal, rather than dealing with problems as they arise. These vets focus on finding the root cause of a problem and treating it from there, not treating the symptom. Confused? Well, here’s an example from a Fur Kids board member, Mary. Mary’s English mastiff, Sampson was limping from time to time after they had walked around the park. After watching him limp off and on for a couple of weeks, Mary scheduled an appointment for Sampson at a conventional vet’s office. At this vet’s office, x-rays were done to look for or a torn ACL, hip dysplasia, or arthritis, which showed that nothing was wrong with Sampson. A few days later, Sampson wasn’t just limping, “he couldn't walk straight, couldn’t lift his head and he cried when he’d take a step forward,” said Mary. After consulting with the vet, it was suggested he could have meningitis, but he wasn’t showing other signs of the disease. With nothing she could do for Sampson, they waited for him to feel better. A month later, the pain and crying returned. Mary opted to take Sampson to a different conventional vet for a second opinion. There, Sampson was tested for Lyme Disease and other muscle injuries—both came back negative. Wobblers Syndrome and Addison’s Disease were also considered; however, Sampson didn’t show all the signs. And, the best way to test for Wobblers was to get an MRI, which would cost upwards of $1,500. The decision was made to watch Sampson for a few more months before they would get the MRI. Two months later, the pain and crying returned. This time, Mary had been told about Dr. Sarah Daane-Froehlich of Ten Mile Holistic Veterinary Care in Casper by another Fur Kids board member. Dr. Sarah Daane-Froehlich takes a holistic approach to veterinary medicine and practices acupuncture, chiropractic, and craniosacral work as well as natural remedy herbs, homotoxicology, and homeopathy, and equine dentistry. While walking with Sampson outside for their appointment, Dr. Sarah said she could tell Sampson was having pain in his right shoulder, and right back leg, as well as his jaw. Dr. Sarah ended up doing some Craniosacral work on Sampson to help alleviate the pain. Craniosacral therapy (CST) uses manipulation of joints and tissues to achieve a return to balanced health of the nervous system and the entire body, not just muscles and joints. According to Dr. Sarah’s website: The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounds the brain and spinal cord within a tough membrane. There is a rhythmic flow of the CSF from the brain down the spinal cord and back up. This is reflected in minute movements of the bones of the skull and the sacrum in the pelvic area. If this movement is disturbed then various health problems can occur including headaches, poor body movement, jaw problems, headshakers in horses and other behavior issues. “I was amazed and relieved that after an hour of Dr. Sarah working on Sampson, he was better,” said Mary. “Dr. Sarah showed me that there was an option to make him better without having to medicate him with pain pills for the rest of his life. And, I like the natural approach she takes, that a mixture of herbs can fix an ailment.” Dr. Sarah has been a practicing veterinarian for more than 25 years, and 15 of those years has been concentrated on using holistic medicine. “My focus is to help owners help their pets and horses return to optimal health and vitality through natural holistic healing methods,” said Dr. Sarah. “Such methods are usually more gentle and often less invasive than non-holistic approaches. If an owner is frustrated with health or lameness problems that are not responding to treatment, holistic healing can help.” The services Dr. Sarah practices allow her to help pets and their owners deal with a wide variety of issues. According to Dr. Sarah:
So, how is Sampson doing now? According to Mary he is thriving and “back to the Sampson that we adopted. He’s annoying his sister Daisy, with wanting to play all of the time, jumping over the steps to get outside because he is so excited to get to his Jolly Ball. It's great to have our Handsome Sampson back!” Mary plans to use Dr. Sarah to keep her fur kids healthy; though, she hopes it doesn’t happen too quickly. So, do you think you would give a holistic vet a try? Do you have any questions for Dr. Sarah? Fur Kids Foundation is very proud to announce that were have been selected as an American Red Cross Hometown Hero! Other heroes selected include:
For those who don’t know, the American Red Cross presents the Hometown Hero Awards annually to residents of the Northeast Wyoming region who have had an extraordinary impact on the community or have demonstrated the values of courage, character, humanity, or personal initiative. Members of the community are invited to nominate a local hero for consideration and honorees are selected by a committee of individuals from the community. The concept for the Hometown Hero Awards grew out of a desire to develop a special event that is closely related to the humanitarian mission of the American Red Cross. Fur Kids Foundation and the other hometown heroes,will be recognized at the Hometown Heroes Breakfast, which takes place Thursday, June 20 at 7 am at Best Western Tower West, 109 N. Highway 14/16. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door, or beforehand at the American Red Cross Northeast Wyoming Office, 439 Prairie View, Suite E, from 8 am-4:30 pm. Please come and applaud your local heroes with us! While cruising around the Mall in the Park the other day, I stumbled upon Candace Crimm of Annabelle’s Cookies Gourmet Dog Treats. (I bought some of her pumpkin and peanut butter cookies at the Animal Medical Center of Wyoming’s Waggin Away Cancer event and knew that Lucy would like more of them.) But, I’m not here to brag about how wonderful Annabelle’s Cookies are (just ask Lucy at a Yappy Hour what she thinks about them). I’m here to share some information on the foods that are toxic to our pets—a list that Candace supplies to any pet owner who purchases her products. Candace confided in me that she pulled her list from the ASPCA, which is what I’m providing below. If you see any of these products listed in your dog’s treats, Candace recommends that you throw them out. “Even a small dose of any of these ingredients is not good for your pet,” she says. Candace searches high and low for high-quality and safe ingredients for her pet treats and includes a list of what is included on every bag of goodies. If you think your pet has eaten any of the following foods, please note the amount ingested and contact your veterinarian immediately. And, kudos to Candace for supplying this list! If you're looking for a safe and homemade treat for your pup, be sure to check out Annabelle's Cookies. (We're hoping we can get her to be a vendor at Pet-A-Palooza!) Chocolate, Coffee, Caffeine: These products all contain substances called methylxanthines, which are found in cacao seeds, the fruit of the plant used to make coffee and in the nuts of an extract used in some sodas. When ingested by pets, methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Note that darker chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. White chocolate has the lowest level of methylxanthines, while baking chocolate contains the highest. Feel free to share this blog with others!
Spring is dubbed kitten season, which means that thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country. And, if you check out the City of Gillette/Campbell County Animal Shelter, 950 W. Warlow Drive., they have tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats and everything in between. Shelter staff are more than ready to help you adopt your very first cat, or bring home a friend for another beloved cat. And, so is Fur Kids Foundation. June is Adopt A Shelter Cat Month and, with kitten season upon us, there are more cats in need than ever. To help get some felines out of the shelters, Fur Kids is sponsoring two cats available at the Animal Shelter. If you adopt one of these angels, Fur Kids has already paid half of their adoption fee! Every cat deserves a home, and one in time for summer would be purrfect! So what are you waiting for? Stop by the Animal Shelter, 950 W Warlow Dr., to meet all of the other wonderful cats and kittens available. Please consider adopting one (or two) cats in June to support this national cause. If you can't adopt a cat, Petfinder has a great list of suggestions of ways you can still help get the word out about Adopt A Shelter Cat Month. Here are some of our favorites: Donate your Facebook or Twitter status! Sample: June is Adopt A Shelter Cat Month. Save a life: Adopt a cat! http://www.petfinder.com Did we leave anything out? Tell us your own ideas and please share this with your friends.
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Welcome to the Fur Kids Foundation blog archive that features inspiring stories of pets and people! Get inspired by these amazing furry tales of recovery and hope! All because someone like YOU cared.
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