ePetDrugs Blog

Jodi Webb

While on my beach vacation I read a sad story about Mayor Cheye Calvo of a small Delaware town Berwyn Heights.  It all began when packages of marijuana were sent to several random people, including the mayor’s wife Trinity Tomisic.  It seems the plan was for the drug dealers to swoop in and grab the packages off the front stoops before the people the packages were addressed to even took the packages into their homes.  The first problem was the mayor returned home early and took his wife’s package into their home before the drug dealers could arrive.  The second problem was his mother-in-law screamed when she noticed the officers swarming toward their home.  The third was that the family had two black Labrador dogs. The result was the mayor and his mother-in-law were temporarily detained for questioning and their dogs, deemed a threat to the officers as they entered the home, were killed.

Animal lovers are up in arms.  The story has received national attention and there is even an Online Petition to sign at.  I love black labs, and dogs in general and can understand how devstated this couple must feel.  But I also know cops and know how devastated their families would feel if they were mauled or killed by a dangerous dog during a raid.  It’s a tough situation but I’m going to have to come down on the side of the cops this time.   Folks on the petition website talk about having a plan to contain the dogs when entering the home.  But a ‘containment plan’ would take time to enact–even if it was just 10 minutes.  Could you contain the animals and not risk having evidence of the crime destroyed or altered?  Turns out the mayor and his family were innocent but the cops had no way of knowing that at the time.  Turns out the dogs were family pets not attack dogs but the cops had no way of knowing that at the time.  We all love our animals but can we really expect the government to put their safety before the safety of our police officers and the prevention of a crime(drug trafficking)that could affect hundreds–even thousands–of humans?

My heart goes out to Mayor Calvo. It also goes out to the officers who shot the dogs and are living with the nightmares.

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Jobi Webb

Our family is eagerly looking forward to the annual week at the beach—with the exception of Simon our cat. No, it isn’t that he hates the feeling of sand in his fur. Simon isn’t a happy vacationer. Turns out he isn’t a happy stay-at-homer either. Like many cats Simon just hates change. He hates the packing chaos, the absence of baskets of warm laundry to nap in, and the neighbor kid who looks after him. So how does he complain? By licking himself so obsessively that we return to a cat with small fur-free patches on his back. Thankfully, our vet mentioned Bitter Apple, a spray that discourages his constant licking. Of course now he’s replaced licking with stalking the neighbor kid’s toes when he comes to fill the food and water bowls. Maybe we should spray the neighbor kid with Bitter Apple too?

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By Jobi Webb

Even though I love houseplants I was just about ready to give them up. Simon seemed driven to chew on anything green I brought home—forgetting that his nibbles always ended up him leaving undigested pieces of plant life on my throw rugs, broken pots, and soil spilled. After unsuccessfully trying to relocate my plants to inaccessible spots(is anything really inaccessible to a determined cat?), we’ve reached a compromise. My husband’s aunt, another cat-lover, told me about Drink well Aqua Garden. The container attaches to his Drink well Pet Fountain and grows wheat grass, which agrees with Simon’s digestion much better than my houseplants. Since the plant conveniently is right their next to his food and water dishes he nibbles it instead of jumping on windowsills and shelves in search of my plants. Drink well also says eating the wheat grass can help control hairballs. Simon’s happy. I’m happy. My begonias are finally blooming!

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By   Jodi Webb

News of the 44 lb. white cat roaming through a New Jersey town amazed me. My 5 year old son weighs less than Powder, who unbelievably would not qualify as the heaviest house cat according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Forty four pounds seem extreme but I can understand how a cat could pick up a few unwanted pounds. First, it’s easy to lose track of when he last got fed, especially in our busy family. Several family members take turns feeding Simon and as we come and go to work, sports, and appointments we can’t always ask everyone “Did you feed Simon?” Then there’s that highly effective M – E – O – W(often in the middle of the night)that usually ends with someone hollering in desperation “Feed that cat!” With the start of school our life will become even crazier so I think we’re going to give an automatic feeder like Pet Safe 5 Meal Feeder a try. Then we can make sure he’s eating only as much as the vet recommends. The only question is, Will Simon be satisfied with only the recommended amount?

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by Jodi Webb

Every few months a Letter to the Editor from a devastated pet lover is published in our local paper telling their sad story. Our area only has a few veterinarians and none of them are on call for emergencies at night or weekends. So owners of sick or injured pets have to travel about 60 miles to the nearest emergency vet clinic. All too often animals die during the journey.

We pet owners haven’t been successful in convincing local vets to set up an on-call schedule but there is another thing we can do to ensure our pet’s health. The American Red Cross offers classes, books, and DVDs on first aid for cats and dogs. Classes address choking, cardiac arrest, controlling bleeding, and temporary first aid used as a stop gap until you can reach a trained professional. Animal lovers interested in the classes can find one in their area by visiting the Red Cross Website.

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By Jodi Webb

Those in the publishing game will tell you that it comes in cycles—there was the anthology infusion, chick-lit, murder mystery/cookbook, vampires. Then there are the animal books. Some will tell you it started with John Grogan’s Marley & Me. But what about The Cat Who Came to Christmas, All Creatures Great and Small, even The Hound of the Baskervilles. Cats and dogs have been popping up in books since we first discovered that they make great friends. These aren’t exactly your traditional beach reads but they are fun…

Cat Trivia: Humorous, Heartwarming, Weird and Amazing by Diana MacLeod(Blue Bike Books)

Dog Blessings: Poems, Prose, and Prayers Celebrating Our Relationship with Dogs edited by June Cotner(New World Library)

Dog Culture: Writers on the Character of Canines edited by Ken Foster(The Lyons Press)

Dogs Miscellany: Dogs and Their Famous Owners…Dogs in Literature…in the Bible…Tales of dog Heroism, Trivia, Jokes, A Doggy Dictionary, and Much More! By J.A. Wines(Delacorte Press)

Dog Trivia: Humorous, Heartwarming & Amazing by Wendy Pirk(Blue Bike Books)

Joe Grey feline sleuth series by Shirley Rousseau Murphy(Morrow)

The Dog Fanatic: Tale Wagging Quotes on Man’s Best Friend edited by Patricia Sherwood(JR Books Ltd)

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By Jodi Webb

Cat owners in Scottsdale, Pennsylvania are rethinking choices to let their cats roam outdoors. According to Chief Barry Pritts several pet cats have been shot by a rifle recently, the latest being Possum, the 5 year old pet of Amy Melego.

Even if you aren’t worried about neighbors taking potshots at your cat, there are many reasons to pause before letting you cat outside.

1. Car accidents

2. Cats kill 4 to 5 million birds per year.

3. Cats are prey for larger animals, including wolves and coyotes.

4. Infectious diseases such as rabies and feline leukemia.

5. Increased rates of feline skin cancer.

6. Risk of becoming lost.

7. Toxins found outdoors such as antifreeze, bug sprays, and certain flowers and plants.

If you still decide your cat would be happier outdoors, ensure that you protect them from diseases with annual vaccines. Also treat them with a flea and tick control medication such as Advantage, Frontline, or Program.

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Summertime is travel time for many of us, and that often means leaving the pets at home for a few days. The best way to be sure your pets get the food and water they need while you’re on the road is to feed them with pet feeders and waterers. You can fill these up before you leave the house, and the food and water will stay fresh for days.

Pet feeders usually store the food in an upright container attached to a food bowl, that will automatically fill the bowl as your pet eats the food. It will stay fresh inside the container, and continue to fill the bowl until the container itself is empty. You can find small pet feeders that will last for a day or two, to really large models that will feed some pets for up to a week. Read more…

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By Jodi Webb

It isn’t often that your kid and your dog have the same medical problem. But it happened in our house this week. A week before we head to the beach my younger daughter began complaining about the outside of her ear hurting. After a quick trip to the pediatrician we learned that the outside of the ear is connected to the ear canal. We came home with a diagnosis of swimmer’s ear, ear drops to clear it up, and a preventative drop to use during our beach vacation.

I had just gotten the hang of my daughter’s drops when Maggie starting shaking her head constantly. This wasn’t her normal “get out the water” shake after a quick swim in our pond so we headed for the vet. You guessed it—swimmer’s ear. After we clear up Maggie’s infection it would probably be a good idea to use a preventative drop like Vet Solutions Swimmers Ear Astringent after her dips since ponds like ours have a high level of bacteria.

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By Jodi Webb

Global warming is melting the icebergs, causing hurricanes, killing species. Here’s one you probably never saw coming—it’s causing a feline population explosion. According to the Environmental Protection Agency earlier springs are causing mammals such as cats to go into heat earlier and stay in heat longer. Shelters have noticed that the ‘kitten season’ when litters are dumped onto their doorstops is starting earlier. They are literally bursting at the seams with unwanted kittens. Unfortunately, our country is in an economic downturn and donations to shelters are also decreasing. Many of these cute kittens are destined to be euthanized.

So its now even more important to spay and neuter your pets. If they protest tell them it wasn’t your idea—it’s global warming

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