Go Organic - The Safest Way to Fertilize Lawns and Gardens

Fall is the best time to get your lawn ready for the Winter and to give it a great head start on next Spring and Summer! So, we found these great green tips, from Raise a Green Dog to help you get your lawn in tip top shape to pop-up a pawsome organic and safe lawn next Spring!  Personally we've used fish emulsion to fertilize our lawns for 20 years. It works but click here for other terrific options.

Raise a Green Dog!: Our Top 10 Tips for Hiking the Green Dog Way!

Because there is so much Indian Summer going around, I thought this would be a really good read on hiking with dogs. We found this post on our good friend's blog Raise a Green Dog. Enjoy.

Raise a Green Dog!: Our Top 10 Tips for Hiking the Green Dog Way!: Mum, Gracie and I just love to hike! We live in the Mountains of NE Georgia, so we get to hike a lot and see some pawsome scenery, meet ot...

Wordless Wednesday

Adoptable Dog of the Day

Boss is 3 years old and a sweetheart!

Click on Boss here.

October is Adopt-A-Dog Month

October is Adopt-a-Dog Month. Mark on calendar, each day of October, and Tweet, FB, Google+ and Blog about this message all month long. Let's get some of those babies rescued and save them from certain death.

Let's all jump in like never before and blast the rescue message daily. Post the message in different ways about the joys of rescuing. Puppies, Senior dogs, special needs dogs - there are dogs for every family, senior adult and single person in the US. Only 25% of all pets in US homes are rescues. Let's do our part to move the percentage up to 45% and, as Wayne Pacell of the USHS says, eliminate pet euthanasia.

Only 25% of pets in US homes are rescues.

Many of you know that I am a rescue and I've had such a great life and I think I've made my human mommy's life great too!  I'm all about rescuing dogs (especially MUTTS like me) and cats. Did you know that only 25% of pets in US homes are rescues?  That's according to Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the US. He also said that if we could get that percentage up to 45% euthanasia could virtually be eliminated!  Those of us who advocate rescuing pets, we've got a lot of continuing work to do. Those of you who are thinking about getting a dog or cat please please go to your local rescue(s) and check out the inventory out. 

Take a look at the Senior Pets because they offer unique advantages.

• Already trained and disciplined
• Housebroken
• Leash trained (dogs) and litter box trained (cats)
• Knows basic commands
• Less likely to engage in destructive behaviors such as chewing, soiling, scratching, barking
• More sedate and less erratic. Adult pets make a practical choice for the elderly and kids
• Temperaments and personalities are established and known prior to adoption
• Level of socialization, with people and other animals, is known before you adopt
• Animal can be left alone for longer periods of time than a puppy or kitten
• Unspoken gratitude for receiving a second chance at life

The Humane Society of the US states that there are 6-8 million dogs and cats relinquished to shelters each year!  At least half of those animals - up to 4 million a year - are killed, mostly due to the lack of anyone to adopt them.  Only 30% of dogs and between 2% - 5% of cats entering shelters are reclaimed by their owners. 75% of shelter dogs are mixed breed like ME!

RESCUES ROCK!!!

Save Your Pets from Antifreeze Poisoning

I had a little sister one time and her name was Wynona. She was 2 years younger than me. She looked just like a miniature Golden Retriever - she was so cute. One day after being sick for a couple of days, Wynona died. She was less than 3 years old. How did she die? Anti-freeze poisoning.  It's a very difficult death because it's generally not caught in time by owners. That's the reason my post today is so important. We found the information below from the Long Beach Animal Hospital Newsletter.

This is the time of the year when some people change their radiator fluid. 
The antifreeze that is put into radiator fluid is highly toxic to the kidneys 
of animals, even when ingested in small amounts.

Automobile antifreeze is composed of 95% ethylene glycol. If an average sized cat drinks a little over 1 tablespoon, or a small dog drinks 1/3 cup of 
undiluted antifreeze, it can be lethal unless treated immediately. Once 
antifreeze is consumed it is absorbed very quickly from the stomach and 
broken down by the liver and kidneys to a more toxic compound. If you see 
your pet lapping any amount of antifreeze (licking off garage floor counts 
too) this is a medical emergency and requires immediate care.

Typical symptoms include drinking and urinating more than usual, vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty walking. As the toxicity progresses over 1-3 days
there will be severe depression, no appetite, continual vomiting, and ulcers 
in the mouth. These are all signs the kidneys are failing and death soon 
follows.

This problem is difficult to diagnose without knowledge of ingestion. If your pet comes in immediately after ingestion the vet would immediately induce vomiting. Assuming this is performed soon after ingestion this will 
substantially decrease further absorption of the toxin. We will then place 
activated charcoal in the stomach to help absorb and bind up any 
antifreeze left. Simultaneously your pet is placed on intravenous fluids. 
These fluids help flush the kidneys and remove additional toxin that have 
already been absorbed into the bloodstream. Specific treatments exist that can be given intravenously to block the breakdown of the ethylene glycol, 
and allow these potential toxins to be excreted safely by the kidneys. 
However, they must be given less than 24 hours after ingestion.

My mommy and I understand there is an alternative to antifreeze that is 
safe without sacrificing your cars performance. Sierra Antifreeze-Coolant. Their formula is said to be less toxic and safer for kids, pets and wildlife in the environment. Truth in blogging: we have not personally tried that 
product.

To see more clinical symptoms of anti-freeze poisoning click here.

We receivedt the information from this post from the Long Beach Animal Hospital newsletter.