More Toxic Treats. Skunk Rinse. Take Pets. Play With Pets. Adopt a Senior. SINKEX Kills! Fernandomania! God's Feast of Trumpets.

For “Mammal Monday”:

FDA Publishes New Q&A on Chicken Jerky Treat Situation

“The FDA updated its chicken jerky pet treat product warning in mid-July, and published a question-and-answer page for consumers in mid-August.

There is nothing new or enlightening in the FDA’s most recent update, unless you weren’t aware consumer complaints now involve not only chicken jerky pet treats, but also duck and sweet potato treats.

The FDA still has not determined what is causing the problem with pet treats that have sickened and/or killed nearly 2,000 pets in the U.S. so far. Until they do, they will not advise manufacturers or retailers of these products to stop selling them.

Please know that if you choose to feed your pet processed treats with imported or potentially imported ingredients, your dog or cat could be at risk for serious illness. Our advice to limit your risk is to buy only pet food and treats sourced and produced entirely in the U.S., or make pet food and treats at home using ingredients you trust.” Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/09/14/chicken-jerky-treats-fda-warning.aspx?e_cid=20120914_PetsNL_art_1

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FAR Better than Tomato Juice as a Skunk Rinse...

“In this short video, Dr. Karen Becker shares the very effective method she uses to get rid of skunk smell on pets.

Dr. Becker's Comments: “Today I want to give you my skunk rinse recipe, and here's hoping you never have to use it!

If, heaven forbid, your dog or cat is ever sprayed by a skunk, you should have this recipe on hand. The sooner you apply the solution to your pet's fur, the sooner he'll get relief and smell better.

Skunk Rinse Recipe

Tomato juice isn't nearly as effective as this recipe, and it's easy to follow.

In a pail mix:

• 1 quart hydrogen peroxide (the 3 percent hydrogen peroxide variety)
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Dawn dishwashing liquid (original blue)

If you have a large breed dog, you may need to double, triple or even quadruple the mixture.

Wear dishwashing or other household gloves if you like during the whole de-skunking process.

Don't wet down your pet. Apply the mixture to your pet's dry coat from the collar back toward the tail. Don't pour it near the eyes because the hydrogen peroxide solution can burn them.

Lather the mixture into your pet's coat and skin. Rub the solution around for about five minutes or until the skunk smell starts to dissipate.

If the front of your pet is as stinky as the back, use a sponge to apply the solution to your pet's chin, cheeks, forehead and ears, being very careful not to go near the eyes. When you rinse the head area, tilt your pet's chin upward so the solution does not run down into the eyes, instead allow the water to run back off his neck.

Do a complete rinse once the smell starts to decrease, then repeat the entire process again.

You may need to repeat the lather and rinse process up to three times, but it's a very effective method for removing the skunk smell from your pet.

Make sure to completely rinse the solution off your pet. Your final rinse should be very thorough.

You can't prepare this solution ahead of time and store it – it won't be effective when you need it. It must be made fresh, right before you apply it to your pet. So it pays to make sure you have all the ingredients ahead of time!

Good luck … and I hope you never have to use my skunk rinse recipe!” From: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/07/12/far-better-than-tomato-juice-as-a-skunk-rinse.aspx

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Pledge To Take Your Pets With You

Teddy is ready in his raincoat. He urges you to be ready, too—pledge to take your pets with you. ©The HSUS

“When disasters threaten, you will do anything to keep your family safe. For many of us, pets are family, too. Severe weather can happen at any time— please take your pets with you if you must evacuate your home.

September is National Preparedness Month. Make sure your pets are safe during disasters. Pledge now to take them with you.” At: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5727

 

 

 

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Let The Games Begin!

“Does your pet have a favorite toy? I always find it interesting how during the middle of a session with my clients, their pet will show me his or her favorite toy and the pure joy they feel towards it.
Some of my clients tell me that they feel disappointed when their pets seem to lose enthusiasm for playing with their toys.

Often times it comes down to what they really want, which is their parents to play with them instead of just throwing them a ball and walking away. That good-intentioned action can actually trigger a feeling of disappointment. This is a good reminder for pet parents to be mindful and present.”  More at: http://www.pawnation.com/2012/07/30/let-the-games-begin/

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Will These Pets Ever Find Homes?

“The hardest-to-adopt pets in shelters and rescues across the U.S. are senior dogs and cats, followed by pets with medical problems, dogs of a particular breed like the pit bull, shy pets, and those who must be the only pet in a home.

Oddly, black pets, and especially large black dogs, are also among the hardest to find homes for. Among shelter professionals this phenomenon is known as 'black dog syndrome'.

Shelters, rescue organizations and animal welfare groups are working on the problem of hard-to-adopt pets. They host special adoption events featuring less desirable animals. They educate the public about the benefits of adopting older dogs. And they demonstrate the potential of much-maligned breeds to be wonderful pets and good canine citizens.

Shelter volunteers are even learning how to present black pets to make them more appealing to prospective adoptive families.

If you’re considering a hard-to-adopt shelter pet, it’s important to ensure you have the resources you’ll need to care for an animal that is, for example, getting up in years. Or one who isn’t in great health. Or a pet who’s been abused. Or a large, powerful dog who requires a firm hand and lots of exercise.” Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/02/01/will-these-pets-ever-find-homes.aspx

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U.S. Navy Ship Sinking Exercise Resumes—Healthy Ocean is the First Casualty

“Our precious marine resources are at risk due to ocean dumping of poisons from SINKEX drills,” said Colby Self of the Basel Action Network. “This arcane target practice squanders resources that could otherwise be recycled, eliminates green recycling jobs that could boost local economies and poses great risk to the marine environment.”

New data from a study in Florida supports the conclusion that PCBs, dumped during ship sinking exercises, are leaching from the sunken vessels and are entering the marine food chain.

“Protection of our nation includes protection of our precious ocean environment,” said Robert Harris of the Sierra Club. “The sinking of ships containing untold tons of pollutants must stop!”

“Our oceans should never be used as a dump for poison,” said Emily Jeffers of the Center for Biological Diversity. “PCBs are some of the most dangerous pollutants around. Ship-sinking war games send toxic chemicals into our fragile marine environment and needlessly deprive the U.S. ship recycling industry of jobs and resources.” Complete article at: http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2012/u-s-navy-ship-sinking-exercise-resumes-healthy-ocean-first-casualty

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On This Day:

Fernandomania! Sep 17, 1981:

“On September 17, 1981, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela throws his eighth shutout of the season to set a new National League rookie record. Valenzuela’s three-hitter beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0 and put an exclamation point on one of the greatest rookie seasons in baseball history. Fans loved the unorthodox young Mexican import, and the "Fernandomania" that swept across Southern California and much of the country that summer became the biggest story in baseball.

One thing that so endeared Valenzuela to the public was his humble upbringing in the poor farming community of Navajoa in the Mexican state of Sonora. Though he was known to be the youngest of 12 children, his birth date was less certain. Valenzuela claimed to have been born on November 1, 1960, but in fact may have shaved several years off his age in order to appeal to as many major league scouts as possible. After getting his start in Mexico’s Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in 1978, Valenzuela made his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980, at the alleged age of 19. That year, he pitched an impressive 18 scoreless innings in 10 appearances with two wins and one save and going into 1981, his first full season in the majors, Valenzuela was the odds-on favorite for Rookie of the Year.

Valenzuela won his first eight starts of the season, posting a miniscule 0.50 ERA to start the year thanks to four shutouts in April. A chubby 5’11’, Valenzuela stood in stark contrast to the tall, lanky pitchers, like Steve Carlton and J.R. Richard, who dominated the National League in his era. He befuddled opponents and amazed fans with his famed screwball and his unique left-handed pitching style in which he seemed to look backwards towards second base before delivering the ball to the plate. In fact, he was so good that fans and reporters began to dispute his age, finding it hard to believe that a young newcomer could cause so many problems for so many experienced major league batters. The Dodgers, of course, delighted with the crowds of cheering fans Valenzuela attracted, weren’t asking any questions.

On September 17, Valenzuela immediately settled into a rhythm, and after surrendering a first-inning walk, retired 12 men in a row. In the sixth, Valenzuela, also an excellent hitter who would sometimes fill in at first base for the Dodgers, helped his own cause by singling in a run. All told, Valenzuela pitched nine innings, allowing only three hits, and struck out six Braves with his bewildering screwball and pinpoint control.

Valenzuela’s stellar play led the Dodgers to the National League pennant and the World Series in 1981. In Game 3, with the Dodgers trailing the New York Yankees two games to none, Valenzuela survived nine shaky innings for a 5-4 Dodgers victory. The Dodgers went on to beat the favored Yanks the next three games to bring home the world championship. After the season, Valenzuela became the first and only man to win both Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in the same year.”

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Today is God's Feast of Trumpets, Monday, September 17, 2012

Today is a high Holy Day, the Feast of Trumpets - it is a Christian festival that points to the hope of the resurrection.

 

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/gods-holy-days/gods-feast-trumpets

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Yesterday:

The day started out quietly, with coffee, reading emails, and posting this journal.  Then Jay called to say that he was tired of the job he was doing in Houston, as the hours were too long, and his boss was belittling him.  He wanted to come back to helping me a few hours a week.   I said that I would bring Misty down there for her walk, as I had some dog food for Maddie to try.  I also needed to put Revolution on Sam’s dog which was on the way.  (Sam had a stroke and I have to do most things for his Mikey.) 

Chris, the SPCA foster mom, who lives near me, had given me some tiny cans of dog food that someone had donated. It wasn’t a very good brand, even though expensive, as it had ‘by-products’ in it. http://www.naturalnews.com/012647_pet_food_dog.html .  People mean well when they donate food, but they don’t realize that we try to feed our foster animals good food, and try to educate their new ‘parents' to do the same.   Misty would eat it as she will eat anything, but I didn’t want to feed it to her. 

Now, Jay’s little Maddie the Yorkie, is a different story.  She won’t eat anything but people food, (except when she stays here with me), and they can’t find any vitamins she will eat either, so she is not getting all her doggie vitamins and minerals.  Even this donated dog food was approved by the AAFCO Food Nutrient Profile, so it had some good stuff in it, even though not the best. But Maddie wouldn’t eat it.  I keep on trying, but I think it is more of an ‘owner/operator error’ with Maddie.  Jay just gives in to her.

On my way back, I stopped at Sam’s and he said that he wanted Mikey groomed, so I brought Mikey up here and bathed and groomed him.  I didn’t give him his Revolution, as it has to be put on him 24 hours after a bath.  I’ll do that today.

Mikey’s ears were in terrible shape, the vet had dispensed some ear medicine for him, but Sam obviously wasn’t doing it.   I had to really work on his ears to get out all the wax, hair and debris out, then flush his ears out with vinegar-water, then mineral oil, but he really needs that medicine, so that won’t happen again.  So that his ears would get more air to them, I ‘tasseled’ his ears.  Sam couldn’t remember anything about the medicine, or find it, when I took Mikey home.  After his stroke, Sam is really confused some days.