Author: SPCAI Staff

The holidays are one of the most hectic seasons for travel, but it is the perfect time to take your pet along with you. Here are some holiday pet travel tips for your pet:

• Protect Your Pet – Using pet ID tags with your cell phone number are great since there will not be anyone at home to answer the phone if your pet gets lost.
• Plan Ahead – Book airline reservations early as the airlines limit the number of pets per flight. Check with your specific airline for their policies.  Hotels can limit the number of pet rooms they have available. Don't wait until the last minute. 
• Blackout Periods – Check with your airline well in advance. Many have blackout periods during the busy holiday season due to overbookings and frigid temperatures.
• Pet crates or pet carriers are a great way to keep your pet safe when traveling in the car. It’s a good idea to get them used to their crates by introducing it to them in advance. Try putting treats and their favorite toys in them and leave the door open in a safe place so they can go in and out.
• Bring food and water – If you are traveling by car, be prepared by having a supply of water and their brand of pet food in portable pet water and food bowls.
• Keep it normal – When traveling, keep your pet on their normal schedule by feeding them and taking them for their walk as close to the regular time as possible.
• Keep calm – Give your pet an all-natural pet calmer that will make them less anxious or speak to your veterinarian for recommendations, especially if your pet is older.
• Prepare for the Price of Pet Travel – If you haven’t flown a pet before, you may be paying as much or more for your pet than for yourself.
• Prevent Puppy’s anxiety attack at 30,000 feet – Toys and blankets from home can help relieve the stress that foreign environments can create for your pet.
• Driving Cross-Country With Your Pet – Tether your pet in a comfy crate or harness, not by the collar (a choking hazard in the case of a sudden stop), in the backseat only for safety from collisions and airbags.

I have actually given this as a Christmas gift before and it was a big hit! It is a red and cream striped hoodie for dogs from American Apparel. It’s perfect for the holidays because it keeps them nice and toasty but it also makes them look like adorable candy canes! – JULIE

http://store.americanapparel.net/striped-flex-fleece-dog-zip-hoodie_f997stt

Barkbox is a savior in our house. Especially during these cold winter months when we're spending less time outdoors and the 700 toys Lilah already has are just sooo boring. (Direct quote from her). Our Barkbox arrived just in time this past Monday when it was 23 degrees outside and we had exhausted every option in the toy box. Suddenly, we had 2 brand new squeaky toys and 3 different bags of treats to sample! It's gotten to the point that whenever a package arrives, Lilah comes running to see what's in it for her! – MEREDITH

Here's a code for $5 off your first order  - and when you use this link SPCAI receives a $15 donation! Everybody wins! https://barkbox.com/?utm_keyword=shelter_referral&url_coupon=BBX1SPCA

My cat Tigger goes crazy for this tassel wand toy. He leaps high into the air to catch it and hides behind furniture to "stalk" it. He even drags it up and down our stairs so we will play it with him. It's great exercise for him! – JANET

http://www.petguys.com/-744632002800.html?productid=-744632002800

When it comes to gifts for my dogs, it's good old fashioned comfort. I always wanted a Radio Flyer growing up as a kid and now I finally got one for my senior guy. Balls and toys come in second to this special treat! – LORI

http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-Classic-Red-Wagon/dp/B00000IS6G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417278311&sr=8-3&keywords=radio+flyer

For a special treat, my two kitties – Charlie and Knowledge – love to chew on these great toys.  They are filled with catnip and fibrous catnip stalks to satisfy their natural desire to crunch and chew.     ANNE

http://www.petco.com/product/105010/Petstages-Dental-Health-Cat-Chew-Toys.aspx

So you’re hosting another Christmas Dinner? You’ve taken care of everything on your list, now it’s time to serve up that roast and a plethora of sides and enjoy each other’s company. But wait, what about Fido and Kitty who will be right there in the mix?

Sure pets are family, and they love to celebrate because they’re happy when you’re happy. They would love to partake in the treats and festivities as much as you, but they aren’t the same as you. It’s sometimes tough for us to believe too! But if you want to ensure a safe holiday dinner, then please take a moment to read the following safety tips for a smooth and relaxing celebration, even if your mother-in- law is bringing her surprise casserole.

1) You’ve got the yeast rising for the holiday bread, don’t let the dog give it a taste. You are busy in the kitchen and sometimes Fido gets a little mischievous and tries to get a bite of something that is off-limits. The unbaked bread dough can be very dangerous to a dog.  When ingested, the raw bread dough expands in the warm, moist environment of the stomach and can result in a bloated stomach (called “bloat”); this can then progress to a gastric-dilatation volvulus (GDV), which is a twisted stomach.

2) Don’t cry for me Fido-tina. Onions are bad. Period. Even a small amount of this popular garnish can be toxic to your pet, inducing severe anemia that might go undetected for days.

3) Sugar and spice and everything not so nice. Spices like nutmeg, that is common in the holiday eggnog should be kept away from Fido and Kitty. Nutmeg contains a toxin called myristicin.  The small amount of nutmeg used in recipes is very unlikely to cause serious toxicity, though mild stomach upset could occur if a small amount is ingested.  A pet would need to ingest a very large amount of nutmeg and this is unlikely to occur if a dog or cat ingests food with nutmeg in it.

4) Roast Beef Gravy Verdict: Guilty
Recipes for roast beef gravy often include beef stock which is high in salt, pepper and seasonings; quite delicious for you, not so good for your four legged friend.

5) Pumpkin/Sweet Potatoes. Ordinarily, safe and healthy treats for your pets’ bowels, but during the holidays, these starchy vegetables are laced with sugary and savory condiments that aren’t good for your pet’s digestive tract.

5) Cocktails. Sure it may have the word tail in it, but alcohol in even the smallest amount can be fatal for Fido and Kitty. Be sure to inform your guests to keep an eye on their drinks and safe out of your pet’s way, and maybe Uncle Ed’s too.

6) Dogs, Cats and Chocolate! Humans love chocolate for the holidays, or any other day for that matter. Unfortunately, chocolate in all forms is poisonous to our pets and should be kept away from them entirely. Cats and dogs are both at risk of chocolate poisoning, however, there have been more reported cases of dogs being affected since dogs typically will eat just about anything. Smaller pets face much greater risk of chocolate toxicity than large breed dogs because it only takes a small amount of chocolate to affect them.

7) Pooped! When in doubt that you can have an eye on your dog or cat throughout the whole meal, why not be safe and get him pooped out before your guests arrive. A well-exercised dog will likely be sleepy from activity instead of over-indulging in human food!

By following a few these basic tips, your dog and cat will enjoy a fun, safe Christmas with no unexpected gastrointestinal issues…now if you can only say the same thing after your mother-in-law’s casserole!

This New York City based rescue was started in 2012 after founder Elizabeth Frank pulled then emaciated and abused pit-bull, Mr. Bones, from NYC ACC’s death row. Inspired by his resilience, Elli and Mr. Bones (and Mr. Bones’ older fur-sister, Charlotte) decided to pay it forward and save more dogs headed for the same fate that Mr. Bones had narrowly escaped.

Since then, animals near and far have received much needed medical treatment and found their forever homes through their life saving programs. One of their most recent rescues, Jasmine is still looking for her forever home – and we hope to find one for her before the holidays. More information on Jasmine is available here.

SPCA International is proud to support the work of our fellow animal advocates, so that more deserving dogs can be given a second chance at life. More often than not, all it takes is a small group of dedicated people to make a huge difference in the world.

Want to find out more and support Mr. Bones and Co? Join them on December 9th in NYC at the Mason Jar for “A Home for the Holidays” event benefiting Yonkers Animal Shelter.

By Annie Blumenfeld, Guest Blogger

My family searched for years for a loving and loyal friend and we rejoiced when our search happily ended by finding a two-year-old shaggy dog in a Houston, Texas shelter.  We brought him home to Connecticut months later and called him Teddy.

At his veterinarian check-up in Texas it was discovered that Teddy tested positive for heartworm disease through an antigen test. This blood test detects specific proteins, called antigens, which are released by adult female heartworms into the dog’s bloodstream. Teddy had to be given two injections of arsenic and remain in a crate. He had to be inactive and carefully monitored for a couple of months. The treatment for heartworm disease is very expensive and difficult for dogs to recover from. It can also be potentially toxic to the dog’s body and can cause serious complications, such as life-threatening blood clots to the lungs. Treatment is very expensive because it requires multiple visits to the veterinarian, blood work, and x-rays. It broke my heart to learn that my dog had endured great pain due to his condition.

Heartworm disease is extremely serious and can result in death if untreated. It is caused by a parasitic worm from mosquitoes. These worms are spread through the mosquito bite and produce offspring while living inside the dog. The worms are called “heartworms” because they live in the heart, lungs, and other blood vessels of an infected animal. Heartworm Disease is common in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

Since, heartworm disease treatment is very expensive it is cost efficient to use preventatives. There are many safe FDA approved products that can be used. These preventatives are used monthly and are simple to administer.

Having learned devastating effects of heartworm disease from my loving companion, I decided to undertake a nationwide education campaign about heartworm disease. I founded Wags 4 Hope in an effort to raise awareness and help support shelter animals’ medical needs. I combine my love of painting with my passion for animals. All of the proceeds raised through my paintings are given to animal shelters and rescues.  

Please spread this message about how important heartworm prevention is for your pet and how easy it can be to protect them from this awful condition.  For more information, please visit me at:  https://www.facebook.com/Wags4Hope?ref=br_tf.

 Annie pictured with Barbara Naugle, the Director of the Connecticut Humane Society.

Hi my name is Julie Spendal and I am the newest member of the SPCA International family! I am so happy and so honored to be apart of this organization and to help all of our animals around the globe. I am originally from Cleveland, OH and am a recent graduate from The State University of New York at Buffalo. After graduation I moved and have been living in New York City ever since. Needless to say I am very used to cold weather!

I grew up dancing and playing sports and getting a little messy every now and then but I have also always loved animals. If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you how obsessed I am with animals and they will imitate my voice that I use only for when I’m communicating with animals. Just recently, a little man by the name of Augustus came into my life and he has filled my animal-loving heart with even more love with his naturally ombre ears and his constant demand for belly rubs. I believe he has already become internet-famous on this Facebook and he reminds me of it everyday.

As I said before, I am so very excited about working with SPCA International and I cannot even imagine all of the exciting and amazing things I will be able to experience with some equally exciting and amazing people at my side.  Thanks again for the warm welcome and I hope to make you all proud!

Over the last few days you have heard about the successful rescue of Charlie’s dog Puppy from the Philippines, but Operation Baghdad Pups has been in full swing! In just the month of October, we have also been able to save 3 more dogs and one cat for Americans serving overseas.

We just wrapped up one of the toughest missions out of Iraq to date. With ISIS having essentially shut down travel throughout the country, we were able to move some very deserving animals out of Baghdad to the US, but it was not an easy task. If these animals could speak, they would have quite the story to tell…

Our Operation Baghdad Pups team has been hard at work rescuing animals befriended by Americans deployed around the world. In the last 24 hours, we were able to send a volunteer out to Camp Navarro in the Philippines not only to bring Puppy to safety, but a dog named Ranger befriended by a serviceman as well. While they are receiving some TLC by our partner organization in Manila before their big journey to their forever home in San Diego, we thought we would tell you about what we have been up to in Iraq this month.

In early October, in the planning stages of our mission to save 3 more animals belonging to deployed Americans, our regular security personnel in Baghdad informed us that they weren't able to transport the animals because of the impending ISIS threat. Gaining security clearance to travel the dangerous roads connecting Baghdad and Erbil has become harder and harder. After contacting over 30 embassies, helicopter schools and pilots, shipping and security companies, day and night for close to 2 weeks, we got the answer we were looking for. With only hours to spare before their transport, one of our volunteers braved dangerous checkpoints and a hostile city to meet our fearless driver in order to make the long journey by road to Erbil. Approximately 5 days later, 2 more amazing dogs and 1 beloved cat were united with their American families thanks to courageous volunteers on the ground.  All three animals were then safely escorted to the United States and are now enjoying their new lives on American soil with their loving families.

There is no greater reward than knowing these animals are safe, and we have provided an invaluable service to our brave service men and women. Our OBP Program has no boundaries. If you know of an American serving our country overseas that has opened their heart up to a dog or cat in the field and would like to bring them back to their family, please contact us at [email protected]

By Stephanie Scott

It’s hard to stick to a diet on Thanksgiving – yours or your pet’s. Keeping your pet at a healthy weight is every pet parent’s goal, but sometimes during the holidays when you’re splurging – you want to treat your dog and cat to an extra something too.  So here are two safe ways to spoil your pet without spoiling their diet this Thanksgiving.

Pet-Friendly Gravy
Ingredients
½ cup turkey broth (set aside from your Thanksgiving Day turkey)
Your pet’s normal dry food dinner

After your Thanksgiving turkey is fully cooked, set aside a ½ cup of the warm turkey juice (or broth) from the bottom of the turkey pan.  Let it cool and poor it into your pet’s dish over their normal dry food.  

(You can substitute chicken broth if a turkey is not part of your family’s Thanksgiving Day dinner.)

Milo’s Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
1 egg
1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour (or rice flour for a limited ingredient diet)
¼ cup pure canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

In a large bowl, beat the egg.  Add flour, pumpkin, peanut butter, and cinnamon.  Roll out the dough and cut with a very small cookie cutter to make pieces no bigger than the size of a silver dollar.  Bake in your preheated oven for 15 minutes until hard and golden brown.

TIP: If your dough is too dry and won’t stick together, carefully mix in a bit more pumpkin until the dough is just moist enough to stick together without being sticky.

By Lori Kalef

It’s 1:09am, and I’ve checked my smart phone 6 times since I went to bed. I cannot sleep until I know that they are okay. I cannot sleep until I get the email that they are safe.

Rescuing animals across the world is not an easy task, especially when you’re dealing with language barriers, ever changing policies and war-zoned areas. I’m often on the phone in the middle of the night, speaking through Google translate or off on a plane to the unknown.

My friends tell me that I am so lucky to have a job that I am so passionate about. They tell me this when I am delirious from sleep deprivation, when I have been urinated on by a dog for the 4th time that day and even when I can’t make it to a best friend’s wedding because there are street dogs in Panama that need my help.
These are the friends who understand that I would rather miss out on important events because my special needs dog gets anxious when I’ve been away too long or that working every waking hour is actually not work, but love.

You don’t have to be crazy to love animals the way I do, but sometimes it helps because you know that another life (even just one) is completely dependent on you, and you will do anything to save that life.

They say that in rescuing animals you lose your mind but find your heart. I think I’ll go with the big heart and let the mind follow.