Lucy, a beagle owned by Pat May of Pleasanton, Calif., wears two tech devices -- Tagg, a pet tracker, and Voyce, for monitoring pet activity levels. It’s practically raining cats and you-know-what in the burgeoning subcategory of tech gadgets and accessories that can be attached to our four-legged friends, usually for the owner’s peace of mind. Wearable tech for animals has been around for years: Decades ago, scientists began tracking endangered species with radio-tracking collars, and police and soldiers can attach devices to their dogs to receive commands electronically. More recently, the marketplace is awash with all kinds of cool tracking and monitoring devices for the canine set, typically in the form of a tech-laden collar that can be accessed through Web browsers and mobile smartphone apps. And there’s more on the way: one device still under development, No More Woof, is a headset that claims to be able to read your dog’s inner emotions by monitoring its brain signals. “Wearable tech for dogs was really big at the Consumer Electronics Show this year,” said wearable-tech evangelist Tom Emrich, founder of a collaborative hub called We Are Wearables, “and the latest trend is devices that quantify your pet’s health, just like Fitbit does for humans. We’re now pushing that technology on our dogs so, for example, you can see if your pet’s been running or playing or getting any exercise while you’re at work.” I recently got my hands on a few of the latest products and used our lovable — though hyperactive and food-obsessed — 10-year-old Beagle named Lucy as my guinea pup. First up is Voyce, a $299 lightweight, waterproof and Jetsons-worthy collar that uses Wi-Fi to monitor the heck out of your pet’s health, serving up all kinds of diagnostics to help you and your vet take care of Fido. Voyce even sends you articles by renowned animal experts, each custom-tailored to your dog’s breed and ongoing health statistics. “It’s got sensors on board that allow us to monitor things that are typical with human-based trackers, like rest, calories burned, distance traveled,” said Voyce’s director of program management, Ben Maphis. “But our secret sauce is reading heart and respiratory rates in a noninvasive way, using low-frequency, radio-based technology. And it works on every type of dog, with any size of neck or fur length.” The band comes in a smartly assembled package, like an Apple product. After giving it a quick charge through a base connected by a USB cord, I attach the band to Lucy’s neck and set up an online account. As I fill in Lucy’s profile, I’m asked about her physical condition, from a skinny state with bony ribs “evident from a distance” to “massive fat deposits.” I give Lucy a middle-of-the-road score of 5, or “ribs palpable without excess fat covering.” Directions are simple and the tutorial video helped me in just a few minutes to get the device up and running. I wish I could say the same thing about Lucy, a pint-size hound who’s far more prone to mope around or sit out in the sun for hours. I left the house for an hour and when I came back to check the website, I found basically a flat line on the graph indicating, well, rest. In other words, Voyce had confirmed what I’d instinctively known all along: My dog’s a spoiled and lazy little beast. Next was Tagg, an adorable little band the size of a wristwatch that attaches to your dog’s collar and basically keeps track of his whereabouts through GPS and satellite technology. Thanks to its geofencing feature, Tagg acts like a digital pet-sitter you can monitor through your smartphone app and Web-based browser. It was recently purchased by San Francisco-based Whistle, a canine fitness tracker that raised funding from partners including Nokia and the venture fund of New York Knicks basketball star Carmelo Anthony. I take it out of the box, which contains a few too many parts for my liking, connect the docking station to a wall plug, and while the band is charging I overcome a few glitches to create an online account and download the mobile app. The band costs $99.95, there’s a one-time activation fee of $14.95 and subscription plans that start at $6.95 a month. On the home page, a map of my neighborhood comes up and I’m instructed to create a Tagg Zone within which Lucy is supposed to remain, as in “Stay, Lucy!” In the middle of this square covering my house and neighbors on each side is a golden paw, signifying Lucy’s location. After clipping the device onto Lucy’s collar, I take her for an on-leash walk, intentionally leaving the Tagg Zone. A minute or so later, the alarms start ringing — cellphone alerts, smartphone notifications and, in my mobile app, bright red notices saying “Lucy: I’m outside of the home Tagg Zone.” They repeat every three minutes, each identifying the specific address to which Lucy is closest. Had she been on her own, I could have hopped on my bike or jumped in my car and tracked the little brat down. After we go back into the house, Tagg sends me yet another notice, this one more reassuring: “Hi. It’s me, Lucy. I’m near the home docking station.” Finally, it’s time for some fun. While the $149 Narrative Clip, which calls itself “The Wearable Camera for Moments That Matter,” is primarily intended for human use, this postage-stamp-sized device seemed like a perfect fit for Lucy. It’s simple: clip it onto your dog’s collar and it’ll take a photo every 30 seconds for up to 30 hours. Upload the photos to the Narrative website and — voilà! — you’ve got a shareable timeline, with only the better-quality photos included. “Narrative helps you capture photos without losing presence in the moment, without having to stop and actually take a photo,” says co-founder Oskar Kalmaru. “And while we initially intended this for humans, we see people putting it on their dog during a walk or hanging it on their cat to see what it’s been up to when they were at work.” I clipped the Narrative to Lucy’s collar and, leash attached, headed out into the neighborhood. She was like a fury four-legged paparazzo, snapping up everything in sight as she sniffed her way from car tire to lamp post to well-frequented shrub. Back home, I uploaded the pictures and sat back for the show. “Done,” the message said. “Your moments are ready to be viewed.” Lucy and her camera did good. There was a nice shadow of me against the pavement, my blurred finger while I was adjusting Lucy’s collar, a couple of lovely trees shots, some bushes that looked like a Jackson Pollock painting, and then, last but not least, a perfectly framed shot of my face as I was bending down to disconnect the hipster Beagle from her oh-so-techie bling-bling. POOCH ACCESSORIES VOYCE A lightweight, waterproof collar that monitors your dog’s health and fitness and uses Wi-Fi to sync the data so you can access it anytime, anywhere. Cost: $299, plus a monthly membership fee of $9.95 mydogsvoyce.com TAGG Set up a geofence around your house and be alerted when your dog goes beyond its parameter. Cost: $99.95, and service fees that start at $6.95 a month. www.pettracker.com NARRATIVE CLIP A tiny camera that clips onto your dog’s collar and snaps a photo every 30 seconds for up to 30 hours. Cost: $149 www.getnarrative.com A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
1 Comment
How Many Calories Does Your Pet Need? In order to properly determine how many calories your pet needs, his or her lifestyle, age, activity level, and many other factors must first be considered. How do these factors affect your pet and how should you go about determining your pet's caloric needs? Let's take a look. 1. Ask Your Vet Including your veterinarian in any conversation dealing with your pet's dietary and caloric needs is vital, particularly if your dog has any health problems or special dietary needs. "Nutrition, including determining how many calories a pet should be taking in, is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor," says Jennifer Coates, DVM. This is exactly why you need the expertise of your veterinarian. Calorie “calculators” or tables cannot take into account what might make an animal’s situation unique. 2. Whip Out the Calculator The standard steps used by veterinarians to determine a pet’s caloric needs (otherwise known as their maintenance energy requirements) are as follows:
3. Factor in an 'Appropriate Multiplier' Appropriate multipliers include such things as whether or not the pet is neutered or intact, whether the pet requires weight gain or weight loss, and a variety of other factors. For example, a 10kg (22lb) adult neutered dog of healthy weight needs RER = 70(10kg)3/4 ≈ 400 kcal/day. You then multiply 400 times 1.6 (the appropriate multiplier for a neutered pet), which equals 640 kcal/day, or the MER. However, this calorie count should only be viewed as an estimate. Your veterinarian will use this information as a piece of the puzzle; also taking into account a pet’s lifestyle, age, activity level, etc. Watch Out for Low Quality Dog Food Remember to do a nutrition comparison. Some pet food brands require more calories to be fed to the pet in order to achieve the same nutritional benefits a higher quality pet food can achieve with less. This is due to the difference in nutrient content. Consult your veterinarian on how to determine if this may be affecting your pet. Source: Pet MD A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Your pet food does not contain the meat that you think it does. And it does not contain the amount of meat you think it does. That is because the official definition of “meat” for pet food is different from your perception of “meat.” The “first ingredient” rule for judging pet food ingredients is misleading and not an accurate measure of the amount of “meat” in your pet’s food. It is no wonder that so many pet owners hop from food to food trying to find one that will agree with their pet’s digestion. What is the Meat in Pet Food?In order to make pet food affordable, pet food makers use meat scraps for protein, no matter what the brand or advertising claims. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) designates what can be used based on their definition of meat for various livestock species. The definitions are as follows: Hoof Stock (beef, pork, lamb, bison, etc.) Striated muscle but can include tongue, esophagus, diaphragm, heart and nerves, vessels, and tissue associated with those organs. In other words, the by-products of the chest, exclusive of the lungs, are considered hoofed meat. Striated muscle that has been USDA inspected and deemed “unfit for human consumption” can also be used as meat in pet food. This is typically what pet food makers are really saying when they advertise their meat as “USDA Inspected.” Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.) Flesh and skin with or without bone, excluding the head, feet and entrails. This is actually describing what is left after the breast, thigh, and leg meat have been removed. Deboned poultry is the same tissue without the bone. Fish Entire fish or flesh after the fillets have been removed. Fish meat, then, is head, skin, scales, fins, skeleton, and entrails. So what to do all of these proteins have in common and what impact does that have on your pet? They all contain connective protein. Connective proteins are ligaments, tendons or non-meat structural proteins. The gristle that you almost choked on while eating your last steak is connective protein. Connective protein is not as digestible as meat protein. It is estimated that 15-20 percent of the protein in pet food is indigestible. This protein sits in the colon ready to be evacuated in the poop. However, the “bad” bacteria of the colon can use the indigestible protein for food. The increased population of these bacteria can cause intestinal gas, bloating, farting, and diarrhea. With all food makers using the same type of ingredients, it is no wonder so many pet owners find that changing food doesn’t help, or only gives short term relief. Under the cover of AAFCO’s classification of these products as “meat,” pets are not getting chicken breast, salmon fillets, or leg of lamb in their food. Advertising claims and the use of words without legal meaning, like “human grade,” does not change reality. Source: Pet MD / Dr. Ken Tudor A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
The elephants were on their way to a circus in Texas Police found two elephants trying to keep the 18-wheeler transporting them from overturning during its journey from New Orleans to the Dallas area Tuesday morning. The truck, carrying three elephants from a Florida circus, got stuck in mud on Interstate 49 near the Powhatan exit in Natchitoches Parish, La., at about 7 a.m., according to a statement from the Natcitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office. A “local wrecker service” was called in to extract the truck. The elephants were en route to a circus in Frisco, Texas. Source: Time.com / Olivia B. Waxman A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
It has been a rough year for Dale "Bucko" Franck and his wife Nancy. According to Iowa Public Radio, Bucko spent some time in the hospital for health problems and Nancy was diagnosed with cancer. Nancy recently had cancer surgery, but there were complications, and the Cedar Rapids woman was transferred over to Mercy Medical Center after spending a few days in intensive care. While Nancy’s situation is devastating to Bucko, it also appears to be hard on the family’s two Miniature Schnauzers, Sissy and Barney. And Sissy missed Nancy so much that she decided to take matters into her own paws. In the middle of the night, Bucko woke up and discovered his furnace wasn’t working. While he was up trying to fix the problem, he took both dogs out into the back yard. Usually, the dogs run right back into the house after Bucko unhooks them. He assumed that Sissy had already run into the kitchen, so he went back inside. But it only took a few minutes for Bucko to realize Sissy was gone. Bucko was distraught. “I was scared to death,” he told Iowa Public Radio. “I was crying. That’s my baby.” He called the animal shelter and the police trying to locate his lost dog. Sissy has an identification tag, so Bucko hoped that someone would pick Sissy up and return her. At approximately 5:15 in the morning, Bucko got a call from a security woman at Mercy Medical Center, who said that they had Sissy. The dog — who had never run away before and never visited the hospital in the past — walked twenty blocks away from her home and right to the hospital’s doors, where she actually made her way into the hospital lobby. It was there that the security staff recovered her. Bucko’s only explanation was that Sissy somehow used her sixth sense and was trying to visit Nancy. When Bucko and Nancy’s daughter, Sarah Wood, went to pick Sissy up from the hospital, Sarah asked if she could take the dog upstairs for a quick visit. A security guard escorted them up to Nancy’s room so that Sissy could spend a few minutes with her beloved pet parent. When Nancy saw Sissy for the first time, she thought that Sarah had somehow snuck the dog into the hospital. But when Sarah relayed the story to her mother about how Sissy ran away in the middle of the night to come to the hospital, Nancy could only say, “You little stinker. How did you do that?” Sarah and Sissy were only able to visit with Nancy for a few minutes, but Sarah believes that seeing Sissy brightened her mother’s day. Hopefully Nancy makes a full recovery so that she can get back home to her loving two-legged and four-legged family members. Source: Pet MD / Iowa Public Radio A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Children can get attached to a pet very quickly, and learn valuable emotional lessons from their animals. Pets and children share a deep bond, one that teaches children empathy, compassion and respect. When Cynthia was five years old, her family acquired a cockapoo named Nellis from a neighbor who no longer wanted it. "I still consider Nellis to be the brother I never had," wrote Cynthia one afternoon a while ago on the New York Times blog. Nellis played baseball with Cynthia by holding a plastic bat in his teeth and running the bases. When her family moved to a new location, he was the bridge who enticed neighborhood kids to visit, helping Cynthia make new friends. He was also her mother's late-night TV watching companion when the children went to bed and her father was out. "He set the tone for all the pets I've had since," Cynthia wrote, "and a big factor in why I volunteer with animals today. His legacy is a rich one, as is the legacy of all companion animals." Legacy of Empathy That legacy includes the lifelong skill of empathy – feeling the feelings of others, knowing when someone is uncomfortable, caring enough to change your behavior so that the other person becomes more comfortable. "Parents have traditionally encouraged children to respect and care for animals in the belief that this would enable children to become more caring, compassionate, and responsible," said Elizabeth Omerod, companion animal veterinary surgeon, and member of the Pet Health Council in London, England. "Studies demonstrate that children who interact with animals have higher levels of self esteem, greater empathy, and better social skills." Evidence on Animals and Nurturing Research around the world demonstrates the tremendous benefits of owning a pet. Studies show that children who own pets have more empathy and nurturing ability, and as they grow into adulthood, essential skills to develop meaningful relationships.
Pets Can Teach Compassion to Children TLC is a violence prevention program designed for at-risk youth in Los Angeles, part of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This program is helping 400 middle school age teens feel empathy and compassion for others. These children are in this program because of gang affiliation, drug use, history of violence, being severely withdrawn, decreasing grades, decreasing socialization, severe shyness, or being a victim of bullying or being the bully. One such child arrived at TLC dressed in black. He spoke to no one and seemed angry, recalls Melanie Wagner, director of this program. He had no friends and was bullied often. After he was assigned a dog, he had someone to talk to. Slowly, his self-esteem rose and he became friendlier, so much so that he is now a peer leader with the program, helping other at-risk children turn their lives around. The children spend a month working with shelter dogs, teaching them basic obedience and giving them attention and companionship. They also learn about conflict resolution, anger management, coping skills, tolerance, and teamwork. For many children, it stops the cycle of violence and helps them become productive citizens. Teaching children to respect animals helps them learn to respect people – others and themselves. By tuning in to an animal's feelings of wanting attention, love, food, companionship and respect, a child can grow up into a caring adult who can more intuitively tune in to other people's feelings as well. Source: WebVet / By Silvia Foti A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
They dip their noses into all sorts of unsavoury places – but smooching your pet dog could actually be good for your health. Researchers at the University Arizona (UA) believe that the microbes contained in a dog's gut could have a probiotic effect on the human body - encouraging the growth of positive microorganisms. And now these scientists are recruiting participants in the hope of proving their hypothesis. "We've co-evolved with dogs over the millennia, but nobody really understands what it is about this dog-human relationship that makes us feel good about being around dogs," said Kim Kelly, an anthropology doctoral student and one of the primary investigators on the study. "Is it just that they're fuzzy and we like to pet them, or is there something else going on under the skin? The question really is: Has the relationship between dogs and humans gotten under the skin? And we believe it has." The study is being conducted under the university's new Human-Animal Interaction Research Initiative, which aims to bring researchers from different disciplines together, to explore the mutual benefits of human-animal relationships. Kelly will work alongside collaborators from the UA Department of Psychiatry, the UA Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, the UA School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and the University of California, San Diego, in order to explore whether living with a furry companion boosts physical and mental health in older adults. "We essentially want to find out, is a dog acting like yogurt in having a probiotic effect?" Kelly said. Previous research has shown that dog-owners tend to be happier and healthier – but there has been little understanding of the reasons behind this. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that dogs and their owners share much of the same gut bacteria over time. "We think dogs might work as probiotics to enhance the health of the bacteria that live in our guts. These bacteria, or 'microbiota,' are increasingly recognized as playing an essential role in our mental and physical health, especially as we age," said Dr. Charles Raison, principal investigator for the study and a UA professor of psychiatry in the College of Medicine. "We know that not all bacteria are good. We can get very sick from the 'bad' bacteria, and modern medicine has done a wonderful job of protecting us from various diseases that are created by these bacteria," said Raison. "But unfortunately, by eliminating the bad bacteria we've started eliminating the 'good' bacteria, too." Participants in the study will be paired with a dog from the humane society and live with the animal in their home for three months. At the start of the study the researchers will non-invasively evaluate the participants' gut bacteria, diet, physical activity levels and immune function. The dogs' gut bacteria and physical activity levels also will be measured via non-invasive means. These tests will be repeated after one, two and three months to find out if there have been any positive impacts on gut microflora in either the humans or the dogs. The researchers will also look for evidence of any changes in both the participants' and the dogs' health and emotional well-being. The participants will all be aged over 50 and will not have lived with a dog for at least six months. To find out more visit: www.uadogstudy.org Source: The Independent / Antonia Molloy A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
An Arkansas judge remained in a Little Rock hospital Tuesday after he was attacked by his family's pet zebra, authorities said. The man was attacked Sunday night by a zebra owned by his father, a Searcy police spokesman said. The Daily Citizen newspaper of Searcy, in White County northeast of Little Rock, identified the man as state District Judge Mike Derrick. The court clerk's office confirmed to The Associated Press that Derrick sustained injuries to an eye and an arm. His condition wasn't available Tuesday. Authorities wouldn't discuss details of the attack — including any explanation for why a family happened to own and maintain a zebra on private property. Police said they were pursuing no action because the incident appeared to be an accident involving an animal legally owned by Derrick's family. Source: NBC News A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Contact Consumer: 866-566-4652 Media: 866-566-4652 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 13, 2015 – Primal Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling a single batch production code of Feline Turkey Raw Frozen Formula 3-pound bag. FDA tested product in response to a single consumer complaint. Primal Pet Foods was alerted by FDA that the testing of two bags of this lot resulted in a low thiamine level. Neither FDA nor Primal have received any other reports concerning Thiamine in Primal products. No other product manufactured by Primal Pet Foods is involved in this voluntary recall. Only the product with the following Best By date and production code is included in the voluntary recall. It is best to check the production code on the back of the bag to determine if the product has been recalled or not. The lot involved in this voluntary recall is: Primal Pet Foods Feline Turkey Raw Frozen Formula 3-pound bag (UPC# 8 50334-00414 0) with Best By date 060815 B22 Primal takes very seriously, the need for adequate Thiamine levels in our feline diets. We include Organic Quinoa Sprout Powder as a natural B-Complex supplement to ensure that adequate levels of Thiamine are met. Additionally, Thiamine occurs naturally in other ingredients contained in our Feline Turkey Formula such as: Turkey Muscle Meat (including heart), Turkey Liver, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Dried Organic Kelp, Organic Collard Greens and Organic Squash. Consumers who still have bags of cat food from this lot should stop feeding it to their cats and call us at (866) 566-4652 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST. Consumers with further questions should visit our website at www.primalpetfoods.com or call us at this same number. Cats fed only diets low in thiamine for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting, and weight loss. In advanced cases, neurologic signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. If your cat has consumed the recalled lot and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible. A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Reigning in Your Teething Puppy Menace Puppy teething can be a difficult time for both you and your puppy. However, there are certain things you can do to alleviate the issue and protect your household from puppy accident like this. What is Puppy Teething? Contrary to what many may believe, puppies don't teeth like human babies. Yes, puppies do lose their baby, or deciduous, teeth at an early age (usually around 3-9 months old). However, the act of destructive chewing (sometimes referred to as puppy teething) is often due to behavioral issues which need to be nipped in the bud early. 1. Designate Teeth-Free Zones Don't tempt your puppy with scrumptious shoes and flavorful furniture. Block your puppy's access to areas that have been especially troublesome. Afterward, work with a dog trainer on resolving the puppy teething issue at hand. 2. Use Dog Chew Toys Introducing your puppy to age-appropriate dog chew toys early can also save your precious household items. Chew toys designated for puppies are a little smaller and softer than the adult toys because puppy teeth are more prone to fracture. However, they still should be durable enough to handle aggressive mouthing. In fact, monitor your puppy during playtime and remove any destroyed chew toys immediately to prevent accidents from occurring. 3. Incorporate Healthy Eating Caring for a teething puppy also means caring for the puppy's teeth. Ensure your new dog is getting a properly balanced diet, including vitamins and minerals such as calcium, so that his or her new adult, or permanent, teeth can develop normally. Having two teeth crowded into a space meant for one can cause discomfort and possibly initiate some destructive tendencies in your pup. Source: Pet MD A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
|
The PAW Blog...
For the LOVE of Pets The goal of this blog is to help educate pet owners by sharing pet health facts and pet news articles...and ... sometimes put a smile on your face with a cute or funny pet story! Categories
All
Archives
October 2024
Search for any topic...
|