Emergency preparedness

Do you have an emergency kit and plan for your family?  Did you remember to include your pets in your plan and to include a supply kit for your pets as well?  If you did congratulations!  If you forgot to include your pets, or perhaps haven't put together your emergency plan September is Emergency Preparedness Month.  There a lot of resources out there for putting together an emergency plan for both yourself and your pets. 

Here are a few tips I picked up this weekend speaking with some members of the Washington State Animal Response Team (WSART). 

• Put together an emergency kit for your dog or cat.  For a small dog using some easy to find items this can cost less than $10.
• Use food samples that you pick up at pet stores or community pet events.  These often are packaged to last longer than baggies of food which should be changed out every 90 days or so.
• If you include canned food in your kit be sure to choose pop top cans in case you don't have access to a can opener.
• Include information about your pet including vet's name and contact information, description, identifications (tattoos or microchips), medical information.  Include some pictures of you with your pet to aid in reuniting you with your pet.
• Sometimes veterinary clinics, training facilities, boarding facilities will give out slip leashes.  These are a great addition to your pet kit as they are easy to use and quick to grab.  Also include a sturdy leash and collar but the slip leads can also be helpful if other animals are spotted in the neighborhood.  In a pinch then can even be fashioned into a halter for a horse, a muzzle or a harness for a cat.
• Think about the container you store your pet kit in.  A sturdy plastic tote can make an excellent water bowl or litter box in a pinch.
• In addition to a microchip purchase a pet tag or collar with a tag that includes your name and cell phone number.  In a disaster cell phones may be the best way to get in touch with you.
• Keep a supply of any pet medications you will need in your kit at all times.  Change these out every 90 days and replace with a fresh supply. 

There is so much other wonderful information out there about putting together a plan for emergencies.  The  WSART website has information for setting a plan, what to include in your kit, and putting together a pet first aid kit.  Check them out here then click on Documents on the left side of the page.  At the bottom you will see an article titled Disaster Preparedness for Pets.  This is one of the most comprehensive articles on preparing with your pet that I have seen.  You can find additional information at http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html.

Dog bite prevention

I wanted to share with you an article I wrote recently for a local publication called Pet Connection Magazine.  This free publication can be found in groomers, vets and pet focused businesses throughout the South Sound.  You can also find them on the web at http://petconnectionmagazine.com/.

Each year in the United States there are an estimated 4.7 million dog bites.  Of these, 800,000 require medical treatment.  Children, especially young children, are the most likely victims of these bites, followed by the elderly and postal carriers.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  There are things we can do, things we can teach our families and things we can teach our dogs to reduce the number of bites.

First, be a responsible dog owner. 

• Be sure your animal is healthy and well vaccinated.  Disease and pain can increase the chance that a dog will bite. 
• Choose a pet that has a friendly, trainable personality.  Any dog, whether 2 lbs or 200 lbs can bite.  Meet the dog and talk to the breeder or shelter caretakers about the dog’s personality. 
• Neuter or spay your dog.  Un-neutered dogs are at increased risk of aggression and biting behavior. 
• Socialize your dog.  Puppies need to be exposed to a wide variety of people, situations and other dogs early in life.  The prime socialization period is before 12 weeks of age.  Look for puppy classes where the attendees are screened for health and appropriate vaccination schedules.  Older dogs can still be socialized.
• Do not allow roaming. Dogs roaming loose are much more likely to display abnormal aggressive behavior then dogs kept close to home.  They may also form a pack making them even more dangerous.

Second, teach your children how to be safe around dogs. 

• Teach your children how to handle the dog.  Gentle petting on the back is good.  Avoid hair or tail pulling, fingers in or near eyes and mouth.
• Teach children when and how to approach a dog. Never approach a dog that is eating, sick, caring for puppies, or restrained in any manner.  
• No running or screaming.  This can trigger abnormal behavior.
• Ask to touch.  If the owner is present, ask them if it is ok to pet their dog before approaching.  Then let the dog sniff you before gently petting them on their back. If the owner is not present, do not approach the dog.
• Supervise children.  Never leave young children alone with dogs.  They will experiment even if they are good at following rules in your presence! 
• Be BORING.  Teach your children “Stand like a tree. Lay like a rock.” when approached by dogs.

Finally, train your dog. 

• Give your dog a job.  Use positive reinforcement training methods to teach your dog what is expected when they are approached by a stranger. 
• Give your dog a break.  Allow your dog to avoid stressful or fearful situations.  Don’t take them places that cause stress, give them a safe place in your home to retreat to such as a bedroom or always open kennel that is off limits to visitors.
• Get help.  Work with your veterinarian and a recommended positive reinforcement trainer.  Be willing to accept that some situations may never be right for your dog and need to be avoided.

Dogs are wonderful companions and a great deal of fun.  Regular contact with dogs has many benefits including reducing blood pressure and anxiety.  By taking some simple and proactive steps we can enjoy the company of dogs while significantly reducing the risk of dog bites.

Additional resources:
    www.avma.org
    www.preventthebite.org
      

Microchips

This one is going to be a short post but SO important.  Are your pets microchipped?  Do you know if they are registered?  Have you updated your contact information from when your puppy got microchipped 8 or 10 years ago?

Microchips can be amazing at reuniting lost pets and their loving families.  It can happen to any of us, no matter how careful and loving a pet owner.  They slip out when your back is turned, get frightened when traveling and bolt away into the woods or fields, or just wander off when your child leaves the door/gate open!

Humane societies, rescue organizations, animal control officers and veterinarians almost all have microchip scanners and often more than one type of scanner!  They will check your pet for a chip and call the company that has that chip registered.  But here is where they may hit a dead end.  If the information that company has for you is not up to date they don't have anyway to track you down!  They can call the shelter or vet that implanted the chip and hope that there is more information there.  But that may not be accurate either.  The only way to find you is if you provide the information and update it regularly.  This is especially critical in an emergency situation.  There is chaos enough during these types of crises and rescuers do not have time to spend hours trying to track you down.  Make sure they only have to make one phone call.

To register your pet's chip you will need the chip number.  Many companies will allow you to register any chip your pet has, however, I would encourage you to at least register it with the manufacturer as this will be the most likely place a rescuer will call when the chip is found.

Here are the contacts for some of the most common chip manufacturers.

• Home Again http://public.homeagain.com/index.html  1-888-HOMEAGAIN
• AVID  1-800-336-2843
• ResQ (Bayer)  www.petlink.net  1-877-PETLINK (1-877-738-5465)
• 24PetWatch 1-866-597-2424  www.24petwatch.com
• AKC Companion Animal Recovery https://www.akccar.org  1-800-252-7894

You can also check to see if the chip is registered anywhere with this website.

• http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/

Many companies will charge you a one time fee to register your chip.  Your chip may already have been registered by your veterinarian in which case you may just pay a smaller, update fee.  I know we are all trying to save money these days but this one time lifetime registration fee is worth it if your beloved dog or cat gets away from you.

Don't know if you pet has a chip?  Ask your vet to scan your pet for you and write down the manufacturer and chip number.  Then you can use one of the above sites to confirm and update your pet's registration.