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Dr. M.J. Price, Ph.D. has over twenty three years experience working with and for animals as an animal behaviorist and trainer, professional pet sitter, pet tattoo i.d. tattooist, veterinary assistant/technician, animal activist, and former pre-vet student. Dr. Price is a writer for The WORLD of Professional Pet Sitting and other fine magazines, and a newspaper columnist. Her column, "Ask Doctor M.J." currently appears in Naples Net News ,The Pasco News, Hernando Today. She is a biologist, parapsychologist, law student, emergency medical technician, teacher, skydiver, artist, musician, and lecturer and author on many topics. Dr. Price is also a radio personality with "Ask Doctor M.J." shows airing on WLKFand WZH. Dr. Price is not a veterinarian and the information in her articles and on her radio programs is never intended to take the place of a consultation with a licensed veterinarian. Halloween Safety Tips for Pet Owners · Get your pet used to the ringing of the doorbells, the laughter of children, and the opening and closing of doors. · Put a festive sign on your door indicating that you have pets. · Be certain to train your pet to stay away from the door or put your pet on a leash or in a secured room until all the trick-or-treating hubbub is over. · If your pet hates the doorbell or having visitors, disconnect the doorbell, leave out a little cauldron of candy with a "please take only one" sign on it, and spend the evening cuddling with your pet instead of handing out treats. · Make sure that your pet is wearing his collar and his license, microchip, and tattoo i.d. tags just in case he scoots out into the neighborhood during all of the excitement of the holiday. Have your list of all his identification numbers, current pictures of him (one close-up when the pet is dry, one close-up when the pet is wet, one shot from afar when the pet is dry, one shot from afar when the pet is wet), the telephone numbers of local shelters and veterinary hospitals, and the telephone numbers of his registries on the fridge or near the telephone. · Don't allow your pet to "get into" any candy. Most candies will wreak havoc with your pet's digestive system and chocolate can kill pets. (Chocolate contains Theobromine and caffeine, both of which are bad for pets.) All candy should be inspected before human children are allowed to eat it. Candy wrappers can also pose a problem, both as a choking hazard and as a possible obstruction within the digestive tract. · Keep pets away from all jack-o-lanterns and candles. Fake cobwebs, cardboard skeletons, and other decorations can also be very dangerous for pets. Please choose decorations carefully and supervise your pet around them. · If you dress your pet in a Halloween costume inspect the costume for flammability, sharp parts, tiny parts that can be a choking hazard, and binding or restricting parts that can cause your pet pain or discomfort. Don't use rubber bands. They can be eaten by an annoyed pet or can go left unnoticed after you disrobe your pet, becoming tangled in the pet's hair, leading to severe discomfort for your pet. · If you plan to play spooky music for your trick-or-treaters please keep in mind that those types of soundtracks may be terrifying to pets. Listen to the soundtrack on your own to see if it might upset your pet and then play it with your pet present, well before Halloween. If the soundtrack passes the "pet approval" test then you can use it on Halloween night. Wintertime Holiday Safety Tips for Pet Owners · Only use power cords that are intact (not frayed or worn). · Spritz electrical cords with "Grannick's Bitter Apple", vinegar, or Tabasco Sauce to discourage nibbling. · Insert plug protectors into unused outlets. (Children and pets love to stick their tongues, toys, and metal things into unused sockets.) · Inspect all decorations for sharp edges that could cause injury or tiny parts that could be a choking hazard. · Try not to use glass ornaments on Christmas trees or in windows. · Keep all empty plastic bags and cellophane wrappers in drawers or in sealed garbage cans to prevent suffocation · Keep all doors closed and post signs advising guests that there are pets in the home that are not allowed outside. (The holidays are a bad time for pets that escape their homes and yards. There is a great deal of traffic and people are in a hurry to get to their destinations. The chances of your little escapee getting squished by a car are very high. Please protect your pet by keeping him indoors.) · Spritz wrapped presents with "No Chew" if your pets like to unwrap the presents or eat the wrapping paper. · Unplug your tree and all decorative lights when you go to bed (to reduce the chance of an electrical fire). · Run through your family fire drill at least three times in the next 3 weeks. Don't forget to include who is responsible for which pets, basic fire safety tips (feel doors and doorknobs before opening doors, stay low, stop/drop/roll, etc.) and where the designated meeting spot will be . · Keep oven doors closed. Pets and children can burn themselves on the door or the oven's contents, or may try to use the hot door to climb onto the equally hot and dangerous stovetop. · Turn saucepot and saucepan handles in toward the center of the stove so that little paws and little hands can't knock boiling substances onto themselves. · Keep all candles and open flames away from pets, children, trees, decorations, curtains, etc. · Don't drape table runners or mantle runners off the edges of the table or mantle. Children and pets can easily drag the fabric in one direction, bringing the objects displayed upon them crashing down on top of themselves. · Keep poinsettias and other holiday plants out of children's and pets' reaches. They are poisonous. The number for the National Animal Poison Control Center at The University of Illinois is 1-800-548-2423. Also, remember that chocolate is poisonous to cats, dogs, and many other animals. A good rule of thumb is to avoid giving your pets ANY of the holiday foods that you eat. Human foods can wreak havoc with pets' digestive systems, can make them finicky eaters, can make them ill, or may even cause death. · If you are worried that your pets will drink the Christmas tree water (especially if it has chemicals in it) or will piddle on the tree, spray "Boundary" or "Paws Off" or a similar product around the tree. (Sometimes these products work, sometimes not, but it's worth a shot.) Another option is to purchase a circular or semi-circular "Scat Mat", a mat that gives off an electronic impulse when touched. If all else fails, only allow your pets near the tree when you are able to supervise them. · Put fancy little notes on toilet lids and in bathrooms to remind guests to close toilet lids, especially if you use toilet sanitizing and bleaching tablets. Pets and children can drown in just a few inches of water and the chemicals that we use to deodorize and clean our toilets are deadly. · Pick up a copy of the yellow pages for a list of 24-hour veterinary emergency clinics then type them onto ONE sheet of paper, with directions and telephone numbers, and post that paper on your refrigerator or by the telephone. Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Pets Stumped for holiday present ideas for your favorite furry, finned, scaled, or feathered friends? Maybe this will help! All Pets · Good food (Eukanuba, Iams, Science Diet, Nutro, etc. DON'T FEED YOUR PETS SUPERMARKET PET FOOD! It can cause all sorts of health and behavior problems, even if it is AAFCO approved.) · A check-up with your pet's veterinarian (Frontline, Interceptor, shots, fecal analysis, urinalysis, nail trim, etc.) · A video of animals/Cable television for "Animal Planet" · A wall unit air freshener (Don't put it near litter boxes or your cats may begin to "mess" in other areas of your house.) · See Spot Go (The best product to clean up feces and urine- neutralizes and eliminates all traces of the unwanted matter. Far superior to Nature's Miracle, Simple Solution, Febreze, etc.) On a Budget? · A trip to the beach or to the park · 6 kisses a day · 1 guaranteed 10-minute walk each day · One 10-minute training session per day
"Ask Doctor M.J."
"Our Iguana is looking rather pale and she seems 'smooshy', if that makes any sense. What should we do?" Get your Iguana to the veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. Iguanas need a very special balance of good foods, proper light and temperature, exercise, attention, and fresh water. If your pet looks "smooshy", my first concern would be Fibrous Osteodystrophy, which is also called Rubber Jaw. A lesion on the parathyroid gland can cause an excess of parathyroid hormone, which in turn causes the release of calcium from the bones, making your Iguana "smooshy"-looking because her bones are degenerating and losing definition. However, this may not be the case, so don't panic. It is always best to visit your licensed veterinarian whenever you have any sort of pet-related question. Your vet will be able to diagnose and treat your pet better than anyone else in the world. Feeding your Iguana (or any pet) too many mealworms can also make her look "smooshy", as mealworms are high in fat and low in calcium. If your Iguana has mushy, yellow, cheesy area near her mouth, your veterinarian may suspect Infectious Stomatitis (aka "Mouth Rot"). The yellow cheese is actually a bacteria that eats flesh and bones. Dirty water, stress, and rubbing and bumping that area of the body can bring on or exacerbate the situation. Never attempt to diagnose and treat your pet yourself. Consult a licensed veterinarian. Your Iguana's color can be a good clue to her health and contentment (or lack thereof). Take photographs of your pet when she is feeling well and is happy. Use these photographs as "controls" or "standards" by which to compare your Iguana's appearance. Pale coloration may be an indication of sleepiness or illness. Also, if your Iguana is closing its eyes for a long time, or is lying listless, the lighting may be too low, the temperature may be too high, the pet may be unhappy or upset, or she could be ill. Bring her to a licensed veterinarian. The appearance of darker colorations and dark spots/bands can mean different things depending upon the behavior that accompanies the change in coloration. If coupled with: hissing=fright or anger head low and coiled tail=Pet me! Love me! bobbing head=courting behavior, victorious, or REALLY happy To keep your Iguana healthiest and happiest, give her: · A clean terrarium (aquarium without water) or carefully constructed cage (no sharp metal pieces or edges, no particle board or chipboard, no varnish or paint, no toxic glues, etc.) · Constant temperature (around 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit for most species) · A thermometer (so that you can keep her environment at the proper temperature; varies from species to species) · A shielded heat source (a heating: pad, rock, cable, lamp, tape, etc.) · A Vita-lite Bulb (place it outside your pet's home so that your pet can't burn herself) · A variety of fresh and pelleted foods (Iguana food, beetles, crickets, good canned dog or cat food, carrots, squash, apples, dandelions, Hibiscus flowers, spinach, and bananas are popular and good for your pet. Do remember not to give too many bananas or spinach leaves to your Iguana or your pet may get diarrhea. Crickets should be frozen for 14+ hours or they may come back to life. Thaw them and serve. Iceberg lettuce has little nutritional value. Don't give it to your Iguana.) · Clean food and water bowls (Clean these every day.) · Exercise your Iguana by giving her safe branches to climb and/or by getting her an adjustable Iguana-friendly figure-8 harness/leash so that you can take her for walks in Iguana-safe areas. · Trim her nails often or she may hurt herself or you
"Ask Doctor M.J." "We just got a puppy and housebreaking it is a nightmare!Do you have any tips for us?" Absolutely! Puppies need to go to the bathroom every 3-5 hours. Who will take your puppy out during the day? Paper training (or wee-wee pad training) is an antiquated method of housebreaking that usually results in inappropriate soiling later on. Crating your puppy or dog will make her feel more secure (like she is in a den) and can be an invaluable housebreaking and training aid. "Crating" does not equal "caging." Crates have a solid base and top, three vented sides, and an open wire door. A crate can make your dog feel safe. Cages are constructed of strong open wire mesh on the sides, top, and bottom, rendering no privacy whatsoever. The crate should be large enough for your pup or dog to stand up and turn around-any more room and she will eliminate at one end and sleep at the other end. A cage isn't of much use in housebreaking because the pet eliminates and the waste matter simply falls through the cage bottom onto a tray, away from the animal. This is why it is usually more difficult to housebreak a pet shop puppy or caged puppy as opposed to a home-raised puppy or one from a reputable breeder who doesn't keep pups in pet store-type cages. NEVER force a young puppy or aged dog to hold its urine for more than 5 or 6 hours. This can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder infections, and all sorts of health and behavior problems. Every pup or dog is different, so keep a schedule of when yours has to "go" so that you can get her out "in time." If you adhere to a strict schedule, you will not only build up her confidence, but you will also have a much tidier home. Here are just a few of the tips that I give to my clients: 1. Crate your pooch. (No paper training. You can litter box train with grass plugs if you need to, but paper training is confusing and silly. Think about it. You teach your dog to "go" on paper on your kitchen floor, then you tell her to "go" outdoors-and you tell her "no" if she continues to eliminate in the kitchen-where you taught her to "go" in the first place! It makes no sense.) 2. Stick to a strict feeding, exercise, training, and eliminating schedule . 3. Keep a journal or log of when your pet eats and eliminates, when she is most active, when she naps, etc. This will help you to get her out on time to "go", and can help you to determine if your pet is ill or upset if she begins to act differently. Bird owners: keep Polaroids of your bird's droppings. Sounds nuts, I know, but this can be an invaluable tool for you and your vet (to be able to compare healthy droppings with sickly ones, and to be able to identify different food sources). 4. Don't let your dog watch you clean up her mess. (She will think, "Cool! I can do that and Mommy will just clean it up!", and here is no incentive for her to become housebroken.) 5. Use "See Spot Go" to clean soiled areas. (THE BEST PRODUCT on the market, in my opinion- And I have tried over 50 of them!) If you clean with Pine-Sol, Clorox, Resolve Fabric Refresher, Woolite Stain and Odor Remover, Febreze, etc., you will think the area is clean and fresh, but believe me, animals can STILL smell what was there. Even if you steam clean the area, your pet can still smell what was there. HONEST. Steam cleaning actually "bakes" the smell into your carpet and makes matters much worse. You simply MUST use an enzymatic cleaner to completely remove all minute traces of the odor and stain, or your pet will return to that spot again and again. Order some See Spot Go and save yourself a ton of money and aggravation. 6. Never scold for "mistakes" and NEVER SMACK YOUR DOG FOR ANY REASON. 7. Praise her for "going" outdoors. My husband and I use a simple "thumbs up" sign to praise our pups. Too much praise or touching them as they are "going" can make them stop in midstream, so be thrilled from a distance and try to seem a little aloof so that you don't make them stop. 8. Use a training scent to designate a "potty spot" and to stimulate your pet to "go." A designated "potty area" can make clean-up time easier, and can also be useful for encouraging a territorially dominant dog to be less territorial. The scent encourages your pet to "go" because a dog likes to cover up or blend his distinct canine cologne with another dog's deposits. 9. Teach your pooch to "go" on command. Use a key phrase like, "do your business", or a sound. We use "make poopies" and "psssssssss" and they work like a charm for our pups. Find out what works for you and your dog. "Ask Doctor M.J." "What Is An AAHA Rating and What Does It Mean To Veterinary Pet Care Consumers?" AAHA stands for the American Animal Hospital Association. If you see the AAHA logo (on an advertisement, a clinic door or wall, etc.) this indicates that a veterinary hospital is a member of the AAHA. So what does that mean for you, as a veterinary pet care consumer? It means that an AAHA member has committed to allowing a thorough inspection of its premises, staff, records, methods, sanitation, and more-every two years. AAHA inspectors with white gloves come into an AAHA member's veterinary clinic and tear it apart. If the AAHA inspectors find any problem areas, those conditions or situations must be "up to snuff" within 30 days, or the veterinary hospital loses its AAHA rating. An AAHA rating isn't an absolute guarantee of perfection, but it certainly does indicate that a veterinarian whose hospital holds an AAHA rating is interested in being committed to a high standard of care and treatment. Please understand that a veterinary clinic that does not have an AAHA rating is not necessarily a "bad" veterinary hospital and it doesn't necessarily mean that particular clinic employs antiquated methods or treatments, isn't clean, or isn't "good." It simply means that the hospital is not AAHA rated. "Ask Doctor M.J." "What To Do If You Lose or Find An Animal" · Contact the pet's registry (if it has one) immediately. Here are just a few of the many registries out there. Some accept all breeds and all species, some do not. Pick up a copy of next weeks' column for a list of various types of pet identification.
Call your phone tree contacts. · Call police departments. Most of them have a list of lost and found pets. Don't forget to call them to have the information removed if you find your pet. · Telephone some veterinarians. · Call a bunch of shelters.
Do remember that some pets may travel long distances. Don't be embarrassed about calling vets and shelters that are several hours away to ask them to keep an eye out for your pet. They will understand and may be able to help you. · Hand out flyers with color photographs and pertinent information. Go to supermarkets, veterinary clinics, shelters, shopping malls, places of worship, and anywhere that you find people. Someone is bound to recognize your pet. · Talk to your mail carrier, your neighbors, clerks in stores and gas stations, etc. · Contact your local newspapers to ask them to run an ad in the "lost and found" section. Most newspapers do this at no charge as a community service. · Call a pet detective, like Sherlock Bones at 1-800-252-6637. · Call "animal control" as a last resort. (*I don't waste my time anymore with most "animal control" centers because they rarely take information, they simply tell owners to come by to look for their pets. If you find a pet, they rarely take any information from you, so the animal's owners will never know that you have their missing pet. That just BURNS me, and it doesn't make any sense. The animal control personnel that I have dealt with since moving to Florida have been some of the least helpful and least caring people that I have ever come across.) Every pet owner dreads the possibility of losing a pet, but there are ways to identify your pet so that he or she will have a better chance of being returned to you. Pick up a copy of next week's column for a list of some of the different methods of pet identification. Always consult your licensed veterinarian when you have pet-related questions. He or she can help you to make the best decisions possible for your pet's health, happiness, and safety. If you find a wild animal you must surrender it to a licensed veterinarian or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Wild animals have very special dietary needs and injured wild animals need extremely skilled and speedy medical attention. It is against the law to treat and/or keep a wild animal if you are not properly trained and licensed to do so. Bring the animal to a licensed veterinarian or call your veterinarian or the following telephone numbers to see if they can recommend someone in your area. Wildlife in Need at 813-837-4525 Wildlife Rescue Inc. at 813-238-0341 Click
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