Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine - July/August by Homes Illustrated/LV Pet Scene

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Dogs ◆ ◆ Reptiles ◆ Horses ◆ Exotics ◆ Fish Dogs ◆ Cats Cats◆ ◆Birds Birds ◆ Reptiles ◆ Horses ◆ Exotics

July/August 2013

Dedicated To To Las Las Vegas Pets And The People Dedicated People Who Who Love Love Them Them

LEAN – Offering new hope and healing for neglected and abused horses

KIDNEY

Evolution – From Wolves To Our Best Friends Painting Tips For Your Home with Pets Eye Health – Helpful Tips Fish Ponds – Enjoying The Tranquility Does Your Bird Think You’re His Mate? Uh, Oh!

DISEASE Know the Signs

If you don’t train ‘em, don’t blame ‘em… From pom poms to timber wolves,

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in home or in kennel training.

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PSM

Dogs ◆ Cats ◆ Birds ◆ Reptiles ◆ Horses ◆ Exotics

Dedicated To Las Vegas Pets And The People Who Love Them

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Dogs ◆ Cats ◆ Birds ◆ Reptiles ◆ Horses ◆ Exotics

PAGE 6-7

Dedicated People Who Who Love Love Them Them Dedicated To To Las Las Vegas Pets And The People

Local Equine Assistance Network

July/August 2013

(LEAN) Offering new hope and healing for neglected and abused horses in Las Vegas

PUBLISHER

SHASTA Media Connection, LLC

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gwen Abbott Dr. Jill Cordeiro, DVM Madeleine Franco Jolee Lautaret Gail Mayhugh Kathy Schreur

ADVERTISING

Stacy Rombach • Jayne Brass • Geri Rombach LAS VEGAS PET SCENE MAGAZINE is published bi-monthly by Shasta Media Connection, LLC. All rights reserved. Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine assumes no responsibility or endorsement of the products or services advertised or featured. No portion of the Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine is distributed throughout the Las Vegas area at grocery stores, local pet stores, animal shelters and rescues, pet hotels, grooming salons, veterinarian hospitals, libraries and pet events with no cover price. We welcome reader correspondence. Please send all letters, inquiries, photos, pet stories and correspondence:

PAGE 16 Cats – They change your life in

PAGE 12 Kidney Disease in Pets Know the signs

wonderful ways

PAGE 18 Painting Tips – Make life with

PAGE 24 & 25 Evolution – From wolves to our

pets easier, cleaner and more stylish

best friends

PAGE 28 Puppy Dog Eyes

PAGE 34 & 35 Does Your Bird Think You’re His Mate? Uh, Oh!

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine 5785 W. Tropicana Ave., Suite 5 Las Vegas, NV 89103

(702) 367-4997

www.LVPetScene.com facebook.com/lasvegaspetscene info@lvpetscene.com

ADVERTISING

Eye Health – Helpful Tips

in the

Las Vegas Pet Scene MAGAZINE is the way to reach pet lovers in Las Vegas and Henderson!

(702) 367-4997 sales@lvpetscene.com

PAGE 39 Fish Ponds

Enjoying the tranquility

In riding a horse, we borrow freedom. ~ Helen Thompson

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Lightness & Laughter “Laughter is an instant vacation.” ~ Milton Berle The longer days and shorter nights of summer encourage lightness. We eat lighter, wear lighter clothing, and have lighter schedules. Somehow summer gives us permission to laugh and play more. However, there are no vacations for pet parents or pet foster parents, or for people involved in pet rescue or shelter work, or people engaged in pet-related businesses offering pet services and products. These all require a serious commitment to pets and animals. Our current issue of the Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine includes some serious articles of importance for pet lovers. We need to be aware of topics like kidney disease and eye health. We need to be reminded of how to take care of our pets in the hot summer heat of Las Vegas. Yet this seriousness needs to be balanced with Lightness & Laughter. Adding “mini vacations” to our daily lives through fun and humor creates a sense of

levity that reduces the stress of everyday living. Laughter is often said to be the best medicine. It is good for the soul. Norman Cousins says that “laughter is inner jogging”. There is a Yiddish proverb that says it another way: “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul”. Spend some quality play time and fun time with your pet(s) this summer. Just sit and watch how they enjoy life and laugh with them. Hopefully you’ll consider entering our Summer Silliness Photo Contest. Pets add so much to our lives and we’d love to share your pet’s silliness with the pet community of Las Vegas. ★ Check out our photo contest on page 23 ★

Wishing you a summer filled with lightness & laughter.

Your friends at the Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine

Angel Tails Mobile Dog Grooming Where Dogs Have a Heavenly Experience

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

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NATIONAL

homeless animals day Saturday, August 17, 2013 Introduced in 1992, the third Saturday of August every year has been set aside to recognize National Homeless Animals Day. The International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR) established this day to educate and raise awareness about the problem of pet overpopulation and the resulting overwhelming number of homeless animals, and to pay tribute to shelter/rescue workers who work tirelessly to help homeless animals. Most animals that enter shelters are not “street” animals or offspring of other homeless animals, but puppies & kittens of family pets.

What Can You Do To Help Homeless Animals? Spay/Neuter your pets Microchip your pets Adopt from a shelter/rescue Donate or volunteer

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A short 15 to 20 minute session will give your dog its best chance to avoid rattlesnakes through scent, sound and sight recognition.

Guinea pigs

make excellent pets. They have delightful personalities and are great companions for adults and children. Guinea pigs love to be petted. Children must be supervised when they are holding a guinea pig. They must be taught not to hug or hold them too tightly. Guinea pigs have a vocabulary of about nine sounds, they whistle, purr, and squeal. They will whistle in response to the rustling of plastic bags or the opening of refrigerator doors where their food is most commonly stored. Though they’re small they still require a great deal of care. Their water needs to be replaced everyday. Their cage needs to be cleaned regularly. They love to explore and need supervised ‘floor’ time for play and exercise. With loving attention and care your Guinea pig will thrive and will become a loved pet.

Please consider adoption!

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

ooking into their eyes, one can see the sadness, the trauma caused by neglect and abuse. It’s a knife in the heart for horse lovers, seeing that pain in those big beautiful eyes.

Karin Larrick and Paula Isenbarg set out to erase that pain with the founding of LEAN, Local Equine Assistance Network, a year ago. It’s a rescue program, with a little different twist than others around the country in that they do not have a central facility to house the horses, depending instead on foster families.

By Jolee Lautaret Like Pocahontas, a leopard appaloosa mare saved by LEAN after Animal Control found her running loose with a gruesome wound to the withers that left bone exposed.

These are the happy endings that the LEAN crew lives to find.

“We do not anticipate a central facility, for the foster concept actually provides a better healing situation for each individual horse,” says Larrick. “They are each fussed over and carefully tended by one family and receive more one-on-one attention during their recovery.”

“Sandy Topper volunteered to be a LEAN foster and take care of Poca, along with Pamela Watson,” says Larrick. “This was literally the beginning of the LEAN foster concept working.”

LEAN is more like a structured cooperative, coordinating volunteers and donations. Since its founding, 26 horses and donkeys have been placed in foster homes. Each one comes to LEAN with a terrible past and it’s truly a labor of love to restore them to health both physically and mentally.

Thanks to diligent, twice daily treatments, the wound healed beautifully, leaving only a small scar. The mare regained weight but she still had mental and emotional issues. LEAN called Paul Rogers, owner of Paradise Ranch, for help. He called the mare, “an emotional wreck.”

Tragically, for some it is too late.

“Karin called and told me they were having trouble getting Poca to accept a saddle but she liked kids and maybe she would work for our therapy program,” he says.

“Our fosters give such good care to the sick or neglected LEAN horse they take, but sometimes it is just too late, and those are very hard days,” Larrick says. LEAN has lost three of its rescues. “It is thin comfort, but we know we did our best and gave that animal as many days of love and care as we could.”

working with kids as young as 18 months. Though she still has worries, her eyes mostly sparkle with love now. “She’s a great horse,” Rogers says.

Thankfully, there are many more happy endings.

It took some time to build trust but soon Poca found her calling at Paradise Ranch, a gentle soul

“Favorite moments would of course include Adoption Days....when that horse someone else just threw away gets to receive a final pat and hug from their loving foster, and the lead rope is handed to a new owner who is super excited to call this LEAN horse their own,” says Larrick. “It doesn’t get any better than that.” LEAN is creating miracles with both passion from their volunteers and creativity in raising funds. They held a contest to name Poca, for example. There have been golf tournaments and tack swap days and even a group of little girls who donated the proceeds from their lemonade stand. “What we would like to see develop are some peripheral programs to help prevent horses from suffering neglect in the first place, such as a community Hay Bank for short term feed supplementation to struggling families, and more low cost geld clinics (we held our first in March) to help reduce unwanted breedings,” says Larrick of LEAN’s future. By Las Vegas Rodeo Examiner Jolee Lautaret National Rodeo Examiner – www.examiner.com/rodeo-14-in-national/jolee-lautaret Las Vegas Rodeo Examiner – www.examiner.com/rodeo-in-las-vegas/jolee-lautaret

There are many ways to help LEAN – Adopt, Foster, Sponsor, Volunteer, Donate. Visit them on facebook or on-line at www.LEANhorses.org. 6

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

LEAN has taken in over two dozen horses and donkeys, and found new homes for nearly half. Most arrive in poor condition… neglected feet and teeth, untreated wounds, exhausted and malnourished. LEAN places these lost souls in careful foster care and provides the feed, medical, and retraining services needed to bring these animals back to health and give them the second chance they deserve.

Meet 2 of our Adoptable Horses

Captain Jack Sparrow

LUCKY – Our Most Dramatic Recovering Star! This beautiful 15.3 hand Quarter Horse gelding was found wandering the streets of Las Vegas. He weighed a mere 875 lbs. He is flourishing in foster care. He has had his feet trimmed regularly, been vaccinated and has had a dental. Sweet as can be and still full of fun, he runs around the pasture with his friends and yet comes right back to his humans. This senior gentleman has many years left to offer as a light walk/trot horse or companion animal.

Adopt • Foster • Sponsor • Volunteer • Donate

Captain Jack Sparrow was found wandering in the desert with a nail through the bottom of his foot. This off-the-track thoroughbred gelding is 8 years old and 15.3 hands high. Jack has a wonderfully accepting personality and he is looking to partner with that special someone. He has recovered beautifully from his wound and has never taken a lame step. He does have a previously bowed tendon that has healed and he moves out soundly. Jack has been working with a professional trainer under saddle and is doing great! Jack has lovely extension and would make a wonderful dressage/flatwork horse.

To support LEAN, visit www.LEANhorses.org or call (702) 533-4656. Follow all our horses through their rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming photo albums. Help our medical and feed funds - only $15 will feed a rescue horse for a whole week. Help be a part of these and other success stories with your 100% tax deductible donation.

Special thanks to C-A-L Ranch Stores for their sponsorship and support of LEAN.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

We would like to congratulate our very own Las Vegas Pet Scene columnist, and internationally recognized dog artist, Arbor the Painting Dog, who recently sold one of her paintings for $1,000! All of the net proceeds are being donated to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society who cared for many of the displaced and injured pets following the Oklahoma City tornado. We are so proud of you Arbor! You can follow Arbor online at www.facebook.com/govegasdog

★ Arbor’s column in the next issue will highlight pet-friendly hotels ★

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

$10 OFF 2 ENTRÉES! Offer not valid with senior specials. Up to $10 value. Must purchase 2 beverages. 1 coupon per party, per table, per day. Can’t be used with any other offers, specials, group meetings, events, parties, etc. Dine-in only. Not valid on holidays. Must present original coupon when ordering, copies & print outs not valid. Management reserves all rights. Coupon Valid 7-16-13 to 9-15-13.

A Dog’s Last Will & Testament Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, give their home and all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I’d ask… To a poor and lonely stray I’d give my happy home; my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow and all my toys; the lap, which I loved so much; the hand that stroked my fur; and the sweet voice that spoke my name.

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I’d will to the sad, scared shelter dog the place I had in my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds. So, when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.” Instead, go ﬁnd an unloved dog, one whose life held no joy or hope, and give my place to him. This is the only thing I can give… The love I left behind. Author Unknown

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ July/August 2013

“

Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen. ~ Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red”

Book Review By Geri Rombach

”

eading is one of my passions and this book caught my attention – the front cover and the title enticed me. Initially, however, I thought it was about how animals communicate through body language and our efforts to interpret this language. Intuitive communication is another way of communicating. It is communication done by mentally sending and receiving thoughts, images, and emotions. In the foreward to the book, Cheryl Schwartz summarizes our connection or bond with animals so succinctly. “Animals have a unique way of affecting our hearts. They sidle in closer than humans do, opening us up emotionally and allowing us to confide our deepest thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. A nuzzle, a lick, a meow, or a rub can bring a smile and make our day.” Learning Their Language is a handbook filled with practical tips about recognizing and developing your innate gift of intuitive communication with all animals and with nature.

This book could open up a new way for you to connect with your pets.

A car’s inside temperature can rise by 40 degrees, even with the windows cracked. When it’s 72 degrees outside, it can rocket to 116 degrees inside a car within an hour; most of the temperature rise takes place in the first 15 to 30 minutes. Dogs can’t handle this kind of heat and can suffer severe illness, damage to their organs and death.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

HEALTHY PET

KIDNEY

DISEASE By Dr. Jill Cordeiro, DVM

Town Center Animal Hospital – 3565 S. Town Center Dr., LV, NV 89135 www.towncentervet.com

Kidney disease (often called renal failure) is one of the most common ailments that we see in pets. It is common in both dogs and cats. As a responsible pet owner, it’s important that you know what symptoms to look for that can indicate a problem. Also, I will go over some possible ways to prevent this dangerous disease so that we can keep your pet as healthy and happy as possible!

he kidneys are very important organs. You may already know that the kidneys are responsible for making urine. As part of this process, they are responsible for filtering out many toxins and byproducts from the body. When the kidneys are not functioning properly, dangerous levels of toxins may build up in the bloodstream. The kidneys also are responsible for regulating the amount of water in the body; when they start to fail, severe dehydration can result. At this point, you are probably wondering how you would know if your pet has developed a kidney problem. Most of the symptoms are related to the buildup of toxins and byproducts in the bloodstream. Your pet may start to vomit, stop eating, or just seem to not quite be himself or herself. Since the body is also unable to regulate water levels, many people notice their pet is drinking a lot of water and urinating a lot more than normal.

other diseases that can look similar, including diabetes, thyroid problems, and other conditions. Your vet will run a blood panel and analyze a urine sample. If kidney disease is confirmed, hospitalization may be required. At the hospital, he or she would receive large amounts of fluids to “flush” their body of any toxins that built up and to rehydrate the body. After coming home, a special diet will be required to minimize further kidney damage. In more severe cases, your vet may even show you how to give your pet extra fluids at home to prevent future dehydration.

Since there are many diseases that can mimic these symptoms, your vet will want to rule out

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Of course, as a veterinarian I would always rather prevent a pet from getting ill in the first place. There are many reasons that a pet may develop kidney disease, and any potential causes of kidney disease should be avoided.

For example, many people are unaware that grapes and raisins are toxic to the kidneys of both dogs and cats. Also, most varieties of lilies are also toxic to the kidneys of cats and so these should never be used as decorations in catowning households. Pets should not be allowed to drink from wild sources of water, as it’s possible to pick up an organism called leptospirosis which may cause kidney failure. Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) also can be a danger, as it tastes sweet and causes severe toxicities. Unfortunately, the most common cause of kidney failure is degeneration; the kidneys simply wear down as the pet ages. It is always advisable to do a blood panel and urinalysis at least once a year on your senior animals to monitor the function of the kidneys and other organs. With many diseases, early intervention can be very helpful to make your pet much more comfortable and increase his or her lifespan. Please contact your veterinarian if you are concerned about kidney disease in your animal, or have further questions about the information in this article. They will help you come up with the best plan to maximize your pet’s health.

Monthly Meetings: The ﬁrst Tuesday of the month

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CLASS DAY/TIME: 1st class will be held Thursday after registration 7:00 to 8:30 pm All following classes are from 7:30 to 8:30 pm

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For More Information Visit Our Website www.VVDOC.org or Call 368-0656 (recording) Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

UPCOMING

EVENTS THURSDAY, AUGUST 15th YAPPY HOUR… THE DOGGY HAPPY HOUR

JULY

6pm to 8pm • Downtown Cocktail Lounge – 111 Las Vegas Blvd South Exclusive drink specials for friends of The Animal Foundation that make a $5 donation at the door!

THURSDAY, JULY 18th YAPPY HOUR… THE DOGGY HAPPY HOUR

6pm to 9pm • Rumor Las Vegas – 455 E. Harmon Ave. The best place to have some Cocktails, Yappatizers and live dj music while your dog makes some friends! Benefits The Animal Foundation.

THURSDAY, JULY 18th to SATURDAY, JULY 20th GIANT WAREHOUSE GARAGE SALE

9am to 2pm • 6360 Annie Oakley (between Sunset & Russell) Heaven Can Wait Animal Society – www.hcws.org Electronics, Books, Jewelry, Clothing, Furniture and More!

MONDAY, JULY 22nd CABANAS FOR A CAUSE AT THE PALMS

Purchase a $100 Cabana with all proceeds benefiting Vegas Shepherd Rescue. Secure cabanas in advance by calling 702-942-6832.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24th GRIMALDI’S PIZZERIA SPONSORING EVENT FOR C5! 6pm to 9pm • Grimaldis Pizzeria – 750 S. Rampart Blvd @ Boca Park Grimaldi’s is sponsoring a fundraising dinner for C5! There will be a fabulous silent auction and raﬄe items.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

AUGUST

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th PUP CRAWL  1 BAR STOP EACH MONTH

6pm to 9pm • Rumor Las Vegas – 455 E. Harmon Ave. The best place to have some Cocktails, Yappatizers and live dj music while your dog makes some friends! Benefits The Animal Foundation.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17th SILVERTON’S ANNUAL ONE DRUNK PUPPY WINE TASTING EVENT 6pm to 9pm • Silverton Casino – 3333 Blue Diamond Rd. Enjoy appetizers, international wines and entertainment while supporting a good cause. $35 Presale ($45 at the Door). Purchase tickets at the Silverton Box Oﬃce by calling (702) 263-7777 or online at www.silvertoncasino.com. Benefits Southern Nevada Beagle Rescue Foundation, LIttle Friends Foundation, German Shepherd Rescue of Las Vegas, A Home 4 Spot and Golden Retriever Rescue Southern Nevada.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22nd to SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th GIANT WAREHOUSE GARAGE SALE

9am to 2pm • 6360 Annie Oakley (between Sunset & Russell) Heaven Can Wait Animal Society – www.hcws.org Electronics, Books, Jewelry, Clothing, Furniture and More!

For more events and updates: www.LVPetScene.com

facebook.com/lasvegaspetscene

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Cat people are different to the extent that they generally are not conformists. How could they be with a cat running their lives? ~ Louis J. Camuti

hen you are owned by a cat, your world shifts. You look at life differently. Understanding and winning over this mysterious creature is so rewarding on many different levels. Cats inspire great love and passion. There are, of course, vast differences between having a cat or a dog in your home. Humorists have said that dogs take commands; cats take a message. Dogs come when you call; cats will get back to you. Our domesticated cat has been around for a long time and its behavior has inspired a fount of poems, stories, and studies. Here are few observations. By Kathy Schreur

VOCALIZATION: Trilling, purring, crying, chirping,

yeowing are just a few ways cats communicate with their world. They are also master manipulators. Just by changing the pitch and tone of their meows, they can bring their human running to see what they need. You may note your cat’s cry for food or attention is remarkably similar to a baby’s cry. It stimulates your natural instinct to nurture your offspring, even if it is covered with fur. Yes, your cat knows what motivates you.

areas with two sided tape. Spend more time playing with your cat. This behavior can be overcome with patience and care.

DEFECATION: We have to go there. It is a big part of our training in cat cohabitation. Cats are awesome because they instinctively drop their feces into litter boxes, keeping the rest of the house free and clear. You may have noticed that they tend to bury their business. This is an evolutionary holdover and used to prevent detection from their enemies and avoid challenging the dominant cat of their territory. So if you notice that Fluffy is leaving evidence of his presence in the middle of your bed, you may interpret that as an aggressive challenge. Fluffy is telling you that you have offended him somehow and he is not going to take it. You might want to rethink what you have done and apologize. Aren’t cats wonderful communicators?

PSYCHOLOGY: The Journal of Veterinary Behavior recently published a study which indicated that cats adapt to and even copy the behavior of their owners. “Our findings underline the high influence of human presence and care on the amount of activity and daily rhythm in cats” noted Giuseppe Piccione from the University of Messina’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Jane Brunt, Executive Director of the CATalyst Council, wrote, “They watch and learn from us, noting the patterns of our actions, as evidenced by knowing where their food is kept and what time to expect to be fed, how to open the cupboard door that’s been improperly closed and where their feeding and toileting areas are.” A study in Applied Animal Behavior Science noted, “Many personality traits exhibited by cats, including arrogance, curiosity, excitability, timidness and friendliness often apply to the humans with which they spend substantial amounts of time.” So, it may be that in attempting to understand your cat, you may find a greater understanding of yourself.

TOUCHING: It is such a warm feeling when your cat

Cats. They change your life in wonderful ways.

rubs its face and body against your leg, unless you are moving at the time. Learning not to be tripped by your cat takes time and awareness. You should also be aware that it is your cat’s way of claiming you as its property. A cat’s most active pheromone carrying glands are located at the base of the tail, in the thin hair between their eyes and ears, and corners of their mouths. So when a cat rubs against you, it is marking you with its scent and telling other cats that you are already taken. Another area of scent glands are found in their paws. Research suggests that cats scratch our new couch as a means of communicating their presence. They also scratch to stretch, as a greeting, or to relieve frustration. Solutions may be in placing multiple scratching posts in the areas of damage, sleep and/or play, and to cover the damaged 16

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Cats have an infallible understanding of total concentration - and get between you and it. ~Arthur Bridges

Adoption

Location & Hours:

SATURDAYS 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Adopt • Foster Donate • Volunteer Help Save a Life Today! allfurloveanimalsociety.org Contact Tel (702) 362-5617

July 6, 13, 20 August 3, 10, 17, 24

-no adoptions the last weekend of the month.

Petco – 3890 Blue Diamond Rd. Las Vegas, NV

adoptions@allfurloveanimalsociety.org

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Make Life

Pets easier,cleaner and more stylish with

~ By Gail Mayhugh

If you have pets you know that your walls can take a beating. Down the halls, around the corners, their rooms and those play areas that really need some extra special attention. In those high traffic areas an expensive decorative wall treatment may not be the best choice. Paint on the other hand is an easy, less expensive and impactful way to make a statement. But it can’t be any paint. We all know that our pets have a remarkable way of getting things on the walls. Food flung from their cages; oil marks from their coats on every corner they run around; flying drool; and let’s not forget those marks left behind from throwing their ball. So first, flat paint has no place in an animal house unless you like to paint a whole lot. Honestly, I don’t like flat paint in any home. It’s true flat paint has its advantages. Its nonreflective nature masks any surface imperfection, which is the number one reason builders use it. It is easier to touch-up than the others, but unless you invest in the more expensive washables, you just can’t wipe it down without at some point going down to the plaster board. Plus textured walls trap the dirt. So what type of paint should you get? This is where sheen plays an important role in selecting paint. Sheen refers to how much light is reflected off the painted surface as well as durability. There are varying degrees of sheen’s, from no sheen to high gloss. Paint manufacturers may refer to their paint sheens by different names, but basically there are five different sheen levels: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and high gloss. An eggshell sheen gets its name from the texture and sheen from an actual eggshell. It has a slight sheen and is more washable than a flat finish. A satin is sometimes also called pearl, it has a slight gloss and does offer more cleanability than flat. Personally I only use a satin or eggshell sheen as I don’t like the reflection and glow from semigloss paint on the walls. I even use it in kitchens and baths. Really how dirty do these areas get? If you wipe down any splatters in the kitchen after cooking you shouldn’t have problems. I have it behind Ki Ki’s cage, my Blue and Gold McCaw, and use a scrub brush to clean it. But I did purchase the best quality they offered, it really does make a difference. Typically a semi-gloss is used in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms because they make surfaces easier to clean and are moisture 18

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

resistant. The higher the gloss the tougher and more stain resistant the paint. So if you have a real high pet traffic area you might want to consider a semi-gloss. High gloss is extremely hard, has a very shinny rich finish and is highly moisture resistant. It’s normally used on trims, cabinets and doors. It’s the toughest and most stain resist finish. Being that it has more of a mirrorlike finish it will also make colors more intense. Now paint doesn’t have to be boring, you can do a lot with two-toning the room with regular paint and painters tape. Paint stripes using either two different colors or the same color and two different sheens. Be different and paint horizontal stripes instead of vertical. Color blocking is also an interesting effect. Select the lightest shade of a color on a color strip. You’ll then be using that color along with the four other colors directly above it. Measure the height of your wall and divide by five. So with a ten foot ceiling, it would be two feet. Now mark off two foot squares on the wall from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. At the corner, if you are not left with a perfect two foot square, warp it around to the next wall. Start at the floor and paint the lightest color in the first block and continue to the darkest in the fifth block. Then start back down at the floor, but start with the third color and follow with the colors in the same order through to the ceiling. Continue starting at the floor offsetting each time by two colors from the one next to it. It has a very rich look, especially when using neutral tones. One last thing is to make sure you look at is VOC’s (volatile organic compound) in the paint you’re purchasing. This is important if you have pets with a sensitive respiratory system, especially birds. Most paints now have low VOC’s with many also offering no VOC’s. So go grab that brush and make the walls in your home stylish and pet-friendly. Gail Mayhugh, the owner of GMJ Interiors has been designing in Las Vegas for over 20 years. She also has a web site, www.VivaVegasPets.com where she shares Las Vegas pet happenings and resources.

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Save A Life – Adopt A Pet Adopt • Foster • Sponsor • Volunteer • Donate • Educate

Everyone can do something, large or small, to help save a life. Hi, I am a 4 year old Heeler mix. I am good with kids over 12 years old. I have a digestive disorder (EPI) that is easily maintained with diet and supplements. I am very active, love to hike, chase flies, lasers and play ball! I am good with dogs and the annoying sibling – cats.  I am current on vaccines, micro-chipped, neutered and given a clean bill of health from my vet!!

Copper

The Move Mutt Co.

(702) 561-6264 • renee@movemutt.org movemutt.org/adoptable-pets.html

Bonnie, a 4 yr old spoiled house pig is looking for a family that has no other pigs or young children. She’s a gentle lovebug wanting all the belly rubs to herself. She is a little shy but warms up quickly! See www.vegaspigpets.org for more info if you can give this sweet girl or others the love they deserve!

Bonnie

Vegas Pig Pets

Baby Girl is a magnificent adult German Shepherd dog. She LOVES people, is very active and would make a great companion. Baby Girl is spayed, current on vaccines and microchipped. She also comes with 5 FREE weeks of obedience training. If you are interested in adopting Baby Girl or any of our available dogs, please go to our website to complete the on-line adoption application.

Baby Girl

German Shepherd Rescue of Las Vegas perfectgsd@yahoo.com www.germanshepherdrescuelasvegas.com

Suzy and Polly are sweet 6 year old St. Bernard/ Shepherd sisters who are looking for a forever home together. The girls are very bonded and it would be like having one dog! They are good with other dogs, love people (including children) and are good girls! They are spayed, up-to-date on shots and microchipped. Please contact us for more information!

Pet’ographique

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Suzy & Po

Sin City Saint Rescue

info@vegaspigpets.org Please visit www.vegaspigpets.org today!

(702) 896-1049 • rescuesaints@gmail.com www.sincitysaintrescue.org

Meet Rango, a male 1 year old German Shepherd who had a rough start in his young life which led to mistrusting people. With an experienced, patient owner willing to give him continued training, he will become a loving, loyal and devoted companion. Rango is good with other dogs and would do well in a home with one or two other dogs.

Summer is a beautiful, friendly long-haired lady with a memorable meow that she uses to greet everyone. Her favorite things are cuddling and cardboard boxes. She was found on the street but has perfect house manners. She’s about 5 years old, and appears to have Norwegian Forrest Cat in her genes. She is a precious little cuddler who has been front declawed.

Rango

Heaven Can Wait Animal Society (702) 227-5555 • dogs@hcws.org www.hcws.org

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Summer

Homeward Bound Cat Adoptions info@homewardboundcats.org www.homewardboundcats.org

Lucky is a Mastiff mix, about 14 months of age. He’s an energetic, happygo-lucky youngster who is great with other dogs and all humans! Lucky loves to play with toys and to roll around in the wading pool on hot afternoons. He’s a wonderful family pet! If you would like to meet Lucky, please contact us today!

Lucky

Southern Nevada Bully Breed Rescue (702) 483-7487 • info@snbbr.org www.SNBBR.org

Hi, I am Brandi – a 5 year old female Cocker Spaniel who is very sweet but a little on the plump side. I love to go for walks and ride in the car but I am also very happy to just sit and cuddle with my owner. My perfect home would be one with another dog for companionship so I don’t get uneasy when my owner leaves the house.

Brandi

Las Vegas Cocker Rescue info@lvcr.org Visit us at: www.lvcr.org

Cash is a 3 year old Dachshund/Chihuahua mix. He is shy, but enjoys other friendly dogs and is drawn to gentle and kind people. With love and kindness, he will make a wonderful companion. Cash is up-to-date on his shots and micro-chipped.

Pet’ographique

Cash

Las Vegas Hot-Diggity Dachshund Club and Rescue www.lvhddcr.com • Click on Rescue

Summer Pet Safety Tip #1

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Awareness Press the back of your hand firmly against the asphalt for 7 seconds to verify it will be comfortable for your dog.

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ July/August 2013

Rascal

The World’s Ugliest Dog

So Ugly He’s Cute!

Contests – we love them. We love comparing and competing. County fairs and farm shows have contests to judge the biggest and the best produce. At Halloween time some of the categories to judge costumes are: scariest, funniest, most original. And, of course, the pet world has their share of pet shows. Perhaps the most unusual one is the World’s Ugly Dog Contest. Rascal, proclaimed as the World’s Ugliest Dog, has won more different ugliest dog titles than any dog in history. He also won the PSPCA “I’m so Ugly I’m Cute” Contest. Rascal, a Chinese Crested Hairless, comes from “Ugly Dog Royalty”. His mother, grandmother, and grandfather – all held titles of “The World’s Ugliest Dog”. Rascal’s great grandfather, Chi Chi, is in the Guinness Book of World Records for winning 8 Ugliest World Titles. Rascal may soon be headed for a Guinness Book record. In the video, Animal Planet Presents World’s Ugliest Competition – Top 10 World’s Ugliest Dogs, Rascal is shown visiting a group of girl scouts. Initially the response to Dane’s question, “Would you ever have a dog like Rascal?” was a collective NO. A few minutes of greeting and petting Rascal changed their feelings. One girl summarized it best: “It doesn’t matter what’s on the outside; it matters what’s on the inside.” Dane asked the group a second question, “Now that you’ve met Rascal, how many of you would adopt a dog like Rascal?” Of course, all hands went up!

Rascal with his owner, Dane Andrew and The Honey Badger Guy at the Las Vegas Pet-aPalooza 2013.

Rascal and his owner, actor, Dane Andrew, have made numerous guest appearances on shows such as Jay Leno’s Tonight Show and was interviewed by Barbara Walters on The View. Rascal uses his fame to help animals. www.WorldsUgliestDog.com

Pet t s e i SillPhoto

Contest

ENTER TO WIN a $50 Gift Certificate to Annie’s Gourmet Italian!

Between July 1st and August 31st, send us your silliest pet photo. You will be entered to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Annie’s Gourmet Italian Restaurant (pet-friendly!).

Enter Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine’s Silliest Pet Photo Contest

Email your photo to info@lvpetscene.com with the following information. All entries must contain all of the information below to qualify (one photo per pet or pets/one entry per person, multiple entries will be disqualified):

• Pet’s name

• Your name

• Your email address

• Your phone #

Please note: By entering the contest, you are giving Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine permission to use the photo in our magazine, emails, and social media/facebook. Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

EVOLUTION… from

wolves

to our

best friends

It is amazing to think that all of our loving, devoted dog companions are descendents from the wolf. Every breed, from Chihuahuas to St. Bernard’s, all share that same genetic link which was handed down to them from their wolf ancestors thousands of years ago.[1] While researchers believe this to be true, there is some debate about how this evolutionary process actually occurred. Did our descendants take wolf pups from their dens to domesticate and raise to be our hunting partners? Or, did wolves actually gravitate towards humans to benefit from our hunting skills and the scraps of food we left behind? Perhaps, it was a combination of the two? Exploring these theories can help us understand what may have happened during this evolutionary process which created that unique animal we know today as “the dog”. One of the earliest theories about this transformation was that humans made a conscious effort to domesticate the wolf. Maybe we were seeking them out, taking their puppies in an effort to create a hunting adversary. By raising them from pups, early man would have been able to tame them, train them, and mold them into something more domestic? While it is possible, it seems a little too improbable to some researchers. [2] First and foremost, taking wolf puppies from a wolf ’s den would have been an extremely dangerous task. Like all mothers, a mother wolf would have done anything to protect her young. Taking on an angry mother wolf would have been a risky, life-threatening task which seems somewhat co-productive when humans were already struggling with so much just to survive. Even if humans were able to obtain orphaned wolf puppies, the job of raising them would still have been a time-staking feat. Keeping them fed and cared for would have taken a lot of time and resources. Early man was very limited on both of these things. While it is certainly possible that this form of wolf domestication occurred periodically, it may not be the only possibility. An alternative theory suggests that wolves were responsible for domesticating themselves. [3] The catalyst for this domestication may have been something humans produce in great abundance: Garbage.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Approximately 15,000 years ago, when humans began to live in settlements, they created waste in greater centralized masses than they did when they were nomadic hunter, gathers. Waste products consisting of sewage, bones, and spoiled food were either disposed of in a centralized “dump” location or merely scattered around the outskirts of the village. With the abundance of smells this garbage created, so came the abundance of scavengers. Mice, rats, jackals, and vultures were all attracted to our aromatic “leftovers”, and so were… the wolves. Wolves that frequented the dump sites found something different to contend with; something very different from what they were accustom to. Food was readily available on the ground. They didn’t have to expend energy to find prey and hunt it down. Even more miraculously, they soon realized that this wonderful find was replenished quite frequently and attracted other scavengers that were meal-worthy as well. But in order to adapt to this new “easier” way of living, wolves would need to develop a tolerance for humans and be willing to feed while humans were relatively close. This would have been a significant alteration to the wolf ’s previous survival method. Maybe some wolves were predisposed to adapt in this way and others were not? At this crossroads in the history of the wolf, wolves may have unknowingly divided up their species into two separate groups: Those that were more tolerant of man, and those that were not. Proponents of this theory suggest that this division in the wolf population may have been the beginning of a reproductive divergence between the wilder wolves and the wolves that were more accepting of humans.

As a contributor to that divergence, man would have undoubtedly played an important part. Aggressive, vicious wolves would have been dangerous to have around the settlement. Wolves feeding near the village that displayed aggressive behavior would have been eliminated, thus continually filtering aggression out of the gene pool. The remaining population, genetically isolated from the wilder wolves, would continue to breed, bearing offspring that were less aggressive, more tolerant of humans, and more domestic. Without even knowing it, this human intervention may have helped to create an animal that was much more dog-like. As time passed, this wolf-like canine began to look physically different from its wolf predecessor. This ancestor, “proto-dog”, was an intermediary canine that wasn’t quite a dog, but much different from the wolf in its physical appearance. [4] Its head and body were smaller, it had smaller canine teeth, and its muzzle was shorter. It was clearly changing into something closer to the dogs we know today. But how did dogs make that giant leap from proto-dog to the variety of breeds we have now? In actuality, man and his selective breeding practices have created about 80% of our dog breeds in just the last few hundred years. Beginning in the Victorian era (1837), man began selectively breeding dogs to try and obtain certain desirable characteristics. Some selective breeding was done to fulfill utilitarian requirements like hunting, herding, and guarding. Other breeding, especially during the Victorian era, was more focused on developing breeds that were aesthetically pleasing and unique. Today we have dogs that come in a vast variety of sizes, shapes, colors and temperaments. We have floppy ears, pointed ears, curly tails and straight tails. In fact, we now have over 490 distinctly different breeds worldwide. Our dogs have come a long way in the past 175 years.

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From wolves, to proto-dog, to our dogs of today; the mystery about how this actually happened is still open for debate. While there are several viable theories about the evolution of the dog, it is clear in all of them that the interaction between wolf and man played an important role. Somewhere in this progression, humans and dogs formed an enduring bond with one another that we still enjoy today. In our day-to-day lives, it doesn’t seem to matter who found who first --as long as we ultimately found each other. “Content for this article was assimilated from a variety of resources on dog evolution. It is not intended to support nor dismiss any specific theory on this topic.” 1. Slade, Valeda. “Wolves, Coyotes and Dogs.” Scholastic. 2013 <http://www.scholastic.com/ teachers/article/wolves-coyotes-and-dogs.html>. 2. Hare, Brian and Woods, Vanessa. “Opinion: We didn’t Domesticate Dogs. They Domesticated Us.” National Geographic Daily News. 3 March 2013 <http://www.news.nationalgeographic.com/ news/2013/03/130302-dog-domestic-evolution-science-wolf-wolves-human.html>. 3. Coppinger, Raymond. “Dogs That Changed the World. What caused the domestication of wolves?” Nature PBS. 20 June 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/dogs-thatchanged-the-world/what-caused-the-domestication-of-wolves/1276/.html>. 4. “And Man Created Dog” A National Geographic presentation. SaveONWildlife. 5 April 2012. Video. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFzbBVMR8zA.html>.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ July/August 2013

Summer Pet Safety Tip #2

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Eye Health

Helpful Tips

Puppy Dog Eyes by Gwen Abbott

or most of us, behavioral clues are a primary index to our pet’s health. Vomiting, lethargy and loss of appetite are obvious examples. However, perhaps the most alarming diseases are those that creep up on us, advancing rapidly before we notice any marked personality changes. Unfortunately, vision problems fall into this category. To complicate matters, a dog’s other senses kick in to compensate. While this is a good thing in aiding survival, it can obscure serious eye conditions. So don’t wait until Bowser is bumping into furniture before getting his eyes checked. Dr. Michael Brinkman of Veterinary Ophthalmology Service warns, “Dogs can lose up to about 70 percent of their vision before their humans are aware of it; their other senses just cover for it.” The nose knows first – as sight ranks about third among sensory priorities. In the absence of early behavioral cues, are there any observations and preventative measures we can take? Fortunately, there are a few. “Every eye problem affecting dogs has the same symptoms; none are specific for any one disease,” Dr. Brinkman notes. “Look for squinting, tearing and redness. If it’s really bad, the dog will also rub their eyes. If the ducts are not working right, the tears will spill out onto the face. With a closer look you’re going to see something.”

As for prevention, knowledge is power. Pay attention to your own dogs’ breed-inclined illnesses. In general, breeds susceptible to the most eye diseases are those with “squishy” faces and bulging type eyes. As for inherited conditions, German Shepherds are prone to about 6 while Cocker Spaniels are inclined to 14. Popularity also breeds problems, so to speak. Popular breeds are the ones to watch. The very history of veterinary ophthalmology seems to support that. Dr. Brinkman noted the correlation, “The first specialty college was formed in the late 1940’s/early 1950’s – just when the TV dog, ‘Lassie’ was all the rage. As Collies gained in popularity, they began to have a lot of eye problems from overbreeding. Breeders were panicking because so many were born with congenital problems or going blind. To combat this, some breeders got together with vets interested in ophthalmology. Those groups of researchers were the originators of that specialty college.” Being alert to your dog’s surroundings is also paramount. (They always seem to stick their heads where they don’t belong). Corneal damage is probably the most common condition. Add to that, our desert climate, which plays a role in some dry eye conditions. Dr. Brinkman should know. A practicing veterinarian since 1978, he became board certified in veterinary ophthalmology in 1992; opening the very first ophthalmology clinic in Las Vegas. Still practicing from his original office on East Sahara, he’s a “sight for sore eyes” to many domestic dogs and cats. His list of patients also includes grateful horses, exotic birds and big cats.

The case of my own two-year-old German Shepherd offers a prime example. The first sign of anything wrong hit suddenly. Large, red bumps covered his corneas – and this wasn’t visible six weeks earlier during his annual checkup. Caught completely by surprise, I immediately raced him to our Dr. Brinkman tries… however, Beamer is not vet who offered an initial diagnosis of in a cooperative frame of mind today… Pannus (an auto-immune disease seen in primarily German Shepherds). A few days later, a visit to Dr. Brinkman confirmed it. “His Pannus was hard to discern until it progressed because of the dark pigment around his face and eyes. Pigment on the cornea isn’t going to be noticeable unless accompanied by big, ugly blood vessels; white blood cells and grey film over his eyes.” Brinkman added, “It’s also hard to detect until it gets really irritated.” (Pannus is incurable but can be controlled with life-long steroidal eye drops). 28

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Hmmm, let’s try the “squirm and hide” strategy. Maybe the vet will give up??

Your regular veterinarian can identify and treat most routine eye problems. Depending on the nature of the condition, your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist.

ALL Vegas Valley Realty, GRJV Studios and the Las Vegas Farmers MarketÂŽ are proud to sponsor this local animal rescue. Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ July/August 2013

The Kids Scene

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Now that the school year is over, I want to wish all of you a HAPPY and SAFE summer! I will be participating in a new hospice therapy dog program for United Health Care which makes me very excited! The 4th of July can be a really scary time for pets. Here are some tips to keep your pet safer and more comfortable during the celebrations.

Harley’s July 4th Safety Tips! 1. Please don’t take us to any ﬁreworks displays. We will feel much safer at home.

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2. The bright ﬂashes of light and loud booms really scare us. Our hearing is 10 times more than humans. 3. If you have a kennel in your home, we would rather be in there – and covering it with a blanket helps to block out the loud noises. 4. Don’t leave us outside… loud noises get us confused and we could escape and run away.

July 4th is a fun time for celebrations, but please take precautions for us pets, so we can have a safe and happy time too! Your nd, frie

Harley

Registered Therapy Dog

www.StoryTimeWithHarley.com 30

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

5. Turning the TV or radio on to a normal volume helps cover the ﬁrework booms. 6. Staying home with us during the ﬁreworks would also help comfort us. 7. Don’t ever leave us in the car. It’s hot and we could die in minutes – and it’s the law. 8. Make sure during this hot, hot summer that we are inside during the extreme heat of the day and that we have lots of fresh water.

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“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” ~ Dr. Seuss

“Can you find these different breeds of horses?”

The words may be in any direction: horizontally, vertically, diagonally, forwards or backwards. • Appaloosa • Arabian • Belgian • Clydesdale • Lipizzan • Thoroughbred

• Morgan • Mustang • Quarter Horse • Saddlebred • Shire • Bonus Word: Pet Scene

Summer is the perfect time to encourage children to read. • Help your children find time to read – schedule time for reading. Some convenient times might be before bedtime or over breakfast. • Relax the rules for summer – allow your children to select books they can read to learn more about their interests and hobbies. • Read aloud with your children. • Encourage your children to read to you and to each other.

An excellent series for young horse lovers is Quincy the Horse Books. A Mom’s Choice Awards Gold Recipient. These books will combine your child’s love for horses with their love of reading. The pictures are beautiful. The stories are engaging and interesting. Your children will fall in love with Quincy. Quincy Finds A New Home Quincy Moves to the Desert Author: Camille Matthews Illustrations by Michelle Black

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Reading is Fundamental - www.rif.org Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

★

Las Vegas Pets ★

B-MO

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Jordan

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Lucy Kobe & Abby

Chip

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Max Spud

Dancer

Sophie

Show Off Your Pet! Email: info@lvpetscene.com 32

Honey Girl

Sushi & Kuma

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Sammy

★

Las Vegas Pets ★

Zoey

Bella

Milo, Scrappy & Raider Jax

Tula & Mojo Luna Mojo

Sammy & Peanut

Dahlia

Bear Bear Josie & Helen Toby Tiger Leni Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Does Your

BIRD

Think You’re His Mate?

Uh,Oh! by Madeleine Franco Photo By Richard Gatt

If your bird thinks you’re his mate, resist the temptation to be flattered, as this could encourage or exacerbate feather-destructive behavior. However, he may pluck for other reasons, and the reasons are many. Attention to the following “rules of conduct” could lessen your bird’s tendency to pluck or engage in inappropriate sexual behaviors and may also help you avoid a nasty bite.

Be sure that your bird gets plenty of rest, particularly during his molt. Molting is a stressful process, with which birds often lose patience. When they are tired, birds are less able to cope, and they may resort to excessive preening.

Place your bird’s cage in a location that allows him to have at least one safe corner. Help him feel safe in his own home. Logically, preening prepares your bird’s feathers for flight. Fear and anxiety can cause him to want to keep himself in a state of constant readiness, and over-preening may result.

Recognize that a hand-raised bird may not know what preening is, what it does, or how it is supposed to feel. He does know, however, that growing feathers is an uncomfortable process, and if he plucks out the offending feather, the discomfort goes away, at least temporarily. Try to keep your bird as comfortable as possible during any time during which he is replacing lost feathers.

If you clip your bird’s wings, be sure that there are no sharp edges protruding into the sensitive skin under his wings. Many a bird has launched as a career plucker following a poorly executed wing clipping.

Know that a bird’s self-mutilation can be a life-threatening habit. Consult with your veterinarian if your bird takes his feather destructive behavior to the next level and begins mutilating his body.

Cover your bird’s cage only for sleeping. Do not allow her to spend time in a dark cage for numerous hours other than for sleeping. 34

Bathe your bird often. Do a little research on the climate and weather patterns of the region to which your bird is indigenous to give yourself a better understanding of how often might be often enough. Keep in mind that some birds consider bathing a form of recreation, and provide frequent opportunities for such birds. If your home has a sodium-based water softening system, try bathing your bird with distilled water. However, distilled water should never be used as your bird’s drinking water due to its lack of trace-mineral content.

Try to socialize your bird as much as possible, with other birds, if possible, and with other people. A one-person bird is NOT optimal, and while some birds flourish as singles, birds are flock animals by nature. If your pet bird seems lonely and you do decide to get another “bird for your bird,” be aware that most often a buddy rather than a mate will fit the bill. Of course, any new bird should be quarantined for at least 30 days, and preferably 45 – 60 days, and birds must be introduced to each other gradually.

9 10

If your bird is constantly picking at new “blood” feathers, try increasing the protein in his diet. Do not pet your bird in ways that will stimulate him sexually—never pet him under his wings, down his back or tail, or near his vent. Don’t hold him close for long periods of time, and resist the temptation to put little birds in your shirt, even though their heads look adorable peering out of your own neck hole. Head scratches are fine, but even these in excess can cause him to misbehave.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Do not encourage your pet bird to regurgitate. If he regurgitates for you and you are accepting of that behavior, it could signal your acceptance of your role as his mate. Obviously, you cannot sustain that role, so it is best not to start something you can’t finish.

Do not allow your pet bird to play with large boxes or extremely large (log-like) pieces of wood during breeding season. This can cause him to engage in nest-building behavior, which will likely take his hormones to a crescendo. If your bird is particularly fond of corrugated cardboard—and many birds are—try making toys out of corrugated cardboard cut into approximately 3” x 6” pieces and strung on a length of vegetabletanned leather or cotton rope, with a knot between each of the pieces. This will give his beak the same tactile satisfaction without replicating a nest hollow. Additionally, evidence suggests that round toys (balls of all types, large wooden beads on the cage floor, and walnuts and other round nuts not recognized as food) can stimulate hormonal behaviors among both females and males, and it is best that such toys be withheld as breeding season approaches.

Do not allow your bird to engage in any self-pleasuring in your presence, and keep in mind that a bird’s excessive self-pleasuring can result in prolapse, a very uncomfortable and inconvenient condition. Return him to his cage if he persists in behaviors that are unacceptable, and provide distractive activities and toys. Oftentimes, treating him to a bath or shower can help.

Picky Pet Parents Choose Persnickity Pet-Sitters…

Your bird’s hormones are triggered by the amount of light he receives. Try to limit the amount of bright light your bird receives to less than 12 hours a day.

Pets Sitting

If your non-breeding female bird lays an egg or several, don’t panic, and don’t pull the eggs. In all likelihood, she will only replace them by laying more, which ultimately can result in a calcium deficiency. Allow her to incubate the eggs until it occurs to her that her efforts are in vain—usually between 20 and 30 days. Her going through that natural cycle will signal her hormones to allow her to return to her normally scheduled life. For an excessive egg-layer, you may want to resort to plastic or ceramic eggs, as a bird typically doesn’t lay more eggs while she is incubating others.

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Credentials include: Humane Society, rescue work, Pony Club member(s), 4-H, foster home volunteer for NetPets.org (a national military pet fostering service for more than a decade) and excellent references.

Toward survival of their species, all animals and birds are more likely to engage in mating behaviors in times of plenty or excess. Do not overfeed your pet bird, but don’t deny him special treats either. Especially, don’t give him more protein than he needs during the breeding season. Moderation is key. Recognize sexual behaviors such as a sudden onset of wing drooping and panting in your presence for no other apparent reason and while remaining alert and otherwise animated, rubbing and excessive submissive or coo-like noises. In most cases, your bird probably is not sick. Provide distractions if these behaviors should occur. If such behaviors persist for long periods of time, however--or if the bird is engaging in these behaviors alone in her cage and appears listless or exhausted--consult your vet, as the bird could be suffering from illness or some sort of blockage, including egg binding.

• Horse Care: lunging, riding, turn-out, grooming, tack and stall cleaning • Errands, mail retrieval, plant watering, light rotation, open/ close blinds, home security checks and tons of love and aﬀection.

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18 19

Know that loud vocalizations are oftentimes part of the mating/breeding cycle and will just as often subside once a seasonal peak has passed.

Treat your bird with humaneness and compassion for his “plight,” and realize that this too shall pass.

Copyright © 2010 Madeleine Franco, all rights reserved. Madeleine Franco is an award-winning business writer/ presenter and founding president of the Southern Nevada Parrot Education, Rescue & Rehoming Society (SNPERRS). She is an avicultural hobbyist who tends a flock of approximately 30 non-breeding, highly platonic and interactive pet parrots. Madeleine is the owner/operator of Premium Pine Cones, LLC (www.premiumpinecones.net), specializing in remedies, toys and diversions for parrots that pluck but would like to kick the habit.

~ Saturdays at 10am ~ listen live or listen to an archived show

Answer Key for Seek & Find on Page 30

Many birds can become more aggressive and protective of their own spaces during the breeding season. Learn the body language (flapping wings, pinning eyes, rocking back and forth enthusiastically and with feathers ruffled, to mention a few), so as to avoid a nasty bite, which provides a bird’s last line of defense against unwanted advances.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

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Rescues & Shelters

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Happy DOGust! August 1, 2013

Everyone has a birthday… but for shelter dogs, that birthday is usually unknown. DOGust is the universal birthday for shelter & rescue dogs everywhere! The special day was created by the North Shore Animal League America.

So if your dog is a rescue pet, we wish him or her a very Happy Birthday!

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ July/August 2013

Fish Ponds e h t g n i Enjoy y t i l i u q n Tra

magine sitting by your fish pond and enjoying the tranquil sounds and sights of water cascading over rocks, swimming fish, and plants. Adding a pond to your outdoor environment creates an oasis of peace and tranquility. Turning your dream into reality requires a great deal of work. First, you must become knowledgeable about all aspects of garden or fish ponds. Second, visit as many outdoor gardens with ponds as possible. Area nurseries and garden centers are good places to check out plants and landscape materials. Third, create a vision or blueprint for your dream pond. Now you’re ready to work.

★ ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER ★ STYLE AND SHAPE – Your pond needs to fit into the available space your yard offers. You need to consider the design of your home and other landscaping. It can be small and simple or more elaborate with cascading waterfalls and bridges.You can use a preformed pond or design your own using a pond liner. An advantage of the preformed pond is that it comes ready with simulated natural landscaping and ridges and shelves. If you use a pond liner the ridges and shelves have to be done by hand or machine. SIZE – You must determine if your available space is large enough to create a sustainable fish pond. Suggested minimum water requirements for koi are 1,000 gallons of water and depth of four feet. Koi fish can grow up to two or three feet in length. An average size of 21 inches is used for these calculations: a pond 6’ x 8’ at a depth of 4’ contains 1,436 gallons of water and could support seven koi fish. It is better to start with a larger pond rather than wishing you had a larger one. A larger pond is often easier to maintain. . WATER – You need a filter to handle the waste and uneaten food. You will also need a pump or waterfall to add oxygen to the water.

SHADE – Maintaining ideal water temperatures is a challenge. Plantings add beauty as well as provide shade to help keep the water temperature cooler. Potted tall plants, shrubs, trees, or a hedge along west side can provide shade. A trellis with a flowering vine helps provide shade and will be a beautiful addition to your garden pond. Aquatic plants such as water lilies provide shaded areas in the pond . FISH – Goldfish and koi are the two favorites for fish ponds. Goldfish are the easiest since they’re happy in almost any size pond. They also can handle a wider range of water conditions. Planning what pond plants you include is more of a challenge with koi. Goldfish usually will not disturb plants, however, koi sometimes eat certain types of plants and dig in submerged pots. Koi and goldfish can be kept in the same pond. Koi are community fish so you should have at least three koi or goldfish.

With the proper design and planning, site preparation, and hard work you can have your dream fish/koi pond and enjoy your own personal oasis of peace & tranquility. Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Experience The Difference Between Finding You A House And A Home.

These little dogs are my “babies”! We “rescued and adopted” our 14 year old Maltese, Button, when she was 8 years old. We got Lacee, our Bishon Frise, as a puppy and she is now 9 years old.

They are both so precious and keep us laughing at their playful antics.

We know Lacee has kept Button young!

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I Can Help You in Any Aspect of Real Estate, Please Contact Me. Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

Summer Pet Safety Tip #3

Know the Signs of

Heat Exhaustion Dogs suffering from heat stroke will normally exhibit some or all of the following symptoms: • Restlessness • Increased respiratory rate • Excess salivation

• Panting • Increased heart rate • Vomiting

If you think your pet may be overheated, get your pet out of the heat and into shade immediately. Applying cool, wet towels to the groin area, stomach, chest and paws can also help. It’s important to get them to a vet ASAP.

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Albertsons Grocery Stores Neighborhood Wal-Marts Glazier’s Market WinCo Markets Select Smith’s Grocery Stores Veterinarian Hospitals Animal Shelters & Rescues Local Pet Stores Groomers, Pet Hotels Clark County Libraries Henderson Libraries Advertiser’s Locations

NEXT ISSUE AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER! SUBSCRIPTIONS Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine is published bi-monthly. If you prefer a copy to be mailed to you, rates are: $10 for 1 year (6 Issues). Send advance payment to: Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine, 5785 W. Tropicana Ave. #5, Las Vegas, NV 89103.

Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

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Las Vegas Pet Scene Magazine • July/August 2013

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