CO Pets Spring 2021

Spring 2021

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A MAGAZINE FOR BEND’S BEST FRIENDS

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Pet Palooz

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How to train a furry first mate

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BENDVETERINARYCLINIC.COM 360 NE QUIMBY AVENUE 382-0741 2 | bendsource.com/copets

DOCTORS BYRON MAAS, LAUREN STAYER, ERIN MILLER, TABITHA JOHNSTON AND LAUREN HOFFMAN

One Person, One Dog,

One Backyard

Iditarod A how-to on skijoring with your favorite pup

By K.M. Collins

to skijoring with glee, as do the northern breeds, such as Siberian and Alaskan Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, and Inuit dogs; however, any large energetic dog is capable of enjoying this sport. Golden Retrievers, Giant Schnauzers, Labs and many cross-breeds are seen in harness. Pulling breeds work well also such as American Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, American bull dogs, and mastiffs.”

With the modified 2021 Iditerod in full swing— from professional sled dogs to DIY run-of-themill skiing with your pup—there is a big range of learning, teaching and participating in the skijoring scene. With a few months of snow left in the hinterlands, here’s a rundown of tips for novices and how you can get more involved in clinics and racing.

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Giving it the old college try “I’m kind of a hack with skijoring,” admittedly, longtime local and teacher Dan Pilver notes.

A common starting point for most greenhorns, Pilver purchased his critical gear (a harness and set-up), from Bend-based Spindrift adventure dog gear and watched a couple of YouTube videos.

Pilver humbly confesses, “I don’t have any real training and it shows while I’m on the trails. I started skijoring about 10 years ago, out of necessity with my last dog, a Great Pyrenees, since he would wander off if not on a leash. I tried skiing with a long leash at first, but skijoring is a lot easier. Skijoring with a large breed dog is Ja

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ccording to the Pacific Sled Dog & Skijor Association, Skijoring is a winter sport where a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog (or dogs) or a motor vehicle. It is derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, meaning ski driving.

Dog skijoring, specifically, is a sport in which a dog (or dogs) assist a cross-country skier. The skier provides power with skis and poles, and the dog adds additional power through pulling.

The skier and dog are attached by harness and a length of rope. The dog must be motivated by its own desire to run and take direction by voice.

The PSDSA suggests that many breeds of dog participate in skijoring, and dogs greater than 40 pounds are ideal. “Athletic dogs such as Pointers, Setters and herding breeds take

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easier in some ways since they aren’t running at high speeds… Walter, my current dog [a Pyrenean Mastiff], is three years old and we have been skijoring for two years. He absolutely loves it.”

Lessons learned Pilver wants to pass on?

He cautions about the challenge of downhills, suggesting extra care to not run your canine companion over. He also notes an age-old struggle: the excitement of crowds at parking lots and trailheads.

“Once we get away from folks and other dogs, Walter settles into skijoring. One issue that isn’t unique to skijoring is dog’s getting snowballs stuck on their feet. It definitely helps to have a solution for that figured out before skijoring (booties, musher’s wax, etc.).”

Recreational and competitive training Looking to link up with folks into skijoring as a full-on lifestyle? Check out Cascade Sled Dog Club, a nonprofit organization promoting the education, training, racing, showing and humane care and treatment of working dogs, as well as Skiing (skate) for Skijoring, dedicated to those mushers/individuals looking to improve their skiing so they can have their best skijor experience. Cascade Sled Dog Club also periodically holds “pull clinics,” or practicing skijoring through pulling on a bike.

Pacific Sled Dog & Skijor Association, whose mission is to encourage and promote the sport of running sled dogs and skijoring, both recreationally and competitively shepherd the most up-to-date etiquette, training and race information in the region. Although races commonly happen yearly in La Pine, Bachelor Butte, Diamond Lake and Chemult, this year Mush without Slush is the only event still running. A dryland race near Sisters in which newcomers are very welcome is happening March 27-28.

Spring 2021 | 3

Open 7 Days a Week Weekdays 8-6 Weekends 9-4 Walk-Ins Welcome

Keeping your pets happy and healthy is more than our job, it’s our passion.

19550 Amber Meadow Dr, Bend Call or Text: (541) 306-6991

brookswoodanimalclinic.com petvet@brookswoodanimalclinic.com

Desert Sage Agility We are a positive reinforcement facility offering multi-level classes in...

• Agility • Rally/AKC Obedience • Puppy and Beyond

Desert Sage Canine Care Leave your furry friends with us in a stress-less facility and have the peace of mind that they will be well cared for by a Registered Veterinary Technician.

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desertsage.dog

Submitted

How to train a furry first mate to master the paddleboard

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hen learning new sports, jumping right in can be the best method—trial by fire, as it were. Such is the case with training fur babies to passenger aboard paddleboards.

My first furry mate was an Aussie and German shepherd mix. Mic had a low center of gravity with short legs and a thick torso—which are advantages on a paddle board. Disadvantages were his reluctance around water and independent spirit.

Read on for the seven S’s—the training tips Mic helped me learn.

Swim test Is your dog a little shy around water? No problem. If they are fetch-motivated, throw a stick or ball in the shallows of a waterway.

Initially, keep the tosses easily reachable from dry land. Progressively throw the toy into deeper water. Find the zone where your pup hesitates and continue to throw the toy just short of that demarcation, so your pup can confidently challenge themselves to keep getting in the water. Eventually, throw the toy back in the hesitation zone. It may take a couple trips to the swimming hole, but at long last, your pup will swim. Relish the moment together.

took him to Elk Lake, where he followed the land perimeter as I paddled near the shore.

Whenever I came on land, he would come sniff the board, wondering what it was. In due course, he got on the board on land of his own volition.

When your pup starts to explore your board, it’s really important you let them discover for a while without correction. You don’t want them associating anything negative with paddle boarding.

The next phase is training your pup to sit on the board with you, still on land. This may come after several outings stagnating at phase one.

Maybe you sit in the sun on the board or take a nap—these can be great ways to integrate puppy and board. Finally, try standing on the board and having your pup stay in one place on the board.

Even pretend like you are paddling; this helps pup know what to expect when it’s time for the real thing. Be consistent with commands when you move from land to water.

You’ll know your pup is ready for the real thing because they will give enthusiastic consent. They’ll approach the board on the water and show you they’re ready. The more time you spend on land practicing, the more seamless the transition from land to water will go.

Significantly lower your expectations Rome wasn’t built in a day. Do you remember the first time you got on a paddle board on water? Remember how shaky you were?

Remember how much better you’ve gotten over time? Your pup is going through the same process… It’s possible you have a one-in-amillion pup with instincts to paddleboard that are ready to go without much persuasion. If this is the case, good on you. But if you’re like the rest of us, be patient, it will build a good foundation for the many adventures you will eventually have on the water together!

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Scooby Snacks I didn’t mention it above, but snacks are a critical part of each phase of training mentioned. I like to start with milk bones (organic tiny ones) for swim practice. When we move to the board, I up the treat ante a little to something more special. Once on the water, I like to use a treat that is fragrant (so pup knows

it’s in my pocket) and so special, pup only gets it when they are on the water with me… You guessed it - beef jerky!

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Sussing, sitting, standing progression This progression is a three-phased approach to getting your pup to sit at ease on your board.

In the first phase, you let the pup suss out the board. This can happen in many formats.

For Mic, he wanted to watch me paddleboard for a while before he would come near the board. To allow him the full space he needed to get curious about approaching the board, I

By K.M. Collins

Spring 2021 | 5

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Supporting you with advanced specialty and emergency care options.

• Dermatology and Allergy • Emergency • Internal Medicine • Surgery • Oncology

541.210.9200 www.vrcvet.com 1820 NW Monterey Pines Dr, Bend Open until midnight, 7 days a week.

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Join Our Doctors For Facebook Live Every Other Wednesday at 4pm

Pet Palooza

We asked our readers to send in their best pet photos to be considered in our annual Pet Palooza photo contest.

Here are our winners, the runner-ups and a few feline friends. Thanks to everyone who submitted their pets!

We loved meeting all your furry best friends.

Thank you to our sponsor High Desert Frameworks for providing all the winners a professional printed portrait of their pets! Get your own pet portrait printed with Frame.pics, their online digital printing platform.

Visit highdesertframeworks.com for more info.

Fant�tic Fel in� While we kept the submissions open to any and all pets, we received mostly dogs and a few feline friends. While none of the cats made their way into a winning post, we still wanted to showcase a few of the cat submissions we received and show off the fantastic felines in Central Oregon!

B�t C�tume Penny loves her cookies and dressing up!

Worst at Social D�tancing Arwen loves playing in the snow

Cut�t Pandemic Pet Finn, a full-time rascal who loves chasing balls .

B�t Face for Radio Buffy's favorite activity is hiking the Deschutes River Trail.

From far left, Nala Bean, our runner-up for Best Costume.

Baker, runner-up for Cutest Pandemic Pet. Bailey & Annie, runners-up for Worst at Social Distancing, and finally, Boris, our runner-up for Best Face for Radio.

Browse even more submissions online; look for our Pet Palooza section at bendsource.com.

Spring 2021 | 7

Central Oregon Kanine Academy —One Free Consultation—

Juniper Rock Photography

BrightSide Animal Center is a high-save shelter that houses companion animals.

If you, too, believe in the high-save mission, that each animal is worth saving and deserves our best efforts, please help us by donating!

Donations: brightsideanimals.org/contributions/

BrightSide Animal Center 1355 NE Hemlock Ave., Redmond (541)923-0882

OBEDIENCE Come Command Down Stay Heeling Sit Stay Stand Stay

541-480-6900

PROBLEM BEHAVIORS Dog Aggression Jumping Digging Barking Housebreaking Boundary Training

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Keep your kitty “feline fine” with modern, personalized, low-stress veterinary care at our brand new feline-only clinic in Bend.

Where Cats Are Treated Like Royalty

Follow-us for updates, tips, and fun cat posts on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/felinefinecatclinic/ Dr. Stephanie Kadasi 8 | bendsource.com/copets

www.felinefinevet.com | 541-306-2442 | info@felinefinevet.com 61249 S HWY 97, Suite 120, Bend 97702 | M-F 9am-5pm

Is My Cat Bored?

How Can I Get My Pets to Get Along A local cat veterinarian answers these and other pressing cat-parent questions

By Nicole Vulcan

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to feel that they can “get away” when needed.

Consider using Feliway diffusers, which provide calming hormones for your cat, and some cats (and dogs) may benefit from anxiety supplements and medications, which can be prescribed by your veterinarian. Make sure their feeding places are away from each other, preferably in separate rooms and consider placing your cat’s food up higher out of the dog’s reach, and that the litter box is in a safe and quiet location away from the dog. Offer treats when your cat and dog are in the same space, to help form a positive emotional relationship between each other’s presence.

SW: My old cat gets a mix of wet food and dry food to help him eat with his bad teeth. My young cat seems to think he needs that, too.

What’s the best way to handle this?

SK: Interestingly, dry food is not shown to help kitty teeth any more than wet food. For one, many cats swallow their food mostly whole, and for two, as soon as they bite into the dry food, it gets mushed up with saliva, sticking to teeth similarly to wet food. The only dry food shown to help reduce dental tartar is a prescription veterinary dental diet, but because most cats don’t really “chew” their food more than a bite or two, it is often not particularly effective. The American Association of Feline Practitioners currently recommends cats be on a completely wet-food diet, and if that is not possible, aim for at least 50% of their diet to come from wet food rather than dry food alone. This may help reduce the development of urinary crystals and kidney disease. There are some water additives and other products that can help reduce plaque formation over time (look for a “VOHC” seal of approval from the board of veterinary dentists on the packaging), however in general the only way to truly effectively maintain a healthy disease-free kitty mouth is through regular CORE (Comprehensive Oral Radiographs and Examination) dentals and cleanings under anesthesia by your veterinarian, ideally on a yearly basis once a kitty has reached adulthood.

SW: What’s your take on letting kitty outside to roam, as she wants to do? A bell on her collar? Any other ideas for keeping both cats and other wildlife safe?

SK: Typically, I recommend that cats stay indoors, both for their own safety and for wildlife conservation measures. If you live in an area without heavy traffic, and if your cat adamantly refuses to stay inside, there will be inherent

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ogs get a lot of attention in a town like Bend, dubbed a “Dog Town USA,” but as cat lovers know, cats can offer their fair share of love and Instagram-worthy photos. At Feline Fine Cat Clinic in Bend, veterinarians including owner Stephanie Kadasi, DVM, focus solely on the feline side of animal care.

We checked in with Kadasi to answer some of our most pressing cat-related questions.

Source Weekly: I got a cat during the pandemic and now I’m headed back to work.

What can I do to ensure my kitty doesn’t get bored when I am gone?

Stephanie Kadasi: Cats love to get their energy and entertainment out in short bursts of energy, and then to sleep in between the excitement. (What a life!) If your schedule allows, set aside about 20-30 minutes of attention and play time with your cat before and after your work shifts. I personally love the “Cat Dancer” (can be found on amazon.com), which many cats love as it mimics the movements of a flying bug. If your cat munches on some dry food during the day, Doc and Phoebe’s Cat Co Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Kit is a good way to give your kitty some exercise and mental stimulation while looking for their meal. While out of the home, consider playing “Cat TV” (from youtube.com) on a screen, or better yet if your home can accommodate one, have a catio built that allows safe access to outdoor fresh air and nature’s entertainment of critter watching (Elwing Works, LLC, a local small business, makes some beautiful kitty structures!).

Most cats highly benefit from cat climbers, cat shelves and various wall structures that enable them to climb up high, and some love an exercise wheel (such as the one made by “One Fast Cat”).

Otherwise, remember that cats do like to sleep a LOT, so they are probably less bored than you think. Consider having a kitty cam placed in your home so that you can check out their daily habits (and even talk to them through a microphone!)

SW: My new cat is very afraid of our dog, and the dog isn’t sure about her, either. What can I do to ensure they integrate together safely?

SK: The first step is accepting that some cats and dogs may only get to the point of tolerating each other, especially from the cat’s perspective, and that’s OK! Our goal is to keep the environment safe and as stress-free as possible. Offer plenty of climbing spaces over 5 feet tall for your kitty

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risks to their outdoor lifestyle. Some of these risks, such as infectious diseases like Feline Distemper, Rabies and Feline Leukemia Virus, can be effectively vaccinated against by your veterinarian. Other diseases, such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, do not currently have an effective vaccine. Outdoor cats are also exposed to all kinds of internal and external parasites, such as tapeworms, fleas, etc., which can be protected against with safe parasite preventatives from your veterinarian. Non-infectious risks include coming across larger predatory animals, such as coyotes, birds of prey and wild cats. It is also very important to make sure an outdoor cat (and even indoor cats) are spayed and neutered, so that they don’t have accidental litters of kittens, as well as to reduce the chances of them fighting with other outdoor cats.

Additional recommendations include making sure your pet wears a break-away collar with up to date ID information, and having a microchip placed. There are some tracking devices that send information to an app on your cell phone, if you would like to keep an eye on where your kitty is roaming, which is helpful during unexpected disappearances of your pet. A bell on the collar may help alert wildlife to your cat’s presence, to help give birds and other critters a chance to escape your kitty’s hunt safely.

SW: We just moved to Central Oregon and the air is drier than my cat is used to. How can I help her with her dry skin?

SK: Humidifiers are your friend! Place one along with an air purifier in at least the room where your cat sleeps most often, and make sure to keep these machines clean to prevent mold growth. Consider having your cat hang out in your bathroom while you take a shower or bath. Otherwise, certain skin supplements and treatments can be provided by your veterinarian, if the above measures are not quite enough to solve the problem.

Spring 2021 | 9

Planning for your future is hard enough.

It’s good to know there are options available to protect your furry family members once you are gone.

Excellence with compassion when you need it most

541-389-4646

• Wellness Exams • Vaccinations • Primary Care • Integrative HealthCare Options • Acupuncture • At Home Euthanasia

www.twosprucelaw.com

CLINIC OPEN:

M-Thur 8am-5pm (Closed 12:30-1:30pm for lunch) Dr. Steve Blauvelt Call to schedule your pet for an integrative medicine approach to balanced health.

Dog is Good & Cats too!

600 Savannah Dr. Suite 1, Bend • 541.408.9852

Friends of the Children Central Oregon is a non-profit who provides 1:1 mentorship for 12+ years, No Matter What.

We amplify our youths voices as they write their own stories of hope and resilience.

Follow our journey and donate today at friendscentraloregon.org P.O. Box 6028 Bend, OR 97708 541.668.6836 10 | bendsource.com/copets

Call for Appointments 541-323-7535

1824 NE Division Street, Bend (across from Boneyard Beer Pub)

highball-bs.com

Tue-Fri 6am - 5pm Sat 6am - 2pm Sun-Mon 10am - 6pm

Instapets!

It seems like everyone has an Instagram account these days—even some popular Central Oregon Pets

By K.M. Colins Adobe Stock

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ith so much in the media to doomscroll over, how about a little “gleefreshing” clickbait?

What could be more soothing than social media posts featuring cute, cuddly PNW animals? Here are the latest picks for the best local insta animal finds... @Ishtar.gram Part of a litter of five hailing from the locally famed Phoenix Farm on the east edge of Bend, Ishtar is one of two daughters to a German Shepherd and a Black Lab born in the spring

of 2020. At less than a year old, her human launched her first Insta account and has been building momentum since December. Check out her cameo in the “Doggy Paddle” article found in this issue of Central Oregon Pets. @beaverbabyfurrylove Beave was rescued when he was three weeks old after being abandoned. After two years, he will be released to go it alone in the wild. This account mainly posts videos of Beave attempting to create in-home dams by dragging toys, debris and anything handy into constrictions. He chews

trim and wood home furnishings and when he’s happy, he makes squeaky sounds like a stuffy nosed baby. I can’t get enough... @highdesertmuseum For epic images of recovering high desert animals like beavers, otters, birds of prey and more, check out virtual exhibit clips through the High Desert Museum Instagram page.

For more animal imagery, check out @mustangstotheresecue, @ruffwear and @Oregonzoo.

What are your favorite Instagram animal pages?

Spring 2021 | 11

24-HOUR EMERGENCY VETERINARY CARE

What is a pet emergency?

SW Division

including all holidays

BVSEC t

Open 24/7 365 days a year

Reed Market

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Trauma Wounds • Hit by cars • Fractures • Porcupine quills • Bite wounds • Lacerations / wounds • Neurologic injury • Snakebite wounds • Limping • Pain

Other Emergencies • Trouble breathing • Seizure • Bloated abdomen • Difficult labor • Bleeding • Difficult urination • Collapse • Eye problems • Heatstroke • Vomiting / Diarrhea

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Ingestion of Common Toxins • Human Food • Paints • Rodenticides • Xylitol • Illicit drugs

1245 Southeast 3rd Street, Suite C-3, Bend | 541-385-9110 | www.bendvetspecialtyemergency.com 12 | bendsource.com/copets