It's Spring and Fur is in the Air

If your furniture, floor and carpets have more [pet] hair on them then your Uncle Fred’s head, you know Spring is here!

The fact is, shedding fur is a natural process for dogs (and cats). Some shed year-round, while others may only shed in the spring to reduce their winter coat. Dogs will also shed broken or damaged hair if their skin is irritated from by allergies. Yes, like people dogs can have seasonal allergies too.

Although the cycle of losing fur is just part of being a dog, there are ways to help control the amount of shedding, while keeping the home cleaner and the dog more comfortable. A schedule of regular grooming, vet visits and a healthy diet can help reduce the amount of shedding from your pet.

Daily Grooming

Plan a regular grooming schedule for the dog. Brush him daily to control the release of fur. Go outside, and smooth the brush over his back, tummy and legs. Allow the loose hairs to fall outside and collect in a dog brush. This will reduce the amount of loose fur on the dog's body, keep the interior of the home cleaner and provide daily attention for the dog.

Bi-Weekly Baths: Tips for Washing Your Dog

The sooner you get the dead coat out, the sooner a new coat will come in. “Self-serve” dog washes are an excellent option to using your bathtub or paying an expensive grooming fee.

Wet your dog with the warmest water your dog can stand. You want it very warm, but not hot enough to burn the dog's skin. Use your fingers to work through the coat and loosen it up. You don’t need shampoo. Work your fingers through the coat as you lift and wash away the fur from the dog.

Use a blow dryer to dry the coat. The dryer will help to blow away any remaining loose hair.

Never Shave a Lab

The ONLY reason to shave anything on a Lab is:

1. For Surgery

2. For a Hot Spot

Only your vet should shave the area that needs to be shaved. If you see a hot spot, then let your vet treat it to keep it from spreading. Shaving a Lab for routine maintenance is WRONG and is NOT healthy for the dog.

The Facts and Fiction About Shaving A Lab:

Fiction: Shaving a Lab will reduce shedding.

Fact: The dog will only shed shorter hairs.

Fiction: All that hair must make the dog hot.

Fact: The undercoat actually keeps the dog cooler.

Fiction: Dogs can’t get sun burned.

Fact: A shaved dog has and increase risk of being exposed to damaging UV rays that they would not otherwise be exposed to

More suggestions...

1. Feed your dog appropriate pet food. A pet’s coat is often a reflection of what they eat. Feed a high quality/premium food with good digestible protein sources.

2. Cover your furniture and car seats. Upholstery is a magnet for pet hair, and removing pet hair from furniture or car seats can be tedious. If you allow pets on your furniture or bed, you would be wise to invest in a few furniture throws. Throws will keep your furniture looking (and smelling) better and make your home more inviting to guests. Car seat covers are also an excellent investment and are highly recommended.

3. Control allergies and fleas. If your pet is scratching because of allergies, supplement with Vitacaps® and Biotin to control inhalant allergies that irritate the skin. Be sure to see your veterinarian to make sure your pet is getting proper allergy relief. To prevent itching and scratching from fleas, use a flea repellent that your vet recommends to prevent and control infestations.

4. Have regular checkups. Many diseases can affect the skin and haircoat. Regular visits to your veterinarian will help identify problems early and provide more effective treatment.

5. To control shedding, use the right brush. Not all are created equal.

6. Remove hair from upholstery and your dog’s bed as soon as possible. Newly shed hair is easier to remove before it works its way into upholstery fabric. A tape roller is one of the best tools for removing hair.

Return to March Newsletter

Grace's Law Passes onto the GA Senate

Urge the GA Senate to Ban Remaining Gas Chambers!

On March 16, 2010 the Georgia House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, 132-49, to pass H.B. 788 which would ban use of the remaining CO gas chambersto kill shelter animals in Georgia and also make heartstick illegal by statute.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

Grace's Law, is now assigned to the Georgia Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee whose members are found here.(Just click on their names for contact info.) Georgia State Senator Jack Murphy is the bill's senate sponsor.

Call or Fax (no emails) and Urge the committee members to vote yes on H.B. 788 and end use of CO gas chambers and cruel heartstick to kill shelter animals. All but a handful of Georgia counties and cities inside and outside of metro Atlanta have already stopped this! A list of the counties/cities can be found here. If one of the committee members is your state senator, be sure to let him or her know that.

COUNTIES/CITIES USING GAS CHAMBERS

1. Ashburn, City of (in Turner County)
2. Cobb County
3. Butts County Animal Control
4. Cordele, City of (in Crisp County)
5. Cuthbert, City of (in Randolph County)
6. Haralson County Animal Shelter
7. Hawkinsville, City of (in Pulaski County)
8. Henry County Animal Control
9. Lakeland, City of (in Lanier County)
10. Mitchell County Animal Control
11. Vienna, City of Animal Shelter (in Dooly County)

While animal euthanasia is not a pleasant topic, the ability to get a more humane Animal Welfare act passed into Georgia law makes it a topic worth broadcasting and providing to friends with information.

Grace's Law is the first step in a ground swelling movement to Reform Animal Welfare Law in Georgia. The next focus for Reform will be to reduce the at-risk population (through education and more effective spay/neuter programs) by at least 60% and give the politicians a reason to do it- $140million/year in savings.
For more information click here

Return to March Newsletter

ALR Says Farwell to Trevor

by Fern Garber

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers

Although it’s never easy, and despite our best efforts, sometimes we at Atlanta Lab Rescue must say good-bye to one of our charges. It is with sadness that earlier this month we helped Trevor cross the Rainbow Bridge.

Trevor arrived at Atlanta Lab Rescue in June of 2009. At that time, he was taken to the vet to be neutered where it was discovered he had a grade 5 heart murmur (grade 6 is the max). Yet, even with this condition and although he was an older rescue (his age was ‘guesstimated’ at about 14), Atlanta Lab Rescue Board Member and volunteer extraordinaire, Frank Conn, agreed to foster Trevor to make whatever time he had left comfortable and dignified. For almost eight months, Trevor played and ran with Frank’s other dogs. He loved everyone, made people laugh and never created problems in the home. When Frank traveled, Becky took on the fostering care.

Frank was planning to bring Trevor to the January 31st Adoption Day at the Buckhead Petsmart, but on Saturday, Trevor’s health took a turn for the worse. His systems were failing and he was losing the battle. So, in the afternoon on February 4, Frank took the gentle soul to the vet and bid him farewell.
 

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. 

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

 
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

1 in 5 prefers pet to partner for Valentine’s Day

Reuters  Mon., Feb. 8, 2010

NEW YORK - Rather than spending Valentine's Day with their partner, one-fifth of adults would prefer to be with their pet, according to a joint global poll by Reuters/Ipsos.

The survey of 24,000 people in 23 countries found 21 percent of adults would rather spend February 14 with their pet than their spouse, although the French were least likely to choose a furry friend over a human, with only 10 percent taking that option.

But the survey found that age and income were more of a determining factor than nationality when it came to romance, with younger, less affluent people more likely to choose their pet as their Valentine's Day companion.

John Wright, senior vice president of Ipsos, said 25 percent of people aged under 35 opted for their pet over their partner compared to 18 percent of those aged 35-54 and 14 percent of people aged 55 plus.

Men and women were evenly split over the question.

Those choosing pets over people were also more likely to be those who have a lower income (24 percent) compared to those who were middle or higher income earners (20 percent).

"Likely defying stereotype, the desire to spurn a partner for a pet is not rooted in gender but rather age and even there it seems the older you are, the least likely it is you'd choose pet over partner," said Wright.

"While there are country differences, it's more of a personal choice made by younger and less affluent individuals."

On a country-by-country basis, residents of Turkey were the most likely, at 49 percent, to choose their pet over their spouse or partner.

Next came India with 41 percent, then Japan with 30 percent, China with 29 percent, the United States with 27 percent and Australia with 25 percent.

On the other hand, the nations where residents were the least likely to want to spend the day with a pet instead of their spouse or partner were France at 10 percent, Mexico 11 percent, the Netherlands 12 percent and Hungary at 12 percent.

About 1,000 individuals participated on a country by country basis via an Ipsos (http://www.ipsos.com) online panel with weighting employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflected that of the adult population according to the most recent country census data.