The Alberta Flood of 2013 and D.I.N.O
As many of you know Calgary and surrounding areas where affected by the flood of 2013. I have been told by Cheryl, one of the co-founders of D.I.N.O, that most of the dogs were away from the flood. That is wonderful to hear.
After all that rain, the sun is shining and scorching hot. We must keep our pets SAFE.
Volunteer Opportunities
DINO has an exciting opportunity for a Foster Coordinator!
Please see the following link for further information.
Recipe of the Month
Healthy Pumpkin Balls
This snack is not only delicious but is also filled with fiber, vitamin A, beta carotene, potassium and iron.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin 2 cups whole wheat flour
4 tbsp. molasses 1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. water 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together in a bowl.
3. Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough softens.
4. Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls on your hands (wet hands work best.)
5. Set the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.
6. Bake approximately 25 minutes until dough is hardened.
Dog Nutrition cont’d
DRINK
Dogs should drink about an ounce of water per pound of body weight daily. The water should fresh and clean and readily available. Dogs usually regulate their own intake. But, if you notice changes in drinking habits, see your vet. This could intake health problems. Doggie sport drinks are available, and while it might be cute to share a post-workout quaff with your pet-canines don’t need specialty drinks. (They don’t sweat out electrolytes like us). As for dental rinses and water additives, see your vet if you are concerned about halitosis and plaque.
8 Foods You Should Never Feed Your Pet
A number of human foods are dangerous to our pets and can prove deadly if eaten. Among them are:
1. & 2. Garlic and Onions
Garlic and onions contain chemicals that damage red blood cell in cats and dogs. Affected red blood cells can rupture or lose their ability to carry oxygen effectively. Cooking these foods does not reduce their potential toxicity. Fresh, cooked, and/or powdered garlic and/or onions are commonly found in baby food, which is sometimes given to animals when they are sick, so be sure to read food labels carefully.
To be continued in the next newsletter.D.I.N.O is pleased to offer 6 weeks of Pet Secure Insurance with their adoptions. DNA kits to adopters, Discounted Training through CAT, earth options dog food, grooming ($30) and boarding is also available for purchase.
DINO Rescue is pleased to offer boarding for $20 per day. Preference will be given first to our adopters, but we will happily accommodate others if space allows.
Please contact us for further information on our boarding! Thank you from the DINO Rescue team!
DNA My Dog Canine Genetic Testing
Your dog’s unique DNA – Only $10
DNA My Dog’s simple cheek swab DNA test lets you learn every breed in your dog and gain insight into the unique genetic background of your dog including the history of their breed, personality traits, exercise levels, and so much more!
Every dog has its own unique DNA. DNA My Dog provides you with a kit and very simple instructions for swabbing the cheeks of your dog and collecting your dog’s DNA samples. The test is easy, painless and takes under a minute.
Impawsible – Possible
www.impawsiblepossible.com
Urban Freedom Calgary: ***For dog & human friendly dogs only*** Class limited to 6 dogs!!!
Pre-requisite: None except dog must be human & dog friendly
Class Description: Are you embarrassed by your dog’s behaviours and bad manners? Does he run in the opposite direction when you call him? Does he pull you down the street on your walks, leaving you in puddles of spilt lattes? Does she struggle to find focus in the urban environment amidst the myriad of distractions. If you answered “yes” to any (or all) of these questions then Urban Freedom is for you. Transform your dog into an ideal urban citizen, this fun and educational program
Number of Classes: Urban Freedom Calgary consists of 14 Classes over the course of 7 weeks at 14 unique outdoor locations in Calgary (each class is 1 hour)
Tuition: Regular: $289 + GST DINO Rescue: $231.20 + GST (Save 20%)
Feisty Fido: ***For dogs with fears, aggression, reactivity and/or anxiety *** Class limited to 5 dogs!!!
Pre-requisite: None
Class Description: Does your dog make embarrassing displays at the end of her leash? Does she lunge, bark, snarl and growl at dogs, strangers, skateboards, cars, bikes or even snowmen? If you dread leaving your house with Fido for fear of what, or whom, you may run into then this class is for you. In this 6 week class dedicated to Feisty Fidos, you will learn everything you need to know to manage and permanently modify these undesirable behaviors so that you can leave your house with confidence – looking forward to whatever “challenges” are lurking around the next corner.
Number of Classes: 6 Classes (First Class is Human only orientation)
Tuition: Regular: $289 + GST DINO Rescue: $231.20 + GST (Save 20%)
Thunderstorms By Kathy Diamond Davis
Fear of thunderstorms is common in dogs, and tends to get worse as they age. It is partly genetic. While some aspects of this problem remain a mystery, we know a lot that can make life easier for thunderstorm-phobic dogs and their families. Best of all, you may be able to help your dog avoid developing this fear in the first place.
Prevention and Precautions
Why do dogs fear thunderstorms? Too many dogs are left outdoors during storms, sometimes with no shelter at all. Anyone would be scared with good reason. Keep your dog inside during storms.
If you want to take your dog outdoors during a storm, do it safely. Some dogs do better when protected by raincoats and boots. Make the trip outside a fun adventure or calm occasion rather than a stressful experience. Special rewards for pottying outside in the rain are a good idea. Make storms occasion for special times with your dog to create positive associations. Games, treats and special activities are time well spent during storms.
Don’t be tense during storms. Be upbeat with the dog, not impatient or pitying with your touch or your voice. The dog will pick up on your emotions and body language, so make them confident.
Dogs feel “rewarded” for fearful behavior if you pet and praise when the dog is behaving fearfully. Rewarding a behavior increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring more often, even when the individual is not conscious of being rewarded for it. Give rewards when the dog is behaving confidently, calmly, or happily. Work with your dog to develop ways to elicit these behaviors so that you can do so during storms and then reward. This is powerful training that will help you and your dog in all aspects of life.
Be aware that this fear can be “contagious” from one dog to another. This makes it all the more important to handle both the fearful dog and a new dog carefully, so that you improve how the dogs feel about storms rather than letting the fear get worse, or even feeding it by how you manage the dogs.
Causes and Triggers
Dogs react to a variety of things associated with storms, and it helps to know what these are for your dog. You may never know them all, but at least a general understanding will help you understand the extent of this fear.
The loud noise is scary to some dogs, and the dog can hear it at a much greater distance than humans can. The dog has early audio warning of an approaching storm, and most storm-phobic dogs eventually start reacting long before the sounds are loud.
Electricity in the air may be a major factor in dog storm phobia. Is there something unpleasant about this to the dog’s sensations? Does it perhaps become even scarier to a dog who has been trained with an electronic collar, or frightened by a static shock in everyday life? We have a lot more questions about the effect of electricity on dogs than we have answers.
The smell of the air changes when a storm approaches, and of course the keen nose of a dog detects this early. The air pressure changes, too, and a dog’s ears are more sensitive to pressure changes than most people. In some cases, it might hurt.
The family may change routine when a storm is approaching. If the family is fearful, gets irritable with the dog, or treats the dog in some unpleasant manner during this time (puts the dog outside, for example), that could feed the dog’s fear.
Anything that has become associated in the dog’s experience with thunderstorms can become a trigger for the fear. So, anytime one of these triggers happens is an opportunity for you to help your dog overcome the fear.
For the More Severe Cases
Veterinarians, veterinary behavior specialists, and dog families deal with thunderstorm fears as this problem is so common. Different things seem to help different dogs. Beyond the above tactics, here are some things you may decide to try:
1. A quiet, dark, sheltered refuge. Your dog may find the preferred spot independently, leaving you to simply make sure it stays consistently available to the dog. Chosen places dogs include basements, bathrooms (sometimes in the bathtub), closets, and crates that are kept in secluded parts of houses.
2. If your dog becomes frantic and as a result might suffer injury or do damage during a storm, you may need to develop a good means of confining the dog. Sometimes a secluded crate works, if the dog has been conditioned to rest calmly in a crate.
3. The DAP Diffuser is showing some promising results in calming fearful dogs, and doesn’t seem to have negative side effects, so consider setting one up in the area used by the dog.
4. You and your veterinarian or veterinary behavior specialist may decide to medicate your dog with an anti-anxiety drug for the entire storm season or year-round (these medications generally do not work until the dog has been on them for weeks), or a sedative during storms. Due to the unpredictability of storms, it may not be possible to administer a sedative when it’s needed.
5. For some reason, there are dogs who find it comforting to get under a “security blanket” to combat storm fears. Due to the risk of overheating a dog, don’t force this method. You might give it a try, though, monitoring the dog to see if it helps and to find a covering that provides the benefit without excessive heating. Don’t leave a dog alone with the covering if the dog is likely to chew and swallow pieces of it.
6. A behavior specialist can help you work out a behavior modification program to work on this problem. Such a program might include a tape of storm sound effects and training for your dog that you can use when the fears start. Learning more about communicating with your dog and modifying dog behavior in positive ways is always time well spent.
Don’t take thunderstorm phobia lightly, even if the problem seems minor in your dog. Handled badly by humans, it will get worse, and dogs have been known to jump through glass windows during storms. Some dogs will throw up when it storms. Many dogs have fled fenced yards. This is a major problem that calls for intelligent handling at the first sign. Treat storms as a routine part of life, nothing to fear, and even perhaps occasion for some special times. Do these things before your dog ever shows signs of phobia, and perhaps you’ll never experience a serious case.
Date Published: 4/10/2004 11:58:00 AM
Volunteers of the Month
Beddington Trail Animal Hospital www.beddingtonvet.com
Welcomes you and your pet to Beddington Trail Animal Hospital! Their goal is to keep your pets healthy, and they appreciate the confidence you have placed in them. Their hospital offers veterinary care for the total well-being of your pet by providing a wide range of diagnostic, therapeutic, emergency, and surgical services with an emphasis on preventative medicine. Their doctors and staff are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the health and well-being of your pets. Beddington Trail Animal Hospital provides services to small animals (Dog and Cat) and exotics (Rabbits). Beddington’s Trail Animal Hospital has been in business for the past two years and started working with D.I.N.O since February of 2013. Beddingtons likes to work with D.I.N.O because of the love, compassion, and care for the animals and also the determination that the volunteers have in finding foster homes and adopters. These volunteers do this work on their own time and for no money.
Services Available: Hours of Operation:
- Wellness and Preventive Medicine Monday: 9 am to 7 pm
- Animal Behaviour Consultations Tuesday: 9 am to 8 pm
- Dentistry Wednesday: 9 am to 7 pm
- Physical Examinations Thursday: 9 am to 7 pm
- Nutritional Consultations and Pet Foods Friday: 9 am to 7 pm
- Radiology Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
- Medical Diagnostics and Hospitalized Treatment Sunday: CLOSED
- Small Animal Day Boarding
- Surgery
- Cremation Services
- House Call
A big thank-you to the staff of Beddingtons Trail Animal Hospital. Thank-you Danica, Taylor, Autumn, Taryn, Dr. Atal and Dr. Menon
My name is Rachel Mackay and I have been volunteering with DINO for just over 3 months. I am working on photographing adopted dogs for a DINO calendar, as well as helping out with Pinterest. I am very passionate about animals and photography and love to combine the two! I also love children and work with Calgary Family Services. I live in Calgary with my boyfriend and our rescue dog Jackson, and 2 rescue kitties Cleo and Benjamin. My goal is to one day do photography as my full-time job and promote environmental conservation through my images. www.rachelmackayphoto.com.
RESCUER’S ARE ANGELS
Tail tucked between your legs,
Confusion in your eyes
I know it’s hard to understand
That someone heard your cries.
When loneliness is all you know
And pain is all you feel
And no one can be trusted
And hunger’s all too real.
That’s the time the Lord sees you
And lets you know He’s there
That’s when He sends His messengers
The hearts that love and care.
Yes, rescuers are angels
You cannot see their wings
They keep them neatly folded
As they do their caring things.
The medicine to make you well,
Good food to make you strong.
And finally to help you learn
That hugs are never wrong.
The perfect place then must be found
The home where you can live
Secure and safe and happy
With joy to get and give.
When you reach your Forever Home,
Your place to feel whole.
The angels smile and off they go
To save another sole.
Author Unknown