We Are The Cure Blog | Canine Cancer Information

I came across a very exciting news post which spoke about the world’s largest dog wedding festival.

It’s actually the second year of the Fido’s festival. It would be held at the Salem County Fairgrounds in Woodstown, New Jersey on the August 29th at 2 pm. So, if you have any crazy plans of marrying your pet’s off, this is exactly the place to be in.

Register at Fidofestivalusa.com and upload your pet’s picture. In case you don’t find the right match for him or her online, you can take him to the fair and let him find his right match among the crowd of dogs. At the festival, complimentary lunch and marriage certificates will be given to all participants.

It’s going to be a three-day event packed with activities for dogs and their families. The theme for this year is “Tropical Pooch Paradise”. So, in keeping with the theme, there will be contests for dogs like Limbo competitions, Beach Comber Costume contests, and Surfer Races, to name a few.

You can shop to your heart’s content because there will be a lot of items for your dogs on display. Other activities would be dog rescues, dog diving, agility course, lure racing, fly ball demonstrations, training demonstrations, and presentations by pet experts. And trust me I know nothing of these. So, you have to actually be at the festival to check these out. Food and lodging for dog owners would be available at the spot.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your pet ready for all the action.

If you are at the festival, please comment on this blog so that I can invite you to write a guest blog post.

Is your dog fond of chewing? Has he ever damaged things in your home or personal items, like clothes, shoes and electronics? I am sure he has, because he loves to chew and it is his natural instinct.

But for some dog owners this is a real problem.

How often do we realize what our friends actually want? Since they cannot speak don’t you think it is entirely our responsibility to take care of all their needs? We have to understand that unless we give him his stuff to chew, he will be forced to satisfy his natural instincts by chewing the things around him and giving you those extra wrinkles. And trust me, he will find plenty of things that are pleasing for him to chew but not to you.

I know it is a difficult problem to handle, but there are a few things that can be kept in mind.

1.  Give your pet a good quality chew toy. Make sure he has enough toys so that he understands what he can chew and what he cannot.
2.  Rotate his toys from time to time so that he doesn’t get bored.
3.  Make sure there are no removable parts that can be easily broken off and eaten.
4.  Avoid toys that are small enough for your dog to swallow or too large for him to play with comfortably.
5.  When you first give your dog a new toy, supervise him to ensure that he plays with it properly.
6.  Choose toys that can be washed. Otherwise they might become breeding grounds for bacteria.

A good chew toy will satisfy your dog’s natural urge to chew, and also keep him chirpy and in good mood.

I was really shocked to read a news item on high fluoride content in dog foods the other day.

An Environmental Working Group (EWG) through their research has found that foods like bone meals and animal by products have high fluoride contamination. It is in fact 2.5 times higher than the permissible limit.

So next time, you go shopping for pet foods, look out for items like chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal and beef meal.

There are also certain other things that you should never forget to check like the source of oil, the amount and quality of ingredients and the credibility of the manufacturer. Since our friends cannot speak, it is absolutely our responsibility to look after all their needs and give them a safe and secure world to live in.

As we all gear up for the July 4th celebrations amidst the noise and clamor, pet safety shouldn’t leave our minds.

It’s a great day of festivities for us, however we should try to keep our pets away from those loud noises of firecrackers as much as possible.

Most of us are not aware of the fact that exposure to loud noises can actually impair our dog’s hearing ability. So, while bursting crackers in our backyards we should never take our dogs along. Instead keep them at home and put on some soothing music which would divert their attention. At times minute fire particles can also enter their eyes and cause perpetual damage.

Also, while visiting water parks we should make sure that our friends with paws don’t go out of control. There have been several past instances when dogs got drowned in water on this particular day.

Here’s what we should avoid:
•    We shouldn’t take our dogs to water parks without pet flotation devices (life jackets, life preservers)
•    If left alone at home we shouldn’t put them on chains
•    We shouldn’t keep them in fenced areas from where they can escape
•    If possible we shouldn’t hesitate to arm them with microchips and GPS dog collars

That’s right, a safe July 4 is essential to help your family enjoy the Day. And your pet is very much your family, right ?

Here’s the deal: rawhide is literally the outside of a cow – the skin. Rawhide is not regulated in any way. Some imported brands (China, Philippines) have been reported as soaked in formaldehyde or contaminated with arsenic. These foreign hides may also contain other detrimental things such as antibiotics, insecticides, or lead- things you’d never knowingly want to ingest.

Also, choking is a hazard, and rawhide can cause canine gastric irritation when chewed on often, which can lead to vomiting and extreme discomfort.

Now the good news: there are great alternatives for purchase online. Or, thick pieces of dehydrated organic sweet potato is nutritious, delicious, and cheap if you have a food dehydrator. At the very least, buy a brand that is made in the USA and says something on the label about being natural. Good chewing!

This blog is contributed by Nadine M. Rosin, author of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com