A Compassionate Guide to Adopting Shelter Pets

Adopting a shelter pet is a life-changing experience, both for you and your new furry friend. As you embark on this heartwarming journey, consider embracing the “Rule of Threes” – a simple yet impactful approach to ensure a smooth and successful transition for your newly adopted companion. Let’s explore these three essential aspects that can make all the difference in creating a loving and lasting bond.

Patience, Patience, Patience

First Week: Allow your new pet a minimum of three days to acclimate to their new environment. During this time, create a calm and secure space for them to retreat.

First Month: Understand that the adjustment period extends to about three weeks. Be patient, observe their behavior, and let them come to you at their own pace.

Three Months and Beyond: Building trust takes time. Continue to be patient as your pet gradually opens up, and their unique personality starts to shine.

Routine, Routine, Routine

Establishing a Schedule: Consistency is key during the first three days. Set a regular feeding schedule, walks, and playtime to create a sense of stability.

Adapting to New Routines: It may take about three weeks for your pet to fully adapt to their new routine. Be patient and reinforce positive behaviors with rewards.

Integrated Lifestyle: By the end of three months, your pet should comfortably fit into your daily routines, contributing to a happy and well-adjusted pet.

Bonding, Bonding, Bonding

Building Trust: Spend the initial three days quietly bonding with your pet. Use soft tones, offer treats, and let them approach you on their terms.

Quality Time: Dedicate at least three weeks to building a strong bond through regular interactions, play, and affection. This foundational period establishes a connection based on trust and security.

Long-Term Relationship: The first three months lay the groundwork for a lifelong relationship. Continue to invest time in bonding activities, ensuring a deep and meaningful connection with your shelter pet.

Embracing the “Rule of Threes” can transform the adoption process into a positive and rewarding experience for both you and your new shelter pet. By incorporating patience, routine, and bonding into your approach, you’ll be nurturing a foundation for a loving and enduring companionship.

Remember, every pet is unique, and the journey of adoption is as individual as they are. May your newly adopted pet lead to a lifetime of joy, love, and shared adventures with your newfound furry family member.

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Here are some common signs your pet may have allergies:

1. Excessive scratching, licking, rubbing.

2. Red and irritated skin or ears.

3. Rash, hives, hair loss, especially combined with other symptoms.

4. Watery, red, or itchy eyes.

5. Sneezing

Once you identify potential allergy symptoms, it’s essential to create a plan to ease your pet’s discomfort. Here are some tips:

1. Consult with Your Veterinarian: Schedule a visit to discuss your pet’s symptoms and explore potential allergens. Your vet can recommend tests to pinpoint specific triggers.

2. Regular Grooming: Keep your pet clean and well-groomed to reduce exposure to allergens. Regular baths and brushing can help remove pollen and other irritants from their fur.

3. Clean Living Spaces: Regularly clean your pet’s living areas, including bedding, toys, and any other frequently used items. This helps minimize exposure to allergens.

4. Medication or Allergy Shots: In some cases, your veterinarian may prescribe medication or allergy shots to manage your pet’s symptoms effectively.

Remember, early detection and proactive management are key to ensuring your pet enjoys a comfortable and allergy-free spring. Keep an eye on your furry friend, and don’t hesitate to seek professional advice if you notice any concerning symptoms. Together, we can make this spring a breeze for both you and your pet!

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Essential Tips for Bringing Home Your Newly Adopted Pet

Bringing home a newly adopted pet is an exciting and heartwarming experience. Whether you’ve adopted a playful puppy, a curious kitten, or a mature companion, the transition to a new home can be both thrilling and challenging. In this blog post, we’ll explore some essential tips to ensure a smooth and successful integration of your newly adopted pet into their forever home.

• Create a Safe and Comfortable Space:

  • Set up a designated area in your home where your new pet can feel safe and secure.
  • Provide a cozy bed, some toys, and a water and food bowl to make them feel at home.

• Gradual Introduction to the Home:

  • Allow your pet to explore their new surroundings gradually.
  • Introduce different areas of your home one at a time, giving them time to adjust.

• Establish a Routine:

  • Pets thrive on routine, so establish a consistent schedule for feeding, walks, and playtime.
  • Predictability helps them feel secure in their new environment.

• Visit the Veterinarian:

  • Schedule a visit to the vet for a health check-up and to establish a vaccination schedule.
  • Discuss spaying/neutering and any specific dietary needs with the veterinarian.

• Patience is Key:

  • Every pet adjusts at their own pace, so be patient and understanding.
  • Allow them time to build trust and bond with their new family members.

• Positive Reinforcement:

  • Use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior.
  • Reward your pet with treats, praise, and affection when they exhibit positive behaviors.

• Socialization:

  • Gradually introduce your pet to new people, environments, and other pets.
  • Controlled socialization helps prevent fear and anxiety in unfamiliar situations.

• Training and Obedience:

  • Basic training is essential for a well-behaved pet.
  • Start with simple commands and reinforce good behavior with rewards.

• Pet-Proof Your Home:

  • Identify and remove potential hazards such as toxic plants, loose cords, and small objects.
  • Secure trash cans and keep harmful substances out of reach.

• Regular Exercise:

  • Regular exercise is crucial for your pet’s physical and mental well-being.
  • Engage in daily walks, play sessions, or interactive toys to keep them active and happy.

Bringing home a newly adopted pet is a journey filled with love, joy, and responsibility. By following these tips and showering your new family member with patience and care, you’ll be laying the foundation for a strong and lasting bond. Remember, every pet is unique, and the key to a successful adoption lies in understanding their individual needs and providing a nurturing environment. Enjoy the rewarding experience of watching your new pet thrive and become an integral part of your loving home.

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Here’s a look at a some items to avoid when feeding your pet:

Turkey: While a huge turkey bone may seem like a delicious treat for your pup, it can lead to choking and cause damage to your pet’s GI tract. Other harmful ingredients such as onion and garlic and spices may sneak into your dishes, too causing digestion problems.

Ham: Pork products can cause pancreatitis, upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea. Additionally, pork is high in fat and sodium, which can lead to obesity, dehydration and even sodium ion poisoning.

Prime rib: No one likes dry and overcooked beef. However, undercooked meats contain bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can be dangerous to domestic pets. Leave the raw meats for canines in the wild.

Stuffing: Most stuffing recipes call for items that can be toxic to dogs and cats, like garlic and onions. But there’s another common ingredient that often gets overlooked — sage. Although it can be a delicious addition to your stuffing, it (and many other herbs) contains essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression in pets.

Candied yams/sweet potato casserole: If raisins are involved in your recipe — that’s a huge no for your pet. There’s a toxic substance in grapes and raisins that has been linked to kidney failure in dogs.

Dinner rolls: Plain bread is generally safe to give your pets, on special occasion; however, raw yeast dough can ruin their entire holiday. The sugars in the dough turn to carbon dioxide gas and alcohol, which can result in bloated drunken pets.

Pecan pie: Most nuts are high in fat and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even pancreatitis in pets.

Chocolate: This one is a no-brainer, but in case you forgot, never feed your pets chocolate (yes, that goes for dark chocolate too.) Substances within chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, seizures, tremors and even death.

Because these foods are prevalent over the holiday season it is a good idea to always keep an eye on your pet. Both dogs and cats have a way of getting on tables and counter surfing to get at the feast when you’re not looking.

They also have a way of charming your holiday guests or family members with their big puppy eyes, so make sure your guests area aware that they should not feed your pet anything without your permission.

Another item often overlooked, loading the dishwasher. Because most machines are down closer to your pup’s height, he has easier access to lick the plates, bowls and spoons clean. So, make sure to keep an eye on him so that he does not do this. This will not only help keep him from eating any harmful food that might still be stuck to a plate, but it will also help keep him from cutting his tongue on something sharp like a steak knife.

With a little common sense and a bit of extra care, both you and your pet can enjoy a safe, fun and joyful holiday season.

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What can a pet owner do to not only make their pet feel safe, but also reduce or eliminate potential hazards? Here is Paws Humane Society’s Halloween pet safety practices to use at home and beyond!

The Usual Suspects

Candy must always remain out of your pet’s sight. Whether it’s out of boredom or hunger, a curious pet can land in a lot of hot water if they decide to sample the candy bowl or treat bag.

Chocolate is perhaps the worst offender to Halloween pet safety because it contains the chemicals theobromine and caffeine. Responsible for hyperactivity, elevated heart rate, vomiting, and diarrhea, chocolate poisoning can also lead to seizures, collapse, and even death. The darker and less sweet, the more toxic.

Xylitol, the artificial sweetener, is also extremely dangerous to your pet’s health and wellness. In low doses, Xylitol affects blood sugar, but it can cause acute liver failure if too much is consumed.

Please seek emergency veterinary care immediately if you know (or suspect) your pet ate chocolate or Xylitol-sweetened candies. Also, keep Halloween candy out of your pet’s sight and reach.

Packaging

It looks good enough to eat, what surrounds the candy is also dangerous to pets. If they eat foil or cellophane wrappers, gastrointestinal obstruction can result. Choking and other internal injuries are also possibilities.

Candy apples and lollipop sticks can present similar problems if swallowed.

Decorations Galore

Halloween pet safety must also include a cautious approach to your household decorations. Everyone loves a flittering Jack-o’-lantern on All Hallow’s Eve, but as with any candlelight, your pet could accidentally bump into it, knock it over, or suffer burns or singed whiskers if they get too close. Please consider using LED tea lights instead of live flame candles.

Also, the following items can pose threats to Halloween pet safety:

• String lights
• Exposed electrical wires
• Artificial corn, berries, or other materials from garlands or wreaths
• Battery-operated animatronic displays
• Rubber bands
• Twist or zip ties
• Any sharp or indigestible materials that can be stepped on or eaten

Bump in the Night

Dark, furry pets require extra attention and care. Black cats, specifically, shouldn’t be allowed outside at night before and during Halloween. All pets should be microchipped and tagged and be sure to leash your dog (reflective collars are also a good idea) when out trick or treating and do not let them pick up anything with their mouths.

Costumes and Halloween Pet Safety

If your pet tolerates clothes, pet costumes can be a great addition to the general revelry. If they don’t like to be dressed up, please don’t force them to wear a costume or allow them out of sight to get out of it alone. Be sure that there aren’t any choking or entanglement issues, and remove the costume if it stresses your pet out.

If you are looking for someone special to make your Halloween not so spooky, one of our Adoption Counselors at Paws Humane can assist! Please give us a call!

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Routine visits give the veterinarian a chance to perform a complete physical exam. This exam provides a picture of the general health of your cat. Your veterinarian will perform a visual examination as well as listen to your cat’s heart and lungs. If issues are noted on this physical exam, they may recommend further diagnostic testing, such as bloodwork or radiographs. If your cat has been to the veterinarian for routine visits, the veterinarian is more likely to note any changes in her condition since the last visit. This will allow for early detection of any health problems. Early detection allows for establishment of an effective treatment regimen that is frequently less expensive and more successful than treating more advanced disease processes.

Secondly, establishing and maintaining a relationship with a veterinarian for routine care makes it easier to purchase preventative and other prescription medications, such as those for fleas and ticks. Most state laws require a current veterinary-client-patient relationship in order to dispense any prescription medication. Routine visits allow your veterinarian to become familiar with your cat’s medical history to provide the best recommendations for medications and treatments.

Finally, your veterinarian will look at the overall health of your cat, her age, history, and lifestyle in order to recommend a personalized vaccination regimen. Proper vaccinations serve to prevent many illnesses that our pets can be affected by and help to extend their lives.

Veterinarians should be seen as an active partner in helping to care for your pet. Routine visits, not just taking your cat to the vet when she is ill, can be a proactive step that owners can take to prevent future issues and helping her to live a long, happy life!

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/importance-wellness-exams
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/vaccinations-your-pet

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Over the last two months, the number of people fostering cats and dogs have risen dramatically over the same period last year. With an estimated 7.6 million animals in shelters, organizations, such as Paws, rely on keeping animals in foster homes until they are adopted.

When Paws temporarily shut down due to COVID, we depended on individuals and families to provide temporary homes placing a record number of 198 pets in foster, including 41 adult dogs. We are proud to report those 41 adult dogs are delightfully, what we like to call, “Foster Fails”, as foster families adopted many of those. Those that were not, were adopted by others, providing valuable information from their foster families.

Fostering is important because you are saving two lives instead of one. It helps reduce overcrowding in Paws, providing space for our friends from Columbus Animal Care and Control, and opens up space for another animal to be saved. It also helps prepare animals for adoption by giving them a chance to live in a home where the can fully express their personality, work to overcome fears, or recover from trauma.

Fostering is important as it helps the animals to be more adoptable. Some animals aren’t accustomed to life in a home, they may not understand stairs or may be frightened by unfamiliar sounds like vacuums and kitchen appliances.

Even when shelters make every effort possible to keep animals comfortable and happy, the environment can still be scary and overwhelming for some, causing them to “shut down” emotionally or display destructive behaviors due to stress. When this happens, the animals isolate themselves and fail to interact with people, resulting in them being passed up by potential adopters. Foster homes are also essential for special-needs pets or those who are recovering from an injury or surgical procedure.

When animals are in a foster program, for many, they are in a home for the first time and they are able to enjoy a more relaxing environment while getting the one-on-one attention they need. This can be especially helpful for very shy and fearful animals, or those who need a bit of extra help with socialization. They build confidence by learning how to trust people, how to play with toys and other animals, and by experiencing everyday activities. Foster homes can also help by using positive reinforcement training to teach basic obedience skills and tricks.  Each and every one of these things plays an individual, yet critical role in helping animals find adoptive homes. Animals who were terrified in shelters often open up once they’re in the comfort of a home, helping them become happy, more well-adjusted animals.

Through the Paws foster program, thousands of animals have had a second chance at an amazing life, and foster care is a critical part of our ability to adopt out more than 1,900 animals annually. Fostering is an immensely rewarding experience you’ll never forget, and it changes animals’ lives in a very direct way.

Be a hero. Change a life!

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Brushing your pet’s teeth is the key to maintaining good oral hygiene. As a result, dental cleaning procedures at your veterinarian are less likely to be needed, and bad breath (halitosis) is reduced.
Brushing the teeth also, helps spare a dog or cat oral pain: periodontal disease, a painful condition that occurs when inflammation affects the gums and other tissues around the teeth, is reduced or eliminated with good oral hygiene.

Brushing the teeth is easy to do, because only the upper teeth (not the lower teeth), and only the outside surfaces of the teeth (not the inside surfaces) need to be brushed.

In dogs and cats, like in people, what the dentist and hygienist do is only a small, though essential, part of the oral hygiene program. The responsibility for health and general well – being of your dog or cat is yours, and this should include basic dental care. Brushing your pet’s teeth is the main component of home dental care. The purpose is to remove plaque before it becomes tartar. Plaque is a slime composed of bacteria, saliva, and food particles that adheres to the teeth and fills the pocket between the tooth and gum. Left undisturbed, plaque rapidly collects minerals from the saliva to form the rock – like brown deposits known as dental tartar.

Dental tartar cannot be removed by any amount of brushing. By brushing your pet’s teeth daily, you remove plaque, preventing or slowing tartar buildup. As with all things, results depend on the effort you give and on a pet’s predisposition, (some develop plaque and tartar easily and require brushing more urgently than others).

Getting Started
Equipment/materials needed:
• Dog/Cat
• Pet toothbrush or child’s/pediatric toothbrush
• Pet toothpaste

It is important to use toothpaste formulated specifically for pets. Human toothpaste is to be avoided, as it will often cause stomach upset if swallowed. Baking soda, with its very high sodium content, can be dangerous to older patients. Hydrogen peroxide can be too harsh for the gums and can cause nausea if swallowed.

Perhaps the most important point to consider is that this simple preventive can become part of a daily routine and, when followed by a treat, becomes something a dog or cat enjoys.
It is easy to train pets when they are young to enjoy having their teeth brushed. Older pets, on the other hand, tend to develop more periodontal disease, and their mouths and/or gums may be tender to the touch. A complete dental cleaning by your veterinarian may be required prior to initiating tooth brushing. Once all of the plaque, tartar and, if necessary, diseased teeth have been removed, you will have greater success.

Procedure
The first step is to work with your pet’s mouth. With a little patience, you r pet will soon accept your attention. Make it fun for both of you. Use a lot of love and praise to gain their confidence. Try to brush the teeth at the same time each day so your pet gets into a routine. Late in the evening can work well if everyone involved is in a quieter mood. If your pet is highly motivated by food, try just before dinner, with the meal acting as a reward for cooperating.

Start by handling the muzzle and lips. Soon you should be able to rub the teeth and gums with your finger. Place a little bit of soft cheese (for dogs) or tuna juice (for cats) on your finger when doing this. Many pets will then look forward to this treat.

Next, use a soft toothbrush to brush the teeth.
Several veterinary brushes are available, and many human (children’s) soft – bristle brushes are well suited to animal use.
Place a small (pea – sized) amount of toothpaste on the bristles of the brush, lift the upper lip, place the brush on the outer surface of the teeth, and brush gently in small circles.
You need only brush the upper teeth, and only the outside surfaces (the side of the teeth facing out, not the side of the teeth facing the tongue). Making it a game that ends in a reward is the key to enjoying this and making it easy on you and your pet.

Brushing at least three times weekly is recommended, and once a day is ideal.

Afterwards
By following a consistent program of home care, you will greatly improve your pet’s dental health. This will mean fewer professional cleanings, less tooth loss, and a happier, healthier pet. However, there is no substitute for professional veterinary care. You must work as a team with your veterinarian to ensure a long and happy life for your pet.

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