Category Archives: Pet Tips and Info

Is your dog a real New Yorker?

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Winter Wonderland Dogs

New York State law requires that all owned dogs be licensed and the NYC Health Code §161.04 requires every dog owner to have a dog license tag attached to their dog’s collar while in public. Dog owners may be fined for violation of these laws.

If you live in one of the five boroughs of New York City, call 311 to have an NYC dog license application mailed to you or download it from this web site: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vet/vet-doglicense.shtml.  Dog owners may also apply and make payment online for a new dog license or renew an existing one.

 

Tame Halloween Fright: Safety Tips for Families with Cats and Dogs

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Happy Halloween
Keep dogs and cats safe during Halloween – the most dangerous holiday for pets. Halloween bring unwelcome thrills and chills – from oddly dressed little strangers ringing doorbells to unusual commotion in the neighborhood – all packed into one night. Pet owners can do little to control external surroundings but can care for their dog or cat’s safety by observing the following tips:

  • Don’t leave your dog outside. Bring your dog inside where it’s safe, even if you have a fenced in yard.
  • Keep your cat or dog restrained. It’s best to put him in a separate room, away from the front door, to limit his excitability, aggression, and chance of running outside.
  • Reassure your pet. Your dog looks to you for leadership. If you keep your dog inside away from familiar family, visit often to reduce his stress..
  • Check your pet’s ID tag. Make certain identification tags are secure on your pet’s collar and his microchip information up to date – just in case.
  • Keep candy away from your cat or dog. Many candies, especially chocolate, are toxic to dogs. Make certain that sweets, including their wrappers, are kept well away from your dog.
  • Protect pets from candles and pumpkins. Excited or agitated pets can easily knock over a lit candle or pumpkin. Be sure they’re located in a safe place, well away from your pet’s access.
  • Think twice about dressing your dog in a costume. While some dogs enjoy being dressed up, many don’t. Experiment first to see if your dog likes being in a costume. If so, fine, he’ll likely enjoy himself. However, if he shows any resistence, don’t do it. Dogs feel enough stress around Halloween without having to endure the discomfort and peculiarity of wearing a strange costume as well.
  • Have fun, but think of your pet’s safety! Finally, if you want your cat or dog to be involved in Halloween festivities, think about his safety as you would the safety of a small child. Your pet does not understand Halloween, so he needs you to provide protection.

Microchip Your Pet

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Why microchip your pets?

Having your pet microchipped is one of the best ways to increase your pet’s chances of getting home if he or she is lost or stolen and winds up at an animal shelter or veterinary office. Unlike ID tags and collars, which can fall off or be removed, microchipping is a more permanent form of identifying your dog or cat.

Microchip your pets

Why microchip my indoor-only city cat?

Even when cats are of the indoor-only variety, the fact is that at one time or another, given the right conditions, they may disappear–for a few days or for forever. There is much you can do to weigh the odds in your kitty’s favor, should she ever become lost.  At Animal General, we have used microchips to reunite owners with their pets when dogs have slipped the collar when a dog-walker was out with them, when cats have jumped out of apartment windows (even taking the screen with them), and when cats have escaped from the apartment when a pet-sitter, service person, emergency worker, or any other unfamiliar person has entered the apartment.  Please don’t take a chance that your kitty couldn’t be reunited with you.  At Animal General, we use Bayer’s ResQ microchip.

How does it work?

A tiny capsule about the size of a grain of rice is injected under the loose skin on the back of your pet’s neck. The procedure provides no more discomfort than a vaccination.

Register the chip. This is extremely important! Make sure you complete the form, call the company, or log onto their website to register that microchip to your pet and your contact information as soon as it is implanted.

If your dog or cat becomes lost and turns up at a shelter or vet’s office, a scanner can be used to read the digital number on the chip.

A phone call to the microchip company to which you registered the microchip provides the shelter or vet with your contact information, and you can be contacted to retrieve your pet immediately.

If Your Pet is Left Without You

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A Plan Can Ease the Way

Our animal companions often leave the circle of life before we do, but this is not always the case. Pet owners do become ill, incapacitated, or may predecease their pets. Historically, most people have provided for pets through verbal agreements with family or friends. Robert Blizard, Humane Society Director of Donor Marketing and Out- reach, advises pet owners to devise a formal written plan detailing your wishes for your pet’s continued care. Initiat- ing this process helps safeguard your pet’s future and may save him/her from a less-than-optimal life in a shelter or a cage. Your veterinarian can be a tremendous resource in helping you decide the best course of action for your pet.

Animal General recommends that pet owners formulate a specific plan that takes into account your pet’s needs and your desires. Give a copy of this plan to your veterinarian to keep in your pet’s file, and include it in your will. When naming a trustee and/or caregiver, all parties, including your veterinarian, should have notarized papers detailing consent for those positions and the plans for your pet. Review the information included in the document on occasion, as pets’ needs change with age.

Presently, a number of states, including New York and New Jersey, allow for specific provisions for pets within a will. The establishment of a trust is also now possible for domestic animals. These legal documents can provide funding, name a trustee and/or a caregiver, and dictate specific instructions regarding desired care for your pet.
Both wills and trusts have drawbacks, with trusts being slightly more expensive but more easily activated. What follows are some examples of the types of concerns about which you may wish to provide instruction:

• Food and diet
• Daily routines
• Toys
• Favorite games or activities
• Housing or sleeping requirements
• Cages: Yes or No? For what purpose?
• Personality traits or endearing qualities
• Fears
• Bad habits
• Grooming
• Socialization: What type and how often?
• Medical care, including preferred veterinarian
• Compensation, if any, for caregiver
• Method the caregiver must use to be compensated
• How the trustee is to monitor the caregiver’s services
• How to identify the animal
• Disposition of the pet’s remains

The Humane Society of the United States provides extensive information on estate planning for pets at “Providing For Your Pet’s Future Without You.”

AARP reports that assisted living facilities are recognizing the important role that pets play in contributing to the well-being of human companions. Some facilities have begun to encourage clients to bring their pet(s) along; dogs, cats, fish, and birds are now being seen at assisted living facilities. Should the animals outlive their companions, some facilities see that the owner’s written wishes for the pet are followed. Pets can be turned over to family or friends; others remain as a permanent part of the community. For more info, search: pet friendly assisted living facilities.

There are a number of institutions that offer special programs to find new homes for pets or to offer group retirement facilities. Some provide private sleep areas where the pet is not confined to a cage. Be sure to research this option carefully, and attempt to visit the facility before deciding if your pet will make an adequate adjustment there. For more info, search: retirement homes for pets.

If the animal is old, infirm, has many special needs, or simply does not do well in new situations, as is the case with many cats, you may want to consider euthanasia as a compassionate choice. Animals do not understand the concept of tomorrow; they live in the moment. Just as we can’t imagine our lives without them, many pets truly do not do well when their owners pass away. Your most generous gift is often the years you shared together with a dignified, gentle end.

At the very least, your plan for your pet’s future must include a simple and clearly written directive stating what your intentions for your pet are. File the directive in a place known and accessible to at least two consenting friends who can step in to care for your pet in an emergency until your legal decisions can be activated. These friends should have a key to your residence for quick access to your pet.

Consider also carrying an information card that specifies the type of pet you have, the pet’s name, veterinarian contact number, and the contact number of the emergency caregiver for your pet. The information should also be posted somewhere in your home (front door or refrigerator). These items will serve as additional safeguards should you meet with an unexpected accident while away from home, and they will serve as additional directives to secure a comfortable future for your pet.