Pet Talk Newsletter :: December 2006

Tenaker Pet Care Center is proud to now offer you Pet Talk. Pet Talk is a monthly digital newsletter that is full of entertaining, interesting, and valuable information from the staff of Tenaker Pet Care Center. One of our many sections is titled "Pet of the Month," where you may even find a picture and biography of your own pet!

Holiday Pet Perils

Holidays are a festive time of year when we decorate our homes with lights, wreathes, and garland. We erect trees clad with ornaments, more lights and tinsel. Our kitchens overflow with food. All these changes to the environment mean many opportunities for your pet to become injured or sick.

Both cats and dogs like to chew on electrical cords and sometimes these cords can be irresistible when they are run through your pet's favorite place to sleep. Be mindful of where you run the extra extension cords when putting up the holiday lights.

Trees are so tempting to cats that most owners need to assume that their cat will attempt an ascent. Make sure you unplug the tree before you leave the house, isolate the cat-or both. Toppled trees are a fire danger, even with artificial trees. An unsupervised cat and a Christmas tree is a recipe for disaster. Blocking the base of the tree can deter climbing and can discourage both dogs and cats from drinking the tree's water, which can cause upset stomachs. More info can be found on the Holiday Pet Perils page.

Cat Behavior - Why Do Cats Like Crinkly Sounds?

Cats love crinkly sounds. Try crumpling a plastic or paper bag and watch your cat's ears snap to attention. Like her tail, the cat's ears are expressive, twitching and turning to catch each unusual sound. The same thing happens when a cat hears a squeaky toy or any high-pitched sound. Part of the pleasure a cat gets from crawling into a paper bag comes from the sound it makes.

Is there a reason these types of noises elicit greater interest than others? Of course! Our mighty feline hunters rely almost as heavily on their ears as on their eyes. Crinkly or squeaky sounds are similar to the high-frequency noises made by small animals such as mice, birds, and crickets; thus, they immediately draw a cat's attention and often elicit the prey response of pouncing and stalking.

A cat's ears are always on alert. Even when she's sleeping you may notice a slight twitching of the ears in response to a sound that might indicate danger. When it comes to hearing, cats have it in the bag.

Feline ears are incredibly sensitive. They are able to detect sounds as high as 65 kilohertz; an ability some believe may be even greater than that of the dog. Not surprisingly, a cat's hearing is far better than a human's. The highly mobile pinna, or ear flap, permits the cat to move her ears in the direction of a sound, allowing her to determine the source of a sound with a high degree of accuracy. Visit the www.catchannel.com web site.

2006 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

The American Kennel Club and Eukanuba announced that 2,449 dogs will compete in the Sixth Annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on December 2 and 3, 2006 in Long Beach, California. The show is held in conjunction with the AKC Agility Invitational and the AKC National Obedience Invitational, (entries of 451 and 97 respectively) making for a combined entry of nearly 3,000 dogs competing in all three events.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will air live on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel starting at 8 p.m. EST both nights. Highlights from the AKC Agility Invitational will air on Animal Planet on February 11, 2007.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship offers more than $225,000 in total prize money. The owners of the Best in Show winner will receive over $50,000 while the breeder of the Best in Show winner will be awarded $15,000. Read more on the AKC web site.

Golden Retrievers

From the moment this breed was developed, some 140 years ago, Golden Retrievers have been an extremely popular dog. The Golden Retriever evolved from a single yellow puppy, in a litter of Black Wavy-Coated Retrievers in 1864. Nous, the yellow male, sired a litter of pups with Belle, a Tweed Water Spaniel, which is now an extinct breed. This litter resulted in several yellow pups. It was these dogs that became the foundation for the Golden Retriever linage. Nous and Belle have been immortalized in photographs and paints of this era. It only took a few decades for yellow retrievers to make their way to the most prestigious dog shows.

They are excellent hunting dogs because of their quiet and patient demeanor, love of water, and gentle grip when retrieving their quarry. Their outer coat is thick and waterproof, while the inner coat is dense. They have webbed feet, which makes them excellent swimmers.

Their fur can range from a sandy blonde to an auburn color. They are one of the most friendly breeds of dogs and are known for their intelligence, ability and eagerness to be trained, and acceptance of children.

Homemade Doggie Peanut Butter Biscuits

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cornmeal
6 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, optional
1 egg for basting, optional

Mix flour and cornmeal. Fold in peanut butter, milk, eggs and applesauce. Mix until dough is firm. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough on floured surface to a 1/4" thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter or cup. If desired, baste with beaten egg and then sprinkle with seeds. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, check bottoms of cookies so that they do not burn. The bottoms should be brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes approximately 4 dozen biscuits. Results will vary.

Paws to Give

The holiday season is a special time to spend with friends and family. For thousands of animals in our community the holidays can mean a very different experience. That is why Dumb Friends League is conducting their annual Paws to Give fund and supply drive again this year. We hope that you, your friends and family will remember the many lost and homeless pets in our care.

The Dumb Friends League cares for more than 25,000 lost and abandoned animals each year, many of them with special needs. They do all we can to give them the second chance they deserve. You can help make a difference for homeless pets this holiday season by making a tax-deductible donation. Go to Paws to Give to read more.

Petco.com has many cool gifts for your pet.

Check the great selection of holiday gifts for your pet this season. Shop online and have it delivered. It's fast, easy, and convenient.

Employee of the Month -- Debi

If you are a client at our Aurora Veterinary Hospital you already know this smiling face! This is our receptionist Debi. She has been working for Tenaker for five years now, which may explain why she is very knowledgeable. If a customer or a staff member has a problem she most likely has the answer. She is always happy, helpful and really cares about the well being of all the pets that visit our clinic. Debi is married and has one daughter. She also has a dog named Macy and two cats named Isabella and Joey.

Pet of the Month - Daisy

Daisy is one of our Aurora daycare dogs. She loves to go to daycare to not only see the dogs but the people as well! When her mom drives her to daycare she starts crying and wagging her tail in excitement as they approach the facility. She loves greeting the staff as she hurries through the doors and she enjoys playing with the other dogs in the heated swimming pool. Even though she loves coming to Tenaker, she also is happy to see her mom after a long hard day of playing. When it is time for Daisy to go home at the end of the day, this smart Golden Retriever waits by the gate, because she knows that it is time for her mom to pick her up.

Policy change:

NEW Policy change for dog boarding, doggie daycare, and animal grooming. All dogs must now be current on their vaccinations three days prior to grooming, daycare, and boarding with services. Dogs may now have vaccinations administered the same day as their boarding appointment, but they cannot have contact with other dogs for the first three days. For the benefit of your dog's health, we recommend all dogs have their vaccinations up to date 7-10 days prior to boarding, daycare, or grooming appointments.

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