Thanksgiving Tip - Foods to Avoid

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! It’s a time when lots of spoiled pets, like me, will indulge in table scraps given to us by visitors who can’t resist our adorable smiles!

There are a few foods, however, that pets should always avoid! Even though most of them sound tempting, my mom tells me that I am never allowed to have anything from the following list:

• Chocolate
• Onions / Onion Powder
• Mushrooms
• Grapes and Raisins
• Avocado / Guacamole
• Macadamia Nuts
• Bread Dough
• Garlic
• Anything sweetened with xylitol
• Salty and fatty foods
• Alcohol
• Coffee

Some side effects of these foods include abdominal pain, diarrhea, seizures, liver and kidney damage, even death!

If you suspect that your pet has ingested any of these items, call your vet or the ASPCA’s National Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435. (A $55 consultation may be applied to a credit card, but it’s worth it to me if it’s a matter of life and death!)

If you are prepared when you call, they will be better able to assist you. They’ll want to know the name of the toxin, approximately how much was ingested, how long ago it happened, the weight of your pet, and any signs of distress (vomiting, tremors, salivation, gum color, respiratory and heart rate, and body temperature).

If you don’t have all that information handy, don’t panic. Call your vet or the poison control center anyway as soon as possible because time is of the essence!

How Old Are Cats and Dogs in "Human Years"?

Hi everyone!

Earlier today, I was trying to figure out how old I am to prove to those cats, who live with me, that I am NOT immature.

I found this chart online to help me estimate my age. Looks like I am almost 17 in human years. Wow! I'm old enough to drive!

During my research, I found that larger dogs age faster than smaller ones. No one is completely sure why, but my mom said that maybe it's because larger dogs tend to experience more skeletal and cardiovascular problems than smaller dogs. I'm considered a medium sized dog since I am only 65 pounds, so I could live to be 20 years old if all goes well!

I also learned that the way to calculate a cat’s age is different from dogs. At age 1, a cat is equivalent to 15 human years. At age 2, they are about 24 years old. (No wonder my feline step-sisters think they are so much more mature than me. They are in their 50s!) Then, for each year thereafter, you add 4 to determine the equivalent in human years. Here's a handy online chart that I found for cats.

Here's some fun facts:

• The oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey. He lived until he was 29 years and 5 months old!
• According to Guinness World Records, the oldest cat on record was named Creme Puff. She was born August 3, 1967 in Austin, Texas and celebrated her 38th birthday in 2005. (I couldn't determine if she was still alive though. If anyone knows, email me!)

Vegan Dogfood!

Mmmmm good! One of the best parts of my job is being able to taste test different foods. Recently, my mom introduced my sister and me to V-Dogfood. The reason was twofold. First, the vet thinks that my sister, Keesha, might have an allergy to meat products. Second, my mom happens to be a vegan and had been thinking about switching us over to a meat-free dog food anyway. Sooo, with the vet's blessing, she decided to try this product.

At first, I wasn't too sure about it because it smelled different than my other food, but after one bite, I was hooked. My sister loves it too, and her allergies are subsiding! She's also losing some of her extra baby fat that she gained after being spoiled by mom over the last year. (Keesha was skin and bones when she was adopted, so mom let her overindulge for a while.)

My mom also raves about the customer service at this company. She says that they are outstanding and go above and beyond to assist you. Check them out! Great company! Great dog food! Great service! And Great for the animals! You can't go wrong here. - Razzle

Welcome to Sit! Stay. Relax...

Hi! My name is Razzle. Welcome to my blog!

Before we get started, I should tell you a little bit about myself. I am a handsome 2 year old Lab-Mix. I live with my adopted sister Keesha and four interesting cats. I was adopted by my Mom in June of 2004. I was only 12 weeks old at the time, so my early days are sort of a blur.

However, what I’m told is that a stranger dropped me off in the parking lot of a local shelter. As fate would have it, my “mom-to-be” just happened to be there at the same time. She had stopped by to ask about volunteering, but the shelter was closed. As she was getting into her car, she saw the stranger’s car pull in. Apparently, he drove over to where she was standing and held me outside of his car window until she came over to get me. The stranger claimed that he found me running down a busy street, but then, as soon as he handed me to her, he zoomed off into the distance!

My mom intended to keep me overnight and had planned to bring me back to the shelter the next day. Well, I must have been too irresistible for her!! She ended up allowing me to stay with her while she waited for someone to file a missing puppy report. My mom kept me distracted by doing lots of fun things, like hiking and swimming. She also bought me a nice new collar and lots of toys!

Well, days went by and no one called to report that they lost me! Can you believe it? I'm so darn cute and loveable!! Well, I'm glad it worked out the way that it did. It turned out that I quickly stole my mom’s heart and became an adopted member of her family! Her four cats weren't too happy about it, but they learned to tolerate me!

And the rest, as they say, is history!