Fleas, be gone!

Lately I have been wanting to pull my hair out. I recently discovered a flea on CeCe. It confirmed my suspicions that she had fleas because for the past few weeks or so, she had been scratched and biting herself excessively. Where she got them, I don't know.

Getting rid of fleas - on a pet as well as within the home - is a ______! (Fill in the blank.) Thus, the desire to pull my hair out.

I went to the vet this week and purchased a CapStar pill and one Frontline treatment. Apparently, what I was giving her monthly to prevent fleas - some Hartz medication from Walmart - is pretty ineffective, according to one of the vet techs. Great.

After I gave her the medicine, I went on a crazy cleaning binge within my apartment, flea powder and everything. It's really disconcerting because you can't really see those little things, let alone their stupid eggs. But I did my best and I will probably do another sweep in the next week or two to be on the safe side.

I had to buy a second Capstar pill, and CeCe's itching has subsided.

Have any pet owners out there experienced a flea attack? What products worked for you? There were so many at Walmart but I finally settled on some flea powder for the carpet.

And what about monthly flea prevention? I am considering switching to Frontline but I heard Revolution was good, too, since it fights against heartworm as well.

Marley & Me

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Has anyone gotten the chance to see the movie Marley & Me (see photo above)? I have been reading a few reviews and I heard it's the ultimate movie for dog lovers...although it is a tearjerker, they say. And for me, sad movies - whether the Little Mermaid or the Notebook - always seem to make me emerge from the theater with a red face and wet eyes.

(Read a review from the San Francisco Chronicle here.)

It's also based on a book...anyone read the book? How does the movie compare?

I'm thinking of watching it while I'm on vacation next week in North Carolina. Yes, that's right, I'll be away all next week, so I'm going to take a little break from blogging.

Have a great New Year! See you in 2009. :)

Holiday food for thought

Excited for Christmas? Me too. I came across a couple of articles today - one sad, one happy. I thought they'd be good to share and reflect upon this holiday season.

One was about the growing number of pet food pantries across the country - and the increasing demand for their resources, considering the very bad economy. And it's not just "poor people." The story says pantries are seeing students and white-collar workers as well. Check it out here.

And then I came across an interesting story about West Coast pin-up models using their talents to help abused pit bulls. The models are selling 2009 calendars to help rescue this often stereotyped breed. Check out the article here. Here's a sneak peek as well:

Happy Holidays, everyone! Please be safe and remember to give your pets some attention during Christmas as well!

XOXO

Andrea & CeCe

Pet safety for the holidays

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Just a quick post to let everyone know I have an article on holiday pet safety in today's paper. You can also check it out here.

Pet adopt-a-thon

This holiday season, Paws Humane is working to find homes for 400 animals through the Iams Homes for the Holidays program. There was a big ad in the paper today featuring photos of some very handsome/pretty cats and dogs (A13.)

Their pet adopt-a-thon kicks off this weekend. If you want to bring home a loving pet like Spice, Holly or Patches (above), then call 706-565-0035 or head to Petsmart or Petco this weekend.

Check out more adoptable pets online at http://www.pawscolumbus.org/.

And I thought skunks were exotic pets...

I came across this article today about exotic pets being confiscated from suspected Mexican drug dealers.

And when I say exotic, I mean pets like tigers, zebras and giraffes - animals you see at the zoo.

The problem is, when these pets are confiscated, authorities don't really have a place to put them. Mexican zoos have taken them in, but it's really becoming an issue (space-wise.)

It amazes me how ostentatious these alleged dealers are with their possessions...no wonder they get arrested.

Submit holiday photos

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Has anyone gone to any of the various "pet photos with Santa" events in the Chattahoochee Valley? Or has Fido starred in a holiday photo shoot at your home recently?

Then why not share your pet holiday photos with Girl's Best Friend readers?

E-mail me photos at ahernandez@ledger-enquirer.com and I'll post them on the blog!

Understanding CeCe's barks

I will admit it. Talking to my dog CeCe is something I do on the regular. I'm sure all you other pet owners do, too!

But do you understand your pets when they "talk" to you?

The Associated Press recently did a poll that shows 67 percent of pet owners believe they understand their pet's barks, purrs, etc. About 62 percent of owners said when they speak, their pets understand them as well.

Check out the story here.

I think when I speak to CeCe, she understands basic things, such as "Sit," "Go in the cage," "Who wants a treat?" and "Want to sleep on the bed?" I think that's because I've repeated key words in those sentences before (ex. bed, cage, treat.)

But when I try to engage her in a conversation about who she abhors the most on MTV's The Hills (Heidi or Spencer?), she typically cocks her head to the side and gives me a quizzical look.

(Or maybe she just can't decide between Heidi and Spencer.)

How about you? Do you feel you understand your pet's "language"? And do you think they understand you?

Custody battles over pets

For anyone who has gone through divorce, I've heard 99.9 percent of the time it's not pretty.

Figuring out who gets the house, cars, furniture - that's standard stuff. But how do you deal when a soon-to-be-ex-spouse wants custody of your baby?

And by baby, I mean your dog or cat.

My girl Sonya sent me this article about the trend of custody battles over Fido.

To someone who isn't an animal lover, this could all seem ridiculous. But like I've said before, nowadays, pets are like children to some owners...scratch that, pets ARE children to some owners.

What do y'all think? Have any of you been in this situation before? At the end of the day, who got the pet(s)?

Celebrity pets & more

Being the celebrity news junkie that I am, I recently came across a new Web site for pets, courtesy of People magazine. It's www.peoplepets.com. It's pretty basic (for now, I'm guessing,) but I did find the picture above in one of the photo galleries. It's Sylvester Stallone...holding a small dog like it's bottled water. I'm really hoping that the dog is a figurine of some sort...

Call-out for pet foster parents

Any foster parents out there who take in homeless animals on the regular?

I'm working on a story about foster pet parents and I'd love to hear your story if you are.

Please e-mail me at ahernandez@ledger-enquirer.com if you're interested.

Oh! And some great news...I was just informed that the two dogs I mentioned in a previous post, Dakota and Roxy, have found a home! The people who were temporarily caring for them fell in love and are keeping them.

Collie freezes to sidewalk

Speaking of cold weather and pets...

One of my girlfriends forwarded me this article from the local paper in Sheboygan, Wis. (aka a very cold place.)

A border collie FROZE to the sidewalk. Luckily, the dog survived because it was "morbidly obese" and its layers of fat helped insulate him.

Seriously.

What kind of owner...?!?!

This ain't no NYC, but...

...it's really cold outside! I really don't like this kind of weather...strange coming from a Jersey girl who should be used to it.

Chances are, if you're cold, your pet probably is, too. So warm them up!

Here's a helpful article from weather.com about winter pet care. It's particularly pertinent for those pet owners who leave their dogs outside.

Another opportunity with Santa

There are so many opportunities this holiday season for your pet to meet Santa!

Here's another one, this time at Second Avenue Animal Hospital:

If you bring in five (5) canned goods for the Valley Rescue Mission or buy a holiday gift, you'll get one (1) pet photo with Santa. You can also buy additional prints for $2 each.

Photos are printed on the spot, and you get them in a holiday photo card. Free treat with every photo.

Dates: Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 13 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Sign up for a time slot here.

Find a home for Dakota & Roxy

Hey everyone,

A colleague of mine forwarded me the following message about two local dogs looking for a home (preferably together.) E-mail me at ahernandez@ledger-enquirer.com if you want the contact number.

We had a good friend, Randy, pass away recently, leaving behind two wonderful dogs. Randy was a regular customer and friend for years.

These dogs have been indoor dogs and loved very much. They are very happy and obedient pets. Dakota and Roxy are the kind of dogs that don't need to be on a leash, you can let them out and they will not run off. They are house broken and love kids.

Hopefully these dogs will not have to be split apart or taken to the pound, as Randy's family in New York can not care for them.

Dakota is the brown lab Tonya and I gave Randy when she was a puppy, and he did a wonderful job of raising her with love. She is 4 1/2 years old.

Her "sister", Roxy the black lab, has been a great mentor for her and is 6 1/2 years of age. They have been taken to the vet regularly and are up to date on all their shots.

Randy was a very kind and generous man, and would want nothing more than to find these dogs a great home. Please help us fulfill what I am sure was one of his last wishes to find these dogs a home that they deserve. PREFERABLY TOGETHER.

Thank you for your help and contact me with any questions.

Canyon Bowie
grandcanyon@mchsi.com

Allergic to pets? That's OK

I came across this CNN article today about people who keep pets even though they're allergic.

It made me think of my uncle in California. He and my aunt own a 9+ year old German Shepherd named Duvalle. Duvalle is the most well-behaved dog I've ever met. He and my uncle are inseparable. They don't have any kids so Duvalle is their baby.

Anyway, recently, after 9+ years with Duvalle, my uncle developed an allergy to dogs. Shocking, I know. Giving Duvalle up was not an option. So my aunt and uncle had all the carpet in their condo replaced with hardwood so there wouldn't be so much pet dander. My uncle also started taking medicine to tame his allergies.

I probably would do the same thing if I ever found out I was allergic to CeCe.

What about you all? Do you keep pets even though you're allergic? How do you deal?

More pet photos with Santa

PETCO is offering photos with Santa this holiday season.

You can bring your pet in Saturday, Dec. 6 or Dec. 13, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

It's $8.95 plus tax for a 4" by 6" photo and frame. $5 from each photo will go toward homeless pets.

PETCO in Columbus is located in Columbus Park Crossing, 5555 Whittlesey Blvd., next to Kohl's and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Petland puppy mill allegations

Recently a reader forwarded me an MSNBC news story about Petland, the national pet store chain, allegedly selling dogs raised under deplorable conditions at puppy mills.

The investigation was done by the Humane Society of the United States. The group says 21 Petland stores and a number of breeders and brokers were involved.

Read the full story and check out video here.

Petland has responded to the allegations on their Web site. Check it out here.

What do y'all think? Do you think the HSUS video is not legitimate? Or do you think there's a possibility Petland could be using puppy mills?