Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Scottsdale, AZ

Archive for the ‘Editorials’ Category

Right before July 4th I got a cry out for help on our Facebook page. Wendy posted (and emailed me) about a German Shepard puppy she discovered while backing out of her drive way near McDowell Mountain Ranch.  Being the awesome pet mom and lover that she is she didn’t think twice about wanting to help this pup. She took the dog into Dr. Casey at McDowell Mountain Animal Hospital (great vet!) and they scanned for her micro chip.  They found out that her name was BELLA and she was from NEW MEXICO!!!

How in the heck did this pup get all the way to Scottsdale Arizona? Things that make you go hmm…

So, that was when Wendy thought of Bella’s House & Pet Sitting’s fan page. Since we have almost a 1000 fans, surly someone would be going to New Mexico in the upcoming weekend and able to help transport Bella. I posted a few updates for Wendy and then didn’t hear much other than it was taken care of.

Here is the rest of the story….

I received several great offers to transport Bella B back to New Mexico from your contacts & others.  We had Bella in our house for about 4 days and I got a little attached.  I didn’t feel right giving her to someone else to return so her mommy, Liz, and I decided to meet each other half way in Benson.  We started out at 6am and got there about 9:15am or so.  When Bella saw her mom, she starting licking every part of her she could get her tongue on.  Got apic for you of that.  Even got a text from Liz after we had been back on the road about 15 minutes that Bella was still licking her

How cool is that story? What I enjoy the most is how the community came together ready and willing to help Wendy, Bella, and her mom Liz. How did Bella get all the way to Az? The only logical explanation was that someone picked her up with their car and took her. by the looks of her – she didn’t walk all that way.

If you ever loose your dog, do you know what to do? Take a look at this other article we wrote about how to get the best chances to have a happy ending.

Don’t mess up your bath tub. Have fun.
Have a bonding experience at Kosmo’s Dog house.

Kosmo's Dog House

Many of you have already virtually met Bella’s new office manager – Rocco the Rockstar.  Well even Rockstars get a little dirty sometimes and he threw a little attitude yesterday and told me “ I don’t want the bathtub mom. Take me somewhere to get cleaned. But I want YOU to do it.”  “Ok” I said. I knew just the place. Having a professional pet sitting company in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, I sorta know my way around the pet world I only go to the best places, and Kat at Kosmo’s truly is. I am glad to call her a real friend. Off to Kosmo’s Dog House we went!

When we arrived to Kosmo’s we were greeted by THEIR office manager, Morey. The two “office managers” conversed while Chase set up a tub for Rocco and I. We entered our area through our own little white picket fence and started to go to town. (See a pic of Bella with Kat and Morey here)

For me, I got to wear a plastic apron, so this time I wasn’t going to end up getting a bath with Rocco like I usually do at home. Chase provided me with towels, brushes, shampoo, and then extra special kind for the face (don’t have that at home!), and showed me how to hook Rocco up so he didn’t go running everywhere.

Rocco all lathered up with the special face shampoo on his head

Once Rocco made his adjustment, he did really well. The hose that I was able to use to spray him down was much more successful than the plastic cup I use with tub water at home, and the ability to have the tub at a higher level at Kosmo’s, rather than leaning over into my bathtub at home was also a nice change. I was able to suds Rocco up and give him a long massage and he really enjoyed it. Great bonding time

Bella spraying Rocco

When it came time for the blow dry … (I didn’t even know this was an option) Chase instructed me to put the cotton balls in Rocco’s ears so the loud air sound didn’t scare him. Surprisingly after a few minute he was okay with it as well and we both enjoyed giving and getting his massage.

I also handed Rocco off to the girls in the back who do the full service grooming if you don’t want to choose washing your dog as a bonding experience lol… They clipped his nails. I leave that to the professionals. He yelps like I am cutting off his paw. I was very thankful to have it taken care of.

Afterward, I stuck around to chat some with Kat the owner. We did another story on her when it opened and you can read all about her here. While we chatted, Morey and Rocco ran around the store playing with all the “demonstration” toys. Morey is a great sales man.

Rocco with Bella enjoying his massage!

So after all that fun and only $23 later, Rocco and I were happy and CLEAN. Both of us. I had no mess to clean up and he is soooo much softer than the doggie shampoo I have at home.

You should defiantly make it a point to go on in and give your dog a wash. They are beyond affordable and it is a great experience. Maybe have a dog wash party next time you want to do something fun with your friends? I am sure Kat would let you have a small “happy hour” there too! *wink*

Kosmo’s Dog House is located at: 10105 East Vía Linda # A-108
Scottsdale, AZ 85258-5311  Phone: (480) 391-3647(DOGS)  They also provide dog training, retail, and professional grooming. Stop in and say hi soon! Tell them Bella’s sent you!  kosmosdoghouse.com/

This is their third recall in a month. The last one was Aug 5th and can be read about here

By The Associated Press (AP) – 1 day ago

The following recall has been announced:

_ All lots of 10-ounce “Beef Filet Squares” for dogs and “Texas Hold’ems” pet treats made by Merrick Pet Care Inc. of Amarillo, Texas, because they may be contaminated with salmonella. People handling the treats can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact.

Healthy people infected with salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

Consumers with questions can contact the company at 800-664-7387 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT.

Company website – http://www.merrickpetcare.com/

I just wanted Food Inc for the first time last night. After seeing that – THIS makes more sense to me. It is sad. Read your labels. Know where you and your pets food comes from. It might cost a little more now, but less in the long run when you don’t get sick.  – Bella

___

_ Certain shell eggs produced by the farms of Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.

Eggs affected by this recall were distributed to food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. These companies distribute nationwide.

Eggs are packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps. The eggs are packed in varying carton sizes.

This recall is of shell eggs only. Other egg products produced by Wright County Eggs are not affected. Consumers with questions can visit http://www.eggsafety.org.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Please press the SHARE and TWEET button so no fur babies you know get sick off of this!

Now what?!?!

The raising of puppies can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience.  It can also be an experience wrought with frustration if some guidelines aren’t adhered to or if certain aspects of the duty are overlooked.  There are a number of things that you can do for the puppies and their mother to help make their first days, weeks, and months together healthy and happy ones.

What happens with Mom:
The mother dog will spend the first few days after giving birth with her new puppies.  It is important to check on the mother and the pups to ensure that the puppies are being kept warm enough and are being well fed and to make sure that Mommy is producing enough milk and is comfortable.

What if Mom isn’t around?
If the mother leaves the puppies it will be very important to monitor their temperature closely.  It is imperative that the pups be kept warm and their area should be kept at a temperature of ninety degrees Fahrenheit for the first four days of their young lives.  The temperature can be decreased gradually after that.  Remember that a large litter will still need to be kept warm, but that the puppies’ body heat will help keep them warm as they huddle together.

A mother’s love…
The mother will be very protective of her pups and may display
signs of anxiety when people come around the puppies.  Some dogs will move the puppies from place to place in an effort to hide them from predators.  This is instinctive behavior.  Keeping the mother and her pups in an enclosed box may curb this problem as the darkness will ease the mother’s mind and make her feel that she’s found an ideal location for protecting her babies.

During the puppies’ first month there should be little need for the owner to do much of anything for them.  They will be cared for exclusively by the mother during this time.  The owner’s role should be one of monitoring the pups’ progress and growth rate.  The puppies should double their weight in about a week.  By two weeks of age the pups will be alert and attempting to stand on their own.  By the time they’re a month old the pups should all be able to walk, play, and run around.  Now the fun starts!

Drinking and eating…
By about four and a half weeks, the puppies should be eating solid food.  One way to train them in doing so is to start feeding them a mixture of canned or dry dog food mixed with a little water or milt to soften it.  The pups will lap this up like they are drinking, but will be taking food in at the same time.  Day by day the amount of liquid being used should be reduced until eventually the pups are eating the canned or dry food on its own.

The care…
When you bring a new puppy into your home it is going to be important that you have help. Unless you are home all the time, training and helping caring for your pets is going to be critical to stay on schedule so that the puppy doesn’t get confused. Please consider letting Bella’s puppy program help you accomplish this today!

There are lots of ways that people choose a new family dog or cat.  Some may search the newspaper for advertisements from backyard breeders; others find breeders via listings on the internet, some go to puppy stores, and others the dog or cat find them. The best method, however, in terms of being helpful to society in general is to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter. Did you know that Arizona has the second largest pet overpopulation?

Adopting a dog brings a new friend into your life.  It also helps to reduce the number of unwanted and homeless dogs in your area.  Unless the shelter is a “no kill” facility (and these are sadly few and far between), it will also save a dog’s life.  Animal lovers everywhere champion the adoption of dogs from shelters as opposed to any other method of bringing home a new pet for this reason alone, but there are other reasons to choose the adoption option.

• Adopted pets (from the shelters) have had their shots
• Shelters often have information about a dog’s temperament
• Adopting a pet frees space in the shelter for more dogs

When you adopt a dog you can be sure that the staff at the shelter has had the dog examined by a vet for diseases and parasites and that the dog has had its shots.  This is not always true of dogs acquired by other means such as kids giving away “free puppies” from a box in front of the local grocery store or on craigslist.

The dogs at a shelter are not just strays and often are turned in to the shelter by former owners for various reasons.  When this happens, the shelter collects as much information about the dog as possible, including whether its good with children, how much it barks, how playful or obedient it is, whether its housebroken, and other important details.  While it’s true that this information is only as good as the honesty of the former owner, most of the time it is fairly accurate. Contrary to popular belief, one can also find puppies in the shelter as well.

Please consider sharing this article with your friends to help raise awareness for pet adoption.