Evacuating with Your Pets

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

courtesy smiteme via Flickr.com
FEMA Rep Assists Evacuated Pet and Owner

With National Preparedness Month upon us, All Things Dog Blog has been busily preparing a Twitter Party for Dr. Emmo's pet first aid products, promoting preparedness for pet owners. As you may know, my family lives in the heart of Hurricane country, and we have had to prepare for evacuations on a few occasions. It's not fun, but it's very important that we get past that and realize that without a plan we could find our pets in grave danger.

I wish I had photos of our last trial run. In 2004 when 4 named storms hit central Florida, we were under serious encouragement to evacuate to the north during one particularly overbearing storm. Which one I don't recall! At that time we had 2 large dogs, a cat and a rabbit to evacuate along with us, not to mention a grandma! Clearly this was going to be a 2 vehicle effort.

I set up our dogs' crates and the 2 carriers for Patches and Robby, making sure that each had a door facing the exits of the car for easy retrieval. That left us with a good estimate of space for a cooler of food, pet supplies, and our suitcases. This was quite an adventure and really did get me to thinking about how dear my pets are to me and what would happen if we were separated. 

No way was I leaving them at home, even if I only believed we would be away a single day. What if my petsitter could not get to them. What if they were injured or missing? What if another tree struck the house, leaving an open exit? It just was not worth the risk.

Long story short we were spared when the storm veered away from us and we were able to tough it out at home with merely heavy wind and rain. Even so we were pummeled with large pine trees falling, hitting our home, and ripping up sidewalk along the way. It was not a time for our pets to be left alone.

Tuesday evening, along with the Event Barkers team, I'll be producing a Twitter Party to promote preparedness, in honor of National Preparedness Month. Our sponsor is Dr. Emmo's first aid solutions and we'll be joined by Arden Moore, a pet first aid expert who will be sharing tips and answering questions. I hope you'll join us to find out more about this important topic, and learn how you and your pets can continue to bond throughout a disaster brought on by Mother Nature.

Join us each week for the Weekly Wag bonding series, held during the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop. The hop is hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume. You are welcome to link up here, or check any of their sites for their rules of participation. Happy hopping! 

Grooming a Bond with Fido

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com

Whenever I return from traveling I try to take some time to groom the dogs. It's a nice homecoming activity that draws us closer and helps them realize that I'm always going to be back to take care of them. Tanner, my outdoorsman, always needs to have his ears cleaned. He seems to find dirt, leaves, and debris of all sorts in his adventures at boarding, the dog park and even in our yard.

Last week when I arrived home from Barkworld, Tanner and Jacque had been spending time with hubby and my daughter while I was away. It was clear who ruled the roost--Jacque! Both boys needed a good brushing, a shampoo and a nice, soothing ear cleaning with Dr. Emmo's Ear Rinse. 

With the help of a friend, I've got photos to share of Tanner's experience. You can see that taking care of him is definitely an activity that both of us find pleasurable. More importantly, though, it's also good for his overall health to maintain all systems in clean, working order. 

The simple steps are outlined above. Just keep in mind that Fido will be infinitely more agreeable to the rinse when you approach his ears from behind, in order to swish the fluid inside--nice and cool. 

Bathing your dog helps you locate any ticks that may have decided your dog is a nice meal ticket, while keeping his ears clean reduces the possibility for infection, bacterial or fungal. Be sure to start with a visual check of each ear, looking for any boarders that may have latched on. 

If your dog has drainage or goopy eyes, allergies may be at work on your friend--your signal that he requires an eye wash as well. Watch for our eye wash examples coming soon. 

Meanwhile, have you RSVP'd for our #Pet1stAid Twitter Party? We'll be featuring the Dr. Emmo's line of products, sharing first aid tips and evacuation steps, and giving away some terrific prizes to make your evacuation kit more complete. Here's the pre-event lineup of giveaways:

• RSVP at the link above to win a prize package of Dr. Emmo's products, a pet toy (for
  
  woof or meow!), a food storage container and bowls for your evacuation kit, a reusable bandage, and a tip sheet from @ArdenKnowsPets.
• By PreTweeting our #Pet1stAid hashtag, you'll enter this giveaway for another package for the great goodies listed above.
• Finally, our Rafflecopter prize is always a popular giveaway. You'll have a number of options for entering, and can choose your own approach. Enjoy!

Join us each week for the Weekly Wag bonding series, held during the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop. The hop is hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume. You are welcome to link up here, or check any of their sites for their rules of participation. Happy hopping! 

DIY Dog Door for $3.50

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

courtesy clanmcarthur on YouTube
Simple and Effective DIY Doggie Door

Pardon me for sharing this video Do-it-Yourself trick that was recently shared on another dog blog. It so perfectly fits our Pet Solutions theme that I couldn't resist. Do you have a screened door that you'd love to turn into a doggie door? Here's your solution!

Give this guy a high five with a comment if you think this fix will work at your home. I would advise you only use this when your back yard is fenced or you live in an area where your dog will not be at risk if he goes outside without you. 

To be honest, I believe a safe back yard is a myth. There are always dangers. Be sure to watch your pups when they're outdoors. You just never know what wildlife may have hopped or crawled in to wreak havoc. 


Finally, if you are successful using this fix, I would be absolutely thrilled to hear about it. Photos or video would be much appreciated. Send them to me at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. I don't have a screened door like this to test it on. Ours have latches that the dogs cannot reach, thank goodness. Since I live on waterfront, I have to control Tanner's swimming expeditions or he would be one water-logged dog.

I do love that he can open many doors, including Oliver's crate, despite the occasional problems that creates. Our doggie daycare playground has acquired special locks for the gates that Tanner cannot manipulate, after discovering his talent for allowing all the playgroups to co-mingle. Ya gotta love a dog with skills! Thanks for joining the Weekly Wag. Let me know what bonds you to your dog. 



Join us each week for the Weekly Wag bonding series, held during the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop. The hop is hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume. You are welcome to link up here, or check any of their sites for their rules of participation. Happy hopping!