June 2010 Archives

So here we are again. The Fourth of July. A terrific holiday. But one that brings much angst to dog and cat owners.

I live in a neighborhood where illegal fireworks are a problem every year, with no shortage of participants on my street. I remember driving home at dusk one year with the dogs only to find residents had actually pulled lawn chairs out into the street on my block as people set off fireworks in the middle of the road. I had to drive around the block just to access my driveway.

Tess is usually ok with the noise, but Cowboy becomes very anxious. I put a request in to my vet today to see if there's anything he could prescribe to help keep Cowboy calmer.

And what about cats? I just got my first cat in October and have no idea what to expect with her. What do you do to keep your pets calm on the Fourth? Many dogs don't react, but those that do have a really hard time with all the commotion. (I still remember how our German shepherd Queenie who would literally cower in a closet when she heard fireworks.)

Meanwhile, here are some tips from the spcaLA:

• Dogs and cats should be microchipped and wear current I.D. tags at all times.  This is the best way to ensure a happy reunion if your pet goes missing.
• Keep pets safe and secure inside your home.  Loud noises from fireworks can cause a dog to jump a fence and run away from home or a cat to hide for days.  Keeping your pet indoors and secure will also keep them from dangerous roadways.     
• If you're hosting a party, keep your pets in a cool, well-ventilated room with a radio playing softly in the background.  Include your pet's favorite toys and pet bed for comfort.  Do this as well if you are going out but your pet is staying in.
• Do not tie your dog up outside to keep him/her from escaping.  The loud noise from the fireworks can frighten your pet making them more likely to attempt to flee.  Dogs can seriously injure themselves, or even die, trying to escape.
• Educate children to not scare pets with firecrackers or sparklers.

Music apparently helps and a website called Through a Dog's Ear includes some CDs you can buy but also some free downloads.

Here are some more tips.

(My dogs normally don't sleep on the bed with me. But the other night when we had some early neighborhood fireworks going off, both of them jumped up for consolation. I had Tess on the right side of me, Cowboy on the left, Annie the cat at the foot of the bed. I could not move.) 

So tell us: How do your pets fare with fireworks? Any special tips you can share with readers?

Cosmo the Samoyed recently turned 14. Joining him at his party in Torrance were 11 Samoyeds and one Coonhound (named Rocket).

Josh's sister, Cosmo's owner, sent us these photos from the party. it really was a special occasion after their close call with Cosmo last year. He devoured nearly an entire bottle ad Advil found in his owner's purse in the middle of the night. Dogs.

First, the cake:

The honored guest, above.

And some of his guests. They all look alike to me:

It all left Cosmo ready for a good, long nap.

Well it's no wonder that former Daily Breeze reporter Diana Chapman is always being asked by strangers if they can "buy" their new family puppy, Baxter.

"He's not for sale, but we got him from a great rescue group in Long Beach called Hearts for Hounds," Diana writes. "That's where we got my Mom's dog, too, Dara."

Baxter is part poodle and part bearded collie. And I'm told the rescue group also had his brother, "Cosmo," but I don't see him listed on their website so maybe he's spoken for, too.

Update 7:20 p.m.: She found her dog, thanks to everyone who kept an eye out for "Boy."  

Just a heads up if anyone sees a 60-pound (medium to large-sized, stocky) dog, black, short-hair -- pit and Rottweiller mix -- in the vicinity of Normandie and PCH in Harbor City and heading toward Wilmington.

He belongs to a friend and has been loose only since this afternoon. He just had surgery -- 4 stitches in his ear. He's black with white feet.

His name is "Boy," but is wary of people. He's microchipped but had slipped out of his collar and tags.

Send me an email if you think you have seen him. Or call the owner at 310-291-7990.

A garage sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday (June 18-19), 4716 W. Bulova St., Torrance, to raise funds for spaying and neutering cats sponsored for adoption by Purrfect Partners.

Sale items include Native American-themed dining room table and chairs, pictures, dishes, accessories, kitchenware and glassware; extra-long lounge chairs and patio furniture; carpet remnants; Hello Kitty merchandise; calligraphy supplies; books, clothes and plants.

Donations of items are also being accepted; e-mail cats@purrfectpartners4cats.com.

The group holds cat adoptions from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Centinela Feed & Pet Supply, 413 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach.

This is ongoing this week through Sunday. The local shelter is at 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.

Also: From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday only, Found Animals teams up with city and county shelters to offer this Father's Day "Better with a Buddy" special: Adopt one pet and get 50 percent off the adoption fees; adopt two and the second pet comes free. Harbor Animal Care Center, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro -- and the Carson county shelter at 216 W. Victoria St.

Call 877-580-PETS.

There's good news and bad news in all this.

I have the best veterinarian. Ever.

The bad news? He's getting very popular these days and I, along with so many of his long-time clients, may have to learn how to share him a bit.

In the beginning, I sort of  "inherited" Dr. Richard Palmquist.

When my mom died unexpectedly 20 years ago, she left behind a couple of dogs that I decided to keep. I remembered how enthused she had been about the young "new vet" who had just recently taken over the local practice she'd been using for some years.

But I really had no intention of staying with Centinela Animal Hospital in Inglewood since I lived probably 30 miles away. I took the dogs there at first simply to check on their records and to get brought up to speed on their medical histories.

So much for that plan. After that initial appointment, I knew we'd be coming back.

Dr. Palmquist is a 30-40 minute drive away for me, depending on traffic, but I wouldn't think of going elsewhere. And he'd better not go anywhere, either (unless it's closer to where I live).

I love the personal attention of a small veterinarian office and a staff that personally knows you and your pet.

Dr. Palmquist has literally sat down beside me in the exam room or waiting area as I've agonized over an unexpected diagnosis or when I was stuck in indecision about making that "ultimate" call for a terminally ill pet. 

He's called me back on his days off when I've needed advice.

He's coached me through home care for canine diabetes, severe allergies and lymphoma -- and all the stuff that goes with doggie old age.

He's made me laugh when I wanted to cry. With his clients he shares both the grief and the joy that comes with caring for a pet through the years.

Smart with a winsome personality, Dr. Palmquist keeps up with the latest research and literature and isn't afraid to consider something new. But just as important for me, he genuinely loves animals, people -- and his vocation.

Despite a crowded waiting room, he always takes the time during appointments to listen and then explain issues in lay terms that we pet owners can understand. He educates us, encourages us and, when needed, consoles us. He's funny. But with old-fashioned common sense and compassion combined with medical expertise, he also helps pet owners critically think through the myriad of decisions they face.  

He has the gift of making you feel like you're his only client when he walks into the exam room. 

So the good and bad of it, for some of us, is this: Because of his pioneering work in holistic treatments, integrative medicine, vaccination titer studies and nutrition for pets, Dr. Palmquist is rightfully getting some attention from the wider media world.

Most recently, he was called by the folks at the Huffington Post to do a new blog/column on holistic approaches for pets  once a month or so. His first column is on the link.

Late last year, he was featured on the local CBS news for his work with pets with cancer (check out this video of the news clip).  

And here's another video on animal nutrition that features Dr. Palmquist with some of his colleagues.

A few celebrities have even found their way to his modest clinic door at 721 Centinela Ave. in Inglewood. 

(I want to tell them all to go away, but that wouldn't be very generous or charitable of me, I know.)

Dr. Palmquist, who co-authored a veterinary textbook a few years ago, also has a new book out titled "Releasing Your Pet's Hidden Health Potential."

 

He's long been a featured speaker at veterinarian conferences. But now he seems to be getting more attention from those outside the professional circles, and deservedly so. 

This is a good thing. Or at least I keep telling myself so.   

 

 

He posts links of interest in the holistic pet field now on Twitter -- you can follow him at  http://twitter.com/DrRPalmquist.

 

 

These kittens under 2 months old need to be fostered asap, according to Carson Cats. Check the link for all the details and specific impound ID numbers. There are 4 of them (only 3 shown) and they are at the Carson Animal Shelter.

In a 4-1 vote Tuesday night, Rolling Hills Estates council members approved the idea of setting aside two to three acres of the 175-acre former Palos Verdes Landfill to establish a fenced-in dog park.

(Read more on Maureen's blog.)

But this is not a "done deal."

The proposal now has to go before officials in Los Angeles County for review, possible studies, and then a final determination. And there also is fund-raising ahead -- Bruce says the park could cost between $70,000 and $100,000 when you factor in fencing, water, signage, ground cover and other expenses.

This all means that a dog park -- should it receive final approvals -- could be still 18 months to two years away from reality.

Bruce, however, is confident that funds can be found in grants and donations. He also suggested a park membership format be considered in which park users would be required to register and pay an annual fee -- $20? $50? -- to visit the dog park.

The advantage of that, Bruce said, is that the city could ensure that dogs coming into the facility all have licenses in their respective cities and are up-to-date on vaccinations. What do you think? Would you pay an annual fee to visit a dog park? 

Clearly the work's not over. Contact the Megowans if you'd like to help. Email them at either bmegowan@cox.net or mmegowan@cox.net.

Their full proposal is the result of much research by Bruce, who told me he studied dog parks throughout the nation and probably is something of an expert by now on issues such as design and materials.

I must say, I was impressed and a bit surprised by the enthusiastic support of the city council.

But then I'm used to Los Angeles and San Pedro -- where a more than decade-long effort to establish a permanent dog park continues to be stuck in quicksand, perennially on a back burner due to bureaucracy and, frankly, what appears to be simply a lack of political will on the issue.

(Yes, there is a temporary dog park in San Pedro, but at just 3/4 of 1 acre it's too small for safety when it's crowded and is vulnerable to being closed whenever the Port of L.A., which owns the space near the freeway and bridge onramps, needs the land.)

Read our earlier posts on the PV dog park. 

After years of effort, California this week launched the state's newest specialty license plate -- CA Spay and Neuter.

The Califonria Veterinary Medical Board joined forces with the California Spay and Neuter License Plate Fund to sponsor the program. Proceeds will provide funding for free and low-cost spay and neuter surgery programs across California and also will bring attention to the problem of homeless pets.

It's estimated that 1 million pets enter the state's animal shelters each year with more than half of them (500,000) being euthanized.

The new plates feature original artwork created and donated by actor/artist Pierce Brosnan.

They will be produced and issued once an initial 7,500 pre-paid applications have been collected. Go to www.CASpayPlate.com.

This comes to us from our Daily Breeze colleague and courts reporter/blogger Denise Nix:

Reader J. Brandlin from Torrance sent in this photo of a fox who decided to
join in on his golf game at The Lakes in El Segundo on Memorial Day.
Brandlin says the fox, who apparently lives there, walked up on the green,
curled up and appeared to lick his friend's golf ball. His friend then
birdied the hole (which he says was two shots - I wouldn't know) and he
bogeyed it (four strokes).

Brandlin goes on to say that he thinks the fox was acting as his friend's
caddy and giving his game some good vibes because his friend finished the
game with 30 points - one over par on that course.

That's good, right?

I may not know much about golf ... but I sure know a cute fox when I see
one!

-- Denise Nix (on loan from the Crime & Courts Blog)

For those of you interested in the effort to establish an off-leash dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the issue will come up at Tuesday (6/8) night's Rolling Hills Estates City Council meeting (The item is under #9, New Business, on the agenda.) 

Supporters are encouraging those who back the proposal to include a dog park on the former Palos Verdes Landfill site to attend the meeting. Apparently very few supporters have shown up in the past, which sends the message to council members that the issue is not particularly important to residents.

So if you care about this, now's the time to start showing up. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Rolling Hills Estates City Hall, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North (just west of Crenshaw Boulevard).

Here's the letter that went out from Maureen Megowan who, with her husband Bruce, is spearheading the movement:

... The City Council will vote as to whether to accept the Parks and Activities Commission's recommendation to submit a letter of support to the County of Los Angeles to construct a dog park on the former Palos Verdes Landfill site. See the dog park proposal for details ....

... This is a key vote in our attempt to get a dog park developed on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and it is important that as many dog lovers as possible attend the meeting to show support from the community. I have been very disappointed in the turn-out by dog park supporters at other city meetings and unless people are ready to start showing their support for this, we simply will not be successful. ... (T)he best turnout we have had at previous city meetings of dog park supporters has been 3 or 4.

They've put in a lot of work on this for more than a year now. If you support the idea, let them know by voting with your feet and coming to Tuesday's meeting. Below is an aerial shot of the location being considered.

Considering that there is apparently no serious possibility (at least anytime in the near future) of establishing a decent-sized permanent dog park in San Pedro -- to replace the 3/4-acre temporary space near the freeway now graciously on loan from the Port of Los Angeles -- I'd think there would be pretty widespread interest throughout the area in something like this.

But maybe not. And whether this is a suitable location or not I'm sure will be a matter of study and debate.  

If you can't attend the meeting, Maureen suggests e-mailing city officials with your comments:

RHE City Council member emails:

JudyM@ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us

JohnA@ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us

SusanS@ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us

SteveZ@ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us

FrankZ@ci.rolling-hills-estates.ca.us

City Manager email:

DougP@ci.Rolling-Hills-Estates.ca.us

Here's Tess and Annie at rest.

Although if you notice the blur in this photo, that's Tess' tail frantically spinning in circles. Annie's been known to be rather intrigued by moving parts on dogs. Good thing she's looking in the other direction.  

I may have posted these guys before. I've seen them around the net. But you can't get enough of Roscoe and Suryia

(And please refrain from making jokes about how this looks like me and my dog)

 Petco Animal Supplies Inc., accused of overcharging consumers and improperly caring for animals, agreed to settle a $1.7 million consumer protection lawsuit today without admitting liability, said Deputy District Attorney Leslie Hanke of the Consumer Protection Division.

The district attorneys of four California counties, including Los Angeles and San Diego, filed the civil complaint in San Diego Superior Court.

The investigation into pricing accuracy revealed that Petco failed to remove some expired price tags from store shelves, resulting in actual or potential customer overcharges. The company had also failed to adequately instruct its employees on weighing and charging for bulk sale items such as dog biscuits and other pet treats.

An investigation also revealed that Marine County stores did not adequately clean and maintain animal habitats as required by California's Pet Store Animal Care Act.  Animal welfare inspectors also found that in some instances, sick animals were not identified and removed from sales floor habitats.

Under terms of the judgment, the pet supply retailer agreed to pay civil penalties and legal costs incurred by prosecutors and investigators.

Petco also agreed to initiate and maintain pricing procedures and policies to ensure that consumers are not overcharged for their purchases. The company also agreed to institute methods for the proper care and maintenance of animals and the retailer will be suject to annual, third-party audits to ensure compliance.

The San Diego-based corporation reached a settlement involving similar allegations in 2004. Under the terms of that settlement, the company paid more than $850,000.

Annie's lizard resurfaced this morning. (See my last installment.)

He was last seen about a week ago ducking under the sofa. I left some water for him under there, but had no idea if he had moved as I could never get a good view.

Then this morning I heard Annie rustling around near a bookcase. I've learned to pay attention when she does that.

She was scratching at a throw rug that sits over the old floor heater grate (with plywood beneath that). I lifed the rug and there he was.

I picked the yowling and squawking Annie up, tossing her into the kitchen and closing the door. She continued to protest loudly while in captivity..  

Then I gathered the supplies: a small plastic bowl with a lid, tongs and paper towels. Surely I'd be able to corner & get him this time in order to release him to safety outside.

We danced a bit and finally I slammed the upside-down bowl over him. But it wasn't over him. Again, he was too fast.

Last I saw of him, he'd slipped up in between the space at the bottom of the baseboard on the wall and the grate hole, disappearing from sight. I'm hoping from there he might just be able to find his way outside via getting under the floor & then under the house somehow.

(His tail, by the way, appeared to be making a fine comeback.)

So I put the grate and rug back where they were, moved the little table that was sitting on top of both back into place. And then I released Annie from her kitchen prison.

She's since stationed herself back at the scene. Just biding her time.

Cats are amazingly patient creatures.

And her full name, after all, is Annie Oakley.