RACHAEL RAY

Dear Pet Lovers,

I have a nine year old Lab who is the sweetest, most affectionate (aka, pathetically needy) dog ever. We got him as a puppy, pre-children, and he was truly our baby. I came home from work to walk him. I talked about him constantly. I showed people photos of him (clearly ready to have children:-)). I even had puppy playdates.

Here we are, nine years and three kids later, and he has unfortunately fallen to low man on the totem pole position. I love him dearly, but wish I had more time to lavish him with affection like the old days. My kids love him/tolerate him, depending on the day.

One issue with my sweet and lovable dog is that many of my kids’ friends do not have pets and their opinions on dogs range from dislike to extreme terror. Two friends will not even come in the house until he is safely out of sight, which means I often put him outside, even though he would much rather hang with the group. I try letting the friend(s) give him a dog treat or I have him lie down quietly so they can pet him, but often even these attempts do not help the situation and I end up putting him outside again, and feeling sorry for him!

Help,

Concerned Mom

Dear “Mom”,

It seems like this could be a perfect opportunity to show children how sweet a dog can be and teach them not to be afraid.  Many times it’s just because the children are not familiar with dogs that causes  the fear.

Don’t forget-it is important to remind kids to always ask the pet owner if it is okay to pet a dog before running up and making contact (some dogs really are not that friendly with strangers).

If you’ve been following the story of little Spirit, we are please to report that she is doing well.  Here is a photo of her in physical therapy.  You can see how small she is by the size of the hand holding her floatie.

If you are not familiar with the story of Spirit, read our previous post. 

Hi Rachael!

You most likely have seen this site because of the press it received from mainstream news outlets. But just in case you didn’t, I thought I’d pass it along.

http://www.freekibble.com & http://www.freekibblekat.com

The About page tells all about a 12 year old girl from Oregon who wanted to donate food for shelters. So she created a website where each day you answer a trivia question (it works regardless of if you get it right or wrong) to donate 20 pieces of kibble. There is a dog and a cat site. I’ve added them as my homepage and donate my 20 pieces each day. It’s a super easy way to make a difference to animals in need.

As of today: 14,249,690 pieces of kibble have been donated so far for dogs and 9,805,370 for cats. Not bad for a 12-year-old.

Keep up the great work! I’m a huge RR fan!

Audrey

Maybe you all have been following this story (copied here from the LA Times):

A puppy that was savagely beaten and left for dead by a man at the U.S.-Mexico border last week is recovering after being rescued by Border Patrol agents.

The brutal attack on the female shepherd mix puppy, estimated to be about 3 months old, was captured by Border Patrol surveillance cameras and shows the man hitting, choking and suffocating the animal before fleeing back to Mexico, said Border Patrol Agent Mark Endicott.

The video shows the man first tossing the puppy into the U.S. from Mexico over the fence about a half mile east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. He then jumps over the barrier and grabs the dog and begins to punch it in the head several times with a closed fist. He then picks up the struggling, tiny animal and slams it against the fence.

A Border Patrol agent was dispatched to check on the dog after the man left its lifeless body lying on the ground and jumped back over the fence. The agent found the dog was still alive and gave it some food and water, Endicott said.

It was then taken to the county Department of Animal Services shelter in Bonita, Endicott said.

The puppy, which has not been named, has some trauma to its back legs but is expected to recover, said John Carlson, deputy director with the county’s Animal Services. He said X-rays will determine to what extent the legs are damaged. It did not appear to have suffered significant internal injuries but will undergo further tests.

Carlson said he has seen animals that have been injured by people but has never seen the abuse in progress as it was captured on the tape.

He said the physical trauma the dog suffered was terrible but “sometimes dogs can be pretty resilient.”

The pup will continue to be treated at the shelter until it is fully recovered, Carlson said. It will then be placed for adoption to an appropriate home to owners who will be responsible for its medical follow-up.

There is no timetable as to when that will be, but it could be as soon as a couple of weeks, he said.

Carlson said he would like nothing better than to see the man responsible for the brutality brought to justice.

“If Border Patrol can detain this guy we’ll take him into custody for felony animal abuse,” he said.

Endicott said it may be possible to identify the man on the tape.

In the meantime, workers at the shelter taking care of the puppy say it seems to be in good spirits.

“It’s a real sweetheart,” Carlson said.

Well, we were so touched by this story that we decided to send $5,000 as part of Rachael’s Rescue to help with Spirit’s recovery. We’re pleased to report that she is on the mend!

Whoever said pitbulls were tough must not have met Isaboo.

Here she is getting a kiss from 5-year old Anna. She loves little kids and especially likes to lick the toes of little babies!

Isaboo had loads of fun visiting her friends today and the kids ran her ragged. So much so that when she went to eat her dinner, she threw up soon after. We’re not sure if she’s coming down with something or just has a little upset stomach from all the running and playing, but if this happens to your dog, keep an eye on them so they don’t dehydrate, especially in this heat. Give them nothing for a short period so they can recuperate for a little while and watch to see that they don’t throw up again, which may be the sign of illness.

Luckily for us, Isaboo did not throw up again and after a brief rest was running around once again and having fun with the kids.

Don’t eat that hot pepper plant Izzy!

Make sure to check out our new Pets channel on the site.  Look up in the nav bar and in between the Kids and Friends sections you will see a Pets tab where you will find out all about Rachael’s Rescue, Rachael’s way of helping out organizations that help pets in need.  You’ll also see some of Rach’s pet friendly recipes and our very own blog postings.  You’ll also be able to get to a mini site we set up for Rach’s new dog food and treats line, called Nutrish.  Check it out to find out where you can get a bag today.

Rachael’s proceeds from the sale of the pet food will go to charities, some of which are listing on our Rachael’s Rescue page.

If you are thinking about getting a dog, you better think hard.  Owning a dog is almost the same as raising a child-this animal is your responsibility completely and with that comes lots of kisses and cuddles, but also expenses and considerations such as these:

• A dog may live 10-15 years so make sure you are in it for the long haul-think about where you will be over those years and if you can envision having a pet with you.  Are you planning to move alot?  Will you be able to have a dog with you?  Do you take many vacations?
• If you have small children, make sure you are able to handle the responsibility of the kids and another child-the puppy.  Puppies need major training in the beginning, so they learn how to be happy and well-behaved dogs.  Hmm, sound familiar, moms?  Some other kids and dog tips:

•              Try dog sitting for a night or two to see if the kids enjoy having a new family member in the            house.
•             Here’s a website to see which dog breeds work best with children.

• Make sure you get a dog that fits in well with your lifestyle - does the dog need to get a lot of exercise and can you make sure he gets it?  Does the dog shed and can you handle picking up the hair?
• Are there any allergies in the family?  Make sure you check before you find out too late!
• Can you handle the expense of a dog? There’s feeding and care, but other, unexpected expenses come up so you might want to consider getting pet insurance too.
• Do you want a puppy or an adult dog? For those who aren’t prepared to handle a puppy and the training, an adult dog may be the answer.

The American Kennel Club has some additional questions to ask yourself to ensure you are ready to take the big leap!

I wanted to share this letter from a rachaelray.com site visitor:

“I just tried your recipe for the Pooch/Human smoothie, and My Black Lab, Taylor and I love it. I did not, however, have an ice cube tray, so I used 3 oz. plastic bathroom cups. I lined them up in a jelly roll pan, filled each with the smoothie, froze for 3 – 4 hours, removed the cups and placed them in freezer zip lock bags. To remove the smoothie, gently (that is gently or it will fly out of the cup and onto the floor, but that never happened to me) squeeze the cup and the smoothie will come out, ready to enjoy. It is fast, delicious and quite convenient. Taylor is having her first smoothie right now; it is in the upper 80s today and she is loving it.

Just wanted to pass that along, and say THANKS!”

Karen Lauters

Stevens Point, WI

Isaboo beats the heat by taking a mid day nap! How are your pets cooling off and taking it easy this summer? Here are some tips to make sure your dog does not get heat exhaustion:

• Make sure they get lots of water and rest in this heat. Keep filling up that water bowl and take some with you if you plan on being out with your dog on a long adventure. Have you seen the portable dog water bowls? Cute!
• Don’t walk them if they seem too tired or if it is too hot out. Instead, walk them in the morning and at night or take them on a shady path. If the sidewalk is hot, it will burn their little foot pads!
• Short haired dogs can get sunburned so limit their time in the sun.
• Don’t ever leave a dog alone in the car, especially when it is hot out and the windows are closed. This could be fatal.

Dogs are like children in many ways and to some of us, they are our children. So when in doubt, ask yourself, would I do this to a child (ie leave it in the car while I go shopping?)? If the answer is no, then don’t do it to a dog either!

You need to check with your vet before giving your pet any medication but the answer on the Pepto Bismal question is usually yes.  You just need to adjust the dosage based on the size of your dog, your vet can tell you how much to give and how often.  If your dog just has diarrhea and is alert and eating you should follow orders from your vet and keep them on a bland diet until they are back to normal.  By the way, Pepto Bismal is not safe for cats in any dosage.