Pet Obesity Awareness Day

Take a moment and look at your pet. Do they have a waist? Compare them to a photo from January of last year… Does it look like they’ve packed on some “covid LB’s”?

Since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, Viva La Pet, like many business, took a huge hit. Six months and some weeks into the pandemic, as businesses reopen, we at VLP are still experiencing hard times. With most of our clientele working from home, our daily walk services have dropped by a number that’s a bit too daunting to type out and publish in a blog post.

As people begin to venture out a bit more, we have gotten calls from those in our beloved #VLPfam to visit some pets we haven’t seen in months. We’ve been ecstatic to see those wagging tales again! But, (there’s always a but, isn’t there?) we’ve noticed a little change in some pets… their weight.

October 14th is Pet Obesity Awareness Day, so this is a great time to address the “number one health threat that pets face”. We know all pet owners want to provide their pets with their best life, especially our #VLPfam. We’re also learning that working from home doesn't always allow us to give our dogs the 30-120 minutes of daily exercise they require or provide our cats with the 20-60 minutes of daily exercise they need.

Viva La Pet is here to ensure your pets are living their best lives. Contact us today for a customizable exercise visit. We guarantee, with a regular schedule of exercise visits from us, your pets will lose that extra weight and gain more happy years with you.

30 Seconds to a Safer Dog Walk

If you use a traditional tongue buckle closure collar for your dog, I'm going to show you how to make your dog walks significantly safer by following this 30 second procedure.

First, let's go over leash and collar anatomy. Nowadays, leashes and collars are made with many different closures. In this post, I will be referring to a leash with a "bolt snap" hook and a collar with a "tongue buckle" closure.

Dog collar with a traditional tongue buckle and a D-ring for leash attachment.

Leash with a bolt snap hook.

First, be sure your dog's collar is properly fit. It should be snug, but have enough room for you to fit your finger under it without feeling a lot of pressure.  Second, make sure you are connecting the leash hook to the collar's D-ring, not the ID tag ring. Here's the 30 second procedure that will make your dog walks significantly safer. Make sure the excess end of your pup's collar is tucked under the D-ring. Finally, hook your leash, gently tug to make sure all is set and head off for your walk. 

Happy walkies!

It's a little difficult to see in this photo. But, when you do not tuck the excess bit of your pup's collar under the D-ring, you run the risk of the collar pressing up against the leash bolt snap hook and opening it. Leaving this part of the collar untucked is a recipe for a loose dog.

This photo shows the excess collar tucked under the D-ring. This method leaves no opportunity for the material to rub against the bolt snap hook on the leash.

Scratch and Sniff

Summer; the season of outdoor living. From hikes, walks and swims with your best friend, there's no better time than now to talk about poison ivy, poison oak and all of those plants that can give you a horribly uncomfortable rash.

Education: Poison oak, ivy and sumac have a sap that contains the oil that causes that red, itchy and bumpy rash. The oil, urushiol, is found everywhere on the plants, which makes it VERY easy for your cat or dog to brush up against a plant and spread it to you by way of direct contact or contact with your couch, your sheets, your rugs.... EEK!

Identify: By learning to identify the plants, you can keep your pets and yourself away from them and live itch-free for the rest of the season. "Leaves of three, let them be". Let that be your mantra as you trek through the summer months with your pup. Poison ivy, oak and sumac are clusters of shrubs or vines with groups of three green leaflets on the vines. Often, you'll see them as a ground cover or a fuzzy vine growing up a tree. Avoid all of that or pay the itchy price. (Some people are not affected by the oil!)

Treatment: What to do if your pet comes in contact with the plants? Tubby time! Wearing gloves, wash your pup using a mild dog shampoo, rinse and repeat. Be sure to throw the drying towels into the wash on a hot water cycle.

Extra: Yes, your dog and cats can get the itchy rash, but it's very unlikely. Their fur protects their skin from being exposed to the oil. The rash on your pet will look much like it does on humans and it's treated similarly. If you suspect that your dog or cat has the rash, please see your vet.

Finisher: Remember, "Leaves of three, let them be". If you cannot avoid the plants, wash, rinse and repeat. Last, if your pet gets the rash, don't panic and visit your vet.

Have a happy summer!

A mutt butt and poison ivy, next to harmless green ivy, growing up a tree.

See that fuzzy vine? That's a poison ivy vine!

Leaves of three, let them be. That's a ground cover of an itchy mess.