The Muttropolis Blog

Keep Your Furry Friends Safe

Article Courtesy of The Colorado Dog Magazine

Beat the Heat

1. Car Heat: Avoid heat exhaustion and don’t leave your pet alone in the car. During warm weather, the inside of your car can reach 120° in a matter of minutes, even if you're parked in the shade.          

2. Let the Fur Fly: Dogs with extremely thick or long fur should be trimmed during the hot summer months. Regular use of a FURminator Deshedding Tool can remove tremendous amounts of undercoat hair.       

3. Creative Cooling: Cooling Mats are great for dogs that are kept outside or if you do not have air conditioning in your home. Water filled cooling mats are safe and easy to use. Or try our Swamp CoolerT cooling vest for dogs.         

4. Water: Provide plenty of water and shade for your pets so they can stay cool. Be aware that water will vaporize on extremely hot days. Collapsible Water Bowls and Gulpy Water Bottles are convenient portable water sources for your pet.         

5. Exercise at Dusk & Dawn: Pets need exercise but on very hot days, limit exercise to early morning     or evening hours. Keep in mind that asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws. Protective Boots are a good way to protect paws from hot pavement.         

6. Avoid Sunburn: Pets can get sunburned too, and your pet may require sunscreen on his or her nose and ear tips. Especially pets with light-colored noses or light-colored fur on their ears.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion                

Heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, unsteadiness, a staggering gait, vomiting, or a deep red or purple tongue.             

What to do: Move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck, and chest or immerse them in cool (not cold) water. Let them drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take them directly to a veterinarian.

 

All dressed up and nowhere to go?

Muttropolis in partnership with Cause Four Paws Fund presents its second annual Muttsquerade Party. Its going to be a HUGE CELEBRATION. 

What: First Annual Mutts-querade to benefit Cause for a Paws Fund

Where: La Encantada Courtyard in Tucson, AZ 85718

Who: Pets & Their Parents

When: October 31 from 6:00-8:30PM

Attire: Halloween Chic!

Find out more

 

Enjoy:

• Live Music and Entertainment

• Gourmet food and beverages

• Swank service and tray passed dog treats

• Live auction & Silent auction (MC: Bud Foster)

• Costume Contests

• Pup-paw-razzi in action

• Great Goodie Bags

The event benefits Cause Four Paws Fund which is a registered 501 (c) 3 nonprofit charity based in

Tucson that is directed by local veterinarians and business leaders.For more information log onto www.vscot.com

Surf Dog Surf-a-thon: Beach Blanket Dingoes

On September 7th 2008, pets and their parents from all over San Diego will compete in the third annual Surf Dog Surf-a-thon to benefit the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Hopefully they will catch a lot of waves! Two-legged and four-legged surfers will raise money for animals based on how many waves they catch from pledges. Plus, all paw-ticipants will receive a special gift from Muttropolis!

Find out more!

Did You Know: In California it is illegal to leave a dog in a hot car.

Given the temperatures are reaching record highs across the nation, we thought it would be beneficial to remind everyone that Governor Schwarzenegger did indeed sign the bill  SB  1806 by Senator Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont) that makes a crime for pet owners to carelessly leave animals unattended in vehicles during dangerous conditions, such as hot weather. The bill was passed in 2006 and became a law in 2007.

Here are the details:

“Every year, countless dogs die after being locked in cars while their owners work, shop or run errands,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “This bill will prevent animals from suffering unbearable heat and death. 

"SB 1806 makes it a crime for a person to leave a pet unattended in a vehicle in a way that endangers the well-being of the animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering or death.   Unless the animal suffers great bodily injury, a first misdemeanor conviction for this crime is punishable by a fine of $100 or less per animal. If the animal suffers great bodily injury, the punishment is a fine of $500 or less, a sentence of up to six months in county jail, or both. A person convicted of felony animal cruelty is subject to a fine of $20,000 or less, time in state prison, or both"

"Many pet owners are not aware that even moderately warm temperatures outside can quickly lead to deadly temperatures inside a closed car.  For example, within one hour an outside temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit can cause conditions inside a vehicle that adversely affects the health, safety, or well-being of an animal.  Even with the windows left slightly open, an 85 degree outside temperature can cause a temperature of 102 degrees inside a vehicle in 10 minutes, and can cause 120 degrees in just half an hour.  A healthy dog, whose normal body temperature ranges from 101 to 102.5 degrees, can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 degrees for only a short time before suffering brain damage or death."

If you live in a state that doesn't have this type of law, you might consider forwarding a copy of this legislation to your legislators and ask them to pass a similar bill where you live. For more information on this legislation visit Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Protect Pets from Overheating in Vehicles

Please leave a comment or share your suggestions regarding this important topic!

Muttropolis Hosts Summer Olympic “Chomp-ianship” and Wag-a-thon Event and Benefit: Pets and their parents to experience the thrill of victory or the agony of no treats.

Forget Beijing…..the real action will be at Muttropolis’ Summer Olympic “Chomp-ianship” & Wag-a-thon Benefit Event where canine athletes will compete for both prizes and glory in challenging, non-sanctioned Olympic events such as a food inhaling contest, wagging contest, doggy-ice-cream eating contest, howling contest and much more. The Chomp-ianship will be held on Saturday, July 12th and 13th at Muttropolis Dog & Cat Boutiques across the nation. The event is pet friendly and free to the public.

 

The event will feature tasty frozen organic treats for the four-legged attendees, fun doggy games and contests, bobbing for biscuits and tray-passed wholesome dog treats and giveaways.

Attend an event at a location near you!

Yappy Hour at the W Hotel San Diego

Muttropolis sponsored a Yappy Hour at the W Hotel San Diego, on April 29th. Check out the cute furry fashionistas! West Coast K9's renowned trainer, Graham Bloem, joined the event with an Iraqi pup named Princess! After a long ride from the Rancho Coastal Humane Society to downtown San Diego, this pup had a long day!

See more photos here!

Join us next time, on Tuesday, July 29th from 5-7PM!

About Kirby & Princess
Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox’s Turkish sheepdog pups: Kirby & Princess are two of a litter of seven puppies that were transported from Iraq to the United States. “Operation Cookie Jar” got the pups to the USA
and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) brought them out to California where they have been housed and cared for, including medical attention, for approximately a month until the Marine owners return from deployment in Iraq. RCHS has covered all the expenses associated with bringing the puppies from Iraq to San Diego, CA and their care in the U.S.

The puppy’s parents were stray dogs hanging around the Marine’s camp in Iraq and the soldiers started feeding and caring for them. The dogs became camp watchdogs and had a litter of puppies which were adopted by the Marines, who cared for the pups, started training them and sent them home to America. These socialized pups are only four months old and have inherited some of the parent’s protective traits. (They are not available for adoption).

Tips to Ease Your Pets 4th of July Fear & Keep Them Safe

Tips To Ease Your Pets 4th of July Fear and Keep them Safe.
More dogs are lost on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year and local shelters always feel the impact. Muttropolis can offer helpful tips on keeping Fido safe on the fourth! We may enjoy the colorful, loud explosions of Independence Day but our four-legged companions are terrified of the hiss, pop and crackle of the fireworks. Dogs and cats have been known to jump through glass windows, claw through screen doors, jump over 10 foot fences or go right through locked windows or doors in their panic to escape the frightening effects. Many end up lost, in shelters, or get hit by cars.

1. No Fireworks
Resist taking your pet to the fireworks displays. Most animals don't enjoy the holiday's noisy spectacles. Plus, animals can be hurt by sparklers, cherry bombs and other fireworks set off in residential neighborhoods.

2. Keep Your Pet Inside
Never leave pets outside and unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain. Animals may panic, escape and get lost, or get injured by becoming entangled in their chain. They may injure themselves by chewing or choking on their leashes. Make sure their environment is safe and secure so your pet cannot escape.

3. Comfort First
If your pet will be home alone during the festivities, turn on the radio or TV to muffle the sounds or find them a friend! Cover a table with a blanket or place his bed behind a sofa where he will feel safe, secure and comfortable. A crate works well too, if the pet is already crat  e trained. Close the curtains to reduce the likelihood of flashes.

4. Create Distractions
Try leaving interactive toys and treat releasing toys around the house to eliminate boredom and create distraction.

5. Encourage Rest
Feed and exercise your dog before the noise starts - to encourage them to rest and digest, especially for large breeds. Ask your veterinarian about administering sedatives or tranquilizers before the noise starts. Rescue remedy and Happy Traveler are non-prescription alternatives to help relieve anxiety in your pet when given half an hour before festivities.

6. ID Tags
Ensure your dog is wearing current identification tags or a microchip so the pet may be reunited with owners promptly if loud noises cause it to run away, just in case of a successful escape attempt.

7. Host with the most?
If you are hosting the festivities this year, keep the doors closed. If you have gues  ts going in and out of the house, make sure that your dog does not have access to the door that keeps opening and closing. While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets.

8. Avoid Autos
Don't leave your pet in the car. In addition to the danger posed by pet thieves, cars can heat up to a deadly temperature in minutes, even with windows partially opened.

9. Stress Signs
How to identify signs of stress: shaking, trembling, drooling, excessive barking and howling, scratching, chewing, loss of bowel and bladder control.

10. Aftermath
Pick up leftover sparklers and other sharp objects when the festivities are over. After the Fourth of July, be aware of possible firework debris when walking your dog.

Some specific products that can help: rescue remedy, a crate, patriotic collars/leads, apparel and bandanas. Muttropolis is happy to help pet parents celebrate their Patriotic Pooch Pride. Prevent you pet from becoming a statistic this Fourth of July.

Muttropolis Warehouse Sale

On Wednesday June 18th from noon to 7PM, employees at the Muttropolis World HQ donned their aprons and tennis shoes for a HUGE warehouse sale. Despite the heat, we had a great turnout, especially during lunch hour. Pets and their parents were finding bargains like never before from collars and leads to pet carriers and toys.

Before:
  After:

The two legged crew enjoyed margaritas and sangria after a hard day's work, while the four-leggeds romped around for a well deserved play time.

Every Day is "Take your dog to work day."

The nation celebrated annual "Take Your Dog to Work Day," today and, undoubtedly, countless employees of stuffy, strict and un-fun companies were forced to leave their pooches at home despite this official designation.  As for who designated this particular day (Hallmark?), we hain't a clue, but we think it's a great way to kick off the summer.

However, we Muttropolitans are fortunate to designate every day as Take Your Dog to Work Day, as each and every desk here at the Muttropolis World Headquarters has a bed with a dog under it....a dog under the desk that is, not under the bed.

Given that our offices are housed in a building that was built back in the dark ages, we do not have air conditioning, and instead we must hover around small desk fans for relief from the heat. Or, we wait for one of the office dogs to aggressively shake his head after taking a long drink of water, which provides a nice refreshing spritz for bystanders. The office dogs tend to hog the fans and are also quite partial to our Muttropolis Water Filled Cooling Mat.

The office pooches are not always satisfied with simply laying on the floor and lately some have been fighting over the "good beds" and roosting upon desks and our reception chairs. Often, during photo shoots, they argue about who gets to be in the photo, because photo shoot = lots of treats.

Lola, our resident alpha Chihuahua mix, is a veritable Where's Waldo of all photo shoots. See if you can spot her sneaking into the photo above.

--Janet McCulley, Chief Barketing Officer & Schmoo, the furry Guru