Effective in an Emergency?

Fires are one of my biggest fears. When I was in the first grade my family’s barn burnt down, luckily for us, there were no horses in the barn at the time, but our beloved dogs were being kept in the horse stalls as a temporary kennel. I’ve blogged about this in the past, it was a windy day, the barn manager had a friend over whose car backfired causing sparks, the wind picked up the sparks, and a fire quickly began. A few things went wrong in the tactics being used to fight the fire, and the barn burned completely to the ground. The firefighters thought they had rescued all of the animals in the barn, but had overlooked my black lab, Rex. He perished in the blaze.

A few years ago I discovered decals made to notify emergency responders of any pets in the building. These decals can be placed on your front window or door, and give you space to write the number of dogs in your house to help ensure they are rescued in the event of an emergency. Of course, I loved this idea! My animals are like family to me, and I would hate to lose another beloved pet to a fire. Immediately I ordered one online (you can get them free through the ASPCA, or purchase one at your local pet specialty shop).

As you may know, one of my brothers is a firefighter, so I turn to him for all fire-related questions. One day we were talking about dogs in emergency situations, and how a normally docile dog may turn violent or aggressive when surrounded by the stress of a fire, first responders in full gear, sirens, etc. He explained from a fire fighter’s perspective the first priorities are saving human lives and putting out the blaze to save the building, but they do try to save animals, when they can. Many fire trucks are even equipped with oxygen masks for dogs to combat smoke inhalation. When I learned this I asked his thoughts on these decals, mentioning I always keep one in clear sight at the entrance to my house.

I was saddened to learn that decals like this are rarely noticed or relied upon by fire fighters… of course, this could be different for each department or area. He told me in the event of a fire the firefighters are focused on clearing the building and putting out the fire. With this in mind, they do everything possible to search for lives (including pets), but it is unlikely they would have the time to look for said decal in such instances.

I’ve blogged about the decals in the past, and I will continue to hang a decal notifying emergency crews of my animals, but I now have a more realistic view of how effective this tool is in saving the lives of my pets in a blaze. Fires are terrifying, and I pray none of my readers ever has to go through one, but there are some tools you can have in place. Practice for an emergency. Plan your exit strategies, and factor your pets into them. My brother said practicing is far and away the best preparation tool! Keep collars and leashes in an easily accessible place, but also keep in mind you may not be able to access that spot in a blaze. Your first priority should always be getting you and other humans out, but if time allows do try to bring your pets with you. As fires are an incredibly high stress situation for pets, work on socialization and obedience with distractions. Take your dogs places they may encounter loud noises, sirens, or people in full gear and practice your basic obedience. The last thing you want is your dog to hide in fear during an emergency like this. So work heavily on your recall, as well as your stay command.

Teaching A Recall

Image credit: Google Images

As you know, the main motivating factor with signing up for obedience class was to teach Milly a recall. Well, here are a few steps we are working on now, in obtaining a solid recall. At this point, anytime I use the word, “come” she needs to be on a leash, that way, if she does not come when I call, I can pull her in with the leash and praise her when she gets to me. If she is loose in the yard and I call her, I now use “Here Milly!” so that if she decides to blow me off, she is not associating her optional recall with the word “come”.

You’ll first want your dog to have a decent concept of healing (on your left side), sitting, and a sit stay. With your dog on a six foot leash to start, you can move up to a long lead, or use your Flexi lead (only use the Flexi brand) in time, ask your dog to heal, walk to a specific spot, and ask your dog to sit. Don’t worry, if you can’t get a sit, place the leash in your right hand, and immediately press with your left hand on your dog’s hind end. Once seated, ask your dog to stay and step in front of your dog. If your dog has a solid stay, you can walk all the way to the end of the leash, if not, stand as close as you need to for your dog to stay seated. Just make sure that if you decide to go to the end of the leash, you walk straight out, and then turn and do not back up to get to the end of the leash, as this can confuse your dog with contradictory body language.

With both hands on the leash, say your dogs “name + come!” for example, “Milly come!” immediately start running backwards, as you run real the leash in to you so you are eventually holding the leash in the same position you would to walk your dog, and your dog is no longer at the end of the leash. As you are running backwards and reeling in your dog, continue to encourage your dog by saying, “Dog’s name come” in a very excited voice. Once your dog has reached you, ask it to sit, and give tons of praise… “Great come! Good girl, Milly!” I like to say good or great + the command that was accomplished to reiterate what that word means while I praise. You can also give treats when the exercise is complete!

To start, you only need to run backwards for 5-10 feet. As your dog gets the hang of this, you can progress to a longer lead. Should your dog not immediately come, start reeling it in, but continue to encourage this behavior of moving towards you when called.

Happy Recalling!

Chicken Treats Made in China and a Christmas Dilemma

Last night I found myself in quite a pickle of a situation. I returned from a wonderful week in Camden, South Carolina to a stack of Christmas cards and a few gifts under my small tree. One gift was for Milly from my boyfriend’s mother, and when I opened it I was excited to see “Sweet Potato,” but quickly became nervous as I realized this treat was wrapped in dehydrated chicken. I turned the box over and scoured to find the country of origin – disappointment sank in as I read those bold letters, “MADE IN CHINA.”

Dehydrated poultry products have quickly become the treat of choice for many owners, but the majority of them are made in China (I’ve only found two brands that aren’t). I’ve noticed these treats tend to rely on marketing “All natural” or “Holistic” or "Grain and corn free" and even the more expensive brands sold in pet specialty shops tend to be made in China. When I’ve inquired about the ingredients in such treats I’ve been told by store owners and store managers, “They’re all natural – it’s just chicken,” and so I ask what they might be cooked in because my dog has allergies – 100% natural chicken is always the response.

You might remember when I committed a cardinal dog owning sin and fed Milly some dehydrated chicken strips, made in China, which had been given to me. Normally, Milly does not get any food made in China, but I made an exception, and she paid the consequences by vomiting all day. I am so lucky that was the extent of her illness, but it was a very terrifying day, and one that I will never forget. I now read every label, and she is not allowed anything made in China.

In 2007 and 2008, there were many articles about made in China chicken treats causing renal and kidney failure in dogs throughout the United States and Australia. The FDA investigated the issue, but no conclusions about their investigation have been released, and they caution dog owners not to feed these treats. A simply Google search of “made in china chicken dog treat” turns up enough terrifying search results to make any dog owner’s head spin, and it checks out on Snopes.com!

In China the standards for processing foods are very different than in the United States, and regulations are rarely enforced, especially when it comes to pet food and pet products. From mold tainted chicken strips – go to your local Pet Smart and take a look at the packages of dehydrated chicken, and you’ll wonder why the same exact product comes in so many shades of color – to chicken supposedly treated in formaldehyde, the risks associated with these loosely regulated dog treats are high. These are both speculations of causes, though independent panels have found traces of both in treats.

The American Veterinary Medical Association urges pet owners not to feed these poultry based treats from China, and explains that there has been no definitive answers one way or another, but pets continue to get sick. They urge owners who do continue to feed these treats to watch their pets closely for any signs of illness.

I have not found much from 2009 regarding these cases, but I also have not found any conclusions regarding the issues that took place in 2007 and 2008 in my searches, but the lack of data is not going to push me into feeding my dog something made in China, I don’t care how many thousands of dogs safely eat these treats.

So now, here I am with a gift that I have no idea what to do with. At first I thought, well, I’ll Google the company, and maybe make an exception just this once, but images of Milly violently ill the last time I made an exception came to mind, and that simply is not an option. What is the proper gift receiving etiquette? Do I simply write a thank you note, and pretend like this was a great gift? Do I donate the treats to a shelter – I don’t feel comfortable putting other dogs at risk. Do I find a store that carries the same brand I was given and try to exchange them for a treat made in the USA, and then write a thank you note explaining what I did? I do believe it is important to educate the public, but I don’t want to appear ungrateful. I was truly touched that someone took the time to think of Milly on Christmas, and include a gift for her under the tree.