Professional Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Services

During a consultation this evening I was joking with our new client about just how many times we have been praised for being there and providing pet services for them and their families – not just for work, or a vacation but for weekends, and the FREEDOM or at least a broader choice of freedom to make choices to participate in after work activities, stay late or simply just relax on the ride home knowing their dog has been relieved,  and that alone really does help to reduce every day stress. Our new client responded with a sudden AH-HA moment and I could see the light bulb go off – Ah, reduce stress? ( insert giggle here )

Moral Of The Story?

Even if you are uncertain whether you would ever require our services,  why not consider us as your “Backup” plan just in the event of any future need for pet care relief?  Once we have your information on file, it’s as easy as accessing our online system and booking your desired appointment/s!

You can start by setting up your new FREE account today!
Click the Monkey to get started!

So when was the last time you saw a pellet tree?

We all know that closer to natural, raw and unprocessed we can get with the food we feed our pets, the healthier and longer they will live without illness.  This also rings true for our feathered friends.  Since I owned my very first African Grey Parrot, I researched their natural diet and decided right from the start that I would feed my feathered friend as close her natural diet as possible. Seeds and nuts are indeed a natural food for most birds in their natural habitat so giving your birds seeds and a few nuts ( depending on the species ) should be still available in a smaller % of their daily intake.

As humans, we just find it more convenient and easier to give manufactured bird seed. If we can begin to incorporate just small amounts daily of fresh, organic raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and legumes, we will be doing our birds a huge service helping them stay hardy, healthy and vibrant in color. The benefits are absolutely amazing for our feathered friends.

One of my favorite companies that helped me get started on healthy fresh foods and supplements for birds was a company called “China Prairie” located in the US.  I am a long time customer!

If you have the ability to order your first kit from them you won’t regret it and later as you get the hang of sprouting and cooking for your birds you will discover how quick and easy it is to incorporate into your daily routine.  Many recipes can put into containers and frozen and defrosted daily for your birds.  Most birds take to the food right away and some birds take a few days through consistently offering some in a separate dish daily.

MAKING THE MASH/SPROUTS YOURSELF

If ordering an initial kit from China Prairie is not practical for you, you do have an option by purchasing some of the ingredients yourself and learning how to sprout the legumes and seeds in mason jars at home ( just use a sharp object to create breathing holes on the top of the lid for draining and air flow ) I purchase my food products at BULK BARN and then mix all ingredients in a very large storage jar that I keep in the fridge.  I mix well all the beans, legumes, seeds together and then scoop out to gently boil for 25 minutes, strain and cool then I sprinkle with either Avian Powder Vitamin mix from PetSmart – or I will use FRESH ADDITION supplement available at China Prairie.

Remember to take any uneaten food away after 4 hours and sooner in the warmer/summer months as it can spoil quickly.

Here is a list of ingrediants you can find at BULKBARN and please choose ORGANIC where ever possible.

Note, that most birds/parrots will enjoy this mix no matter their species or size. You can avoid certain food items that your bird doesn’t like, however, it is always recommended to continue to serve foods they may not like as many birds often “give in” after days or weeks of being consistent.

BULK BARN FOOD LIST

• Hulled sunflower seed – organic, no shell, no salt, no roasting, raw only.
• Whole Yellow Corn
• Whole oat
• Brown Rice
• Wheat Berries
• Whole Green Pea
• Garbanzo
• Mung Bean
• Buckwheat
• Pumkin seed
• Sesame Seed
• Red Clover seed
• Mustard Seed
• Radish Seed
• Quinoa
• Millet
• Flax Seed
• Alfalfa Seed
• Dill Seed

If your purchase a SCOOP of each of these items the cost will be about $30-$45 and will last many months KEPT IN FREEZER.  I would suggest mixing all seeds and legumes together in one huge bowl then keep a week’s supply in the fridge for daily cooking/sprouting and the rest seal and put into the freezer pulling out as you require for a week at a time.

You can cook daily which birds LOVE. and/or you can sprout the mix.

TO SPROUT

You will require a few large mason jars which can be purchased at your local Canadian Tire or Walmart Store.  Take the lids and carefully puncture many little holes through the top. I use a star screwdriver. You want the holes to be big enough that water can drain from the lid but without losing the contents and also for air to flow through. You may also be able to find special lids for the mason jars that are specifically made for sprouting.    Put the jars and lids through the dishwasher to rinse can clean well or soak in hot soapy water and rinse well and let air dry.

Here is a good video on Youtube that explains the process of sprouting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSQVtkUyUdg&feature=related

Note: The Whole Family Can Eat them too!

As you can imagine we as pet care professionals enjoy the delight of visiting hundreds of dogs each year for pet sitting and dog walking services and with this delightful job we encounter a large variety issues that pertain to dog walking such as new puppies learning to walk with a leash and everything in between through to the 140lb dog who just about pulls your arm out of its socket with the simple act of walking forward!

Why Do Dogs Pull In The First Place?

What a complex question with many answers.  A certified and experienced dog trainer may be able to help dog owners with their specific challenges with their dogs if they find typical training and consistency is not helping to improve the situation.  At Parrot ‘n’ Pet Sitting Services, we work with our clients on these issues and pay attention to each individual dog’s own challenges.  We provide helpful tips and solutions for our clients and use “consistency” with basic manners and training when it comes to walking our clients dogs. Some of the reasons dogs do pull are:

• They simply have no idea they are supposed to walk beside you.
• They are being reinforced to pull through rewarding the behavior without the owner realizing it.
• Natural instinct through being “pulled” into position.
• Instinctive behavior in reaction to a variety of factors.

How Do We Help With Dog Pulling Challenges?

During our FREE Meet and Greet Consultation with clients we often establish if our new client is currently experiencing any challenges with their dog with regards to pulling during dog walking adventures.  It’s a great time of discovery for us because it’s during this time we can start to help by establishing a bit of a profile for your 4 legged friend.   We establish the frequency of current walks, how you currently are walking your dog and even what type of leash you currently are using with you dog.   Together we can help clients narrow down some possible indicators of the challenge being experienced and during our time with your dog, we can work with him or her on this particular challenge during our walking sessions.

Normally, helping to solve and eliminate dog pulling isn’t the goal of the dog walker, and while we always tell our clients we are not a professional dog training company and must leave certain behavior issues to the professionals in this area, we are certainly very knowledgeable in our dog care and practice – without fail – all basic good manner behavior with our clients dogs in order to help with our clients efforts in creating a well-mannered family member and this also gives our 4 legged friends responsibility and they feel good having a job to do – which is “learn to be good citizens” in our world.  ( or is it us learning to be good in their world? )

Let’s Help Them Along! What Is The Best Leash For Dogs That Pull?

First, its important to mention that there are so many views and opinions about what leash is best for dogs and what leash helps with a large variety of dog related challenges and problems.   The opinions expressed in this article are my personal opinions and what works best for me and most of our staff through our own personal experiences.

For dogs that are having a challenge learning manners of not pulling and or bigger dogs that risk injury to either their dog walking buddy or themselves, both myself and my staff all agree that the “halti” or “gentle leader” type leashes ( as shown in the picture on the golden retriever in this article ) tend to be the best buddy for your dog. This type of leash when used correctly, puts gentle pressure on the snout of the dog when he starts to pull.  As we know, a dogs nose is very sensitive, so this feeling on the dogs nose is not comfortable for him/her.  We find that this type of leash offers us the ability to help your dog faster and helps to provide a much more enjoyable experience for the dogs that pull very hard.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to comment below, email us or give us a call!

Bird Sitting Safely

Many people would guess that providing pet sitting services for birds is as simple as either going to the client’s home and providing the pet care service or bringing a bird to pet sitters home for care.  It’s very important to share with bird owners and non-bird owners that it is not that simple and if proper procedures are not taken into consideration, the wrong actions could be deadly to the bird/s involved due to possible exposure to known or unknown disease.

Lets first look birds in general and why they are so susceptible to disease and why proper consideration for care for birds is an etiquette that must be taken seriously for bird owners.

There are literally hundreds of diseases that can be harbored with or without symptoms in the pet bird that the bird owner may not be aware of.  In fact, this is the biggest danger – that bird owners may not be aware that their own bird may be ill ( when he/she is ).  Birds are experts at hiding their symptoms and can hide symptoms that may be obvious to the bird owner until the bird becomes critically ill. This is a natural instinct in the bird in order to survive in it’s wild habitat.   It is a well known fact that most often when a bird owner discovers that his or her bird is indeed ill, often the bird is close to death.  Imagine if your bird is ill, you don’t know he or she is ill and take your bird to pet sitter or any other service that cares for birds and your bird has now exposed all the other birds in the home to the same illness.  Or reverse the scenario – your bird is healthy and well meaning bird owner brings his bird to the care takers home and now your bird has been exposed.

Deadly Diseases

Unlike cats and dogs where we have many vaccinations in order to help reduce exposure to deadly diseases, birds are not so lucky.  Although we do have vaccinations for pet birds against some diseases, it’s important bird owners know that we do not have vaccinations for all diseases seen in pet birds.  Because birds can harbor disease for many days, months and even years it’s impossible to know even if a bird is a carrier of a disease.  This is why its a lot more complicated when it comes to keeping birds healthy and keeping them safe from exposure to disease because there are just too many diseases which are common amongst pet birds and we as responsible owners don’t even know they have them until it’s too late. Let’s take a look common pet bird diseases.

http://birds.about.com/od/birdhealth/tp/commondiseases.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/psittico.htm
http://www.multiscope.com/hotspot/pdd.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww64eiv.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww65eiv.htm

Boarding Birds – Not An Option In Bird Homes

You can well imagine that boarding birds in any home or any facility where other birds reside and/or come and go should NOT be an option for a bird owner.  What is very disturbing to me is to see a sudden increase in “bird-boarding” on the internet. People who offer this service cannot possibly know and understand birds and diseases of birds and if they do, they are not putting the health and safety of the birds first.  There is a quarantine procedure that every responsible bird owner MUST follow to ensure the safety and well being of birds they wish to care for and this is NOT possible in boarding situations where other birds already reside and come and go! Quarantine procedures must be done in a separate building ( no shared air space , even on different floors ) and should be a min of 90 days.  To board carelessly as described is a very very dangerous activity and I urge all bird owners to NEVER board your bird in a home where other birds live, and or come and go.  Doing so, severely increases disease exposure health risks to your bird.

Bird Care Options – What Is Safe?

The number one option to consider especially for Avian Care is a professional pet sitting service, but one that has a special understanding and knowledge in all aspects in Avian care. From how to handle birds of all sizes and species, to having full knowledge of Avian disease and husbandry for the healthy and well being of your bird/s.  Another very important thing to consider is a professional who has Avian Life Saving Knowledge.  This is CRITICAL to the life of your bird/s should they fall ill ( remember, they hide illness ) or obtain an injury. Avian Life Saving Knowledge provides life sustaining ability through the proper knowledge and set up of hospital cages, when to apply heat , how much heat to apply and even more critical is hand feeding capabilities. If a bird doesn’t eat or drink in 24 hours, the bird will die.  We have the ability to sustain life at Parrot ‘n’ Pet Sitting Services.

• The bird care provider should NOT visit more than 1 bird home during the same time UNLESS he or she can go home to shower and change clothing and shoes before going into a new home. There should be absolutely no simultaneous visits from bird home to bird home.
• The bird care provider must be able to provide you with proper husbandry care for your birds. Such as hand washing routine, food handling, bird cage and dish handling, and care before and after cleaning of bird droppings.

The above 2 points are extremely important for the bird owner to know and to consider when hiring a pet care provider for their birds.  Whether your bird is a finch, budgie or Hyacinth Macaw – all the same rules apply.

PLEASE DO NOT BOARD YOUR BIRDS IN HOMES
WHERE OTHER BIRDS LIVE, OR COME AND GO!

At Parrot ‘n’ Pet Sitting Services we are also experts in Avian care and have a safe bird care plan in place in order to protect your birds from exposure to illness. Ask us about our Avian Care!

Please feel free to reply to this post with your thoughts and or additional comments.  You may also contact us via email or telephone. info@parrotnpetsittingservice.com or 905-493-7387

When is your pet considered a “senior”?

Different sources vary on this, but according to the American Veterinarian Medical Association, by age two, most pets have already reached adulthood. By age five, they are considered middle age, and at the age of seven, they’ve started their senior years. Dogs, especially the larger breeds, begin the aging process a lot sooner, and should be treated as a senior after reaching three-four years of age. Remember, all pets age differently, so there is no set age that your pet is a senior.

Veterinarians suggest that supplements and vitamins can be served at any age, and provide an easily digestible, highly palatable diet addition to the regular diet. Giant dog breeds that are seniors will benefit from receiving supplements/vitamins at three years of age, while smaller senior dogs will benefit if supplements/vitamins are added at age five. Supplements/Vitamins can benefit senior cats at seven years of age.

2. Make quick checks a daily routine

Check your pet’s teeth for loose or missing teeth, bad breath and inflamed gums. Brush your pet’s coat regularly to stimulate the skin and remove loose hair. Check for lumps that might have formed since the last brushing. Pay attention to your pet’s movements. If he or she is getting up slower, or limping, notify your vet.

3. Seniors need high quality, easily digestible food and plenty of fresh water

Nutrition is of utmost importance! Older pets may experience a loss of appetite, and they need the correct balance of protein and nutrition in order to help maintain their best possible health and weight. Diets can treat disease or metabolic conditions, but they can include prescription diets that may not be highly palatable.

Some supplements/vitamins products are pleasant-tasting enhancers that will not greatly affect the diet to which they are being added. For animals that refuse to eat or cannot eat solid foods, the Sure products, by PetAg provide a complete balanced diet that has been carefully formulated to provide high quality protein, resulting in the animal maintaining more body mass and healthy immune and enzyme systems.

4. Watch your pet’s waistline!

Reportedly, 25 percent of pets in the U.S. are overweight. Obesity leads to many health-threatening conditions that can lead to shorter life spans. Adverse affects common in older, overweight pets include an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and decreased immune competence. Metabolism in dogs drops by up to 30 percent, and that drop in metabolism contributes to pet weight problems.

5. Schedule veterinarian visits at least twice a year

Remember, pets age faster than humans, so a visit to the vet once a year is like visiting your doctor or dentist once every seven years. Make sure that your pet’s vaccinations are updated on a regular schedule since seniors’ immune systems are not as competent as when they were younger.

6. Vitamins and minerals should suit aging bodies and metabolisms

Adjusting these elements to fit the needs of senior animals can improve their overall health. For instance, as animals age there is a decreased need for calcium and phosphorus. If reduced, there is less stress to eliminate from the body. Additionally, an increased need for vitamins results in improved health, body function and immunity. Like humans, the benefits of an increased supply of antioxidants helps to decrease free radicals present that can have an effect on a number of body systems.

7. Adjust levels of exercise

While obesity can be treated with a combination of exercise and diet, older pets may have ailments, such as painful arthritis, that are aggravated by extensive exercise. Be watchful and alert to these conditions. Products with glucosamine and chondroitin have been shown to help ease a pet’s discomfort. One product available is Grand Meadows’ grand mobility with glucosamine.

8. Older cats are more sensitive to noise

As cats age, they may become more sensitive to noise and fearful of loud noises, especially if they’re arthritic. Try to provide older cats a quiet place to hide or rest comfortably. They also may need a larger bed to sleep in because they cannot curl up into a tight ball any longer.

9. Give your pet a massage

Older pets like and benefit from a soft, full body massage. This may help the pet relax while you have another chance to check for lumps.

10. Give your pet a warm place to sleep

As animals age they become more sensitive to cold. Provide them with a soft comfortable bed in a warm, draft-free area away from foot traffic. Both cats and dogs will appreciate being able to be warm and comfortable. Warm outerwear further protects dogs that must go outdoors during cold weather months.

We hope that you have found this guide to be of help to you and your “best friend”!

Posted with permission: Alex Royal