PetConnections Spring 2018 Digital Edition Vol. 6 Issue 4

PITTSBURGH

PetConnections

FRE E

Spring 2018 Volume 6 Issue 4

wellness through the human-animal bond

PETCON 2018

Pet & Equine Expo Western PA Search and Rescue Development Center

FINDING LOST CATS FEATHERED FRIENDS Parrotlets Pittsburgh’s #1 Resource for Everything Pets

VCA Castle Shannon Animal Hospital

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Emergency 24/7/365 Sunday wellness hours ( 9:00 AM -12:00 PM last Sunday of every month)

y h t l a e H ay Pet D

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From The Publisher Welcome to our Pittsburgh PetConnections Magazine’s!

Spring 2018, Volume 6 Issue 4

News & Events Happy Spring!

CORRESPONDENCE info@pghpetconnections.com 724 -292-7387 All Rights Reserved | Copyright 2017

PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS QUARTERLY Published by: Pittsburgh PetConnections, LLC. Pittsburgh PetConnections LLC. was formed in 2012. Our mission is to publish a high quality, informative publication focused on the Human-Animal Bond. We support local businesses and also assist local non-profit businesses for pets and people, to give back to our great Pittsburgh communities.

M A G A Z I N E P U B L I C AT I O N S TA F F Carla Mader, Managing Editor Kara Jones Photography, Photography Kelli Koladish, Graphic Designer Edward R. Moats, Content Editor Carla Mader, Sales & Distribution Manager Edward R. Moats, Media Account Manager

A D V E RT I S I N G S A L E S Robin Reinfeld, Director of Sales, Pittsburgh 412-780-2254 | rrcd@aol.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Doug Knueven, DVM, CVA, CVC, CVCH Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center Kristin Hermann April Minech Bernadette Kazmarski Edward R. Moats

Harris (4 yrs. old) and his service dog, Fawkes Cover Photo: Emily Buerger 4Steady Paws Photography

We are excited about our own second annual PETCON Pet & Equine Expo June 9 & 10th at the Greene County, PA Fairgrounds in Waynesburg! Just 20 minutes south of Washington PA. We have a great show planned thanks to our sponsors Pet Valu, Waynesburg Milling, Watters Pool and R & D Watters and The Greene County Chamber of Commerce. We still have exhibiting and sponsor opportunities available. Please see our ad and article with show event details inside!

Please see our event page for more upcoming spring events, including Animal Friends, CARMAA, Healthy Pet Days.

As a reminder, PetConnections is published quarterly as follows: Early February, May, August, and November. Our print copy distribution sites will be replenished every 6 weeks. Our online presence has always been much greater than in print with over 275,000 impressions per issue. To subscribe to your own personal copy of PetConnections, please contact us below.

This Issue

Our cover and feature article is the work of the Western PA Search and Rescue Development Center. Read about pet nutrition in Healthy Pet Product and Dr. Doug’s “What’s the Best Pet Food?” articles. Also, our Kitty Korner features The Washington County Mon Valley COMPANION ANIMAL PROJECT. In our Feathered Friends section this month, read about “Parrotlets”, By Edward Moates. Along with many other good articles this issue, and Kristi Hermann explains how to “Ride your Horse Over the Back”.

Did you know? PetConnections has evolved into a full-service specialized pet media company, providing services for advertising in print and digital platforms to help our sponsors grow their businesses. Contact us below for information on advertising or sponsoring!

Thank you for picking up this copy of PetConnections.

Take care of yourself and your animals and be well!

Warmly,

Carla Mader Publisher Pittsburgh & Central Ohio PetConnections Magazine Please submit any correspondence to: info@pghpetconnections.com Please check us out on the web & subscribe at: www.petconnections.pet.

Follow PghPetMag on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/PghPetconnectionsMagazine Disclaimer: The views expressed in our content does not necessarily reἀect that of PetConnections Magazine. PetConnections shall be indemniḀed against damages from content including ads and articles, false advertising libel, trademark infringement, etc.

2 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

Table of Contents

Featuring fun and unique eco-friendly and U.S.-made toys, beds, accessories and supplies.

Spring 2018

14

Pet Health & Wellness

20

Holistic Pet Care

26

Feathered Friends

Specializing in premium, natural and byproduct-free foods, treats and supplements for dogs and cats.

4

HumanAnimal Bond

8

Featured Business

Search & Rescue Development Center

Pampered Paws Pet Resort

Surgical Safety Checklist

The Best Dog Food

Parrotlets a Small Bird with Big Personality

6 Events 10 Rescue &

Shelter Kitten Season & Small Animals

16 Pet Health

& Wellness What’s Really In Pet Food?

18 Advertiser

Locator Map

34

Equine Affairs Over the Back

22 Kitty Korner

Your Inside Cat Got Outside!

24 Kitty Korner

Companion Animal Project

28 Directories 30 Wellness for Guardians Animal Communication

36 Remembrance www.petconnections.pet 3

Human-Animal Bond

Western Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Development Center

Photo credits: Emily Buerger 4Steady Paws Photography

By April Minech

Founded in 2000, the Western Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Development Center focuses specifically on the special needs population. The group cares for the health and safety of their clients, and trains dogs to work both for and with people. Executive Director Cynthia Garfold explains how it works. “If a person goes missing that has dementia, autism, or Alzheimer’s we are certified as lost person behavior specialists. We’ll go out and search for them and bring them back to safety, as there are liability issues searching for persons with special needs.”

As a provider under the Department of Health and Human Services, they go into the home and community to provide support for people with intellectual disabilities, Autism, and Alzheimer’s. They can bring an already trained dog to a person with needs or help place a dog specially trained for that person.

“Right now, we are working with a dog whose trainer is the child’s mother. She brought the dog into us with a solid training base and worked with our organization to get pointers and more information about how to teach the dog to work with autism,” says Garfold. The dog also works in search and rescue and nose work, in addition to providing the service.

At any given time, there could be several dogs in the pipeline, depending on the washout factor. The dogs must go through several levels of training in a range of skill tests. For example, a dog may do great in obedience, but not score as well in another area. “The dogs have to ultimately do a search through 5 miles of all terrain to pass the advanced level. Will they ever have to do a search for 5 miles?

Maybe not, but it builds up their endurance,” states Ms. Garfold. “If

they quit after 1 or 2 miles, we have to wash them out.”

Not only does the dog go to classes, the handler does as well. “They’re a team. They learn all about the ICS (Incident Command Structure) and continually attend courses on autism. “And we actually provide a continuing education course for Police, EMS and Fire Rescue, so they know how to go into a home and look for a special needs person.”

Sometimes people come in with their own dogs looking to do search and rescue. “We find that a lot of people want to learn the canine lessons but not the handler training; their goal is to be a K-9 handler. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, as there is a lot to learn about the special needs population, and the handler and dog need to work as a team.

Sometimes the dog is great, but the team washes out because of the handler.”

All dogs are trained to work with any handler.

Cynthia talks about the importance of that: “The thought is, what if I’m out searching and go down? The life of a person can be at stake, so we want the dog to keep going.”

Everyone needs to have the same training, so they can all stay on the same page.

There are no breed restrictions for the work.

There are four young dogs currently in

The agency has a new facility that houses a training center where the dogs work at agility, nose work, and obedience, a room specifically designed for sensory therapy, a full kitchen, a classroom, and a social gathering area. The organizations’ emergency operation center is also housed at the facility.

Training is really going on 24 hours a day, but organized sessions happen at the center 2 or 3 time per week. Tracking/trailing training is done outdoors at many places in and outside of Allegheny County “We offer classes for nose work, and the facility provides other opportunities such as agility training” The Search and Rescue and Habilitation specialists are paid positions, but the group offers classes which offer certification upon completion. The facility is available for rental, and open to the public.

the trying out stage. There’s a Golden Retriever, Silken Wind hound, and Australian Shepherd mix in the new class.

“You need a working dog with drive; some of the dogs you see that are great dock diving or hunting dogs make great search and rescue dogs.”

4 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

Dogs can work in several areas, from cadaver work, live finds, water work and all different kinds of nose work. All the dogs get a chance to try each sector to find where their niche is. If a dog points toward one area over the others, they try to enhance that, as dogs will naturally excel at what they like best.

For more information on Western Pennsylvania Search & Rescue, visit: www.operationtakemehome.org 1405 Frey Road Pittsburgh, PA 15235 Phone: 412-856-4357 Fax: 412-646-2615 Email: info@operationtakemehome.org

The Getaway at Glen Highland Farm

where you & your dog can unwind • Escape the hectic pace of daily life • Free your mind as you walk the wooded trails and gorgeous meadows • Lay back on a hammock with that book you’ve been meaning to get to • Dip your feet in the cool current of the creek • Grill a feast over an open fire and close out the day around the campfire under a starry sky.

The best part is that your dog can be right there with you the whole time!

Get off the clock and

of f the leash

Located in upstate New York on 175 acres of magnificent countryside. Lodging options include RVs, Cottages, Cabins or Tents.

www.glenhighlandgetaway.com

www.petconnections.pet 5

Events Healthy Pet Day!

Black Tie & Tails 2018

www.healthpetproducts.net

www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org

Both North & South Locations!

Saturday May 19

Animal Friends CatCrawl Saturday May 19

www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org/CatCrawl

Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22 Animal Friends

4th Annual Wags N Whiskers Adoption Event SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

PETCON 2018 Pet & Equine Expo

www.facebook.com/4th-Annual-Wags-NWhiskers-Adoption-Event-449042675537887

www.petconnections.pet

Pugtoberfest

June 9 & 10 Greene County PA Fairgrounds

OHPA Bird Fairs

www.ohpabirdfair.com

Saturday September 29th www.swpapug.org

Dogtoberfest

Saturday October 6th

www.Carmaa-petadoption.com

Shop or Dine in the Village of Scenery Hill Beautifully restored 1794 National Historic Landmark



And find gut busting sandwiches, wings & more at the



Village Shoppes

Elves Lair Christmas & Gifts, Jan’s Tea Shoppe 2nd Street Coffee Roasters, Velvet Envelope, Westerwald Pottery, and Two Old Crows

www.sceneryhillpa.com 6 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

Featured Business

Pampered Paw Resort

Helping Dogs, Cats…and People

By April Minech

Sometimes there’s something special going on in your community, right under your nose.

Entrepreneur Stephanie Cook combined her love and knowledge of animals with her to desire to give back, and she found a way to help people while helping pets.

Pampered Paw Resort opened in April 2016 as an all-in-one resort offering doggie daycare and overnight boarding for both dogs and cats. Owner Stephanie Cook explains: “We offer a do it yourself dog wash, professional grooming, personalized dog walking, and beginning the summer of 2018, yard waste removal.”

Stephanie believes a nurturing environment with active, mental, and physical stimulation leads to a happy and healthy life for dogs, just like people.

“Dogs can run free to promote healthy exercise and foster essential socialization skills. Our dogs are fully supervised at all times,” she says. All their new clients are given a thorough temperament evaluation prior to attending dog daycare, to ensure all their clients are safe and happy while there. Along with working in the resort every day, Stephanie employees one other full-time person and has a special volunteer, her mother, who is there every day. “We are all family and consider our clients and their owners family, too. “ Pampered Paw Resort also offers homemade dog treats and specialty cakes that Stephanie’s mother makes with love. “The treats and cakes are made with all-natural ingredients. Linda prepares them out of her own kitchen and gives them her very own personal touch. We have many flavors to choose from,” says Stephanie proudly.

The treats are sold both in the resort and at events within the community.

8 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

Pampered Paw Resort not only proves a safe, fun loving environment for dogs, but for people too.

One of the main reasons Stephanie choose her location was because she wanted to give back to her community. Stephanie offers job training skills and experience to those who need it most, whether they are new to the idea of working, or looking for a first step towards a new life. Using her own business and support skills, she gives a hand up to people from local organizations such as Turning point, Blueprints formerly Community Action and students from surrounding high schools. The volunteers learn the ins and outs of a business, from customer service to accounting to hands on clean up. They get a chance to see all the behind the scenes work that goes into running a business, as well as learning job skills that will prepare them for the grown-up world For some, getting an opportunity to start over is life changing. “Working with people who need someone to give them a first chance is where my heart is,” says Stephanie. “Witnessing healing through animals, and watching people blossom and start their new lives is its own reward.” As each person starts a new life journey, they need guidance, supportive care, and positive opportunities. Women that have suffered in previous situations get a chance to learn new skills, and work towards being a productive member of the community. The job skills and training provided is tailored to each person’s individual needs and enhances motivation and strengths with tools for growth. Volunteers work on a team, under supervision, to accomplish day to day tasks, and get the bonus of leaning some animal husbandry if they are interested in that field.

Reaching out to the community again, she is looking to offer discounted dog walking and in-

home services to the retirement communities. We can all use a little help sometimes, and Pampered Paw Resort wants to be the facilitator that brings everyone together. Stephanie is also thinking of ways to pair retired persons as volunteers with small animals to cuddle. Sometimes people living in retirement communities give up their pets when their living situations change, or they still enjoy spending time with animals but can’t have an animal live with them. The resort is working on programs that fill that need. Imagine someone who likes to read sitting in front of a kennel and sharing a story for an hour or reading

the newspaper. Both dogs and people enjoy company, and the two can share some social time by just visiting.

For the dogs, the resort takes pride in giving each dog a fun filled day during their stay. While they start with play time in groups and cuddle up in comfortable quarters, they are also provided with extra social time and comfort. When you place your fur baby in Stephanie’s care, she can offer extra love that’s helping people, too.

THE RESORTS HOURS ARE: Monday 6:30am-6pm Tuesday 6:30am-6pm Wednesday 6:30am-6pm Thursday 6:30am-6pm Friday 6:30am-6pm Saturdays Daycare 10:00am-5:00pm, Overnight Boarding Pick up 8:00-9:00 am Sundays Overnight Boarding pick up 5:00pm to 6:00pm Pampered Paws Resort is conveniently located at 254 North Main St Washington, PA 15301

www.aapvet.com 724-745-5503 155 East Pike Street Canonsburg, PA 15317

829 Jefferson Aven ue Washington, PA 15301 724-503-4887 Now Scheduling Appointments

Rescue & Shelter

What is Kitten Season?

By Shannon Clarke

Director of Communications Animal Friends

At Animal Friends, each spring marks the beginning of what is known by many as kitten season. And, it’s not quite as fun as it sounds.

As the weather gets warmer, stray and feral cats are preparing to welcome newborn kittens after a long winter.

But, in 2017 alone, Animal Friends brought in 896 homeless kittens! With such an influx of cats in need of help right away and a limited amount of space and resources, kitten season can be a very difficult time.

The sudden spike in the cat population this spring means you may encounter a litter of kittens in a window well, a garage or tucked away from view in your garden. If you come across unexpected new neighbors, there are some importing things to keep in mind …

Do not pick up or move the kittens.

Mother cats may leave their kittens alone for several hours while they are out finding food or searching for a safe location to move them to. If you’re watching a litter of kittens, keep an eye out for mom. She’s likely nearby and could be returning shortly. Newborn kittens should never be taken away from their mother if at all possible.

and must eat every 2-4 hours. They cannot drink dairy milk or water, so it’s very important to have a plan before taking in a litter of kittens. When in doubt, always contact a shelter to ask for instructions.

Once the kittens are in our care, their fight is just beginning.

Stray kittens are often exposed to fleas, upper respiratory problems and If you’re certain a litter is abandoned, countless other medical complications.

With very fragile immune systems, know what to do.

While the best case scenario is always kittens less than 4 weeks old require to keep a mother and her kittens 24-hour supervision and must receive together, this is not always feasible deworming and flea treatments every with stray litters. Keep in mind that 2 weeks. When they reach 2 pounds, kittens require a constant heat source they are spayed or neutered, helping to proactively decrease the number of unwanted animals in our region.

And, once they reach 2 ½ pounds and are given a clean bill of health by our Medical team, the kittens are ready to be adopted!

You can do your part to help Animal Friends combat kitten season by sponsoring a spay or neuter surgery, adopting a cat or kitten or donating an item on Animal Friends’ Amazon Wish List. For more information, visit ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.

10 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

AnimalFriends presents ...

LAWRENCEVILLE

Cat Crawl Saturday, May 19 from 11

a.m.-4 p.m.

We invite you to cat crawl through Lawrenceville to shop and visit our adorable adoptable cats and kittens, who will be spending their day at the unique shops and eateries along Butler Street. Purchase a shopping pass to get access to specials at each participating business with proceeds benefitting Animal Friends. Shop, eat cuddle – a purr-fect Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Register today at

ThinkingOutsideThe Cage.org/CatCrawl.

AnimalFriends | 562 Camp Horne Road | Pittsburgh, PA 15237 | 412.847.7000 | ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org

Rescue & Shelter

Judge’s Park Small Animal Rescue

By April Minech | Photo credits: Kim Lenz, Behind the Lenz Photography Where can you find bunnies, guinea pigs, rats and an occasional cat? Judge’s Park! Working from her home, Jen Kilmer started her small animal rescue in college around 2004 and named it after her soulhorse, Judge Park. “I started with guinea pigs and kept getting contacted by people with guinea pigs that needed rehomed. It expanded to bunnies, and then it went crazy from there,” she says. Looking around, there were at least a dozen cages, some with paired bunnies and even a trio, and every clean cage had blankets and toys and bunnies happily nibbling hay. So, does she manage all of it herself? “Yes, all by myself”, and she laughs loud and sarcastically. “We have about 10 volunteers total, off and on.”

The animals are all up for adoption at www. judgespark.org, when you can begin the application process. “We start with an application, then a home visit,” Jen explains. “Rabbits are on par with adopting a dog or cat, as far as their needs go. They require a special diet, large enough cage and attention. They can’t go in a hutch outside; in fact, they shouldn’t be outside at all.” And bunnies

are happiest when bonded, that is, sharing their life in a very intense relationship with another rabbit or two. But bonds don’t happen overnight, and it can take slow introduction and some time.

“We prefer to adopt out bunnies we already know are bonded, either in pairs or trios, but people are often only looking for one,” says Jen. To help care for the needs of the buns and other animals, Judge’s Park relies on donations and holds fundraisers. They recently entered a matching toy drive through Happy Rabbit Toys, in which they won first place in the nationwide contest. And an auction that raised $825 from supporters. At the local library, they promoted welfare and awareness to children, who brought in things to contribute.

They also have a wish list online, where you can shop for the animals and donate specific items.

On average, they have 25-30 animals in their care at any given time, including foster homes. They have a few foster homes for bunnies, two that work with compromised cats, and a home specializing in rats. They also work with shelters to pull animals

that may be euthanized. “We don’t take in cats as surrenders but will take ones that need extra time to heal from shelters that may be too overwhelmed to provide the added care,” explains Jen. “Bunnies mostly come in as strays. People wrongly think you can release a pet rabbit into the wild. They can’t survive; they die. When someone with bunny knowledge sees one loose, they catch it and bring it to us, or we go out and try to catch it. They’ve been domesticated for so long, they don’t have basic survival skills to live in the wild.”

For anyone considering a rabbit as a pet, Jen recommends first researching their rabbit questions at Rabbit.org, which is the home of the House Rabbit Club. What does Jen want everyone to know? “Rabbits are not easy. People don’t realize the care that they need and think of them as a simple pet. The truth is, rabbits are the third most surrendered animal in shelters, after dogs and cats. They need to go to the vet; if they stop eating, they can die within 24 hours, Bunnies live for 10-12 years, and need attention and love. They are wonderful pets, but they are not easy.”

Wheek Care Guinea Pig Rescue

By April Minech | Photo credits: Kim Lenz, Behind the Lenz Photography

Did you know there was a rescue for Guinea pigs?

Why yes, there is, and it’s amazing. Wheek Care Guinea Pig Rescue is celebrating their 17th year of helping and supporting these little puffballs in November. Started by Julene Robinson, it recently became the first 501c3 guinea pig rescue in Pennsylvania. It has expanded over that time mostly through Julene’s big heart, and her motto “no pig left behind.” The rescue is located in New Kensington, where they offer services such as grooming, boarding, wellness checks, medical advice and hospice.

One important mission of the rescue is education, as small animals are sometimes considered starter pets. “We are really disheartened with that term”, says board president Lisa Toth.

“Guinea pigs are living creatures – just like dogs and cats - with specific dietary and medical needs. They are sometimes purchased in haste, like a new toy for a child, who then gets bored.

A guinea pig is a 5-8 year commitment.” To help children better understand care of guinea pigs, they provide a junior volunteer program that lets 12 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

kids work hands on with care at the rescue. They are able to see what it takes to provide a good life for the piggies, and to learn responsibility.

And the rescue offers foster opportunities as well. Participating in a hands-on way can let the child experience taking care of a pet, and help determine if a longer commitment is a good idea.

So what does a guinea pig need? Their diet consists of about 80% timothy hay, pellets and about 1 cup of raw vegetables, such as green leafy vegetables and peppers per day. They also enjoy fruits as treats. Most are comfortable living in a properly sized enclosure made from coroplast and storage cubes, or purchased at www.cavycages. com. Aquariums are not recommended, as they can cause blindness, and wire bottom cages hurt their feet. And they want to be held and loved and paid attention to. “They are pint-sized puffballs with big personalities” says Lisa. Some people make additional enclosed areas with collapsible grid systems or ex-pens, so the guineas can have an excursion or new exercise area to enjoy.

When out of their regular safety enclosures, they should always be supervised, as they may find new things to chew on that aren’t safe. For bedding, you can purchase kiln dried pine; do not use cedar or other woodchips, as it can cause upper respiratory issues. The folks at Wheek Care can help advise you with any questions about housing or care. Coroplast and storage cubes, as

well as fleece with layered with bath towels and puppy pee pads is also an excellent option.

Interesting tidbit: their teeth constantly grow and chewing hay acts as a natural filing system!

If you are interested in supporting WCGPR, they are always looking for volunteers. Like many other rescues, they need people to help with transport and fostering, and general help at fundraising events. Or you can help hands on with cleaning, feeding and loving on them in person at their facility. Or donate! Guinea pigs are small, so even a small donation goes a long way. Check out their web site www.WheekCare.org to download a volunteer form, donate, or learn more about this great organization!

YOUR PET NOT FEELING THEIR BEST?

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Comprehensive Health Care Services & Integrative Veterinary Medical, Surgical and Dentistry Care Physiotherapy Modalities

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• Wellness & Sick Visits • Acupuncture • Land and Water Treadmill Training • VOM Certified Chiropractor • Low Level Laser • Manual Therapy Techniques • Therapeutic Ultrasound • Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) • Tens Unit • Cold Therapy • Stem Cell/PrP Therapy

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www.petconnections.pet 13

Pet Health & Wellness

Surgical Safety Checklists:

A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem

By Michael Kraun, DVM Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons – Small Animal Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, a BluePearl Veterinary Partners Hospital

Over the past several decades, the field of medicine has become incredibly complex.

With improvements in knowledge and technology, we have managed to make commonplace the treatment of diseases and injuries that were once thought to be untreatable. However, this increase in complexity can also predispose to errors in the fast-paced, high-stress setting of a hospital, be it human or veterinary.

A Harvard medical records query revealed that in daily practice, the average physician manages 250 primary diseases and conditions, must consider over 900 concurrent active medical problems, prescribes 300 different medications, orders 100 individual laboratory tests, and performs more than 40 unique procedures. The statistics are probably similar in the veterinary world, though one must also consider that we treat several different species and a constantly growing number of breeds of animal.

Physicians in today’s world are some of the best and brightest, and are also incredibly highly trained – consider that in the early 1900s, one needed just a high school diploma and a one-year medical degree to become a doctor; today, doctors must have a college degree, a four-year medical school education, and 3 to 7 years of post-doctoral training in a specific area of practice. Nonetheless, medicine has become so complex that it can be difficult for humans – mere mortals – to handle. A 2006 study revealed that greater than 50% of patients suffering from a heart attack receive incomplete or inappropriate care. The same is true of over 30% of patients with strokes, 45% of patients with asthma, and 60% of patients with pneumonia. These numbers are both startling and sobering.

14 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

One way in which the human medical field has attempted to manage the problem of increasing complexity is through specialization, and even subspecialization. For example, physicians may focus their practice on diseases of a single organ or body system, or potentially on a specific age group. Few disciplines are more subspecialized than surgery. Despite the attention to detail and the incredible skill of today’s surgeons, though, it is estimated that there are greater than 150,000 surgeryrelated deaths each year in the United States alone. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is that more than half of these deaths are considered preventable.

is one borrowed from the aviation industry – a simple checklist.

Preventable how, you ask? By limiting or eliminating human error. And how is that accomplished? To date, the best solution

Checklists made their way into the medical field in 2001, not in the operating room, but in the intensive care unit. Dr. Peter

In the 1930s, as airplanes were becoming more and more complex, a group of US Army test pilots worked to develop a method to allow a single person to keep track of all of the various steps necessary to fly a plane safely. Ultimately, they developed a simple, to-the-point checklist that could fit on an index card. There were checks to be performed at each critical step of the flight – takeoff, cruising, landing, and taxiing. By introduction of this checklist alone, pilots were able to fly the new, complex aircraft 1.8 million miles without a single accident.

Surgical Safety Checklist Before induction of anaesthesia

Before skin incision

Before patient leaves operating room

(with at least nurse and anaesthetist)

(with nurse, anaesthetist and surgeon)

(with nurse, anaesthetist and surgeon)

Has the patient confirmed his/her identity, site, procedure, and consent?

Yes Is the site marked?

Yes Not applicable Is the anaesthesia machine and medication check complete?

Yes Is the pulse oximeter on the patient and functioning?

Yes Does the patient have a: Known allergy?

No Yes Difficult airway or aspiration risk?

No Yes, and equipment/assistance available Risk of >500ml blood loss (7ml/kg in children)?

No Yes, and two IVs/central access and fluids planned

Confirm all team members have introduced themselves by name and role.

Confirm the patient’s name, procedure, and where the incision will be made.

Has antibiotic prophylaxis been given within the last 60 minutes?

Yes Not applicable Anticipated Critical Events To Surgeon: What are the critical or non-routine steps?

How long will the case take?

What is the anticipated blood loss?

Nurse Verbally Confirms: The name of the procedure Completion of instrument, sponge and needle counts Specimen labelling (read specimen labels aloud, including patient name) Whether there are any equipment problems to be addressed To Surgeon, Anaesthetist and Nurse: What are the key concerns for recovery and management of this patient?

To Anaesthetist: Are there any patient-specific concerns?

To Nursing Team: Has sterility (including indicator results) been confirmed?

Are there equipment issues or any concerns?

Is essential imaging displayed?

Yes Not applicable

This checklist is not intended to be comprehensive. Additions and modifications to fit local practice are encouraged.

Revised 1 / 2009

© WHO, 2009

Pronovost, a critical care specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, recognized the risks that IV line infections posed to ICU patients. He developed a simple checklist, written on a piece of plain paper, that reiterated the appropriate steps to be taken when placing and caring for IV lines. Over a year, IV line infection rates dropped from 11% to practically zero.

In 2003, the state of Michigan decided to test the central line checklist in its hospitals’ ICUs, which had some of the highest infection rates in the country.

Known as the Keystone Initiative, the results of the testing were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006. The infection rate decreased by 66% in the first 3 months alone. The infection rate in most ICUs dropped to zero. Michigan’s ICUs outperformed 90% of the hospitals in the entire United States. Over the first 18 months, the initiative was estimated to have saved $175 million and over 1500 lives.

In 2007, the World Health Organization

convened a meeting of surgical professionals from the around the globe.

The goal of the meeting was to determine ways in which surgery could be made safer for patients. The end result of the meeting was a first draft of a surgical checklist.

The checks were arranged at 3 critical time points: prior to anesthesia, prior to surgical incision, and prior to leaving the operating room after the procedure. Ultimately, the final draft of the checklist contained 19 specific checks (see image included).

From 2007 to 2008, the surgical checklist was implemented in 8 hospitals from around the world.

The results were breathtaking: major complications dropped by 36%, deaths fell by 47%, infections fell by almost 50%, and the number of patients having to return to the operating room due to bleeding or technical problems dropped by 25%. In all, the checklist was used in an estimated 4000 cases - it was estimated to have saved 150 people from harm and 27 from death.

A decade after the introduction of the surgical checklist, similar lists are used in human and veterinary hospitals throughout the country and the world. And PVSEC is no exception. Just one example of our dedication to keeping your pet safe during his or her hospital stay.

If you are interested in reading more about the evolution of the surgical safety checklist, I highly recommend Dr. Atul Gawande’s “The Checklist Manifesto” (Metropolitan Books, 2009).

The Rogan Rexford Animal Blood Bank ‘Pets giving pets the gift of life’ Please volunteer your dog to be a ‘blood donor hero’ Dog donor eligibility • Between 1 and 7 years of age • Weight: 50 lbs or more • Healthy with a gentle temperament • Current with vaccinations • Never had a blood transfusion

• Tested negative for blood-borne diseases (free testing by blood bank) • Must be on heartworm, flea and tick preventative • Not pregnant or currently nursing

Read more about The Rogan Rexford Blood Bank at: animalcarefund.org For questions, or to make an appointment call: 412.348.2588 or email: animalbloodbank@pvs-ec.com www.petconnections.pet 15

16 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

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Advertiser Locator

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www.petconnections.pet 19

Holistic Pet Care

What’s the Best Dog Food?

By Dr. Doug - The Holistic Vet \ Doug Knueven, DVM, CVC, CVCH

We all want our pets to live long and healthy lives.

A key factor in longevity and wellbeing is eating a healthy diet. Nothing stirs up more controversy than what constitutes a healthy diet for humans. Research seems to change from day to day. First butter is bad, and margarine is good and then it’s the other way around. There is also the low fat vs. low carbohydrate dispute. What comprises a healthy food for dogs is no less controversial. So, what does constitute a healthy diet for a dog?

There is a common notion that dogs are omnivores.

And, the bottom line is that they are omnivores. Of course, that’s because they have no choice but to eat what we feed them. This is typically processed kibble containing at least 30% carbohydrates. Is that what’s best?

Think about this; If we captured all the polar bears in the world and started feeding them nothing but bananas, we could say that all polar bears are bananavores. Of course, that is most likely not the best diet for them. They naturally eat what is best for them from their natural environment.

Since dogs have been removed from their natural environment, how can we tell what they were meant to eat? What does their genetics dictate is best for them to eat for optimal health? What does science tell us? We’ll start with research published in 1979.

This study1, published in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association starts by stating the purpose of the research. “A good deal of disagreement exists within the veterinary profession about the proper diet for dogs… We conducted a review of the available wildlife literature, with the intent that the information gathered concerning food selection among feral carnivores might influence future considerations regarding the feeding of domestic carnivores…” Unfortunately, today there is little disagreement among veterinary nutritionists – dogs are omnivores they say.

The researchers in this study surveyed the stomach contents of the coyote, fox, wolf, bobcat, cougar, and lynx. That’s an interesting approach to the mystery.

But, is it valid? Why would they think that dogs should eat like wild carnivores? What do they have in common? The researchers offer this explanation.

“Anatomically, our domestic breeds of dogs possess gastrointestinal systems similar to those of the feral carnivores studied. They share in common strong carnassial teeth, simple stomachs of great digestive capability, thickly muscled esophagus,

20 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

stomach and intestine, residual cecae, and simple non-sacculated colons.”

dogs all preferred food that consisted of 30% Crude Protein, 63% Crude Fat, and 7% Carbohydrate.

In other words, the fact that the domestic dog’s digestive tract is very similar to that of the wild animals studied indicates they evolved to eat similar diets. Anatomy dictates function. Dogs appear to be genetically programmed to eat like a wild carnivore.

I am not saying that dogs are identical to wolves (I would not want one of those in bed with me).

However, their digestive anatomy indicates that they are adapted to eat similar diets.

Just like the wild carnivores, domestic dogs chose food high in protein and low in carbs. For comparison, the AAFCO Standards for dog food calls for 19% Crude Protein, 12% Crude Fat, and a whopping 69% Carbohydrate. A popular veterinary dog food is not much better at 21.3% Crude Protein, 32.8% Crude Fat, and 45.9% Carbohydrate.

So, what did the researchers conclude that dogs should eat? “From these many studies into the food habits of feral carnivores, it may be concluded that the staple diet of carnivores living in a natural setting includes other animals, carrion, and occasionally fruits and grasses… carnivores in their natural environments consume diets high in animal protein, bulk, and roughage (not plant fiber, but indigestible or poorly digestible parts of animal carcasses…) and low in carbohydrates, and caloric density.”

Two separate lines of research converge on the fact that dogs thrive on high protein/low carbohydrate diets. Unfortunately, the pet food industry has not caught up with the latest studies. From my perspective, the ancestral diet of dogs (balanced, raw pet food) leads to optimal health and longevity.

I am not proposing that we feed our pets carrion (dead and decayed animals). But notice that the diets that appear to be best for our dogs are high in animal protein and low in carbohydrates. This is basically the opposite of what dog foods offer. We need to turn the current, dog food pyramid upside down.

OK, so looking at anatomically similar animals is one way to try to determine the constituents of an optimal dog food. Here’s another way. Studies show that self selection (what an animal chooses when given a choice) could be an indicator of ideal nutrition. Predators select food based on the macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) balance that best assures their survival.2,3 A study4 has been done to see what macronutrient balance dogs prefer. They studied five diverse breeds: Papillon, Miniature Schnauzer, Cocker spaniel, Labrador retriever, and St Bernard. The researchers found that “… the overriding conclusion is that the recent rapid divergence among dog breeds is not substantially reflected in their macronutrient priorities compared with other phenotypic features such as size, color, and temperament.” Generally, the

1. Landry SM, Van Kruiningen HJ. Food Habits of Feral Carnivores: A Review of Stomach Content Analysis. J Am An Hosp Assn 1979;15:775-782.

2. Mayntz D, Nielsen VH, Sørensen A, Toft S, Raubenheimer D, Hejlesen C, Simpson SJ. Balancing of protein and lipid by a mammalian carnivore, the mink (Mustela vison). Anim Behav 2009; 77:349–355.

3. Hewson-Hughes AK, Hewson-Hughes VL, Miller AT, Hall SR, Simpson SJ, Raubenheimer D. Geometric analysis of macronutrient selection in the adult domestic cat, Felis catus. J Exp Biol 2011;214:1039–1051.

4.Hewson-Hughes AK, Hewson-Hughes VL, Colyer A, Miller AT, McGrane SJ, Hall SR, Butterwick RF, Simpson SJ, Raubenheimer D. Geometric analysis of macronutrient selection in breeds of the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris. Behav Ecol 2013;24(1):293-304.

Integrative Holistic Medicine Integrative: combining the best of conventional and alternative medicine Holistic: providing more options for therapy • Acupuncture • Herbal Medicine • Spinal Manipulation • Supplements

• Natural Nutrition • Vaccine Counseling • Massage Therapy • Healing Touch

Dr. Doug has been practicing integrative veterinary medicine since 1993. He is certified in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and chiropractic. With over 30 years of veterinary experience, Dr. Doug has treated thousands of challenging cases.

For complete care for your animal companion, see Dr. Doug. Call Beaver Animal Clinic today to set up a holistic exam for your pet.

Dr. Doug | The Holistic Vet

357 State Avenue | Beaver, PA 15009 | 724.774.8047

beaveranimalclinic.com

“Dr. Savko performed a miracle on my foster beagle” FHO surgery on 10/20/17, Wilber’s leg was still dangling over 2 months later.

FHO is the surgical removal of the “ball” part of the ball-and-socket that makes up the hip joint.

Wilber is a 2 year old beagle that was looking to get adopted from Midwest BREW (Beagle Rescue, Education and Welfare).

They wanted to get him in better shape, in the hopes he would find his forever home. One of the veterinarians that Dr. Savko works with saw Wilber’s post surgical condition and thought that by getting Dr. Savko involved we might be able to help Wilber get better.

In just one visit Wilber was bearing more weight, after 2 visits he was putting “much more weight on the leg”. Within one month Wilber was not only able to use the leg, he was RUNNING! He found his FOREVER HOME shortly afterwards!

There is a strong possibility Wilber may still be in foster care and still severely limping if this vet had not made the referral to Dr. Savko. There is no reason why your vet can’t do the same for YOU and your furry family and friends!

“Dr. Savko performed a miracle on my foster beagle!

Wilber was hit by a car and had to have surgery. Even after the procedure he just dragged his left leg.

Within just a few visits with Dr. Savko, Wilber not only started walking and using his left leg, he also started running.

We are so happy to see this miracle healing for Wilber who was able to find his forever home.

Dr. Savko is also very nice and explains everything. He is very gentle and sets up a very calming environment as he works. I highly recommend him.”

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724.261.7915 www.petconnections.pet 21

Kitty Korner

YOUR INDOOR-ONLY CAT GOT OUTSIDE!

By Bernadette Kazmarski

A non-scientific study conducted in 2011 by the Missing Animal Response Network determined that 93% of escaped indoor-only cats were found hiding within a 3-house radius of their escape point. They partnered with the University of Queensland (Australia) to conduct the first-ever Missing Cat Study to further information about lost cat behavior.

Cats, territory and behavior Your cat’s territory isn’t a turf it protects, it’s a safe space they defined by determining predators can’t get to them, food and water are available and the natives are friendly. If something changes or if they are displaced from this territory in any way they may seem to have a total personality change from the cat you know—they have lost their safe space where they know the sounds, smells and expected activities and feel exposed and in danger. A cat’s survival instinct tells it to get into a place where it is protected on all sides from predators, to keep still and quiet.

Indoor-only cats who’ve escaped outside their indoor territory rarely go far at the time they escape—once they find themselves outside their territory they look for a place to quickly hide and stay there, usually in their own yard or a next-door neighbor’s. At this point, you are not looking for a cat on the run—a lost cat—but a cat in hiding—a misplaced cat—so don’t go on a chase, look for clues close to your cat’s territory.

Success in finding your cat and bringing it safely back home depends on narrowing down your search by determining:

1. if your cat did escape, and if so, how your cat escaped 2. your own knowledge of your cat’s personality 3. an understanding of how cats react to finding themselves outside of their territory 4. how long it may have been gone If you can’t find your cat and also can’t find a convincing exit point, your cat may be having a really good nap on the rafters in the basement, be trapped inside a kitchen cabinet, or may have had a sudden medical issue and found a place where it feels safe and may not respond to you. Cats typically hide in tiny dark spaces. Inside or out, it’s very important to use a good flashlight to help highlight details and reflect on their eyes.

Search immediately, then network 1. Find the likely exit point for your cat. If you can, confine other pets, leave that point open and accessible to the lost cat. Many cats end up returning to the point they left from and reentering on their own.

2. Search around your home and yard using a flashlight and softly calling your cat’s name.

Because cats quickly look for a safe place to hide when they find themselves outside their territory, often in a straight line from the exit, finding how and where your cat escaped will help direct you to a likely area where your cat might be hiding: across the yard from the door, in shrubs around the house, under a porch, steps, or car.

Thoroughly inspect every confined space on and around your house.

3. Visit neighbors on each side, explain your situation, ask to search their yards as well, giving them a photo of your cat in case they see it in their yard. If you don’t find your cat in that first sweep that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. They may be frightened of even you and their instinct to hide can keep them concealed from you.

4. Make “Lost Cat” flyers including a large photo of your cat, your street and city, date missing and contact method.

Post them all over your street and also on streets around yours focusing on intersections, and give them to your neighbors. It may seem old-fashioned, but most pets are found with searches and signs in the neighborhood.

22 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

5. Contact local shelters, police and other authorities that might collect your cat, post your cat’s photo on websites and online groups.

6. Borrow or purchase a humane trap and bait it with smelly food in a likely place for your cat, stay near and watch it—never leave a trap unattended.

Use a wildlife camera to see if your cat appears, and remember your cat may only come out at night when it’s quiet.

7. Choose a place each day to thoroughly search again where your cat might be hiding still using the flashlight and calling softly, approaching from different angles.

8. Visit your local shelters in person at least every other day to see the cats who’ve come in as strays. Many shelters do not have stray holds for cats. Descriptions of coat colors and markings vary and if your pet is frightened it may not act like a friendly or socialized cat so it’s best if you visit and see for yourself that your cat is or isn’t there.

Though one of the first recommendations is to place an article outside that has familiar scents for the cat, it isn’t mentioned in most professional pet search tips. It won’t hurt, but the help it might give is negligible and your own familiar scent is all over things outdoors already.

Using the litter box as a scent lure Placing your cat’s litter box outdoors so they can find their scent from it is not only behaviorally inaccurate it’s also dangerous to your cat. Your inside cat knows its territory is the inside of your house, not the outside. When living outdoors, cats will eliminate in areas far away from where they live, eat and sleep; so they don’t attract predators into their safe place. And aside from boundary marking, they will cover waste outdoors because it signals “small defenseless cat” to predators. Your cat has no reason to be attracted to its own scent, but it is likely to attract outdoor cats, dogs and predators who could seriously endanger your cat if it approached its own home.

________________________________________ Resources: The Missing Pet Partnership website: www. missinganimalresponse.com/kat-albrecht/ Community Cat Coalition of Washington: https:// www.facebook.com/CommunityCatCoalitionWa/ posts/911317935676201:0?hc_location=ufi

Cat Resource Guide Low-cost spay/neuter and animal services in and around Allegheny County This is an ever-changing list of resources for pet owners in Pittsburgh and beyond including low-cost spay and neuter programs for pets as well as TNR for community cats, after-hours emergency care, help with veterinary bills, pet-friendly rentals in Pittsburgh and across the US and links to shelters for adoption and other services. This information is provided for reference only and subject to change without notice. Please contact the organization or agency before using their services.

TNR and Low-cost Spay and Neuter Organizations and Programs Homeless Cat Management Team http://www.homelesscat.org City of Pittsburgh Free Spay and Neuter for City Residents City of Pittsburgh offers five free spays/neuters to all city residents www.pittsburghpa.gov/animalcontrol/spay_neuter.htm

Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Programs at Shelters in Allegheny and surrounding counties Shelter Programs PENNSYLVANIA Animal Friends www.thingkingoutsidethecage.org Humane Animal Rescue Please call each branch while the two shelters continue their merger.

East Liberty Shelter (formerly Animal Rescue League) http://www.animalrescue.org/ North Shore Shelter (formerly Western Pennsylvania Humane Society) www.wpahumane.org Clarion Paws Serves Clarion, Forest and Jefferson County Low Cost Spay / Neuter Clinic: spayneuterclinic@clarionpaws.org Trap-Neuter-Return: tnr@clarionpaws.org http://www.clarionpaws.org/ PET & OUTDOOR OR FERAL CATS Beaver County Humane Society http://www.beavercountyhumanesociety.org Butler County Humane Society http://www.butlercountyhs.org/FelineSpayNeuter.asp Washington Area Humane Society http://washingtonpashelter.org/services/ EASTERN OHIO Angels for Animals http://www.angelsforanimals.org/snWhy.asp

Low-cost Spay/Neuter Organizations in Allegheny and surrounding counties These are organizations which are not day-to-day clinics but organize, host, sponsor or otherwise provide access to spay and neuter services.

Catnip Acres (Greene County) http://www.catnip-acres.org/clinics.html

Fluffy Jean Fund (Washington County) http://fluffyjeanfund.weebly.com/ Fund for Feral Cats of Pittsburgh Reimburses partial funds to help spay/neuter feral cats (funds not always available) 412-521-5352 Lawrence County Animal Relief Fund (LCARF) http://www.lcarf.com/ Operation Spay/Neuter Butler, PA (for Butler County residents only) http://operationspayneuter.com/ Pet Search http://www.petsearchpa.org/ SNIPP: Spay and Neuter Indiana PA Pets Westmoreland/Indiana Counties, Alle-Kiski Valley (Leechburg) http://www.snippindianapa.org/

Low-cost Spay/Neuter and Veterinary Clinics These are independent clinics that offer services on site during regular business hours.

Fix ‘Ur Pet http://fixurpet.org/ Frankie’s Friends http://www.FrankiesFriendsCatRescue.org/ Penn Hills Spay/Neuter Clinic http://www.spayaz.com/Pittsburgh.html Wexford Spay/Neuter Clinic http://www.spayaz.com/wexford-pa/

Find Local Low-cost Spay, Neuter and Veterinary Care on the Internet

Low-cost Neuter and Spay (search by zip) http://neuterspay.org/ Love That Cat (online search) http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html Spay USA http://www.spayusa.org/search.php Spay and Neuter Early, a Humane Alliance Campaign http://www.whentospay.org/get-your-pet-fixed Get Your Fix.org http://getyourfix.org/ ASPCA searchable map of low-cost clinics in US & Canada https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/ low-cost-spayneuter-programs

Emergency and After-hours Care

Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center (PVSEC) http://www.pvs-ec.com/ VCA Castle Shannon Animal Hospital http://www.vcahospitals.com/castle-shannon

VCA Northview Animal Hospital Specialty Referral Center http://www.vcahospitals.com/northview A-VETS http://www.avets.us/

Pet-friendly Rentals

In the Pittsburgh area, visit this list on the FosterCat website: http://www.fostercat.org/friendly.html Nationwide (United States only) http://www.rent.com/pet-friendly-apartments

Shelters and Shelter Services

Adoption, surrender, low-cost clinics, pet food pantries, referrals, etc.

Humane Animal Rescue, North Shore (Western PA Humane Society) www.wpahumane.org Humane Animal Rescue, East Liberty (Animal Rescue League) www.animalrescue.org Animal Friends (AFI) www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org Animal Advocates animaladvocates.net Washington Area Humane Society www.washingtonpashelter.org Butler County Humane Society www.butlercountyhs.org Beaver County Humane Society www.beavercountyhumanesociety.org

Animal Cruelty Laws by State (United States) Animal Legal & Historical Center www.animallaw.info/articles/armpstatecruelty.htm

Cat Rescue Resouce Guide www.petconnections.pet 23

Kitty Korner

Introducing The Washington County Mon Valley

COMPANION ANIMAL PROJECT

By Faith Bjalobok Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy Duquesne University Fellow Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Founder Fluffyjean Fund for Felines

For the last four years the Fluffyjean Fund for Felines has partnered with WAHS to attack the problem of homeless cats in Washington County thru TNVR (trap-neutervaccinate-return to care taker). As a result of data collected, several issues have been empirically identified as contributing factors to the problem of homeless animals.

Based on the data collected and ethical considerations, it can be argued that TNVR does in fact provide the most humane, effective and just solution to the problem of cats who are currently homeless and living in our 90 managed colonies. However, it has also become obvious that addressing the issue of homelessness at the end of the homeless animal pipeline, while effective in terms of cats currently in the homeless pipeline, it does not address the issue of stemming the tide of new animals entering the homeless animal pipeline.

Data collected has identified several causes that contribute to beginning the transition of a beloved companion animal to a neglected or homeless animal. Based on our research, the socioeconomic status 24 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

of both a community and the individuals residing in that community play a significant role in setting the transition from beloved companion animal to homelessness or neglect in motion.

The WCMVCAP has identified the Mon Valley as an area of Washington County in most need. In order to address the problems of homelessness and neglect and enable individuals to maintain their pets in their homes, the Fluffyjean Fund for Felines and Washington Area Humane Society have joined in a collaborative effort to create the Washington County Mon valley Companion Animal Project(WCMVCAP).

Along with the assistance of Animal Friends mobile resource unit the project will focus on reducing neglect and homelessness by providing residents of Mon valley assistance with spaying, neutering, food and vaccinations.

The project will launch in May with a free feline only spay/neuter clinic on May 11, 2018. This clinic is sponsored by the WAHS. The clinic will be held at the New Eagle Community Center. Free clinics are restricted to cats owned by Washington

County residents of the Mon Valley. There is a limit of 2 owned cats per family and an appointment is required. Please contact Faith at faith.b2@Verizon.net or 724 9415683 for further details and to setup an appointment. We are currently pursuing funding to provide residents with canine spay/neuter vouchers. Those feeding colony cats may also contact Faith to determine their eligibility for the Colony Cat Project. Washington County senior citizens are encouraged to contact Kelly Proudfit, CEO at WAHS to determine their eligibility for Senior Paws program. Kelly may be reached at 724 222-7387.

The WCMVCAP has secured funding for 3 owned cats spay/neuter clinics and a free vaccine clinic for dogs and cats. All to be held at New Eagle Social Hall. It is the hope of WCMVCAP that that through our collaborative efforts we will be able to provide Mon Valley residents with the assistance needed to keep pets in their home. Thereby reducing animal homelessness, and improving the quality of life for both companion animals and their human companions.

PETCON 2018 PET & EQUINE EXPO

SAT & SUN - JUNE 9 & 10 Waynesburg, PA GREENE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

www.petconnections.pet

724-292-7387 (PETS) pghpetconnections@gmail.com

SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITING Opportunities

*Adoptable Pets of local animal shelters and rescues *Pet Exhibitors *Horse Exhibitors *Home Exhibitors * Pet Costume Contest *50/50 Raffle *Kids Activities *Pet & Equine Seminars *Dog Agility & Horse Demos *Silent Auction *Craft/Tack Tables! *Food & Ice Cream *Featured Show on Horseback *Entertainment

$8 General Admission Kids 5 & FREE; Seniors 65+ FREE; Veterans FREE FREE PARKING Show Hours Sat. 9a-7p; Sun 9a-6p

Pets Welcome! Fun for the Entire Family

www.petconnections.pet 25

Feathered Friends

Parrotlets: A Small Parrot with BIG Personality

By Edward R. Moats

Over my many years of working with companion birds, no other species of parrots has captured my attention more than Parrotlets. What are Parrotlets you ask? They are a group of small parrots ranging in height from 4.5 to 5.5 inches tall that inhabit neotropical forests and jungles in South America.

They are classified under the genus Forpus. This group of small parrots is comprised of seven different species. And a few of these species also possess subspecies. In this article, I have decided to discuss the most commonly kept companion Parrotlets here in the United States, Forpus coelestis. Otherwise known as the Pacific or Celestial Parrotlet.

Pacific or Celestial Parrotlets are approximately 5.5 inches tall with a stout body weighing up to a whopping 32 grams. Their plumage is green. And they are sexually dimorphic (can be visually sexed.) Males are green with wings trimmed in dark blue on the primary feathers.

Females do not have these blue feathers. They are often labeled as “small amazons” due to not only their physical characteristics, but their personalities and temperament that can sometimes rival even the largest amazon parrot. Although the personalities of these little feathered jewels can sometimes be considered demonstrative, they can also be sweet and endearing.

Many Parrotlet families are more than eager to share their experiences regarding a little bird that enjoys being the center of attention. Most agree that once trust is built, you have a feathered friend for life!

BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS As I have already mentioned, these little spitfires can sometimes be a handful. I have been asked by potential Parrotlet families if these little birds truly live up to their reputation. With a grin on my face, I always assure them that each bird is an individual. But, as a general rule of thumb, these small birds have no issue expressing themselves. Be it demanding attention from their pet parent or defending themselves when they feel threatened.

Quite often, Parrotlets tend to be defensive of their cages. This is an instinctive behavior passed on from their wild ancestry. In the wild, Parrotlets have to compete for shelter, food, and mates. They are also prey animals. And can fall victim to predation from a number of animals that can fit a 5-inch bird into their mouths. Therefore, the Parrotlet family needs to have a strong understanding in regard to Parrotlet behavior and positive ways to interact with these birds.

26 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

The introduction of a Parrotlet into a new home, otherwise known as the TRANSITIONAL PERIOD; can sometimes be a trying time for Parrotlets and their family. During this period, patience and understanding is of the utmost importance. The family, or caretaker, needs to fully understand the proper way to interact with a Parrotlet. All too often, new families jump the gun by purchasing their new feathered companion before doing any research regarding it’s needs. And because of this, they can unknowingly make a negative impression on their new friend.

Body language, the tone of your voice, environmental stimuli; all are factors that can determine the outcome of interactions with a Parrotlet. Remember, trust is earned, not given. Even a Parrotlet that has been handfed will go through a transitional period when introduced into a new environment. Patience will be rewarded in time.

DIET Parrotlets are OMNIVORES. In their natural habitat, they feed on seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and insects. In our homes, it is virtually impossible to replicate the bio-diversity available to these birds in the wild. Therefore, offering a bio-diverse diet that consists of some seed, fruits and vegetables, and plant-based proteins can insure that your Parrotlets is offered a nutrient dense diet that will meet it’s needs.

Introducing pellets to the Parrotlet diet comes with some controversy.

Many feel that feeding pellets to color mutations of Parrotlets can possibly cause kidney issues. I personally feel that it has nothing to do with color mutations. Consider a parrot let’s size.

As I mentioned in my Avian Nutrition article for our winter issue, pellets are void of water. When pellets are introduced to water, the pellet absorbs the liquid and expands like a sponge.

If a small bird does not drink ample amounts of water, the pellet pulls liquid from the digestive track and can cause dehydration. With dehydration, ketones and ureic acid levels increase over time and can cause renal issues or failure. As I have mentioned before, there are pros and cons to feeding pellets. If you plan on offering pellets to your Parrotlet, be sure to monitor the water intake of your bird.

COLOR MUTATIONS In the mid 1980’s, color mutations of Pacific Parrotlets were introduced into the United States from Belgium in limited numbers. Many of the color mutations available today come from this small number of birds. Currently, some color mutations are still being imported. But, it is a GREAT undertaking requiring countless hours of red tape. And importation can be costly. Because of the limited genetic diversity of these color mutations, inbreeding of related birds continues to be of concern. Today, colors of Pacific Parrotlets range from white, blue, yellow, and turquoise.

With the introduction of the color mutations comes another concern regarding genetic diversity in Pacific Parrotlets that spikes great controversy with many.

The on-going breeding of color mutations and not out crossing back to the nominate (or normal green)

of the species and improper genetic pairing.

In other words, breeding blue to blue, yellow to yellow, white to white, etc.

Why should a pet parent be concerned?

Because these color mutation birds where produced through a process called LINE BREEDING. This is where related birds that possess a visual trait are paired to pass on the trait or characteristic (color) to offspring. This is also known as inbreeding. When a breeder does not out cross color mutations every few generations to a normal green, congenital defect are amplified and can affect the size and vitality of offspring.

Perpetual pairing of color mutations and not out crossing has also proven to shorten the lifespan of Parrotlets. Before the introduction of color mutations, Pacific Parrotlets where known to live on average 10-20 years. Today, with the on-going improper genetic pairing of color mutation Pacific Parrotlets, many of these birds meet their demise before the tenth year. Results from necropsy reports show common denominators, the birds succumb to congenital illnesses such as malformed or underdeveloped organs.

Underdeveloped or severely compromised immune systems that can result in life-threatening infections.

And anomalies in the nervous system that can result in neurological disorders. All of these issues are attributed to “Genetic Fall-Out” caused by the interbreeding of related birds or breeding color mutations and not outcrossing every few generations back to a normal green.

All of this can be summed up in a few sentences.

Because of the demand for pretty colors in these birds, many breeders are driven to meet the demand for color as opposed to maintaining the health of a species.

The color mutation Parrotlets that are available as pets today, are essentially a genetic “engineered” animal that does not resemble their wild ancestors.

These color mutated birds tend to fetch higher prices as opposed to a normal green. In the end, greed is the undoing of these birds as companions.

I hope that this brief introduction to Pacific Parrotlets has sparked an interest in learning more about these little birds. As with any animal, careful consideration should be taken to determine if one of these birds can easily transition into your home and family. If you feel that one of these birds can make the perfect companion for you and your family, I suggest that you continue to research before you jump in feet first.

Parrotlets are small in stature. But, don’t be fooled by their size. In the body of these 5-inch little birds, beats the heart of an Amazon Parrot.

2018 PETCON Pet & Equine Expo

PetConnections magazine is proud to be back again this year to present the Second Annual PETCON Pet & Equine Expo taking place on June 9th & 10th, 2018, this year at the Greene County, PA Fairgrounds! We are donating proceeds from the silent auction to the Humane Society of Greene County. We would like to thank our sponsors this year, Pet Valu, Watters Pools, R & D Watters, Waynesburg Milling, Greene County Chamber of Commerce.

We are promoting the event in the tri-state areas of PA, Ohio and West Virginia. Along with our exciting, informative and fun filled list of programming, we will also be showcasing vendors offering the latest in pet and equine products and services, home improvement, human and animal wellness and everyone’s favorite.... snacks! *Adoptable Pets of local animal shelters and rescues *Pet Exhibitors *Horse Exhibitors *Home Exhibitors * Pet Costume Contest *50/50 Raffle *Kids Activities *Pet & Equine Seminars *Dog Agility & Horse Demos *Silent Auction *Craft/Tack Tables! *Food & Ice Cream *Featured JOUSTING Show this year!

We are thrilled to announce that proceeds from the 2018 Pet and Equine Expo 50/50 raffle and silent auction, will benefit the Humane Society of Greene County. We also are seeking item and basket donations for the silent auction!

Introducing our Feathered Friends Bird Show this year! Featuring a “That Guy with the Birds” show on Sunday at 2pm. Also, parrots from PEARL Parrot Rescue, our own staff Feathered Friends section writer and editor, Edward R. Moats, and Karrie Noterman from OHPA Bird Fairs both will be speaking. Karrie will be exhibiting her Natural Inspiration Bird Cages.

Our PETCON K-9 Arena will be featuring agility demos, with Rose Nicotra and the “Rat Pack”, as well as Alex Williams and her jumping bunny! Also, pet care seminars will be announced soon.

Courtney Moffatt, Animal Communicator will also be

Our Show Features this year:

PETCON PET EXPO The Humane Society of Greene County will have adoptable pets if you are looking for your new furry friend.

The PETCON Pet Parade and Costume Contest is sponsored by Pet Valu and at 3pm! Register onsite at the show information booth, by Sunday at 2 pm.

Prizes include, First prize, a $150 cash and a $50 Pet Valu gift card; Second prize, $75 cash and a $25 Pet Valu Gift Card; Third prize, $50 cash and a $25 Pet Valu gift card. Our NovemberDecember cover stars, Jason Dunkle with Roxy and Greyson won first prize last year!

Half off general admission with a $30 purchase receipt from Pet Valu

This year’s winner will have photo published in our Summer issue! www.petconnections.pet 27

Directories Animal Educational Exhibits North: The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium pittsburghzoo.org The National Aviary nationalaviary.org

Animal Communication Greater Pittsburgh Area: Renee Takacs, M.A. intuitguide.com

Visit our online directory at pghpetconnections.com/Dog-Cat-Directory

Animal-Related Art, Photography & Retail April Minech Custom Portraits | Pet Inspired Art www.ladybugdelightz.etsy.com Pet Portraits 412-407-2590 www.PittsburghPainting.com/portraits North: Nicole Begley Photography nicolebegleyphotography.com Vibrant Images 724-774-1731 | www.vibrantimages.photography South: Kara Jones Photography kjones.smugmug.com Paws ‘n Claws Eyewear PawsnClawsEyewear.com

Animal Rescue Organizations North: Animal Friends 412-847-7000 | thinkingoutsidethecage.org Beaver County Humane Society 724-775-5801 | www.beavercountyhumanesociety.org Pennsylvania Great Dane Rescue 724-869-9185 Hope Haven Farm Sanctuary 412-366-1187 | hopehavenfarm.org Western Pa Humane Society 412-321-4625 | wpahumane.org South: Animal Care & Welfare 412-244-1372 | animalcareandwelfare.org Droopy’s Basset Rescue 888-9 GET DROOL | www.droopysbassetrescue.com Washington Area Humane Society 724-222-7387 | washingtonpashelter.org Animals Against the Odds Rescue/Rehab www.aato.rescueme.org East: Humane Animal Rescue 412-345-7300 | animalrescue.org HAR Wildlife Center 412-345-7300 | animalrescue.org SW PA Pugs with Special Needs 724-763-2790 | swpapug.org West: CARMAA 412-780-4983 | carmaa-petadoption.com Greater Pittsburgh Area: SPAAR www.seniorpetandanimalrescue.org Guardian Angels Pug Rescue 724-537-3466 www.facebook.com/guardianangelspugrescue Humane Society of Greene County 724-627-9988 | greenepet.org

28 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

PEARL Parrot Rescue www.pearlparrots.com

Bird & Supplies Natural Inspirations Parrot Cages www.naturalinspirationsparrotcages.com

Dog Training North: AKIN Family Dog Training (Lilian Akin) 412-732-8091 | akinfdt.net Greater Pittsburgh Area: Happy Pets Training/Christine Flint 412-373-9583 | www.happypetstraining.com Success Just Clicks successjustclicks.com North Shore: Western PA Humane Society 412-321-4265 | wpahumane.org South: Paula’s Professional Dog Services 412-818-2482

Dog Training Clubs South: Dogworks Training Center at The Canine Club Phone: (412) 220-8100 | www.thecanineclub.com Golden Triangle Obedience Training Club 412-653-6880 | gtotc.com Keystone Canine Training 412-833-2211 | keystonecanine.com Xcel Canine Training Center 412-833-2504 | xcelcaninetraining.com

Equine Boarding, Lessons & Training Facilities North: Rockin’ Horse Stables 724-601-4706 | rockinhorsestables.com South: Coventry Equestrian Center 724-206-9902 Manon’s Farm 724-705-7912 | 724-621-0260 SydMor Equestrian Center 724-969-0510 | www.sydmorstables.com

Equine Holistic Care Greater Pittsburgh Area: Dr. Michael Savko, DC, CCSP, CVCP 724-261-7915 | drchirovet.com

Equine Tack Stores North: Shady Acres Saddlery 412-963-9454 | www.shadyacressaddlery.biz South: Lowry’s Western Store 724-228-1225 | lowryswesternshop.com

Equine Veterinarians Dr. Brian Burks, DVM - Fox Run Equine Center 724-727-3481 | foxrunequine.com

Holistic Pet Practitioners Pet Chiropractor North: Dr. Doug Knueven, DVM Beaver Animal Clinic 724-774-8047 | beaveranimalclinic.com Greater Pittsburgh: Dr. Michael Savko, DC, CCSP, CVCP 724-261-7915 | drchirovet.com

Holistic Practitioners for Guardians East End: Judith Levy Wellness Coaching/Energy Modalities 412-726-2659 | www.judithlevywellness.com South: Manning Chiropractic & Wellness Center 412-341-2505 | drastridmanning.com

Holistic Veterinarians Dr. Doug Knueven, DVM Beaver Animal Clinic 724-774-8047 | beaveranimalclinic.com Dr. Qiang Li VCA Castle Shannon 412-885-2500

Pet Burial, Memorial & Cremation Services South: Chartiers Custom Pet Cremation 412-220-7800 | ccpc.ws Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home 412-655-4500 | jeffersonmemorial.biz East End: Precious Pets Memorial Center & Crematorium 412-351-PETS (7387) | preciouspetspgh.com Greater Pittsburgh: Carved Stone by Serena 724-941-2664 | www.carvedstonebyserena.com Thousand Hills Pet Crematory 724-355-8296 | www.thousandhillspetcrematory.com

Pet Fencing Greater Pittsburgh Area: Dog Guard Pittsburgh Dog Fence 412-287-5820 | Pghdogfence.com

Pet Grooming North: All About Dogs 724-925-1577 | allaboutdogsgrooming.info Larry’s Laundromutt 412-534-4052 | larryslaundromutt.com Happy Tailz Pet Spa 412-759-7620 Happytailzpetspa.com Healthy Pet Grooming 724-759-7567 Larry’s Laundromutt 412-534-4052 | Larryslaundromutt.com South: Candelore’s Barking Beauties 412-872-5550 Creative Canine Cuts 724-223-9020 Grand Slam Grooming 412-221-5081 | grandslamgrooming.com Petsburgh Dog & Cat Grooming 412-885-4027 Pets at Home Dog Grooming 412-655-7297 (PAWS) The Pet Salon 412-279-5331 | petsalonusa.com Woody’s Dog Wash & Pet Boutique 412-714-4644 | woodysdogbath.com East: Animal Elegance 412-361-1177 | www.animal-elegance.com Candelore’s Barking Beauties Pet Grooming 412-872-5550 | candeloresbarkingbeauties.com

Cat Around Town Cat Grooming 412-461-3700 | cataroundtown.com West: Paws Here Awhile Pet Resort 724-573-4665 | pawshereawhile.com Greater Pittsburgh Area: Zoom N Groom (Sonya Patterson) 724-225-4827

Pet Friendly Businesses & Organizations

Pet-Friendly Living Greater Pittsburgh Area: Pinch Property Services 412-445-8550 PinchPropertyServices.com East: The Getaway at Glen Highland Farm www.glenhighlandgetaway.com South: American Destiny Real Estate Services 412-983-2220 | www.adr-usa.com Amore 877-716-6840 | amoreapartments.com

Pet Grooming Schools North: Pa Academy of Pet Grooming 412-759-7620

Pet Ministries South: Christ United Methodist Church 412-277-1096 | christumc.net Westminster Presbyterian Church 412-835-6630 | westminster-church.org

Camp Bow Wow South 971 Killarney Dr Pittsburgh, PA 15234 Camp Bow Wow Southwest 412-276-WAGS(9247) Camp Bow Wow North 412-931-WAGS(9247) Camp Bow Wow Highland Park 412-362-PLAY Camp Bow Wow Pgh East 724-733 CAMP(2267) North: Dog stop - North 724-935-DOGS (3647) | www.thedogstop.net The Dog Stop - Sewickley 412-766-DOGS(3647) | www.thedogstop.net Lucky Paws Pet Resort 724-728-1484 | www.luckypawsresort.com South: Grandma’s Dog Daycare 412-586-7094 | grandmasdogdaycare.com Fuzzy Paws Pet Villa 724-746-3899 | fuzzy-paws.com The Dog Stop - Banksville Rd. 412-343-1171 | www.thedogstop.net Pampered Paw Resort 724-413-3135 | pamperedpawresort.com East: Pittsburgh Pet Concierge 412-856-8505 | petconcierge.org The Dog Stop - Monroeville 412-373-3355 | www.thedogstop.net The Dog Stop - East End 412-361-0911 | www.thedogstop.net East: The Dog Stop - East: Strip District 412-315-7050 | www.thedogstop.net Country Lane Pet Hotel 412-824-7991 | www.countrylanepethotel.com West: Paws Here Awhile Pet Resort 724-573-4665 | pawshereawhile.com

Pet Retail/Supply North: Healthy Pet Products 412-366-0700 | healthypetproducts.net South: Healthy Pet Products 412-831-3700 | healthypetproducts.net Oddball Pets & Aquariums 412-884-2333 | oddballpets.com Woody’s Dog Wash & Pet Boutique 412-714-4644 | woodysdogbath.com East: Petagogy petagogy.com | 412-362-7387 Petland East Side Village 412-363-PETS | www.petlandvillageofeastside.com Greater Pittsburgh Area: Baskets of Nature 724-831-9437 | www.basketsofnature.com Dig It Collars dig-it-store.com

Western PA No Boarders Pet and Animal Care Home & Farm Sitting 724-219-7801 Noboarders-petcare.com South: Your Critter Sitters (Raylene Hoover) 724-448-7330 | yourcrittersitters.com East: Pittsburgh Pet Concierge 412-856-8505 | petconcierge.org

Veterinary Hospice & Mobile Services Greater Pittsburgh Area: 412-801-1071 | gentlejourneyvet.com

Veterinary Pharmacies Greater Pittsburgh Area: Murray Avenue Apothecary 412-421-4996 | MAApgh.com

Veterinary Hospitals North: Beaver Animal Clinic 724-774-8047 | beaveranimalclinic.com Cheyenne Veterinary Wellness & Surgical Center 412-884-3162 | www.cheyennevet1.com VCA Northview Animal Hospital 412-364-5353 | vcanorthview.com South: All About Pets Veterinary Hospital 724-745-5503 | aapvet.com All About Pets Veterinary Hospital – Washington location 724-503-4887 | www.aapvet.com VCA Castle Shannon 412-885-2500 East: The Big Easy Animal Hospital 412-908-9301 | tbeah.com Monroeville Pet Hospital 412-372-1100 | www.monroevillepethospital.com Pittsburgh Premier Pet Care & Rehab 412-795-1215 | premierpetcareandrehab.com West: VCA MetVet West Animal Hospital 412-788-6400 vcahospitals.com/met-vet-west

Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Services Greater Pittsburgh Area: Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, Inc. 412-366-3400 | pvs-ec.com VCA Northview Animal Hospital Specialty Referral Center 412-364-5353 | vcanorthview.com East: AVETS - Allegheny Veterinary Emergency Trauma & Specialty 412-373-4200 | avets.com

Visit our online directory at pghpetconnections.com/Dog-Cat-Directory

Bactronix 412-375-7886 | www.bactronix.com Good Nature Organic Lawn Care 888-LAWNSAFER | whygoodnature.com Simple Sugars Scrub Simplesugarsscrub.com Village Shoppes Scenery Hill Elves Lair Christmas & Gifts, Jan’s Tea Shoppe - 2nd Street Coffee Roasters, Velvet Envelope, Westerwald Pottery, Two Old Crows www.sceneryhillpa.com Greater Pittsburgh Area: Fragasso Financial Advisors 412-227-3200 | www.fragassoadvisors.com Fundvelopes 412-595-8641 | fundvelopes.com Matt Arch Foundation www.connectarian.com One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning 724-225-1644 | www.onehourair.com OxyMagic 412-781-4110 | www.oxypgh.com Susan G. Komen Pittsburgh 412-342-0500 | www.komenpittsburgh.org East Pittsburgh East Nissan 412-824-9020 | www.pittsburgheastnissan.com Unique Home Solutions www.uniquehomesolutions.com South: Southpointe Chamber www.southpointe.net

Pet Resorts - Boarding, Daycare, Grooming & Training

Veterinary Technology Schools Greater Pittsburgh Area: Pittsburgh Career Institute 412-281-2600 | pci.edu

Pet Sitters North Furry Family Pet Sitting 412-999-9524 | www.furryfamilypetsitting.com

List your business today! info@pghpetconnections.com www.petconnections.pet 29

Wellness For Guardians

IMPROVING

COMMUNICATION

WITH YOUR ANIMALS

By Courtney Moffatt

Brains work in mysterious and amazing ways. One of the ways is when we listen to others, speaking out loud or even thinking to ourselves, our brains automatically construct images. Both humans and animals construct mental imagery. That is why when people read books, images of the storyline play out in their minds. Another example is when one describes a new cat they adopted as an adult orange, fluffy cat with a white chest -who loves to play with his stuffed mouse.

The listener visualizes the fluffy cat in detail playing with his mouse. We can’t turn this feature off in our brain – it’s automatic.

For this reason, we should never speak or put any negative images in our minds when communicating to animals because it confuses them. We also need to believe what we are trying to say to them. If you don’t believe your own words, why should they?

If your dog jumps on people, many people would say “don’t jump”. First, this is a negative statement. Second, there’s no mental picture for the word “not”, which means there’s also no picture for don’t, can’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t or wouldn’t. When you say don’t jump, what mental picture comes to mind? A dog jumping! This sends an animal a mixed message. Instead, tell him to stay calm and keep all four feet on the floor. When that is said, this illustrates the positive, desired behavior. It is also important to believe that the dog will stay calm and keep all four feet on the floor. This is definitely easier said than done, but if performed correctly, it will help reinforce the desired outcome.

A few years ago, one of my horse training clients, Linda Moore had a mare named Sugar who she wanted me to ride. Because Sugar was bought at an auction, Linda had no history on her. It was clear that this horse was abused by how she reacted to the slightest touch, which implied her distrust in people.

When I came out to ride Sugar for the first time, I immediately felt the tension in her body. She was bracing against me, thinking I was going to pull on her face or kick hard.

30 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

On that first ride, all I did was have her walk around as I worked on softening up her entire body. After 20 minutes, Linda could see a difference. She actually relaxed a little bit, her mouth softened, she started to flex at the poll and there was a softness in her eyes.

I had Linda climb on so she could feel the difference. She was ecstatic!

what I wanted her to do. The picture was that of a western pleasure horse loping around, which was an exaggeration of the message since she was a trail horse.

Over the months, I worked with Sugar continuing to improve on relaxing. With every ride, she was becoming better and better. My biggest challenge with her was getting her to relax and go slow at the lope. When I would ask for a lope departure, it was like being in the Kentucky Derby! She exploded into a fast gallop, head sky high and body tense. Filled with pure terror, there was no slowing down or calming this horse. Linda and I are sure that her old owner barrel raced her and must have whipped her to run faster. She now associates loping with galloping and getting smacked.

She started to give me that “one relaxed stride” a little more and more. I praised her, assuring that was exactly what I wanted her to do.

Before our next ride, I told Sugar what we were going to do. Why we needed to do this. And how I wanted her to behave by conveying clear images in my mind with peaceful energy. I knew she could be calm.

And I could sense that she wanted to be calm. Softly, I said “Okay Sugar, we are going to lope. Be calm, go slowly, enjoy yourself, lower your head and relax.” This mantra was repeated over and over for the entire ride.

When I asked for the first lope departure, nothing had changed. She still felt like a racehorse, but I wasn’t deterred because I knew she could do this. As we were flying around the arena, I said my mantra out loud and thought of the picture in my mind of

Suddenly, to my surprise, one stride felt softer, a little more relaxed and a hair slower; just one stride.

As I continued to ride her throughout the month, she started to give me two relaxed strides, then three. Eventually, I got her to relax about one quarter of the distance around the arena. That may not sound like much, but for a previously abused horse, that was huge. Any rider could sense her relief.

Although she would experience sporadic regressions, the general trend was one step back; two steps forward.

It took a lot of time to get Sugar to this place – many months actually. Once I began to use my training skills and animal communication together, we made progress much faster. She was happier and more relaxed.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where your animal is confused or just needs to know what you want from him, remember to use positive words and images and believe in what you are telling them. Remain consistent and even when your progress is backsliding, don’t give up. Occasionally, it just takes time.

Animals want to please us. But sometimes we need to make the message clear to them.

PETCON Equine Expo This year’s PETCON Equine Expo is packed full of horse demonstrations, seminars and jousting show. Kristin Hermann, our staff writer for our Equine Affairs section will be our EMCEE again and assisted in coordinating our program this year, as well as a demo on Dressage and stretching.

Our jousting show with Dr. Gesa Wellenstein, PhD, will sure to be a show stopper! She will also be doing a lecture on jousting separately, as well as speaking about her organization, The Guardian of Angels, an advocacy program for children.

Andre Picou, Horseman will also be demonstrating on horse training, and presenting Retraining the OTTB, Horse Sense 101, Cowboy Church service Sunday morning first thing at 9am in the Horse Arena.

Scott Downs and Evon Montgomery will also be back with western demonstrations. Evon is speaking on “Confidence with your Horse,” and Sonya Bell-Strauss will be there with her miniature horse jumping demo!

Ed Childers will be speaking about an Introduction to the Washington County Animal Response Team.

EXHIBITING and SPONSORSHIP Opportunities are still available!

We have reasonable rates for your craft or tack table, small MLM company and regular exhibitor booths.

Space is limited, so contact us asap and up until June 1st, at pghpetconnections@gmail.com for info.

From a single booth to a presenting sponsor, with on or off-site sponsorships available, we can offer you a terrific opportunity to showcase your business, while also providing tremendous exposure to your targeted audience, with our unique demographic of pet and horse owners, and animal lovers. Thank you in advance for your support of our mission to enrich the lives of our furry friends!

We hope you can attend and join us!

$8 General Admission Kids 5 & UNDER FREE; Seniors 65+ FREE; Veterans FREE FREE PARKING Show Hours Sat. 9a-7p; Sun 9a-6p GREENE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS Directions: From I-79, take Exit 14 to Waynesburg and head west on Route 21. The fairgrounds are less than a mile ahead on the right. The fairgrounds have three entrances, two from Route 21 (Roy Furman Highway) and one from Jefferson Road.

www.petconnections.pet 31

PET FRIENDLY LIVING

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PET FRIENDLY LIVING • LUXURY VINYL TILE is the perfect pet friendly flooring solution for families with pets • Made to take a beating from the toughest PAWS AND CLAWS • Waterproof, stain and scratch resistant • Easy to clean, never needs sanded, refinished or restained • Hypoallergenic, no dust mites unlike carpet • Appropriate for any level of the home or office • Available in a wide variety of wood look plank & tile styles & colors

CALL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE NO OBLIGATION IN HOME OR OFFICE ESTIMATE! Lori Ritchey 412-445-8550 Larry Kunzelman 412-302-1430

pinchpropertyservices@gmail.com

PinchPropertyServices.com

www.facebook.com/PinchPropertyServices

www.petconnections.pet 33

Equine Affairs

Riding the Horse “Over the Back”

By Kristin Hermann “Over the back, round, on the bit, coming through, connected, and or on the aids”… what do all these phrases have in common when training a horse? As riders we would like the horse to lift their back and carry our weight, as opposed to going concave and hollow. The back of the horse is the most vulnerable area of its body and the minute a rider sits in the middle of the back the horse can go hollow or concave.

We ask the horse to lower its head and neck to raise the back. As a result, hopefully the horse connects from the back to the front. But how do we know this really happens? How is it all related? Does this involve just the head and neck of the horse, of the hind legs and back too?

Nearly every rider I teach says the horse has to go forward in order to be all Nice example of a horse “over its back,” “on the aids,” “tracking up” and “through!” of the above but none of them can answer why.

That is where I come in… I love the why. I think every rider should know what they are doing when riding and why. Understanding the bio-mechanics of training a horse is important in my world.

Why do we want rhythm, roundness, straightness and to go forward? These are just some of the questions and answers we go over when training horses in my lessons. The horse’s hind end has a direct correlation to the front end. The horse is one unit.

But when we sit in the middle of the back, we disunite this action.

That is where the term “CONNECTION” originates. (Connecting the back end of the horse with the front.) If the horse is tracking up, or taking a full stride, that means it is “coming through.” I always ask, “coming through what?” The answer is two-fold: the horse is coming through its body and/ or coming through the rider’s seat.

As a result of the horse This horse is hollow in the back, and not through, because the stride is short, and the neck constricted.

34 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

coming through, it connects the hind end to the front end and will be working “over the back.”

The key to all of this is the rider connecting it all! Coming through the back, tracking up with a forward stride with a rein contact that is the responsibility of the rider. It is a phenomenon. (A rider The same horse takes a longer stride harnessing the hind end of and the back comes up. This horse can the horse with the front.) It still develop a longer stride. is not easy. We essentially have to ride both ends of the horse at the same time. We have to guide with our reins or legs and feel with every part of our body. I call riding “The Silent Dialogue” … It is a result of the rider’s muscles communicating to the horses muscles.

So, we have a horse that is tracking up, taking a full stride that lifts the back, and then the rider connects the back end with the front using contact with the reins. Thus, the term “on the aids,” or “on the bit.” The rider puts the horse round, over the back, and connects the front and hind end using all of the aids. (Our legs, the seat, and the hands.) None of these aids can work alone.

The secret to riding is coordinating the rider’s natural aids with the timing of the horse’s natural gaits and doing it fluently.

Dressage riders are obsessed with the horse being round, over the back, connected and being on the aids. In essence, the rider is mimicking how the horse would go naturally on its own with a lifted back. You won’t see a hollow, concave or sway back horse in nature.

Horses do not need to be round or connected in order to be a good serviceable horse. But if you want to ride in harmony with the horse and display its natural gaits without constraining them, then adopting these skills will be valuable no matter what your riding discipline. Riding the horse in a connected way, on the aids and adding straightening and stretching; are crucial to keeping your horse sound, supple, and happy in it’s way of direction.

Rider position directly affects how the horse performs when under saddle.

Coventry Equestrian Center

2018 Summer Camp Registration is Now Open!

Dressage ~ Gymnastic Training for all horses & riders Learn how to ride & train with clarity for Dressage, Hunt Seat, Eventing, Western, Pleasure

Rockin’ Horse Stables

All horses & riders benefit utilizing simplified gymnastic training (dressage) Visit the “Home Schooling Your Horse” Facebook page for simplified training tips Kristin Hermann blythedale@comcast.net 724-206-9902

www.CoventryEquestrianCenter.com

Rockin’ Horse Stables is a full care Hunter & Jumper boarding and training facility offering beginner to advanced English riding lessons, summer camps and quality horse sales. We strive to offer a clean, safe, family friendly environment for our riders and guests.

Minutes from Rt. 19 Cranberry Twp. • Stalls & Lessons Available

724-601-4706 • rockinhorsestables.com

Working with Animals is My Dream Career...

Thanks PCI. In just 18 months, you could earn an Associates Degree in Veterinary Technology with hands-on training from PCI. Take the first step toward your new career and call today: 412.281.2600

or visit pci.edu.

Pet Gift Baskets - Pet Supplies - Pet Sitting wwwbasketsofnature.com Phone: 724.831.9437 Email: contact@basketsofnature.com

Accredited Member, ACICS, CVTEA. Financial Aid is available to those who qualify.

PCI cannot guarantee employment or salary.

421 Seventh Ave. w Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Ph: 412.281.2600 w 800.333.6607 www.pci.edu w Facebook.com/PCIschool

www.petconnections.pet 35

Remembrance

In remembrance of Mojo

By April Minech Photo credits: Kim Lenz, Behind the Lenz Photography

Working in a shelter gives you the chance to meet and help lots of animals. One day, a big black dog arrived that scared even the seasoned workers. So, of course; I had to meet him.I knew he was special and just needed a chance. And although he had a forceful bark, but a big heart; we worked together for months while I learned to understand him, and he learned to trust again. The skills gained getting him ready for adoption prepared me to help hundreds of other dogs. And that is part of his legacy. We attended training classes as he spent half of a year as my foster. Until one day, I realized that we were soul mates. That is when I decided to adopt him. We spent ten years together. Sharing a special connection, that if you’re lucky; only comes once in a lifetime. When his body could no longer hold him, I helped his warrior spirit move on.

-Thank you Mojo, for all the lessons.

36 PITTSBURGH PETCONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018

Call today to find out about your PetConnections savings!

Grooming

All-Inclusive, Clean, Safe, Fun for

pittsburgh dogs!

Day Care

Boarding

6 Convenient Locations: Monroeville 412-373-3355 4375 Old William Penn Hwy. Monroeville, PA 15146

East End 412-361-0911 1140 Washington Blvd.

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Strip District 412-315-7050 2530 Smallman St. Pittsburgh, PA 15222

South Hills 412-343-1171 1789 W. Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15226

Pittsburgh North 724-935-DOGS (3647) 9795 Perry Hwy. Wexford, PA 15090

Sewickley 412-766-DOGS (3647) 8325 Ohio River Blvd.

Pittsburgh, PA 15202

Robinson and Upper St. Clair Locations Coming Soon Training

Bring This Ad to Get One Free Day of Day Care.

Discount applies to one dog per family. Limit one coupon per family.

Offer expires 08/30/18. FY17

Retail

Visit us online at www.thedogstop.net