Arizona Humane Society needs buckets!

The following is from today's AZ Humane Society's newsletter (if you live elsewhere, please check with your local shelter to see what they may need).

We Need Buckets

Our field agents (EAMTs) provide water for dogs left outside in the desert
heat and we need plastic buckets! Any buckets or large plastic containers
you have (that did not contain any chemicals) will help bucket-loads! Cat litter
buckets, large tupperware bowls, small trash bins, anything we can put cool
water in works! We've also heard you can find good ones and the local
dollar stores. If you can help, please drop them off at one of our
locations:
Sunnsyslope, 9226 North 13th Ave, Phx, 85021

South
Mountain, 1521
West Dobbins Rd, Phx 85041

UPDATE ON OUR FOSTERS:

After spending about three weeks getting fattened up on our strawberry and pepper plants (some puppy food too), the little pup we had first brought home in April (see: New Foster Puppy) was ready to go up for adoption. Her ears had, bit by bit, become upright and she had become a bundle of energy. No longer unsteady on her feet, she had a great time running around with the big dogs. It's really amazing what a huge difference a few weeks can make it the development of a young animal.

When we took her back to the Humane Society, we picked up a litter of 5 week old kittens. These little guys were right on the verge of becoming feral; hissing, growling and fleeing when approached. They had been taken from an agricultural area and smelled of manure. I can only guess the mother was a barn cat.

The kittens had a very severe Upper Respiratory Infection, causing their eyes and noses to be nearly sealed shut with gunk, constant sneezing and fatigue. On top of that, they were skin and bones, as many of the stray animals are. They had to be given oral medicine and eye drops, and that is not an easy thing to do with animals that are not used to people! Several days after the first course of antibiotics was finished, they became sick again and had to undergo another round. This occurred during the high point of the cat and kitten season, and medications were in short supply. It would have been ideal to do a longer course, or use another antibiotic, but we had to make do with the same treatment a second time. Thankfully all the kittens responded and seemed to bounce back.

After about four weeks, the kittens had become social enough and gained enough weight to go up for adoption. They had finished their meds and seemed okay. Several of the once fearful kittens had become very friendly, and all of them liked to pile up at my feet while I was working on the computer. Again, it is amazing how much can be changed in a few weeks!

**Two of the kittens were adopted by someone we know, and unfortunately, one has become sick again and must undergo yet another round of antibiotics. We 're not sure if it is a recurrence of the same illness, or if he picked up something new while at the shelter for his neuter and adoption. We are really hoping that this will clear up for him, and that all of the other kittens are staying healthy in their new homes. One of the hardest things about fostering for me is not knowing the outcome of the animals after they leave, in this case, knowing that the two are in good hands is wonderful!

Can't adopt a pet? Sponsor one!

Okay, I have so much to get caught up on, but I thought I would pass this info on. The last few times I have picked up a foster animal from the Humane Society they have not been able to provide me with food for the animals as they usually can. Unfortunately, if I have to buy food, I will not be able to foster nearly as many as I do because it can get quite expensive (especially feeding litters of puppies or kittens), and I am sure many other volunteers are in the same circumstances. Many shelters are having greater than usual animal turn in and lower than usual donations (financial as well as food and supplies) and adoptions due to the current economy. This means that there is a whole lot less to go around.

What I want to share is a way that people can sponsor an animal at the Humane Society (Arizona). They have just made it very easy to donate online and you can pick out a specific animal or just sponsor any animal and even write a little note if you would like. There are also many other ways to help or donate, and I encourage you to check out their website AZHumane.org to see what other possibilities there are. Even donating your old towels, pet food bowls, crates and many other items can help the shelters. If nothing else, a small bag of decent quality food (usually about a dollar or two a pound) can go a long way towards giving an animal the nutrition it needs. Call your shelter to find out what types of food they currently have a need for (puppy/kitten/adult/senior...).


About Pet Food:
While any brand of food donation is usually accepted, the better quality foods really are nutritionally much better and will give the animals a better chance of staying or becoming healthy. My personal favorites are Nutro and Blue Buffalo. If you are not sure about the nutritional quality of a food, look at the first few ingredients and the serving size. Meat and meat products should be first and, if possible, stay away from corn. The serving size of a better food will be smaller, sometimes by a lot, making it a better value than first thought.

Here are the first 3 ingredients of a very cheap dog food, (Ol' Roy): Ground Yellow Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Soybean Meal. Sounds Delicious and nutritious doesn't it? You feed a 51-100 pound dog 3.25 to 5.5 cups daily.
Here are the first three ingredients of Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice. The serving for a 51-100 pound dog is 2.75 to 4.25 cups (one of our dogs that is 55 pounds maintains weight well at 2 cups/day, the other is 70 pounds and he needs about 2.75 cups/day).

Which food would you rather eat? Which one likely has the nutrients needed by a carnivore? Or for healthy growth for young animals? You can see that you need to feed quite a bit more of the cheaper foods to meet an animal's nutritional needs. With nearly all pet foods, you do actually get what you pay for. Having said all that, there are many animals that do just fine on the lower quality foods. One of our dogs can eat just about anything without having any problems. The other has a very sensitive stomach and a poor diet causes a lot of digestive upset which is not pleasant for any of us. Gas, loose stools, and a "grainy" or "seedy" appearance to the stool can all be signs that the food may not be what the animal needs.
Also keep in mind that there are no rules that say you must pick one type of food to feed and stick with it. We usually mix two or three brands together. You can add a better food to a lesser to give it a little more value, or add the one with the taste that they prefer to the not so yummy, but better for them food. I always hear people say that their dogs or cats won't eat anything other that the one type that they have been feeding, but a pet that is not overfed will almost always eat whatever it can (dogs especially). It isn't in their nature to only eat one food. Also, don't rely on your pet to pick the one that tastes the best. A lot of foods have flavors added. That's like telling your kids that they can pick between carrots or potato chips. They're not going to choose based on their nutritional values, but on smell and taste. I know I would vote for the potato chips!

Our new foster puppy

Monday we picked up a new foster puppy from the Humane Society. She is about six weeks old and quite adorable (what puppy isn't?). We think she looks just like a little polar bear. She is still pretty unsteady on her legs, can't see very well yet, and sleeps a ton. She is a little thin, although her fuzzy fur hides the ribs, so we are working on getting her to eat solids. She would much rather suck and nibble on fingers.



Many people ask how we can possibly give the animals that we foster back so that they can be put up for adoption. Sometimes it is really difficult. Our first foster was probably the hardest to return. He was a very cool dog and we all became very attached to him, especially our young dog who was about the same age as Finn. We already had two dogs and two cats of our own, and we knew that we didn't have the space or time for another full-time addition. We also knew that if we did decide to adopt him, we would not be able to foster any more animals. On top of that, he needed a family of his own, a family where he would get the attention he deserved all of the time. Once you have gone through the process, the next time becomes a little easier. Our home always seems much quieter after we have returned a foster animal, but soon enough we have another to get to know and have fun with.