Pets – Page 11

June 19, 2013June 19, 2013

How to Prepare for a Summer Road Trip with Pets

Summer is all about having fun, right? But when you plan your summer road trip, there’s more to it than just packing up your stuff and driving away. Your pets need to be planned for as well! Make sure your pets are comfortable and taken care of for your vacation by following these tips for summer road trips!

Familiarize yourself with animal travel gear

If you’ve never traveled with your pet before, pay close attention to this tip. Having the right pet travel gear is a must for long trips! First step is to go and visit the local pet store to see what types of harnesses they have. Look for a dog harness with a handle on top, which makes it easier to walk with your dog as well as strap your animal in the car by running the seat belt strap through the harness handle. Just remember – a harness might be uncomfortable for your pet to wear for the first time, so make sure you give them lots of praise and treats!

Check your pet’s health prior to traveling

Before taking your pet on a long road trip, have them examined at the vet for any health conditions. You want to make sure that your pet is updated on all of their shots and vaccinations, especially if you’re traveling to an area that will have other animals your pet might be in contact with. Finally, stocking up on your dog’s medications is a great way to ensure you’ll be prepared throughout your travel, especially if the trip ends up lasting longer than anticipated.

Test your pet in the car

If your pet has never really traveled in the car for long periods of time, you want to test out their behavior over time. Practice by taking pretend road trips that are in short bouts of time, but are long enough to test your pet in the car. During these short trips, check your pet to see if they’re nervous or are drooling excessively or panting. If this is happening, you might want to consider treating your dog with anti-nausea medication for the real trip to prevent over-heating or discomfort.

Potty-train

If you’re bringing a very young animal on your trip, it might be more difficult simply due to potty-training. If your animal hasn’t yet learned to use the restroom on command, you might want to make this a priority before your road trip. While you might be able to pull over every hour to make sure your animal doesn’t go in the car, you’ll be more efficient and effective if you can hold off stopping that often and having inner peace knowing your dog can hold it for longer.

Toys

Lastly, don’t forget to bring the toys for your road trip! Toys will help keep your pet occupied and more comfortable on the long trip. They’ll also help to be distracting during any potentially stressful situations in the car.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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June 12, 2013July 25, 2013

Benefits of Adopting a Shelter Pet

Considering a new pet? Look no further than your local animal shelter. There are plenty of shelters with a great selection of animals, including cats, dogs, birds, and other small animals. In fact, the animal you’re considering buying from your local pet store or breeder is probably waiting to be adopted in a nearby shelter.

Why adopt a shelter pet

Between 6 and 8 million pets end up in shelters each year, half of which, will never be adopted. The saddest part is that most pets end up homeless for circumstances beyond their control. These animals fall victim to a death, illness, divorce or a move that doesn’t include them. By adopting a shelter pet you are saving a life. Your new pet will be extremely appreciative of the life you’re giving them. Plus, your adoption fee will benefit other animals at the shelter. This fee is used to support the shelter’s community and help care for other homeless animals.

Cost effective

Adopting a pet from a shelter is highly cost-effective. The cost of getting an animal from a pet store or breeder can be very high, which can make it extremely hard for the average family to afford the animal. That doesn’t even include the pets’ first round of shots and to be spayed or neutered. These expenses can cost well over $100 within the first year of having the pet. Most animal shelters include the cost of first shots and spaying/neutering in the adoption fee. Depending on the age of the pet, adoption fees can range from $50 to $250 dollars.

Semi-trained pet

The majority of shelter pets come semi-trained. All cats will come litter-trained and most dogs will come somewhat potty trained. However, when the pet first comes home expect some mistakes due to the stress of moving and adjusting to a new place. Contrarily, getting a pet from another owner does not always guarantee that your pet will be potty trained. This can led to clean up and frustration for you. Many shelters rescue wonderful pets that are trained and family ready.

Socialized animal

Animals that spend time in a shelter are often socialized. Because animals are taken out of their cages for playtime they become comfortable with both volunteers and other animals. This allows the animal to adjust to different types of people and animals. In most circumstances, the shelter can tell you if the pet you’re looking at is good with children and other pets. When you get a pet from a breeder, it usually has only been around a select few people and pets.

At Ketchum, we are passionate about adopting pets. Therefore, if you’re thinking about getting a pet for your family, please consider the benefits of adopting a shelter animal. While pet stores and breeders may seem like the more advantageous option, rescuing a pet can be equally rewarding and perhaps a better fit for your family.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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April 8, 2013June 12, 2013

It’s National Pets Are Wonderful Month!

April is officially Pets Are Wonderful Month (PAW), a time to honor the animals that bring love and happiness to our lives. There’s no question that our pets give us love and companionship daily, but they are also benefit our physical and mental health too.

Research has shown that pets can improve our cardiovascular health, reduce stress, decrease loneliness and depression, and facilitate social interactions among people who have pets. That’s why pets are so frequently used in nursing homes, for people with disabilities and children with autism. Here are five benefits of having a pet:

Good for the heart

In one study, people who never owned a cat were 40 percent more likely to die of a heart attack than those who did. Another study showed that people who owned dogs had a significantly better survival rate after one heart attack. In general, pet owners have a lower risk of dying from any cardiovascular disease than non-pet owners. Owning pets has also show to lower your blood pressure too.

Natural mood enhancers

Pets are natural mood enhancers; just a few minutes of watching your cat or dog play will instantly reduce your anxiety and stress levels. Therapists have even prescribed pets as a way of dealing with depression. Because no one loves you more unconditionally, or listens to you talk without interruption, than your pet. Having a pet can brighten even the worst of days!

Better physical fitness

While this one may be a given, people who have pets tend to be more physically active and less obese than those who don’t. And exercising with your pet will benefit both of you! Just two 15-minute walks a day will ensure you meet the minimum recommendations for physical activity. Plus, who makes a better exercise buddy than your four-legged friend?

Social interaction

Having an active social life is key to staying healthy. And pet owners have a tendency to interact with other pet owners. A dog is an instant conversation starter. Bring your furry friend to the local dog park and the social interaction will blossom.

Sense of security

Pets also provide us with a sense of security. Dogs in particular can alert us of potential hazards and intruders. They can also seek help in emergencies. For example, the “seizure dog” has been trained to live and work with people who have epilepsy. They bark to alert parents when a child is having a seizure. Some even lie next to a person having a seizure in order to prevent injury.

Here at Ketchum, we were thrilled to find out that April was National Pets Are Wonderful month. So, get out there and hug your furry friends today. We sure will!

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March 18, 2013

Happy Birthday Dad

Happy Birthday to our Dad Today. Although he’s no longer here to celebrate in person, he’s on our minds often and especially Today! In your honor Today, Dad, I’ll be enjoying a couple of your favorite chocolate chip cookies!

With five children in the house you can imagine how quickly a box of chocolate chip cookies can disappear. Every time I see a box of Freihofer Chocolate Chip cookies I smile and think of my Dad. He would “hide” his box of cookies in the same cupboard and even the dog knew the hiding spot. Our dog would be sound asleep in another room and would appear at my Dad’s feet waiting for her cookie as soon as he opened the cupboard! The rule was, we couldn’t have a cookie until the box was open. My Dad was a real joker and would sneak his hand in the side of the box without actually opening the box. The cookies would be half gone before we realized what was happening!

Our Dad, Jay, was the third generation to manage Ketchum. I think he may have been happier working on a farm. He loved being outdoors and enjoyed tinkering around the barn and working with the horses. He was my Grandfather’s only son and as these things sometimes go, sons are steered toward the family business.

Gary & I are lucky, we got to work with Dad for about 11 years before he became ill. We still feel his influence at Ketchum, customer service and our employees’ well being were important to him and I think that carries through with us Today. We strive to manufacture a quality product and maintain courteous customer relationships. Our employees are like family to us, most of them started working for my Father and some worked with my Grandfather. We sure do benefit from their knowledge and experience.

So in honor of our Dad’s Birthday, enjoy a chocolate chip cookie! I know I’m going to.

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February 19, 2013December 10, 2018

Colorful Nylon Kennel Tags

Which pets are on a special diet, who’s having surgery in the morning, what medication is required? Keeping track of the special needs of your guests can be a challenge, especially when they can’t answer your questions. Busy veterinary offices and boarding facilities have many pets in and out every day with several staff members caring for them. While having a chart or file on each pet is necessary for recording their care, a quick reference on the cage can be helpful.

The bright colors and durable nylon make our #421 cattle neck tags the perfect kennel tag. The nylon tags measure 3-1/2″ x 2-1/4″ with a 1″ hole and are available in Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Pink, Purple, Black and White. The tags are available with 1-3/8″ numbers if you just need to identify each cage or run.

We can engrave just about any information you may require. Of course, the number of characters will determine the size of the type. Some examples of kennel tags we’ve engraved are “Caution Aggressive”, “Under Vet Care”, “No Food or Water”. We did have fun with one of our customers, they wanted a tag that said “Dislikes Men”, we sent an extra tag engraved with “Loves Men!”

To quickly clip the tags to the kennel, we recommend our Bolt Snap or Trigger S naphooks. Either hook is attached to the tag with an 1-1/8″ key ring.

The durability of the nylon makes these tags the perfect reusable marking system. The 421 neck tag was originally developed for use on dairy cows. The tags withstand heat and cold, and do not chip or break when banged around and can be disinfected right along with the rest of the kennel.

Please contact us at [email protected] with your tagging requirements, we’ll be happy to work with you to get the best marking solution.

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