Animal Radio® Network Newsletter December 2008

In this issue:
- Tell your vet if your dog swallowed your stash...and other tips from Dr. Nancy Kay
- Creativity counts when naming your Pet – No more "Thors" please!
- Preview the holiday release "Marley & Me"
- The Prognosticating Camel NFL picks - don't foreclose!
- Can you really 'Stretch Your Dog Healthy?'
- Who's Your Daddy? Follow along as we DNA test the new studio stunt chihuahua.
- Holiday Puppies - Five tips to do it the right way

The Ten Commandments of Veterinary Office Visits by Nancy Kay, DVM How much easier it would be if vets had Dr. Doolittle’s ability to talk to the animals. When we took our pups in for a checkup, they could speak for themselves. Since that’s not the case, our dogs rely on us to act as their advocate in the exam room. Here are 10 tried-and-true secrets to making every visit to your dog’s veterinarian exceptional for you and the entire office staff. They also directly benefit your dog’s health – and nothing is more important than that! I. Thou shalt push they veterinarian off her pedestal. I’m referring to what is known as the “white coat intimidation factor” that gives the doctor an air of authority and superiority. When they are on a “pedestal,” two-way communication flounders. (I don’t think dogs are crazy about white coats either!) II. Thou shalt be present. Actually being there with your dog allows you to view x-rays and see how to administer medication. Don’t send your sister, mother or friend to take your pet to the vets. III. Thou shalt let the staff know if thy dog is aggressive. Don’t wait until your dog bites your vet and then state, “Oh yeah, the same thing happened to his last vet.” IV. Thou shalt provide information. The “history” of your dog’s health, past and present, is exceedingly important, more so than many people realize. Your vet will want to know if you’ve seen any changes in behavior, appetite, thirst or energy. V. Thou shalt confess everything. If you feed your dog table scraps – confess! If your dog fell out of the back of a pickup truck because he was not properly tethered – confess! And yes, even if your dog has just eaten a plate of marijuana-lade brownies – you must force yourself to rise above any embarrassment or awkwardness and be truthful with your veterinarian. VI. Thou shalt pause for confusion. If you don’t understand what your vet says, stop and get clarification. If you are a “visual learner,” ask your vet to draw a picture or show you what they are talking about on your dog’s x-rays, lab report or ultrasound images. VII. Thou shalt share they concerns. To help you, your vet needs you to tell them your particular worries and concerns. After all, most veterinarians do what they do because they appreciate how much dogs mean to their humans. Who better, then, to empathize with you? VIII. Thou shalt ask questions. Asking questions is the most resourceful way to be your dog’s medical advocate. It’s easy to forget the important questions you were meaning to ask your vet, so write them down beforehand. IX. Thou shalt treat the entire staff well. Don’t be sweet as can be with the vet and then be abrupt and condescending with their staff. Everyone deserves to be treated with equal respect, and, without a doubt, the entire staff will know! Likewise, a client who has been respectful and gracious will have the “red carpet” rolled out the next time he visits. X. Thou shalt always come away with a plan. What do I mean by this? Simple: every time you talk with your veterinarian, be sure you know exactly when and how you will next communicate. For example, if you dog is just getting his shots and everything else is okay, you know you will need to see the vet again in a year. But if your dog has been evaluated for coughing and prescribed an antibiotic and cough suppressant, the “plan” is to call the vet in one week to report whether or not the cough has fully resolved. If not, chest x-rays and a blood test will be scheduled. Adapted from Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life by Nancy Kay, DVM. Listen to Dr. Kay on Animal Radio®

On Animal Radio® this month BEN VEREEN talks about his research for his recent role which took him into the world of the homeless pets and people. He says that he takes his dog with him everywhere, in his pocket! PRINCESSTHE PROGNOSTICATING CAMEL had a perfect record predicting the winners of Sunday National Football League, that is...until recently. TV Court JUDGE DAVID YOUNG and JUDGE JEANINE PIRRO talk about animals being treated as property in the judicial system. RAQUEL WYNN says you can 'Stretch Your Pet Healthy!' Also Tamer Elsafy, Robin Ray, Dena Lamkin, Dr. Nancy Kay and Betty White. You're invited to the party! Here's how to listen: -XM SATELLITE RADIO ch. 158 Saturdays at Noon eastern - and again on Sundays at 9am eastern. -On any of the 90+ AM-FM RADIO STATIONS including KOST 103.5 Los Angeles. A list of stations and air-times are at http://AnimalRadio.com. -Download the weekly two-hour PODCAST from iTunes or AnimalRadio.com Listen to Animal Radio®

Animal Radio® has your Advance Screening Passes to MARLEY & ME Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston bring the best-sellng book to life....and we're celebrating all month long with Advance Screening Passes to see the 'soon-to-be' Holiday Blockbuster. This Christmas Heel the Love, Marley and Me in theaters December 25th Win tix by listening to Animal Radio®. Watch trailer of Marley and Me

Ben Vereen – Accidental Friendship Ben Vereen joined the cast of Hallmark feature “An Accidental Friendship,” which is the true-story of a woman (played by Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”) living on the streets of Los Angeles after losing her home and job, but whose life was given some meaning thanks to the dogs she cared for and protected at all costs, even if it meant forgoing necessities for herself. While hard economic times are forcing some people to give up their pets, others will not. Ben states that he did research in a homeless camp for his role, and he saw that some homeless people will forego food themselves so that they can feed their animals. Their animal is the last thing that they have that can’t be taken away from them, and that animal is their family. Most of the homeless he found with animals were living on the streets. The ones who were staying in shelters were without animals, because most shelters won’t allow pets. Ben has a Miniature Pinscher named Satchmo. He named him Satchmo, because he was born on the same day as Louis Armstrong. Ben finds himself actually cooking gourmet food for his dog, whom he refers to as his child. Right now he only has time for Satchmo, but states that if he had more time, he would have many more animals. Satchmo always goes with Ben to the set, hotels and everywhere else he goes. He even said he puts Satchmo in his pocket when he goes through security. In fact, Ben states that even today there are some hotels he won’t stay at, just because they won’t allow pets. Ben was diagnosed with diabetes last Christmas and is currently working on a campaign called “Take the Stage for Diabetes.” Listen to Ben Vereen on Animal Radio®

Current Headlines from the Animal Radio® Newsroom *China Admits it Used Melamine in Pet Food *4 tips to keep your pet out of the Vet's ER this holiday season *Pet owners giving up animals at record rate *Woman attacked by pet-deer *Humane Society accuses pet stores of selling dogs from puppy mills *Puppies stolen from Fremont pet store *Group urges students to make considerations before owning pets *NY pet cemetery ranked with Taj Mahal, pyramids *What's up pussycat? Pet returns after 13 years *Fifth graders address the plight of unwanted pets *Turning Pets into Presents Get the latest headline updated hourly. You can even get them delivered to your e-mailbox when news breaks! See the Latest News Stories Now

Naming Your Pet Vinnie Penn, Animal Radio's Resident Party Animal Today, a very important topic – naming your pet. Now I’m an Italian, I don’t know if you can ascertain that from the “Vinnie” thing, and Penn is an abbreviation of a very long Italian name that I can’t get into here. But when it comes to Italians, Italians have a very interesting way of nicknaming people, which you can find all of this out in my new book (I don’t mean to plug it here - but I do have a book out called “Guido’s Credos” available at book stores every – I hope you’ll check that out and check me out at www.VinniePenn.net). But, I do have a chapter in there dedicated to how Italians come up with nicknames. If you’re obese, your nickname is Tiny - that might be standard ethnicity not withstanding. Interestingly enough though, if your name is Frank, your nickname might just be “Fat Frank.” It really depends on your name before we go with the nickname. But there’s something about doing the complete opposite. If you’re 6 foot 7, your name is “Shorty,” unless your name is Tom, in which case you’re “Tall Tom,” really creative we Italians. But nonetheless, it does kind of extend itself to the pet. If I meet one more ridiculously tiny sweater wearing dog whose name is “Thor,” I’m going to lose my mind! Thor is reserved for Rottweilers, Labs, and even then, it’s kind of done to death. It’s kind of the “Jason” in the human world or the Luke. We have enough babies and dogs with the same name. If your pet is 3 pounds or so, and it sleeps in a hearth at the foot of your bed and you take him or her out in your pocket book, here are some of the names you cannot name that tiny pet: Thor as I said, Bear, King, Hulk, Orca – choose a name that fits. At the same time, don’t acknowledge the stature at all. “Teensy-Weensy” is just as annoying, and we all know to steer clear of the human names. Naming your dog or your cat is the most important thing you will ever do. They are going to respond to this name. You might want to make it a little unique, but steer clear of human names, names that have anything to do with their stature. If it’s a white dog, it doesn’t need to be named “Whitie.” If it’s a black dog, it doesn’t need to be named “Blackie.” Come up with something clever! Your favorite ice cream flavor, you know, here’s “Rocky Road.” What’s wrong with that? Your favorite musician. But, a lot of people do that “Marley” thing, that’s kind of annoying in and of itself! All I’m saying is be creative, pay homage to something that has affected you profoundly in your life and don’t be so obvious! Stop the Thors, and as a matter of fact, I want to see if Animal Radio® is going to get behind making T-Shirts that has the name Thor in a circle with a slash through it. No more Thors! Listen to Vinnie Penn on Animal Radio®

Princess the Prognosticating Camel If you recall, we recently had Princess the Prognosticating Camel as a guest on Animal Radio®. Princess, the Associated Humane Societies/Popcorn Park Zoo’s camel, made national headlines last year with her uncanny ability to predict the winners of Sunday National Football League season and post-season games is at it again this year. This is Princess’s third season of picking the winners. And anyone who’s followed this camel’s choices knows she’s got it all over the bookmakers. In fact, until recently she was 10 and 0, but unfortunately recently had her first loss. To make her choices, John Bergmann, Princess’s caregive, writes on his hands the names of two teams playing that weekend. Princess, whose favorite snack at game time or anytime is graham crackers, makes her game choice by eating the sweet treat from the hand that has the name of her favorite team written on it. Bergmann then announces Princess’s pick on the Associated Humane Societies/Popcorn Park Zoo website, www.ahscares.org, a few days before the game and also keeps a running tally of her wins and losses. When Princess is not working her football magic, she is enjoying zoo visitors, along with the hundreds of other animals who call Popcorn Park Zoo “home.” Popcorn Park Zoo was established in 1977 for the sole purpose of providing a refuge for wildlife, exotic and domestic animals that are sick, elderly, abandoned, abused, or injured. The federally licensed zoo houses more than 200 of these animals and birds in spacious surroundings on seven acres in the heart of the scenic Pine Barrens. Listen to John Bergmann on Animal Radio®

Emma, The Chihuahua With The Cleft Palate Dena Lamkin rescued a beautiful newborn orphan Chihuahua puppy born with severe facial deformities. Baby Emma came to her when she was 20 hours old. Emma was born with a cleft palate, cleft lip and severe facial deformities. Her owners just didn't know how to care for her, so they placed an ad on craigslist.com to find someone who would be willing to take her in. Emma was unable to nurse from her mama due to her deformities - so she needed (and still needs) 24 hour 'round the clock care in order to survive. Emma is fed with a tube that goes into her mouth and down into her tummy.... this gives her all the nutrients that she needs to thrive and grow into a strong healthy girl! The birth defects keep Emma from being able to take in nutrients and breathe properly... so without the tube feeding, she would not be able to live. Emma has been in surgery 4 times already! All within her first 7 days of life! Unfortunately all efforts were in vein - and the surgical repairs were not enough to repair the defects of Emma's palate and lip. Emma has a long road ahead with further surgery and lots of growing to do, and a local veterinary hospital is willing to donate part of Emma's treatment and surgery expenses. But Emma still needs your help!! While some people have criticized Dena for spending money to sage this one puppy, others have applauded her efforts. Emma's past, present and future expenses are into the thousands. A fundraiser has been scheduled and the goal is to reach $3,301.00. To find out how you can help Emma, please visit: http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2008-09-10.7984636631 To see an amazing video of Emma, please visit: http://www.dogster.com/video/658660/baby_emma_welcome_home Listen to Dena Lamkin on Animal Radio®

Stretch Your Dog Healthy by Raquel Wynn Just like people, dogs experience muscle pain, stress and general body breakdown; unlike people, they don’t have yoga, Pilates, tai chi and medication to help them recover from injuries. When Raquel Wynn first told people she was interested in writing a book on stretching your dog, they asked her if she was serious! She even stretches her dog on a regular basis. Raquel Wynn is a personal trainer, does massage therapy and studies holistic health. In her book, Stretch Your Dog Healthy, Raquel has many different types of stretches and includes pictures so you can see how they are properly done. And while you may set out with a plan in mind, your dog may have other ideas and help you guide you to what they would like to do. She states that about 99% of the dogs like to be stretched. Stretching your dog on a regular basis can keep them healthy for a long and happy life! You can even find some videos on her website www.raquelwynn.com. Grab your pet and stretch along with us! Listen to Raquel Wynn on Animal Radio®

Who's Your Daddy? Robin Ray, Canine Heritage Breed Test If you are a regular listener to Animal Radio®, then you know about our studio Chihuahua, Ladybug. But as Ladybug gets bigger, we are not sure she is a full-blooded Chihuahua. She has some physical traits that are not Chihuahua-like, but what is she? We decided to get in touch with Robyn Ray at Canine Heritage Breed Test. She mentions that there are over 1,100 breeds of dogs, and they test the most popular 112 breeds of the United States, and are adding more breeds all of the time. She said a lot of the times what we think our mixed breed dogs are (usually from their physical appearance) isn’t necessarily what they are. While we personally want to know what mixed breeds are involved with Ladybug, there are actual benefits to the test as well: Benefits • Helps You Understand Behavior and Personality • Provides a Pathway to Infer Potential Health Risks • Helps You and Your Vet customize Medical, Diet and Exercise Programs • Can Help You Improve the Health and Wellness Management of Your Pet Product Details The Canine Heritage™ testing kit comes with everything you need, including the following: • One K9CheekSwab DNA Collection Brush • Sample Submission Form • Customer Reference Sheet • Easy-to-Follow DNA Sample Collection Instructions • Pre-Paid Return Mailer We have a poll going on in the studio with everyone guessing what Ladybug’s genetic makeup is. While everyone agrees there is Chihuahua in the mix, other guesses have been everything from Miniature Pinscher to Rat Terrier. We have submitted a cheek swab from Ladybug; so stay tuned over the next several weeks to see what Ladybug truly is, and if you have any doubts about what the make-up of your dog is, give this a try! And, with every test result, you get a framable DNA analysis, which can include a picture of your pet. Call 1-800 DNA Dog or visit http://www.canineheritage.com. Listen to Robin Ray on Animal Radio®

VPI – Top 10 Pet Wounds Lacerations and bite wounds topped Veterinary Pet Insurance’s list of most common pet wounds in 2007. The 11,000 insurance claims were the result of dogs or cats fighting with other dogs or cats, or clashes with wild animals. The Top 10 is as follows: 1. Laceration and bite wound 2. Torn nail 3. Insect bite and sting 4. Abrasion 5. Eye trauma 6. Puncture 7. Foreign object in skin 8. Foreign object in ear 9. Foreign object in foot 10. Snakebite Listen to the Top 10 Pet Wounds on Animal Radio®

Pups Arrives at the Animal Radio® Studios Pups The Traveling Labrador has arrived at the Animal Radio Studios. Pups is world traveler, and even though he recently arrived from Texas, he has been all over including Japan, London and Ireland. We have some big plans for Pups and he will get his first taste of wine tasting in Central California. Pups toured the Central Coast of California with the hosts of Animal Radio®, Hal and Judy. He visited the beaches and also did some wine-tasting. Pups really enjoyed his first wine-tasting experience at the Tobin James Winery and was a bit hit! But don't worry, he didn't drink too much and he had a designated driver. We even managed to get him in the studio, but he was a little shy behind the mic. Pups started his journey about 4 years ago, after Paula Kidney, Pups owner, came up with the idea when she purchased Pups at a small boutique. “Pups was just so adorable and I have never seen a Labrador this cute.” So she decided that Pups should travel the world and let people see adventures through Pups eyes! Pups started out his journey to New York, Ireland, Florida, Disney World, Jamaica, Carnival Cruises, Cozumel, Antigua, Barbados, Canada, Australia, Germany, Wisconsin, Iowa, Dominica, Ohio, Japan, Switzerland, Kansas, Atlantic City, Seattle, Harvard Law School, North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Boston, Colorado, Too many places to list them all!! Each person that takes Pups usually has him about a week. That person takes Pups around their State or City to famous places and Pups poses for pictures and tells his little story of his adventure through his website. Pups has a manuscript right now and is in the process of his own book called "Pups the Traveling Labrador". Pups has grown so much that he has a whole schedule of places to visit and will be booked for the next months with all of his travels. Everywhere people take Pups, people want to know what is going on and they really get into taking pups and posing in the pictures!! http://www.pupsthetravelinglabrador.org Listen to Animal Radio®

Holiday Puppies: The Three Angels By DogTime.com In one memorable summer for Samoyed Rescue of Minnesota, three dogs arrived, one after the other. All 18 months old, the white fluffy dogs were typical mischievous adolescents--if a little unrulier than most. "None of the dogs had been to obedience class," says Julie Dunkle of Seattle, one of the rescue group's founders. "None of the owners had studied the breed before buying the puppies, which would have clued them in that a Samoyed wasn't a good choice for their families, or at least explained why the dog was behaving the way she did and what to do about it." The kicker: All were named Angel, and all had started life as Christmas gifts for the kids. Reality sets in Although the three Angels found a happy ending--they were all in good homes by the end of September--they were part of a phenomenon that drives rescue groups, shelters, and trainers crazy: the Christmas puppy. Parents envision a cute stubby-legged puppy under the tree and a Christmas morning their kids won't ever forget. But fast-forward that tender scene two or three months, and the picture perfect moment often fades to a shot of chewed up shoes and splotchy carpets, edged by deep regret. That's when dog trainer Nicole Wilde's phone starts ringing. "When the puppy's three or four months old, she's jumping up, nipping the kids, soiling in the house, and keeping the parents up at night," says Wilde, author and owner of Gentle Guidance for Dogs in Santa Clarita, California. The key to making a Christmas puppy a successful gift is to do your research ahead of time. Following please find 5 essential steps to improve the odds of a happy homecoming! 1. Don't ever give a puppy as a surprise--unless you're prepared to be the primary caretaker. Yes, dogs give lots of love, but they also take lots of time, attention, and care. Shelters and rescue groups know this, and many of them refuse to adopt out animals as surprise gifts. "With any gift, it's a crapshoot if it's something the person really wants," says Kim Durney, director for San Francisco's Grateful Dogs Rescue. "If it's a sweater, you just return it to the store. But if it's a puppy, it goes to the shelter." 2. Be aware that good breeders don't sell puppies as Christmas gifts. This means that many of the puppies bought as holiday gifts come from pet stores or were ordered online--and before that, from puppy mills. (See our Consumer Alert: Christmas puppies.) 3. Consider the craziness of the season. The holidays can be a great time to get a new puppy, or just about the worst. Can you give your pup the attention and supervision he'll need--which is a lot--when you're hosting three dinner parties and scores of relatives? Do you really want to be taking your puppy out for hourly housetraining bathroom breaks when it's five degrees outside? 4. If you need more time to make the right choice, take it. You may not find the perfect dog by December 25. Instead of making one of those feverish December 24th purchases you're likely to regret, give the kids a stuffed animal dog and a card that says, "We're getting a dog!" Then take your time finding the right pup. 5. Adopt a rescue or shelter dog. Shelters are notoriously overcrowded this time of year and some of them offer gift certificates that cover the adoption fee. "The gift certificate and some dog supplies make a great present," says Jan McHugh Smith, of the San Francisco SPCA. "Then the person can come down to the shelter and find the animal they really bond with." RACE TO THE RESCUES: Did you know that Dogtime has its own Animal Radio® show hosted by Leslie Smith? 'Race to the Rescues' highlights a new rescue every month. This month, it's Tony La Russa's operation. Click the link below to listen. Dogtime at Animal Radio® with Race to the Rescues - Listen Now!!

If you're looking for some great gift ideas for your pets and pet-loving friends - head on over to http://AnimalRadio.com

...but remember, the BEST GIFT you can give your pet is YOU. Give 'em some time and attention - and let them know how important they are!

Thanks for being a part of the Animal Radio® phenomenon!! From all of us at Animal Radio® - have a safe and happy holiday! We'll see ya next year!

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