Chemically treated lawns and plants are the most toxic in the first hours of their application. It is best to keep your pets away from treated areas until the chemicals have had a chance to dry. Some chemical treatment companies will tell you it’s safe after 1 hour, but we recommend erring on the side of caution and waiting a longer period of time. Studies have shown that exposure to certain pesticides and herbicides for a year or more can significantly increase your pet’s chance of bladder cancer or lymphoma. If you are aiming for a green lawn, try less dangerous methods, such as using natural products like Dogonit or GWhiz. They help keep lawns green but keep pets safe too. Check out www.ecosmart.com and www.saferbrand.com for herb/plant-based ingredients that keep weeds and pests away without endangering your family.

Fertilizers can be dangerous too. For example, organic fertilizers are comprised of blood meal, fishmeal and bone meal. Those items seem like a tasty snack for dogs and cats, but they can cause harmful side effects even in small amounts, such as vomiting, bloating, dehydration and gastrointestinal blockage. Look for vegetable-based fertilizers that use cornmeal and alfalfa as safe alternatives.

Insects can be a big problem for pets and humans alike, but eliminating them may present even more dangers if you are not careful. Be sure to read all labels before applying any repellents to you, your family and pets. Some repellents are extremely toxic and can cause multiple problems. Seek out all natural herbal formulas or citronella-based candles. Research plants that provide natural insect barriers such as Catnip, Rosemary, Citronella grass, Vetiver grass and even garlic!

Plants such as Rhododendron, tulips, fruit trees, the leaves from an apple tree can cause severe reactions in pets from increased heart rate to convulsions. It’s best to swap dangerous plants for less threatening ones. For a complete list of safe vs. hazardous plants, visit www.aspca.org

Predatory animals such as hawks and coyotes are a potential danger to cats and small dogs. If you live in an area in where these animals coexist, it is best to supervise all outdoor activity so you can ward off any predators with your presence. Natural repellents have limited success and nothing replaces a watchful eye.

If you’d like to share a pet safety related story or tip, please send us a note at ferrets@marshallpet.com and we may publish it! Have a safe and happy summer!

Keeping a ferret’s coat shiny and smooth is relatively simple since ferrets naturally have an oily coat. The key is to not over cleanse your ferret – that could lead to dryness, itching and a dull coat. Realistically, ferrets only need shampooing once a month. Over-bathing strips the coat of essential oils and can actually cause a ferret’s musky odor to increase! Brushing your ferret’s coat is important, not only because it makes the coat brilliant and glossy, but it also aids in the prevention of hairballs by removing loose fur. This is especially important during shedding season. Ferrets do not cough up hairballs like cats and they are prone to getting hairballs; so always keep some Lax  on hand to help those hairballs move through their system smoothly.

Baby ferrets and adults ferrets need to be taught what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. Kits will go through a terrible twos stage at seven to twelve weeks.

Here are some helpful suggestions on nip training:

1. Pick the ferret up gently but firmly by the scruff, in a firm voice say “No Bite!” each time the ferret tries to nip.

2. Don’t play roughly with your ferret. They will play roughly back to you.

3. Cuddle your ferret and talk constantly in a gentle, soothing voice.

4. Never play using your hands. Always use a toy.

5. Pull your ferret by the scruff across the floor for a short distance. While making hissing sound. Ferrets do this to each other to show dominance. You are showing you are the dominant one.

6. Handle your ferret and interact with him as often as possible. Ferrets that nip need more attention, not less.

7. Put your kit/adult into a carrier for a few minutes after bad behavior occurs. This serves as a “time out”. Do not use their regular cage for this purpose.

8. Never reward the ferret by putting him down if your ferret does bite you. This teaches then that biting is the proper way to be let down.

9. Redirection works well for unwanted behaviors.

10. Praise your ferret when it plays nicely. Have a reward system, when you see your ferret doing something you like, give your little one a Bandits Ferret treat or Furo Tone.

11. If you have a biter that doesn’t let go, run some cold water over ferret in the sink, so ferret will release.

12. Let your ferret play for a while and run off the excess energy, before interacting with your ferret. The key here is to be patient and consistent in your training.

The goal is to turn negative behavior into a positive one.

180XT Stain, Odor & Pheromone Remover

If success was measured in stain and odor removal, then the Global Pet Expo was a tremendous success! 180XT, our newest solution in the Earth’s Balance line, held attendee’s interest and won the BlogPaws Best Cleaning Product Award as we confidently removed wine and coffee stains from white Berber carpeting, but the best news is that 180XT extracts pheromones, the exact thing that attracts cats and dogs to the same place to relieve themselves. 180XT can break those bad, stinky habits for good!

The Pop-n-Play Ball Pit for ferrets captured the hearts of many and, if we’re lucky, we may even see it on Martha Stewart’s show! All of our ferret lovers were happy to hear that Super Chews made a comeback and have been busily placing orders to stock up on those tasty ferret chews. Our Pirate hat was a winner as well and those who love the pirate ship can now have a cool companion piece.

We were also proud to offer US grown Timothy hay – apparently some of our competitors can’t seem to find a good source, but we have an excellent one right here on domestic soil! There was good news for cat lovers too in the form of Good Mews, a 100% recycled paper pellet litter that holds its shape even when wet and doesn’t track litter everywhere.

For Dog lovers, we introduced G-Whiz soft chews, a revolutionary way to fight lawn yellowing with a DL-Methionine-Free natural chew. Of course, there was something for everyone and for Glen and Karen Wentworth, a brand new iPad2! Check out some of our global photos here.

For a full list of uses of these great products, as well as the other products that Earth’s Balance offers, please visit www.earthsbalance.com.

Wrapped presents look beautiful under the tree, but they create some safety hazards. Make sure that the ribbons are secure and that they don’t have wire in them. Consider what’s inside the box as well, animals have a keen sense of smell and can locate those nicely wrapped goodies quickly. The sweet treats you and I love, such as chocolate, can be dangerous and even fatal to our pets. It’s best to keep these morsels in a safe place away from curious beings.

Electric cords are in abundance at this time of year too, so be sure to safeguard them as well as your pets, by using a protective cord cover such as the critter cord. Even items that don’t seem harmful, such as candles, could be dangerous if ingested. Plants such as Poinsettias, can also pose a threat to your pets. Certain flowers and plants cause toxic reactions in cats and other small pets. Very small amounts, if ingested, have been known to cause acute kidney failure.

For a complete listing of harmful plants visit humanesociety.org As always, if you are unsure if your pet has swallowed something harmful or their behavior has changed in some way, i.e. lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, etc. consult your veterinarian immediately for a thorough examination.

If you’d like to share a pet safety related story or tip, please send us a note at ferrets@marshallpet.com and we may publish it!
Have a safe and happy holiday!

Wordless Wednesday - Friends

Be prepared in case your pet gets sprayed.

Like a good scout you should always have some handy items in your tool kit. Pet ownership is no different, especially when you have a curious canine. Some dogs are so good at finding trouble that it seems like that’s their only job. With a little planning and preparation, you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way. For example your dog may have a penchant for rolling around in muddy water or worse, maybe he gets too close to the neighborhood skunk. Perhaps your dog is a bit of a show-off and gets into a scuffle with another four-legged friend. Whatever the issue, there are some natural solutions that can make your life easier:
EB Wet Dog: Just as the name implies, it takes away that familiar wet dog smell. Spray and saturate coat – no need to rinse.
EB Skunk Free: Perfect for getting rid of skunk spray on your dog. Just spray and leave on and the smell dissipates immediately.
EB Canine Solution: Excellent for cuts, wounds, hot spots, skin irritation. Spray on affected area to clean and help heal.
Don’t forget other important items for your pet’s tool kit as well, such as gauze strips, medical tape, cotton balls, fresh water, and treats. When you’re prepared, you can enjoy all of your outings with your pet.

Anthony Rossano and Joe Panzella from Rescue Ink

Blog Paws, which was founded in 2010, had its first pet blogging conference in Columbus, OH the first one designed around pet bloggers. This year Manny, Marcuz, and I were able to attend Blog Paws 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel in Tyson’s Corner, VA along with over 700 other pet bloggers, pet businesses, and pet lovers.

The Sheraton was an awesome place for this event. The staff went out of their way for those of us lucky enough to attend with our pets. From having pictured maps near the doors where a pet owner could take their pet to relieve themselves to setting up an area where our pets could be with us during meals. When something came up there was no fuss and it was taken care of including the preparations for Hurricane Irene’s pending arrival. You would have never known there was anything causing a problem for the hotel.

Blog Paws 2011 was informational; from how two guys, Anthony Rossano and Joe Panzella, started Rescue Ink and what their view on animal rescue is, to how to use the different social media sites, apps, and tools available to both individuals and businesses alike. It was also a treat to be the first place that Disney had its first press release of their newest buddies movie, “Spooky Buddies,” coming out on DVD September 20th 2011. Talking with the director Robert Vince was both fun and educational. Meeting B-Dawg in the fur and getting our picture taken together was also a lot of fun.

My favorite aspect of blog paws was being able to talk to people about Manny and Marcuz, and how ferrets are becoming a growing part of the pet community. It is through these informal chats that I have been able to talk to people like Andrea Arden from Animal Planet and others like her. Manny and Marcuz had a lot of pictures taken of them and many were to posted to different people’s Facebook pages including P.A.L.S for life where they received over 200 comments within one hour of Manny’s picture being posted.

When asked what the attendee’s favorite thing was about Blog Paws 2011, the answer was, “ferrets”. That is the best reason for me and we have already booked our place for Blog Paws 2012 in Salt Lake City.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

You can read more of AmyJo’s posts on her blog.