It's a New Year's tradition around my home, one that has outlived two generations of pets but still works to help ensure the safety of the animals I live with now.
No, not resolutions, although I make those, too vowing, among other things, to exercise the dogs more, take more time for their training and do more for animals who are not as lucky as mine are.
The tradition I'm talking about is far easier to accomplish. I call the pets over and check their necks.
I always do my "neck checks" around the first of the year. It's easy to remember that way, especially for me, a person who has a hard time remembering much of anything when it comes to appointments: heartworm and flea medications on the first of the month, neck checks the first of the year, annual exams on each pet's birthday. Any variation and I'm hopelessly lost.
The neck check is easy, taking a few minutes to check for wear and fit on the collars, and legibility on the tags.
Consider the collar first. A properly fitted collar is important, but so is the right type. For dogs, a buckled or snap-together collar made of leather or nylon webbing is the best choice, and the proper fit is comfortably close, but not too snug. Make sure your dog's not wearing a "choke" or prong collar for everyday wear. These are for training and walking only, and pose a potentially deadly hazard if left on an unsupervised dog.
Cat collars aren't widely accepted because some people fear the collars will get caught on branches and trap the cat. Other people argue that their cat stays indoors and so never needs a collar. If you're sure your cat will never, ever get out, then fine, no collar is necessary. But if your pet has ever slipped out, or might, you ought to reconsider a collar and tag. As for cats being caught by their collars, this is resolved by the simple piece of elastic in most cat collars that enables the pet to slip free of the collar in a pinch.
If you have the right kind of collar on your pet, look at the holes and the fasteners. The collar is weakest at these spots, so if you see signs of excessive wear or strain, you'll need to replace the collar soon.
As for those tags, they need checking, too. A license is great, but since many lost pets are picked up by people in the neighborhood, it's a good idea to supplement the license with an ID tag that has a couple of phone numbers -- yours and the number of a friend or relative. Check to make sure the information is current and legible, and if not, order a new tag. I never put the pet's name or my address on the tags. Instead, my pets' tags say "REWARD!" with a collection of phone numbers. I want to get the point
across that I want my pets back quickly.
On my pets I also have the tags of a pet-retrieval service called 1-800-HELP-4-PETS. The service is available 24 hours a day, and can also authorize veterinary care with your credit card if your pet is injured and you cannot be found. The service is $25 per year (www.help4pets.com.).
Don't delay in fixing any problems you find with your pet's neck check. Problems with collars and tags are easy to fix, and these items are the cheapest insurance you can buy against loss or accidents.
PETS ON THE WEB
Lost and Founds Pets USA (www.lostandfoundpet.com) doesn't offer anything fancy, just a simple form to enter information and a simple search tool to look for lost or found pets. The information is divided by state and then by city, so if you're not in a metropolitan area this free service may not be much use to you. But it never hurts to add just one more tool to the mix if you've lost a pet, along with posting fliers, checking shelters and veterinary hospitals and placing classified ads in local newspapers.
THE SCOOP
A microchip is another form of identification well worth adding to the collar and tags for dogs and cats, or as a stand-alone ID for birds. The tiny transponder, about the size of a grain of rice, is inserted by a veterinarian over the shoulder blades of dogs and cats (or into the breast tissue of birds) and serves as a permanent identification that cannot be slipped off or removed.
If you have a microchip implanted in your pet, it's not possible to check for the chip as part of your New Year's neck check. But do make a mental note to ask your veterinarian to scan for it on your next visit. Most veterinarians have hand-held devices that can detect the presence of a chip, and can determine if it has stayed in a spot where it can be found by shelter workers, should your pet ever be lost or stolen.
QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK
Q: A while back you asked for ideas on making housekeeping easier. I have put together a doggie potty that enables my older dog to relieve herself indoors. In short, it is a shower pan, lined with a grid mat and placed over a cistern. Initially I trained her to "go" upon request. Then it was just a matter of introducing this convenient place to go as the designated spot. A friend has a purse-sized dog, and she trained it to go in the shower (no water running) lined with a mesh-like grid.
People might think it's unhygienic, but this method could enable a senior in a high-rise building to not have to go out after dark. –- R.L., via e-mail
A: Small dogs have been using indoor potties for years, and as long as you clean up thoroughly afterward (don't forget the disinfectant!), I don't see a problem. Your solution is probably more hygienic than putting newspapers down on the floor, after all.
Indoor bathrooms for dogs have really gained ground in recent years. While the volume of waste produced keeps indoor facilities from being a viable option for large dogs, little dogs can use space indoors with few problems.
I received another letter from a reader who sets up a small plastic wading pool for her small dog to use. In the middle, she has anchored a small upright cat scratching post for her male dog to lift his leg on, thereby keeping him from the sides of the pool, where he might squirt urine over the side. She lines the pool with plastic and fills it with a shallow layer of cat-box filler. It's an ingenious solution, albeit one that requires more room than many people care to give up.
You don't have to make your own canine potty, though, because there are commercial alternatives, most notably one from pet-industry giant Purina. The so-called "secondnature" system includes a litter tray and paper-based filler designed to be acceptable to dogs. You can find out more about it at www.doglitter.com, or by calling (800) 778-7462 during normal business hours, central time. The Web site, not surprisingly, pushes the Purina product, but does include tips that should help with training no matter which kind of indoor potty you have.
Q: I read your column regarding cat fencing, and I wanted to let you know that I just completed my yard with a cat fencing I purchased in a kit. You can see this product at www.catfencein.com. It comes with complete instructions and all material needed.
Cat fencing is not so simple. There must not be any gaps or openings, and I cannot imagine anyone attempting to do this without a kit and instructions. Around gates is especially tricky.
I lost a cat last summer, and it devastated me so badly that I had to find a way to let my cats outside, but not out of the yard. Now the only thing to worry about is the bottom portion of the fence, i.e., broken or missing boards. I walk my yard frequently to check for broken boards. -- D.E., via e-mail
A: Thanks for your letter. I've mentioned Cat Fence-In before, and agree that for many people a kit is a better option. The company can also be reached by phone toll-free at (888) 738-9099. Do-it-yourself or kit, cat fencing is a great idea, keeping your cats from being neighborhood nuisances while protecting them from most of the dangers or roaming free.
Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.
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