What's New @ Animal Designs September 2003
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1. What's New
2. Pet Journals
3. Featured Item
4. Flea and Tick Facts
5. Drawing and Fun Stuff
6. Comments-Questions-Suggestions

1) WHAT'S NEW
Have an idea to share or a "pet peeve"? Stop by the Animal Designs
message boards. Here you can discuss your pet related questions,
comments and/or suggestions. We encourage everyone to participate and
ask that you keep it informative and follow the usual guidelines.
Check it out at:
http://www.animaldesigns.com/animaldesigns/wwwboard.shtml

2) PET JOURNALS
I received the call last Monday morning from the Chief of
Police. "Donna we have a missing person. He has been missing for four
days. He is a 48 year old man with disabilities and very high blood
pressure. The temperature had been hanging in the 104 range with very
high humidity, making it seem around 111 degrees. Knowing our search
dogs couldn't search in this extreme weather, I arranged to meet the
police at 7:30 Monday evening.
I arrived on scene with four search dogs and handlers. I sent one
team to a cemetery where our missing man liked to ride his bike. I
received a pillow case from the missing man's bed and started another
team with a year old Bloodhound at the end of the missing man's
driveway. The Bloodhound picked up the scent and was on his way down
the street. He made a left hand turn at the intersection and headed
straight for the cemetery where the missing man liked to ride his
bike. Both teams headed for a very dense section of woods behind the
cemetery and entered the woods. Five minutes after entering the
woods, I received a radio call from Team Angel that they had found
the missing man. He was very dehydrated and close to death but alive.
The search had been going on for four days with hundreds of police
and volunteers, and yet, our dogs found him in 40 minutes. Thanks to
Team Angel and Team Gunner, the man is home today safe and sound.
www.petwarmers.com
We all have stories that we like to tell our friends about our pets,
so send us your favorite "tail", and we will select one each month to
feature in our newsletter.

3) FEATURED ITEM
Want a great way to store all those plastic bags you get from
shopping? A plastic bag holder will do the trick. It is a generously
sized cotton bag that can be tied up anywhere. It is washable, 18"
long and 9" wide, with elastic at the bottom and sturdy band at the
top. It would make a perfect housewarming or a gift for yourself. Of
course it is available in a wide variety of animal prints to choose
from. Visit: http://www.animaldesigns.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

4) Flea and Tick Facts
FLEAS..Did you know that there are more than 2,400 different types of
fleas? Fleas have four life cycles: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults,
and female fleas can lay up to 50 eggs a day. While most common
household fleas are not harmful to pets and humans, they can still
transmit diseases such as the bubonic plague. Symptoms of the bubonic
plague include fever, headache, vague discomfort, and very painful,
swollen lymph nodes near the infection site. Sometimes you donšt
actually see the flea on your dog or cat, but you can see the actual
droppings that they leave behind. They look like black poppy seeds.
But, what do fleas actually look like? They are black to brownish-
black, about one-twelfth to one-sixteenth inch long; six legs, with
many bristles on their body and legs; flattened body. They can even
jump as much as seven-eighth inch vertically, and 14 to 16 inches
horizontally.
And what do they like to eat? Blood ­ both yours and your pets
­ and
lots of it. A female flea consumes 15 times its body weight in blood
daily.
Fleas can live on your dog or cat more than 100 days, in which time a
pair of fleas and their offspring can produce millions of flea.
Be careful which type of products you use against fleas, as some only
kill fleas in certain stages of their life cycle. There are hundreds
of products
on the market today, so talk to your veterinarian to find out the
best product to use and how to treat your animal, as well as your
home. To help control fleas, wash your pets bedding frequently and
also, vacuum. Vacuum, often, everything from carpets and rugs to
furniture to remove flea
eggs, larvae or pupae. When youšre done, empty the vacuum bag in
plastic and take it outside to the trash. TICKS...Did you know that
there are 200 different types of ticks? Ticks are not insects like
fleas, but arachnids like mites, spiders and scorpions. Like fleas,
they also have four life cycles: eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults,
and some females can lay about 100 eggs at a time. Ticks may transmit
diseases to cats and dogs, including the Lyme disease. Symptoms that
your animal might have Lyme disease include lameness, swollen joints,
fever, poor appetite, fatigue, and vomiting. But not all infected
animals show symptoms. While there is currently a vaccination against
Lyme disease for dogs, there is not one for cats. Human symptoms of
Lyme disease include fatigue, chills and fever, headache, muscle and
joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a red, circular skin rash.
Another human disease from ticks is Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
These symptoms include fever, headache, rash, and nausea or vomiting.
It affects more than 500 people each year. What do ticks look like?
They have a one-piece body. They use their mouth to attach to you or
your animal for feeding. When attempting to remove a tick, be careful
so the mouth part doesnšt come off and remain embedded in the
skin.
Grasp the mouth close to the skin with tweezers and pull gently.
Then, clean the bite site and tweezers with disinfectant. You may
want to wear latex gloves while removing the tick. Never remove a
tick with your fingers, as the squeezing further injects infectious
material. Also, donšt try to burn a tick off or to smother it with
petroleum jelly or nail polish. These methods just don't work. To
help control ticks, you should mow your grass regularly. You need to
take appropriate precautions if you are going to take your pets to
grassy, wooded or beach areas. You will need to check your pet
closely for ticks on a daily basis, especially around the head and
inside the ears. If you do find a tick, remove it immediately. This
is important because it can take hours for an infected tick to
transmit disease. With all flea and tick products, make sure that you
read the label carefully, and follow all directions exactly. If you
have any questions or
donšt understand something on the label, ask your veterinarian.
While
these products have many benefits, there are also risks to be
concerned with. If
your animal is pregnant or ill, consult your veterinarian. Also, if
your pet is on medication, check with your veterinarian to make sure
that there are no adverse reactions to the products you are using.
Use flea combs on puppies and kittens that are too young for flea and
tick products. Treat your pet at the beginning of the flea and tick
season. Depending on where you live, this season can last from four
months to even all year round, with September being the worst month
for flea infestation. Tick bites are greater May through September.
Be careful with other small mammals, such as rabbits, ferrets, mice,
etc. They can also get fleas and ticks. Even reptiles, such as
snakes, can get infections and anemia from tick bites. Ask your
veterinarian how to treat fleas and ticks in these and other exotic
pets, as there are currently no products on the market for these
animals. Good luck and good riddance of the fleas and ticks!
adapted from http://AnimalRadioNetwork.com.

5) DRAWING & FUN STUFF
Congratulations to Sherry B. the winner of the paw print eyeglass
case. September's drawing is a paw print travel bag. After entering
your name, check out the rest of the fun page at
http://www.animaldesigns.com/trivia.htm
Thanks to Connie F. for submitting this month's photo of her adorable
goldens, Ben, Buck and Bo. We would like to honor your Pet next
month, so send us a copy of their photo either by email or snail
mail.
August's question was "Which Pet is Your Favorite" It was a neck and
neck race (pun intended) between dogs (177) and all pets (156), with
cats (112) third. There were votes for others, horses, ferrets, and
snakes.

6) COMMENTS-QUESTIONS-SUGGESTIONS
A recent customer comment from Sonia M.
"Just a note to let you know my mom received her cowprint visor
today. She loves it! She also loves the dogs matching cowprint neck
adornment too. Thanks so much for the extra effort and personal
touch!"

As always, we appreciate your comments, questions and suggestions and
we've provided this link for sharing this newsletter with your
friends. http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=620320 Thank you for
taking the time to tell your friends and family about Animal Designs.
It is the ultimate compliment and we greatly appreciate it.

All the Best,
Jeanie
Animal Designs "When You Want Truly Unique"
www.animaldesigns.com
1.866.468.1739