2014 October VIP Newsletter

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In This Issue: The Pets Hotel News Guess What a Vet Finds 43 1/2 of in a Great Dane's Stomach? Is your Dog on Instagram? – 5 Tips to get you started How to keep pets out of harm's way on Halloween A Day in the Life Pet Quotes

The Pets Hotel News !

Don’t wait too long to book in for Christmas

If you’re planning to head away this Christmas period, don’t wait too much longer to book your pet in for their VIP holiday with the friendly staff at The Pets Hotel

*Important information: Please note we require a $100 booking fee to secure all Christmas bookings, a minimum stay of day 10days is required. The Pets Hotel rates are based on a buddy system, please note that if your pet cannot share accommodation there will be a surcharge of 50%. Please ensure that your pets are fully vaccinated prior to checking in.

Howl-o-ween party 2014

We would like to invite you all to an upcoming special Doggy Day Care event.
On Thursday the 30th October we are having a Howl-o-ween Doggy Day Care party. Every dog who attends will have time to socialise, play and share in some special Halloween treats. As a memento of this spooky day, every dog will go home with a show bag.
To scare the pants off you we are discounting the Halloween Doggy Day Care Party to $30.00 for the day.
We encourage everyone to dress up in their scariest outfit (or bring along and the team can dress them up for photos) we hope to see your pooch there!!!
When: Thursday - 30.10.14
What: The Pets Hotel Annual Howl-o-ween party
Where: The Pets Hotel cattery and central bark

Upgrading our computer system

The Pets Hotel continually strives to be innovative and improve our ability to provide you and your pets with excellent service.
To facilitate this, we are moving to a new Australian booking and pet care software system. When the change occurs, there will be a period of time when we may be a little slow. We ask for your patients understanding until we “pawfect” the system.
This new system requires a 20% booking fee for all bookings which will then be subtracted from the final account. This payment will be refunded if you need to cancel your booking. However, we require 20 days notice over the Christmas period, 10 days notice over the Easter period and 48 hours notice for public holidays and all other times.

Guess What a Vet Finds 43 1/2 of in a Great Dane's Stomach?

When one family's beloved Great Dane fell ill, they raced him off to the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, Oregon. After examination and x-rays, the vet found this:

Photo: Courtesy of DoveLewis
Oh, what's THAT, you ask? Well, on surgery and extraction, THIS:

YUP. They found 43 1/2 SOCKS in this poor pup's stomach! WOW, talk about indigestion.
So, next time you come home to this:

Maybe, double, triple check those sock drawers? ... Thankfully, all socks were extracted and the Great Dane was released from the hospital a day after surgery. (Source: http://blogs.discovery.com/bites-animal-planet/2014/09/vet-finds-43-socks-in-dogs-stomach.html)

Is your Dog on Instagram? – 5 Tips to get you started

Have you taken the plunge yet and set up an Instagram account? For a dog owner it’s full of inspirational ways to enjoy the dog in your life. It’s also a great way to capture the fun times you have with your pooch and share them with other dog lovers. Here’s 5 tips to make the Instagram journey easier……

1. If you’re opening an Instagram account mainly to share photos of your dog give it a ‘doggy’ name. Accounts that capture my attention often incorporate the dog’s name or hint at what adventures they get up to. If you have a Dog Blog try and use this as your account name – it will draw people’s attention to the fact you also write about your love of dogs. An Instagram feed on your home page also showcases what you get up to with your pooch.
   Instagram account names that capture my imagination and stand out for me are: Iverthecattledog; run_love_dog, dogumantry, 4pawsandaredhead, happydogmommy, bugthepuggle, hugaheeler, twopinktoes……..
   Have fun with your name – what makes you and your dog stand out from the crowd. What defines you?
2. Add some photos. Daily shots rock! It will be added incentive to get out more with your dog and try new things. If you do post regularly enough you will gain more followers. Also, the more photos you take the better you will understand your camera settings and what works best. My shots have greatly improved over the 4 months I’ve had my dog on Instagram.
   
3. Be creative with your shots. Don’t just take all your pictures in the same spot everyday of your dog doing the same thing. Get outdoors and get active. Look at other Instagram accounts for some ideas (see my first article on ‘Is your Dog on Instagram‘). Outside the light is better and the action is far more entertaining. I see too many dogs on Instagram that appear to spend most of their life on their owners floor (or couch)……don’t be that person.
4. Add a quick story/explanation and some hashtags (#) to your photos. This will help you gain some likes and followers that enjoy the same things you do. When you do receive feedback make sure you engage with your audience – Comment/Reply/Follow Back – similar to any Social Media account. If you’re active it will make a difference to your fellow Instagrammers and they will show their appreciation – it’s a very supportive community.
   
5. Play around with the filters Instagram offers. The Instagram filters are what helps a photo go the next level. Use the crop and contrast button, and play with the filters (don’t overdo the frames though) and don’t be afraid to experiment a little. If you’re scared that you’ll share a photo before you’ve finished adjusting, or you’d like to compare your shots first, put your phone on standby (go to settings and flick over to Airplane Mode). It’s easy to share your photo later when you’ve finished tweaking the image.
   I hope these tips help you and your dog start on your Instagram journey. In my next blog I’ll look into how to get the most out of your ‘doggy’ shots using light, angles and filters.
   Have you set up an Instagram account yet? What tips would you add for getting your dog on Instagram?

   (source: This post is also part of the Fit Dog Friday Blog hop. By Kate On May 31, 2013, http://pawsandpedals.com.au/is-your-dog-on-instagram-5-tips-to-get-you-started/)  

Don’t forget to check out The Pets Hotel Instagram account (http://instagram.com/thepetshotel), tag us in all of your pets’ pictures! We constantly miss them when they aren’t here!

How to keep pets out of harm's way on Halloween

Pet costumes can be fun for humans, but animals don't always feel the same way. Make sure pet costumes don't impede breathing, movement, vision or hearing. (iStock / September 30, 2014)

While humans of all ages have lots of spooky fun on Halloween, it may be less fun for pets. In fact, Halloween can be downright dangerous. Here are some sensible precautions.

Candy
Pets can smell wrapped candy, even sealed in plastic bags. If they can smell it, they’ll try to eat it, wrappers and all. No candy is good for them. Chocolate, especially dark or baking chocolate, can be highly toxic to dogs and cats. Same goes for candy made with the artificial sweetener xylitol. So keep candy where it’s out of their reach. If you think your pet has eaten something toxic, call your veterinarian or animal emergency centre right away. Fast action could save your pet’s life.

Decorations
Some animals may try to eat decorations — especially pumpkins or objects incorporating actual corn. These can cause upset stomachs or even more serious digestive blockage, so keep pets and decorations apart. Hang decorations up high, out of reach. Place wires and power cords where they won’t be chewed. Be especially careful with lighted candles. Curious animals can get burned or knock them over and cause a fire. Trick or treat Kids ringing doorbells all evening can drive dogs and cats a little crazy. Dogs may bark their heads off, cats may run and hide — and any pet may dart out an open door. Put your pets in a quiet room far from your front door; put up a baby gate or close the door; turn on the TV or music to cover doorbell noise. If you can’t put your pets in a safe room, then make sure they’re on leashes during peak trick-or-treat times. Just in case of escape, make sure your pets are wearing collars with current identification tags and have ID microchips. If the weather is nice, take a chair out in front of your home, sit with your bowl of candy for the kids and enjoy the parade. This saves costumed kids the trouble of climbing your front steps and saves your pets the ordeal of constant doorbell ringing.

Kids’ costumes
Kids in costumes can be frightening to many dogs. Dog trainer Howard Weinstein at Dayonedogtraining.com says, “Only dogs who are completely unflappable should be outside with you on Halloween, and only on a leash. If your dog is very calm and well-trained, take along a hefty supply of dog treats. Ask your dog to sit and stay to greet trick-or-treaters, and be careful that you’re only rewarding calm behavior.” Weinstein adds a reminder that some kids, especially young ones, can be pretty stressed by Halloween, too, and may find dog encounters scary or intimidating. “If you’re unsure how your dog might react, don’t take chances — leave him in the house,” he says.

Pet costumes
If you decide to dress up your pet, only do so if your pet doesn’t mind. Some are OK with it; others hate it. Make sure pet costumes don’t impede their breathing, movement, hearing or vision. Let your pet get accustomed to a costume by putting it on for short practice periods weeks before the big day. And if wearing a costume upsets your pet, skip it.

Pranks
While Halloween is great fun for most of us, it’s also a holiday that sadly brings out the worst in some people who get sick kicks from being cruel to animals. Black cats are a main target, but any pet may be at risk. Pets shouldn’t be left out alone in yards at any time, but especially not during the Halloween season. Outdoor cats should be kept indoors for the week leading up to and following Halloween. As a last resort, for dogs and cats that are highly stressed by Halloween despite all these precautions, ask your veterinarian for suggestions on herbal calming remedies or mild tranquilizers.

(Source: By David Tayman, D.V.M. For The Baltimore Sun, September 30, 2014 | 5:02 p.m. Copyright © 2014, The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/howard-magazine/ph-mg-ho-halloween-pet-safety-20140930,0,5895411.story#ixzz3EryRrZ3U)

The Pets Hotel News !

Many Faces Of Mr. Darcy!

Pet Quotes