Email us your great Halloween pet pictures to be featured on our site. midwestmastiffrescueblog@gmail.com
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
Email us your great Halloween pet pictures to be featured on our site. midwestmastiffrescueblog@gmail.com
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Deuce = Big Love
Hello, I'm Deuce!
I am a very loving, happy, affectionate, male Mastiff around 2 years old. I love people, cats, and kids, oh who am I kidding I love everyone. My family moved away and they dumped me at the pound.
I know some basic commands like; stay, sit, down and I walk nicely on a leash. As you can see from my pictures I am a little underweight but I'm still very handsome and my personality makes me B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!
Today I’m taking a trip to the vet to be neutered. I really don’t know what that means but I’m sure I will find out soon. I’m also going to be tested for Heartworm and given all my shots.
Watch for me on www.Petfinder.com and keep in touch here to see more updates on me and many other Mastiffs’ here at Midwest Mastiff Rescue. Bark!
Donate to Help me and my friends
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Volunteer Work: Everything You Do Makes A Difference
If you have ever donated your time or services to work with dogs in need, or have even contemplated getting started in the world of volunteering,first - Congratulations! You're doing a wonderful thing! - and second, you know that the decision to help can be accompanied by some hesitation and nervousness. The question "What will I be getting myself into?" is a common thought, and a very natural reaction to an unknown and new road of travel.
What is important to remember is that you set your own limits; you decide what you can or cannot handle, and in what area or areas you most enjoy working. Volunteer work can be a very emotional situation where the edges sometimes become blurred; with the dogs that cross your path, the tasks you may perform, and inside your own heart. And at the same time it is the most rewarding, feel-good work you may ever do.
With this in mind, it is helpful to ask yourself a few basic questions before venturing forth:
1. Am I familiar with all aspects of volunteer work that are available to me?
2. Which of these options am I most interested in, and are best suited for me?
3. How much time can I realistically give?
4. Are there certain things I simply cannot do at this time (i.e. transportation, fostering)?
5. Do I feel most comfortable working with people? Or dogs?
There is a wide variety of duties to choose from in most volunteer work. Keep in mind that every rescue organization and shelter has different rules, guidelines, resources and roles to play in the world of volunteering. Below are some common examples of ways you may be able to help.
Transportation of dogs to new homes, veterinarian appointments, etc... telephone work, fundraising, fostering, mailings, hanging flyers, handing out information about the rescue group/dogs financial and material gifts and donations.
There may be some difficult moments to face in volunteer work. Not every dog is "rescuable", or suitable to adopt out to a home. Sometimes an organization just doesn't have the necessary resources to help. But for every hard time, there are bountiful moments of joy, warmth, and love, and a personal satisfaction in knowing that you are helping an animal in need, no matter how small of a contribution you think you are making. Remember, the majority of people do nothing, so every thing you do matters.
What is important to remember is that you set your own limits; you decide what you can or cannot handle, and in what area or areas you most enjoy working. Volunteer work can be a very emotional situation where the edges sometimes become blurred; with the dogs that cross your path, the tasks you may perform, and inside your own heart. And at the same time it is the most rewarding, feel-good work you may ever do.
With this in mind, it is helpful to ask yourself a few basic questions before venturing forth:
1. Am I familiar with all aspects of volunteer work that are available to me?
2. Which of these options am I most interested in, and are best suited for me?
3. How much time can I realistically give?
4. Are there certain things I simply cannot do at this time (i.e. transportation, fostering)?
5. Do I feel most comfortable working with people? Or dogs?
There is a wide variety of duties to choose from in most volunteer work. Keep in mind that every rescue organization and shelter has different rules, guidelines, resources and roles to play in the world of volunteering. Below are some common examples of ways you may be able to help.
Transportation of dogs to new homes, veterinarian appointments, etc... telephone work, fundraising, fostering, mailings, hanging flyers, handing out information about the rescue group/dogs financial and material gifts and donations.
There may be some difficult moments to face in volunteer work. Not every dog is "rescuable", or suitable to adopt out to a home. Sometimes an organization just doesn't have the necessary resources to help. But for every hard time, there are bountiful moments of joy, warmth, and love, and a personal satisfaction in knowing that you are helping an animal in need, no matter how small of a contribution you think you are making. Remember, the majority of people do nothing, so every thing you do matters.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Halloween Pet Tips
Courtesy of ASPCA
Halloween can be a traumatic and even dangerous time for your pets. The ASPCA would like to offer some common-sense tips to help you protect them:
Don't leave your pets out in the yard on Halloween: there are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, even killed pets on this night.
Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets: chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.
Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.
Don't dress the dog in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on the animal.
If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume isn't constricting, annoying or unsafe.
Be careful not to obstruct his or her vision; even the sweetest dogs can get snappy when they can't see what's going on around them.
All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; too many strangers in strange garb can be scary for a dog.
Be careful your cat or dog doesn't dart out through an open door.
While this can be a fun time for people and pets alike, remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings.
Halloween can be a traumatic and even dangerous time for your pets. The ASPCA would like to offer some common-sense tips to help you protect them:
Don't leave your pets out in the yard on Halloween: there are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, even killed pets on this night.
Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets: chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.
Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.
Don't dress the dog in costume unless you know he loves it. Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on the animal.
If you do dress up your dog, make sure the costume isn't constricting, annoying or unsafe.
Be careful not to obstruct his or her vision; even the sweetest dogs can get snappy when they can't see what's going on around them.
All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; too many strangers in strange garb can be scary for a dog.
Be careful your cat or dog doesn't dart out through an open door.
While this can be a fun time for people and pets alike, remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the more dangerous goblins and ghouls that this holiday brings.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Heartworm Prevention 101
We wanted to take a moment to talk about heartworm treatment and prevention. The following information is provided as a general primer.
Heartworm Information
Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs and other mammals (including wolves, coyotes, foxes and other wild canids). Heartworms belong to the roundworm family and are clinically classified as Dirofilaria immitis.
Disease Transmission: Beware the Mosquito
The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog, rather transmission of heartworm requires an intermediate host: the mosquito. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the mosquito season. Adult heartworms in an infected dog produce offspring, called microfilariae, which circulate in the the animal's blood. When a mosquito "bites" that infected animal, it sucks out blood containing the microfilariae. After about two weeks in the mosquito, the microfilariae become infective larvae. This step is necessary for the transmission of heartworm, because when the mosquito bites a pet dog or cat, the infective larvae are transmitted.
Heartworm Symptoms: Dogs infected with heartworms can live several years before manifesting any symptoms. Consequently, the disease is diagnosed mostly in 4 to 8 year old dogs, and is seldom identified in a dog under 1 year of age. This is because the young heartworms (larvae) take up to 7 months to mature following the initial infection. Although some dogs will not show any symptoms, the most obvious indicators are cough, exercise intolerance, abnormal lung sounds, difficulty breathing, enlargement of the liver, fl uid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, and abnormal heart sounds.
Heartworm Treatment
Most dogs can be successfully treated for heartworms if the disease is detected early. If you suspect your dog may have heartworms, seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian immediately. Usually a vet will recommend treating the patient in the following manner: Adult worms are killed with an organic arsenical drug given through a series of carefully administered injections. A few days after treatment, the worms die and are carried by the bloodstream to the lungs. There they decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months. Following treatment, complete rest is needed to prevent lung damage from the dead and decomposed worms. Excitement and exercise should be avoided for at least a month, followed by gradual return to normal activity. After all adult heartworms are eliminated, another drug must be given to rid the bloodstream of microfilariae, which are not affected by the drug used to kill adult heartworms.
Heartworm Prevention: A common misconception about heartworm prevention medications is that they 'prevent' heartworm infection from occurring at all. That is not quite correct. Most types of prevention medications kill existing microfilaria but do not prevent them from entering the body. Before beginning a prevention program, a blood test must be given a veterinarian to determine that the dog is not already infected. The preventative should be administered from early spring until the end of December in cooler climates or it may be taken year round. As a safeguard, many veterinarians recommend annual or biannual screening tests even for dogs that are on heartworm preventives.
Keeping Your Dog Healthy
Today, the majority of dogs with heartworm disease survive. Most can be treated with medication, some requiring surgery. Unfortunately there are those few that do not s urvive the devastating effects of the disease. With prompt detection, needless suffering can be prevented.
It is important to remember that heartworm disease is preventable!
Consult your veterinarian for an appropriate prevention program for your dog. Please pay close attention to your vet's recommendations and advice regarding heartworm prevention - your dog's life may depend on it.
For information about Heartgard Preventative, or coupons go to http://heartgard.us.merial.com/
Heartworm Information
Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs and other mammals (including wolves, coyotes, foxes and other wild canids). Heartworms belong to the roundworm family and are clinically classified as Dirofilaria immitis.
Disease Transmission: Beware the Mosquito
The disease is not spread directly from dog to dog, rather transmission of heartworm requires an intermediate host: the mosquito. Spread of the disease therefore coincides with the mosquito season. Adult heartworms in an infected dog produce offspring, called microfilariae, which circulate in the the animal's blood. When a mosquito "bites" that infected animal, it sucks out blood containing the microfilariae. After about two weeks in the mosquito, the microfilariae become infective larvae. This step is necessary for the transmission of heartworm, because when the mosquito bites a pet dog or cat, the infective larvae are transmitted.
Heartworm Symptoms: Dogs infected with heartworms can live several years before manifesting any symptoms. Consequently, the disease is diagnosed mostly in 4 to 8 year old dogs, and is seldom identified in a dog under 1 year of age. This is because the young heartworms (larvae) take up to 7 months to mature following the initial infection. Although some dogs will not show any symptoms, the most obvious indicators are cough, exercise intolerance, abnormal lung sounds, difficulty breathing, enlargement of the liver, fl uid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, and abnormal heart sounds.
Heartworm Treatment
Most dogs can be successfully treated for heartworms if the disease is detected early. If you suspect your dog may have heartworms, seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian immediately. Usually a vet will recommend treating the patient in the following manner: Adult worms are killed with an organic arsenical drug given through a series of carefully administered injections. A few days after treatment, the worms die and are carried by the bloodstream to the lungs. There they decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months. Following treatment, complete rest is needed to prevent lung damage from the dead and decomposed worms. Excitement and exercise should be avoided for at least a month, followed by gradual return to normal activity. After all adult heartworms are eliminated, another drug must be given to rid the bloodstream of microfilariae, which are not affected by the drug used to kill adult heartworms.
Heartworm Prevention: A common misconception about heartworm prevention medications is that they 'prevent' heartworm infection from occurring at all. That is not quite correct. Most types of prevention medications kill existing microfilaria but do not prevent them from entering the body. Before beginning a prevention program, a blood test must be given a veterinarian to determine that the dog is not already infected. The preventative should be administered from early spring until the end of December in cooler climates or it may be taken year round. As a safeguard, many veterinarians recommend annual or biannual screening tests even for dogs that are on heartworm preventives.
Keeping Your Dog Healthy
Today, the majority of dogs with heartworm disease survive. Most can be treated with medication, some requiring surgery. Unfortunately there are those few that do not s urvive the devastating effects of the disease. With prompt detection, needless suffering can be prevented.
It is important to remember that heartworm disease is preventable!
Consult your veterinarian for an appropriate prevention program for your dog. Please pay close attention to your vet's recommendations and advice regarding heartworm prevention - your dog's life may depend on it.
For information about Heartgard Preventative, or coupons go to http://heartgard.us.merial.com/
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Our Beautiful Faces
If you see a Mastiff who peaks your interest you can visit us on www.petfinder.com and enter Midwest Mastiff Rescue under shelters. Or you can just click Adopt a Mastiff here on our blog page. Here you can read profiles for each available Mastiff. If you can't adopt at this time but you would like to help MMR, make a donation by mail to Midwest Mastiff Rescue, Inc. at P.O. Box 7983, Gurnee, IL 60031.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
October is Adopt-A-Dog Month
There's no better way to bring a new puppy or adult dog into your world than through adoption. When you adopt, you're opening your heart to an animal shelter or rescue center pooch who really needs a loving home. This month is Adopt-A-Dog month, and if you're thinking about adopting a dog, there's no better moment than now!
The sad truth, unfortunately, is not all adoptions end with happy endings. Too many times dogs are adopted without fully realizing what a huge responsibility dog ownership is. Cute puppies grow up, dogs don’t always listen, time is needed for care and grooming, and the costs involved can be very expensive.
The key to changing this is education. That is the crucial factor in keeping pets in forever homes. The checklist below, info compiled using a survey of over 180 shelters, is an invaluable resource.
Before You Adopt Give This List Some Thought:
1. When you adopt, you need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life, no matter what that entails, just as you would with a child.
2. Be prepared for a pet to affect other parts of your life for as long as you have the pet (can be up to 15 years for a dog and 20 years for cat). Your pet’s well-being will have to be considered in all kinds of decisions, including travel, social life, relocating to a new home, adopting other pets, having children, etc.
3. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live, especially if you rent or belong to a homeowners’ association.
4. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence, if you have one, to provide for your pet’s safety and to prevent your pet from escaping.
5. Never give a pet as a gift.
6. Choose a pet appropriate to your living situation and lifestyle. Figure out what size, age, and energy-level pet is most appropriate for you.
7. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight. Do your research and carefully consider all the aspects and implications of adopting before you make a decision.
8. If you’re adopting a pet for your kids, understand that the responsibility is yours. Kids, by their nature, often tire of things that were once new and exciting, and this includes their pets. You will most likely end up being the one who provides most of the pet’s care.
9. Plan for a several-week adjustment period during which there will be challenges.
10. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation. (Walk dogs according to individual need, provide playtime and appropriate toys for both dogs and cats, spend time just petting and talking to your pet, include pet in family activities.)
The sad truth, unfortunately, is not all adoptions end with happy endings. Too many times dogs are adopted without fully realizing what a huge responsibility dog ownership is. Cute puppies grow up, dogs don’t always listen, time is needed for care and grooming, and the costs involved can be very expensive.
The key to changing this is education. That is the crucial factor in keeping pets in forever homes. The checklist below, info compiled using a survey of over 180 shelters, is an invaluable resource.
Before You Adopt Give This List Some Thought:
1. When you adopt, you need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life, no matter what that entails, just as you would with a child.
2. Be prepared for a pet to affect other parts of your life for as long as you have the pet (can be up to 15 years for a dog and 20 years for cat). Your pet’s well-being will have to be considered in all kinds of decisions, including travel, social life, relocating to a new home, adopting other pets, having children, etc.
3. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live, especially if you rent or belong to a homeowners’ association.
4. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence, if you have one, to provide for your pet’s safety and to prevent your pet from escaping.
5. Never give a pet as a gift.
6. Choose a pet appropriate to your living situation and lifestyle. Figure out what size, age, and energy-level pet is most appropriate for you.
7. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight. Do your research and carefully consider all the aspects and implications of adopting before you make a decision.
8. If you’re adopting a pet for your kids, understand that the responsibility is yours. Kids, by their nature, often tire of things that were once new and exciting, and this includes their pets. You will most likely end up being the one who provides most of the pet’s care.
9. Plan for a several-week adjustment period during which there will be challenges.
10. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation. (Walk dogs according to individual need, provide playtime and appropriate toys for both dogs and cats, spend time just petting and talking to your pet, include pet in family activities.)
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