Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

In honor of the holiday known for eating lots of food I'm going to go through so foods you should not feed your pets today. I know it can be difficult to say no to their adorable face, but many of these foods can be very dangerous. 

1. Turkey skin, drippings, bones, etc. 

The skin and drippings can cause inflammation of the pancreas and intestines from all the fat in it. Also bones are commonly swallowed and the animal is uable to pass it. That requires foreign body surgery which is not cheap or a good time for your pet.

2. Onion and Garlic- these are toxic to your pets! Avoid giving anything containing these products like stuffing

3. Rasins and Grapes- again these are toxic to dogs, so just don't 

4. Anything high in fat- mashed potatoes, candied yams, etc. animals shouldn't have a diet high in fat and it can cause issues like pancreatitis. 

5. Chocolate- again, toxic. Baking chocolate is the most toxic type followed by dark chocolate. 

6. Alcohol- Alcohol will cause toxicity 

7. Bread Dough- ok bread dough does two things in the animals body that makes it bad. First of all when it mixes with the warm temperature of the animals body the dough begins to rise. This becomes a problem and causes bloating and possibly impaction requiring surgical removal. Also as it rises a chemical reaction is happening causing fermentation which results in alcohol toxicity 

So those are the main food you may be serving today that you need to keep away from your pets. Also If there are other foods you aren't sure about the best thing to do is assume it's not safe. Just keep some dog/cat treats on hand so they can enjoy a thanksgiving day treat. 

Throughout December I am going to write educational posts about how to get through the holidays with your pets. This will include more toxic substances to keep the away from, decorating with pets in mind, and keeping your pets stress free with guests. So get pumped! 

Cat Toy Tuesday 11

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday is an exiciting one! Santa Paws came early this year for foster kittens and delivered their present-- a brand new kennel!

The kennel is awesome! It is just as wide as the old kennel but it's super tall! There are 3 shelves and ramps. And also an adorable hammock. 

Killian has been the only kitten to try out the new kennel so far (being blind I have decided to house Stevie separately- I don't want him falling and hurting himself--but he and Killian still get play time together!) and he seems to really love it. It's awesome how it allows different levels for litter box, food, and bedding. And lots of room to run and jump. 

Even Momma Merlin has gotten some use out of it!

I did a ton of research and price shopping to pick out the perfect tall kennel. I am very happy with my choice and think this is the perfect upgrade for my kitten crew! 

I'm Back!

I have emerged from my cave of studying!! First of all I passed by VTNE *wootwoot*. So once it's all offical I will be an RVT! 

But to more exciting news and why you are here in the first place, I have a new foster kitten! If you follow me on Instagram you have already seen my adorable new baby! His name is Stevie (previouslyHammy). He is a sweet little ball of fur and just happens to be blind. One eye is completely ruptured and the other has severe scarring over it making him unable to see anything but light through it. Once is big and strong he will have surgery to have both eyes removed. This may seem extreme but not only are the eyes not functional, keeping them can serve as a risk for furture infections and problems. Plus I'm sure it's not very comfortable for him. When I first got him he was a terrifed little thing (can't blame him) but he's now a typical crazy kitten! You wouldn't even know he was blind when watching him play!

Meet Stevie!

Merlin is such a good momma!

Don't panic! I still have Mr. Killian. He isn't quite ready for a forever home with his bad attitude! The little man was definitely feral in his past life. But he is improving! He is great with me, Merlin, and his new little brother Stevie! He is still hesitiant and scared around new people but that is improving with time.

Here's Killian and a Sneak Peak of my new kennel! It will be featured on the next Cat Toy Tuesday!

On Tuesday my kitten crew and I are heading home for Thanksgiving. So stay tuned for some special posts about keeping your pets/fosters safe over the holidays! 

Cat Toy Tuesday 10

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday is the fish! (or the one-eyed fish in my case)

My mom actually got the fish for her kitten's from Drs Foster and Smith. When it came it was missing an eye so she called the company and they sent her another one for free and let her keep the one-eyed one. So of course I had to rescue the poor one-eyed fish!

The fish is super cute and has a soft pad on the inside. Killian likes to lay in it but he also like to play climbing all over it! 

The Humane Society of Indianapolis

Today I am going to talk about the lovely organization I foster for, The Humane Society of Indianapolis. 

So I first started working with HSI this past summer for my vet tech externship, but I first discovered them my sophomore year. I was already researching potential externship oppurtunities my sophomore year (the externship takes place the summer before senior year). I always had interest in shelter medicine so I did research on various shelters. I came across a lot, but HSI really stuck out for me. They became my first choice and I got it! 

The Shelter is so Welcoming!

What really drew me to HSI in the first place is their mission. I really liked that they focused on all the aspects necessary to provide good welfare and increase quality of life to all animals including medical treatment, behavior training, and of course fostering. 

"OUR VISION: 
All central Indiana animals are treated with dignity and respect and live free from cruelty, harm and neglect.

OUR MISSION:
The Humane Society of Indianapolis is the leading voice for the welfare of animals and improving their quality of life. IndyHumane is the first choice in providing direct services for shelter cats and dogs, including adoption, foster home placement, behavior training, appropriate medical care, and affordable spay/neuter services. As the voice for the animals, IndyHumane brings together like-minded, animal-focused individuals and groups to educate the public about animal welfare issues and concerns. For over 100 years, it’s all about the animals."
-From the IndyHumane Website http://indyhumane.org/index.php/about_us/vision

Once I met the people at HSI I loved it even more.  They absolultely live by their mission. Everyone there is truly passionate about the work they do. They always give 110% to every animal. To them it doesn't matter where they came from, it's about their potential and giving them the best life possible. I have seen them take some animals that would be considered "unadoptable" or "a hopeless case" and get them completely turned around and adopted into lovely forever homes. They strive to give all animals a fighting chance. 

HSI also works to help the community through community outreach and education. They offer a low cost vaccine clinic and low cost spay/neuter surgeries. There is even a special program for community cats and TNR. 

IndyHumane has 2 Locations; One is the Main Shelter Campus and the Other is the Animal Welfare Center. The Animal Welfare Center Offers Services Such as Low Cost Spay/Neuter, Community Cat Packages, Low Cost Vaccine/Wellness, and Community Outreach. 

Just like all rescues/shelters, IndyHumane cannot do all of this alone. They rely on donations, volunteers, and foster parents to help them succeed. So, if you are looking for somewhere to volunteer, donate, foster, or adopt I highly recommend Indy Humane. I cannot say enough good things about the organization and the people that work there. 

Here is a link to their website 
http://indyhumane.org/index.php

I'd love to hear from others what organizaitons they foster/volunteer/work for. It's important to remember that all shelters/rescues are working toward the same goals, so we must work together in order to accomplish them!