Absolute Yorkies

Merry Christmas from all of us at AbsoluteYorkies.com!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Merry Christmas, everybody!  Thank you for sending in your cutie Christmas pics of your wonderful dogs all dressed up for Christmas! 

Thank you too for reading our blog and for loving your dogs as much as we love ours!  We’re away for the holidays so see you on Wednesday, January 11, 2012!  We have lots of pics so make sure you keep scrolling right to the bottom of the page!  We did our best to keep the names of your dogs correct but our apologies if we’ve made any errors.  Enjoy!

Enzo & Darla

Sweet Little Girl With A Sweet Yorkie

Mimi

Dion

Yvette's Yorkies

Bella

Yorkies4Ever

FuFuFashions MPACK

Dianne's Yorkies

Maddie

Maddie Playing Santa

Kea

Bree

Cutie Yorkie in a holiday t-shirt

Judy's Christmas Gang

Dakota

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I love Christmas, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  With all the excitement, hustle and bustle of Christmas we can easily forget some common safety tips when it comes to holiday decorations and food. Judy Wright, RN of Rosehill Yorkies, our guest writer has some very important tips to keep your dog safe this Christmas.  We can never go over these tips too many times!

Holiday Plants
Beautiful holiday plants that often appear at our homes during this time of year can lead to health problems for our pets.  Plants to avoid are: holly, mistletoe, poinsettias and lilies, all of which can cause severe gastric problems. Yew, which is very toxic, can kill a pet with just one mouthful.

Snow Globes
Snow globes often contain antifreeze which is deadly to pets even in very small amounts.

Pine Needles
Pine needles when ingested can puncture holes in your pet’s intestines. Artificial trees are often made of materials that are toxic to our pets.  Flocked trees also pose a problem as the flocking material can cause gastric upset.

Styrofoam
Styrofoam can cause choking. Tinsel can cause choking as well as intestinal blockage requiring surgery to correct.

Ornaments
Keep ornaments out of reach of pets by placing them on the higher branches of your tree. Ingestion of an ornament (pets think ornaments are toys) can result in life threatening emergencies. Broken glass ornaments can injure paws, mouths and internal body parts.

Hooks
Hooks used to hang ornaments can pose life threatening choking issues as well as a punctured stomachs and intestines.

Use Flameless Candles
Lit candles are lovely but DANGEROUS!  A quick swoosh of a tail and next thing you know your dog and half your livingroom are on fire!!!  Many very pretty flameless candles are available in the stores today that even flicker like real candles.

Electrical Cords
Electrical cords and plugs are easily reached by pets and can lead to electrocution.  A chewed electrical cord can lead to fire.

Tree Water
Don’t let your dog drink the tree water.  And do not put aspirin in the water your tree sits in just in case your dog drinks the water from the tree stand.  He can easily sustain life- threatening emergencies from the aspirin laced water.

Chocolate
Holiday treats are everywhere! Chocolate is very toxic, the less sweet the chocolate, the more toxic it is! As little as ¼ ounce of baking chocolate, when ingested by a 10-pound dog, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, rapid heart rate and increased urination.

Gifts
Keep pets away from the gifts and gift opening area. Ingested string, ribbon, plastic, cloth and even wrapping paper can lead to intestinal blockage requiring surgery.  I advocate surrounding your tree with a screen to keep your pets from getting near the tree.  I use two 24” tall ex-pens, opened and attached together,  to surround the tree, keeping my Yorkies from exploring the gifts and removing decorations from lower branches.

Leftover Goodies
Do not feed pets holiday leftovers.  Chicken and turkey bones can splinter and cause blockages in the dog’s throat and intestines. Greasy, spicy and fatty foods (especially turkey skin and gravy) can cause diarrhea, vomiting and stomach upset. Spoiled or mouldy foods retrieved from the garbage by pets can cause food poisoning, tremors and seizures.

Alcohol
Alcohol and pets do not mix!  Do not leave drink glasses where your pet can polish off that last little swallow.  If ingested alcohol can make your pet very sick, weak and if enough is ingested, coma and death from respiratory failure can result.  

Provide A Safe Area for Your Dog
If you plan to entertain, provide a “safe area” where your pet can be kept, away from all the excitement and open doors, that can lead to escape from your home, perhaps even unnoticed.  Make sure your dog is microchipped.

Donate to Your Local Animal Shelter
Please also remember, while your pet is in a loving caring home, our shelters are full of unwanted pets. Visit and bring treats, even a donation of dog food would be appreciated, not only by the animals housed there, but by the facility as well, as most of these organizations struggle to “put food on the table” for their “residents.”

Thanks, Judy!  These are awesome safety tips!  Don’t forget to join us this Friday for our Annual Christmas Photo Gallery and see all the cutie doggy pics we’ll be posting!  We’re accepting photos until Thursday night!  Send your photo to kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com.  See you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

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I'm Santa's little Yorkie reindeer, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Hi folks!  The countdown to Christmas begins!  We’re about to start a new calendar year with lots of festive occasions to be sending out greeting cards.  Why not try a box of  “Fred Says” Greeting Cards?”

Fred

Fred is “a cute little Yorkie with a big heart,” says his Daddy,  Dr. Rob Garofalo,  Attending Physician at Children’s Memorial Hospital and Director of the Adolescent/Young Adult HIV Program.

Diagnosed with cancer in 2006, Dr. Garofalo bought Fred on Ebay of all places!  He credits Fred with bringing both peace and joy to his life again. “Fred gave me my mojo back.”  It’s Fred’s healing properties that led to this creative endeavor aimed at helping others. 

Cutie photos of Fred are on the front of each card and his pics are really adorable!  Proceeds   from the sale of the cards go to care for HIV positive adolescents who do not have health insurance. 

A box of “Fred Says” greeting cards sells for $20.00 USD at  http://fredsays.org/.  I don’t think Dr. Garofalo ships to Canada but I’m going to email him for more info and perhaps he will ship to us soon!  I’ll keep you posted.

Have a wonderful weekend everybody and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT. ***We’ve received some wonderful Christmas Doggy Pics for our Gallery next Friday but there’s always room for more so send your Christmas doggy pics to kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com***

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No bedbugs under here, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Certainly not a pleasant topic by any means but if you’re travelling this holiday season and staying in hotels or your kids are coming home for Christmas from college they could be bringing with them some very unpleasant “house guests!”

A bedbug

What Are Bedbugs?
Bedbugs are small reddish-brown parasites about the size of a ladybug that bite people and pets while they’re sleeping.  They don’t fly but walk onto your clothes, into your luggage or backpack and into your dog’s bedding and stuffed toys.  You may bring them with you into your home when you return from your holiday.

Bedbugs Can Bite Your Dog
Bedbugs don’t live on you or your pets but they feed on warm-blooded mammals and then go back into hiding in your mattress seams, headboard, behind the baseboards, in the drapes, on your clothes, behind your pictures and in your dog’s bed.  Clean or dirty places, bedbugs will hide anywhere.

How Do You Get Rid of Bedbugs?
It’s difficult but not impossible to get rid of these pesky critters!  Steam cleaning, using treatments specifically made for bedbugs, changing mattresses and getting rid of anything that bedbugs are living in are the best ways to rid your house of these pests. You want to kill them in the environment, NOT on your pet.

It’s easier to prevent an infestation than ridding your home of bedbugs.  Carefully check your luggage, clothes and dog beds before you leave your hotel or bring in any backpacks that the kids have brought home. 

See you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT. ***Keep those pics of your doggies in their Christmas outfits coming for our Annual Christmas Photo Gallery***

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TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Keep poinsettias out of your home this Christmas!  Judy Wright, RN our guest writer from Rosehill Yorkies  left an alarming comment on our Wednesday post, “Poinsettias Get Bad Publicity.”  One of her little Yorkies ALMOST DIED from chewing on the end of ONE poinsettia leaf.  Judy had never had poinsettias in her house and then read an article in the newspaper saying that poinsettias were not toxic.

A bad experience like Judy’s speaks much louder than any article we could read!  Here is Judy’s story:

I had a 4 year Yorkie that chewed a leaf from a HUGE, gorgeous Poinsettia my brother had brought to me for Christmas.  That little dog got soooooooo sick from that….she had horrific abdominal cramping….her tummy hurt so bad she could not curl up…she had to stretch out flat…she whimpered and cried softly with each breath she took, and if you even gently pressed around on her tummy, she yelped out in obvious pain….I just KNEW she was dying from a ruptured something in her abdomen….did not dream it was that plant, as they had an article in the newspaper, saying they were getting a bad rap for being toxic. 

We rushed her to the vet, and he did a complete abdominal series on her at MY insistence….he had diagnosed the problem within 10 minutes of our arrival…but I didn’t believe it and wanted to be absolutely certain.  I dont care WHAT they say….this plant is NOT allowed on my property, and definitely no where in the house!

Thank you, Judy for letting us know how dangerous Poinsettias can be!  As we’ve always said, “If in doubt, leave it out!”  Have a great weekend everybody and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.***Keep your Christmas Doggy Photos coming to kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com***

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I love presents, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  We’re big fans of Modern Dog Magazine   as you’ve probably noticed from many of our posts.  Christmas is right around the corner and you’re likely thinking of interesting gifts to give your loved ones.

 

What about a subscription to Modern Dog Magazine?  This is the second year in a row that I’ve added a subscription to the magazine as part of my sister’s Christmas gift.  She reads it cover to cover!  Breed profiles, features, book reviews, training tips, health issues…they write it all! 

 

Stay safe everybody and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.***Don’t be shy…send your doggy’s Christmas photo to kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com for our Annual Doggy Photo Gallery***

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I love toys, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  I’m a big fan of “Dr. Jon’s Dog Crazy Newsletter!“  Recently, he talked about the Top Dog Toys of 2011 and since you’re probably doing your Christmas shopping and wondering what safe toys to buy your doggie I thought I’d provide a link to his article.

The toys Dr. Jon recommends are well tested.  Dr. Debra, Director of Product Research for PetProductAdvisor.com, went to four major pet product shows to find the safest and reasonably priced dog toys. 

Dr. Jon says, “Dr. Debra carefully researches, picks and tests these products – and that testing is substantial. She and her team look at thousands of products.  But less than 0.1% of these products will meet the guidelines and be “approved”.”

So have fun checking out Dr. Jon’s Top Dog Toys of 2011  (my fav is the Knotties Moose).  Have a great weekend and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.  ***Don’t forget to send us your doggy in her Christmas outfit for our Annual Christmas Photo Gallery***

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I'll stay safe in my crate, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  We hope all of you in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Judy Wright of Rosehill Yorkies returns today with Part 4: “Hunker Down, Shelter In Place!” of our series, “Disaster Planning: Do It Now!”

Shelter In Place
If you’ve been advised to evacuate do so as quickly as possible!  However, if the decision has been made for you to shelter in place if that is the only or best option for you, follow these simple life saving guidelines:

• Bring your dog indoors as soon as local authorities declare imminent disaster.
• Crate your dogs – you don’t want to have to try and find a terrified hiding pet!
• Be sure you have your dog’s collar on her with tags attached.
• If you have a “safe room” be sure to have all your emergency supplies in that area before hand.  No time to stock and arrange the room now!
• If your dog has reacted anxiously to bad weather in the past, administer a sedative as directed that you’ve used previously that your vet has prescribed for her, before the weather turns nasty.
• If you’re going to board your dog while you hunker down at home, you will need to take the following items with your pet to a shelter or boarding facility: collar with ID and rabies tag, copies of health records, ID on all belongings, crate or carrier, harness and leash, food and meds to last at least 5-7 days, their picture with your contact info on back, as well as your pet’s name and vet’s name and a blanket or towel for her to sleep on inside the crate or cage.

After The Storm

• Always keep your pet on a leash after a major storm or event. Scents and landscape have changed and this will be confusing and frightening to your dog.  
• Some pets become very defensive or aggressive during this time of chaos.  
• Be aware that power lines may be down and storm debris scattered in areas that were once safe.  
• Be cautious of any reptiles that may have been washed into your area with flooding and high water.

Awesome information, Judy!  Disasters can be so devastating and confusing for our dogs.  Being prepared is the best defence!  See you on Friday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

Sources: ASPCA, FEMA, Red Cross and AHF (Animal Health Foundation)
         

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I love my belly band, mommy!

TODAY’S TIDBIT:  Christmas is one month away today!!!  I can hardly believe it!  We’re making our Christmas plans to visit my family in my hometown and I’m thinking about what to pack for the Yorkies.  My parents have carpeting and the last thing I want is a little “Yorkie accident” left behind!

Gideon wears his “Belly Band” — a nice fabric band with a quarter of a Depends pad inside and then secured with velcro around his waist.  So if he doesn’t get to the pee pad in time he has the protection of his Belly Band.

Belly Band

We order our Belly Bands from a talented small business owner in Sugar Land, Texas — Linda from FuFuFashions. She makes lots of cute outfits and accessories for small dogs like Yorkies.  Check out her site before Christmas!

Have a great holiday Friday to our American friends and see everybody back her on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT.

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TODAY’S TIDBIT:  We’d like to celebrate Christmas again this year at AbsoluteYorkies.com with a fun photo gallery of our furry friends in their favourite Christmas outfits (or maybe I should say “your” favourite outfits for your dog)!  We had lots of wonderful photos last year  and hope that everyone sends their pics in again this year! 

We’re asking you to send us a photo of your dog dressed for Christmas! We love our Yorkies but we’d like to share this invitation with owners of all breeds of dogs.

Just a few quick guidelines:

• One photo per email address.
• More than one dog can be in the photo but no people please.
• Photos should be saved as .jpeg, .bmp, .gif or .png files.
• Deadline for accepting photos is 12:00 midnight (EST) Friday, December 16, 2011.
• Send your photos to kathryn@absoluteyorkies.com or if you have any questions you can contact us at that email address.

So don’t be shy! Share your doggy’s Christmas photo with us. Have a wonderful day everyone and see you on Wednesday for TODAY’S TIDBIT. ***Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the US!  We’ll continue our Disaster Planning Series  with Judy Wright next Wednesday***

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