Grey Matters

This has been an incredibly tough year, but the increased number of people fostering and adopting shelter dogs has been a silver lining. If you’re thinking about adding a furry friend to your family, please consider adopting a senior shelter dog. Grey Muzzle’s Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Lunghofer, answers some common questions.

What suggestions do you have for people who are considering adopting a shelter dog, particularly a senior dog?

As it has for many rescues and shelters, 2020 has been a year of challenges and surprises for Carolina Poodle Rescue (CPR).  COVID and the changes it imposed on normal operations at our rescue is something that we would gladly have by passed. There is however, one surprise that has been a welcome blessing.

Grey Muzzle board president Denise Fleck loves to cook for her pups. This is one of her family's favorite dog cookie recipes. These are likely to go fast, so you may want to stock up and make a double batch!

Haiku Fleck's Favorite Pumpkin Sweet Potato Dog Cookies

Ingredients

1½ Cups Brown Rice Flour

½ Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Mashed Baked Sweet Potato

½ Cup 100% Pure Pumpkin Purée

1 Cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal (dry)

¼ Cup Water

1 Egg

As the winter approaches, now is the prime time that ticks are trying to stay warm. Most ticks will be active while the temperature is above freezing. They can be carriers of Lyme disease, which untreated can lead to kidney, nervous system, and heart problems in your dog. To ensure your dog’s health and safety, here are some easy tips to perform a tick check on your furry friend.

As we roll into autumn, many humans experience some sort of mood shift due to plunging temperatures and pushing back the clocks. It’s the time of year with shorter days, colder temperatures and sometimes bouts of the winter blues. Sluggishness, or just a desire to do nothing and hunker down indoors, is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). No one knows for sure, but the same moodiness may affect your pet since we share much of the same chemistry in our brains.

By Denise Fleck

What is fun for us, is not always fun for our pets.  Costumes distort human shapes making them scary.  Loud noises make animals want to dart from the safety of their homes.  Sweet treats for humans are potentially fatal to dogs and cats.  Plan ahead.  Look at this holiday from your pet’s point of view and practice these 5 Pet Safety Tips to ensure a Happy Howl-o-ween for all!

1) NO HOUDINI ACTS

If you’re a smoker, you’ve probably considered the effect that your habit has on your family and loved ones. However, you may never have thought about the effect that second-hand smoke may have on your pets. Yet, if you live with cats, dogs or other animals inside your home, you could find that the smoke that your furry friends are breathing in could be causing them problems.

One of the best decisions you can make in life is owning a senior pet. They have so many wonderful attributes: They're loyal, they're calm, and they're notoriously happy. They also love a good afternoon nap on the couch just as much as you do. Plus, deep down, most senior dogs still have that captivating puppy heart.

Americans are facing job losses at unprecedented rates and financial hardship at alarmingly high levels. If ever you were considering an opportunity to make a positive impact for those in dire circumstances – individuals, small businesses, churches, nonprofits, including animal welfare organizations, now is the time.

Adopting a special-needs animal is a noble act of compassion like no other, but understandably, it’s not for everyone. Taking care of a nondisabled pet is a journey enough. Adopting pets with special needs requires your utmost patience and willingness to give them a loving home despite the challenges that come with it.