Congrats to Mad About Pet's recent contest winners!

Congratulations to....

Marcy S. from Bridge City, TX for winning the Caesar Canine Cuisine care package

and

Katie M. from Taylor, MI for winning the Vet's Best Hypo-allergenic Shampoo giveaway!

Thanks to all the readers who entered, and keep watching for more great contests from Mad About Pets!

Top Five Summer Foods Dangerous to Pets

AVOCADOS

Photo credit: LA Times blog

You may think Spot loves yummy summer guacamole as much as you do but in fact avocados are toxic to dogs. According to the ASPCA’s website, all parts of the avocado, including the pit and skin, contain a substance called Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.

ONIONS

Photo credit: HowStuffWorks

Picture this: you’re grilling up some kebabs out back when a piece of grilled onion falls to the ground. Do you let Rover eat it? According to WebMD, you shouldn’t. Onions and garlic in all forms can destroy your pet’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. Symptoms include weakness, vomiting, little interest in food, dullness, and breathlessness. Cats are especially susceptible to the dangers posed by onions.

LEMONS AND LEMONADE



Photo credit: SheKnows

According to the ASPCA, lemons and limes are toxic to both dogs and cats. These fruits contain a substance called psoralens, which when combined with the acidity in lemons and limes, can make ingestion dangerous. Plus, the essential oil found in lemon peel can be toxic to cats when taken internally, applied to the skin, or simply inhaled.

GRAPES

Photo Credit: Rightlog

Although they are one of the most refreshing of summer’s fruits, grapes and raisins should be avoided when it comes to Fido. Although the specific toxin is unknown, grapes have been known to cause vomiting, lethargy, depression and eventually kidney failure, especially among older dogs and puppies.

ICE CREAM

Photo credit: EgoTV

In small quantities, your pup should be able to handle a few licks of your ice cream cone, but according to the ASPCA, because pets do not possess significant amounts of the enzyme that breaks down lactose, milk and other milk-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.

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SUMMER GIVEAWAY: Cesar Canine Cuisine care package!

Peanut posing with hit Cesar loot

Cesar Canine Cuisine was nice enough to send Mad About Pets a care package of their products to try out, and also another package to give away to a lucky reader! Since there are no dogs in the Mad About Pets household, my sister-in-law's Maltipoo named Peanut (dog-in-law?) was the honorary Cesar tester. Since Cesar Canine Cuisine caters to small dogs, Peanut was the perfect test subject.

My SIL reports that Peanut really enjoyed the Sunrise meals which contain egg. He was so in love with them, he actually stole one of the meals, ran away, and opened it himself! What a brat. The Softies Medley treats were also a big hit, as they are easy to eat for small dogs with equally small mouths. Peanut didn't have any issues chewing them as he does with some of the larger, crunchier treats offered by other brands.

Peanut clearly enjoyed his time as a Mad About Pets test subject! :)

Want to win a Cesar Canine Cuisine care package for YOUR dog?

Mad About Pets is giving away 1 Cesar care package containing various Cesar moist foods, treats, and an adorable t-shirt to a lucky reader. Here's how to snag this great collection for your dog:

Cesar care package up for giveaway

To enter the giveaway:

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me a little about the dog who would enjoy this care package. Make sure to leave me a way to contact you, whether it be Twitter, email, etc. so I can notify you if you win!

Want some extra entries? Here's how:

5 extra entries:

*Blog about this contest with a link to this post (leave me a comment with the link)

1 extra entry:

*Tweet a link to this giveaway @MadAboutPets
*Follow me on Twitter
*Join my Facebook fan page
*Subscribe to my feed
*Post a link to Mad About Pets on your blog or site

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry to state you have completed the requirement. I highly suggest that you leave your email address (use "name [at] domain dot com" format to avoid spambots) in your comment(s) so that I am able to contact you ASAP if you're a winner. If I cannot contact the winner within 3 days, I will have to draw a new winner.

Entry deadline is July 27, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. This giveaway is open to United States residents only.


Good luck!

Interesting Dog Training Statistics

Created by Pet365 - an online stockist of dog beds, collars and accessories. Click here to view the full post.

Interview: comedian Steve Hofstetter overcoming his fear of dogs, one day at a time

Steve Hofstetter

Steve Hofstetter is a popular comedian, author, and columnist. You may recognize him from appearances on ESPN's Quite Frankly or the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, or his radio show National Lampoon's Sports Minute (Or So). His stand up comedy is a big draw on college campuses, infusing observational humor and political commentary. Steve is also a sports buff, and his columns can be found in Sports Illustrated, Maxim, and ESPN Magazine (just to name a few.) Despite his affinity for entertainment and comedy, Steve carried around a not-so-funny problem for many years-- he was afraid of dogs. That all changed when he met his wife Sara, who ironically was an animal shelter volunteer. With Sara's help, Steve is overcoming his fear of dogs one day at a time. Amazingly, the pair has recently welcomed a new addition to their family: a 6-year-old rescue Dachsund/Beagle mix. Steve and Sara christened their new dog "Bea Arthur", and Steve has begun to document his experiences as a dog owner and recovering cynophobe on his new blog Adopting Bea Arthur. Steve kindly agreed to do an interview with Mad About Pets to further discuss his fear of dogs, and how he's gotten to the point of owning his very own dog:

-Was there one specific incident which spurred your fear of dogs?

When I was a baby, a neighbor's dog tried to bite me. My parents say that I was sacred ever since then. While I have no memory of it, that sort of thing gets programmed in you.

-Did your fear of dogs have any social implications? In other words, did it negatively affect your social life or your daily interactions?

Sure - there were friends' houses I didn't want to go to, girls I had trouble dating, and the constant worry of looking like a weenie whenever we passed one.

-It is my understanding that your attitude towards dogs began to change after you met your wife, a shelter volunteer. How did she begin to change your perception of dogs?

She educated me. She showed me hours and hours of dog shows, introduced me to some of the more well behaved dogs at the shelter, and just taught me a lot about how owners mold their dogs, not the other way around.

The irresistible Bea Arthur

-Was there something special about Bea that made you and your wife decide to add a dog to the family, or had you made the decision before seeing her that you were in the market for a pet?

We were in the market for a dog, but the right dog. We had turned others down. But Bea was so well behaved and so cute, it was hard to say no. Okay, that's a lie - it was impossible.

-I have to ask…Bea Arthur? Is there a story behind this name, or are you just a huge Golden Girls fan?

We're fans of the show. We used to watch it every night before we went to sleep (til we'd pretty much seen them all). We wanted to name her after something comedy related because of what I do, but all my favorite legends are men. Suddenly, Sara suggested Bea Arthur, and it just fit. She's stoic and doesn't have time for silly bitches.

-How has adding Bea to the family changed your life (for better or worse)?

We're a lot more tired than we used to be (and about $1200 poorer already). But we feel like we're a family now - and I'm in the best shape I've been in in a while.

-Now that you have a dog of your own, is your fear completely under control or are there still some lingering hesitations?

Steve and Bea

I still pause a bit with some bigger dogs, especially with owners that don't look like they know what they're doing. There was a giant dog in the dog park once that I refer to as the junkyard dog. The owner didn't care what the dog was doing, and it had a big old chain on its neck - and was clearly starting with the other dogs. That type of dog, it'll be a while before I'm comfortable.

-For those readers of Mad About Pets who may have a fear of dogs, in your experience, how do you begin to overcome that fear?

Watch a great deal of Animal Planet. And just understand that not all dogs are the same - kind of like people that way, but they sleep more.

Review and BONUS GIVEAWAY: Vet's Best Seasonal Allergy Support and Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo

Summer is here, and unfortunately so is allergy season. But did you know that many pets suffer from seasonal allergies, too? If your pet is one of those unlucky allergy sufferers, you know just how uncomfortable the sneezing and itching makes them. Just in time for allergy season, Mad About Pets was given the opportunity to test out 2 seasonal allergy products for dogs by Vet’s Best: their Seasonal Allergy Support supplement and Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo.

Canine volunteer Harley

Since there are currently no dogs residing in the Mad About Pets household, I enlisted the help of a canine volunteer to test these products. Harley, a friend's 9-year-old Golden Retriever, stepped in to assist. Harley is allergic to flavored rawhide bones, damp weather, and certain foods such as lamb and rice. Harley is currently on allergy medication, and his owner reports he is generally uncooperative in that he tends to spit out his allergy pills. Two days prior to administering the first dosage of the Seasonal Allergy Support supplement, Harley quit taking his allergy medication so that he would have a clean testing slate. Much to my surprise (and to Harley’s owner’s), Harley had no qualms about taking the Seasonal Allergy Support Supplement. He was given one pill each morning and evening for a week and took the pill with no issues. To quote Harley’s owner: “I let him play outside as it was rainy and damp all week. I left him run through weeds. I let him eat flavored rawhide bones. I gave him extra meaty treats. He did not break out with a hot spot. I was surprised that the supplement worked!”

Harley was also on the job to try out the Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo. Harley was allowed to get extra dirty during the week, so his fur was nice and full of weeds, dirt and even a bit of poo when the time came for his bath. Harley’s owner reports that “the shampoo cleaned him nicely by removing all the dirt, weeds, grass, loose fur, loose dander, and poo.” She also states that it did not irritate his sensitive skin like many shampoos do. Due to the hypo-allergenic nature of the shampoo, it is unscented so it should not bother the sensitive skin and noses of dogs with allergies. In other words, your dog will not have that freshly-shampooed smell…just a clean dog with no extra scent.

Many thanks to Harley and his person for giving these great products a try!

Want to win a bottle of Vet’s Best Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo for your dog?

Win a bottle of Vet's Best
Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo!

Mad About Pets is giving away 1 bottle of Vet's Best Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo  to a lucky reader. Here's how to snag a free bottle for your pup:

To enter the giveaway:

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me a little about the dog who would enjoy this shampoo. Make sure to leave me a way to contact you, whether it be Twitter, email, etc. so I can notify you if you win!

Want some extra entries? Here's how:

5 extra entries:

*Blog about this contest with a link to this post (leave me a comment with the link)

1 extra entry:

*Tweet a link to this giveaway @MadAboutPets
*Follow me on Twitter
*Join my Facebook fan page
*Subscribe to my feed
*Post a link to Mad About Pets on your blog or site

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry to state you have completed the requirement. I highly suggest that you leave your email address (use "name [at] domain dot com" format to avoid spambots) in your comment(s) so that I am able to contact you ASAP if you're a winner. If I cannot contact the winner within 3 days, I will have to draw a new winner.

Entry deadline is July 13, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. This giveaway is open to United States residents only.

Good luck!

Interview: Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary (and how your help is URGENTLY needed!)

Mad About Pets was fortunate to visit Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary last month, where we were positively blown away by the hard work and dedication of the operator Beth. Critter Camp cares for hundreds of unique and unusual exotic species every day, giving them a safe place to call home. Right now, Critter Camp is almost at full capacity and is looking to expand. As a finalist in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, you have the opportunity to help give Critter Camp the much-needed funds to expand their operation and build a brand new, green sanctuary for their deserving critters to happily live out their lives. Read on for an exclusive Mad About Pets interview with Critter Camp’s very own Beth, and learn how you can help:  

What is Critter Camp?

Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary cares for unadoptable, abandoned and abused small pets other than cats and dogs. Currently we care for over 300 pets of 36 different species. Critter Camp is the only such licensed non-profit volunteer-operated sanctuary in the entire country. We are located in northern Illinois, but accept animals from as far away as Texas and Florida. We also offer hands-on educational tours where folks get to meet the animals we care for, and we provide public awareness and educational presentations.



Tell us a little about your animals. Which are the most unique? Which are the most challenging?

Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary has saved the lives of thousands of unadoptable pets: elderly, aggressive rabbits, ferrets with adrenal disease and insulinoma, hedgehogs with tumors, birds that bite, mice, rats, hamsters, fennec foxes- you name it – we've saved it!



Most were going to be euthanized, some were found in trash cans and dumpsters!

The kinkajous are the most unique; they have both mauled people and are considered dangerous. Kinks are very cute when they are small, but they often turn mean out of the blue and can do major damage such as tearing an ear off of a person. The fennec foxes are also unique. They are not as dangerous but they are a challenge. They need to be free range roaming about but they are not potty trainable, so there is always a mess. Plus they get into things, so we have to basically baby-proof everything.



Where do the animals at Critter Camp come from?

The animals come to us mostly from shelters where they are going to be euthanized because they are unadoptable due to aggression, old age or chronic illness. Some have come to us from law enforcement, such as the rabbits and guinea pigs that were to be used as bait in a dog fighting ring.



How would winning the Pepsi Refresh challenge help Critter Camp?

Critter Camp relies on donations to care for the animals and, as with many non-profits, the economy has caused a decrease in donations. Fundraising takes a lot of time that could be better spent caring for more animals. Critter Camp is also at capacity for most of the animals we care for and we have plans to expand to a larger facility. Winning the contest would mean that the care of the animals would be funded for a year and we would also have money to buy the land to begin the expansion project. Basically it would mean that Critter camp could save the lives of thousands more pets!

How can readers vote, and when does the contest end?

The entry is here: http://www.refresheverything.com/helpcrittercamp

People can vote once a day, every day until the end of June 2011 August 2011. We only need to be in the top 10 to win $50,000, and we are at #32 right now.

People can vote by signing in with email or their Facebook account, or just by texting their vote:

Text 108022 to Pepsi (73774) to vote from your cell (there is no additional charge for this text other than what they would normally pay for a text.)

Right now the most important thing is to use or send us the Power Vote codes on Pepsi products! They can send the codes to info@crittercamp.biz These are vital to our winning!

The codes are on Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Maxx yellow bottle caps ( 20 oz and 2 L) and inside 12 and 24 pack boxes. These can multiply your votes up to 100x!

We'd like to also invite folks to stop by our website www.crittercamp.org and sign up for our free email newsletter - the sign up box is there on the home page, and to "like" us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/crittercamp 

If we all work together we can save the lives of so many truly "thrown away" animals and give them a healthy, happy, safe place to live out the rest of their lives.