Halloween Safety For Your Pets

Halloween is an exciting time of year, but the excitement might be a little too much for your pets. It is important to take simple precautions on Halloween to keep your pets safe.

Clear The Air would like to share these safety tips:

• Don’t give your pets any candy and keep the candy bowl out of their reach. Chocolate, xylitol (a sugar substitute), and wrappers can be very dangerous for pets.
• Make sure your pets are wearing their ID tags even if you don’t plan on taking them out. They could accidentally get out while the door is constantly opening and be scared off by Trick-or-Treaters coming to your house.
• The loud voices, constant door bell ringing, and knocks on your door can stress out your pet. Keeping your pets in another room during Trick-or-Treating time will help your pets feel safe.
• As a precaution, bring your outdoor pets inside to keep them safe from any cruel Halloween pranks.
• Keep Halloween decorations away from pets. If you are going to display your pumpkins with candles, put them where you pets can’t reach or accidentally knock over.
• Keep the costumes simple! Make sure they fit and are comfortable for your pet. Check for any loose pieces that you pet may be able to chew off and supervise them while they are dressed in costumes.

Pet Friendly Ways To Celebrate Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is May 10 and Clear The Air would like to share these purrfect ways to celebrate all mothers!

Purrfect Mother’s Day Ideas: Pet-Friendly Activities

With Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about the special women in your life who are mothers. And if you know a dog or cat mom, she deserves to celebrate Mother’s Day, too, though it can be challenging to find pet-friendly activities for these mothers and their fur babies. Here are a few pet-appropriate ideas for treating pet parents in celebration of Mother’s Day, in fur-friendly style.

Pet-Centric Bistro Lunch

There are many establishments that cater to animal owners and welcome patrons of the four-legged variety. The website BringFido.com allows you to search for a dog-friendly places in your area, whether a pub, sidewalk cafe, coffee shop or trendy eatery, the fur babies are welcomed at an outdoor table.

Booking a reservation at one of these restaurants will guarantee a good time for mom and her wet-nosed companion. Mimosas and Milkbones, anyone?

Dinner and a Furry Flick

As quaint as a furry bistro may be, finding pet-friendly dining establishments can be a tedious task in certain areas, so an alternate plan is to treat your pet mama to a night in. Create a pizza that both mom and fur baby can enjoy. Use organic flour, instant yeast, salt, organic sugar, extra virgin olive oil, and warm water, to make a pizza dough safe for dog consumption. Top it off with dog-safe toppings, like spinach, shredded carrots, artichoke hearts, pineapple, green beans, broccoli or sweet potato. Avoid onions and mushrooms, which do not agree with the puppy constitution.

As for the film, the most recommended movies to enjoy with your pets, according to PetMD, are Scooby Doo, Best in Show, 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, and coming in at the top of the list, Homeward Bound. Cuddle up with mom and pooch and let the laughter, barking and meowing commence.

Dog Park Picnic

If you’re not in the mood for a bistro, but still want to get parent and pet out of the house for the special day, plan a trip to an animal-friendly park in the area. The proud mama can let her babies run around before settling down for a picnic meal of packaged gourmet sandwiches from a local deli and freshly homemade dog food for your four-legged companions.

To make this outing extra special, give the gift of edible delectables. Decadent chocolates or chocolate-covered strawberries not only make a great gift, they’re also the perfect dessert to top-off an outdoor picnic meal. Don’t forget to sign the card from both you and Fido.

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate those special ladies who pour love into everything they do, who give more than they receive, and who always think of their loved ones first, whether those loved ones have two legs or four. So make sure those caring mothers get a little special treatment of their own this year, from you and the fur babies.

Keeping Your Dog and Cat Active

Are your pets at home alone all day??

While you are at work, your dogs and cats are sitting at home just waiting for you to come home. Some pets may even chew up the furniture just because they are bored. Pets need to be active and need mental stimulation, it is important for their health. You can also help prevent problem behaviors by providing your pets with toys or activities to do while you are gone.

Here are some tips from the ASPCA on how to keep your dog and cat active when you are home and when you aren’t.

Keep Your Pets Safe On Halloween

Halloween is a fun time of year for the family, but the noise and excitement of the night may not be as much fun for your pets. It is important to take extra steps on Halloween to make sure your pets stay safe. Here are some Halloween safety tips from Clear The Air:

• Keep all Halloween candy and wrappers away from pets to avoid choking or poisining. Chocolate and xylitol (a sweetener in candy) can be very toxic for animals. Have some pet treats on hand to give your pets so they don’t feel left out.
• Keep your pets inside for their safety even if you are going to be home. Stay with your pet if they need to go outside to use the bathroom to avoid anything harmful that could happen due to a cruel Halloween prank.
• Find a quiet place in the house for your pets to stay when the trick-or-treaters will be constantly ringing the door bell and making noise. The loud noise and constant strangers at the door may stress your pet out. Also you don’t want your pet to run out the house while the door is constantly being opened up.
• Halloween decorations should be used where your pets won’t be able to get to them. Pumpkins with candles should not be placed on the floor because they can be easily knocked over or can burn a curious pet.
• Pet costumes should be non-restrictive and should not have any dangling accessories that pets can choke on if they came off. Supervise your pet while they are in their costume.  If your pet doesn’t seem to be comfortable in a costume then it’s a good idea to just let them go as themselves for Halloween.
• Make sure your pets are wearing their ID tags in case they get separated or scared and take off. This can be a good time to think about getting your pet microchipped if you haven’t already. It can help bring pets home quicker if they get lost.

What Others Are Saying About Clear The Air’s Odor Eliminators

Clear The Air produces amazing results when it comes to eliminating odors. Here’s a great testimonial from an article on the examiner.com:

“Clear the Air is possibly the most amazing new product I have encountered since…well, since toaster pastries. Made by Earth Care Products, this is a granulated odor removal product made from an all natural mineral. It is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, non-caustic, and biodegradable. After it has been used to eliminate odors, the remaining granules can be disposed of in your garden, as it will add time-released nitrogen nutrients to the soil! It can safely be used around pets and children: even if it is eaten, it is non-toxic (unlike some toaster pastries).”

“A lot of time went into that latch hook rug and I could not bring myself to discard it so it went into the garage – til now. I decided it would be a great test for this product. I sprinkled the product onto the latch hook rug, waited 24 hours (knowing this would never work), shook the rug outside into the tomato plants…and could not believe that the smell was gone. Several days later the odor is still gone. I even made the small teenager sniff the rug (oh she was thrilled).” -Phyllis (Dayton Small Pet Examiner)

Click here to read the entire article

Potty Training Tips For Your Dog

Need help potty training your puppy?

Clear The Air knows all about potty training. We had to go through it with our youngest dog, “Z”!

If you experience any accidents in the house, make sure to use Clear The Air Pet Odor Eliminator. Click on the link to learn how to eliminate accidents from your puppy.

Here are some helpful potty training tips:

• Restrict your dog’s access to the house. Making his environment smaller makes him less apt to have an accident. This same process can also be used for crate training.
• Keep your dog with you, or keep an eye on him. Dogs usually like to sneak off to have accidents, if you can’t see him, he might be getting into something he shouldn’t be.
• Go outside with him when teaching your dog to potty train. If you don’t see him urinating and defecating outside he might just be playing and not taking care of business. Plus going out with him teaches you about his routine.
• Quietly praise your dog for going potty outside. Don’t reprimand him for making a mistake, just distract him and get him outside as soon as you can.
• If you have a dog that likes one particular area specifically, you can put his food near that area and he will not urinate or defecate where he eats. But be careful, this sometimes doesn’t address the problem and the dog finds a new spot.
• Utilize a crate, or a baby gate, or an exercise pen when you are not home. If you are diligent about keeping your dog with you when you are home, but he pees or poops as soon as you leave it is defeating your hard work. Crates are a wonderful tool for potty training.
• Do not use puppy pads or indoor aids when potty training if you want your dog to potty outside. Encouraging potty indoor sometimes, but then wanting them to go outside is confusing. Choose one or the other and stick with it.

Check Out Juniper, Looking For Her Forever Home!

Meet Juniper!

Juniper is a hidden gem at the San Diego Humane Society and is looking for HER forever home! Check out why she is so special:

Ever met a dog who’s a leaner? Y’know, the type who sooo enjoys being pet that they start leaning into you? It’s like they are trying to get as close to you as possible. Um yah, it’s pretty much the cutest thing ever, just sayin’.  …Well on that note, I’d like to introduce you to Juniper, an adorable 1-year old Chow/ Golden Retriever mix, and a total leaner. And she might even roll over and grant you the honor of giving her a belly rub while you’re at it!

While it’s true that Juniper can be a little shy at first – that’s only at first. Once she gets to know you, her abundance of charm and her sweet personality comes shining through! And what’s more, Juniper loves being friends with people and doggies alike. In fact, this special girl would love to have a dog buddy at home, to whom she promises that she’ll be a most loyal and devoted play pal! ‘Cause Juniper certainly does love to play! Fetching tennis balls is one of her favorite activities, but Juniper also enjoys simply romping around with her doggie buds. And, of course, throwing a toy into the mix is always encouraged. But with all her playfulness, this sweet girl still knows how to sit back and enjoy life, especially if cuddling on the sofa is involved!

Juniper is currently living in a foster home where she has almost completely mastered potty training, and where she is also learning some very cool skills like “touch,” “shake,” and “come.” Not too shabby, eh? Her foster family has also been working to help Juniper feel more comfortable with the big scary world that’s all around her, and they tell us that she is making lots of progress. Of course, some things – like the vacuum cleaner – still make her very nervous. Her foster family says that Juniper’s ideal home would be one that’s adult-only (as the kiddies tend to make her really nervous), that’s not too loud or chaotic, and that has a high fence and another dog in the home, or at least lots of doggie play dates for her!

Juniper’s adoption fee of $95 includes her spay, current vaccinations, permanent microchip identification, a certificate for a free veterinary exam, a bag of food from Hill’s Science Diet and a license if residing in Oceanside or Vista! As we said, this very special hidden gem is currently in foster care, so please contact us at (619) 299-7012 to set up an introduction or get more information!

Check out more on Juniper at the San Diego Humane Society‘s Hidden Gem list on their website!

New Puppy 101 – 5 Tips To Socializing Your New Family Member

New puppy tips.

Congratulations, you’ve brought home your new puppy!  Now it is time to help him learn how to live in his new world and make him comfortable around new things such as the mailman, the vacuum cleaner and the occasional guest.

1. First of all, you want your puppy to meet new people. This means both inside your home and out and about at new places.  When your puppy engages successfully with new people reward him for demonstrating a good behavior.  Initially, it is a good idea to introduce your puppy to new people on his own turf – at home.  When new people come over, suggest they crouch down low and let the puppy approach them on his/her own time.
2. Once your puppy enjoys new adults, introduce him to kids for a short amount of time.  Sometimes children might accidentally play too rough with your pup so make sure you supervise them constantly in the beginning.  As an alternative, if you bring your dog to a park your puppy will likely draw kids to him on his own.
3. Next you will want to socialize your puppy around other dogs.  A great way to do this is to bring your dog to a dog park.  This way you can let your pup decide who to meet and for how long.  It is also helpful to host doggie playdates.  Invite friends to bring their dogs to your garden or backyard for a game of Frisbee or ball chase.
4. If you have other pets, introduce them slowly to the new puppy.  By keeping the new puppy in a kennel, this allows the new pet to visit it through the safety of the bars.  Gradually extend the length of these visits until you allow them to meet face to face.
5. Lastly, you should introduce new experiences to your puppy such as vacuums and other types of loud things around the house.  First let your puppy check out the quieted item, then place your puppy a safe distance away before turning on the object for a second or two.  After you turn it off, stand the object up and call your pup to you.  Reward him with affection.  Lastly, after the noise has been turned on try calling your pup.  After a while loud noises will not bother him.

Putting in extra time when you first get your puppy to socialize him is a labor of love that will pay off later – for both you and your pup.

7 Ways To Keep Your Pet Cool This Summer

The dog days of summer – what you can do to ensure your pet is safe from the heat.

We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but the ASPCA warns being overeager in hot weather can spell danger.

Take these simple precautions, provided by ASPCA experts, to help prevent your pet from overheating. And if you suspect your pet is suffering from heat stroke, get help from your veterinarian immediately.

1. Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
2. Symptoms of  overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees. Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
3. Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. “On a hot day, a parked car can become a furnace in no time-even with the windows open-which could lead to fatal heat stroke,” says Dr. Louise Murray, Vice President of ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. Also, leaving pets unattended in cars in extreme weather is illegal in several states.
4. Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool-not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset.
5. “During warmer months, the ASPCA sees an increase in injured animals as a result of High-Rise Syndrome, which occurs when pets-mostly cats-fall out of windows or doors and are seriously or fatally injured,” says Dr. Murray. “Pet owners need to know that this is completely preventable if they take simple precautions.” Keep all unscreened windows or doors in your home closed and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured.
6. Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs’ coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.
7. When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.

7 Steps To Your Pets’ Healthy Life

Tips for a healthy dog and cat.

Here at Clear the Air, we love our pets and want to provide them with a long and happy life. We would like to share some tips on keeping your pets’ happy and healthy.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Comment on our blog!

1. Regular Vet Visits – Just like a human, your pet can get heart problems or have arthritis. Prevent any issues by taking your pet to the vet to prevent any issues or catch them early.
2. Spay And Neuter – Sadly 8-10 million pets end up in US shelters every year. An easy way to stop that number from growing is to spay and neuter your cats and dogs. Not only does spaying and neutering cut down on the number of unwanted pets, it also can lower the risk of certain cancers and can reduce the risk of a pet getting lost by lowering the tendency to roam.
3. Parasite Prevention – Fleas and ticks are the most common external parasite to plague pets. Fleas can lead to irritate skin, hot spots, infection and hair loss. If your pet swallows a flea, it can end up with tapeworms. Year round prevention of parasites is important to your pets’ health.
4. Weight Control – Just like humans, obesity in pets in dangerous to your health. Do not over feed your pet. They need far fewer calories than most of us think. Ask your vet for feeding instructions.
5. Enriched Environment – Mental simulation for your pet is key to long term health and welfare for your cat and dog. Daily walks for dogs and scratching posts, window perches and toys for your cats are great for your pets.
6. Dental Care – Pets can suffer from gum disease, tooth loss and tooth pain. Make sure to keep up on regular brushing and oral cleanings to make sure your pets’ teeth stay healthy and clean.
7. No People Medication – Medicines for humans can kill your pet. The most common pet poisoning culprits are ibuprofen and naproxen. They can cause kidney damage, seizures and cardiac arrest in a dog or cat.