What Is a Professional Pet Sitter?

Choosing a Professional Pet Sitter

We are celebrating professional pet sitters week March 1- 7.  You may ask, “So, what is pet sitting anyway?” Dictionary.com defines pet sitting as “the act of caring for a pet in its own home while the owner is away.” What makes one a professional pet sitter? If you live in Mooresville, Davidson or Cornelius, how do you choose the best professional pet sitter for you and your pets?

Your pet needs a professional pet sitter

Your pet needs a professional pet sitter

We belong to Pet Sitters International (PSI) and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). We joined these groups as a part of starting our business because we are dedicated to doing the job right and keeping your pets safe and happy while you are away. We knew we needed information from others who had done this work for a long time and that we needed to stay current with all things pets. Both PSI and NAPPS suggest a variety of questions to ask a potential pet sitter. Key among those questions are: (1) does the pet sitter carry business liability insurance; (2) does the pet sitter use a services contract that discusses the services to be provided and the associated fees; (3) is the pet sitter trained in pet first aid and CPR; (4) how does the pet sitter keep the key to your home secure; (5)  does the pet sitter have a clean criminal record history; (6) does the pet sitter participate in continuing education on line or at pet sitters’ conferences; (7) does the pet sitter meet with you and your pets in your home prior to beginning services and is there a fee for this meeting; (8) does the pet sitter have a website that you can review to get information about the people and the company; (9) how much time will the pet sitter spend in your home with your pet; (10) what will the pet sitter do if your pet becomes ill or is injured; and (11) how does the pet sitter communicate with you.

Some of the Elements that Distinguish Our Professional Services

We are happy to assure you that (1) we are insured and bonded by Business Insurers of the Carolinas; (2) we have a comprehensive services contract; (3) we are both trained in pet first aid and CPR and Billy is an instructor in the Pet Tech family of pet first aid and CPR courses; (4) we have passed a background check with Sterling International (5) the keys to our clients’ homes are coded by number only and maintained in a locking key cabinet when not in use; (6) we attended the PetSittingOlogy conference last October and will be attending the PSI conference in September; (7) we always conduct a free meet and greet with potential clients and their pets in their home prior to beginning services; (8) our website is www.coddlecreekpetservices.com; (9) our pet sitting visits are untimed…..we stay as long as necessary to attend to the physical needs of your pets, provide them with emotional comfort and reassurance, collect your mail and newspapers, rotate your lights and blinds, roll your garbage and recycle bins to and from the curb and water a few house plants; (10) if your pet becomes ill or injured while you are away we will assess the injury or symptoms, apply first aid, contact you for instructions and if not able to reach you will take your pet to the vet if our assessment of the injuries or symptoms indicate the need for veterinary intervention; and (11) we send an email or text message after every pet sitting visit.

Please visit our website to learn more about our services.

Pet Poison Prevention and Intervention

Pet Poison Prevention Tips

Our pets are not able to distinguish between safe objects and non safe objects so it’s up to us to keep them safe. March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month and March 15 – 21 is Poison Prevention Week, so there is no better time to talk about this subject than now.

There is a great deal we can do to prevent our pets from being poisoned. First and foremost, be diligent about putting all medications out of sight and out of reach of your pets.  A bored and determined dog can accomplish feats we would never dream of, so better to be safe than sorry.  Make sure household cleaners are safely stored too.

Think about how you might keep a human toddler safe and you have the right idea.  Just remember that although you would not leave a toddler unsupervised, most pets spend a great deal of time every day unsupervised. That means the garbage needs to be empty or made inaccesible to your dog.  For some strange reason the Harwell family dogs like to eat tissues not to mention food wrappers that smell yummy. So we have learned to put a heavy coaster on top of the tissue box and to keep our bathroom doors shut.  We reommend that you keep your toilet lids down or close the bathroom door if your pets like to drink from the toilet.  This is especially true if you use bleach tablets in your toilet tank.  Learn the foods and beverages, houseplants and garden plants  that are off limits for dogs and cats and keep those out of sight and out of reach of your pets. We have tragically read about dogs and cats that have been poisoned by houseplants.      poisonous plants 8648213_f520

It’s much better to be safe than sorry.  Prevention is always preferred to assessment and treatment.  Calls to the  Pet Poison Helpline cost $49.00 not to mention the damage your pet may have already suffered and the worry you may feel.  Calls to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control cost $65.00.

Pet Poison Helpline

Pet Poison Helpline

As professional pet sitters we review safey tips with pet parents when go on our consultation visit. We recommend that all non safe items be out of reach of your pets.  Although they may be fine when you are home on your normal schedule, your cats and dogs sense the difference when you are away several days or more.  Even though we are making frequent visits to your home, your pets may become bored, so we recommend placing all medications in a cupboard your pets cannot access.

 What To Do If You Suspect Your Pet Has Ingested A Poinsonous Substance

Possible signs of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, trouble breathing, over excitement, loss of consciousness or seizures. It’s important to get veterinarian help quickly, and remember information is powerful.

  • First and foremost, stay calm and keep your pet as calm as possible.
  • Try to determine what the poisonus substance may have been, gather up any suspicious wrappers and if your pet has vomited or had diarrhea gather some of the fluids in a clean container.
  • Try to determine the approximate time your pet ingested the poison.
  • Call the veterinarian or poison control center for first aid instructions.  Never induce vomiting without being instructed to do so by a veterinarian or animal poison control expert. (If the substance is acid or a strong alkali or petroleum based, you should not induce vomiting).
  • If the substance is toxic or corrosive and on the pet’s body, brush it off and then rinse with lots of cold water.
  • Transport to the nearest veterinary hospital for veterinary assessment and treatment.

A handy aid with these instructions can be found in the Pet Tech PetSaver App  for your smart phone. The app includes a handy link to nearby veterinary hospitals and emergecny veterinary hospitals in case you are traveling or the pet poisoning occurs after typical hospital hours.

Want to Know More About Care for Your Pets

We don’t know any pet parent that doesn’t want to protect his or her four legged family members.  It’s a great idea to take a pet first aid and CPR class so you can feel and be prepared in an emergency situation.  That’s why we both took the Pet Tech PetSaver class when we had an opportunity. We were so impressed with all we learned that Billy took a three day class to become an instructor.  If you want to know about Pet Tech, click here.  If you want to register for the next class click here.  Classes are scheduled for March 21, April 18, and June 6, 2015.

 

 

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What is Happening In and Around Mooresville During March?

Are you curious about how we celebrate with our pets in and around Mooresville during March? 

For those of us who live with pets, here are the celebrations, special days and weeks we are paying attention to in around Mooresville during March that you just might want to know about.

  • March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month
  • March 15 – 21 is Poison Prevention Week
Pet Poison Helpline

Pet Poison Helpline

We hope you never have a need to call the Pet Poison Helpline, but if you do have a need we want you to know about the resource.

Sadly, guinea pigs are at risk of neglect, abuse and abandonment too.  If you are considering getting a guinea pig for a pet please visit the local shelter.  And yes, we happily provide pet sitting services for guinea pigs too.

Did you know that pigs can learn tricks?!?

  • March 1 – 7 is Professional Pet Sitters Week
Did you hire a professional pet sitter?

Did you hire a professional pet sitter?

For those of you who live in nearby areas of Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius, we are available to meet your pet sitting and dog walking needs.  Visit our website here.

While you are preparing your house and getting items ready for the humans, please be sure to gather together the items your pets need too in the event you have to evacuate. I’m sure we all remember the tragedy of people who refused to evacuate during Hurricane Hugo because they would not leave their pets behind.  Make a list of pet friendly shelters and lodging where you and your pets can go.

pet evacuation

 

  • March 8 brings us Daylight Savings Time

Yippee skippy!!!  We are ready.

  •  March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day

We’re all a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.

  • March 20 is the first day of Spring

….and not a minute too soon!!!

Who doesn’t love a puppy? The goal on this wonderful day is:

to celebrate the magic and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives. But more importantly, it’s a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills, as well as further our mission for a nation of puppy-free pet stores. Our goal is to have 10,000 puppies adopted across the US on National Puppy Day!

Of course if you plan to adopt a puppy you will need someone to help give the puppy potty breaks while you are at work.  Yes, we happily provide that service too.

Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

 

  • March 30 is Take a Walk in the Park Day

What could be better than taking a walk in the park with that puppy you adopted earlier this month?

 

Local Events In and Around Mooresville During March

  • March 10                              6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
    Iredell County Animal Services Rabies Vaccination Clinic
    430 Bristol Drive, Statesville

 

  • March 10                              6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Friends of the Animals Pet Loss Support Meeting      Call 704-235-5300 to register
    181 North Main Street, Mooresville

 

  • March 15                                1:00 PM
    The Lake Norman 5K-9    North Mecklenburg Park,  Huntersville
    www.hffa.com

 

  • March 21                                9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
    Pet Tech Pet First Aid and CPR Class
    email:   info@coddlecreekpetservices.com  or call 704-662-0973 for information
    Click here to register

We hope you have a wonderful experience in and around mooresville during March.

 

Do You Know 11 Steps to Responsible Pet Ownership?

February is Responsible Pet Owners’ Month

We love to look at special days, weeks and months for ideas about celebrations.  And we are delighted to learn that February is Responsible Pet Owners’ Month. Really, every day should be responsible pet owners’ day and we are sharing the 11 qualities we believe demonstrate responsible pet ownership.

Beau joined us at our fav restaurant during his final week

Beau joined us at our fav restaurant during his final week

 

11 Steps to Responsible Pet Ownership

  1. Learn all you can about the dog or cat breed you are considering adopting.
  2. Make a commitment to your pet for life.
  3. Have your pet micro-chipped and affix current ID tags to your pets’ collars.  Always make sure they are wearing their ID tags when they go outside of your home.
  4. Get your dog or cat spayed or neutered.
  5. Train your pet.
  6. Exercise your pet’s body and mind every day.
  7. Feed your pet the best quality food you can afford.
  8. Get regular veterinary care for your pet.
  9. Brush your pet’s teeth every day.
  10. Make adequate arrangements for your pets’ care when you go out of town.
  11. Learn pet first aid and CPR.

 

How These Steps Contribute to Responsible Pet Ownership

Learn all you can about the dog or cat breed you are considering adopting.

Knowledge of the needs of the pet you want will help to assure a good match between the pet and your household. You need to know the most typical health conditions of the breed, how much exercise is required and if you are able to provide that type and frequency of exercise. For instance, you need to select a veterinarian that can provide care for the pet you want. If you are considering adopting a bird, is there an avian specialist veterinarian nearby? What are the nutritional needs of the pet you want? What type of training is needed? And remember, it is really you who needs the training!!!

We strongly support pet adoption.  According to the US Humane Society, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are euthanized every year.  These are pets that were surrendered by owners, dumped, or found stray.  If you adopt a pet, you save his or her life and make room in the shelter for another pet. If you buy a pet from an on line ad you are contributing to puppy mills.  We adopted our Daisy Mae through National Brittany and Adoption Network (NBRAN).  She helped our hearts to heal after Beau went over the Rainbow Bridge from lymphoma.   Yes, adopting a pet can put a smile on your face.

Frightened Daisy Mae at the shelter

Frightened Daisy Mae at the shelter

 

One Happy Daisy Mae on a boat ride

One Happy Daisy Mae on a boat ride

Don’t worry, her life jacket was in the boat!!

Make a commitment to your pet for life.
Enough Said

Enough Said

Rita Reimers, noted cat analyst has written a heartfelt blog about people dumping their cats.

Have your pet micro-chipped and affix current ID tags to your pets’ collars.  Always make sure they are wearing their ID tags when they go outside of your home.

Approximately 15% of pet owners report having lost a pet within a five year period of time according to a recent ASPCA study.  ID tags and microchips were important in getting 15% of the lost dogs home.  It’s important for ID tags to have the owners’ cell phone number as well as the number of another emergency contact.  If there is enough room on the tag you can add the land line number and if comfortable with it the home address.  Be sure to update the information if you move or get a new phone number. And, please register the microchip information with the microchip company….otherwise it is useless!

Get your dog or cat spayed or neutered.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Every year, millions of unwanted dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, are euthanized. The good news is that responsible pet owners can make a difference. By having your dog or cat sterilized, you will do your part to prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens. Spaying and neutering prevent unwanted litters and may reduce many of the behavioral problems associated with the mating instinct.

Train your pets.

A study done by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP) and published on PetFinder’s website indicated that 96% of the dogs relinquished to shelters had received no training.  There are some basics that are essential to a happy relationship between you and your dog.  These include potty and crate training, and the cues for sit, stay, down, off, drop it, leave it and come.  For fun you can always add in tricks such as roll over and high five! We heartily recommend positive reinforcement training. If you need a trainer locally we are pleased to recommend Donna Rogers with K-9 Capers Dog Training Academy in Concord and Sara Higgins with Positive Pups Dog Training, LLC in Cornelius.

What about training for your cat or bird?  Yes, you read right.  Pets Web MD offers great tips for training your kitten or cat to use the litter box. The Partnership for Animal Welfare offers tips on teaching your cat to use a scratching post. Many years ago while still working as a social worker one of my clients told me he had trained his cat to walk on a leash. I was pretty astounded at the time, but have since learned it is a valuable skill.  Mother Nature Network offers some tips on helping you and kitty acquire this skill.

Pet MD offers tips for training your pet bird.  Multiple issues are also common to other species: biting, screaming (barking), grooming, using treats, chewing on furniture and traveling.  We got a laugh about talking birds and their sometimes unsavory vocabularies!

Exercise your pet’s body and mind every day.

All pets need physical and mental stimulation on a daily basis.  You can play games indoors with your kitties to engage them and keep them on the move. Of course, we know that dogs need time for sniffing walks when they can check and deposit “pee mail.”  A good generalization is that most dogs need at least 2 walks of 15 minutes duration every day.  The specifics will depend on your dog’s breed, general health and temperament and age.  If you don’t have time to walk with your dog on a regular basis, consider hiring a professional dog walker several days per week or even daily if your budget allows.  Having a variety of places to walk with a variety of sights and smells will enrich your dog’s life.  On those days that the weather makes long walks out of doors unsafe, play some mental games inside. Nose work inside is particularly effective.

Feed your pet the best quality food you can afford.

Remember not to overfeed your pets either. Pet obesity has become a huge problem in the US. It’s best to feed your pets at certain times of the day so you can easily assess how much they are eating.  An added benefit is if they eat on a regular schedule they will be more likely to eliminate on a regular schedule. Leaving dry kibble down for cats is discouraged too because they benefit from eating canned food.  Cats tend not to drink enough water so they need the hydration from canned or “wet” foods.  Lisa A. Pierson, DVM offers an excellent explanation of these facts.

Get regular veterinary care for your pet.

In general pets need to be assessed by their veterinarian on at least a yearly basis.  Puppies and kittens as well as senior pets need to be evaluated more frequently.  And of course, pets with chronic medical conditions need more frequent monitoring.

Regular checkups include examining the ears, eyes, nose, abdominal organs, skin and fur and heart and lungs.  This is also the time for vaccination protocols, heartworm preventative medications and lab work. It is much easier on the pet to prevent a problem than to treat a problem.  And we might add, less expensive. We fostered to adopt Trooper through English Springer Spaniel Rescue America (ESRA) and he came to us Heartworm positive.  It was heartbreaking having to keep him quiet during the months of treatment.

Trooper

Trooper

 Brush your pet’s teeth every day.

Yes, you can and should do this.  It’s easier if you start when a puppy, but they can learn to accept it at any age.  just be sure to use toothpaste made for dogs and cats, not the human kind.  Human toothpaste has soap in it to make it sudsy and that’s not good for our pets because they can’t spit it out. Experiment until you find the flavor they like (vanilla, mint, chicken, beef).  There are a variety of types of toothbrushes too, so keep at it until you find the right one.  I brush our dogs’ teeth multiple times per week and we are going to be able to skip dental cleanings this year.  That is not only a financial savings but we’re so relieved not to have anyone put under anesthesia.

Just as with humans, there is a link between good oral health and good general health.  Dogs with proper dental care live on average two years longer than those without proper dental care. Luke is almost 9 years old and is an old hand at getting his teeth brushed.  Daisy Mae and Trooper are mildly resistant (we adopted them) but they are getting better at accepting it.

Luke

Luke

Make adequate arrangements for your pets’ care when you go out of town.

In today’s world we have numerous options for pet care when we are unavailable.  Options include friends or family members, in home pet boarding, pet kenneling and professional pet sitting in your home. We recommend against the use of the kid next door at any time.  While family and friends may work out some of the time, it can become an awkward situation if you ask them too often.  It’s important to avoid the “hobby sitters” who do this to pick up “pin money.”  They are extremely unlikely to be bonded, to carry professional business liability insurance, to have a criminal background check, to be trained in pet first aid and CPR and to be available long term when the novelty of “playing” with dogs and cats has worn off.

If the cost is an issue and you only have one pet you may be well served with a good boarding or kenneling facility.  If you have two pets your costs between a professional pet sitter and a facility will be similar.  If you have three or more pets or pets of multiple species you will most likely find a professional pet sitter who provides care in your home to be most cost effective.  While many pets do well in a boarding facility, most thrive in their own familiar homes.  A professional pet sitter will be able to give your home that lived in look with rotation of lights and draperies, mail and newspaper collection, roll out of garbage and recycle containers and watering a few houseplants.

Two professional pet sitters organizations offer user friendly pet sitter locator services: Pet Sitters International (PSI) and National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS).

Learn pet first aid and CPR.

No one wants to encounter an emergency, but we all know urgent issues happen every day.  It’s a good idea to take a class in pet first aid and CPR. There are numerous options available.  Billy has been trained by two organizations.  After we were both trained in the PetSaver program by Pet Tech last October we were both so impressed with the program that he took the training to become a trainer. He offers the courses approximately 8 times per year.

Learn about PetTech at this link.  See Billy’s instructor profile at this link.



 

Thanks for taking the necessary steps toward responsible pet ownership!!!

Pet First Aid Class Available in Mooresville on February 28

Billy Harwell Certified to Teach Pet Tech Pet First Aid and CPR Classes

Have you ever wondered what the “More” is in our business name?  When we were brainstorming what to name our business we purposely made allowances for expansion. Hence the “More” in our name. On February 28 you will see one of the multiple reasons for “More” when Billy begins offering pet first aid classes. Both of us were trained by Pet Tech, Inc. in pet first aid and CPR last October. Billy’s background with first aid and CPR with humans has easily transferred to pet first aid and CPR.

In January Billy achieved a significant professional goal after attending a three day training course for Pet Tech Instructors.  Pet Tech is an international organization whose mission is “Improving the quality of pets’ lives, one pet parent at a time.”  Pet Tech is the premiere organization offering information and training in Pet CPR, First Aid & Pet Care.  Check out the web site at http://www.pettech.net for full information.

Billy successfully completed the Pet Tech Instructor Training program in January, 2015 and is qualified to teach the Pet Tech family of programs.  The 8-hour PetSaver™ class includes the skills and information necessary to prepare the pet owner in the unfortunate event of a medical emergency involving their pet.  Some of the topics highlighted in the class include:  CPR, Rescue Breathing, Shock Management, Bleeding, Injury Assessment, Heat Injuries, Cold Injuries, dental care and senior care.  These skills are essential for dog and cat groomers, dog walkers and pet sitters too. Billy now offers Pet Tech’s pet first aid and care classes for pet owners:  PetSaver™, First Aid & Care For Your Pets™ and Knowing Your Pet’s Health™”.

Class is Completed!

Class is Completed!

 

Why Take a Pet First Aid Course?

An important part of being a caring, conscientious, responsible and loving pet owner is knowing the life saving skills of pet first aid and care.  Your pets, just like children are at greater risk of death or injury from preventable accidents than any other reason.  Taking the correct and proper actions can significantly increase the chances of survival and reduce the extent of injury to your pet, before transporting them to your veterinarian.  The PetSaver™ Class is designed to help pet parents keep their pets happy and healthy. Additionally, each student receives a copy of Pet Tech’s PetSaver handbook, an emergency muzzle and a certificate valid for two years. Your registration fee also includes lunch.

Classes are scheduled for February 28, 2015 and March 21, 2015. For more information call Billy Harwell at Dog Walkers & More at Coddle Creek, LLC (704-662-0973).  For those of you that have used our pet sitting, dog walking or pet taxi services, we offer a significant discount on the fee.  You may call us to register.

If you are new to our services you may sign up for the February 28 class here. You may sign up for the March 21 class here.

 

CPR for dog

CPR for dog

 

 

 

 

 

Pet Tech – Pet Saver is Coming to Coddle Creek

Pet Tech – Pet Saver is Coming to Coddle Creek

Recently we told you how pleased we were to take the Pet Tech – Pet Saver training when we were in Las Vegas last October. We took the course for the safety of our own pets as well as the safety of your pets. When we are providing care for your pets, we want to assure they are happy, comfortable and safe.  We love our pets and know you love your pets as much as we love ours. We want you to have the skills and confidence necessary to administer first aid to your pets when necessary, but just as importantly to be able to recognize potential health issues to discuss with your veterinarian. That’s why Billy has chosen to be trained as a Pet Tech – Pet Saver, CPR and First Aid Instructor. http://www.pettech.net/index.php

Billy is taking the Pet Tech – Pet Saver instructor’s training this month and we anticipate he will teach his first class in March or April.  The course he will offer is 8 hours in duration and can be taught in one full session or two half days. Please let us know whether you prefer one full day or two half days for taking the Pet Tech – Pet Saver, CPR & First Aid program. We will keep that in mind as we set up the schedule.

Some of the topics addressed in the training include primary assessment; snout to tail assessment for injury and wellness; heat and cold injuries; insect bites/stings and snakebite; bleeding and shock management; choking management; assessing the pet’s vitals; seizure; rescue breathing; canine and feline breathing; restraining and muzzling; and caring for your senior pet-izen.

The American Veterinary Medical Association reminds us, “Always remember that any first aid administered to your pet should be followed by immediate veterinary care. First aid care is not a substitute for veterinary care, but it may save your pet’s life until it receives veterinary treatment.”

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