Vol. 1 No. 6 July, August 2012 Playtime!!! Agility Equipment Up and Running Painting the Pasture Art Group Comes to Cottonwood The last couple of weeks has seen some of the Cottonwood staff putting their more active pasture walk dogs through our new agility course. The course is a pet project of Penny Vardell, Cottonwood s co-owner who has wanted to put one together for years. The course has been named the Gabi Vardell Memorial Agility Course after Penny s dog Gabi who would leisurely walk through the course and check it all out on her evening forays into the pasture. Gabi looks on as brother Michael jumps a hurdle back in March Back in her younger days, Gabi was known to be quite agile, jumping every fence on the property and wondering why they were there. The teeter totter sports a plaque with Gabi s name on it. The crew at the kennel got together and had this plaque made to honor Gabi. Penny believes in keeping our little guys fit and trim. The agility course works in well with the daily play/exercise program the kennel is famous for already. She loves to try out different pets o n t h e course as a part of their normal play times. She recently took Pippi Bynny for a little spin on the course. As seen in these pictures, Pippi was a natural. She ran the course perfectly. The course, designed by Dan Antaya, includes weave poles, teeter totter, hurdles and a jump ring. It is located across the pasture from the play yards in our pasture area. M a y b e someday we ll find that champion in our midst. Until then, let s have fun!! ********************** All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it." ~ Samuel Butler ********************** Members of the art community descended on Cottonwood Kennels Friday July 13th armed with paint, brushes, easels, drawing books and canvas. O u r p a s t u r e was their t a r g e t du jour. With all Nicholas politely poses the green and trees in full bloom, plus the sheep, chickens and our alpaca, It was a target rich environment for a well eyed artist. T h e group spent the day putting on paper and canvas, the The finishing touches beauty of Cottonwood Kennel s pasture. Everything was game. The barn, Nicolas our alpaca, chickens of the field and the sheep all found themselves the center of artistic attention. Et Voila The finished work The group plans to return in the fall to enjoy the rich fall colors as the foliage begins to turn for the season
Page 2 _July, August 2012 Front Office Report By Rhonda Beitzel Making our Pets Comfortable in Their Senior Years Kennel Manager By Penny Vardell We are definitely into summer. We have experienced several really hot days. One of the most important things we keep an eye on is the temperature. We pay very close attention to the dogs when they are outdoors. We have lots of shade, misters, pools of water and even gently wet them down occasionally with the hoses.. Mikaela cooling them down with the hose When the temperature gets too hot we bring the little guys inside to rest up in the air conditioning. We do this both for Boarders and daycare dogs. We are always watching the dogs, both individually and as a group. We watch for excessive panting, red gums, lethargy or any other sign of general discomfort. We want to keep everybody healthy and having fun. Our playgroup schedule changes occasionally due to higher temperature forecasts, so if you would like to know the schedule for a particular day, feel free to call in advance. We who choose to have pets will come to that point in our life, and our pets life where we will have to face our friends senior years. A lot of those senior years can be quite fun and rewarding, but the time will come where they look to us for special needs. There are a lot of things we can do to help our senior pets I know that sometimes it is hard to look back at their younger years and wish that they hadn t gone by so quickly. The years that brought us to those senior years were filled with love, fun, adventure and unforgettable memories. When those late years arrive, we hold tight to those early days of frolicking and playfulness. Penny resting with her dogs, Gabi 11, Mouse 15 and Michael 5 on an adventure hike at Sawhill Ponds in 2011. The later years seem to pass more quickly than the younger ones, so be sure to fill them with as much fun and adventure as they can handle. There are a lot of things we can do to help our senior pets feel more comfortable. Softer beds, lighter treats and gentle toys are the easy ones. The harder ones like medications, acupuncture and more checkups at their veterinarians office make a great difference too. Pet health professionals and care providers can give us many options to help make these years more comfortable The later years seem to pass more quickly than the younger ones Watch their eating and drinking habits. Older dogs may need softer foods as their teeth begin to go. There are a variety of good soft foods on the market today for senior pets. Look for differences in their stool and urine. A lot of senior health problems can be caught early if you notice differences in them. Treatments are available for most internal illnesses if caught early on. Most important, spend time with them. Your love is the best medicine for their older age. That love will make them more comfortable than most medicines combined. When the time to say goodbye to your little loved one comes, hold tight to that incredible journey you have had. Though it may hurt more than you can stand, remember every minute of your time together. Because we chose to have pets, and knowing that these times will come to pass, we would live no other way, because that is who we are.
Page 3 July, August 2012 Purrs from the Cattery By Connie Duras Cottonwood Tails Cleanliness: Job One By Kristin Jeffers Betty and Wilma first stay at CWK is a month long. Their house was sold but it took a little time to find a new one. The cutie little girls are sisters. Betty is a long hair buff colored kitty. Wilma is a long hair orange colored tabby kitty. The girls found their family two years ago when Dad was taking out the trash. He looked down and there were two little fuzzy balls of fury. The girls are little shy so they are staying in the kitchen. They love to sleep on or under the futon. Both girls come out to say Meow first thing in the morning. Betty likes setting in the East window for Sun shine and bird watching. Wilma likes the North window to watch the cow in a back pasture. Both girls use the West window to watch the sun set and the sheep playing. Their favorite time is when their family comes to visit. Cleaning is one of the biggest jobs we have here at Cottonwood making sure that our furry little guests stay happy and safe. Cleaning takes place at least 2 times per day. We alternate every other day between two different disinfectants. This insures that no bacteria becomes immune to one disinfectant used over and over. We use a lot of Clorox in dilution for spot cleaning too. Cleanliness doesn t just happen inside the kennel. We also keep every individual play and exercise yard as clean as possible. Kristin wipes down a kennel in the small dog kenneling area, or The Blaze as we call it. We spot clean every time one of the pets needs to be picked up after. Even the scoopers are disinfected between uses to avoid any chance of cross contamination. Every weekend while the little guys are brought in for their noon time break, the yards are raked clean of hair, leaves and any thing else that is there. We then put down a leave on disinfectant that soaks into the astro turf. This disinfectant is also rotated to keep a n y t h i n g f r o m building up an immunity. Becca squeegees down one of the kennel runs after rinsing. We have 15 to 17 staff on daily to make sure nothing is m i s s e d. E v e r y section has 2 p e o p l e cleaning all day. Each staff m e m b e r goes through a week of training so that they understand the in and outs of our cleaning protocol and the reasons it is so necessary. We want our furry friends to have a fun safe time, and the biggest part of their care is a clean environment. Shannon rakes up one of the play yards
Notes From Small Dog Playgroup By Pilar Heffelfinger Playgroup Captain Cottonwood Tails Page 4 July, August 2012 Notes from Large Dog Playgroup By Sterling Loetz Playgroup Captain Mikes Canine Culinary Corner By Mike Thorpe In the heated days of summer, we pull out all the stops to make sure your little one is safe and cool. A lot of the little ones who used to be appreh e n s i v e about all of our water activities are now avid fans. It is adorable to see some of the little ones standing proudly under the water misters or stepping happily into the pools. There are a lot of things you can do at home to protect your pooches from the summer heat. On walks, try to avoid concrete sidewalks and asphalt. Stay in the shade as much as possible and remember that water is your best friend. Water is your friend in the summer time heat.. You can freeze some of your pups favorite toys in a silicone baking mold for some backyard fun. One of the things we do here is put all the toys in the wading pools. This encourages the munchkins to jump in and splash around trying to retrieve their favorite toy. Calling all large dogs to the large dog play yard! The month of August is going to be a blast. We have the pools set up and the cool misters in both small and large dog play yards. We are excited by all the new dogs that are showing up and establishing new friendships in play group. After all, it is a social affair! The month of July saw record temperatures this summer and we would like to remind everyone that if the t e m p e r a t u r e reaches 95 degrees or above, One of our yard misters play groups will be shut down and all dogs will be brought inside to cool off. It is important to understand that canine temperatures can easily rise to dangerous levels in this kind of heat as canines do not poses the same methods of bodily temperature regulation as we human folk do. Cooling wet mist With that said let us keep the good times rolling and the play yard full of doggy laughter. We hope to see you all soon! This month we will be making Quickie Dog Cookies. You will need the following ingredients. 1 Jar baby food (turkey, beef or pork) 1/3 cup of wheat germ or 2/3 cup of dry milk. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl until well blended. If the ingredients are very thick, you can thin it out with water just enough to make it easy to dip out with a spoon onto a cookie sheet. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the cookie dough for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. They are ready to use or store them in a closed container in the refrigerator for future use. Makes great training treats or just use to see a smile on your pets face. They are especially good for dogs who are feeling a little down as they are fairly mild on the digestive tract. Quickie dog cookies
Page 5 _July, August 2012 Rabies's Vaccination Equals Prevention Goodbye to Our Dear Gabi Meet the Cottonwood Family By Penny Vardell According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the CSU Diagnostic Laboratory, rabies has been confirmed this year in skunks, bats, foxes and domestic animals like cats and horses. There is no treatment for rabies after symptoms of the disease appear The number of animals reported with the disease is nearing the record set in 2009 when more than 100 animals tested positive for rabies. Wildlife officials use baits laced with the vaccine to drop into the wild to slow the disease in wild animals. The last reported cases of rabies occurred in Colorado in the following domestic animals: dog (2003 - imported from Texas), cat (2010 & 2008). The last case of dog rabies acquired in Colorado occurred in 1974. The last reported case of rabies in a human occurred in 1931. There is no treatment for rabies after symptoms of the disease appear. However, an extremely effective rabies vaccine can provide immunity to rabies when administered after an exposure or for protection before an exposure occurs. Over the last 100 years, rabies in the United States has changed dramatically. More than 90% of all animal cases reported annually to CDC now occur in wildlife, whereas before 1960 the majority were in domestic animals. Colorado State Law requires ALL dogs and cats over the age of three months to be vaccinated against rabies, animals must be kept current on rabies vaccinations by either a one-year or three-year vaccination. All vaccinations must be given by a Colorado Licensed Veterinarian. We will be retiring the Dear Gabi article as of this month. We lost our dear Gabi to cancer of the bladder this month. Gabi was 12. Her last few days were very good. She was very active and eating well. But as Gabi would do, she called all the shots, including the last one. Gabi was found as a 7 week old puppy in a Lafayette school yard and brought to Cottonwood Kennels as a foster puppy. We fell in love with her and she became a part of the Cottonwood family. Gabi was a very precocious puppy, ripping out plants, jumping every fence in the yard and generally a holy terror. This went on for a few years and then it was as if she grew up and settled down. Afterwards, Gabi became the voice of reason and master of poise. In other words, she became a lady, and she played the part well. She even knocked on the doors to be let in. Gabi loved to spend her days in playgroup with all of our little four legged guests. She was a grand host, and all the dogs sensed her position as a life regular in the group. She loved spending her time with her peers. We will miss you Gabi. All who came to know you came to love you. You left a huge hole in our hearts. Oh, but for one more of your smiles. This month I would like to introduce you to Keri McKelvey. Keri is a graduate of Michigan State University. You will see Keri all over the kennel, performing every duty involved in our operations. Keri came to us at Cottonwood after suffering some really rough times. We watched as the dogs and cats really helped her to heal. She has been with us for over two years now. She was a natural for us, jumping in and helping out with everything. She learned the ins and outs of the kennel like she d always known them. She was a great addition to our wonderful crew and is fun to be around. Keri can be found out in playgroup, feeding, doing medications or working the front desk. We haven t been able to give her a job she can t handle yet. Her favorite dogs are golden retrievers. She also has two cats of her own, Riley and Gravy. She has had these guys since they were just kittens. She rescued Gravy from a dumpster in a snowstorm. We hope that Keri will make Cottonwood her home for years to come. Great job Keri.
Page 6 July, August 2012 Our Barnyard Friends Your Pet s Horoscope By Madame Neah This month we would like to introduce you to our youngest sheep in the pasture. Woodrow R Call. If you ve seen Lonesome Dove, then you know who s he s named after, and like his namesake, he is hardheaded. Woodrow started out life rough. He was a bum lamb, unwanted by his mother and on his own at birth. We adopted him at 5 days old and bottle fed him the first few months of his life. Woodrow at one month old in April 2011 getting acquainted to the pasture Woodrow is a month younger than his pasture mate and best friend Gus McCrae, and they are a tight pair, usually always together throughout the day. They are known as the Texas Rangers here at Cottonwood. Woodrow is a very gentle little guy and very inquisitive. He will pick up anything within his reach and run off with it so hold on to your cellphones. He is also very quiet and can walk up behind you without you Woodrow today at one and a half years old. ever knowing it until he touches you with his nose. Aries (3/21-4/19) You exude happiness this month. Be careful of your tail wagging or you could cause havoc in your home. Keep on wagging, just be careful not to clear the coffee table. Taurus (4/20-5/20) You are charming and like to howl to your own tune. You love to meet new people and openly greet everyone with a wag and a shake. New friends appear this month. Gemini (5/21-6/20) This month some may want to deceive you. But hide and seek with family is just fun. Cancer (6/21-7/22) You have an excess of toys coming your way. Take the time to play and enjoy them. Leo (7/23-8/22) This month you will get what it is you need, but you may have to bark for what it is that you want. It s ok to speak up. Virgo (8/23-9/22) You strive for fun and exercise. Toss aside old toys because new ones are coming. Focus your energy on breaking them in. Libra (9/23-10/22) A domestic problem has been solved! It s time to celebrate. Focus on home, family and food. There will be a lot of hugs and kisses involved. Scorpio (10/23-11/22) Do not compromise your tastes this month. Select quality! Stand tall, you are proud and others will notice. Sagittarius (11/22-12/21) Others will say that you look different. You may be starting a new exercise program or getting a new hairdo. Take pride in your appearance. Don t bow down. Capricorn (12/22-1/19) This month you will have an urge to look for lost toys or bones. Discovery is on your horizon. Focus on rest, play and family affairs. Aquarius (1/20-2/18) This month a clash of ideas is present. You may be blamed for something. Don t worry, you won t be in your hiding place long. Love will return. You will be found to have no involvement. Pisces (2/19-3/20) Your dreams come true this month. So keep dreaming of your favorite pastime, food and toys.. Be ready for new adventures. Cottonwood Kennels Play and Stay for Pets Remember us for all your boarding, daycare and grooming needs. Open 7 Days A Week 7:30am until 6:00 pm