North Atlantic Westie Rescue

Category: Blog

  • Tips to Protect Your Pet This Summer

    Tips to Protect Your Pet This Summer

    Every year, thousands of dogs suffer injuries, health problems, and even die from heat-related issues during the summer. Don’t let your dog become a statistic, and help educate your friends and neighbors with these tips.

    Tip #1. Avoid Hot Surfaces.

    Most of us have put our bare feet on a hot surface before. It’s no fun. Imagine how your dog’s pads might feel on hot asphalt in 90 degree weather? Try to stay in the shade, on stone surfaces, or grass when walking your dog. If the worst happens, and your dog’s pads become burnt, the VCA has advice for treating the injury:

    Even though foot pads are tough, they can burn on a scorching sidewalk in the middle of the summer or on icy surfaces during the winter. If your dog licks at her feet or limps after a summertime or wintertime stroll, sooth her pads by soaking the foot in room temperature water. If the pads become discolored or if the tissue under the pad becomes exposed, contact your veterinarian. Severe burns need to be treated professionally. Apply antibiotic ointment to the burned foot pad and bandage the paw. Daily bandage changes and close monitoring of the injury are important. Report any changes described under the section on torn foot pads to your veterinarian.

    Tip #2. Practice Water Safety.

    Dogs aren’t all born to swim. Terriers in particular were not bred as working dogs where swimming is required. Dogs must be supervised at all times when in the water. Dogs that are new to the water should be acclimated carefully and not forced to engage in “water sports.” When boating or near water, make sure your dog has on a water floatation device like a life vest.

    Tip #3. Don’t Leave Your Dog in a Parked Car

    We can’t believe there are people that do this, but don’t ever leave your dog in a parked car unattended during summer. (We’d argue this is bad practice at any time of the year, but that’s a subject for another day.) Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees, leading to shock and death. It’s not a good way to die, so don’t do it. Keep an eye out for dogs in hot cars in parking lots, and call the authorities if you see one. Local and state laws may offer some or no protection to people who break car windows to save a dog, so make sure you arm yourself with legal knowledge depending on where you live.

    Tip #4. Limit Physical Activity During Hot Parts of the Day

    Exposure to heat can cause overheating and dehydration. According to the ASPCA, “the symptoms of overheating in pets can include increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, excessive panting or difficulty breathing, mild weakness, seizures, and an elevated body temperature (over 104 degrees).” Restrict exposure to hot weather to short sessions, and limit running and other forms of vigorous exercise. Avoid going outside

    We hope these tips are helpful to you! Summer is a great time of year to enjoy the outdoors. With preparation and information, dogs can be safe during this time and have fun too!

    Restored from the North Atlantic Westie Rescue website as archived by the Internet Archive. View the original capture.

  • 6 Great Brands of Dog Kibble

    6 Great Brands of Dog Kibble

    Next to religion and politics, selecting food for your dog can be one contentious decision. There are whole blogs and Facebook groups devoted to the should and should not’s of feeding dogs. Going to the pet food store can also feel like going to the Hallmark store to pick out a birthday card. An hour later, you’re still trying to decide what to buy!

    North Atlantic Westie Rescue believes that every dog should have access to high-quality food that is appropriate for their needs. In addition to being safe and affordable, the food should be something your dog will actually eat! You can buy the most expensive food in the world, but if you’re dog won’t eat it, it’s not the right food for your dog. If you’re looking for suggestions of some brands to try, start with this list of the top 6 brands of dry food NAWR uses to feed its foster dogs.

    1. Fromm

    We love almost every product the Fromm family makes. Fromm makes yummy tasting kibble with excellent quality meat, vegetables, grain, and fruit. In their grain-based line, we regularly use the Whitefish and Potato flavor. Kibble is available in a broad range of proteins (e.g., whitefish, chicken, duck, beef, lamb, pork) with different kinds of starches like potato, sweet potato, lentils, and even applesauce. You cannot go wrong with anything from their Four Star line. The gold line is also great, but they use a mix of proteins. We try to stick with a single source of protein in our feeding protocols.

    2. Wellness

    Wellness is an affordable line with a broad range of recipes. You can find a Wellness product in every kibble size, protein, and grain type. For this reason, we are a bit choosy about which Wellness recipes we use. The Simple ingredient line is great and has many protein varieties (e.g., duck, salmon, lamb, and turkey), and the Complete Health line just came out with grain-free varieties. We recommend you stay away from their turkey and chicken flavors since Westies tend to have sensitivities to these proteins.

    3. Health Extension

    This is our Executive Director’s kibble line of choice, particularly for its Buffalo, Whitefish, and Chickpea flavor. This “Allergix” brand is excellent for dogs with severe irritable bowel syndrome or GI tract issues. Health Extension bills itself as a holistic brand and has been around for about 30 years. They are developing a grain-free variety which even has the Westie image on the bag. How could you go wrong?

    4. Earthborn

    This holistic brand comes in many varieties and is particularly good in the fish department. Their Coastal Catch and Ocean Fusion kibbles are quite tasty. They make both grainful and grain-free varieties. Earthborn is lower in calorie than other kibbles, so you may have to feed your dogs more to ensure adequate caloric intake.

    5. Canidae

    Canidae is a 20 year old family-run company with a spectrum of high quality products. You can find part of its line in Petco, but its whole line is quite diverse. We recommend the grain-free, Pure formula in Bison, Wild Boar, or Duck. Our volunteer Kathryn Vullemier swears by the Pure Canidae line for all her dogs!

    6. Evo

    Evo makes our list because of its high-protein, low carbohydrate profile. We find this brand to be great for our younger dogs, and it is quite yummy (or so we gather from our dogs!). The proteins used are also quite exotic, which is important for dogs with GI problems. The Herring and Salmon dry food is quite good.

    There are many great dry dog foods out there, and we hope our list helps you start your search for a healthy food that your dog will love. If dry food isn’t working, there are also raw and wet food diets. We will cover those in future articles. Happy shopping!

    Restored from the North Atlantic Westie Rescue website as archived by the Internet Archive. View the original capture.

  • 5 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Dog

    5 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Dog

    In my 10 years of doing dog rescue, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than a senior dog who finds himself homeless. About 80% of all the dogs who are surrendered to North Atlantic Westie Rescue are over the age of 7, and 90% are over the age of 5. As a result, our rescue is full of mature dogs who have experience living in homes as pets. Many of these dogs come to rescue because their owner has passed away or is too ill to care for them. North Atlantic Westie Rescue’s volunteers have a special soft spot in their hearts for senior dogs, and it is our great privilege to take care of them while they are in our program.

    Finding homes for older dogs is challenging. “Would you consider adopting a senior?” You can guess the answers we get to that question:

    My Westie just passed away and I really don’t want to go through the heartache anytime soon.

    I really want the experience of having a puppy.

    I can’t afford the medical care for a senior dog.

    All of these reasons are legitimate. As a dog owner, I understand that dog ownership is individualized. Only you can know what you can handle. In fact, it’s better if you are honest with yourself and rescue organizations about your expectations for adoption. When it comes to senior dogs, however, I find that people just haven’t thought about giving a senior a home and what that would be like. So I’ve put together five of my favorite reasons to adopt seniors to help those potential adopters who are just exploring adoption.

    1. Senior dogs know who they are!

    With a senior dog, what you see is what you get. They’ve figured out their likes and don’t likes. Seniors also are much better at communicating what their needs are than younger dogs. Rescue can be a bit of a lottery in terms of knowing what you are getting. With seniors, rescuers are more sure about the personality of the dog and have an easier time of finding a good home that meets their specific needs.

    2. Senior dogs make great companions for older people.

    Some of my favorite adoptions over the years have been placements of senior dogs with retired people. As we grow older, dog companionship can become a more important part of our lives. Being social and having positive relationships have been shown in the scientific literature to improve the mental health of people over the age of 65. My father, who is approaching retirement age, credits his health to the companionship of his two Westies. Many of our volunteers over the age of 65 say they are more physically active because of their dogs.

    3. Senior dogs love to sleep (and snuggle).

    Senior dogs are less active than younger dogs. They are content to sleep on the couch with you while you watch Netflix and catch up on whole seasons of NCIS. They don’t have that “puppy energy” that can be a bit of a drag if you live a less active, more sedate life. I’m not saying you have to be a couch potato, but if you sleeping in, chances are a senior dog will like that too.

    4. Senior dogs are smart!

    Senior dogs are more likely to know basic obedience and commands and to be house-trained. Senior dogs tend to be surrendered for non-behavioral reasons so they aren’t “problem dogs.” The investment made by their former owners serves them well in their new homes because they are already adjusted to being a pet and living in a home. Of course, this isn’t always true. Older dogs may have issues, for example, with incontinence due to age. But that’s what wraps and diapers are made for, right?

    5. Adopting (or fostering) a senior saves a life!

    Seniors are at higher risk than younger dogs to be euthanized in shelters simply because of their age. When you adopt a senior, you quite literally save a life. Here at North Atlantic Westie Rescue, we never euthanize a dog due to age. We even developed a long-term care and hospice program so that our seniors may live out their days in dignity. Many of our adopters become long-term fosters for seniors with medical problems. If you have a lot of love to give, consider volunteering for our long-term care program.

    As someone who cares for five senior dogs (ages 10 to 13) including a long-term foster, I can tell you that having senior dogs in my life is a thing of joy. These dogs make me smile every day with their antics and personalities. There are many more reasons to adopt a senior dog, but perhaps the most important reason is the happiness they bring to their owner’s lives simply by being themselves. So if you are thinking about adopting a rescue dog, give a senior dog some consideration. It could change your life (and theirs too)!

    Restored from the North Atlantic Westie Rescue website as archived by the Internet Archive. View the original capture.