Mad About Pets!

When we think about getting sick, we think of boxes of tissue, days spent in bed, chicken noodle soup, and, for pet owners, a warm nose snuggled up next to you. Pets have a way of just making a sick day at home that much better. It's a widespread fact that people who have four legged companions live longer, healthier, and happier lives. That being said, there are times that our loving animals feel under the weather along with us. There are many different human and pet illnesses that cannot be passed from one of us to the other. So, if your cat or dog has the sniffles or a cough, it's most likely that you have no worry of catching it—but, there are several illnesses that can be passed from pet to owner and owner to pet. Keep these three illnesses in mind next time you or your pet are feeling ill. Being educated on what can affect your pet and yourself as a pet owner is the best defense.

Though generally not caused by the same type of mite, both humans and animals can become infected with scabies. Photo credit: scabies-information.com

For the most part, our pet cats and dogs have little to worry about when it comes to mange. Indoor cats that are well kept will very rarely get mange or scabies, but it can be fairly common in dogs. The mange that is also known as scabies is highly contagious to humans and can be contracted by dogs as well. This mange is caused by mites and will appear with symptoms of severe itching, skin irritations, and hair loss. In both dogs and humans, scabies should be treated as quickly as possible. While the illness itself is not immediately threatening, secondary infections can occur quite easily with open sores on the skin. This kind of mange can be avoided with careful hygienic care and some general attentiveness to your pet's skin condition. The mites that cause mange are commonly found on the ears, face, and extremities.

Toxoplasma Photo credit: marvistavet.com

While this parasite can be found in any warm-blooded animal, cats are one of the most common pets to come into contact with it. Cats make ideal hosts for the toxoplasmosis parasite. Cats will become infected by preying on infected birds or rodents and will show no symptoms of the disease, making it extremely challenging to detect. Many people are exposed to the disease without ever showing symptoms or even knowing. However, in individuals who have weakened immune systems or are pregnant, toxoplasmosis can cause headache, sore throat, muscle pain, fever, and general malaise. Humans come into contact with this illness through infected kitty litter.

The classic ring-shaped patches characteristic of ringworm. Photo credit: diseasespictures.com

To the surprise of many, ringworm is not actually a worm or parasite, but actually a fungus. The name comes from the commonly ring-shaped display the fungus gives on the skin. Ringworm can be transmitted from pet to human or from human to pet very easily. It is a slow growing fungus that feeds on dead skin cells and the hair of all species of mammal. The most common form of ringworm is often found on young cats and dogs. The spores can be transferred easily from one surface to another. On pets it appears as a dry, oval, scurfy patch of broken fur. This is one of the most common diseases transferred from pet to human and human to pet of all the illnesses on this list. Keep these three things in mind to better care for yourself and your pet.

Today's guest post comes courtesy of Amelia Wood, who often writes about medical billing and coding certification and welcomes your responses at amelia1612@gmail.com.

Who watches your pets when you're away on vacation? Many of us are lucky enough to have a trusted friend or family member to care for our pets when we're away, but sometimes that's not a possibility. There are many pet sitters available for hire--it can be overwhelming with all the choices! It's hard to know which pet sitter is best qualified, who you can trust with your pets, and who will treat your pets with the same love and respect you give them. It's even more difficult when you live in rural Dane County, outside of the service area of many Madison-based pet sitters. Mad About Pets wants to make your job a little easier: meet Lindsay's Pet Sitting! Lindsay's Pet Sitting is based out of Waterloo, Wisconsin and serves other surrounding communities. Lindsay is a lifelong pet lover and has over 20 years of professional experience with animals. She was kind enough to grant Mad About Pets an exclusive interview about her pet sitting business. Get to know Lindsay, your new favorite pet sitter!

Lindsay and pals

What is your personal background with pets? Do you currently have any of your own?

I have been working with all kinds of animals since I was 6-7 years old. I grew up with a bunch too: dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles (iguanas, chamelions, etc), rodents (gerbils, mice, rats, etc), and of course fish. (In fact, my parents took a picture of me in my crib touching nose-to-nose with our Dachshund Charlie.) If I wasn't in school, I was attending animal care classes, dog training classes, and helping care for family's and friends' pets. I started training dogs when I was 14-15 years old in obedience, and when I was 16 I worked my first job at the Washington County Humane Society as an animal caregiver. I just continued working in various animal jobs up until currently. The list of places include the Dodge Country Humane Society as an animal caregiver, adoption counselor, receptionist, and working with the Beaver Dam Police Department for animal/stray control and on cruelty cases. I also worked at Dane County Humane Society, Spring Harbor Animal Hospital as a caregiver and vet assistant, I was a manager at a dog daycare, I worked at Pet Supermarket in Madison, and various boarding kennels around the state. I also have done animal behavior modification for aggressive dogs and cats over the years, through the humane societies and with various dog trainers. I also have volunteered at various humane societies for vaccination clinics. I have worked with all breeds of dogs, cats, rabbits, birds (including cockatiels and parrots), chinchillas, ferrets, snakes, lizards, amphibians, sugar gliders, and SO many more. I was always doing something with animals on my free time as I grew up.

Willie and Laurel, two of Lindsay's cats

What made you decide to pursue pet sitting?

I have always enjoyed caring for people's pets. It was always a natural thing for friends and family to contact me to care for their pets. They knew I had a strong passion for animal care, had a good rapport with animals, and made a connection that was very spiritual with the animals. 3 years ago I moved to Waterloo due to a divorce. At that time I noticed there weren't many options for boarding around this area. As I met people, and they found out what I did for a living, they asked me to care for their pets. (I was also hearing from a number of people they were upset with the boarding prices at many of the facilities around and that it was inconvienient to drive 20-30 miles one way to board their pet. PLUS their pets were anxiety-ridden about being boarded in a kennel.) I was commuting to my job at a pet care facility on Nesbitt Rd in Madison 5 days a week, driving a total of 500 miles a week. There came a point I couldn't drive that much, due to gas prices, anymore. This past February I decided to market my own pet sitting services. I figured with over 20 years of animal care experience under my belt, and other qualifications (which I'll mention in a bit) and the need in this community for this kind of service, I felt it was a good fit. Animal care has always been a passion, I honestly couldn't envision being happy doing anything else.

Do you have any special training or qualifications that set you apart as a pet sitter?

Besides my previous experience mentioned, in 1997 I took a 3 month Humane Education Class at the Hinsdale Humane Society in Hinsdale, Illinois. I also attended an animal behavior class and lecture while I was working at the Dodge County Humane Society (the class taught how to reduce stress in shelter animals). Then, back in July of 2010 I completed a course for Emergency First Aid for Pets at Emergency Medical Training Services out of Brookfield, WI (run by an instructor through the Red Cross), and became certified in animal CPR and Heimlich. My pet sitting is also fully insured through American Family Insurance.

Lindsay's sugar gliders

What kinds of animals do you serve? Do you have any restrictions?

I care for all kinds of animals. I have no restrictions. Dogs (all breeds, I'm 100% comfortable around Rottweilers, Dobermans, Shepherds, and the bully breeds), cats, birds, rabbits, exotics (chinchillas, sugar gliders, wildlife, etc), lizards, repitles (yes even snakes-I have no fear of them), amphibians, and even livestock (I have clients who have llamas, sheep, steers, horses, etc). I have always had dogs and cats of my own, but I've also had 2 chinchillas and 4 ferrets in the past. I've grown up with Great Danes, Bassets, and a Shepherd/Collie mix, so I'm used to BIG dogs. I've also rehabilitated a red squirrel and a grey squirrel. Currently, I have 7 cats, 2 dogs (a Basset Hound and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi/Miniature Poodle mix), a mini-lop bunny, 5 sugar gliders, 2 gerbils, and two 50 gallon fish tanks. One of the tanks is all chichlids (which are aggressive fish), the other tank is a community tank with a Snakeskin Gourami, various species of tetras, etc which are non-aggressive fish. So, as you can see, this passion still carries on in my personal life.

Contact Lindsay's Pet Sitting to see if you're in her service area!

Where is your service area?

My service area is Waterloo, Watertown, Lake Mills, Marshall, Sun Prairie, and all the country roads in-between.

Why should Mad About Pets' readers hire Lindsay's Pet Sitting over other pet sitters?

As I tell everyone, I take animal care seriously. Animals can't speak, and they trust us, so we need to show them that respect and love back and work to understand them and their needs. In my eyes, animal care doesn't take a vacation, just because it's a holiday and everyone else is not working, that doesn't mean your pets don't need care during that time. I apply that dedication to every single animal I care for. I am always flexible and don't mind working through the holidays. I'm a no-nonsense kind of person. In my eyes, someone saying on paper why they're "the best" is a good selling point, but it's the personal connection I make with the owner and the pets (and my experience) that speaks for itself. Pet sitting IS my full time job, I do not have another full-time job. This is considered a part-time position, but I also am the Alderperson for Ward 4/5 on the Waterloo City Council currently. I also am on the Community Development Committee, Public Safety and Health Committee, the Plan Commission, and the Library Board. So, I'm very involved with the community, and serving the public politically has run through generations of my family. Everyone from my great aunt, to my grandma, then my mom (she also was the Municipal Court Judge in Horicon as I was growing up) have "politically served" either in their communities, and even in Washington D.C.

Willie and Bella

Where can readers find more information about Lindsay's Pet Sitting?

As I tell everyone, my preferred method of finding out about my services is to call me at 608-279-4264. While email is ok, I prefer speaking to an actual person, I believe there is a level of respect due when working with people's pets. Email, or any other electronic method, is very impersonal in my opinion, and I pride myself on establishing a real-life in-person bond with someone. Otherwise for simple inquiries people can check out my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lindsayspetsitting or email me: kitt...@gmail.com

MTV's award-winning documentary series True Life is looking to tell the stories of young pet owners whose lives are being disrupted due to a certain pet that they love. Is the problem with the animal… or the human? Who is being affected? What needs to happen moving forward? If you appear to be 15-28 years old and have an issue with the pet in your home, MTV wants to hear your story!!! Please email us at pet@mtvn.com and include your name, phone number, location, a recent photo and a brief explanation about how your pet is affecting your life and those around you in a negative manner.

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.

Pet therapy, professionally referred to as Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), has been used by therapists in the UK for decades. Notably, pet therapy was used during WWII when an American Corporal, recovering in an army hospital in the Philippines, brought his pet terrier Smoky in to help cheer him up. The dog was such a hit with other injured soldiers at the hospital that the Commanding Officer at the hospital, Dr Charles Mayo, decided to take the perky pooch on his rounds - a career in therapy that Smoky continued for another twelve years.

Later, American nurse Elaine Smith noticed a very positive response in patients when they were visited by a chaplain and his golden retriever dog, during her time as a registered nurse in England. Upon her return to the United States in 1976, Smith began a program for visits to institutions with training dogs.

Since then, health care professionals worldwide have practiced and documented the therapeutic effect of animal companionship, with benefits ranging from increased trust and focus, to speech therapy improvements and also relief from anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem issues and depression.

While it is a rather contentious subject, with websites and organisations such as HealthyPlace stating that pet therapy hasn’t actually been proven to work, countless personal accounts and endorsements by organisations such as the NHS show that AAT does have a place in the medical world of holistic therapy, and is a trusted means of treating depression by healthcare professionals globally.

Working in nursing homes, respite homes, hospitals, psychiatric institutions and rehabilitation centres, animals are handled by professionals and help patients work towards specific emotional, cognitive, social and physical goals.

EverydayHealth features the testimonial of a bipolar sufferer, Peter Ashenden (also president and CEO of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance), says he believes that his Shih Tzu dog, Bella, helps keep him from feeling socially withdrawn and prevents loneliness through constant companionship:

"Bella goes everywhere with me, whether it be a gala dinner or board meetings… She is my companion. By having Bella with me, it brings a piece of home with me wherever I go."

Owning a pet is well documented as being hugely beneficial to ill people but other considerations such as pet care must also be considered. Pets can be time consuming to care for and, while they are incredibly helpful, if a depression sufferer has trouble carrying out day-to-day tasks, then they may well have trouble committing to and properly caring for a pet. On the other hand, the patient’s nurturing instinct may kick in and the sufferer may well benefit from a companion.

In this case, then, it is wise to consider the next level of care. Pets can also be costly, with veterinary bills costing hundreds - sometimes even thousands - of pounds, depending on the pet. Conduct a search for a comparison website like ‘moneysupermarket pet insurance’ to find financially viable cover to ensure that you could afford a therapeutic pet. There’s also the emotional distress caused by accidental death of a pet to consider, for which some insurers provide cover, although reimbursement is rarely the issue.

This article was provided by moneysupermarket.com, the UK’s leading price comparison site. The moneysupemarket.com pet insurance service features a wide range of companies to help UK pet owners find the right cover for their beloved animals quickly and easily.

As everyone knows, access to health insurance is the talk of the nation right now. Insurance is a necessity in this country. What many don't realize is that insurance isn't just for people; it's for pets, too. Many companies are now offering health insurance plans for pets that can cover anything from basic check-ups to the most advanced surgeries and treatments.

Photo Credit: Pasado Safe Haven


If you are one of those "someday" people with unfulfilled good intentions of saving money for your pet's needs, enrolling your pet in pet insurance is both responsible and practical. Adding another monthly expense is obviously not desirable, but the monthly premium and peace of mind will be far better in the long run than the high interest rates and never-ending payments financing an emergency surgery will present. Pet ownership is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Pets feel pain, have needs, and experience emotions; it's up to us as their caregivers to give them the best we are able to provide. Pet insurance can take our good intentions and turn them into positive, responsible action.

The majority of pet owners don't think twice before buying their pet's food from a supermarket or chain store. This food is cost effective, readily available, convenient and well-marketed. However, more and more people are beginning to realize the benefits of feeding high-quality and raw foods to their pets (often at the sacrifice of convenience and a slightly higher price tag.)

Anthony Holloway, CEO and founder of K9Cuisine.com, is hoping to make a change in the way we feed our pets. (photo: left) His company chooses only the highest quality foods available on the market to sell to his customers. K9 Cuisine also offers expert advice from veterinarians, so pet owners can always be sure they are providing the best care possible for their animals.

Unfortunately, high-quality pet foods are not easily accessible for many people. These types of foods are often found only at specialty pet supply stores and therefore not easy to find for individuals living in rural or less-populated areas. K9 Cuisine is working hard to provide a solution to this problem by making high-quality, organic, and even raw diets available for purchase online with the click of a mouse--all at competitive prices with speedy shipping. 

So how did K9 Cuisine get its start? Why is it so important to feed your pet the best quality food available? Anthony Holloway was kind enough to provide readers of Mad About Pets the answers to these questions and more in a very informative interview:

Please tell me about K9 Cuisine and how it was founded.

K9Cuisine.com was born from my own frustration with sourcing quality healthy food for my pet. My dog, Daisy, had developed an allergy to grains found in most pet foods. I did quite a bit of research to find foods that were healthy and would work well for her. Living in a rural area, I was not able to purchase these higher nutrition grain-free foods locally. Purchasing online, I was paying exorbitant fees for shipping and never knew for sure if the product was available or when it would actually arrive.

I began communicating online with consumers, who like myself were looking to source healthy nutrition for their pets. I quickly realized there was an excellent business opportunity in supplying premium quality pet nutrition online while providing a more positive buying experience for these consumers.

What makes K9 Cuisine different from other online pet food and supply retailers?

Quite possibly the single biggest differences between K9Cuisine.com and other retailers are:

Product Mix – At K9Cuisine.com we have over thousands of products to choose from. All of these products have been inspected, tested, and selected for their premium nutritional values. We are proud to offer such a vast collection of only the highest quality pet food on the market.

Customer Care – Our phones, live chat, and email requests are answered by our trained staff who are available 24/7 for answering customer’s questions and assisting them with placing orders. While we may be an internet company, our business is truly fueled by this wonderful caring staff.

Communication – From the moment an order is placed until it arrives on our customer’s doorstep, we communicate with the customer regarding their order status. As online consumers, we recognize the value in knowing your order was received, shipped, and when it will arrive.

Fast & Free Shipping – Most orders at K9Cuisine ship the same day the order is received. Unlike other online companies, we actually warehouse our products. Product availability, coupled with our efficient staff and shipping system, ensure most orders ship via Federal Express within hours of arrival. And, any order over $50 ships FREE! Pet foods may be bulky and heavy and costly to ship. Free shipping is not often provided in this industry.

Why is it so important to choose pet foods with human-grade ingredients?

The regulators have historically placed much tighter regulations and restrictions on facilities manufacturing human-grade foods. These guidelines range from what specific food ingredients may be utilized, to where and in what condition these ingredients may be obtained, to the level of sanitary methods utilized in the manufacturing process. One may only imagine what may be occurring in those facilities not required to meet these guidelines/ regulations…

What types of things are contained in "traditional" pet foods that can adversely affect our pets' health?

Many of the traditional pet foods in our supermarkets today have a grain (corn, wheat, or soy) listed as one of their top three ingredients. This means that food is primarily comprised of “fillers”. Another common ingredient listed is gluten. Glutens are used to falsely inflate the food’s protein content. Dogs and cats diets should contain animal based proteins. Their bodies were never designed to adequately metabolize plant based proteins and fillers. If in the wild, they would not likely be grazing in a cornfield. Their bodies crave animal protein as it is most easily digestible to them. These plant “fillers” often lead to allergies, ear infections, urinary tract infections, and countless other ailments.

Other common ingredients found in supermarket foods are by-products, chemicals, preservatives, BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin … These products provide no nutritional value and have only been included to convenience the manufacturer and retailer by providing a lower cost raw material, to make their otherwise unpalatable food more acceptable, or to extend the shelf-life of their products.

As a rule, I look at the ingredients listed on the bag and ask myself with each individual ingredient listed, if I would feed it to my pet in its raw, individual form. If a food contains any ingredient I would not normally want my pet ingesting, I wouldn’t feed that food to Daisy and I would not sell that food to my customers. At K9Cuisine.com our foods contain animal based proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as their primary ingredients.

There have been tremendous advances in this industry to incorporate natural ingredients promoting antioxidants, joint health, and numerous other remedies. We are happy to offer these premium nutrition foods which promote good health and a better quality of life to our customer’s furry companions.

What should consumers look for when choosing a food for their dog or cat?

One of the simplest methods for comparing and choosing foods for your pets, is to look at the first five ingredients listed on the bag. Because ingredients are listed in order, most of your pet’s nutrient value comes from these first five sources. You want to ensure that these ingredients are quality sources of protein and vitamins, as opposed to grains (corn, wheat, soy) which are used as “fillers” and provide very little nutritional value. Just as we do in our own diet, we want to avoid providing our pets these “empty calories”.

(Make sure you follow K9 Cuisine on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to check out their blog for expert advice and more information on the best foods to feed your pet. Don't miss K9 Cuisine's dog food rating tool to see how your current dog food stacks up!)

Looking for something fun and different to do with your sweety or your best friends this Valentine's Day? Then come out and support the Mad Rollin' Dolls, Madison's very own female roller derby league, while they raise money to benefit the Dane County Humane Society! Mad About Pets is happy to bring you this exclusive interview with MRD skater Allie Gator:

So who are the Mad Rollin’ Dolls?

The Mad Rollin Dolls are one of the original leagues that started up in 2004 with the modern resurgence of roller derby. Roller Derby has come a long way from the staged fights of the 60s, everything is real. It is now a full-fledged sport that boasts over 400 leagues in the nation and there are leagues all over the world.

MRD has four home teams: The Quad Squad, The Reservoir Dolls, The Unholy Rollers and the Vaudeville Vixens. We also have two travel teams, The Dairyland Dolls and Team Unicorn, that are made up of members from all four home teams.

You can find a handy-dancy video explaining the rules here. Want to learn more about the game, the gear, read the rules for yourself and more? Visit the Mad Rollin Doll’s page or the WFTDA page, that’s short for the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

What kinds of people would you find at a derby bout?

You could find anyone at a bout. We have skaters who are mothers, law students, chemists, government workers, yoga instructors… you name it, there’s probably a derby girl out there somewhere who does it.

The same goes for fans. We pride ourselves on having an open and welcoming environment at our bouts. Sit down at a bout and on your left you may have a family with their kids and on your right you could have a group of college students.

(Photo left: Allie Gator with her Siamese cat Aku)
 
I see that the February 14th bout is going to benefit the Dane County Humane Society. Can you tell me a little about MRD’s charitable giving?
 
One of MRD’s original goals is to give back to the community. We take part in fundraisers like the Polar Plunge (Visit our team page and donate!), volunteer our time at local events and we also donate a portion of our ticket sales to local charities. Proceeds from our upcoming bout on Sunday Feb 14th will be going to the Dane County Humane Society. Being an animal lover and pet owner I’ve really appreciated all the useful information the DCHS website has and the services they provide to the community.
 
Where are tickets available?
 
Ticket for the Sunday, Valentine’s Day Bout are available for purchase ahead of time online and also at some of our lovely local sponsors (Capitol City Tattoo, Cha Cha Barber and Beauty, Freedom Skate Shop, High Noon Saloon, Hoi Polloi, Lakeside Press). You can also buy tickets at the door. Kids age 4-10 are half price, under 4? Free! Want to bring a group? We’re totally into group ticket sales, just look for the link on our site.

Doors Open at 12/noon, Action starts at 1pm. You totally have time for a lovely Valentine’s Day brunch before the bout or a romantic dinner afterwards. No Valentine’s Day plans after the bout? Come to the after party just down the road at the Badger Bowl and hang with the skaters!

(Photo right: Allie Gator with her Siamese cat Orval)

It is estimated that up to 30% of the human population is allergic to household pets. Though the only way to completely treat pet allergies is to remove the pet from the home, there are many strategies that can be employed to lessen the effects of pet allergies and avoid parting ways with the offending pet. Here are just a few of the ways to cope with pet allergies:

1. Vacuum and dust often. The more often you clean, the less pet hair you have to deal with. Though it's not the actual hair that causes allergies, the allergy-causing dander does remain on hair and skin flakes that are shed by the animal.

2. Eliminate cloth window coverings. Cloth drapes and blinds are a magnet for pet dander. Wherever possible, use plastic, vinyl or metal blinds. They can be easily dusted and will not collect as many allergens as cloth drapery.

3. Designate a "pet free" room. Allergy sufferers should have at least one room in the home that is totally "pet free." Often the bedroom is the best place to have such a room. The door should remain closed at all times, and the pet should not be allowed to enter the room at any time.

4. Purchase allergy-reducing pillow cases and bed covers. Allergy-reducing pillowcases and mattress covers do not accumulate allergens the way normal fabric covers would. The fabric is impermeable, so it aids with pet allergies and the often-accompanying dust mite allergy. Wash these covers on a weekly basis.

5. Use hardwood wherever possible. Carpet collects animal hair as fast as your pet can shed it. Even with thorough vacuuming pet hair can still remain embedded. Hardwood floors are much easier to clean and do not collect hair as carpet does. The next time the carpet needs replacing, consider hardwood as an alternative.

6. Use filters everywhere. Purchase allergy-reducing furnace filters and change them once per month. Purchase a vacuum with a HEPA filter to eliminate airborne allergens. Run a HEPA air purifier at all times to reduce airborne allergens. Wherever an allergy-reducing filter can be used, use it!

7. Bathe your pet. Though your pet may not appreciate it, bathing them once a week can wash away much of the loose hair and dead skin cells that harbors dander. If bathing is out of the question, there are also allergy-reducing wipes that can be used to wipe the pet's fur and theoretically lessen the dander.

8. Consider immunotherapy. If your pet allergy is medically diagnosed and interferes with daily life, talk to your allergist about immunotherapy (or allergy shots.) This is a process that typically takes several years to complete. A small amount of the allergen is injected into the allergy sufferer; the dosage is increased as time goes on. Eventually, the person will be immune to the allergen or at least suffer a less severe reaction.

9. Take an antihistamine daily. Many antihistamines that previously required a prescription are now availble over the counter. Claritin and Zyrtec are two of the more popular brands. They are also available in generic form as Loratadine (Claritin) or Cetirizine (Zyrtec.) If one brand does not work, try another. Taking an antihistamine daily rather than on an as-needed basis can help prevent allergy symptoms rather than just treating the symptoms as they occur.

10. Purchase a central air cleaner. Forced-air heating and cooling can essentially blow allergens out of the vents and all over your house. A central air cleaning unit (such as April Aire) can be purchased to clean the air before it is circulated. If this is not possible to purchase, an alternative is to place a breathable cover (such as cheesecloth) over the vent to trap particles.

Before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle, make an appointment with an allergist to be tested for specific allergies. Though it may seem like your pet is the culprit, you may actually be allergic to something entirely different. A visit to the allergist will allow you to pinpoint your specific allergy triggers. Your allergist can also provide you with other options for controlling pet allergies if your pet does prove to be the guilty party.

As little as we want to think of it, all pet owners will one day be faced with the emotional pain of losing a pet. Fortunately, residents in Dane County do not have to face this sad time alone. From making tough medical decisions to the post-loss planning, there are many resources available to make losing a pet a little easier on all involved.

Personal and Wellness Support Services (PAWWS) at the UW-Madison Veterinary School has compiled an excellent list of resources easily accessible on their website. It includes links to cremation services, support groups, grief hotlines, and much more.

The list can be found online here.