Creature feature
I caught my dog eating leaves off of my heirloom rosebush. I made her quit, but the next time I let her outside, she headed straight for the rosebush. Ever heard of this? Should I be worried? She seems fine.
The Animal Poison Control Center of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lists more than 400 plants that are toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
The good news for you is that roses aren’t on the list — in fact, they are listed as being not poisonous. However, eating plants considered nontoxic can still make an animal sick: upset the stomach and intestinal tract, irritate its mouth and cause drooling.
Regarding rosebushes specifically, if an animal ingests thorns, they could cause trouble when passing through the gastrointestinal system. So it’s always a good idea to contact a veterinarian immediately when you find your pet eating anything out of the ordinary.
The center’s complete list (and photos) of plants unsafe for dogs and other pets is at tinyurl.com/d3v9spd.
... Technology continues to enhance pet identification tags and make it easier to identify and return lost pets to their owners. The latest in the field are Petqrtag and Pethub Link tags imprinted with QR (Quick Response) bar codes that can be read by devices such as iphone, Blackberry and Android cell phones and ipads.
Petqrtag and Pethub are separate companies, but both allow you to go online to their websites and create a profile for your pet that includes name, age, address, phone number, name of veterinarian, medical problems, dietary needs, photos and more.
Once you’ve created your pet’s profile, you can update it anytime, anywhere from any Internet-enabled device. For example, if you’re traveling with your pet, you could update his profile to include information about your current location. If your pet develops a medical problem, you can update his profile with information about special needs and medication.
Engraved on the tags are instructions on how to use it. If your pet gets lost, anyone finding him can scan the QR chip using a universal QR reader — or application. Apps are available for a variety of devices, including smart phones and ipads.
Petqrtag charges a onetime fee of $14.95-$29.95 for small or large standard or personalized smart tags. Updating your pet’s information and maintaining your membership is free. Go to petqrtag.com or call (770) 744-2535.
The Pethub Link tag works the same way as the Petqrtag version, but offers three types of subscription plans for people buying a tag or collar.
The free “bronze” membership simply allows you to store unlimited data about your pet. For $39 a year, you can upgrade to a silver subscription, which provides an alert to animal shelters if your pet is lost, plus GPS mapping. The $49 per year gold plan adds $3,000 emergency insurance for your pet.
Pethub tags are available starting at $13; the nylon collar is $26. Go to pethub.com for more information.