Powell Tribune - Tribune Tails

SUPPLEMENT TO THE POWELL TRIBUNE ■ THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

See Abandonment, Page 3See Shelter puppies, Page 3

BY GIB MATHERSTribune Staff Writer

An abandoned blue heeler and her adorably cuddly puppies will be ready for adoption soon.

On the brink of birthing, the pregnant mama dog was abandoned outside the City of Powell/Moyer Animal Shelter on May 28.

“She was tied to the back door,” said Elf-riede Milburn, who runs the shelter.

Someone called police when they saw the dog being discarded at the shelter. The mother had delivered two puppies outside before she could be brought inside the fa-cility, Milburn said.

Anna Paris, Powell Police Department community service officer, fetched the mother and puppies indoors to the isola-tion area. Barb Muecke, shelter manager, arrived and placed the mother and her offspring in a kennel inside. More progeny emerged. The final count was eight pup-pies, Milburn said.

The police know who abandoned the mother dog.

“We have a surveillance camera,” Mil-burn said. “And I guess the camera picked up whoever brought the dog.”

IN FINE FETTLEMother and offspring are better off at

Moyer. “I’m glad for the dogs,” Milburn said.The mom and offspring appear healthy.The newborns are adorable, of course. “The puppies are black and white for the

most part,” Milburn said. At the shelter, the mother watches her

pups closely. When they were less than 1 week old, they were a little bigger than guin-ea pigs with silky fur waiting for a gentle hand. One whim-pered like a human baby, tak-ing satisfied breaths between draws from a baby bottle.

When Milburn allows the mother to step outside the kennel, her wagging tail sug-gests a cheerful disposition. She seems happy to vacate the kennel for a brief re-spite. Even the best mothers need a break now and then. Mother Zee doesn’t stray far though and keeps her family within sight.

The mother will be up for adoption too, once her babies are weaned.

Prospective adopters should contact the shelter soon. The pups will be ready for their new home by July 23, Milburn said.

ABANDONMENT IS ILLEGALIt is illegal to discard dogs or cats. “It’s

an abandonment,” Milburn said. A sign is posted at Moyer saying, “You

may not leave an animal without permis-sion and a staff member present,” Paris said.

Under city of Powell code, 6.04.120, the dumping of dogs and cats section reads: “If any person shall dump or abandon any dog or cat or other animal to stray upon

streets or public ways within the city, or should any per-son otherwise abandon any dog, cat or other animal within the city of Powell, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided in Sec-tion 6.04.140.”

They can be fined up to $750 for each offense, Paris said.

The point is, people have options; help is available for those unable to care for their pets, Paris said. (See accompanying story).

Leaving the dog to fend for herself is beyond Milburn’s comprehension. “I don’t know why people do that,” she said.

Still, they could have left the canines out on the prairie somewhere instead of bring-ing them to the shelter.

“I’m just glad they didn’t do something else with them,” Milburn said.

Mama dog, puppies abandoned at shelterWILL BE READY FOR ADOPTION NEXT MONTH

Mama Zee checks on her puppies during a photo shoot.

Eight puppies, all male, were born at the shelter when their mother was abandoned there while in labor. All puppies and their mother are in good health and doing fine. Tribune photos by Carla Wensky

Alternatives to abandoning a petFavorable alternatives are available for owners unable to

care for their pets.People who abandon or do not claim their misplaced pet can

be fined up to $750, but assistance is available, said Anna Paris, Powell Police Department community service officer.

People without the means or the resources to care for an animal are not necessarily bad guys. Circumstances can arise when caring for the animal is simply untenable.

“If people need help finding a home for their pets they just

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T R I B U N E T A I L S T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 P O W E L L T R I B U N E • P A G E 3

Continued from Page 1


Abandonment: Ask for assistance

Shelter: Animals available at no-kill shelter

Mama dog, puppies abandoned at shelter

FURRY INVENTORYPlenty of animals are waiting

for the right owner at the no-kill shelter.

The price to adopt a dog is $45, and $25 for cats, to cover medical costs. Area veterinarians give Moyer a discount for medical services so its adoption costs are less than many other shelters.

Moyer will accept monetary do-nations too, Milburn said.

One lady, who prefers to remain anonymous, gives the shelter $500 worth of canned cat food every year. Wal-Mart donates pet food too. Compli-mentary food comes in handy. “At least we can feed all the little guys canned,” Milburn said as a handful of kittens merrily scarf down a large bowl of canned

food.Moyer is open 9-10 a.m. and

3:30-6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sat-urdays at 638 W. North St. Their telephone number is 754-1019. Dogs and cats are spayed or neutered and have all their shots prior to adoption.

It takes a special breed to manage the shelter.

“We love it,” Milburn said.

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need to ask,” Paris said. “There are lots of ways to find a pet a home.”

Send her an email with their pet’s picture and particulars at [email protected].

Emailing Paris is the most efficient means to find a new home for an animal, but Paris can also be reached through the police department at 754-2212, she said.

“We’re blessed by a lot of community helpers,” Paris said.

Social media is another op-tion such as the Big Horn Basin Pet Network on Facebook.

The nonprofit 3 Dog Rescue in Cody also helps with find-ing new homes for dogs. Visit www.3dogrescue.com for more information.

The Park County Animal Shelter, located at 5537 Grey-bull Highway in Cody, can be reached at 307-587-5110 or visit www.parkcountyanimalshelter.com.

The Powell Tribune will run two free advertisements for anyone who is giving away their pet to a new owner. Call 754-2221.

“It’s just a phone call,” Paris said.

Don’t leave Spot of Fluffy in

a lurch. “Just ask for assistance,”

Paris said.

DON’T FORGET RABIESRabies is a deadly disease, not

only to animals, but people too, Paris said.

In Powell, a pet owner can ob-tain a one-year rabies vaccina-tion and certificate for between $8 - $10.

“A veterinarian or their tech-nician must give the vaccination or the vaccination will be con-sidered invalid should the pet bite someone,” Paris said.

— Gib Mathers

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7things you can

do to

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PROTECT YOUR PET

If you think it’s hot, thenit’s even hotter for your pet

Never, ever leave your pet in the car

even if the windows are cracked

Be sure your pet has access to shade when it’s outside

Consider clipping orshaving pets that have long coats

(Check with your vet first)

Take your pets for walks duringthe cooler hours

of the day

Keep your petfree from ticks,

fleas & heartworms(Consult vet for options)

Make sure yourpet has unlimited

access to fresh water

When walking, tryto stay off hot

surfaces like asphalt(It can burn their paws)

To help Wyoming residents avoid a deadly disease for themselves, as well as for pets and livestock, the Wyoming Department of Health is promoting rabies prevention strategies, including animal vaccinations.

Rabies can infect any mammal, including pets, livestock, small wildlife and humans. The virus affects the central nervous system, causing pa-ralysis and ultimately death. Symptoms include behavior changes, including aggression and agita-tion, and also excessive salivation.

“This can keep pets, horses and other livestock from getting rabies, and help protect pet owners should pets be bitten by a rabid wild animal,” said Dr. Karl Musgrave, state public health veterinar-ian with the Wyoming Department of Health.

Musgrave said it is also important to report animal bites to local animal control officials and to follow recommended quarantine guidelines.

Since 2000, rabies has been confirmed in Wyoming bats, cats, cows, dogs, foxes, horses, squirrels and skunks. In 2014, 52 skunks, six bats, one cat, and one fox tested positive for rabies in Wyoming. So far in 2015 there have been three positive skunks (all from Sheridan County) and two bats. Musgrave noted the reported numbers of animal cases confirmed by testing are likely far lower than the true number.

“After an animal bite or other form of potential exposure happens to a person, there is some-times uncertainty about whether the involved animal was infected with rabies, especially if the animal isn’t available for quarantine or testing,” Musgrave said. “Because rabies is almost always deadly if the disease develops, healthcare provid-ers will often move ahead with preventive treat-ment.”

“For people, treatment after rabies exposure to prevent illness involves five or six shots given over a month and costing several thousand dol-lars,” Musgrave said. “There is no question that preventing rabies exposure as much as possible in the first place is best.”

Rabies prevention remains important in Wyoming

Renzy and Kendal Matthews watch as their puppy Samson gets his 12-week vaccinations from Kristin Levine at Red Barn Veterinary clinic recently. Tribune photos by Carla Wensky

Tips for preventing rabies:• Vaccinate dogs, cats, ferrets, horses and other

selected livestock for rabies and keep vaccinations up-to-date.

• Keep pets under supervision in a yard or on a leash to minimize contact with wild animals.

• Enjoy wildlife such as skunks, bats, raccoons and foxes from a safe distance.

• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into the home. Do not try to nurse sick or injured animals — call animal control for help.

• Teach children to never approach unfamiliar dogs, cats or wildlife, even if they appear friendly.

• Report animals acting strangely to city or county animal control departments.

• Treat animal bites with soap and water and contact a medical professional immediately.

• People waking to find a bat in their room or a child’s room should contact a medical professional immediately as bats have such small teeth that even unknown or minor contact has led to rabies infection.

For more information, go to www.wyorabies.org/ or call Musgrave at 307-777-5825.

Dr. Tori Lewis gives Max, an 8-year-old yellow lab, a wellness exam before giving him his vaccinations.

Tribune graphic by Gary Staebler. Information from the American Veterinary Medical Association



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Nutritionmattersfor four-legged friends

BY MATT NABERTribune Managing Editor

The saying “you are what you eat” is just as true for pets as it is for people. People benefit from a nu-

tritious diet and the same goes for cats and dogs.

“Just like with our food, the more whole foods in it the better,” said Justina Pahl, Heart Mountain Animal Health veterinarian.

Similar to human food, nutrition facts can be found on pet food — but it’s a little different.

Reading the nutrition labels can be confusing, said Big Horn Animal Care veterinarian Ray Acker.

The first ingredient listed makes up the biggest percentage of the food.

Listing chicken first is better than bone meal, Pahl said.

“It is good to call a vet because not ev-erything online is true,” Pahl said.

THE GRAY AREANot all peanut butter is OK for dogs.

A new artificial sweetener called Xylitol typically used in gum can also be found in some varieties of peanut butter and other foods, which can cause liver fail-ure in dogs, Pahl said.

“Now they are putting other things in peanut butter and they (dogs) can’t tolerate the same things we can,” Pahl said. “We tell people all the time to use peanut butter to give them medication, but if it isn’t formulated for pets, then make sure they know what they are feeding it (their pet).”

Pet owners often wonder if corn is

good for their pet since it’s unlikely to find a dog or cat eating corn. But, it isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient for pet food, unless there’s an allergy, Pahl said.

“Corn is in a lot of foods anyway because of the protein, it isn’t a bad thing,” Pahl said. “If it is the primary in-gredient, there is probably not as much nutrition in it.”

JUNK FOODPet food with bone meal doesn’t have

a lot of nutritional value and is just a filler, Pahl said.

“There are more good foods than bad any more,” Pahl said.

Pet owners often buy cheap pet food to save money, but in the long run, it could end up not being cost effective since pets will eat more of it to get the nutrients they need, Pahl said. Poor-quality food can also lead to less shine in their fur too.

“Some make the kibble look cute and it is more appealing to the person than the dog — and the colors can make them sick since they have a sensitive stomach

‘The cat is more of a true carnivore than a dog.’

See Nutrition, Page 5

Cats are truly carnivorous and should have a diet

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Nutrition: Choose food with real ingredients, veterinarians say

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anyway,” Pahl said. “Just stick to things with real

ingredients.” Pet food nutrition labels list

a percentage of protein with certain amounts of calcium and other nutrients, and this can cause cheap pet food to look like it’s the same as the expensive kind. But there’s a reason for the price difference, Acker said.

“The expensive bag used chicken or beef or lamb or just real meat to get their percent-age of protein, and the cheap one will use corn and barley,” Acker said.

Cheap dog food has more veg-etable mat-ter, which causes them to have more stool and cre-ate bigger messes, he said.

“ T h e r e are more foods that are OK than not, so people just need to read

the labels,” Pahl said.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CATS AND DOGS

Pet owners might be sur-prised to learn that dogs aren’t true carnivores; meanwhile, their feline companions are car-nivorous.

“The cat is more of a true car-nivore than a dog,” Acker said. “A dog does need some of his diet as vegetable matter. When a dog kills a rabbit, he eats the intestines first because he is getting the vegetable matter of his prey — but it needs to be smaller than the meat protein.”

When a dog’s diet has more meat content, they create “scantier stools” since the filler in cheap dog food “just passes right through them” because they can’t digest it properly, Acker said. Basically, they need mostly meat with just a little bit of vegetables.

As for cats, they need more of their diet to be made up of meat than dogs. Cheap cat food uses fish byproducts, and that can cause urinary tract infec-tions and vomiting, Acker said.

“That is why the cat box smells bad,” Acker said.

Cat foods designed to limit hairballs have higher fiber con-tent and ones for urinary tracts have less vegetable matter in it. This naturally acidifies the urine, since urine that’s more of a base than an acid is prone to infections, he said.

Expensive cat food uses chicken instead of fish and is less likely to cause kidney stones. The best kind of food for cats addresses both hair-balls and urinary tract infec-tions, Acker said.

OBESITY ISSUES

Obesity and diabetes in pets is becoming an increased concern, Pahl said. Diabetes is more common in cats than dogs, Acker said.

Depending on the type of health problem, there is a dif-ferent diet available to help, Acker said. This includes heart disease, kidney disease, liver problems, and more.

As for human food, some table scraps are OK, such as a little bit of chicken and rice for dogs, Pahl said. But, pet own-ers should think of it in terms of proportion; anything given to a 10-pound dog would be like a 200-pound person eating 20 times as much of it.

“We discourage it (table scraps) from a calorie stand-point,” Pahl said.

High-fat foods can cause pancreatitis, so Pahl said she discourages pet owners from giving table scraps. Some vegetables are good, like green beans and carrots, she said.

“Dogs like those because they are crunchy,” Pahl said.

When pets become over-weight, the fat tissue causes in-sulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.

“Then they are on insulin for life, and that isn’t fun for the owner or the dog,” Pahl said.

Just like humans, a change in diet and exercise can make a big difference.

“If the owner’s sedentary, then the pet is — and then there is an increase in obesity,” Acker said. “I don’t think there is any doubt about it.”

Even house cats that sleep all day and rest at night need to have playtime, Acker said.

SOMETHING ELSE TO CHEW ON

Research has proven a pet’s lifespan can be increased by two years with frequent and good dental care — and Greenies chew toys are “won-derful for dental care,” Acker said.

But, pet owners should be aware of the risks associated with the knockoff brands, he said. Some imitation forms of Greenies were made in China, and cases of animal poisoning were reported.

“Avoid knockoff Greenies — I don’t trust them” Acker said.

Hank, an Australian shepherd, chows down on a healthy breakfast. Local vets encourage pet owners to pay attention to the ingredients in their animal’s food and good dog food is a mix of real meat and vegetables. Tribune photo by CJ Baker

‘There are more foods that are OK than not, so people just need to read the labels.’

Justina PahlVeterinarian



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It’s common knowledge that dogs shouldn’t have chocolate. But, pet owners may not be aware that grapes and raisins are also bad for dogs since they cause kid-ney failure.

Certain plants can be hazardous too, such as lilies causing kidney failure in cats, said Justina Pahl, Heart Mountain Animal Health veterinarian.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani-mals, the following human food should never be fed to pets:

• Chocolate, coffee and caffeine can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. They all contain methylx-anthines, which are found in cacao seeds, the fruit of the plant used to make coffee and in the nuts of an extract used in some sodas. Dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk choco-late, white chocolate has the least amount of methylxanthines and baking chocolate contains the highest.

• Alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordi-nation, central nervous system depression, difficulty breath-ing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death.

• Avocados can be fatal because they contain persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Birds and rodents are especially sensitive to avocado poisoning, and can de-velop congestion, difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation around the heart.

“If it is just one, you are OK — but if they eat a handful, induce vomiting or bring them here for us to do it,” Pahl said.

• Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, depression, vomit-ing, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and last approximately 12-48 hours.

• Yeast dough, prior to baking, can cause the stomach or in-testines to rupture when the dough rises and gas accumulates in the digestive system. Small pieces of baked bread are OK.

• Raw and undercooked meat, eggs and bones are danger-ous for domestic pets due to salmonella and E. coli.

• Xylitol is an artificial sweetener in many products such as gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste. This can cause liver failure, low sugar levels, vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. The effects could move on to recumbency and seizures.

• Onions, garlic, and chives can cause gastrointestinal irri-tation and could lead to red blood cell damage. Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk if a large amount is consumed. An occasional low dose, such as what might be found in pet foods or treats, likely will not cause a problem.

“They have to ingest massive amounts for it to be a prob-lem,” said Big Horn Animal Care veterinarian Ray Acker.

• Milk and milk-based food can cause diarrhea and upset the digestive system.

• Too much salt can cause sodium ion poisoning and can be fatal. Signs of eating too much salt include vomiting, diar-rhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature and seizures.

OTHER TOXIC HOUSEHOLD ITEMSMany common household items can be toxic to pets such as

prescription medications. “Dogs have been known to pick up someone’s pills when

they drop them,” Acker said. Ibuprofen, anti-depressants, and fish oil are bad for pets

and Tylenol is a big one for cats, Acker said. Pet owners should be careful with aspirin since it can cause ulcers.

As any pet owner knows, pets can — and will — eat things that aren’t meant to be eaten and this is particularly danger-ous since anti-freeze can cause kidney failure in dogs.

“Dogs will drink it like pop, it is sweet,” Acker said. — Matt Naber

Toxic treats

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In the past, I’d observe people who treated their pets like their children, and laugh

to myself over how ridiculous those people looked.

In the last 10 weeks, I’ve be-come one of those people, and I’m surprisingly OK with it.

I blame it on Hobbes, my kitten, who is the closest thing I can compare to caring for a baby.

I know what most of you are thinking: “Joe, raising a kitten is nothing like raising a child.” For the most part, you’re right, but hear me out.

Hobbes came into my life at about 3 weeks of age. His previous owner was forced to give him up when she learned her children are al-lergic to cats. When Hobbes became available, I quickly volunteered to make my home his home. But what I was really volunteering was way more of my time than I anticipated, as well as money, patience and flesh and blood — literally (more on that later).

Because he was so young, Hobbes still needed kitten meal replacement formula. So three times a day, I’d have to bottle feed the little guy. This sounds simple, but imagine an aggressively hungry lion (only much, much smaller) crying and then growling as he uses his claws to rip and tear at a bottle without ever actually landing his mouth on the nipple. At times, I’d actually have to pry Hobbes’ mouth open just to get the nipple in there. I can’t even begin to count how many times I asked Hobbes: “If you’re hun-gry, why won’t you eat!?” It was a lot, and kind of weird since he never answered me.

My first freak-out moment with Hobbes came shortly after a feeding session. Cats some-times don’t know when to stop eating, and during our first night together, Hobbes ate so much that I ended up wearing some of it on my shirt via projectile vom-it. I thought I had just killed my kitten. I was a murderer — a cat murderer. What would my fam-ily, friends and the jury think?

Luckily for me, Hobbes was fine, and his maturation con-tinued.

As is the case with most bottle-fed kittens, Hobbes became attached to me and fol-lowed me wherever I’d go. If I was sleeping, he was curled up somewhere near me, usually on my face, neck or head. If I was cooking, he was standing be-tween my feet crying for a taste. If I was showering, he was doing his best to scale the edge of the bathtub for a peek (can you say “Weirdo”?). Hobbes seemingly couldn’t get enough of me, and suffice to say, the feeling was mutual.

But, like a human child in their terrible twos, Hobbes soon reached his terror phase (thanks to the realization that he has sharp teeth and claws) — and he’s still in it.

Hobbes’ insistance on follow-ing me around my apartment soon turned into “figure out what parts of our house Joe vis-its the most so I can hide there and jump out and scratch him as he walks by.” His cuddles soon turned into decoy cuddles, which he uses to get close enough to me to bite my lips, chin, neck and ears to the point of bleeding — all while purring. I’m starting to look like someone forgot to teach me how to shave. His youthful angst has probably

taken years off my life.

Because he is get-ting older, Hobbes is also getting more adventurous. He’s quite acquainted with the space be-hind my stove, the food in my fridge and the grocery bags in my cabinets (so much so that I acci-dentally locked him in my pantry for an entire afternoon ... I

hated myself for about a week after that.) He’s everywhere at once, and often hard to keep track of. Luckily for me, he answers to his name, even if it takes about 15 tries.

Because he is still so young, Hobbes also requires monthly visits to the vet for vaccina-tions and general check-ups. His most recent one on June 11 nearly brought me to tears. Hobbes seems to be ultrasensi-tive in his lower body area: the lower spine, feet and legs. In an instant, touching his back legs can turn his playful kitten nature into homicidal psycho jungle cat tendencies. It had both me and Red Barn Veteri-nary Services veterinarian Tori Lewis worried.

Two weeks later, Hobbes is just fine, and my concerns have subsided. I think a lot of times in life, we don’t realize how much we care about someone or some-thing until things start going wrong. For as frustrated and fed up as I had gotten with Hobbes’ attempts to make my face his permanent scratching post, my love for the fuzzball came through when I realized he was in possible danger.

I’m sure most of you parents out there have experienced that very same feeling.

But no, Hobbes isn’t a real kid. If and when I do experience real parenthood, I’ll of course go through things with that child that I’ll obviously never have to worry about with Hobbes.

But for now, this is good training, and I get to live with a pretty awesome — albeit ram-bunctious, unpredictable and restless — cat in the process.

Handful of Hobbes

JOE ALBERICOMaybe Joe Knows

Hobbes at 3 weeks old as he rides home with his owner, Joe Alberico, for the first time. At this point, Alberico thought Hobbes was a she. Now at 10 weeks of age, it’s a lot harder to make that mistake.

Hobbes, at 3 weeks of age, drinks kitten meal replacement formula from a bottle during his first night with his owner, Joe Alberico. Tribune photos by Joe Alberico

Opt to Adopt!POWELL ANIMALS

caring forM-F 9-10am, 3:30-6:30pmSat 12-3pm

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754-1019



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307.754.VETS (8387)759 Highway 14A - Powell

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