7 Household Dangers for Pets

As a pet owner, it’s likely that you use extra caution with certain chemicals and toxins in your home that can be harmful to your four-legged family members. But, things like insecticides and rodenticides are just scratching the surface. Keep an eye out for these everyday household items that may pose a threat to your pet’s well-being!

Human Food

Most of us like to show our pets how much we love them by slipping them some yummy table scraps. And, it’s not just chocolate, grapes and raisins that should stay out of your pet’s bowl. Foods like avocados, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, and foods containing xylitol such as gum and certain peanut butters are no good. You’ll also want to be sure your pet steers clear of coffee grounds, yeast and alcohol.

Cooked meats can pose a serious threat to your pet’s health, too. Bones can become brittle when cooked, increasing the chance of breaking or splintering which is a big issue when ingested by your animal companion.

Human Medications

We know to keep our medications out of the reach of children, but human medicine can be enticing for curious noses and paws, too! From prescription to over-the-counter, human medications are not safe for our four-legged friends. Even inhalers can pose a danger, so be sure to keep your medications out of reach of your kids (two- and four-legged alike).

House Plants

Many people know that poinsettias and lilies are toxic to cats, but plant varieties such as azalea, rhododendron and sago palm are some of the less commonly known hazards! Additionally, kalanchoe flowers and schefflera leaves are often found in homes and can be harmful to pets.

Household Cleaners

You may be aware that chemicals like bleach and detergents can pose a threat to your pet. If ingested (or even inhaled), other common substances such as disinfectants or antifreeze can also be harmful to your pet. Don’t forget about garden fertilizers or paint chips containing heavy metals, too!

Essential Oils

While essential oils might be helpful for treating human ailments, many of these substances are volatile compounds, which mean they can be toxic to your animal companion. Cats can be especially sensitive to the scents in essential oils. Keep in mind that what is safe for you to use isn’t necessarily safe to use with your pet nearby.

For Rabbits

In addition to the dangers listed above, Rabbits can face special risks when it comes to toxic substances. There can be traces of cyanide in almonds, cassava roots, mangoes and millet sprouts, so those are not safe foods to feed to your bunny! A substance called “psoralen,” found in Parsnips, is also poisonous! Growing your own veggies in a garden might be great for people, but not all veggies are safe for rabbits. Stay away from eggplants, potato plants, sweet potato plants, tomato plants and the root of mustard plants.

Odds and Ends

Poisons aren’t the only thing that can pose a threat to your four-legged family members! Keep an eye out for other dangers like loose strings (especially attached to blinds or dental floss!), rubber bands, treated toilet water and plastic bags. In the winter time, ice melt can get into paw pads and injure the skin. Coins and other small objects such as lip balm, batteries, socks and hair ties can look or smell appetizing to your pet, but could cause serious internal damage if ingested.

While accidents happen, the best way to keep your pet happy and healthy is to know what to look for and keep a close watch over potential hazards in the home. If your pet does consume something they shouldn’t or even if you suspect they may have gotten into something unsafe, take them to the nearest emergency veterinarian right away!

Iceland or Glaucous Gull?

Gulls Can Be Difficult to Distinguish

Iceland Gull First Winter

Some, indeed many, species of gulls are difficult to identify.  Given that gulls take 2 or 3 years to reach adulthood and that they have 5 or more different plumages along the way, no wonder identification is difficult!  

This post will attempt to clarify the difference between the 1st winter Iceland and Glaucous Gulls.  This is a problem often faced by New Brunswick birders because these gulls are often found here in winter.  Immature Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are much more common here than adults.  Non-breeding Iceland Gulls (Larus glaucoides) are found here mainly in winter.  They winter along water from the Great Lakes to Labrador, around the coast of Newfoundland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the Atlantic seaboard as far south as North Carolina.  They breed in summer along the western coast of Greenland and the southern part of Baffin Island.  

The Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) is more geographically widespread in North America.  Non-breeders spend their summers (and some year-round) on both coasts of Canada, in the west along the entire coast of British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska and in the east from the Great Lakes to Labrador, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and down the eastern seaboard to North Carolina.  Non-breeders also are found in waters from Northern Labrador to Greenland north to Baffin Island.  Adult Glaucous Gulls spend summers on breeding grounds along the coasts of northern Labrador, Greenland, Baffin Island and most Arctic Islands northward.  They also breed along the north coast of Yukon, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Alaska.

Glaucous Gull First Winter

Note the two species shown in the photos above.  As can be seen, they are very similar.  So how do we tell them apart?  Firstly, the Glaucous Gull is larger than the Iceland Gull (69 cm/27 inches vs. 56 cm/22 inches).  But this is not much help if we see just one bird and have nothing for comparison.  Following are some other features to help identify these species.

Iceland Gull First Winter

Both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls are white-winged gulls.  White-winged gulls do not have black wingtips like our common gulls, Herring Gulls, for example.  Their wingtips vary from white to brownish gray.  See the photos above.  The bill of the Iceland Gull is shorter and more slender than the bill of the Glaucous Gull.  On both species when at rest, the wing tips extend beyond the tail feathers.  The 'wing projection' is longer in the Iceland Gull than in the Glaucous Gull.  The juvenile Iceland Gull is pale brown to creamy overall with variations in the amount of white mottling.  The comparable Glaucous Gull is much whiter in colour.  Both species have a dark eye at this stage.  The Glaucous Gull at this age shows a bi-coloured bill with pink at the base and black at the tip, and showing a sharp demarcation between the two colours.  The juvenile Iceland Gull has a black bill but it gradually transforms to a bi-coloured bill in the next year, with a not-so-clear demarcation between the pink and black. Both species have pink legs.  The wingtips in the Glaucous Gull are often white or whitish whereas the Iceland Gull wingtips at the stage are often brownish to grayish.  

Iceland Gull First Winter

It is always interesting to see these gulls in winter.  In the spring they leave and spend their summers further north.  'Our' Iceland Gulls will move to the coast of Newfoundland and northern Labrador and our Glaucous Gulls will probably fly to the north coast of Labrador, Greenland or Baffin Island.  

Glaucous Gull (front); Iceland Gull (behind)

The photo above shows clearly the difference in plumage colour and bill shape.  Iceland and Glaucous Gulls are always a challenge this time of year.  I admire these interesting species that are adapted to cold temperatures and thus can reap the benefits of feeding off the cold northern Atlantic shores.  

What to Do on a Rainy Day

There are so many things I love to do on a rainy day!

Crochet is one of them - and I recently finished my spring wreath for the front door.

It makes me feel welcome when I come home

I love to capture nature abstracts

like in the harmonious curves of the petals of my Amaryllis.

Photography is something we can definitely do on a rainy day, even inside!

Bringing home a basket of three daffodil bulbs was like bringing spring sunshine

into my home.

No need to resist capturing them from every angle!

Just drink in their yellow beauty until the sunshine and blue skies return.

Sit down with a big cup of  a delicious warm drink.

This one is a ginger and lemon infusion.

Why not practice some fun self-portraits.

My favourites this week are double exposures!

Oh yes, and another thing to do on a rainy day!

Make a new blog entry!

Instead of  wanting to make everything incredibly perfect,

just do things the way they are today

and that is enough!

Eurasian Widgeon

Waterfowl from Europe

Eurasian Widgeon [Internet Photo]

The Eurasian Widgeon (Anas penelope) is a waterfowl species normally living in Europe.   It breeds from Iceland, British Isles and Scandinavia to eastern Siberia and Kamchatka, southward to Northern Europe, central Russia and Northern China.  A few stray to North America every year and spend their time on either the Pacific or Atlantic coasts.  On the Atlantic coast they may be found from Labrador and Newfoundland southward to Florida and Texas.  They prefer marshes, lakes and tidal flats.

According to records, the numbers of Eurasian Widgeon have increased in recent years.  This may be due to increased awareness in birding or to an actual increase.  In my experience it seems to be an increase in numbers in the Atlantic area.  There has never been a recorded case of Eurasian Widgeon breeding in North America.  The birds will, however, hybridize with our own American Widgeon.  

The male Eurasian Widgeon is identified by its rich chestnut-coloured head with a cream or yellow crown and forehead.  It has a mottled gray back and sides.  The female looks much like the female American Widgeon but shows a warmer brown on its head.  See below for an image of a female American Widgeon.  The Eurasian Widgeon is unusual in that it often grazes on land like geese.  It also will hang out close to diving ducks and attempt to snatch food from them as they surface.

American Widgeon Showing Male and Female (on right)

It is always interesting to see a species not normally found here.  Recently there have been at least two reports of Eurasian Widgeon in the Atlantic region, from Newfoundland and New Brunswick.  On Sunday, March 4, a male Eurasian Widgeon was sighted in Lower Jemseg by one of our local birders.  There it was feeding and hanging out with Canada Geese, Common Mergansers and Hooded Mergansers.  The Jemseg River recently became free of ice and the waterfowl were enjoying the opportunity to feed.  The widgeon will soon have many puddle ducks including American Widgeon to keep it company.

Jasmine and Iris: Animal Friends' Home to Home Adoption Program

Jasmine and Iris were rescued about 4 years ago when they were just kittens. As part of a litter of young kittens, they had nowhere else to go, so a Good Samaritan who fell in love with them stepped in and gave a home to these two adorable kitties.

Now 4 years old, Jasmine and Iris are in search of a new home because a new member of their family is severely allergic to cats. In their current home, they spend their days playing with each other and even get along great with a canine sibling! These wonderful, friendly and lovable kitties need a home where they will get all of the playtime, love and attention they’ve grown accustomed to.

If you think your family might be the right fit for these sweet girls, contact Debbie at debbie.waldo@icloud.com.

Wellness Wednesdays

The hallmark of our Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center is to provide affordable wellness services to financially struggling pet owners. At Animal Friends, we know that just because a family may have fallen on difficult economic times, doesn’t mean their pets don’t deserve high quality veterinary care. By giving our community access to low-cost, high-quality services, we can keep pets healthy and at home with caring families – where they belong.

Scheduling a yearly wellness visit is the best way to keep your pet healthy. Not only will it provide your pet with preventative care they may need – such as a heartworm test, general blood work and vaccinations – it is the perfect time to identify any number of potentially life threatening conditions and begin treatment. As your pet ages, their need for routine care may increase. We recommend that pets older than 7 years have a preventative care appointment twice each year.

To help low-income families keep their four-legged members feeling their best, Animal Friends is proud to introduce Wellness Wednesdays at our Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center.

Now, you can schedule a wellness visit that includes a physical exam by a licensed veterinarian. From there you can opt to get your pet routine vaccinations, flea and tick treatments and tests to detect conditions such as heartworm, Lyme disease, feline leukemia and FIV. You can also make appointments for routine illnesses, like ear and eye infections or sneezing and coughing. And, you’ll be provided with any necessary medication during your visit so you won’t need to make an extra trip to the pharmacy!

By offering low-cost wellness services with compassionate staff in a judgment-free zone, we know that we’ll be helping our clients and their pets – and we look forward to doing so.

Wellness visits are by appointment only. To schedule your visit, contact our Clinic Services team at 412.847.7004 or click here to learn more.

Northern Mockingbird

Mockingbirds Are Occasional Residents

Northern Mockingbird

 The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a rare New Brunswick resident and sometimes a migrant.  According to 'Birds of New Brunswick:  An Annotated List' there were only a few reports of this species prior to  the 1950s.  The first recorded nesting was in 1967 in Grand Manan.  It now breeds in a few places in the province mostly along the eastern and southern coasts.  The bird shown in the photos above and below was seen on January 19 in St. George.

Northern Mockingbird

The Mockingbird is very common in the US.  It is a permanent resident from southern Maine through to southern California and throughout Mexico and the West Indies.  It summers northward from there to the Great Lakes and the mid-US.  This species is a mimid (family Mimidae), a family made up of thrashers, mockingbirds and the Gray Catbird.  These birds are known for their long, repetitive songs.  They tend to be secretive and often hide in thickets.  They feed on insects and fruits.

The Mockingbird is the most conspicuous mimid.  Its song is loud and it can mimic the song of other birds.  The bird is about 25 cm long (10 in), is mostly gray with white wing bars and white outer tail feathers which it flashes during courtship.  The genders are similar.  The tail appears long.  The bird also shows black on its wings and tail.  The yellow eye often is evident.  The Northern Mockingbird is given the 'Northern' in its common name to distinguish it from the Bahama Mockingbird and the Blue Mockingbird of Mexico.

Northern Mockingbird [E Mills Photo]

The Mockingbird has thrived with the urbanization of the landscape.  In its regular range it is often seen conspicuously singing from the tops of exposed perches.  It likes brushy fields and suburban landscapes.  It often forages on the ground looking for seeds, fruits, insects, worms, small crustaceans, reptiles and amphibians.

The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of several US states; Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.  There it is common and flashy, making a good symbol.  If you have encountered many of this species you will notice that it is an aggressive bird.  It will voraciously defend its territory especially in breeding season.  Under threat it will attack pets or humans whom it sees as intruders.  It is an enthusiastic singer and will soon be filling the landscape with its varied songs.  Some of these will even be heard at night!