I’ve moved my website to www.mandispetcare.com !!
So now I OFFICIALLY can’t be confused with Amanda’s Pet Sitting. Give it a little while to have my old domain transfered, and then it will point to the new site, so if for some reason the site is messing up, please email me and mandispetcare@gmail.com to let me know. Thanks!!
Fun things going on in the community. If you have anything to add, let me know!
I, personally, have know for a little while that raisins and grapes are bad for dogs. But I’ve never known just HOW bad until this weekend after my 7 pound Dachshund ate two boxes. Just a few grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure, and they have been known to be fatal.
I felt stupid at first for not knowing, seeing my life revolves around dogs, but when I brought my dog in to work with me, the veterinarian didn’t even know that raisins and grapes were really THAT bad.
It can take up to 3 days after ingestion for kidney failure to start, so we’ve had my guy on fluids and checking his blood twice a day. So far, so good. If everything looks good tomorrow, he’s in the clear. So far, the only symptoms he’s had are the vomiting on Sunday (a lot of it), vomited once last night, and drinking a lot of water.
Other symptoms would be hyperactivity shortly after consumption, later they would be lethargic, won’t eat, vomiting, diarrhea, drinking a lot of water, then trouble urinating as the kidneys start shutting down.
I’m trying to be optomistic, I can’t lose two dogs in one month. Bama, my Cocker Spaniel, was hit by a car a couple weeks ago, and we had to put him down.
For more information, I found a really great article from the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control called The Wrath of Grapes. Their Animal Poison Control site also has a lot of great information on other common foods, plants, and household items that are dangerous for pets along with a lot more helpful information regarding pets and toxins.
The Animal Poison Control Center is your best resource for any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, make the call that can make all the difference: 1-888-426-4435. A $60 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card. If you are a member of the new HomeAgain Microchip Program, you can call 1-888-HOMEAGAIN to speak with the Animal Poison Control Center for free.
I know I seem to harp on the subject of heartworms a lot, but it is such an important part of owning a dog! Since I have been trying to rehome my Boxer, Gypsy, I have found that so many people know NOTHING about heartworm disease. I’m not going to get into specifics of what people have said, but it blows my mind away that a pet owner or potential pet owner knows or cares so little about the disease.
If you own a dog or plan on getting one, PLEASE educate yourself on heartworm disease, prevention, and treatment.
You can find great information on heartworms at the site for the American Heartworm Society.
Please spread the word, I have dogs coming out of the woodworks! Email me or check out my website www.amandaspetsitting.net for info. Not everyone is listed on the site so email me for details!
With gas prices and everything else in this country going up, up, up, it’s sad to say that pet care prices are going up as well. Times are hard with everything going up but our paychecks. We know this. But prices are being raised for us as well! As much as we would be able to care for your pets for free or really cheap, this is how we make OUR living and how WE survive.
Please be patient with your pet care providers. Your veterinarians, their staff, your pet sitters, your dog walkers, your groomers, your pet stores….we can’t help the price increases!!
PLEASE!! Do not let the increased prices convince you to not care for your pets at all. Shop around if you need to, find someone willing to work with you or programs that can help.
I have decided to change the name of my business to Mandi’s Pet Care. There is another “Amanda’s Pet Sitting” in Arizona, and has allegedly ripped some people off. I am in NO WAY associated with this other company, and have decided to change MY company’s name in order to end any confusion.
Thank you, and I’m sorry for any confusion.
So here I am, on my computer, 9:30 pm when my neighbors knock on my door. “Is this your kitten?” Nope, not mine. They found him on our porch crying! Poor guy. He looks about 12 weeks old, pure black little male. I had some leftover food from my last foster kitten that I put out for him and some water, but he’s still out there crying. He’s very scared. Its like, they KNOW where to come when they need help. This one’s not coming inside though. Nope, nope. As long as he’s on my porch I’ll continue to feed him until he gets a new home.
So, you know me, the big sucker. I have another foster kitten. This one DOES have a potential home, but in case that doesn’t work out, please keep your eyes and ears open for someone who wants a kitten! For more info on darling little Felix, please visit my website.
EDIT: His potential home backed out 
He’s officially completely up for adoption!
Pet sitting is still a pretty unfamiliar service to some people, so I’d like to take the time to educate you on some of the MANY things a pet sitter can do for you.
A pet sitter is also a dog walker. If you work long hours and don’t like to keep your pet in the yard or kennel all day, or cramped up in the house, then you can hire a pet sitter to come take your dog for a walk, or just let them run in yard for a bit.
Some pet sitters also offer “pet taxi.” They can shuttle your dog to the veterinarian, doggy day care, the groomer, you name it!
One of the best features of having a pet sitter, in my opinion, is their vacation service. If you travel often for work, or are just taking a family vacation, you can have a pet sitter come to your home to take care of your pets. Your pet sitter can check your mail, bring your trash cans in or out, turn lights on and off to make the home seem “lived in,” water plants, feed fish, and much more! Some pet sitters even offer overnight visits.
You don’t even have to have a pet to use a pet sitter…If you just need someone to come take care of your home while you are out of town, some pet sitters offer house sitting service as well.
A pet sitter can do so many things, and services vary from business to business, so be sure to check with your local pet sitters to see what they can do for you. To check out just some of the many services I offer, visit my web site!
