Greetings Rangers – Mango here

I bet you feel safe in your own home don’t you Rangers.  That’s because your parents take every precaution to ensure your safety.

There are hidden dangers all over a home that cats need to be protected from.  Some are obvious, like an open window. Then there are things that seem harmless but they’re not.  Here is a list of some dangerous things that are harmless to humans but dangerous to us:

• Pills /vitamins left out on a counter ( we might eat them thinking they’re  cat treats)
• Anything stringy like dental floss, thread, rubber bands, and tinsel (we could swallow these things and cause a bunch of trouble in our bellies)
• Hot stove / iron / fireplace (remember we can jump high and quick)
• Chocolate / grapes (very, very dangerous if we eat these things)
• Cleaning Chemicals (we can’t read – we don’t know glass cleaner is bad for us)
• Washing machine / Dryer (we like warm cozy places and these are not safe nap spots for us)

There are many hidden dangers in the home.  A good way to know if something is dangerous or not is if you wouldn’t give us something as a toy then you need to make sure we can’t get our paws on it.  Still not sure – then just ask your vet.  They can answer any questions you and your family might have.

Remember to share everything you learn from me and Rocket with your family and friends.

Meow for now!!!

Hello again Rangers!

Does your doggie need to go on a diet?  I bet some of you hear mom or dad
talking about going on a diet, or needing to lose weight.  Well guess what?
Sometimes dogs need to go on a diet too!  How can you tell?  I’m going to
talk with you about that today.

Dogs can gain weight and get too heavy like people do if they eat too much
or don’t get enough exercise.  Did your pooch put on some pounds?  You can
tell by feeling their body.  It should be easy to feel your dog’s ribs, even
with a lot of hair.  It also should be easy to feel the backbone, or spine.
When you look at your pup, it should be obvious where the chest or rib cage
stops, and the belly starts.  The belly should be smaller than the rib cage.

If your dog seems a little too round, those ribs and spine are hard to find,
and the belly looks big, then he might be overweight.  Extra weight can
cause all sorts of problems, like joint pain, or breathing troubles.  It
also can lead to medical problems like diabetes.

The best thing you can do is tell mom and dad you think your dog might be
overweight.  Then they need to take him to the vet for a check up.  The vet
can tell you how many pounds he might need to lose, and the best way to feed
your dog.

After the vet check up, exercise and diet changes are in order.  Play with
your dog!  Run around the yard, throw a ball, or take him for a walk.  Try
to get him moving every day.  When feeding him, you need to measure out how
much he gets and only feed the amount your vet recommends.  Be careful with
those treats!  Too many treats can add a lot of calories, so only give one a
day, and make it a small treat.  Also, don’t feed any food off the table.
Some of the food we eat isn’t good for dogs, and can also have a lot of fat
and calories.

Taking a few simple steps can help with weight problems in dogs, and keep
them healthy and happy.  So go pet your dog right now and see if you can
feel those ribs and backbone.  If you can, tell mom and dad they are doing a
good job!

And let’s not forget kitties! They have the same problems. You can look at the pictures below to see what “too fat” and “just right” look like for dogs and cats!

Thanks for all your good work Rangers!

Until next time,

Roc’s Doc

Last Sunday I had such a super time that I had to share it with my Rangers! Barb and her animal loving friends at PACC911 (Phoenix Animal Care Coalition) put on a huge event that people could come to and adopt pets. It was at a beautiful park in Fountain Hills and the most exciting thing is that 95 dogs and cats (and even a rat I think!) went home to their forever homes and families. There were 50 different Rescue groups there including Maricopa County Animal Care and Control…you know…the folks that fixed me up after I was abandoned!!! There was every kind and size of pup you can even imagine from teeny puppies to huge senior citizens. Every time an animal was adopted , they banged a huge gong and everyone cheered.

There was music and pony rides and a petting zoo so all the families had lots to do..It was like a party! They also had this cool adventure for dogs called a “Lure Course” that had something pups could chase through all these turns. I was one of the fastest dogs that ran it!!

Another thing we had was a pet hospital in an RV. Can you even imagine such a thing? All day long they spayed and neutered dogs and kitties for a very low price in a surgery center on wheels !. It was done by a group called Healing Hearts..one of our friends!. They feel like we do Rangers…too many puppies and not enough homes. If anyone needed  low cost vaccinations, AAWL (Arizona Animal Welfare League) was there giving shots as well as microchips in a van..lots of families brought their pets to get these shots for less.

I got to meet people and tell them about Rocket’s Rangers which I love to do. I hope we’ll be going to some classrooms there soon to spread the word!!

When I put my paws on the pillow that night (the one beside Barb), I had such wonderful memories of all the happy dogs spending their first night with their loving new families. I hope you will all come to one of these wonderful places soon so that you can have the same sweet dreams!

Thanks for Helping me Rangers!

I love you!

Rocket

DON’T WORRY THIS PICTURE IS NOT ME!!

Hey Rangers – what’s happening!!  I’d like to take a moment to talk about a “heavy” issue and that is weight.  Did you know that a few extra pounds on us could be a danger to our health? Just like you humans, being overweight can cause diabetes, arthritis and problems with our hearts.

Have you ever seen an obese lion or a chunky cougar – nooooooooooooo!!!!  Cats in the wild don’t eat junk food and they don’t over eat.  They eat enough to satisfy their hunger and give them enough energy to fit their active life-style.  Indoor kitties need to watch their calories carefully since we’re not doing sprints in the jungle.  Another thing that really helps us maintain a healthy weight is to never give us table food.  In addition to table food packing on extra pounds, there are many foods that are dangerous, even deadly to us kitties.  Did you know that chocolate can kill us? There are even some healthy foods for you that are dangerous to us – like grapes. Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!

Our age determines what kind of cat food we should eat. Cats that are a year old and younger should eat only kitten food (they need the extra protein and calories).  When we reach a year old and up to the age of seven, we should eat cat food designed for adults.  Cats that are older than seven should eat food for seniors.  Always talk to your vet about the best food to feed your kitty.  They will know best.

So remember, if kitties are fed a high-quality diet made especially for us, then we will be healthier and we can live a longer more active life.

This morning Barb weighed me and we decided that at 12 1/2 pounds that I am about 1 pound overweight! Some of you have said that you think I’m a little bit chubby when you see my pictures.I’m not going on some crazy diet, but Barb is going to cut my food back about 10% until I weigh 11 1/2 pounds. She is also going to play with me with my favorite toy  which is a feather on a stick!! If I chase it a whole bunch, I get exercise. I don’t go outside because I am afraid of coyotes and hawks so I need indoor exercise. Wish me luck and I’ll send you a photo when I am in better shape

Thanks for listening Rangers.  Remember to pass along all the great information you learn to your parents and other adults that live with kitties.

I love you Rangers! I wish I could come visit you at school but I don’t like going out of the house and I hate the car!!

Meow for Now!

Mango

Hi Rangers! It’s me, Rocket. I wish this website had smellavision and touch because I am one clean soft puppy today! You know one of the 10 things on my “Action Plans for Kids” is keeping us bathed and brushed and our nails clipped?? Well yesterday I got the whole works and I think I’m a handsome dude today. I can’t wait to get to school later so the kids can see for themselves.

It all started when Barb took me to Petsmart to get my nails clipped. She can do it, but they seem to do it faster and that makes me happy! It cost $9 but we thought it was worth it. Cutting a dog’s nails has to be done VERY carefully because there is a vein inside and, if you cant’t see it, you might cut it and make us bleed..A LOT! Before you try it, have someone really experienced show you how.

Then we came home for my bath. Barb set up a table with a no skid pad and attached me to it with a leash. She also had one of our friends holding me in case I felt like bolting! (I didn’t ) She brushed me with a Furminator which takes out the fur in my undercoat. It felt so good..like a 20 minute back scratch!

Then she ran the hose gently over me . Thank goodness it was a warm day and the hose had been in the sun and had warm water. She massaged the special dog shampoo all over me and then rinsed it out. I didn’t need conditioner like my sister Lucy who has very long tangly hair. After a towel dry, we went for a walk in the sun and I must have shaken myself 20 times. I was practically all dry. When Lucy had her bath, Barb had to use the blow dryer on a low setting on her for a half hour! She was very careful not to blow it in her eyes. Lucy sort of fell asleep standing up it felt so good. But I’m so easy! I think this whole thing was lots of fun and a great way for a family to enjoy a Sunday afternoon together with the pup they love!

See you later!

Your friend,

Rocket

Hi Rangers!

Did you know that there are thousands of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens without homes?  Many of these animals are in animal shelters and rescue buildings across our country. The picture in my letter is a litter of pups right in a Phoenix shelter!! It is sad that there are so many that haven’t found their forever homes.  This is one reason I want to talk to you about spaying and neutering.

Spaying and neutering are types of surgery.  Veterinarians perform this surgery on dogs and cats, and puppies and kittens, to remove the parts that are responsible for making new puppies and kittens.  It is very important if you have a pet that they are spayed or neutered.  If not, a girl pet might get pregnant and have a litter of puppies or kittens.  If your pet is a boy and not neutered he might get away and find a girl to get pregnant with puppies or kittens.  Either way, if there is a pregnancy then there are new puppies or kittens that will need to find new homes.

There are other reasons to have your pet spayed or neutered.  Sometimes a girl dog that isn’t spayed might get a very bad infection in the uterus (one of the parts that is removed during the surgery).  If she gets an infection it will make her very sick, or she might even die.  There is an infection boy dogs might get too, in something called the prostate, that won’t happen if he’s neutered.  Sometimes if a dog or cat isn’t spayed or neutered they are at risk for getting cancer.  Cancer can be prevented with spaying or neutering.

Dogs are better behaved when they are spayed or neutered.  The parts that are removed during the surgery have chemicals called hormones in them.  Hormones can effect emotions, like feeling scared, mad or sad.  If a dog has these hormones they are more likely to behave badly.  Sometimes the hormones can make dogs cranky.  A spayed or neutered dog doesn’t have these hormones and will learn to take direction better and will be more fun to be around.

So Rangers, talk to your parents about spaying and neutering your pet.  They might already be done, or “fixed” as we sometimes call it.  Many times if a pet has been adopted from a shelter they had the surgery done there.  If your pet didn’t come from a shelter the surgery maybe hasn’t been done.  Please talk to your mom and dad about going to the vet and talking about this important surgery.

Until next time!

Your Friend,

Roc’s Doc

Hi Rangers!  I’d like to talk about a very sensitive subject to us kitties, and that is our claws.  When a human baby is born they have fingernails which they keep for their whole life.  When kitties are born we have fingernails too but ours are pointy and sharp.  We call them claws.

Some humans have the wrong idea about kitty claws. They think that we will go around their home and just rip everything up!! That’s why they sometimes declaw us with a surgery.  I know some kitties that have been declawed and they said it really hurt.  I promise that cats can live in homes with humans and keep their claws without causing a lot of damage… really! It’s natural for us to use our claws on things that are textured and rough.  When we live in the wild we use real trees to scratch (we love tall objects).  We do this to remove the outer shell of our claws called the husk and to mark our territory (that means we are claiming something as OURS!).   It also keeps our claws in great shape.  So humans just need to give us our own indoor tree or scratching post.  You see them all the time in pet stores.  Cat trees are sometimes made of burlap and thick rope (remember we like textured, tall things). Try to avoid cat trees that are made of carpet.  That will confuse us because we might think its ok to scratch the carpet on the tree AND the carpet on the floor.

Another way to prevent us from scratching the furniture is to keep our claws nice and trim. That’s right – a manicure! Kitty nail clippers are really inexpensive and very easy to use.  The best teacher is your vet, vet technician or a friend that has a lot of kitty experience.  Once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze.

So remember, kitties are much happier when we keep our claws and humans are happier when we scratch only designated items like our own cat tree. Let’s all be happy with kitty claws!!

Meow for Now

Mango

Hi Rangers! I know you always brush your teeth a couple of times a day, but it’s kind of hard for pups to do that! Barb brushes my teeth sometimes but every 2 years I go in to Roc’s Doc and have a super duper cleaning job. It’s not just to be a handsome guy and have a sparkling smile, although I do like that! It’s also because we pups, and kittys too, can get problems in our gums and they can make problems for our whole bodies. Our gums should be a pale pink, but sometimes they can get puffy and red or you can see a red line along the top..time for action!!!

Bacteria can cause inflammation (puffiness) and that spreads all through us causing other health problems.

I checked into see my friends at the hospital early one morning .They checked me over and then gave me some medicine to make me sleep for a while. While I was dreaming of running and playing, they scraped away the plaque and stain from my teeth and checked for any bigger problems. Luckily, all was good and the next thing I knew I was awake in my cage with all those nice vet techs checking on me and hugging me!! Barb took me home after the medicine wasn’t making me sleepy any more and I showed off my pearly whites for days!

Check with your Vet when you take your pup in for their checkup to see if their teeth are in tip top condition and don’t be afraid of having them have a deep cleaning!

I love you all Rangers!

You can send me questions at rocketsrangers@yahoo.com and Barb will read them to me!

More Later,

Your friend,

Rocket

“Spring time reminds me that there is an important disease that Rocket’s Rangers need to know about.  It is called heartworm disease.  With warm weather comes mosquitoes, and they can give your dog heartworm disease.

Heartworms are long thin worms, shaped like a spaghetti noodle, that grow in the blood vessels and live in the heart of your dog.  Once in the heart, the worms will block blood flow and cause the heart to have to work harder than normal.  Eventually this makes the heart weak and cases a condition called heart failure.  Once a dog gets heart failure, there is no cure, and they eventually die from it.

The good news is that heartworm disease is easily prevented!  Your veterinarian will run a fast and easy blood test to make sure your dog doesn’t already have heartworms.  Sometimes dogs can have heartworms, and not have any signs of sickness yet because the heart is still strong enough.  Once your veterinarian determines your dog doesn’t have heartworms, he or she will send your dog home with a monthly medicine to prevent heartworms from growing if your dog is bitten by a mosquito.  And the best part is that the pills are specially flavored treats!

So, Rangers, make sure your good friend gets to the vet today to have the test and get those pills.  It may save your dog’s life!”

Until next time,

Your friend,

Roc’s Doc

Too hot to leave the dogs in the car in February 20, 2010

Hi gang,

During the cool winter months in Phoenix Arizona, I take my dogs for more walks and I take them for more rides in my truck as well.

I noticed the other day that, although it was nice out side, and the weatherman on TV said that it was only 77 degrees, it was kind of uncomfortably warm inside of my truck.

I decided to do an experiment with our patio thermometer.

I rolled up the windows in my truck and I set the thermometer on the hand rest of the passenger side dashboard about a foot from the windshield.

After just five minutes, I took a picture of the thermometer through the front window of my truck to show every one just how hot it can get inside of your truck or car even in February when the air outside is cool.

It was 77 degrees outside at 2 clock in the after noon and it was well over 100 degrees inside of my truck at the same time.

I realized that if my dogs were in the car with me it would be too hot to even run into the grocery store to get a gallon of milk or some thing.

So if I do take them for a ride, I make sure that I don’t have to do any errands and I keep the air conditioner blasting.

All for now,

Ken Desch

Rockets Wrangler