News for You and Your Pet
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October 15, 2009
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Dear ,
-What's new with Ingrid?
Buckley's Story is off and running! You can currently order the book on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com. If you'd like to order an autographed copy, e-mail me to make special arrangements. Look for announcements about upcoming events and signings soon. It will be a busy fall and winter for me, and I'm really excited about it! I hope to see many of you at one or more of my events - I love to meet and talk to my readers.
-In This Issue:
Halloween is approaching, and as you make plans for parties and trick or treating, make sure that your pets are safe in the midst of the festivities. The ASPCA offers common-sense Halloween Safety Tips for Your Pets.As the holidays are approaching, many of us will be spending time celebrating with family and friends. Most celebrations involve food, and sticking with a healthy eating lifestyle can present a challenge this time of year. Woody McMahon of Sequoia Health and Fitness brings us his Tips to Control the Holiday Food Madness.
-Ingrid Recommends
NOVADog is the premiere magazine for dogs and their humans in the Washington DC metro area. The magazine is available by subscription, or at many locations throughout the area.
With best wishes for you and your furry family members,
Ingrid.
Phone: 703-309-4296
 
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Halloween Safety Tips for Your Pets
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Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to point out these common-sense cautions that'll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy.
Chocolate in all forms-especially dark or baking chocolate-can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate-and even seizures.
Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.
Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.
2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed.
3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.
4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.
5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their "birthday suits," however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.
6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturel or donning a festive bandana.
7. Take a closer look at your pet's costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.
9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.
10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.
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Tips to Control the Holiday Food Madness
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By Woody McMahon
No Need to Struggle
If you are struggling with food or your weight, the next twelve weeks can be a bit overwhelming. This is the season for food overload with all the football games, Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas and New Years all lined up in a row. Just makes your mouth water doesn't it? This is a challenging time for even for the most health conscious individuals. So what does a reasonable minded person to do when faced with such a seemingly daunting challenge? An old saying comes to mind, "When the going gets rough, the tough get going." Here are some suggestions on how to be "tough."
Stay Active
This is a social time of year. Sometimes you are forced to be more social than you might like. Instead of stopping what has helped you feel so good all year, integrate. If for example you have company coming to town, invite them when you go to the health club, Pilates or Yoga class. They may never have been bold enough to try it on their own or have been admiring you thinking "I wish I could develop a healthy habit like that." What a great opportunity to do something good for yourself and set a good example while sharing some healthy time with a loved one.
Avoid Overeating
Why do you want to ruin a year's worth of good work just to overeat right now? Overeating is a unhealthy habit; a habit that is learned and can be unlearned. The typical party is full of distracted eating (eating while talking) and over grazing leaving you with no idea of how much you really ate. Instead of grazing all night, take a plate and put a reasonable amount of food on it. Go and sit down and enjoy your food. This is a much better way to enjoy the party and not hate yourself in the morning for being a glutton.
Adopt a Positive Attitude
Take the time to be thankful for what you have and your accomplishments. Determine what's really important in your life and how you plan on making next year better than this one. What does this have to do with food? Well, if you are struggling with food, now is the time to tell yourself next year is going to be the year you end the struggle. Take the time to look behind your overeating. Figure out why food is all consuming and has such a hold on you. How are you going to break the bonds that are keeping you from enjoying life more? Understanding the "why" can help solve the problem and allow you to get on with enjoying life more.
Keep Stress Low
Work diligently to keep your stress low during this time of year. Reducing stress keeps overeating to a minimum. Also you don't have to accept every single invitation to a party. You know people always invite more guests than they expect. So don't feel bad if you can't say "yes" to all the invitations you get. If you can't accept an invitation from someone you really enjoy, then suggest a lunch or tea after the New Year. You'll spend much better quality time with your friend and it will help you manage your holiday stress. Try these simple holiday strategies and start your New Year off right.
Not all personal trainers are created equally. If you have special needs then your trainer should have special training as well. Contact us to discuss how Fresh Start can help make the most of your exercise time by building a stronger body the right way. With our program you'll improve balance, strength, flexibility,energy and stamina while feeling and looking your best. Call Woody McMahon at 703-464-5171 to schedule your free Fresh Start consultation. You can also email Woody@SequoiaHealth.com. |
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Ingrid Recommends
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NOVADog
It's definitely something to bark about! Northern Virginia Dog is the only quarterly magazine dedicated to you, your dog and the D.C. Metro lifestyle. Each issue delivers news and information as well as interesting lifestyle features, including:
- Destinations - Dog friendly spaces in Northern Virginia and beyond
- Eco Dog - Tips, products, and insights for greener living
- In Review - Literature, arts and new media
- The Source - Hot products you can't live without!
- Expert Advice - Answers to your behavior and training questions
- Healthwise - The latest canine health news and information
- Wags to Riches - Adoption success stories
- The Scene - Snapshots of Northern Virginia Dogs
- Marketplace - Find all the products and services you and your dog need
Northern Virginia Dog is informative, inspired, and in-step with the best of Northern Virginia living for you and your four legged friend.
Be sure to read my review of Small Dog Big Life - Memoirs of a Furry Genius by Genevieve as barktated to Dr. Dennis Fried on page 23!
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