Greetings, everybody! Spring, or, at least spring break, is just around the corner, and we've got a new “cage-free” kennel service to tell you about. We're also planning a fun contest and want to remind you about heartworm disease and daylight savings time. We've filled this newsletter with these and other informative, helpful or just plain interesting stories for busy dog owners. Please let us know if there's something you're interested in or would like to share. Contact Kellye Crocker, Newsletter Editor and Cosmo's “Mom,” at kelcrocker@mchsi.com or 278-5658.

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day-even our furry friends! Since the holiday falls on a Saturday this year, Greenbelt will celebrate a day early-on Friday, March 16. The dog who wears the best costume will receive three free trips to the dog park or, for those who don't go to the park, a free day of day care. That's no blarney!

Greenbelt now offers a “cage free” boarding option. The dogs spend the night with owner Jean Brown in her on-site apartment upstairs. The cost is $38 per night, per dog and is limited to five dogs at a time. This is a good option for pups who hate cages-and will hurt themselves and destroy the kennel trying to get out. Cage-free boarding, growing in popularity in other parts of the country, is also good for “people-person” pets.

And, speaking of boarding . . . spring break at area schools is fast approaching. If you're leaving town without your dog, give us a call. Your dog will be more comfortable staying at a familiar place with his (human and furry) friends and keeping his daytime routine. Make your reservation today! This is a busy time. (Greenbelt also can care for your cat, bird, rabbit, gerbil, ferret, hamster and even fish. Sorry, no husbands.) Talk to Jean when you drop off your dog, call 515/457-3884 or email: Gbkcommunique@aol.com

Don't forget, daylight savings time starts March 11 (this coming Sunday)-three weeks earlier than usual, thanks to a 2005 federal energy bill. (DST also lasts a week longer-until Nov. 4.) The “spring forward” effect means more evening daylight hours but darker mornings, which may be good or bad, depending on your dog-walking habits.

Timothy Monk, a psychology professor at the University of Pittsburgh medical center and an expert on DST, warns that the annual time change causes a “mini jetlag” that affects most people for about a week.

But don't forget about your dog. If she's on a rigid schedule, she may have trouble getting up in the morning and settling down at night, and she may not be hungry at her regular feeding time. You may want to start slowly adjusting her schedule so Sunday's change isn't such a shock. (And Monk says people shouldn't skimp on sleep during this time.)

March and April is the time to check with your vet about heartworm prevention. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be fatal. It's often called “a silent killer” because it may take a year or more to be detected. Early detection is vital for successful treatment. But even if you catch it early, treatment is expensive and complicated. A vet has to treat the dog's heart, vascular and systemic problems caused by the disease as well as eliminate every parasite. In this case, an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure.

The state doesn't require heartworm prevention for boarding or for dogs to attend day care, but Jean says the influx of Hurricane Katrina dogs to Iowa has made the problem more visible. “With a larger population of dogs with undetected heartworm, the greater the chances are of the problem spreading,” she says. “As a kennel owner, I cannot force pet owners to have their dogs checked for heartworm. I can only urge them, for the sake of their pet's health, to do so.”

When Cosmo went for his first puppy check-up, our vet showed us the real, preserved heart of a dog who had died from this disease. It was packed solid with worms, a sight I'll never forget. She didn't have to tell me twice that prevention is key. (Cosmo thinks his monthly med is a “treat.” Don't tell!) Here's a thorough overview about heartworm disease: http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/hw.html.

If your pooch is going with you on spring break, check out these tips from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA):

Does your dog suffer from carsickness? Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug to prevent and treat vomiting in dogs. The tablet form, called Cerenia, is expected to be available from veterinarians starting this summer and will treat motion sickness and other causes of vomiting. Vets can also use an injectable form of the drug, known generically as maropitant citrate, for acute vomiting due to chemotherapy, parvovirus, kidney disease, pancreatitis and other illnesses. Severe vomiting can lead to dehydration and death.

The drug is manufactured by Pfizer, Inc., which also makes the first dog obesity drug, which received FDA approval in January. A Pfizer press release says that 2.8 million U.S. dogs vomit each year and another 1.2 million suffer from carsickness. Read the entire press release here: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-28-2007/0004536861&EDATE

Just when our minds were turning toward spring, Iowans got a good dose of winter weather. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers a couple of winter safety reminders:

Ice melt products may contain calcium chloride and sodium chloride (table salt) that can irritate your dog's paws or skin. Dogs who lick ice melt off their paws or the ground may get sick. Depending on the amount, ice melts can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and, in severe cases, heart problems, seizures, coma and even death.

Antifreeze products containing ethylene glycol are extremely toxic and can cause life-threatening kidney damage, even in small amounts. (Less than a tablespoon can kill a 20-pound dog.) Most cases of antifreeze poisoning happen around the pet's home and are usually due to improper storage or disposal. The ASPCA recommends:

Hallmark may not make a greeting card for it, but National Poison Prevention Week is March 18-24. Here's a review on the common household items that could injure your pets: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_022107_2

Doggy Dementia on the Rise. Better nutrition, veterinary care and home environments are enabling dogs and cats to live longer. (Up to 20 years for small dogs and cats and 12 to 13 for medium and large dogs.) Unfortunately, more are showing signs of senility and other health problems that can plague older humans. Researchers recently discovered that one-third of dogs ages 11 and 12 and two-thirds of dogs ages 15 and 16 had significant mental impairment. Fortunately, medication and other treatments (even obedience training!) can help an elderly pet maintain a happy life. This story offers good information on how to tell if your elderly pet has problems. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16893480/from/ET/

Clone your pup? February 22, 2007, marked 10 years since the world learned that Scottish scientists had cloned a sheep. Dolly, who was put down in 2003 because of illness, was the world's first cloned mammal. Last October, the radio program All Things Considered aired a story about a pet-cloning business that had gone out of business. Despite spending millions, the six-year-old Genetic Savings and Clone replicated only a few cats and never a dog. Hear the story here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6272448

Sharing the Love. Satin, a black, shorthaired cat, is the Internet's newest celebrity after adopting a six-day-old Rottweiler mix named Charlie. Charlie, named by Connecticut shelter workers, was found with his mother and a stillborn puppy on a roadside. Vets said it's not unusual for mother dogs to refuse to feed or care for a live puppy, as Charlie's mother did, when another is stillborn. Read more and see a picture of Charlie nursing with Satin's gray and black kittens here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-02-15-cat-puppy_x.htm

On a closing note, don't forget The Animal Rescue League of Iowa's Pet-a-Porter fashion show Saturday, March 10 at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. Models, many of them adorable and adoptable-with four legs-will show off the latest spring fashions, including leashes and other frocks. (Maybe you'll find something green?) For more information, visit http://www.arl-iowa.org/aspx/generalcontent.aspx?pid=3&cid=37. Meanwhile, let's hope that we've seen the last blast of winter. Stay warm!

P.S. If you think a friend or family member would enjoy this newsletter, send them to the Greenbelt website, where Jean has them archived. http://www.greenbeltkennels.com/si