Monthly Archives: March 2013

Bracket Advice for the Animal Lover

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         People all over the country are filling out their brackets this week.  College basketball analysts are calling this year’s tournament one of the most wide-open in years, so picking the teams that will wind up in Atlanta may be even tougher this year.  Because there is a not a dominant team, there are many schools that have an opportunity to cut down the nets.  Many people who don’t follow college basketball very closely pick who they think will win for such crazy reasons as they like a team’s color or an ex went to a school so they want them to lose.  Many people pick animalsImage to win and that’s where I can help you with a breakdown of the animals that are team nicknames of the teams that are in the field of 68.

                One word of clarification, I’m basing this on team nicknames.  Some schools, like North Carolina, have an inanimate nickname, Tar Heels, but have an animal mascot, Ramses a ram.  I don’t count them.  Last year I did the same thing.  Just like last year, 38 of the 68 teams have an animal nickname.  Cats are most popular with 10 teams, and there are 4 Wildcats in the field.  ImageThat’s the most of any nickname even without the Kentucky Wildcats, last year’s champ not making the field.  There are also 3 teams with Tigers as a nickname.  Eight teams have bird nicknames, with 2 teams named Owls and Eagles.  There are 6 schools named for dogs, including 3 bulldogs.  New Mexico is the Lobos, the Spanish word for Wolf.  I included the Wolfpack of NC State in the dogs.  Lovers of Great Danes may want to pick Albany as the winner.  

                There are 4 teams named for a kind of bear.  And the rest don’t really fall into a category, like the Badgers, Wolverines or Jackrabbits.  ImageNow you have the breakdown of the nicknames, you can use this to pick a winning bracket based on the animals.  If you want to base your picks on basketball, 3 of the 4 number one seeds have animal nicknames: Louisville Cardinals, Kansas Jayhawks, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.  Good luck!

    Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta provides pet sitting, dog walking and cat care services for Roswell, East Cobb, Woodstock and Kennesaw, GA.  You can see the happy pets by following us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/fetchnwatlanta/

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Spring and Snakes

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    You may not believe it if you are outside very long today, but Atlanta is in store for a very pleasant weekend.  Many of you will be spending time with your pets outside or start working in the garden.  You may not be the only one looking to enjoy the warm temperatures and the sunshine.  Venomous Snakes of Georgia has sent out a notice that snake activity will be on the increase with the temperatures and the sun. Image

Pet owners should be careful when they walk their dogs through wooded areas and the dogs start to investigate away from the trails. 

    According to the group, the first snakes to emerge from hibernation are the smaller snakes because they can’t store as much as the larger snakes.  As you would expect, they say the most likely time to encounter a snake is in the afternoon, when the sun has warmed things up a bit.  They offer some great advice for reducing the likelihood of snakes around your home in their latest news release you can see here.

    Dogs are usually bitten on the head, neck and front legs because that’s what they investigate with.  Bites to the head and neck have a higher potential of being dangerous because they can affect the pet’s breathing. 

    If you do encounter a snake and you think your pet has been bitten, try and identify the snake.  DO NOT put yourself or anyone else in danger of a bite to do this.  If envenomization has occurred, the symptoms will be almost immediate.  A bitten dog will show signs of pain, swelling, bruising and oozing blood around two puncture wounds.  The dog may also appear nervous or depressed, weak and salivate or vomit.  The bite wounds may not be visible because of the dog’s coat.

     Muzzle your dog as soon as possible.  This is something you should keep in your pet first aid kit.  Keep an eye on its breathing and the muzzle may need to be loosened if it has a hard time breathing.  Get the dog to a vet right away so antivenin can be administered.  Snakebite kits don’t work, so don’t waste your time with that. 

     Enjoy the spring weather this weekend, but be sure to keep a close eye on your pets (and your family).  Remember that the best way to avoid problems is to be prepared and stay away from situations that could cause problems. 

    Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta provides pet sitting, dog walking and cat care services for Roswell, East Cobb, Woodstock and Kennesaw, GA.  You can see the happy pets by following us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/fetchnwatlanta/.