Happy Spring! Yippee!

Hope everyone is enjoying the longer days and the extra daylight. Makes walking the dog after dinner a little easier. Many of our dogs have put on a few extra pounds this long winter so now is the time to shed them with nice long walks! Helps the human on the other end of the leash too. Start with a short walk then gradually build up to longer distances if there was not much activity over the winter months.

We have some special things going on in and out of the clinic in the next few weeks:

Beverly Animal Natural Health Center will be participating in The Pampered Pet Expo at the Wilmington Shriner’s Auditorium, 99 Fordham Road April 23rd and 24th. Cattie Coyle, the massage therapist from The Bancroft School of Massage will also be there as we are setting up to have her come to the clinic for massage therapy for your pet on a regular basis. There will be all sorts of pet care product manufacturers as well as dog trainers, entertainers, etc. We will be raffling off some Vetri-Science supplements. Discount admission coupons are available at our office!

To get there, take Route 128 South to exit 37B Route 93 North. Follow 4 miles to exit 39, Concord Street toward Rt 28/N. Reading. Turn slight right onto Concord Street then left onto Fordham Road. It is about 30 minutes from the clinic. No pets allowed.

Check out the website at www.pamperedpetexpo.com.

Toxic-Free Lawns for Pets and People

As spring comes around, the grass lawn start to green up with the help of Mother Nature. Many lawns are then chemically treated to prevent growth of weeds and certain grasses.

In more recent years, there have been scientific studies and data that have made a link between pesticide use and cancer.

In October of 2003, I was involved in the Pets and Cancer: Canaries in the Coal Mine forum in Marblehead, MA. Chip Osborne, of Osborne Florist and Greenhouse spoke along with Dr. Rodney Page from Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine about the known associations between pesticide use and dangers to children and pets.

Chip has continued to be a crusader for organic lawn care and has created the “Organic Pest Management Policy for Turf and Landscape” in Marblehead. Having lost two dogs to cancer, he became all too familiar with the issues of pesticides in his business as the dogs worked with him every day. He researched the hazards of chemical pesticides and then made the switch to organic products only for his greenhouse. The town of Marblehead now uses only organic products on all the public areas. Lawns managed under organic care can be attractive, healthy and vigorous.

Here are some tips:

• Corn gluten products can significantly reduce populations of crabgrass and other weeds
• Seeding a mixture of grass types will help keep a lawn healthy under various climactic conditions
• Adjusting the lawn mower’s cutting height to 3 inches can help shade-out weeds creating a dense lawn, mowed high. Keep the cutting blade sharp.
• Removing individual plants by hand using a special tool can help eliminate dandelions.
• Nematodes (worms) that prey on immature insects can be used against grubs in the lawn.
• Perform a soil test and check ph. Use only what you need. When watering, water deeply ( longer and less frequent). Stressed lawns are easier targets for weeds.
• Aerate high traffic areas to allow infiltration into soil and decrease run-off.
• If you must have a perfect lawn, focus on an area that does not have high children or pet use such as the front lawn along the street. Leave the backyard natural.
• And, always read what you buy!

Two cancers have been associated with pest control products in dogs; transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and lymphoma.

We have to take notice and heed the warning! We need to protect our pets as well as our children. People can become more aware of the toxic nature of pesticides and learn about alternatives to chemicals. Yes, some of these products may take more time and be a little bit more labor intensive, but isn’t the life of you, your family and your pets worth it?

For more information, you can check out the Rachel Carson Council website at www.rachelcarsoncouncil.com. If still under development, it will forward you to an active page. Chip Osborne’s Organic Florist is located at 10 Ocean Ave in Marblehead.