January 2018 Puppy Up Newsletter

“It’s just the most amazing thing to love a dog, isn’t it? It makes our relationships with people seem as boring as a bowl of oatmeal.” – John Grogan, Marley and me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog.

In This Issue

In This Issue: Thank You and High Five!; Welcome Dr. Lane to VCA River in Chattanooga; Countdown to PuppyUp Spring, TX– It’s A Party; Our First PuppyUp Walk of 2018 in Spring, Texas; 15 Winter Care Tips For Your Dog; Pup of the Month; January is Walk Your Dog Month. Join The Steps for Pet Health Challenge; Puppy Up Studios.

Thank You and High Five!

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, vendors, walk participants, and donors, to date The Puppy Up Foundation has funded over $1,000,000.00 in education, awareness, and research. You have helped us fund studies in the areas of osteosarcoma, breast and bladder cancers, mast cell tumors, NK cell therapy, and B-cell lymphoma. Recipients of our grants include: Princeton with the University of Pennsylvania, MIT and Harvard’s Broad Institute, Animal Medical Center with Sloan Kettering, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Purdue University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Illinois.

With your continued support, we look towards 2018 and beyond with enthusiasm and hope that, through our combined efforts, cancer will one day no longer be the pandemic it currently is.

For more information on the studies you have helped us fund, please follow this link.

To make a tax-deductible donation, please follow this link.

If you’d like to make a Memorial on Honorarium gift, please click here.

 

Welcome Dr. Lane to VCA River in Chattanooga, TN!

Welcome Dr. Lane to VCA River in Chattanooga!

VCA River in Chattanooga is excited to announce that they recently added a Veterinary Oncologist to their staff. Having the ability to take your pet to a local board-certified oncologist is a luxury that many people do not have. We are happy that our options in Tennessee are expanding. Even if you don’t live in Chattanooga, remember the drive is worth the peace of mind knowing that your pet is being seen by a specialist who can explain all your options.

Dr. Jeanne Lane grew up in Massachusetts, and she discovered her passion for animals at a young age. She pursued an animal science degree at the University of Connecticut and earned her DVM at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. From there, she completed a rotating internship at VCA Veterinary Care in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She next moved to Knoxville for her oncology residency, and she became a board-certified oncologist in 2015. Since that time, she has served as a clinical assistant professor of oncology at the university. She is excited to be a part of the team at VCA RIVER to provide oncology services in Chattanooga.

Countdown to PuppyUp Spring, Texas — It’s A Party

Please join PuppyUp Spring on Superbowl Sunday for our “Countdown to PuppyUp Spring Party” at the Tapped DraftHouse & Kitchen from noon – 5 PM on Sunday, February 4. Register for the walk and enjoy local, regional, and national craft beers, ciders and wines. Come watch The Puppy Bowl XIV on their pet-friendly patio starting at 2 PM CST to see whether Team Fluff or Team Ruff will win.  Tapped is donating 10% of all sales back to the Foundation if Puppy Up is mentioned when ordering.

Tapped DraftHouse & Kitchen is located at 20444 Kuykendahl Rd., Suite D.,
Spring, TX 77379. Phone: (281)719-0360

Our First PuppyUp Walk of 2018 — Spring, Texas!

Our First PuppyUp Walk of 2018

We’re excited that our first PuppyUp Walk of the new year is in beautiful Spring, Texas.

Saturday, February 10, 2018
Rob Fleming Park & Lodge
6055 Creekside Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77389

9:00 AM: Check-in & registration
10:00 AM:  Walk Begins
12:45 PM:  Closing ceremony
1:00 PM:  Vendor Fair Closes

Pre-registration until 2/8/18: $20
Registration 2/9/18 & at event: $30
Youth Registration (under 14): FREE
Fundraiser: No Initial Fee*
*must raise $20 to walk

For more information and to register for our first walk of the year, please follow this link.

While you’re registering, please check out Spring’s canine cancer hero Rigley and human cancer hero Lisa. We thank them for their participation and wish them good health!

15 Winter Care Tips For Your Dog

15 Winter Care Tips For Your Dog
From Dogs Naturally

By Dr. Ashwani Singh

Does your dog love the winter or would she rather cuddle up on the couch under a cozy blanket? Either way, you should be prepared to protect her when she ventures out into the elements. Winter care tips for your dog are important to keep her safe this season.

Many dog owners live with the misconception that because their pets have a coat of fur, they can tolerate the cold better than humans. This isn’t necessarily the case. Like us, these fur-coated creatures are used to the warmth of indoor shelter and cold weather can be as hard on them as it is on us humans. Whatever your viewpoint on winter, one thing remains certain: it’s a time when our beloved pets need a little extra care.

We have 15 winter care tips to keep in mind as you explore the winter landscape with your faithful four-legged friend.

Preventing Winter Health Risks

First … let’s talk about two serious cold weather conditions that you should take care to prevent.

Frostbite

Frostbite begins when the dog’s body gets cold. The body automatically pulls blood from the extremities to the center of the body to stay warm. The dog’s ears, paws or tail can get so cold that ice crystals can form in the tissue and damage it. The tricky thing to remember about frostbite is that it’s not immediately obvious. Watch for signs of pale or grey skin; the skin may also turn hard and cold. As frostbitten areas warm, they can be extremely painful. Severely frostbitten skin will eventually turn black and slough off.

Hypothermia

A second serious winter weather concern is hypothermia. This occurs when a dog spends too much time in the cold, gets wet in cold temperatures or when dogs with poor health or circulation are exposed to cold. In mild cases, the dog will shiver and her ears and feet may grow cold. As hypothermia progresses, she may show signs of depression, lethargy and weakness. As the condition worsens, her muscles will stiffen, her heart and breathing rates slow down, and she will not respond to stimuli. Severe hypothermia is life threatening.

Protecting your dog from frostbite and hypothermia is essential, so learn how to recognize the signs that your dog needs to come indoors to warm up.

To read the full article, please visit our blog.

Pup of the Month

Lexi Hennessy

(By Jennifer Hennessy) Lexi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on her sternum March 7th, 2014 after we noticed she was experiencing pain doing normal things such as going to lie down or stretching to reach for something (usually a treat!). The vet told us this cancer was very aggressive and it would not be long. She fought hard and we did everything we thought was best for her, but Lexi made it clear to us on May 12th, it was time to let her go. The disease took her in such a short time, but the twelve wonderful years we had with her will live on in our hearts forever. She loved walks, car rides and treats the most. She was well traveled visiting Martha’s Vineyard and Newport, RI to name a few of her vacations. She was a daddy’s girl, a Red Sox fan, a Christmas card diva and the apple of her mom’s eye. Let’s do what we can in order to stop this horrible disease in our precious animals and humans too.

Lexi was a contestant in the 2015 Puppy Up Calendar Contest.

January is Walk Your Dog Month. Join The Steps for Pet Health Challenge.

Support the Puppy Up Foundation simply by walking your dog! It’s easy and almost more fun than a room full of puppies! Use the app each time you grab for the leash. It’s healthy for you, your dog, and us.

How does it work? After you download the app onto your smartphone, take the phone with you when you walk your dog(s). Simply press the “Start Walking for …” button and the app will keep track of your walk. When your walk is stopped it is credited to The PuppyUp Foundation. The more people walking for us, the more WoofTrax can donate, so please spread the word.

What better way to celebrate Walk Your Dog Month than to join the Steps for Pet Health Challenge from WoofTrax. Your next walk could score an instant $1,000 donation for The Puppy Up Foundation. Download the app from the WoofTrax home page.

Challenge Bonus: Read the Pet Health Tips in your challenge update emails for a chance to earn a $50 pet health voucher good for any of your pet’s next vet visit. We will email details on how to participate and important updates after you join.

Complete the challenge by taking at least 10 walks by January 31, 2018,  and your chosen animal organization could win $1,000—sponsored by Zoetis. Every walk you take during the challenge is an entry to win the $1,000 grand prize donation or one of a number of smaller donations.*

Share the challenge with your friends. The more people walking for your chosen animal organization, the more likely that organization could earn $1,000. It’s that easy. And you are walking your pup anyway! (Right?)

*Walks greater than 1/4 of a mile count in the challenge. Up to 3 walks per day will count towards challenge prizes and donations.

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast. If you have a special someone you’re shopping for, we hope you’ll use Amazon Smile at Amazon Smile. Amazon Smile donates to The Puppy Up Foundation.

If you are on Facebook or Twitter, we hope you’ll share this Amazon Smile link and encourage your friends and family as well.

 

Disclaimer
The Puppy Up Foundation does not endorse nor recommend any particular product, service, or treatment. We offer information strictly for educational and/or informational purposes. We believe it is the pet owner’s responsibility to do the research and draw his or her own conclusions.

We can always use your help. If you’re interested, send me an mail at ginger@puppyup.org.

Sincerely,
Ginger Morgan, Executive Director
The Puppy Up Foundation