by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

While the summer winds down, kids go back to school, and the air changes – we look back this summer to some great ‘Summer Pets’ pictures submitted by their owners.  I personally love September and the gorgeous weather it usually offers.  It is a great month to get out there with your pets and enjoy the many events it has to offer.  So if you have had a busy summer, and your two-legged kids are back in their schedules – it’s time to spend quality time with your pets!  Thanks to everyone who submitted photo’s – see below and check our Facebook page to see more.  Happy September!

This is Lotus Flower, a rescued pitbull. She absolutely loves to swim, her nickname is the pitfish! This is of Lotus with her box turtle friend at the pond behind my house in Jamesport, NY. Photograph by Devon Shepherd.

"The boys are always ready for a swim...lol" Owned and photographed by Lourdes Lebron

This is Penny-Lane Russo & she just adores butterflies! Her mom, Rose Russo who took this lovely picture, planted this butterfly bush for her birthday, how sweet!

This was a senior terrier mix we met who scaled the 128 steps down to the beach on the North Fork to go swimming! Taken by LIPetPlace.com

the lovely Bocker Labradoodle! When Bocker is not out doing tons of Pet Therapy work or attending many different pet events with his mom Marie, he is hanging out and relaxing in Hampton Bays, NY! Photo taken by his mom Marie!

Titus couldn't wait to get off the Ferry and explore Ocean Beach, Fire Island, NY! So much fun with Titus & Hailey that day! Photo by LIPetPlace.com

This beautiful parrot was at a pet fair with the Long Island Parrot Society! Taken by LIPetPlace.com

This donkey who was lucky enough to be adopted - was with his donkey sibling and human mom at the Pony Swim on the North Fork! Photo by LIPetPlace.com

Many more Summer Pets PHOTOS here!

Enjoy! And thanks to their pet parents for giving them such fun filled lives!

My Max, at 12 years old he still loves a dip in the bay! Photo by LIPetPlace.com

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

What a perfect way to spend one of the last summer evenings of August at the beach watching the ponies swim in Southold, NY.  What has become a lovely way for horses and their owners to cool off this summer has attracted a lot of onlookers and photographers – including myself.

Organized by local horse owners on the North Fork – this pony swim is such a treat to witness as the summer winds down.
What is better than horses, donkeys, and dogs all on the beach to enjoy the beauty of the east end and cool, crisp water?  Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, dogs were all leashed and well behaved and the horses were absolutely having a blast.

Some of the horses were dunking their noses in the water, rolling in the water on the shore, and even curious about the dogs there!

CHEESE! This horse was rolling around in the water a lot – it was just too cute!

Love this meet and greet with this dog and donkey.  The dogs were so good saying hello.

For a lot more PICTURES click here to view them on our Facebook Page!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Welcome to our new series of articles, “Doggie Day Trips” on Long Island and beyond!

It might be August, but there is still plenty of time left to take a Doggie Day Trip with you pooch to Fire Island, NY.  If you have never been to Ocean Beach and are looking for that mini daycation getaway with your pup – this is the perfect getaway!

Recently we took the Ferry from the Bay Shore ferry terminal over to Ocean Beach with two local dog celebrities, Titus & Hailey!  Getting there, when you drive down Maple Avenue towards the ferry terminals, you want to drive to the first parking lot on your right or west side – they have the cheapest parking.  The parking there is only $8 bucks for the day Monday – Friday.  You will then head across the street (through a parking lot) to the Ocean Beach ferry terminal.

It’s cash only for ferry tickets, but there are ATM machines at the terminal. An adult round trip ticket is $17 and for your pups, yes you have to pay for them to go to, they go aboard for a child rate of $7.50 for a round trip ticket.  (I used to make my dobie sit on the bench – hey her ticket was paid for! BOL!).  It seems silly to have to pay a child rate for your dog, but let me tell you it is well worth it to be on a slice of paradise that is pet friendly.  I mean wouldn’t it be nice if we could bring any size dog on the LIRR to NYC for the day? And pay a fare for them?

As you can see it was a crowded ferry for a Monday! But Hailey was loving the boat ride and all the attention she was getting, which takes about 25 minutes.

Titus & Hailey were excited to arrive at the dock at Ocean Beach!

When we arrived and met a friend there, we decided to walk around town and the all the walkways for a while to let the dogs get some energy out and explore! Fire Island doesn’t allow cars, so all the streets are actually ‘walks’ and labeled as such.

So refreshing to be somewhere where cars are not around.  The dogs seemed to be loving that too!  And yes there are deer there, that are pretty tame, so remember that when bringing your dog!  Titus and Hailey didn’t seem too interested as this young male buck who walked across the walk and then was eating grass.

So what to do with the pups while there?  The beach of course!  Now the beach at Ocean Beach is actually not dog friendly, but don’t fret because you can walk over (east) a couple of walk ways to the town of Seaview and that beach is dog friendly – you just have to keep them on a leash.

After some time at the beach in Seaview, we walked around the walks and enjoyed the most spectacular day – the weather was just perfect.  And if you didn’t know Titus and Hailey recently got married and they wanted to pose at a few church steps along the way. (BOL!! )

On our way back through the Village of Ocean Beach, we made sure to check out what the town had to offer.  There are plenty of places to shop to buy beautiful jewelry, home items, clothes, doggie items and much more.  And if you are looking to head inside, you can even park your puppy right outside some of the stores (of course if your pup is friendly and you can see him from inside the store!) Come on this is just too cute!

We also met some cute resident dogs along the way.

If you are hungry after all the exploring, hitting the beach, shopping, you have to head to the Mermaid (The Island Mermaid).  Not only do they have a beautiful outdoor deck over looking the water, but we had lunch with the pups hanging out under our table.  The waitress even brought over a bowl of water for the dogs.  The food was great and so were the drink specials. 🙂 There are a lot of other great places to eat, looking for amazing pizza, go to Michaels get a couple slices of their tomato basil and sit on their benches outside to eat them if you have your dog with you.  Delicious!

There are many things about Fire Island that are iconic, such as their wagons used by renters and home owners to bring their belongings with them from the ferry and bikes that you see everywhere. If you are not hoofing it around town, taking a water taxi from town to town – your best mode of transportation is a bike.  There were a few rental places dotted along Ocean Beach where you could get a regular bike or the new cool beach crusiers with the fat wheels.

There is so much to do at Fire Island, that if you are so inclined renting a house for the summer, a month or week – start looking in January for the following summer to find a dog friendly rental. There are plenty of real estate agents there that can help you find your favorite spot.  Years ago my friends had houses every summer in either Ocean Beach or Ocean Bay Park, and the rented houses were always pet friendly.  My doberman Shanna was a regular Fire Island doggie visitor!

Fire Island was hit pretty hard by superstorm Sandy – as many of us know all too well.  It was wonderful to see how well Ocean Beach has recovered, it really looks fantastic considering it was under how much water?  There are still signs of the destruction (see below), houses being raised and a lot of workers there, but for the most part it really looked great.  So head to FI with your pups for a daycation, (show FI some love), and enjoy what it has to offer, you will want to come back, I guarantee it!

For more pictures of our doggie day trip adventure CLICK HERE!!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Our Sweet Seniors! As you read scroll through and see all the senior pets submitted by their owners here on LI for this article!

If you are a pet owner and have been lucky enough to have your pet live into their senior years, you know how special their senior years are. While some of our senior pets, can act like pups well into their senior years, the care and attention to their needs changes as they get older. With my own dog Max, he eats his dinner early in the day, like 3pm, think early bird special (and boy is he vocal about that 3pm feeding time)!  I still take Max for daily walks, but they are slower and shorter, and I must always be sure in the warmer months I have a good amount of water with me for him- more so than younger dogs need.  We may have to adjust our life styles a bit for our senior dogs, but remember when they were puppies chewing your shoes? BOL!! I love the puppy stage too, but there is just something about our senior pets that just warms the heart.

I asked Dr. Michel A. Selmer of Advanced Animal Care Center for some advice on caring for our seniors and he had these wonderful tips to follow: 1.) Take your dog to the Veterinarian for twice-yearly checkups; 2.) Become informed about conditions and diseases common to senior dogs, be on the lookout for symptoms and, should they arise, inform your Veterinarian promptly;  3.) Don’t overfeed – obesity causes many health problems and may shorten your dogs life; 4.) Consider, on your Veterinarians’ recommendation, the use of dietary supplements such as glucosamine/chondroitin/green lipped mussels for arthritis; 5.) Have your Veterinarian do a risk assessment to determine an “appropriate” vaccination protocol for your dog; 6.) Do your utmost to make sure your dogs environment (his bed, play area, etc.) are always spotlessly clean; and Give your dog lots of love and attention and do all you can to keep him interested, active, happy and comfortable.

Dakota is a 9-year old collie/Aussie mix.  She is deaf and blind from merle-to-merle breeding.  She was adopted from a rescue in upstate New York when she was three years old.  Dakota has her CGC, does nosework, and despite arhritis, still likes to climb on furniture, open baby gates with her nose, and patrol the backyard.   Mochaccino is a 9-year old shepherd/chow mix.  He was adopted from North Shore Animal League as a 10-week old puppy.  Mocha has his CGC, knows American Sign Language, is a therapy dog with Paws for Friendship, and does agility, flyball, and nosework. Both owned by Kimberly Mocker.

Our pets, when they age, often need additional care in their senior years.  Since our pets have been integral members of our family for years, we want to do what we can to make them comfortable and happy.  We are lucky in this day and age to have treatments, supplements and formulas to help us keep them happy and active. Some dogs that are suffering from aches and discomfort are often depressed, sullen and can be on edge (or cranky!!). They tend to sleep more, withdraw from the family or can even become aggressive. As they age, it’s increasingly important to support a dog’s joint mobility and flexibility.

One supplement that Max has tried and did really nicely on is all-natural DGP that has been specifically formulated by master herbalists and scientists in Australia to help support a dog’s joint mobility and flexibility.

“DGP helps ease aches and discomfort caused by daily exercise and activity. Not a prescription medication – it is an herbal formulation that you can give to your dog with confidence. It is 100% natural, safe, effective and affordable, with a unique blend of high quality ingredients, to help maintain your dog’s mobility as he ages,” stated Denise Mingione of DGP by American Biosciences.

Koty is the Siberian Husky and she is 12 yrs old. Her bday was May 31st. She howls every morning to wake me up! Excellent alarm!  Dublin is the Westie, he is 9 yrs old. He is a forever puppy though and wants to play ALL the time!  Owned and photographed by Lisa Thomas

This is my chihuahua CHICO. He is going to be 12 years young this  December. (on 12/12 ! ). Everyone thinks he is still a pup when they see him. Even though he is getting older, and his health is failing, I still think of him as my baby. He is such a good boy who brightens my  world everyday! He is slowing down a bit now, so we don’t go to as many parties as we used to, but I do take him to work with me sometimes, where he tends to nap on my desk… when he isnt doing his tricks and enjoying the attention from my co-workers! Here is Chico looking very professional before taking his nap! Puppies are always fun, but senior dogs touch your heart in a totally different way. I love my Chico and I am amazed at the bond we have. I am so blessed to have him in my life all these years!  Stella.

As we love and care for our senior pets, as we can see by the many pictures and words about our senior babies from dog owners around Long Island, I encourage anyone reading this to seriously open their hearts to adopting an older dog.  So many older pets get overlooked at animal shelters – it is truly sad.  Older pets make just as loving pets as the younger ones do, and they are so grateful for their new homes. We have fantastic veterinary care option these days too, that helping our dogs live happy and healthy into their senior years is not just possible but you can see here from the photo’s living proof!!  For some more great veterinary tips for our seniors scroll down and see more!

Lily, my nine-year old manipulative Pekinese has arranged to live the good life. She is cute, smart and adored by very member of her family. Even her younger “brother,” a three-year old goldendoodle who is five times her weight, lets her be the boss. Lily’s vet says she’s in very good health but can’t understand why she doesn’t exhibit any signs of pain. You see, Lily has arthritis in all four legs. The vet joked, “You’d think she never had to use her legs!” Well, guess what—she usually doesn’t. Since she puppyhood whenever Lily wants to go somewhere she barks and looks at you with those sad eyes. In accordance with her plan, this behavior usually results in her being picked up and carried wherever she wants to go. She uses her sad eyes to serve her purpose—to melt your heart and bend you to her will. Lily’s clearly smarter than her “dumb blond” looks might suggest. At this rate, by staying off her feet, her vet says she’ll probably live pain free to the age of 20. I couldn’t be happier! Owned and photographed by Dee McMeekan.

Chloe-aka-Chloe Fab! Not at all a “typical” Beagle, but rather an uncanny mirror of her human mom. She relishes moments of quiet & reflection, is wary of new people & requires trust to be earned. She is assertive & confident in her comfort zone. She has proven to be an exceptional teacher to the young & inexperienced foster pups who visit on their journey to their forever homes. 13 years young & forever my baby girl. In her company I’m filled with gratitude for the unconditional love & acceptance she so generously offers. Owned and photographed by Chrissy Connors.

Thank you to Dr. Selmer for providing more information about caring for our senior pets:

• Avoid “senior” diets that have reduced levels of protein. Studies have shown that the protein requirement for older dogs does not decrease with age, and that protein levels do not contribute to the development or progression of renal failure. It is important to feed older dogs diets that contain optimum levels of highly digestible protein to help maintain good muscle mass.

• Talk to your veterinarian about increasing your senior dogs GLA intake. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an omega-6 fatty acid that plays a role in the maintenance of healthy skin and coat. Although it is normally produced in a dog’s liver, GLA levels may be diminished in older dogs.

• Senior diets for dogs should contain probiotics to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.

• Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can damage body tissues and cause signs of aging. Senior diets for dogs should contain higher levels of these antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants can also increase the effectiveness of the immune system in senior dogs.

• Exercise is critical to keeping your dog healthy, both physically and mentally. Your dog may not be able to go on long hikes with you but shorter, less strenuous walks will keep him feeling good. (Max RUFFS his exercise on his doggie walks!!)

Parker pictured here Sleeping. Parker is a 9-year old rough collie rescued from an animal hoarder’s house on Long Island in June 2010.  He is deaf and blind (born without eyes) from merle-to-merle breeding.  Parker has his CGC (taken using only touch signals), is a therapy dog with Paws for Friendship, and does nosework.  Parker also has his own Facebook page (Parker’s Fan Club) and organization called Parker’s House, which is devoted to the rescue, education, and training of deaf and blind dogs. Owned by Kimberly Mockler.

Angel is my white fluffy Bichon Frise who will be celebrating her 13th birthday in 2 weeks (8/24). She joined my family when she was a just a tiny little puppy that fit in my pocket. My little 10 pount Angel has given brought so much very much love and happiness into my life. She “worked” as a pet therapist at Sagamore Children’s Hospital for many years, entertaining and bringing joy to so many children by playing ball (pushing the ball to each and every child, making sure every child had a chance to play with her), dancing on her two back legs and walking around the room following the children, and doing many “tricks” for them so the children could relax and laugh and feel free enough to “open up” to their therapist and to Angel. She loves agility and when I say “let’s do agility”, her tail wags so fast one worries it will fall off. This summer she earned her CPE CT-ATCH and her AKC MXP and MJP in agility. Her love for agility comes through loud and clear when she is permitted to go through the obstacles. She loves to demonstrate the sport of agility so others can see the sport in action. When she looks at us with her puppy eyes, the world becomes hers, and she knows it. Angel will always be a very special little white fluff girl who has earned a large place in my heart and in the heart of my family.
Owned by Sylvia Cardines.

Thank you to everyone who submitted your senior pet photos and loving words about them!

If you didn’t get a chance to submit your pet, please email info@LIPetPlace.com and they may just end up on our Facebook page too!

See below for a few more pictures and my dog Max!!!

“There has never been a better product then DGP!! Nittany, my 18 yr. old Chow/cocker mix started w/arthritis in her elbows then hip dysplasia in her right hip. She’s been on Rimadyl for sometime, took her to vets last week and they put her on Tramadol. What a nightmare. She got soooo sick, I took her off that, put her on carafate to calm her tummy, off food for a day or so, then started w/bland diet, when she was eating again, started DGP.  After 5 days, could hardly see her limping at all. In fact, she wanted to chase after a duck. This is a miracle w/DGP and God’s help. She’s now been on DGP 7 full days now, today 8th day, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! She’s back to doing some morning walks, not the 5 miles yet, but, each day gets better. Like she’s a whole different girl!!! Recommend this product with everything in me.“  Damaris R.

Charlotte has turned out to be the canine love of my life. She’s my little doggie daughter and I love her more every day.  Miss Charlotte Rose continues to surprise me every day – she learned “paw” when she was 10.  My girl gets sweeter eveyday and I love seeing a maternal side of her now that we have the new doxie rescue in the family.  Owned by Linday & Trevor Williams, photographed by Nancy Hassel.

What can I say about Max? BOL too much! He is my 12 year old senior boy, celebrating his 12th birthday on July 1, 2013, who still acts like a pup most of the time. I adopted him from Out of the Pits 12 years ago this coming October! Max loves life and is always so happy in the mornings, he loves the beach and the water, loves EATING!, loves to go for walks with his bud Dobby, and while he is a scardy cat in some respects - he has taught so many non-pit bull lovers to become huge fans of the breed just from knowing him! Max is my little white shadow, following me where ever I go, but he is getting sick of pictures being taken of him - haha. The funny thing is when he was younger some people were scared of him, (seriously? he is so cute!), but now that he is more white due to his hair turning white around his face - so many people comment, did you see that cute dog, or awww how cute he is. So many smiles when they see him coming along in his slower old doggie walk. 🙂 Good boy Max you change the perception of a pit bull one person at a time! Owned and photographed by me, Nancy Hassel!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com, Cover Photo of Igor the Bulldog by the pool by Carol Price (Igor’s mom!)

In the summer it is super important to keep our cats and dogs cool and comfy.  Dogs can easily overheat if they are playing too much in the heat of the day, have gone for a long walk or just sitting in the hot sun too long.

Lucky for us pet owners there are a lot of cool pet products that do just that, help keep your pets cool!  Whether you are traveling with your pup, just going to the beach, on the boat or hanging by the pool in the backyard, here are some pet products to consider:

Frostybowlz – this stainless steel bowl has a core inside that you can freeze, put back under the top of the bowl and it helps keep your pet’s water cold for up to 10 hours.

MyKoolDog – invented by a native Nassau County pet lover who now lives on the North Fork of LI.  This made in the USA bowl has a unique concept – with two compartments and lids.  In the bottom

compartment you put water in and freeze it, or fill with ice cubes.  In the other compartment you put fresh water and head out for the day with your pup.

Perfect for a day at the beach with your dog, a long walk or the dog park.  When your dog finishes the water in the top compartment, you flip the bowl over and the melted ice, which is now water, fills into the top compartment through interior channels so your pet once again has fresh and cold water. How cool is that?

It is so important to keep our pets hydrated and out of the heat as a pet can over heat easily in warm and humid temperatures.  Speaking with Dr. Michel A. Selmer of Advanced Animal Care Center in Huntington Station, I asked him for warning signs if your pet is overheating:

“Sweating and panting are two mechanisms for regulating body temperature. When sweat evaporates it cools the skin and panting releases heat through the mouth. Since dogs and cats only have sweat glands in their paws and paws have too little surface area to do much cooling your pet needs alternative ways to stay cool and therefore the primary means of cooling themselves off is by panting,” stated Dr. Selmer. He gave me this information on signs pet owners should look for when a pet is beginning to over heat:

• Restless behavior as your pet tries to find a cool spot
• Panting, sweaty feet, drooling, excessive grooming in an effort to cool off
• Rectal temperature is usually normal to slightly elevated

Then, as your pet’s body temperature begins to rise, signs of heat exhaustion become evident, including:

• Rapid pulse and breathing
• Redness of the tongue and mouth
• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Stumbling, staggering gait
• Rectal temperature is over 105° F

Eventually the body temperature will be high enough to cause the pet to collapse and have seizures or slip into a coma.  Dr. Selmer said if you see any signs that your pet is overheating bring your pet immediately to your veterinarian.

Be sure to have cool, clean water for your pet at all times, the products mentioned earlier can help with that! For an additional treat your dogs can enjoy Frosty Paws found in most pet supply stores (or even grocery stores) in the frozen food section.   Also, Honest Kitchen has a great product called Ice Pups™ that I just made for my dog Max, and he loves it! It is a packet of make-at-home grain free treats for dogs and cats. You mix the packet with water, and pour into a ice cube tray, freeze and when frozen give one cube to your pup.  But of course monitor you dog while chomping on that ice cube!  Or you can make your own frozen doggie yogurt – using the best low fat and sugar free human grade yogurt possible.  Many recipes for this are available on the internet, but make sure this is something your pup can eat and doesn’t have any allergies too the ingredients.

And of course never, ever leave your pet in the car in the warm spring, summer and fall months.  It is illegal and could kill your pet very quickly.  If you see a dog left in the car during a warm day, call your police department immediately!  You could be saving his life.

Here’s a good tip, program your smart phone with your local animal control office number or animal shelter number so you have it immediately if you need to call an AC officer along with the police for a pet locked in a hot car.

Most of all, have fun with your pet this summer, but always be aware of his limits during the heat!

Dobby loving the cool water in the stream!

Max loving the beach!

Igor by the pool! Photo by Carol Price (Igor’s mom!)