Archive for 2013

Comments Off on Green Success at Lyme-Aid!
24 May 13

Green Success at Lyme-Aid! ...

Posted by admin - Filed under NYC

Article by Dana Humphrey (dana@whitegatepr.com) photo’s by Long Island Pet Professionals

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month!  On May 22nd from 7-10pm at the Toyota of Manhattan located at 47th Street and 11th Ave in New York, over 200 people got together for a fun benefit party called LYME AID to raise over $1000 for LymeDisease.org. Attendees wore lime green, learned how to prevent Lyme Disease in their own home and brought their pets (from dogs to cats to bunnies).

At the event all enjoyed live music from Damn Glad, DJ DLITE, an entertaining hula-hoop/dance performance with Benjy Bronk and Elisa Jordana as “BENJELISA”, a documentary film screening of “Under Our Skin”, complimentary paw-dicures with Warren London, a book signing and lime green couture pet fashion showcase with Paul Nathan’s Couture Dogs of New York, glitter tattoos for people and pets, basketball and poker performances with Rick Caran and “Jilli Dog”, special readings with Shira the pet psychic, pictures in the Royal Photo Booth, hot catered food for people and pets, vodka, tequila, Kamoni Ice, beer and non-alcoholic drinks, poetry with Richard Blanco, prizes, raffles and amazing goodie bags!  Plus, every goodie bag included a “Tick Kit” with special supplies from PetCareRx.com and Tick SR on how to remove a tick in case you or your pets get one this season.

Special guests included Hostess Maria Milito from Q1043, Jorge Bendersky, Celebrity Groomer, Al Chernoff “Alley Cat” from Rescue Ink and Jackson Galaxy.There were vendor tables ranging from Susi Raphael and Jane Elissa art, to Mary Kay makeup, treats from Clear Conscience Pet, food from the Dog Chef Kevyn Matthews, Dr. Harveys, Natura and Stella & Chewys, Free Acupuncture and Rescue Chocolate!

A HUGE thanks to Toyota of Manhattan and event sponsors PetCareRx.com, Critter Zone USA, Natura Pet and Tick SR for making it happen. CLICK HERE to see a LOT more pictures!

Robyn Elman of In Home Pet Services and Jackson Galaxy from Animal Planet's hit show, My Cat from Hell

Comments Off on LymeAid, for pets & people
15 May 13

LymeAid, for pets & people ...

Posted by admin - Filed under Fundraiser, NYC

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 7pm a different kind of pet benefit event is hitting the roof top of Toyota of Manhattan – LymeAid!  It is not a drink, but the drinks may be green at this pet and human party.  What is this event you ask?  LymeAid is a first of it’s kind dual fundraiser for LymeDisease.org and Stray from the Heart animal rescue and to raise awareness about the awful Lyme Disease that both people and our pets often contract.

While the disease is serious – LymeAide promises to be a fantastic time with music, dancing, pet celebrities (human and the four legged kind!), scrumptious food and cocktails, raffles, photo booth, pet vendors, and so much more!  Click here to see all the details and RSVP.

This event all got started because of pet industry expert, Nikki Moustaki of Nikki Knows Pets, who herself has a serious case of lyme disease for over 2 years now.  Nikki wanted to raise awareness about the disease and help two organizations that are close to her heart at the same time.

Nikki Moustaki

Living on Long Island, many of us have known dogs with lyme disease, and people too, but no one I knew had severe cases like Nikki has. (Nikki lives in NYC and Florida). I have even known a few dogs that have contracted the disease over the years – but were treated and recovered well.   But ticks are everywhere and as dog owners that are out and about with out pups we need to be more diligent in checking our dogs for ticks and even oursleves.  I interviewed Nikki about her illness and the upcoming LymeAid event:

LIPetPlace: When were you diagnosed with Lyme Disease?
Nikki: I was bitten by the infected tick in early February, 2011, and was finally diagnosed after 17 doctors in November 2011. Some people wait years for a diagnosis, so I guess I’m “lucky” in that way, but the infection had already reached my brain, and it’s very hard to root out from there. Most medicines can’t cross the blood/brain barrier — most organisms can’t either, but Lyme is very sneaky and can drill right through the barrier into the brain. One morning I woke up paralyzed on my left side, blind, and unable to speak. The symptoms can be that dramatic, or they can just be brain fog and aches and pains. Some people end up in wheelchairs. It’s a horrible illness.
LIPetPlace: Do you know where you picked up the tick?  Was it in Florida or somewhere else.
Nikki: I was traveling with Pearl [her dog] from Florida to NYC, walking her in lots of shrubbery along the way, so my best guess is that I picked up the tick in the Carolinas, but I have no real way of knowing for sure.
LIPetPlace: Your case is more of an extreme example of Lyme’s is that correct, or we just don’t know enough about it?
Nikki: My case is a very typical case of Neurological Lyme. Lyme is a debilitating and often deadly disease. It affects every organ in your body. The symptoms are wide ranging, all are horrible, and most people have multiple symptoms at one time. For example, at my worst I had over 30 symptoms. I honestly thought I was going to die in my sleep every night when I went to bed, because I just knew that someone who felt as badly as I did could not possibly wake up in the morning. Then I’d wake up and actually be upset that I woke up, because I was so sick I wanted to die. Fortunately, I found a Lyme Literate Physician (there are very few) and he has saved my life. I’m still sick, but this disease takes patience and a variety of treatments over a long period of time. There are people far sicker than me, and people who get better faster. It’s a complex disease that’s not very well understood at this time, believe it or not. I encourage everyone to watch the documentary, Under Our Skin, if they want to know the truth about Lyme and why it’s so difficult to diagnose and treat.
LIPetPlace: What do you suggest to people and pet owners as a preventative so they don’t get bite by a tick, but still live their lives?
Nikki: I recommend tick protection on all animals. For humans, there is clothing that’s treated with a natural chemical that will repel ticks. Do tick checks on your loved ones when they come indoors from walking in the grass or hiking. As for me, I’m scared of grass now, and bushes, and weeds! You wouldn’t catch me camping or hiking for a million dollars. That’s how horrible and devastating this disease is for me, and for most people who don’t catch it in time to eradicate it.
LIPetPlace: This is the first LymeAid event, I have never heard of anyone doing an event for Lyme Disease before.  In raising awareness about the disease through the event what else do you hope to accomplish?
Nikki: During the month of May, Lyme Disease Awareness Month, there are several benefit events across the country, but I think that we are the first dog-friendly Lyme event. Dogs get Lyme too, and it’s important for pet parents to learn about this illness as well. I know for a fact that I got my infected tick from my dog Pearl.
LIPetPlace: and last one…What are you looking forward to most at the benefit?
Nikki: I want to say that I’m most looking forward to the cupcakes! But I can’t eat cupcakes because of my strict ‘Lyme Diet,’ so I guess I’m most looking forward to seeing all the doggies and listening to the amazing entertainment that we have lined up, including the band, Damn Glad and the Presidential Inaugural poet for 2013, Richard Blanco. The event is catered, we will have an open bar, lots of fun things to do and see — it’s going to be a blast!

The event’s Presenting Sponsors are:
Click here to see all the amazing companies that are donating product to the swag bag, who will be there as vendors and much more.  Tickets are $20 per person (in advance) $25 at the door, and if you or you dog wears any shade of green – you will receive raffle tickets!
Comments Off on BlogPaws or Bust!
08 May 13

BlogPaws or Bust! ...

Posted by admin - Filed under Pet Conference

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

BlogPaws returns to the Washington DC area starting on Thursday, May 16, 2013 and I for one am stoked and am really looking forward to the pet blogging and social media conference next week.

What better way to kick of the spring/summer pet conference season than with being with your peers, surrounded by amazing, brilliant minds in the pet world and social media world – and yes even dogs will be there too!  There is nothing stuffy about this type of business conference, when a dogs bark brings laughter and smiles during the middle of an speakers’s presentation!

BlogPaws started in 2010 and this will be the 5th conference, (2 were done in the 1st year for both coasts), and this will be my second one to attend.

So this year there are a lot of new features at the conference that will satisfy the beginner pet blogger, intermediate and professional pet blogger.  As this year BlogPaws team has introduced 4 tracks of sessions so if you have been before and are not sure what is in it for you this year as a pro blogger – check this out.  If you are new to pet blogging and want to hone your online publishing skills or want to start a blog for your pet business or community this is the conference for you.  You can also mix and match the tracks – in other words pick and choose what sessions you want to be in.

An addition this year, Blerina Sanocki from Google will be there to discuss google analytics on Thursday from 1 – 2:3opm.  It pays to get there in morning, registration starts at 10am on Thursday – guess this traveler will be leaving a little earlier that day to get there for this!

Also new this year will be Lunch Pack Leaders – which is an expert who will be inviting attendees to a lunchtime discussion to share their knowledge.  Cool, I am in!

And if you have a pet business this is a fantastic place to be too – while blogging and social media are big portion of the 3 day event – pet businesses will have the opportunity to learn so much too.  And of course for the networking and education you will get while there, it is so worth the 4.5 hr drive, if your driving!

To register for BlogPaws or find out more info, click here!

Hope to see you there!  OH wait! I forgot to mention the tremendous Swag you will get while there too! 🙂

Comments Off on Specially-Abled LI Pets!
03 May 13

Specially-Abled LI Pets! ...

Posted by admin - Filed under pets

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Today, May 3, 2013 is National Specially-Abled Pets Day – celebrating amazing pets and their owners who care for them.  It’s not about what they can not do, what their aliment is, it’s about what they can do.  As someone who was an owner of a 3 legged Doberman – who lost her leg due to cancer at the age of 8 years old – she was an incredible tripod girl that lived another 4.5 years after her amputation.  Dogs adapt rather quickly and don’t look back on what was.  My dobie Shanna amazed people every day, every where we went with her 3-legged skills, and never concerned that she only had 3 legs.

So to celebrate these our amazing pets here are a few pictures below of local pets owned by wonderful people who see past the fact that their pet may be blind, deaf, need doggie wheels or is missing a leg or any other aliment.  If you have a picture you want to share about your specially-able LI Pet, post it on our Facebook page.

The 3 Aussies picture here are either Deaf or deaf and blind - amazing owner Kim!

Rain is a deaf happy girl!

Brooklyn is a deaf, super happy girl!

Shanna!

Shanna posing!

Share your Specially-Abled LI Pets on our Facebook page or make a comment below!

Comments Off on Hack, cough…meow!
26 Apr 13

Hack, cough…meow! ...

Posted by admin - Filed under cats

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

If you are a cat owner you know that awful sound of your poor kitty trying to hack up a hairball.  It not only sounds scary, but can be painful for the cat, and not so pretty for your decor.   National Hairball Awareness day, April 26, 2013, brings attention to this common condition in cats. (yes there is a day for everything now! but this is no hacking, oops laughing matter, ack!)

Cats get hairball from constantly grooming themselves and can form a hairball in their stomach – in which they then can vomit back up.

To help prevent your cat from getting hairballs you can do the following:

  • Brushing your cat regularly with a cat brush or a kitty deshedding FURminator helps get rid of the loose cat hair that they would likely ingest.
  • Feed your cat a healthy diet.  (Not sure what a healthly diet is for your cat, contact Holistic Veterinarian and pet nutrition expert Dr. Michel A. Selmer of Advanced Animal Care Center – he can help!)
  • There are also hairball lubricants on the market which you can try – follow the directions – but a home remedy that always help my cat was a tiny bit of olive oil – she lapped it right up.
  • Consult with your veterinarian if your cat is coughing a lot and nothing comes up – it could be a more serious problem like asthma.
  • And pay attention to your cats habits and behavior in general – if a behavior changes or something new arises in your cat – consult your vet!  Cats are very good at hiding aliments or illnesses – so regulary veterinary care is important!

Wishing you and your kitty less hairballs!

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