Nine pets die in South Windsor fire

A house fire at 3441 Longfellow Ave had killed nine pets. The chief fire officer said the fire at a house went out by itself by the time the residents arrived home at about 11 a.m.

“The fire self-extinguished and I can’t exactly say why, but I’m assuming that it ran out of oxygen or fuel probably oxygen and it put itself out,” said the fire chief.

The family have one dog, one cat, four kittens, a bird and three pet rats that are left at home. All died except the dog.

The fire originated in the kitchen and it was contained there. The pets probably died as a result of smoke inhalation the fire chief said.

Dog saves Oklahoma family from house fire

The family from Wellston, Okla., lost their home of 17 years in a house fire, but they escaped with their lives thanks to a pit bull.

Baby, a 10-year-old pit bull from Lincoln County, Okla., reportedly saved her family from a fire that destroyed her home, reported Wednesday.

Little dog saves family from fire

Bella the dog is tiny and is only 11 months old, but her annoying and insistent bark on Monday night saved a family of four from tragedy.

Bella is a Cavalier King Charles cross with Griffen and Maltese. The dog is trusting and loving.

Jo Conroy, Bella's owner says she cannot bear to think about a different outcome from the fire that gutted her children's bedroom.

On Monday around 8.30pm their family pet was outside the back door barking.

"I thought she was barking at my son who was hanging something out the bedroom window."

But the barking continued and Ms Conroy then thought Bella was barking at the neighbours because of a snipping sound like they were in the garden pruning.

But that snipping was the sound of flames licking along the side of the wooden villa on the Dublin/Keith St corner.

"I told her to be quiet, but then she was just going crazy, barking insanely."

When Ms Conroy investigated further, she saw the flames licking down the side of the house; they were coming from her children's bedroom window that was broken by the heat of the fire from a bed that was on fire.

With her children's father, Ms Conroy ran back into the house and up to the children's bedroom at the front of the house.

Her daughter and son were in a small space between the wall and a box of toys. She reached under and pulled out her 2-year old daughter and gave her to her father. She then reached down and pulled out her son, aged 4, and ran outside.

All four spent the night in Wanganui Hospital for smoke inhalation, and three days later, Ms Conroy is reflective about the family's good fortune.

They lost everything, but they were covered by insurance.

She cuddles Bella and tells her she'll be getting a bone every day.

"Bella is always very good with the children. She has a love affair with my daughter."

Bad breath in pets

If your pet have bad breath, you need to take care of your pet's dental health.

February is National Pet Dental Month a month set aside to encourage pet owners to have their pets' teeth and mouths checked.  Dr. Penny Dye with Dakota Hills Veterinary Clinic says pet dental care is extremely important because it is part of the overall general health of your pet. Dye says, "You know, they don't brush their teeth on a daily basis.

They develop dental disease and if left unchecked it could lead to abscess teeth, broken teeth. Some of our pets, cats in particular, can get cavities actually and root resorption problems, and so it leads to chronic infections that can affect other parts of the body." 

Dye says you should brush your pet's teeth on a daily basis just like you do your own she says plaque can build up on your pet's teeth in one day just like our own teeth so taking that extra time to care for your pet's mouth can really help in the long run. 

"There are a lot of products available for home dental care. I think it's important to realize that that's just part of the supportive, part of that dental care and all of it that owners can do that they find works best for their pet helps keep that pet's mouth healthy throughout the year or in between dental cleanings and so it's all encouraged to do, but certainly shouldn't be considered a replacement for that dental cleaning once every 6 to 12 months." 

So even though February is National Pet Dental Month Dye says dental health should be a daily ritual for pet owners throughout the year. "I think a lot of people don't realize first of all that pets don't complain about their teeth. The most common sign of an abscess tooth is no sign at all. And so if we're not looking for it, we don't find it, and so their pet can suffer unnecessarily and unknowingly to the owner and their quality of life then suffers as well.