Happy Howl-idays!!!!!! *~*~*~*~
Archive for December, 2009
Fit Tip 12/16/09 – stay warm!
This article of mine was supplemented with excerpts from Whole Dog News!
The trend, especially during winter months, is for pet parents to buy dog (okay…and CAT) beds.
Sometimes for each level of the house (guilty).
Did you know some dog breeds lack an undercoat of hair to keep them insulated when the temperatures drop? So pet beds not only help them be WARM but they provide an enjoyable and comfortable resting place!
“Secure and happy dogs: Most dogs have a den-making urge, and a bed helps your dog feel more secure with a space of their own. Dogs can be quite sensitive to territory, and giving them their own special area can provide them with a place of sanctuary when they feel tired or emotionally stressed.”
In particular, beds offer support and comfort to arthritic dogs, special needs dogs and older dogs. Dogs that habitually lay on one side are at risk for developing sores or callouses from harder surfaces. Older dogs and dogs recuperating post-operatively have slower metabolisms, therefore making body temperature regulation a difficulty for them.
Dogs evolved sleeping in caves or dens, right? A dog will prefer sleeping on HIS bed and will therefore be less likely to sleep on other pieces of furniture-like your cherished couch or loveseat. This will also result in less furballs & dander (less allergens & easier clean up too) as a lot of the shedding will be contained in the sleeping area.
There are more choices in bedding than ever! You may prefer a more natural fiber such as organic cotton or hemp. Or how about sleeping sacks? A “Snuggie” to match yours? Or even a good fleece blanket (frequently found at a low discount at Walgreens…).
Or just sleep on any couch you can find!
office:
living room:
Santa Paws Is Coming To Town… & Fit Tips for Holidays
Santa Paws Is Coming To Town
You’d better not bark,
You’d better not bite,
You’d better not scratch
the sofa tonight
Santa Paws is coming to town…
________________________________________________
The holiday season can be a stressful time for your pets too. Here are some tips I compiled from NSALA and Google:
* Make sure that your holiday guests and extended family members are not generous in the “scraps” giving department; too may treats and/or a sudden increase in consumption can lead to illness, stomach upsetedness, vomiting…etc.
* Too many fatty, rich, or “new” foods can lead to pancreatitis or gastroenteritis which can be painful if not life-threatening!
* NO bones. Save them for your delicious soup instead.
* Nightshade type vegetables are dangerous, this we know. Did you know that onions and onion powder can destroy dog or cat red blood cells leading to anemia?
* Grapes and raisins contain a toxin that can cause kidney damage.
* Aluminum foil, wax paper and other food wrappings can cause intestinal obstruction(s). Make sure to place these items securely in the garbage (that is secured) & not left on the counter!
* Watch his/her behavior and make sure your pet isn’t getting too stressed when house-guests and festivities abound.
* Potentially dangerous holiday items and plants such as: Poinsettia, Mistletoe, Lillies, Macadamia nuts, Garlic/tomatoes/shallots/mushrooms (see above), Alcoholic beverages (i.e., Beer), Rhubarb, Cocoa (not just Chocolate), Yeast dough, Xylitol, etc.
* Sometimes feeding baby food (human) is warranted in times of illness or refusing to eat situations. Make sure the baby food ingredient list does not contain any of the above.
** non -food items like TINSEL
Some dogs need braces…
It wasn’t very long ago when the course of action for a dog who had a leg amputation or paralysis due to trauma (“HBCs” or “hit by car”, for example), birth defect, etc. was to be put down.
In some amputation cases, the leg was amputated “high” or closer to the trunk/body, so the dog learned to adapt on 3-legs.
Not any more! Dogs who have muscle loss or imbalances that impair their function are using prosthetics (“fake” legs) or orthotics (braces) to lead more functional lives.
Below is the link to an article in USA Today.
(While I have used the company featured in the article many times over several years, I am not affliated with them in any way.)
What an exiting time for special needs pets!
Pets are good for you!
Tell you something you don’t know, right animalrehab readers?!
A Pet In Your Life Keeps The Doctor Away (source: ScienceDaily, Sep. 29, 2009) — Lowers blood pressure, encourages exercise, improves psychological health— these may sound like the effects of a miracle drug, but they are actually among the benefits of owning a four-legged, furry pet…Earlier this year, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), co-hosted two workshops with The WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars Incorporated, bringing together leading experts to discuss the benefits of human-animal interaction in childhood…“Pets are of great importance to people, especially during hard economic times,” …
In 2008, ReCHAI sponsored the “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound and Stay Fit for Seniors.” In the preliminary program, a group of older adults were matched with shelter dogs, while another group of older adults were partnered with a human walk buddy. For 12 weeks, participants were encouraged to walk on an outdoor trail for one hour, five times a week. At the end of the program, researchers measured how much the older adults’ activity levels improved.
“The older people who walked their dogs improved their walking capabilities by 28 percent,”
… you can click here for more
A similar article from 12/08 shows that students may be better able to handle the stress of college if they have a pet.
Pets improve the quality of life for aging folks and those that are chronically ill.
An unconditional love source that keeps you healthier!! And doesn’t spoil like an apple (-a – day…)
Enjoy this story about “commuting” dogs in Russia
How great is this true story?
Commuter Dogs in Russia –
Canine commuter … wild dog waits on the platform
By VIRGINIA WHEELER
Stray dogs are commuting to and from a city centre on underground trains in search of food scraps. The clever canines board the Tube each morning. After a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.
Well trained …. a dog enjoys a nap on the underground
Experts studying the dogs say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop – after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train. The mutts choose the quietest carriages at the front and back of the train.. They have also developed tactics to hustle humans into giving them more food on the streets of Moscow. Scientists believe the phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, and Russia ‘s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the city centre to the suburbs.
Dr Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move together with their houses. Because the best scavenging for food is in the city centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway – to get to the centre in the morning, then back home in the evening, just like people.”
Dog tired … mutt kips on tube seat in Moscow
Dr Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute. He said: “They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed. They do it for fun. And sometimes they fall asleep and get off at the wrong stop.”
The dogs have learned to use traffic lights to cross the road safely, said Dr Poiarkov. And they use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow .. They sneak up behind people eating shawarmas – then bark loudly to shock them into dropping their food. With children the dogs “play cute” by putting their heads on youngsters’ knees and staring pleadingly into their eyes to win sympathy – and scraps. Dr Poiarkov added: “Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists.” The Moscow mutts are not the first animals to use public transport. In 2006 a Jack Russell in Dunnington, North Yorks , began taking the bus to his local pub in search of sausages. And two years ago passengers in Wolverhampton were stunned when a cat called Macavity started catching the 331 bus to a fish and chip shop.
