Spring Into Exercise with Your Four-footed Friend

The end of winter is just around the corner as we've enjoyed some GLORIOUS warm, sunny days. As we look forward to warmer days, greening grass, and blooming flowers we can help our pets and ourselves become healthier and more rejuvenated by getting outdoors.

Exercise is as important for our pet’s health as it is for our own. Many dogs, especially those of the herding and hunting breeds, need activity to keep them both physically and emotionally healthy. Working dogs can get bored without a job. Activity stimulates their physical muscles and their mental abilities. For example, weaving through poles and running through tunnels in agility training engages a dog’s mind and body. Playing fetch or going swimming also stimulates the body and brain. Even walking and allowing your dog to explore the grasses and trees provides it with activity that stimulates the senses. Without exercise, a dog can become not just bored, but also destructive, chewing on furniture or digging up the yard.
Senior dogs may not need as much activity as younger ones or more active breeds, but they still need some exercise. Often, a simple walk around the neighborhood will suffice. Walking is great exercise for both human and animal, and partaking of spring’s flavorful sights and sounds stimulates the mind as well as the muscles in both you and your dog.

Perhaps running is more your sport. Many dogs, such as labs and border collies, also benefit from a jog or run. These types of dogs need more active exercise than a short walk around the block, and the companionship you’ll share on such an outing helps cement the dog-human bond. Hook your pet’s leash to your wrist and jog on out there!

Whether it’s an hour playing fetch, two hours on the agility course, or a short jaunt around the neighborhood, activity adds up to a more enjoyable day for your pooch – and for yourself!

Cats, too, need exercise. My mother would take her cat, J.J., on a walk around the house on a leash. J.J. enjoyed these strolls, hearing the birds sing and rolling around in the vegetable garden’s dirt. She and mom would sit together under the weeping birch, stretched out on the grass and simply enjoy the day. I, too, once had a kitty that walked well on a leash. I lived near a creek, and therefore, didn’t want her roaming beyond the back yard border. I could actually “tie her out” on a long lead near the lilac bush, and she would spend hours there, relishing the sights and smells of the blooming shrubs. Or, simply nap in the overgrown shade. Even indoors, a cat that’s provided toy mice and games of “catch-the-feather-on-the- fishing-pole-if-you-can!” enjoys the stimulation of her senses.

Spring officially arrives March 21. Cabin fever strikes us all, and the coming of spring helps alleviate some of that by providing extra daylight, extra sunshine, and extra-stimulating fragrances. Fresh air, warm sun, blooming flowers, and singing birds – the great outdoors is calling to our pets and us! Allow your dog some extra time in your fenced backyard to drink in the sights, smells, and feelings of the new season. Take kitty for a safe stroll around your house – many cats become very amenable to a leash and stay safe from passing cars or roaming dogs by being on one. Enjoy your furry friend’s company while outdoors this spring – you’ll both feel better for it!

Tips for Keeping Your Pet Healthy This Winter

A New Year has begun, and with its dawning come resolutions by people to eat healthier and get into better shape. Although many often break those declarations before month-end, perhaps you and your pet can become healthier together, thereby sticking to your resolution and helping your pet stay healthier and happier in the process.
Just as people need nutritious foods to keep them healthy, so do our pets. Just as there are a wide variety of foods we can choose to eat or not, so, too, are there many types and brands of foods from which to choose for our pets. Whether you go to your vet’s office, shop at a grocery or big box store, or buy your pet food from a pet supply store, you are bombarded by the many flavors, brands and special diet foods. With the numerous options, it can seem overwhelming to tackle the question, “What should I feed my pet?”
The best decision is to research. Look at the brands in the store and discuss with the store staff. Inquire of trusted friends who are pet owners what they feed their animals, and of course, talk with your vet, especially if your dog or cat has a health issue, such as diabetes. Then, get on the Internet and read about the company from their website as well as learn more about pet food from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (http://www.petfood.aafco.org/). Ask your pet food supplier for samples to try as you learn what food is best for your furry friend.
You can read the labels, however, the order of ingredients on a pet food label is often based on the precooked weight (water and its contributing weight), not on the finished product weight. For example, if chicken is listed as the first ingredient, which we all think is good thing, how much chicken is really in the kibble? Processing chickens to create dry dog and cat food takes the moisture out of the meat and carcass. What is the percentage of chicken actually in the product – 10 percent, 25 percent, 40 percent, more than that? How much corn meal or wheat does the product contain? Some pets are allergic to wheat and corn. Are there synthetic vitamins and minerals in the food? Pets cannot always completely digest synthetic materials. And where is the food processed? Remember the pet food recall involving melamine and China in 2007?
In addition to food selection, here are a few other tips to keeping your pet healthier and happier this year:
1. Provide your furry friend with exercise. Perhaps you and your dog can take more walks together, become running partners, or get involved with the local agility club – or simply conduct agility in your own backyard. Cats, too, need exercise, so provide tunnels, climbing posts, and toys to help keep them active. Wiggling a feathered “fishing pole” may not seem like much exercise, but having your feline chase the feathers around the room keeps your kitty alert and agile. Animals need stimulation, and exercise not only stimulates them physically, but mentally as well.
2. Make sure your pets are current on their vaccinations. If your animal encounters another dog or cat that is not vaccinated against distemper, for example, you may end up with a much larger vet bill than if you had kept your Fido or Fiona’s vaccinations up-to-date. Plus, the emotional stress on both you and your pet should your friend become ill is also a significant factor to consider.
So, as the New Year sets in and thoughts of resolutions sprout, if you’re pondering a healthier you, also think about a healthier pet. Together, you just might keep that resolution to be healthier, and therefore, happier!

Adopt A Shelter Dog Month

October brings changing leaves, cooler temperatures, and decreased daylight. October also brings to my house a touch hof "hibernation syndrome" as both dogs and humans nap more often!
This month is also Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, the time in which animal welfare organizations promote the many wonderful dogs in need of new families. Adopting a shelter or rescue dog not only may save one more canine life, but also brings great satisfaction to the one adding the furry friend to the household. Numerous breed rescues and animal shelters across the country have been inundated the past few years with dog relinquishments as the downturn of the economy affects households across the nation. Yet, despite the numbers of pets let at shelter doors or turned into rescue organizations as abandoned, unwanted, neglected or simply "I can no longer afford to keep my pet" animals, the staff and volunteers with these animal welfare groups continue to persevere, hosting special adoption events and fundraisers in order to continue helping pets in need.

If you've ever considered adopting a dog, this is a great time to do so! Check out http://www.petfinder.com/ or visit your local shelter or rescue organization. Not all animals turned into these groups have behavioral problems; some simply are the result of a family's misfortune, such as a job loss or mortgage foreclosure. A great many furry friends are waiting for the right person or family to discover them and give them the loving, forever home they deserve.

If you cannot adopt a dog right now, there are other things you can do during Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. Volunteer with your local shelter or rescue group: walk dogs, help with fundraising events, or help transport a dog for a rescue group. Maybe you can be a foster parent, keeping a pet for a short amount of time while its waiting for its forever family. Perhaps you can donate products the group needs, such as pet food, cat litter or cleaning supplies. Or, maybe you can donate some funds for an animal's medical expenses. Whatever you can do will certainly be appreciated by the staff and volunteers!

I have had the good fortune to adopt my animals from various groups and to assist organizations as a volunteer. My current two dogs both came from animal shelters, and the dog before them was adopted from a shelter in 1989. What joy all three of these creatures have given me! What a blessing to my life and what a deep sense of satisfaction in keeping these beautiful dogs in my home, knowing they may have been disposed of for various reasons. My dogs have been an integral part of my life, and I am so thankful shelters and rescues are out there helping animals in need!

May each of us do something this month to help dogs during Adopt a Shelter Dog Month!

Dogs and People Helping Each Other

Animal welfare groups, including many rescue organizations and animal shelters, celebrate the joys of dogs this month. October is recognized nationally as Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month and provides people the wonderful opportunity of giving a dog a new, loving home. Today, let's look at how dogs and people help one another.

My two special dogs both come from shelters, one from Montana, the other from my community's Humane Society. Both dogs have brought great joy into my life and have taught me many valuable life lessons, such as loyalty, courage, perseverance, and love.

Dogs and people have held a special bond for thousands of years. Dogs have served humankind in many capacities, from protector to bearer of burdens. Native Americans, for example, used dogs to transport loads prior to obtaining the horse. Still today, dogs serve people in a variety of ways: herding and protecting flocks; finding fowl in the field; guiding the blind; assisting deaf and wheel-chair bound individuals; rescuing lost children; and bringing smiles to those in hospital beds.

Here are some special ways dogs help people:

• Assistance dogs are specially trained to help people manage physical or emotional disabilities. Guide dogs assist the blind, deaf assistance dogs alert people to the telephone or doorbell, and assistance dogs open refrigerators and building doors for people in wheelchairs. Some even detect cancer and epileptic seizures.



• Search and rescue dogs look for the lost. From hikers and skiers to victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, these hero dogs put their health and life in the balance in the line of duty.



• Military and police dogs also put their lives on the line. From sniffing for drugs or bombs to patrol duties, these dogs serve our country in the United States and abroad.



• Visiting hospitals and nursing homes, therapy dogs bring smiles to the faces of ill children and lonely senior citizens.



• Read-to-the-dog programs are popular in many libraries across the country and help children become better readers.



• Sporting dogs, including spaniels, retrievers and pointers, help bring home dinner in the form of ducks, pheasants, and grouse.



• Herding dogs, like the Australian Shepherd and the collie, have the genetic instinct to drive and gather livestock. Some of these dogs, such as Israel’s Canaan dog, have been used for several centuries.



• A variety of dogs, including the Siberian husky and German shepherd, are part of the working breed, transporting and protecting people.

Dogs help us in many ways, including the simple acts of helping us exercise, lowering our blood pressure, and getting us to laugh and smile more often. So, honor your special pooch for his loyalty and love with an extra ounce of kibble, a special hug, or a play-day outdoors in the field. And, if you’re thinking about adding a dog to your household, October is a great time to do so.
If you can’t have a dog right now, there are still things you can do to celebrate dogs, including showing kindness and compassion to animals in need and supporting your local pet rescue and shelter organizations with donations – there is always need not just for money, but also for supplies and volunteers.

Celebrate dogs however you can during National Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month!

Saluting Service Dogs

The 10th anniversaray of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks approaches us. Most of us know where we were on that day, at that hour and we won't forget the sights, scenes, smells and stories that came from that awful day. Neither will those who handled search and rescue dogs at the scenes in New York City and the Pentagon.

Search and rescue teams from around the country converged on the site of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon within days of the attacks. In all, nearly 400 dogs were used to search for survivors and victims. Still today, search dogs and their handlers look for and find victims of hurricanes, mud slides, earthquakes and other disasters as well as hikers lost in the wilderness or skiers overtaken by an avalanche.


Here are the names of some of the heroic canines of September 11, 2001:
Roselle - Yellow lab who guided her blind owner safely from the falling Twin Towers
Abby – a black lab from California
Guinness – a yellow lab from California
Red – a black lab from Maryland
Bailey – a black lab from Tennessee
Tara – a black lab from Massachusetts
Bretagne – a golden from Texas
Jake – black lab from Utah
Ricky – rat terrier from Washington
Jenner – black lab from Colorado
Many of these dogs served during Hurricane Katrina and have conducted other rescues as well. They devoted their lives in service to people.


Dogs are a tremendous gift to humans. In addition to search and rescue, dogs are often used as therapy, visiting nursing homes, schools, libraries and hospitals. A program called America’s VetDogs provides therapy dogs to our nation’s wounded warriors recovering in military hospitals. Known as military therapy dogs, these comforting creatures provide mental, emotional and physical well-being to our wounded soldiers “Getting out and walking the dog is huge therapy,” says one doctor. Another part of the program is to provide guide and other service dogs to soldiers who have been blinded or confined to wheelchairs. The program matches dogs with soldiers. To learn more, visit http://www.vetdogs.org/


The last full week of September is known as National Dog Week. May we pay proper honor to the dog heroes of our day, from the 9-11 service dog, to the dogs used in pet therapy, to the K-9 dog keeping our community safe, to the special four-footed friend lying at our feet.

Dog Days of Summer

• August is known as the Dog Days of Summer, oftentimes bringing hot, dry days. With these “Dog Days” come unique safety concerns for our pets. Here are a few tips for keeping your pets safe in the weeks remaining of summertime:

Don’t leave pets unattended in your vehicle. Cars quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, especially on warm or sunny days, even with the windows slightly open.

• Ensure your pets’ vaccinations are up-to-date and that heartworm, flea and tick medications have been administered. Summer brings out rabies-carrying creatures, such as skunks and raccoons, and fleas and ticks are abundant this time of year as well. Protect your pets! Consult your veterinarian for more information on heartworm, Lyme disease, rabies and other life-threatening diseases.


• When planning your dog’s daily walk, seriously consider early morning or later in the evening when it’s cooler. If you have to walk mid-day, take a shorter route, and remember that sidewalks can burn the pads of a dog’s paws.


• If your dog spends time outdoors in a kennel, ensure he has plenty of fresh, cool water and shelter. Rain and thunderstorms can pop up quickly, particularly in the afternoon when you may be elsewhere, such as work. And, NEVER chain or tie your dog out – lightening striking a nearby tree, heat exhaustion, dehydration and numerous insect bites are just a few of hazards posed to tethered dogs.


• For your cat’s protection, keep her indoors. Cats can be purr-fectly content indoor pets – they just need is a bit of playtime, a cat tree and other enrichment. Keeping your kitty indoors protects her from death by car, rabies from roaming creatures, and other safety issues, such as other cats and roaming dogs.


• Pesticides, weedkiller and other chemicals pose dangerous risks to pets and may even result in death. Ensure your pet cannot get into any of these hazardous products, and highly consider using organic products for your garden and yard.


• If your pet travels with you, make sure his/her ID tags are on the collar – you might even consider microchipping your pet before traveling. Also, use a leash to walk your pet for its bathroom break. One of the worst ways to ruin your vacation is to lose your pet.


• Prior to traveling, look into accommodations that accept pets. Here are a few websites that can help you plan your pet-friendly vacation: http://www.petswelcome.com/ and http://www.petsonthego.com/.


• If you don’t take your pet on vacation with you, look into hiring a reliable pet sitter. Ask friends or your vet for recommendations.


• NEVER leave your pets home alone if you’re gone for an extended period of time. Even asking friends to “drop by” to feed and water isn’t enough. Things can happen if a pet is left alone for days – running out of water, yard and house destruction, incessant barking which can result in upset neighbors – and possibly a fine to you by animal control.


• Don’t let the dog bite! Summer is the peak season for dog bites because of the increased number of children and dogs playing outdoors. Training, socialization and spaying/ neutering your dog help reduce the risk of dog bites. Also, remember to teach your children good manners around pets. To learn more about dog bites and how to prevent them, visit http://www.dog-biteprevention.com/.
  

May you, your family, and your pets have a safe and enjoyable rest of the summer!

The Sadness and Facts of Aging

My two dogs are seniors, and lately some unexpected health issues have arise. These "conditions" happen with little to no signals, and can shake a pet owner to the core.

In March and again in April, our blind Springer Spaniel, Sage, experienced what appeared to be a stroke. She could not stand up and her eyes began twitching and moving in various directions. We were able to get her into the vet immediately the first time, and there she stayed for nearly four days. The vet diagnosed her with a common condition in older pets, but one that cannot easily be explained as to its cause. It's called Vestibular Syndrome. There are two types: central vestibular disease and peripheral vestibular disease. Central vestibular disease occurs because of an abnormality in the brain, and peripheral occurs because of an abnormality within the nerves of the inner ear. Peripheral is the most common; one could think of it like a bad case of vertigo. Central vestibular syndrome often occurs due to a tumor on the brain. The onset is sudden and makes an owner think the dog is having a stroke; however, canine strokes are very rare.

We hoped Sage's condition was the less of two evils, but when she experiened another "episode" in April, basically one month after the first, we began to believe she may have a brain tumor. The only real way to know if that's the case is to have a CATSCAN or MRI done, so we decided to just wait and see if she experienced another episode. The second time she had one, it didn't last as long, and she was at the vet's only for one night. Now it has been nearly two full months since Sage experienced the condition, and she's not had another episode. Therefore, we are believing she has the peripheral syndrome, not the central type. We give her the steriod Predisone two to three times a week; it's one of the meds she was given back in March, and her system seems to tolerate that small dosage, and perhaps it's kept the vestibular disease in check.

According to most vets, the cause of this disease is unknown, and affects dogs ages 12 and older. Sage turns 12 this fall, but with her other physical limitations, it's not hard to conceive she could be affected by this at 11 1/2 years of age.

For an indepth article on vestiublar disease, visit the PetPlace website:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/vestibular-disease-in-dogs/page1.aspx

Cody, our Cocker Spaniel, turned 13 in mid-June. During the last week of the month, he became extremely lathargic and stopped eating. I was out of town, so my husband took him to the vet after the second day as Cody appeared weaker. The vet and his staff ran some tests, and diagnosed him with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, a condition in which the dog's immune system attacks its healthy red blood cells. It is a critical situation, but with the proper treatment, not necessarily fatal. Cody spent five days at the vet hospital, being kept quiet (a blood clot could develop which would kill him) and pumped on steriods and other drugs to combat the situation and re-build his red blood cell count. Cocker spaniels are prone to this disease, although according to our vet, it generally occurs in dogs 7 to 10 years old. Other breeds are also susceptible, including poodles, Old English sheepdogs, and Irish setters. Females are twice as likely to get the disease. So, Cody having developed it was somewhat of a surprise.

Prognosis is not great; about 40% of animals do not survive, and the condition usually re-occurs. I'm fortunate that my vet has experience dealing with this disease, but Cody's age is most likely problematic. For more information on this condition, visit

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/immune-mediated-hemolytic-anemia-in-dogs-imha/page1.aspx

We can feel quite sad when our pets age. As I journey through the aging process of my pets, I am also traveling the road of aging parents. The paths are quite similar. As I await Cody returning home, I am exploring options for my parents, who live 450 miles away, to move closer. On their behalf, I am looking into senior housing in communities closer to where I live (though they have expressed their inclination to move closer, they don't want to live in the same town as I do becasuse they really don't like the town or the area; that, too, will most likely change at least as far as location, but not the "liking" of the location).

I, too, am aging and feeling the physical inadequacies of middle-age. We all go through it, it's a fact of life, but a fact not less challenging, and in many cases, sad. I am thankful I beleive in a better life beyond what I can see and currently physically experience, a wonder-filled special place where neither people nor pets will age, experience health issues or the ultimate "as we know on Earth" death. There is a better home a'waitin' as the old hymn says.

In the meantime, we live, we laugh, we love, we experience, we age. And, we enjoy the good as much as we can. Be blessed along the journey!