Mental Stimulation  We humans get our news from the media or the internet. Dogs keep up on their “world affairs” through pee-mail on hydrants, poles and shrubs, and bulk mail left in the grass.

Socialization  Walks offer a perfect opportunity for dogs to learn the social graces of the dog world. Meeting and interacting politely with other dogs, children and adults makes for a more pleasant walk and a better-behaved dog at home when company drops by.

Training  A walk can serve double duty as both exercise and a chance to run through a few basic obedience commands as a refresher. For busy people who find little spare time to keep up with their dog’s training,  walks provide a great training opportunity.

Street Smarts  Teaching your dog a few tips to help him or her stay safe outside the yard could be life saving if he decides to slip past your ankles in the doorway one morning and head out for an adventure.  I like to teach all dogs to stop and check for cars before entering an intersection, stay on the sidewalk to avoid traffic, keep moving without engaging another dog fiercely protecting its fence, and greet other dogs on leash in a friendly way.

Staying healthy   Breathing fresh air, exercising, burning calories, and staying trim and fit benefit both human and dog. I often hear people say, “My dog keeps me fit.”  We owe it to our dogs to help them keep fit too.

Technorati Tags:   dog walks, exercising pets

My mother died of lung cancer after a two-year struggle to beat the odds. Her best friend through this journey was a beautiful, feisty cat named Scamp who gave much-needed comfort and delight right up to the end. Many people have to give up their pets when they become terminally ill or move to a nursing home, hospital or hospice, because they have no resources to continue caring for their animals. That dreaded dilemma  is changing thanks to programs like Pet Peace of Mind.

Pet Peace of Mind is a program designed to support terminally ill people who need either financial or physical help caring for their animals.   The program helps with veterinary care, pet food, boarding, dog walking, temporary homes when owners are hospitalized, and permanent re-homing after owners have died.

Former veterinarian, Rev. Delana Taylor McNac, founded the volunteer-based program in 2007 at a hospice in Tulsa, OK.  A couple of years later, Banfield Charitble Trust adopted the program model, and has spread it to nonprofit hospices nationwide. Reverend McNac has joined Banfield to manage the program nationally, and she reports the program has spread to 21 states and 33 non-profit hospices, with more in the application process. Banfield provides start-up grants, all the materials the grantees need, and online training for the coordinators and key volunteers.

Many of us get caught up in thinking, “I’m just one person, what can I do?”  Here’s a wonderful demonstration of what “just one person” can do. If you don’t have anyone in your life who can benefit from this particular program, I hope at least learning about it will inspire you to act on your humanitarian (pet-itarian?) idea.

For more information or to volunteer with this compassionate service, visit McNac’s blog at www.petpeace.blogspot.com.

[tags] pet care for terminal patients,  dog walking for hospice patients’ pets, free
pet sitting for sick owners, temporary homes for hospitalized owners [/tags]

Ever wondered whether pet first aid and CPR is something you should learn more about? Your trusty blogger and pet first aid instructor recently did a brief TV demonstration that gives a couple of important techniques for saving your pet’s life. The demo animals are dogs, but the same techniques apply to cats. Take a look:    King 5 TV: saving your furry family members with pet first aid.

If you have one of those problem kitties, you might want to check out Animal Planet’s new show, My Cat From Hell, featuring cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, Little Big Cat, we have a sneak preview: Cat From Hell Highlights

I hope by now you’ve heard about another Pig Ear recall for possible salmnella contamination. Just in case you haven’t, here is a link to the Key’s Manufacturing Company’s press release:   http://www.keysmanufacturing.com/recall.htm

Veterinary insurance is an idea that has been around for a long time. The last time I had a pet young enough to use it, there was only one (expensive) option in my state. Now many companies offer this important service to animal owners. The challenge now is to figure out which is the best policy for each owner’s pets. Pet MD has added a great new blog to help figure that out called  Healthy Assurance.

Be Kind to Animals Week  is May 1-7 — oops, we almost missed it. To make amends, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking quote from Little Big Cats recent Cat’s Walk Newsletter:

…this is also a good time to think about the many ways that we impact animals’ lives. There is so much thoughtless and even institutionalized animal cruelty in this world, from calf-roping at rodeos and wild animals in circuses, to the millions of mice (who are legally not considered “animals”) sacrificed in the name of science, and the billions of chickens that will be slaughtered  for human consumption this year alone. Let’s all try to be mindful of their suffering, and do our best not to add to it. Consider a donation to your local shelter, or to one of the national organizations that work so hard for animal welfare and animal rights.

Give your pets a hug for all the joy and well-being they bring to your life.

Technorati Tags: pet first aid and CPR, pigs ear recall, cat behaviorist on Animal Planet, Be Kind to Animals Week

I’m always a big fan of the cartoon website, Draw the Dog (www.drawthedog.com), but as a pet sitter who has occasionally seen similar behavior from clients, today’s cartoon gave me an extra chuckle.

Owners of Draw the Dog describe the above cartoon as inspired by Stuart Asher, who works in a boarding kennel. Stuart wrote, “The size of the dog is inversely proportionate to the amount of luggage brought with it. For example:

Leonbergers/Mastiff luggage list:
leash
and possibly a bone

Yorkie/Chihuahua luggage list:
2 leashes
2 harnesses
3 flexis
2 beds
3 pads
4 blankets
2 types of dry food
4 types of canned food
2 types of pouched food
7 bags of treats
4 containers of ‘people food’
2 crates
15 chew toys
6 rope toys
12 plush toys
20 page document detailing how to care for the dog…

Technorati Tags: big dog, small dog, boarding

Goodbye, my friend.

As I grappled with the impossible decision that all pet owners face, I searched for something that would make the decision clearer. My 15 year old beagle mix, Ernie, had been failing all year from an illness no one could quite pin down. As he wobbled through his last days in September, we realized it was kidney failure.

One day I had a helpful talk with Dr. Jule at North Seattle Veterinary Clinic. I was trying to come to grips with how close we were to the end.  You know how it goes. You ask how severe is the disease, is he hurting, is there any hope of recovery, how long does he have, and of course the big question, how will I know when it’s time. She was kind and informative.

I felt her sympathy and appreciated she wasn’t hiding behind a professional facade of neutrality. She offered me a tool to help with the decision, since it ultimately resides in the pet’s quality of life.  I found the scale she referred to on  Veterinary Practice News website. It was designed by Dr. Alice Villalobos to help pet owners determine when it is time to let go. It helped me;  see if you think it would help you make that final decision.

Quality of Life Scale  By: Dr. Alice Villalobos

To download Dr. Villalobos Scale, Click here 

                                                  
1.Adapted by Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, VPN, 09/2004, for Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, by Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, released 2006.

Technorati Tags: euthanasia, pawspice, putting a pet to sleep, end of life decision for dogs and cats, quality of life scale

This post is in memory of a precious little dog named Zero, whose life was cut much too short this morning. I tell this story not to bring you down, as it inevitably will, but as an important reminder of two critical factors that could have prevented the tragedy.

My new 80 pound Great Pyrenes rescue dog, Gus, was so antsy for a walk this morning that I decided to take him out for just a quick 15 minute spin around the block to tide him over until I got home from an appointment. We could do our usual longer walk later. We were on the home stretch when a joyful little Papillon-looking dog spotted us. His human was taking a break from her job at the memory care center we were passing, and sat on the curb with her dog. The dog was not leashed, and I’m sure the young woman assumed the dog was safe becase he was right at her side. But the dog darted off to greet Gus across the street. The owner’s view was blocked by a hedge, and she couldn’t see how her heart was about to break.  From deep in my gut I bellowed, ”no-o-o-o-o” and threw out a hand to warn the driver to brake. The driver was speeding on our residential street and must not have seen my gesture or the dog. Zero was killed instantly and the driver kept going.  I suppose the driver was afraid of liability for vet expenses because he or she was speeding.

Zero’s “mamma” learned a devastating lesson today about keeping her dog leashed even when it seems safe to have the dog outside briefly without one. I can only hope the driver who struck and killed Zero learned a lesson about speeding on a residential street, even when it appears the site-lines are good.  It certainly reminded me to slow down on neighborhood streets and be sure my dogs are securely leashed at all times outside, and to redouble my efforts to keep Boss Cat from slipping out the door while the dogs come and go.

God speed, Zero.

Technorati Tags: dog hit by car, speeding on residential streets, keeping dogs on leash

If you haven’t discovered Draw the Dog’s website you’re missing out on a daily smile. If you’ve ever shared your home with a dog, you’ll resonate with most of these cartoons, and part of the fun is watching them take shape before your eyes. Here’s a sample (scroll down if you don’t see anything happening):
Visit Draw the Dog to see more dog cartoons like this.

Your dog too could become famous as the subject of one of brilliant former Disney Animator Jim George’s cartoons. Send your photos to his partner in crime, Bruce Kasanoff, photos@drawthedog.com. The really nice thing about this website is they actively support dog rescue with their cartoons.

Technorati Tags: dog cartoons

I have long been convinced that animals grieve when a loved one disappears from their life. Think of how deeply we mourn the loss of our pets. It only stands to reason that other sentient beings would experience a similar emotion when they lose a loved one. Some people chide me for anthropomorphizing — attributing human qualities to animals, but I’ve seen this emotion many times in animals.

ShaktiPaw grieving the death of his human.

My “evidence” began with the first dog I had as an adult. My husband and I had adopted Buffy as a puppy, and she was our “child” for the next ten years, until we divorced. This hardy German Shepherd went into a nose dive when she and I moved out. She developed severe health problems and depression that she never really recovered from.

The next incident showed up when one of my two dogs died. Copper, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, died of a blood immune disorder after living for about 6 years with Kutya, our alpha Kuvasz. In life they squabbled, ignored each other and competed for my attention. So when Copper died, I was surprised to see Kutya lay down in front of the fireplace with her chin on her paws and barely move from that position for the next three months. Her depression became so deep I feared she was going to die of heartache. Whether grief had run its course or the homeopathic remedy I began giving her for grief worked, she pulled out of it.  Just 18 months later, 7 year old Kutya succumbed to bone cancer. I’ve always wondered if her immune system was compromised by an ongoing undercurrent of loss.

Most recently, my Beagle mix Ernie has developed a panoply of health problems since his mentor Scooty died last December. He has lost his appetite, and along with it a significant amount of weight. Ernie has always appeared to be a stoic, but time and again I’ve seen how deeply sensitive he is beneath the surface (a Scorpio dog maybe?).

I’ve seen other examples of grief among my pet sitting clients’ animals. I’ve been thought of as a kook sometimes for my beliefs about animals’ emotions, but a growing body of research supports the notion of animals’ having a rich emotional life. Dogsters “For the Love of Dog Blog” carried an interview on August 23, 2010 with Dr. Michael W. Fox, renouned Brittish veterinarian, author of more than 40 books, and advocate for the humane treatment of animals. Dr. Fox validates my pet grieving theory much more eloquently than I can. The article is very interesting, and I hope you’ll take a look.

What do you think — do animals grieve the loss of a loved one? If you’ve seen it first hand, please share your stories.

Technorati Tags: emotional life of animals, pet grief, dogs and cats grieving the death of their companions

Just who's driving this rig?

Is petting your dog in the car as dangerous as texting on a cell phone? That might be a little tricky to answer. However, AAA and Kurgo have just released results of a study showing the risky behaviors some of us engage in with our pets while driving. 

I’m chagrinned to admit that I’m one of the 20 percent who occasionally drives with my dog in my lap. I know better. I teach pet safety in my pet first aid classes.  That 12 pounds of fluff could become a lethal missile in a crash. He would certainly not survive, and I might not either.

The highlights of AAA’s study show that nearly 60 percent of people who take their dog in the car with them have engaged in distracting behavior with their pet while driving.  More than half pet their dog while driving, and 20 percent hold the dog in their lap.  The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that looking away for only two seconds doubles our chances of being in a wreck.

Of the 80 percent of pet owners who take their dog along in the car, only 17 percent use any kind of restraint.  “Restraining your pet when driving can not only help protect your pet, but you and other passengers in your vehicle as well,” cautioned Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, AAA National, Traffic Safety Programs manager. She went on to say, “An unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at 50 mph will exert roughly 500 pounds of pressure, while an unrestrained 80-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert 2,400 pounds of pressure. Imagine the devastation that can cause to your pet and anyone in the vehicle in its path.”

The easy solution is to use a restraint when you take the dog along. I carry a crate in the back of my Prius for those trips when I’m more safety conscious. You can buy harnesses to hold the dog in place in case of an impact. A few sources of seatbelts and car restraints for dogs include Ruffrider.com, OhMyDogSupplies.com, PetSafetyBelts.com, and many retail pet suppliers.

So whether you’ve taken Oprah’s No Phone Zone pledge or not, it looks like it’s time to get serious and take the No Dog Zone pledge while driving! Anybody out there willing?

Technorati Tags: distracted driving, danger of dogs loose in the car 

One of my favorite blogs is Dogster, for the Love of Dog Blog. They carried this photo and video today of a police officer rescuing a dog whose leg was caught in a fence. The ending is very cute and unexpected. Take a look, and don’t miss www.dogblog.dogster.com for other amusing videos and content.

  Here’s a link to the video of this rescue:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid34830125001?bctid=88147925001

Technorati Tags: dog accidents, dog tricks, dog rescue