You’re probably already familiar with dogs who guide the blind, sniff out cancer and warn their owners of an impending threat. But these long-time faithful companions continue to surprise us with their innate empathy. Recently, it’s emerged that dogs are an invaluable aid in comforting trauma victims and patients in nursing homes and hospitals. And so a whole new industry is born, namely pet therapy.
Pet doors have their pros and cons. In addition to their self-service convenience, it can also be argued that they have the potential to be life saving. Consider this: You go away for the weekend and entrust your pets to a friend who comes over twice a day to feed them and take them for a walk. Your friend locks up for the night with your pets snug inside and goes home when a fire breaks out. The sitter has no idea. Your pets have no escape.
We use herbs and spices daily not only to add flavor to our food but also for their health benefits. If basil, turmeric, fennel and cinnamon can aid our health, why can’t they help our dogs too? The truth is that some herbs are good for dogs – great, in fact – and some herbs aren’t. In this post we look at herbs for dogs that promote good health, as well as how to use them.
If you think you just have to get through 6 weeks of puppy classes and a few months of house training before you can kick back and relax with the perfect dog, then you are very much mistaken. In fact, as your sweet pup goes through an interesting dog adolescence, you might yearn for the days when you had to get up 3 times a night to stand outside in the cold while your puppy decided whether or not she really needed a wee.
Most pet parents know how important physical exercise is for their dogs. Without a daily walk, run or cycle, most dogs go stir crazy. They drive their parents insane with barking, chewing, pacing and other destructive behaviors. What many pet parents don’t know is that mental stimulation is as important for dogs as physical exercise. Brain work can calm dogs, tire them out, make them more confident problem solvers. They also meet their innate canine needs and keep canine cognitive dysfunction (dementia) at bay. Interactive toys and puzzles are simple tools to get your dog’s brain working.
Pets, like people, can be injured or contract an illness that results in massive blood loss or contaminated blood. Blood transfusions may be the only way to save their lives. This means that it’s as important for pets to donate blood as it is for people. Your pet can be a hero and that’s a wonderful opportunity for any animal.
Who doesn’t love bulldogs? That cute, squashy face and those sad eyes are enough to melt the coldest heart. But before you go out and buy a puppy, have a heart and consider the health problems that are becoming increasingly common (and increasingly severe) in bulldogs and other brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog breeds.
“Ye, who behold perchance this simple urn,
Pass on – it honours none you wish to mourn.
To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise;
I never knew but one – and here he lies.”
Inscription on the monument to Lord Byron’s dog, Boatswain, at Newstead Abbey.
Most pet parents know that visiting the vet involves an epic struggle with a reluctant dog or cat. Pets have a kind of sixth sense when it comes to visiting the vet. They always seem know when one is coming, no matter how stealthy or cunning you think you’ve been.
There is very little that can ease the emotional trauma of having a pet go missing, and remain lost forever. Unfortunately, it’s a kind of pain that many people have to deal with. Fortunately, it’s largely preventable, thanks to microchip identification and a host of pet tracking devices that allow pet parents to know where their beloved furkid is at any point during the day.
