Care

We know from innumerable modern research studies that a person's immune strength and resistance can be improved through a positive mental outlook, and that people who are happy heal more quickly than emotionally depressed people. Stated simply: emotional states can affect the physical body. Most veterinary health care professionals would probably agree that the principle is true for animals, too. For example, most healthy dogs are usually happy dogs – or is it the other way around? And have you noticed how, just as with people, very often an anxious or angry dog also tends to be prone to more injuries and illness than a content and cheerful dog?

As we were going to press with this issue, we received a report of a dog’s death due to ingestion of a small part...

Megaesophagus truly is a horrible condition, both for the dog, who really suffers, and for the dog’s owner, who can’t do very much to help. However, there are a couple of holistic healing methods that I’ve seen help dogs with megaesophagus. I use a lot of homeopathy in my practice, so of course, my first suggestion is to use homeopathy, which is entirely dependent on the body’s ability to respond. Homeopathy is “energy medicine;” the purpose is to present the energy picture of a specific problem to the body so the body will raise a defense, a response to that trigger at both the physical and the energy level.

We all love seeing our dogs run and frolic on turf – but we seldom consider the chemicals that may be dangerous to their health.

Car rides. Some dogs love them. Some dogs hate them. Helping car anxiety in dogs, and getting a calm passenger is a step-by-step process.

I feel the cause of my dog's DI dates back to rabies vaccinations. Three weeks following his 1993 vaccination, we thought he was bloating. He was also in extreme pain in the kidney area. We rushed him to the veterinarian. Radiographs showed nothing unusual, but he showed some neurological deficits. We took him back the next morning for more x-rays, and did some blood tests, etc., but found nothing. The veterinarian gave him prednisone and he improved almost immediately. He showed no further problems until the next spring, when he had his next rabies shot. Same symptoms, but he didn't get better this time. We took him to Auburn University, and $500 worth of tests showed nothing. In August, he woke us up trying to lift the toilet lid, and getting in the shower and tub searching for water. He was finally diagnosed as diabetic, and went on DDAVP.

Your kids always buckle up, and you usually do. It's time to take the next step, and get that dog a seat belt. We'll tell you which one is a winner.

So you want to adopt an older dog. Rescue a homeless hound. Save a life. Fantastic! Gone are the days when everyone wants to start out with a baby puppy – and that’s a good thing. In the last decade, as pet owners have become more responsible about spaying and neutering, shelters across the country have noticed a marked decrease in the numbers of puppies they receive. Instead, they now find that the preponderance of homeless dogs in their kennels are adolescents – six months to two years old – who haven’t received the training and direction they needed to become good canine citizens.

Statistically, dog bites are the number one health problem for children in this country, outpacing measles, mumps, and whooping cough combined, according to Jeffrey Sacks, MD, of the National Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. The CDC estimates that some 4.7 million persons were bitten by dogs in 1996. Of these, approximately 830,000 of the bites required medical attention, up from 585,000 in 1986. Children are the most common dog bite victims, due to their size, vulnerability, and tendency to move quickly and make strange noises, especially when excited or frightened.

In regard to Anita Vreeland's quest to find a used mobility cart for her new (and paralyzed) Dachshund (Letters, February 1999): When I no longer needed my cart, (for a three-legged Basset Hound), I contacted K-9 Carts and they said they keep a list of people who are trying to find a new home for their used carts. I don't know how much people want for the used carts, but I am quite willing to give mine to someone who can use it. K-9 carts said they can make the necessary changes if I find a 65 lb. Basset who has four legs. That would be quite a savings for that dog owner. Mine cost more than $300 when it was new.

People fear Rottweilers for a variety of reasons, and only a few of those reasons are due to the media. Some Rottie owners deliberately foster the intimidating look, fastening huge Gothic collars on their dogs and encouraging their dogs to be aggressive. Many Rottweilers are used for guard and protection work, a task they were bred for and excel at. And, face it, whether you want to blame nature or nurture (poor breeding or wrong-headed training), there are a certain number of aggressive, unpredictable, dangerous Rottweilers in the world.

of the Pawnee Tribe:

"In the beginning of all things