Helping your pet age gracefully and with love

Yes, it's a fact of life, we normally outlive our beloved animal companions. And it's very, very tough to watch them age and see the changes they go through.

The first thing I really want to impress on you is that for the most part, a healthy pet going through the aging process isn't suffering! Yes they may have aches and things don't work quite like they used to. Pets are much more adaptable and accepting of their aging process than we are. However, you should still make sure they see the vet at least annually to check for any unwanted possiblities such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, liver and kidney disease, and a few others.

 Some of the normal changes that they tend to go through are loss of weight, possible blindness due to cataracts, possible deafness and arthritis. And while it is tough to see them go through all this, they aren't suffering, Honest!

There are some good things we can do to help them through their days, we get the chance to give back to them for all the wonderful years of unconditional love and compassion they have shown and shared with us over the years. Patience is one of the top things.

As they lose their vision, "child" proof the home, and don't move furniture, be sure to have a space that is secure outdoors like your back yard for them to feel secure in, or walk them on the same route daily, always with the leash. Be aware that they will feel the need to be closer to you and will probably follow you around most of the time, you become their eyes and lifeline. Sometimes if you have other animals in the home, they might help to act in this role also. Know that they will startle easily, especially if they also lose their hearing. So they might nip when startled. Sometimes coming in range of their nose helps to alleviate the startlement.

Deafness, many dogs may lose their hearing. You just need to practice on visual cues and directions for them.

Loss of weight is scary. Most times it is the normal loss of muscle mass you see as they age, and it is still good to have them checked by the vet. As they age, several little meals during the day is much better for them than one or two big meals a day. This will help slow some of the muscle loss. And realize that they can't chew as well as they once did. This means softer treats, and feeding a good quality grain free canned food is best. And always, always make sure they have fresh clean water in the same place available to them.

Sometimes they will take up soiling in the home, especially if blind. This is usually due to the fear of being in a larger open area without guidance or a shoulder to be close to as it were. Going outside with your pet even on a leash is good, and will represent security for them. Eventually they will have their scent trails back down and feel more comfortable about going outside again. But this can take some time.

One thing to watch for, yes, they have aches much like we do when we get older and the warm sunshine feels like heaven to them. Watch that they don't get sunstroke, or heat stroke.

For those who can't get around too well, use more area rugs to alleviate slipping, ramps will help your smaller pets gain their favorite snoozing places. Slightly raised beds help, or those with heat mats under them. They will also need cushier sleeping arrangements. For cats, lower sided litter boxes will help ensure they use it.

And last but not least, don't ever be selfish if they are in pain and they tell you it's time to help them to the bridge. Helping them pass without pain and with dignity is the ulitmate act of compassion you can give your beloved companion animal.

Tiny rules.... and the potential problems

We love tiny creatures because they bring out the protective and mothering instincts in us. We tend to want to baby, cuddle and care for animals that are bred tiny. Like the new colt born recently that weighs only 6 pounds. Most lap dogs weigh more than this little guy. And yes he's adorable.

However, as I read through the article, I noticed they mentioned that they didn't "think" this colt would display the dwarfism characteristics that Koda in England displays who is the current tiniest horse. This is Koda:

Koda isn't much larger than a medium sized dog. And he has dwarfism, he's survived many surgeries to correct leg problems to allow him to walk. And he will require a lot of medical care through the years of his life.

Thus this brings a point out again. How we are corrupting and damaging our wonderful furry friends and companions by selective breeding to suit the trend of what is popular for looks or traits at this time. Selective dwarfism through nature is in response to habitat and the ability to alter genetics through nature to adapt to the changing environment or habitat. However, in some cases, some companion animals are bred specifically to encourge dwarfism abberations and tendencies. Like the Munchkin cats:

 All I see here is an unnatural kitty who probably wouldn't have the capability to fend for itself or defend itself. Much like the T-Rex whose front legs were pretty much worthless. All I can wonder is what is his lifespan going to be like? He will probably have a lot of bone problems later in life.

Then sometimes due to so much selective breeding and inbreeding to acquire specific traits backfires, and the genes trigger dwarfism genes and such. Case in point this shepherd pup:

While they are all cute, we have still upset nature's balance and natural selection. A lot of these loving little animals do suffer with medical maladies, pain and such. What we've created for our pleasure isn't fair to them. Unfortunately much of society today sees all these as status symbols and a commodity.  We all love small and adoable and cute, but it should happen by nature's choice, not our greediness.

Now on the second part, there are some animals being classified as miniatures, when in fact they are slowly being returned to their normal sizes. Like some cattle or dairy cows. Many dairy cows weren't the great big animals we know today, many were much smaller and were handled easier. We bred them to be big large animals to maximize the amount of milk they might give or meat they might provide. And there are some out there who are working to return some of the breeds to their normal or original statures.

Once again, when we start molding our animals to fit the latest fashion statement or style, we're creating pain, agony and a much shortened life span. I will agree though that yes, they are adorable, and yes they bring out out protective nature and that needs to happen, they do need to be protected from harm and given the best possible care they could receive for their life. They are so much more fragile than you can imagine. Yes even the tiny horses. People think horse, they think something like the Budweiser horses, big and strong. But I'm telling you, these tiny little guys are so fragile, a 40 pound dog could crush one foal. And remember, they can't fend for themselves or defend themselves either like their normal sized counterparts.

I apologize if my viewpoint upsets you, however, it's how I feel, and frankly I am on the side of the animals. Not our desires for status or cute or the tiniest. We are here to help our companions and help care for them, we've domesticated them, they have become reliant on us for their care, and I believe that care and responsibility lies with us fully and 100 percent.

Supreme Court and animal abuse

Well it seems in the news today that the Supreme Court struck down a federal law yesterday that was aimed at banning videos that show graphic violence against animals, saying it violates the right to free speech. The law was enacted in 1999 to limit Internet sales of so-called crush videos, which appeal to a certain sexual fetish by showing women crushing to death small animals with their bare feet or high-heeled shoes.

The high court, voting 8-1, overturned the conviction of a Virginia man for selling videos of pit bulls fighting each other and attacking other animals.

Writing for the court, Chief Justice John Roberts said the language of the law went much further, creating “a criminal prohibition of alarming breadth.” He said the statute as written would have affected hunting videos and magazines.

Justice Samuel Alito dissented, saying the ruling effectively legalized the sale of crush videos and “is thus likely to spur a resumption of their production.” He faulted the majority for striking down a “valuable statute.”

The law reads as this:

18 USC 48 / PUBLIC LAW 106-152

Sec. 48. - Depiction of animal cruelty
(a) Creation, Sale, or Possession.
Whoever knowingly creates, sells, or possesses a depiction of animal cruelty with the intention of placing that depiction in interstate or foreign commerce for commercial gain, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(b) Exception.
Subsection (a) does not apply to any depiction that has serious religious, political, scientific, educational, journalistic, historical, or artistic value.

(c) Definitions.
In this section
(1) the term ”depiction of animal cruelty” means any visual or auditory depiction, including any photograph, motion-picture film, video recording, electronic image, or sound recording of conduct in which a living animal is intentionally maimed, mutilated, tortured, wounded, or killed, if such conduct is illegal under Federal law or the law of the State in which the creation, sale, or possession takes place, regardless of whether the maiming, mutilation, torture, wounding, or killing took place in the State; and

(2) the term ”State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States

The federal law extends state and federal laws to make possession, creation, or selling of crush videos a felony, regardless of where the video was originally created.

Personally I find this all sad, sad that we can as a society even permit this sort of act and torture to happen and to have it endorsed or allowed by the courts now is even worse. There are so many times where I feel that the same acts should be done to the perpetrators as they have done to their victims. I feel our legal systems are too lax, and too many people get away with so much that is harmful.

Pet-Abuse.com offers these tips on crush videos and what happens if you find one or come across one online:

1. Once you realize that it is a crush video, stop watching it. These videos can be quite grisly, and are extremely traumatic to watch.

2. If possible, download the video file to your computer, and send it (along with the url of the page and any user information that may be included) to info@pet-abuse.com and info@peta.org. Do NOT complain to the site owner until this has been done, otherwise they may remove the video, and then animal protection agencies have no evidence to work from.

3. If the video is posted on a community website such as MySpace, e-mail the website’s support team, reporting it as inappropriate and offensive.
If a video has made it to MySpace, however, there is a good chance it is already posted on one of the gore sites. On sites that are clearly geared towards displaying offensive content, sending an angry letter to the webmaster will typically not help. Those sites make money on advertising, so the more offensive their content is, the more website hits it usually gets. In short, their most disturbing videos are their bread and butter, and it is unlikely that they will remove a video that is getting such strong reactions.

4. For gore sites, to find out who owns the domain name, and where the website is hosted, use a lookup utility such as samspade.org or dnsstuff.com. You may try e-mailing or calling the website hosting company, however gore sites have been known to host videos such as unedited human beheadings, so the chances are good that the website host is already aware of the content and simply does not care.

I imagine too that complaining to your state lawmakers perhaps can bring about change. And if you have or suspect someone or a group of intentionally abusing animals, report it to your local law enforcement and animal welfare/control.

Another plea to please adopt and spay and neuter!

This very moving video clip was brought to my attention this morning by Rescue Ink’s Facebook page. They had posted it. It will make you think twice about that stray or homeless animal you find wandering the street.  When I finished watching it, I watched the second one which is even more moving.
Please folks, Please! Think twice and always adopt first, don’t buy a pet. And ALWAYS, ALWAYS have your pets spayed or neutered! For their health and happiness. And help support your local shelter in any way you can.
here goes….

How to Drive Your Doggies Nutso! LOL

Ok, I finally have figured out how to get my vids uploaded. My brother got a laser pointer and his two dogs love it! His cat Chronic on the other hand runs from it. LOL
It’s definitely one way to drive your pooches crazy!

Giving back the gift of life and compassion for our War Vets

As the war progresses or digresses (depending upon your point of view) in the middle east,  our soldiers returning are having a tougher time coping and returning to a "normal" life. Many suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and or healing from physical injuries. Many suffer from depression, cannot find work, have other mental problems, nightmares, sever marriages, withdraw from the world and many end in suicide. This is a very tragic and very real situation.

Fortunately there are some very aware and forward thinking people and groups  who are working with these returning soldiers and animals. I have written before that animals are intuitive and healing and teach you compassion again. And now they are getting to prove this by helping our soldiers heal emotionally and give them the will to keep moving forward. They also help bring back the will to live and love again.

There is a program pairing dogs with soldiers as service dogs are for people with other handicaps. These dogs are psychiatric service dogs specially trained to help traumatized veterans leave the battlefield behind as they reintegrate into society. The results are very encouraging and positive, in dozens of interviews, veterans and their therapists reported drastic reductions in P.T.S.D. symptoms and in reliance on medication after receiving a service dog. The other good part to this service is that many of these specially trained pooches come from another program called, Puppies Behind Bars , a program based in New York State that uses prisoners to raise and train dogs for lives of service. To me, this is a win win situation for all involved!

   Another wonderful program emerging in Washington is the Dog Tags Program, done by the Washington Humane Association across from the Walter Reed Hospital. This  program brings together wounded soldiers and pups needing training to better their chances at adoption. This program brings them  together to teach, learn, and strengthen the bonds that heal.

In Las Vegas, New Mexico, there is a new emerging program called Horses4 Heros . This program is for returning military personnel, fire fighters, law enforcement, hospice care, corrections officers, critical care people, and their families. This is a riding program and is non-profit.

There is also the Operation Heroes and Hounds program. Operation Heroes & Hounds' presents injured members of the United States military with the unique opportunity of coaching and living with shelter dogs. The focus of the program is on personal transformation through The Loved Dog™ method, a playful and nonaggressive approach to canine coaching. Both service members and shelter dogs learn a new set of skills that will make a positive impact on their future.

Operation Heroes & Hounds participants include "the walking wounded" of the United States military suffering from non-visible ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Shelter dogs selected for the program are in need of behavior modification through the kind, nonaggressive teaching of The Loved Dog method. Together, they can heal their emotional wounds while gaining new life skills.

All of these wonderful programs give each of us a chance to help our soldiers return to love and life. Whether or not you support or agree with the war efforts, you can support the men and women doing their jobs. Animals so much of the time are the best healers of emotional, and physical barriers. They teach us daily how to give back to one another, how to have compassion and how to love without restrictions and unconditionally. We can help these efforts  by just even volunteering our time or work with others to perhaps help start programs like these in your community.

We simply don't do enough for these people who are fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers or even friends, who lay their lives on the line for their jobs. We need to give back to them. You cannot be critical of them, as you have not walked in their shoes, have not seen the horrors, fear and pain they have felt. But you can help them with your compassion.