November 2003
Letters: 11/03
Subscribers Only
Herbal Remedies for Treating Older Dogs
Subscribers Only Old age should not be viewed as a downhill slide to inevitable suffering and death. Nor should chronic disease be perceived as part of growing old. Each year hundreds of elderly dogs are put to sleep prematurely – not because they are deathly ill, but because their guardians can’t get past their own fears of watching their companions grow old and die a natural death. Granted, it’s difficult to live in anticipation of a companion’s death, but with all things considered, this is really our problem, not theirs.
Feed the Dog, Starve the Cancer
Subscribers Only Cancer profoundly alters a dog’s metabolism, even before any malignancies are advanced enough to be detected; these changes persist even after remission. Ask any dog owner about his biggest health fears for his pet, and his response is likely to include cancer. It’s a leading cause of death in canines and can be indiscriminate, striking young and old dogs alike.
Causes of Reactive Dog Behavior and How to Train Accordingly
Subscribers Only “Reactive” is a term gaining popularity in dog training circles – but what is it, exactly? In her book Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, Applied Animal Behaviorist Karen Overall, M.A., V.M.D., Ph.D., uses the term to describe animals who respond to normal stimuli with an abnormal (higher-than-normal) level of intensity. Take a deep breath and relax. We have positive training solutions for dogs who "go off" or "lose it" in certain circumstances.
Finding The Best Boarding Option for Your Dog
When deciding what to do with your dog while you are out of town, be honest with yourself about his or her personality. Does she have special needs, such as health concerns, exercise requirements, or behavioral issues? How does she handle change? How does she react to strangers? How important is her daily routine?
How to Best Utilize Your Dog's Next Blood Test
Subscribers Only Why a blood test is an integral part of your dog’s requisite annual wellness exam, and how to get the most out of the blood chemistry test results. Most of the dog’s organ systems can be targeted by one chemical analysis or another, and with proper interpretation of one (or a combination of) these analyses, I can, at least in part, assess the dog’s current health/disease status. From this interpretation then, we can often derive a treatment regime, whether it is based on Western or alternative medicines. Isn’t science wonderful?
Old Dog
Subscribers Only We never know how much time we’ll have together.
