Ages ago I asked about dreams you have about your dogs. Thanks, again, for your input. Well, in journalistic circles, where the motto is, “Blogger, do not scoop thyself,” I had to wait until the article I wrote for one of the American Kennel Club magazines came out. I recently got a copy. It explains the different kinds of dreams, when they typically happen in your sleep cycle, and what they mean. …
From my contacts at Colorado State University’s veterinary school — During times of economic struggle, pet owners may be looking for ways to reduce the cost of caring for pets. But some measures that seem to reduce costs may end up being more expensive in the long term because of impacts on a pet’s health. …
I wrote a piece last week on the recession’s impact on veterinary medicine. In my research to help quantify things, I found some interesting data. For example, between 1980 and 2005, what people spend on veterinary services virtually doubled in real dollars. That means, even with adjustments for inflation, pet owners are spending about 100% more per year. And, for the “best clients,” who routinely take pets to the doctor (aka … you and me), it’s actually 124% of what it used to be. …
So, I went through Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide by Brenda Aloff a second time. Much of the info I already knew, but here are a handful of things that struck me while thinking about Lilly and Ginko’s use of their bodies to communicate. …
Considering the significant increase in coyote activity in the valley due to mating season (which happens mid-winter), I assume this scat below is from a coyote, not a fox. Fellow poop-ologists agree? If so, it was deposited about 30 feet from our front door, right on the edge of our gravel driveway. …
I’ve mentioned before that Ginko “blew out” both knees when he was 3 years old. The official name of the injury is a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture. Often dogs also tear their cartilage (or meniscus) too, which complicates things. For those who aren’t too squeamish, here are details (including photos). Fair warning. …
Either I need to transition my dog clothes over to brown, or I need a better stain-fighting formula to get the dog dirt out. Seriously, all of my dog jeans (… yes, I have jeans designated for dog activities) have a brown tinge to the thighs from Lilly putting her feet on me when I ask her to BEG (a calming strategy to get her to focus on me). I’ve tried all the usual over-the-counter stuff that’s supposed to get the stains out, but there is still a pall that looms on some of my clothes. …
Back in November Dolittler offered tips on 10 ways to save big on your pet’s Rx bill. Many, many good ideas. I started looking at those $4 prescription lists online, but sadly I NEVER found either the clomipramine or the alprazolam on any of them at the major pharmacies or big-boxes with pharmacies inside. Very discouraging. But, last week, while picking up Lilly’s latest batch of alprazolam at Walgreens, I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. It turns out … I can save money. Here’s how! …
Using a holiday gift card, I bought On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugass. It’s a tiny book, full of photos, so it’s a one-sitting read.
News reports tout the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) warm-up program that researchers tested on women soccer players. This routine, which takes about 20 minutes 3 times per week, greatly reduced ACL injuries in these women athletes. While an agility run with your dog takes less time than a soccer game, I suspect the routine makes sense canine agility handlers too. In fact, it seems quite similar to the Human Agility Training classes that Lori Hansen teaches. Her DVD is available from Clean Run and on Amazon. Lori focuses on running …
