Pet Chef In the news again

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Of Stress and Less

Today there was an article in the Times that says that people who have pets are not actually healthier or happier than those without. I have to say I totally disagree with it because what they have failed to take into aaccount is the level of involvement of the people concerned.

Obviously if you have a dog and dont care for it as part of your family it's effect on your well being is going to be minimal. I believe, from experience, that if you love your dog as much as you can - his/her influence can be as therapeutic and stress busting as any other remedy thats on offer.

I still recall my mother telling me, three months after Beagle and Pug came into my home, how relaxed and stress free I looked and even today Husband constantly comments on how, when he comes home after a rotten day at work, the welcome they give him just makes it all go away.

I am sure you all agree with me on this one, and for all the good they give us - Here's to pets! at home and beyond!

First Aid

Having had dogs all my life, I am no stranger to medical emergencies and the complete horror of a beloved dog being sick or hurt and not having access to medical help or supplies. Times, thankfully have changed and now the veterinary practice is much more friendly and available than before.

All the same, it is best to have some basic supplies at home so you can begin preliminary treatment in an emergency. Please note - there is NO substitute for a good vet's attention so please don't try to treat your dog at home - use your supplies under the instructions of the vet always.

Personally, I have a little box that is full of basic first aid items and also some of the things that my dogs seem to need on a regular basis. In Beagle's case it is ear drops and in Pug's case it is eye drops! Dotty Dalmatian is epileptic so I keep a sedative ready in case she has a seizure - that's strictly prescription, but you get the point - customise your kit to suit your pet.

Here is a quick list of things you can start with:

1. Bandages, Gauze and sterile cotton - for obvious reasons
2. Rectal Thermometer - checking a dogs temperature can be a strong diagnostic tool
3. Surgical Plaster - to secure bandages and dressings
4. Tube of hydro cortisone cream - for skin inflammations
5. Antihistamine tablets - check with your vet which one would be best
6. A broad spectrum anti-biotic - again, check with your vet what to stock.
7. Activated charcoal - for use in case of poison ingestion
8. Hydrogen Peroxide
9. Antiseptic solution - Savlon is a good bet since it does not sting
10.Tweezers
11.Scissors -don't forget to get the kind with rounded ends..we don't want to jab our dogs with sharp pointy ones.

Feel free to discuss the list with your vet and add anything else that you may think is useful to keep ready. Also remember that the medications and solutions are toxic and should be kept out of reach of the dog.

In - human

We have already established that people do not deserve to be classified as 'civilised' beings, but as the days go by I am beginning to think we as a species do not deserve to share the planet with other creatures.

Just yesterday a friend rescued a dog that was the victim of wonton and brutal treatment at the hands of a human and today I read in the papers about people making 'crush' films that feature teenage girls being forced to torture and kill small animals. Apparently these films are popular among a large number of people who get sick thrills from watching cruelty.

What does this make us? Is this what we are proud of? The great human race?

We have laws that protect us against abuse at the hands of other people - and allegedly there are laws that protect animals too - so why is it so hard to enforce these laws? And where do we start - with figuing out why humans feel the need to torture and mutilate defenceless animals? or why other humans don't feel the need to stop it?

There are those who would argue that the world has more important things to deal with - such as humans themselves being ill treated and starved and killed. To them I say - If your hair is a mess and you have a toothache - whill you go to the dentist without brushing your hair? Is it not possible to tackle two or more problems at once and if not then what happened to the 'superior intelligence' that we claim to posess?

There is just so much to be said and done I really dont know where to start. The levels of ignorance among people is probably the best place to begin, being as it is, the origin of issues like these.

I am probably a little incoherent with the anger I feel right now at what happened, so please all of you - feel free to write in with opinions and suggestions - it would be most welcome. You can mail it to petchef.blr@gmail or leave a comment below - but please, dont stay silent, this is just the first step and every voice counts.

Music to our ears.

It is a known fact that dogs have better hearing than people and can hear frequencies that we can't, from further away and much, much better. But a less known fact is that dogs can also appreciate music like people do.

For a while now people have used soothing music to calm dogs that have separation anxiety and frankly I have found that when mine were puppies, leaving the radio on when I went out resulted in less destruction than if they were left in a silent house. Perhaps it also helps because the ambient sound drowns out the scary noises of the outside world. Whatever the reason, it seems to work.

Now there are even compilations available on CD exclusively for your pooch's listening pleasure!

I have found that my dogs like music even when they are not home alone. I live in an old fashioned house that is built lengthwise and the very last room in the line is our entertainment and media room. When I am baking, I plug my ipod into the home theatre, put it on shuffle and play the music loud so I can listen while I work. In the entertainment room the volume is usually louder than would be comfortable but in the rest of the house it's just right.

Every time I turn up the music and get to work I find the Beagle trotting off to the back room and curling up on his cushion there, quite comfy and soon fast asleep. Apparently he likes classic rock and 80's pop! His tastes are pretty eclectic though, I once found him wagging his tail in his sleep - interestingly enough he was wagging it in time to a bhangra number that was playing at the time :-) - There's no accounting for taste I guess!

I strongly recommend checking to see if your dog enjoys a tune or two, it can have an incredibly calming effect on even the most neurotic dogs.

About the Books

For those of you who are wondering - I have loved books since I was old enough to hold them up and pretend to read while my parents told me the stories they held. When I learned to read I loved them even more and the only thing I loved better was animals. So animal books, by default became my super favourites and every birthday it was easy for my family and friends to buy me presents. They just picked a book - any book - as long as it involved animals it was a sure winner!

And now that I have this space and the people coming here are all animal lovers, I figured I would share my books with you.

The list on the right of books worth reading are not just randomly selected. They are all books that I have read and love and reccommend to all of you who love animals and like to read. :-)

Occasionally I will include a short review of a book to help you along - but I figured I would add to the list slowly so everyone gets time to maybe pick one up and read it - please feel free to send me your reccommendations too and we will add them on there!

I hope you will enjoy some of these as much as I did and continue to even today.

When sitting pretty is not and option

One day last week, after the morning chores were done and everything was squared away, I came across Beagle hunched over and looking quite miserable. When I went up to him, I was greeted with a low growl, which in itself didnt bother me, he does that for effect sometimes and it has no scare value at all. What did bother me was that he seemed to really be in pain and flinched when I touched his sides, kept looking at his rear and trying to cuddle up with me - and that is weird, seeing as he is such an independent soul...

I checked his legs to see if they were hurt, and then his abdomen but no joy there either, finally in desperation I made an appointmet to see the vet the same evening. In the meanwhile I took Beagle for a walk and he seemed cheerful enough but when he came back he sat with his head hanging down all listless and sad.

To cut a long story short - it turned out that he had impacted anal glands (tiny glands that produce the stinky liquid that marks their poop) and had to have them manually drained by the vet. The result was instant - when he got back in the car he threw himself on the seat and rolled around in joy.

Apparently impacted glands are quite common in small dogs and occur when the liquid they produce is not expelled as fast as it is produced, usually because the stool is not firm enough to exert the required pressure on the gand on its way out. It is uncomfortable and painful and if an infection sets in (which frequently happens) it can be serious. It is also however, quite avoidable if you are vigilant and get your dog prompt treatment.

Some things to look out for:
Scooting the butt across the floor
Hind legs buckling while standing, walking or lifiting leg to pee
Constant nibbling or biting at the rear end (Beagle had actually bitten himself on his side because he couldn't reach his butt - THATS how uncomfortable it is!)
Brown and unusually smelly discharge from the anal area
Listlessness and unwillingness to sit down

What to do:
Check your dogs rear end regularly to make sure everything is working fine
Make sure he is getting enough fibre in his diet
At the first sign of trouble make sure you go to your vet
If your dog has a tendency to develop this problem have the glands drained regularly.

Please remember that this condition is painful ans your dog is in distress so make sure if you see any of these symptoms get vetrinary assistance as soon as possible to save them too much suffering.

I hope this information is useful - but please remember it is not medical advice and only a qualified vetenarian should diagnose and treat your dog.