Clues to Detecting Fluffy and Fido's Painful Secrets

To protect themselves from predators, animals naturally hide their pain. Your pet may be suffering even though he isn’t showing obvious signs. Advancements in veterinary science have decoded subtle telltale signs of animal distress. Observing your pet’s behavior is vital to managing his or her pain. How well do you know your pet? Use these five clues from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to help you understand your pet’s body language.

Clue 1—Abnormal chewing habits

If your pet is showing abnormal chewing habits, such as dropping its food or chewing on one side of the mouth, it may have a dental disorder or a mouth tumor. Additional signs may include weight loss, bad breath or excessive face rubbing. Routine dental checkups are important to prevent and treat dental disorders and related pain.

Clue 2—Drastic weight gain or loss


Continued here: http://healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=200&sid=1

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I Rescued a Human Today

Author Unknown

I rescued a human today.

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.
I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.
I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.
I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today.
Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past.
I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.

Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.
I would promise to keep her safe.
I would promise to always be by her side.
I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved.
At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

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Japanese Pet Names For Your Special Pet

By Mikael Rieck

Choosing a Japanese name for your pet is choosing a name that is based richly in culture, diversity and heritage. Pets that bear a Japanese name are symbolic of that name and therefore you should choose the name carefully for your pet.

Most Japanese pet names are based off of certain things that are rich in their culture such as special meanings, special words, and exotic parts of the land, exotic flowers and famous people in Japanese history. Whichever name you prefer, you can always do research on it to find out the true meaning and origin.

If you are looking for ideas to base your Japanese pet names from, here are some common pet names for cats, dogs or any other pet that are derived from Japanese words:

• Aiko - little love

• Aki – born in Autumn

• Akiko – autumn child

• Anda – meet at the field

• Akina – spring flower

• Ayame - iris

• Aneko- older sister

• Chiko – arrow

• Chika - near

• Chiyo - eternal

• Cho - butterfly

• Dai - great

• Eriko – child with a collar

• Gin –silvery

• Haruko – spring child

• Hoshi – star

• Haru – born in the spring

• Hana – flower

• Hoshiko- star child

• Hisa – long lasting

• Jun’ko – unknown

• Kameko – child of the tortoise, long life

• Kami - Lord

• Kaede – maple leaf

• Kaya – adds a place of resting

• Kei – rapture, reverence

• Keiko –adored one

• Kimi – she who is without equal

• Kumi – braid, drawing together

• Kuri - chestnut

• Kita – north

• Kumiko – companion child

• Kohana – little flower

• Koto – harp

• Leiko - arrogant

• Kuni – meaning unknown

• Kyoko - mirror

• Toya – house door

• Tsuyu – morning dew

• Yoshiko - good child

• Yone – meaning unknown

• Nariko – gentle child

• Nami - wave

• Natsuko – summer child

• Nori – two trees

• Nyoko – gem

• Oki – middle of the ocean

• Ran – water lily

• Rei - gratitude

• Sachiko – child of bliss

• Suki - beloved

• Sakura – cherry blossums

• Shika – door

• Suzu – long lived

• Shina – virtue, good

• Sumi – clear, refined

• Taka – tall, honorable

• Takara – treasure, precious object

These are just a few of the most popular Japanese pet names, and there are also variations of many of the names which can be personalized from you to your pet. Whichever you decide from these beautiful names, you will surely be giving your special pet a name as unique as they are. Japanese culture strongly believes in the meaning and virtue of names, and by choosing to adorn your pet with a name you are showing that this is not just any ordinary pet, but one that bears a special meaning to you and in your life as well.

You can always incorporate other aspects into the name of your pet as well, for instance if you want to create a name based on Japanese pet names and then also add in another component for something personal in your life, the possibilities are endless. If you want to name your pets after certain themes, you could choose one name that is Japanese inspired, and one perhaps to the locality of where you live or where your pet originated from. The choices are up to you, and you may want to select a name that is both meaningful to you and is descriptive of the personality of your new pet as well.

About the Author: Visit the authors website at http://www.petinsurancepro.com/ for more valuable information on pets. Also download a free pet health report. Read the latest reviews on pet insurance companies like ASPCA Pet Insurance, Banfield Pet Insurance and VPI Pet insurance.

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Making the Big Decision - Euthanasia

Copyright © 2006-2008 Gary Kurz

As an author of books in the pet loss genre, I often receive e-mail where I am asked "Do you think that I did the right thing by putting my best friend down?" The question is always qualified by a very heart-wrenching and moving story about the rapidly declining health of the family pet, which resulted in making the "big decision".

Almost without exception, the inquirer expresses a deep sense of guilt from having made that choice, which, in all probability, is the real reason for their writing to me...to help them with that guilt. Essentially, I am being asked to approve of a decision made during a period of great duress without much background information. It is a task that I do not relish, but one that I cannot and will not avoid.

Making such a decision is one of the most difficult things a person who loves animals will ever have to do. Our pets are perpetual children to us: children, because they depend upon us for all of their needs (food, shelter, medical attention, etc.); and, perpetual, because they never grow up and leave the nest.

They do not marry. They do not go to college. They remain utterly dependent upon us throughout their lives. When our children leave home, we still love them and provide help when they ask for it, but generally they have their own lives to live and we no longer make decisions for them. But for our furry children, the decision-making responsibilities permanently fall to us.

Is it any wonder then, that when we have had to prematurely hasten their passing, we blame ourselves or feel guilt? After all, they depended upon us and somehow we let them down. Somehow we should have had control and been able to prevent their illness or injury.

The truth is, however, we have no control over such things. We cannot know when illness will strike. We cannot know when an animal will dig a hole under the fence and run into the street. We can take all the necessary safety precautions, feed them the best food, get them regular check-ups, but we cannot foresee the future. Accordingly, from a reality standpoint, there is no basis for feeling guilty when unexpected circumstances force us to decide to help our best friend pass on.

From a perceptional standpoint, when someone is so broken that they feel compelled to seek my help, pouring out their most intimate emotions to a complete stranger, this suggests to me that they could never have failed their best friend by making a poor decision. It just is not in them to have not been vigilant and caring. It is my perception that they could have done nothing to deserve the guilt they torture themselves with.

It has been my experience rather, that such people possess great love and devotion for their pets. Invariably, they will have done anything within their power to extend the life of their best friend if it were at all possible to do so.

Indeed, I can attest that some who have contacted me have spent literally tens of thousands of dollars on surgery and other healthcare efforts, traveled great distances to meet with specialists, or sat up night after night all night long trying to provide comfort and care. There can be little doubt but that people who love their pets, people like you and me, will exhaust every possibility to help their animals.

Sadly, despite all of our selfless effort and expense, success sometimes is not realized and our best friend continues to deteriorate, often in great pain. We are forced to make that dreaded big decision, whether or not to let our best friend go.

It is after that decision has been made and our best friend is gone, that guilt comes, accompanied by its infamous associate, doubt. Together they rob us of our confidence and turn our precious memories into a source of pain. We beat ourselves up in our hearts and minds and are plagued by the haunting questions:

"Did I do the right thing"?

"Should I have waited longer"?

"Why am I feeling all this guilt"?

"What if I had done this or that"?

Again, these questions are hard to answer. If you were to ask for my help in validating your decision, I could not presumptuously determine that putting your best friend down was the right thing to do. Neither could I suggest that it was the wrong thing to do. I just cannot know.

Similarly, I do not know if the decision was made too soon, too late or whether it should have been made at all. At best, my thoughts in those areas would be nothing more than a subjective guess, based upon very limited information and my own values and level of sensitivity. It would be unfair to hold everyone to my own personal standard and to respond to them based upon that alone.

Instead, I would encourage you to remember how things were at that moment in time when you bore the responsibility of making that big decision for your family pet. Only you can know if it was the right and timely thing to do. My advice to you is to simply "trust the moment". By that I mean, that you should not second-guess now, the decision that you made then. Second-guessing will only lead to a feeling of insecurity, which will eventually manifest itself as guilt.

It is imperative to trust that at that moment, when you were forced to make that undesirable, big decision, you did so from a position of love. You didn't want to do it. It horrified you to have to decide. Nevertheless, you stepped up and assumed your responsibility. You selflessly decided, at that moment, that your best friend was suffering, that there was nothing you or anyone else could do about it, except make that decision.

Now, long after the fact, divorced from the emotion and pressure of that moment, you are allowing yourself to dissect every thought and circumstance. Now, with the luxury of time, you are starting to re-think the facts and question yourself, playing the "what if" game.

Today, it isn't as clear as it was then. You really don't know if you did the right thing. Take heart, it is human nature to doubt. We are imperfect and fickle creatures. But that does not make it right to pull a load of guilt upon ourselves, and that does not change the reality of the moment when you had to make that big decision.

Don't let your feelings of grief give birth to guilt. Remember the moment. Remember that at that moment you wanted nothing more than to help the one you so dearly loved. You would have done anything, paid any amount, performed any feat to prolong their life, but it was just not to be.

The doctor's prognosis was grim. There would be much suffering and pain. The recommendation was to bring them relief, to help them pass on. Under extreme duress and emotional strain, through tears of love, you weighed all the facts, reached down deep inside yourself, put aside your own selfish desire to have your pet hang on, and did what you thought best for them at that moment.

At that moment, your love made the selfless decision that rationale and logic now question. There was no selfishness then, but rather a somber consideration of the facts, and a decision to do something that you really did not want to do. But you did it, because someone needed for you to be strong for them.

You put self aside and found strength you did not know that you had. Don't let go of that moment. Hold on to it. Trust it. Trust that you were right and that you did what was needed. Trust that your love ruled over your selfishness and know that where your love prevailed, there is no room for guilt or doubt. Grief and sadness are important validations of your love, but do not cheat that process with doubt and guilt. It has no place.

About The Author:

Gary Kurz, helps those grieving the loss of a pet to understand the Biblical evidence that proves they live on. His most popular book, "Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates" delivers hope and comfort to the reader in a very gentle, yet convincing way. Visit at http://www.coldnosesbook.com for more information, tips and gifts or write to Gary at petgate@aol.com

Article Source: thePhantomWriters Article Submission Service

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It's Killing Bald Eagles...but The FDA Says It's Safe For Pets!

By Susan Thixton

What you are about to read is something that is very startling - and have probably never heard of before. As shocking as it might be, it is something that you should know before you feed your pet it’s next meal.

A very disturbing fact of pet food comes from FDA testing. The FDA has determined that pentobarbital, the drug that is used to euthanize animals - is commonly found in many popular pet foods. You did read that correctly. Pentobarbital, a euthanizing drug, is in some popular pet foods and treats and according to the FDA is safe for pets to consume.

A few years ago the FDA released a report of a two year study - finding pentobarbital common to many pet foods and providing results of an 8 week study to determine if it could be harmful to U.S. pets. Their findings - again from an eight week study - was that it was safe for our pets to consume pentobarbital in pet food.

My first concern is that this testing was only done for 8 weeks. No consideration was given to pets that are consuming this euthanizing drug in their food for a lifetime. Unfortunately, the concerns don’t stop there.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency recently reported that pentobarbital is responsible for the deaths of “over 140 Bald and Golden Eagles in recent years - as well as numerous other wildlife and dogs.” The reason the wildlife was exposed to pentobarbital - as stated in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency report, is from access to euthanized carcasses of farm animals and small animals in land fills. Poisoning of eagles or other wild birds, even if accidental, violates Federal law.

The FDA has made changes requiring pentobarbital labeling provide information of environmental hazard - the product is toxic to wildlife. New labeling requirements also added “Do not use in animals intended for food.” Yet pentobarbital is still legal to be included in a pet food.

Pets are consuming pentobarbital as you read this. Even though the FDA’s new labeling clearly states the drug should not be used in animals intended for food - pentobarbital is still found in common pet food ingredients. And not that I have already given you enough to be concerned over, the next worry is how pentobarbital could be found in pet food. Rumor has been for many years that pentobarbital is from euthanized dogs and cats from animal shelters all across the U.S. being rendered - cooked - and end ingredients of the rendering process are put back into pet food. Pet Food manufacturers adamantly deny these claims stating the species source is from euthanized cattle and horses. The FDA has done testing trying to clinically prove the species source - pets or livestock - no clinical proof has ever been provided to the pet owning public.

The possibility of euthanized dogs and cats being cooked and put into pet food is horrendous. We might not ever learn the species source of the drug. The FDA does provide us with the information that the common pet food ingredient ‘Animal Fat’ is the ingredient that is most likely to contain pentobarbital. Please carefully look at the ingredients in your pets food and treats for the ingredient ‘Animal Fat’. Since no testing has ever been done on long term effects of consuming pentobarbital, and we know consuming the drug is killing wildlife - this is a risk too serious to ignore.

Before you feed your pet one more meal, please see Susan Thixton's website and learn many more secrets of the pet food industry. Also please sign up for the free Truth About Pet Food newsletter.

pet food, dog food, cat food

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The Truth About Pet Vaccines

If you are like most pet owners today, you are probably finding the whole issue of pet vaccines more and more confusing. You have your conventional veterinarian telling you that “as a responsible pet owner, you should follow my advice and vaccinate your pet annually” with annual booster shots. And then you’ve heard the horror stories about cats who develop cancer at the site of vaccine injections, and numerous other stories about adverse vaccine reactions in both cats and dogs.

So… are we vaccinating our pets far too often? Are we giving them the right number of vaccines, or too many? By vaccinating yearly, are we really doing what is best for our pets, or is this all about the veterinarian’s ‘bottom line’?

There are many different views, often completely contradictory. The Veterinary Society in general is telling pet owners to vaccinate yearly, that vaccines are not harmful to our pets. Many veterinarians tell pet owners to vaccinate casually, that “at worst, they won’t cause any harm”. The evidence, and many individual veterinarians and alternative pet health practitioners, suggests otherwise.

Why do we vaccinate our pets?

A basic understanding of vaccines, and why we vaccinate in the first place, is important. We give our pets vaccinations to protect against infectious disease. When we give a vaccine, it stimulates our pet’s immune system to produce “Opposite Invaders” or antibodies. The new antibody that is produced is just for that particular virus, so if your dog or cat is exposed to the real virus at a later date, she will be able to respond quickly and produce antibodies to overcome the infection before it takes hold.

In theory, since vaccines are able to protect our pets from life threatening diseases like rabies and parvovirus, they sound wonderful. In that sense they most are - vaccines have saved countless lives. If that’s the case, why be concerned? Are there real drawbacks, reasons for caution?

The dangers of vaccines

The evidence is there for us to see, if we simply look. With the medical advancements we’ve made, we would expect our pets to be healthier than ever - but in reality, our pets are sicker than ever before. It is more and more common to see cancer in dogs and cats under 5 years of age, and autoimmune diseases are on the rise as well. Diseases such as immune mediated hemolytic anemia, immune mediated skin disease, vaccine induced skin cancer in cats, skin allergies, arthritis, leukemia, inflammatory bowel disease and neurological conditions are just a few of the diseases that have shown a link to over-vaccination in our pets. In fact, there are links to most of the common chronic health diseases of dogs and cats due to over-vaccination.

The reasoning for this is that when we vaccinate, the immune system can become ‘over-taxed’ and respond inappropriately. This is especially true when multiple vaccines are given at once. Pet owners may see adverse reactions directly (within 24 hours) after their pet has been vaccinated, with their pet having diarrhea, vomiting, or an abscess showing up at the site of the vaccine injection. In other pets, it may show up later, as an allergy, cancer, or a multitude of other diseases. One recent study has shown that the more vaccines that are given at once, the higher the risk of developing sarcoma (soft-tissue cancer). The study shows up to approximately 175% increase in cancer risk if vaccines are administered in the same location.

While over-vaccination may not be the sole reason we have so many sick pets today, it is definitely a major factor. Other reasons include low quality food, environmental toxins, and genetic deterioration due to poor quality breeding. The combination of these factors is leaving each generation more and more susceptible to disorders and chronic disease. Regardless, we are vaccinating our pets too often for more diseases than they truthfully need.

Reasons for over-vaccination

The reasons we have been over-vaccinating are manifold. These include the original belief that “at worst, vaccines won’t cause any harm”, to the bottom line of both veterinarians and the companies that produce the vaccines. Many veterinarians choose to ignore current research because they feel the benefits of vaccines outweigh any risks, or because they still rely on ‘annual booster shots’ as a source of income.

By now you are probably wondering if you should vaccinate your pets at all, with the risks of vaccines being so high. In short, I do currently advise a limited vaccine regimen for most cases - just not as often and not as many vaccines as you currently are giving your pet. Alternatives to vaccines do exist, but only if you are willing to make changes in how you care for your pet and how you view the risks involved. In Part 2 of this series, I will provide my recommended vaccine schedule and an overview of vaccine alternatives.

If you are wondering what the right decision is for your pet's vaccines, grab Dr. Andrew Jones' free dog and cat health e-book and ask for his report on dog and cat vaccines.

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Holistic Pet Care Expert Uses Nutrition and Pet Supplements to Heal Common Pet Health Conditions

Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist (www.AskAriel.com) announced today the launch of their new website AskAriel.com designed to help pets live longer and healthier lives through holistic pet care using nutrition and natural pet supplements.

"Contrary to some claims, 'people food' can actually be good for your pets," says Susan Blake Davis, holistic pet care expert and pet nutritionist who founded Ask Ariel.

"But, there is a big difference between giving your pet a homemade meal made with fresh ingredients and giving your pet table scraps. Table scraps contain too much fat and other non-nutritious ingredients that can make pets sick and disagree with their physiology, but fresh meals made with balanced ingredients can help them ward off diseases and chronic pet health conditions. I encourage people to give their pets wholesome nutritious meals made from lean meats, brown rice, flax oil and fresh vegetables-otherwise known as "people food".

Davis' new website, www.askariel.com is a library of common pet health conditions with guidelines on how to treat them using diet, nutrition and pet supplements. Davis advocates natural homemade diets and teaches pet owners that high quality "people food" such as raw meat, vegetables and vegetable juices can help heal an ailing pet. All of her holistic treatment plans and pet supplements are veterinarian-approved.

"Susan Davis is very knowledgeable about pet nutrition and the holistic care of animals," says Dr. David Gordon, a practicing veterinarian in Lake Forest, California. "She has achieved remarkable results."

Davis is passionate about what she does and offers holistic pet health consultations to help pet owners use diet, nutrition and pet supplements to heal their pets. "Many pet owners aren't aware that some of the ingredients in many pet foods-even premium pet foods might be harming their pet's health," said Davis.

Davis' approach to animal healing is truly holistic in that she looks at the animal's complete health composite and doesn't try to recommend a "magic pill" for one specific problem. "Many websites try to sell one supplement to solve all of your pet's problems," said Davis. "There is no 'one cure, food or pet supplement' that will solve everything. It just doesn't work that way."

The popularity of Davis' practice and services like www.AskAriel.com follow an ever-increasing trend by pet owners who are looking for answers beyond traditional veterinary care to improve their pet's health and longevity. "The $1 billion plus pet supplement industry is rapidly expanding," said Bill Bookout, President of the National Animal Supplement Council. "An estimated 20% of American households now purchase animal health supplements."

Proceeds from AskAriel.com will help fund Ariel Rescue, a charity founded by Davis that saves the lives of abandoned shelter dogs.

For more information about Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist or Susan Davis, CCN, pet nutritionist, please visit www.askariel.com or call 949-499-9380.

NEWS SOURCE: Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist

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