How to give your dog diabetes, heart disease and obesity... feed it people food. Regular grocery food, the kind we all eat: junk food, fast food, fried food -- all of it is incredibly bad for your pet. 'If you feed your pets lots of white rice,... you will end up giving them diabetes.' [NewsTarget]
Woof woof; pet law practices go through the woof.. and with good reason: '...animal suffering matters...' [Time]
Hope for new treatments of spinal injuries in dogs and humans [Science blog] Purdue University research treatment offers hope for stopping human paralysis as well as dog:
'... an injection of a liquid polymer known as polyethylene glycol (PEG), if administered within 72 hours of serious spinal injury, can prevent most dogs from suffering permanent spinal damage...'
Dr. Early puts Chows, Shar Pei and Cocker Spaniels in the dog house: "... if your family is ready for that commitment, a pet can make a wonderful, memorable Christmas morning:"
'... My top three breeds that I would avoid in getting are cocker spaniels. I'd also avoid Shar Peis. They're great, beautiful, lovable dogs, but they tend to have a number of health issues. The other breed you may want to avoid is a chow or a chow mix. They tend to have an unpredictable behavior pattern that may be dangerous to families with small children...' ' [Ask the Vet, Pets as Gifts]
Sadly, some vets pass on their stereotyping of dogs by breed, as if it were gospel. The truth is that all dogs may end up with health problems, even Labrador Retrievers. Moreover, within dog breeds, temperment can vary widely, even within a single litter:
One of my own vets tells me that his most feared dog patient is a Golden Retriever, a dog with total aggression. Getting a so-called perfect breed will not prevent temperment problems. Our vets really enjoy our chows, who are both sweet tempered, quiet and obedient. Both of our chow chows came from a shelter; both would have been put down, if we hadn't adopted them. Unfortunately, because of breed stereotyping, most Chows and most Shar Peis, once dumped at a shelter, get put down, even if they're gentle...
The phrase I often hear from people is 'chow chows are unpredictable...' That would scare me away from adopting a chow chow too, if I didn't know better. The very people who repeat this to me are never owners of chows.
Please don't get a dog for Christmas... But when you do get a dog, consider a shelter dog, and please, consider adopting a Chow Chow or Shar Pei or Cocker Spaniel. You'll find an abundance of breeds at animal shelters, dumped for reasons that truly only reflect their owners' idiosyncrasies and miscomings...
Digging up misery: Puppy dogs for christmas presents [UK Pets]
Sometimes the best intentions bring the worst outcomes. Giving a pet as a Christmas present? Stop, please don't. Here's why:
- A puppy's vet bills can cost over $1,000 a year. If you give a pet to someone who can't afford it, that pet may end up at an animal shelter where it most likely will die...
- A dog can live for over 13 years. A lifetime commitment coerced (by you) on a friend may backfire on you; you may end up with resentment for buying an unwanted pet. The pet ends up unwelcome, but tolerated, or dumped... (later, when you've left town).
- Pets take up time; does your friend (child, parent, or spouse) have that time? Young children require supervision...
- Stress: the holidays are filled with stress already. Putting a new pet into a stressful environment is a recipe for disaster. Pets need extra time with their new companions in order to adapt to their new home...
It isn't fair to you, to your friendships, to your family, to the pets, to surprise them as presents on Christmas. It would be a better to volunteer time and money at the animal shelter, so unwanted pets get a better chance after the holidays.
Shelter: woman brought in frozen dog, asks for new one NM '...A woman brought her one-year-old terrier mix’s frozen body to a Sante Fe animal shelter, placed it on the counter 'and asked to look for a new dog. Workers did not allow her to adopt another dog...' [KOBTV.com]
The number one myth about dogs is that they can fend for themselves... Nothing could be further from the truth.
Cold weather tips for pets (by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
- Keep your pets inside. Outdoor cats and dogs can freeze, become lost or stolen, injured or killed. If your dog must go outside, go with her, and bring her back in with you.
- Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice. It can frequently lose its scent on ice and can easily become lost. If your pet plunges through ice into water, don't go out on ice to rescue it; find help.
- Make sure you thoroughly wipe off your dogs' legs and stomach when they come in out of the sleet, snow or ice to remove salt, antifreeze or other chemicals.
- Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during the cold weather. A car becomes a virtual refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold.
- Upon first word of winter weather, check supplies of pet food, litter and medications in case veterinary offices are closed because of snow or ice.
- Be careful with space heaters, lamps or similar devices that can be touched or knocked over by pets.
animal shelters!
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