The Daily Dish from WebVet

The three-legged dog: Another of Max's Musings

 So my mom and I were taking a long walk down York Avenue the other day,  It was one of those balmy, oppressive dog days of summer we New Yorker's have to endure, but other than that reasonably pleasant as walks go.  

I'm tooling along, sniffing anything and everything my nose leads me to until I look up and see something that made me stop and silently pontificate "life." At least from the perspective of the dog I saw before me; a dog with only three legs. 

While seeing a three-legged dog is not all that uncommon in this day and time, this particular one stopped me in my puffypaw tracks.  She was walking with her mother and seemingly struggling quite a bit, which I deduced was because her tripod status was somewhat new to her.  What really gave me cause for pause was the look of determination on her face as she navigated the sidewalk as she'd never done before.  Personally, I marveled at her courage and also at her mom's compassion.  She constantly looked to her mom for encouragement and her mom patiently and lovingly offered it.  

What I saw that day are two things I think I likely take for granted.  First is the level of commitment that exists between pups and their people.  The second, is the magnitude and intensity of the love they share.  Isn't that what  TRUE LOVE is all about?  

So my friends, the moral of this story is . . . when all your other relationships fail . . . it's time to get a dog!

Find the love of your life at www.petfinder.com

MAX OUT . . . .

 

The Low Down on Labrador Retrievers

So you’re considering adding a Labrador Retriever to your family?   Here is a snapshot to help you determine if it’s the right breed for your lifestyle. 

• The Labrador Retriever is an outgoing and patient breed of dog.   They are known for their willingness to please their owners and their love of children. 

• They can be very energetic and forget their size when running through the house. They should be supervised around small children.

• A versatile hunting dog that is known for their exceptional "trainability" and work ethic.  The most important job however, is as an affectionate and loyal family companion. 
  

• They shed year round and require a full grooming monthly.

• Labradors make great family members but as with all breeds they must have socialization and obedience training early on. 

•  They require daily exercise in a fenced yard or regular, leashed walks, jogs or runs with their owner.  They should not be off leash unless training for fieldwork.

• This breed’s average life span is 10 to 12 years of age.  Responsible breeders screen their dogs for orthopedic and genetic diseases before breeding them.  Genetic defects found in some dogs of this breed include: hip dysplasia, cardiac disease and progressive retinal atrophy.

Click here for more information about Labrador Retrievers.

A dog's life: Pet health care in Great Britain

As most Americans are singularly focused on health care reform -- for humans -- it's worth noting that it may be time to also give a little thought to pet health care reform.  What do I mean you ask?  I'll tell you exactly what I mean.

Let's take a look at Great Britain, for example.  In Great Britain, humans receive health care free at the point of delivery.  To the contrary, most pets on the other side of the pond have to pay for their care, right then, right there.  Of course, some have the foresight to buy pet health insurance (approximately 30% in the U.K. versus less than 2% in the U.S.) to help offset these expenses.  However, others must pay for vet services directly and immediately out of their pockets.  Assuming they can, that is.

What about those pet owners who have no savings and cannot afford insurance?  Are there hoards of dogs and cats roaming the streets of Great Britain riddled with disease and illness because their owners can ill afford to care for them? 

The answer is a resounding, NO!  And this is not because there are no poor pet owners and, as a result, poor pets; there are many.  Much like in the U.S.  The difference is those animal-loving, savvy Brits have a charitable system of veterinary services -- also free at the point of delivery -- run by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, (PDSA).  This, in Great Britain, is a pet's "safety net".  While the service is oftentimes not exactly 'paw pampering', it is in it's most basic form -- free health care for pets.  

We don't have this in the United States -- not for human beings and certainly not for pets.  What's wrong with this picture I ask you?  It's highly likely that the only place you're "guaranteed" health care in the U.S. is in prison.  Go figure. 

While there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of people focused on the health care issues of humans in the U.S. (which is a very good thing, by the way), we would contend that there should also be a focus on health care issues related to pets.  It begins with education about the importance of pet health insurance and why it's imperative you purchase it when your pet is young and without pre-existing conditions.  And it continues with the need to put mechanisms in place to help those who cannot help themselves -- namely needy, sick or injured animals. 

We get the calls every day at WebVet:  the woman whose Maltese was hit by a car and couldn't find a vet who would treat him because she had no money; the man whose Chihuahua was pregnant and bleeding and he had no money to take her to the vet; and the woman whose cat needed surgery and she couldn't qualify for Care Credit and had no other means to pay the bill.  

The Bible says that "God helps those who help themselves."  My question now is . . . what about those who can't?  Helpless animals. 

Think about it.

I

Is your dog smarter than your toddler?

We all know that dogs are more loving and loyal than most humans.  Now research has proven that they are more intelligent too.  Maybe not than most people, but they are certainly proving themselves to be smarter than the average toddler. 

A recent study conducted by Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and leading researcher on dog behavior, indicates that "dogs are closer to humans than we thought."  Adapting tests that are used with children, psychologists have learned that the average dog can count, reason and recognize words and gestures on par with a two-year-old toddler. 

Coren says most dogs can understand about 165 words, as well as signs, signals and gestures.  They can also count to five.  This said, the "super breeds" -- those he considers to be the smartest -- have comparable skills to a 2-1/2 year old, recognizing up to 250 words.

Among the "top dogs" of the class, he noted Border Collies, Poodles, Retrievers, German Shepherds and Dobermans.  Those dogs bringing up the tail include the Borzoi, Chow Chow, Bulldog, Basenji and the Afghan Hound. 

While this is where Coren and his team netted out, I'm guessing many owners of other breeds --  not to mention those Marvelous Mutts -- would contend that their pups can hold their own with the best of them.  Take my very special Max (a.k.a. a Terridoodle - Terrier/Poodle mix) . . . they don't come much smarter than him.  He not only knows 250 words, he can spell them too. 

Just kidding, of course, but the point being that dogs are indeed very smart creatures.  More importantly, they are loving, forgiving and loyal -- much like someone else we all know.  Maybe there's a reason why DOG spelled backwards is GOD. 

The Goods on Golden Retrievers

So you’re considering adding a Golden Retriever to your family?   Here is a snapshot to help you determine if it’s the right breed for your lifestyle. 

• The Golden Retriever is an active and energetic breed of dog.  

• They have a strong drive to please their owners but need early socialization and obedience training to make them a positive family member. 

• The correct breed temperament is lovable and outgoing; they are not a guard dog.

• A hunting and retrieving dog they require a lot of daily exercise.  Ideally they should have a fenced yard and be taken for regular leashed walks or runs to release their energy, but should not run free due to hunting instinct.  Puppies must not be exposed to extreme exercise until their bone growth is complete around two years of age.

• Goldens can adjust to apartment living with their family but will need regular daily exercise to counter a confined living space. 

• Well-taught children and Goldens can thrive together but as a large, active dog they can easily knock toddlers over.

• Their coat sheds year round so they will need monthly grooming.

• This breed’s average life span is 10 to 12 years of age.  Responsible breeders screen their dogs for orthopedic and genetic diseases before breeding them.  Genetic defects found in some dogs of this breed include: hip dysplasia, heart defects and progressive retinal atrophy.

Click here for more information about Golden Retrievers.

Max's Musings: Why I love salami

Does it look like you've got something I want?  You betcha.  I smell that salami.  Don't you know that my sense of smell is 50 times more intense than humans?  So you can't hide it from me because I CAN SMELL IT!  Give me some salami . . . NOW?

Why do I love salami?  First of all, my mom likes salami and you know what they say, like mother like son.  More importantly, I love salami because of it's pungent odor, greasy surface and chewy texture.  It's decadent and delicious!  And I want some NOW!

Typically, I pretty much swallow my food whole.  But not salami.  It tastes way too good.  So I savor it.  I LOVE SALAMI!  And my name is Max Schultz.  Go figure. 

The things we do for love. Or at least a good sniff!

A friend of WebVet forwarded this to me and since it made me laugh until I cried, I thought I would share it with you.  Who doesn't need a good laugh these days! 

This is a story about a man, a dog, a bag of Purina dog food, COSTCO and, dare I say, a very gullible woman.  So here goes . . .

"Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Biscuit the Wonder Dog, and was in the checkout line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.
 
What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again.
 
I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants' pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry.
 
The food is nutritionally complete, so it works well, and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)
 
Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me.
 
I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's @ss and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore."