The Everything Pets Show

Hello, been a while

2009-08-04T13:08:00.002-04:00

Well, I thought that I'd better post something here, as I see that this blog is still getting quite a few hits!
I had been trying to get some sponsorship for the radio show, and, obviously, I didn't.
I thought that I'd let the blog sit for a while and see what happened, and, as I said, it seems to be getting quite a few hits, so here is what I've decided to do...

Forget the corporate sponsorship! The whole idea of it is counter to everything I believe in anyways, I guess that's probably why it didn't work! The last thing that I am interested in is being tied down by someone else's rules - rules I 'm sure won't have the best interest of you or your animals at heart, but instead their own bottom lines.

Who needs it in this, the age of the internet, anyways? I am going to start posting again, and I may record some shows on my own and post them as well. The technology exists in almost all of our homes - and I think this way I'll be more vocal - I won't be worried about the disapproval of the radio station, either. Plus, I spent so much time trying to figure out how to podcast everything, I can't let that go to waste. I am going to see if I still have access to the previously recorded shows and try and get them up as well.

So, that's what I've been up to, I'll be back soon with some more informative stuf about how to live happier, healthier lives with your beloved furried and feathered companions!

Love your pet!
-Lisa

Using herbs for you and your pet

2009-05-10T16:19:00.002-04:00

Hi there, and welcome to the Everything Pets Show here on AM980. Sundays from 5-6pm

Tonight we are going to talk about plants, and some common plants and how you can use them to help both you, and your companion animals. There are lots of plants, that a lot of us have growing in our gardens that we KNOW can be useful, but we're not really quite sure HOW to use them, or if they are safe, or if they are really effective - or not!

What part of the plant do you use? When do you pick it? How do you prepare it, and how do you actually "use" it?

So, before I go any further, I want to re-iterate that I am not a vet, the show is not meant to diagnose, or treat any ailments, and anything we discuss here is meant to supplement, not replace the advice of your vet. Any thing you give to your pet, just as with anything you take yourself, should be discussed with their, and your health care provider.

The main focus of the show is to help educate pet guardians to help them make more informed decisions regarding their companion animals."

I've chosen a few plants that I want to get through tonight - from identification to harvesting to preparation to using

OK first plant we'll talk about is Bee Balm. other common names for this plant are wild bergamont, horsemint, wild oregano, oswego tea and sweet leaf.

I have posted a picture and detailed description on the blog - I know it's pretty hard to describe the plant so you can see it in your mind on the radio - I'm sure some people could do it, but I'm not there yet!!

Bee balm can be found in many gardens, as it has beautiful flowers, and smells great, it can also be found wild in a lot of places. Bee balm is drought tolerant and prefers well drained soil.

Bee balm grows well and is adaptable to almost any soil. It seeds well, and also transplants well. It should adapt well , and looks great in almost any garden.

Parts used are leaves plucked from the plant, and/or the entire aerial part of the plant, - I'd just use the leaves, as bee balm is one of my favorite flowers!

Bee balm works primarily as a diaphoretic - induces sweating, it expels intestinal gas, it is an antiseptic, reduces pain and also acts as an anti fungal.

Preparation?

while most leafy herbs loose their potency after about 6 months, bee balm will stay nice and potent for you to use for up to 2 years!

You can use it fresh or dried, use the leaf, stem and flower material, and make into into an alcohol or glycerin tincture (more about this part of it later!), or you can infuse the dried plant in water, and use it in skin and eye washes.

The best time to harvest it is - from May - Sept, when the plant is in full bloom, and at it's most potent.

To preserve the plant, pluck some leaves from each stem, leaving the rest intact, or you can gather the stem and leaves after the plant has bloomed and gone to seed. If you do this, make sure to trim the plant about 1" from the ground to allow for perennial regrowth, and root protection. If you are gathering while it is in bloom, make sure to leave plenty of the leaves and flowers intact to ensure good pollination and allow for the seeds to develop so the plant will live on for use again and again!

Bee Balm has a long history of use in North American Indian tribes, and is safe for use in both humans and animals.

Like most mints, bee balm works especially well in the digestive tract. It doesn't taste very good, though, so for use as a digestive aid in animals, the best form to use is in gelatin capsules, or in a glycerin extract.

One of the best uses for bee balm is as an anti-bacterial, and it works exceptionally well for mouth and gum infections

To do this, you can either make a poultice from the dried or fresh herb, and apply directly to the affected area, or a strong infusion or tincture can be used the same way. The poultice or infusion can also be used as an anti fungal agent.

Animals like dogs, cats and horses often suffer from fungal type skin infections, and these animals would all benefit from a generous topical application of bee balm poultice or salve, or from twice daily skin rinses made with cooled bee balm tea.

Not to mention food change.

Good bee balm page http://bogs-marshes.suite101.com/article.cfm/bog_garden_spotlight_bee_balm I

To make the tea, cover a generous handful of the herb with hot water, and allow to steep until the water has cooled.Don't worry about straining, you can pour the whole thing over the affected areas of the animal. If the animal constantly licks, you can apply it as a fomentation, which I'll talk about in the next 1/2 hour

Bee balm rinses can also be helpful for itchy skin problems, like those caused by flea or insect stings, or by poison ivy or stinging nettle. I can see bee balm becoming an essential part of a cottage "first aid kit"!

It will also help sooth minor burns.

If your animal has eye or ear problems, you can use a diluted infusion of bee balm as a gentle antiseptic and anti inflammatory. Use it especially when any kind of bacterial or fungal overgrowth is suspected.

If using for eyes, dilute well - until it is just a pale yellow in colour, you can use it much stronger in the ears.

Bee balm works well together with other herbs like catnip, chamomile and fennel for digestive upsets.

Dandelions - the plant everybody loves to hate. We have most of us heard that you can eat dandelion, or make wine from it, or that it is good for you in some way, but most of us would have no idea how you go about getting something good out of the pesky weed.

Personally, I quite like dandelions - from the lets see if you like butter test as a kid to now, when I think they add lovely character and colour to grass. I will admit that I do pull them sometimes, though, as they do multiply like well, weeds!

Did you know that the definition for weed is any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted

So, in other words, if a former weed now becomes valuable or useful to you, it would no longer be considered a "weed"!

What kind of things are dandelion useful for?
It is one of nature's most useful and medicinal plants.
It is known as a tonic herb for the digestive tract, a blood cleanser, a diuretic, it stimulates the liver and salivation, it is a nutritive, a laxative, and an anti-inflammatory.

Dandelions are quite often confused with other plants in the daisy family - the way to tell (again, this is all on the blog) is that true dandelions are non - branching. They grow in a rosette fashion off a single taproot.

The other ones wont hurt you, but you won't get all the medicinal benefits either!

To harvest dandelion, pick the young leaves for eating in early spring (as the plant gets older, it gets more bitter) and harvest the roots in the fall - this is when they have the highest concentration of beneficial constituents.

If you are using leaves for teas or medicines, you can gather them any time when they are dry. The leaves tend to develop mold if they are picked wet - so don't wash them after you pick them. Dry completely, and don't store them until they are crispy - dry. Chop up roots then spread them on newspaper and dry thoroughly.

The entire plant is medicinal - leaves stems blossoms and roots. Any of these can be fed fresh to rabbits, birds, dogs and cats. Chop, puree mince before adding to food as necessary.

To make tea, soak the leaves and flowers as for the bee balm, when using roots, make a decoction - explanations of these various methods will be in the next 1/2 hour

Since Dandelion is a tonic herb -
hold on, what do I mean by "tonic herb"
Tonic herbs are ones that you can give safely, daily for a long time.
Def of tonic -Restores and strengthens the entire system, producing and restoring normal tone. Most tonics have general effects on the entire body and specific effects on certain organs.
another def is a general term for a nourishing substance that invigorates and increases the tone and strength of tissues and improves the function of one or more body systems.

Dandelion is also one of the most complete plant foods on earth. A 1 cup serving of fresh dandelion greens provides as much as 2000 IU of Vitamin a (1 1/2 x RDA adult human)
20 % protein (double spinach)
Vit C, K, D, and B complex, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and many other trace minerals. And it is an especially rich source of potassium.
All of these nutrients happen to be conveniently contained within a single plant that the body can fully absorb. This means that you can use dandelion to gently supplement your own or your pets diets without overworking the kidneys and liver with excess vitamins and minerals

Before I continue, I just want to remind everyone that I'm not a vet, the show is not meant to diagnose, or treat any ailments, and anything we discuss here is meant to supplement, not replace the advice of your vet. Any thing you give to your pet, just as with anything you take yourself, should be discussed with their, and your health care provider.

The main focus of the show is to help educate pet guardians to help them make more informed decisions regarding their companion animals."

I was talking about dandelions

What are some specific uses?
As I mentioned, you can use the fresh plant on your animals food, If your animal won't eat it fresh or dried, and you need to get it into them quickly to provide needed nutrients, you can make a tea using organic, unsalted veggie or meat broth instead of water.
Feed about 1tsp pf dried herb for each 20 lbs of body weight daily.

Dandelions also have a bitter tonic effect - warms up the body's metabolism before the digestive system has to work - when even a small amount of a bitter herb is placed in the mouth, salivation begins immediately, and as it reaches the stomach, bile and other digestive juices start being produced. The end result of these actions is more efficient digestion, reduced indigestion, better absorption of nutrients, and increased appetite.

We've talked about using the greens as a supplement to your pets diet, what about the root?

The root is most often used as a safe, reliable liver tonic.
The liver, as you may or may not know is the primary filtering organ of the body. It is responsible for removing toxins from the blood for elimination by the kidneys. The liver is also crucial for digestion - it produces bile and various enzymes necessary to the body. If bile ducts in the liver or gallbladder become blocked or congested, the body will suffer some type of toxicity related imbalance. These can manifest as symptoms like jaundice, rheumatoid conditions, eczema, dandruff, or chronic constipation. So, while dandelion leaf tincture or tea will help relieve these symptoms, the root will have more of an effect on the underlying causes, and when we are talking about holistic, or as I prefer, complimentary modalities of healing, getting to the cause of the problem is imperative.
Again, if your animal has any of these symptoms, don't assume that you know what the problem is, or try and make a diagnosis yourself, that is what your vet is there for!

Dandelion root has a well documented ability to stimulate bile production through out the liver. In one study involving dogs, researchers observed a 3 - 4 times increase in bile production after administering dandelion root.
(E. Chariot and R Charonat, "Therapeutic Agents in Blie Secretion" Ann. Med 97 (1935)
The gall bladder (stores bile from the liver) is also stimulated, causing this small, hollow organ to pump bile into the digestive tract, aiding digestion and acting as a gentle laxative to promote the elimination of solid waste.

One of the best things about dandelion when using it to support liver and gallbladder, is the gentleness of the plant. Unlike many herbs that have the same action, Dandelion will not irritate an already inflamed condition.

The analgesic properties of dandelion come from the flowers. They are weak but useful, and do NOT contain any of the compounds that are found in aspirin that are harmful to cats, and which may also be irritating to the lining of the stomach.

To use the flowers, infuse a generous handful on a cup of near boiling water. When the water is darkened as much as possible, it can be cooled and administered with an eye dropper.

30-40 drops per 20lbs

If this is a little trying (administering by dropper), try drying the flowers and sprinkling them on your pets food. Don't expect dramatic results, but it is a mild pain killing option that is gentle and non irritating, and in my opinion well worth considering.

One more thing about dandelions that needs to be mentioned is to be sure of where you are collecting them. DO NOT collect them near a busy road way - they'll have absorbed lots of car exhaust, we don't want to feed that to out pets, and also make sure that there has been no pesticide sprayed on the area. Although we o have a pesticide ban, the only way to know for sure that there are no pesticides been sprayed is to use them from your own yard, or the middle of a field where no one goes!

One other use for dandelions is as a diuretic. To help the body relieve itself of excess fluid, again use a tea made from the leaves.

The only cautions regarding the use of dandelion are that it may lower blood sugar -do not use in pets receiving hypoglycemic therapy without veterinary supervision. Do not combine with vet. diuretics.
The other one I've mentioned, but it's worth stating again - the cleanliness of your plants! Make sure they have not been sprayed - find another patch - it shouldn't be very hard!!

And, when drying, make sure that they are dry 0- put them on newspaper, stir often, and don't put away until completely crispy dry. I like to store herbs in mason jars - they are easy to sterilize, label, open and close, and you can see what your supply looks like.

We were just talking about herbs that most of us have in our gardens, ans some of the ways we can use these herbs to improve the health of our companion animals. While we were talking, I used some terms that I know you weren't familiar with, so I'll cover them now.

The terms included words like decoction, fomentation, poultice (little more common)

What do these things mean?
They are different ways of describing how to use medicinal herbs. Herbs have different constituents or active ingredients, and there are a variety of ways to "access" their medicinal value. These terms are ways of describing some of them.

Decoction is an infusion that requires a gentle simmering to make a preparation strong enough to use therapeutically. roots and seeds are usually prepared this way. But, some roots that have volatile oils need a gentler method, and some leaves need to be prepared as a decoction. Always check descriptions in herbal books to find out how to make your herbal product!
To make a decoction, use a stainless steel, glass or enameled pan with a tight fitting cover. Roots - fresh r dried, should always be cut into small pieces.
1.Stir the herbs into cold water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 15-20min
Make sure lid is tight to keep steam in.
Remove from heat, let steep an additional 5-10 min, strain and serve
2.Alternatively, bring the water to a boil by itself, then add the herbs, lower the heat simmer 15-20 min
Remove from heat, let sit 5-10min, strain

Unlike leaves and blossoms, roots can be re-used usually 3-4 times.
As flavour and colour decrease with use, you can either extend the brewing time, or you can replenish herbs by adding small amounts of new material.

Infusion or Tisanes

This is the simplest method of prep., although you would probably use this one the least often, as many animals won't "drink tea", and it can be quite hard to get an animal to drink enough of it for it to be effective! Use this method more for making skin and coat rinses, for tonic teas (ones that are vitamin and mineral rich - such as with the dandelions - or for yourself!

They are made from fresh or dried herbs and hot water,
Chamomile, peppermint and most other leaves and blossoms are prepared this way.
Infusions extract mucilage, volatile oils, some vitamins and other nutrients.
Water quality is a top priority. Optimally, use distilled, filtered, or spring water, not chlorinated tap water.
The water should be heated to just below boiling point.
Proportions of herbs to water for most beverage teas are
1tsp dried herb 1c. water
1-2 tbsp fresh 1c.water
4-6tsp dried 1q water
1/4- 1/2 fresh 1q water

These guidelines are not meant as hard and fast rules - use less of an herb if it is dense and heavy, more of an herb that is light and fluffy, less of one that is fragrant and in excellent condition, and more of an herb that is old and tired.

There are a few other ways of making these herbal teas, I've posted them on the blog for you to look at if you are interested.

Tinctures

This is a method of prep that is a little more involved - but this is the way to really get all of the goodness out of the plants that you are going to spending all that time and energy collecting!

Tinctures are liquid extracts, usually made with alcohol or vegetable glycerin. Alcohol is the most widely used tincture solvent because it extracts more constituents and preserves ;longer than anything else.
Unfortunately, alcohol has it's own side effects, especially when it is used with animals and small children. Many health food stores offer tinctures from which the alcohol has been removed, or you can get glycerin based tinctures. If the only available tincture is alcohol based, you can decrease the alcohol without losing any of the medicinal benefits by putting the recommended amount in a cup, and pouring boiling water over it. This will cause much of the alcohol to evaporate. Tinctures can also be diluted in food, juice or water and given in small amounts throughout the day.

There are many ways and methods that you can use yourself to make tinctures. I will post some of them on the blog during the coming week, and try and provide some links to some references on doing it yourself. If I talked about it on the show, we could spend the whole hour talking about various ways to do it.

A couple of easy, useful ways to use herbs that you are more likely to try are as poultices or fomentations

Fomentation - another way of saying a "hot herbal compress". It is used when a water or oil infusion of an herb needs to remain on a particular body part for a certain period of time. Gauze or another material is places over the area, and the infusion is pured onto the dressing until it is soaked. This works well for horses and dogs who will let you get away with it!

A poultice is a wet herbal pack applied directly to an inf lammed irritated, swollen infected or injured part of the body. Poultices are made of fresh, mashed herbs or the residue left over after making an herbal tea. They are usually applied cool rather than hot. Use whatever you can to hold the poultice in place as long as possible - bandages, plastic wrap, cheesecloth, muslin, you get the idea. A good idea is to use plastic wrap over top of the poultice to prevent it coming out and staining anything that your pet may come in contact with

If the affected area is difficult to treat in this way, because of it's location or your pets reaction to the poultice, put the plant material in some folded gauze, and keep it in place with your hand as long as your pet will let you.

What are some plants you would use in a poultice, and some reasons you'd need to?

Comfrey - good for cuts, burns, abrasions, other injuries

Bee balm - mouth and gum infections

Goldenseal - mixed with the bee balm in the mouth

Salves
making salves is another way to use the herbs and plants in your garden, and is actually much more simple than you'd think!
Salves are generally just thickened oil infusions
Beeswax is most often used as the thickening agent. Thinner preparations usually use coconut oil or butter.

The general rule of thumb when making a salve is to use 1 ounce of beeswax or cocoa butter to 8 ounces of oil. If it is too thick, or too thin, simply add more oil or more beeswax.

A great recipe for a general, multi purpose salve is to make one with fresh or dried comfrey, calendula blossoms, and st john's wort blossoms. Either infuse the plants separately, or pour olive oil over the combined plants (equal portions of the plants is ideal, but you can use whatever you've got!)

Heat until the oil absorbs the colour and fragrance of the plants.
More comfrey - more green
more calendula - more yellow -
more St John's, more red

Then, use this oil to make the following recipe
1c infused oil
1/2 tsp tea tree oil
1/4 tsp grapefruit seed extract
couple drops essential oil - lavender is nice
1oz beeswax

Combine in a double broiler over very low heat until beeswax is melted.
Test the salve by putting a tsp in the fridge
As soon as it hardens, check that it is soft, but not runny
Adjust as needed
Pour in clean mason jars or other clean, glass jars.

This is a great all purpose salve to speed the healing of cuts, burns, and other wounds.
Cats have a strong dislike for tea tree oil, and dogs often like the olive oil, but nothing in it will hurt them - it is even safe enough to use ion the teats of a nursing mother, and will not hurt the puppies or kittens. Even if it is only on the skin for a short time, it will still help speed healing.

I got this recipe from "The Encyclopedia of Natural Health Care" by CJ Puotinen.

Hi and welcome back - I'm Lisa Birtch, and you are listening to the everything pets show. Sundays from 5-6pm on AM980

I was just talking about various methods of preparation, of which there really do seem to be an awful lot. Don't forget to check out the blog - am980.ca, shows. I have put tonight's content o there, and will out more recipes and such up in the coming week.

Please, remember, that if your animal is experiencing any type of distress or injury, take them to you vet. Don't try and diagnose or treat the problem yourself - that is why your vet spent so many years in university. they are the experts in your animals care, and any home remedy that you use should be done with the full knowledge of your vet.

So, I thought in this last segment Id try and cover some more common herbs and their uses. All the plants that I am talking about tonight have proven safe to use with your animals, and if there are any cautions or warnings that I've been able to find concerning their use, I will let you know!

So, what is something else you may have in your garden?

How about catnip? Many people know about catnip, but in my experience, there is a lot of misconception surrounding this plant. Every one knows that cats love catnip
did you know that there is actually quite a large portion of cats that don't react to it at all? (approx 20%) Hard to believe if your are a cat companion, and your cat loves it, but it's true. The "active constiuent" that cats react to in catnip is called nepetalactone. And is an intoxicant if it is inhaled. This is when you give your cat a catnip toy, and they drool all over it, and zoom around the room for 15 min, then go have a nap!
But, catnip, when it is ingested actually works very well for a variety of things - it is a gentle gas reliever, and helps ease spasms associated with flatulence and stomach upsets. It acts as a mild sedative and helps calm the nerves and promote a restful sleep in most animals - including humans.

This herb would be my first choice in treating animals with a sensitive stomach - the ones that tend to vomit due to stress or anxiety - the cat who can't handle the neighbours kids coming over, or the dog that throws up every time it goes for a car ride!

You can buy catnip tinctures, and The dosage is as follows - 12-20 drops (get Glycerin based) for every 20 lbs of weight, 10-20 min before being subjected to the stressful event. If you are travelling, or the stressful period will be prolonged, use the tincture in the animal's drinking water. 12 drops per 8oz water is a good dose to start. If the animal doesn't respond, you can gradually give more (6 drops at a time) until you see the desired calming effect.

You can also add dried catnip to your animals food.
To dry your own catnip, gather the leaves, stems and flowers before the plant seeds. Spread on a clean sheet of paper (away from your cats!), and turn often to prevent it going moldy.

Chamomile
There are many varieties of chamomile -they will all work
It can be used as a skin rinse for allergies or dermatitis, internally it helps anxiety, arthritis, asthma, diarrhea, and intestinal parasites.
Tinctures of chamomile is commonly used to relieve arthritis pain. In Germany, one of the most common uses of this plant is to treat asthma, and other respiratory problems - the stem from the flowers boiled in water is inhaled.
It is often recommended as a wormer - especially for round and whipworms, as it is effective, and safer than other deworming herbs like wormwood and black walnut.
Use the tincture or tea for pets with nervous anxiety, and is also a great skin rinse for animals with skin infections, due to it's antimicrobial qualities, and it's ability to heal wounds.

Goldenrod
Woah - come on, isn't it a noxious weed? To those of us who are allergic to it, it sure is, but it also has a great deal of usefulness, given a chance!
This is a great time to slip in some reasoning about why we don;t know these things about plants - why it isn't common knowledge. The long and short of it is that there is no money to be made by any large pharmaceutical or other corporate powers by spreading the knowledge of just how useful these common plants can be. When companies do try and extract the usefulness from plants, they usually focus on one or two active constituents, and leave out the rest of the plant. They then find that the plant separated into it's individual parts isn't nearly as effective, or that it is dangerous, and disregard it. there is little or no thought given to the fact that perhaps it is the plant in it's entirety that is useful - and if that's the case it's no good to them, because they can't patent and sell a whole plant.

That being said - what could be useful about goldenrod?
It is an excellent herb for getting rid of excess mucous, and can help relieve swollen membranes when the body has come into contact with some infection or other that has caused the body to overproduce this substance!

To use for dogs and cats, a teaspoon or two of the dried flower tea (made with a tsp of flowers to 8oz water, boiled and cooled to lukewarm), will often bring quick relief from a wet, persistant cough.

The dried flowers also make a great styptic powder, and also a wound packing powder. It inhibits bacterial infection of minor cuts and scrapes.

Goldenrod, itself can be used to help lessen allergies. When you take a little bit into the body, before allergies start, the body begins building it's antiallergen defenses before the real onslaught begins!

Hi there, welcome back to the final segment of the show. I hope you've enjoyed listening tonight, I have tried to really pack the info in for you tonight, and I hope you'll think about some of the uses that I've told you about for some of the plants in your garden, your lawn, and on the side of the road!

Please visit the blog - AM980.ca

Leave your comments or suggestions, I'm always more that happy to heat what you have to say. I've put the stuff I discussed tonight up there, and I'll try to get some more up this week about making tinctures, and maybe a few recipes for you.

Please remember to also check out Salthaven's website

FOCA

Zoocheck

City of London - initiatives re animals

Some other plants I want to cover in coming shows include thyme and sage, oregano and parsley - not just for flavour, but for all the good things they can do for you and you pets. Garlic Lavender, Raspberry, flax, feverfew. The list could go on and on!

Let me know if there are any plants that you would like to learn more about

Thanks for listening, happy mothers day

Spay and neuter,
and most of all, love your pet!

Lisa

Sunday May 3rd

2009-05-03T13:39:00.002-04:00

I am posting this before the show tonight as I've noticed the blog gets a lot of hits when the show is on, and just after it airs, so I hope this way if you are looking for info on anything you heard on the show tonight, you'll be able to find it easier!
The post is separated into segments that correspond to what I plan to talk about on the show. I've tried to get all the breaks and intro stuff out, but I may miss some, and I've tried to make the topics stand out, so if you are looking for anything in particular it'll be easier to find!

Obviously if we have some callers, I won't cover all the topics, but this is what I have planned!
Enjoy - thanks for stopping by, and please leave comments1

Hi and welcome to the everything pets show - here on am980 Sundays from 5-6pm.

This evening I want to talk about a bunch of different things - some things that I had planned for last week that I didn't get a chance to cover - and some other things as well

Games to play with your pets

Spay and Neuter

Animal cruelty

factory farming

Options regarding traveling - do you leave your pet at home, or have a neighbour come in - do you board your animal someplace -

I want to remind everyone that is interested in the deer issue that although the deer supporters have helped the deer in sifton bog get a temporary reprieve, there is still work to be done, and a campaign to win to permanently put an end to this issue. I will post links on the blog that you can have a look at if you are so inclined, and still want to help.

Lucy the elephant - that we have discussed previously is still at the Edmonton Zoo - and is still in need of health care, and being moved to a new location. If you are interested in learning more about her,you can either go to zocheck.com, or have a look at the blog where I've posted all the relevant links and an interview I did with friends of captive animals all about Lucy and her plight.

Also, I've finally managed to figure out how to post old shows on the blog, so that now you can go on and listen to the show at your leisure! The links to the podcasts are on the right hand side of the page, they are listed by show topic.

Board Games for Everyone!!

I found a website that has a bunch of board and card games that you can play together with your dog or your cat- it is here

It is pretty cool - there is one game that is called DO YOU MIND is the DICE GAME people and their dogs play together. Roll the paw print dice, pick a matching paw print card, get your dog to do the activity, enter your score on the score pad. You and your dog will have SO MUCH FUN!

You've just found a new way to have fun with your friends, family, DOGS and CATS!! No skills are needed to play these pet games. You'll be amazed at what you can get your dog or cat to do with a small amount of encouragement, instruction and treats. You, your friends, family and dogs or cats will have lots of fun. PLUS, your pet will gain self-confidence, pay more attention to you and learn new tricks!

There is another one called doggone crazy -

Doggone Crazy! is the first ever board game to empower kids with the knowledge they need to make safe choices around dogs. Kids can be doggy detectives, trying to figure out what the dogs are saying with their body language in the more than 100 photo cards. Created by dog experts, this unique game is loads of fun for kids and families. Parents and grandparents are choosing Doggone Crazy! for family play and educational value. Doggone Crazy! is for families with dogs and families who encounter other people's dogs. Even dog savvy parents have said "I didn't know that!" after learning about subtle and little-known dog communication signals from the photo cards in the game. Kids just say "We all have fun!!".

This game makes it fun for children to learn how to behave toward dogs, and how to understand what dog expressions and actions mean. It's a positive and reinforcing tool for enhancing child safety, reducing bite risk, and improving the human-animal bond. Karen Pryor, author of Don't Shoot the Dog and CEO of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (clickertraining.com)

Spay and Neuter

I will not let this one rest

There are many myths about canine reproductive needs. Chiefly among these are the suspicion that neutering turns a male into a sissy and spaying causes a female to get fat and to lament her lost capacity.

The primary thing that makes your pet fat and lazy is YOU

The truth is that male dogs, especially those with a submissive personality, are usually better pets if they are neutered. They may have less desire to roam, to mark territory (including furniture), and, if neutered before sexual maturity, they may be less likely to exert dominance over family members. They may also be healthier pets: no testicles means no testicular cancer.

A word of caution, however. Neutering a dog reduces production of testosterone but does not eliminate this hormone. Thus a neutered dog, especially if he has a dominant character, may also retain his desire to roam and an assertive or even aggressive personality. Owners who depend on neutering to resolve behavior problems run a high risk of being disappointed unless they also train the pet to have good manners at home and in public. So, Neutering does not take the place of properly training your dog

Females also tend to be better pets if they do not experience oestrus every six-to-nine months. Heat cycles bring hormonal changes that can lead to personality changes, and oestrus females must be confined to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Repeated heat cycles may subject the reproductive system to uterine and mammary cancers as they age. Some bitches experience false pregnancies that can be a bother to deal with and uterine infections that can be fatal.

As far as we know, dogs do not lament their lost capability to reproduce. This is a different species than ours; they reproduce to ensure survival of their kind, not to nurture a pup for 18 years, watch it go off to college, marry, establish a career, and produce grandchildren. Bitches nurse their pups for a few weeks, teach them to behave like dogs, and go on. Males know nothing of fatherhood; they do not recognize pups as their own.

So, please please be responsible and spay and neuter your pet

Animal Cruelty

Bill 50

Factory Farming

I would like to talk now a little bit about animal cruelty - I know that this is not something that people enjoy hearing about - and don't worry I'm not going to go into a bunch of unpleasant details - we've all heard enough stories to not need to hear them in graphic detail on a Sunday evening. But I also think that it's something that we should not ignore, because it does exist, it does happen, and it is all a part of the same problem - not only how our species treats animals - it does have an affect on how we treat each other. If we cannot be compassionate to a helpless animal, how in the world are we supposed to care for each other?

Parliament passed a new bill - 50. It is the first piece of legislation since the 1919 that addresses animal welfare in any way. Previously, animals had no more rights than a piece of property. If you abused an animal that belonged to someone else - it was treated as a property crime - not in any way as a crime against another living being. In my mind, this is such a basic, fundamental part of my being, that I have trouble imagining that it is not simply a part of everyone's basic makeup already. I have trouble even fathoming why it is an issue that people spend any time on at all - but them again look at the uphill battles being fought all over the world for basic HUMAN rights - what should be more fundamentally basic than that? We are all here together, and keeping ourselves tidied away behind little lines drawn on a map doesn't make us any more or any less a member of the human race than a person on the other side of that line. So, I guess when I encourage people to fight and make noise in regards to the basic rights as living beings that all animals should be afforded, maybe I'm including humans in that statement!

What is bill 50? And why should you care? It is, as I said the first piece of legislation in almost 100 years that deals with animal cruelty issues. It makes important changes to the Ontario SPCA Act

Some important changes that Bill 50 will make are:

Causing or permitting distress to an animal will be a provincial offense (including neglect and abuse);
Failing to provide adequate Standards of Care will be a provincial offense; Standards of Care are particularly important to captive wild animals, as they define how much space, activity and quality of habitat must be provided to animals. Social needs also need to be protected – you can read about some Standards of Care that were included in Alberta’s legislation on this site at: ‘What Captive Animals Need’.)
The granting of inspection rights to the OSPCA at exhibition facilities and facilities where animals are sold; (It is probable that these inspection powers could help animals like Tyson, the Kangaroo who lived alone in a pen so small that he could not engage in hopping, his natural movement.)
Tougher penalties on those who cause animals distress, including higher fines (up to $60, 000), jail sentences, and lifetimes bans on animal ownership; and,
The banning of animal fighting.

Bill 50's official website here

The intro to the bill states

The people of Ontario and their government:

Believe that how we treat animals in Ontario helps define our humanity, morality and compassion as a society;

Recognize our responsibility to protect animals in Ontario;

Acknowledge the work of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and its commitment and dedication to animal protection;

Appreciate that an effective and progressive approach is required to continue to provide the best possible protection of animals in Ontario.

Sounds pretty good, and
So, you say, we have a new bill, shouldn't we just be glad and move on? Well, while the bill is a good start, it does not go far enough, as far as most people are concerned. There are a lot of things still open to interpretation, and there are changes that people are still campaigning to be made to it such as
Unfortunately, this legislation does not include Mandatory Licensing of those who keep wild animals captive in zoos, exhibits, private collections or as pets. That is quite an omission, and I personally suspect that it was omitted, because it is a large, and complicated issue. I was surprised to learn on a previous show, while interviewing Vicki and Elizabeth from friends of captive animals that there are no rules or laws surrounding the keeping of exotic wildlife. Nothing to prevent your neighbour from keeping a tiger in the backyard if he feels so inclined. Also nothing that requires him to have appropriate housing, caging, room, food, stimulation, etc, etc., for that tiger. I was actually shocked to learn about that. So, there is still work to be done in that area.

Another area of animal cruelty that I have strong feelings about is factory farming. This, to me, again, fundamentally messed up. Oh - I can see how it began - feeding humans, and helping to make it easier for people to eat - lot easier than having to go out and hunt for your meat - gee, and then we wouldn't be able to have all our oh so important jobs, keeping the world running. The problem with it is that these animals, again are kept in deplorable conditions - treated as though they aren't living, breathing beings. They are only regarded in terms of dollars and cents.

Factory farming also has severe effects on the health of humans and the planet - the greatest majority of grain grown on the planet does not go to feed humans - but rather to feed animals in factory farms - and the amount of land that is required to produce the feed for them is growing everyday. Natural environments are being converted to arable land to grow more grain to feed them, and we all loose when that happens.
Meanwhile, the quantity of waste produced by farm animals in the U.S. is more than 130 times greater than that produced by humans. Agricultural runoff has killed millions of fish, and is the main reason why 60% of America's rivers and streams are "impaired".

The meat, poultry, dairy and egg industries employ technological short cuts— as drugs, hormones, and other chemicals — to maximize production. Under these conditions, virulent pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics are emerging. These new ‘supergerms,’ whose evolution is traceable directly to the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming, have the potential to cause yet unknown human suffering and deaths.

Have you heard of the swine flu? Did you know that is why you are now hearing it referred to as h1n1 because Ari business has made media outlets agree to do that so it doesn't affect their business?

I am not asking that everyone become vegetarians - I think that is unrealistic, and I am not a vegetarian myself. I would ask that people eat more meatless meals in a week than they do now, and find a local, organically certified butcher as well. Do not be fooled by people with signs selling "drug free" meat. This can be very misleading, and all meat, in Canada, by law, must be "drug free" at the time of slaughter. While our meat here in Canada does not contain a lot of the things that they are allowed or in some cases required to use in the US, it is still full of things like antibiotics that do no good for anyone or anything.

I was very proud of my father recently, when he told me that "that's it - I can't do it anymore. No more meat from the grocery store" He said that he just could not bring himself to do it anymore because all he could think about even looking at grocery store meat was the deplorable conditions these animals are "grown" in, and that he couldn't, in good conscience add to that suffering anymore!

Summer Holidays!

Now I want to talk about what to do with your pet when the inevitable summer vacation happens.
When we were kids, we camped everywhere we went - and that is one of the best things to do as a family, and camping means that you can take your dog with you!
Keep pets tied up.
I have even known quite a few people who take their cats with them as well - but they are usually in a trailer - not a a tent. We have a parrot, and we've taken her tent camping with us before. She has grown a little more jumpy now that she was when she was a baby, so I don't think we'd do that again, but we have!
If you are going away, and you are not camping, or going to the cottage where you can take your pet with you, there are a lot of different options. If you have a trusted neighbour, they can come in. Cats are easier than dogs - I wouldn't recommend that a dog stay home alone for any length of time. And cats do tend to be a little more social than we give them credit for. The best cat sitters a re people like a woman I know named Gertie. If she is watching your cats, you know she'll be there for at least a couple of hours - feeding, brushing, playing, cuddling and spending real time. This type of person can be harder to find, and if you do find them - treat them right - they are worth their weight in gold!
There are services that will come in and do it for you. If I were going that route, I would make sure that my pet got a chance to meet them a couple of times first, so that they are used to them, and so I'd know if my animals seemed to like the person or not.
Dogs - ideally, you would have a great friend who has their own dog that is friends with yours, and your dog could go stay with them for a week or so. This is pretty hard to find. There are lots of great and lots of not so great kennels and boarding facilities where they can stay. Prices and care varies, so you should really shop around well ahead of time. I would never leave my dog in a place that wouldn't let me bring my dog for a visit first, and I would also want a tour, and someone that will answer my questions openly, and is willing to give me 5 or 10 minutes of their time. Please be sensitive if you are considering boarding your dog, and the person who's business it is doesn't seem to have a lot of time. These people are extremely busy too, but they should be willing to set aside a few minutes to answer your questions.
There are a lot of options, and there are also options when taking your pet on vacation with you. Make it easier in the car by de-sensitizing - especially cats - often their only car rides end up at the vets!

So, consider and investigate your options before you decide what your holiday will include. I generally think that a holiday is better if you have your whole family with you, but there are times when you'd also like to have a break. So, remember that there are choices, and there is also help out there for you to decide what is best for you and your family. Remember, too, that there are hotels that are pet friendly, and to investigate that as well!

Final Segment

Salthaven wildlife rescue and rehab center in Mt Brydges - wish list
High Priority Items

Raw salmon or trout for the eagle
Scotchbrite Sponges
Baby receiving blankets
IV Fluids
Digital timers (Dollar Store) for feeding baby birds
Heavy duty scrub brushes
3-inch scrapers / putty knives
ZipLoc storage bags
Unopened cans of Esbilac & KMR
Feather dusters

Other Items

postage stamps
Canadian Tire Money
Autoclave
Examination gloves, size small
Toilet paper to make baby bird nests
Heavy duty plastic or metal shelving
Heavy duty scissors or kitchen shears
Batteries (AAA, AA)
Dry erase white board markers
Food: Meal worms & Crickets
Label Maker

I'd like to know from you guys what you'd like to hear shows about. Having a problem, have a success story to share. Do you know somebody that is an expert at someting animal related that you'd like to hear interviewed on the show?
I'm not promising that I'll do whatever you suggest, but I will consider and read whatever you think might be a good idea!

Thanks for listening and reading,
Love your pet and each other,

Lisa

Podcasts!!

2009-04-23T18:56:00.001-04:00

Finally,
Podcasts are available for the show!
I have posted them on the main page of the blog - over to the right. Stay tuned for more!

Love your pet!
-Lisa

2009-04-22T14:21:00.003-04:00

What’s on my list this evening?

Bereavement – coping with the loss of a pet – the impact it can have on you and your family.

Spay and Neuter – yes, again – I’ll be giving you some more reasons why it is so important to spay and neuter your pet.

Nail trimming and basic grooming – keeping ears clean, long hair between nails trimmed, etc.

Some nice weather games to play with your dog outside

Tips on improving your kitties appetite and helping to get them to eat what you offer, instead of dictating to you what they want!

Some discussion of the “raw food diet”

The first thing I wanted to talk about is animal bereavement. I tries to get a guest on tonight, a gentleman who ran an animal bereavement service in London for a while. Unfortunately, he is no longer operating the service, but he did direct me to another service online www.aplb.org which stands for Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement

The site is run by professionally trained volunteers that are available to help people who contact them through the website. This is the only organization that offers this service that I have been able to find, so I have used them, along with some books that I have to get the following info.

They seem to promote the fact that they believe there are an awful lot of people out there that claim to be able to help people dealing with grief, but many of them are really just well intentioned people who have been through the experience of losing a pet themselves, and thus feel qualified to help others. While this may be fine for some people, other people experience severe, deep grief and may need professional help. If you feel like you are in this category, or know someone who is, please advise them to seek the advice of a professional.

I found a great description of what a pet is while researching tonight's show, and this is what I found;"these creatures are commonly called "pets", a word that is related to "petty", meaning small, insignificant, or subordinate. For centuries, animals have been regarded as the inferiors of mankind. Some advocates of animal rights argue that we should eliminate the use of the word pet entirely for this reason. But of course pet can also mean favorite, cherished, especially near and dear.

That is what I mean when I say the word pet, and herein lies the difficulty some times when people loose a pet. There are people who do not consider themselves animal lovers - people who have never experienced the bond that animal lovers experience by sharing their lives with an animal - and when someone's pet dies they say "well, you knew it wasn't going to live forever - or worse yet, it was only a dog/cat, or - just go get another one!

To the person experiencing grief at the lose of a pet, these are horribly callous and cruel words to hear. So, even if you are not an "animal lover", if a friend or colleague should seem to be broken p about the lose of a pet, please try and just be sympathetic and listen.

Understand that to many people, the lose of a pet can be just as devastating as the lose of a close family member - often times it can be even more significant, as the relationship with a companion animal is full of unconditional love and acceptance, unlike the relationships we all too often have with other humans in our lives.

So, how can we help? What are some things we can do to help us get over to the "other side" of the grief mountain?

there are several things that you can do to help honour your pets memory, and, especially if you have children, it can be very helpful to them to begin the process of understanding death.

Make a tomb stone that can go on the pet's grave site to remind you of your pet. Home made stones are great as you can decorate it any way you like, either with memorabilia, or a drawing of your pet. You can even write a little eulogy or a poem on it.

Have a funeral

Keep memories close to home by purchasing a locket or a photo frame that helps you remember your pet--maybe a frame with a cat on it, or a locket in the shape of a dog bone. Put a really nice photo of your pet in it, and when you feel sad or lonely, look at it.

Don't dwell on the past and what if's

CRY!

When the time comes, and you are ready for a new pet in your life,

Try not to buy a pet that looks exactly the same

I have actually met people who have had three or four dogs in their adult life - all the same breed, named the same.

NOT HEALTHY!

Now, if you or someone that you know seems to be suffering MORE than you think normal - gets into a deep depression, won't engage in the activities of daily life, PLEASE for yourself, or whoever it is you know, get them to seek professional help!

Some other ideas I came across include

It is OK for you to be sad, and to mourn, and to cry, and to be mad. It is perfectly normal.

People often seem like they need to "explain" what they are going through when a pet (family member) dies. To me, it is no different if a child dies. Others may look at you like you're crazy, but let me assure you that you're not. If you loose a pet after 12 years and don't mourn -- that's crazy.

Just like any grief, it is a process, and there are stages of grief that include:

1. Feeling Guilty: One tends to feel that more should have been done to save the poor creature. To come out of this feeling, one should keep on thinking about all those steps, which were taken to help the pet recover or to save the pet from dangers. This helps one in overcoming the guilt and realizing that nothing more could have been done.

2. Denying the Loss: There are people who might find it difficult to accept the fact that the beloved pet is no longer there. They might not allow the pet's belongings to be removed from the house. This sense of denial goes only with time. Nothing should be forced on someone who has just lost a pet. As one returns to the daily chores, the mind gets diverted and things start looking better.

3. Feeling Angry: The phases of feeling guilty and denying the loss are often coincided with an overwhelming sense of anger. This anger may be directed at the Almighty, the veterinarian who one feels was not competent enough and the family members who one thinks gave wrong advices or did not help. The anger is often directed towards one's own self at not being able to do enough to save the dear one. Letting the anger come out often helps. Screaming or crying one's heart out often lets the anger out of the system.

4. Feeling down and depressed: If the grieving pet-owner is found to continue in a morose appearance for days and seems to avoid company and day-to-day chores, it is to be understood that the owner is undergoing a melancholic and depressed phase. If this phase continues for more than a month, professional assistance must be sought. Professional help is very effective in overcoming depression.

5. Accepting the reality: After overcoming all these obstacles, the aggrieved mind finally accepts the truth. Everyone does reach this stage sooner or later. The heart still aches at the memory of the lost pet, but the actuality of the loss is finally realized. The loss no longer continues to hamper the regular flow of life.

Once one accepts the fact, one can engage oneself in various activities, which help in reducing the pain and cherishing the relationship one shared with the pet. Those who love to write, can pen down stories and anecdotes of the lost one. Those, who love to paint, can put up a large painting of the pet in some mischievous mood, which can thus be treasured forever. Making a collage of all the pictures of the pet, right from when it was a child, also keeps the aggrieved owner busy and cherishing happier moments.

Grooming basics!

One of the best things that you can do for yourself, and for your pet is start getting ready for basic grooming when they are puppies or kittens. Start by examining their toes and ears, the eyes, their mouths, get them comfortable with you handling them in all kinds of ways.

Get them comfortable and familiar with all the types of handling that you can think of - imagine a vet visit - if they are comfortable with all types of handling, things like going to the vets will be much less stressful for everyone involved.

ALWAYS remember that your animals behaviour is 95% a reflection of your own, and appraoch all these things with your own sense of peacefulness, and a minumum of stress. If you had a horrible day, skip it, it's not worth it, do it tomorrow - cuddle instead!

If you have an older animal, and they are not comfortable having their feet touched, or jerk their foot away when you come near, just begin by gently touching them when you are petting them, when they are asleep, etc, and in this way you can desensitize them as well.

Every animal should be brushed regularly

Establishes a bond, good for circulation, keeps you familiar with their body, and their coats - you can detect changes, and, it just feels good for everyone!

Nail trimming - One thing I always tell everyone is that there is no law that says you have to do all 4 feet at the same time. Begin by doing one, and if that was a little stressful, act as though nothing happened, and save the next nail for tomorrow!

Store cats - do one - if they wake up look at them like "WHAT?" I didn't do anything!

Why is nail trimming so important?

because long nails can cause gait changes when too long, cause them to slip around on the floor, get caught in things

Cats - get caught in carpets, etc, can rip them out. Won't scratch your furniture as much

All dogs and cats have a quick inside their nails, and this is what makes people afraid to trim them - always have the clotting powder handy, just in case, remember to re-apply after a walk -

clear nails - can see quick, dark nails, cut just a little bit

Make sure dog or cat is in a comfy position, not sliding around

use a nail cutter made for pets - nice and sharp.

Imagine your pets nails on the ground, and cut at the angle their nails would be on the ground

Some dogs will not need trimming - maybe only in the winter, and they will wear down on walks, check dew claws, though

Ears
Many dogs with floppy ears get problems - air flow
Keep hair trimmed so air can flow

signs of problems include
lots of head shaking
stinky ears
love to swim
has a history or ear infections

Make sure to buy a ear cleaning solution - these are made to do several things
they clean,
have something in it to liquefy the waxy buildup
something to dry the ear canal
and something to create an alkaline ph in the ear canal

Commercial

Since the weather has been taking a definite turn for the better, I thought I'd talk about some things to do that I know a lot of people never think of

Some games to play with your dog!

There are even board games that you can get now that include the family pet

People who regularly play with their dog develop understanding, respect and communication with their dog, and do a lot to improve the relationship between the two of you

They are different than playing sports with your dog - I'm not talking about frisbee or fetch!

Find The Treat

Place the dog on a down / stay. Then put the treats in a variety of hiding places. The dog has to wait until you are done hiding all the treats. Use your release cue, and watch your dog run around the yard finding all the treats. It won't take as long to find them as it it took you to hide them, but you should both have lots of fun!

Hide and Seek

I play hide and seek with my dog. I put him on a sit or down wait. Then I hide. When I am ready I call him. Watch out they sometimes peek. This is good for teaching the dog to wait until called as well as fun for you and your dog.

Bobbing for treats

this will help teach your dog the ability to pick up floating or sunken objects from water, it's like canine bobbing for apples.

My dog used to do is constantly when my parents had a swimming pool! I found that just getting a tub of water and putting a tennis ball or other floating toy in it, and getting them to pick it up is a great way to start You should be able to evolve it into them dunking a good portion of their face into the bucket to retrieve the object

This leads me to playing with your cat

We tend to do this A LOT when our cats are young and everything is a toy, and we usually play less and less with them as they get older

Cats need stimulation. When we bring these animals into our lives, I believe it becomes our responsibility to provide them with enrichment - we are essentially taking away everything that they would spend time doing with cats that is mainly hunting for food!

Cats are healthier INDOORS live longer, less problems. People will insist cats need outdoor stimulation - put them on a harness and lead and take them out - put cat furniture inside so they can climb, and play with them!

One day I was getting quite frustrated with my cats as they were acting like they were starving, but I just couldn't seem to get them to eat

I realized that if I played with them before feeding them, it would more closely mimic nature, and that perhaps they would feel like they had just finished a hunt and eat better if I played with them first
lo and behold, worked like a miracle

Play with your cats!!!

Raw food diet

What is it?
A raw food diet mimics the way your pet used to eat before highly processed, grain-based foods entered our pet’s food chain.
One raw food manufacturer puts it this way
"Raw food is the most natural form of nutrition for your dog and cat - as evidenced by the astounding results our customers experience every day. Freedom from allergies, help with weight loss, and improved skin and coat are some of the amazing testimonials we receive"

Ian Billinghurst is considered a pioneer in the raw food for pets movement. You can find out all about him by clicking here

My experience with raw food has been very dramatic. When I was almost at the end of my rope as far as trying to help my own dogs allergies, I read a book by Ian Billinghurst, and decided that I had nothing to loose by giving it a shot. Within a couple of months, my dog stopped chewing her paws, her ears cleared up, her body no longer exuded a yeasty odour, and her personality improved, as she was no longer preoccupied with scratching herself!

Friends coming to the house started asking "what happened to Kassie?" I would ask what they meant, and there were people who literally thought that I had a new dog! I have seen the same thing happen over and over again with customers dogs and cats. The results are usually very fast and dramatic.

I decided after seeing such great results with the dog to try and switch the cat. Boy, that was more of a battle than I'd anticipated! I imagined that I would put the raw meat in front of the cat and he would think that he'd died and gone to heaven! Nope. He looked at me as though asking what in the world I expected him to do with this!! After researching more, I discovered that cats often become "addicted" to dry food. So, I began by switching him over to a quality canned food diet, and once he was eating that, I began to re introduce the raw food. I thawed the food enough to be able to portion it out into pea sized pieces, and started by putting one piece in his canned food. When he was eating that, I put two pieces in, and so on, until he would eat the raw with a pea sized amount of canned food in it! He continued to eat the raw, as long as he had a bit of canned in it. When he passed away, and I started over with two small kittens, I fed them raw from the get go. It was very easy to get the young kittens to eat raw. At the time I could get raw whole quail, and that was the best treat for them - cut the quail in half and give one to each cat. I would say the only problem I had was that it turned one of my cats into a real chewer, and she now chews on just about anything with a corner on it!

One question I hear a lot is - what about aggressive dogs? Will feeding them raw give them a "taste for blood?" Actually the opposite is usually true. Because you are feeding them the diet they are intended to eat, aggression problems usually decline. An important part of a raw diet is "recreational bones". These are bones that are meant to provide an outlet for the need to chew that exists for all dogs. Chewing bones is a very important part of a dogs life. It exercises their whole body, reduces stress, and provides an appropriate outlet for a natural behavior.

Well, that about sums it up for this week. Thanks for listening, and reading!

Love your pets,
Lisa

Dog Food kills our pets...!

2009-04-13T19:29:00.001-04:00

Deer

2009-04-06T13:29:00.003-04:00

Hi!
If you listened to the show last night, you'll know that I finally decided to voice my own opinion about London's deer "problem" and the surrounding issues concerning Sifton Bog. This whole deer "problem" surfaced a few years ago, and was initially brought to the city as a proposal for a cull. It has now turned into a "save the bog" campaign. The switch, in my opinion was based on appealing to people's emotions. A cull isn't very popular, but the bog is. The count this year actually showed that the deer numbers have been naturally declining - from around 52-55 for the last few years down to around 35 this year. The way the number is determined is that a specific protocol is followed, where there are volunteers posted in the bog, and they count the number of deer that they see, add up the numbers, and there you have it. Well, this year, when the numbers were presented to council, and found to be lower, it was proposed that instead of accepting the count as they have always done, someone proposed that they inflate the number back to last year's level, because some of the deer may have been sleeping this year, and have been missed. This was accepted as a good idea by council, and so I, myself am not sure why they bothered to waste any money at all on the count, since they just made it up, anyways, but I guess this is the way it works, so lets just continue the discussion!
I shared with my listeners my unique perspective on the issue. When I was a child, in grade two, we moved to Baffin Island, we lived there for 4 years, then when I was in grade six, we lived in the western arctic until I finished grade 11. During this time, I was obviously exposed to a completely different culture than those who have lived in southern Ontario or even south of the 60 parallel their whole lives.
When we lived on Baffin Island, we spent two of those years in a small Inuit community of about 450 people then called Lake Harbour, now called Kimmirut . Click on the link if you're so inclined! Everyone hunted - this is where our meat came from. I was exposed to hunting, and the butchering, eating, and using of the animal for many other uses. This never upset me or bothered me. I ate the meat (caribou, mostly - didn't like the seal or polar bear!). I was never troubled by the fact that we were eating an animal.
Then, when we lived in the western arctic, Fort Smith to be specific, we weren't allowed out one recess because a group of men had to cull a pack of dogs that had been hanging out by the school yard. We watched out the windows as men on snowmobiles chased the dogs through the back of the school yard, shooting them. This was a little harder to take, but still, I was not overly upset or troubled by it, because I understood that these dogs were a wild pack that were hanging out there because they were looking for food. Most of these dogs were not pets, they were strays that had come from sled dogs that had escaped, and strays that had been left to fend for themselves.
And, my third experience from the north that I relate to this deer issue is back in the eastern arctic, I was in grade 5. I was watching out my bedroom window as a man who lived a little ways in front of the house tried to kill a single stray dog with a bow and arrow. I watched, for a long time, as he repeatedly shot the dog with arrows, and the dog, yelping and howling ran away only to be shot at again by this man. Finally the dog slinked off, arrows protruding from it's body, leaving a trail of blood. I assumed he continued following it until it was dead, but I stopped being able to see. What I do know is that this one incident stands out in my mind because of the cruel and prolonged death that this animal suffered. I didn't tell that I had seen this happened, and when my mother, knowing something had upset me, finally forced my to tell her, my biggest fear was that this man had known I witnessed this murder, and was going to kill me as well.
So, while I was fine with animals being killed for food, and for safety, I was not fine with the one I saw being killed "bow and arrow" style.
How does this relate to the deer in Sifton Bog?
These deer do not need to be killed for food, they pose no threat to human safety - ah, here I get some argument about deer - car collision. ( I invite those of you leaning towards that argument to investigate for yourself to find out how many of these collisions actually occur in the immediate vicinity of Sifton Bog vs. other areas of the city.), and that leaves as the main option being considered to control the deer population a cull using bows and arrows. The justification for using bow and arrow comes from the fact that it would be too upsetting to residents to hear gun shots. I guess they'd better make sure none of their children look out of their bedroom windows, and get a glimpse of what I saw as a child.
Are the deer actually ruining the bog?
I don't know - they have been doing studies for a while now, and instead of waiting for those to finish, here we are talking about a cull again. Not to mention the money they have and are spending on this avenue only to jump right back into the cull debate
The main thing having a negative impact on the bog, in my opinion is human encroachment. The city allowed the bog to be surrounded by development - what is the bog's name now? Runoff from streets and parking lots enter the bog, flooding it with things like road salt. Stopping and changing the natural patterns of animals that would normally go into and through the bog., etc..
I just hope that these people can be stopped from allowing the same thing to happen in another treasure we have in the London area, Meadowlilly woods. Where a group has been fighting a Wal-Mart development. See Friends of Meadowlilly Woods
This deer issue is actually a very common one across North America, and I feel like there has been too much time and energy spent debating one issue when the evidence is copious and consistent.
Culling does not work - it is not effective at reducing deer herd numbers over time - it is something that needs to be done repeatedly. It is one of the more costly methods of trying to control deer.
I think that if we were effective in convincing city hall that it was #1 more cost effective, #2 more humane, and #3 a much more effective, long term management strategy to stop killing all of London's feral cats, we should be able to convince them of the same things regarding the deer - who are much more "appealing" to people than feral cats are.
There are just too many other options available to choose the mos barbaric one.
Thanks for listening (and reading)
-Lisa
Love your pet.

Pet Food

2009-04-06T13:23:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone!
This week I decided to do the show myself. Not that all my guests haven't been wonderful - they have, but I had some things I felt like I wanted to say...hey, it's my show, Right?
I have already got some questions about this one, so I'll answer it first -
This was one of the questions;
Good evening Lisa, I was listening to your show tonight, with particular interest regarding the information about pet/dog food.

I wondered if you could let me know of some dog foods that you would recommend based on the information from your show.

Unfortunately I know very little about this and was very alarmed to hear about what some dog food can contain.

I want to provide something far more healthy for our beloved family friend and would appreciate any insight you could share.

Thank you

So, I thought that I would answer here in case anyone else had similar questions!
As I said on the show, one way to make sure that you are buying a good food for your pet is to make yourself a short list and take it with you to the pet store. I would avoid the big, chain stores - their prices are usually higher, they will usually try and sell you "their" brand of food, because they make more money on it, their staff is usually part time students, who I'm sure are great people, but they haven't the same interest in helping you find an appropriate food that a small store, where the owner works, that has more mature and knowledgeable staff will.That being said , the list you will take with you will include ingredients that you DO NOT want in whatever food you choose.
-corn
-wheat
-soy
-by-products
-meat
-poultry
-BHA, BHT, Ethoxiquin

Pretty straightforward, the only thing I'd like to explain is the "meat" and the "poultry"
If the food had real meat in it, it would tell you specifically what kind of meat was in it - it would say "beef" or "lamb", same with the poultry - if it was chicken, the label would read Chicken or chicken meal. When companies use the words meat or poultry, it is because even they themselves have no idea what the "meat" in the food is composed of - it probably came from the rendering plant, and contains a little bit of everything!

Sometimes I find that I avoid really having this conversation with people because I have had instances when I have been giving talks, and even the other presenters at these talks have had a hard time believing that everything I'm saying could possibly be true - that pet food ingredients can't be that bad. Well, they are. It makes me absolutely crazy when somebody tells me "I'm feeding X brand" is that ok. Lets look up the ingredients online I say. I type in "brand X", and this is what I find
GROUND YELLOW CORN, MEAT AND BONE MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (PRESERVED WITH BHA/BHT), WHEAT MILL RUN, WHEAT, NATURAL POULTRY FLAVOUR, WHEAT FLOUR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SALT, RICE, VEGETABLE OIL (SOURCE OF LINOLEIC ACID), CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, VITAMINS AND MINERALS.
Corn, corn, and more corn. Why do they put so much corn in the dog food? I will talk about cat food in a minute. Corn is high in sugar, and so makes the food highly palatable - dogs and cats will both gobble it up. The corn they use in pet food is really cheap - most of it has been deemed unfit for human consumption - for various reasons. The germ has been removed, it is moldy, it is the sweepings off of the floor - it is basically all the stuff that is a by-product of making our food, (we shouldn't be eating all that corn, either) that these large, multi-national corporations used to have to pay someone to get rid of, now they all just own pet food companies, and so they throw all their garbage in there.
Corn, wheat, and soy are also some of the most highly allergenic ingredients found in food. If your animal is scratching, biting their feet, licking themselves, has little "pimple"- like eruptions, has stinky, gook filled ears, eyes that water and stain their fur, or a myriad of other, similar problems - your first step should be removing these three ingredients from their food.
Agri-business as has quite the agenda for corn, not just related to pet food, which I will not get into, but you can find more info at this link if you are so inclined. You could also just type Corn, agri-business into any search engine and find out plenty!
What is meat from the rendering plant? Why isn't it ok?
Rendering is a valuable service - if we didn't have rendering plants, our landfills would be full of rotting meat and would cause serious disease problems. So, rendering is when slaughter house waste - heads and hooves from cattle, sheep, pigs and horses, the other parts of animals that are deemed unfit for human consumption, road kill - whole skunks; rats and raccoons, euthanized dogs and cats, expired meat from the supermarkets - still in it's plastic and styrofoam containers. This all goes into the pit. The fat separates from the meat, and is skimmed off the top - this is your "animal fat and tallow", and the remainder is used as meat and bone meal, etc. I just found this website, and it explains everything in great detail. It can be found here, and it explains the whole process, and has information specifically related to pet food. It is an American site, this one is an excerpt from a book written by a woman from London, Ontario about the Canadian rendering process. Click here.
I said I'd get back to cat food separately. Cats are different than dogs, because they are what is known as "obligate carnivores" The definition of that term as found on Wikiedia is "An obligate or true carnivore is an animal that must eat meat in order to survive. They may consume other products presented to them, especially animal products like eggs and bone marrow or sweet sugary substances like honey and syrup, but, as these items are not essential, they do not consume these on a regular basis. True carnivores lack the physiology required for the efficient digestion of vegetable matter, and, in fact, some carnivorous mammals eat vegetation specifically as an emetic. The domestic cat is a prime example of an obligate carnivore, as are all of the other felids."
In short then, cats NEED meat, real meat, and can't digest all the grains, and would normally only eat it to cause themselves to vomit. One of the newest things in the pet food industry is grain free kibble. There is debate about whether or not this is good for all dogs, but can be agreed upon that this is how cats should eat. Here is another label comparison;
Poultry by-product meal, ground yellow corn, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, brewers rice, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of vitamin E), fish meal, brewers dried yeast, animal digest, vitamins and minerals
vs.
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, lake whitefish, chicken fat, sweet potato, whole eggs,deboned turkey, salmon meal, salmon and anchovy oils, salmon, natural chicken flavour, sunflower oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried brown kelp, carrots, spinach, peas, tomatoes, apples, psyllium, dulse, glucosamine Hcl, cranberries, black currants, rosemary extract, chondroitin sulfate, sea salt.
In the second list, there is potato - which must be included for starch, or the food would not stick together in a kibble.
Do you see the difference?
What main problems develop with cats?
Obesity, kidney and bladder problems, and diabetes. In my opinion, 98% of the time these problems occur is from feeding a grain based, meat lacking, dry kibble to your cat. The other 2% I would attribute to genetic weaknesses and other environmental factors.
I would also like to say here that I believe that cats should be fed a mainly canned/raw meat diet. Cats evolved as desert animals, and their bodies are much more efficient at extracting moisture from their food than from drinking water. Drinking water is not a natural cat behaviour, and when you don;t feed dry food, you will notice that your cat will hardly ever visit the water dish.
Here are a couple of canned food ingredient lists;
Water, Chicken, Liver, Wheat Flour, Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Starch, Wheat Fiber, Chicken Liver Flavor, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Beef Plasma Protein, Soy Fiber, Vitamins and minerals
vs.
Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Flaxseed, Squash, Cranberries, Blueberries, Zucchini, vitamins and minerals
Which one would you pick?
There is also debate about dry vs, wet food and pet dental health. The latest article I read in a veterinary journal described it the best way I have found. I don't have the article anymore, so obviously this is it paraphrased!
The thinking used to be that a kibble based diet provided benefit to dog and cat oral health by forcing pets to chew their food, and that the kibble would cause abrasive action on the teeth and gums - thereby helping to keep them clean. Some vets and other professionals have changed their minds in regards to this. Now the thinking is leaning towards the fact that by forcing animals to chew (unnatural) on a cooked (unnatural) grain based kibble (unnatural) we are actually causing more harm to their teeth. Cats and dogs bodies are designed to rip, tear, and swallow whole what they are eating. As children, we are told to make sure that we chew our food properly - because our digestive process begins in our mouth. Our saliva is full of digestive enzymes that begin to break down the food that we eat before we even swallow it. Our pets have no such capacity. So, after all this cooked grain is deposited on their teeth, their bodies actually have no way to get rid of it. Te best way to keep your pets teeth clean is to provide them with fresh, meaty bones to chew on. Yes, cats too, if you can get them to do it! If your pets mouths are already full of plaque and tartar, there are many ways, other than dental surgery to help get them clean. That is a topic for another day that I will cover soon.
So, having said all this, I still haven't answered the question, what should I feed my pet?
As the main focus of the show is to help inform and give you the information to help you make better decisions, I think that I have provided a basis on which you can begin to make these decisions better yourself. Instead of recommending specific foods, I would really like to see people look at the labels for themselves. However, I know that everybody doesn't have a lot of time to really investigate fully or themselves how to do this. What I would recommend is that people first shop at smaller stores in their area that specialize in healthy foods, go through the phone book, and call some places. Talk to the person that answers the phone for a few minutes. Do they seem knowledgeable and informed? Does the information they provide you with jive with the information I've provided here? Then visit the store and judge for yourself whether you think that the store seems mainly concerned with providing you with information or do they seem more concerned with just making a quick sale and getting you out of there? Do they ask you questions about your animal's health, breed, weight, age, medical history, or just steer you to the cat or dog food shelf? I believe that a good store will take the time (providing of course that they have the time at that moment - if there are 5 other customers, please try to understand that the person working can't devote 1/2 an hour to you at that moment! But, their intent should still be clear.)
All that being said, the best resource for helping choose the best pet food, that I have found is a publication called the "Whole Dog Journal" - they also provide info on cat food. This publication is like the "consumer Reports" of the pet world. They accept no outside advertising, and so provide unbiased opinions determined by specific criteria.
But, they will not allow me to print their list without a fee, and they charge for a subscription. (no advertising revenue!!)
So, there a couple of other lists that I trust based on my experience, and here the foods that they list that I know are available in Canada, Ontario specifically
Dog and Cat Foods
Go! Natural
Now!
Orijen
California Natural
Canidae
Felidae
Halo
Eagle Holistic Select (only this line of Eagle)
Merrick
Fromm 4 Star (only this line of Fromm)
Nature's Variety
Wellness
Holistic Blend
Urban Wolf
Urban King
Pets 4 Life
Urban Carnivore

There are others, this list is not by any means completey comprehensive, and again, I am not a vet, and would not recommend that you use any of these foods to treat a medical condition, without the advice, guidance, and knowledge of you vet as a partner in your pets health. That being said, I have had personal experience with all of these foods, and would recommend any of them as an alternative to foods whose labels read like the ones I've posted above. I, also have not recieved any money or funding from any of these companies.

Hope I've answered some questions, and given you all "food for thought" ha ha!

I am dividing this weeks show into a few different posts, as I think there is too much information on various subjects to combine it all.

Thanks for listening and reading,
Love your pet,
Lisa

Super Adoption Day Sat., April 4th

2009-03-31T20:08:00.000-04:00

Hi there,
sorry for the delay in posting - little technical glitch! So

This weeks show is about London's upcoming, Super Adoption day. It is being help on Sat. April 4th, from 10-4pm, at the Western Fairgrounds, special events building
What is a "super adoption day"? I will be joined this week by 3 guests to answer that question.
My guests are Marti , Judy, and Ron.
Marti is with all breed canine rescue, and Judy is with Animalert. Ron works for the city of London, in the capacity of Animal Welfare Coordinator. Thanks to all 3 of them to come and help us learn more about this great project. If you talk to Ron, he'll tell you that it was all the work of the rescue groups - that they have collectively come together to help raise awareness of pet adoption, and the groups that we have here in London that work so hard. The city has helped to provide the venue for the event to take place.
The groups that will be represented include;
Animalert - cats & dogs
Animal Love -cats & dogs
Animal Outreach - cats
All Breed Canine Rescue - dogs
Tiny Paws
Animal control cats & dogs
Animal Aide - cats & dogs
Pet Friends for life
Loyal Rescue
London Humane Society
London Dog Owners Association will also have a booth there to help provide people with information on dog ownership, and adoptions.

The city has an informational page set up here

We will be talking about the work that the rescue groups do - how you can foster a pet - many people aren't completely comfortable making a long term commitment to an animal. They feel like they'd like to have an animal in their lives, but just aren't quite sure. All of the foster groups are always in need of foster homes. A lot of these dogs and cats really have no other place to go. Often, the various rescue organizations just need a temporary home for an animal, and other times, they just need a place where the animal can stay for a little while, until an adoptive family looking for that particular type of animal contacts the rescue group, and the animal can be adopted permanently. While the animal is being fostered, the group will pay for any medical costs that occur, some of them will even provide food and litter.

One thing that I know that Marti, Judy and Ron want me to stress to you is that this day is to come, see the animals, hopefully find one where you are suited to each other, and begin the adoption process. The animals will not be able to leave with you on Saturday, but, as I said it is a way to start the adoption process. Because there are so many different groups represented at the event, and each group has different criteria to asses potential owners, it would just be too massive an undertaking to be able to have the animals leave that day. But, rest assured, if you happen to fall in love this Saturday, the groups will do every thing they can to make excellent matches.

Some people have mentioned to me in the past that it can seem like an inconvenience to adopt an animal when you can just buy an animal out of the paper, or find one on the Internet. I say to them that the reason it can seem like these rescue groups ask a lot of questions is because they have made investments emotionally, physically, and often times monetarily in these animals. Each one of them has a story, and the goal is to find a permanent home for them. To often people get pets that are ill suited to their lifestyle, or they weren't truly prepared, and animals end up back in the cycle of looking for a new home.
When you adopt an animal from a rescue organization, you are truly saving a life. Most times the animals have been in a foster situation for long enough for the group to learn enough about their personalities to help match them to a home that will be permanent. Do you have kids? Do you have any other pets. Are you active and busy, or do you stay closer to home - work full-time or are retired?
These are all very important questions to ask yourself and be able to answer honestly before you consider bringing home a pet.
For a good list of questions, just type in "why do I want a dog/cat" in a search engine, and you'll find a whole bunch of tings to ask yourself!

So, enjoy the show, I am one step closer to posting past shows on here so you can hear them.
Hopefully I'll have that done by next week!

Peace, and love your pet,
-Lisa

Last week's show

2009-03-12T15:08:00.000-04:00

Hi!
Apparently, there was a problem in Vancouver - and the show did not run last week.
Apologies, and the show will air as usual this Sunday, March 15th at 5pm

-Lisa

2009-03-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

Friends of Captive Animals asked me to post this letter here - so here it is!!

How YOU can be an Advocate for Zoo and other Captive Animals.

What to look for when you see animals at zoos or other exhibits!

#1 – Do the animals have sufficient amounts of space for movement and activities that are natural for their species?

This includes running, swimming, flying, climbing, foraging, and digging.

Being denied adequate space to engage in meaningful, daily activities is one of the most common stressors for captive wild animals. Lack of space is believed to be a great cause of distress.

The idea that a wild animal can live a happy life in an enclosure so small that it resembles a prison cell is outdated. Think about an animal living his or her entire life in the small spaces that are common in even large zoos…then think about how stressful and empty such an existence is.

An unfortunate example of this was Tyson the kangaroo, who was forced to live alone for years in an enclosure so small that he could not engage in hopping, his natural movement.

#2 – Do the animals have soft, natural ‘Substrates’ (the material on the bottom of their enclosure or cage).

This substrate should be mostly grass or earth, which are great for digging and will not damage feet. Escape by digging can be prevented by under-ground barriers buried along the perimeter of the enclosure.
In cases where earth might become too muddy there is rubber flooring materials available that are still protective to animals’ feet.

Enclosures made mostly of wire-mesh, concrete, or metal are inappropriate as they can damage the soft, very sensitive pads of animals’ feet or talons.

For example, wire-mesh is sometimes used on the floor of cages for smaller mammals to make cleaning the cages easier. No animal should ever be forced to live on wire, as this can hurt their tender footpads. So too, a cement or other hard-surface enclosure might be easy to clean but is uncomfortable and even painful for an animal to live on.

#3 – Do the animals have appropriate shelter, bedding, and privacy?

Their shelters and beds should be more than an empty box, cage, or barn.

Naturalistic, private spaces can be made with shrubs, trees, and logs - similar to those found in the wild.

Dens, shelters, or hiding boxes should be designed with the needs of the animal in mind, not just to appear charming to human visitors. The hiding box should mimic as close as possible what that animal would choose in the wild. Painting bright colors or leaves on a barren, wooden box does not make the ‘den’ or hiding box any more useful to the animal.

#4 – Privacy is also important: every animal needs the ability to remove themselves from view.

Animals often need to escape the view of the public and even their enclosure mates. This is especially true if they do not feel well, become frightened or otherwise distressed. Captivity itself is distressing, so a captive animal has a great need for psychological comfort.

In the wild, subordinate animals would be able to escape more dominant group members. In an enclosure or cage, there is little space in which a subordinate animal can escape. They need a variety of hiding places to find refuge and to escape bullying from the more dominant cage-mates.
If the enclosure is well-designed and has sufficient space and furnishings there is a good chance that visitors will observe the animal as he is engaged in interesting activities.
An animal that is always hiding – and so not visible to visitors - may indicate that the animal is distressed and needs help.
In a well-designed zoo every animal might not be visible all of the time. Visitors will surely learn to accept this when they understand that the ability to choose privacy when needed is so essential for the health of the animal.

#5 – Do the animals live in environmental conditions that are natural for their species?

This includes temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, and cleanliness.

Nocturnal animals should not be forced into sunlight.

Water containers, and the enclosure, as a whole should be kept clean.

Animals that normally live in warm climates should not be forced to live in cold climates, as this can be uncomfortable and even harmful to them.

There is a big difference between ‘surviving’ and ‘thriving’. The fact that a warm-climate animal survives during winter months does not indicate that the animal is actually doing well and has a reasonable quality of life.

When warm-weather animals are forced to live in cold climates they are often made to live several months of the year in a barn – often in housing that is even more inadequate than the summer outdoor housing.

Unfortunately, the practice of keeping appropriate animals in appropriate climates is not followed in many zoos. Lucy, an elephant in Edmonton, is a good example of a ‘warm-climate’ animal being forced to endure a cold climate. This Asian elephant may survive in the cold temperatures of northern Alberta but she must spend long months in her barn – hardly appropriate for an intelligent animal like an elephant.

#6 – Are Social animals (like primates, elephants and kangaroos) allowed to live in Social groups that are appropriate for their species?

Animals that live in herds, packs, troops, or family groups in the wild should be allowed the companionship of members of their own species, and in the same types of social groups normally found in the wild. This means that sometimes a pair-bond is natural – at other times a larger grouping is how that species of animal is ‘hard-wired’ to live.

For pack animals, such as wolves – or troop and family group animals, such as primates - a life alone is a miserable existence. Solitary confinement is a cruel hardship for these animals. Many grazing types of animals are herd animals and may feel vulnerable when forced to live alone.

Solitary animals should not be made to share a cage or enclosure with another animal. Their enclosure should not be in close proximity to another animal, but have a buffer space provided.

Appropriate social groupings are essential to behavioral and emotional health - which affect physical health.

#7 – Do the animals live in Enclosures that are ‘Enriched’, as in contain objects, structures, and furnishings that make the environment complex and engaging?

‘Enrichment’ means interesting activities that are natural for the animal, such as foraging for food, digging, climbing, etc. Natural activities that the animal is free to choose relieve some of the stress of captivity.
Enrichment does not mean training an animal to perform tricks or unnatural behaviors that are actually meant to entertain humans.
For instance, Elephants that are trained to hold a brush and swipe it across a board are not ‘painting’ and it is unlikely that this unnatural activity provides any pleasure to the animal that is made to do this. In fact, there is much evidence that being encouraged or trained to perform behaviors that are not natural to them is stressful for wild animals.
Properly designed ‘furnishings’, water-pools, platforms, and plantings encourage natural activities like foraging, digging, climbing, playing, exploring, and building. Without these activities, animals will spend their entire time sleeping, sitting, or exhibiting ‘stereotypies’.
‘Stereotypies’ are problem behaviors like rocking, pacing, bar-biting and self-mutilation. When an animal displays these behaviors it usually means that the animal is in emotional distress.

What to do if you think a captive animal is suffering.

#1 – Report problems if you have concerns that an animal is distressed.

Write a letter to – or at least email or phone - your closest Humane Society, and tell them what you saw and why you are concerned.

Report what you observed in as much detail as you can remember. If possible make notes.
You do not need to be an expert on animal behavior to be an advocate for zoo animals in your report. Just be thoughtful and well-intentioned, make careful observations, and share what you have seen. The determination of how to respond to the report will be made by the Humane Officer.
Make your report as soon as possible, preferably within days of your seeing the animal. It is often important for the report to be very current to enable the Humane Officer to act.

Write a letter to – or email or phone - Animal Control (if it applies).

Write letters to your elected Members of Governments at the Municipal, Provincial, and Federal levels. Keep your elected representatives aware of what is happening in their jurisdictions, and let them know that you are concerned.
Written letters are best, but if you think you may procrastinate on this, then an email or phone call is better than no report at all.

Be persistent and get your concerns out as much as possible to friends, family, and anyone you can think of!

There are many ways to do this, especially with the internet —there are a lot of mailing lists, networks, and websites that can help. Concern for an issue is hard to ignore when it is widespread and persistent!

#2 – Do not support a problem zoo by attending it, and encourage others to not do so.

Find another outing for you and your family. Do not provide money to a facility that treats animals badly.

#3 – Teach your children that animals have feelings, and deserve to be treated with respect and consideration.

It is understandable that an excited child might run up to the edge of a cage or enclosure out of delight at seeing the animal, or make a lot of noise around the animals. Unfortunately, this can be frightening and upsetting to captive animals.
Wild animals have strong territorial needs that are already stressed by being held captive. A child running up to the edge of the cage may seem like a territorial threat to the caged animal that cannot run away to escape. Teach children to approach the enclosure or cage quietly and respectfully.
At one privately-owned zoo in Ontario large birds are now housed in small enclosures because children threw stones at them when they were previously allowed to roam more freely. This shameful behavior has resulted in a significantly poorer quality of life for these birds.

It is most kind and responsible for adults to teach children that animals deserve to be treated with quiet respect. Compassion spreads! By teaching children to be kind to animals they will probably become better parents, neighbors and citizens.
Ask yourself – what does allowing children to bully, frighten or throw stones at animals teach them?

#4 – Support organizations that are concerned with these problems—support their work in a way that is comfortable for you.

This includes becoming a member of, donating to, or participating as a volunteer with a group that does work you agree with.
‘Getting involved’ can often be as simple as signing a petition or sending an email which takes just a few minutes of your day and costs nothing.

This is our group’s motto:

We believe in hope.
…that people are essentially good,
…that healthy societies progress and improve,
…that the time is right for animals, and
Good People Will Help Them.

Thank you for caring about animals.

FOCA – ‘Friends of Captive Animals’ – March, 2009 www.friendsofcaptiveanimals.ca

Oops!

2009-03-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

Hi There, everyone,

Not sure what happened to this weeks' show - I'll let you know as soon as I do!

I interviewed Vicki VanLinden and Elizabeth Gerrow, both of friends of Captive Animals

We discussed the plight of Lucy, a lone female elephant at the Edmonton Zoo, as well as bill 50, the new bill that just passed that begins to give more right s to animals.

Details about Lucy can be found on The Friends Of Captive Animals website here.

There is also a lot of detail at Zoocheck Canada's website here

The problem is that Elephants are highly social creatures, and do not do well in zoo environments, especially when kept alone. They develop many chronic and uncomfortable conditions when kept in these environments. A list of Lucy's medical problems can be found on both of those websites. They are very typical of an elephant kept in less than ideal conditions. An elephant sanctuary in Tennessee has offered to transport her, and take care of her, at no cost to the city of Edmonton, but the city refuses. They say she is too ill for transport, amongst other things, but elephants much more ill than Lucy have been safely transported in the past to the sanctuary, and NO elephant has ever died en route to the sanctuary.

Zoocheck Canada's website has a wonderful letter written by Bob Barker that sums up the issues surrounding Lucy. Find it here. (PDF, may take a minute to load)

Bill 50 is a very important piece of legislation concerning tougher laws to protect animals - Friends of Captive Animals sum it up nicely here - bottom half of the page.

And this is the official website for bill 50 here.

F.O.C.A. has sent me a letter to post on the blog. I cannot do it from home, as I don't have the program on this computer to open it!

I will post it as soon as I am able.

In the meantime, please check out the links in this post. Zoocheck has a link to write an email to the Edmonton city council, it only takes a minute.

FOCA's website also contains lots of valuable, and interesting, information. Among my favorite pages are "what captive animals need" - things to notice and pay attention to if you happen to visit a zoo, as well as what to do if you see that the animals are NOT provided for.

I have also listed the links for easy access on the right hand side of the page, in the links box.

Lastly, check out this amazing video. It is about another elephant in the Tennessee sanctuary.

Here it is. I think it's a wonderful clip, and very heart-warming.

Thank-you so much to both Vicki and Elizabeth for being such wonderful guests!

Well, I'll let you know what happened to the show this week, and in the meantime, love your pets.

-Lisa

Sunday March 1st Show - Brian Salt of Salthaven!

2009-02-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,
I'm really excited about this week's show. I interview Brian Salt, of Salthaven, Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre.

Salthaven Mission Statement

Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre is an organization dedicated to helping sick, injured, orphaned and otherwise displaced wildlife. Salthaven endeavours to educate people and provide inspiration which will improve the environment that we share with native wildlife. We all depend on the same ecosystem; when we help wildlife, we help ourselves.

One of the reasons we wanted to do this show now is to ask for some help.
Salthaven is in need of 15 volunteers this year. And Brian has asked for anybody interested to please look at their website salthaven.org If you are interested, you can email them a resume, and they will get back to you. I asked Brian about qualifications, and the main thing is that you be in good health yourself and not have a compromised immune system. There are a lot of things like parasites that can be transmitted from wildlife to humans, and people with a compromised immune system are at greater risk.
Salthaven is also always in need of donations of different things. Items included on the list right now are; examination gloves, raw salmon or trout for the bald eagle they have, garbage bags, a skill saw, etc. This list changes, check it often! Here is the link
Brain was always interested in animals, and thought that someday he'd be a veterinarian. He got sidetracked by becoming a drummer, and had quite a successful career doing that before he came back around to animals.
Brian Salt is the founder and director of rehabilitation at Salthaven. He has been a wildlife rehabilitator since 1985 and is certified by the IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council) and OWREN (Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Network) in rehabilitation training skills and Advanced Clinical Pathology. He also currently serves on the OWREN (click for link) board of directors. Salthaven is an amazing wildlife hospital located in Mt. Brydges, just outside of London.
Salthaven is a completely volunteer run facility. During the spring, summer and fall Salthaven receives 25 to 30 calls a day regarding displaced, sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife. The calls come from local and regional police, humane societies, animal care and control agencies, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Canadian Wildlife Services and the concerned public.
They are only able to handle a small percentage of these calls, as the do not currently have a "rescue" arm. If someone finds a sick or injured animal, they have to be able to transport it to Salthaven themselves.

What will we be talking about?
I asked Brian how to tell if an animal is truly sick or injured. How do you determine if you should intervene or not?
One thing I know for myself is that every spring I get numerous phone calls from people who have found a baby bird on the ground who, they are certain has fallen out of the nest and is walking around, defenseless. Brian explains how, with baby birds, there are a few days in their development that they have to spend this time out of the nest before they are able to fly. The chest or pectoral muscles on a bird are the largest muscles, and the ones that they really depend on for flying. While they are in their little nest with mom, dad, and their siblings, there just isn't enough room for them to be able to adequately stretch out in order for them to develop those muscles. So, as fledglings, they are, indeed "pushed" out of the nest in order for them to gain the strength needed for flight. The way to tell if a baby bird is actually in need of help is to hide yourself far enough away from the bird so you won't scare it or it's parents, and watch. Most of the time, you will see that the parent comes about every 30min to feed the baby. This usually happens very quickly, and you have to be vigilant in your observations. The parent will be very quick when they come to feed, so as not to alert any potential predators as to the location of the baby.
This is also a common situation with fawns. The mother deer will give birth, clean the fawn of and feed it, and then leave it, sometimes for hours while she feeds herself. As humans, we cannot imagine such a thing! But, Brian tells me, fawns when they are first born have no scent, and as we know, are extremely well camouflaged. So, again, if you happen to come upon a fawn that appears to have been abandoned, and are concerned, create a bunch of distance, and wait. Usually you will see that the mother will come back.

Ways to tell that wildlife DO need assistance are;
-Obvious signs of trauma
-Dead siblings nearby
-Blood
-dry cold noses (as opposed to warm and moist)
-obviously older birds that are grounded
-not putting weight on a limb
-Broken wings
-lethargy, uninterested in it's surroundings
-the presence of flies - this one is a great indicator of an injury that may be hidden
-it is cold

OK, so there is an animal that does need help, now what do you do?
(from Salthaven's website)

If you answered yes to ANY of these questions, take the following steps:

Place the baby in a softly-lined covered box with ventilation.
Place the box in a warm, dark quiet indoor location away from all humans and pets.
If you have a heating pad, put it under one half the container that has the animal in it and turn it on low. In a pinch a pop bottle or water bottle with hot water can also be used and wrapped in a t-shirt material and put in with the baby. Do not use towels for bedding. The weave is too loose. It comes undone easily and the threads can wrap around legs, and necks with dire consequences.
Do Not attempt to give it food or water! The baby may appear hungry, but feeding a weakened animal or providing the wrong diet could cause irreversible complications that could further compromise the baby's condition.
Contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. You can get their number by calling your local animal shelters, animal control, or the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

What else is going on at Salthaven?
They are looking for corporate sponsorship right now. They have developed a 5 year business plan that includes plans for a new facility to house salthaven. They have included in their plan the cost of making the new facility a "green" one, run on wind & solar, and incorporating geothermal principles as well. Salthaven has outgrown it's current facility, and right now, they receive 25-30 calls a day, as I mentioned, and they are only able to help a small percentage of these animals. The new facility will also incorporate isolation facilities, which will greatly improve their handling capacity.
Another exciting thing that the new facility will allow is the construction of an auditorium, where people can come and learn about Salthaven, and what it does. Currently, Salthaven does an great deal of education and outreach. Brian is the one who does this, and as a result is only able to speak in the months from September - April, as during the rest of the year, all his time is spent at the facility helping the wildlife. With an Auditorium, they will be able to offer more education services, as he will not have to be travelling. Also, right now, Salthaven receives many calls from people who would like to tour the facility, and they are unable to accommodate this request. Salthaven is a rehabilitation hospital for sick and injured WILDLIFE. It is not a zoo. It would be detrimental to the wildlife to be exposed to humans on that level. In fact, even the volunteers sometimes have real difficulties not getting attached, and whenever someone has a bad day, looses a patient, stress affects them, etc, Brian tells me that Salthaven has a bunny for cuddling purposes. The distance MUST be maintained between the wildlife and the volunteers.
I think it's great that they have provided a "cuddle Bunny" to help relieve the stress that I can only imagine these people must have to deal with some days.
I hope you enjoy the show, I really enjoyed interviewing Brain, and want to express my sincere thanks to him, and all the volunteers who work so hard - often 18 hours a day during the spring and summer - to help our wild companions.
Salthaven is a wonderful place that deserves the support of caring people. Please help however you can - volunteer, donate, check the wish list - you may just have some things around that you have no use for, and instead of putting it in your garage sale, or listing it on Kijiji, you can donate it to them.
Thanks so much for your interest in the show. Next week, I will interview Vicki and Elizabeth from friends of Captive Animals, to discuss Lucy, an elephant in need of help who is currently living alone in the Edmonton Zoo, as well as the state of the regulations (or lack thereof!) in Ontario. Here is a link to their website.

Peace, and love your animals!-Lisa

Sunday, Feb. 22 Show

2009-02-20T10:41:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
This Sundays show features another guest, Sharlene from canine life training. I have known her for a few years, and she has always struck me as very knowledgeable about the subject of training. Which is a good thing, since it is her business we will be talking about!
You can find her website by clicking here
We will be talking about all sorts of things regarding training, and her methods, and why it is so important to find a place (even before you get your new addition home) to do training.
One thing that I like about her methods is that they are motivational based, as opposed to using food for training. I know that this can be a real "hot button" topic, but in my personal experience with dogs, one of the most irritating things is when a dog won't do anything for you if you don't have a treat in your hand.
One of the reasons that so many people share their lives with dogs is that they are truly domesticated. They are hard wired to work for us. They excel and are at their happiest when you are the leader of the pack, and your expectations of them are clear and consistent. Sharlene makes a good point about dogs in a pack, and how ridiculous it would be if all the members only did something for the pack leader if there was a food reward involved. She also makes the point in regards to children - do you have to give them a piece of candy for every little thing that they do to contribute to the household? Unfortunately, I think I know just as many people who would and do bribe their children in this way as I do dog guardians! But that is a topic for another space!
From Canine Life's website;

At CanineLife, we take a fun, scientific, motivational approach to dog training to provide you with the best techniques that lead to a happy, healthy pet based on the psychology of how dogs think and learn.

Our method focuses on rewarding and increasing desired behaviors and prevention and management of unwanted behaviors. Since it is easier to prevent behavioral problems before they start, we encourage rewarding and reinforcing good behavior.

Our goal is to ensure that all pet parents have a solid understanding of how to properly train their canine companion through teaching how dogs think and why they do what they do; helping to build the relationship between pets and their families. With a solid knowledge and understanding, you will be happy and confident with the ability to teach your dog.

CanineLife offers training for all ages, levels, and breeds of dogs. We offer both Private training lessons and Group training classes. In addition, we offer a special ‘Skills’ class once a week where you and your dog are welcome to come on a drop-in basis to enhance your training skills. Trainers are available on site to assist you with any techniques. Please browse our website for more information on classes, schedules, and pricing.

Our training instructors are certified in Pet First Aid and CPR, ensuring the safety of your pet.

So tune in on Sunday nights, from 5-6pm on am980. You can listen to the show on the internet, if you don't live in the area by following this link here

Just click on the "listen live" link at the top of the page.

Next week, we'll have Brian Salt, from Salt Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre on the show. His website is here

As always, your questions and comments are welcome.

You can comment on individual posts, or click on my profile for an email link.

Thanks for listening and reading.

-Lisa

2009-02-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is the video of my foster cats.
Hope you like it, and anybody interested in adopting any of these cats, or any others, can check out animaloutreach.ca. The cats in this video are being fostered at Dr. Doo's, located at 572 Dundas St, London. You can also call there if you are interested in adopting any of these cats. 519-642-1130

All the information about the group, and answers to all sorts of questions, including ones about adoption can be found there.

This group is based in London, Ontario, Canada. If you live somewhere else, I'm sure that there is a similar group in your area that you can get in touch with. If you need help, contact me, and I will try and help you find your local adoption agency!

Pet Massage and physical therapy

2009-02-09T17:07:00.000-05:00

The show on the 15th features another special guest, Diana Rodwell-Allen. She is a Pet massage therapist.

We will discuss many different issues, focusing on the treatments that she offers, what they can do for your companion, and why her services are so useful and important.

I have taken the following form her brochure

"Pet massage is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body to achieve specific goals, such as drainage, relaxation or stimulation. In addition it can promote good circulation to all the organs and tissues in your pets body.

Pet massage is also a wonderful and effective form of preventative care. The massage practitioner is often able to feel and detect any abnormalities ie; muscle tension, swollen areas, inflammation or hot spots and lumps, much quicker than by sight or grooming. If any areas of concern are identified you will have the opportunity of taking your pet to your veterinarian immediately - possibly reducing complications. The animal will suffer less trauma and early detection can often assist your vet, possibly helping you avoid costly procedures.

Massage will relax a younger pet, reducing excitement, while increasing strength and flexibility. It will greatly benefit the older, lazy or tired animal giving it a good workout, while increasing circulation and flexibility of joints, also relaxing stiff shoulders, neck, lower back and tail.

Pet massage can be used very successfully in the calming of aggressive animals, as well as, over time, assisting nervous and timid pets to become more outgoing. It also facilitates greater acceptance to dental care, grooming procedures, and nail trimming.

Pets are often more than just our best friends, they are our loving companions, loyal protectors, and often comfort us through many challenging stages in our lives.

Diana's clients believe that anything we can do to increase the life expectancy, improve the quality of life and generally enhance the lives of our pets, is a small way of saying to our pets. "Thank you, we truly appreciate your unconditional love and affection.

Other services that Diana offers are

Therapeutic Touch Therapy (cancer, surgery, and major trauma)
Physical Therapy
Soft Tissue Massage (torn ligaments, muscle damage)
Acupressure
Deep Tissue Massage (Agility, sports and working dogs)
Lymph drainage Therapy
Medical Massage
Orthopaedic massage
Trigger Point Massage
Behavioral Issues

To keep our best friends in optimum health, she advises with nutrition and weight management issues.

The major health issues for our pets today are being overweight and poor nutrition. We can increase the life span of our animals by loving them the right way....good food (the right portions), healthy treats, and a little exercise."

We don't always get a chance on the show to talk about everything that we'd like to, and we get to cover some things we hadn't planned on!

I'll be talking with Diana about what motivated her to enter this field, her training, and courses she has taken, the importance of having a good relationship with your veterinarian, success stories that she's had, and just how she does what she does.

Diana is very focused on nutrition as a primary factor in your companions life, and will help us understand what to look for in a good food for our pet. Should we really be feeding them the same thing day after day?

So make sure you join us for "The Everything Pet Show", Sunday night from 5-6pm

If you'd like to contact Diana, to learn more, ask her if she thinks her services would be of benefit to your animal, rates, etc., you can email her by clicking here

or calling her at (519) 439-4054 or C(519)851-5843

in case the email link doesn't work it's domesticpetmassage@hotmail.com

Hope you tune in, and if you miss the show, don't worry, I'l soon have links so that you can listen again!

Peace - Lisa

Animal Outreah Interview / pet adoption

2009-02-08T12:32:00.002-05:00

This is the second "Everything Pets" Show on AM980 Sunday night from 5-6pm. You can listen to the show by clicking on the preceding link.

Thanks for joining us tonight, we have a great show planned for you. I have a very special guest, Dianne Fortney, she is a founder of "Animal Outreach", among many other things that we'll get to in just a minute. The response to last weeks show has been very encouraging, I've received quite a few comments from people, and some emails as well. The thing that I really enjoy about radio is that here we are sitting in a little booth talking away, and it is almost easy to forget that it is being broadcast out over the airwaves. Because you can't see your audience, sometimes I think – come on, who is REALLY going to be listening to me??
But, wow, it really seems as though you are – and, honestly, I never REALLY forget that you are out there, and I appreciate every single one of you!Before I go any further, I want to let everyone know that I've set up a website to follow the show. You have found it if you're reading this!
The station will have a link to it on their website later on this week, and you can contact me directly there, or you can also reach me by going to am980.ca, and clicking on the contact us link or the show ideas link.

I will be posting show topics, scheduled guests, photos, and other interesting topics as they come up. I hope that you'll enjoy it and find it useful!

Don't hesitate to contact me for any show ideas, questions, comments, praise, criticisms, whatever your heart's desire!

Animal Outreach is a group that is very close to my heart. I foster cats for them, and the 2 cats that I share my home with are also animal outreach cats. I am in awe of the people who devote their lives in such an amazing way to saving the lives of animals that in many cases would not have any advocate. These groups are run by volunteers, who have full time jobs, and come home from often stressful days to spend hours saving the lives of these animals. Returning phone calls, finding foster homes for unwanted/ stray /sick/injured or just otherwise homeless animals.

Here are the cats that I am fostering right now that are available for adoption;

This is Felicia. She is a cat that was rescued from an abusive home. She took quite a while to come into her own, but she has, and she is an extremely sweet girl.

This is White Paws. He was a stray cat that a woman started feeding and taking care of. He decided that he'd had enough of the outdoor life, and wanted to join her household, but she already had cats, and they did not approve of having another!

So, she called animal outreach, and that is how he came to join our family. He is the perfect cat for an older person who doesn't have the time or energy to deal with a kitten. He is extremely affectionate, he is very bonded to me - I call him my boyfriend, but I don't think he would have too much trouble transferring his affections.

These two rascals are Gabby and Parker. They are about 5 1/2 months old. Very healthy, very active, very sweet cats. Parker in particular has a very strong personality, and provides us with endless amusement. These two cats were rescued from Animal control. They were born with severe upper respiratory problems, and they didn' t have the staff to nurse them back to health. hey called animal outreach and asked if they would have someone that would be able to nurse them back to health. They did, and now they are robust and healthy cats looking for a permanent home.

This is little Wilma. Her, her mother, and brother and sister were in the same situation as Gabby and Parker. She is younger - at about 4 months, and has turned into a very affectionate (loves to give kisses) little girl. Her siblings have found homes, and now she is looking for one, too!

This is Pebbles, a 2 year old Tortoiseshell cat. We have had her for about 1 1/2 years. She is very sweet, but like to spend a lot of time alone. I have a feeling that it is because there are so many other cats, and that she would thrive on her own, where someone was able to shower her with all the attention she needs.

This is Whitey. She is the biggest love bug of them all. She is also 2 1/2 years old, I have had her since she was 8 weeks old. Her and her siblings (we had them all, Whitey is the only one left) were live trapped, as their mother was feral. She avoided human cont act until about 6 months or so ago, and now she is making up for lost time. She is a fantastic greeter, and just LOVES to have some one pet her belly and brush her for as long as they are willing

Back to the show.

As I mentioned, my guest tonight is Diane Fortney, she is a founding member of animal outreach

I have quite the show planned, but obviously, I can not tell you what Dianne is going to be saying on the show as we haven't done the show yet!

I do know that I plan to ask her all sorts of things about how she came to run this rescue group, and how they support themselves, stories about cat rescue and adoption - the ups and downs,

And we are also going to be discussing a very topical issue in the city of London right now - The deer in Sifton bog. I think that a lot of the information she will be bringing to the show will be very surprising for a lot of people.

If you want to write a letter to your city councilor concerning the issue, you can find out who your councilor is, and how to reach them by following this link here

There is a link on that page as well to help you find out what ward you live in if you don't know.

Hope you got a chance to listen in. If, after the show I think of anything else I missed, I will update this post.

Thanks for listening/reading, don't forget to email or leave a comment on the blog if you have anything to say!

Have a great day, love your companion animal, and all living beings that grace our planet.

-Lisa

2009-02-05T11:52:00.000-05:00

My name is Lisa Birtch and I'm here to bring you the " Everything Pets Show".

I'll be here on Sundays from 5-6 pm, and we're going to spend the hour talking about ....pets. l really do prefer "companion animal" But that gets to be a mouthful, so we'll say pets sometimes, and companion animal other times!

"The main focus of the show is to help educate pet guardians to help them make more informed decisions regarding their companion animals."

I hope that we can help to kindle in you a desire you become involved in your pet's care, to improve their diet and to become an active partner, with their health care provider in their health and long life.

I believe that our health and the health of our companion animals is closely tied. The relationship that we have with the animals we share our lives with everyday is... oftentimes the closest relationship that may of us will ever experience. It is certainly unique, and I believe that it should be treasured and kindled.

Everything is precious, And the relationships that we as humans have with them is of utmost importance in my view.

So I'm here to help everyone who wants to enjoy your dog and your cat and your rat and your bird, even more than you already do because that is the reason you chose to share your life with an animal, right?

I would like to stress, right off the bat that
The information on this show is meant to supplement the advice and guidance of your veterinarian and is not meant in any way to be taken over the advice and guidance of your vet.
Please consult a licenced veterinarian to help you make informed decisions regarding your pet's care

I want to talk about a lot of things, and I really want to thank everyone here at the station for believing that we can have a great show and for giving me a chance!!!!! I'm pretty excited - who wouldn't be -to talk about something that they are passionate about and care about? And for me, that thing is obviously everything animals!!

And........thanks to everybody listening.

Some of the things that I will be talking about are things like

-How to make traveling with your pet a more enjoyable and relaxed experience.

-how to trim your pets nails with confidence, and the reasons it's so important.

-Pet Adoption/Rescue Organizations

-toxic plants to avoid if you have animals in the house!

-Safe plants to have in the house -especially - when you have cats who have taken up floral arranging as a hobby!

-Integrating a new animal or person into the family.

-Coping with the loss of a pet.

-We'll have guests on the Show to answer questions, and address topical issues.

-And most importantly, we'll ask you to e-mail any questions that you have about your animals, and I'll do my darndest to answer them.

When we get a pet, there is an agreement made to provide a home -shelter, food, etc. for that animal And so you might as well get the most out of it, right?

Now, I'm aware that there is always the person who will say "well, It was never my choice I never wanted this cat in the first place, or, I inherited the dog from someone, and now I'm stuck with it, I never chose to get a pet.
But on some level, you agreed to it, right? And wouldn't you like to reap all of the benefits that pet "ownership has been shown to have?

And most people did acquire their pet just for that reason -enjoyment companionship, and that's what we want to focus on -

Really getting the most out sharing your life with your pet!

No matter how you came to be sharing your life with them

So I'd just like to take a little bit of time and tell you about the reasons why I chose to spend my life with animals and with their well -being as my focus.

when I first moved out on my own - I got a cat - for the first time- my dad never wanted a cat -then I got a puppy!!

Well, that puppy, a golden retriever named Kassie ended up showing me WAY more than I could have known beforehand. We'd always had dogs - my whole life - I can only remember very brief periods of time when we didn't have one, so it was only natural that I wouldn't have been able to live without having my own!

Well, Kassie ended up being absolutely the most allergic dog, I could never have imagined that a dog could be so besieged with "issues".

Before I go any further, I have to say that... of course, she was....... mainly....... the VERY MOST WONDERFUL, PERFECT, SWEET, LOVING, BEATIFIC ANGEL you could dream of

Which is the reason I was so motivated to discover what was wrong with her.

-Her ears stank,,,,,,,,,, And required cleaning regularly

-She chewed her legs and feet - incessantly - non-stop - all the time

-the skin in the folds of her neck would sweat and irritate her

-She just seemed so uncomfortable at times

-She would get so Irritated that I would just get irritated, more frustrated, because I started to wonder if there was ever going to be a way I would be able to help her feel comfortable, and happy

SHE WASN'T LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME - it came and went, there would be stretches when she'd be just fine - and then - BOOM -
I starting thinking that maybe changing her food would make a difference, and it did, for a while, then it would be right back to the same old thing. Everytime I changed her Food it would help for a little while, then it would be the same thing again
I tried every shampoo, spray, remedy, prescription, food , EVERYTHING for quite a while
I went to every store
I talked to every person that I thought MIGHT be able to help
Then I found some people who were incredibly knowledgeable, and when I talked to them, the things they were saying just made sense

And.... their ideas helped. Kassie began to feel better - her fur grew back, her ears stopped getting infected and sore, she stopped chewing her feet, she lost her stinky doggy odour.

I still had to make sure that her ears were cleaned - but not nearly as often, and they certainly didn't require the same amount of attention, but they became easier to maintain.
In short, it changed our lives.
I learned so much from them, and because of them, I began to work in the field of animals in a retail store that sold healthy pet food and supplements. I saw everyday that the way that people feed and take care of their animals had a profound effect.

And I started to learn more.
Animals are such great teachers - it's like there is no filter - there is just cause and effect.
And it's quite easy to see when we just learn how to see it.

Just the fact that their metabolisms are so much faster than ours allows us to see JUST how profound and lasting making the best decisions we can regarding their well being can have. We have all heard that one human year equals 7 dog years, so think
about that in terms of being able to see positive changes in their health.

Before I started to learn so much about animals, I had learned quite a bit about people. I had been in a pretty bad car accident and as a result of that I had investigated, and then became educated in the field of complimentary health care for people.

I am a certified clinical herbal practitioner, and although I do not practice herbal or other forms of nutritional therapy on humans, or on pets in that capacity what that knowledge allowed me to do was to become more versed in certain terminology, and to be able to make informed choices for myself in regards to using foods therapeutically for myself and my family and to see the effect that those things had on us.
The knowledge I gained from my studies also allowed me to be able to weed through more information more quickly than I would otherwise have been able to do, and gave me valuable resources and ways to research all manner of things pertaining to the vast world of "alternative health"
Again, I am in no way trained in the veterinary sciences, and will never presume to give out any advice pertaining to those things that you should talk to your vet about - which should be really everything to do with your animal.

What I hope to accomplish is to educate and inform so that the time that you and your vet spend together can be more productive.

I am a strong believer that your relationship with your veterinarian is of utmost importance, and my plan is to have veterinarians on the show to be one of our primary resources to help answer your questions, and address topics of interest and concern to all of us.

I was just talking about my experience regarding human health and going to school - basically to try and help myself recover my life after a bad car accident.

What I really discovered when I began talking to people about themselves and their health is that, unless they REALLY had a problem, they weren't really interested in doing much to help themselves. If They couldn't just take a pill to fix themselves, they, mostly, just really didn't see the point!

But, after I started working in the health food store for pets, I realized that people would take your advice in regards to their pets health, and they would be consistent and follow through - and, they would see positive change. I realized that by helping people improve their relationships with their pets, they may start to see the positive effects certain changes could have on themselves as well, and on their own well being.

My involvement in the animal world also includes the fact that I am privileged to serve on an advisory committee here in the city of London, known as the "Animal Welfare Advisory Committee"
This committee is made up of a group of wonderful, DEDICATED, caring members of the community who volunteer their time energy and expertise to fulfill the following mandate taken from the city of London's website

All information about the advisory committee can be found at this link

I'd just like to talk a little bit more about the advisory committee, because I really feel like there are important things that animal lovers, especially in London would like to know that are happening
The advisory committee was created as a result of a recommendation from the "Companion Animal Welfare Task Force",

Report submitted to the city in July 2006.

I am honored that I was also a member of that task force, and I was privileged to see just how the system does, actually, sometimes work. The task force came about as a result of much continued pressure on the city by a small group of dedicated people who were committed to bringing about change in the way that London dealt with animal issues.

We made many recommendations to the city, in particular, in regards to the relationship it had with the Animal Care and Control Centre, and the contract that the city has with them. Many of these recommendations were adopted by the city, and we can all be proud of our city because of it.

One thing that came about as a result of the task force, and the advisory committee is the city's new feral cat program

Again, from the city's website - just so I keep my facts straight -

Click here
Now, I know that this has been a "hot button topic for a lot of people, and any concerns seem to center around the justifications for spending money on any kind of initiative to control feral cats. In particular an objection I read in the paper was "how dare the municipality spend a single dime to help stray cats when there is any single person suffering due to lack of basically anything, and that only after all the people are taken care of should we even begin to think about spending on cats

Well the point that I WOULD like to make here is that the city is ALREADY spending money dealing with stray and feral cats - which, by the way are two seperate things
Feral means Feral cats were never tamed or socialized. They avoid humans and usually run away. Feral cats are very untrusting -so much so, they will wait to go to food if humans are in sight.
Stray cats were once pets. They are tame, friendly and will allow you to get close and pet them. Stray cats can be rescued and adopted to a home. They are sometimes vocal.
So the city is already dealing with and spending money on this issue - mostly through animal control. What the task force and the advisory committee were able to do was enable the city to see - through programs that have already been tested in a number of other municipalities is that it is actually more cost effective to develop programs such as the city's TNVR program than it is to capture and euthanize these animals which is what was happening previously.
So, implementing this program was done because not only is it more cost effective, but it is also kinder and more humane. This was an excellent example to me of how a city can function as a corporation, at the same time taking into consideration being humane and caring. Where there is a will there is a way, and I will say that in my opinion, there truly are some wonderful politicians right here that are willing and want to make our city a better place to live.
People can be quite quick to judge and make assumptions, but those who truly care will want to learn more before deciding what to think.
And that's really what I want to do in this time - Help inform so that you can be better informed to make up your own mind and also so you can make better decisions regarding your pets life I would encourage anybody who wants to know more about this TNVR to check out the city's website at this link - again

I'm Lisa Birtch, and I'd like to continue to talk about the things that we'll be talking about here on the show in the weeks to come.
One important subject is Coping with the loss of a pet. This can be a devastating thing to deal with, and something that a lot of people have difficulty understanding
Quite often, when someone loses a pet, people don't know what to say, a common reaction is to tell the person to go out and "get a new dog/cat puppy/kitten and they'll be fine. This is not always the case. We'll discuss this and help not only the person who has lost the pet, but also the other people in that person's life understand it.

The whole nail trimming issue - for dogs and for cats - why it is so important -
long nails split rip bleed painful
cats get stuck, tear
chronic long - change dog's gait - lead to arthritis
how often you should do it, and how to get rid of the stress involved in doing it!

Pet Adoption and rescue - what is involved - close to my heart
why is it important
how you can help

Importance of regular vet check ups
again with fast metabolism - one year=7
catch things early
preventative medicine much more effective

Games and things to do with your pets -
how to enrich your own life through doing this
New ideas that you may not have thought of

Leads back to your suggestions - again email is here send in your comments, ideas, questions, what have you, I'd love to know what you think,
and what you consider burning issues.
Won't promise to get to all of them, but I'll do my best!

So, this brings us to our final segment of the show

Thanks so much for tuning in
I know some of you are catching this cause you're waiting for The SUPERBOWL to start, so, I hope some of you like it, and tune in again next Sunday night - Feb 8th From 5-6pm here on AM980

Again, I am really looking forward to the weeks ahead and all the possibilities that we have to really talk about animals and our relationships with them.

I don't think that I can stress enough just really how important they are in our lives, and what incredible gifts they can really be to us when they are thriving.

There is nothing like bundling up to take your dog out in the minus whatever weather, grumbling the whole time, then being so glad that we got out there with them because we saw the most beautiful frost or a beautiful bird, coming home and curling up with our cat to watch a movie, and falling asleep to a purr lullaby instead, or any of the wonderful things we're exposed to because of having an animal in our lives.

Thanks again for listening

Don't forget to email suggestions and comments to

EMAIL

Check out the show on the web on AM980.ca

And, we'll talk to you next Sunday - Feb 8th Here on AM 980 5-6pm