An interesting article today on Boston.com caught my attention. Our adoration of our pets is not a new topic, but those impossibly difficult life or death decisions do take us right to edge sometimes.
In the post, Vicki Constantine Croke asks if we are governed by our hearts, our pockets (vet bills can be ruinous), by the pet's quality of life or by any other factors. From my experiences as a pet owner and as Editor of DoggySnaps, I suspect the pet's quality of life is a major factor. I can't think of a single person who owns a pet who could watch it suffer in terminal pain and not step in to make an unpleasant but necessary decision. I also don't know of a single person who wouldn't do everything in their power to bring a beloved pet back from the brink if the offer was there, even if it meant emptying their bank account. And it's this second point that sometimes shocks non-pet owners, who might not be familiar with the strong familial bond that can develop between a pet and their owner.
Croke argues that people who go to extreme lengths to get the best treatment for their pets shouldn't "ever feel compelled to be accountable to those skeptics... animals are capable of bringing out the best in us - our very humanity... science has shown over and over again that pets add real value to our lives - they can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, provide higher survival rates after heart attacks, and calm us in stressful situations."
It's all true. At Dogs Trust we deal with dogs in all states of health. Some are brought into us in a terrible state, others are thankfully rehomed in perfect health. When we say we'll 'never put a healthy dog down', that includes doing everything in our power to make a dog healthy again, provided doing so will leave them with a decent quality of life. This can include missing limbs or being deaf or blind; these are not barriers to being a wonderful family pet, as many owners can testify. Out of 16,000+ dogs in our care last year, fewer than 400 died in our care, including those who died naturally of prior illness or old age.
Dogs Trust does have an emergency fund to help desperate pet owners, although this is extremely limited. However there are also veterinary entitlement cards for homeless owners, low-cost neutering programmes for people claiming benefits and other schemes. Charities such as the PDSA focus on subsidised health care, too. It's important to take care of the small health issues promptly so that they don't become big ones, and insurance is fast becoming an essential expenditure.
So if your pet is ill and the people around you can't understand the expenditure or heart you put into their treatment, just remember that there are whole organisations of people who have every sympathy with you and will help wherever they can.
Showing posts with label canine health charter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canine health charter. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Friday, 16 May 2008
Active Family, Active Dog: Dogs Trust and Joanna Hall launch fitness campaign
Obesity isn't just a problem in people, but in dogs, too. The solution is to eat well and get plenty of exercise, and what better way to solve the problem in both two and four-legged creatures than by exercising together?
Dogs Trust has teamed up with fitness guru Joanna Hall to launch the 'Active Family, Active Dog' campaign and research trial. We're reminding everyone that walking a dog is a great way to:
Joanna explains: "Research shows that getting families to be more physically active as a whole improves group dynamics, increases family cohesion and significantly increases motivation. We're now asking real families to 'walk out' with a dog and see how they too can get healthy and still have fun together."
So not only will your family be fitter, they'll be happier and more confident too. You can learn more about the Active Family, Active Dog campaign from flyers distributed at the Summer Open Day at Harefield on the 8th of June, where you'll also get a chance to have fun and hang out with dog-loving TV celebs.
If you can't make it, or want to register your email, contact the campaign at activefamilyactivedog@walkactive.co.uk
What is Active Family, Active Dog all about?
Dogs Trust is looking for committed volunteers to sign up to a six-week family fitness and dog walking programme, running from 7th September to 12th October. You don't need to have a dog of your own, but must be willing to introduce one into your home for the six week period. You must also be able to make yourself available for fitness tests, health monitoring and practical active tasks throughout the trial.
Each family will be allocated a specific rescue dog according to their lifestyle and will be responsible for his or her care throughout the six weeks, as well as bringing them to Harefield for weekly updates, tests and activities. Sunday morning sessions from 9am - 12 noon will take place at the centre. Measurements of the benefits of walking your dog will be taken at the start and throughout the trial, along with simple physical and psychological tests to gauge self-esteem, fitness and family cohesion.
If successful, the trial may extend to all 17 Rehoming Centres. Media (photographers and TV) might be present during the trial.
Dogs Trust has teamed up with fitness guru Joanna Hall to launch the 'Active Family, Active Dog' campaign and research trial. We're reminding everyone that walking a dog is a great way to:
- Burn calories
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce stress
- Boost your immune system
- Improve your family life
Joanna explains: "Research shows that getting families to be more physically active as a whole improves group dynamics, increases family cohesion and significantly increases motivation. We're now asking real families to 'walk out' with a dog and see how they too can get healthy and still have fun together."
So not only will your family be fitter, they'll be happier and more confident too. You can learn more about the Active Family, Active Dog campaign from flyers distributed at the Summer Open Day at Harefield on the 8th of June, where you'll also get a chance to have fun and hang out with dog-loving TV celebs.
If you can't make it, or want to register your email, contact the campaign at activefamilyactivedog@walkactive.co.uk
What is Active Family, Active Dog all about?
Dogs Trust is looking for committed volunteers to sign up to a six-week family fitness and dog walking programme, running from 7th September to 12th October. You don't need to have a dog of your own, but must be willing to introduce one into your home for the six week period. You must also be able to make yourself available for fitness tests, health monitoring and practical active tasks throughout the trial.
Each family will be allocated a specific rescue dog according to their lifestyle and will be responsible for his or her care throughout the six weeks, as well as bringing them to Harefield for weekly updates, tests and activities. Sunday morning sessions from 9am - 12 noon will take place at the centre. Measurements of the benefits of walking your dog will be taken at the start and throughout the trial, along with simple physical and psychological tests to gauge self-esteem, fitness and family cohesion.
If successful, the trial may extend to all 17 Rehoming Centres. Media (photographers and TV) might be present during the trial.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Study claims owning a dog reduces allergies and boosts immune system
A six-year-long German study following some 9,000 volunteers appears to confirm what pet owners have suspected all along: that having a dog is good for your health.
Oh, I'm not talking about the things we've known for years: the extra exercise, agility, mental stimulation and emotional comfort. Having a dog, according to the study, helps to "train the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies like asthma, eczema and hay fever."
The research was conducted by Joachim Heinrich's team at the National Research Centre for Environmental Health in Munich. Admittedly, every study will involve a margin for human errors of memory, and in this instance parents were asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire about possible allergic symptoms in their children. However, blood samples were also taken from a third of the group (around 3,000 children) to test for common allergy antibodies.
Heinrich's conclusion?
"Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during subjects' infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and inhaled allergens."
Interestingly, children who had frequent contact with dogs but did not have a pet at home did not benefit from the same protective effect. Further study would be needed to establish the reasons why, but the hypothesis (which sounds like common sense to a lot of people) is that kids might get "beneficial early exposure to germs carried into the house on the animal's fur".
So, to those people who still wrinkle their noses and claim that animals are dirty it seems we can answer "maybe so, but our children are healthier for it!". (Besides, when was the last time those people cleaned their keyboards...?)
After all, remember Canine Charter for Human Health from Dogs Trust?
Canine Charter for Human Health
1) Owning a dog helps to reduce stress
2) Owning a dog can help to reduce blood pressure
3) Dog owners visit the doctor less
4) Dog owners take more exercise
5) Dogs can help to increase the attention span of children with learning difficulties
6) Owning a dog can boost your immune system
7) Dog owners are more likely to recover from a heart attack
8) People who have a dog tend to live longer
9) Some dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures
10) Dogs can help safeguard against loneliness and depression
[via The Register]
Oh, I'm not talking about the things we've known for years: the extra exercise, agility, mental stimulation and emotional comfort. Having a dog, according to the study, helps to "train the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies like asthma, eczema and hay fever."
The research was conducted by Joachim Heinrich's team at the National Research Centre for Environmental Health in Munich. Admittedly, every study will involve a margin for human errors of memory, and in this instance parents were asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire about possible allergic symptoms in their children. However, blood samples were also taken from a third of the group (around 3,000 children) to test for common allergy antibodies.
Heinrich's conclusion?
"Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during subjects' infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and inhaled allergens."
Interestingly, children who had frequent contact with dogs but did not have a pet at home did not benefit from the same protective effect. Further study would be needed to establish the reasons why, but the hypothesis (which sounds like common sense to a lot of people) is that kids might get "beneficial early exposure to germs carried into the house on the animal's fur".
So, to those people who still wrinkle their noses and claim that animals are dirty it seems we can answer "maybe so, but our children are healthier for it!". (Besides, when was the last time those people cleaned their keyboards...?)
After all, remember Canine Charter for Human Health from Dogs Trust?
Canine Charter for Human Health
1) Owning a dog helps to reduce stress
2) Owning a dog can help to reduce blood pressure
3) Dog owners visit the doctor less
4) Dog owners take more exercise
5) Dogs can help to increase the attention span of children with learning difficulties
6) Owning a dog can boost your immune system
7) Dog owners are more likely to recover from a heart attack
8) People who have a dog tend to live longer
9) Some dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures
10) Dogs can help safeguard against loneliness and depression
[via The Register]
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