GOOD LINKS!
NOTE: Emergency, Disaster Relief, Help for Military Pets, Rescue, Donate to and/or Be Helped By Web Site Links are to be found on THIS page
this page has some links I've found useful or valuable or otherwise interesting. My "old salts" however may find the page stripped down - it was getting very full of too much fluff. I hope you find use for the ones that are on here!
If you check out a link and get pop-ups....I apologize. I don't like them, either, and don't put them on my site!
If you come across a broken link, please let me know!
Feel free to suggest any links you might like me to check out...
Some of the links on this page include:
ALSO
Interesting, Fun & Useful Items
NOTE If you're interested in any of the things I've mentioned but the links I have don't work or the suppliers no longer carry them just do your own web search for them, I'm sure most or all of them are still otherwise available. I can't keep track of all of 'em. These aren't money-making opportunities for me - the links are just places I once found, or bought, the items. DO let me know about any changes you stumble upon so I can update my site. Thanks!
DOGGIE CATCHER
This is where I got my fantastic seat belt (car restraint) for my baby Fox Mulder Rich! The belt was highly recommended in one of my favorite dog publications and I bought one over the 'net. The owner of the company worked with me extensively to made sure the belt was suitable (as my car has some unusual specifications) and the belt has saved my dog twice from hitting the dash when I had to "break it" hard. Here's the link to their home page:
and be sure to check out their "Customer Pics" page - you'll see my pup right on top, smiling away!
July 2008 note: it has saved Fox four times already! Aug 2009 note Add two more times on there....
KITTY HARNESS and
KITTY WALKING JACKET
Another great product I found was a kitty Walking Jacket. It wraps around Danny (his current weight 14 lbs) and is wide enough to cover enough girth to hold and guide him securely, but thin enough to not restrict him. This one you've got to try to believe ~ it's that good. I bought it off of eBay and when I asked the seller how folks could buy one outright because I wanted to promote it on my site, she asked that I put her email address here (she does animal rescue and this is an additional activity for her so there's no formal site specifically for the sales of this product). Her name is Missy Zane and her email address is missyz@earthlink.net.
FUN FOR KITTIES!
Danny very much enjoys Video Catnip, a video (DVD, in our case) of cat-oriented footage (such as birds) with the occasional bird noises. It's set up to "loop" (keeps going over and over without you having to re-start it). I keep it going 24/7 on the spare bedroom's tv. He wanders in there every so often, checks on his "birdies", writhes around, paws at the screen, watches them, then leaves, only to return later on to "supervise" his prey. Every once in a blue moon he'll come in to see me to tell me something about his "birdies" and then just walk away. UnREAL. You can buy this at VideoCatnip.com. Go there and click on the link for that product. There are a few related pages you can click on to read about it (such as Why cats go bonkers over Video Catnip).
There are other similar types of videos and DVDs on the net, I'm just mentioning that one.
Also ~
PANIC MOUSE - GREAT CAT TOY!
A good friend sent me a present for Daniel. UNREAL. It's the 360 version of the Panic Mouse cat toy (360 as in - it rotates all the way around). Here's one link about it. On the 'net there are tons of links for places to buy it. I only included this one as it has their video and so on. P.S. Danny went nuts. It's the ultimate babysitter. He also loves to drag the whole toy around the house, and/or remove the "mouse" and play with it separately. Once it's put back on to the toy, the chasing fun starts all over again. Hours of fun! Do a net search for it and its additional pole-with-balls.
SKAMPER RAMP - Helps prevent DROWNINGS!
PEEING PROBLEMS?
You can read my write-up, it may be of some help, and...there are also a myriad of products out there. Here's one site that specializes on just this problem!
Planet Urine ~ Just take the time to at least look at their home page to you'll see all they have to offer, and bookmark it for future use, referrals to others, etc.
From their home page:
We are THE Pet Urine Experts
The information, products, and services offered to you on this web site are the culmination of:
Many years and many thousands of dollars invested in the research, design, testing and refining of the best pet urine products on the market today Over 2,300 pages of written research in pet behavioral problems and solutions
Over 10 years of carpet cleaning and maintenance specializing in the removal of pet urine stains and odors... permanently!
So that gives you an idea. Hopefully they'll be a valuable resource to folks who are having problems with pets peeing around the place, as not only can you and I have talks with the pet, most times you will have to do physical-universe "real world" r e i n f o r c i n g.
SAFETY, SECURITY, INSURANCE
PET INSURANCE - for that safe & secure "just in case" feeling
This has come up countless times with clients where they're suddenly faced with a medical or health situation with a pet and the costs are coming in fast and furious. They then regret having put off buying pet insurance so do yourself a favor and check them out now before they're "needed".
VPI - Veterinarian Pet insurance - is the company that I use; you may find some other one is better for you. I'm basically locked into them at this point in and couldn't change if I wanted to (pre-existing conditions.. age of pets...). I've used them for many years and they've changed some over the years so do shop around. They have definitely come in handy quite a few times. Here's the link http://www.petinsurance.comNOTE They donated $25,000 to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Disaster Relief Fund right after Hurricane Katrina hit!
The Auto Club (Triple A) announced that they now offer Pet Insurance for their members; I don't know anything about it but figured I'd mention it.
I just got an announcement from the ASPCA that they, too, now offer pet insurance. Here's their announcement:
As a responsible pet parent, you may have already felt the pain of rising veterinary costs—but that doesn’t have to stop you from getting veterinary care for your pets when they need it. Pet health insurance can help cover these costs, so you won’t have to face the tough choice of your pet’s well-being or your personal finances.
The ASPCA is proud to bring ASPCA Pet Health Insurance to our 1,000,000 members and pet parents all across North America. While the plans are structured to pass along savings to pet parents, a small portion of all premiums goes directly to support our critical work*—so while you take care of the four-legged members of your family, you’ll be helping us to take care of animals everywhere. For a free quote and more information on our plan options, please visit ASPCA online or call (866) 861-9092.
* Under the terms of an agreement with the Hartville Group, the ASPCA is guaranteed at least $1.6 million over the next 5 years. As part of this agreement, Hartville is contributing 10 percent of the first year’s premium for every Internet enrollment and 5 percent of the first year’s premium for every call center enrollment, as well as 2.5 percent of renewals.
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There is also Pet First Healthcare's insurance. I don't know anything about them but came across their site from a link in an e-newsletter I get from PetTags. You can check them out as well.
Here's another one who contacted me about their services ~ here's what they have to say:
Straight 80% Reimbursement after Deductible Choose Any Veterinarian or Specialist
Fast Claims Payments
Lifetime Continuous Coverage
Better Benefits, Fewer Hassles
A veterinarian I know strongly recommended them..
(Link takes you to some info on this page; return here when done if you'd like.)
MICROCHIPS
There is more than one type of microchip. At this point in time, the scanner for one will not read the information programmed into the other brand's chip, but the scanner WILL at least pick up that there is a chip in the animal and what type (according to what my vet told me).
My pets happen to be chipped with an Avid brand. My vet happens to use Home Again. That's fine, I just know that that's the way it is. IF my vet scanned an animal and discovered it had an Avid chip he would at least know the animal had a chip and could have it scanned elsewhere for the iD info.
Tip: When I take one of my pets in for their annual check-up, I have my vet scan them just to make sure their chip works and hasn't "traveled". He says that it's only the older brands of chips that "travel", but I have them checked anyway.
Different vets insert them in different places. Insertion is quick and easy and is said to cause no more discomfort than getting a shot. Chips can be inserted in the loose skin in an animal's neck or on the outer edge of the ear. The most common place I've pesonally heard of is in the loose neck skin area.
The chips contain a serial number which is registered in a database. The number links the animal to an owner's contact information, as well as several alternative contact numbers (vet, relative, etc.)
Companies that provide the service: The Humane Society (228-863-3354) and several national companies provide the service: American Veterinary ID Devices (AVID), www.avid.com, (800) 336-AVID; IDENTICHIP, www.identichip.com (800) 926-1313; Home Again, info@akc.org, (800) 926-1313; Companion Animal Recovery, www.akccar.org, (800) 252-7894; PetNet, (800) 738-6385.
Tip: Don't forget to get and keep your information up to date! When I got Danny from the Humane Society, they mentioned he was "already microchipped" (Avid) and "the information about that's in this folder" (the same folder with all the medical notes, the Welcome Packet of flyers and brochures, etc.). Caught up in the new kitten-ness of it all, I didn't think about the microchip until later. It occurred to me to wonder if they had my info! I thought little about that; it just gave me a feeling of security to know it had already been done. The papers were in with a bunch of other paperwork such as, coupons, flyers, adoption papers, etc., and having a new kitty, I was caught up in his adjustment, his vet visits and this and that, and didn't really look at the papers too closely right away. One day I did, and thought Hmm.....and called the Humane Society. They would microchip an animal and the information reflected just that - them. Nothing wrong with that, but once the animal was adopted out and was going to be kept by the new humans, these new owners needed to let the microchip register company know who they are! Now, this may be "duh" material to you or even to me, now, but at the time it just didn't occur to me. The Humane Society does not do register them! So if Danny had been scanned, "the Humane Society" would have been the "contact". I'm not too sure even with their record keeping that I would have ever seen him again.
I called Avid up to register him and further found out that I needed to pay the Registration fee to register my own information. That was fine! but I didn't know. I did so over the phone using my charge card and got all of the information registered.
Then I felt more secure.
Here are a couple of links I found when researching microchips for pets.
PUBLICATIONS
REFERENCE SITES:
A very informed, reputable and up-to-date resources.
Bugs 'R' Done
A product (pesticide) you can use as you would any other (Raid, Black Flag) which is not toxic to your pets. I first read about it in an aticle in the New York Post a few years back but it's no longer available online (the article) so I can't link to it. `
Their site says, "BUGS 'R' DONE™ is a highly effective environmentally safe indoor and outdoor insecticide containing pure orange peel oil, nature's own botanically-derived, insecticide. In combination with four other ingredients, all named by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as 'GRAS,' Generally Regarded as Safe in human foods, BUGS 'R' DONE™ bears a warning free EPA-approved label in EPA's least hazardous category IV. It is labeled both for use around food, children, and pets anywhere inside and outside homes, schools, and restaurants, and it kills disease-carrying cockroaches, flies, mosquitos, and fire ants."
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LOOKING TO GET A CAT OR DOG?
Pet Finder! This renowned site will help you find a Cat or Dog right in your area. The petfinder.com site has also got a lot of other resources, posting areas, and so on.
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Misc
Pet ID Tags
There are a lot of these types of companies out there; this is the one I've used for years. I love the Patriotic tag I got for Fox and when the color finally fades, I get another. I keep 2 or 3 on hand to swap out so he's never without his special "look"!. The flag tag is a large bone with a full color American flag on one side and the pet information on the other side. I also appreciate the high quality personalized collar for Danny my cat). These guys have great quality and fair prices. Go to www.PetTags.com.
Misc Pet amenities, travel accommodations, info exchange board, etc.: http://www.petswelcome.com (Note to travelers, the Auto Club also offers a book of pet-friendly accommodations.)
LINKS AND MORE LINKS!
Pet Care, Travel, etc.
For information on pets, pet-friendly rental housing, animal shelters in your area and related topics, go to www.hsus.org/petsforhealth and look at the various links (such as at the bottom, under the article).
Health, Behavior and Breed Selection related:
MEDICAL & SIMILAR:
As of this writing, they've got a coupon area where you enter your name, address etc and you get "over $30 worth of coupons from leading petcare companies."
Poison
WATER QUALITY
This is the link to read up on my personal favorite, Penta Water: (Penta = "5" and has to do with the molecular structure of the water etc.) Link is http://www.pentawater.com/_pw/ourprocess.php?sub=1&item=2. It's a very pure, deeply hydrating water and I've personally found it to be head-and-shoulders above the others when it comes to hot weather, frequent panting, and the like. Mom's personal favorite is water from Iceland. It's water that's actually from Iceland, (read the label to make sure it's the right stuff), which according to our layman's research, has the lowest amount of particles. This is invaluable for overwhelmed already strained, damaged or compromised kidneys and other organs for us and our pets! Walgreens has it, our local health food stores have it, etc. You can read up on it on the net as well, of course. Here's one link. A lot of the versions seem to be from this one ompany or source, so check out this link as well.
Remember how cool it was the first time your doctor took your temperature with a digital thermometer instead of that glass/mercury traditional type? Eez-breeze. Well now they've got 'em for dogs, and I've come across plenty of folks who do home health care for their pets, monitoring physical conditions and the like. If nothing else, get one for your pet emergency kit and have it handy Just In Case. They've got some other handy pet care products as well.
PEEING ISSUES
I've got a separate section on this on another page. There are a write-up, some tips, and some related links. PLEASE read the write-up.
You should know about this product I came acoss if you feel it's the "only" solution and certainly for unusual and relevant circumstances. (This is just one catalog's link, there are similar products available from many different sources.)
Stress Relief for Pets
Aunt Julie is VERY anti-mental drugs for animals and always has been and always will be.
It's fine with me to answer your questions as to why - I'm not offended! nor should you be either.
"Mellow Out" Pet Relief Supplement: "Seasonal storms packing frightening thunder are a serious problem for pets. Soothe your anxious pet with 'Mellow Out' Pet Relaxant, a safe, natural formula that helps reduce nervous tension and promote relaxation for pets — without side effects. Pet Relaxant is formulated to help calm excessive behavior without reducing alertness, using the gentle properties of herbs to deliver desired results. It helps alleviate stress associated with trips to the vet or groomer, traveling or being separated from owner." There are two versions, the regular and the one which also contains Essential Greens.
(Oxyfresh has other pet products as well.Here's some info covering what they've got for pets.
OxyfreshInfo.pdf
They recently added some good stuff! Worth a peek...)
If you're not signed up with Oxyfresh as a Distributor, you can still buy as a Retail Customer right from the site but you'll have to buy using someone's Distributor number. Just use mine, which is 180609859 / Julie Rich. It's no great money thing, it's just so that you can purchase it! If you want to be a Distributor, I'm sure you can sign up under me - I don't actuvely do this like an "MLM" but can certainly get the info on how you sign up. I any case, he above is so you can buy their products as a "Retail Customer" right from them.
Again, go to their main site to learn about them and their products or just sign up as a Retail Customer using the above bold link and order that way, using my Distributor # as the "how you found out about it" (you'll see). You'll use Customer Sign In (at the top) to order (unless of course you end up signing up as a Distributor and then you order that way etc.)
Rescue Remedy
Ive never had the need to try it on my dog but I'm passing it along because many swear by it (and it's not a drug). Here's one link to buy it - the "source", actually (there are others, just type in Rescue Remedy in any search engine): http://www.bachflower.com/Rescue_Remedy.htm
NOTE JANUARY 2009 Someone sent me this email warning. I looked on their site and the "pastilles" DO contain Xylitol, this IS dangerous for dogs and they do mention it in their product description on their site.
"Many use Bach rescue remedy for dogs the liquid and the spray continue to be safe however, they use Xylitol in the pastilles (candy) and this is dangerous to dogs. The pasted info below is from the company:
' Stress relief now come in the form of pastilles ~ New Bach Rescue® Pastilles have been especially formulated using the Orignal Bach Flower Remedy formula for use by the whole family, including children. Dr. Bach formulated Rescue® Remedy nearly a hundred years ago, yet never before has it been more relevant with millions of people relying on Rescue™ Remedy throughout the world to get themselves through the complications and shocks of life. ~ Rescue® Pastilles are ideal for coping with exam stress, driving tests, first day of school nerves, job interviews and high pressure environments. The funky tin with an easy "press on the lid" opening and closing mecanism. It is easy to take anywhere and with natural flavouring safe for use by the whole family. Until further notice please do not use Rescue Pastilles on Dogs due to the sweetener Xylitol. ~ Questions: safety@bachflower.saf' "
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NOTE August 2009: I went to the health food store last month and bought some for Fox in case I ever wanted to try it. I thought he might prefer little pills in his wet food over a liquid which I thought could possibly be nasty tasting. (I guess it's not, but I didn't know, then..) Anyway I looked at their line of Bach Rescue Remedy products. A lady who worked there came over and I told her what I was interested in. She told me I could use the pill ones for humans, for my dog, that they'd sold them to folks for pet usage. I read the ingredients and spotted the Xylitol and corrected her immediately. She commented, "I'm a dog owner..." but just goes to show you, just because someone has a pet, doesn't mean they know about that pet's body, chemistry, best interests, etc. Hey, when I got a dog, did I know chocolate could be bad? Macadamia nuts? Whoda thunk?
Drs. Foster & Smith: A catalog / web site I've gotten many items from. This link is just one alternative site to get Rescue Remedy that I found, there are many others as well, but they've got some additional what-I-assume-to-be non- "mental" drug products (including Rescue Remedy).
Happy Traveler - For Dogs, Cats and Other Pets. Available from mothernature.com, here is the direct link. From Ark Naturals. Per the site, "What are the benefits and uses of Happy Traveler? Eases separation, travel anxiety, motion sickness and tension caused by changes in your pet's daily routine. Happy Traveler was designed by a nutrition and herbal scientist using premium, human-grade natural materials. Non habit-forming; no harmful side effects when used as directed."
Alternative Health Care for Pets
A lot of folks are seeking alternative health and medical care and treatment for their pets. I don't know who to recommend, but the March 2006 issue of Dog Fancy did include list of organizations to contact when seeking this type of thing for your dog (perhaps they can assist with cat owners?). I haven't researched it much further but it should suffice -
If you know of any you'd like to pass along, let me know and I'll add them the above table. If any of the links or email links don't work or the phone numbers are wrong, let me know so I can update my site. (LInks re-checked Mar 2k10.)
Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy
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AltVetMed Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine
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The American Academy of Veterinary Acupunture
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American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
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American Veterinary Chiropractic Association
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International Alliance for Animal Therapy and Healing
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International Veterinary Acupuncture Society
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Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association
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I saw someone's business card at a local health food store. She's a "Wholistic Vet" (holistic techniques such as homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal therapy, her card said). I went to her site to see what kind of resource she might be. I can't vouch for her one way or the other, but from browsing her site, I saw that she has a good Useful Links page which is a page of links to relevant sites (learning about and being able to order homeopathic products, related books about humans and about pets, etc.) Worth checking out.
They've got some great information links ("Disease Information" links which include not only the usual suspects such as Hip Dysplasia but also Thyroid, etc.
The Pet Center: A wealth of health info! "The Internet Animal Hospital is open 24 hours a day!" They've got links such as Waiting Room Exam Room, Surgery Room, Radiology...it's incredible. e http://www.thepetcenter.com
FREEBIE!
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FREE Gift Kits for Shelter Or Adoption Organizations!
Check the link out and once you see what it is and how it works, see if applies to you or anyone you know and spread the word!
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PayPal (themseves) Links
Sign up with PayPal 
and/or
Sign up with PayPal as a Merchant here:
Personalized and Unique Pet Items
D'YOU MISS BILLY CRYSTAL AT THE OSCARS?
Didja see the 2006 Academy Awards?
Go to Armchair Expert's product page and see this item:
(there are other items as well at Armchair Expert's Shop... and the main page shows the logo at the top of the page at a much larger size)
Bringback Billy - the ultimate play on words! That was the year of.. Brokeback Mountain.. and a year we sorely missed Billy Crystal's presence as the Host Extrordinaire. Your pet can help spread the word even now! UPDATE 2007, ok, we know Billy hasn't made it back yet for the Oscars. Maybe he will! In any case, you can still own a piece of history! UPDATE 2008 We STILL miss him!! BRING BACK BILLY!
GREAT SITE FOR DOG LOVERS! Dog stuff abounding!!
Go to Doggone Good. They've got the widest variety of dog lovers's doo-dads you can imagine. You'll LOVE it! Click on pretty much any of their links on the left side and browse away!
Like the familiar "Snuggly", you can comfortably carry around your dog! Testimonials and pix on site. Note, this is a Canadian company so contact them for shipping rates etc.
DOG COSTUME I PARTICULARLY LIKED
There are a lot of cute and creative pet costumes out there but for some reason I totally loved this one so just had to list it! I hate what it's called (Pimp Dog costume) but I love the way it looks! Just check it out....
JB Wholesale Catalog Unique Products including for Holidays!
Christmas pet costumes and products are easy to come by but not always so for other Holidays and occasions (Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Patriotic, etc.). Many catalogs and net searches will yield some good varieties. I saw some great products in JB's snail mail catalog so went to their site to find the link so I could put it on my site. The Holiday page link doesn't exist (unto itself) all year around but is worth checking back for as the time grows nearer. Look for it or whatever similar they have on their site. Other catalogs and internet searchs will give you links to Holiday products as well, but I just wanted to mention these as I stumbled across them and liked them.
PET FRIENDLY ICE MELTER
They've now got a pet-friendly granulated Ice Melter for all you cold weather regions! Here is one link for it (there are others).
PERSONALIZED PET ITEMS
Personal Creations:
Browse these search boxes for items of interest:
Offers handmade flyball, training, everyday wear dog collars, leads, and many other fine products.
This one's got some cool outdoor gear for your dog:
And these folks have some unique and hard-to-find products for all types of animals. Fun to browse!
UNIQUE HANUKAH ITEM FOR CATS AND DOGS!
Irresistable!!!
Cat and Dog Yarmulke
Catalogs
Here's a list of catalogs I usually have laying around. Many are online as well, and someI've already listed above for this or that specific product. The hard copies are good to browse through, especially when you don't need an item - yet. Then you know where to get that particular item once you need it, or it's lost, or when your friend asks about where to find it, etc.
All Natural Dog Products
800-52-3212 410-771-8430
(not online as far as I can tell)
Care-A-Lot Pet Supply
800-343-7680
Dog.com Dog Supplies (Also ferret, horse)
800-367-3647
Jeffers Pet
800-JEFFERS (533-3377)
Great Companions (Bird supplies catalog)
800-829-2138
Orvis Sporting Traditions
800-541-3541
KV Vet Supply (Pet, Equine, Livestock)
800-423-8211
Active K9.com - they seem to be gone. Their phone number and web site actually now re-direct to Drs Foster & Smith.
PetEdge
800-PET-EDGE (738-3343)
PETsMART Catalog
800-872-3773
Direct Pet Superstore (Pet, Equine, Livestock)
800-360-4838
Doctors Foster & Smith
800-826-7206
J-B Wholesale Pet Supplies
800-526-0388
Revival Animal Health
800-786-4751
Misc Links to Browse
This one changes periodically:
Link Exchanging Note
On rare occasions, I'll "link exchange". I don't do it just for its own sake. That is, I appreciate that you want to put a link to my site on your site but I don't want to have a link to your real estate site on my Pet Communicator site. I love ya, I think you're great, I'd call you for help buying or selling real estate - but a link to your real estate site doesn't belong on my Pet Communicator site! FEEL FREE to ask, to refer me to sites (your own or others), whatever. Please don't be insulted if I choose to not list your site on mine, though. I'll look it over and email you back about it, adding it or not. I appreciate your adding mine to your site anyway - if this is what YOU wish to do; I have puh-LENTY of sites on mine which do not "reciprocate". They're there because I wish to disseminate them and what they do, not "because" I might "get something" in return (including linking). YES I need revenue as much as the next guy. Gal. But... I still don't automatically link. Putting a blurb about my site on your site with a link is fine with me, I appreciate it! It's your call. If you so wish, see this page for images and so on.
BIG HUGE IMPORTANT PREACHY NOTE
to read at least this first time visiting this page!
Because some of the links on this page and other places on my site have to do with health, medicine, well-being
(and.. because I care!!)
PLEASE check with your vet before adding/changing things on your vet.
There's a REASON I say this having to do with my own dog.
What we feel to be "obvious" is NOT always so.
Your dog (cat horse ferret etc) is NOT someone running a human species body so do not concentrate only on the similarities (such as Vitamin Whatever is what we humans take for Condition X.. some folks assume the same would be appropriate for their dog). Remember there are chemical, biological, phisiological, pH and other differences and YOU may not know all of 'em!
Neither do the various advertisers in "health" publications - no offense. Many do, many do not - who are we to gamble with our pets' health and well-being unnecessarily?
That's why vets are educated doctors. "Alternative" vets have that background and then some, so there are times when they can be more of what you are looking for. Some alternative vets sniff at "mainstream" protocol. That turns me off. What balance you like just depends on you.
Animals have a different set of chemical properties than we. They have different nutrient needs and are sensitive, allergic and/or life-threatened by different things than we.
Example: YES, I know some dogs can eat chocolate, your dog once wolfed a Hershey's Bar and lived, etc blah blah. Your neighbor's dog ate macadamia nuts and lived! etc. BUT general rule-of-thumb, chocolate can be harmful to dogs and they should avoid macadamia nuts as well.
Who would have thunk?! Why macadamia and not, say, cashews?
What happens if you feed uncooked rice to birds? Someone told me it'll blow up in their "tummies" and kill 'em. I asked why this was the case as I didn't happen to be familiar with their digestive structure. I can talk to them but that doesn't mean I'm a vet nor does it mean I've read up on birds, head-to-toe, for whatever reason I might happen to do that.
I used to own two birds, too it just never came up, no one told me, never occurred to me to ask out of the blue, Gee, is there some reason these guys can't, um, eat rice?
Heck, I would more likely have one day thought, Hmmm... rice... it's a grain - it's probably good for her!
I have put together a Toxins Chart (link later on...) but here's what... one time, I learned a huge lesson. It's not just the "obvious" stuff like, oh, their licking anti-freeze.
What happened?
A couple years ago this September, my dog had a whopping peeing situation which was either a UTI or Who-Knows-What. I had already rushed a sample down there for a urinalysis and by the next day he was in life-or-death surgery.
One thing Mom and I thought we'd do in the interim was Vitamin C. Yes! What a great idea! Cranberry pills, Vitamin C! etc. Yessirre bub!
The vet almost fell over when he heard this...
Turns OUT, in FOX's case, not necessarily your dog's or the next guy's dog, but in Fox's case, he had Calcium Oxalate stones. Six and an extra half kind of shall-we-say wedged ... mmm ... anyway, part of the situation involved having acid pH and to make things "worse", the vet showed me the official vet documentation covering proven and scientific pathways to diagnose and treat this particularly nasty type of stone which NO, you can't "dissolve away", and right there in black-and-white was your friend and mine, Vitamin C - as a "NO-NO".
If your dog gets a bladder or urinary or? infection, and you find yourself in the same boat as I, remember: all the sites, write-up's, lore, commentary from your friends, anecdotal "This Is What Really Works What Do The 'Medicos' Know!?" input would have one giving him mega-doses hourly to "knock out the infection" blah blah.
IRONICALLY we gave him some and the "symptoms" DID subside a bit. We didn't mention that we had done so until we later saw the vet.
IF we had continued on, the lack of Going To The Vet "because it's getting better! It'll take a few days... let's just do that over the weekend, 'heal it naturally' (and in fact even disguising the problem by chillin' out the symptoms)"...would have er um ... killed him.
Many products for dogs have Vitamin C in them, as do many foods for humans that he might get his jaws on. Vitamin C is great and it works!
But be aware that you don't know everything about dogs vs humans, rabbits vs humans, cats vs humans and the like, when it comes to health issues!! Please! Don't assume that what's good for us is good for them, or when they're not doing well, or perhaps ever. Don't gamble with their life. YES, research on the 'net - and then, consult a conservative, main-stream vet as well as your "alternative" vet, healer, etc. THEN make an educated decision. And fast.
(Or just take 'em to the vet.)
If you think your vet's not worth it, too expensive or not a valuable person in your life (regardless of how little or frequently you actually take your pet to his office), get another vet or get another point-of-view. You don't have to run to them for every little thing, you don't have to agree with every bit of vet technique or technology out there, but you DO need to feel that YOUR vet is worth it, knowledable, trustworthy and there for you and your pet.
Don't assume your little bay-bee wouldn't do the same if he/she were a human being and holding the reins on their own life.
And yes you can always find out why this occurred if/when possible. Dig deeply. Perhaps it IS because you've been giving kitty tap water all this time, or feeding your dog dog bones from home-made soup and in his case the shards in the marrow (yup!) made tiny incisions in his intestines, or your pet's "chronic allergies" is actually a food allergy. Etc.
Cheaper, internet bought flea meds - I had a person contact me to get in comm with their pet who died as a direct result of counterfeit Advantage. I did a Consult on a dog who died from tainted Chinese pet food. I just got a client who's cat died from a sarcoma created as a direct result of those 3-year vaccinations. Not YOUR pet... HERS.
Perhaps homeopathic will do what nothing else could. (It sure helped with Fox's carpal sprain!!! like BAM!) Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, change of diet, cleaning supplies, water (a biggie), supplements, raw (or not) food, whatever you come across that seems correct to you after research and consultation with one or MORE experts who've "been around the block a few times". Some "old salt" vet - they've seen it all.
It's never too late to implement positive changes in order to prolong your pet's life, knock out a disease, yield them some comfort or whatever else you can do for them, depending on the state of affairs.
But save their life first, sort things out later.
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As mentioned, here's the link to my TOXINS CHART (but come back to this page and see what-all else I've got here, too!)
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UNITED WE STAND.
All site contents Copyright (c) 2002, 2010 Julie Rich.
