Houston, Texas - In the 800 block of Azalea in the Garden Oaks neighborhood, you'll often spot two Yorkies, a cat and a neighbor who everyone seems to know. "He's a pretty laid back guy, very friendly," Mark Klein said. "From day one he has been an amazing neighbor and he is an amazing neighbor," Tina Sabuco said. Charlie George moved into the neighborhood more than a decade ago. He often strolls the street with his two dogs and cat. "I try to walk the dogs every morning and every evening," Charlie said. But lately his neighbors have noticed he is having a hard time during his walks, a set back due to leukemia. Charlie was diagnosed three years ago. "So we thought it would be nice if there were chairs for him to rest along the way," Sabuco said. Sabuco helped effort "Chairs for Charlie." There are now lawn chairs in front of more than a dozen homes, with a sign that reads, "Chairs for Charlie. Or for others in need of a rest." "Ours is a very cozy chair and it rocks a little bit, so if he ever wants a rocking experience, he can sit in our chair," Georgia Lister said. The chairs come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The chair in Klein's front lawn is blue. "Well that's his favorite color, so we got a blue chair for Charlie," Klein said. Charlie found the chairs during one of his walks this week, after returning from the hospital. "It made it real for me that people really care about me and they're looking out for me," Charlie said. They're also looking out for his wife, Sandra, who often accompanies him on the walks. One front lawn has two yellow chairs, one for Charlie and one for Sandra. "It's incredible, the support," Sandra said. "I think it's really important when you're going through something like this that you feel the love." It's a street full of good neighbors, giving Charlie the strength to keep going. "I intend to walk to the end, God willing," Charlie said.
We can learn a lot from dogs with disabilities! They can enjoy life to the fullest with just a little help from us. Every dog is a challenge, but also a learning experience, but most of all, a disabled dog is a joy. They appreciate everything life has to offer and never say "why me?" Just as you need companionship, dogs on wheels also need to know that you are there for them, remember they love you very much and shine in your praise and attention. Show you care by getting your dog a wheelchair. Train your dog to use the wheelchair by providing encouragement and praise. Take your dog to meet other dogs on wheels and pets around the neighborhood for playtime. Adoption The Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA), Washington, DC, frequently takes in animals who may have a harder time finding new homes. This may be because of ongoing medical problems. Or it may simply be due to an animal’s advanced age. It is our conviction that these animals are equally deserving of a good home, and that they have as much love and companionship to give as any animal. Products for dogs with disabilities Today it is possible to find help for any kind of special needs a dog may have. There are products available to make life better for your four-legged friend. For physical disabilities you can find wheelchairs, lifts, ramps, boots, orthotics, and the list goes on. You can buy a helmet for your pooch and take him for massage or acupuncture. If your dog suffers from a long term illness like diabetes or heart problems, there are many medications that can prolong the quality of life for your best friend. Social Interaction One of the most difficult things to judge with a disabled dog is how much social interaction do they need? Are they getting enough? Too much? One thing I've noticed is that because dogs don't realize they are disabled, they will try and do everything they once did - even if they can't which may lead to frustration. The obvious solution is to find a way that your disabled dog can socialize with other dogs (if he feels comfortable doing that). If you have other dogs in your household, don't isolate him. He will enjoy their company. On the other hand you may need to protect him from "the pack". A pack senses the disabled dog is not 100% and may decide to finish him off. It's important you watch for clues and are aware because the disabled dog cannot defend himself should the pack attack. Only you will know the fine balance of your pack and what will work best. Disabled dogs would love the company of others and particularly their owners. Ideally you want his "space" to be near the busiest areas of the house (unless he is recouperating from surgery or some other temporary disability that requires quiet and rest). A disabled dog will enjoy watching the comings and goings, love the attention, and will do much better than a dog isolated in a spare bedroom with no interaction. Even dogs that can't get around in wheelchairs enjoy toys and your loving attention.
What is a hairball? A hairball is a small collection of hair or fur formed in the stomach of animals that is occasionally vomited up when it becomes too big. Hairballs are primarily a tight elongated cylinder of packed fur, but may include bits of other elements such as swallowed food. Cats are especially prone to hairball formation since they groom themselves by licking their fur, and thereby ingest it. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, that during a cat’s daily grooming regimen, they may inadvertently swallow loose hair, which generally passes through the digestive system into the cat’s stool. Some hair can remain, however, and collect in the stomach or small intestine, causing the cat to hack, gag or retch until he vomits the offending detritus. How to Recognize Hairball Problems:
Cylindrical (cigar-shaped) masses on the floor or furniture.
Constipation, or hard stools with hair showing.
Dry, matted coat
Frequent dry coughing or hacking, particularly after meals
Lack of interest in eating.
Depression or lethargy.
Why Don’t Dogs get Hairballs? Unlike cats, dogs are not particularly fastidious when it comes to cleaning themselves. Dogs can tolerate being dirty, stinky, and messy. Cats, on the other hand, groom excessively and don’t require baths. They have a naturally barbed tongue that grabs shedding hair. Because dogs don’t groom, they don’t develop hairballs The number one way to avoid hairballs on the floor and in your cat is brushing!
Peafowl are commonly known as peacocks, although that is actually the name for the male of the species. What is unique about these birds is the distinctive bright and colorful plumage and long tail of the male and its strong sexual dimorphism with the female, who has brown feathers. There are actually three different species of peafowl, the blue or Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), the green or Java peafowl (Pavo muticus) and the Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis). Peafowl have been kept in gardens and parks by humans for centuries, and like all animals they require specific care if you want them to stay healthy and happy. Regardless of which one is your favorite, in this AnimalWised article we'll go over some guidelines and tips you should consider if you want to keep peacocks as pets. Can you keep green peacocks as pets? Green or Java peafowl are native to Southeast Asia, including the island of Java. It is recognizable for its bright green, blue and bronze feathers; unlike in the case of blue peafowl, male and female green peafowl look quite similar. The wild green peafowl lives in tropical forests, and as a species they do not respond well to the cold, so we recommend much thought and consideration before researching how to adopt one. This species can be more aggressive than the blue peacock, and in captivity males must be kept separate on account of their fighting spurs. Due to habitat destruction, the green peacock is an endangered species. As such, we don't recommend keeping them as pets at all. In fact, you should check your country's legislation to ensure you're not taking part in illegal animal trade. To read more on this story, click here:Peacocks as Pets: Guidelines and Tips
Every day happy customers take pictures and tear into them, limb by limb, feeling sorry and happy at the same time. The shar-pei puppies look almost too real to eat but are made chocolate, milk tea or peanut-flavored ice cream. J-C Company Art Kitchen in southern Taiwan has been serving these treats since last month, making them in special molds with a special recipe that creates a hairy-looking frost on top of the ice cream. The ice cream is frozen at more than 20 degrees below zero, so it will keep shape long enough for staff to color the puppies' eyes with chocolate sauce before the wrinkled features of the dog start melting. One puppy ice cream takes about five hours to make and customers can devour the small ones for $3.50, and the larger ones for about six dollars. Thanks to social media, the restaurant is struggling to keep up with demand as they can only make 100 per day.
The William Mark Corp. booth, known for a wide variety of toys that can be launched, flown or thrown, was turning heads at New York Toy Fair. They demoed their new Air Swimmers in the middle of the expo hall. If you weren’t paying attention, you may have thought you’d stepped into an aquarium. They actually float through the air with a very fish-like motion that you just have to see to believe. The technology behind them is fairly simple. Each Air Swimmer is a refillable helium balloon that receives commands from an infrared remote. The user’s input via this remote controls both a tail motor and an adjustable weight. The tail fin motor can vary its flapping rate and range of motion to control both speed and left-right direction, while the adjustable weight uses a motor to slide along the length of the Air Swimmer’s underside, thereby controlling tilt. Using the relatively low-tech infrared remote that requires a line-of-sight connection allows the Air Swimmers to retail for about $39.99. All you need to do is provide a helium fill-up and fresh AAA batteries prior to use. Warning: If you show these videos to your kids…they will be on their Christmas list!
This is one of those stories that make you say “awww!” As an animal lover…this story melted my heart! Lily, a Great Dane was only 18 months old when veterinarians removed both her eyes. She was suffering from entropion, a condition that caused her eyelashes to roll inward and scratch painfully against her eyeballs. But thankfully she’s got guide dog Maddison, another Great Dane to lead her around. Maddison stays close to Lily when they walk around, helping to guide her by touching her with his body to let her know the way. The two dogs were being cared for by UK dog welfare charity Dogs Trust, which had problems finding a good home willing to take the unlikely pair. Their previous owner could no longer cope with the two big dogs, and in July handed Lily and Maddison over to be rehomed. “With her lack of sight, Lily’s other senses have heightened so, although we don’t split them up often, she can tell if Maddison is nearby,” explains Louise Cabell, who works at the shelter. So cute! Here’s hoping these buddies find a great new home. “It’s very sad as members of the public walk straight by their kennel, often put off by the idea of having two large dogs and of course one without eyes can be a bit shocking!" Louise Campbell, manager of Dogs Trust Shrewsbury, had explained. The dogs sleep together, and were awaiting adoption at the Dogs Trust in the British town of Shrewsbury. After putting out a public call, more than 2,000 people offered to take the dogs, the Daily Mail says. The Williams family from the countryside in nearby Crewe, Cheshire were chosen to adopt the dog. Anne Williams and her husband Len said they weren't fazed by the prospect of having two large dogs. "We've always had two dogs together, I like them to have company and so taking on two of them wasn't a daunting prospect," Ann Williams told the Daily Mail. "We've also got a lovely big garden so it's the perfect setting for two huge dogs." The couple plan to take Lily and Maddison along on holidays to France and the Lake District in England.
Over the years several police dogs have been shot and have died while pursuing a criminal. Did you know that more than 500 Police Service Dogs (PSDs) have been killed in the line of duty? A vest increases a 98% chance of survival in an attack. A police dog put its life in danger every day just as the police officer. The police officer wears a bullet proof vest to protect them…so should his dog also wear a bullet proof vest? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said that they support the use dogs in law enforcement provided that the animals are humanely raised, trained and afforded every consideration for their safety and well-being, including the use of bullet-proof vests. There are some police departments that do provide protection to their K9 members with stab and/or slash resistant vests. These vests are used because they are lighter, and do not protect the dog if it is shot. However, you have to wonder if the weight of a bullet proof vest would be uncomfortable for the dog and possibly flop around as the dog runs. What do you think? Should police dogs wear bullet proof vests?
Have you ever seen a cat or dog with a collar on that looks like a lampshade? While at first glance it does look like a lampshade, it is not. Recently, my sister’s cat had minor surgery and the animal hospital sent her home with a elizabethan collar. She called me and asked why they had put a lampshade on her cat. She said that the cat didn’t like it on. She said that the cat was walking into walls and could not eat. I told her that she could remove it for eating, and put it back on. I first experienced the e-collar in 2005 with my shih-tzu, Sugar. She too was walking into table legs and walls. We had to carry her outside to potty. My husband elevated her food and water bowls…and that didn’t work. Finally, we realized that the e-collar was too big for her. Shih Tuzs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pekingese and Pugs have brachycephalic faces, so the e-collar ususally sticks out too far. He finally got the idea to trim the e-collar down. An elizabethan collar or as some people call it, a space collar, cone and yes lampshade, is a protective medical device worn by an animal, usually a cat or dog. Shaped like a truncated cone, its purpose is to prevent the animal from biting or licking at its body or scratching at its head or neck while wounds or injuries heal. The device is generally attached to the pet's usual collar with strings or tabs passed through holes punched in the sides of the plastic. The neck of the collar should be short enough to let the animal eat and drink. Although most pets adjust to them quite well, others won't eat or drink with the collar in place and the collar is temporarily removed for meals. While purpose-made collars can be purchased from veterinarians or pet stores, they can also be made from plastic and cardboard or by using plastic flowerpots, wastebaskets, buckets or lampshades. Modern collars might involve soft fabric trim along the edges to increase comfort and velcro surfaces for ease of attachment removal.
How the Elizabethan Collar got its name: The collars are named from the ruffs worn in Elizabethan times
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Elizabethan collars (known as an “E-collars” in vet lingo or the “cones of shame” on social media) prevent cats from licking or chewing surgery suture sites. I won’t sugarcoat it: Cats hate E-collars. 1. Lampshade The old style, opaque “lampshade” type is particularly loathed, mainly because it robs the cat of his peripheral vision (in addition to interfering with eating and grooming).
2. Clear Plastic Clear plastic E-collars allow for some peripheral vision but are still uncomfortable.
3. Soft E-Collars In the last few years, a number of pet supply manufacturers have devised a variety of alternative types of E-collars, including a soft E-collar that can be turned downward so that it acts as a bib, preventing the cat from fussing with the incision while not affecting peripheral vision or eating. These collars are surprisingly well-tolerated by cats.
4. Donut Another style is that of an inflatable “donut” that goes around the cat’s neck, resembling pillows that people use on airplanes when traveling.
How the Elizabethan Collar got its name: The collars are named from the ruffs worn in Elizabethan times.
Morocco is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million. People living in Morocco's rural communities where argan trees grow benefit from the marketability of the fruit's oil, but the goats they are able to buy then climb the trees to graze on the leaves, jeopardizing the forests in the process. Amazingly, these uncanny animals are actually real. They climb the Argan trees of Morocco in search of food, which is otherwise sparse in the region. Over time they have become not only able to climb trees but downright adept at the art of the traipes across trees with a sure-footedness that is hard to imagine from a hoofed animal. Known as skilled navigators of treacherous mountain conditions, maybe it isn’t such a surprise after all to find goats making their way up the steep and narrow trunks and branches of only slightly more dangerous trees. The goats climb them because they like to eat the fruit of the argan tree, which is similar to an olive. The fruit of the tree has a nut inside, which the goats can’t digest, so they spit it up or excrete it which the farmers collect. The nut contains 1-3 kernels, which can be ground to make argan oil used in cooking and cosmetics. This oil has been collected by the people of the region for hundreds of years, but like many wild and useful things these days, the argan tree is slowly disappearing due to over-harvesting for the tree’s wood and overgrazing by goats.
Panleukopenia, pronounced “pan-loo-koh-PEE-nee-ah” is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cats, kittens, raccoons, and mink. The panleukopenia virus tends to invade cells which are rapidly growing such as those of the digestive system, bone marrow, lymph tissue, and developing nervous system. This explains the common symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, low white blood cell count, and seizures. A vaccine is available to protect against the disease. Cats are infected oronasally by exposure to infected animals, their secretions, or fomites. Most free-roaming cats are exposed to the virus during their first year of life. The feline panleukopenia virus (FVP) is extremely hardy and may survive for months, and even years. It is easily transmitted through contact, either cat-to-cat, or by human-to-cat :
In utero, from an infected queen
hands, clothing, and shoes
shared food and water bowls, litter pans, bedding
mutual grooming
fleas, during the active stage
human handling can transfer the FVP virus from one cat to another.
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birdwatchers observe wild birds in their natural habitat. Birdwatching means learning to identify the birds and understand what they are doing. In North America, there are over 800 species of birds. Wherever you live, you'll probably find at least 100 species that are easy to find in your area. Birding is the fastest-growing outdoor activity in America. According to a survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 51.3 million Americans report that they watch birds. And more are taking it up all the time! Follow Us!
You might think of your dog as your fur child, but the law would not agree. “In the eyes of the law, they are really no different than the silverware, the cars, the home,” says Joyce Tischler, director of litigation for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. But in more and more American homes, splitting the pets could get pretty contentious. Consider the numbers. Sixty-three percent — 71.1 million — of U.S. households own pets, according to the latest National Pet Owners Survey. The bulk of those animals are dogs — about 44 million. Americans are expected to spend about $41 billion on their pets this year, a $24 billion increase since 1994, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Then throw in lifestyle and societal changes: more couples have fewer children than a generation or two ago and view their pets as their kids or companions, owners pay $2,000 for an orthopedist to reconstruct a dog’s knee; designers such as Isaac Mizrahi create pink trench coats and white tulle bridal dresses for the fashion-conscious canine whose owner shops at Target, and high-end pet stores sell rhinestone-studded dog collars, peanut butter biscotti instead of run-of-the-mill dog treats, and strollers for the walking-averse pampered pooch. “When you put all of that together, it’s no wonder that we’re beginning to see an increasing number of custody battles involving companion animals,” Tischler says. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers conducted a poll of 1,500 members and nearly a quarter said they had noticed an increase in custody issues of pets. Judges have had to determine not only who gets the dog but whether one party has the right even to see the dog after the marriage breaks up. To read more on this story, click here:Who Gets The Pets In A Divorce? What You Need To Consider When Fighting Over Fido
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