Pet Blog By Bocci @ Bocci's Beefs: Dr. Karen Becker

Showing posts with label Dr. Karen Becker. Show all posts

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Moving With Your Pets

If we move, Parental Unit, there must be a backyard!

Although most of us are settling into our homes or apartments for the holidays and long winter ahead, some of our readers maybe considering relocation (Canada anyone?!). No, seriously folks, we are not prepping for any kind of a move right now, but who doesn't consider that possibility at some point in their future?

As our reader friends know, we believe it's always best to think ahead and prepare for natural and other unforetold disasters, and any other major life-changing events, and moving your family with furkids certainly is one of them.

One of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, wrote a wonderfully detailed article explaining the most important strategies for keeping your pets safe and comfortable before, during and after a move to a new abode.

Parental Unit continues to mentally "beat herself up" about how little attention she paid to these matters with her previous pets, and vows to be much more attentive should a move arise in the future. And that's why we both think articles like these are important to read now and save for future reference.

Glad to hear we're not moving anytime soon!

We particularly agree with Dr. Becker's recommendation to closely monitor your pet for at least several months after arriving at your new home for lingering signs of stress or discomfort.

But...we respectfully disagree with parts of two of her recommendations:

1. We think (and so does Cesar Millan), that the first time you and your dog enter the new house, you should walk him through the entire place on a leash and let him or her thoroughly sniff out his new digs.

2. Take your pooch for a long walk through the new neighborhood ASAP—not after you've unpacked and settled in!

Let us know what you think of these "moving with pets" strategies—we'd love to hear your experiences and ideas!

Vet Approved Ways To Cut Down On Pet Care Expenses

Yes, we cost a good amount of money to keep healthy and happy!

As you all know, one of our favorite veterinarians is Dr. Karen Becker from Mercola Healthy Pets, and we've brought you much sound advice from her over the last few years. One of the reasons we like her is the level of detail she provides in her articles—they're way more than tips!

In this recent article, Dr Becker discusses several ways you can cut back on pet expenses (and a few areas where you should splurge!) and still ensure your beloved pets are both healthy and happy. According to this article, humans in the United States are expected to spend about $62.75 billion on pet care in 2016, 4% more than the 60.3 billion spent in 2015. In fact, records kept by the American Pet Products Association show that pet care spending has steadily increased each year since they began collecting this data in 1994.

Areas to splurge are on high quality food and routine preventative veterinary care, including oral health. And you can save money by learning to do most, if not all, of grooming chores yourself, including baths. By the way, Parental Unit does all of my grooming herself...and as you can see, I was just meant to be a scruffy dog!

Let us know what you do to slash your pet care bills—we'd love to hear your cost-cutting strategies.

Puppy Knows His "Best Friend"...Mostly!

Here's just 15 seconds of puppy smarts and cuteness sure to make you smile. Can you figure out what made this cutie pie suddenly switch his "best friend" allegiance?

Dogs Are In Tune With Human Emotions

Am I more in tune with you or Tigger, Parental Unit? Hmmmm....

This detailed article from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, explains the "hows" and "whys" behind canine empathy and how it impacts both dog and human. We've known for eons that dogs are sensitive to human emotions and pick up on how we're feeling at any particular moment, sometimes more than our human companions.

Recent studies help explain why that's so, and why our canine buddies can even tell the difference between happy and and angry human facial expressions. (We think that means you humans should smile more, if at all possible!)

This article goes a step further and includes extensive strategies to reduce both canine and human stress—something we all can use some help with. Let us know if you have, or will try any of these stress reduction techniques and how they work for you!

Stray Pooch Finds Home With Law Enforcement

Now if this isn't the "feel good" story of the week! The police department in Kirkland, Ohio, found a stray dog...and search as they might, could not locate his owner.

Well, the story has a happy ending for both the lucky canine and the police department: As one officer said, "We are happy to have him in our lives." Check out the video below to catch a glimpse of the pooch enjoying his new home.

National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day!

Yup, that's today, folks!

We've written about this issue several times before: How to be at least better prepared to protect your human and animal companions in an emergency. None of us can be perfectly prepared for a natural or other type of disaster, but having some basic strategies in place will certainly help us to be a bit more confident should disaster strike.

And none of us want our beloved pets to be injured or left behind if we can prevent it—that's why we have to prepare on our pets' behalf. This article from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, is particularly helpful because it provides a comprehensive list of items to prepare ahead of time and what exactly to do during the emergency itself. Generally, the following tips will help you prepare:

__ Create (or buy) a pet emergency kit and store in a safe place.

__ Know where you can seek shelter if you have to evacuate, including addresses and phone numbers (Add pet friendly hotels to your list).

__ Have two written plans for you and your family: one if you're home when disaster strikes and one if you are not home.

__Keep a photo of your pets with you at all times (hard copy as well as on your phone), and place pet alert stickers in your windows.

We understand that none of us want to think about anything "bad" happening, but if we don't think about it for just a little while, we can't be prepared if something bad does happen, right? And since we pets can't protect ourselves, you humans have to plan on our behalf. As Dr. Becker says: "There will be few times in the life of your beloved companion that he will need you more than in the event of a disaster."

Have you prepared for me, Parental Unit?

How many of you have both human and pet emergency kits safely stored in your home? Please let us know!

How To Integrate A New Pet Into Your Home

Well, this is certainly a "yuge" topic with lots of different and valid opinions, isn't it?

Let's start with an article from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, that describes the thinking process that should precede adding a new family member to your home, and then the best strategies to follow as the little rascal is settling in. We love writing about this topic because there are so many things we Parental Unit didn't do!

With hindsight, we think that emotions get in the way of clear thinking, and you know, there's really nothing wrong with that. It's just helpful to remember some of the basics, or in Parental Unit's case, learn some of the basics before bringing your new pet home. She was still grieving the loss of her beloved Wire Fox fella, Carson, when she went searching at the shelter four or five weeks later. She was beside herself without a dog, she claims! (Parental Unit also might have had just a few hormones left at that time).

Here are a few of the behaviors (hers) that Parental Unit regrets when she introduced me to my new home (most of these ideas are taken from Cesar's Way and involve setting "rules, boundaries and limitations" from day one:

1. Not taking me for a long-ish walk in the neighborhood before bringing me in the house for the first time;

2. Not walking me through each room and letting me explore while still on a leash (rather than on my own!); and

3. Not understanding that it takes a pretty long time—not usually days, but weeks or even months or longer, for a dog or cat to really feel safe and comfortable in their new home. She was shocked, shocked, I tell you, that I still tried to "run away" on several occasions during the first few months in my new residence—she ran screaming after me through the streets more than once! And she distinctly recalls that I tried to raid garbage cans during our walks—like I was still scavenging for food... Hoo boy, she had a lot to learn!

Here are some additional ideas for the first 30 days of dog adoption from Petfinder.com that should help you successfully add a new furry family member.

Let us know your best strategies for integrating a new pet into your home—including any mistakes or smart moves you might have made. We'd love to hear them!

Sheepdogs Guard Wild Critters, Too

Hey, Bella and I guard against squirrel home invasions...from the comfort of Parental Unit's bedroom!

But we think this true story is an amazing one, and may demonstrate that dogs can successfully guard wild as well as domestic animals. This is the first we've heard of the story of Oddball, a sheepdog sent to a small, uninhabitated island to guard little penguins from fox attacks—let us know if it's familiar to you!

These "Little Penguins" as they're known (they weigh a touch over 2 pounds as adults), only live in areas of southern Australia and New Zealand. At one time, they had a hearty population on "Middle Island", in southwestern Victoria, Australia, but invading foxes decimated the little birds—from about 800 to only four in a very short time frame.

One of the neighboring farmers had an idea: His Maremma sheepdogs did a great job of guarding his free-range chickens from predators, why not dispatch a dog or two to help the little birds? The project was incredibly successful; in fact, there hasn't been a single incidence of a predator killing one of the Little Penguins in the last decade or so, and the Penguin population on Middle Island is thriving.

There's even been a movie made about this success story called "Oddball", which was the name of the first sheepdog sent to protect the Little Penguins. Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.

Enormous Effort Saves Tiny Kitten

In case your faith in humanity was flagging, spend a few minutes of your Saturday watching this heroic effort to save a kitty caught in a storm drain. The kitten returns the favor by, well, being a playful, adorable kitten!

Aren't kitties usually rescued from trees?

Does Your Canine Or Feline Fetch Like This Kitty?

We didn't think so! Well, maybe your dog or cat does, but not so much around here. I do play my version of "fetch" which is to immediately capture the thrown ball or toy and...play with it or try to keep it from Parental Unit.

But this cat is a world class fetcher! Enjoy!

Kitty Versus Tiger...

It looks like the kitty gets the "upper paw" in this battle!

Top Five Ways To Boost Your Dog's Health in 2016!

According to one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, you pet owners should stick to the basics when aiming to improve your pets' health this coming year. In this recent article posted on the Mercola Healthy Pets blog, Dr. Becker explains her top five ways to boost your pets' overall health. It starts with feeding a species appropriate diet, primarily of fresh foods, and includes regular wellness checks with your veterinarian, home health checks, eliminating unnecessary vaccinations, keeping your pet at a healthy weight and enriching your dogs' home environment. See me playing with "enrichment toy" below.

Encouraging your dogs to play with enrichment toys will help stimulate their brains and even physically tire them out.

Each of these five strategies make sense to us, although we realize the implementation part is not always easy. We think Dr. Becker does a good job, though, of explaining why she recommends these strategies and how to best implement them.

We also think just plain ole' regular play with a ball is good for us, too!

What say you? Do you have any tips for boosting your dogs' health in this brand new year? We'd love to hear them!

Dogs Welcome Home Soldiers

We thought this fitting for a holiday-timed video: Spend just 4 and a half minutes watching pure love—a compilation of wet kisses, strange, squeaky sounds and millions of tail wags as a variety of canines welcome home their soldier parents. Hope this makes your Saturday!

Dogs Are Tattletales Too!

We couldn't pass up sharing this short video with you: Yet another pup points an accusing paw when confronted with a crime... We hope the sweet faces on these canines perk up your Saturday!

Dog Plays Ping Pong...Yes He Does!

This pooch looks to be at least part Border Collie, so it's no wonder he's a hit at ping pong. Didn't know it was O.K to jump on the table, though! I foresee some electrical engineering work in his future...what do you think?

Please stay tuned as we announce the winner of our Zuke's giveaway later tonight!

Petting Versus Praise: We Say Both!

First, a very Happy Easter and Joyous Passover to all of our friends!

We also hope you enjoy this article from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker.
Dr. Becker always explores fascinating topics and this one is no different: What does your dog crave the most—petting or praise? Well, this experiment, conducted by University of Florida researchers and published in the journal Behavioral Processes appears to conclusively show that dogs prefer...(spoiler alert) petting! In fact, it was even close.

The experiment used both family dogs and shelter dogs and demonstrated that every single dog involved in the study stuck close to those dolling out the petting, even if that person was not their owner! These canines gravitated to the human touch rather than the human voice every time. Read Dr. Becker's synopsis of the study to understand what this means for you and your pooch.

And while you're at it, check out this compilation of dogs enjoying, er, demanding, some good old-fashioned petting time. Note to self: Probably not a good idea to reward a dog with what they enjoy most—petting—when they engage in bad behavior— growling... What do you think?

How To Predict Your Dog's Lifespan And Ease Their Senior Years

This article by one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, helps us predict our dogs' lifespans and targets several ways to help ease your dog through his senior and geriatric years. Dr. Becker recommends three main strategies, explained in greater detail in the article, to care for dogs seven and over:

__Provide physical and emotional comfort

__Provide high quality dietary protein (according to Dr. Becker, dogs actually need more protein as they age, not less).

__Provide daily exercise, socialization and mental stimulation

As Dr. Becker says, "...dogs don't just don't suddenly die when they reach a certain age. They grow older in stages just as we do, but at a tremendously accelerated rate compared to humans." Our responsibility as pet owners and pet caregivers extends well beyond the roly-poly puppy stage, and although it might be more difficult and time-consuming, we owe it to our loving pets to help them age gracefully, don't you think?

It's hard to believe that handsome me is officially in the senior category at a trim and fit 32 pounds and about 7.5 years young.

Is your pooch a senior or geriatric? The information on the chart below may surprise you.
The medical community and pet parents differ on ages for seniors and geriatric pets.

Chart developed by Dr. Fred L. Metzger, DVM, State College, PA. – Courtesy of Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, 4th Edition Graphic courtesy of Mercola.com/Healthy Pets

Tell us your stories, tips and tricks for easing your pet into her senior years—we'd love to hear them!

Cat And Kitten Can't Be Parted

Although this video was published a couple of years ago, it's charm hasn't diminished. When two animals (same species or not) want to be together...they find a way!

I assure you, Bella is the one who always insists that she sleep near me. But since I have to put up with this, I might as well get a warm, comfy pillow out of the deal.

The "Do As I Do" Dog Training Method

How many of you teach your dog tricks or commands using the clicker, or treat (food or toy) reward methods? Now how many of you have tried the "Do as I do" training method, that involves the dog mimicking human behavior? Although we've read about this before, Parental Unit has never tried this with me—what with all the time I spend writing this blog, Parental Unit doesn't think I need to mimic any more human behavior!

Huh? You read all the time, so I'm just mimicking your behavior... Fab photo of me by Clark Creative

One of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, put together this article and video about the "Do as I do" dog training method that not only explains and demonstrates how it's done, but demystifies the scientific research that backs it up.The cool thing about this method of learning is that it involves social learning and deeper cognitive skills than reward training.

You might remember that John Pilley used this training method with his Border Collie, Chaser, to great success. While we dogs can't all be like Chaser, we think the "Do as I do" training method is a great way to mentally stimulate your canine, while challenging you to spend more quality time with us.

P.S. Speaking of pet enrichment, stay tuned for our interview with Dr. Tony Buffington, DVM, a world renowned cat expert and author of the new Ibook, Cat Mastery. What Parental Unit learned from this book and from her conversation with Dr. Buffington has upended her thinking about indoor cats—we can't wait to hear what you think!

The Way To A Dog's Heart...

We couldn't resist sharing this sweet video with you. Now here's a Cockatoo that knows the way to a dog's heart! I sure wish we had one of those around my house, although Bella does occasionally knock a few tasty morsels off the kitchen counter in my direction (that's why I put up with the little feline devil).