Archive for the ‘Dog Talk’ Category

New Year’s resolutions for the dogs

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Devoted dog owners know their canine companions feel love, joy, fear, and pain. Our dogs come running into our lives with a full range of personalities and capabilities and we are enriched by their presence in our lives.

But I wonder if our dogs, who seem to hold us in such high esteem, might not lower their expectations for us if they knew that when the old year ends, their two-legged friends spend a great deal of time thinking of ways to change.

How would you explain these common New Year’s resolutions to your dogs?

You’re going to exercise more? Well…they’ve been waiting for you to grab the leash all along. ..

Improve your attitude?
Is that like “wag more & bark less” ?

Change jobs/find a job?
Only a Border collie would understand…and they think work IS play.

Eat less?
Hmmm…you’ll never get that by a Lab…
Better grab that leash…

Spend less money?
Describe money to a dog…it ends up sounding similar to bones and those are for eating or burying…

Spend more time with friends and family?
Ahhh, now you’re talking something your dog will understand.

Resolve to tell everyone you love that you love them, right now, while you can?
I can see the tails wagging.

That’s something to keep doing year after year. Why change?

Happy New Year everyone!

Liz Devitt, DVM

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The Health Care Debate

Monday, December 28th, 2009

While the government struggles to find a way for Americans to get good health care, pet owners must rely on their own resources to take care of their furry, finned, or feathered friends.

What can you do to defray the cost of good medicine?

Prevention really is the best policy.   Spend your time and money on annual exams for your pet and you’ll keep small problems from becoming big & expensive health issues.  Routine parasite prevention and vaccinating for your pet’s lifestyle will also optimize your pet’s health.   Find a veterinarian you trust and get guidance on creating a healthy life with your dog.  (Of course, at DogRunDog we think that includes running …)

Do you need pet insurance?    No question, it can ease the pain in your pocket if your dog gets hit by a car or your recently adopted mutt  decides to chew his way through his new life.   More than a dozen companies now offer pet care policies.  It’s even an employee benefit at some corporations.  Check out www.petinsurancereview.com to compare policies, prices, and options.

If your pet needs a prescription a few options can  bring down the price per pill.  

One possibility is a written prescription for an online pharmacy,  but buyer beware: check the the product and the  label to make sure you receive the right drug at the right dose.  

Price matching with online pharmacy products is offered by some veterinary clinics,  especially for  flea/tick/heartworm prevention medications.  When you get a product through your vet, the manufacturer  stands by their product if anything goes wrong (it doesn’t work as expected or your dog has a reaction).

Human pharmacies can  fill some pet prescriptions and you  get discounts for AAA memberships (yes! even on pet prescriptions).   Look up www.aaa.com/prescriptions for more information.  Walgreen’s has a family program that can include your pets: for a small membership fee you may save big.

When you’re watching your budget, every money saving strategy helps.  I hope these tips help you keep your pup healthy and active.  Run, dog, run!

Liz Devitt, DVM

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What’s on your pup’s playlist?

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

Can music boost your pup’s performance?

Lots of people run with music in their ears, and recent studies show that moving to the rhythm of the beat can improve motivation and produce better fitness results. 

In people,  studies have shown that music can have profound effects on the mind and body: the right melody can enhance memory, soothe anxiety, and increase metabolism; the wrong rhthym can have ill effects.   “The Mozart Effect” was the term coined by Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis to describe the soothing and healing effects that resulted from listening to classical music.

It stands to reason that our dogs- with more sensitive senses than ours- can also be affected by their sound environment.

A study of sound

When a veterinary neurologist  teamed up with a psychoacoustic specialist and a concert pianist to study the effect of sound on canine ears, they discovered that slow music with simple melodies can reduce anxiety in dogs.  The work of these experts is chronicled in Through A Dog’s Ear:  Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion. 

Noise pollution?

Dr. Wagner, the veterinary neurologist from The Ohio State School of Veterinary Medicine, recommends that we listen to, and list, the noises our dog hears in the home on a daily basis.   If your list includes a lot of high level, background noise, then your pup may benefit from a reduction in overall sound.  Like the rest of us, dogs are more at ease when their sensory systems aren’t constantly bombarded with input.  

Could your pup benefit from mood music?

Try it and see! 

Consider these recordings:

Canine Lullabies: Heartbeat Music Therapy by Terry Woodford

While You Were Gone:  Music Pets Love by Bradley Joup

Relaxation Music for Dogs and Cats by Janet Marlow

Through A Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion by Joshua Leeds and Lisa Spector

Enjoy your peaceful pet!

Liz Devitt, DVM

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