Archives for Stray Dog category
Hi Everybody,
We had our second session with Val Heart recently, so I wanted to tell you all how that went.
But first, I really should give you an update of what we’ve noticed since our last session (see my last post for a summary). Roxie and Gypsy have not once gotten into a fight, and our whole household seems calmer and more at peace. We have made a concerted effort to be as firm with Roxie as we are with Gypsy, and we are more consistent when enforcing the rules. I was gone to the Seattle area for a week, so it was up to Rick to keep up the work with them while I was gone. He specifically worked on the “place” command, where we have Gypsy and then Roxie go to their blankets when someone comes to the door. We still have work to do, but progress is being made.
Another interesting thing we noticed is when we took them to our vet to get their periodic chiropractic adjustments. In the past, Roxie has been a real mess, just anxious and yippy and tense. Dr. Maria made a comment that Roxie was calmer than she had ever been for an adjustment, which of course makes the adjustment easier and more effective. I was also working on my own energy, to be mindful and remain calm, instead of being worried about Roxie and Gypsy’s behavior.
With our second session, we gave Val an update, and then Val focused in on some specific questions we had for Roxie and Gypsy. As I mentioned in my previous post, this part takes a bit of faith, but what Val told us made sense.
Gypsy has a broken tail and scars on her lips. We know she was homeless for a while before she was rescued, and we’ve always wondered what that was like, and whether her broken tail caused her any problems. According to Val, Gypsy does not have any concern about her broken tail, but being homeless was a scary thing. Val told us that Gypsy seems to have a lighter energy and is more at peace than the last time. Apparently, Gypsy is more than happy to relinquish the job of pack leader to Rick and myself. (We just had to laugh at this, but the good news is Gypsy thinks we are doing our job now!)
For Roxie, we were concerned her vision may be failing, because of some difficulties she has in jumping in our vehicle and going in and out of the doggie door at night. It seems she does have an issue with night blindness and she also has pain in her back and hips. Val suggested we get her a ramp or some stairs to help her get into the truck, and to provide more light for the doggie door.
Also for Roxie, we wanted to know why she feels the need to bark at anything and everything. Val’s answer: it is mostly anxiety, but it’s also fun and Gypsy has given Roxie the task of being the pack “alerter”. So, Val gave us some suggestions in dealing with the barking. For example, during meal times when they hear something and tear off, Val suggested we make a point of leaving the table to check out what they are hearing, acknowledge them doing their job in alerting us, and then ask them to go back to their “place” and settle down. She did say we should remain calm and assertive, and not “bark back” at them.
The last thing Val discussed with us was some nutritional suggestions. Roxie and Gypsy get quite the variety in their diet, and they both eat their food with gusto. The only things she felt were lacking were trace minerals for both Roxie and Gypsy, and blue-green algae for Roxie.
We will have a third session with Val in three weeks, so I’ll sign off until then. I appreciate hearing from you, so feel free to comment on this.
Jean
May 17, 2010 | | Animal Communication, Dog Behavior, Holistic, Home Health Care for Dogs, Homemade Dog Food, Stray Dog, animal welfare
Hello Everyone,
I have to tell you about a book I just finished A Rare Breed of Love. Jana Kohl is the author, who tells the story of Baby, a white poodle rescued from a California puppy mill by a woman Jana named “Drive-by Angel”. Identified only by the number 94 tatooed in her ear, the little dog had outlived her usefulness as breeding stock and was to be put down by the breeder. Drive-by Angel took the dog home, named her “Baby” and proceeded to prepare her for adoption. A couple of days after bringing her home, Baby jumped off a sofa and shattered her left front leg. Baby, being overbred, denied exercise and proper nutrition, suffered from osteoporosis, so her leg had to be amputated. Baby never barked, as her vocal cords had been cut to save the breeder from the inconvenience of hearing the dog’s cries.
Jana adopted Baby from Drive-by Angel, and became what she describes as an “accidental activist” taking on the puppy mills.
The book is a beautiful one, not only because of the story it tells, but there are stunning photographs of Baby with celebrities and politicians who share a love of animals.
What I went away with from this book is action steps, that we, as dog lovers and advocates can take:
All of Jana’s profits from the sale of her book go to the HSUS. To find out more: A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere.
Thanks for listening,
Jean
May 04, 2009 | | Stray Dog
Greetings All,
I just got finished cutting up raw beef liver (gross) for Roxie and Gypsy as part of their homemade dog food diet. The good news is I don’t have to do it very often, as a container goes a long way for them.
I wanted to give you an update on the stray puppy I talked about in my April 2nd and 3rd posts. We found him running around in our neighborhood and ended up taking him to the Humane Society where he was put up for adoption. Great news! He found a permanent home.
I have long been a fan of chiropractic treatment for myself, but never thought about it for my dogs until I noticed that Roxie, who is nine years old, had developed a pronounced hump in her back. At their annual appointment, our very traditional vet didn’t make comment about it, which bothered me as it sure didn’t seem normal to me. When my mom and stepdad came for their annual visit, my mom asked “Roxie has a bump in her back, is supposed to be that way?”. I took action and found a vet, Dr. Maria Williams, here in San Antonio who specializes in holistic pet care, including chiropractic treatments.
Roxie started getting chiropractic adjustments in December, staggered at two weeks, then three weeks, etc. Dr. Williams also recommended we give Roxie regular massage, which I do every 2-3 days. Roxie is a hyper little girl, and really does not like going to the vet for any reason. They administer some homeopathic drops to calm her down before Dr. Williams works on her.
Roxie’s hump is now gone, and she has regained her previous level of energy. We will continue to take her for adjustments about every couple of months for maintenance.
Dr. Williams holds a certification from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association where you can locate a veterinarian to provide animal chiropractic services in your own area.
I found an excellent article about chiropractic for dogs. If you want to check it out, it is included as part of a free report “Ten Topics for Natural Dog Care”.
Until next time,
Jean
Apr 23, 2009 | | Holistic, Homemade Dog Food, Stray Dog
Good morning to all,
In this post, I’ll wrap up the story about the stray puppy.
I forgot to mention yesterday that we took the stray puppy to a nearby vet to see if he had a microchip. He did not. So, he had neither a collar nor a microchip. The vet tech also told us the puppy was 4-5 months old, and he weighed 12 pounds.
Rick set up a small fenced-off area for him in our back yard, moved the dog house (which is never occupied) for him, and gave him water and food.
The little guy really had an engaging personality and just wanted to play. So, we decided to see how Roxie and Gypsy would handle him. Gypsy immediately put him in his place, and he left her alone. Roxie, however, would not stand up for herself, so of course the puppy pestered her until we put a stop to it.
We really expected to get a call from his desparate owner that evening in response to the signs we had posted, but the phone did not ring. So, we had an overnight guest.
The next morning, I called the Humane Society once again to see if any cage space had opened up for him. It had. They gave us an appointment for that very afternoon to bring him in. The people at the Humane Society could not have been nicer, and the puppy happily greeted the new humans as they took him back. They are hopeful to have him ready for adoption as soon as they neuter, vaccinate, microchip, and bathe him. They charge a receiving fee of $25.00 which I think is totally fair and reasonable given all they do, and Rick and I felt compelled to double it to $50.00.
I will be watching their website to see when he comes up for adoption, and I’ll keep you posted.
Jean
Apr 03, 2009 | | Stray Dog
Good morning, everyone,
It was my full intention to start talking about how we transitioned Roxie and Gypsy from commercial dog food to a homemade dog food diet.
However, we had a new doggie experience I would like to share.
Two days ago, we were walking around our neighborhood with Roxie and Gypsy as we do every day. Along the backstretch, a little puppy came barreling our way. He was an exuberant little guy, and was thrilled to see us. Roxie and Gypsy did not share his enthusiam, but he would not be deterred. He followed us all the way home and proceeded to whine and scratch at our front door. What choice did we have but to take him in? We had never taken in a stray so we had no clue as to what to do next. Surely someone will miss this little guy. We had a violent storm that morning so we thought the puppy got scared and escaped his back yard.
So, Rick hauled out our puppy crate to hold him while I got on the phone. I called the two large no-kill shelters here in San Antonio, and then called our doggie day care place to get some more ideas. She suggested several resources, including Man and Beast, which is a central lost and found pet database here in San Antonio. We posted “Found Puppy” signs in the neighborhood, talked to a bunch of neighbors, and drove around nearby neighborhoods to see if someone had posted “Lost Puppy” signs.
I will continue the puppy’s story with tomorrow’s post.
Talk to you then,
Jean
Apr 02, 2009 | | Stray Dog