We Are The Cure Blog | Canine Cancer Information

What about organizing your own dog walks? Right, so that sounds interesting? PDSA, UK’s leading veterinary charity can actually make that happen for you. They are organizing ‘Walkies’ throughout the month of September to raise funds for the treatment of sick and injured dogs.

To realize their dreams, PDSA is urging all dog lovers and owners to sponsor their own dog walks, no matter how big or small it is.

In case you are wondering how to organize the event, trust me PDSA is there to help you in every way. After you register at the PDSA Walkies Registration Page, they will send you an information pack comprising helpful advice and tips, posters, stickers, poop bags and certificates for walkers and all that you need to organize an event.

This is also a very innovative way of meeting vets, in case your pet is in need of one. The organization has published a report recently which says adult dogs need around 20 minutes to 2 hours of exercise a day. But in reality only 26% of dogs get less than even half an hour’s exercise a day. Worse still, 7% get no walks at all.

Lack of exercise coupled with a bad diet, can lead to obesity which can ultimately result in arthritis, diabetes and heart disease for our pawed friends, warns the report.
So this is a wonderful way to kick start your pet’s health regime that will go a long way to ensure his well being.

For more information you can log on to the PDSA Walkies page.

It’s once again that time of the year when you have to innovate cool ways to keep your pets in high spirits. For some of you I know this is a real challenge. But trust me, the recipe I am going to talk about will not only erase those wrinkles from your face, but will also give your friends a welcome relief from the summer heat. This recipe is very simple and lasts in the refrigerator indefinitely.

•    Cut 4 bananas in ¼
•    Take 3-4 teaspoons of peanut butter
•    Take enough water or broth to make a smoothie
•    Place all the items in a blender and mix well
•    Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or plastic cups sprayed with vegetable oil and refrigerate for 4 hours or more. Then serve chilled.

I am sure your pets would absolutely love it.

I came across a very exciting news post which spoke about the world’s largest dog wedding festival.

It’s actually the second year of the Fido’s festival. It would be held at the Salem County Fairgrounds in Woodstown, New Jersey on the August 29th at 2 pm. So, if you have any crazy plans of marrying your pet’s off, this is exactly the place to be in.

Register at Fidofestivalusa.com and upload your pet’s picture. In case you don’t find the right match for him or her online, you can take him to the fair and let him find his right match among the crowd of dogs. At the festival, complimentary lunch and marriage certificates will be given to all participants.

It’s going to be a three-day event packed with activities for dogs and their families. The theme for this year is “Tropical Pooch Paradise”. So, in keeping with the theme, there will be contests for dogs like Limbo competitions, Beach Comber Costume contests, and Surfer Races, to name a few.

You can shop to your heart’s content because there will be a lot of items for your dogs on display. Other activities would be dog rescues, dog diving, agility course, lure racing, fly ball demonstrations, training demonstrations, and presentations by pet experts. And trust me I know nothing of these. So, you have to actually be at the festival to check these out. Food and lodging for dog owners would be available at the spot.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your pet ready for all the action.

If you are at the festival, please comment on this blog so that I can invite you to write a guest blog post.

Is your dog fond of chewing? Has he ever damaged things in your home or personal items, like clothes, shoes and electronics? I am sure he has, because he loves to chew and it is his natural instinct.

But for some dog owners this is a real problem.

How often do we realize what our friends actually want? Since they cannot speak don’t you think it is entirely our responsibility to take care of all their needs? We have to understand that unless we give him his stuff to chew, he will be forced to satisfy his natural instincts by chewing the things around him and giving you those extra wrinkles. And trust me, he will find plenty of things that are pleasing for him to chew but not to you.

I know it is a difficult problem to handle, but there are a few things that can be kept in mind.

1.  Give your pet a good quality chew toy. Make sure he has enough toys so that he understands what he can chew and what he cannot.
2.  Rotate his toys from time to time so that he doesn’t get bored.
3.  Make sure there are no removable parts that can be easily broken off and eaten.
4.  Avoid toys that are small enough for your dog to swallow or too large for him to play with comfortably.
5.  When you first give your dog a new toy, supervise him to ensure that he plays with it properly.
6.  Choose toys that can be washed. Otherwise they might become breeding grounds for bacteria.

A good chew toy will satisfy your dog’s natural urge to chew, and also keep him chirpy and in good mood.

I was really shocked to read a news item on high fluoride content in dog foods the other day.

An Environmental Working Group (EWG) through their research has found that foods like bone meals and animal by products have high fluoride contamination. It is in fact 2.5 times higher than the permissible limit.

So next time, you go shopping for pet foods, look out for items like chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken meal and beef meal.

There are also certain other things that you should never forget to check like the source of oil, the amount and quality of ingredients and the credibility of the manufacturer. Since our friends cannot speak, it is absolutely our responsibility to look after all their needs and give them a safe and secure world to live in.

Have you bought a puppy recently? How often do you take him for a stroll? They say, in puppies the period between 3-12 weeks is very sensitive for socialization. In the formative years of their life certain people and incidents leave an indelible impression on their minds. This play a big role in shaping up their behavioural patterns later on.

So from now on take him along more often when you go for a jaunt in the evening. You never know there might be hidden in your otherwise timid pet a very mirthful creature. Or if you can spare some more time take him to obedience classes. Even taking him to your friend’s place where he might come across another dog belonging to the same or different breed might work wonders.

So try and acquaint him as much as possible with all sorts of things that he may encounter in the journey of his life. It could be from different types of people, animals to unfamiliar noises on the road. If his initial reaction is a bit weird don’t panic. Give him some more time. He will automatically adapt himself to the vicissitudes of life around him.

As often is the case, we will have the horrible knowledge that it is just a matter of time before we have to make the choice of putting our pets to sleep. It is both a blessing and a curse. The one good thing is that we can really focus on quality time. We get a chance to say goodbye. We get to really connect.

Yet for anyone who does not get that chance, you must remember that they already know how much you love them. That is why they loved you so much.

If you lose your pet after you had to give them a shorter walk than usual, after you had to rush of to work without giving them the attention they deserved that day, remember, that is just life. There is no guilt meant to exist there. Think of your long term love, not just a moment you weren’t perfect. Your dedication, your love, your being loved, is what counts.

And, before we are put in the position of saying our last minute loving goodbyes, when we are in daily life with our healthy and happy pets, let’s make sure they know we love them.

This blog is contributed by Alex in Welderland from www.custompeturns.com. His Twitter contact is @CustomPetUrns.

Are you using one of the popular, ‘applied monthly’ flea products? Think about it…it can kill fleas because it is a form of poison. Some products contain strychnine. Others have the active ingredient, imidacloprid a nicotine-like substance which is rated as “moderately toxic” acutely by the WHO and the EPA and which causes thyroid lesions in rats. Is that really something you want to apply to your dog between his/her shoulders once a month to be absorbed by his/her skin until it’s able to also poison every flea that comes into contact with him/her?

There are wonderful, affordable essential oil combinations made especially for repelling fleas. Most contain oil of lemon and eucalyptus- very pleasant smelling.

If your dog does pick up fleas from another animal, a simple decoction of lemon peel poured over the dog will kill the fleas instantly. I love that solution! I mean, I’m not a scientist, but my sense is that lemon peel probably doesn’t cause cancer!

Diatomaceous earth and cedar chips are inexpensive, natural remedies for flea infested areas of the home or yard. Both can be found online.

This blog is contributed by Nadine M. Rosin, author of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com

We often forget, or we simply ignore, the stress that the loss of a beloved pet puts on us. Our hearts, our minds, and our spirits take a hard hit, and there remain a bruise left where that pain struck. We may not be able to see it, but we can definitely feel it.

To heal, we need to restore our souls back to that good place where it once was. Yes, we do heal on our own, and time greatly helps the journey, of course. But sometimes things get hidden, like splinters that have worked their way in and we don’t really realize they are there, we just feel the discomfort.

We can be the healthiest if we take action. After the grief, we need to give time and space for recovery. We can treat ourselves without asking why.

We need to shine a light on what has happened, allow ourselves to feel the pain, and then allow ourselves the time we need to heal it. This way, we can, and should, help ourselves through it, owing it to our loved ones, our own hearts and spirits, our mind and our other pets.

This blog is contributed by Alex in Welderland from www.custompeturns.com. His Twitter contact is @CustomPetUrns.

Laundry products: non-natural detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets… a little bit of internet research will convince you- there is all kinds of well-documented material about how very harmful the most common, best-selling brands are to our health. Keep in mind, between clothing, bedding, and towels, we are constantly exposed to and absorbing these poisons through our skin and so are our pets! If you launder any of their cloth toys, they are also ingesting those chemicals.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets: Reprinted with Permission from the SixWise.com Security & Wellness e-Newsletter

* Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
* Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
* Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
* A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
* Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list
* Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
* Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
* Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
* Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

There are many natural, affordable alternatives to be found at stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and many online companies. Just because it smells pretty, doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. Please don’t assume that large companies put your health and well-being before their bottom line.

In my opinion, it is always wise to read the label of every product your animal is exposed to in and around your home.

This blog is contributed by Nadine M. Rosin, author of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com