Angel Fund Helps Keep Miss Kallie Healthy
Tim Genoway, who had not worked in four years, was concerned about his dog, Miss Kallie, earlier this year.
âI went to two or three veterinariansâ offices and I could see she wasnât getting any better,â he said. Then I went to a practice in Orange. I was practically out of money and they wouldnât start treating her condition without any kind of money.
âI was like, my dogâs dying here. I know she is. and they would say, âYeah, I know she is. This is serious but weâve got to have some kind of deposit.â
âI was at my witâs end. I didnât know what to do. I made a sign that said I needed help with vet care. somebody came along and mentioned one or two organizations and I called them. They didnât call me back. One called me back a couple of days later and said they would be willing to help with $200 to $400. So that was a good start.â
Then he took Kallie to Anaheim Hills Animal Hospital. The doctors there examined the dog â a small animal who is part miniature Pinscher and part Chihuahua and weighs about six and a half pounds. âThey thought they knew what the problem was [Pyometra],â Tim said, but they were concerned about whether Kallie could be ready to face the needed surgery.
It was late in the day and the veterinarian told Tim that the hospital closed in 20 minutes and suggested that he and Miss Kallie say goodbye to each other. Fearing the worst, Tim was thinking: âThis is my best friend. I canât let her go like this. Sheâs my partner in life. Thereâs got to be something they can do. Please, letâs not give up!â
The doctor told him: âWeâll give it 24 hours and, if she recovers, weâll go ahead with the surgery. But we canât promise anything.â The dog was put on an IV about 11 p.m.
The next morning, Tim got a call from the hospital. The message was positive and he was ecstatic. âShe was doing really good and they said they expected to do the surgery sometime that day, if not the next day. And they said she would likely make it! They said they would check her throughout the day and when they thought she was ready, they would go ahead with the surgery.â
The surgery was performed about 3 p.m. that day. âThey spayed her and cleaned out all the bad stuff, stitched her up and did a beautiful job. I couldnât have asked for more.â
The hospital steered him to Angel Fund, which approved his application and granted him $500, an amount matched by the practice.
Kallie, he said, weighed barely six pounds when she had the surgery and weighs about have a pound more now. Tim said that she was ready to play the day he brought her home from the hospital.
âSheâs definitely a very special dog,â he said. âThereâs something about her. I lost my Pitbull in April last year. If she had left this year, that would have been both of my best friends gone. Basically, Kallieâs the only family Iâve got left. Iâve got some cousins but donât really talk to them too much.â
He is estranged from his sister and has not spoken to his mother in more than two years.
âYou guys [Angel Fund] are angels. You really, truly are. You are awesome.â
When it was time to pay his bill at Anaheim Hills Hospital, Tim said, âI took all the money I could put together. But they said, you just need to sign. Itâs all taken care of. Talk about the Lord blessing me!â
He said that he once had a good job and owned a house, then fell on hard times and had not worked for several years. He recently started a job as a security officer at a shopping center in Orange â and what he hopes will be a fresh start in life with a healthy and happy best friend.
Angel Fund Supplies Clarity for Dog With Terminal Cancer
In the fall of 2017, a young Laguna Niguel family had a sick dog on its hands. Rikku, a shepard mix, had been in the family for some 13 years and was loved by mom and dad and two young children.
âShe had been sick for a few months,â Lindsay, the mother, said in an interview. (She asked that her last name not be used.) âWe were unsure of the cause. At first we thought it might be behavioral. But then . . . she started having potty accidents in the house, which was so unusual for her.
âWe took her to the vet [Dr. Rachel Tuz at Aliso Niguel Animal Hospital]. After a few visits and really no conclusive idea what the diagnosis was, we shrugged our shoulders and decided, âWell, sheâs 13 years old and pushing 14, should we even pursue this any further?â
âThe doctor had suggested a couple of other tests,â Lindsay said. âAt that point, we had run dry on money.â But Dr. Tuz called and said that Angel Fund might be able to help. Lindsay successfully submitted an application with the hospitalâs help. âThey did the tests and found that she had a massive tumor in her bladder. And it was basically inoperable. There was nothing we could do about it.
ââWe didnât know what to do next, other than wait it out,â Lindsay said. âThe next few months the dog got worse quickly and was losing weight, two pounds or more a month. And we finally reached the point where Dr. Tuz said that this wasnât fair to Rikku. She was not able to be in the house because she was having so many accidents. So we had to choose to put her down. That was in November.â
The experience was wrenching for all the family. âMy husband, Ryan, and I had owned her since we were kids,â Lindsay said. âIt was very hard.  âMy son, Finnegan, was very sad. He still is. He still talks about her.â He is five years old. She and her husband also have a two-year-old daughter, Molly, is two.
The family got a new dog â a puppy â in January. âWe were going to wait but Finnegan kept saying he missed not having a dog,â Lindsay said. âItâs different, though. The new dog doesnât replace the dog you had. Theyâre just totally different personalities.â
Angel Fund was âfantastic,â Lindsay said, and she wrote a thank you letter to the fund after receiving the grant.  âThey helped us in a serious time of need. Itâs hard when your pet is sick and you feel like you canât do anything else about it.â
Lindsay had opted to be a stay-at-home mom after her first child was born. And she and Ryan felt financially overburdened, she said, with a mortgage, two young children and hefty student loans for two college educations.
Study: Dogs Understand Spoken Words Better Than We Thought
From Healthy Pets
Mercola
By Dr. Karen Becker
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2020/05/01/dogs-understand-spoken-words.aspx?cid_source=petsnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20200501Z1&et_cid=DM521245&et_rid=862360194
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- New study results suggest that dogs understand spoken words even better than we thought
- Researchers concluded that dogs recognize spoken words regardless of the speaker, and they do it instinctively
- The study proves that despite previous assumptions, this spontaneous ability is not uniquely human and that dogs share this linguistic talent
- Earlier research indicates that dogs hear not only what we say, but how we say it
- Similar to us, our dogs use the left hemisphere of their brains to process meaningful words, and the right hemisphere to process vocal tones
The ability to recognize specific word sounds (e.g., vowels) in human speech is assumed to be a uniquely human trait. After all, small differences in sound frequencies can completely change the meaning of a word, for example, “had”, “hid” and “who’d,” or “mat”, “mitt”, and “met.” The sound changes between these groups of words are so minor that word recognition software often misinterprets them.
In addition, the sound of words changes depending on the speaker â his or her age, body size, mouth shape, and other factors. For all these reasons, many researchers have held the opinion that instinctive recognition of word sounds is uniquely human, and that animals such as dogs would need training, at a minimum, to develop the skill.
However, if you’re a dog parent or spend time around dogs, you’ve probably seen for yourself that dogs can and do learn words from one person and recognize those words when they’re spoken by someone else. I’d venture to guess the vast majority of family dogs recognize the word “treat” no matter who says it!
Study: Dogs Understand Spoken Words Better Than We Thought
Recently, a team of U.K. researchers decided to see if dogs are able to recognize the same little sounds (called phonemes) that make up words, when the words are spoken by different people with varying accents and pronunciation.1
The researchers chose words that began with an “h” and ended with a “d” but had different vowels âsuch as “had”, “head”, “hid” and “hood” â and that would also have no meaning to the dogs. The words were recorded by 14 female and 13 male speakers of varying ages and different accents, none of whom were familiar to the dogs in the study.
Each dog sat with his or her owner near an audio speaker while a sequence of six recorded words played with six seconds of silence between each word. The dog’s responses were videotaped.
Psychology professor and neuropsychological researcher Stanley Coren, Ph.D., author of the best-selling book “The Intelligence of Dogs,” in an article for Psychology Today, describes a likely testing scenario:
“One experimental trial might have run this way. The dog to be tested is presented with a string of repetitions of the word ‘had’ through the speaker. Suppose that in this instance the word was spoken by a woman.
Typically, when the dog first hears this new word spoken by this female voice he would point his ears forward, or move toward the speaker, or flick his eyes in the direction that the sound was coming from, all of which are signs of attention and engagement.
“However, as other women with different accents repeat the word ‘had’ the dog loses interest indicating that he knows that they are all saying the same thing. On the other hand, when a female speaker in the sequence says a new word, one with a different vowel, like ‘hid’, the dog now perks up again, indicating that he noticed the difference. But when the next woman’s voice returns to saying ‘had’ his attention will again flag.”2
After evaluating the videotaped sessions, the researchers concluded that dogs recognize spoken words regardless of the speaker, and they do it instinctively.
“These results are significant because they confirm two important aspects of speech recognition in dogs,” Coren writes. “First, they can distinguish between subtle changes in vowel sounds that identify particular words. Second, dogs isolate the important word sounds from all of the changes in sound quality associated with different speakers.”
Lead study author Dr. Holly Root-Gutteridge, a postdoctoral researcher with the Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex made this observation in an interview with Sci-News:
“The ability to recognize words as the same when spoken by different people is critical to speech, as otherwise people wouldn’t be able to recognize words as the same when spoken by different people.
This research shows that, despite previous assumptions, this spontaneous ability is not uniquely human and that dogs share this linguistic talent, suggesting that speech perception may not be as special to humans as we previously thought.”3
Dogs’ Brains Work Similar to Ours to Process What We Say
In 2016, researchers in Budapest published a study that looked at how dogs’ brains process human speech.4 They came to the conclusion that our canine friends listen not only to what we say, but how we say it.
The scientists discovered that when we praise our dogs, the reward centers in their brains perk up if the words we use match our tone of voice. These findings suggest the ability to process words evolved much earlier than was originally thought and may not be unique to humans.
According to Phys.org, the study shows “⊠that if an environment is rich in speech, as is the case of family dogs, word meaning representations can arise in the brain, even in a non-primate mammal that is not able to speak.”5
For the study, the researchers recruited 13 family dogs â primarily Border Collies and Golden Retrievers â who excelled at lying completely still in an fMRI scanner, facilitating analysis of their brain activity. The dogs were volunteer study participants, were never restrained inside the scanner and could leave at any time.
The researchers recorded a trainer’s voice saying certain phrases with varying types of intonation. In the recordings, the trainer praised the dogs using Hungarian words and phrases that in English translate to “good boy,” “super,” and “well done.”
The words were spoken in both an upbeat tone and a neutral tone. The trainer also used neutral words like “however,” and “nevertheless” that meant nothing to the dogs.
While the recording played, the researchers studied the scans for regions of the dogs’ brains that were differentiating between the praise and meaningless words, as well as praise and neutral tones of voice. They observed that the dogs used the left hemisphere to process meaningful (but not meaningless) words, and the right hemisphere to process vocal tones.
Per Phys.org, “This was the same auditory brain region that this group of researchers previously found in dogs for processing emotional non-speech sounds from both dogs and humans, suggesting that intonation processing mechanisms are not specific to speech.”
Lead researcher Attila Andics of Eötvös Lorånd University in Budapest explains:
“During speech processing, there is a well-known distribution of labor in the human brain. It is mainly the left hemisphere’s job to process word meaning, and the right hemisphere’s job to process intonation.
The human brain not only separately analyzes what we say and how we say it, but also integrates the two types of information, to arrive at a unified meaning. Our findings suggest that dogs can also do all that, and they use very similar brain mechanisms.”6
Processing Words Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Understanding Them
“One important thing is that we don’t claim that dogs understand everything we say, of course,” Andics told HuffPost in an email.7
There can be a difference between a dog processing words for their familiarity and actually understanding the words as we intend. As study co-author Adam Miklosi, head of the Family Dog Project told Scientific American magazine:
“‘Understanding’ is a tricky word. Studies using brain imaging technology cannot firmly say that the activation of a specific brain area indicates ‘understanding.’
“For sure, dogs in this study reacted to the meaningful words, that is, to those words that their owners often use when they want to attract the dog’s attention or provide a positive feedback for the dog. So in this sense our dogs recognized these words as familiar and probably meaning something good.”8
An important result of the study is that it demonstrates the left hemisphere of dogs’ brains processes meaningful words separate from the vocal tone. This suggests your dog may understand that “good dog” is praise regardless of the tone of voice you use when you say it, because he recognizes those words as meaningful vs. meaningless.
“We think that intonation is important,” says Miklosi. “Owners should learn how to praise a dog, and then use the same expression in similar way. Consistency in praising and in general in communication with the dog is important.”
The researchers suspect they would have similar results in studies of other domestic animals like cats and horses, as long as the animals had lived among humans. They hope this study and subsequent research can be used to enhance communication and cooperation between dogs and humans.
Pariah, primitive and landrace dogs found around the world
From Pet Connection 
https://www.uexpress.com/pet-connection/2020/4/27/first-dogs
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
One of the things I enjoy about travel is seeing different dogs around the world. Last year, I went to Ethiopia in search of wild dogs — rare and endangered Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis) — but I also saw many domestic dogs in forested villages and high-altitude plains, sometimes with flocks or humans, but more often trotting along on their own business.
No matter where you go in the world, you are likely to see some canine representative who looks much the same as the earliest-known dogs, based on rock art or remains of dogs discovered by archaeologists. Whether they are called aboriginal, landrace, pariah, primitive or village dogs, and whether they are found on islands or mountains or in dense forests, they tend to have a similar form: medium size, prick ears, wedge-shaped head, curved tail and short coat.
Color and coat vary. In the Seychelles, an archipelago off the east coast of Africa, and in the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, I saw mostly tan or brown dogs. In Ethiopia, I saw many black-and-tan and black-and-white dogs as well as ones dressed in basic brown. Sometimes they have feathering — or furnishings — on legs, ears and tail, or longer fur, depending on where they evolved. Sometimes these dogs have maintained a particular look over centuries simply because geographic isolation ensured that they did not interbreed with dogs from other areas.
Pariah-type dogs who live on the streets and forage for themselves, as well as those who live in homes as companions, can be found from India to Taiwan to Thailand and everywhere in between. You may have a dog who looks like this in your own home, mixed or purebred.
Some purebreds who live in our homes and sleep on our beds still maintain primitive behavior characteristics, such as reproducing only once a year. The Federation Cynologique Internationale — Europeâs answer to the American Kennel Club — has a âprimitiveâ category of dogs that includes the basenji, Canaan dog, cirneco dellâEtna, pharaoh hound, Xoloitzcuintli, Portuguese podengo and Thai ridgeback. In the same FCI group as primitive dogs are the spitz breeds, including the Akita, Alaskan malamute, chow chow, Finnish spitz, Icelandic sheepdog, Jindo, Karelian bear dog, Norwegian elkhound, shiba and Siberian husky. While in their current forms, most of these breeds are not much more than a century old (no matter what their breed standards say), the types of dogs that were their progenitors have been around for millennia.
The United Kennel Club describes pariah dogs as having short, smooth coats and large, erect ears, saying they are believed to be the ancestors of sighthounds — those tall, skinny, fast dogs such as Afghan hounds, Azawakhs, greyhounds, salukis and sloughis.
Some dogs are considered not purebreds but landraces: domestic dogs adapted to a particular locale or culture. Their characteristics developed more in response to survival in a particular environment than to human design. One such dog I saw on a visit to Mongolia in 2016 is the bankhar, kept by nomadic herders to guard flocks, and able to survive, thrive and work in harsh conditions. Thatâs more important to their human partners than whether they meet specific criteria regarding appearance or size. Bankhars have greater genetic diversity than their purebred cousins who come from a closed gene pool and are selectively bred by humans for specific physical or behavioral characteristics.
Landraces sometimes become breeds through human intervention. In the United States, for instance, the Carolina dog began as a landrace but is now considered to be a standardized breed, registered by the American Rare Breed Association and the UKC.
Some primitive dogs retain more wild behaviors than others, among them Australiaâs dingo and New Guineaâs singing dog. A few live as companions, but more often they live a wild life, fending for themselves.
12 Games for Dogs to Keep Your Pup Entertained and Healthy
- From ApartmentGuide
- We have 12 games you can try playing with your dog
- Stuck indoors? Try out the indoor games and puzzles
- Looking to get some exercise in the yard? Weâve included outdoor activities as well
Similar to humans, dogs need their exercise to stay healthy. While walking your dog can be a good way to release energy, sometimes you donât have the time or space to go on a long walk. In these situations, use these games for dogs to tire your pup out.
Whether itâs a sunny day and you can spend time in the yard or youâre confined to your small apartment, we have a variety of games for your pup. When playing, be sure to consider your dogâs size and age. Bigger dogs tend to have more energy and might need longer games. Small dogs may tire more easily. When considering age, older dogs are more prone to hurting themselves. This means you may want to choose games that are easier on their joints.
No matter your dogâs breed, size or age, we have twelve games for dogs to keep them healthy and happy.
- Jump to DIY games and puzzles for dogs infographic
DIY puzzles for dogs
Youâve found the perfect pet-friendly apartment and now you need games to entertain your dog throughout the day. Luckily there are plenty of indoor puzzles for dogs that you can try out in the comfort of your home.
1. Scent experiment
Try out a scent experiment with your dog to test its snout. This can be played in a variety of ways. In the most basic version, youâll hide a treat somewhere and have them find it.
Muffin tray tennis ball game
For this activity, youâll need a muffin tray, four tennis balls and treats.
- Step 1:Â Start by having your dog sit. Place a few treats in different cups of the muffin tray as they wait patiently.
- Step 2: Instruct them to find the treats.
- Step 3:Â Now that they are familiar with the game, repeat step one but this time put tennis balls over the treats.
- Step 4:Â Instruct your dog to find the treats. See if they can sniff them out and figure out how to move the tennis balls out of the way to retrieve them.
- Step 5:Â As your dog gets better at sniffing out the treats, set up some decoy tennis balls with no treats under them.
This game can last as long as youâd like it to. For variety, try changing which treats you are using or use a more difficult treat to gobble up like peanut butter.
2. Treat dispenser fun
Give your dog a treat puzzle to figure out. You can either buy a treat dispenser like the popular Kong toys or make your own.
How to DIY a dog treat dispenser
For this project, youâll need a water bottle, dog treats and a drill.
- Step 1:Â Wash the bottle so that itâs clean and remove any labels.
- Step 2:Â Drill a hole in the side of the bottle. The size of the hole will depend on the size of your treats. The hole should be a little smaller than your treats so they donât easily fall out.
- Step 3:Â Put the treats in the bottle and screw on the top.
- Step 4:Â Give the treat dispenser to your dog and see how long it takes them to solve the puzzle.
Be sure you are supervising your pup when they play with this toy. If they manage to chew off the lid or tear through the plastic, youâll want to take it away.
Active indoor games for dogs
Just because you are confined to your apartment, doesnât mean your dog canât release some energy. Try out one of these active indoor games to keep from going stir crazy.
3. Hide and seek
A fun indoor game to play with your dog is hide and seek. Have your pup sit and stay. Then go hide somewhere in the house. When you are hidden, tell them to come. When they find you, reward them with a treat.
4. Stairway race
Release some energy by having an indoor race with your dog. This is best for homes that have carpeted stairways to prevent any injuries. Have someone say, âOn your marks, get set, go!â Race up the stairs and see who can make it to the top first. Have everyone in the family race in different heats to determine who is the champion.
Training challenges to try with your dog
While you might have taken a training class when your dog was a puppy, you may not have kept up with teaching them as they grew. Test their mental strength by practicing new skills and learning agility.
5. Practice skills
Test your dogâs memory and obedience by teaching them some basic skills. These can include sit, stay, shake and roll over. Skills are good for a dog of any age to practice. Use their favorite treat as an incentive. Be sure to only reward them if they are successful in completing the action.
If your canine has already mastered these basics, try some more advanced skills. Some advanced dog skills include:
- Play dead
- Crawl
- Kiss
- Hug
- Spin
- Sit pretty
- Bow
- Leash
Practicing these skills will create a deeper bond between you and your pup as well as lead to them being more obedient.
6. Create an indoor agility course
If you are practicing agility with your dog, you can make an agility course with basic home furniture. Learning agility can help solve dog behavior problems, improve their off-leash reliability, build your bond and gain some skills you can show off.
Make a scorecard and see how your pup would fare in a real competition. To learn more about agility, check out the American Kennel Club scoring guide.
Homemade dog agility course
Create your own agility course at home to learn these skills.
- Weave:Â Set up laundry baskets in a row. Have your dog practice weaving in and out of them.
- Jump up:Â Have them jump up on a chair or your bed. Practice with different heights.
- Jump through:Â Hold up a hula hoop and have them jump through.
- Under:Â Practice going under a few chairs that are lined up in a row.
- Crawl:Â Get a box and open the ends. Have your dog practice crawling through.
- Over:Â Rest a pole or broom over two stools. Work on their ability to jump over the pole.
Additional classic games for dogs
These are the games that your dog knows and loves. When youâre at a loss for what to play, try one of these classic games for dogs.
7. Clean up
If you have toys scattered throughout your apartment, clean up is the game for you. A game of clean up will entertain your pup as well as get rid of some of the clutter in your home.
Have them pick up one of their toys and lead them to the toy bin. When their head is over the bin, instruct them to âdrop it.â Praise them with words or treats. This process may take a little longer for them to understand so be patient as they are learning. In the end, youâll be rewarded with a tidy space.
8. Fetch
Fetch is a classic for a reason. This game may seem repetitive to you, but to your dog, itâs endless entertainment. To play, throw a ball of some sort. Typically tennis balls work best because they fit in your dog’s mouth, can be thrown far distances and their color is easy to spot. Your dog will chase after it and return the ball, panting and ready for more.
Many play fetch with sticks they find in the backyard, but this can be dangerous. The stick can easily break down when chewed and the splinters can be harmful to your dogâs mouth or stomach. Be sure you are using soft, pet-safe toys when playing fetch.
9. Frisbee
Another crowd favorite is a frisbee. Frisbee is similar to fetch, but oftentimes your dog is content playing with it alone for hours. Since frisbees have rounded sides, they often roll away. This turns into a game of chase and then a wild battle until your pup comes out of it victorious.
There are two types of frisbees you can purchase. The classic plastic kind is durable, but be sure to keep an eye on how itâs holding up. Sharp teeth can cause the plastic to crack, making it dangerous for dogs to play with and humans to throw. Another option is to get a softer, cloth frisbee. These are good for dogs with more sensitive gums like puppies who are teething.
10. Water games
On a hot summer day, thereâs nothing better than cooling off with some water games. Get sprinklers and attach them to the hose in your yard. Be sure youâre using a garden hose that is lead-free. If itâs been sitting out in the sun, run it for a little bit to clear out any bacteria that may have formed.
Set up the sprinkler in an area of your yard that needs some hydration. Turn it on and encourage your dog to jump over it with you. For more dynamic entertainment, get an oscillating sprinkler so your dog can chase it back and forth.
11. Soccer
A game for the whole family, soccer can be an excellent way to release some energy. Get a soccer ball and be sure itâs fully inflated. If a dogâs sharp teeth puncture it, your match will be over.
Familiarize your dog with the ball. Reward them with treats when they push it with their nose. Once they are comfortable with the new toy, try playing pass. Lightly kick the ball towards them and see if they can return it to you. Another option is to set up a goal (could be two sticks that serve as goal markers) and have your dog play defense.
12. Tug of war
Your dog may naturally try to play tug of war with you with something youâre holding. To be sure they donât destroy your couch pillow or shoelaces itâs important to give them an item they are allowed to play with. Create a tug of war toy with some natural cotton rope. Tie knots in the rope so your pet has something to grab onto.
Many pet parents are worried that this type of game will bring out aggression in their dog. To avoid this, be sure you are playing on your terms. Keep the toy stored out of reach and bring it out when you want to play. When playing, be sure that your dog never touches you. If they do, the game is temporarily over. This will teach them boundaries. In addition to learning these boundaries, they should know how to âdrop itâ when instructed to. If they havenât learned this command, itâs a skill you should work on.
Spending quality time with your dog
Partaking in these games for dogs will create a stronger bond between you and your four-legged friend. Be sure to add these skills to your dogâs pet resume when moving to a new apartment.
Sources:
A Pet Owner’s Guide to Flowers and Plants
BROUGHT TO YOU BY KREMP.COM
We love our pets! The family cat or dog is vital part of our family, and we do everything we can to help ensure that they have what they need. Pet owners need to be certain that they provide the correct food and preventative medical care. While pet safety needs to be a big concern around the house, one of the most common dangers for pets are with the plants and flowers that can be redily found in the home.
Most homes have various types of plants and flowers inside the home. These plants and flowers help brighten up a home and provide a decorative flourish. While the addition of plants and flowers in a home are helpful in making the house attractive, it can also be a danger to pets. Knowing which plants are non-toxic and which plants are toxic to your dog or cat is important for the continued good health of your pet.
There are a number of plants that are commonly found around the home that are toxic to animals. Some of the plants that should be kept away from the family pet include Lilies, Tulips and Azaleas. All of these plants could have an impact on the health of pets if ingested. Therefore, it is important that prevention of potential danger is very important.
If you have a home with pets, and you have flowers and plants, it is imperative to keep an eye out for the possibility of the animal being poisoned. Some of the symptoms that you should look out for include diarrhea, vomiting, weakness and not behaving as normal. If you suspect that your pet may have been accidentally poisoned, it is important to contact your vet as soon as possible. The early the treatment for the poison the better chance of getting them back to health.
To learn more about which plants and flowers are toxic and what to do in the event of a poisoning, please review the following information.
- Poisonous Plants – Informative web page from Cornell University which provides information on which plants are poisonous to animals.
- Animal Toxins – Listing of items that are considered poisonous to all animals.
- Plants Toxic to Animals – Helpful database of plants that are toxic to domesticated animals.
- Toxic Plants for Pets – In this page you will learn about the plants that animals should avoid.
- List of Poisonous Plants – Useful article which contains a listing of plants that are toxic to cats and dogs.
- Pet Safe Gardening – Information from the Animal Health Foundation which offers ideas on having a pet safe garden.
- Pets and Toxic Plants – This article from UC Davis discusses pets and plants that could be toxic to them.
- ASPCA Information – Information on plants and flowers that are toxic and non-toxic to pets.
- Keeping Pets Safe – Article from HGTV which offers ideas on how to keep pets safe from plants and flowers around the home.
- Safe Indoor House Flowers and Plants – Helpful article from Better Homes and Gardens which provides information on plants and flowers that are safe for pets.
- Signs of Poisoning – Useful information on how to tell if your dog has been poisoned.
- Top Dog Poisons – This article informs dog owners about the top potentially harmful items that are poisonous to dogs.
- Antifreeze Poisoning in Cats – Article which provides general information on how to determine if you cat was poisoned.
- Poisoned Dog – In this helpful article you will find information and steps to treat a poisoned dog.
- Treating a Poisoned Cat – Article which lists steps that can be taken to treat a cat suspected of being poisoned.
- Poison Prevention Tips (PDF) – Publication which lists the top tips on how to keep your pet from being poisoned.
- Pet Poison Prevention Tips – Information for pet owners on ways to prevent pet poisoning from occurring.
- Poison Prevention Tips for Pets – Informative information on how to avoid pets being poisoned around the home.
- Poison Prevention Publication (PDF) – Helpful brochure which provides pet owners with preventative measures to keep poisons away from pets.
- Poison Control and Prevention – Information on how to keep pets safe from potential poisons.
- Pets and Poisons – In this article from the American Humane Association you will find information on pet poisoning.
- Pet First Aid – Red Cross information and class material on learning the basics of pet first aid.
- Basic Pet First Aid – Useful information for pet owners which provides a basic understanding of first aid.
- Pesticide Poisoning in Pets – Article which offers information on what to do if your pet is poisoned by pesticides.
- Poison Information and Resources – Resourceful page with information about pet poisoning.
- Pets and Poison – Web page which informs pet owners about the dangers around the home for pets.
- Poison Safety for Pet Owners (PDF) – General information about poison safety from the University of Virginia.
- Preventing Pet Poisoning – Information about pet poisoning prevention with outdoor pesticides.
- Pet Poisoning Information – Helpful information about the basics of pet poisoning.
- Plants and Household Products – Informative fact sheets with information about normal plants and products around the house that can be poisonous to pets.
Dogs, Coloring Lower Stress in Emergency Department Workers
From Physicians Briefing, April, 2020
In a prospective trial, five minutes spent coloring or with therapy dogs lowered provider cortisol levels
FRIDAY, April 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Taking a short break to interact with therapy dogs or color mandalas decreases stress levels in emergency medicine providers, according to a study published online April 7 in Academic Emergency Medicine.
Jeffrey A. Kline, M.D., from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and colleagues compared the impact of a five-minute midshift break to interact with a therapy dog versus a similar break to color a mandala versus no intervention on the stress levels of physicians and nurses at a single emergency department. The researchers assessed self-reported stress levels with a visual analog scale (VAS; 0 to 100 mm) and measured cortisol levels in saliva samples collected before, during, and after each provider’s shift.
The researchers found that among 122 providers, there were no differences in VAS at the beginning of shifts. Midshift coloring increased VAS and interaction with dogs decreased VAS at the end of shifts, while controls remained unchanged (24.5, 13.6, and 20 mm, respectively). In all groups, salivary cortisol levels were highest at the start of shifts; however, cortisol levels were lower for both intervention groups compared with controls at the end of the shifts.
“Many health care workers and laypersons believe that dog-assisted support can improve emotional well-being in the health care setting, but little hard data exist to scientifically evaluate this belief, especially in emergency care,” Kline said in a statement. “We provide novel data to suggest that emergency care providers enjoyed seeing a dog on shift, and received a small benefit in stress reduction after the interaction.”
Last Updated:Â
Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Brazilian Couple Gets Surgery for Dog With Angel Fundâs Help
Four years ago, Edgard Carnoso Principe and his long-time girlfriend Francine came to America from Brazil with their Boston Terrier, Chloe, to study English. They hope eventually to become permanent residents.
They live in Newport Beach and Edgard works as a shaper of surfboards. Francine works as a nanny.  They have gotten by on part-time work and limited income. But last November their resources were tested.
Chloe, who is 10 years old, was having some discomfort, so they took her to Mesa West Pet Hospital not far from their home. After checking the dog, Edgard said, âthe doctor [Lethicia Lepera] said that she found tumors and she needed to test to see if they were real [cancerous]. They were real and she said they needed to be removed as soon as possible.â
The couple faced the possibility of losing their beloved companion because they did not have money for the surgery. Francine had just lost a job and Edgard was working part time. Dr. Lepara suggested applying for an Angel Fund grant.
âWe applied and we got it,â Edgard said. âThe doctor took off three [mast cell] tumors, one on her belly and two on her legs.â The Angel Fund grant was for $500, a sum matched by the hospital.
âWe took Chloe home after the surgery and she was walking like normal and eating the next day.  It took her two or three weeks to get completely back to normal.â
The dog has not had any additional tumors since then and is âhappy and healthy,â Edgard said. âSheâs fine right now. She is super good.  But she does have something on her neck that weâre going to get checked. She had a growth that a doctor in Brazil took off a few years ago but she hadnât had any more until we took her in last November. She is super healthy, happy and a normal dog.
âIf Angel Fund hadnât helped us, we couldnât have done the surgery. I donât make a lot of money and Francine doesnât work all the time. Â We tried to talk to some friends [about helping] but it was a lot of money.â
The couple is grateful to Angel Fund. âIf we didnât get the money, we couldnât have gotten the surgery,â Edgard said. âWithout Angel Fund we would probably have had to put Chloe down for sure. It helped us a lot.â
Angel Fund Grant Helps Dog Deal With Congenital Problem
Tyler Davis and Spritzer, his 13-year-old Toy Fox Terrier, had been through a lot together. âHe was just as spry as he could be,â Tyler said. But then the seven-pound dog started having problems.
Tyler took him to Fairview Pet Hospital in Costa Mesa.  Dr. Hongwon Kang told him that he believed Spritzer had a congenital condition that is common in the breed. He said that he needed an x-ray to confirm the diagnosis.
But Tyler, who recently had been homeless, did not have the money to pay the bill. The doctor suggested that Angel Fund could help. Tyler applied but it was about three weeks before he received the grant. In the meantime, Spritzerâs condition worsened.
Tyler did research online and knew what medications were recommended for treatment. The condition includes a collapsed trachea and an enlarged heart. âIt makes it increasingly hard for the dog to breath,â Tyler said. But Dr. Kang did not want to prescribe the drugs, he said, until he could take x-rays to confirm the condition.
When Tyler was informed that his grant had been approved, he was ecstatic. He took Spritzer to the hospital and x-rays were taken. Tyler obtained the medications and began giving them to his dog.
âAngel Fund was a life-saver but the x-rays showed that Spritzerâs enlarged heart was really big and was already pushing his trachea,â Tyler said. âHe would stand up and then he would fall over because he would black out. Two weeks earlier, he was chasing squirrels. He went from that to falling over. It killed me.âe H
It had become increasingly clear that Spritzer was nearing the end of his life. âI watched for a couple of weeks and I just couldnât take it. Finally, my two sons came over and got me and Spritzer and took us to the vet. Spritzer was staring into my eyes and I was bawling, man!â
It was about a month after the dog had begun taking the medications that he was put down.
Tyler had a good job as a successful real estate agent but he plunged into homelessness after a real estate deal went sour during the Great Recession of 2007-08 that was caused by subprime mortgages and a housing bubble. He had two young sons, now both financially successful at ages 24 and 22. The family was helped by the Illumination Foundation, an Orange County nonprofit that provides aid to those without shelter.  And they lived for a time in a âbig storage unitâ that Tyler made into a temporary home.
âThe homeless thing is like a black hole, Tyler said. âYouâre almost climbing out and then the thread breaks and you go all the way back down to the bottom. I had a resume as long as my arm but nobody would hire me. I raised my two boys by myself.â
Tyler lived in his car for a time and later was able to buy a recreational vehicle, that is still his home. He also went back to school and earned a graphic arts degree.  He believes that triggered his recovery from homelessness. While in school, he did a graphic picture of Spritzer on his computer.
In 2009, he started repairing auto windshields. The small business âwas just keeping me alive for a whileâ but now is doing well. âItâs been pretty good these last six months,â he said. âI get a lot of calls for window replacement, which I donât do, but Iâm thinking about expanding my business to include that. I could go do a workshop or hire somebody who knows how to do it.â
Tyler said that he didnât want to get another dog after Spritzer died. âBut now weâve got Peanut, a small white Chihuahua. âHeâs a menace, 24/7. Heâs about the same size and almost looks like Spritzer.â
He also is setting up a nonprofit he is calling Life Rebuilders to help the homeless by giving them shoes.
Disabled Woman Turns to Angel Fund for Help With Dogâs Heart Problem
I
n 2004, Galina Coleman slipped and fell at work not far from where she lived in Petaluma. She had five surgeries for the injuries she suffered.  In the wake of that personal catastrophy and disillusioned with her marriage, she got a divorced and moved to Southern California.
Today, estranged from her former husband and two sons, she lives in Aliso Viejo and struggles to pay her bills. She was declared totally disabled in 2006 and lives on a Social Security disability check.
âIâm just really struggling,â she said.  âIâm in affordable housing. My rent is $1,398 a month, which is âvery affordableâ here. However, for me itâs just really, really difficult. Iâve tried to get jobs but it just hasnât worked out for me. I have two senior dogs and a senior cat and I know theyâre basically at the end of their lives.â
Late last November, her struggles came into clear perspective when Abby, her nearly 14-year-old Dachshund, appeared to be having a digestive issue. âWhen I took her to a veterinarian, the doctor discovered a heart murmur. She thought it was pretty serious and prescribed medication for Abby after doing an x-ray,â Galina said.
Later, she took the dog to Dr. Lynn Sanchez, a veterinarian she said she likes and trusts at Garden Grove Dog and Cat Hospital. Dr. Sanchez recommended an electrocardiogram to get a clearer idea what Abbyâs problem was. But Galina could not handle the cost. She applied for an Angel Fund grant and was awarded $451, a sum that was matched by the hospital.
Abby got the electrocardiogram in late December â and with it some good news: the murmur was not as bad as originally suspected. âDr. Sanchez said that everything looked pretty good and prescribed three medications,â Galina said.  A week later, when she took Abby back for a recheck, two of the medications were discontinued. âOne of them was really hard on her kidneys,â she said, âso I was really glad to get rid of it.â
After another recheck early in January, the dog is continuing to take Vetmedin. âSheâs not in heart failure but has some damage to a mitral valve,â Galina said.
When Galina divorced, she took her animals with her. âI have tried to help them on a piecemeal basis,â she said. âIâve had to rely on charity. Theyâve all been in pretty good health but now they are at the point where thatâs starting to change [because of their ages].â
Augie, Abbyâs brother, is two years younger at 12. Aurora, her cat, also is 12.  Galina believes that Augie will need a dental treatment soon.
âIâve been given the blessing of having these animals â they are just truly a blessing for me. I am their steward and I need to make sure they get whatever is needed to take care of them. I have to do that.
âHad I not been able to do this [echocardiogram], I would either have been giving Abby way too much medication or no medication at all. It wouldnât have been good either way. it was going to be detrimental to her health one way or the other.â
Galina is grateful to Angel Fund. âThey really helped me out,â she said. âIt is a wonderful thing to help people because things can be so expensive.  I think itâs a really great thing for veterinarians to give back. I admire them for doing that. I think thatâs what weâre all here for â to give back.â
She is thinking about moving with her animals to a place â perhaps New Mexico â where her disability check would go further. She is 58 years old.
âI have ignored a lot of my life for these dogs. But, in return, theyâve provided me with something,â she said. That something is love and support.