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Animal Corner "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Ghandi Dog's Deserve Better (in memory of Doogie) This corner of the cafe, will be our spot to get together and talk about our pets, share our furkid pictures, discuss current topics on animals, rights, protection and welfare, share interesting animal websites or anything else animal related.

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A Close Look at Canine Eye Problems

Your dog's vision is one of the senses that can begin to deteriorate as he gets older. In some cases, conditions like cataracts or glaucoma lead to blindness. By keeping an eye out for symptoms and scheduling regular veterinary checkups, you can often catch these ailments before they progress.

If your dog's breed—or one of the breeds in his mix—is prone to an inherited eye disease, consider taking your dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist for a thorough eye exam once every year or two.

Know the symptoms of glaucoma

Glaucoma is caused by pressure in the eye, and frequently causes blindness. When the fluid builds up and can't escape, your dog's eye will become increasingly uncomfortable. Since glaucoma is such a serious condition, it's important to look for the telltale signs. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you should take him to your vet at once.

A red, cloudy-looking eye, often with discharge
Tipping his head to help release the pressure from the affected side
Keeping his eyes closed while awake
Pulling away when you go near him
Depression or loss of appetite
Rubbing or pawing at the affected eye

Treating Glaucoma

If your vet suspects glaucoma, the first thing the doctor will do is measure the pressure in the dog's eyes with a device called a tonometer. If the vet discovers that the pressure is high, then emergency treatment may be required to relieve the pressure and prevent loss of vision. Your vet may refer you to a veterinary opthalmologist.

Primary glaucoma, also called hereditary glaucoma, is a different condition and cannot be completely cured. There's nothing physically plugging the drain. Instead, the pressure in the eye builds up for other reasons. If your dog's breed is prone to this disease, have his eye pressure checked once a year, so any increase can be picked up and treated at once. Treating glaucoma can be expensive, and options may include surgery and/or medications.

Secondary glaucoma occurs when there are other problems in the eye that cause the fluid to build up. Treatment of the underlying cause, as well as the glaucoma itself, are necessary.

Check your dog's eyes for cataracts

A dog gets a cataract when something interferes with the protein of the eye's lens, causing it to become opaque or whitish in color. A cataract may affect just a small area or the whole lens, possibly causing blindness. Cataracts can't be cured by medications, but if your dog's eyesight is badly affected, your vet may refer you to a veterinary ophthalmologist to discuss surgery to remove the cataract.

Modern cataract surgery is delicate and involves a fair amount of care after the operation. However, once the cataract is removed, your dog may be able to see perfectly well again. In some cases, a vet may not recommend surgery because of the dangers the anesthetic may pose to a particularly old or at-risk animal, or because vision cannot be restored, even with surgery. The good news is that cataracts don't cause pain to your dog, so you don't have to rush into making a decision.

Thank you for the warning

Microwave Dog Donuts

2 cups whole wheat flour 2/3 cup beef or chicken broth 1 large egg, lightly beaten 3 tablespoons quick oats 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Veggie Dog Biscuits
.

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup cooked carrots or peas (or combination of both)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup whole wheat flour
Milk

Combine the cheese and margarine. Mix in the carrots and/or peas, garlic and flour. Add enough milk to form for a stiff dough ball. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Roll dough out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
Bake at 375*F (190*C) for 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

Parmesan Herb Doggie Treats

Will try some of these

Pet Sitter Instructions for Your Dog

Instructions

To help you get the most out of your pet sitter, print and fill out the following instructions:

Contact Information

Your Name _________________________________________

Your Address _______________________________________

Phone # ____________ Cell # _____________________

Traveling contact information (hotel/friend)_______________

___________________________________________________

Emergency Vet # ___________________________________

Vet Name _________________________________________

Vet Phone # _______________________________________

Vet Address _______________________________________

Vet Directions______________________________________

Your Contact Information ____________________________

Other Emergency Information _________________________

Other Emergency Contact (local or friend or relative you trust)

____________________________________________

Other Comments
________________________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOGS

DOG 1.

Name _____________________________________________

Nickname __________________________________________

Description _________________________________________

Eats (Type of food) ___________________________________

Amount ____________________________________________

Frequency__________________________________________

Food is kept _______________________________________

Treats (type, amount and frequency) ____________________

___________________________________________________

Likes to play ________________________________________

Likes/or dislikes other dogs_____________________________

Likes/or dislikes cats__________________________________

Likes to go out ______ times per day

Favorite toy _________________________________________

Favorite place to walk _________________________________

Leash is kept ________________________________________

Identification (tag or microchip number) ___________________

Medications needed ___________________________________

Drug#1: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Drug#2: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Drug#3: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Special Instructions ___________________________________

Important medical history ______________________________

___________________________________________________

DOG 2.

Name _____________________________________________

Nickname __________________________________________

Description _________________________________________

Eats (Type of food) ___________________________________

Amount ____________________________________________

Frequency__________________________________________

Food is kept _______________________________________

Treats (type, amount and frequency) ____________________

___________________________________________________

Likes to play ________________________________________

Likes/or dislikes other dogs_____________________________

Likes/or dislikes cats__________________________________

Likes to go out ______ times per day

Favorite toy _________________________________________

Favorite place to walk _________________________________

Leash is kept ________________________________________

Identification (tag or microchip number) ___________________

Medications needed ___________________________________

Drug#1: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Drug#2: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Drug#3: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Special Instructions ___________________________________

Important medical history ______________________________

___________________________________________________

DOG 3.

Name _____________________________________________

Nickname __________________________________________

Description _________________________________________

Eats (Type of food) ___________________________________

Amount ____________________________________________

Frequency__________________________________________

Food is kept _______________________________________

Treats (type, amount and frequency) ____________________

___________________________________________________

Likes to play ________________________________________

Likes/or dislikes other dogs_____________________________

Likes/or dislikes cats__________________________________

Likes to go out ______ times per day

Favorite toy _________________________________________

Favorite place to walk _________________________________

Leash is kept ________________________________________

Identification (tag or microchip number) ___________________

Medications needed ___________________________________

Drug#1: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Drug#2: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Drug#3: _____________________________________________

Dose: _____________

Frequency: every __ hours typically _ am ___pm

Special Instructions ___________________________________

Important medical history ______________________________

_____________________________________________________

Learn to make your own Dog Leash

tundra, i hope they get along...you sound excited. i'm happy for you.

“Until one has loved an animal
a part of ones soul remains unawakened.�?BR>
—Anatole France

Rainbow Bridge Return

The little dog arrived at the Rainbow Bridge, and a pack of dogs rushed up to greet him. He braced himself, expecting a fight, but this was the first pack that wagged their tails and kissed him instead of attacking him. It was beautiful here, and everyone was nice to him. None of them had been born in a puppy mill, like he had, and used for dog-bait fighting and left to die in a shelter because he was a mix-breed battle-scarred cur and wasn't cute. They explained why they were waiting... for their humans who loved them. What is love?" he asked, and God let him go back to earth, and find out. Warm, and dark, he squeezed in with the others and waited for the day to be born. Scared, he held back as long as he could, but finally got dragged out, by his hind feet. Hands without fur held him gently and rubbed him dry and opened his mouth and guided him to a warm nipple with milk He didn't get a good hold on it, because one of his big fat brothers pushed him aside. The human hand moved the other puppy to another nipple and held his body, so he could drink. Ahhh, that's better, " he thought, and drank until his jaws got tired and he curled up to sleep next to his warm hairy mother. "I remember this," he mused... "Too bad I'll have to grow up to be hit, left out in the cold and rain, and used for dog-bait fighting, and die as an unclaimed rescue dog. I remember what it's like, being a dog." he thought sadly. That night, he crawled up to his mother and tried to nurse, but he kept getting pushed off to the side. When they were full, the big brothers and sisters got their bottoms cleaned and he finally latched on to a nipple, but the human hands weren't there to hold him up, and there wasn't any milk in any of the nipples, anyway. He was weak and so tiny. It was even hard to stay upright, and he fell over on his back and couldn't right himself. So he began to cry, and suddenly the human hands were there, holding him up and putting a rubber thing in his mouth. It didn't taste or feel like mother, but it was warm and made the ache in his tummy go away. He was having trouble breathing ... His lungs weren't fully developed, because he had waited too long to join the others in the womb, as he took one last romp at the Rainbow Bridge. He could feel the heartbeat of the human, who had laid him on her chest and covered him with a soft cloth, keeping him warm, and soothing his bony body with gentle circling touches. He kept thinking of his new friends who had been so nice to him at the bridge and asked God if he could go back. God said "Yes, but not just yet. You wanted to experience Love." So for several hours (seemed like days but it was dark and he couldn't tell what time it was), the human supplemented his feeding and let him experience the warmth of his mother's body and tongue, and the pile of warm soft littermates. He got weaker, and the human held him more often, leaving the littermates to sleep in a pile while he got caressed, kissed, and got to listen to the heartbeat which was strong and loving. Finally God came back and asked, "are you ready to come back to the Rainbow Bridge?" Yes, he responded," with a little sorrow, because the human didn't want to let him go, and was crying. He pushed the air out of his lungs and floated back to the Rainbow Bridge and looked back at the human, who was still crying and holding the limp body that he had borrowed for his trip. “Thank you, God," he said. "Love is beautiful, and I will wait near the Bridge and let the human know, when she arrives, that I loved her, too."
by Joy LaCaille

Thank you for sharing that

"He is your friend, your partner,
your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true,
to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him
to be worthy of such devotion"

~ Unknown ~

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