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The Pet Friendly Canada Newsletter
For Pets and The People Who Love Them!
www.petfriendly.ca (Accommodations in Canada)
www.petfriendly.travel (Hotels in the USA)
www.pawfriendly.com (Pet care directory)
June 2009
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PET QUOTES
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"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool
of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he
will make a fool of himself, too." (Samuel Butler)
"I've met many thinkers and many cats, but the wisdom
of cats is infinitely superior." (Hippolyte Taine)
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Featured Story: MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH AN ARGENTINE CON ARTIST
Source: PawFriendly.com
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"Today, glorious Friday. I only had a few pesos on me so
Julieta (a girl I work with) and I decided to go get a
sandwich. As we turn the corner something organish-brown
catches my eye. To my horror, a dog is lying on the
street - on his side with all four legs outstretched -
next to the curb.
"Oh my God Julieta look at that dog!?! Is it dead?!?!"
"It must be sick or dead, a healthy dog doesn't lie
in the street like that."
I stand aghast watching people literally walk over
the sick dog that blocks their path. I rush to it -
I have to get it out of the street, I have to save
this helpless animal. Julieta and I call to the dog -
veni perro, veni! I whistle, squeal, make every and any
annoying sound I can think of but the dog doesn't move.
I realize I am literally watching it take its last breath
- and tears well up in my eyes.
Finally, the dog raises its head. Excited, I make more
noises hoping he will come to me and out of the street.
He looks at me with surprisingly bright eyes but certain
death weighs heavy and he returns his head to the dirty
street. Surely he can not hold on much longer - he is
weakening with every breath and movement. I tell Julieta
I am going to cross the street to buy him some food and
water with my 5 measly pesos.
As I turn, a woman passing by also notices the dying dog.
She makes a cooing noise accompanied with a sad sigh and
brings out half of a sandwich from her purse. She pulls
out the meat from between the mustardy pieces of bread
and waves it in front of his nose. It catches his
attention, and he slowly raises his head again. Even
in the temporal space between life and death, his strong
will to survive allows him one last meal. Gingerly, he
rises, and goes toward the woman with the sandwich. He
limps severely but slowly makes it on to the curb. I
turn to Julieta.
"Isn't there someone we can call to come pick up the dog?
Isn't there a humane society or something that can help
him?"
She looks at me sadly and shakes her head. I think -
what do you mean no?!? What kind of country is this?
Someone call someone! Call the government! Call the
News! What has happened to these people that they are
so disconnected from another living creature?!? Anger
and hopelessness crawl up my throat.
My attention is back to the dog, and he eats slowly and
gently from the woman's hands while standing on his 3
good legs. She points at his injured leg and comments
on where she thinks it is hurt. I cannot help but notice
he is unkempt: the tip of his ear is missing, his nails
are too long and in some places his fur is dirty and
patchy. I think about the chance of saving him, taking
him home, giving him the love and attention he deserves
- if only he can hold on to precious life just a little
longer. Quite possibly he will need surgery for his
injured leg, it's only a miracle I got a raise this
month so I can pay for it. She pulls out the other
half of the sandwich and he wags his small bony tail.
I thank the woman for her kind heart and she smiles
slightly. Soon the dog finishes and looks at all three
of us for more. The woman opens her hands and says
"nada mas" and I wait for the dog to sit down again
as I plan my next move to ensure his rescue.
To my surprise, the dog doesn't sit down. In fact, he
stands suddenly tall and proud - he sets his injured
leg back on the ground and puts weight on it. He licks
his chops, and watches people cross the same street
that was his death bed only minutes ago. Then, he turns
and that bony tail wags faster and faster. A grin appears
on his con-artist face and he begins to run - fast and
with ease. He has lost his limp and gained a whole lot
of energy as he bounds across the sidewalk. He prances
down the crowded street with his pink tongue sliming
out the side. My jaw drops. I wipe the tears from my
eyes just to see him turn the corner and disappear
out of site. I laugh and can only wonder where he
will find his next sandwich, and next victim.
_______________________
Story Credit:
R. Deering of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania,
USA, friend of www.mythreecats.com
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PHOTOS FROM PROUD PET PARENTS
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"This is Luci Lu, a 9 month old Bichon. This is
her attempt at getting up on the wicker sofa. She did it after 3
tries and of course has had a problem getting up since."
- Rosemary D. of British Columbia
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"Sam is a two year old who enjoys riding
in the car and has his spot on the parcel shelf where he
likes to lay on."
- Linda from Abbotsford
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Want to see your pet here? Send us your photos!
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A SIMPLE OVERVIEW OF PAIN MEDICATIONS
Source: PawFriendly.com
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Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDS)
Simply put, these medications control pain by reducing
inflammation. Inflammation is a common source of pain
(arthritis, post-operative, infection, etc). When the
inflammation is reduced, the sensation of pain is often
reduced also. These drugs are often capable of reducing
fever as well.
Common examples of human NSAIDS are ibuprofen and aspirin.
Ibuprofen is merely mentioned here as people are familiar
with the name/drug. It is rarely used in veterinary
medicine, as it has a relatively high tendency to upset
the gastro-intestinal system. Commonly used NSAIDS in
veterinary medicine are Metacam, Rimadyl, Deramaxx,
Pervicox, Anafen, others.
NSAIDS, through their mode of action, have the potential
to upset the gastrointestinal system, the kidneys, the
liver and blood clotting. At prescribed doses, this is
not at all common, but we should always be conscious
of it.
It is difficult to make comparisons of one NSAID to
another in terms of efficacy, strength, etc, as there
are many sub-classes of NSAIDS, and, as you might
expect, they can have quite different effects in one
individual compared to another. We all know people
who find aspirin more effective than ibuprofen for
headaches and pain, yet we generally consider
ibuprofen to be a “stronger” NSAID.
Whenever possible, it is NOT a good idea to be using
more than one of the medications in this category at
the same time. This would seem like an intuitively obvious
thing to avoid, but it is a very common mistake made by
many unfortunate pet owners. Pet owners may not realize
that some of the medication prescribed by their vet is
an anti-inflammatory, and give additional medication
from their own drug cupboard, with the good intention
of making their pets more comfortable. Use of combinations
of NSAIDS are much more likely to lead to stomach upset.
Acetominophen
This drug should never be used in cats.
This drug is in a class of its own, as the mode of action
is still not fully understood. It is no longer considered
an NSAID in most pharmacological circles. It has no anti-
inflammatory effect, nor does it affect clotting. It is
used by some veterinarians in certain circumstances, but
dog owners should contact their vet to get advice before
ever giving it to their pets. Remember… never to cats!
Opiates (Narcotics)
Opiate medications are used primarily to block the
sensation of pain. They do not possess any anti-inflammatory
effect (that is to say…if inflammation is the root cause of
discomfort, opiates only block the sensation of pain, the
inflammation is still present). Most opiates also have some
cough suppression effect, may cause constipation,
respiratory depression and sedation. These side effects
are highly variable with each drug and corresponding dose.
Some commonly recognized opiate drug names are codeine,
morphine, Oxycontin, fentanyl, many others.
Please contact your veterinarian if you have any questions
about the pain management your pet is receiving, and always
contact us if you are considering giving a medication from
the human market.
_____________________
Article Credit:
Stephen Longridge, D.V.M.
Clappison Veterinary Services
Waterdown, Ontario 905-689-8005
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UPCOMING PET EVENTS
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- Sunday, June 28, 2009: Winnipeg, Manitoba - the
Winnipeg Humane Society's Paws in Motion at
Assiniboine Park. More info
If your non-profit pet organization is holding an event,
please send us the details!
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