Guardian Therapeutic Laser

Emma Ross asked me to share her lovely message regarding my recent laser sessions on Ben, one of her gorgeous wolfhounds:

“Sometimes an amazing human comes into your life to work with one's dogs,in this case,my Irish Wolfhounds,Laurie is that human💜Laurie has helped heal several of my hounds who have had a few injuries. My beautiful Ben who is almost 9,took a tumble racing down the hill after a bunny,he slid on the wet grass,favouring his rear,spasms and tenderness,Laurie came to his rescue and through her visits with laser therapy,he has healed🥰Not only healed,but was Best in Specialty at our recent Irish Wolfhound Specialty show at the end of April 2024.The judge remarked several times,how she could not believe he was almost 9 and moved like a 4 yr. old.Made me so proud and grateful to Laurie for her dedication.I thank-you from the bottom of my heart and my Ben thanks you for all the visits and all the caring".

One of my favourite visits to treat these two sweet little girls who responded so favorably to their laser sessions….

A gentle giant enjoying his treatment today.

Thank you Natasha! Little Scamper is such a pleasure to treat.

Lovely Ben is such a great patient. He lets me know where his aches and pains are and then relaxes and enjoys his treatment. ❤️🐾

Be aware ….

Important reminder during hot weather….

https://www.facebook.com/100064949551454/posts/669507848557528/?mibextid=cr9u03

As temperatures rise please remember this when considering whether or not to bring your pets with you……

A great read to raise awareness.

I NEED TO FEEL SAFE

Like all living creatures, dogs just want to feel safe – it’s a basic need.

When we think about feeling safe it’s natural to just think about not being harmed or being in danger, but it’s not just about physical safety - feeling safe emotionally or psychologically is just as important.

While physical safety may be obvious and simpler to address, emotional safety is far more complex and not always easy to recognise or identify.

The same applies to our dogs – they are sentient beings whose behaviour is very often triggered and driven by an emotion.

Many behaviour problems that we see in dogs stem from them feeling unsafe.

A dog that lunges and barks or behaves aggressively with another dog or person is probably doing so because they feel unsafe. They are trying to make the scary thing go away.

A dog that is guarding resources is doing so because they are afraid that the resource will be taken away – they don’t feel safe when another animal or person approaches that resource.

A dog that is reacting to fireworks or thunderstorms or other noises is doing so because they don’t feel safe.

The same can be said for separation anxiety, certain types of aggression and other behaviours.

We can help our dogs feel safe by acknowledging their fear even if that fear doesn’t make sense to us.

We can be a source of comfort, predictability, allow them to make choices where we can, never force them to face a fear, never use punishment but positively reinforce their good choices, all while doing what we can through management, desensitisation or counter conditioning to help them feel safer.

Some dogs may never get over a specific fear, but doing what we can to help dogs feel safer in our world is so important.

Be the person that your dog can rely on and trust to help them feel safe.

Be a secure, reliable, stable base that they can count on when they feel unsafe.

Cleo has been waiting to find her forever home for over 40 days! Please help us end her wait by sharing with friends and family.
Cleo is a sweet girl, she can be quiet shy when she is first getting to know you and her environment but she has flourished in her foster home.
For more about this darling lady please visit https://adopt.spca.bc.ca/pets/494954/?from_search=true

Heat stroke can be very serious for your pet. Keep them safe.💞

When celebrating on New Years Eve….

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our home to yours!

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ**

It is with a heavy heart that I am telling you that a family members dog died yesterday after playing with the garden hose with my nephews.
He suffered secondary drowning and devastatingly this was fatal. He was fit & healthy; he was the tender age of 3!

Fly high Basil 💔🐾

I personally wasn’t aware of secondary drowning and play with my dogs with my garden hose to cool them down. This is one of Blake’s favourite games.

What is secondary drowning??

Your pet has likely inhaled water into its lungs, and even after coughing it up or after observing water draining from the nose or mouth, there could be residual water remaining in the lungs. This could lead to pneumonia. Secondary drowning has been known to occur, even up to three days after the initial near-drowning. Exhaustion is almost always the cause of drowning. With a hose or even a sprinkler your dog can inhale the water and this can be fatal.

Absolutely!

Coconut oil for pets? It’s a YES! 🥥

Coconut oil offers remarkable health benefits for your pets! Here are some of them. 👇



Find out more benefits of coconut oil to pets here: https://bit.ly/3PSiLDu

FIRST AID FRIDAY!

Water intoxication in dogs is fortunately rare but it does occur. If left untreated or recognized too late, it can be fatal.

It is most commonly reported in dogs that love to be and play in the water. Interestingly, it can also occur in athletes who consume excessive amounts of water or sport drinks and is termed exercise-associated hyponatremia. Hyponatremia means a decrease in the sodium content in the blood.

Most recently, a fatal case was reported in Alberni Valley news - a border collie playing in a wading pool rapidly developed signs of water toxicity. These signs came on rapidly and progressed from agitation, vomiting to coma.

These cases typically occur with dogs who have an affinity for water (playing in lakes, wading pools, retrieving objects in the water or drinking from a hose).

Although not all cases are fatal, by the time more severe signs are recognized (coma), only prompt diagnosis and treatment can help.

There are multiple factors and the cause is not completely understood but, in some individuals this excessive water intake dilutes blood electrolytes which can lead to brain swelling and coma.

Prevention is KEY:
An excellent article published by the American Kennel Club summarizes the key points:

Because water intoxication is irreversible in advanced cases, prevention is key. Take note of your dog’s swimming style. If he tends to splash, hold his head low in the water and his mouth open — even slightly — he is at greater risk for water intoxication. Don’t allow your dog to swim or retrieve in water unchecked and take frequent rest breaks. In between swimming sessions, give your dog plenty of opportunities to relieve himself, which helps remove excess fluid.
If your dog is a fetcher, avoid tennis balls and round-shaped toss toys, opting instead for a flatter object, which allows him to better close his mouth around it. Don’t allow him to dive for objects and ditto for biting at the high-pressure stream from a hose.

Now, armed with a little bit of knowledge, you can keep your dog safe while he makes a splash

We encourage you to read the full article here:

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/9c32eeb5/frwD3t3k90Gt5h5bphUTCw?u=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-drink-much-water-dangers-water-intoxication/

With this recent heat wave, for the information hungry, I thought I would post some data that goes beyond just reminding people to not leave their dog in the car, or to check the pavement temperature...

There is a fair amount of research on heat related injury in dogs (heat stroke was the 3rd most common cause of death in military working dogs during desert storm, so the DoD funds a lot of research).

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
• There is no specific temp that causes injury – it is a combination of temperature, activity level, and conditioning
• Re**al temp poor indicator of where a dog is at – brain temp is what counts
• Hot and humid environments are highest risk for over heating
• It takes 14-60d to acclimatize depending on condition of dog and intensity of training. The military frequently uses treadmills indoors in rooms that they steadily increase the temperature of.
• Footpads are a major source of heat dissipation, but the mouth is the primary source of heat dissipation
• Cardiovasc status greatly affects ability to dissipate heat
• Peak temp may happen in 1st 15min after finishing activity
• Dogs can’t sniff and pant at the time so panting SAR dogs have decreased performance
• Heat related illness can be divided into
o Heat stress – excessive thirst and controlled panting
o Heat exhaustion – heat stress plus weakness and uncontrolled panting.
o Heat Stroke – heat exhaustion plus central nervous system, and multiorgan issues

SYMPTOMS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
• Spade tongue (thin, flat, deep red tongue that is flared at the tip)
• You can distract with noxious odour to see if your dog stops panting as a way to distinguish between heat stress and heat exhaustion
• Increased frothing is bad - it represents an effort to evaporate more fluid
• If lips pulled back enough to expose the big teeth at the back of the mouth
• Excessive panting looks like they are struggling for air – they aren’t suffocating, they are trying to cool down. Get them to water.

RISK OF OVERHEATING IS INCREASED BY:
• Muzzles interfere with panting; muzzled working dogs are at increased risk of overheating
• Brachycephalic (snub nosed) breeds
• Upper airway issues
• Cardiovascular and/or neurologic disease
• Obesity
• Previous heat injury event
• Poor physical conditioning
• DEHYDRATION!!! - Heat causes increased water loss (up to 6L/day), which affects blood flow. Blood is central to the body’s ability to dissipate heat. Dehydration is a major risk factor for overheating. If your working dog needs to be in the heat, prehydrate by offering unlimited flavoured water (eg dilute low salt chicken broth) first thing in the morning

TREATMENT:
• Get them in water! Research has shown that even ambient temperature water (like a livestock water trough, etc.) is still beneficial. Soak the haircoat down to the skin, then seek veterinary care as indicated.

Only takes a moment on your way out the door.

Science says you should pet your dog before leaving the house A study explores how your dog does when you're not home.

The light (laser) at the end of the tunnel in treatment for cancer.

https://news.uoguelph.ca/2022/05/ovc-researchers-test-seek-and-destroy-cancer-treatment/?fbclid=IwAR3usKGkG-uyKRD7hD25rkVaYeRoLKkZge1BpGVThPxZYSYDEjzCCjd_kGY

OVC Researchers Test ‘Seek and Destroy’ Cancer Treatment An innovative “seek and destroy” alternative to cancer surgery for people and pets is being tested for the first time this year at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of meeting and treating Phoebe, who is a gorgeous Irish Wolfhound. She welcomed me when I arrived in her calm, gentle way. She settled right into her session and you couldn’t ask for a more willing patient!

A recommended read for pet owners.

ARE LAUNDRY CHEMICALS AFFECTING YOUR PETS’ SKIN & HEALTH?

If you wash your pet blankets and beds using popular fabric softeners and dryer sheets, that “just washed” fresh smell comes from chemicals called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can negatively impact your pets’ health (coughing, rashy, itchy pets, anyone?).

Dr. Anne Steinmann’s UW-Seattle research team found more than 25 VOCs emitted from dryer vents using these products, including well-known respiratory irritants like Acetone, Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, but also Pentane (which causes skin rashes and upset stomach), Ethyl Acetate (on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list; causes anemia, changes in white blood cells and can damage the liver and kidneys), Benzyl Acetate (can be absorbed through the skin and is linked to pancreas problems) and Alpha-terpineol (causes headaches and nervous system disorders).

Our pets can do without having to breathe in these chemical residues or having to lay on them, so here’s our Forever Dog Tip of the day: replace chemical-laden fabric softeners with a non-toxic DIY option!

Recipe: Mix 6 cups white vinegar with 1 cup baking soda, let it fizz. When the fizz stops, pour mixture into a large glass container with a lid. Use 1 cup per load of laundry.

We highlight all of the of home chemical risks that can negatively impact your dog’s health in the The Forever Dog book, available now for pre-order by clicking here: https://foreverdog.com/about/ -window

Consider this….