Search Results for: blog massage for pets

Treating Pets with Compulsive Behavior Problems

Before you can treat a compulsive behavior in your pet, you should try to figure out what’s causing it. The source of the behavior may be medical, environmental, genetic, or emotional. You may need to work with your veterinarian and/or a behavioral specialist before you can figure out the cause. Once you know the cause, you can work on reducing the compulsive behavior. Anti-anxiety medications won’t solve the problem, but they can help. Medicating your pet can help reduce the intensity of a behavior while you work on behavior modification and/or environmental changes. Yes, pets can take Prozac — and … Continue reading →

The Health Benefits of Massage

We’ve known for ages that massages feel good, and it is also a well-known fact that massage therapy can help those of us suffering from tension and stress related ailments. New studies have found though, that our babies will benefit from massages as well! Apparently massage may help small children and infants relax, sleep better and as a result cry less. Babies that are massaged regularly show lower levels of stress-related hormones in their urine compared to babies who are not massaged. This also calls up for another important consideration: infants benefit from a stable environment in which stress is … Continue reading →

Animals Can Feel Empathy

2011 was the year of animal empathy. Two studies released this year, one at the beginning, the other at the end, have taken steps to prove that animals can feel sorry both for humans and for each other. The first report, covered by Discovery News, explains why some scientists now think dogs feel empathy for humans. Karine Silva and Liliana Sousa of the Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute studied how dogs react to humans in distress. Dog owners will agree that their canines certainly respond to their owners when the latter are in distress. But is that true empathy, or … Continue reading →

How Not to Clean Your Dog’s Ears

My dog Moose has been doing that head shake lately — the one that says ear mites might be to blame. If you’re a dog owner, you may know what I’m talking about: one ear at half mast, frantic head shaking, lots of ear scratching. A quick swipe with a baby wipe showed me that he has debris in the wonky ear. Ear mite debris is usually very dark, and looks a bit like coffee grinds. This was lighter in color, so maybe ear mites aren’t to blame. Maybe he’s got an excess of ear wax, or some other kind … Continue reading →

Aimee’s Health Resolutions for 2009

Looking back at 2008, I did manage to keep a few of my resolutions (and failed on some others). I haven’t been using the free gym at my complex, but I did discover that the hot tub is open all year. I have been walking more (with and without the dogs), and even got out on my bike a few times. I have lost twelve pounds over the last year, thanks to my work at the cats-only boarding facility. All that bending, lifting, and general running around has whittled me down a little without it seeming like “exercise” or “hard … Continue reading →

Health Benefits of Hot Tubs and Hydrotherapy

I love the water. When I was a kid, I would spend entire summer days in the pool, only coming out of the water for lunch and bathroom breaks. I love long, steamy baths and relaxing showers. And I’m very excited that my apartment complex has a pool (open seasonally) and a hot tub (open year-round)! Believe it or not, a hot tub can be good for your health — it isn’t just a luxury. Hydrotherapy has a long history in healing. The Ancient Greeks and Romans knew the value of a good soak! A hot tub combines the healing … Continue reading →

Fish Pedicure

Are you ready for the fish pedicure? Yes, you read that right. A spa in northern Virginia is offering a special treatment for dry, callused feet. Just dip your toes into a tank full of fish and they’ll nibble the dead, dry skin off your feet. Sounds great…? The fish in question is known as the doctor fish (officially, it’s called garra rufa). They thrive in hot water that doesn’t support much other plant or animal life — the doctor fish learned to feed on whatever was available. Apparently the menu includes dead skin. The doctor fish don’t actually have … Continue reading →

Five Tricks for Navigating My Mom’s Dementia-Filled Days

When my mom had her mini-stroke a few weeks back, it negatively impacted her dementia in a major way. She went from exhibiting mostly mild symptoms with a few moderate ones thrown in, to exhibiting mostly moderate symptoms with a few severe ones thrown in. If I was gulping about being a caregiver before, I’m triple gulping about it now. I had hoped some of this was related to the stroke and that in time she’d come back to me. But she’s not shown any improvement. If anything, she gets a little worse each day. This has presented major challenges … Continue reading →

Velvet Ears, Golden Paws, Angel Butt

Do you have nicknames for your pet(s)? If so, just one or more than that? In Tabby, the Continuing Saga, I wrote about some of the nicknames I developed almost immediately for my stray girl. (Those have all now been incorporated into her unofficial full name: Lady Tabitha, Tabernathy, Tabberkins Pryor, but she’s also picked up Tabbins, Tab Tab, Little One, and Stinker Princess.) Mr. Meow also has his fair share: Gato Bato, Monkey Paws, Gorilla Arms, Crazy Cat, and the good old standby: Creepy Cat. Then there’s Murphy. He’s got a whole slew of them: Murph Man, Murphy Jones, … Continue reading →

Natural Painkillers for Dogs

Yesterday, I was looking at the different painkillers that are available for dogs. I feel bad because my dog Moose is obviously experiencing discomfort from his hip dysplasia — and all the other things I’ve done don’t seem to be helping enough. Then I got to wondering: if natural painkillers work in humans, do they work in dogs, too? Maybe there are some non-medical things I can do to ease Moose’s discomfort. Because the prescription painkillers for dogs seem to all run the risk of liver issues when used for a long time. I’d rather not trade one problem (Moose’s … Continue reading →