Announcement: Interview with Dr. Sondra St. Clair on VOM

We've just concluded an interview with Dr. Sondra St. Clair (www.toplinewellness.com) on her practice and VOM - Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation.

VOM has been around for about 15 years and is used to stimulate the body's natural healing abilities. The non-invasive method focuses on moving energy into the spine and into the affected areas of the body. VOM can be used for muscular-skeletal as well as internal conditions. Successful treatments have been observed in animals suffering from lameness/limping, hip dysplasia, as well as kidney and liver problems.

The transcript from this interview as well as the audio file will be available from download in our resource area (www.gowellbeings.com) this week.

-J

Wireless Dogs: Canines with cell phones... What's next?

"Fido's First Cell Phone" - from Wired:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/wireless/0,69756-0.html?tw=wn_culture_12

"PetCell, the first cell phone for dogs, is due to hit pet-store shelves.
Hung off Fido's collar, the PetCell is a bone-shaped cell phone that will let dog owners talk to their best friend over a two-way speaker.
Developed by PetsMobility, the PetCell works with standard cellular networks and has its own number. It automatically answers when the owner punches in a code on their telephone keypad that means, "Lassie, come home!" The PetCell will ship in early 2006 and will sell for $350 to $400,... "It's a rugged, waterproof cell phone with GPS, so there's a bunch of other markets for that technology besides the pet industry," "

That's a great idea. Although we'll have to see how effective they are. I'd love to try it out with Mickey... Not sure what she'd think if she heard my voice through the speaker. There must be some kind of training involved. The GPS locator service is pretty cool though... Hmmmm... Technology... Since this canine cell phone will have its own number, anyone could dial it - I wonder if they'll know what to say to cold-calling sollicitors - "Get me off your list NOW. Whoof."
(actually, you shouldn't have that problem, since you need a secret code to make Fido's phone pick up ;-) they thought of everything)

-J

Fun Diversion: What's a Pandog?

A dog that looks like a panda (or is it the reverse?)

From Cute Overload: "...We offer an overwhelming amount of cuteness to fill your daily visual allowance..."

November is "Adopt a Senior Pet" month

Got this email from Jen at Senior Mutt Match. If you're interested in contibuting or volunteering for this worthy cause, please visit her website. Even if you don't live in San Diego, bringing awareness about senior pets that need adoption is a really worthy cause. Adopting our senior dog Doodle changed our lives. We are very grateful for all she's taught us...

"November is "Adopt a Senior Pet" month and Senior Mutt Match is spreading the word. You can help too and it will only take a few minutes. Visit our website, and download a flyer that you can copy and post around the community. Your office lunch room, favorite coffee shop, local library or bagel shop all have community boards, so print a few out and ask permission to post. There are a lot of wonderful older dogs sitting in the San Diego shelters and spreading the word about Senior Mutt Match will help find them homes.

Today was the grand opening of the SDDAC North Shelter in Carlsbad (2481 Palomar Airport Road), and it is fantastic! Make plans to visit the new facility which has much nicer accommodations for the animals that are staying with them. Also, if you are looking for an older dog, I met several who will absolutely melt your heart. Look for Bandit (a black cocker spaniel/pug mix), Doc (a 10 year old min pin), Sarah ( a 10 year old shepherd mix), Ruby (terrier mix), Harley (basset hound) a hound/corgi mix (no name yet, but he has many stories to tell if you stop by his kennel) and quite a few others. They are all great dogs so stop by to meet them or tell someone you know that is looking for a great older dog.

Next time you are out, make sure to pick up a free copy of San Diego Pets Magazine. The November issue has an article touting the benefits of adopting a senior pet as well as mentioning Senior Mutt Match. Pick up some extra copies to share with friends. If you are interested in advertising in the magazine, give them a call. Pet magazines for our community are extremely important, but they need the advertising support to survive.

Please welcome the latest animal rescue groups to join Senior Mutt Match: Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue and Pit Bull Rescue San Diego. That brings the total number of groups up to 40. If you know a group with older dogs that is not yet listed, have them contact us. Wishing many happy adoptions to all!"

(Tags: senior dog, senior pet adoption)

Upcoming Pet Health Articles - Well Beings Tips and Articles

We've been working on adding new pet products on our site. Lots of really fun toys for cats and dogs -- getting ready for the holiday season.
And we also have a few pet health articles in our queue. Two articles that will be available online in the next day or so are titled: "Chronic Renal Failure" and "Nutrition and Obesity in Senior Cats and Dogs."

One of our cats, Karen, has been diagnosed with renal degeneration. So the article on renal failure is of particular interest to us. We treat her with holistic supplements. But the prognostic is not very good. From what they told us, once a cat has been diagnosed with renal failure, there isn't anything we can do to cure it. However, we can help slow down the condition with proper care and nutrition.

As we wrote about before, please consider stopping using dry cat food for your pet. We believe it has been a major contributor to Karen's current kidney problems -- we stopped selling dry cat food because of this. Cats just aren't meant to eat dry kibble.

(Tags: chronic renal failure, pet obesity, pet nutrition, cat nutrition, dog nutrition, dry kibble, dry cat food)

Senior Pet Tip #3 Dealing With Sight and Hearing Loss

Senior Pet Tip On Dealing With Sight and Hearing Loss

Listen to this senior pet tip

"Be aware of sight and hearing loss. Don’t drastically rearrange rooms and furniture. Your pet has probably learned to navigate his/her environment quite well and sudden changes can lead to fear and confusion. When approaching your older pet make sure they can see or hear you coming. A pet with sight or hearing loss can become very startled by an unexpected touch. Clapping your hands or making some other loud noise will alert pets of your approach. The vibrations from walking heavy-footed can also help alert them that someone is coming."

Even clapping our hands seems to have lost its effectiveness with our dog Doodle. She still sees ok for now, so we use hand gestures to signal her to follow us on walks... One thing we noticed is her sensitivity to bright sunlight. I think her glaucoma is making things a bit too bright for her when in full sun. Could be time to try out doggie sunglasses. Although she hates having her face touched...

The full article on Senior Pet Tips was posted on Well Beings Tips & Articles.

[Related Tags: senior pet, senior dog, senior cat, hearing loss, sight loss, glaucoma]

Senior Pet Tip #2 - Using a Raised Feeder For Your Dog or Cat

Raise their food and water bowls to provide the height that your dog (or cat) needs for healthy eating and drinking. Raised feeders minimize neck strain and reduce air ingestion making them ideal for senior and large breed pets.

Listen to Senior Pet Tip #2

[Related Tags: raised feeder, dog bowl, cat bowl, senior dog, senior cat]

Senior Pet Tip #1 Using Natural Supplements To Help With Arthritis

As our beloved companions get older they begin to slow down and many suffer from the same age-related wear and tear as we humans do. Arthritis, gastric upsets, diminished senses, sensitivity to extreme heat and cold are just a few. Below is a tip you can use to help make your senior pet more comfortable, happy and healthy.

Listen to senior pet tip #1

Even if your dog or cat is not displaying signs of arthritis you can help prevent or slow the onset by staring them on a natural supplement* designed to promote joint and cartilage health. Look for supplements that contain glucosamine, chrondroitin, MSM, vitamin C, white willow bark, boswellin, yucca powder, manganese ascorbate, bromelain, selenium (especially in conjunction with vitamin E), vitamins C, A, and E. In addition, Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils has shown promise in treating arthritis in animals and humans.

[Related Tags: natural supplement, pet supplements, arthritis, glucosamine, chrondroitin, MSM, white willow bark, boswellin, yucca powder, manganese ascorbate, bromelain, selenium, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, Omega 3 fatty acid]

Overvaccination - What You Don't Know Can Harm Your Pet

The message from Peter and Kris Christine on overvaccination is quite disturbing. A lot of reputable sources are starting to expose this grave issue. But it will take time to change what's considered a routine veterinary practice.

We actually discussed the issue of overvaccination with our holistic vet - Dr. Tamara Hebbler - because of our dog Doodle's age. She's going to be 19 soon. And we were told that she should do fine without getting a rabbies shot. Although she had been given the shot prior to our adoption... We used some homeopathic remedies to detoxify her body.

Why should pets have to get vaccinated regularly while humans don't?


[Related Tags: vaccinosis, overvaccination, pet vaccine, vaccination, Kris Christine, Peter Christine]

Charitable Contributions From Well Beings - Promoting Senior Pet Adoptions

We sometimes get requests for donations for various events from animal organizations.
We're happy to contribute what we can. Especially if it promotes senior pet adoptions. As you know, senior cats and dogs are among the most difficult to place. Most people want puppies or kittens...

Here's our latest incoming request. We donated some of our "Senior Pets Rock!" t-shirts (which we'll have available on our site shortly) as well as some dehydrated raw dog food from The Honest Kitchen. If you're interested in contributing to that group, let us know.

> Hello.
> The Heart of Texas Labrador Retriever Club will host its FIRST specialty
> show (hundreds of nothing but labs and their owners) in Austin on October
> 28, an AKC-sanctioned event we have been working toward for years.
> We are having what we hope will be a great raffle, as part of the show's
> activities. I saw on your website some fantastic canine goodies and
> products. Would Well Beings be willing to donate an item to our raffle?
> We'd be VERY grateful, and this would be good advertising for you and a
> lucky day for the winner.
> Thanks for your consideration.
> Brenda Bridges
> Co-chair of Raffle Committee
> 4992 Whispering Oaks Drive
> College Station TX 77845-7674

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Their show will have a "veteran" (old) dog competition. Every veteran entry gets a standing ovation.