As you can see by the photos, we had many people helping and lots of beds assembled for the dogs and even the cats!   It was genuinely a happy time seeing those angels get up off the cold hard concrete floors and to know that the kitties will have a place other than a litter box lie in.   Many of the cats already have little areas that may provide some softness but these will be even better! 

Be sure to remember that adopting a pet that faces euthanasia, is the best option.   These are lives that have been abused, forgotten, thrown out or became a task or nuisance sadly.    Please think about adopting to give a forever home OR consider being a foster home.   

Inko… signing off!

If I were lucky enough to have 9 lives, I’d be willing to bet eight of them that at some point in the last six months, you’ve grabbed your back or neck and thought  “I need a massage!”.  Not only is massage a way to pamper ourselves, it can help us rid our bodies of pain and toxins.   After all, our bodies are comprised of bones, muscle, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue and plainly stated, that stuff breaks down.

Our pets are made of that very same ‘stuff’, and their bodies age much more rapidly than our own.   Imagine if you were 11 and felt physiologically like a 70 year old?                                                                       

Our pets live and breathe for us.   Even when their health is failing and their bodies are giving out, they’ll  try to fight on just to prove their devotion to us.  So why is we overlook the wear and tear on their bodies?  Our pets spend their days running, jumping and ricocheting off furniture.  They walk and sleep on tile, concrete or hardwood floors.  They aren’t always fed the best diet, but rather what is easiest or most cost effective for their owners.  They  walk barefoot on scalding hot concrete.  Their necks and torsos are tugged by leashes.  It’s no surprise our four-legged friends sometimes need a little relief.    

One way to ease your pet’s pain is through massage which aids an animal’s circulatory, digestive, nervous, muscular,  lymphatic, integumentary (skin)and  skeletal systems.  Massage offers relief to older or geriatric pets with physical limitations and arthritis, pets in some post surgical periods and competitive animals that need to stay agile.

 Before you hire an animal Massage Practitioner, it’s a good idea to find someone who has completed at least  150 credit hours of training through a well respected national program or veterinary school, and has completed a ‘hands on’ practical (or internship) for a final exam.  

I’ve seen firsthand the number of pets out there in discomfort and pain.  Often, no matter how doting the pet parents are, the animal’s physical discomfort is often overlooked, because they  ‘seem fine’.  That’s simply because an animal’s nature is to behave as though they are alright, because in nature animals can’t show weakness and vulnerability.   

You should as an owner, constantly monitor your animal’s limitations.  When your dog or cat can’t climb the stairs, their condition is often too late to reverse.   That’s when you’ll need the assistance of your  Massage Practitioner, who should work closely with your vet or specialist to create a formatted health program.

Remember, massage isn’t just for a day of relaxation.   For your pet, it can literally mean the difference between a pain filled immobile day and a day with more comfort, ease and abilities.

With healthier lifestyles, and the longevity, we’re seeing that some pets just like some people, have the plaque development in their brains that is likely the cause of this type of dimentia.  But do all senior pets have this problem.   No!   Certainly not!   A rule of thumb to follow to help you determine if your pet potentially is dealing with CDS versus simply growing old and uncomfortable, is to use the acronym DISH.  Per Meredith Wargo’s article in Dog World Magazine, DISH stands for Disorientation, Interaction, Sleep and Housetraining.   ‘D’… does your pet get stuck in corners and lost behind a piece of furniture?  Does her/his name no longer elicit a response?   ‘I’…  does your pet no longer respond to you?   Is there intolerance of interaction?  ‘S’… is your angel sleeping more or at least sleeping more during the day and becoming a night owl?  Is there pacing?  ‘H’… how often are potty accidents occuring?   Does your pet forget the reason for needing to go outside?  

Whatever you do, DO NOT assume that if you see these signals, its CDS and that’s that.   To diagnose this, your vet will have a multi step plan for you.  And your vet will need to do a physical exam to rule out other physical health issues.   And keep in mind that most likely, your pet will only have symptoms from one of these categories, versus all of them.  Not always… but likely only one category of symptoms.  

Whatever you do, be patient and loving and understanding.   Remember that Inko’s is available to help you learn how to assist your pet in their transition to ‘Senior Years’.   This is a big journey for your pet AND you.   It’s very difficult, but also so beautiful and rewarding.   Be sure to reference Meredith’s article in Dog World to learn more about options for holistic avenues, etc. in the December 2009 (yes, 2009) issue.   Your pet needs as much now in their senior years, as when they were puppies.   Be the best you can be for them!

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People often feel if they acquire a feline as a pet, they can ‘lazy down’ their activity with that pet.   Not really fair is it?   Cats are indeed rumored to be the sleepiest of all animals out there, but is it fair to ignore their need for activity and exercise?   Shucks no!

As a matter of fact, according to a recent article released in Catnip from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, cats are seriously suffering from weight issues.  So they offer some great tips on what to do for your unfit feline.   First and foremost, you have to remember not to over do the activity with your pet.   That can trigger negative responses that could be harmful.   Just as in humans, if you’re out of shape and haven’t exercised, you don’t go into a gym and start out ‘full throttle’.   You ease into it.  So adopt that train of thought with Kitty.

Options for play and exercise:  Laser pointers (don’t shoot the light in their eyes!), toys tied to string (you have to partake here folks), fake mice with crinkley paper in the material, toys rolled in catnip (again, monitor that carefully as many cats may over react to that catnip!) and there are great toys out there that have long sticks with fun stuff attached to the end!   Go to a pet store… shop around… have a riot finding that one great toy (or 3!) and go home and play with your cat.

What’s that?  You say you have a cat that doesn’t dig play time?   I used to have a cat like that!   The fine folks at Cummings recommend creating diversions for their food in place of playing with toys.   Feed smaller portions and put their food bowls in different locations such as a window sill, upstairs iin different rooms or on the top shelf of a cat tree.  Then eventually work play time into the activity.

And again, remember there are other options out there for their diets too.   Felines are obligate carnivores… meaning their bodies perform best when they eat meat only.  They aren’t built to live on kibble and often, that type of food is laden in carbs and that equals sugar and that equals pounds AND THAT equals serious health issues.   Check out our video snippets and view the one about raw food diets!  So just because your cat is… well, a cat, doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t need some exercise, so put on your sweat bands and get started!  Inko… signing out!