Quotes About Dogs From People Who Love Them
Boze Haleigh, "Life's A Pooch"

Pet pontificator Boze Hadleigh is back on Animal Radio to celebrate the connection with our dogs. He's queried hundreds of celebrities and well-known people for quotes about "man's best friend" for his book, "Life's A Pooch, (rather than 'Life's A B**ch')."

"Life's A Pooch" contains quotes about dogs by people who love them. In fact, Boze tells us about Betty White who gave him a wonderful blurb that's on the front cover, which states, "Read this with your dog, you'll both love it." Another animal lover who unfortunately passed away in 2019, Doris Day, also contributed to this book. The book contains quotes not just from celebrities, but also animal experts and dog trainers, such as experts Barbara Woodhouse and Dr. Roger Mugford, who trained the Corgis of Queen Elizabeth.

Boze tells us he started around the year 2000 collecting the quotes. Some he got from magazines, books, news and interviews. He also found a few on the Internet, but tells us that you have to double-check those to make sure that they're real! He also obtained some from doing interviews himself. At one time he approached Mary Tyler Moore, who then she said why don't you contact so-and-so and they'll give you some more quotes. Then one thing led to another. Because of all of the wonderful quotes he obtained, Boze thought this would make a terrific book.

The book contains many quotes but some of them that stick out in Boze's mind are, for example, Charles Schulz who was the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, who said, "Happiness is a warm puppy." Then there is Cindy Williams, who played Shirley on 'Laverne and Shirley,' who pointed out one that's very relevant to all women by saying, "This reminds me why dogs are so wonderful - they love women without their makeup!" There are also several quotes from people like Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot saying, "Men disappointed them eventually - the dog of course is faithful to the end." Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" also gave Boze a blurb that said, "A good dog and a good book - what better combination!"

Boze has also come up with his own quotes. He tells us that the reasons that a dog gets out the water, like a swimming pool, and comes to its master to shake off the water is because the urge to get back to its master, with whom has the bond, is stronger than the urge to shake off the water. That's pretty endearing, even though it may be annoying to the person getting wet.

The quotes in the book aren't as long as Boze's, but there are some that convey information that is pretty important. For example, playing Frisbee with an older dog is not always the best thing, because dogs jump up to catch the Frisbee and they'll twist their spine, but with a younger dog there is no problem. But if the joints in an older dog are weak or if he has arthritis, one has to be more careful.

"Life's A Pooch" would be a perfect stocking stuffer, so pick a copy up right now for the holidays. The book is meant to be entertaining and fun, but there are also a lot of facts. You can just start in at any page and every morning you can begin your day with a new quote.

Boze Hadleigh is the author of 23 books. He speaks 5 languages, has visited 62 countries, holds a Master's Degree in journalism and has won on Jeopardy. Boze tells us didn't keep any of the winnings from Jeopardy and donated most of it to a fire-damaged library near Sydney Australia and what wasn't donated to the library went to a relative. Boze lives in Beverly Hills and Sydney.

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When Pet Food Is Medicine -Dr. Debbie

Proper pet nutrition is more than just diet choices for the healthy pet. It's even more important to properly feed the sick pet or those with chronic diseases. What you put in your pet's food bowl can help, or harm, his ability to cope with illness.

Peek into your average veterinary office and you'll likely find one or more brands of therapeutic diet foods created to manage pet specific pet health conditions. Veterinarians prescribe therapeutic diets to help pets with kidney disease, diabetes, pancreatitis, weight loss or heart disease. Special digestive diets may focus on hypoallergenic ingredients, fiber content or fat levels. Some diets prevent or dissolve mineralized stones in the urinary bladder. There are even diets to keep the spring in your arthritic dog's step and diets to aid in treating pets with cancer.

The grandfather of veterinary nutrition was Dr. Morris who in 1940 designed a diet to improve longevity of his dog, Buddy, who was a seeing-eye dog battling kidney disease. His efforts led to the introduction to Hill's K/D diet, a favorite diet used today for dogs and cats with kidney dysfunction. Today many more diets and conditions are addressed by companies such as Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina and Iams.

As a veterinarian I recognize the value that therapeutic diets lend to managing my patients' health. But my strongest testament to their value is as a doggie momma who feeds a therapeutic diet to my own dog, Magnum.

My Labrador Magnum suffers from food allergies with frequent facial skin infections, bad skin odor, scratching and unpleasant gastrointestinal signs with diarrhea and flatulence. After several diet trials with various hypoallergenic diet approaches, he now thrives on a rabbit based therapeutic diet by Royal Canin. His doggie kisses are sweeter smelling now, he's content and he isn't a walking gaseous explosion anymore.

But be prepared to dig deeper in your wallet for therapeutic diets. The research behind these foods will cost the consumer more than average pet foods. Just look at the example of Magnum's food. This diet runs $86 for a 25-pound bag of dry food. This sure isn't cheap. But the investment can pay off in lower medical costs and fewer veterinary visits, justifying the additional cost. In Magnum's case, we are able to avoid continued treatment of skin infections, thereby avoiding medication use and he is spared incessant itching.

Some pet owners turn to home cooked diets in order to avoid the costs of therapeutic diets. Without guidance and veterinary nutrition analysis, pet owners may risk shortchanging their pet's nutrition. One research study identified that over 90-percent of home prepared diets for sick pets failed to be nutritionally adequate. Quality ingredients aren't cheap and a well-produced home cooked diet often ends up costing far more to prepare than commercially produced therapeutic diets.

If your veterinarian recommends nutritional management with a therapeutic diet, discuss all the options with your doctor. Inquire about different brands and sizes of food packages available, as many options are available. Get your money's worth on these diets by following your veterinarian's recommendations. Avoid mixing therapeutic diets with regular foods. This only hinders your pet's results and give you a false sense of saving money by making the food last longer.

As for Magnum, I choose to feed him his therapeutic diet and avoid popping pills into him. That's my gauge of a therapeutic diet success - food that serves like medicine in the doggie bowl, but without the hassles.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend." Dr. Debbie's books.

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5 Ways To Give Back To Pet World During Holidays
Robert Semrow, Listomania

For many the holidays are traditions, for some it's about food and still others it's about family. In these busy times, it's important to remember that the season is really about giving. And if you're someone who wants to do more, or maybe you're someone like me who lost a pet this year and wants to spread the love around to other pets in need, I thought I'd share five ways that you can give back to the pet world.

My first way is one that may seem obvious (Scrooge here's a perfect way to avoid three ghosts visiting you on Christmas Eve) and makes a huge difference. That's right cash or a gift card. A cash donation, especially to a local organization that operates on a small budget, makes a huge difference. It gives them the much-needed funds and flexibility to continue their efforts.

Cash certainly isn't the only thing that makes a difference, especially at this time of year. One of the best things that you give at this, or anytime of the year, is your time. Like all organizations, rescue groups find themselves short handed at this time of year because of holiday travel, events and commitments. Volunteering your time helps fill in holes that are desperately needed and greatly appreciated. From walking and playing with pets, to cleaning cages, to office assistance, to just spending time with the animals to help with socialization skills, every minute you spend volunteering can have a profound effect for the rescue group.

Wish list items. Every organization out there has a wish list of much needed and appreciated items that help care for the pets. From toys, to treats, to reams of paper and office equipment, the lists are usually posted on their website and easy to find and are also easy to fill. You can even place an order at your favorite online shopping site and have it delivered directly to them.

Donate your company's expertise. Whether it's construction skills, photography skills, accounting skills or any other business, it's likely to be something that can help the group out. Even something as simple as sharing their story and efforts with your customers can make a huge difference and create connections that lead to lives changed and lives saved.

Become an evangelist for a cause or group. That's right, you can be a loud voice for those without a voice or the time to express their voice. All of these groups need help with their efforts on social media, regular media and local events. It is overwhelming to try to find the time to promote, share and reach people on all of these different media platforms. You can do this quickly, and with a little extra effort you can really help them get their messaging and stories out to a wider audience than they may have time or expertise to do themselves.

One bonus way I want to share with everyone is to also consider "fostering a pet for the holidays." Many organizations have a unique program that specifically places pets in homes during the holiday season. This gives the pets a warm home, even if it's just for the holidays. It's a great way for the pets to socialize and work on their interaction skills as well.

There are many more wonderful ways to give back to the pet world.

Share your holiday pet rescue giving suggestions on our Animal Radio Facebook Page.

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Animal Radio News - Lori Brooks

First Responders Can Treat Animals In Emergency
Wisconsin lawmakers changed state law to allow first responders to treat pets when responding to an emergency. Wisconsin's Veterinarian Practice Act allowed for only veterinarians to give animals treatment, but that has changed. Two bills gave first responders immunity for treating animals during an emergency call. It also protects those emergency workers who choose not to help animals, even though many fire departments already have specialized equipment to aid animals. As one firefighter put it, "It's in our nature to try to help people and I think a lot of us are animal lovers," so the bills made sense. However, the departments do not receive special training for handling pets and they do prioritize saving human lives first. Many other states in the U.S. already allow first responders to provide animals with emergency care.

Here's Why You Should Pay Attention To Your Dog
Research suggests dogs make a wider variety of facial expressions when their owners or companions are paying attention to them. So, while you are sitting at a computer holding on to a toy while your dog basically plays tug of war with itself, that's not nearly as beneficial to them as when you invest your attention in that play time. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth found dogs were more expressive when their human companion was looking at them, suggesting Fido's facial expressions are more than just the simple by product of his mood, but an attempt to communicate with his human. In the study, dogs produced far more expressions when someone was watching, and seeing food treats did not have the same effect.

Oxytocin Influences What A Dog Sees
Researchers with the Canine Mind Project found that the feel-good hormone oxytocin made dogs interested in smiling human faces. It also made them see angry faces as less threatening. Associated with affection and trust, they say oxytocin is probably a key factor in the interaction between dogs and humans because it influences what a dog sees and how it experiences what it sees. Researchers in the Canine Mind group showed 43 dogs images of smiling and angry faces on a computer screen. Each dog was tested twice; once under the influence of oxytocin, which was administered as part of the test and once without oxytocin. The dog's gaze on the images and pupil size were measured with an eye-tracking device. Emotions and attentiveness guide the gaze and regulate pupil size, making eye tracking a window into the dogs' minds. Without oxytocin, the dogs' pupils were at their largest when they looked at angry faces. This indicated that the angry faces caused the most powerful emotional reaction in the dogs.

Human-Like Toilet for Cats - Too Good To Be True?
There's a human-like toilet on the market for cats. It is called Catolet. It's basically a conveyor belt-equipped, automatically flushing toilet that's made for cats. It works by motion sensors that detect whenever a cat steps onto the unit and does its business. The urine will then pass through the porous conveyor belt and into a water-filled collection basin below, while solid waste is left on top of the conveyor belt. After a preset amount of time has passed, the belt then moves forward, carrying the feces into the basin below. They're then chopped up by a shredder, after which they, the urine and the water are pumped out into the sewer. The belt also gets cleaned after it's dropped off the feces, so that it will have a clean surface when it gets back to the top for the next time. Ideally, the Catolet is installed in a bathroom where it is permanently connected to the water supply and sewage system with hoses that are included. But if that's more handyman than you care to deal with, it can also be hooked up to a nearby sink faucet, with the output hose running into the toilet bowl. Catolet runs on a battery that only needs to be charged about every three months.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#1150)