Preserving Your Pet Forever
Anthony Eddy, Freeze-Dried Pets

Many of you who have had pets during your lifetime have probably experienced the loss of a pet. You may have memorialized them with an urn that is in your home or a stone placed in your yard. Or you may not have known how you wanted to handle their remains.

Anthony Eddy came up with a great way to memorialize your pet. He freeze-dries them! While Anthony works on other animals, pets make up a good part of his business. He does about 150-200 pets a year. This includes dogs and cats to alligators, iguanas and the occasional cockatiel or two.

Eddy started out in traditional taxidermy, stuffing great horned owls and pheasants with the help of a local veterinarian. He originally used the freeze-dry technique to preserve mounted turkey heads for hunters before realizing in the mid-1990s it could also work with pets.

Freeze-drying is different from regular taxidermy. You have to have special freeze-drying machines. It can also take up to a year to freeze-dry a large dog, with a cat taking about 5 to 6 months. Freeze-drying also makes the pet last longer.

What makes freeze-drying popular for pets is that you don't have to disturb the pet. You do however; still have to remove the eyes. The pet can be positioned in any position you would like, frozen, and then placed in the freeze-drying machine. The machines cause the water to vaporize right out of the animal. Over time, about several months, all of the moisture will be removed and therefore the pet is stable.

Eddy said he is no longer surprised by unusual requests from customers. It seems that as long as humans embrace animals as our four-legged friends, those bonds will continue past the pet's expiration date.

Eddy compares his line of work to the mortician's trade. His business is one of the few in the country to specialize in pet freeze-drying and has a waiting list. He claims he is an alternative for those people who can't stand the idea of burying their pets or having them cremated.

Talk To Your Dog
Regal.ai/dog

These days, there are apps for almost everything, including those for our dogs. So it's no surprise that Phillip Angert created an app, which gives pet owners a one-of-a-kind, dog-training tool when they are forced to leave their pet alone. Phillip says it is like a baby monitor for your dog so you can remotely check on them to see if they bark.

The application is a training tool that helps dog owners when they leave their dogs, by training and rewarding their pet using a creative design.

First, the owner sets up custom videos for their dog with a short "Good Dog" and "Bad Dog" message. An audio detector listens for the dog's Barking or Quietness, and plays the owner's appropriate messages.

When your dog barks, it triggers two things. One, a message to the owner that the dog is at home barking, with a picture of the dog and a sound wave of how loud and how many times the dog barks. Then, a pre-recorded video comes on with the owner's voice and message to their dog.

If your dog's been good, a pre-recorded video will also come on telling them that they're a good boy. There is also a treat dispenser that can be triggered to reward your dog. You can trigger this remotely or the app can trigger it.

The session is displayed in a graph, which your dog messages you while you're away, via Facebook!

But what if your dog triggers the video all day long just so he can hear you? You might just want your recording to be a loud, startling sound and not your actual voice.

In order to do this, your pet needs his own iPad, which is the base station. If your dog likes to eat electronic devices, you will need to mount it up high enough so your pet can't reach it.

Dizzy Old Dogs - Diagnosing Idiopathic Vestibular Disease -Dr. Debbie

What is Idiopathic Vestibular Disease?
Idiopathic Vestibular Disease, also known as Old Dog Vestibular Disease, is a condition commonly diagnosed in senior dogs, but also seen in cats. The term idiopathic basically means the cause is unknown. This condition affects the vestibular system and the pet's sense of balance, typically with a rapid onset of symptoms. In Magnum's case he literally was fine at the start of a television program, and was wobbly just one hour later.

Symptoms of Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome include a wobbly gait, head tilt, anxiety, panting, and an abnormal eye movement called nystagmus, a condition in which the eyes dart rapidly back-and-forth or up-and-down. In addition to mobility problems, the topsy-turvy sensation leads to nausea, vomiting, and an inability to eat or drink. Thankfully my sturdy stomached Labrador barely missed a meal during his bout.

The cause of idiopathic vestibular vestibular syndrome isn't completely known, but fortunately most dogs recovery from symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks. In some cases dogs may suffer from future bouts months to years later. Some dogs may retain a slight head tilt or unsteadiness at times.

What Can Be Done?
A veterinary examination is important to identify suspected cases of vestibular disease. Other possible causes of these symptoms could include an infectious or inflammatory condition, inner ear infection, cancer, or a brain vascular episode - a stroke-like episode. In order to rule out these potential causes, more detailed testing is needed and may include tests like a CT, MRI, and CSF tap.

There isn't a cure for a vestibular episode, and some pets recover without any treatment. But other animals require supportive care including anti-nausea medications, intravenous fluid therapy, hand feeding, and physical assistance to walk and protect from household hazards.

Caring for a frightened, disoriented, wobbly, nauseated dog can be difficult. My 80 pound Labrador needed physical support to get up, walk outside and required hand feeding at times. He couldn't be left home alone without risk of injury. And because of all the hoisting, blocking collisions with furniture, and guiding away from the depths of the pool, I injured my back during his rehab time. The reality is that home care of a small or toy breed with vestibular disease is much easier than the physical demands of a assisting a large or giant breed dog.

Lessons Learned
I have seen many a patient come to my veterinary office for euthanasia after developing similar vestibular symptoms. Some pet owners assume that the severe symptoms and rapid onset mean that there is no hope and euthanasia is the only choice. I'll admit that vestibular symptoms are scary and affected pets are tough to care for at home, but if given the tincture of time, many senior dogs will eventually improve. Perhaps Magnum's story will help other pet owner's opt to pursue treatment or testing, and give time a chance to heal.

Four weeks later and Magnum was back to playing with toys and energetically bounding on walks. He still retained a slight head tilt to the right, his badge of courage as I see it. I'm thankful for his recovery and adore his charming, lovable tilted perspective of the world.

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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Therapy Rat?
When you think of a therapy animal, usually a dog comes to mind. But what about a rat? Perhaps their mischievous reputation comes from movies like Willard, portraying squealing humans as rats trained by a social misfit, take over. But Vicki Altman wants people to know, it was just a movie. Altman owned Cheyenne, a Japanese-bred domesticated rat, who would curiously pop her head in and out of her pouch. She shared her red-eyed, whiskered friend with others through Mo-Kan Pet Partners, a non-profit visiting local organizations using animals as therapy. According to Altman, Cheyenne was a hit with her little visitors, kids who faced medical battles of their own. Altman said Cheyenne passed an evaluation to become a pet partner. "She had to be handled, held by three different people, be around noisy situations, anything that you might encounter in a nursing home, places like the Ronald McDonald house," Altman said. While Cheyenne was visiting, Altman kept her on a homemade harness. Altman said Cheyenne was sweet and got along with everyone, even her cat roommates. But most importantly, Altman said Cheyenne knew how to care.

Gay Tail
At the dog park, someone said my dog had a "gay tail." The world of animals is full of interesting, and very old, terms that describe the way certain animals look. The term "gay tail" has nothing to do with your dog's gender or sexuality, or if he's neutered or not. It's "gay" in the sense of "happy," and it refers to a tail that's flying high when the dog is alert and engaged, such as when he's playing at the dog park. Specifically, it refers to a tail that's set a little higher at the point where it connects to the body, allowing the dog to carry it above the top line. If you follow the back, in other words, the tail's angle departs from the flat line and goes uphill. In some breeds, a gay tail is considered undesirable in the show ring. If you imagine a Pointer, for example, the line of the back should be continued through the tail, to make the "bird here" point even more obvious. A perfect example can be found in the logo of the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club, which is a stylized picture of a Pointer named Sensation. As long as it's wagging, I'm happy. And you should be, too.

Alligator Got New Tail
A tail-less alligator living at an animal care facility in Phoenix, Arizona received a brand-new tail. Sarah Jarvis with the CORE Institute said Mr. Stubb's new appendage wasn't hard to fashion. It's made from silicone material normally used for special effects in Hollywood, and fastened to him with nylon straps. Animal experts said they believe Mr. Stubbs' tail was likely bitten off by another gator. He was then taught how to swim with his new appendage.

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