Blessing Of The Animals
Dr. James Capers

Dr. James Capers joins us to "Bless" the animals. Traditionally a Catholic holiday, the Blessing of the Animals is held every year in October to commemorate Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). It has become a worldwide festival, celebrated by a variety of religions in recognition of our animal friends. St. Francis of Assisi was a Roman Catholic friar and is the patron of animals and the environment. He believed that humans had the ability and moral responsibility to protect animals, a simple and compassionate edict that we should all do our best to live by.

'Do-it-yourself' Franciscan Animal Blessing:

For all animals:

Blessed are you, Lord God,
maker of all living creatures.
On the fifth and sixth days of creation,
you called forth fish in the sea,
birds in the air and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love,
enable it to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you
for all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures!

Amen.

For a sick animal:

Heavenly Father,
you created all things for your glory
and made us stewards of this creature.
Dr. James Capers.667If it is your will, restore it to health and strength.
Blessed are you, Lord God,
and holy is your name forever and ever.

Amen.

Dr. James Capers has been a pet clairvoyant for close to 20 years, first learning how to communicate with animals with his cat, "Felicia," who lived to be 21 years and 6 months old. He has done pet counseling and has helped a dog who refused to eat dog food after being fed only table scraps; he helped a cat who refused to get off the bed (it turns out she was afraid of mice!); and an elderly Schnauzer who was afraid his guardian was going to "put him to sleep."

Coyotes Stalking our Neighborhoods - Dr. Debbie

I saw a scraggly coyote in front of my house one morning - the second coyote sighting in my neighborhood in a week. I feared what could have happened if my 15 pound terrier was outdoors alone. Wildlife is beautiful, but when my little terrier, Boss, is in harm's way - my doggie momma protective instincts kick in. While not a threat to be exaggerated, the coyote nonetheless poses a risk to our pet's safety.

Coyotes are increasingly becoming a concern in urban areas - some are displaced by the urban sprawl that consumes their potential habitat. But other coyotes become urbanized savvy to living, feeding and thriving within city environments. Coyotes are born opportunists and dine on what they find available. They eat small animals like rabbits and rodents, but also consume ample vegetable matter with up to 40-percent of their diet consisting of seeds, grasses, fruits and flowers.

The most serious coyote concern for pets is injury and predation. As a veterinarian, I can recall many a client whose pet was brought in injured by unknown wildlife or whose cat just one day reportedly just vanished. While many might believe their cat was stolen, in reality these cats most likely fell victim to coyote predation. Likewise, small to medium sized dogs can be injured or lost to the same fate as their feline counterparts.

Steps to Keep Your Pet Safe
Whether you have pets or not, it's important not to feed coyotes. Intentional feeding of coyotes makes them dependent on humans and less fearful which increases the chance of an unwanted, dangerous interaction with people or pets. Just leaving unsecured garbage is invitation enough for these opportunists. Secure all garbage in closing containers and avoid leaving bagged garbage at the curb overnight. Pick up uneaten pet food as soon as your pet has finished eating.

Pet owners should take precautions to keep their household pets protected as well. Keep cats indoors and maintain all pets on leash control when outdoors. Ensure your dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Even indoor cats that do not venture outdoors should be current on this vaccine for both pet and human safety.

Besides rabies, keep your pets current on other vaccinations, deworming and preventatives as recommended by your veterinarian. Coyotes are known to harbor carry skin mites, canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, adenovirus and heart worm disease. So even if your dog never leaves your yard, there is potential for infectious disease crossover between wildlife and your pet.

These wild canids are masters at adapting to their changing world, and it's unrealistic they are going away on their own. As humans we are the ones that need to change to make urban areas less appealing, removing easy feeding sites, and by raising awareness to the potential crossover between wildlife and pets.

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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The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

Smelly Faced Dogs
Joey is frequently asked about dogs who have a smelly face. This is more common in dogs that have smashed faces, such as pugs.

If your dog has short hair, it is real easy to take care of. Just take a little bit of cornstarch or mediated powder like Gold Bond. You just place it in the folds on their face, and it keeps the wrinkles dry.

If you have a longhaired dog, it is more difficult for two reasons. First, it cakes up in the hair and will matt. It is also hard to keep it out of their eyes.

For the longhaired dog, start with Q-tips and hydrogen peroxide. Dip the Q-tips into the hydrogen peroxide. However, don't dip it in the container, as this will contaminate the whole bottle. Pour a little into a small container and then dip the Q-tip in it. With the wet Q-tip, wipe down the folds and underneath the eyes (not on the corner of their eyes). Throw away the rest of the solution when you are done.

You will find that you will be removing something that appears to be a mucus-like discharge. It may also look green and slimy. Unfortunately this area stays wet because of a dog's tears, or even when it gets wet by itself, it just doesn't dry because of the folds of skin.

When you have wiped it all out, dry the skin with a tissue or clean cloth. Next, go in with just a little bit of cornstarch. If you do get it in their eyes, it won't harm them. However, just add a little bit because you don't want the long hair to matt. This will draw the remaining moisture out.

There is no need to use expensive products, such as facial deodorant for dogs, as this can be very irritating.

In the beginning, you will need to do this every day for about a week. After that, if you do this about once a week, you will notice that the odor is gone.

Animal Radio News with Stacey Cohen

Sad Ending For Solly The Swimming Pool Hippo
It started out as a happy story and now is a tragic story of the hippopotamus that had been stuck in a swimming pool. Dominant males had chased the 4-year-old hippo from his herd when he wandered into a lodge and plopped into its 8-foot-deep pool. Although he was able to swim freely, he couldn't get out because the pool has no steps. Lodge workers dubbed him Solly, and the hippo's plight captivated South Africans. Someone even set up a Twitter account on Solly's behalf and tweeted purported hippo quotes. Then a few days later the TV news carried a scrolling headline announcing the animal's death. A game capture team had been waiting for a veterinarian to show up to tranquilize Solly and oversee the operation to hoist him out with a crane. Then, just as veterinarian arrived the hippo tried one last time to get to his feet. He couldn't make it. Exhausted, he dropped his head into the knee-deep water, making a splash, then lay still. A Wildlife rescue expert was in tears as he confirmed that Solly was dead. Hippos are sensitive creatures and Solly's stress level had probably been rising since he was forced from his group, called a pod, and took shelter in the pool. Once inside, he couldn't get out, adding to his stress.

Stray Cow Causes Injuries
A 52-year-old Montana man recovered from injuries sustained after a stray cow ran amok on the streets of downtown Billings. The man suffered broken bones and sore ribs after being charged by a 1,200-pound loose black Angus cow. The victim had been working on a construction site when he saw police and decided to help them catch the cow. The bolting bovine had escaped during uploading at the Public Auction Yards. The cow also knocked over a cyclist and pedestrians during its rampage. Local police said they were not equipped to wrangle the animal in a city environment. The cow was finally shot after a two-hour chase. The injured man was released from the hospital the following day.

Candy Eating Cows
You know what they say: If life gives you bulk quantities of defective candy unfit for human consumption, make chocolate-laced cattle feed. Or that's what they said in Kentucky apparently, where an industrious cattleman responded to skyrocketing corn prices by swapping out the corn in his 1,400 cows' diets for low-grade candy. The owner believed that candy was a healthy drought-time substitute for corn, even suggesting that its advantages over vegetables go beyond price. A professor of animal nutrition at the University of Tennessee, said he didn't seem the least bit scandalized by candy-fattened cows and felt it kept fat material from going out in the landfill and was a good way to get nutrients in those cattle.

Craigslist Scam On Lost Pets
Losing a pet is an emotional time for any pet owner and the best possible scenario is for your pet to come home on its own, the next is to receive a call from someone who found your pet, safe and uninjured. The Connecticut Humane Society issued a warning about a scam preying on vulnerable pet owners. The Humane Society said the culprit was taking to Craigslist to trick people who lost their animals. The Humane Society posted a warning about the scam on Craig's List as well. The Connecticut Humane Society urges people who think they may have been scammed to file a police report.

Senior Pet Month
September is senior pet wellness month and now is the time to highlight the importance of routine examinations for these older pets. Pet life expectancy has doubled over the last fifty years due in part to improved nutrition and more regular veterinary care. While the old saying of "One year equals seven years in a pet" isn't strictly accurate, it's a good gauge to keep in mind. This means that you'll have a senior dog, similar to a person at age fifty, at seven years old and at ten years for a cat. Just like our routine check-ups get more important as we age, the same is true for your pets. Treatable conditions can be caught earlier, making the chance of recovery that much greater. Keep in mind that larger breed dogs can age quicker than their smaller counterparts and toy breeds more slowly. Contact your veterinarian to see what type of screening they have in place for your older pets.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#1188)