Category Archives: dogs

October 12, 2020 · 4:38 am

22 Ways Dogs Make Humans Better – Infographic

My dog, Gabi, has her 15th birthday coming up and I thought this would be a nice pre-birthday post.

As a dog lover and fitness enthusiast, I had to love this poster and share it with you.

Regular readers know that my dog Gabi has been my companion for 14 years. She is my first dog in over 50 years. You can read the peculiar story of how I came to own her in this post: Anatomy of an Act of Kindness.

In case some of these benefits seem nebulous, check out my post What is the Value of Hugging? and also 10 Reasons Why Oxytocin Is The Most Amazing Molecule In The World for some documentation.

Tony

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June 6, 2020 · 12:05 am

CBD improves arthritis symptoms in dogs – Study

As a sufferer of arthritis in the hands, I can confirm that CBD oil gives me temporary relief from my pain. I wrote about it in – My experience with CBD oil for arthritis pain.

A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in collaboration with Medterra CBD conducted the first scientific studies to assess the potential therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) for arthritic pain in dogs, and the results could lead the way to studying its effect in humans. Researchers focused first on these animals because their condition closely mimics the characteristics of human arthritis, the leading cause of pain and disability in the U.S. for which there is no effective treatment.

Published in the journal PAIN, the study first showed both in laboratory tests and mouse models that CBD, a non-addictive product derived from hemp (cannabis), can significantly reduce the production of inflammatory molecules and immune cells associated with arthritis. Subsequently, the study showed that in dogs diagnosed with the condition, CBD treatment significantly improved quality of life as documented by both owner and veterinarian assessments. This work supports future scientific evaluation of CBD for human arthritis.

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Owning A Dog Is Good For Your Heart — Study Says What We All Knew

As a dog lover and owner I had to share this one with you along with a picture of my little canine companion who turns 12 next month.

This is Gabi, who rides on the bike with me.

Tony

Our Better Health

It seems unconditional love from a fluffy, drooling canine is one key to a healthier life — as many people already expected.

A study of more than 3.4-million people revealed that having a dog in the house is linked to living a longer life. The research, published in Scientific Reports by Uppsala University in Sweden, reviewed a national registry of people aged 40 to 80 for up to 12 years. Just over 13 per cent were dog owners.

By evaluating health records, it found that registered dog owners had a lower risk of having heart attacks and other life-threatening conditions. It said owning a dog cuts down the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 36 per cent for people that live alone.

There is a slightly lower benefit to owning a canine for those who don’t live alone — the risk was cut by only 15 per cent. Researchers…

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Happy National Dog Day!

First of all, I want to salute my little canine companion, Gabi. She is 11-1/2 years young and has brightened my life ever since I adopted her. For details on how that unlikely event occurred, check out my post Anatomy of an act of kindness.

Meanwhile, “National Dog Day is celebrated August 26th annually and was founded in 2004 by Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Colleen Paige, also the founder of National Puppy Day, National Mutt Day and National Cat Day and many more philanthropic days to bring attention to the plight of animals and encourage adoption. The date of August 26th is significant, as it’s the date that Colleen’s family adopted her first dog “Sheltie” when Colleen was 10 years old.

Here is my canine companion, Gabi, whom I adopted 11 years ago. She clocks about 4,000 miles a year in her basket on my bike.

“National Dog Day celebrates all dogs, mixed breed and pure. Our mission is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort. Dogs put their lives on the line every day… for personal protection, for law enforcement, for the disabled, for our freedom and safety by detecting bombs and drugs and pulling victims of tragedy from wreckage, now they’re detecting cancer and seizures…things even humans cannot do. NDD was adopted into New York State Legislation in 2013. Read more about it here.“

Tony

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February 14, 2014 · 8:50 am

Happy Valentine’s Day!

There are going to be lots of hearts and flowers circulating today. If you are one of the V-Day faithful, I hope you get a chance to enjoy the festivities. If you don’t have a romantic involvement right now, cheer up. You can still be healthy and happy without hearts or flowers.

I have had friends over the years who got really bummed out on Valentine’s Day because they were not in a relationship. They felt ‘left out’ by all the romance and affection around them.

Sophie Tucker famously said, “I have been rich and I have been poor. Rich is better.” As far as being in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, I have had one at times and also been without. While I am lucky enough to have someone special in my life to celebrate with, I think it’s a mistake to get depressed and negative if you do not.

My pooch, Gabi, good for my heart.

For the past 10 years I have remained on the sidelines of romantic involvement, but I was lucky to have a dog in my life so, I have not been without companionship besides a circle of friends.

Speaking of hearts and dogs, I was interested to learn that having a dog in your life actually lowers your chances of getting heart disease.

Dr. Karen Becker enumerated a number of positive benefits of owning a dog, including:

• Most people with dogs are more physically active than non-dog owners, because canine companions need walks, exercise and playtime. No measurable increases in physical activity have been reported in owners of other types of pets.
• Generally speaking, people who walk their dogs also weigh less.
• Pet owners receive emotional and social support from their companions. Pets provide encouragement and motivation, and they have a positive effect on stress levels.
• In people with heart disease, owning a pet of any kind can increase survival rates — dog ownership in particular.

I would hasten to add that while having a dog can provide real heart health benefits, that isn’t the reason you should get one. You should be thinking positively towards the animal not yourself.

Dr. Becker says, “I don’t recommend acquiring an animal companion simply to improve your own health. It’s important to be motivated by a desire to provide a long, healthy life for your pet, and to strive always to deepen the bond you share.”

Whether you are in a relationship or have a pet or not, you can enjoy some chocolate anyway.

Just don’t overdo it.

If you would like to read how Gabi came into my life, my first dog in over 50 years, check out Anatomy of an act of kindness.

Tony