2011 January | AnimalTalk Blog, Val Heart & Friends, Animal Communication Tips & Animal Care

Dealing With Fear of Loud Noises

Jan 262011

By Signe A. Dayhoff, Ph.D. http://www.catsmartcatlove.com/

“Be smart. Love your cat’s inner tiger and love your cat and yourself even more”

If you’re startled by loud noises, think
how it must be for your cat. Sometimes
your companion can become used to loud sounds on his or her own, but frequently the startle created can develop into a fear.

But you can help your cat get over the cringing, hiding, and freaking out
when loud noises, like thunder, occur.

Here’s how:
1. Take your cat into a more centralized room where the noise is less

2. Play soothing music to help cover the noise

3. Pet and distract your cat until the noise passes

4. For dealing with long-term fear consider desensitizing your cat to loud sounds by

A. Exposing it to a low volume of like sound and slowly over time increasing it.

B. During exposure soothe and distract your cat.

C. Afterward, give it a special treat.

5. Eventually your cat will be less likely to be phobic to such sounds and not act anxiously. While this desensitization may generalize to other loud sounds, you may have to repeat the process depending upon the anxiety-provoking sound and how your cat reacts to it.

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Should You Quit Taking Calcium to Protect Your Heart?

Health Issues No Responses »

Jan 262011

Did you toss your calcium pills in the trash — and then worry about getting osteoporosis — after a new study concluded that calcium supplementation could increase heart attack risk? Let’s not be too hasty.

Here’s what that widely publicized study really showed… and what we women should do with the information.

As reported in the journal BMJ, investigators analyzed data from 11 clinical trials in which nearly 12,000 patients — mostly women age 70 or older — were randomly assigned to receive calcium supplements or placebos for an average of nearly four years. The shocker: People who took 500 milligrams (mg) or more of calcium daily were about 30% more likely to have a heart attack than those who did not take calcium.

Many physicians, including me, were surprised by these findings, as other research (detailed below) suggests that calcium generally has a neutral or even protective effect on the heart. Still, this study raises the possibility that calcium supplements should not be used as widely as they are now.

The concern: In recent years, researchers have discovered that vascular calcification (calcium buildup in atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries) is a risk factor for heart attacks… and it may be that overzealous consumption of calcium can contribute to vascular calcification or even to the development of atherosclerosis itself. But before you panic, consider the following…

The BMJ study’s results do not necessarily apply to dietary calcium. Indeed, a high intake of calcium from foods, including calcium-rich low-fat dairy products, has been associated with lower risks for various heart attack risk factors, including diabetes… high blood pressure… and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that includes abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and low HDL (good) cholesterol.

Why might dietary calcium have more favorable effects than supplemental calcium? Because dietary calcium may interact with other nutrients in food to yield health benefits… and because calcium from food may be absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly than calcium from supplements, thus reducing the likelihood of high blood calcium levels.

The BMJ study findings do not necessarily apply to calcium supplements taken in combination with vitamin D. The BMJ study focused on calcium supplements taken alone, without vitamin D. However, many calcium supplements sold in the US also contain vitamin D. Available research suggests that the same heart risks are not found with such combination supplements because vitamin D regulates calcium metabolism, the mechanism by which the body maintains appropriate calcium levels.

Example: The Women’s Health Initiative — in which about 36,000 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to take either placebos or 1,000 mg of calcium plus 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day — did not find an increased risk for either vascular calcification or heart attack.

According to the BMJ study, calcium supplementation did not increase heart attack risk in people whose dietary calcium intakes were less than about 800 mg per day, This bolsters the idea that excess calcium might be responsible for the BMJ study results. It may be especially true for older people who have decreased kidney function.

WHAT WOMEN SHOULD DO
To me, this study has a clear take-home message. For bone health, I advise that you get the currently recommended amount of calcium each day, taking into account both your dietary and supplemental calcium sources — but avoid ingesting more than this amount. Many experts recommend 1,000 mg of calcium per day up to age 50 and 1,200 mg per day thereafter… as well as about 800 IU per day of vitamin D from food and/or supplements. Bottom line: If you get this much calcium from food alone, skip the supplements. If you do not get sufficient calcium from your diet, make up the difference by supplementing (and take care to get enough vitamin D, too).

To estimate the amount of calcium in your diet, check the calcium content of specific foods on the USDA Web page at http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=18877… on the National Institutes of Health Web page at http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium.asp… and/or on food labels.

Rich dietary sources of calcium include…
Yogurt, plain, low-fat: 415 mg per cup.
Sardines, canned with bones: 325 mg per three-ounce serving.
Milk, low-fat: 305 mg per cup.
Cheddar cheese: 204 mg per ounce.
Salmon, canned with bones: 181 mg per three-ounce serving.
Collard greens: 178 mg per Â½ cup chopped and cooked.
Figs: 155 mg for five figs.
Cottage cheese (1% milk fat): 138 mg per cup.

Unless you consume a lot of dairy products, you are unlikely to get too much calcium from food alone. But: It is easy to get too much supplemental calcium — so check labels not only on your calcium tablets but also on your multivitamins, calcium-plus-vitamin-D supplements and any calcium-containing medications that you may be taking.

Source: JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, is a professor of medicine and women’s health at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, both in Boston. She is one of the lead investigators for two highly influential studies on women’s health — the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study and the Women’s Health Initiative. Dr. Manson is the author, with Shari Bassuk, ScD, of Hot Flashes, Hormones & Your Health (McGraw-Hill), and a columnist and advisory board member for HealthyWoman from Bottom Line.

By JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH

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Horse Escape Blamed on Emu

Horse Talk No Responses »

Jan 262011

Let’s face it. Most horses have a mischievous side to them. They are always looking for the chance to escape from their enclosures, be it a stall or a paddock. My own horse, Dorado, is living proof of this–having escaped from his pasture at his boarding barn twice last week while I was away on a business trip! Thankfully, and I’m sure much to the delight of the kind souls who were trying to catch him, he decided to surrender himself and was escorted back to his pasture all within a few minutes of hightailing it out the gate.

But the horse in this tantalizing tale was presented with the opportunity to escape his paddock when “a wandering emu” broke through the split rail fence, leaving the horse to wander three miles away from home. The owners discovered the bird occupying the horse’s pasture on the morning of Dec. 8 when they went out to check on their two horses – and the horse was nowhere to be found. Surprisingly, the second horse did not escape the confines of his enclosure. The equine escapee was safely returned to his pasture (albeit after a long walk!) by his owner.

The horses’ owners reported that the bird had been loitering around their farm for a few days and even tried to break into the horses’ run-in. The kicker here is that authorities don’t have a clue as to whom the emu belongs to. The latest reports I could find said the emu was still at large–lock those gates!

Compared to that story, Dorado’s recent escapes don’t seem nearly as exciting! What’s the most interesting way your horse has ever escaped?

By Megan Arszman, http://tinyurl.com/27doqup

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When Good Teeth Go Bad

Dog Talk 1 Response »

Jan 262011

Jeff Grognet is a veterinarian with a practice in British Columbia, Canada. Courtesy of the American Kennel Club.

When was the last time you had a good look in your dog’s mouth? If he’s over 3 years old, there is a 75 percent chance that he has dental disease, plaque, tartar, and inflamed gums. Besides causing bad breath and tooth loss, infection in the oral cavity can spread to vital internal organs. Oral disease can shorten your dog’s life.

Small-breed dogs are prone to tartar accumulation when very young, which results in the loss of many teeth by the time they’re 10 years old. The problem begins with the formation of a thin, soft film of food and bacteriaâ€”plaqueâ€”on the teeth. If left undisturbed, plaque eventually mineralizes and hardens to form tartar.

Meanwhile, bacteria in the mouth cause gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and recession of the gum-tooth attachment. The natural depression in the gum next to the tooth is called the sulcus, and a healthy sulcus is, at most, a few millimeters deep. But in dogs with severe gingivitis, gum attachments can break down to depths as great as 15 millimeters. As the gum recedes, there is a corresponding breakdown of supporting bone. The tooth becomes abscessed and falls out.

An abscessed small incisor, with just one root, is lost very quickly because it has so little holding it in place. In contrast, a large carnassial tooth, such as the upper fourth premolar (fourth tooth behind the upper canine tooth), has three roots and takes much longer to fall out. Each of the roots must become loose before the tooth is released from its socket.

Larger breeds, such as German Shepherd Dogs, don’t collect as much tartar on their teeth so they are not as prone to gum recession. Though they can have problems with gingivitis and tartar, they are much more likely to experience tooth fracture. The tooth most commonly damaged is the upper fourth premolar (PM4). When the outer surface of PM4 is cleaved off, the pulp cavity is exposed. Ultimately, bacteria invade and travel up to the end of each root, creating an abscess. This pus pocket causes significant pain.

Whether a dog has an abscessed fractured tooth or tartar and gum disease, the bacteria in his mouth can penetrate his gums and migrate via the bloodstream throughout his bodyâ€”the heart, kidneys, and liver are particularly susceptible to invasion by oral bacteria.

In the heart, bacteria readily settle on the delicate valves, causing scarring that leads to valvular leakage. Eventually, dogs with leaky valves develop congestive heart failureâ€”an inability of the heart to pump enough blood forward.

When bacteria land in the kidneys, they stimulate the formation of tiny abscesses that cause deterioration of kidney function. Over time, these changes result in chronic renal failure.

Many dogs with dental disease have elevated liver enzymes. In this case, the bacteria have migrated to the liver, causing infection and tissue damage.

How can you help your canine friend live a longer life? Look in his mouth regularly. If his gums are cherry red, he has gingivitis. If you smell foul breath, he has a bacterial infectionâ€”it might just be from plaque, but it could be from an abscessed tooth. Remember that it’s difficult to assess your dog for oral pain. In rare circumstances, you may notice that he refuses a hard treat or that he chews on only one side. But in most cases it isn’t until a problem tooth is removed and the dog exhibits increased vitality that an owner recognizes the agony the dog has been in.

When you detect a problem in your dog’s mouth, have him examined by your veterinarian. If he has minimal gum recession, a proper cleaning both above and below the gum line can help the gum reattach. If you wait too long, the pockets become deeper (more than three millimeters), the roots become exposed, and tooth loss becomes an inevitable fact.

Veterinarians see the consequences of mouth infections daily – abscessed teeth, gingivitis, as well as weak hearts, failing kidneys, and stressed livers. Don’t ignore bad breath, discolored teeth, or red gums in your canine friend. Your dog needs diligent oral care from both you and your veterinarian to live a full and healthy life.

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What to Do If Your Animal Is Faced With a Serious or Terminal Illness

Uncategorized No Responses »

Jan 262011

Having suffered the heartbreak of watching my loved furrkids get ill and die, and having years of experience helping others through this who are facing the same or similar situations, these are some of the most important things you can do.

1) If your animal is “off ” and your vet isn’t coming up with answers that help, don’t give up. Keep asking questions and seeking the assistance you need. Their life depends on it.

2) Listen to your intuition and knowing, and trust what your heart tells you. Stay connected with your animal so they know you still love them, and are not abandoned.

3) Communicate with your animals so they can tell you how they’re feeling, what helps, what isn’t helping, how much pain they are in and what they need and want most.

Animal communication is so important!

Take the time to explain to your animals what to expect, why they’re there at the vet’s office, and listen to their concerns, fears and worries. It helps ease their pain, distress and anxieties, and that helps them cope better with the situation.

It helps them participate in their healing and recovery- and if they are preparing for transition, it helps them move on more peacefully, lovingly and with dignity.

“We must become the change we wish to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi, Statesman

Bio: Val Heart – Internationally known expert animal communicator, teacher, author & master healer, Val is called The Real Dr Doolittle, & Animal Communicator to the Stars. Resolving behavior, training, performance, health, working with euthanasia. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course, The Real Dr Doolittle (podcast) Show now on iTunes! For your Complimentary Happy Animal Assessment Session, call (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

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5 Critical Key Points a Pet Psychic Can Tell You About Your Pet

Animal Communication 1 Response »

Jan 262011

Have you ever wondered what an animal communicator (pet psychic) could tell you, and why enlisting the aid of one would be worthwhile? Consider how knowing the answers to these basic 5 questions could improve the well-being, health and happiness of your animal friend:

1) Are they happy? Everyone thinks their animals are happy because we so badly want them to be. However, if your dog or other animal is exhibiting aggressive, seems sad or worried, or shows other bad behavior then that is a sign that something is wrong in their world.

2) Does anything hurt? We think that everything is ok… but is it? Many times small or even large physical problems are going on with animals and the symptoms are not glaringly evident to their human caretaker. You will immediately see if your animal has an issue with a leg or foot, but you may not know if they have stomach problems, toothache, headache, vision… or other harder to diagnose health issues.

3) Do you like what you are doing? So many times I see people get animals for a specific purpose, such as a guard dog or competition horse. But without getting input from your animal friend as to whether they really want to do that particular job, you may see signs of misbehavior because they are trying to tell you that they do NOT want to do the assigned tasks, or they have some confusion or other difficulty with their job.

4) Are you living your purpose? Just like you, your animal friends have a life purpose. They are very clear about what they like to do, want to do, and are meant to do. For your animal friends to be truly fulfilled in this lifetime it is important for you to understand what their purpose actually is.

5) Do you have a message for your human friend? Your animal friend is trying to communicate with you every day! They are trying to tell you that they love you, because they need love as much as you do. They are trying to tell you what they want and need from you. They are also trying to pass along their wisdom and teachings to you, and yes they have profound things to share if you can hear their message. They may also be trying to tell you there is a something physically wrong with you if they sense something amiss in your body. Animals are natural healers!

Pet psychics use animal communication and other gifts to intuit what is going on with an animal at very deep levels They can read and understand what is happening on an energy level with animals, meaning they can tell if something is physically or emotionally wrong, and can then have a discussion with the animal about their findings to get more clarity and to see what input the animal has for his/her condition.

If there is indeed something wrong or the animal simply has a message for their human friend the pet psychic/animal communicator will be able to bridge the communication gap between animal and human. You the animal caretaker will be able to take action to correct anything that needs attention in the most efficient way possible.

No guessing about what the problem is! You have a clear and definitive idea of exactly what the issue is and what the root cause is as well. That saves you energy, time and moneyâ€¦ and can even save your animal their life and well-being.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Val Heart is called The Real Dr Doolittle™, and teaches animal lovers how to connect and communicate from the heart. She specializes in resolving behavior, training, performance, health problems, euthanasia decisions. Free AnimalTalk QuickStart Course (value $79), The Real Dr Doolittle™ (podcast) Show now on iTunes! (210) 863-7928, email: contactval@valheart.com visit http://www.valheart.com

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Take a stand for organics! Reject Monsanto’s GMOs

Uncategorized 2 Responses »

Jan 252011

I donâ€™t normally post things like this but I feel so strongly about it and am so concerned about what it means for us, our animals and children (and planet), I just had to post this.

I just took action calling on Secretary Vilsack and President Obama to reject the approval of Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa and protect the integrity of organics. Approving GMO alfalfa will destroy the integrity of and access to many organic foods, as well as the livelihoods of thousands of organic farmers.

The approval of GMO alfalfa is only days away and the Obama administration needs to hear from you and all of your friends who care about organics. It is outrageous to risk the contamination of the organic dairy industry simply for Monsanto’s corporate profits.

Please take a moment to let Vilsack and President Obama know that you care about organic integrity by following this link from Food Democracy Now! Then please pass this on.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/kiss_your_organics_goodbye/?referring_akid=.214090.V1RUez&source=mailto

Every voice counts!

Thank you!

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Clientâ€™s Success Story! Significant Improvement in Dogâ€™s Behavior â€“ No More Dead Ducklings!

Client Success Stories No Responses »

Jan 202011

“Our dogs were attacking our baby ducks and no amount of talking, telecommunicating, discipline, or reprimand was solving the problem. I have had a lifetime of dealing with animals, and many called me â€˜Dr. O-Littleâ€™ (riffing off my last name) or a pet shrink, but in fact I had a lot to learn.

Val educated my husband and me, after chatting with our dogs, to the fact that we were not giving them enough to do. I had thought that letting them do what they pleased instead of conforming to my commands or requests for tricks was respecting their autonomy, as their work was to guard the property.

I had not understood that in fact they want to perform, to show off their intelligence and willingness to do what we ask.

We also were allowing the alpha male to be disobedient on occasions we didnâ€™t know how to deal with (e.g., not coming when called, on a large property where chasing him down was very difficult).

The guard dog, she also revealed, had severe anxieties about having been abandoned as a puppy (both are rescued animals), and was obsessively â€˜over-motheringâ€™ the ducklings to the point of injuring or killing them.

After a few sessions, Val was able to get them â€“and usâ€”to rethink their (and our) behaviors and approach with great success.

The improvement in their behavior has been significantâ€¦ and no more dead ducklings! Many thanks for your efforts, Val!” –Kathryn S. Oths, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama, http://anthropology.ua.edu/name/Kathryn/Oths/

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Most Popular, Most Unusual Pet Names for 2010

Uncategorized No Responses »

Jan 202011

If you are planning on getting a NEW pet, what to name them is a big deal.

Do you let your children choose?

Go by coat color?

Old stand bys like Fluffy?

Or do you start going through names, and find the ones that resonate with you?

Here is a story from DVM360: Most Popular Pet Names for 2010

Brea, Calif. — Pet owners latched on to the popular “Twilight” series when it came to naming their pets last year. In fact, Bella ranked as the most popular name for dogs and took second place (behind Max) for cats in 2010, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance. The company recently released its list of top 10 pet names for the year.

Other top dog names were Bailey, Max, Lecy, Molly, Buddy, Maggie, Daisy, Charlie and Sophie. Of the nearly half a million pets insured by VPI, only 13 were given the moniker Fido, revealing a trend toward using more human names for pets.

Cat owners favored names like Max, Chloe, Oliver Lucky and Charlie in 2010, while traditional names like Tiger and Tigger fell to the bottom of most-popular list.

Other common exotic names, revealed for the first time in 2010 by VPI, were Charlie, Baby, Sunny, Jack, Kiwi, Bandit, Max, Sammy, Gizmo and, again, Bella.

Some of the most unusual dog names identified by VPI included Pickle Von Corndog, Badonkadonnk and Dog Vader. Cat names included Purr Diem, Bing Clawsby, Chairman Meow, Optimus Pants and Admiral Pancake.

Article courtesy of Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM.

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Einsteinâ€™s News & Health Watch

Einstein, Genius in a Dog's Blog No Responses »

Jan 202011

Just a quick update â€“ Einstein had a follow up vet check last Monday and he continues to improve.

After having almost lost him before Christmas, it feels like a miracle, you know?

Heâ€™s gained over 3 pounds, he prances again with his tail flag flying everywhere he walks, and is happily playing with his toys.

His creatinine levels have come down significantly as well.

Itâ€™s so great to have him home.

Thank you so much for your support and love. I continue to be hopeful this will have a very happy ending to what could have been a very tragic tale.

Lessons Learned Worth Repeating:

Every time we go to the vet clinic for a check up, Einstein tells me stories about the other animals and we discuss them.

This past week, he was especially saddened because several animals there were in great pain and distress, and felt so confused about what was happening to them. He tried to help them the best he couldâ€¦ but there was only so much he could do for them.

If your animal is â€˜offâ€™ and your vet isnâ€™t coming up with answers that help, donâ€™t give up. Keep asking questions and seeking the assistance you need. Their life depends on it.

Listen to your intuition and knowing, and trust what your heart tells you. Stay connected with your animal so they know you still love them, and are not abandoned.

Communicate with your animals so they can tell you how theyâ€™re feeling, what helps, what isnâ€™t helping.

Animal communication is so important!

Take the time to explain to your animals what to expect, why theyâ€™re there at the vetâ€™s office, and listen to their concerns, fears and worries. It helps ease their pain, fear and anxieties.

More and more people know how to communicate with animals now. You make a HUGE difference when you do this work. Thank you all for the good work you do and for your love of animals â€“ together we are making a difference.

â€œThe love we fail to share is the only pain we live with.â€ ~ Brian Biro

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