DAP (Dog Appeasing Phenome)
WANT TO ATTRACT A MAN? A Saturday morning news program had a story about a spray that made men more interested in the opposite sex. It seems this available by prescription only spray has as its main component oxytocin –just like DAP (dog appeasing phenome)! So dear readers, off to a pet store or to the veterinary hospital where the cost is minimal and no prescription necessary. Use it on one of those scarves so fashionable today or hang it in the bedroom.
This substance has been studied extensively in many species with many behavior altering claims. For example, take the study by Neumann and Wagger in Neuroscience titled “Brain oxytocin differential inhibition of neuroendoctrine stress responses and anxiety-related behavior in virgin, pregnant and lactating rats.” I hate to quote Newkirk, who wrote “a rat is a boy” or was it the other way around–but I shall.
A grant from MADDIE’S FUND in shelter medicine research revealed that most dogs in shelters do not have adequate protection against the canine distemper virus and the canine parvovirus. Cost is the main reason given for not vaccinating the shelter dogs in residence. (If there was a choice would you rather have your new family member micro-chipped or vaccinated?) For the newest family member and the family dogs at home– budget in a veterinary hospital visit as an additional expense to add to the adoption fee.
THE CANINE ATHLETE. Caroline Coile in the AKC Gazette advises owners of dogs that compete in events to feed a high-fat and high-protein performance diet year round. Adjust quantity of food, not quality, to maintain weight, she advises. Feed 24 hours before performance and then again 30 minutes following exercise. Feed a food containing maltodextrin, whey and carotenoids. And, importantly keep the dog well hydrated. Hydration is critical for all the dog’s body functions and it is easier to keep a dog well hydrated than it is to re-hydrate a dehydrated dog. Coile –an excellent well researched author must be forgiven for deleting mention of a foundation study in this area–nutrition and longevity. Dogs on restricted diets live longer than dogs on maintenance diets. So perhaps it might be wise to use the magic 25% decrease in quantity of the study when your pet reaches a senior status.
One of my daughter’s dogs decided to be a mom and gave birth to seven English Springer Spaniel puppies. The pictures show a happy family. They will all be looking for responsible homes–except for one that will come to join my family. I hope Connie will evaluate them with the puppy aptitude test (PAT). I have told the homies they must share in the training and grooming while I switch mental diet concerns from feeding older dogs to feeding a puppy! And, of course the litter will be AKC registered– hopefully with limited registration– the newcomer will be eligible for participation in AKC obedience etc.
My pet sitter continues to amaze and give me feeling of security. This week he noticed a droopy eye (Hepburn) and also noted that the ladies preferred the bedding that was flatter rather than stuffed and round. Everyone needs a support group of an observant pet sitter, a careful groomer and an alert dog trainer.