Pet Connection Canada Oct/Nov 2021 Issue

Proudly

Made in Canada

Canada’s Natural Health Magazine for Pets

Arctic Journey for Rescue

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021

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Dog-Like Cat Breeds

The “Hi” Jump Challenge

OZONE THERAPY!

What is VHP?

How to Apply Eye Drops

$4.95 Display until November 30, 2021

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

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GETTING THE SCOOP ON CANADA’S PET CULTURE VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 4 • OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Inside: A Journey to the Arctic for Animal Rescue

by Paul Hayes Applying Eye Drops with Low Stress Handling

by M. Leanne Lilly

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What is Ozone Therapy?

by Dr. Radica Raj

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Veterinary Health Products

by Julia Ries

Indi

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The “Hi!” Jump Challenge

by Valerie Barry Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

by Lucy Jabrayan

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IN EVERY ISSUE Letter from the Editor Mark Your Calendars!

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Cross Canada Photo Contest Cover Photo: Calvin Photo Courtesy of Kevin Jamieson

56-59 Bery

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9 Dog-Like Cat Breeds

by Donna Middleton

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Letter from the Editor PUBLISHER BC’s Pet Connection Ltd EDITOR Leslie Kennedy Tel: 604-220-5346 info@petconnection.ca www.petconnection.ca GRAPHIC DESIGN Britton Design Services CONTRIBUTORS Valerie Barry Paul Hayes Lucy Jabrayan M. Leanne Lilly Donna Middleton Dr. Radica Raj Julia Ries

Pet Connection is published 6 times a year. Founded in 2008.

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Pet Connection 2443 Beacon Avenue Sidney, BC V8L 1X7 Pet Connection does not disclose its subscribers list to anyone.

PET CONNECTION does not assume responsibility for any claims made by its advertisers, or for any information dispensed. The articles and information presented are for information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher. Permission to reproduce any part of this publication must be approved by the publisher. All pictures, articles or emails sent in become the property of Pet Connection.

All Rights Reserved © 2021 - BC’s PET CONNECTION LTD

With all that is going on in this crazy world, again, it is our fabulous companion animals that help us and make us better people.

We are beyond inspired after following Paul Hayes and Cinder on their feel good bike journey to the Arctic. We are grateful they were willing to share their journey with us in this special issue. Truly amazing and I hope you will enjoy reading about it, and seeing the beautiful photos. Paul and Cinder raised over $20,000 for Broken Promises Rescue.

Donations to Broken Promises Rescue can still be made, and are always welcome and appreciated. For more information visit: https://brokenpromisesrescue.wordpress.com OR https://gofund.me/f53ec649 Thank you to Calvin for gracing the Oct/Nov cover. Calvin won the Cat Photo Contest for 2021!

Due to popular demand we will be having 2 separate Photo Contests for 2022.

One for cats, and one for dogs. If you would like to enter your cat or dog, please see pages 56-59 for more information.

Blessings to all.

- Leslie Kennedy Editor

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.

You are his life, his love, his leader.

He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.

You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.”

- Unknown

OUR MISSION: To save innocent companion animals from any type of harm.

PEFC 4

Get Inspired!

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER• 2021 www.petconnection.ca AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2019

CONTRIBUTORS Valerie Barry, KPA-CTP, Valerie has been working with people and their dogs for almost 20 years. Accredited by the BC SPCA AnimalKind Program, Dog Partners (formerly In Partnership With Dogs) uses Positive, and Force-Free training methods. Valerie was one of the first dog trainers to recognize the need for classes designed specifically for the adolescent dog. She really enjoys working with puppies, young dogs and their families. She also specializes in Behaviour Modification for dogs with all levels of aggression, reactivity, fear and anxiety. Valerie enjoys learning and finding new educational opportunities to further her goal of helping pet owners build true partnerships with their dogs.

Dog Partners: www.dogpartners.ca / hello@dogpartners.ca / 604-868-5145

Paul Hayes, I am a French Immersion teacher in the Greater Victoria School District. I run a non-profit called We Haul 2 Play which provides children and youth living in impoverished areas of the world with sports equipment to receive a kick start to enjoy sport. We deliver the equipment by bike and trailer to promote health and wellness. Through this non-profit umbrella, I’ve been able to give back and travel through many countries which include the following: China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Cuba and Belize. I have a passion for healthy living, music and love adventures with my girl Cinder.

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Lucy Jabrayan, BSc, C.E.M.T, has an education background in Exercise Physiology, Nutrition, BSc in Psychology where she also studied Animal Behaviour and is a certified equine massage therapist. Lucy is the founder of Thrive4life Holistic Pet Food and is passionate about helping many pet guardians turn to natural food and alternatives. Lucy has been in the nutraceutical industry for over a decade as she takes her broad knowledge to educate many pet guardians, she makes segment appearances on TV and is a contributing writer to numerous publications.

To learn more visit www.thrive4lifepetfood.com

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M. Leanne Lilly, DVM, DACVB, Dr. Lilly received her DVM from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011 and spent 4 years in the trenches of general practice. She completed a specialty internship in Behavior Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in a partnership between Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals and Penn Vet. Dr. Lilly followed her internship with a Behavioral Medicine Residency at The Ohio State University, and joined the faculty. She is Fear Free and Low Stress Silver certified. She is with CattleDog Publishing, the legacy of Dr. Sophia Yin. Courtesy of: www.slowvetmed.com/pet-library.pml?id=9848931

Donna Middleton, ACCN, is a Advanced Certified Canine Nutritionist, graduating with Honours from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute. Her passion is helping pet guardians who are looking for answers for better alternatives for their beloved pets. Donna lives in Winnipeg, with her husband, teenage son and 4 dogs. Two are rescues and 2 are Canadian Registered Champion Papillion's. When she is not in the show ring with Castel’s AltCh Nathaniel RE, you can find them in the Rally Obedience ring or working on their agility titles. www.headtotailcaninenutrition.com

Dr. Radica Raj, DVM, My journey in Veterinary Medicine started with Emergency and Critical Care. It felt like a great accomplishment however I started to feel disappointed and often powerless in helping chronically ill and senior patients. I decided to diverge a little and learn more about healing at a deeper level. I am now feeling way more energized and empowered as an integrative veterinarian with a cornucopia of treatment strategies to help my patients. I am grateful I was guided to embark on this path. www.phoenixrisingvet.com

Julia Ries has a degree in Biology from Guelph University, putting it to good use with her three pet related businesses: her natural pet supplement line, Earth MD, a dog boarding kennel, and a healthy pet food store. Her businesses, nine dogs, and four cats keep her life interesting. www.earthmd.ca

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Digestive Health Supplements

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A Journey to the Arctic for Animal Rescue

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

By Paul Hayes

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Last summer, Cinder and I embarked on an unforgettable bike tour from Victoria, BC to Hillside Beach, MB, in honour of my grandma Nelida Leslie who passed away in April 2020. Before we began our journey, Cinder had an extensive TPLO surgery to repair her cruciate ligament, and the costs to complete the operation were $5,000. I was under financial stress, so I decided to buck and split cords of wood to fundraise the operation. Without the generous contributions raised, Cinder wouldn’t have been able to have had her surgery. She was unable to walk for two months, and the bike trailer gave her comfort to relax and enjoy the journey together. I have toured by bike and trailer for the past ten years under the umbrella of We Haul 2 Play - an organization founded by myself and a former student to provide sports equipment to children living in rural areas of the world. We deliver the equipment by bike and trailer; therefore, I felt I knew what it takes to haul heavy weight on a bike, and I was ready to take my beautiful girl across the country to reflect and say goodbye to my beautiful grandmother Nelida.

This summer, Cinder and I decided to hit the road once again — this time, with a different mission. We teamed up with Broken Promises Rescue, a

volunteer-run, non-profit animal rescue organization in Victoria, BC, to raise funds for animals’ procedures like Cinder’s. Last year alone, Broken Promises Rescue spent $120,000 on vet bills. To help these unwanted, neglected, and orphaned animals on Vancouver Island and beyond get the care they need to survive, Cinder and I decided to cycle from Victoria, BC to Tuktoyaktuk, NT.

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y name is Paul Hayes and I am the proud father of a husky / shepherd named Cinder. Cinder came into my life over two years ago and she was rescued from the Victoria Humane Society. It didn’t take long to develop a connection because she fit perfectly into my lifestyle. Cinder is a trailblazer with a zest for adventure to explore new ground and her positivity radiates when she is in her element. My life has been enriched by her presence and she taught me what it means to truly love.

I often hear people say pets are dependent on us to survive, but Cinder has shined light on ways I can be a better man. This has been a tough period for people during the pandemic, and one thing of many we can learn from our pets is that they consistently show up to support.

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Our journey began July 16th from our home in View Royal, and we left being fully aware of the unavoidable challenges we would face. I was confident in our physical, mental and emotional state to reach the Arctic Ocean, but there are variables we cannot control which intensifies our mission. It took us five days to cycle from Victoria to Port Hardy. The energy of the people we met on the island was an amazing way to start our journey. People heard about our story through the local news, and we were often greeted by cheers and donations on the road. Thank you to everyone who reached out or made an effort to stop along the way to support the cause. It kept us strong and it was nice to see that animal rescue resonated with so many people on the island. The warm-up was complete, and we found ourselves making our way to Prince Rupert ready for the unknown of the north.

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Once we arrived in Prince Rupert, we spent time with people going over bear safety. This part of the journey was prone to bears as we went along the Skeena heading east towards Kitwanga. The stunning scenery of the Skeena brought back great memories because I was stationed in Burns Lake for forest firefighting and we would often visit the Skeena on days off. Once we reached Kitwanga, we headed north towards the Yukon border along the Stewart / Cassiar Highway which is 700 km of remote riding.

Travelling the Stewart-Cassiar Highway you’re surrounded by spruce trees and wildflowers. Lakes, streams and creeks are abundant, and we often had the road to ourselves.

From Kitwanga to Meziadin Lake it was a bear safari. We saw so many black bears it seemed like cattle crossing the road…Cinder was more fired up with seeing squirrels, and was all smiles when we came across bears on this stretch…

We had bear spray, bangers ready to be deployed. I found approaching with confidence projecting your voice was enough to deter the bears. From Meziadin Lake, we made our way to Bell 2, followed by Kinashan, Dease Lake, Jade City and eventually the Yukon border. The remoteness of this stretch is always in the back of your mind. We did our best to reach people or campsites to be at ease, but having Cinder in her trailer takes work as you battle heat, hills, mosquitoes, headwinds and fatigue. However, I wouldn't do it differently because of the loyalty she brings to my life, and hopefully through our fundraising initiatives a family or individual will receive that same gift.

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It took us 13 days and 1500 km cycled to reach the Yukon border. Each day we saw our fundraising totals increasing, getting closer to our mark of $20, 000. We were prepared for remote riding through the StewartCassiar and when we reached the Yukon border I was expecting to reset our supplies. Heading west along the Alaska Highway towards Teslin, truck stops were shutdown from COVID and we weren’t able to restock.

We had two tough days of heat, headwinds and long hours on the bike and thank you to those who gave us food so we could reach Teslin to reset. Our initiative was shared through a Yukon social network platform, in which the locals were so generous to ensure we were prepared and in good health.

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The last time I was in the Yukon was in 1998 and it’s pristine…Cinder would run freely on our stops through beautiful fireweed with surrounding willows, aspen, poplar, spruce trees, lakes and mountains. Once we arrived in Whitehorse, we were $6500 from our fundraising goal, and we had to reset for the most remote part of the journey which was the Dempster Highway. As well, we had to submit a plan to enter the NWT because it was shut down to non-residents and we needed to receive an exemption. We submitted a

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strong plan mentioning our support for animal rescue and how we would isolate from communities. Our initial conversations with NWT were not promising, they mentioned our mission seemed one of leisure. I was quick to point out that cycling with a dog unsupported, fundraising and camping off grid is far from a leisure activity. In the end, we were accepted and I was grateful we could complete our mission to the Arctic Ocean.

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Before we began our journey on the Dempster, we left Whitehorse cycling through many crossings and lakes to reach Dawson City. We found ourselves at Fox Lake, Carmacks, Pelly / Stewart Crossing and Moose Creek.

Once we arrived in Dawson, we enjoyed the gold rush city and took a day off to get prepared for our remote push on the Dempster which is 740 km of gravel road.

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Our first day on the Dempster, we arrived at Tombstone National Park. The road was a grind as we battled through rain, mud and hit a storm at the end. We luckily found a day hut for shelter at the campground as we couldn’t find a site to set up. The following day we cycled through Tombstone and we only covered 30 km in the first four hours because I was blown away by its beauty. We slowly took in the surrounding views and Cinder was able to run free in the open fields. We made it to Engineer Creek, cycling until midnight reaching a campground 120 km from Tombstone with amazing views of the Ogilvie Mountains. Day 3 and 4 on the Dempster were tough as we were climbing for most of the day. The road is soft sand in many parts which makes it a slow haul. We camped along the ridge line of the plains and the silence was surreal. Since we’ll go hours without seeing someone, I trained Cinder to walk on the right side to help me out on the climbs

Group Classes and Private Training

Valerie Barry, KPA-CTP 604.868.5145 hello@dogpartners.ca

dogpartners.ca

• Puppies, Adolescent and Adult Dogs • Aggressive, Fearful and Reactive Dogs • Veterinary Clinics and Dog Friendly Offices • Behaviour Modification Programs • Remote Training Options

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

BC SPCA AnimalKind Accredited Our methods are Fear Free Certified Positive and Force-Free

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We continued our day cycling towards a campsite called Rock River. Before we arrived at our resting site, a mother and daughter made a stop in their vehicle to warn us that they were charged by a mother grizzly bear where we would be camping. Camping in the Yukon you’re able to spend time in day areas which are gazebos with a wood-stove and we decided to stay inside to avoid any potential conflict with the family of bears. The following day, we saw the family of bears in the open tundra 5 km away from Rock River. We flagged down a motorcyclist to ride with us, and we went by unharmed, humbled by the presence of these amazing animals. I have accepted there are situations that won’t provide comfort no matter how many times you’ve taken the risk, and this one in particular is an example.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Reaching Eagles Plains, you’re greeted with a sign that mentions the total population which is nine people.

There is a lodge to enjoy food, and we were able to stay in a room to take a break from the tent life. The following day we arrived at the Arctic Circle which is a moment I’ll never forget. As we approached the sign, I had tears in my eyes because we were officially in the tundra. I looked back at Cinder who was smiling, present and she was back to her tundra roots. It was a special moment to share with her and hard to believe we found ourselves getting closer to Tuktoyaktuk.

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Camping on the Dempster you’re surrounded by the unknown and you have to let go to relax through the evening. I feel the Dempster creates a community of people helping one another, regardless of the remote stretches. People are communicating from south to north and I can’t tell you how many times we were offered help.

Going through the NWT, we received roadside dinner of caribou meat, smoked fish, bannock and even a plate of pasta!

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It was a battle to make our way to Inuvik as it rained most days, which turned the road into mud. The hill climbs were challenging. Cinder and I worked together to make ground and her resilience to keep going was amazing. Breaking down camp, riding 12 hours, setting up once again and preparing our food has been the routine of this tour. We were prepared for this stretch with supplies from Whitehorse and we made it through together as we embarked on our final two days to Tuktoyaktuk…The remoteness of the past nine days on the Dempster made us face our fears. The quote by Brené Brown, “You can choose courage or comfort, but not at the same time" comes to mind when describing our experiences on this stretch of our trip.

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As we left Inuvik, we had 150 km to arrive at the Arctic Ocean. We left this NWT town surpassing our fundraising goals and it was now time to complete our journey. This road was similar to the Dempster in the sense it’s a gravel road, but without major hill climbs.

40 km from Inuvik, there is a distinctive tree line which you reach, and the standing timber is now behind you.

Riding the open, barren land, you’re surrounded by lakes right to left and we were blessed to see the changing fall colours. On the road, we were greeted by locals from Tuktoyaktuk, who were excited to meet us and listen to our story. We rode until sunset and we found ourselves 30 km from the Arctic Ocean. We set up camp and hunters were taking advantage of the weather, riding their skidoos, bringing back the game they retrieved in the tundra. We woke up to a beautiful morning and it was time to finish our final ride.

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As we came into Tuktoyaktuk, emotions released from the support we received throughout our journey. Pamela, the director of Broken Promises Rescue, organized a beautiful greeting at the Arctic Ocean point, and my friend Michelle met us 8 km out from our final destination to direct us all the way to the end. We were welcomed with cheers and tears filled my eyes as Cinder and I made it safely. We are proud of the community that was created through this tour to support animal rescue, and in the end the efforts of our donors raised $23,000 for Broken Promises Rescue….

From Victoria to Tuktoyaktuk, we met so many wonderful people that guided and motivated us to the end. It was a life changing journey which we owe to everyone who showed support through messages, contributions and believed in the mission. It took us 34 days, 3385 km of cycling to reach the Arctic Ocean and we can’t thank our supporters enough for all they’ve done to support this amazing organization! Thank you to Pamela for extending the opportunity to be a part of her team. Her passion for rescue is inspiring and we are so proud of the work she does for animals in need…

Cinder is my life and we’ve created lifelong memories through our adventures. This trip was meant to be and everything led to the Arctic. Our next adventure will take us back to Tuktoyaktuk because I have been offered a teaching position in this wonderful community. I’ve always wanted to teach in an indigenous community and throughout our journey I was so impressed how people were truly connected to the land as a way of life.

I’m seeking a life of less comfort and more resilience, surrounded by people with similar values. It’s also worth mentioning that I met a beautiful woman at the end, and I would be a fool not to go…

Thank you to everyone for coming along a journey we will never forget.

To our next adventure, Paul and Cinder

ders.

Quasi’s Owner, Handler, Christina San

Quasi(modo) is a 10-year-old Papillon and a true phenom. Taking to agility like a duck to water, Quasi burst onto the scene when he became the youngest National Champion in AAC history with his first win at the ripe old age of 24 months. He then followed that up at 2.5 yrs old when he earned 2 bronze medals in his very first two runs at his first World Championship. Over the years, he has won 9 National Championships, 4 Regional Championships, and a World Championship, along with winning 5 other World medals and placing Top 3 individually a total of 19 times in non-medal rounds. Because of his remarkable consistency Quasi became the 1st Papillon to earn the Agility Association of Canada’s Versatility Lifetime Award, only the 12th dog to earn the AAC Versatility Platinum Award, accumulated the Highest Overall Regional/National Aggregate Points in AAC history (783.38) just this year, and is currently ranked as the #1 Overall Lifetime Papillon. He has earned 89 titles over 3 different dog sports and is only getting better with age, thanks to Omega Alpha supplements.

For almost 30 years now, my dogs & I have competed in a multitude of dog sports ranging from Schutzhund to Agility, Obedience to Rally, and Flyball to Scent Hurdle Racing. Agility has become my main love over the years and in that I have developed an ideology that has enabled my dogs to excel at the upper echelons of competition. To date, my dogs & I have won the AAC National, UKI National, and the AB/NWT Regional Championships a total of 21 times; have won the AAC National Steeplechase Finals 8 times; accumulated well over 100 Top 3 individual National and Regional Championship placements; and have been asked to represent Canada 14 times at the 3 World Agility Championships of FCI, IFCS, and WAO. In 2008, I became an agility judge and by 2009 was coaching other agility handlers helping them realise their dreams to win or place top 6 at the various National & Regional Championships. − Christina Sanders, (Sherwood Park, AB).

Antioxidants, Probiotics, Vitamins, Minerals, Bone & Joint EFAs Health Behaviour Modifier

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Applying Eye Drops with Low Stress Handling

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

By M. Leanne Lilly, DVM, DACVB

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VeterinaryPartners.com is not affiliated with Pet Connection.

URL: veterinarypartner.vin.com/doc/?id=9845937&pid=19239

Gather Supplies At some point in many dogs’ lives, they will require eye drops. This might be a one-time event to examine the eye or it may be multiple times per day to treat chronic disease.

Regardless of the cause, applying eyedrops need not be a struggle for you or the pet, whether at home or in a clinic setting. The same approach works in both places.

Gather everything you need Things you need Photo courtesy: M. Leanne Lilly

• A comfortable place for you and the pet. For small pets this might be on a table, on a chair, or even on your lap if the pet is comfortable there. For large dogs, leave them on the floor.

• Items for positive reinforcement and distraction: typically food, but a toy will work well for some pets. You may want or need something the pet can lick the food off (for example, a spoon with a dab of peanut butter).

• The eye drops/medication to be given.

Posture Photo courtesy: Corey Bodine

We are passionate about helping your pet to optimum health by working with your pet's individual needs based on their health history.

We offer: • Zoom consultations • Customized Dietary and supplemental plans • Free support with all purchases from our website

Donna Middleton

Advanced Certified Canine Nutritionist Contact: Phone: 204-997-8711 Email: headtotail@mymts.net https://headtotailcaninenutrition.com

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Feed the Body Feed the Mind

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Get set up comfortably • Avoid bending over or toward your pet, it is best to crouch to the side or behind the pet.

• Keep your posture as upright as possible so there is no sense of urgency due to impending back/neck pain. If you are prepared to take your time, your pet won’t pick up on your anxiety cues.

• You are most stable with your hand and wrist on the dog’s head, which requires placing the target eye away from you.

Look up Photo courtesy: M. Leanne Lilly

• Have the dog seated or standing, looking at you or at a right angle. Large dogs can rest their chin on your leg, or the edge of the couch or a chair to decrease downward motion. These are behaviors that can be taught; in a pinch you can lure a dog to do them with some food.

Giving the eye drops or ointment • Uncap the eye drop bottle or ointment tube.

Bottle Position Photo courtesy: M. Leanne Lilly

• Since you are slightly above the dog, make a kissy or smoochy noise, or say their name in a highpitched happy tone to get them to look up. This opens their eyes wider for you.

• Quickly drop in the drop/ ointment without touching the lid or the eye - gravity does most of the work for you.

Follow with food Photo courtesy: Corey Bodine

• Get the bottle in position near your pet’s eye. (The photo shows how you want to be positioned.)

• Hold the bottle or tube horizontally or tilted up so it is not dribbling on the pet.

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• Positioning your hand is typically least stressful when coming from underneath and behind the ear as if you are petting the dog.

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• Rest the outside/pinky edge of your hand on the dog’s head, behind their eyebrow. This should preferably be just outside of their peripheral vision.

(See example) • If your dog is concerned about this positioning, do a few rounds of counter conditioning by moving your hand closer and closer to this position and feeding food just after hand placement so that your hand touching their head means food is coming.

• Follow with food from your other hand or use it for the entire duration of the process if needed. There will be more head motion if the dog is eating while you attempt to drop in the drop/ointment, but your hand will move with their head.

• If you need to put drops in both eyes, some dogs will allow you to shift immediately to the other eye.

Some dogs need a short break and you’ll need to repeat the process.

URL: https://www.slowvetmed.com/pet-library.pml?id=9845937

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has court actions across Canada to end the Charter-violating lockdowns. The Justice Centre is defending against hundreds of tickets issued under public health orders which infringe on the Charter freedoms of Canadians, including: FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLE (attend a peaceful protest) FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION (speak out against government lockdowns) FREEDOM TO ASSOCIATE (have visitors to your own home) FREEDOM OF RELIGION & WORSHIP (attend church)

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

THE RIGHT TO LIBERTY (freedom from forcible quarantine confinement, make your own medical decisions, decline a vaccine)

www.jccf.ca 27

What is Ozone Therapy?

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By Dr. Radica Raj, DVM

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What is ozone therapy?

in cell membranes and biological fluids.

Ozone therapy is basically introducing a mixture of ozone and oxygen into the body, which then reacts with the cell membranes.

ATP is generated (molecules that stores energy in our cells) and oxygen transport is increased– this is why many human patients experience euphoria after ozone treatments.

Ozone has 3 properties by which it acts: 1. It is an unstable molecule that combines with oxygen but tends to release the oxygen to get back to a stable form.

If administered consistently over weeks or months, there is a cumulative anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immuno-modulatory response.

2. It is highly reactive and reacts with biological fluids in the body.

3. Being highly soluble compared to oxygen, when introduced in the body, it will integrate into biological fluids quickly.

Ozone is a gas, the smell you get when lightning hits the ground. It is formed in the atmosphere continuously when UV radiation splits an oxygen molecule into 2 atoms. Each of these atoms combines with oxygen to form ozone. The ratio is about 3-5% of ozone, 95-97% oxygen.

Ozone therapy can produce positive effects when applied in low-moderate doses to the body.

In simple terms, it helps your cells function better!

History of Ozone

Mechanism of Action When introduced into the body at the correct dose (10-80 micrograms/ml blood), it safely interacts with biological fluids, creates a cascade of events and this creates the beneficial responses.

Immediately on entry into the body, the ozone reacts with anti-oxidants, fatty acids

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Medical Ozone therapy has been used as early as 1856 and in WWI it was used to treat gangrene and abscesses. Tesla patented the ozone generator in 1896.

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Benefits of Ozone Therapy • Anti-inflammatory

• Topical in oil: applied on skin lesions

• Antioxidant

• Insufflation/bagging: ozone gas is delivered over wounds or swellings through a closed system.

• Neuroprotective • Analgesic Cancer – tumours contain areas of low oxygen. Tumour cells adapt to hypoxia and learn to survive and multiply.

Ozone used in conjunction with chemotherapy can help cancer patients.

How is Ozone Administered • Rectal ozone/intravaginal: a precise concentration and volume of ozone based on body weight is delivered through a catheter into the rectum.

• Subcutaneous: ozone is bubbled though saline and administered as a sub-cutaneous fluid injection.

• Minor autohemotherapy: small volumes of blood 1-5ml are drawn from the patient and mixed with ozone gas and then injected by intramuscular injection weekly.

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• Major Autohemotherapy: calculated volumes of blood are drawn from the patient, mixed with a precise concentration and dose of ozone-oxygen mixture and then slowly injected back intravenously into the patient. Sometimes we all pass the blood through ultraviolet light to enhance the beneficial response.

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• Skin flushing/oral rinse for wounds

Ozone should not be inhaled as it can be toxic when breathed in therefore we use a closed system for this and ensure the area is well-ventilated.

Conditions Treated • Musculo-skeletal applications: for arthritis in geriatric patients. Introduced as joint injections • Can be combined with stem cells, Platelet Rich Plasma and other therapeutic options.

• Neuro-muscular applications: Fibromyalgia, disk disease • Acupuncture and ozone: direct ozone can be injected to enhance acupuncture results, about 1-2ml per point.

• Skin issues • Viral infections: Feline Leukemia/Distemper virus • Kidney disease: ozonated subq fluids and rectal ozone.

• Oral cavity: gingivitis, abscesses, fistulas. Please note that advanced cases will still require dental surgery.

• Pulmonary effects: lungs do not have the protective mechanisms as blood so harmful in lungs. The circulating anti-oxidants are much less here. While it is not fatal if you breathe in small amounts, it is better to be safe and not breathe in ozone.

I have been using ozone in my practice for the past one year and have seen some amazing results. My own cat started to develop dementia a few months ago.

He has kidney disease, heart disease and osteo-arthritis.

However, with weekly rectal and sub-cutaneous ozone treatments, he is no longer showing signs of dementia.

If you think your pet will benefit from ozone treatments, reach out to an integrative veterinarian near you that offers this as an alternative therapy.

Mental Enrichment!

WORK OUT YOUR BRAIN! Try this Word Jumble.

Unscramble each of the clue words.

Take the letters that appear in the circled boxes and unscramble them for the final message.

Both people and pets need to challenge their brain.

My cat gets anything it wants because she's very……..

UTRCSI

I can only eat fresh fish on this diet!

TLVEA PRTUEUR

This jumble was created by The Blue Sheet Clubhouse, a group of brain injury survivors. The Cridge Centre for the Family’s Brain Injury Services provides independent housing with support for survivors of brain injury. Through the development of support groups like The Blue Sheet Clubhouse we strive to provide opportunities for personal development and reintegration in the community.

SOLNMA Answer

is on page 49 (in the Calendar section)

For pets

CONTEST TIME!

How to win!

Tote Bag & Cat Treat Dispenser!

Follow us on our Social Media October 18th - October 22nd. Winner announced Saturday October 23, 2021.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Sneak peak as to what is in October’s Mystery Box.

31

VHP Veterinary Health Products

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

By Julia Ries

32

What is the VHP? The VHP (Veterinary Health Product) program is a section of Health Canada and the Veterinary Drugs Directorate that regulates natural health products in pets. VHP’s contain ingredients such as vitamins and minerals, botanicals, traditional medicines and homeopathic medicines with a history of safe use. There is a list of acceptable ingredients that companies can use to make their products. You can also get ingredients added to this list if they are deemed safe. These products are only meant to maintain or promote health and welfare of animals, not for treating, preventing, or curing disease.

Why was the VHP created?

This program was created because the government wanted to prevent natural antibiotics creating super bugs in animals that would then infect humans. This is emphasized on their website since the entire VHP

program is a subcategory of Antibiotic Resistance in Animals on Canada.ca. One of the main products they targeted is Colloidal Silver, which has been shown to hinder antimicrobial resistance when paired with prescription antibiotics.

Is the VHP in place to protect my animal?

Not necessarily. The guidelines they set up are based on ingredients containing toxins and being safe to use.

However, most of these ingredients are looked at from a safety to humans, not to pets. For example, there are many ingredients that are approved that are toxic to animals but are on the approved list of ingredients because they pose no threat to humans. The main goal of the program is to make sure there are no products that will create super bugs to infect people.

What purpose does the VHP serve?

The purpose of the VHP program is to limit what a small

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company can put in a product and on a label. A company is not allowed to make a therapeutic claim, such as it will fix a disease. However, companies must state on their label what a product does to avoid customers misinterpreting the function of the supplement. This is as contradictory as it sounds.

When did the VHP program come into effect?

From 2012 to 2017, there was an Interim Pilot Program for the VHP program designed to finalize how the program was going to operate. A few larger companies were involved in this, leaving smaller companies at a disadvantage since those in this interim program were given a larger grace period after the VHP program was launched. In November 2017, the program was launched, and companies could begin registering their products and ingredients. It was not enforced (unregistered products taken off the market) until May 2018, which means there was a 6-month grace period given for products to be registered and legal.

However, this was not enough time since the Veterinary Drug Directorate was ill-equipped to deal with the vast amount of applications they were going to receive and did not advertise the existence of the program adequately. There are still many companies that are not aware of these new laws governing natural health products for pets.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Who is in charge of the VHP?

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The person in charge of the VHP is the Veterinary Drug Directorate of Health and Safety, Manisha Mehrotra.

This entire program is run by veterinarians. This is concerning since natural medicine is not part of a typical veterinarian’s education and on several occasions they have stated that they do not understand how some of the ingredients they monitor work. The Veterinary Drug Directorate, which monitors drugs, makes sense to have veterinarians employed since they are extensively trained on pharmaceuticals, but nutraceuticals are completely different.

How does a product get a VHP approval?

In order to get a product approved as a VHP, companies

must comply with Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP) set out by Health Canada. Next you fill out an application online and fill in the ingredients that are in your product. The only ingredients allowed are those listed in their Permissible Ingredients. From the time you submit it to the time of approval can take anywhere from a week to over a month. Products must be notified and registered 30 days before selling them. Even if all fields in the form are filled out, it is up to the person reviewing the product at the VHP to decide if it passes. This causes confusion and inconsistencies since standards differ from person to person. One application may be approved by one employee, and not by another.

How does an ingredient get VHP approval?

Ingredients are a little trickier. In order to get an ingredient approved you must fill out their online application for new ingredients. On this form it asks about the safety, efficacy, and intended use of a substance, as well as its history of use in modern and ancient medicine (BUT you are not allowed to state what the intended uses are on the product). Ingredient applications are extensive and can take several days to fill out thoroughly. However, for it to become approved can take over a year! This means that businesses, especially small businesses, that have a natural product and find out about the VHP program that needs to get an ingredient registered can easily go out of business before their application is even looked at. It is scary to wrap your head around what that implies. Imagine selling a product for years, you have done the research and you know it is safe. You find out about the VHP program and must stop selling until your ingredients are approved. Are you able to go an entire year without selling? Because this program takes such an extended period of time it puts businesses at risk.

Does VHP approval mean a product is safe?

No, not necessarily, for two reason. One reason is that even though you are required to comply with GMP standards and test your products regularly for safety, this is rarely, if ever, ensured. The Veterinary Drugs Directorate does not have the appropriate

number of employees in the VHP program to cover facility inspections. The second reason is that many of the ingredients on the VHP list are not safe in certain doses, and since they don’t inspect products, the level of ingredients, and ingredients themselves could be at unsafe levels. For example, arsenic is on the approved list, which in any dose is not safe. Grapes are also on the approved list and contain a compound in their skin that is toxic to dogs, as well as chrysanthemums.

Does VHP approval mean a product is effective?

No, it does not. Effectiveness is not tested. In addition, the rules of the program state that labels cannot make therapeutic claims. Therefore, even if a product is effective you cannot clearly say what a product does. The goal is to make general statements about health and well-being so that customers cannot inference a therapeutic claim on accident. This very much limits what can be allowed as a product as far as variety and customers may not know what a product does due to labels being too vague.

Due to inconsistencies in application submissions and approvals/denials, the program needs to be more automated, and less up to the opinion of the person reading the application. There also needs to be more people employed dedicated to the VHP program. The applications for products and ingredients take far too long, especially for small businesses that rely on these products for immediate income. Also, there needs to be a wider range of professionals hired to cover a larger variety of knowledge, such as nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanicals, chemistry, and biochemistry. In addition, the rules need to be altered so that the manufacturer can tell the customer what a product does.

Who can make these changes?

The government and the Veterinary Drugs Directorate (Dr. Mehrotra) are the only ones who can make changes to this program. You are encouraged to contact Dr. Mehrotra (613-941-8775) and your local Member of Parliament to motivate change in this program to better the VHP program in order to help our pets.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

What changes need to be made to the VHP?

35

The “Hi!” Jump Challenge

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

By Valerie Barry, KPA-CTP Dog Partners www.dogpartners.ca

36

How does it start?

Puppies are inherently shaped almost from the beginning to jump up: • They jump up on and all over their mom when they’re very small.

• They jump up on and all over their littermates in play and exploration.

• If they are with a good breeder or responsible rescue, they are enclosed in a safe confinement area with lots of novel items to jump up on and climb all over.

• They jump up on the sides of their confinement area when food is arriving, or company is coming to visit, or they simply want to get out.

• Once they start socializing with new people, they jump up on and climb all over our legs and our laps and lick our faces in happy excitement and exploration.

Jumping up quickly becomes one of ways curious puppies gain access to things they want to have or things they want to investigate very early on.

Side note: Any owners who get their puppies from a breeder who follows the protocols of the Puppy Culture Program will be at a bit of an advantage as those breeders encourage puppies to Sit whenever they are asking for something or indicating that they need something (termed “manding”). These puppies come into their forever homes already understanding the concept of Sit and do so very regularly, especially in front of people.

However, it’s up to the new owners to understand the value of this and to maintain it as their puppy matures.

The first 16 or so weeks of a puppy’s life is the main imprinting or critical learning period and anything they learn in this period goes in those little brains hard and fast. A single instance of jumping up on a new owner that is reinforced with something important to the puppy in that moment, can have a tremendous impact.

This can make jumping up a solidly learned behaviour even in that single moment. Imagine being a puppy who is suddenly frightened and jumps up on the only human it knows and is immediately picked up and soothed – that’s a strong and immediate reinforcement.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

O

ne of the top complaints we get from clients is that their dog jumps up on people. It’s a difficult problem for most dog owners and it’s not an easy one to solve because the longer it goes on, the more reinforcement history it has and the harder it can be to change the behaviour.

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Everyone loves a puppy, and the minute you bring your puppy home and begin taking them out and about, you will be inundated with people eager to pet and meet your new pup. It’s your responsibility to either keep your puppy at a distance from people or be prepared to train in those moments so that behaviours you don’t want aren’t inadvertently taking place and being reinforced.

Socializing with people does not have to involve other people handling your puppy or petting your puppy or

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getting close enough that your puppy jumps on them.

There are ways to socialize and train and do both of those things very well.

When you bring your puppy home, you should already have a plan in place of (1) things that are important to begin teaching your puppy right; and (2) things that are important to prevent which must also begin right away. Some of these things are standard items like house training, learning to be alone comfortably, coming when you’re called, etc. Others aren’t always considered until the behaviour has already become pretty hard and fast and, often, they are things that would fall under the category of “behaviour prevention” not necessarily “obedience”. Not jumping up on people falls into both categories but prevention is high on the list for sure.

In my opinion, puppy training isn’t really about “obedience training”, it’s first and foremost about “behaviour prevention” training. I want an adult dog who is safe to be around and friendly and polite (no jumping up) with people and other dogs, easy to take places, comfortable at home alone, can play with other dogs and can be free off leash when appropriate. That’s a big list, but some training can be as simple as prevention or managing the environment well.

Management.

Management is arguably more important than training or at least more important than simply training alone – it could easily be the subject of a future article all by itself. Managing the environment is a very important part of raising a puppy and at the crux of the problem of the “Hi!” Jump issue.

If your puppy was never allowed the opportunity to jump on any human including you, this would never become a problem (in theory). Your puppy (or new dog) very likely came to you with a history of strong reinforcement for jumping already well advanced based on the reasons I listed above. If you really don’t want your dog to jump on people, then your job starts immediately.

Ideally, the first step is to stop any and all reinforcement for jumping. This is much harder than it sounds.

Jumping can be fun! Puppies and young dogs like to be active, and they are fast and reasonably agile so it’s hard to for us humans to prevent a jump before it happens.

That’s why it’s important to make a plan before your puppy (or new dog) comes home. Everyone in the family needs to be on the same page with how, what and when the training focus will be with your new puppy, and

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39

everyone needs to know how to do the training. Puppies learn incredibly quickly and if the reinforcement is meaningful to them, things can be thoroughly taught just as quickly.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Many times, I have visited a home with a new puppy, waited patiently for the puppy to sit in front of me (after much bouncing around and jumping up), given said puppy 5 pieces of delicious roast beef one after the other as soon as he sits and, voila! that puppy will sit in front

40

of me each time he approaches for the remaining part of that visit almost without fail. The next time I visit, he will very often run over and immediately sit as soon as I enter the area or at least with very minimal jumping and so on and so on. It never ceases to amaze me how fast this learning can take place! It also never ceases to amaze me how strong this learned behaviour can quickly become. Each time I see this puppy during our training, that Sit is firmly ingrained and well-practiced (and highly reinforced by me). Even long past our interactions

whenever we happen to have a chance encounter, that behaviour is still directed at me and still strong – even years later. The brain is a remarkable thing!

Anti-Jumping Management.

If you don’t want your dog to learn to jump on people, then training can be as simple as managing all the interactions your dog has with people. Distance is an important element of all dog training and it’s a critical one here. If you don’t allow your dog into people’s space or other people into your dog’s space (aka within the length of his leash), he can’t jump on them – it’s as simple as that.

What is the right training?

The answer isn’t as simple as you might think. To some degree it depends on the temperament of the dog you have.

Most people want their dog to simply Sit in front of someone, and that’s not a bad choice at all. However, that requires training – a lot of training.

Even if your dog has a good Sit behaviour on cue, you still need a lot of training before it’s going to work well in this context. Learning to Sit for a treat in the house, or at

The leash, itself, is the number one management tool in this situation. Your dog cannot be free to jump up on people if there’s any chance he will choose to do so – again, it’s as simple as that.

I realize that’s not practical and not what people want – but frankly if you don’t want to do any training and you don’t want your dog to jump up on people, that’s what you need to do – there is no other good option.

The “Hi!” Jump Behaviour Chain.

I’ll tell you what often happens and what we see all the time – the “stop jumping training” that most dog owners do when faced with a dog who jumps up: • Dog jumps up on someone • Dog owner reprimands dog and tells him “Off ” or “Down” • Dog jumps down and puts 4 feet on the floor • Dog owner praises and sometimes hands dog a treat

The jump begins the chain and is reinforced at the end with praise or a treat. At no point does the dog get any information that tells him NOT to jump up. In fact, it’s the exact opposite – jumping up ends with a reinforcement that is tangible to the dog. The proof is in the behaviour. If it keeps happening, then the behaviour of jumping up is getting reinforced and you’ve created a behaviour chain. Not jumping up in the first place is never addressed, at least in your dog’s brain.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

A simple chain: jump up, get told to get down, receive praise/treat when 4 feet hit the floor.

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

the corner before crossing the street, or while waiting for dinner, or before being let out into the yard are all very different behaviours then learning to Sit while someone you really like, and who may even have a treat for you, is within jumping distance!

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Learning to Sit in front of each member of the family at home is a good place to start. I often suggest to families with new puppies or dogs that everyone be armed with treats or have treats handy and ask for or use a treat to lure their pup into a Sit each time he or she approaches someone for play or attention. If everyone is consistent, you will have a good basic behaviour to then begin generalizing to visitors or to other humans you meet outside the home.

Taking it outside.

Once you begin working on your “anti-jump” training outside the home, you have to Manage the environment during each training session so that your dog is not physically able to jump up on the human – i.e. a leash/

harness on and out of range of the human.

Keep in mind that practice makes perfect. Each time your dog successfully jumps on someone the behaviour is reinforced and each instance of that will make your training that much harder. This is particularly true if it only happens occasionally or even rarely because random reinforcement strengthens behaviour. Think of a slot machine or the lottery – if you’ve ever won anything while playing, you are very likely to continue to play whenever you have the opportunity just on the offchance you might win again. Even a very small win will strengthen the behaviour to want to try again.

Next, you must train in such a way that you gradually teach your dog that Sit means Sit regardless of what is happening with the human. In other words, it shouldn’t matter who the human is or what the human is doing or even if there is more than one human, or even if the human happens to also have a dog with them. And what if that dog with the other human is jumping on your

Every difference becomes a different training scenario.

For example, think of someone your dog loves vs. someone your dog has never met – each will have to be handled differently and may require more or better treats, more or less distance away and more or less practice – depending on which is harder for your dog.

The success of your training depends entirely on your consistency and how much you practice. It’s very difficult to only practice when the situation occurs and achieve any degree of success. You must set up situations that allow you to practice in all the different scenarios you can think of to successfully eliminate the “Hi!” Jump from your dog’s repertoire.

What if you have a fearful dog?

Earlier I said that the training also depends on the temperament of your dog. If you have a dog who is

afraid of humans, even just some humans, asking him to Sit while the human is present may actually be quite punishing to your dog, and it could very well ruin a perfectly good Sit behaviour as a result. Not only that,

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

human?! None of that should impact the Sit nor is any of that a Release of the Sit.

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Manage the environment so there is little to no chance that your dog can successfully jump on a human until they have learned alternate behaviours and have a solid reinforcement history of doing them successfully in many contexts. Use distance, leashes, long lines, baby gates, pens, and crates as tools to help you.

If you want to have your dog off leash, then work on a building a solid Recall as another tool so you can successfully call your dog back to you as soon as any human appears on the horizon.

but it can also damage the relationship you have with your dog because you are putting him in a difficult and potentially scary, to him, situation.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

I’m a fan of giving dogs options, so that in these types of situations a fearful dog doesn’t feel “trapped” in a Sit behaviour. Instead, give him the option to move away from someone who makes him feel uncomfortable.

Sometimes it’s not always obvious to us whether a dog is uncomfortable or not, so if you let them have an option – Sit or Stand or move away – they can make a choice that feels best to them and helps them feel well supported by you. Heavily reinforcing the other options (one term for that is DRA – Differential Reinforcement of Alternate behaviours) will give your dog all the choices he needs. The only option not available is jumping up and that’s where the management comes in.

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When you’re training your dog, keep in mind that it’s hard mental work for him so keep training sessions short and fun. There’s no need to train longer than 5 minutes at a time. You can have several training sessions a day, but they should be short with plenty of time to have a break in between.

Because you can’t always be training…

We can’t always be training, but our dogs are always learning – especially young puppies. So, make sure you have a plan to set yourself up for success too.

Anyone who will be walking or managing your dog must use the same management. They don’t all have to be doing the actual training, but they can’t be actively undoing your training, or you will never be successful.

It’s not productive, for example, to have your children walking your dog if they aren’t old enough (or strong enough) to be able to consistently manage or train when walking by other people who your dog is likely to try and jump up on.

It’s also not helpful to allow your dog to jump up on the people he lives with. A human is a human and we can’t expect dogs to know who they can and can’t jump on.

Consider the exercise I mention above – teach your dog to Sit in front of each member of the family when they approach.

There are dog owners who like having their dogs jump up on them because they enjoy the feeling of how happy and excited their dog is to see them. If this is you or someone in your family, there is a simple work around: teach “jump up” as a cued behaviour and only cue it at certain times like when you first walk in the door from a long day at work.

If you are teaching your dog to jump up on cue, just be careful. To be truly successful with this skill, you must teach “jump up” very thoroughly and systematically so that it only happens when it’s cued, and your dog doesn’t begin to anticipate the cue and “pre-jump” the jump.

This can be a tough training challenge, so plan it wisely.

Do you have a dog who does the “Hi!” Jump? Are you one of the “it’s okay, he’s friendly” people on the trails or at the park as you race behind your dog as he’s heading directly at someone? If you want to eliminate this behaviour, get started today and let me know how it goes. Keep it positive and be consistent – you can do it – take the “Hi!” Jump challenge!

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

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45

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

(Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome): What you Need to Know as a Cat Guardian

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

By Lucy Jabrayan, BSc, C.E.M.T

46

Boosting nutrition content in the food via supplementation.

W

hen we have or own something we love, we usually would want to protect it.

Our beloved felines are no exception. One way of protecting our pets is by prevention of diseases we know is out there, not to worry ourselves, but to be informed, and do what we can as pet guardians to do the very best for them.

Outdoor and free-roaming cats are mostly at greater risk of contracting FIV, with male cats being up to three times more likely to contract FIV than females as they can have more territorial aggression than females. The average age at time of diagnosis is between 6 to 8 years, although kittens can become infected while nursing if their mothers are in the acute phase of the disease.

FIV can be divided into three stages: 1. Acute infection/stage (3-6 months): Usually very mild symptoms of recurrent fever, anorexia, lethargy and lymphadenopathy.

• Recurrent upper respiratory tract infection.

• Ocular disease • Tumors The best way to prevent this disease is by avoiding having your cat come into contact with wild and feral cats, and sufficiently making sure your cat’s immune system is in tip top shape.

Some ways to get your cat’s immune system functioning sufficiently (and by keeping it that way) are; • Feeding a fresh whole food diet (raw if possiblevery important for felines) • Boosting nutrition content in the food via supplementation. A personal favourite of mine which my cats love is phytoplankton. I call it ‘fast nutrition’ because it goes straight to the cells while not having to go through the regular digestive processes- Plus cats love the marine taste!

• Supplementing your cat’s diet with immune

2. Subclinical infection/stage (months to years): Usually no clinical signs shown in infected cats, but the disease is progressing.

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3. Chronic clinical infection/ stage (months to years): The clinical signs and symptoms are;

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• Chronic stomatitis (inflamed and sore mouth) and weight loss.

• Chronic enteritis (inflammation of small intestine).

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• Neurological sings: altered behavior, paresis, and weakness.

47

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

...avoiding having your cat come into contact with wild and feral cats...

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modulating supplements such as; feline friendly probiotics, colostrum, medicinal mushrooms, cod liver oil, etc.

• The right homeopathy/botanical protocol for systemic drainage.

This is a progressive disease, and the average (so far recorded) lifespan from diagnosis to death is about 5

years. As mentioned, the best preventive it to limit or avoid contact with wild feral and free-roaming cats, and to test all new additions to the cat’s household. FIV has not been found to grow in human cells, so it is not contagious or infectious to humans.

Always consult your vet prior to starting any new diet/supplement regimen, especially if your cat is on medications.

Many events are either postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19.

Check your local area for updates.

October 2021

November 2021

Sunday October 31st Halloween Keep Your Pets Safe

Thursday November 11th Remembrance Day Jumble Answers from page 51

Due to the uncertainty of future restrictions on gatherings and events, please check your local area for updates.

are RUSTIC, VALET, RUPTURE, SALMON

A: ’PURR’SUASIVE

The Pet Connection assumes no responsibility for any information listed for any of these events. While every attempt is made to double check information submitted, we are not responsible for any cancelled events, rescheduled events, wrong dates or times, location changes, wrong address’s or wrong phone numbers. If you have an event you would like to mention, please submit it to, info@petconnection.ca. Due to space limitations there is no guarantee that it will be listed.

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9

Dog-Like Cat Breeds

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

By Donna Middleton, ACCN

50

Minky

E

arlier this year we decided to allow our son to get a kitten to add to our pack of dogs.

As a dedicated dog owner, trainer, and competitor in dog events, I was wanting to get a cat that had a dog-like personality and would fit nicely in with our 4 Papillons and Border Collie.

Cat’s are normally independent, mildly affectionate, low maintenance creatures compared to dogs. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were many cat breeds that suited our needs, however, our 20-year-old son had his own ideas.

After searching for just the right rescue kitten for months, he came home with the perfect fit for our home, the universe must have heard my prayers. We couldn’t be happier with Minky as she fits all our requirements. She is clearly a mixed breed but with many dog-like traits.

Minky has lots of confidence, she likes to play in the water, is extremely friendly with people and other pets, is easily taught tricks, is comfortable in her harness and leash and she’s extremely active.

that formed the foundation for the Ragdoll breed were Persians, Burmese, and Birmans. The Persian and Burmese are noted for being quite laid back personalities and going limp and relaxed when picked up, hence the name “Ragdoll”.

This breed looks for companionship rather than getting into mischief. Ragdolls get along with everyone in the home including other pets.

These gorgeous cats love to follow their owners around the house and hang out with them or just snuggle. They are easygoing and love water and many will follow you into the shower. Ragdolls love to please their owners and can be easily trained with positive reinforcement.

Sphynx

So this began my journey looking more closely at all dog-like cats or as Wikipedia calls them, puppy cat breeds. The following are some of the puppy cat breeds that I discovered.

Ragdoll’s

The Sphynx originated in Toronto, Canada in 1966 with one hairless kitten. After a long rocky road to create diversity in the breed, they finally used the Devon Rex to outcross.

They are extremely energetic, loving, and loyal to their family.

The Ragdoll cat breed got its start in California during the 1960s. It is quite possible that some of the cats

This intelligent breed loves to greet you at the door and due to their high curiosity, they will also greet strangers.

Sphynx can be found snuggling under the blankets with her favorite human.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

One of the most unique-looking cats, this hairless cat may have peach-fuzz type hair on close inspection and their skin feels like soft leather.

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Maine Coon

Genetic testing has shown that this breed resembles the felines featured on the ancient Egyptian tombs and statues for a reason. Abbysinian’s are one of the oldest cat breeds in existence stemming from Southeast Asia.

Today’s Abbysinian’s genetics contain the Burmese, Russian Blue, and Siamese to obtain some of their doglike personality.

This curious, loyal, extremely energetic, and engaging breed requires a lot of attention to keep them out of trouble and happy. If left alone for too long they can become depressed.

As you might have guessed, the Maine Coon originated in Maine, the USA in the 1850s and is the oldest natural cat breed in the United States.

The ”Aby”, as many owners lovingly call them, are eager to engage in tricks for treats, walks on a leash, playing in the water as well as a game of fetch. Their extreme intelligence has also led owners to clicker train them for agility. If you love being engaged with your dogs, then this is the dog-like cat breed for you.

Burmese

This loyal, intelligent, family-orientated gentle giant gets along with other pets, is affectionate without being needy, and is a great addition to homes with young children.

It is said that their loyalty tends to make them standoffish towards strangers however they adapt easily.

The Maine Coon is well known for its larger size, thick luxurious coat and extremely friendly personality sets them apart from other breeds.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

Abbyssinian

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Another unique cat-like the Abbysininian, the Burmese is also very loyal and highly intelligent.

The Burmese first came to America in 1930 from Burma

and were bred with a Siamese. Like the Siamese, the Burmese tend to be very vocal cats and won’t hold back when they think they should have a treat.

A very loyal companion they love to follow you around which would make them easy to train for leash walking and have also been known to play fetch.

Bengal

Bengals have the energy and intelligence to keep you on your toes.

If you don’t keep them stimulated they will get into all kinds of trouble, and closed doors won’t stop them. This is an area our cat is really good at. If she wants outside she has no problem opening our door with a lever-type door handle.

Keeping them stimulated can be a challenge, and if they get bored they are known to get into trouble. Since they get along well with other cats and dogs, having a companion for them can be helpful but many seem to prefer a dog companion.

This breed has a strong personality and along with their high energy and intelligence can be a challenge for firsttime cat owners.

Birman

This exotic-looking breed originated as a cross between an Asian Leopard cat and a domesticated cat. Bengals are a fairly young breed stemming back to the 1970s.

Since then their popularity has skyrocketed putting them amongst the most popular cat breeds.

There are many theories on how this breed came about but some say they potentially are a mix of the Siamese and Angoras or Persians.

Bengals are high energy and extremely intelligent with many dog-like qualities.

The Birman is an easy-going and gentle-natured breed that makes a good choice for young families and is tolerant to play dress-up with the kids. Like many of the dog-like cat breeds, the Birman loves to follow their owners around the house like puppies, do very well with

One of these unique qualities of the breed is that they love water and won’t hesitate to follow you into the shower.

The French recognized the Birman in 1925 and imported it to the United States in 1959.

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This calm and quieter breed is also known as the Sacred Cat of Burma and ancient stories say they have divine powers.

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multiple pet homes and respond well to commands.

A wonderful addition to any dog lover’s home.

Siamese

in Turkey, which was formerly known as Angora. After becoming quite scarce, the Angara Zoo developed a breeding program to increase their numbers. It was after this that the Angoras arrived in the United States in 1954.

The breed originated in Thailand in the 14th century and made an appearance in the US in 1879.

Their gorgeous blue eyes are one of their distinguishing traits, however, this trait also inhibits them from seeing well in the dark.

Interestingly, their coat color is determined by temperature. Born white, their coats take on their color as they grow. The extremities of their body become darker with age and if they live in a cold climate the entire body will become dark as well.

These delightful, gorgeous cats are known for their long slender, fine-boned build that gives them the grace of a ballerina.

The Turkish Angora is an intelligent, inquisitive, and affectionate companion. They are outgoing, strongwilled, and want to be at the very center of their owners' world, very much like a dog. Look out if you are not giving them the attention they need, as they will get into all kinds of mischief just to get your attention. These kitten-like qualities remain with them for many years.

The Turkish Angora loves to be in a home with other pets but prefers to rule the roost due to their strongwilled nature.

If you are looking for a dog-like cat the Siamese is one of the originals lending these specific genes to the Burman, the Burmese, and possibly some other breeds as well.

I am sure there are more dog-like cat breeds out there, but I had to stop looking as now I have fallen in love with all of them.

The very social and active Siamese is a perfect match for families with children and cat-friendly dogs. This vocal breed loves to play fetch and retrieve, learn tricks like high-five and some even walk on a leash.

At the moment the universe has placed a 12-week old foster kitten in my life and she is keeping all of us busy.

Fostering and adopting is very rewarding, however, if you are looking for a specific breed it is important to research the breed to see if it is the right fit for you and your home. A good breeder will interview you and you can use this opportunity to interview the breeder as well.

Turkish Angora This natural breed takes its name from the city of Ankara

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Siamese cats are one of the oldest domesticated cats in the world!

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Contest is only open to Canadian pets alive and living in Canada. If you have multiple pets, you can send in multiple photos, but please only one photo per pet per month.

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Contest is only open to Canadian pets alive and living in Canada. If you have multiple pets, you can send in multiple photos, but please only one photo per pet per month.

PHOTO SIZE: your jpg (photo) must be over 1MB in size to be considered.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded.

Please no professional photographers.

No purchase required.

To enter, email a high resolution photo of your pet to: info@petconnection.ca

Preference will be given to photos that have room above the pet.

Please visit our website for more information: www.petconnection.ca

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4 Paws Pure 1823 1st Avenue, Prince George, BC Amore Pet Foods 4540 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC Best Friends Pet Market 5700 Dolphin Avenue, Sechelt, BC Healthy Spot Pet Nutrition #5 - 1050 - 10th Ave, SW Salmon Arm, BC Healthy Spot Pet Nutrition 3115 48 Ave #200, Vernon, BC In The Raw, Food for Dogs and Cats 150 E 2nd Street, N. Vancouver, BC Pawsitive Veterinary Care Clinic #6 - 1551 Sutherland Ave, Kelowna, BC

Pet Connection Head Office and Retail Store 2443 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, BC Pet Planet #100 - 1135 Stevens Road, West Kelowna, BC Tail Blazers #130 - 3033 Immel St., Abbotsford, BC Tail Blazers #104 - 45300 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack, BC Tail Blazers 1790 KLO Road, Kelowna, BC Tail Blazers #105 - 1014 Glenmore Dr., Kelowna, BC

Edmonton Holistic Veterinarian Clinic 8215 - 102 Street, Edmonton, Alta.

Tail Blazers Acadia (Heritage) #8307 Fairmont Drive SE, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers Copperfield Corner #107 - 15566 McIvor Blvd, SE, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers Ingelwood #7 - 1420 - 9th Ave SE, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers Legacy #1110, 47 Legacy View SE Calgary Tail Blazers North Haven #101 - 4400 - 14th Street NW, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers Old Banff Coach Road #329 - 723 - 85th Street SW, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers Panorama Hills 32 Panatella Blvd, NW, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers Ranchlands #155 - 1829 Ranchlands Blvd, NW, Calgary, Alta.

Tail Blazers #240 - 6130 - 67th Street, Red Deer, Alta.

Tail Blazers West End 10023 - 170th Street, Edmonton, Alta.

Tail Blazers Windermere 320 Windermer Rd. NW, Edmonton, Alta.

Tail Blazers 280 Mud Street W., Unit E2, Hannon, Ont. Tail Blazers 1877 Regent Street, Unit B, Sudbury, Ont. The Hungry Pooch - Lakeshore 486 Advance Blvd, Tecumseh, Ont. The Hungry Pooch 2451A Dougall Avenue, Windsor, Ont. Thor’s Healthy Pet Foods 3-3840 Dominion Road, Ridgeway, Ont. Thrive 4 Life Holistic Pet Food Store 16572 York Durham Line Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont.

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YUKON TERRITORY Humane Society Yukon 126 Tlingit Street, Whitehorse, YT The Feed Store Pet Junction 9006 Quartz Road Whitehorse, YT

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Pixies are convenient 2oz fresh frozen patties perfect for cats and small dogs. Each of the flavours is species specific – meaning the food is not mixed with a variety of species. There is nothing else added. What’s on the label is the food.

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