All the Creatures

Today we have a guest blogger

Guest blogger Jamie Harless

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 6 out of 10 people in the United States come in contact with cats or dogs. In this country, the total pet population is more than 100 million which works out to four pets for every 10 people.  Allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common.  A high percentage of people with allergies also have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.

Cat allergies are about twice as common as dog allergies. Most of the time the culprit is the cat’s saliva combined with your cat’s dander.  The dander flakes off and the proteins get on your carpet, drapes, or other fabrics in the home.  People with dog allergies may be allergic to all dogs or to only some breeds.  Symptoms can include itchy eyes, a runny nose, asthma symptoms, a rash, or itchy skin.  These might seem trivial to some people, but they negatively affect your quality of life.

If you suffer with pet allergies, you do have some options besides getting rid of your beloved pets.  You definitely want to keep your pet out of your bedroom.  Keep your bedroom door closed.  You also can control pet dander around your bedding with mattress covers and pillow encasements.  This allergy bedding zips shut and keeps pet dander from sticking to your bed.   One great treatment that I have found for my pets is to wash them with an anti-allergen pet shampoo.  This treatment can help your pet’s skin and at the same time limit pet dander.  The pet dander is a major allergen for most people.  Finally, you definitely should consider a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.  These filters can help remove pet dander from surfaces and from the air inside your home.

Give this post a thumbs up

You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.

Today we have an international guest blogger - Peter Grose in the UK

Anyone who owns a pet, especially of the warm, furry variety, will be well aware of the therapeutic qualities they offer - unconditional love, companionship and compassion, but for some people pets offer vital therapy.

A recent documentary explored the intrinsic bond between human and ‘mans best friend’, with studies offering evidence that by focusing on the left side of the human face dogs were able to read our emotions, an exercise that the species has learnt during it’s vast historic relationship with man – this is not something dogs do with each other or any other animal. And the evidence came as very welcome relief for many people, especially dog lovers, who had been lauding the virtues of animal therapy for years.

The first seeds of animal assisted healing were born during World War II, when the dog of an injured Corporal was brought into a hospital in the Philippines – the dog became such a hit in the ward that the Commanding Officer of the Hospital started to take the dog on his rounds. But it wasn’t until the 1970’s that the approach became systemised – when a nurse, who noticed the therapeutic effects the visits of a Chaplin and his golden retriever had on her patients, started to train dogs specifically to visit hospitals and care institutions.

Today there are all kinds of organizations that champion the value of animals in aiding with conditions such as dementia, depression and anxiety, as well as physical and mental disabilities. Alongside offering people an incentive for slipping the dog collar on Fido and getting outside, a sense of purpose and also companionship, studies have also shown that owning a pet can reduce blood pressure, thus reducing the chances of suffering a heart attack or from coronary disease.

Alongside P.A.T dogs, a nationwide scheme in the UK, running since 1983, that trains and takes dogs and cats into hospitals, care homes and hospices to meet with residents, there are dog walking services available for the elderly and infirm, to ensure that people are able to keep pets at home regardless of mobility or health, and pet friendly care homes, where people can take their own pets or benefit from permanent residential animals when they move into sheltered accommodation.

For more information about volunteering or benefiting from any of these services, keep an eye out for flyers and posters in local pet shops, or ask at veterinary clinics and doctors surgeries.

Give this post a thumbs up

You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.

My min pin just adores our cats. In fact the cats like him too. We have one cat that, if she sees my min pin outside exploring, will follow him around. My daughters cat plays with the dog. They take turns chasing each other around the house.

Despite the fact that the dog plays tag and the cats following him around, they do not sleep together or play rough. I think that the dog knows that the cats have claws and might use them if he got too rough. If they did start to wrestle or snuggle I would quickly grab my camera before the moment was gone. I can see it now, wrestling posters of my dog and cats with funny subtitles.

Give this post a thumbs up

You can now get All the Creatures delivered to your Kindle FREE for 14 days. Try it out.