Pet The World

Does your dog have that sheepish look? It could be that he’s embarrassed of his ear mite problem! All this time you thought he just had a bad case of ear wax like your Uncle Henry, when really he’s been suffering from an annoying condition that’s itching like mad… not to mention, making him wildly unpopular with the other dogs in the neighborhood! Pretty earritating.

Lots of dogs pick up ear mites, so tell your pup that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Ear mites are easily transmitted from animal to animal. Your dog may have contracted them from just about anywhere… another dog in the household, the family cat, or even that Weimeraner he was cavorting with in the dog park last week.

If you think your dog may have somehow picked up ear mites, be on the lookout for the following symptoms:

- Scratching
- Pawing at the ears
- Redness and irritation
- Thick, black earwax

You can do a little “ear mite check” at home, assuming you’ve got good eyes. Run a cotton swab along the outside of your dog’s ear, then hold the cotton swab up to the light to have a closer look. If it’s ear mites, you’ll see what looks like miniscule white fuzzies moving around. That’s not lint… it’s ear mites! Yikes. That poor pooch of yours is feeling a little uncomfortable on account of his ear cooties. Help him get some relief.

Many pet stores offer over-the-counter topical ear mite medications, but it’s best to bring your pup in for a vet checkup just in case you’ve misdiagnosed. Your vet will be able to confirm the condition, prescribe a treatment and recommend length and frequency of application. If your dog’s ear “smells a little funky,” then it’s definitely time to schedule a vet appointment, no ifs ands or butts about it.

Ear mites aren’t life-threatening, but most people would agree that letting parasites habitate on your dog’s body for an indefinite amount of time is not good pet owner practice. You wouldn’t want creepy critters crawling around in your own ears, would you? I didn’t think so.

Time to take care of those ear mites!

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

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Pets are an integral part of many families. They love us, comfort us, and they have their own unique personalities. And the loss of a dog or cat can be a very painful experience. But how do you cope mourning the loss of a pet?

The loss of a pet is very similar to the loss of a human relative or companion. However, many people (usually those who have never had a cat or dog as a companion) simply can’t imagine that the pain and depression you feel is real, or that it should be real. But be assured, the pain you feel for the loss of your dog is as real and as valid as the pain you feel for the loss of Uncle Roscoe. And you should recognize that you are going to experience much of what a person would feel at the loss of a human companion when mourning the loss of a pet.

These feelings will usually progress through guilt, denial, anger, and depression.

Guilt will usually be expressed in an “if only I had been more careful” attitude. Since the dog or cat can’t watch out for itself, it must have been my fault. Thus we blame ourselves or try to second guess ourselves in the actions we took - or didn’t take.

Denial, as with the loss of a human companion, is a strong desire for the loss not to have occurred. This feeling can even keep you from adopting a new companion from the guilt of being disloyal to the lost one. However, adopting a new companion will probably do the most to help you complete the grieving process.

Anger will be directed at the veterinarian who failed to save your companion, the driver of the car that hit and killed your cat, or the other animals who may have played a part in your companion’s death. While this is certainly normal, it doesn’t change anything and should be worked through with the goal of getting through your grief but should be recognized as a natural part of mourning the loss of a pet.

The final stage is depression. The worst aspect of depression is that the very condition leaves you powerless to work through your feelings - you’re too depressed to do anything or want to do anything. It’s here that support and understanding from those around you can be most effective.

Above all, get back in the game. As we said at the beginning of the article, pets are a tremendous source of comfort for us and a new companion can help us cope with the irreversible loss of the previous companion. I hope by recognizing these natural morning emotions that you can with understand and gain comfort when mourning the loss of a pet.

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I know from my experience as a pet portrait artist, that dog portraits are truly the best gift! When my phone rings and I hear the person at the other end of the line describe a relative’s or friend’s dog, I know that this person feels as I do - dogs (and all other pets for that matter) are people too!

There are many reasons why portraits are the very best gift. A painting which captures not only the likeness of a pet, but also their spiritual nature can help ease the grief a person feels after their beloved companion has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. One thing I cherish about my profession as an artist, is that I love connecting with the animals’ energies as I paint, especially for animals that have just made their transition. I sometimes feel that it’s the animal, themselves, who have brought a client to me to commission a portrait to help heal their guardian’s broken heart.

Here is a quick story to illustrate my point.

I was commissioned to paint a memorial portrait of Bear, a Kuvasz -a large, white breed of dog originally from Turkey. I’d never heard of this breed before and did some research before starting the painting. As I was waiting for my client to come to our respective meeting place where I would deliver his finished painting, I was thumbing through our local Dog Nose News. Lo and behold there was an article entitled “Compelled to Rescue” and that month’s subject was - you guessed it, the Kuvasz! I excitedly pointed the article out to him and sure enough, he contacted them later that day and ended up driving over 300 miles to rescue a senior Kuvasz. Was it just a coincidence, or did Bear really bring him together with a new friend?

Sometimes very old and frail animals will have their portrait painted. It’s almost as though the animal is waiting for the portrait to be completed before they pass over. In one case, I arrived to take the photo of an aged kitty who was over 21 years old. I felt strongly that she would wait only as long as it took for me to capture her likeness on canvas before she would cross over the Rainbow Bridge. It wasn’t long after her guardian received the painting that the kitty did, indeed, make her final journey.

Another reason these paintings are such fabulous gifts is that they are long-lasting. Paintings can last for generations and bring to mind fond memories of a life of shared experiences and touching moments.

One of my clients asked me to paint a portrait of every animal her family had ever had and place them on one canvas! The painting consisted of a bird, horse, cats and several dogs. After she received her portrait, she told me that her two daughters wanted it written into the woman’s will as to who would receive the portrait after she and her husband had passed on! It was then I knew, these are not ordinary gifts.

A third reason why pet portraits are the best gift is that they chronicle a life well-lived. Action portraits are one of my favorites. Who can forget the moment when a horse strides easily over the jump, the agility champion races passed the weave poles, or the puppy or kitten is caught tangled endlessly in a ball of yarn? One client of mine wanted his Schipperke painted with all of her stuffed toys around her. She looked so adorable with her black fur against the soft pastel colors of a duck, a bird and a chicken!

As you can see, there is an alternative to another collar, leash or food bowl which is available to dog lovers and pet lovers everywhere!

This article may be re-published freely as long as the following resource box is included at the end of the article and as long as you link to the URL mentioned in the resource box:

Pet Portrait Artist and Professional Illustrator Connie Bowen creates stunning pet portrait paintings on canvas from photos. Specializing in capturing the spiritual nature of dogs, cats, horses and other animals in a realistic fashion with impressionistic backgrounds as seen on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s TV show, Art Beat. Over 200 pet portraits completed and counting!

Visit ==>http://www.conniebowen.com to view exquisite samples.

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