We believe that all dogs have a purpose on this planet. While humans may spend a lifetime struggling to find their reason for existence, dogs intuitively seem to know what their reason for being is, if given the opportunity.
In “Angel Dogs with a Mission,” authors Allen and Linda Anderson have published a collection of beautiful stories about dogs who have touched the lives of many.
From Abdul, the first official service dog for physically challenged humans, to Kobi, a yellow Lab who became one of the most famous cancer-sniffing dogs in the world. These first hand accounts written by their pawrents will touch your heart as you learn about their dedication, smarts and gifts to humanity.
Amazing Abdul’s Story
Written by Karrill Knaus-Hardy, you’ll learn the story of Abdul, an overly rambunctious dog who, despite the initial skepticism of the world at large, became the world’s first trained service dog. Knaus-Hardy writes about the day her family saw the potential in this special dog:
“For my whole life, whenever people were gone too long, without anyone at home to turn on the lights, I’d have to sit in my wheelchair and watch the room dim and fade to black as the sun set. Naturally my family was worried about poor Kerry being stuck in the dark while they were in town.
When they returned home this time though, they found me sitting in the house with all the lights on, watching television. I had also eaten dinner. With great satisfaction I asked, “Why were you so worried? I had Abdul turn on the lights and give me the television remote control. He opened the refrigerator and brought me some food. With this, they were actually seeing a service dog in action performing practical tasks.. . . he had won them over.”
In “Angel Dogs with a Mission“, you’ll also read about the incredible work of Kobi, a young dog who became one of only five service dogs being trained to detect cancer as part of a special study. In the study, clinicians were utilizing dogs’ keen sense of smell to detect breast and lung cancer in the exhaled breath of cancer patients. Kobi seemed to have been given this amazing gift even at a young age; he could detect cancer with about 90 percent accuracy.
“Once in a while we went to a dog park, and Kobi honed in on a person and barked . . . It was a moral dilemma, because I didn’t want to alarm someone by saying that Kobi thought the person might have cancer. It’s my understanding that dogs can detect cancer even before medical equipment and tests can diagnose it. The person Kobi identified might get tested medically but be at a too-early stage for cancer diagnosis and therefore think nothing was wrong.”
We think these stories are worth reading, even if Jerry’s tale wasn’t included in this book! To give you some background; two years ago the authors contacted us to learn more about Jerry, but ultimately decided that his story wasn’t a good fit for their project. We’d have to argue that point, but we’ll definitely agree with them on one thing; we loved “Angel Dogs with a Mission anyways!
Are you interested in holistic veterinary care and natural remedies but aren’t sure where to begin? Take a look at these great books written by respected professional vets that can help increase your understanding of holistic veterinary care and how it can lead to better health for your Tripawd.
The Nature of Animal Healing by Dr. Marty Goldstein
Long before many of us learned about the horrors of commercial pet foods, or the concept of holistic medicine for animals, Dr. Marty was advocating for home cooked diets, speaking out against over-vaccination, and treating his clients with acupuncture and homeopathic medicine. You might be familiar with “Dr. Marty,” because he’s the veterinarian for celebrities like Oprah and Martha Stewart.
Dr. Marty’s book, “The Nature of Animal Healing: The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat,” is filled with practical advice about pet health and wellness. He takes readers through the basics of holistic medicine, and shares basic tips for applying these principles to your pet’s life. This guide should be a part of every pawrents resource library. Dr. Marty is considered the world’s leading expert on holistic veterinary medicine. But he isn’t defined strictly by holistic medicine principles: he believes in the powerful curative effect of combining the best of both conventional and holistic medicine. As a result, he and his staff at Smith Ridge Veterinary Center follow the principles of “integrative medicine” where both types of therapies are combined to maintain health and guard against disease. Since 1984, he and his staff have become well-known for their extraordinary success at treating cancer and other serious illnesses.
After reading Dr. Marty’s book, should you decide to look further into homeopathic veterinary care, pick up a copy of “Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs, Revised Edition: Small Doses for Small Animals,” written by Dr. Don Hamilton, a well-respected homeopathic veterinarian from New Mexico.
In a recent Tripawds Nutrition Blog post, “Homeopathy and Pain Relief for Tripawds,” correspondent Gina Snow recommends adding this to your library. First published in 1999, the book shares an overview of the history and treatment principles of homeopathy, homeopathic disease theory, and simple methods for using homeopathic remedies. You’ll also learn about:
home care and diet
how to obtain the information needed to choose a homeopathic remedy
how to dose remedies
how to choose the potency
when to repeat remedies if necessary
Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs lists organ systems by chapter, providing concise descriptions of symptoms, including how to evaluate patients’ illnesses and when to seek veterinary care. Remedy and supplement suggestions follow disease descriptions. This updated edition contains a new chapter on the human-animal relationship and timely information on vaccines.
If you read either of these books, be sure to leave us a Comment below.
Please be aware that we are not veterinarians. The information presented here is not meant to be construed as medical advice or guidance, nor should it be substituted for professional veterinary assistance. Always discuss any remedies and treatments you wish to pursue with your veterinarian.
Purchases made through Tripawds affiliate merchant links help support ongoing efforts to maintain this community.
According to Amazon, the author, James Schaller, MD, presents “the only patient book written in English offering highly practical, clear, and carefully researched help on Artemisinin medications.” Three Amazon customer reviews rate this book 4.5 stars. Although we haven’t read it ourselves, it looks like it could be a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about artemisinin and how it can help your Tripawd battle cancer. If you read Dr. Schaller’s book, be sure to post your reviews here.
Treating your Tripawd with homeopathic remedies can seem like a daunting task. There’s so much information available about thousands of different remedies and approaches, how does the layperson know where to start?
The answer is easy: start with a book for the average pet pawrent which focuses on basic treatments for cats and dogs that can be one on your own. In a recent forum post, Tripawds holistic medicine expert Gina recommended this one:
Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs will give you an overview of this alternative medicine approach and share simple methods for using homeopathic remedies on your own. You’ll learn enough to feel comfortable communicating with a holistic veterinarian, and understand the basic principles used to diagnose illnesses and utilize remedies to improve your Tripawd’s health.
Treating with homeopathic remedies works, and costs a fraction of what traditional allopathic medicine does. But remember; homeopathic treatment requires expertise, and your Tripawd should always be under the supervision of a holistically-trained veterinarian before you attempt to alleviate illnesses at home. Never self-diagnose. Always consult a holistic expert for direction.
Tripawd pawrents understand what it’s like to make difficult medical decisions under pressure. For many of us, the decision to amputate is our introduction to the world of vet specialists and high tech medicine. Oftentimes, the learning curve is steep, and stressful.
Once you read it, you’ll wish you had a copy long before your furry friend came home with you. Dr. Murray’s book approaches subjects that humans don’t want to think about when they bring a new dog home, but this easy, excellent read points out why it’s so important to get informed, before medical care is necessary.
This book is hailed as “a practical road map to modern veterinary medicine,” and it lives up to the promise.”
You can read the entire review here, but in short, some of the best things we love about this book are the ways in which Dr. Murray:
Gives you plain-English advice for assessing veterinary practices and vets
Includes a glossary of the most common veterinary tests and diagnostics, why they’re given and when they should be given
Describes what each type of veterinary specialist does, and how to find them
Provides a run-down on the controversies and benefits surrounding vaccines and natural medicine
Shares her advice for confronting substandard veterinary care, how to separate blame from grief, and more.
Vet Confidential isn’t a cancer-specific book, but we can’t recommend it enough if you are going through regular medical care with your Tripawd. You’ll never feel like your vet is speaking over your head again.
Grief over the loss of our beloved dogs hurts like nothing else. But there are some things that can help us through the process, especially this comforting little book called “For Every Dog an Angel.” It definitely helped us when Jerry earned his wings.
This artistic 30-page tale is Chris Davis’ heartwarming celebration of the magic between between dogs and their humans. From the unforgettable first time we set eyes on our canine soul mate, to the sad day we part ways, she beautifully illustrates the story about the eternal bonds we share. And whether or not you believe in the Rainbow Bridge, you’ll find lots to love about this special book.
Celebrate your canine companions of past, present and future, with “For Every Dog an Angel.”
Dogs are especially vulnerable to anxiety attacks after amputation surgery. It’s hard to watch your Tripawd go through this, but you can help your dog relax by giving gentle massage, applying a pain-relief pack, and playing some gentle, calming music made especially for dogs.
Dog’s hear sounds about twice as loudly as humans do. Dog-friendly is composed with low to moderate frequencies that are friendly to a dog’s ears, and songs smoothly transition without sudden changes in decibels.
At first we were a little skeptical about how music could help a dog calm down, especially our Wild Boy Wyatt. But when we tried it on him during a thunderstorm last week, the difference in his temperament was obvious. Within minutes he calmed down enough to hang out in his crate and ride out the storm. Plus, it helped keep us level headed as well.
Try dog-friendly music on your Tripawd, and let us know how it works. Here’s a small sampling of other music available on Amazon.
In December, we were honored to introduce our own “Wild Boy” Wyatt to Sarah, after she presented at the AKC Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, CA. Sarah kindly showed us some training strategies that she discusses in her My Smart Puppy training book.
In this casual sidewalk demo, Sarah is showing us her “Near is Dear” My Smart Puppy game. The goal is to teach Wyatt how to relax when around exciting or scary things (not an easy task). These types of games will help us help Wyatt change his behavior in these situations from highly emotional to calm acceptance. In the second half of the clip, you’ll see that when a dog walks past Wyatt, he barks, but he also looks to Sarah for direction because trusts her confident leadership.
Sarah says that if you want your puppy to change what she is doing, you must change what you are doing first. All dogs, even Tripawds, need strong leadership and lessons that will help them be the best dogs they can be. Sarah’s books, her My Smart Puppy Discussion Forums and website will help them get there.
We’re always on the lookout for products that can help pawrents and dogs through the amputation process. Never once did we think that a little device called a “Calming Cap,” made by Gentle Leader, might be a useful tool for Tripawds, until we tried it on Wyatt.
When we first hit the road in our RV, Wyatt didn’t take well to the lifestyle. We tried everything we could to stop his panic attacks, but nothing worked. Then we remembered we had a sample Calming Cap in his backpack, and figured it was worth a try.
Once we put it on, he went from barking and running in circles inside the RV, to instantly mellowing out and getting into a Down/Stay position on the floor. Without a fight, he quickly accepted it without a problem.
The Calming Cap is a humane, painless fabric head sock for dogs that helps them stay calm when under duress. The device looks a little weird, and your dog might look somewhat pathetic while wearing it, but as we learned with Wyatt, it really does work.
By keeping a lightly screened, sheer piece of fabric just over their eyes, the Calming Cap “makes the dog’s vision indistinct, which reduces the visual stimulus and enables the dog to remain calm,” according to the manufacturer.
We think the Calming Cap is especially useful for soon-to-be Tripawds who hate going to the vet. For any dog who has to undergo amputation, this little head sock can help reduce anxiety for all of the vet visits needed beforehand. And when your new Tripawd is released from the hospital with painkillers runing through his body, the Calming Cap can help him deal with the long ride home. Later, it can come in handy during chemotherapy sessions for the dog who hates vet visits.
We do want to say though, that the Calming Cap worked great for Wyatt, but there’s no guarantee it will work on all dogs. For example, our friend Codie Rae used it a few times when her pawrents tried it on her to prevent excessive barking while in the car. But Codie Rae got used to being able to see through the fabric, so it’s lost it’s effectiveness.
As your Tripawd recovers from amputation surgery, you’re probably counting down the days until you two can go for walks again. But remember, that while Tripawds can do just about anything they did before, certain allowances will need to be made. So before you head outside, here are a few Tripawd Health Tips to consider:
A new Tripawd needs many breaks on walks. Outings that once took 15 minutes might now take 30.
Take shorter walks, more often. Start with just a block or two at first.
Tripawds tend to hop along at a faster pace than a four legger, so get ready to jog!
Watch for signs of exertion. Your dog will try to go farther than s/he should, and it’s up to you to make sure they don’t overdo it.
And lastly, always carry water with you.
Here are three styles of portable pet water bottles we love
“For my whole life, whenever people were gone too long, without anyone at home to turn on the lights, I’d have to sit in my wheelchair and watch the room dim and fade to black as the sun set. Naturally my family was worried about poor Kerry being stuck in the dark while they were in town.
