You know that you have lived a good life when most people thing that your ideas are right down crazy…

The good news is that wild and crazy is what fills our heart with love and joy.

My crazy idea was to take my dog to Paris, fly him 1st class and do it  for free. YES, I did it.

PS:  Some of you have asked  me how I  got  Skai on the plane.  Here is the story. Just copy and paste this link in your browser:

http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/09/my-confession-why-can-skai-fly/

How about minerals? How can you insure that your dog or cat is getting all the important nutrients needed for good health and longevity? Essential minerals are not always present in sufficient amounts, especially if your pet’s diet is limited to a few ingredients.  Even if you feed a variety of foods, intensive agriculture and soil depletion can lead to serious health problems unnecessary suffering and expensive vet bills.

What can you do?

Learn more! Please accept my special invitation and  join me for the first in a series of complimentary interactive webinars.  I hope that together we will be able to explore the ways of making our animal friends healthy, happy and long living. You may also be interested in learning about GreenMin, one of the most exciting natural healing projects that I have worked on.

What is GreenMin?

GreenMin is a new generation of natural mineral supplements that is unlike any other

• 100% natural and whole food based
• Highly bio-available
• Free of heavy metals and pesticides
• Certified organic

Whether you’re a pet lover or an owner or supporter of a natural pet food company, don’t miss this opportunity.

visit www.greenmin.com

PS: Watch me talking why raw pet food is the healthier choice for your pet’s diet:

Please share:

• Get a reliable friend and a reputable house sitter to look after your pets.
• Ask people and get references
• Use boarding kennels as the last resort
• Do not board at a veterinary clinic. Sick and healthy animals do not belong together.
• The latest trends are home like or farm boarding facilities. These may be a good alternative for a social dog but a less social or frightened dog may go through the ringer.
• Look for a quiet, clean and well run “free range” boarding facility as opposed to cages and pens.
• Many dogs get very stressed and spend all day barking and clawing at the door.
• If you are planning your holiday and can travel by car, take Fido along.
• Sheba may prefer stay ing at home unless you live with the rare cat that likes to travel.
• If you need to fly, register at Flying Dog Club and tell your friends. ·

One of the Flying Dog Club’s mission is humane and safe travel for our animal friends. Another very important mission is to do all we can to make the world a better, safer place for animals.

Register to stay informed. Share your ideas and suggestions with others at  our online meetings.

Together, we can make the world a better place for animals.

____________________________________________________

PS:

SUPPPORT our non-profit organization, Dr. Dobias Healing Foundation

Your donation will be used for further public education and increasing public awareness in the area of:

animal welfare – holistic veterinary medicine studies – variety of animal charitable causes.

DONATE NOW

www.peterdobias.com

Perhaps they reappear because we grow into finding a solution to take the right action that we couldn’t take before.

Generally, I believe that we can influence the world in a more beneficial way if we focus on the positive side of life. Today, I have decided to open the trunk of suppressed memories

Laboratory Mice – September 1982

My first application to veterinary school was rejected and in order to increase the chances of being admitted the next year. I decided to apply for a job as janitor and animal caretaker. My job was to clean boxes full of laboratory mice.
In no time, these pens filled up with a layer of mice feces 2 to 3 inches high and stunk so badly that I can still recall the smell. The mice spend their whole life overcrowded and stressed. Sometimes they became aggressive and started to bite each other so hard that their backs were bleeding and full of scabs.

Part of the research was field trips where we were instructed to spread nets and traps to catch mice and birds. The unfortunate ones were caught and killed in the name of science, brought back to the lab, dissected, their organs chopped in a blender and the organ mix was injected into the bodies of the mice. I can’t even recall how the birds were killed. Perhaps it was a form of disassociation from this traumatic experience.

After a few weeks, the mice were killed by having their heads cut off. It was the most horrible procedure; I remember being so conflicted over this meaningless research; feeling horrified, angry and helpless at the same time. I think I numbed out because I knew that if I said anything, I would not be admitted to the vet school.

An unfortunate horse

I also remember a horse at the same department that was being used for research in Equine Infectious Hemolytic Anemia. This horse was purposefully infected with the disease and locked in small narrow “cell.” I was instructed to feed it, change the bedding and never let it out. I was not supposed to touch it because the virus could be transferred onto the other horses. I remember his sad dark eyes that were clearly asking:
“Why don’t you let me out, why don’t you touch me, why am I locked here in the dark and alone?”

Vaccine production

As a vet student , I witnessed similar situations in dogs that were purposefully infected with parvovirus and distemper for the purpose of vaccine production. They suffered so other dogs could get their annual vaccination.
We were also made to kill frogs, cut off their legs and study the physiology of the muscle function.

Cows in a slaughter house

we visited the slaughterhouse on a regular basis and learned how to examine cows. They were lined up in a row and we practiced on them just before they were slaughtered. All I recall is that I don’t remember any emotions…until now.

Then there were the classes in hygiene of food production and meat inspection. Once again, we had to go to slaughterhouses, witnessed pigs being electrocuted, and cows trying to frantically escape death row. I remember some of the butchers throwing organs and body parts at each other…

Healthy Dogs Euthanized at the Canadian National Veterinary Board Exam

In order to practice in Canada, I had to go through the Canadian National Board examination. When taking the surgery exam, I was instructed to spay a stray dog and then perform euthanasia. I remember asking one of the examiners if I could adopt the beautiful young female dog that I performed the surgery on. I was told not to ask such questions and perform the euthanasia.I did it out of fear that the examiner would fail me if I didn’t. I wish I could go back in time and make a different decision.

One would think that times have changed, but they have not. Many animals continue to be imprisoned and experimented on. Many pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetic companies continue using animals to test their products.
There is another concern that I have a need to share with you.

How  do YOU and I make a difference?

• No matter if you are buying a toothpaste or an anti-wrinkle cream, try to buy natural products that are not tested on animals.

• Reduce the use of vaccines to a minimum and if you need to vaccinate, use products that are made on cultured media instead of live dogs, cats, horses and other animals.

• *If you are not a vegetarian, try to reduce your meat consumption to minimum. It is healthy for you and beneficial for the animals and the environment.

• You may also want to familiarize yourself with a slaughter house environment and production. It may be an eye opening and life altering experience. A good example is a movie called Fast Food Nation that was recommended by my friend Theo. There are also plenty of short clips on youtube searching for “abuse slaughterhouse”

• I know that some of you may wonder why I recommend raw or cooked meat for dogs and cats. Nature intended them to be carnivores and they would not be well if they didn’t eat meat.

• If you buy processed food, it is much more likely that you will support the kind of meat production that I have mentioned above. A better choice is to buy meat of wild or free range animals that are slaughtered humanely.

PS:

SUPPPORT our non-profit organization, Dr. Dobias Healing Foundation

Your donation will be used for further public education and increasing public awareness in the area of:

animal welfare – holistic veterinary medicine studies – variety of animal charitable causes.

DONATE NOW

Visit www.peterdobias.com

Today,  I decided to share something that I have shared only with a handful of my closest friends.

I am sitting on board a Westjet Boeing  737 on route to Maui – Hawaii with my dog Skai snoozing at  my feet. Tomorrow morning, Skai and I will get up and go  for  our run on  a beautiful and wild beach on the North Shore of the island.

I  imagine that you  are  about to ask the much  asked  question.  How did you get your dog to fly on board with you?

I am sharing the following story with you in hopes that   it will inspire you to follow  your dreams.

Back in the 70’s

When I was growing up, times were different. As soon as we knew our way to school in the first grade, we walked  to school on our own. No baby sitters, no  mom’s driving us to school.When  we hit  our teenage years, our  parents  registered  us  in the local government run riding club; convinced that it was the best way to keep us out of trouble. We started  our lessons on Shetland  ponies. Small but smart little horses,  that  learned to shed us off  quickly by running  under the fence of the riding ring. Usually   they left us hanging on the railing like a pair of dirty socks, which definitely was not much fun.

As  we got older, we transitioned to riding the “real horses”;  big and strong yet sensitive, careful and considerate. We all had our favorite horse that  each of us looked  after and  I  fell in  love with Alfa a gentle chestnut mare with white socks, a wide white blaze and beautiful, sparkly eyes. She also suffered from a chronic tendinitis, a common injury in  horses.

I grew tall  very fast and  it was decided that Alfa  should be ridden only by smaller kids.  I didn’t  care much for that decision but I  continued to look after Alfa;  washing her, brushing her and  taking her for walks in the  nearby  fields.

I also watched helplessly, when careless trainers made her go on in the riding ring despite her lameness. She was obviously in pain and I grew more angry inside  because the trainers ignored my request to allow her to rest. I was just a kid…

It was then, that I  decided to become a vet.

With 4 kids in the family, we didn’t  have the money to purchase Alfa. One day, I made a wish for her to be sold to someone  who  could give her a better life.  My wish was heard  only a few weeks later and soon Alfa was sold to a wonderful family in a nearby village.

I was heartbroken but knew that it was the best thing  that  could  happen to her.   My beloved Alfa  spent  the rest of her life in a pasture with a beautiful pond and a stable with a wooden floor and  a thick layer of daily fresh straw bedding.  This was my first experience with the power of intention.

I visited her whenever I could and even after I moved to Canada,  I found my way back a few times.  In the end,  I lost  touch with Alfa’s family and I  am not  certain when she passed away.  She was born on March 8, 1973 so it is likely that she passed away sometime around the year 2000.

Becoming a vet and a healer

I truly do believe that  if it  were not for Alfa, I  may have become an architect as per my father’s wishes.

He and I often clashed mainly because we were so alike. I also inherited  his tendency to nightmares and sleepwalking that  he suffered from. However,  my father, also veterinarian, gave me the gift of   deeper understanding and appreciation of animals. I was lucky twice because my grandfather,  a  herbalist , taught me about  herbs and natural remedies.

My nightmares  started when I was about 5 years old. The  dreams were vivid and often terrifying.  I saw faces standing in my bedroom that looked so real that I  often screamed from my sleep,  jumping  up and  trying to escape the imaginary danger.

Sleepwalking and nightmares brought me a lot of challenges as a child and adult. Whenever I  went to a  summer  camp or  shared the dorm or a hotel  room with anyone, I was mortified about  having a nightmare and screaming from my sleep.

When I  was  24,  I came back home for the summer holidays after going through a series of very  challenging  exams. Stress always aggravated my condition.  I had a nightmare, ran through a glass  door of my bedroom and  lost more than ½ of my blood supply.  A  piece of glass cut one of the branches of my femoral artery and the doctors told me I was very  lucky to be alive.

I graduated from vet school in 1988 and 3 years later,  I moved to Canada with my wife Iveta.

Fast forward to year 2001

Skai came to my life at a challenging time. Going through a divorce, I needed to reset and find a new rhythm in life. Through a friend,  I learned about  a  litter  of border collie puppies at a nearby farm and one of them was Skai, then called Nickel.

Skai became not  only my best  friend,  he has also become a medical alert  dog  and was trained to  wake me  up in case I sleep-walked.

He especially loves running in the forest and I  taught  him to run a little obstacle  course over logs in a nearby  forest. Once I  joked that he was  like a horse and suddenly the thought  crossed my mind. What if Skai was the  reincarnated soul of Alfa – my horse?

They were so similar!  They had the same color, the same  white “ blaze “ and white feet!  The same personality and zest  for life, the will to please and take challenges  quietly with stride.

Then  my friend, Iveta, came for a visit and we  went for a walk. Skai was so eager to show her his new obstacle course that he ran it with perfection.

Without  me  mentioning to Iveta what I thought of Skai, she  suddenly exclaimed   “Oh my God, he is like your horse!  He is exactly like your horse!  What  if he is Alfa who came back to you?”

From that  day  on,  I simply  could not  prevent  myself from thinking about this seeming coincidence. What  if   Skai is  truly Alfa? What if her spirit came back to me through Skai, my beloved dog?  This time, I can give him the best care, protect him and I would not  allow anyone to make him go on, if injured.

I simply stopped caring if this  was true or not.  After all, not  one single person in this world  can  truly confirm or deny reincarnation. Just  the  idea,  just  the thought  that  the soul of  Alfa came back to me to “relive” our lives  together gave me an immense sense of joy and healed my childhood  wound.

Today, I don’t see  my  sleepwalking  as an annoyance anymore. Thanks to  it,  Skai can  travel  with  me on commercial flights  and  I  am very grateful for that.

What  seemed like a misfortune became a blessing.

I am sitting here on a Maui bound airplane with Skai under  my  feet and just  looking at him brings tears  of joy to my eyes.

Remember, If  you have ever gone through a painful loss of  a loved  one,  a friend, family member or a four legged friend, keep your eyes and your senses open.  You never know; they may be closer than you think.  They may come again to heal you, teach  you and fill your heart with unconditional love the same way my dear Skai has.

With gratitude,

Your Captain

PS :   You don’t  need to be sleep walking  to make your dream of flying with your dog  come true. I hope that as  our  membership grows  bigger, Flying Dog Club will  be able to organize  chartered flights  with  you and your best friend on board.

To do this,  we need to  tell others  and get our membership numbers up. I kindly ask you  to  forward this invitation to  all people who may be interested.

Register or tell your friends now! Read more about Flying Dog Club

PS:  Don’t forget to check our  blog  for previous posts  and news!  Click here ]]> http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/09/my-confession-why-can-skai-fly/feed/ 5 http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/05/one-jerk-can-cause-a-lot-of-damage/ http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/05/one-jerk-can-cause-a-lot-of-damage/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 07:52:06 +0000 Dr. Peter Dobias http://www.peterdobias.com/community/?p=221 There are two main reasons why Flying Dog Club was born. First, to advocate human and respectful air travel for dogs. Second, to be the voice for the speechless and often helpless animals.

Before you start reading the following lines, I invite you to do a little test. Open your hands keeping your thumbs together. Place the thumbs at the base of the throat and the fingers surrounding the neck. Now, take a deep breath, squeeze and pull back with all your force keeping your thumbs connected.

If you have not fainted by now and are still reading these lines, I am sure the sensation was not comfortable. Perhaps you never thought of it but this is how many dogs feel when they are on the leash.

If you are still keen to continue with this experiment, put a choke chain around your neck and attach it to a leash. Ask a friend to grab the end of the leash and pull and jerk on it periodically. Welcome to the dog world! No, I will not make you go on with this experiment and ask you to test another torture device, the prong collar.I just want you to become more aware of what is happening out there. .

One day, Skai and me were on one of our favorite walks in the beautiful Capilano River Park in North Vancouver. The wild river carved a breathtaking canyon with moss-covered cliffs, white water rapids and old growth rainforest trees. .

As soon as I arrived at the parking lot and let Skai out of the car, I noticed a man with a young German shepherd on the leash. The poor little pup was struggling to say hi and the master had a different idea. He was determined to prevent his dog from coming closer to us by yanking and jerking harshly on the leash that was attached to a choke chain. With every yank, I caught myself closing my eyes, cringing and feeling sorry for the poor dog that was coughing and gagging with every jerk. .

Suddenly the voice in my head whispered: “Peter, you must say something, this poor dog can’t speak for himself, he is getting hurt,” the voice went on, “maybe the man is not even aware of what he is doing. .

“Excuse me,” I started with hesitation, “ You may not be aware of this but the choke chain you are using is causing your dog discomfort.“ I started. “Have you ever thought how it feels to have a collar on? Your dog’s neck may be put out of alignment and the trauma could lead to numerous other problems. .

Then I thought, “ Is he going to get angry? I hope not. Is he going to get it? I hope so,” .
“Thank you for telling me, I will keep it in mind,” the man replied.
With a sigh of relief I continued on my walk and I hoped that the man would indeed keep our brief interaction in mind. At least I tried. It was definitely worth the risk of being yelled at. .

Wondering where the collar originated from? .

Perhaps it is a remnant of slavery where people were chained, wearing collars and being roped. Maybe, it is the way the cave people restrained their wild dogs from running away. I hope that one day, such medieval torturing devices as choke chains and prong collars will be outlawed and seen only on display in museums. .

Why am I so against collars? .

Because one jerk can cause a problem for a lifetime.
If you have ever had a sore neck or back you may understand. Most people feel the effect throughout the whole body and chronic pain can easily make you feel like you are 10 – 20 year older. .

Why is that? The neck and cervical spine are one of the most important “energy channels” in the body. If the flow of energy between the head and the neck is interrupted or restricted, a whole array of problems may arise from lameness to skin problems, allergies and even cancer. .

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid gland hormone) may be related to collar related injuries.

For the longest time, I have been puzzled about why dogs that are known to pull on the leash, such as Labradors, Retrievers and German Shepherds, have such a high rates of thyroid gland issues. One day, it dawned on me that the collar actually pushes on the throat exactly in the area of the thyroid gland. This gland gets severely traumatized whenever a dog pulls on the leash. .

The thyroid gland gets inflamed and consequently “destroyed” by the body’s own immune system that tries to remove the inflamed thyroid cells. The destruction of the thyroid gland cells leads to the deficit of thyroid hormone – hypothyroidism.
The thyroid gland governs the metabolism of every cell and its absence can have very severe consequences. The symptoms may be low energy, weight gain, skin problems, hair loss tendency to ear infections and organ failure to name a few. .

Ear and eye issues.

May also be related to pulling on the leash. Why? My experience is that pulling decreases the energy and lymphatic flow, which leads to ear and eye conditions. My clients are often perplexed when all the ear and eye problems disappear after switching their dog from a collar to the right harness. I will tell you about the alternatives in a chapter ahead. .

Paw licking and foreleg lameness.

This too can be related to your dog’s collar. Leash pulling often causes an abnormal sensation ( pins and needles sensation)in the feet and dogs simply try to lick their feet not knowing what better to do. I have seen many so called “allergic dogs” or chronically lame dogs healing completely after they were put on special harness. .

Some dogs may get such severe whiplash like injuries from being “jerked around” that they may suffer severe neck misalignment. A neck injury can pretty much affect any part of the body and if the energy flow deficit is severe this can even predispose the individual to cancer. .

Most people do not know that leashes and collars can be the cause of so many problems. How would they? If you belong to the lucky people who live with dogs that do not pull, congratulations! If your dogs is one of those types that takes you for a walk flailing behind, make sure you are reading the following lines. .

The collar alternative. .

Over the years, I have searched for the best way of making dogs safe without the risk that a collar brings. A harness is the answer because it distributes the possible tugs and jerks throughout the whole body, some harnesses keep the neck and throat free. However, it may not be as easy as it looks to choose the right harness. .

5 points to ensure the selection of the right harness and correct use.
1. Ideally choose a harness that is attached to the leash in the front portion where the neck connects to the torso – the chest opening. Most harnesses on the market have the leash attached on the back. I have seen many of these harnesses restrict the front portion of the neck, which presses on major veins, arteries and the thyroid gland, which is what we try to avoid. .

2. Make sure that your dog’s harness is the right fit and follow the maker’s instructions carefully. .

3. Use the harness only when leash walking and take it off when your dog is off leash. .

4. Ensure that the harness is not pressing or rubbing anywhere and that it is washed or cared for regularly. .

5. If your dog is adequately trained, give him as much off leash time as possible. .

I have tested many and the best I have seen are those where the leash attaches at the chest below the lower neck. My favorites are “Sensation” and “Sense-ible” harnesses and for smaller dogs, a back attachment harness “Puppia” is a very good choice. .

If your dog is a “puller” and you think that he may be suffering back or neck injury I suggest you have him examined. Initially, you may want to get his thyroid level measured and the neck and back checked for any signs of injuries. Keep in mind that many veterinarians are not trained in checking spinal alignment and working with the right practitioner is essential. .

If you are looking for a treatment solution, I caution you about using painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication of the pharmaceutical kind. Despite being widely used, they suppress pain but do not really heal the injury. Their side effect, which is just a clever name for “their effects” are gastro-intestinal ulcers, indigestion and kidney damage, to name a few. .

If you are looking for gentle and effective treatment methods. I recommend using homeopathy, physiotherapy, intramuscular needle stimulation, chiropractics, acupuncture and massage. Perhaps, you are lucky and you may have an experienced and reputable practitioner nearby and if not, I am happy to discuss your dog’s condition and treatment with you. Just follow this link to the appointment reservation page.

Most of all, I would like to thank you for reading this article all the way through. .

I hope that you too will join our “gentle leash efforts” and will not hesitate to pass this information onto others. Instead of using collars to control your dog, use it for attaching a tag with your phone number and address in case Fido gets lost. And of course, each dogs collar is also an expression of “his personal style.” .

My dog Skai has 5 collars. 2 from Hawaii – blue with flowers, one contemporary with stripes of ocean blue, chocolate brown and white colors, another one with red flashing lights for safety in the dark winter months and the last one spring green with dots. Luckily he spends most of the time off leash and doesn’t pull. .

I have spent quite a few hours writing these lines on a sunny May day to call MAYDAY on behalf of the dogs and other animals of this world so they are treated with kindness and respect.

I hope that whenever you see a dog pulling and choking on the collar you will not be afraid to speak up for him and make his human more aware of how many things can go wrong. The worse thing that can happen is that you will be told off. Don’t be afraid to start now. You can make a huge difference in the lives of our best friends. .

Peter Dobias, DVM.
www.peterdobias.com.

a gremlin  took  over your computer?

Thank you for your  patience and  everyone  who kindly  let me know about our main Flying Dog Club  page being directed to another page.  We have sent  our  programmer Gregory on a rescue  mission and all is fine now.

What is… NEXT?

Our FDC mailbox has been  filled  with many  e-mails and excellent ideas. GREAT JOB!!! Some of you suggested a creation of groups that are interested in traveling from and to a particular destination.

This means that the group leader would pick a destination, organize and moderate the group and Flying Dog Club would help you organize a private group trip  to make your dream  come true.

By the way, if anyone knows of an  experienced programmer who would like to volunteer a suggestion how to create a simple and reliable registration system, we would love to  hear  from You.

Would your dog…

prefer being with you on holidays or in a kennel?  Imagine the  sad eyes..your dog waiting, not knowing if you ever come back.

Perhaps  you never travels exactly because of this. 

What can you do next ?

- Forward this message to as many friends and people  in your  address book.

- Send me an e-mail at contact@flyingdogclub.com with suggestions, proposal’s of your   planned destination

- Set  a target of  registering at least 10 people  in March and April.

An mainly imagine you and your best friend where ever you want to be. You can  even  create a collage to make your dream happen faster. Just  close your eyes and dream big!

I will be in touch with you soon.

Your captain and Skai’s dad,

Peter

www.flyingdogclub.com

WHAT WOULD YOUR OWN FAVORITE PHOTO LOOK LIKE?