Happygoluckypaws

29/12/2024

Persistent tag noise may hijack a dog's sense of hearing. The constant jingling can interfere with their listening to the world in the purest "dog-relevant" ways possible.

23/12/2024

23/12/2024

🅜🅾🅝🅳🅐🆈 🅼🅔🅳🅘🅲🅘🅽🅔

With Christmas and the festive season 🤩, we all hope for a safe and joyous occasion. Sometimes however a mishap can occur for either ourselves, family or animals. 🐕
Of course it goes without saying that serious misadventures require emergency attention, but for the minor events there can often be some home based remedies that can make everything that little bit easier all round.

I have spoken a lot about homeopathy this year, with a variety of Zoom Coffee Cup chats☕ where many of the remedies listed in this post have been spoken about. I love homeopathy because it works quickly, when you use the right remedy and is easily accessible particularly the ones I have referred to. 🎯 The best potency for acute is anything up to a 200C. In acute situations you do need to give frequently every half to one hour is recommended, although with anxiety - every 15mins.

Tummy upsets 🤮tend to be the most common problem this time of year( humans and animals alike - we love all the wrong foods!!!) and the main remedy is Nux Vomica - often for over indulging or hangovers or if we have eaten something we should not have ! .. same goes for our dogs and cats. Nux is a great liver detoxifier! 🫁 If however it is due to anxiety or just the hustle and bustle of Christmas, then Arsenicum Album can not only ease the tensions ( emotionally) but soothe the gut.

I have made reference to some more herbal/plant based remedies🌿 and they include Slippery Elm powder, which when mixed with some water and added to food, helps soothe the gut for both us and our small animal.

If you have an Aloe Vera plant 🪴- then the gel in the leaves is awesome for instant relief - yesterday I got bitten by a wasp. My Aloe vera plant was in easy reach and immediately applied. A mixture of green and calendula and even chamomile tea can help sooth itchy, reddened skin - put in a spray bottle and spray any affected areas.
As we all love the outdoors at Christmas, insect bites and stings can be annoying.

Arnica and Aconite are always my big 2 remedies for anything acute - if you only have these two on hand then use them frequently as both can help with any trauma ( physical or emotional) that comes on suddenly.

Hopefully you do not need to resort to some type of intervention and all is good for the 2 and 4 legged extended family - however always valuable to know what you might be able to do and have on hand as needed.

Homeopathic remedies and slippery elm powder can be sourced from Natural Health Food stores, homeopathic pharmacies online, or contact myself ( qualified animal homeopath) and can provide.

🎄🥰🙌🐕🐦🐱

21/12/2024

21/12/2024

16/12/2024

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right."

~Søren Kierkegaard

Image: art by Brooklyn Swenson

15/12/2024

13/12/2024

"Dogs are our link with paradise

They don't know what evil, envy, jealousy or discontent is❤️

Sitting with a dog on a glorious afternoon, it's like going back to Eden, doing nothing... it wasn't boring, it was being at peace🐾" I LOVE YOU!

- Milan Kundera

12/12/2024

10/12/2024

The Power of Canine Loyalty: The Inspiring Story Behind Edwin Henry Landseer's Painting "Saved"
In 1856, British artist Edwin Henry Landseer created a poignant painting titled "Saved," which tells the story of a devoted dog's heroic rescue of his owner from a shipwreck. The painting is based on a true event that occurred over a century ago, when an English merchant and passenger ship, the "St. John," sank off the coast of Ireland in 1845. The tragedy resulted in the loss of many lives, but one remarkable story of survival and loyalty emerged.
A Newfoundland dog named Swain, who was on board the ship, refused to leave his owner, a young woman, behind. As the waves crashed against the shore, Swain swam with the woman to safety, saving her life. This incredible act of loyalty and bravery inspired Landseer to create his iconic painting, "Saved."
The painting depicts the moment when Swain and the woman reach the shore, exhausted but alive. Swain is shown standing proudly beside his owner, his fur soaked with seawater, his eyes gleaming with devotion. The woman lies on the ground. The painting is a testament to the unbreakable bond between humans and animals and the power of canine loyalty and rescue instincts.
Landseer's "Saved" has become an iconic representation of the Newfoundland breed's reputation as loyal and heroic companions. The painting has inspired countless reproductions, adaptations, and tributes, cementing its place in the hearts of art lovers and dog enthusiasts alike. The story behind "Saved" serves as a reminder of the enduring power of love, loyalty, and companionship between humans and animals.

06/12/2024

Barry the St. Bernard, Alps Rescue, 1895
In 1895, an incredible story emerged from the Swiss Alps involving Barry, a St. Bernard famed for his remarkable rescue abilities. Barry saved a stranded mountaineer who had become disoriented and collapsed due to exhaustion. Barry was trained by the monks of the hospice in the Alps to find lost travelers, and he carried supplies and warmth to those in distress. The story of Barry's heroism spread throughout Europe and North America, turning Barry into a symbol of hope and bravery, and a photograph capturing one of these rescues was widely circulated, evoking admiration for rescue dogs everywhere.

02/12/2024

Dogs die. But dogs live, too.
Right up until they die, they live.
They live brave, beautiful lives.
They protect their families. And love us.
And make our lives a little brighter.
And they don't waste time
being afraid of tomorrow ..

Dan Gemeinhart, The Honest Truth 🐶

Artist Credit: 'Best Buddies' by GallowayArts via Etsy

26/11/2024

Sophie is so polite 🐾💓

When I'm walking a dog on the lead, I always like to position the dog away from the road.

This is Sophie communicating with me that she is coming to my space and me to sniff the tree in front.

I put slo mo in the video to see how many signals she uses.

She sniffs the ground in the beginning and moves slightly curve towards me, then stopsfollowed with lip lick and eye blink.

This is the subtle signal from dogs that are often missed by us.

But if you pay attention and observe them, they never stop communicating with us.

26/11/2024

Ⓣ🄷🅴ⓡ🄰🄿🅈 Ⓣ🅤ⓔ🆂🅳ⓐ🅈 🙌

If you've ever seen a dog snorting, making interrupted, choppy noises and sounding like a choo-choo train, you are most likely witnessing reverse sneezing.

Of course, a dog affected by sneezing can have other conditions, such as an obstruction of the nose with a piece of food or a blade of grass. There may also be a polyp or a nasal growth present.

In the case of Rocky, the Pomeranian on the right, there was no obstruction and in fact the reverse sneezing had always been there as a puppy but recently got worse, hence why his mum made contact to see if there might be a homeopathic remedy that might ease his condition.

Most conventional medical articles connect reverse sneezing with congenital, often breed-related anatomy. Some dogs, especially short-nosed breeds, have shortened and compressed airways, leaving less room for air to pass through.

Reverse sneezing often affects smaller dogs, but any dog can be affected. When the airway in the area of the soft palate is narrow, the air passes by faster, increasing the likelihood of the soft palate ‘fluttering in the air' and making the familiar noise.

However, there are some other potential causes of reverse sneezing that are often forgotten.

Diet : Diet and reverse sneezing can have a hugh impact on seasonal allergies that can then cause an aggravation of reverse sneezing. Usually by restricting grain, dairy and sugar in the diet improvements can occur.

Reverse sneezing caused by collars, retractable leashes : If you have a dog that pulls, the collar presses on the jugular veins and the blood outflow from the throat and head are partially obstructed and the soft palate will swell up. This can easily cause reverse sneezing in a predisposed dog. Choke and martingale collars are reported to be the worst, but regular collars and unforgiving nylon leashes can also be the cause. Retractable leashes are also problematic because they are spring loaded and a dog needs to apply force to extend them. The brake system of the leash is even worse because it creates a severe and traumatic jolt every time the brake button is pressed.

Stress and reverse sneezing : For dogs that are generally anxious any particular trigger event can exacerbate a reverse sneezing episode as can any other environmental changes.

In the case of Rocky, more than likely the cause is related to his breed and genetics but the recent aggravation would appear to have been triggered by stress and recent roadworks that were increasing dust and other air allergens.

A homeopathic mix of low potency Nat Mur, Silica, Alium Cepa, & Sabadilla is being used to reduce the most immediate exacerbation, however a constitutional homeopathic approach may well be able to have a more direct impact on the condition.

If you have a dog with reverse sneezing - firstly check out the diet, examine closely the leads and collars that you use , look at allergen exposures particularly environmental and see if they can be mitigated and don't forget any stress through changes to routines or environments - all of them can have a multi-layered effect and a holistic approach needed to improve the problem. 🙏