Home Alone: Managing Your Pet's Separation Anxiety

Imagine your family leaving for an indefinite period of time without knowing where or why they?re going and how long they?ll be away. This is what many pets experience when their families leave. Without the ability to understand that they?ll return, pets become anxious?experiencing feelings of fear, depression and other taxing emotions. They communicate these feelings in a variety of ways, causing both their families, and themselves, a great deal of distress otherwise known as separation anxiety.

WHAT IS IT?

Separation anxiety syndrome is a distress response most common in dogs when they?re separated from the person or people they?re most attached to. Roughly 7-28 percent of domesticated dogs may experience some degree of separation anxiety, according to Leighanne Goyder, D.V.M., with Johnson Ranch Veterinary Clinic in Roseville. Dr. Goyder goes on to say that while it?s possible, it?s much less common in cats or other domesticated animals.

CAUSES

While it?s not fully understood why some dogs experience separation anxiety and others don?t, it?s important for families to know that their dogs aren?t trying to punish them for being left alone; rather, their behavior is a panic response. ?Some speculated causes include lack of appropriate pet-owner interactions, improper socialization to owner departure and absence, prolonged contact with humans without learning to be alone, traumatic episodes during owner absence, and cognitive decline,? Dr. Goyder says.

Patti Hebert, R.V.T., with MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital in El Dorado Hills, notes that, ?It is common practice to label any ?home alone? problems as separation anxiety. [Similar behaviors] may not be due to separation anxiety. These behaviors may be seen from boredom. Your pet may not be getting enough exercise, playtime, potty breaks or social contact.? It?s important to rule those possible causes out before concluding that your pet has separation anxiety.

SYMPTOMS

According to Dr. Goyder, barking, howling, destructive behavior and inappropriate elimination are the most common symptoms of separation anxiety. She adds that ?specific events may trigger anxiety in an affected dog, like getting keys, putting on shoes or jackets, or packing the car, etc.? Really, any undesired behavior, especially those harmful to the dog or the home while you?re away, may be signs of separation anxiety syndrome.

In an attempt to protect their home and belongings, families often turn to leaving their dog outside. Hebert advises against this, stating that, ?When left outside, these dogs will turn into escape artists as they tunnel under, chew through or jump over fences. In their attempt to escape, they often injure themselves.?

TREATMENT

If you suspect that your dog may have separation anxiety syndrome, see your veterinarian, who will perform necessary steps to determine the cause of your pet?s symptoms. ?Providing your vet with a complete history will help determine if the pet is suffering from a behavioral condition, such as separation anxiety syndrome,? Dr. Goyder explains. The severity of the pet?s behavior will determine the treatment, which may include:

• Behavior modification techniques. Whether alone or in conjunction with other treatments, behavior modification techniques are the best method for managing separation anxiety. Dr. Goyder explains that ?independence training, counter conditioning (associating leaving with something pleasant like a good stuffed toy or treat), changing departure and return routines, and graduated planned departures and absences can all help.?
• Oral medication. Some pets with separation anxiety syndrome may be prescribed oral medication to help decrease anxiety. Dr. Goyder recommends that families pair this option with behavior modification techniques for best results.
• DAP plug-in diffusers and collars. DAP is a synthetic version of a pheromone of nursing dogs. It has been found to pacify puppies and can be helpful in calming dogs in fearful, stressful or anxiety-ridden situations.

WHAT WON?T HELP

The Humane Society of the United States has found the following tools in treating separation anxiety to be ineffective:

• Punishment
• Getting another dog
• Crating
• Radio/TV noise (unless used as a safety cue)
• Obedience training (separation anxiety is not the result of disobedience or lack of training; therefore, it has not been found effective in treating separation anxiety.)

Living with a pet who suffers from separation anxiety syndrome can be extremely difficult, especially for the primary member of the family whom the pet is most attached to. For the well-being of the animal and his ?people? family, it?s imperative to identify the problem then work to find an effective treatment. ?

Article by Kelley Saia?? Family Health & Wellness Magazine published by?Style Media Group.

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My Dog with Separation Anxiety

Living with a dog with separation anxiety is like living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When I?m home, my dog Sailor is perfectly well behaved and simply the cutest thing (in my humble opinion). The minute I leave the house, however, she becomes a completely different dog. I have to ?dog proof? my house before departing, because if something?s left out (even a loaf of bread), it will be eaten or destroyed. She?ll jump on counters and on top of the refrigerator, try to get into the trash (which I?ve learned to barricade off), attempt to escape, etc. Whenever I leave, I don?t know what I?ll come home to, which often makes it difficult to enjoy my day. Once she was diagnosed with separation anxiety, I worked with her vet to find effective treatments. While her anxiety has improved with treatment, it doesn?t seem to be something that will ever be cured, but we work very hard to make the situation work because Sailor?s an important member of our family.

?Megan Hodge

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Article appears in the January/February 2013 Issue of Family Health & Wellness Magazine.

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Source: http://familyhw.com/2012/12/home-alone-managing-your-pets-separation-anxiety/

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What is a wrist replacement? - Ask Doctor K, Harvard Medical School

DEAR DOCTOR K:

We?ve all heard of hip and knee replacements ? but is it true that you can have your wrist replaced too?

DEAR READER:

We like to think of ourselves as irreplaceable, but the truth is that some of our parts are replaceable. The joint replacements you hear most about are those of the knees and hips, but surgeons also have been replacing hand joints for decades.

Joint replacement (arthroplasty) in the hands is actually more challenging than in larger joints such as the hips or knees. That?s because of the hands? intricate bone structure and smaller joint size. Joint replacement surgery in the hands is a delicate procedure. You wouldn?t use the word ?delicate? to describe a hip or knee replacement, even though the surgery does require considerable precision.

Wrist arthroplasty involves removing damaged bone or joints and replacing them with artificial, or prosthetic, joints. The artificial joints provide patients with a better range of motion and more stability. This makes everyday tasks like writing much easier.

Wrist arthroplasty can be done as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. Sometimes general anesthesia is used; other times, you are awake, but feel no pain because the nerves from your hand are numbed.

In the surgery, the surgeon removes the first row of carpal bones (the bones that lie between the forearm and the hand). Then the surgeon shapes the end of the radius (the main forearm bone) to fit one part of the artificial joint, which is attached to the end of the bone. The other part of the artificial joint fits over carpal bones in the wrist. A plastic spacer fits between the two components.

Now the two artificial joint surfaces move easily against each other, creating a flexible and pain-free wrist. (See illustration.) Individual knuckle and finger joints may also be replaced.

Wrist arthroplasty In a wrist arthroplasty procedure, a surgeon replaces the damaged wrist joint with an artificial joint that includes several metal components.

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People with rheumatoid arthritis are most likely to benefit from a total wrist replacement, but it can also help people with osteoarthritis or traumatic arthritis.

Wrist replacement is major surgery and recovery takes several weeks. If you?re considering joint replacement, weigh the benefits and risks. Age is an important factor. But the final decision is based on your level of pain and how much your wrist stiffness and pain limit your activities.

Wrist replacement surgery may be a good option if one or more of the following apply to you:

• You cannot complete normal daily tasks without help.
• You have significant pain every day.
• Pain keeps you awake at night despite the use of medications.
• Nonsurgical approaches have not relieved your pain.
• Less-complicated surgical procedures are unlikely to help.
• Pain keeps you from doing daily activities or your job.
• Pain doesn?t subside when you rest.
• You suffer severe side effects from the medications.

Joint replacement surgery is one of the great advances of medicine in the past 40 years. I speak as a grateful recipient of a hip replacement.

Source: http://www.askdoctork.com/what-is-a-wrist-replacement-201212284029

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Cheers! Alcohol and Your Metabolism: New Year's Eve | BostInno

As Ultimate Bootcampers, we have a work hard, play hard mentally. We enjoy a challenging bootcamp workout, but we also love to gather with friends and ring in the New Year with a few cocktails. We know you?ll indulge a little bit next week, but we wanted to share the truth about how alcohol really affects your metabolism, so you can keep it in mind when you are trying to achieve your New Year?s resolutions and healthy living goals in 2013.

Here it is: Alcohol significantly sloooooows down (we?re talking turtle slow, inch worm slow) your body?s normal metabolic process.

How Alcohol Slows your Metabolism

The metabolic process is your body?s act of turning food and drink into other compounds that, ultimately, our body uses for energy. Throwing a wrench into your metabolism like alcohol means your body can?t absorb the proper energy source it needs for day to day functions.

While you might not feel the effect a couple glasses of wine has on your everyday functions, you will absolutely feel the lack of effort your body gives to you during an intense boot camp workout. I?m talking increased shortness of breathe, legs that feel like 1 ton boulders and arms that laugh at you when attempting bicep curls. Wait, I think I just described a typical boot camp workout without alcohol?make it a 2 ton boulder. ;o)

A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each standard drink contains a similar amount of alcohol. This alcohol prevents the proper processing of vitamins and minerals which are needed in the natural metabolic functions. Without the vitamins and minerals, energy production is reduced.

Also hindered ? by even just a small amount of alcohol ? is the ability of your body to bring on lipid oxidation (the burning of fats), according to the American Journal of Clinical Research.

How alcohol contributes to weight gain

Alcohol contains almost TWICE the amount of calories per gram (7 calories per gram) than proteins and carbohydrates. This is one of the reasons why it contributes to weight gain ? even if you?re working out regularly.

Plus, research has shown a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. So, that often means that healthy summer salad you just ordered might turn into a salad + bread & oil + dessert + an extra drink or two. In studies, people who drank alcohol with their meals consumed a total of 33% more calories!

So if you?re really looking to lose weight or fit into a smaller dress or pant size in the New Year, kicking alcohol to the curb could help speed up the process ? and your metabolism.

At Ultimate Bootcamp, we want to help you achieve your fitness goals in 2013! We are giving participants that commit to 8 weeks of Ultimate Bootcamp workouts $100 cash back at the end of their experience. We?ll be there to motivate you along the way and help you get the results you want. With each workout burning 500-700 calories, you?ll be sure to see a difference in your fitness level at the end of your 8 weeks!

Visit our website for more information on the New Years Resolution program at: www.ultimatebootcamp.com/resolutions

This post is published by a Channel partner:

Source: http://bostinno.com/channels/cheers-alcohol-and-your-metabolism-new-years-eve/

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Airstrike in Yemen kills 2 al-Qaida suspects

SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? An airstrike killed two suspected al-Qaida militants in Yemen on Friday while tribesmen with links to the group were believed to be behind an attack on an oil pipeline elsewhere in the country, Yemeni security officials said.

Officials and residents suspect that the strike in the southeastern province of Hadramawt was carried out by a U.S. drone. Washington considers al-Qaida in Yemen the group's most dangerous branch and has carried out drone strikes that have killed militants there before.

Yemeni security officials said the two men were killed while riding a motorcycle. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The attack around the town of Shehr comes just days after another suspected drone strike in the same area killed five al-Qaida militants. The Interior Ministry said among those killed in that attack was Abdullah Bawazir, the chief architect behind a mass prison break last year that freed dozens of fighters who then took arms against the government and helped administer al-Qaida rule in the south.

The group overran entire towns and villages in southern Yemen last year by taking advantage of a security lapse during nationwide protests that eventually ousted the country's longtime ruler. Backed by the U.S. military, Yemen's army was able to regain control of the region but al-Qaida militants continue to launch deadly attacks against Yemeni security forces that have killed hundreds.

On Monday, another suspected U.S. drone strike killed two militants in the southern town of Radda in Bayda province, which was also briefly overrun by al-Qaida militants earlier this year.

Elsewhere in Yemen, al-Qaida linked tribesmen were believed to be behind an attack on an oil pipeline in the northeastern province of Marib, just hours after the line was fixed on Friday. Tribesmen from Marib have also attacked power stations in the past.

The government has carried out deadly strikes against the tribesmen in recent weeks, but has failed to stop the acts of sabotage.

The more than 430 kilometer-long (260 miles) oil pipeline carries around 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The government said the acts of sabotage this month alone have amounted to $310 million in losses to the impoverished Arab nation.

Some tribal chiefs are also suspected of being allied with former longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The attacks appeared to be aimed at undermining the new government.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/airstrike-yemen-kills-2-al-qaida-suspects-171336208.html

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Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon to head national ...

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon will take over as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as the new year begins. The group is focused on developing standards and best practices for insurance regulators across the country and coordinates regulatory oversight of the insurance markets.

?Donelon has been a member of the organization since he was first elected insurance commissioner in 2006 and over the past five years has chaired the group's Surplus Lines Task Force, which deals with outside insurers who provide high-risk policies.

"I am pleased to have this opportunity to serve the NAIC and the citizens of Louisiana in this capacity," said Commissioner Donelon. "Louisiana is a significant consumer of insurance in the national, and even international, marketplace. Through this position, I will be able to engage in the insurance debate on a leadership level, and place Louisiana at the forefront in the study and development of insurance regulation."

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/louisiana_insurance_commission.html

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Amazon Sees Its Biggest Holiday Season Ever, Tops Online Shopping Survey While Apple, Dell & JCP Decline

Customer experience analytics company ForeSee released its eighth annual holiday online satisfaction report this morning, which rates the top e-retailer websites in 2012. This year's newly expanded list puts Amazon.com again at the top, while Apple, Dell, and JCPenney.com all slid down in customer rankings.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HigNSy7uBGY/

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Outrage: Newspaper Publishes Names, Addresses of Legal Gun ...

Remember, WE can all play their games!

Editors of The Journal News are:
Janet Hasson, 3 Gate House Rd, Mamaroneck, NY 10534. (248) 594-2197
Cyndee Royle, 1133 Westchester Ave., Suite N110, White Plains, NY 10604, (914) 694-9300
Nancy Cutler, 9 Woodwind Ln, Spring Valley, NY. (845) 354-3485

The CEO of the parent company is:
Gracia C Martore, 728 Springvale Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066 (703) 759-5954

The reporter on the story is:
Dwight R Worley, 23006 139 Ave., Springfield Gardens, NY 11413 (718) 527-0832

So, feel free to contact them and let them know how you feel. I am sure they would welcome your calls. Afterall, everyones information is available in the PUBLIC RECORD and since they don?t appear to be concerned about anyone elses privacy, I?m sure they are not concerned about their own!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Source: http://www.westernjournalism.com/outrage-newspaper-publishes-names-addresses-of-legal-gun-owners/

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