Precious Pets Vol 2, Issue 6 by PreciousPets

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In this issue Barking Bram

2 kups

a Pets and Bre

3 Toasty Birds

South America natural haven for marine life

Photo courtesy of Juliana Pavelka

A busy 2015 ahead for animal activistas Barking Bram with Bram D. Elsenthal

So we are well into 2015 and I am sorry we are late. But it is still January, so please allow me to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year on behalf of all the good people at Precious Pets. We have a big challenge on our hands as we head into an uncertain future. That is to make Precious Pets as valuable to our readers as possible. So, tell us, please... how do we do that? What is missing that you would like to see more of? We would love to hear from you, so please contact us, or me, at the address or phone

number on our masthead. More respect for the lives of people and animals in 2015! As terrorism rears its ugly head around the world, I am cognizant that we are not immune to that in this part of the world, either. On behalf of Precious Pets, I can also say, proudly, that ”Je Suis Charlie.” I am not as much afraid to tackle political issues, as I am desirous of not offending any religious groups including my own. I respect everyone. I don’t care if you are Jewish,

Christian, Buddhist, Zoroastrian or Muslim. We all have the right to worship as we see fit and the day I can no longer do that, I will forgo my right to life and fight to the death. But till that day, I won’t start offending other religions. That also does not mean, however, that I condone the massacre of people who DO utilize their right to free speech. I don’t always LIKE free speech, but without it, we are amoebas. People who knock Mohammed deserve to die? I think not. A deceased prophet is not more worth of respect than one solitary human... sorry to those of you who disagree (brand me an infidel if you wish) . A few years ago, the nation of Iran held a contest to see who could come up with the most blasphemous art about the Holocaust. Was anyone murdered as the result? So, what? It’s okay for misguided Muslims or the KKK to knock MY prophets or MY God, but if I do the same to them, I am ripe for death? Ludicrous... and unacceptable. I write this on Martin Luther King Day, by the way, which is rather apropos. In HIS memory, at least, can we not at least try to get along better? Since this is a pet paper, what I will not stand for is a government, whether Canadian or provincial, that permits the existence of gassing pounds, where dogs, cats and other animals are gassed to death,

quite painfully, using carbon monoxide gas. The Nazis used carbon monoxide against its first Jewish victims, until it was determined that it took too long for them to die and they switched to the quicker Zyklon-B gas. It sounds like a mere nightmarish dream, but there are two such gassing pounds in Alberta, one in Ontario... and FOUR in Quebec! And this is acceptable to you? To anyone? So, that is my goal for 2015, my New Year’s Resolution, to see governments at all levels shut down the gassing pounds. It is immoral, unethical and goes against the sanctit y of life. You are all ready to shout and scream when animals are abused, no? What in tarnation do you call these pounds? Animal amusement parks? Contact me. If governments will not close these pounds of their own volition, we will force them to. I demand that their owners and employees join the rank of the unemployed, immediately. Some changes in the works As of next issue, Precious Pets will institute some changes re: Content and focus. Again if you have any suggestions, now is the time to send along your recommendations. I’d like to know what really piques your interest, as well as what does not. Once again, a Happy New Year to you all!

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Precious Pets The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their owners Precious Pets is a publication of Precious Pets Media Group Inc. Volume 2, Issue 6, January 2015. Copyright 2015. Precious Pets does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not presumed to be the opinions and statements of Precious Pets Group Inc.

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Caught in a divorce Pet Healer with Barbara Etcovitch

Humans are not the only ones affected by the insecurity, grief, sadness and anger of a divorce. Our four-legged friends can equally suffer when the familiarity of the home they have come to know is shattered. Animals are an integral part of the family a couple has established and one needs to recognize that they can suffer dearly when that structure is disrupted. Dogs and cats may be moved to new homes, split between residences or completely abandoned. They may be caught in the crossfire of powerful emotions they don’t understand. And they will react. Our sensitive friends will act out their fear, grief and loss of security in different ways. They may mope, cling to guardians, pace restlessly, whine and/or change their eating habits. Cats may re-

fuse to use litter boxes and dogs might eliminate indoors. All these behaviours are symptomatic of the animal’s confusion and inability to understand what is happening to their familiar world. As much as possible, guardians should attempt to re-establish a sense of security no matter how difficult it may be. In the process, several homeopathic remedies will be of help. In cases where your dog or cat is exhibiting fright, insecurity or panic, and is restless and jumpy: Arsenicum Album 30CH is a remedy to be considered. For companions who are quite the opposite, that is, clingy, in need of more attention, and whiny: Pulsatilla 30CH is a good choice. A wonderful remedy for the grief and conflicted feelings that may arise when an animal is caught in a divorce is Ignatia 30CH. In the

Ignatia profile we will see sadness and moping. Our companions may appear to be confused as to which spouse to align with. They will appear to be “depressed.” Remedies can’t rebuild the home, only the guardians can do that, but homeopathy will provide great support as our companions learn to find a balance in their new situation. Barbara Etcovitch is a Classical Homeopath, Interfaith Minister, freelance writer and lecturer. She has a BA. from Sir George

Williams University, a M.A. in Literature from the University of Ottawa and a diploma in Classical Homeopathy from the School of Homeopathy in Devon, England. She was ordained by the All Faiths Seminary International in New York City in 2004. She offers naming and funeral services for animals, grief counselling for guardian and includes the treatment of animals in her homeopathic practices in Quebec and Ontario. Her services are available worldwide via Skype.

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Marine life lovers enjoy South American venues for natural beauty and sunshine by

Juliana Pavelka and Bram Eisenthal, Exclusive to Precious Pets - Photos Courtesy of Juliana Pavelka

When our newest contributor, Juliana Pavelka, told me that she and her husband, Keith, were going on one of their regular South American dives over the holidays, I realized it would make a nice cover story. We had not yet covered marine life in our paper and South America is as lovely a destination as you can get to. Juliana and Keith returned safely, with some great pics and material to boot, so in order to celebrate this new year Precious Pets-style... enjoy! “We have been visiting Latin America for some time now, because it is located in the deep south... we know

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we are certain to get good weather, with plenty of sunshine,” Juliana reported. It’s there dry season in our winter. Mostly for scuba diving, the waters are clear and warm, with interesting coral reefs, wrecks and sea life. Keith has known Andre from Cartagena, Colombia, from Baru Beech Nautilus Scuba Diving. Andre is originally from San Andres, and moved back recently to be working at Blue Life Scuba. Keith is in contact with his friends, from scuba diving (PADI), and networks frequently with the dive masters in other countries, that we have traveled to. The Sea in San Andres is unique. Andre and the locals of San Andres, purport the sea colors to be seven shades of blue. This is due to the healthy sea life. Andre would meet us on the island, the diving would be fun for Keith, and I can soak up some sun, warm my bones, and tour the Captain Morgan Pirate Trail. Off we went to the Caribbean. One gentleman from Mexico who was excavating for his home on the hill, happened to unearth buried pirate treasure. He is the richest man on the island, our guide Paul said. Than we visited the Pirate museum dating from the 17th century. There was a lovely enactment of the way the people lived back then. Many years ago, when they brought the slaves from Africa over to the new world, they would brad their hair to stash vegetable seeds for future crops. The type of hair brads would be maps deciphered for their new location. Creole is a product of the early African communicating with each other, so only they knew what one said, nobody else. Not the pirates,

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not the wealthy land owners, only they could speak freely with each other. Much of their hardships are relayed in the music. The sweetest mix of reggae, I can feel the early jazz, and of course some zydeco. Where would music be today if not for these magnificent people, sadly plucked from their homes, and brought to the new worlds many miles away? In Colombia this heritage is observed, and the stories are recounted in the early folk songs like those of Grammy award winning Chico Acosta. The island was owned by the British Crown, later sold to Colombia. It is this reason you have the harmony of Jamaican and Colombian flavours, Spanish English, and Creole. I never ate so much delicious jerk chicken in my life. I wish I could bring it home. I wish I could bring Marley from the pier, and Johnny from the band back to Montreal, so I could enjoy the

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warmth of their smile, the amazing music, and their friendship. 2 - Tell me about Keith and his diving activities. How long he has been doing this, etc. AS well as how you fit in... do you dive as well? Keith started diving when we came back from the Dominican. Dr. Vactor our family doctor, asked us what we had done on vacation and Keith responded that he had fun snorkeling. Well, Peter looked at Keith, and said “give up on snorkeling, and try diving, you see a lot more”. Keith said, I’m 50 years old, I smoke ….” Peter signed off Keith because he’s in very good shape and was interested to get in the water and see a whole new world. That being said, Keith stopped at the local Dive Shop, did the theory, and did his pool time exams that were challenging. Dive master said “give me 2- lengths of the pool and thread water for 15 minutes”. Keith Looked at the dive master and said: “Save a step, just call 911 now”. The rest is History, 4 years later Keith as over 83 scuba dives under his weight belt, loving the Zen feeling, and the tranquility of the oceans and lakes. I actually did quite well doing a shore dive, however I think I had too much air one day as I got very ill and have not dove since. I figure I’ll leave it to Keith, while I engage in another sport: sightseeing, shopping, and I do all the folk dance competitions when in town.

Sunshine Continues Page 6

Using natural protective devices to stay toasty Birds of a Feather with Chantal Gargano

I cannot believe that we are already in the midst of a bleakly frigid winter. Every year, while sitting comfortably in my warm and cozy house with a nice fleece around my shoulders and my bunny slippers on my feet (yes, I do own several pairs of those) sipping a nice warm coffee with a bit (ok, et’s be honest… a lot!) of Baileys in it, I always wonder how our tiny feathered friends managed

to keep warm. Birds are warm blooded, meaning that they are able to maintain their body temperatures within a certain range (which is on average about 40° Celcius) even when the weather conditions around them changes. But, it can be difficult for them to maintain such a high internal degree in very cold and crummy weather. But, although they are small, surprisingly, birds have managed to adapt very well to our cold climate. They are very resourceful and have many tricks under their feathers to help keep themselves warm in the coldest of conditions. Their feathers and the oil that coats them provide amazing insulation. Many species will molt in the Fall and will re-grow additional thicker feathers, which will give them extra protection from the cold. Also, unlike me (who is always

trying to avoid fatty food, in order to keep that ‘’muffin top’’ around my waist from getting bigger), when Fall arrives birds will start eating like piglets, gorging themselves with all they can put into their bellies in order to build fat reserves. Their goal is to get nice and plump before the winter and to gather extra energy required to generate more body heat. During cold days, birds will fluff their feathers in order to create little air pockets that will add an extra layer of insulating air. Those pockets will hold the warm air around their little bodies preventing the cold breeze to touch their skin. The more air space, the better the insulation and the warmer the birdie. Many birds will also take advantage of the nice, sunny winter days to capture as much solar heat as possible, by simply turning their backs to the sun. By doing so, they will expose the largest surface of their body to the warm sun rays, which will contribute to keep them toasty warm. Did you know that birds shiver? They will do this in extreme cold weather in order to raise their metabolic rate and generate more body heat. Even if it is very effective, it will unfortunately also use a lot of their calories. I was also deeply surprised to learn that some birds, like chickadees and hummingbirds, can enter a very deep sleep mode called ‘’torpor.’’ During that state, the bird can drop its body temperature on average between 10 and 15 degrees. Although torpor can save the birds up

to 20% of their energy, it can also be very dangerous because it will make them a lot more vulnerable to predators. So as you can see, our avian friends have managed to use what is available, in order for them to stay warm in the winter. You can, however, always help them by offering some high energy food. I am sure they will appreciate tremendously your kind offerings. Until next month, stay warm and cozy and go easy on that Baileys in your coffee!

Editorial Board The Editorial Board of Precious Pets is comprised of individuals connected to the pet field in some manner, who are ready to advise the partners and/or staff when

asked for their opinions. They are:

Michael J. Cohen, Councilor, City of Cote Saint-Luc (Quebec) and founder of its Cats Committee Averil Robinson, owner of Pet Friends (Vaudreuil, Quebec) Gerdy Gouron, owner of Gerdy’s Rescues and Adoptions (Quebec) Dr. Wojciech Wybranowski – Veterinarian (Montreal’s West Island) Gaby Dufresne-St. Cyr – Owner of Dogueshop (Montreal) Suzanne VIlleneuve – President: Suzanne Villeneuve Associates Inc. & SVbiz Inc.

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Sunshine

Photo courtesy of Juliana Pavelka

Continued from Page 4 3 - Now go into more about the venue... why diving is so gorgeous there, maybe a bit about its history as well as the types of marine life. Crystal clear twenty-eight degrees Celsius waters of amazing dive sights: Nirvana, El Avion: the airplane that missed the runway and crashed into the sea, Rose Cay, Johnny Cay, Hanes Cay: when conditions are good you can swim with the rays in waste deep water. The rays are friendly and have a wing span of about 5-feet. The water is warm and inviting like the locals. 4 - Do you have any tales to tell about your many dives and trips the past few years? Any adventures? Any encounters with sharks, etc.? I want to try to paint

a picture here so that armchair adventurers can feel they are there. I can quote Keith as well. As for sharks, Keith says it best. “If someone in a Speedo dropped in to my living room unannounced, I would attack it too! Keith and I are active with Project Aware, and we collaborate with the Beach clean ups also circulated the petition to save the underwater sea life, “one dive at a time”. The rule in diving is “no touch, no eye contact, leave only your bubbles”. Scuba is a high risk sport with many check lists to verify to assure safety. Just remember, “plan your dive, and dive your plan”.As for adventures, Keith had the honour of meeting Angelita for the first ever Connote

Sunshine Continues Page 8

Photo courtesy of Juliana Pavelka

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

They Call Me Dr. W

Obesity: How can you help your pet? (by Dr. Wybranowski, B.SC. DVM CCRT)

Excess body weight is a worldwide problem, and particularly prevalent in economically developed countries. Excessive body weight affects our pets as well: In fact over 50% of pets are overweight. That means that they have too many fat cells in their body. Spaying and neutering slows down the body metabolism by a third. So after sterilization a pet must be fed less or weight gain will occur. In dogs, about 30% of the extra body fat can be burned by increasing activity, but in cats this number is much lower. We, as owners, cause the problem by over-feeding our pets. There are many things you can do to help your pet lose weight, but remember - prevention of weight gain is key. In order to simplify this process:

with 15 minutes. a Take him to an off-leash dog park so he to play with other dogs off or simply play fetch in your own backyard. a Play with your cat. Use catnip, a laser pointer and recycle his toys every two weeks to maintain his interest.

a Move your cat’s food source around the house so he has to hunt for it. All these are little steps that can easily be introduced, especially if your pet is young, and they will make a huge difference… a longer, healthier and happier life will be assured. Remember that

your veterinary health care team has all the knowledge necessary to help you every step of the way. At Animal 911 we offer a weight-reduction program that has helped many pets to lose weight. Give us a call if you need help.

a Know what your pet’s ideal body weight is. Ask your veterinarian. a Measure your pet’s daily ration once each morning and put it into a separate sealed container. Feed him from that container until the next morning. That way, no matter how many people are feeding him (from that same container), your pet will only receive his measured daily portion. a Avoid commercial treats… preferably feed your pet vegetables or fruit (but not grapes, raisins, nuts, onions or garlic). a Feed a lower calorie dense diet. a Do not leave the food out all day long. Feed regularly timed meals (two-to-three per day). a In a multi-pet household, each pet must only eat from his own bowl. Separate the pets during mealtime (put them in different rooms). a For small pets, buy a gram scale and weigh out the daily ration instead of trying to use a measuring cup (five extra kibbles of dry food daily will equal to one extra pound of body weight in a year). a Especially with kittens and puppies, start them off right. We suggest not using food bowls, but instead use toys specifically designed to hold their food. They will have to work/play to get their food out. a Take your dog for a half-hour brisk walk every day, starting

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Sunshine

Continued from Page 6

dive in Qintaroo, Mexico. This was the hardest and scariest dive ever. “ I would have been better off doing some of the easier Connotes, before this one – This one made me wet my wet suite”, said Keith. Scary! When you get to the dive site, you have to put on all the gear, except the fins. They you walk a quarter of a mile into the jungle. You get to this hole in the ground surrounded by mango trees. You look at the dive master to inquire” Where do we dive? He just points to a hole in the ground. On go the fins, and “take the Nes Tea plunge”! The water looked like a cup of tea – brown! Once in the water, Keith looks at his dive partner, and gave the decent sign of thumbs downward. As they slowly sank under the brackish water, things started to clear up. The sun light at the top of the surface was visible, as they looked up. They dropped to about 80n feet. Things got darker deep down there, as they hit the band of Hydrogen sulfide. This made you feel as though you were flying through the clouds, weightless and surreal. Going through the mustered yellow band of Hydrogen Sulfide, two divers were having issues descending. The dive master had to go up to get them, leaving Keith and his dive partner alone in the dark! They looked at each other, there’s no way you’re leaving us alone here, said Keith, so they followed the dive master back through the clouds of HS. Once everyone was stabilized, they did a group decent down. The only light to be seen was from the flash lights. They dropped to 130 feet, the water was black, devoid of any life. They followed the wall of the Connote to an opening of about 6 feet in diameter,

suspended between stalagmites & stalactites. The buoyancy is very critical here, so you do not injure yourself, or damage your surroundings. Followed the tunnel for about a 100 feet to opening in another chamber, where they would make the assent to the surface. By now, Keith wet his wet suite twice already. Scary, as Keith looked up he saw the sun at the surface of the water, and just said “thank God it’s over”. He started his dive with 3100 psi of air, and finished with about 400 psi. In reserve. This was the most challenging dive ever. It made all the other Connote dives look like a cake walk. This was the biggest adventure Keith had scuba diving. Usually I wait for him in the hotel, we have our cappuccino and talk about the dive. The Mexico trip was his solo travel, and it turned him from a debutante to a safer and better diver. 5 - I will leave the rest up to you. Give me some material, please, that will hook readers. You told me that you had interviewed some people there.... In San Andres, it was feeding the eels lion fish. There is an over population of lion fish at the moment so if you can’t beat them you eat them. Apparently very tasty. We had great food in the Island of San Andres, lots of sea food, however after you have swam with the fish, and in all good conscience, Keith could not eat his dive buddies. The Chefs best “ Rondon” made after Big Mama’s recipe, the matriarch of the island, went untouched. There was one participant on one of the dives who grabbed a beautiful fan coral by the base and yanked it from the coral reef, and killed this vital, and beautiful living breathing

Photo courtesy of Juliana Pavelka

plant organism. She obliterated it! Why? Who knows? Ignorance? Dive master was not impressed and ordered her to the surface. In diving leave only bubbles and respect the sea! Killing the sea life so needlessly, will only lead to the demise of our humans on land, as if the sea dies, our water will not be possible, and such no life on earth. There is a lovely statement we picked up from our travels and it’s from Jesus Beta of Costa Rica. It go’s like this: Solamente cuando el ultimo árbol esté muerto; el último rio este envenenado, y el último pez este atrapado, entendermos que no se puede comer dinero. Jesus Beita – Costa Rica Only when the last tree has died; & the last river has been poisoned & the last Fish has been caught- will we realize that we cannot eat Money

– Costa Rica, Jesus Beita Night diving is more Zen – more relaxing. Many of the sea creatures are up and about. Most of the predators are finished eating so you can party with the fish. You really need a good flash light to be able to see well down there, but the feeling is ultimate weightlessness, the feeling of floating, and a feeling of peace and freedom from the earthly plane of existence. Maybe it’s so welcoming because of genetic memory, they say we evolved from the ocean, and grew to adapt to land. For this reason, scuba diving is a sport that although high risk, can be a great escape from the world around you. San Andres is the place to go if you really want to experience a colonial past, amazing people, rich with history, and a relaxing trip with really good food.

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Happy Early Valentine’s Month Since we will be coming out very late next month, we wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day. Not the religious version, but rather the "love your pets and humans" version. Valentine’s Day is symbolic with hearts and passion and, in fact, we should celebrate love year-round... not just for a day one particular month. But like Mother’s Day, this has become a great time of year for related businesses to market their wares, often at exorbitant prices. Just love one another, including your precious pets. That’s all we ask.

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca