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Issue #8 Volume #2

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Coverpage


A Bargain at Twice
the Price


This is the third and final story in a series contributed by Dani Adams

My final story is harder to tell, I know I will be in tears long before the end. This story does include a death, though not Luna's as he is here with me as I write, healthy as a horse, happy as a clam, and smart as the dickens, loved by my whole neighborhood! This part is as much about my mother as it is about Luna. It starts the spring of 1995; I had married in January of 95, and had moved to a town about an hour's drive from my mother. She had been very ill for years but was losing weight fast now. She had a next door neighbor who was also a close friend who did her shopping and cleaning after I moved. I knew she was in good hands so was able to move forward with my life. But back to the story; I had spent the years, while living with my mother, teaching Luna many cute tricks. I couldn't believe how fast he learned nor how much he loved to perform. My mother was enchanted!

I was a fan of the Late Show with David Letterman and had been encouraged to pursue a shot on the "Stupid Pet Tricks" segment. I sent in a video tape and soon received a call saying they were interested and to be prepared, as I would only have a couple of days notice if they decided to use us. My mother called almost every one she knew, including people she hadn't contacted for years. This was a blessing for them, as I had encouraged my mother to call them in the past but she had refused knowing the only news she had for them was her deteriorating condition and didn't want a lot of sadness now. The TV show gave her an excuse to call and good news to share without suspicion, on their part, as to her motives.

In late July I got the greatly anticipated call, after much anticipation and planning they called back saying the producer was postponing the segment, with no further plans. When I gave my mother the news she gave me news back, saying she couldn't eat anymore and was checking herself into Hospice to die. Preparations were made. The day before her departure I got a call back from the show, I was definitely in and the schedule was set for less than a week. After much begging on my part my mother agreed to eat, I brought homemade chicken soup, her grandmothers recipe. She asked that I call the local newspaper, I did. My husband began taking videos of all the preparations, including pulling up to a newspaper box and seeing me and Luna, in living color, as the front page headline.

We left early on a (I believe) Monday morning. We were 1 of six acts brought in, the best three would then get on the air. My husband was told he couldn't tape the rehearsals and would have to wait for us in the dressing room. On stage I froze up, started imagining all the terrible things that could happen and knowing Letterman's history, knew the more embarrassing the incident the more chance they would include it. Despite Luna's cooperation I couldn't go on. I went back to the dressing room to call my mother with the bad news, and found that my husband, while playing with the monitor had found a closed circuit airing of the rehearsals and had set the camera up to tape them! We stayed in the dressing room through the taping of the show. One lady, who was included, had a little dog that drew with markers (you may remember, he was marvelous), and after hearing my story, gave me her dog's rehearsal drawing, signed by him, as a gift to my mother.

We flew back the next day and I immediately drove to my mom's. I had about 3 hours of video tape to share with her, chronicling the whole event, from seeing our faces, on the newspaper in the box, to the flight there and the limo service, to our time on the stage and finally to the lady presenting (on tape) her little dog's drawing. My mother watched all 3 hours straight through and received her gifts which also included a "Late Show" baseball cap before returning to her bed.

I stayed at my mother's for the next couple of days, trying to talk her into remaining home, but on Friday she insisted on being admitted to Hospice. I drove in the ambulance with her to the facility. The next two days were a living nightmare of watching my mother quickly fade away. She died early Monday morning, peacefully and painlessly. The last photos of my mother are of her wearing the "Late Show" cap and holding the newspaper in front of her as she refused pictures till I proposed the cap and paper to hide the worst of the cancer's ravages. Luna has brought so much to my life but his most important gift was a few more days with my mother.


Common Myths About Pet Health Care


Provided by the American Animal Hospital Association
Veterinarians Set the Record Straight

Although pet owners are becoming more and more educated about their pet's health care, many still believe some of the common myths that veterinarians have been trying to debunk for years, according to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Following are some of those myths and the facts.

MYTH: If cats or dogs drink milk, they can get worms.

FACT: Cats and dogs do not get worms from drinking milk any more than you do! But they often will get diarrhea if they drink milk because many of them lose lactase, an enzyme essential to the digestion of milk, around the age of six to eight weeks. Young animals often are infested with worms because of direct contamination by their mother during pregnancy or through maternal milk. This is why it's important to treat both future mothers and their litters for worms.

MYTH: Yeast will prevent fleas from attacking your pet.

FACT: While yeast is a good source of B Vitamins, there is no scientific proof that yeast prevents fleas.

MYTH: Mix breeding a female dog will alter or terminate her ability to give birth to purebred babies in subsequent litters.

FACT: Only the litter born from the mix breeding will not be purebred. Every time a purebred animal is bred with a purebred mate of the same breed, the litter is purebred.

MYTH: If a dog has a black palate, it means it is a purebred dog.

FACT: The black color is called pigmentation and is caused by a substance that deposit in tissues, called melanin. It is very similar to the so-called birthmarks in people and does not indicate a purebred animal.

MYTH: Dogs that scoot their anal areas on the ground have worms.

FACT: While dogs infected with tapeworms may scoot on the ground, most such pets have overly full or inflamed anal sacs. Anal sacs are structures located near the dog's anus that produce a foul scent. Sometimes the ducts of these sacs close up causing a buildup of material that causes itching and burning. In an attempt to relieve this discomfort, the dog scoots its anal area along the ground.

MYTH: Puppies need calcium supplements for strong, healthy bones and beautiful erect ears.

FACT: A healthy animal, fed a good quality diet during growth, does not need calcium supplements. In fact, too much calcium can be harmful to your dog.

MYTH: Pet birds need only to eat a seed diet.

FACT: Birds, like all animals, need a properly balanced diet to live and thrive. While seeds may form the basis of a diet, they must be supplemented with a variety of other foods to provide the best nutritional value. Many veterinarians recommend vitamin supplements. Pelletized, balanced diets are another alternative that can supply a properly balanced diet for your bird.

MYTH: Before being spayed, dogs and cats should have at least one heat cycle.

FACT: Pets do not need to experience a heat cycle before being spayed. In fact one of the major medical benefits of spaying may be lost. Research has shown that pets spayed prior to their first heat cycle have significant protection against the formation of breast tumors. Therefore, waiting to spay your pet until after she has undergone one or more heats may be a poor decision, and may result in an unwanted pregnancy.

For the most accurate information on these and other concerns about pet health care, the American Animal Hospital Association advises pet owners to contact a veterinarian.

The American Animal Hospital Association is an international organization of more than 12,000 veterinarians who treat companion animals. Established in 1933, the association is well known among veterinarians for its quality standards for hospitals and pet health care.


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