A Pet Owner’s Guide to Savings

• Consider alternatives to veterinary care. If you can’t afford vet fees, check out humane society or university veterinary clinics which may offer thriftier medical services than private practitioners.
• Look out for specials such as reduced veterinary-service events sponsored by government agencies or pet stores. Also, some vets will give you a discount if you bring in several pets at once, so bringing in the whole brood routine check-ups and inoculations will save you time and money
• Tell your vet if your pet is a stray. Many vets offer a discount if a pet was an abandoned or homeless creature that you rescued. The discount is usually at least 10 percent off.
• Seniors should also ask their vets about discounts. Some vets offer seniors discounts as high as 20 percent!
• Reproductive reasons aside, spaying or neutering your pet decreases its chances of developing a number of illnesses.
• Keep track of your pet’s records such as inoculations and other health-care services. If you switch vets, you’ll avoid having costly procedures repeated.
• Be selective about follow-up care. Don't automatically follow up with expensive emergency-hospital staff (if you can avoid it.). See if you can instead follow up with your regular vet during normal business hours.
• Learn what constitutes a true emergency situation. For example, weakness and difficulty in breathing is an emergency.
• Consider purchasing pet health insurance. It works in much the same way as it does for people -- there's generally a deductible, a co-pay or both, and forms to be filled out
• Don’t settle for prices; shop around for medicines, online and locally.
• Seek a second opinion when your vet suggests a pricey procedure.
• Brush your pet’s pearly whites! Not only will your pet's teeth suffer if you don't -- it can seriously affect your pet’s overall health. Oral bacteria can lead to serious problems and complications.
• Ask your vet for samples.
• Consider your pet’s diet. Upgrading to higher-quality premium foods can pay off in health dividends.
• Take advantage of the free resources offered by your local pet-supply store. Their personnel tend to be animal lovers with a fairly good knowledge regarding a variety of pets.
• Read, listen and watch. Take advantage of other free resources, such as pet publications, informative email subscriptions, and TV and radio programs.

The healing power of music has long been established in people. Now a handful of harpists throughout the country are harnessing that power for animals.

Alianna Boone is one of those musicians.

“The structure of the harp is considered to be the most healing instruments next to human voice,” said Boone, an Oregonian who plays for ill family pets and produced a CD "Harp Music to Soothe the Savage Beast."

While anecdotal reports abound, Boone conducted one of the few studies on harp music’s effect on animals. In 2000, she performed for recently hospitalized canines at a Florida veterinary clinic. The hour-long sessions immediately began to lower heart rate, anxiety, and respiration in many cases, she said.

Cow control

Dogs aren’t the only animals benefiting from the good vibrations.

Cassie, a black and white cow, lives at the Maple Farm Sanctuary in Mendon, Mass., with about 80 other unwanted livestock. She arrived there last year after jumping a 7-foot-high fence to escape from a slaughter house, said volunteer Tracie Russell.

Even though the cow is now living the good life, it has demonstrated anxiety-related behavior issues.

On a recent morning, for example, Russell walked into the barn to find the 1,500 pound Holstein snorting and stomping.

“I was little bit afraid for my safety, I have to say, for the first time,” said Russell.

She’s not sure what upset Cassie but decided to try calming her by playing a CD of harp songs.

Within 20 minutes, Russell said, the bovine dozed off.

Rave gorilla reviews

At the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, a gorilla group appreciated Sue Raimond’s live harp performance a few years ago. The youngest member, named Little Joe, even blew her a kiss before falling asleep.

Both wild and domestic animals can benefit from music therapy but not all of them respond to it.

“It’s not a magic bullet,” cautions Diane Schneider, who produced "Harp of Hope: Animal Therapy Edition," the music that lulled Cassie. “But for animals for which it works, it works incredibly well.”

Schneider trained at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. Later, as a pastoral theologian and hospital chaplain, she began to use the harp with hospitalized human patients.

"I use certain harp vibrations to resonate with, or entrain, a patient's own cellular rhythms to help release tense muscle tissue, calm anxiety, improve digestion, induce restful sleep, increase endorphins for pain management — to aid the body's own efforts to heal itself," Schneider said.

The same holds true for animals, she said.

Animal CD

"Harp of Hope," a collection of 17 songs, was originally recorded for people but Schneider decided to release an animal edition last year after owners reported it helped their arthritic dogs fall asleep and calmed their agitated cats.

Veterinary hospitals also acknowledged the CD's success in soothing nervous pets — and their owners.

She said every detail of the instrumentals — the tempos, rhythms, keys, note intervals, chord structures and plucking techniques — are carefully arranged to promote progressive peace and relaxation.

Animals usually begin to relax after listening for just a few minutes.

Schneider recommends playing the music on an as-needed basis or before a stressful situation, such as a veterinary or grooming appointment.

“I’m hopeful that there will be a great increase in the use of this benevolent therapy,” said Schneider. “It is a very cost-effective, beneficial, soothing, calming intervention for animals and the people who love animals.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22539914/

S.T.A.R. (Saving The Animals of Rowan)
Morehead, KY

Black Labrador Retriever Mix

Size: Medium
Age: Adult
Gender: Male
ID:

Notes: This boy is why I left the pound in tears today. I went to pick up the pregnant golden mix and get new pics. I loaded her up and took a few pics and after seeing him, I ran out of there. I'm ashamed of myself for that but it's been a really bad week. I'll go back tomorrow and get more pictures but today I'm not emotionally strong enough to do it.

He has an eye infection that is making his eyes run with real tears. He looked up at me and it looked like he was bawliing. Tears were rolling freely down his face and he is so in need. Please... someone must help him. It will be hard. I need someone to come here and get him. I do not have room at home for him now and my vet is full of Christmas boarders. I can't drive long distances. I can get him to Lexington or to Huntington but that is as far as I trust my car to go.