If you have a disease you don't want to be cured of, are you still sick? I ask, because I know I am a "petaholic," and it doesn't really much bother me.
I am in good company; that's part of the reason I don't worry. My friends, you see, are petaholics, too.
My youngest dog, Heather, has a best friend, a graceful Rhodesian ridgeback named Sirene. Luckily for the two dogs, I'm friends with Sirene's "parents," one of whom I meet frequently at a place where our dogs can run.
With the weather getting warmer, we've moved our dog play sessions to the cooler early morning. Only two things will pry me out of bed early: Taking the dogs to the park or going to a dog show. So you can see the signs of addiction have always been there.
But Sirene's "mom" really nailed it. We were walking around the dog park, her dog and my two retrievers running and playing, Andy trotting slowly along behind us. She and I were talking dogs, our dogs. As we walked we discussed their glossy coats, their diets, their fine, fit bodies. We talked about how good the walking was for Andy, closing in on age 13.
And then my friend paused.
"You know," she observed at last. "This walking is good for (BEGIN ITALS)us(END ITALS), too, but we never talk about that. And if we spent half as much energy on our own diets and fitness ..." She didn't need to complete the thought. The truth is, neither one of us is as fit and healthy as our dogs, and we both know it.
To be fair, my friend is a killer racquetball player, and I make it to the pool enough to be on a first-name basis with the health-club staff. But the fact remains: Our pets are better cared for than we are.
Perhaps, I told her, we should get someone like us to adopt us and keep us so well-cared-for.
And then there's the issue of food. Until my little Senegal parrot, Patrick, arrived in my life, the produce aisle of the supermarket wasn't a place I knew that well. And what I did buy mostly rotted in the refrigerator before I made that fabulous salad or prepared that wonderful low-fat veggie casserole.
But now I wander through the greens, wondering what Patrick will like, or even what he will eat at all. Avocados are deadly for birds, so they're off-limits, but hardly anything else is. The variety of fruits and vegetables I buy now is truly laudable. And little is thrown away anymore.
I'm going to argue that my pet addiction isn't a bad thing. The walking I do to keep old Andy limber isn't doing me any harm, and the lift I get from seeing the younger dogs play lasts for the rest of the day and then some. And it turns out I'm eating a lot more fruits and vegetables because of Patrick. If you're going to clean veggies for one, you might as well do it for two. Wouldn't you know it: We're all nuts for baby carrots, including the dogs.
I'm even losing weight, slowly, after years of struggle. The reasons, though, have as much to do with the dogs as with any health and attractiveness issues. You see, I know the brilliant and athletic Heather would be great at the sport of dog agility -- if only I could run with her around the obstacle course with any kind of grace and coordination.
Petaholism? It can't be a sickness if it makes you better. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. And besides, it's time to walk the dogs.
PETS ON THE WEB
Photographer Herman Krieger has put several of his photo essays on the Internet, and one of them, Mobile Veterinarian (www.efn.org/(tilde)hkrieger/vet.htm) is well worth a pet lover's time to visit. The images show the variety in a mobile veterinarian's day, with both office and stable visits, and animals large and small. It would be nice, though, if the site gave more information about each image -- nothing is offered except titles that range from the merely inane ("A Case of Bad Metabbylism" for a low-energy cat) to the downright appalling ("Asta la Vista Pluto" for a dog apparently about to be euthanized). Still, the pictures are handsome, and so's the veterinarian. House call, anyone?
PET TIP
While it might be hard to believe if you're in a place where snow's still on the ground, spring has officially arrived. Days that are warm -- but not yet hot -- lull many dog owners into thinking it's OK to leave their pets in the car while running errands. Be careful! Even a sunny day in the 70s or low 80s can turn a car into a death trap for your dog. Call it the "greenhouse effect" if it makes it easier to understand why this happens. All those windows on a car let heat come in and build to dangerous levels quickly -- and no, a cracked window isn't going to save your dog. Don't take a chance; leave your dog at home.
QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK
Q: We need to be out of town in a few weeks, and I have recently acquired a bird that I have never had to worry about. Is it safe to leave him for about three days if we provide plenty of food and water? I don't have anyone to care for him while I am gone. -- Sandy, via the Internet
A: Let me put it this way: How would you like to be left with three days of food getting older by the minute and water that's developing a skin of slime, while trapped in a bathroom where the toilet doesn't flush?
In other words: No, it's not OK to leave a pet alone for three days. I know people do it, but they're taking big chances with their pets. Too many things can go wrong
If your bird is a finch or a canary, it can probably endure your being gone, but a parrot (and that category includes budgies and cockatiels) will keenly feel the social isolation. For all birds, food, water and cage papers need to be changed daily.
If you don't have a friend or neighbor to check on your pet at least once a day, call a pet-sitter.
Q: Can my cat eat a vegetarian diet? -- A.N, via the Internet
A: Not if you want him to stay healthy. Many people choose a diet devoid of animal-based proteins, and they want to extend their dietary choices to their cats. Fine for you, perhaps, but not for your cat, who is what the experts call an "obligate carnivore," meaning, cats must eat meat. (In contrast, dogs can and do survive on a meatless diet.)
No matter how opposed you may be to the idea of meat, your cat's body has a different opinion, and when your cat's health is at stake, you'd better listen.
Cats require more than a dozen nutrients including vitamins, fatty acids and amino acids that veterinary nutritionists call essential because they can't be manufactured in a cat's body and must be obtained from an outside source -- that is, from animal tissues. One of the most crucial of these is taurine, which if missing can cause serious health problems in your pet, including a deadly heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.
Veterinary cardiologist Dr. Paul D. Pion, my "Cats for Dummies" co-author and the discoverer of the link between taurine deficiency and heart disease, has a succinct way of describing the perfect diet for cats: Put a freshly killed rodent in the blender. Hit "frappe." Serve at room temperature.
In place of the rodent frappe, Pion recommends feeding foods from a variety of big-name manufacturers. He argues that these companies have proven their products through constant feeding trials. Look for the words "complete and balanced nutrition" on the label, as well as the statement that the product has been tested "for all life stages." The phrases come from the Association of American Feed Control Officials, a trade group that oversees industry standards.
Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Write2Gina(at)aol.com.
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