How To Bond With Your Dog During Quarantine

One of the many things I have been feeling thankful for since the quarantine order came is that I was at home when it happened. My work requires me to visit different parts of the globe, you see. I usually get a house sitter who can take care of my dogs while I am away or bring them straight to the animal shelter. But now that I do not have pending projects to deal with, I get to bond with my pets again.

Here are a few bonding tips that you should try during the quarantine.

Try Grooming Your Pet On Your Own

Various news outlets recently published articles about Chris Evans giving his dog a haircut while quarantining together. At first, I thought they wanted to tell the world that Captain America found a new talent. As it turned out, though, the dog ended up with a bald spot because the actor wasn’t used to grooming animals. There were no hard feelings between the two, so it’s all good.

Now, I am not sharing this to discourage you from trying to groom your pet by yourself. It should merely serve as a reminder to do things based on your level of expertise. Say, if you have a Shih Tzu, you can shampoo their fur in the beginning. In case you feel more confident, you may put their hair in a high ponytail. Nevertheless, you should only give your dog a trim when you are sure of your skills.

Let The Dog Tag Along Wherever You Go

Pets are no different from humans, in the sense that they are capable of missing their owner. That is especially true if the latter has always been busy at work and rarely finds time to spend with the dog. Hence, you may have caught them throwing a fit in the past by peeing on the floor, chewing on your shoes, etc.

Since you are locked down, though, you should let your dog tag along wherever you go. You may mostly be at home, but you can make them happy by not shooing them away when you go to a particular room.

Teach Some New Tricks

You and your pet can have a productive bonding experience when you teach them new tricks. Doing so should not be too challenging when you have already shown them a few in the past. If you need a refresher, you can look for tutorials on video-sharing platforms.

Teaching something new to your dog may be one of the best ways to pass the quarantine. Aside from taking you away from gadgets, it will take your mind off all the terrible things happening in the outside world.

Learn From The Dog

Similarly, you can spend your days understanding your dog’s body language. This tip is especially helpful for people who have gotten a new pet from the animal shelter while quarantined. You have never been around each other much, so you likely do not know what makes them tick. If you actively try to communicate with your pet, you will undoubtedly know when they feel hungry, angry, sad, or excited.

Final Thoughts

The quarantine order has been brutal for everyone who is used to staying out of the house for more than 12 hours. It may have been a welcome change at first, but it has become a nuisance after a week or two. Despite that, there isn’t much that we can do but follow the regulation if we want to live.

You are lucky for being able to quarantine with your beloved dogs. Don’t waste the opportunity to bond with them by staying glued to your gadgets. Good luck!

3 Benefits Of Quarantine On Animals

I grew up around farm animals like cows, goats, horses, and pigs. Our family also had dogs who served as my best friends and protectors from a young age. My mom would always say that old family dog Jasmine used to sleep by my crib or play with me.

Even when I became an adult and lived on my own, I did not outgrow my love for animals. I looked for an apartment that would allow me to bring pets at home. Then, I adopted a couple of rescue dogs who I connected with as soon as I saw them.

Because of my out-of-town business trips, though, I did not have much spare time to spend with my pets. I always felt so guilty about it, especially when I would live them to the same shelter where they came from. I had no choice; I lived alone, and no one could look after them while I was away.

But I honestly felt mixed emotions when I found out one day that the governor placed the state under quarantine. Of course, I was terrified about getting coronavirus and dying before even getting married. I also felt sad due to the growing number of individuals who got COVID-19.

Admittedly, I was somewhat happy about the quarantine, too, because it meant that I could be with my animals for weeks. And this new regulation was beneficial not only for humans but also for pets. Here’s why.

More Animals Got Adopted

When the pandemic broke out, I did not feel too scared about my safety. I thought that as long as I stayed at home, I would be safe. At the time, however, I was more worried about the high number of abandoned or abused dogs that kept on piling up in shelters. That’s especially true when I Iearned that they could have coronavirus, too.

While this fact kept me up for a few nights, the silver lining was that the shelters had been emptied by people who wanted to adopt a pet. Some of them might have been lonely and needed company. Others might have felt the same way that I did, and so they went on to adopt animals. Either way, it meant that the dogs could live in a safe environment.

Owners Could Bond With The Pets

The quarantine guaranteed that people would have time to bond with their pets. I knew that from experience, given that I could not even go next door to visit my best friend. I would only get in my car and drive whenever I’d pick up the groceries and then come back a few minutes later. The rest of the day was spent hanging out with my four-legged friends.

During this quarantine, I managed to get to know my pets more, and vice versa. We would play fetch at the backyard every afternoon and then have dinner under the stars. I also taught the dogs a few basic tricks, such as rolling over and playing dead.

Lonely Animals Finally Had A Home

Despite the care that volunteers give to animals at the shelter, it is still nothing compared to having an owner. They don’t need to stay in cages 24/7, for one. They can stretch their muscles without fearing other dogs. Of course, their owner gets to pamper them.

This sense of stability is essential, especially for abandoned animals. They need to be in a peaceful space where there aren’t 20 or so dogs barking from all sides. This way, it becomes effortless for them to stop feeling lonely.

Final Thoughts

I salute all those people who have thought of fostering or adopting animals during the coronavirus outbreak. Whether you have a dog, cat, or any other animal, your affection can do wonders for their well-being. Cheers!…

Common Rodent-Borne Diseases

 

Selective Focus Photograph of Two Rodents

Source: pexels.com

The 2018 Animal Care Seminar was focused on assisting veterinarians who specialized in laboratory animal medicine, specifically those getting ready for the board examinations. Keynote speakers were invited to discuss various topics regarding animal medicine. Interesting topics included the laboratory rat, facility architecture and equipment, and viral diseases. Immunodeficient rodents, the laboratory swine, and mouse pathology and diseases were also some of the most followed topics of the seminar. A review was done after the end of all the discussions, and the mock board examinations ended the day.

In relation to this, we will discuss some of the most common rodent-borne diseases.

Salmonellosis. Rodents can be carriers of Salmonella bacteria that lead to illnesses in both animals and humans. The infection originates from eating food or drinking water that contaminated with rat feces, the most common of which is through food contamination with farm animal feces. Some symptoms of the disease are fever, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Leptospirosis. This is an infection caused by the bacteria Leptospira. It is usually acquired from the urine of infected pigs, cattle, rodents, and dogs. People can be contaminated either through direct contact with urine or contact with water, food, or soil that is contaminated with the urine of these infected animals.

Source: upload.wikimedia.org

Typhoid Fever. Salmonella Enterica Subsp. Enterica Serovar Typhi is an endemic that is seen in several developing countries where hygiene is poor overall. Typhoid fever affects nearly 30 million individuals annually, specifically in children. It does not harm animals and is exclusive to humans only. Thus, it has a lower likelihood of having been transmitted by rodents except when they come in contact with human feces, such as in the sewer systems. Fortunately, this disease is treatable with antibiotics and vaccines.

Rodents are carriers of many other disease-causing organisms, some of which include viruses, protozoa, bacteria, and helminths. They are also carriers of various parasites. Rats act as reservoirs for many illnesses through their ectoparasites, including ticks, lice, mites, and fleas. They are also vectors for diseases carried by mosquitoes.

 

 …

5 Love Languages And Their Health Benefits 

Every person can love. Even Thanos proved to love his adopted daughter, didn’t he? When he got the soul stone? That’s already on the premise that he’s a titan. How much more can a human not feel the love? However, despite the universality of the concept of love, it is often exemplified in a multitude of ways. We tend to speak different love languages. 

 

Fixing Your Marriage: Programs That Might Just Do It

Marriages are tough no matter how much you love your person. There’s always a chance that your relationship’s flame might burn out, losing the passion, the feeling of being in love, or even your attraction to them all in a span of a few years. It is why all married couples will tell you that it’s not just about emotions, but about logic and commitment as well. 

Connecting People To Significant Health Care Treatments Via Virtual Counseling

The number of doctors, even clinical social workers, providing care is declining, and geographic locations affect the accessibility of these programs. This scenario results in people needing only online mental health care and choosing online counseling. Due to the decline in available in-person care, many people are turning to online therapy services.

Mental Health Accessibility

In 2014, Kurt Mosley, vice president of strategic alliances at Merrit Hawkins and Staff Care, projected that more doctors would retire or leave in 2017. Pairing this with how rural areas in the country lack hospital and clinic numbers, comprehensive virtual coverage will not be achieved. This makes it even more critical for people to find alternative solutions.

Where Do Online Counseling Sessions Come In?

Does online therapy work for everyone? How much does an online or virtual therapy cost compared to traditional therapy? Is virtual therapy cheaper? Does it cost you per session or per month? Are there any virtual therapy platforms? What are virtual therapy websites? What does it help, and how is that different from traditional in-person therapy? An online therapist can answer these and many other questions to clarify the value proposition of remote consultations.

Virtual Therapy Services Solutions

Online treatment or online therapy services solutions have been implemented by various organizations in the country to combat the current issues facing healthcare accessibility to address mental health conditions and other mental health emergencies. A virtual counseling platform is usually hosted by licensed therapists and mental health counselors. Virtual therapy or counseling can be used to treat many mental health conditions that are treated in face-to-face therapy via virtual therapy. This includes eating disorders, bipolar disorder, anger management, anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. Services like cognitive behavioral therapy and medication management are often available online.

Provides High-Quality Remote Care

These online therapy platform solutions provide virtual therapy users or citizens with a more suitable way of accessing high-quality care through remote means, particularly virtual help. “Online therapy session is also known as teletherapy, […] online therapy, e-therapy, telehealth or virtual counseling, email therapy, text therapy, phone counseling.” Sena Moran, LMHC said. Most platforms offer video sessions to mimic the experience of in-person consultations.

Three California organizations utilizing the said means are Kaiser Permanente (focused on Northern California) and the Blue Shield of California with the help of Adventist Health, a non-profit healthcare provider in the area.

Is Virtual Therapy As Effective As Traditional Therapy?

Virtual therapy is just as effective as face-to-face therapy, as you’ll receive mental health services the same as the traditional.  Couples therapy is also being provided by marriage and family therapists. There are licensed marriage and family therapists who provide valuable service by offering to counsel remotely and connecting people to effective healthcare treatments that can improve their mental and emotional well-being. Working with a licensed marriage counselor remotely can provide individuals and couples with the tools and support they need to navigate challenging relationship issues. It does eliminate commute time, so you save money. Some licensed providers accept insurance, but some are not covered by insurance. For those with health insurance, checking coverage for person therapy could be beneficial.

Kaiser On Virtual Counseling

Studies have shown that site visits to the Kaiser Permanente website increased from 4.1 million to 10.5 million in 2013. Kaiser Permanente is aimed at providing quality healthcare services via remote communication between patients and doctors and is an online therapy provider. Remote communication in counseling or virtual counseling is achieved by providing the best virtual therapy platforms that are inclusive of all the patient’s needs or mental health treatment through the help of mental health professionals or licensed clinical social workers. Many of these professionals are trained in behavioral therapy techniques

Patients Can Choose The Best Therapists

The patients may choose the best therapist or any from the pool of licensed therapists for their weekly virtual therapy, whom they wish to consult by browsing Kaiser Permanente’s doctor bios on their site, giving importance to the patient’s specific needs through virtual cognitive behavioral therapy. Doctors and staff are also multilingual. Therefore, patients who wish to communicate more efficiently about their mental health needs may choose a doctor who can speak their native tongue. This flexibility allows patients to find an online therapist who suits their particular requirements.

Patients May Call And Advise A Nurse 24/7

Patients requiring immediate help, such as unexpected occurrences in their healing process, may call and advise a nurse who is available 24/7. Kaiser Permanente stores detailed health information in affordable virtual therapy and is accessible to all its staff to provide immediate responses in a single message without extra cost. This process removes the patients’ need to schedule appointments and check the therapist’s availability for online therapy.

But note that “online care is not for every patient or practitioner. Clients with more serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems likely need more mental health services treatment than digital therapy can provide. And some clinicians may find certain telehealth modalities difficult.” A clinical psychologist and a licensed mental health professional Nina Barlevy, PsyD says. In particular, couples therapy might necessitate a more in-depth approach that some feel can only be adequately provided in person.

The organization does not only focus on telecommunication. They also have a mobile app wherein patients can manage their health plans anywhere and at any time. This multi-pronged approach ensures that therapists are able to reach their patients in a variety of ways, maximizing the benefits and convenience of telehealth options.

Blue Shield In Collaboration  With Adventist Health When It Comes To Virtual Therapy

The Blue Shield Association is a federation of health insurance organizations and companies. An independent member of the said organization, the Blue Shield of California, provides remote access to doctors, specialists, and hospitals by implementing telehealth for mental health services initiative in collaboration with Adventist Health, a non-profit healthcare provider in the area. This initiative is similar to Kaiser Permanente’s operational procedures.

However, the organization’s procedure differs in how the patients consult with their desired doctors. While Kaiser Permanente allows remote appointment scheduling and remote healthcare management, Blue Shield focuses on interactive video technology (more information here: kid ps4 games).

Utilization Of This Technology Requires Patients To Go To Any Of The Nine Local Adventist Health Sites.

With those sites, they may consult with their doctors or licensed clinical social workers who are across the state. It is achieved with a centralized command center that specializes in mental health conditions or mental health diagnoses. This center sets up appointments, allowing patients to consult doctors, family therapists, and virtual therapy providers according to their availability. Easy as it may seem, but John M. Grohol, Psy.D. said, “This kind of effort takes a fair amount of commitment and understanding of the online world.”…