Advice from a Dog Veterinarian

Author: Wang Yao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Can you have a dog? Maybe you've seen someone selling cute puppies while shopping, or perhaps you've been greeted by enthusiastic dogs when visiting friends, making you feel tempted to get one too. If you have this idea, please think carefully: Dogs are living animals. They need to eat, drink, defecate, play, and be petted. Do you have the time to take care of them? Are there people in your family who are prone to fighting? Does anyone have allergies to animal fur? Does your residential area restrict dog ownership? Is your financial situation allowing? Is your living environment suitable? And most importantly, no matter how mischievous or sick they are, you must not abandon them! The Yangtze Evening News once reported a story titled "Owner Moves Out and Abandons Dog, Loyal Dog Waits at the Same Spot for 7 Years," which attracted much attention from readers. After the owner abandoned the dog, it wandered in the community for seven years, struggling to survive, often looking up at its "home" on the upper floor, hoping the owner would suddenly return. Due to its long period of wandering, the dog had become very thin and suffered from multiple illnesses. After the news was published, over 200 kind-hearted readers expressed willingness to adopt it. Eventually, a Ms. Li became its new owner. When Ms. Li saw the frail dog trembling and struggling to stand, her eyes filled with tears: "After wandering in the community for seven years, it's truly a miracle that it's still alive. I must ensure it has a good life for the rest of its days." While we are relieved that the loyal dog found a good home, we cannot help but condemn the owner who abandoned it in the first place!
If you can seriously consider the above questions before getting a dog and provide satisfactory answers, while also being able to endure the heart-wrenching pain of losing your beloved pet to accidents or illness, then you will be a qualified dog owner.
What are the benefits of having a dog? When it comes to the benefits of dog ownership, those who have experienced it can talk endlessly. For example, cute puppies have changed the introverted personalities of children; taking dogs for walks in the morning and evening has unknowingly improved physical fitness; they bring endless joy to elderly individuals living alone or single people; and they teach "heartless" young people to care.
Research abroad has also confirmed that patients' moods improve, their confidence in fighting illness increases, their ability to care for themselves improves, their blood pressure and cholesterol levels decrease, and the incidence of heart diseases such as coronary heart disease reduces when they have close contact with dogs. This is very helpful in alleviating loneliness and reducing the pain caused by illness.
A scientific survey in Australia found that dog owners have lower systolic blood pressure and serum triglyceride levels than those without dogs, and their incidence of heart disease is significantly lower. A study in the United States showed that elderly dog owners visit hospitals less frequently than other elderly people by 21%.
Therefore, pet therapy is very popular in developed Western countries. According to Xinhua News Agency, China's first "dog doctor" team, consisting of five dogs that passed strict examinations, officially began providing medical services at the Palliative Care Department of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. They regularly visit hospitals, nursing homes, children's welfare institutions, and other places to bring warmth and comfort to people.
As the "dog doctor" team grows, in the future, these "dog doctors" can be sent to the homes of those in need to provide long-term companionship to patients or the elderly.