Cedar Dog here: I am a few days out from my 14-year birthday; the big day is April 1, 2012. Yep I “fooled” everyone when I popped on the earth. You’ll recall from my books, I was abused early on, some fellow wanted me to hunt, I refused to be trained for that duty, was beaten and then my trainer found me an incredible “forever home.” Today I am author and politico (I ran for Mayor of Everywhere several years ago raising $5000 for the new Jefferson County Foothills shelter). Last year I established Pets Gone Green University. Now days I work on other sustainability projects that “humans” have a hard time getting their minds around. I always say, “People make things hard, they just confound everything.” I have to say the work I have loved the most was as a Pet Therapy dog to the elderly. I am retired now; I just do what I want. Lately, I’ve had a hankering to write more again.

Mom found this article that she and I have been preoccupied with; we thought we’d share it. The writer is Sue Manning from the Associated Press. Her research came up with this factoid; the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says the oldest cat on record was 34, the oldest dog was 29. Wow, pretty cool! Imagine having one of us around that long. I loved this quote from a Dr. Emily Pointer (you gotta love that last name) in New York, “Well-loved pets live longer than unloved pets.” No bombshell in that line!

Well the fact is I am thriving; Oh sure, I have a few “ole girl issues” but nothing serious. I do physical therapy at the K-9 Body Shop (they were recently featured on 9-News), that’s where I  “walk on water.” Really, it’s a treadmill in water for my hips and back, and I get acupuncture every 6 weeks to keep the rest of me in balance. The really grrrreat news, I am on no prescriptions. The supplements I am on keep me perkin’. That way I am free of a lot of toxicity that come from using over-the-counter drugs. My mom does a “snout-to-tail” assessment on all of us once-a-month so as to know of any physical changes that may be sneaking up. I call that “paw-ventive” care. I also get wellness check-ups!

One last thing, I bark a lot about “preventive care.” That’s something I see differently than most docs and vets. It is more than screening for the “big stuff,” and it’s more than keeping track of future risks and having changes checked out like lumps and things that don’t go away. Nope for me it is about healthy food, exercise, those supplement add-ons, and  keeping toxins out of my body. I have a good time and stay spunky; Mom is always telling me I am spirited and full of it.

Send me a Birthday wish and tell me about the age of your 4-legged(s), and what you do to keep them in fine fettle.

Email me, leave a comment or both.
Cedar@PetsGoneGreen.com