Plus, a new course recording for you
The inner voice is telling me, “Peter, write a medical post!”
“But, there is so much to share about life," I argue.
“OK, OK, but next time, you will tackle the pile of topics that you plan to write about and dog lovers need to know about.."
"Yes, I promise I will!”
I think dogs have it figured out! No New Year's resolutions, or "resi’s", perhaps because they are perfect already, with no sense of needing to be different, more organized or fitter. It must be nice not to have any guilt over eating too much, playing too much, or doing nothing too much!
BTW, how was your Christmas? For me, this year’s Christmas was probably one of the best because, after more than 35 years, my sisters, my mother, and our extended family got together in the Czech Republic, where many of them still live.
One of the best decisions we made was to skip the giving of material gifts and just spend time with each other. One would expect some sort of family drama in such a setup, but it didn’t happen. Unbelievable!
Arctic Circle Adventure
The no material gift “policy” allowed me to let my imagination go. If past lives exist, my partner, Dean, must have been a polar bear because he loves snow camping! To be honest, I can think of better things to do than spending the night in a tent at -15 C, but gift-giving should focus on the receiver and not the giver, right?!
Surprises are big in our family, and a big part of a good surprise is to create a puzzle that is hard to decipher.
I woke up Dean early on December 20th, announcing to him that we were flying to an undisclosed destination. We took a flight to Copenhagen, where we learned that almost everyone in the city bikes even in winter rain and temperatures just above freezing! First, we thought everyone was crazy, but then, we could not resist and biked for a whole day around the city and loved it. It was wild! Here are some pics:
Unfortunately, we didn’t see many dogs in Copenhagen (only the felt ones in the image above ;-). They were probably all snoozing at home in front of a fireplace.
Anyhow, part of creating a good surprise is giving it an unexpected twist! After two nights in Copenhagen, we got up at 4:30 am and took a short flight to Stockholm. Naturally, Dean thought it was the final destination prior to returning to Prague, but instead of going for the exit, I took him to another gate! I also sneakily asked him to “lend me” his phone, so he could not do any research about the next destination — Kiruna, Sweden.
If you are wondering where Kiruna is, that was exactly the point! He did too! After flying 1.5 hours north of Stockholm, we landed in Kiruna, a small town above the Arctic Circle. We arrived at 2 pm, one day after the winter solstice. It was almost dark with only a hint of sunset to the south. It was beautiful, eery, and strange, knowing that the sun had no plans to come above the horizon.
A short taxi ride finally took us to our destination — the Ice Hotel. I booked a one night stay (that sounds weird :-D), sleeping on a bed made of ice: my ultimate sacrifice in the gift-giving process! Dean was thrilled, and I must confess, I loved it too. Each room had a different theme and presented ice sculptures made by artists from around the world! The beauty of the ice sculptures is also a good reminder that everything is temporary and that we should not take anything in life for granted.
The whole experience was quite surreal, so the best way is to explain it is to show you a few pictures. It was bitterly cold outside, about -25 C; hence, the hotel room temperatures of -7 C felt like a tropical paradise (with an addition of a really thick sleeping bag and about five layers of clothing ;-)
While there, I also had a moment of connection with “little Mr. Skai” the mascot that Skai found on a walk a few days before he left us in May 2017. I continue to take him along with me, and as I do, I am reminded that life is short. Indeed, the most significant gift we have is the time we spend with those we care about and love.
All I can say is, no matter where you live and how far you can or want to go, do not wait to take your dog and those you love for an adventure. It does not need to be far. Life is not a mosaic of what material gifts we give and get. It is a filmstrip of moments spent with those we love!
This takes me to the next topic
Instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I have a proposal. Every week, I will be sending you essential info on how to keep your dog healthy or make him or her healthier with the hope that you will have time to watch or read it. Prevention is the best solution to healthcare because when “s…t hits the fan”, sometimes it is too late.
Today, I am enclosing PART ONE of a 4-part course on the “Essentials of Nutritional Therapy for Dogs” that I created last year.
Part One of Essentials of Nutritional Therapy for Dogs: Nutrition Basics
Here is what others had to say about using some of the methods mentioned in the course:
"We think Snoopy is a pretty special beagle (all dogs are special) who has enriched our lives immensely during her 4 years on earth! We love sharing her with the world! Since she was 8 weeks old, she has been on a natural diet and supplements. We have tried many brands but we hit the jackpot with Dr. Dobias’ supplements!" Lori C.
"My vets always remark how healthy my dogs are. They also say they are some of the happiest dogs they've seen! I believe nutrition is one of the most important things for dogs. As with human nutrition, the food sources are very often deficient making supplementation necessary even when using whole foods I trust and use your products! I am planning on another journey of love and health with my dogs!" Stephaine P.
"I can't describe how grateful I am to have found these supplements. I rescued my GSD when she was 9 and she was in bad shape with diarrhea, hip dysplasia, throwing up, etc. I started her on GutSense, SoulFood, GreenMin and FeelGood Omega! They are amazing, please everyone use it for your pooches." Mitra F.
"About 2 years ago I was sure I was going to lose my 11 yr old Japanese chin Tiki. She wasn't eating, was losing weight, had diarrhea almost daily and if it wasn't diarrhea it was bloody mucus. I had her in and out of the vets doing every test I could think of. Her liver numbers were high and I was told she most probably also had IBS. She'd been fed a dehydrated raw diet for about 2 years and of course, the vet wanted her on a prescription diet and all kinds of medications, which I REALLY didn't want for her, so I went home and did some research. I came across Dr.Dobias' website and read about his supplements and I ordered GreenMin and GutSense for her. Within 2 weeks of starting the supplements, I saw a change, by 6 months her liver numbers were normal, her energy was up, she gained her weight back (and a little more...oops) and she hadn't had diarrhea in months. Today she's 13 yrs old and as spunky as ever! I loved the supplements so much I now order the package for my whole gang. Thank you Dr.D, your products saved my girl." Kym V.
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© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM
