Gallery Of Travel

We often feature profiles of the wonderful, loving, qualified women behind Love on a Leash, putting a face behind the person who is caring for your dog while you are away. This month we feature Penny Adam Leggo, Dog Sitter and Dog Walker Extraordinaire…

Penny has worked closely with animals since 1996, including eight years at the S.P.C.A. Animal Hospital and seven years as a professional dog walker. This has helped Penny fine tune her knowledge of animal behaviors, health, and well being.
Penny has worked extensively throughout the animal world – from specialty pet stores to grooming businesses. These positions have honed her knowledge of pet products, animal nutrition, grooming and care of dogs as well as other pets.

Penny is a certified dog trainer and recently updated her first aid skills to include Levels I and II of Dogsafe Canine First Aid. Penny also went thru training to help further improve her skills and knowledge in dealing with a variety of different situations regarding dog handling and certain behaviors that may require some special work to ensure that owners and their dogs are happy, healthy, well adjusted and well behaved!

Over the years Penny has owned and loved a variety of different pets including dogs and cats plus other small animals. She gets tremendous enjoyment working with dogs. Penny feels these loveable pooches help keep a smile on her face and deliver new challenges each day and that dogs enrich people’s lives so much with their unconditional love.

We have to agree -- there is no substitute for your dog’s love and the amount of love Penny gets from her doggy clients each day along her route shows she is indeed dog’s best friend!

Note: Recently Penny adopted Rupert, a senior Bichon Frise, who had been left in a kill shelter in L.A., and who was in need of a loving and caring home. Having lost her own senior boy, Ziggy, this past winter, we hope that Rupert can help fill the void Ziggy’s passing left in Penny’s heart. And Penny’s heart is indeed very big as she adopted a newborn kitten a few months back, too!

Colonoscopies may become yesterday’s news as new training techniques are helping dogs be ever-more accurate in sniffing out various cancers. Scientists in Japan are hoping that the super sniffing ability that dogs possess will increasingly help them not only determine the presence of cancer in a totally non-invasive way, but what type of cancer a patient may have. Nor is this some futuristic dreaming. It’s already beginning to happen today. From the science-focused Cosmos Magazine:

Japanese scientists have found that dogs can distinguish people with colorectal cancer, reporting that a retriever can scent bowel cancer in breath and stool samples as accurately as hi-tech diagnostic tools.

The findings published in the British Medical Journal support hopes for an ‘electronic nose’ that will one day be able to sniff out the specific chemicals that are produced by cancer cells and circulate in the blood stream before being expelled by the lungs.

The researchers have been relying especially on Marnie, a specially trained black labrador retriever with a lot of talent for the job. Over a period of several months, Marnie was given 74 sniff tests to carry out. The tests were each comprised of stool and breath samples, one of which was cancerous. Every time she correctly identified a cancerous sample, she was rewarded with some time with her tennis ball:

The samples came from 48 people with confirmed bowel cancer at various stages of the disease and 258 volunteers with no bowel cancer or who had had cancer in the past. They complicated the task for the eight-year-old canine detective by adding a few challenges to the samples.

Around half of the non-cancer samples came from people with bowel polyps, which are benign but are also a possible precursor of bowel cancer. Six percent of the breath samples, and 10% of the stool samples, came from people with other gut problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, diverticulitis, and appendicitis.

The retriever performed as well as a colonoscopy, a technique in which a fibre-optic tube with a camera on the end is inserted into the rectum to look for suspect areas of the intestine. It correctly spotted which samples were cancerous and which were not in 33 out of 36 breath tests, equal to 95% accuracy, and in 37 out of 38 stool tests (98% accuracy).

According to Cosmos, for eight-year-old Marnie, cancer sniffing is a second career. She was first trained for water rescue. (Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?)

Mark your calendar for the BCSPCA Charity Pub Night, coming up fast on Thursday, June 9th at Ceilis Irish Pub located at 790 Smithe at Granville, Downtown Vancouver.

You can see more information on the Facebook event page here, but -- in the meantime -- here’s the 4-1-1:

Come join us for live entertainment, drinking, dancing plus fun and games! You'll also have the chance to win great prizes throughout the night and bid on some fabulous silent auction items.

All of this, appies and a drink for just $10!!

To purchase tickets call 604 681 7271 or by e-mail here.

…And don’t forget to tell your friends!
* Door sales will be available *

All proceeds go directly to our charity challenge fundraising on behalf of the BCSPCA. The BCSPCA is a not-for-profit reliant on support from the community. Proceeds from this event will support the BCSPCA’s care and protection of animals.

While we’re on the topic of BCSPCA fundraisers, don’t forget the annual Paws for a Cause. This year’s goal is $1 million! More information here.

This weekend is one of the most fun & exciting of the year.... the kick-off to summer! Most people enjoy this special weekend by heading to the Jersey Shore, going to countless parties, and drinking endless supplies of beer (and let's not forget that this weekend is when most bars get into full swing!).


If you are a person that rarely eats processed meat (by rarely I mean less than once a month), then I am not going to tell you to avoid eating hot dogs and hamburgers at a party this weekend, since you obviously know that they are bad for you. Hot Dogs and hamburgers are not bad for you just because of their high fat and saturated fat contents, but also because studies show that when these products are cooked (especially on the grill) they form heterocyclic amines (HCA's) which have shown to be carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Burnt bacon is actually one of the worst for you in terms of HCA's, since it is a very fatty and highly processed meat- sorry bacon lovers! Below I show why hot dogs are not the greatest, but basically: high fat, high saturated fat, high sodium, low-nutritional benefit. However, if you are a person that eats  processed meat regularly (hot dogs, deli meat, ground beef, salami, pepperoni, etc), then you could probably benefit by skipping a serving this weekend ;-)

Anyway, here are my tips for taking on summer barbeques when healthy options are not always available:
1) BRING A HEALTHY SIDEDISH! This is my #1 recommendation, since every host loves a guest that brings something, and bringing a healthy sidedish can benefit everyone at the party (rather than giving just the host a bottle of wine which they don't need). Plus, if you know what is in your dish, you can load up on that instead of high-fat potato salad.
2) If you don't want to eat a hot dog or hamburger, don't! Unless you are staying at the party for >5 hours, chances are you can last that long without having protein. So, if healthier salads are available, eat those, or something else that isn't terrible for you. Baked beans, although usually containing high fructose corn syrup, would be a fine option since beans are extremely nutritious. Just watch your portion size! Be sure to eat a protein-rich meal before or after the party.
3) Instead of having a cheeseburger, make a cheese-sandwich with lots of tomatoes, lettuce, and onion, with 1 (maybe 2, if you must) slices of cheese. While I don't advocate eating a lot of cheese, this would be a better option than the cheeseburger.
4) Eat 1/2 of a hamburger. Again, load up on the extras (L,T,O, pickle), but you can definitely feel satisfied on just 1/2 of the burger. Don't think eating the burger without the bun is "healthy", it's not.
5) If you MUST choose hot dog versus hamburger, I vote burger. The burger is less processed and contains more protein than the hot dog. A 1.6 oz Oscar Meyer Beef Hotdog has 150 calories, 14 g fat (6 g SFA), 461 mg sodium (20%) and only 5 g of protein. A 4 oz. 20% fat hamburger (which most people buy) contains 307 calories, 20 g fat (7.5 g SFA), 85 mg sodium (4%), 30 g protein, and 16% DV for iron. So, ounce for ounce the burger is much more nutritious. If you ate the equivalent amount in hot dog, 4 oz would cost you 368 calories, 32 g fat (12 g SFA), over 50% DV sodium, and only 12 g protein.

As far as beer, try to limit yourself and drink glasses of water in between... plus, it's hot and humid!

If you are hosting a party I encourage you to offer 100% Whole Wheat buns, offer turkey burgers, grilled chicken, and/or boca burgers as an option, and definitely healthy salads as side dishes.

Have a great weekend and eat safe! (i.e.: be conscious of food safety... raw ground beef is not something you want to mess with).

References:
SelfNutritionData (hot dogs and hamburgers)
ADA Times, Spring 2011, Vol 8, issue 3. "Analysis Explores Levels of Cancerous Compounds in Ready-to-Eat Meat Products"

I'm assuming most of you have heard at some time or another that nuts are good for your health. You hear the Almond Board telling you that Almonds are good for your health and Snookie says that she eats pistachios because they are the "lowest calorie nut."

Side story: Growing up I used to hate nuts, I liked Peanut Butter, and sometimes could eat pistachios, but no one could ever convince me to eat almonds. Then... I studied nutrition and read research articles, and I was able to make myself like cashews.... then I learned that almonds are way healthier than cashews, and I learned to like almonds. Yes, through repetitive exposure to almonds, I made myself like almonds. I tell every parent this fact: it is likely that if you expose your child to a food enough times (research estimates 12-14 exposures) your child will learn to like the food. So, if you or your child doesn't like any vegetable now, keep giving them vegetables, and soon enough your child will like (some) vegetables (or at least tolerate them).

Anyway, as far as nuts go, they are all good for you so don't believe someone when they say cashews are bad for you, or nuts are going to make you fat. In fact, people that eat nuts regularly tend to have lower body weights than those that don't eat nuts. Why, you ask? Experts aren't entirely sure, but it is believed that nuts are more satiating (i.e: make you feel more satisfied after eating) than other foods because of their fat, protein, and fiber content. Furthermore, they don't think that nuts are well absorbed, meaning that even if you eat 200 calories worth of almonds, you might not actually extract, absorb, and store all of that energy.

So, why are nuts good for you?
- Nuts contain healthy monounsaturated fats (the "healthy" fat in olive oil) and omega-3 fatty acids (like in salmon!)
- Nuts are a good source of protein and fiber
- Nuts contain Vitamin E, a very powerful antioxidant that most of us don't get enough of
- Nuts contain phytosterols which help to lower your blood cholesterol levels
- Nuts contain phytonutrients which can potentially help prevent diseases like cancer

Which nuts are the best for you?
If I had to rank nuts through the research studies I have read, classes I have taken, and experts I have heard from, it would go something like this (best to 5th best):

1. Walnuts- just 12-14 walnut halves have 2.5 g ALA (an omega-3), 4 g protein, 2 g fiber, 10% DV of maganese and phosphorus, some calcium and iron, and 190 calories
2. Almonds- one ounce (~22 almonds) has 160 calories, 6 g protein, 3.5 g fiber, and contain high levels of antioxidants and Vitamin E
3. Pistachios- 1 ounce (~49 kernels) contains 170 calories, 20% DV of Vitamin B6 and 15% DV of thiamin, as well as 3 g of fiber
4. Peanuts (technically a legume)- 1 ounce (~3 tbsp peanuts) contains 170 calories, 25% DV of Vitamin E, 20% DV Niacin, 10% DV of potassium and phosphorus
5. Hazelnuts- 1 ounce (~21 nuts) contains 180 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, and contain the lowest levels of saturated fat (along with almonds & pine nuts) compared to other nuts

What do you recommend I eat and how much?
In most studies related to cardiovascular health, people eat 1.5 ounces (~1/3 cup) of nuts each day which will cost you about 220 calories on average. I recommend you eat whatever nuts you like, but if you do like any on my top 5, try to choose those (especially almonds & walnuts). Even though nuts are high in fat, they are high in HEALTHY fats and are chock full of other good-for-you nutrients. Remember, fat isn't what will make you fat, too many calories and lack of exercise will! If you don't like any of the nuts listed, but like the butter versions (e.g: almond butter, peanut butter), you will get similar health benefits from those.

So, try to enjoy nuts as a healthy snack each and every day!

References:
"Nuts: Which Nuts Are the Best and Why?" RD411. June 2008.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085/NSECTIONGROUP=2
http://www.walnuts.org/walnuts/index.cfm/about-walnuts/nutrition-information/
http://www.almondboard.com/Consumer/HealthandNutrition/Pages/NutrientDense.aspx
http://www.pistachiohealth.com/health-care-professional/nutrition
http://www.peanutsusa.com/usa/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.page&pid=17
http://www.hazelnutcouncil.org/health/nutritious.cfm
http://www.ichange.com/nutrition/item/id/140373
http://www.nutstudies.org/search.php

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s time to start thinking about cool canine treats. I made these for my dog and she is crazy for them! Maple syrup is associated with all that is Canadian and dogs love the stuff even more than we do. In warmer weather, these frozen treats will help cool your pet down -- plus you can even eat one yourself! They are yummy.

The yogurt adds protein and calcium to help keep bones and teeth healthy and strong, plus probiotics are good for your dog’s tummy and the blueberries are loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals plus fibre: the maple syrup is just added for taste. Don’t use too much: like all sugars, large doses of syrup are not good for your dog’s teeth, and flavorwise, a little goes a long, long way.

Blueberry Maple Pupsicles

Ingredients:

2 cups plain non-fat probiotic yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or chopped fruit such as peaches or plums
2 tbsp. maple syrup (honey may be substituted if you are out of maple syrup)

Stir together the yogurt, blueberries and syrup and freeze in containers appropriate for your dog’s size. (ie: muffin tins, ice cube trays, mini-muffin tins, etc.) Do not fill all the way to the top as the mixture swells as it freezes.

To release them from the container, dip the bottoms in warm water.

These treats store well frozen in freezer bags.

Think back to your high school chemistry class and a very fun lab when you got to burn a piece of candy to determine the amount of calories released (I know Conestoga does it, and I hope you were so lucky to experience this lab!). As you may have learned from this lab, a calorie is a unit of energy and it is defined as the amount of energy needed to raise one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. In terms of nutrition labeling, the calorie we know is actually a kilocalorie since it is 1,000 times larger than what chemists and physicists use in their line of work. If you have ever come in to see me for a nutrition consultation you may notice I write things as "40 kcal, 100 kcal" (kcal= kilocalorie) since that is the way we had to write the units during my nutrition classes and other sciences courses in college.


Previously, calories had been determined by the FDA similar to the way we did it in high school labs, with a bomb calorimeter. The food was burned all the way and the rise in water temperature was then measured. However, this is an outdated method which is not incredibly accurate.


Fast forward to the present method: In 1990 the George H.W. Bush signed the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA) which required most foods regulated by the FDA have nutrition information on their food label and that all nutritional claims ("low fat", "high fiber") meet the FDA regulations. This law also changed the way the calorie content of foods are determined. Instead of burning the foods, indirect calorimetry is done using the Atwater System... which basically breaks down the food into the energy containing nutrients (fat, protein, alcohol, and carbohdyrate). Fat= 9 kcal/gram, Protein= 4 kcal/ gram, Alcohol= 7 kcal/gram, and Carbohydrate= 4 kcal/gram. Knowing the calorie content per gram of macronutrient, scientists are able to calculate the caloric content of foods. This system is much more complicated than I will explain, but it gives a pretty good idea of the total available calories in a food... the human digestive tract is very efficient and will obtain most of the calories present (unless high amounts of dietary fiber are consumed).


I hope this little science lesson makes you more aware of where the calories come from in your food, I would go into much greater detail of how they determine the specific amount of each macronutrient (e.g: Nitrogen content -> protein estimation), and digestibility calculations, but I don't want to bore you. 

***EXCITING NEWS!!!: If you are a member of the Independence Blue Cross Personal Choice PPO Plan, you can have 6 free nutrition counseling sessions with me over the course of a year! To schedule an appointment, email me at: nutrition@clublamaison.com

References:

Agriculture and Consumer Protection. “The Relationship Between Food Composition and Available Energy.” 1981, Oct. 17. http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/MEETING/004/M2847E/M2847E00.HTM

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/Inspections/InspectionGuides/ucm074948.htm

Maynard, J. The Atwater System of Calculating the Caloric Value of Diets. 1944, Dec. 1. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/28/6/443.full.pdf+html.

Spring is hopefully just around the corner and that means there are a number of things we need to be aware of when letting our pets out in the yard, run through the dog park, or head out for a hike.

Aside from parasites -- like ticks, thorns from plants or other hazards -- we need to make sure our dogs and cats are safe from skunks, especially their defensive spray.

Skunk spray can cause irritation to your pet’s face, mouth, and lungs. If your dog is hit in the eyes, he can be blinded for up to two days. The skunk’s defensive spray is not only horrible to smell but also tough to get out of pet fur, clothing or anything it comes into contact with. If you don’t act quickly, the smell can stick around for months to years!

The old tomato juice bath does not work. It can help lessen the smell but it doesn’t break down the chemical compounds of the skunk spray and completely eradicate it. Skunk spray needs to be oxidized. A peroxide mixture is the most effective smell removal agent, as proven on an episode of Mythbusters.

Before you fill up the bathtub and roll up your sleeves, make sure you take a few steps:

1. Put on some old clothes. Skunk spray is actually an oil and is very difficult to remove from clothing. Be prepared to throw away whatever you are wearing.

2. If possible, leave the dog outside to prevent the odor ridden oils from getting into your house till you are ready to bathe him.


3. Pinpoint where the spray hit the dog. Depending on your dog’s hair type, you may be able to trim away or comb out some of the affected hair.

4. You can use paper towels to soak up the oils from the coat before you begin washing. If you use a real towel you will have to toss it as the oils may not come out 100%. Be careful not to spread the oils from one part of the dog to another.

5. Be prepared to give the dog more than one bath because some of the skunk oil may spread no matter how much you try to keep it contained to one area.

The best mixture to use contains the following ingredients:

1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
2 teaspoons dishwashing soap (liquid)

Baking soda neutralizes the smell, dishwashing liquid breaks up the skunk oil and the hydrogen peroxide bubbles the oils off the hair. The mixture will fizz. Wet your dog and thoroughly massage the solution into the coat. Be sure to keep the mixture out of the dogs eyes, nose and mouth. If it is necessary to apply it to the dogs face, use a washcloth or a sponge and be extremely careful. Never store unused portion, always be sure to discard.


Editor’s Note: The image above is of the “Little Stinker” skunk dog costume from Swankpets. Their whole line is a great deal of fun!