Leash law triggers boon for animal surgeons.

When I was growing up in the early 1970s my dogs ran in a neighborhood pack during the day but they were always close by and nearly always home in time for dinner. They had the freedom to run and most of the time stayed out of trouble if people secured their trash cans.

I don’t recall the dogs being taken to the vet unless they ate something bad or were hit by a car. Many times one of our dogs was captured and put in the pound but he was capable of climbing chain-link fences. He escaped twice.

Today, the frequency of dogs tearing their own knee ligaments has become a growing issue. Many vets will tell you that your dog will need surgery, and many web sites claim that surgery is the only course of action. Surgery can range from $800.00 to $4,000.00 or more, for joint repair surgeries. I know of accounts where no surgery took place and the dog recovered on its own.

One account describes such an experience by Max and his dog named Tigger:
Treating Canine Ligament Injury
http://home.earthlink.net/~tiggerpoz/index.html

Another site claims that surgery is the only solution for a torn cruciate ligament and, if left untreated, will result in the development of arthritis in the joint.

Knee Injuries in Dogs
By Nancy Otten, Animal Health Technologist.
http://www.thewagway.com/Behviour%20Tip%20Sheets/knee_injuries_in_dogs.htm

The increase in such injuries may be directly related to dogs being kept as pets in urban environments where leash laws and confinement for long periods contributes to the weakening of muscles and joints. Nancy Otten states directly that “Poor physical conditioning and obesity increases the chances of knee damage.”

The unintended side-effect of leash laws is the added income for veterinarians. But such are the consequences for choosing to own a dog in a city with a leash-law, especially if you have no large fenced-in yard.

Animal Medical Clinic of Springfield http://www.amcspringfield.com/ recommends a couple of insurance plans if you are planning on getting a dog.

Soapgate - Packaging air for sale in products.

Are you really saving when you go to a dollar store? Apparently not on Dial Soap. If you look at the price per ounce, you're really losing a penny per ounce of product. It may not seem like much, but it will add up.

What we assume about famous brands is that they are all the same size. It turns out that products are not exactly standard. Some retail stores have so much power over whether or not a product gets good exposure to consumers that the store itself can negotiate an alteration in the manufacturing process of a product to increase the store's profits.

Soapgate is just one example that shows why you should really pay attention to the ounces of a product, the size of the cardboard tube that holds paper towers or toilet paper, whether toilet paper is quilted, whether yogurt is whipped.

Imagine you are the manufacturer of a product. Now imagine how many ways you can possibly include air in your product.

Soon I will be looking into toilet paper. It can be made longer by compression. It can also be made to appear fuller on the role by quilting.

Putting your photos on mugs? - Skip the shipping costs!

If you’re planning on giving items personalized with photographs this Christmas, you might be tempted by the Internet. You can go to Café Press or Zazzle online to produce personalized items such as mugs or calendars, but where they really get you is the shipping cost.

Another worry is the processing time. Some items take as much as a couple of weeks to process. If you want to use Café Press to get personalized mugs made, you have until December 13th to get your design ready.

Or, you can drive to White Oaks Mall and visit Creative Creations. They’re located at the bottom of the Escalator just outside the Sears entrance. They can put an image on just about anything.

You can visit http://www.cafepress.com or http://www.zazzle.com and compare prices plus shipping costs.

Creative Creations might seem slightly more expensive, but you will save big because you won’t have to pay shipping.