Treat Toys Provide Enrichment and Mental Exercise for your Pet
Like it or not, winter's here and we'll be spending more time indoors with our pets. Older pets and those with injuries or disease are usually more homebound than their more physically-abled pals. Whether due to weather, injury, disease, or age, pets that need to stay indoors can benefit greatly from enrichment activities and mental stimulation. Enrichment activities are tasks that improve a pet's quality of life and activities in which...
Custom Boot for Homer, the Desert Tortoise
At 75+ years old, Homer, the California Desert Tortoise, is by far Thera-Paw's oldest "customer". Homer is Daryl Goldstein's tortoise, and Daryl has owned him for over 35 years. Homer's foot problems "started two years ago when I decided to change from using hay to reptile bark as hibernation bedding for my three California Desert Tortoises" said Daryl. "Reptile bark was recommended by my local pet shop and I decided to...
Are You lasering the Brain Yet? No? Well, Get On With It Already!!
Laurie Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt, CAFCI, CCRT is, in a word, the "guru" of animal rehabilitation and physiotherapy. We can indeed call her a "pioneer" in this field, and she continues to educate, innovate, and even provoke with her weekly tutorials. For many of us in this field, she is inspiring. Veterinary professionals interested in following Laurie should check her out here FOURLEG. Below is Laurie's thought-provoking pitch on lasering the brain. ...
He Can Barely Walk but Can't Be Stopped - Moozie's Story
Moozie (AKA “Asher”) was 4 years old when he was diagnosed with a debilitating neurological condition; he wasn't expected to survive much more than a year. Now, nearly 6 years later, Moozie shows no signs of stopping (the video at the end of this article proves his determination). Moozie is nearly blind, needs tons of help to walk, can't feed himself or drink on his own. But here he is chewing on a big yellow ball,...
Paw Problems (Part 1 of 4): Paw Pad Injuries, Cracked Pads, Paw Licking
If you have a dog, then download, print, file this article. Why? Because chances are high that your dog will injure their paw at some point and when that happens, here's what you need to know. Why are paws so important? Because dogs use them for almost everything: to get around - Walk, run, jump. Paw pads provide traction on slippery surfaces and steer pups away from trouble when sensing sharp objects on the ground. ...
Saying Goodbye to Our Feathered Friend
Enrique, a 30 year-old Rockhopper penguin from the St. Louis Zoo, went over the Rainbow Bridge on December 3rd. He became famous when a zoo visitor snapped a picture of him wearing a pair of funky boots. It turned out that Enrique had arthritic feet were quite painful. The padded therapeutic boots, made by Thera-Paw, were just the ticket to get him back to living his best life. Here's Enrique with his padded...
Help Animals with Maximum Impact
Like you, we love helping animals. Donating to rescues is awesome, and we do this as often as possible. But there are so many animals that need help. So how do we maximize our efforts and make the biggest impact to help the MOST number of animals? By partnering with Veterinarians International (VI) ... because helping to fund veterinarians from VI helps THOUSANDS of animals. Donating to VI helps animals in countless ways because funding even ONE veterinarian helps...
Boots are for the Birds! Or at Least for Penguins and Ducks!
We've seen shoes on people, dogs, and horses. But can you believe that there are also special shoes for webbed feet? Yup, companies like Thera-Paw, Inc. make booties for our feathered friends who are in desperate need of special footwear. Meet "Enrique"! Photo courtesy Kimberly Washington Enrique is a Southern Rockhopper Penguin who lives at the St Louis Zoo with 19 other penguins, including his special lady friend, Paris. He's a very unusual penguin because the typical...