Pet Bed-Buddies

Is Sleeping Together Healthy?

Erik J. Martin

There was a time when Eliska, a three-pound Prague ratter, would curl up and sleep next to owner Krista DeAngelis, and most of the time, she and the dog enjoyed a peaceful night’s slumber.

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Then DeAngelis married, and her husband banned the dog from the bed for fear of unintentionally squashing Eliska in his sleep. After enduring a few sleepless nights of canine whining and barking, the Salt Lake City couple successfully curbed their pet’s protests by simply spraying Eliska with a misting bottle every time she acted up.

After two nights of this routine, the pocket-sized pooch was fully trained to sleep by herself in another room.
“I originally thought letting my dog sleep in my bed was a good idea,” says DeAngelis, a communications director at Westminster College. “But I realized that they can keep you up when they rustle around, wake you up if they have to go out and sometimes go to the bathroom in the bed if you don’t wake up.”

Make a Good Choice

“Having your pet sleep in the bed with you is a personal choice,” says holistic Veterinarian Patrick Mahaney, of California Pet Acupuncture & Wellness, in West Hollywood. By discouraging this behavior, “Your pet will be less likely to confuse your bed with theirs, and therefore prevent potential territory-related problems.” By failing to discourage it, “You not only face the possibility of behavioral problems, you could also face adverse effects to your own sleep and health,” he notes.

Staying in close contact makes it easier to pick up fleas, ticks or skin mites a pet may carry, and can worsen allergies. ~ Roger Valentine, holistic veterinarian


According to results published in a survey of 300 sleep disorder patients conducted by Dr. John Shepard, then medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, in Rochester, Minnesota, nearly 60 percent of the pet owners in the study slept with their pets inside the bedroom. Twenty-two percent of the patients were likely to have pets sleeping on the bed with them. Plus, 53 percent said their sleep was disrupted to some extent every night. Twenty-one percent and 7 percent of their dogs and cats, respectively, snored.

Yet, a British study of 420 UK cat owners conducted by the nonprofit Cats Protection revealed that 44 percent of respondents (including 51 percent of women polled) said they enjoyed a better night’s sleep with a cat in bed with them than with a human companion. Benefits listed included an absence of snoring, more space on the bed and soothing purrs.

A pet’s companionship can reduce levels of stress hormones while enabling people to deal with their emotions and stressful situations.
~ American Heart Association journal, Hypertension


“The advantages of letting your pet share your bed include companionship, warmth and a sense of security,” advises Mahaney. Among the drawbacks, he notes lack of space for people to sleep, interruption of normal sleep patterns and the pet’s confusion about its expected place to sleep.

Nip Problems in the Bud

To break a pet of a bed-sleeping habit, Mahaney recommends applying persistence, consistency and the following tips:

• Establish a separate area or bed for the pet to sleep. A cat or dog bed can be as simple as a clean, soft blanket placed nearby.

• Use positive reinforcement techniques. Offer a tiny training treat, “gooddog” clicker noise or praise when the animal is comfortably resting in its own bed, to reinforce this desirable behavior.

• Immediately address any territorial aggression when co-sleeping with a pet, such as growling or nipping. First, authoritatively say, “No!” Then put the pet on the floor or into its own bed and give the command to sit and stay.

• If problematic behavior persists, seek consultation with a veterinary behavior specialist.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

If a family member decides to share a bed with a pet, Mahaney offers the following recommendations:

• Let it sleep on top of the covers, instead of under them.

• Be aware of the need to remove environmental debris, including fecal material, on its coat before bedtime.

• Give the dog an opportunity to void itself within a reasonable time frame before going to sleep. A typical healthy dog should not have to get up in the middle of the night to urinate or defecate.

• Allow a cat the opportunity to exit the bedroom throughout the night to play, eat, drink and use the litter box. Cats are nocturnal animals and are more likely to be active during lights out.


Erik J. Martin regularly contributes to WebVet.com, from which this was adapted.

This article appears in the December 2014 issue of Natural Awakenings

Guide Dogs Are Truly Amazing- Secret Life of Dogs

Deaf dog flips at Riverview Christian School

By Zachary Laux
Times Staff Writer

Riverview Christian School students and staff hold hoops for Angelyne the Amazing Deaf Cattle Dog to jump through. (Zachary Laux / Fort Morgan Times)

Students at Riverview Christian School near Brush "oohed" and "awed" as the dog performed tricks. The Australian cattle dog sought out treats, jumped for tennis balls and even jumped through a series of hoops, all without the use of her ears. The dog is deaf.

Dog trainer Eric Melvin brought Angelyne the Amazing DEAF Cattle Dog, to the Morgan County school Tuesday, not only to show off the ticks she can do, but to teach students important life lessons. Melvin and Angelyne are both originally from Colorado and have traveled the United States performing tricks and speaking to students. Their lessons aim to teach students about acceptance, the value of practice and how to overcome challenges.

Eric Melvin scratches the belly of his dog, Angelyne. (Zachary Laux 

Melvin and Angelyne have been presenting to groups for about seven years and reached two major milestones in that time. Melvin and Angelyne passed their 400th presentation and hit 400 volunteer hours.
Melvin told students at Riverview Tuesday that meeting Angelyne was one of the best things to ever come into his life. But it was also unexpected, or perhaps it was fate.

"Angelyne was a gift to me," Melvin said. "I chose her because I am supposed to be here. I am supposed to do this work."

Melvin met Angelyne in Fort Collins after reading a newspaper ad reporting a litter of seven puppies were born.

Melvin said at about eight weeks old, the unnamed puppy that would later become known as Angelyne behaved differently.

Continue to read more about the amazing deaf dog, Angelyne 

 

17 Benefits of Having an Animal as Your Best Friend

by Catharine Symblème
 Why Are Animal Friends Better Than Human Friends?
 Sometimes, relationships with humans are … well, complicated. Talk too little, and our human friends might think we’re hiding something. Talk too much, and we’re a bore. If we’re seen in public with a human friend’s significant other, it could get us in a lot of hot water. And of course, there’s trying to schedule time to see our human friends, or worse, putting up with their bratty kids while we’re trying to have a decent conversation over sushi.

Let’s face it; our real best friends are animals. Here’s why:

1. Animal friends always laugh at our jokes,

2. Listen attentively to our complaints,

3. And tell us exactly what they think about them.

4. We never have to worry about carrying on a conversation with our animal friends,

5. Or finding someone to help out at work.

6. Our animal friends always have our back if things get crazy,

7. And are there to comfort us when our hearts get broken.

8. Animal friends make sure we don’t miss a workout,

  

9. And act as a mode of transportation if the car breaks down.

10. At our next party, if the DJ flakes out, our animal friends are there to get the music going,

11. Get things moving on the dance floor,

 

12. And intercept any unwanted advances.

13. Our animal friends won’t even ruin our party by talking about politics or religion.

14. Sometimes we can get our animal friends to bring us the newspaper,

15. Especially if there’s food involved.

16. Did I mention that animal friends are great workout buddies?

17. They ask so little in return; just give ‘em a pat now and then, and they’re happy.

 

Featured photo credit: Ângela Antunes via flickr.com

Catharine Symblème

Catharine Symblème is the founder and owner of Our Deaf Dogs, a local dog walking and pet sitting business in Alamosa, Colorado. She is a regular blogger on money, work, and productivity at Lifehack.org, and a Dog Expert at Dogs.Answers.com. If you would like to invite Catharine to contribute content to your blog or website, please contact her at catharine.symbleme@gmail.com or call 719-937-1815.

Choosing a Pet Insurance Policy

 by Joan Shin

Companies selling pet insurance in the U.S. include Veterinary Pet Insurance, Pethealth Inc., The Hartville Group, Pets Best Insurance, Embrace Pet Insurance, PetFirst Healthcare, PetPartners and Petplan USA.

These companies generally offer a few levels of policies ranging from $5 to $30 a month on average for a healthy pet. The cost varies depending on the extent of coverage, benefit limits, deductibles and co-payments. Dogs are generally more expensive to insure than cats.

Coverage varies according to company and plan as well. For example, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance's most basic "safety plan" covers only treatment for injuries such as broken bones, bee stings and burns. At the other end of the spectrum, Embrace Pet Insurance's policies, which can be customized, cover cancer treatment and alternative therapy like acupuncture.

When shopping around for a policy, find out exactly what the policy covers and what the exclusions are.

Most policies exclude pre-existing conditions and many exclude hereditary conditions, which purebred cats and dogs are more likely to have, or limit coverage for older animals.

Here are some additional questions to ask the insurance company:
• Are my claim payments based on my vet bill or the insurance company's benefit schedule?
• Are drug and dental coverage included?
• Will my premium go up over time, as I file claims, or my pet gets older?
• How will I be reimbursed? Do I pay the vet and then submit the bill, or will the vet handle billing?
• Does the plan cover chronic or recurring conditions?
• What are the financial limits of coverage? How are they applied?
If your pet is advanced in years, in poor health, or if you do not want to subject the animal to a major surgical procedure, insurance may not be a worthwhile investment. Talk to your vet about your pet's health and query insurance companies about the limits of coverage before purchasing a policy.