Having a dog is a responsibility but needn’t be taxing. The routine of caring for a pet can give structure and purpose to daily life. Maybe you don’t always want to get out of bed, but your pet wants you to, and isn’t that a good thing?

TO CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE, CLICK THIS LINK FOR US NEWS: Companionship: 10 Reasons Older People Need Pets – US News & World Report.

Even though more and more Americans have no health insurance at all, Americans consider health care to be a right. Not just that: We consider the best possible health care to be a right. Few would find it acceptable for a poor person to die of a medically curable disease for lack of money. Even fewer would find it acceptable that they themselves should die because the system won’t spend the money to cure them. This is all in theory, of course. In practice, people die all the time because some effective treatment is too expensive. But whenever an issue gets drawn into the political system and becomes explicit, it becomes harder. That is what health-care reform will do to the question of rationing.

The Obama administration believes that health care can be made cheaper without any reduction in quality. It has evidence to back this up. According to the famous Dartmouth studies, health care costs two or three times as much per person in some places in America as it does in others, with no measurable difference in results. Atul Gawande’s deservedly admired recent essay in the New Yorker makes a similar point. So in theory it’s easy: Just figure out how the cheap places do it and apply this knowledge to bring down the cost in the pricier places.

But that doesn’t mean rationing will be easy to avoid. Statistics on life expectancy or infant mortality are averages. The easiest way to raise your averages — maybe even the best way, if we’re being honest — is to concentrate on the general level of care and not to squander a lot on long-odds cases. But if the long-odds case is you or a family member, you may well feel differently.

In the debate about how to reform health care, “how” means two different things. One is the industry structure: Should we simply nationalize the whole system or set up a government alternative to operate alongside the private one? Or are there novel market-based alternatives that ought to be tried? Gawande thinks the problem is a culture of medicine that has become too greedy. Others believe that human greed is a given and that either the government or the market will have to do a better job of controlling it. The other “how” is how the actual course of treatment for patients will change. Here there is much less to debate. Cheaper treatment means less treatment: fewer tests, fewer surgeries, fewer drugs.

Less care doesn’t necessarily mean worse care. The administration is investing great hopes (and $1.1 billion of stimulus money) in “comparative effectiveness research.” Because we don’t collect and compare in any systematic way the vast piles of data we have about individual patients and their treatment, we know astonishingly little about which treatments work and which are a waste of money. The administration is touting the figure of 30 percent of all health-care costs as spending that may accomplish nothing.

I suspect that what a billion-plus dollars’ worth of research will find is that perhaps 30 percent of what we spend on health care is almost entirely worthless, or just barely better than a much cheaper alternative. Or it might be better and no one knows for sure. Denying someone these treatments or tests is rationing.

Similarly, when fear of malpractice lawsuits leads doctors to practice “defensive medicine” — a legitimate complaint about current arrangements — it doesn’t mean that they order worthless tests. It means they order tests with only a very long-shot chance of finding something wrong.

Here is a handy-dandy way to determine whether the failure to order some exam or treatment constitutes rationing: If the patient were the president, would he get it? If he’d get it and you wouldn’t, it’s rationing.

It may seem absurd to worry about whether wealthy or well-insured people get every last test and exotic or speculative treatment when millions of Americans have no health insurance and millions more have gaping holes in their coverage. But the well-insured happen to include virtually all the people making the key decisions about health-care reform — members of Congress and their staffs, the White House staff, Washington journalists, and so on. These people’s fears that they would lose the right to “choose my own doctor” (code for getting treatment with all the bells and whistles) helped kill Hillary Clinton’s attempt to reform health care in the early 1990s. Fear of rationing could kill Obamacare for the same reason.

Whether or not this makes sense is a question of taste, not policy.

David Leonhardt of the New York Times recently noted that spending so much on health care squeezes out spending on other things that we might prefer, and that is a form of rationing. On the other hand, the blogger Mickey Kaus argues that it makes perfect sense for a society growing richer (as ours soon will be again, we hope) to spend a growing share of that wealth on improving our health and longevity.

That is what we do as individuals. And what better to spend your money on?  OPINION BY MICHAEL KINSLEY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST.  For more news and information, click the link below for www.washingtonpost.com.  The Washington Post is one of the nation’s leading newspapers.

FEEDBACK:  DO YOU AGREE WITH KINSLEY?   PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

via Michael Kinsley – Rationing Health Care Is Our Choice – washingtonpost.com.

Throat cancer and a euthanasia shot were given as the cause. The cat who lived a Horatio Alger life was believed to be about 20.

Upon leaving the executive residence in Washington, the Clinton family gave the cat to the president’s secretary, Betty Currie, who had recently lost her own pet.

Socks relinquished the public spotlight in 2001 due to term limits and spent his retirement living in Maryland where he expected regular home cooking and was particularly fond of chicken.

Socks had become attached to Currie during his White House terms, residing most hours on a blue striped chair next to her desk outside the Oval Office, which he allowed the president to use.

Though reticent in public, Socks was known as an affectionate creature, even tolerating the First Dog, a brown Labrador named Buddy, who was killed in a 2002 collision with a car near the Clintons’ suburban New York home.

In an actual statement released Friday the Clintons said: “Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere. We’re grateful for those memories, and we especially want to thank our good friend, Betty Currie, for taking such loving care of Socks for so many years.”

Though he was not much of a reader, Socks became internationally famous after a book was written about him — “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets.” It was a collection of mail he had received though, truth be told, he expressed no particular interest in any of it.

Some foreign leaders were said to have even requested to have their photo taken with the First Kitty, which he tolerated because he favored diplomacy over militancy. At the end Socks was reported unwilling to eat and unable to stand. He had a last walk outdoors Thursday in Currie’s arms.

No memorial plans were announced. A private cremation was planned. Survivors are unknown but presumed plentiful.  Article by Andrew Malcolm for the Los Angeles Times.  For more news and information, click the link below for the Los Angeles Times – www.latimes.com.  Support the Los Angeles Times and all local newspapers.

Please share your memories of Socks below.

Socks Clinton dies; ex-First Cat known for sleeping was 20 | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times.

I have been on Obama Garden Watch for the past few weeks, as those who have followed my recent blogs may know. Well, I have simultaneously been on Obama First Dog Watch, anxiously awaiting the day I could get details on the Presidential Pooch.

Michelle Obama tapped into my passion for nutrition and wellness when she decided to promote healthy and delicious eating with her organic garden. Now as a dog lover and animal shelter volunteer, I can share the enthusiasm of the Obama Family’s first dog — the First Dog.

Many of us know that animals add to our emotional and spiritual well-being. Since we live in a day where just about anything can and is often researched, many studies have demonstrated that having a pet is good for our physical health as well! Apparently, while we are taking care of our pets, our pets are taking care of us.

Studies abound showing that sharing our lives with animals benefits our stress levels, our blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, moods, immunity, fitness levels, the length and quality of our lives, and can even reduce health care costs.

Here are a few highlights of the hundreds of studies showing the amazing benefits of animal companionship:

Cardiovascular Health

Karen Allen, PhD, a medical researcher at State University of New York at Buffalo, reported that dog guardians with hypertension had lower blood pressure readings in response to stressful situations than those who did not have a dog.

Pet guardians were found to have lower levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels in a study reported in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Having a feline companion could reduce your heart attack risk by nearly one third, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute. Queen’s University researcher Dr. Deborah Wells reported that dog guardians were 8.6% more likely to be alive one year following a heart attack than those without a pooch pal.

Health Care Costs

Having a pet seems to help with health care costs.

A study conducted by the United States National Institutes of Health indicated that people who have pets make fewer doctor visits, especially for non-serious medical conditions.

An Australian Study showed dog and cat owners make fewer annual doctor visits and are less likely to be medicated for heart issues and sleeping problems than non-pet owners. The study indicated that a presence of pets in a majority of households could result in an annual savings in health care costs between $790 million and $1.5 billion!

A Wilkes University study found that petting a dog for 18 minutes resulted in a significant increase in secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), which helps the body protect itself from foreign invaders. One possibility for this increased immune response is a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol.

Benefits to Children

Dr. Sue Doescher, a psychologist involved in a study at Oregon State University, reported that teaching children to care for a puppy increased the children’s cooperation and sharing attributes.

A study reported in Allergy showed reduced risk of allergic responses such as eczema and asthma for children exposed to pets within the first 4 years of life. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported a study that found that exposure to two or more dogs or cats in the first year of life may reduce risk of allergies throughout childhood.

Benefits to Seniors

A study reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reported that the physical health of seniors benefited from sharing their lives with companion animals.

A Saint Louis University study reported that nursing home residents had a significant decrease in loneliness after one-on-one visits with a dog.

The health benefits of the human-animal connection have been extensively studied for many years. A lot of the research has resulted in wonderful practical applications. There is a growing number of “therapy dogs,” who “volunteer” to visit patients in hospitals, mental health centers, shelters, and nursing homes. One such program is the POOCH (Pets Offer Ongoing Care and Healing) program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Visits from these caring canines often lift their spirits, calm their nerves, and relieve their loneliness.

The ways that animal companions affect our well being are seemingly endless:

Self esteem

As much as I love my family, and they are happy to see me when I come home, it’s our dogs that show the most excitement, wagging their tails ecstatically, celebrating my arrival — day after day!

Fitness

Dogs can inspire you to get or stay in shape. When you feel like skipping your morning walk, and your dog looks at you with those pleading eyes, you just can’t say no.

Pure Happiness and Joy

Animals are just embodied cuteness; they make us smile and laugh with their precious antics. I constantly marvel at how adorable my two dogs, Charlie and Simba (pictured) are. And I tell them that every day! Most animal guardians talk to their pets, yet few admit it.

Our Social Lives

You can meet the most interesting people walking a dog, volunteering at an animal shelter, or visiting an animal sanctuary.
Good Karma

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
– Gandhi

I know that sharing our lives with animals benefits our spiritual health, for they truly touch our soul. Once you have loved an animal, your heart will never be the same. Rescuing an animal from a shelter and giving it a second chance at life is the best feeling in the world. We often wonder who actually got rescued.

Note: If you are inspired to add an animal companion to your life, please make your decision carefully. Being a pet guardian is a long-term commitment. Please visit your local shelter or rescue group for assistance in choosing the right pet for your lifestyle. If you are interested in having an animal companion, but aren’t sure you are ready for the commitment, please consider fostering or volunteering at your local animal shelter.

Article by Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald

Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald: Welcome Bo Obama! The Wonderful Benefits of Animal Companionship.

Since last summer, I’ve learned that my cancer is shockingly aggressive, and the surgery, radiation and hormone treatments have left me exhausted, incontinent and with an AWOL libido. These days I’m waiting for the first tests that will tell me the status of my health.

Even so, as I face my own profound health issues, it is my dog’s poor health that is piercing me to the heart. I’m dreading that morning when I walk downstairs and … well, those of us who love dogs understand that all dog stories end the same way.

Her full name is Bijou de Minuit (Jewel of Midnight) — my wife teaches French. She is a 12-year-old black miniature poodle, and she is, literally, on her last legs. Her hind quarters fly out from beneath her, her back creaks and cracks as she walks, she limps, she’s speckled with bright red warts the size of nickels, her snore is loud and labored (like a freight train chugging up some steep grade) and she spends most of the day drowsing on her pillow-bed next to the kitchen radiator.

Bijou’s medicine chest is impressive for a 23-pound dog: A baby dose of amoxicillin for chronic urinary tract infections; prednisone and Tramadol for pain; phenobarbital for seizures; Proin for incontinence – all of it wrapped in mini-slices of pepperoni.

She is, I realize, “just” a dog. But she has, nonetheless, taught me a few lessons about life, living and illness. Despite all her troubles, Bijou is still game. She still groans to her feet to go outside, still barks at and with the neighborhood dogs, is willing to hobble around the kitchen to carouse with a rubber ball — her shrub of a tail quivering in joy.

I know now that Bijou was an important part of my therapy as I recovered from having my prostate removed. I learned that dogs, besides being pets, can also be our teachers.

Human beings constantly struggle to live in the moment. We’re either obsessing over the past (”Gee, life would’ve been different if I’d only joined the Peace Corps.”), or obsessing over the future (”Gee, I hope my 401K holds up”). We forget that life, real life, is lived right now, in this very moment.

But living in the moment is something that dogs (and cancer patients) do by their very nature. Bijou eats when she’s hungry, drinks when she’s thirsty, sleeps when she’s tired and will still gratefully curl up in whatever swatch of sunlight steals through the windows.

She’d jump up onto my sickbed last summer, nuzzle me and ask for her ears and pointy snout to be scratched. It made both of us happy as she sighed in satisfaction. And she was the subject of one of our favorite family jokes as I recuperated: “You take the dog out. I have cancer.”

In spending so much time with Bijou, I began to realize that our dogs, in their carefree dogginess, make us more human, force us to shed our narcissistic skins. Even when you have cancer, you can’t be utterly self-involved when you have a floppy-eared mutt who needs to be fed, walked and belly-scratched. And you can’t help but ponder the mysteries of creation as you gaze into the eyes of your dog, or wonder why and how we chose dogs and they chose us.

Dogs also tell us – especially when we’re sick – of our own finitude. And, partly, that’s why we cry when they die, because we also know that all human-being stories end the same way, too.

Good dogs – and most dogs are good dogs – are canine candles that briefly blaze and shine, illuminating our lives. Bijou has been here with us for the past 12 years, reminding us that simple pleasures are the ones to be treasured: a treat, a game of fetch, a nose-to-the-ground stroll in the park.

Simple pleasures. As I lazed and dozed at home last summer after surgery, there was nothing sweeter to me in this world than to hear Bijou drinking from her water dish outside my door. It was if her gentle lap-lapping ferried me to waters of healing. I’ll miss her.

New York Times editor Dana Jennings writes every Tuesday about coping with an advanced form of prostate cancer.

For more stories by Dana Jennings, click the link below for the New York Times.

Please share you own personal stories with us below.

via Life Lessons From the Family Dog – Well Blog – NYTimes.com.

Not only is the extent of the discounts extraordinary — $158 for a round-trip ticket between Denver and Houston on a sale announced Monday by Frontier Airlines; $548 on Delta between New York and Dublin; $598 round trip between Los Angeles or New York to Australia in Qantas. The time frame is often extraordinary as well. Fare sales like these are usually limited to slack travel periods in winter. Many of these extend into the summer.

I sort these fares on the major travel aggregator sites like Kayak, TripAdvisor, Fly.com and FareCompare, which make comparison shopping easy. If you’re flexible (Saturday night stay requirements are often tucked into these fares to make them unattractive to business travelers), shop around and have a ball. It’s a great time for cheap travel.

And it’s not going to last.

Two fundamental shifts in air travel are under way. One is that airlines are horrified at the falloff in passenger traffic and are scrubbing flights, dropping routes and parking more planes in the desert to shrink capacity, even beyond announced reductions, to keep planes flying full.

And two, the “unbundling” of services that began with charges for snacks and checked bags is emerging as the new economic model for the shrunken air travel system.

Forget about the guy from Ryanair who recently got all that publicity by speculating about installing pay toilets on planes. Instead, look at the methodical way that the domestic airlines are planning for a future in which booking a flight will be a little like ordering from a Chinese takeout menu. That is, it will be efficient, user friendly and full of à la carte choices.

“Three or four years ago, airlines got fed up with their tickets being priced like bushels of wheat on a commodities exchange, so they set out a strategy for how to make prices less transparent,” said Rick Seaney, the chief executive of FareCompare.com.

The strategy was based on imposing extra fees on an increasing number of amenities and services — not just checked bags and in-flight pillows, but an expanding range of add-ons like exit row seats, priority seating and boarding, in-flight entertainment or Wi-Fi, and on and on.

These fees raise cash for the airlines. But they annoy customers, who are having a hard time figuring out what a trip costs once they make their choices. Usually, they find out when they arrive at the airport or on board the flight. As I said last week, TripAdvisor.com added a useful feature to its flight search site that lets you click on the thousands of itinerary options, including fee-based services, so you can get the actual price.

The airlines are aware that customers shop around online and that they hate trying to figure out fees. So they are currently working with other ticket distributors on a complex system that Mr. Seaney said will expand the fee checklists and allow all distributors, whether an airline itself or an online travel agency, to be more uniformly precise in just what a customer is ordering.

“They’ll present a base ticket price in three or four categories, and then you’ll have a bunch of things you can add,” Mr. Seaney said. “You’ll get a base price quote, and then you’ll have a bunch of columns with choices that add something to the ticket. You going to see a whole new slew of amenities that you pay for in advance.”

Mr. Seaney is on an “optional services” committee formed by the Airline Tariff Publishing Company, the global leader in collecting and distributing airline fare data.

The committee is evaluating the universe of fee-based extra services, and drawing up lists of uniform codes to make it easier to “compare apples to apples,” Mr. Seaney said.

Among the items on that growing list are the usual things like prepaid checked bag (code 0AA), snack (0AT), aisle seat exit row (0A5), beverage (0AX), video games (0AF), passenger assistance (0BY) and wheelchair (0AH)

Article by Joe Sharkey for the New York Times

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On the Road – Air Travel Is Cheap Now, But Discounts Won’t Last(CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE STORY AND RELATED ARTICLES)

Petland intentionally misled thousands of customers into believing the puppies came from the finest breeders and were healthy, the Humane Society of the United States said in a lawsuit against the company, which is based in Chillicothe, Ohio.

The group said it conducted an investigation showing that many of the puppies sold by Petland in its 131 U.S. stores were bred in mills in horrific conditions or through brokers such as The Hunte Corp., based in Goodman, Mo. Investigators for the Humane Society saw “puppies living in filthy, barren cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization,” the complaint said.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix by attorneys representing members of the Humane Society, which calls itself the nation’s largest animal protection organization, and other pet owners who say they were sold sick puppies.

Petland, which also has 61 stores overseas, said Tuesday it was outraged and disappointed by what it called false accusations.

“At Petland, we offer healthy, happy and well-socialized pets to our customers,” Petland vice president Joe Watson said in a statement. “As our business requires that our customers be highly satisfied, it only makes sense that we would do everything possible to ensure that we provide healthy puppies.”

A telephone message seeking comment from Hunte was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit, which seeks class action status, challenges the companies’ conduct under the federal racketeering statute and under consumer protection laws of 20 states, Humane Society lawyer Jonathan Lovvorn said.

The plaintiffs are seeking changes in how the puppies are bred and financial damages to help recover veterinary costs they say were associated with keeping their puppies alive. They also are seeking to stop what the lawsuit alleges are unfair and deceptive sales practices.

Article by the Associated Press

Petland Store Chain Accused of Selling Sick Puppies (Click here for additional news and videos)

10-Year-Old Spaniel Named Best in Show at Westminster

Dogs And Driving | Online Pet Magazine.