Health

Tips from the Vet for Your Pet: Responsible Breeding

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Dr. Stewart Morgan DVM, Molokai Humane Society

Everyone loves puppies and kittens, but on Molokai, there are more puppies and kittens than there are good homes. If you are someone that would like your pet to have babies, first decide if your pet should be bred. Is your pet healthy and up to date on its vaccines and free of heartworm, fleas, ticks and tick diseases? Does your dog have a good temperament (is it not aggressive or extremely nervous)? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, please think twice about breeding your pet!

Remember, registration papers do not mean an animal is healthy or breeding material, they only mean that you know who an animal’s ancestors are.…

Molokai Fitness: Breathing

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

Are you breathing? Or rather, do you realize you are breathing?

Just try this now: stand up, stretch for a second, then sit down. Do this right now, don’t continue reading until you have done it!

Now think, when you were standing up, did you hold your breath? How about when you were sitting down?

This week, before every meal close your eyes and take a deep breath. Just feel your in and out breath. You will feel relaxed. You will also be much more present.  Most of the time, you don’t realize how much food you are eating, maybe you don’t even realize what food you are eating!…

Tips from the Vet for Your Pet: Choosing Dog Food

Thursday, February 27th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Dr. Stewart Morgan DVM, Molokai Humane Society

With all the different dog foods that someone could buy, it helps to get an idea of what is best for  your individual dog. Dogs that are pregnant, nursing, growing, used for hunting/sport or simply house pets have different needs when it comes to food. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a group that sets standards for marketing and labeling of animal feed and marketing. The standards they set on pet food labels are the guidelines companies use to make pet foods that are considered adequate for different times in a dog’s life.…

Tips from the Vet for Your Pet: Keeping Pets Safe

Wednesday, February 19th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Dr. Stewart Morgan, Molokai Humane Society

At the Molokai Humane Society, we see lots of dogs that have been injured in ways that could have been prevented. The first step to keeping your dogs safe is knowing where they are. If your pets are in your fenced yard, you should always check on them at least one to two times per hour to make sure that they are safely in your yard. Also make sure that they are not eating or digging in areas where they should not be. Consider in home dog training to avoid this from happening.…

Molokai Fitness: Benefits of Water

Wednesday, February 19th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

In my last article, I talked about starting your journey to health and fitness by taking small steps. Let’s look now at the first step that you can start right away. This week, start by trying to drink more pure water. Let’s look at the benefits.

Water increases energy. Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. And your energy levels will increase.
Water helps you lose weight – filling your tummy if consumed prior to meals, it reduces hunger, raises your metabolism and has zero calories!…