Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 1958)
Domestic animals thrive on ten- -r der care, and Americans are giv- ing it to them-at the rate of $3 vXS. billion a year! smsS0s. by Anthony and Marietta Marcin When a pair of California cocker spaniels recently celebrated their birthday at a swank Hol lywood restaurant, 21 dachshund guests came to the party. They were waited on by 42 people two attend ants for each underslung guest and were served a feast of chopped liver and duck, topped of! with champagne. Although this particular party was given in Hollywood, it might have happened anywhere. For example, a New York baseball fan insists on buying a ticket for her cat so he can have a scat of his own. An Okla homa nircdale named Roger has a private fireplug in the front yard. In Clearwater, Fla., a black-and-white Boston bull terrier named Dusty lives like a king on interest from a $50,000 bequest left by his doting owner. A Wisconsin terrier, Lady Pooh, recently was named benefici ary of a $100,000 estate. And in Framingham, Mass., an animal phi lanthropist not long ago willed the bulk of his million-dollar fortune to the horses, dogs, and other animals on his 220-acre estate. These are outstanding examples of pampering among a vast pet popula tion that embraces more than 25 million dogs, 20 million cats, 20 mil lion tropical fish, and 15 million parakeets, to name a few. The na tion's 5,000 pet shops think nothing of filling requests for deodorized skunks, monkeys (an estimated 100, 000 are now pets), goats, snakes, ocelots, alligators, raccoons, and lion cubs. One pet lion has grown to a hefty 325 pounds, has his own room, and attracts about 150 visitors to his owner's residence each week end. Americans spend $3 billion a year to purchase and provide for their pets. The dog food market alone runs over $200 million a year approxi mately twice what the public spends on books! As one nutritionist says, "The dogs of this country are prob ably better fed than the children." Pets have beauty shops where they may be trimmed, dyed (one Milwaukee woman's poodle is dyed pink to match the decor of her home), shampooed, and pedicured. Several psychologists specializing in pet emotional problems enjoy boom ing businesses; as do stores that spe cialize in jeweled pet harnesses, tiny paw boots, and custom-made spec tacles for myopic mongrels. The owners of a specialty store which calls itself the "Hattie Car negie of Dogdom" recently an- nounced, "We can get your dog a hearing aid ( he needs one, or a tuxedo for formal occassions." While owners used to pat sluggish pets on the head, saying, "Poor Rov er must be sick," they now rush their ailing pets to one of the nation's 18,000 veterinarians. Advances in veterinary medicine have made canine Caesareans and plaster casts for broken limbs com monplace. Vaccines, antibiotics, and other wonder drugs are saving ani mals from many diseases that once killed them. During the past three years, one diabetic cat, Nickey, has been restored to health through daily shots of insulin; and a dog blinded by cataracts can see again, thanks to a delicate operation and insertion of a plastic lens in one eye. Thriving on this tender care, the life expectancy of the average dog has been boosted to 11-13 years, as compared with 8-10 years in the mid-1930s. One vet tells of seeing lots of dogs over 16, including a 21-year-old "youngster" who still likes to romp with his master. Sometimes our pet pampering can be carried too far. Then it does the recipient no good. One woman, pro jecting her own ailments, fed her cocker spaniel digitalis whenever he panted. In a few months, the dog developed serious heart trouble. Many owners feed dogs human food potato chips, canapes, baby foods instead of raw meat or dog food. Veterinarians estimate 50 per cent of dog ailments can be traced to such improper feeding. Another sizeable percentage of pet problems can be traced to "do-it-yourself medication (with human, not animal, remedies) on the part of owners whose pets show signs of ill ness or so the owners think. How can families be sure they'll "pamper," not harm their pets? Humane society officers suggest: "Make the owning of the pet a fam ily affair, not the bright idea of one member." They advise feeding pets proper food recommended by pet shop owners or veterinarians, not "fancy foods" that may cause malnu trition and serious illness. Don't let your pet become a neigh borhood nomad, say these experts, but give him the exercise he re quires. Be sure he is inoculated against diseases to which he is most susceptible (distemper, the greatest dog killer, almost always kills the uninoculated dog who is allowed to roam). Finally, if your community requires pet licensing, be sure you buy a license, even if your pet is "never let out of the house." Your precautions may pay off m bigger dividends than you realize. In New Orleans, recently, police found a man suffering from amnesia. Ho didn't even recognize the small dog he led on a leash. However, the dog wore a San Francisco license tag. Authorities there traced the number on the dog tag and thus were able to identify the man and restore him to his family. 4 Family Weekly, Auyutt 3, 19M
