pets

[Guest guest]

Regarding the hamster--

You may want to wait til he is a little older because if your child was

rough with the dog the hamster will not be as " durable " as the dog was. We

had one when my son was about 4 and it didn't last long before it went to

hamster heaven. He didn't understand that you have to be very gentle with

them and you can't throw them.

Dawn

He's been begging me for a hamster, but I think that's a terrible idea and

have been stalling.

[Guest guest]

Pets can be great for kids with AS. We got a dog when my son, now 15, was 6. It

has been his job to make sure the dog has food and water. When she starts

whining and barking at supper time, we'd look at and say, " Sophie's

barking. What do you think she needs? " Usually, he would pick up on the cue and

go feed her. If not, then I'd follow up and say, " Would you go and

feed her, please? " He adores this dog and credits her with helping him learn

empathy. (He has articulated this himself.)

Liz

ssamuelhart wrote:

> Hi. I was a little hasty leaving the group. I'm back. Thanks.

>

> I want to share one thing I've done to help my 10 yoa student (who has

Aspergers). I've introduced him to my dog. I have a old, gentle, mixed-breed

dog, about 20 pounds. Since my student has poor social skills with humans, I

figured he may have better luck with my dog. By the way, the only pets he has

had are a turtle and a parakeet.

>

> At first, just getting him to pet my dog was a challenge, but, eventually

he started to pet her, hold her, show her some affection, and have fun with her.

He and I take her for walks. It's a big deal when gets to hold the leash. He

cried when I left with her the first time. He even wrote a story about her. In

other words, it has been a positive thing all around.

>

> S. Hart

>

>

[Guest guest]

That is very sweet and I'm glad you're back. Sounds like you are doing really

good things for this boy and that is priceless.

Johanna

ssamuelhart <ssamuelhart@...> wrote:

Hi. I was a little hasty leaving the group. I'm back. Thanks.

I want to share one thing I've done to help my 10 yoa student (who has

Aspergers). I've introduced him to my dog. I have a old, gentle, mixed-breed

dog, about 20 pounds. Since my student has poor social skills with humans, I

figured he may have better luck with my dog. By the way, the only pets he has

had are a turtle and a parakeet.

At first, just getting him to pet my dog was a challenge, but, eventually he

started to pet her, hold her, show her some affection, and have fun with her.

He and I take her for walks. It's a big deal when gets to hold the leash. He

cried when I left with her the first time. He even wrote a story about her. In

other words, it has been a positive thing all around.

S. Hart

[Guest guest]

Hello. I just wanted to say that I got my 12 year old AS son a

hamster for his birthday in September and it was the best gift I

could have given him. He loves her and named her cutie. I have to

keep telling him to put her back in the cage and to stop holding her

so much. lol. I have to say that I did go to a lot of pet stores in

search of the perfect hamster though. She will even sleep while he

holds her. I was very lucky to find such an 'understanding' hamster.

lo. I wish you luck if you decide to try it. -JULIE

> Thanks for sharing, SHart. That sounds like it's been a wonderful

experience for your student, something of a " breakthrough " , no? We

had a dog last summer and had to give her to another family, because

my son (then 5) is really curious and rough, and kept hurting her no

matter how much we taught him not to. He really doesn't have a very

good grasp of " other people's feelings " , much less another animal.

And I couldn't supervise him 24/7 in a 4 bedroom house, so the puppy

had to go to another family. He's been begging me for a hamster, but

I think that's a terrible idea and have been stalling. We used to

have an aquarium and a parakeet, and he did a pretty good job of

feeding them regularly, but that's different than interacting with a

warm mammal.

>

>

>

> ( ) Pets

>

>

> Hi. I was a little hasty leaving the group. I'm back.

Thanks.

>

> I want to share one thing I've done to help my 10 yoa student

(who has Aspergers). I've introduced him to my dog. I have a old,

gentle, mixed-breed dog, about 20 pounds. Since my student has poor

social skills with humans, I figured he may have better luck with my

dog. By the way, the only pets he has had are a turtle and a

parakeet.

>

> At first, just getting him to pet my dog was a challenge,

but, eventually he started to pet her, hold her, show her some

affection, and have fun with her. He and I take her for walks. It's

a big deal when gets to hold the leash. He cried when I left with

her the first time. He even wrote a story about her. In other

words, it has been a positive thing all around.

>

> S. Hart

>

>

[Guest guest]

I hate to suggest it, because I know someone is going to go " EUWWW " but I have

to recommend rats for pets for our kids. Nick has three girl rats, and caring

for them is something that makes him feel good. He never lets them go without

food or water, and cleans out their cage every week. He has one that he carries

around in his pocket!

Rats are gentler than MOST hamsters, and really aren't as icky as they sound...

LOL

Love

Tammy

[Guest guest]

We had rats. One got this huge tumour on her neck and died. It was quite

traumatic for the kids and apparently is common in rats. They are friendly

and don't bite. I found out afterwards, though, that rat urine is a really

strong allergen, so if your kids have allergies, think twice or check with

the doc.

/ 4makelas@...

Way, Way Up in Northern Ontario

----- Original Message -----

From: " Owlpenguin " <Valkyrieinjeans@...>

> I hate to suggest it, because I know someone is going to go " EUWWW " but I

have to recommend rats for pets for our kids.

[Guest guest]

,

I don't know if it's that we had female rats, or that we kept their cage so

clean, but they have never bothered Nick as far as the allergies, and he has

them. I don't recommend cedar bedding for this reason also.

As far as the tumors, this is why I recommend getting a rat from a breeder

rather than a pet shop. They are not as inbred this way, and are usually handled

a lot more.

Good luck...

Love

Tammy

[Guest guest]

LOL- Roxanna... why did I know it would be you who said it... Rats are actually

cleaner and easier to care for than turtles... hehe.

[Guest guest]

Dogs and cats are a kind of teacher. They show their love

to us humans and in turn it teaches you how to love our fellow humans

So true. Our dogs are so in tune when one of us is not feeling well. I

swear our little girl dachshund had to have been a nurse in her previous life.

She is the first one to crawl up and cuddle with who ever is not feeling well

in the family. The golden just plants himself right beside where ever one of

the kids is laying. I love our dogs. They are really great to have around.

K

Mom to Adrienne AND 2 miniture wire hair dachshunds, 1 long hair dachshund

and 1 golden retriever

[Guest guest]

What a wonderful post, Connie! I'm sorry to hear that your mother is not

doing well. For me, my social contacts revolve around our animals--either the

horses or our dogs. I can't imagine how isolated I would be without them. Even

my sewing jobs revolve around outfitting people for horse shows. Granted I get

impatient sometimes. One of our dogs always wants to sleep under my ironing

board. I've been known to trip over the dogs when they settle down behind me

and I don't realize that they are there. I suppose they also increase my

housework but they are a part of our family. I love to go to the barn to pet

and give treats to the horses. We are getting back an older horse that we sold

a few years ago. He is so sweet and gentle. He can no longer canter for long

periods or hold up to a weekend of showing. He is coming home. My daughter

wants me to get out and walk/trot this horse. She is convinced it will be good

therapy for me. How appropriate to have a gentle, arthritic horse as therapy

for me with my arthritis. Hopefully, it will be therapy for both of us. I

think it was Winston Churchill that said, " There is something about the outside

of a horse that is good for the inside of man. "

Kay

[Guest guest]

In my career Ive seen many more tenants in homes and apartments that have ruined them

Pets do not put holes in walls, destroy appliances. wreck everything, then move out.in the middle of the night leaving destruction.

Anne

[Guest guest]

my dogs get bathed often too. that's because i don't want dirt and mud

in my bed. i wash their little feet every time they dig my lawn so they

don't put mud on my carpet or my bed. i would miss them a lot if i could

not have them. same with my birds. if i was having to rent or if

something happened to my house so i had to move i would be very careful

where i moved so i could keep the animals. when i moved out of the city

to this country town i made sure of the council rules on bird noise and

chickens and roosters before i moved.

CZ

Lib wrote:

> In the US it is up to the property owner. Most places charge a pet

> deposit to pay to have the apartment or house sprayed for fleas when

> you move out and to pay for any damage caused by the pet. This deposit

> is usually nonrefundable. There are often restrictions made on the

> size of the pet. I agree that it should be up to the person who owns

> the property. Some folks do not like having pets inside. I would

> greatly miss Smokey and Cinnamon (my pomeranians) if they were not

> here. They are indoor pets and do sleep on my bed at night. Of

> course, they get very regular baths that they definitely do not like.

> Hugs,

> Libby

>

>

> On Jun 5, 2004, at 10:30 PM, CZ wrote:

>

>

>>they can do that here in australia too. i can understand it though

>>because i own my house. if i rented my house out i would not want

>>people

>>with pets living in it because pets can be destructive and a lot of

>>owners are not very responsible or good with controlling their pets.

>>also i get allergy from some types of animals and if someone with those

>>lived in my house then i wanted to move back in the house after they

>>leave it would be bad. i think that whether pets are allowed in a house

>>or apartment should be up to the person who owns the property.

>>

>>CZ

>>

>>

>>samantha sansregret wrote:

>>

>>

>>>Thanks Dort,

>>>

>>>These great pet pictures truly made me smile. I live in Canada so I

>>>don't know if it is the same problem in other countries, but here

>>>people

>>>can refuse to rent to people with a pet. I think that is plain cruel

>>>since it is proven how important pets are to well-being. I know that

>>>after my marriage broke up it was only when we got out kitten that my

>>>son and I felt like a family again. I am dreaming of the day I can

>>>have

>>>a little Cavalier spaniel and two cats. Thanks again, Sam

>>>

>>>/ " We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and

>>>homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is

>>>the

>>>greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind

>>>of

>>>poverty " . *Mother */

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>... " A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on

>>>the

>>>ground. Then it is finished, no matter how brave its warriors or how

>>>strong their weapons. "

>>>

>>>... Tsistsistas, Cheyenne

>>>

>

>

>

>

>

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>

[Guest guest]

I hate to say this but they are pigs, not meaning to insult the pigs!

Anne

[Guest guest]

i'm glad i live in my house then

CZ

acarpe6119@... wrote:

> I hate to say this but they are pigs, not meaning to insult the pigs!

> Anne

>

>

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>

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>

> ~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> *

[Guest guest]

Glad that I live in mine too CZ!

anne

[Guest guest]

It is not a nightmare Sam, we just wrote different views!

Anne

[Guest guest]

I wanted to comment about the animals and healing, making it through

the day. Without my animals I don't know what shape I would be in. I

depend on them just as much if not more than they depend on me. For

the small price of food,water and a little upkeep they, in return

give me hours and hours ofunconditional love, 24-7. Yep that's me at

the store trying toremove the cat hair from my black blouse or pants

(I wouldn't have itany other way), and the 'GOOD MORNING' I receive

from my cockatoo is better than " Where's the coffee!!!! " .....anyday.

Without my animals I would really be sick!

I wanted to include a picture of my cat sleeping in the birds cage

while she looks on, and one of Lydia (cat) checking out the tasty

morsels leftover in her bowl by Alice (the bird). But it got

returned and I don't know how to upload or attach to this message.

So I will check out the photo file and see if I can put something

there(?????).

ALSO: Thank you all for the information on Fibromyalgia and relating

conditions, they have been very helpfull. This group is a Godsend

for me.

***MARLENE***

[Guest guest]

My umbrella was inbred and has some major medical problems. Of course, she is also a plucker. She still is the most beautiful bird to me, and nothing beats hearing, 'Hello, I love you'. But...she doesn't speak well, she sounds a bit like scooby doo....

RE: PETS

I wanted to comment about the animals and healing, making it through the day. Without my animals I don't know what shape I would be in. I depend on them just as much if not more than they depend on me. For the small price of food,water and a little upkeep they, in return give me hours and hours ofunconditional love, 24-7. Yep that's me at the store trying toremove the cat hair from my black blouse or pants (I wouldn't have itany other way), and the 'GOOD MORNING' I receive from my cockatoo is better than "Where's the coffee!!!!" .....anyday. Without my animals I would really be sick!I wanted to include a picture of my cat sleeping in the birds cagewhile she looks on, and one of Lydia (cat) checking out the tastymorsels leftover in her bowl by Alice (the bird). But it gotreturned and I don't know how to upload or attach to this message.So I will check out the photo file and see if I can put somethingthere(?????).ALSO: Thank you all for the information on Fibromyalgia and relatingconditions, they have been very helpfull. This group is a Godsendfor me.***MARLENE***~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~ The Being Sick CommunityMessage Archives-/messagesChat:- Scheduled Chats at /chatBookmarks:-Add a website URL you have found useful./links Personal Complaints or problems:-Please contact a moderator email: -owner Subscription Details:-1) Individual email - means that every email sent to the list you receive.2) Daily Digest - sends you 25 messages in one single email for you to browse. This is an excellent option if you receive alot of email.3) Web only/No mail - means that you can pop into groups at your convenience and receive no email.To modify your subscription settings please visit:- /joinTo subscribe or unsubscribe please email:--subscribe -unsubscribe This group is not intended to diagnose or treat illnesses. No one on this group is qualified to diagnose medical conditions. If you feel you need medical attention, seek the advice of a qualified physician.~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~When nothing is sure, everything is possible.--- Margaret Drabble~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~

[Guest guest]

"Where's my coffee?"

Ha ha ha that is so funny ...but true!

-- RE: PETS

I wanted to comment about the animals and healing, making it through

the day. Without my animals I don't know what shape I would be in. I

depend on them just as much if not more than they depend on me. For

the small price of food,water and a little upkeep they, in return

give me hours and hours ofunconditional love, 24-7. Yep that's me at

the store trying toremove the cat hair from my black blouse or pants

(I wouldn't have itany other way), and the 'GOOD MORNING' I receive

from my cockatoo is better than "Where's the coffee!!!!" .....anyday.

Without my animals I would really be sick!

I wanted to include a picture of my cat sleeping in the birds cage

while she looks on, and one of Lydia (cat) checking out the tasty

morsels leftover in her bowl by Alice (the bird). But it got

returned and I don't know how to upload or attach to this message.

So I will check out the photo file and see if I can put something

there(?????).

ALSO: Thank you all for the information on Fibromyalgia and relating

conditions, they have been very helpfull. This group is a Godsend

for me.

***MARLENE***

~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~

The Being Sick Community

Message Archives-/messages

Chat:- Scheduled Chats at

/chat

Bookmarks:-

Add a website URL you have found useful.

/links

Personal Complaints or problems:-

Please contact a moderator

email: -owner

Subscription Details:-

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2) Daily Digest - sends you 25 messages in one single email for you to browse. This is an excellent option if you receive alot of email.

3) Web only/No mail - means that you can pop into groups at your convenience and receive no email.

To modify your subscription settings please visit:-

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To subscribe or unsubscribe please email:-

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This group is not intended to diagnose or treat illnesses. No one on this group is qualified to diagnose medical conditions. If you feel you need medical attention, seek the advice of a qualified physician.

~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~

When nothing is sure, everything is possible.

--- Margaret Drabble

~~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~~

[Guest guest]

Diane,

I have 6 ferrets and 4 dogs. Yes pets do make a big difference. I have

always had pets. I love he ferrets because they are strickly indoor pets and

very

comical.

Toni

In a message dated 1/16/2005 2:47:18 PM Central Standard Time,

writes:

Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 08:58:05 EST

From: RubyAcreRabbitry@...

Subject: Re: Re: husband's anger outbursts

Hi Larry,

I wondered if anyone else had animals that helped. I raise rabbits not for

meet just for pets. I love them and I spend a lot of time with them. We live

on a dairy farm too and that keeps me busy. I also am going to raise saint

bernards. I have a puppy 6 months old that weighs 65 pounds all ready

~~Take

care~~Diane

[Guest guest]

We have 3 dogs in the house, a jack-rat terrier, a yellow lab and a minituare

schnauzer. Macey's not had a problem with any of them. The schnauzer is her

responsibility. She walks him and makes sure he has food and water on schedule.

Ursula Holleman

mom to (12 yrs old) and Macey (10 yr. old with CVID, Diabetes Insipidus,

colonic inertia)

http://members.cox.net/maceyh

Immune Deficiency Foundation - Peer Contact for GA

http://www.primaryimmune.org

IDF Patient/Family Handbook

http://www.primaryimmune.org/pubs/book_pats/book_pats.htm

/

[Guest guest]

We have 3 dogs and Britt is not bothered by them one bit. As long as Conner

isn't allergic there shouldn't be a problem with having them.

Janet, Mom to Brittany, CVID, age 14

[Guest guest]

We had to send our beloved rhodesian ridgeback (lioness) dog to our breeder

after 4 years. Our daughter and the dog shared the same infection! I never had

a chance to morn the loss b/c my daughter was in such a crisis at the time.

Sharing infections with pets is extremely rare -- but, it can happen with some

of our quirky pumpkins. What was UNUSUAL about our dog was that she suffered

with allergic disease so the combination of a child with a weak immune system

and a dog with atopic dermatitis (and possibly a dysregulated immune system

herself) did not work at all.

Our vet was wonderful. When he learned that our daughter was ill he took it

very seriously and ran tests on our pets STAT. Within 20 minutes of my call,

our dog and cat were tested! I was kind of hoping to blame our nasty cat and

give him away but, of course, it was our precious dog that had the problem.

I am not advising you to get rid of your pets but I would make sure that you

have a super good vet on board. This way, if you notice anything suspicious,

you can run the pets over to him/her and get them checked.

Pets have so many psychological benefits that the risks may be outweighed --

unless there is clear danger or your mommy instinct says to find another home

for them. I assume that your pets are all healthy and, thus, are a lower risk

to your kids then was our pup. But, I do wonder why the infectious disease doc

said to keep the pets at bay... I can see why you are so torn.

Hope things workout. I know what it is like to lose a beloved pet.

(mom to little one with low everything and managing on IVIg)

BBsmart2@... wrote:

We have 3 dogs and Britt is not bothered by them one bit. As long as Conner

isn't allergic there shouldn't be a problem with having them.

Janet, Mom to Brittany, CVID, age 14

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/21/2005 7:34:18 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

tripletsand1@... writes:

Conner has had a couple of infections that we felt were likely caused by the

pets. One was a fungal infection on his skin that he had a very difficult

time eliminating, it literally took months of treatment to get it to go

away.

Make sure they stay out of his bedroom. That is what the doctor always told

me.

Janet, Mom to Brittany, CVID, age 14

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the replies, maybe Conner is one of the lucky ones to have a

problem with animals, I'm glad it's not a big problem for most of our kids.

Conner has had a couple of infections that we felt were likely caused by the

pets. One was a fungal infection on his skin that he had a very difficult

time eliminating, it literally took months of treatment to get it to go

away. Both the ID and derm felt that it was animal related. He's had other

milder infections attributed to them too. The RAST test showed him only

mildly allergic to them, which wasn't a concern in itself.

The bad thing is that our kids adore animals, Conner and Kelsey say they

will be veterinarians some day. Conner also says he's moving to Africa to

help save endangered animals - I just hope we can find a way for vaccines to

work on him by then :-)

Anyway, my head tells me to get rid of them, but my heart tells me

otherwise. My husband says the emotional trauma will be worse than any

health risks, I'm just not so sure about that.

Thanks again for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Mom to Conner (11, Asperger's, mild CP, partial seizures, asthma, GERD,

immunodeficiency and resolved adrenal insufficiency),

Hayden (11, PDD-NOS, IBS and moderate hearing loss/aided),

Evan (11, asthma and mild hearing loss/unaided),

and Kelsey - (9 going on 19!)

Please visit us at www.caringbridge.org/in/connersmith