When you child is in pain, there’s no mistaking it – you know it. But what about your dog? How do you know when your dog is in pain?

Dogs feel pain for many of the same reasons as humans do – injuries, arthritis, surgical recovery, infections, and more. But your dog can’t easily tell you when and where they hurt. So what can you do? Monitor your dog regularly and look for subtle changes.  Changes in behavior, daily habits, activity level, posture, facial expressions and more. Is your dog lethargic, not eating as usual, quiet, laying around too much, reluctant to get up, or laying on one side only?

Pain can easily distroy one’s quality of life. Think about when you’re in pain and how miserable you feel. The same is true with your dog. If you suspect your dog is in pain, consult with your veterinarian. Many causes of pain can be easily solved or managed. Once you know the cause of the pain, look at alternate ways to manage the pain, such as acupuncture or cold laser treatments, or massage. And consider aqua therapy as an excellent means of non-weight bearing exercise to keep your dog strong. Even though your dog may be in pain, it’s important to keep exercising your dog. Feel free to contact us to discuss how we can help your dog!

According to an article in USA Today, health experts predict that obesity rates will increase to around 42% by 2030, up from 36% in 2010. That’s 32 million people! There’s also a prediction of the rate of severe obesity (more than 100 pounds overweight) to double from 5% to 11%. The article goes on to state the obvious toll on health, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases. The health care costs of treating obesity related diseases is atronomical - just to treat the additional 32 million people is about $550 billion more than what’s being spent now.

The same is true with your pets. According to Dr. Ernie Ward at the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 54% of all dogs in the US are overweight or obese. Not only is this causing the same type of problems as with humans, but you’re spending much more money to care for your overweight pets. In 2011, the average cost for veterinary care for a diabetic dog or cat was more than $900. Also in 2011, pet insurance claims for diabetes jumped by 253 percent!

If you’re interested in learning how you can help your dog lose weight and get back into shape, email us today at info@rockysretreat.com!

To read the entire USA Today article, click here.

This is the story of Tanner, a blind golden retriever who also suffers from epilepsy. He wound up in an animal hospital in Tulsa OK. Things weren’t good until another dog named Blair came in after being found homeless and shot. One day they were put in the exercise yard together and Blair realized that Tanner was blind and started helping him out. That started a friendship that continues. Now Tanner is doing much better and Blair is much less anxious. The special bond the two have developed has helped both dogs. They are up for adoption as a pair. What a heartwarming story. Here’s the video.

Beginning May 5th ,we are hosting our Mommie and Me fundraiser for breast cancer research and support. You can get a massage or reflexology session and your dog (if you chose to bring him or her) can experience either a massage or swim session.  We are running this spacial beginning  May 5th each day through May 19th. All sessions are booked by appointment. Prices start at $40 for a Mommie only reflexology session and go up to $125 for a Mommie and Me massage for Mom and a massage or swim for your dog. Proceeds go to Women Playing for T.I.M.E. a volunteer organization affiliated with MD Anderson Cancer Center, that is dedicated to making a a positive impact on women facing cancer. For more information, visit the education page of our website – www.rockysretreat.com/education. To book an appointment, please call us at 407-295-3888.

The effleurage massage stroke is very versatile, and it’s a great stroke to use to calm a dog.

I’m often asked why I wanted to go through the time, frustration, and huge expense to build Rocky’s Retreat Canine Health & Fitness Center.

With respect to aqua therapy, the answer is simple, really. It’s because I wanted the best – not only for my dog and Toby’s dog, but for all central Florida’s dogs. I couldn’t find what I was looking for anywhere in central Florida. Even while Rocky was alive, I experienced other swim centers and those experiences gave me a clear idea what I didn’t want. I realized people shouldn’t have to worry about rinsing their dogs off after a swim to try to offset the damage done due to the dog’s exposure to chlorine. As Rocky aged, I knew I didn’t want to compromise his immune system further by exposing him to a chlorinated pool. Even if I rinsed him off afterward (which I always had to do) I was concerned about the damage done to his immune system while he was in the water. I also didn’t want my wet dog emerging from a pool on a cold day without a way to dry him before going out in the cold. Heck, even on a warm day, I didn’t want to put my wet dog on the leather seats in my car, even with towels! And I thought it would be nice if I didn’t even have to bring towels. Plus, I wanted a clean, sanitary pool.

With respect to massage and other healing modalities, I wanted to create a calm, zen space that would benefit the dog receiving the massage. While it’s often conducive to do body work on a dog in his or her own home, the flip side of that is that the dog often CAN’T relax in their surroundings. Dogs want to do their job (such as guarding), they want to play with pet siblings, etc, and they often can’t relax with a massage while maintaining that responsibility, or wanting to have fun. Take the dog away from the home, and that all changes!

I am fortunate to have found a business partner in my dear friend Toby, who moved down here from New Jersey so we could work together to build what became our mutual vision – Rocky’s Retreat Canine Health & Fitness Center. We’ve both worked hard to not only see through the building of this facility but to spend the considerable time and money taking the certified training courses to ensure we can give the best care to the dogs of central Florida. She and I share the same vision – ultimate health for the dogs who come to us, safety for dog and “parent,” a space where you both can relax and enjoy the company of one another, where you can meet new friends, and have fun, and where you can learn how better to take care of your best friend.

Discover the difference!

Most people think all dogs can swim. That’s not true. They can do something that MAY help to save themselves should they get in that situation. But some dogs are so panicked in the water that they could actually drown. Toby’s dog Beau was one of those dogs. She tried for years to get him to go in the lakes in New Jersey with all his “buds” but he would only go in to his elbows. However she wanted him to swim because he has a potential joint problem that swimming will help.

When we were just about to open our center, we brought in a special instructor to give us some advanced training in aqua therapy. Our first subject was Beau. This video starts with the first time we got Beau into the water, and follows his progress until sometime a month or so later, when he finally “gets it.” Today, he swims like a champ, and Toby is pleased. Even though he has no problems today, we can give him high quality, non-weight bearing exercise in our pool, which we believe will help prevent problems down the road. We believe it’s better to choose fitness and health today, extending your dog’s health and quality of life. Swim therapy in a warm water, non chlorinated pool is one of the best ways to achieve that goal.

Smudge is such a great boy. His right leg was amputated last year due to an accident. He’s a 13 year old beagle shephard mix, and this was his first time in the water. It was an emotional experience for all the humans!

You may or may not know this, but we spent a year researching what type of sanitation system we wanted to use in our center’s pool. We knew chlorine was very bad, and never considered it. Chlorine is known to cause allergies and asthma, and recent research is linking it to cancer. Even if you bathe (or rinse your dog) afterward, the damage is still done. It’s especially bad for dogs (or people) with compromised immune systems because of it’s harmful effects on the immune system. Any older dog, dog recovering from surgery, dogs we figured were likely to be clients WILL have compromised immune systems. We didn’t want to do further damage to these dogs.

We briefly considered bromine, a chlorine substitute, but again, it has many of the same harmful effects as chlorine. Then we looked at salt, but felt it would be too drying to both our skin and to the dog’s skin. We also wanted a solution that didn’t require us to rinse a dog off after being in the pool. One of our core philosophies is to make sure the dog never has to leave our facility wet, unless the pet parent chooses that option. That’s why we created a “drying room.” Leaving our facility with a dry dog, and having to rinse the dog off after being in the pool just don’t mix!

After a lot of investigation, we decided on an ozone system. What is ozone? Ozone is basically active oxygen or O₃. It is occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It is one of the most effective, complete bactericides available, yet is completely safe and gentle to the skin and to pool equipment.

There are two basic types of ozone systems, one that creates ozone using a UV light, and the other that uses a corona discharge system to create ozone. UV light is more common, and much less costly, but needs regular maintenance to ensure it’s operating correctly. In a UV light system, water passes by the light, which converts oxygen O₂ into ozone. Problem with these systems is that microscopic particles get deposited on the light rendering it less effective as time passes. Thus the need for regular maintenance.  Corona discharge systems work by passing air through a high voltage electrical charge, or corona. The ozone is then discharged into a passing water stream. Corona discharge systems are much more costly but are much more effective and require almost no maintenance.

I was reading an article on Dr. Mercola’s site (http://tinyurl.com/7mv5mtm) about the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, one of the world’s oldest complimentary health centers. Dr. Mercola interviewed their director, Dr. Brian Clement. The discussion centered on the dangers of the toxins we are exposed to every day. I found it interesting that they use ozone in their 8 pools because of the dangers of chlorine. He also mentioned the use of ozone in the pools in many countries with socialized medicine because it is in their best interest to keep people healthy. Dr. Clement said that ozone filters the water much better than chlorine, and has 4 or 5 times more disinfecting power! Something I didn’t know is that ozone actually has therapeutic value – when in the pool, you actually absorb a little bit of oxygen within the membrane in the skin. The more I read and learn about the dangers of chlorine I’m convinced we made the right decision. Not only for the dogs who come to us, but for ourselves as well.

It was right before Christmas 2011 when my friend Angela started the “Adopt a Platoon” program! She came up with the idea after a conversation with her friend Aaron about his brother Nate, who’s serving our country in Afghanistan. Aaron, a former Marine, was talking about the low morale among our troops. Angela has no connections to anyone in the military, but when Aaron told her that the troops feel forgotten, she felt compelled to do something for Nate’s platoon. So she started collecting donations for a care package for Nate’s platoon. Nate is now in Kandahar, a safer place, (WAHOOO!! Nate’s Mom is so HAPPY!!) where he has access to such luxuries as tooth paste, batteries, etc. He told his Mom that he didn’t feel right getting any more packages while in Kandahar, when all on the front lines are in such need. Nate asked if Angela could instead send the packages to his friend AJ’s platoon, who are serving on the front lines. So this month’s care package is headed to AJ’s platoon. In light of the recent stories coming from Afghanistan, I think our troops are in great need of our support.

Until now, all of the donation locations have been in performer’s “green rooms” in two theme parks, as well as a local dinner show. When Angela sent an email out asking for locations to collect donations, I asked Sherri and Toby if Rocky’s Retreat could be a donation location. The answer was a resounding YES! Sherri’s husband is a Navy Veteran and my Dad served in the 99th Infantry. He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and received the purple heart. Rocky’s Retreat is the first location outside of an entertainment venue to collect donations. So let’s show that it’s not just the entertainers from Central Florida that give a lot, it’s also dog lovers of Central Florida that give a lot!! From now until the end of the month, we will be collecting items at Rocky’s Retreat to be shipped out to AJ’s platoon on the front lines in Afghanistan.

Angela was asked to limit the list of items because the troops share everything. They need more than just one or two of a particular item. Here’s this month’s list (all items need to be new and remain in their original packaging please, this all has to go through customs):

• AA and AAA Batteries
• Tooth Brushes
• Brush Up’s
• Tooth Paste (stand up bottles are best)
• Beef Jerky
• They always need socks (mostly men are serving on the front lines)
• The most requested item so far is letters from “home”! It is their way of staying connected, feeling like they’re not forgotten. It can be a letter, a note, or a card, talk about yourself, your family, your life, your love of animals, how many animals you have, etc., anything that may help take them out of the world of war they’re living in, even if it’s just for a moment. If you want to write a letter – you can always email it to us and we will print it out and include it with the package.

Thank you all so much!! I’m hoping that we can keep this going, it’s a small way to show support of those who serve our country.

If you have any questions and would like to contact us at Rocky’s Retreat, 407-295-3888 or contact Angela directly, please feel free to do so.

Angela’s contact information is:

THANK YOU ANGELA FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!