Marta Sitjà, the caregiver of a paralyzed dog named Hope, came to us in June 2013 in search of a wheelchair. We have loved to find two years later the writing that we put below. We hope it excites you as much as we do:

These sad images correspond to Fiji, a 14-month-old puppy. His owners left him in the car while they went to a mall. A neighbor alerted a policeman of the situation who, along with other people, did everything possible to help the animal.
WARNING: These images may hurt sensitivity
Unfortunately, Fiji died hours later at the veterinary clinic due to internal bleeding caused by heat stroke.
It is obvious that we should NEVER leave an animal inside the car unattended, even if the temperature is not high (these events happened in February) but what to do if we believe that our friend may be suffering from heat stroke?
WE MUST GO TO A VETERINARIAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
We will wet the abdomen and nape of the neck abundantly and fan, since the evaporation of that water lowers its surface temperature. We should never try to get the animal to walk. If we have to travel it by car to the clinic, we will use the air conditioning “butt” or, failing that, we will leave all the windows wide open.
It is not advisable to use ice, as it causes a vasoconstriction that would make heat exchange even more difficult. NEVER use medication on your own, as many of them could worsen the condition.
In situations of heat stroke, a multisystem failure occurs, which is why it is so important to go to a veterinarian. Normally these dogs must remain one or two days admitted, since, although the temperature has been lowered, there are usually problems of blood coagulation and severe renal failure.
Laura Pérez – Orthocanis Veterinarian
Thanks to an amendment approved on January 28 by the National Assembly of France, companion animals will be considered as “living beings endowed with sensitivity”.
Until now in France pets were considered “movable property”, that means that for many years dogs, cats and horses had the same legal value as a piece of furniture.
It has been thanks to an amendment proposed by the legislators of a party, and with this modification the animals would be protected by the law to avoid mistreatment or abandonment, because the owner would face a prison sentence.
This legislative amendment is the response to a petition launched two years ago by the animal protection foundation “30 Millions d’Amis“, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.
Both the Rural Code and the Criminal Code explicitly or implicitly recognize animals as “living and sentient beings”, however, the Civil Code did not, so it was necessary to apply the modification.
About 89 percent of French people are in favor of this modification of the Civil Code, according to a survey by the ifop company for the “30 Million Friends” foundation.
In Spain, there has recently been a reform of the Criminal Code (LO 1/2015) in which several points have been added and modified. For example, the sexual exploitation and/or abuse of domestic animals is now considered illegal (yes, I know what you are thinking. Indeed, until now it was legal…). In addition, there is an increase in convictions, but unless the offender has a record, the prison sentence is rarely enforced. While most of us would like the animal protection law to be much tougher in our country, this reform has been a breakthrough that, in the medium or long term, will possibly open the door to fairer legislation with our friends and colleagues.
Orthocanis Team
Belltown, a city in Seattle (USA), is watching these last weeks as a 2-year-old farmer gets on and off the bus alone and even does what she can to indicate that her stop is about to arrive.
His stop is that of a dog park where he likes to play and spend time and there he travels without anyone else. The initial surprise of the neighbors, to see a dog traveling alone by bus, became a concern later, thinking that the animal had no owner. However, this dog whose name is Eclipse, has an owner named Jeff Young.
Eclipse and his owner live very close to a bus stop that they often take to go to the park. Jeff tells Komo News, Eclipse’s solo getaways began by chance. Every day while they were both waiting for the bus to arrive, Jeff lit a cigar and gave him time to smoke it before the bus that took them to the park arrived. But, one fine day the bus arrived before Jeff finished it and Eclipse’s impatience made her climb alone without waiting for anyone. The surprise was when he found that he had gotten off at the stop he was playing and arrived at the park without problems. “We separated, she took the bus without me, but I caught up with her at the pipican,” Jeff said. “It is not very difficult to get there, you go up right in front of the house and get off in the park which is only four stops away.”
Now everyone who usually takes this bus knows her but at first, she kept receiving calls from friends telling her that they had found her and that they were taking care of her. He had to explain to them that he had a self-sufficient dog and that he already knew what he was doing, that they didn’t worry… who would return alone by bus.
The development of 3D printers is allowing very important advances in the field of medicine. Initially, this technology was used to create parts perfectly adapted to the body of each individual, using plastic materials. Medicine is already going further and organs are beginning to be created with biological materials in order to temporarily or permanently replace parts of the body.
Custom prostheses created with 3D printers have been used in humans, but this time the beneficiary has been Derby, a dog. It is an adopted dog, with a birth deformity on its front legs.
The adaptation of the prostheses are perfect, since the “mold” is obtained from Computerized Tomography of the dog’s limbs. The first prostheses used have been of low height so that it can be adapted to them to, in the future, make the definitive ones.
The brand of Swedish origin Ikea in collaboration with the protective Animal Lovers League Shelter and Save Our Street Dogs have launched an original adoption campaign. This is Home for Hope. It takes place in Singapore and aims to help find a home for dogs that are crowded in the shelters.
The idea is simple: start with a photo shoot to get life-size images of the dogs. A QR code is added and displayed in Ikea stores, integrated into the decoration. In this way, anyone can scan them with their mobile and obtain the dog’s information, facilitating their adoption.
At the moment, this initiative is only applied in Singapore, we hope that the results will be favorable and homeless dogs from other countries can also benefit.
Don’t buy, adopt.
In Ortocanis we have the opportunity to meet many dogs (along with their owners) that go through difficult situations. And we increasingly realize that we have a lot to learn from them. Dogs live in the moment and are capable of the best, without the filters or self-imposed worries of humans.
This is a magnificent video of overcoming and positivity. We encourage you to enjoy it and learn a lot from it, learn to be more dog.
Unfortunately, the Internet is sometimes used to disseminate videos, images and advocacy of animal abuse. This information is known to most Internet users, but what can sometimes go unnoticed is that the fact, due to indignation, of sharing that material and making comments of rejection has very undesirable effects:
And then… How to act?
In the event of a case of animal abuse on the network, we basically have to gather as many evidence as possible and get it to the authorities.
To gather evidence, everything works: social media profiles, images, videos, links,… All this information must reach the security forces. For this we have several ways:
From Ortocanis we encourage you to denounce abuse and its apology.
Orthocanis Team
Feldenkrais® is a method that is based on the learning capacity of the Nervous System using movement and attention directed to the body as a vehicle to access the brain and its ability to create new neural connections and new movement patterns.
In this way, the brain is educated through the messages of the Nervous System. Postural habits are highlighted, new neuro-muscular schemes are investigated for a better availability of movement and the interconnections between the different parts of the body are discovered.
This method was developed over 40 years of study and research by PhD in Physics Moshe Feldenkrais (image). It is a revolutionary approach to understanding the functioning of the human being and to improving physical and mental performance. It uses movement to enhance our natural ability to discover, learn, change, and continue to develop throughout our lives.
In no case does it replace a medical treatment, it is an educational method. Their goal is to overcome pain and limitations and achieve a state of physical, mental and emotional well-being and vitality.
The sessions can be individual in which the teacher mobilizes the student’s body with his hands or group sessions in which the teacher verbally leads the students to perform simple but unusual sequences that involve thinking, feeling and acting imaginatively.
The Feldenkrais method can also be applied to animals, helping in cases of chronic pain and support alterations, such as cases of hip dysplasia or osteoarthritis among many others.
In the Feldenkrais method in dogs, a teacher directs the owner, who is the one who applies the movements to the dog to the animal.
With the application of this method to the dog we will get:
We hope you find it helpful.
Ortocanis.com Team
To travel with animals, the fundamental thing is to plan everything in advance. For international trips outside the European Union, find out at your veterinary clinic at least 3 months before.
What do I need to know to travel with my dog or cat. Here’s a quick guide to the most common requirements depending on the destination:
Domestic travel (Spain): to travel in Spain the rabies vaccine is required (except in Catalonia, Galicia and Euskadi). In addition, if the trip is by plane, we must attend to the specifications that each airline wants to put (always check it before).
Travel within the European Union: a European passport is required that you can get at your veterinary center for about € 55, Rabies vaccine and internal and external deworming. Likewise, the veterinarian must indicate in the passport that the animal is in good health at the time of the examination.
International travel outside the European Union: IMPORTANT always inform yourself before at the consulate of the country of destination, since outside the EU each country has its own legislation in this regard that, in addition, can change without prior notice to the Spanish authorities. Always inform yourself well in advance, as depending on the requirements that establishes the country of destination, we will have some deadlines that we must respect.
Always check if the country of destination has its own entry forms and if it requires rabies serology (blood test that certifies that the animal has responded appropriately to the vaccine). As a general rule, rabies vaccine, internal and external deworming and Official Veterinary Certificate (issued by your veterinarian) validated two days before at the departure airport are required.
For detailed information on each country, you can consult the page of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment:
Export of pets
THE CARE OF THE ANIMAL DURING THE TRIP
The dog on the plane:
Whenever possible, we should travel with the dog in the cabin. Airlines usually allow it up to a maximum of 6-8 Kg (carrier included). In addition ask the company what the maximum measurements of the carrier are.
If you must travel in the hold, you must purchase an approved carrier. This should be high enough so that the animal can sit without problems. It is advisable to maintain about 6 hours of fasting before boarding, thus minimizing the risk of vomiting.
Make sure that the animal does not suffer from any serious health problems that could be life-threatening during the journey, especially heart and respiratory problems.
It is advisable to accustom the dog or cat to the carrier for a few weeks before. You can place the tranportín at home with the door open and introduce toys and food. The animal will stop seeing it as something strange and associate it with something positive.
The dog in the car:
By car, the dog must travel in a carrier or with a seat belt. It is important to make stops every few hours to allow you to relieve yourself, drink water and cool off. Do not forget that its mechanisms to lower the temperature are less efficient than ours and could suffer heat stroke.
Medication:
Before giving any medication, we must consult with our veterinarian. Some animals travel very well without medication and others simply benefit from the administration of antiemetics (drugs that inhibit vomiting). But unfortunately there are many that require reassurance: there are from natural products to powerful sedatives, through anxiolytics. Some require administration from several days before the trip, so, again, plan well in advance.
Laura Pérez – Orthocanis Veterinarian