Snaggle Foot Round Lake Adds Monthly Dog Walking Packages

By: Laurie Brzostowski

EXTRA EXTRA Read All About It !!!

We have some very exciting news to share with all of you!

Snaggle Foot Dog Walks and Pet Care-Round Lake is now adding Monthly Dog Walking Packages to our AWESOME menu of outstanding services we provide pet owners in the Lake County Illinois area.

These packages are structured for daily dog walking clients who consistently book anywhere from 3 visits per week up to 5 visits per week every single week.

These "prepaid packages" are now ready for purchase. There are a couple of rules attached to these packages and everything will be explained when you sign up.

If you are looking to hire an award winning pet care provider in your area for your dog walking needs, this is "right up your alley". Just give us a call at (847) 886-4648 or email us (Laurie@snagglefoot.com) to learn more.

If you are a current client and want to get "on board", just email me and we can get you set up and go over any details or questions you may have.

If you want to see the "package" details, please go to: http://roundlake.snagglefoot.com/services/dog-walking/

We are very excited to add these types of packages so we can continue to provide the very best pet care services to all of our current and future clients.

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The Adventures of Star Saver (GB)

Developer:

A-Wave

|

Release Date:

1992

|

Systems:

Game Boy

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This week on Super Adventures, something a little less colourful.

The Adventures of Star Saver is a Game Boy game... and that's pretty much all I know about it. I just saw the name and realised it had to get played. My best guess is that it's a management sim based around running a discount supermarket chain, but I'm not going to completely rule out the possibility that it's a platformer.

Either way no one wants to stare at 300 black and white screenshots so I'll be keeping it short this time. This'll be a Regular Adventure rather than a Super Adventure.
Read on »

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3 Tips to Manage Arthritis in Aging Pets

By: Laurie Brzostowski

Written By: Stacey Kalinnikova 

Arthritis due to degeneration of joints is a common condition in older pets.  Signs of arthritis include stiffness, difficulty with stairs or jumping, decreased flexibility, abnormal gait, lameness, and visible joint swelling.  Pets may also exhibit behavioural changes such as reluctance to play or exercise, and cats may develop aversion to their litter box.

Treatment for arthritis includes medications to control inflammation and pain, supplements for joint health, and complementary therapies.

Here are 3 tips to help manage arthritis at home: 

1.  Increase comfort 

Making daily life more comfortable for your arthritic pet can be easy to do.  Provide a well-padded sleeping area that is warm and free from drafts (cold can exacerbate arthritic pain).  Place food and water bowls at a manageable height on a non-slip surface.

If you live in a multi-story house, stairs can cause problems for arthritic pets.  Aim to keep your pet’s bed and food dishes on the same floor, ideally near the area where the family spends most of their time.  Ramps can help pets that have difficulty with stairs or getting up onto furniture.  They should be sturdy and non-slip. 

2.  Provide the right diet 

Animals with excess weight can suffer from added strain and compression of the joints.  The right diet and ideal body condition can do wonders for joint and overall health.  Talk to your veterinary team to formulate a controlled weight loss plan.

Older pets can benefit from specifically formulated ‘senior’ pet foods or diets formulated for arthritic control.  Such diets are made with lower calories and often contain added glucosamine and omega-3 fatty acids for joint health. 

3.  Physiotherapy 

Arthritic pets can benefit from physiotherapy in the home.  Muscle massages help to stimulate blood flow, range of motion exercises are beneficial to alleviate stiffness, and warm compresses help soothe sore joints.  Appropriate physical therapy techniques for massage and joint motion should be demonstrated by your veterinary care team.

Low impact exercise can help arthritic pets to maintain motility.  Exercises should be low-weight bearing and controlled such as swimming and short walks on the leash for dogs.

A whole-body care plan can significantly improve the quality of life in your aging and arthritic pet.  Speak to your veterinarian before implementing any drastic exercise and diet changes or attempting physiotherapy.

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Valkyria Chronicles (PC)

Developer:

SEGA

|

Release Date:

2014

|

Systems:

Windows, PS3, PS4

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Last week on Super Adventures, I took a break. But this week I'm taking a look at turn based real time tactical shooter Valkyria Chronicles! I keep accidentally typing Valkyrie Chronicles, but that's not its name so I should quit that.

I've written 'Release Date: 2014' under the title screen, but it originally came out in 2008 as one of those pesky PlayStation 3 exclusives. It finally escaped to the PC after 6 years of exclusivity captivity, but Xbox 360 and Wii U owners are sadly still missing out to this day. Unless they also own a PC or PS3, then they're not. I've never liked how games are divided up between consoles like this... especially when it's between consoles I don't own.

Anyway, this was actually a gift from a friend, so I'm kind of hoping I'll be able to I liked it. Trouble is, I don't actually enjoy strategy games for the most part, even when they've got an 80+ score on Metacritic. XCOM and Disgaea hooked me for multiple playthroughs, so there's still hope, but generally I don't have the patience for these kinds of games.

Read on »

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LIFELINE

LIFELINE (3 Minutes Games, 2015) is a mobile text-based game focused on a narrative with a very simple gameplay. Written by Dave Justus, the plot is about an astronaut (Taylor) trying to survive in a strange place after a spaceship accident. To survive, he needs your help to take some decisions inside a claustrophobic alien ambient.



The gameplay is always based in two decisions presented to the player in the end of certain speeches from the astronaut. The idea of “decision trees” (that we have already discussed here) is the interaction’s core inside the gaming universe. The astronaut will always offer two options to the player to continue the history with different outcomes. The image below shows the main idea of the gameplay:



But, beyond the very immersive narrative, that game has a very different component: the real time between astronaut’s actions. In some moments in the story, it’s possible to ask the astronaut, for example, to climb a mountain. The game stops and after 3 hours (the time Taylor took to climb the mountain) he starts a new part of the narrative. So, many decisions in the game are affected by these kinds of choices.

To understand the game better, check the official trailer below:



In a time full of complex games, it’s very good to find some elegant and simple game design based in a good narrative.

#GoGamers

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What Is Chagas Disease In Dogs?

By:  Laurie Brzostowski

Well, this particular article caught my eye due to all the news reports these days on the "kissing bug" which seems to be causing problems in the some of the midwest states and most of the southern states.

One of the complications of the "kissing bug" is Chagas Disease so I thought I would do some research on this to find out what it is, etc.

According to the CDC this "kissing bug" is found in all the states shown in the map above. 

So what is Chagas Disease?
Chagas disease is an illness caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which may infect dogs in several ways, including through blood exposure to the feces of “kissing bugs,” the ingestion of infected kissing-bugs, kissing-bug feces or prey (e.g., rodents), or congenitally from a mother to her offspring.

Once the parasites enter the cells in a dog’s body (often the heart muscle), they multiply and eventually rupture the infected cells. This is why Chagas disease is commonly associated with heart disease in dogs.

Chagas disease is endemic in South and Central America, but it is also found in the United States, typically in in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia. But the disease’s range is expanding as our climate warms.

Symptoms and Types of Chagas Disease

Two forms of Chagas disease are observed in dogs: acute and chronic. Some dogs experience an extended asymptomatic period between the two forms, which can last for months to years.

Acute Symptoms      

• Fever
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Enlarged liver or spleen
• Neurologic abnormalities (e.g., seizures)
• Sudden death

These symptoms may not be noticed by owners because they often resolve without treatment.

Chronic Symptoms

• Weakness
• Exercise intolerance
• Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Fluid accumulation throughout the body
• Coughing
• Death         

Causes of Chagas Disease
Although Chagas disease can only be acquired through an infection with the T. cruzi parasite, there
are a variety of ways a dog may come in contact with the organism. Illness may occur when a vector—a kissing bug (Triatominae)—bites the dog on the skin or on a mucous membrane (such as the lips) and leaves infected feces in the wound. It can also occur when a dog eats an infected prey animal (e.g., rodent) or ingests the feces from a kissing bug. The parasite can also be passed from a mother to her offspring.

Treatment for Chagas Disease
Although several drugs have resulted in somewhat limited improvement in dogs during the acute stage, none produce a clinical “cure.” Unfortunately, even those dogs that get treatment may progress to the chronic form of the disease. In these cases, supportive treatment of heart complications is of primary importance.

Living and Management
Dogs with Chagas disease and the heart disease that results have a guarded to poor prognosis. Dogs are not thought to directly pass Chagas disease to people, so euthanasia solely for this reason is not necessary.

Now that we know what it is and how it is "spread" let's try and keep an eye on our dogs when outside and keep them all healthy !

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PICASE LATEST VERSION

Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all
the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically
locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them
into visual albums organized by date with folder names you will
recognize. You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels
to create new groups. Picasa makes sure your

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