Chew toys not license to kill
worry. You also are correct to worry about an asteroid hitting Earth. Furry chew toys do imitate critters in the wild, with one exception — they are utterly passive. A dog can have his way with them. This activity satisfies the dog’s instinct to chew and shake the life out of something and, yes, it’s all in good fun. When Dog Lady first became a dog keeper, she was aghast at the antics of dog play. Rough wrestling, though, is healthy for dogs. Sure, some untrained dogs with aggressive instincts can lead a life of crime. Yet, for the majority of dogs, a stuffed toy provides a toothless tiger of an outlet. to Alaska and really want to take her with me, but flight regulations for animals say they cannot be muzzled. Do I need to worry about her not wearing a muzzle?
A. All dogs traveling in the cargo hold of airplanes must be caged, so unless they escape, they are strapped in for the entire flight. The airlines ban muzzles on dogs to decrease the risk of liability should the jaw restraint injure the dog. Keeping your dog contained from the moment you enter the airport ensures Cassady will be protected from mixing it up with other dogs.
Dog Lady gets the heebie-jeebies thinking about dogs in the air. If there is no other way to transport Cassady to Alaska, you must hold your breath and hope she arrives safely.
Wedding season is upon us, but instead of happily planning their big day, many brides-to-be are desperately trying to shed pounds before walking down the aisle. Some brides are so desperate, in fact, that they are abandoning actual food.
How? With the latest trend: the feeding tube diet.
Also known as the K-E Diet, the feeding tube diet requires brides to refrain from eating for 10 days. Instead, they are fed 800 carb-free calories each day via a feeding tube. (The cost is around $1,500).
Although it sounds like something out of a “Saturday Night Live” skit, the feeding tube diet is quite real. It’s growing popular with brides in the United States, Europe and beyond. These days, it isn’t enough for women to simply hit the gym or order salad dressing on the side. To attain the ideal body that they see featured everywhere from magazines to sitcoms, even the average woman will go beyond the pale to lose weight, even if it means going to work with a feeding tube in her nose.
Another recent news story also shines a light on the numerous issues women have with their bodies. Sexy stars Maria Menounos, Debra Messing, Taraji P. Henson and Heidi Klum posed nude in the latest issue of Allure magazine. The stars stripped off more than just their clothes, they also came clean about their body image issues and how they have grappled with feeling comfortable in their own skin.
While it’s hard to imagine that these beautiful women are shamed into dieting and hating their own bodies, it’s also indicative of the problem as a whole. Certainly the average woman probably would kill to have a supermodel frame, but that doesn’t mean that supermodels are free of body hatred. And being skinny isn’t a free pass either, as these women are often told they are too skinny, too tall, too flat-chested, etc.
Where can we place the blame? While the fashion industry often is accused of encouraging unhealthy body ideals for women (and men), the truth is that we all play a role in creating these drastic and dangerous weight loss goals. We all want a perfect body and some people will do anything to get it. For many women, dieting is an internal blood sport, and sadly it is a game that no one ever wins. And, while the brides-to-be on the feeding tube do lose weight, most of them gain it all back on their
Dr. Berman is the star of “In The Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman” on OWN and director of drlauraberman.com.