Going Goofy for Our Pets

By Margie Farnsworth

There has never been a better time to be a dog. Or a cat, macaw, hamster or—we can only imagine—a snake. Pet popularity is at an all-time high, and the pampering we lavish on our domestic charges has never been more extravagant. Doggie daycare, psychics for Persian cats on Prozac, aromatherapy and blueberry facials—these are just a few of the critter comforts owners pony up hard cash for.

It’s estimated Americans will spend in excess of $34 billion on pets in 2004, more than double the amount spent just a decade ago. The lion’s share of that figure is for food, about $13 billion, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, followed by veterinary care at nearly $7 billion.

Scientific research also supports the burgeoning phenomenon. Recent studies suggest that pets help lower our blood pressure, reduce stress and fight depression. The media, too, is awash in stories of pet therapy—animals helping humans lick their physical and psychological wounds.

Dr. Mark Chenven, past president of the San Diego Psychiatric Society, says building a relationship with a pet can strengthen bonding and attachment issues that are critical to human development.

“Pets make an enormous difference for people,” says Chenven, head of clinical operations at Vista Hill, a behavioral health facility in Kearny Mesa. “Pets may serve as a replacement for a loved human—the child who has grown and moved away, or the partner who has died. They also provide an element of constancy in a world of change, especially in times of trouble.”

There’s an astonishing—some might say outrageous—array of pet services and products available in San Diego. To lead owners through the maze, here are recommendations for top specialties in our area.

Bird Store

Avian ownership is one of the fastest-growing segments on the national pet scene, and Sharon Petrarca, owner of Our Feathered Friends, says sales have grown consistently since the 1990s. With more and more condos and apartments going up in San Diego, she foresees further business flying in the door.

In addition to stocking loads of bird accessories and toys, the store, which deals only in domestic birds, operates a breeding farm to help bird owners mate their pets. Services also include bird grooming and a 3,000-square-foot boarding facility when owners have to fly their own coops.

The most common purchase for a first-time buyer is a cockatiel for about $100. It’s an affectionate creature, Petrarca says, and can learn to talk. The store also carries many exotics, such as a Major Mitchell cockatoo, which can cost $5,000, or a hyacinth macaw for about $10,000 —obviously not chicken feed.

Our Feathered Friends, 4420 Rainier Avenue, San Diego, 619-280-5134.

Cat Specialist

San Diego’s first cats-only vet practice, Cheshire Cat Clinic was founded 30 years ago and today is owned and operated by Dr. Ann Middleton, a veterinarian since 1988. Consumers, she says, are doing more and more for t heir cats, both for medical treatment and prevention.

“About half of my regular patients are geriatrics [age 9 and up], and many of them get annual blood tests,” Middleton says. “I have a number of diabetic patients, renal-failure patients, hyperthyroid, hypertensive, cardiomyopathy and cancer patients. I have some patients with two or three concurrent problems and one doing unbelievably well with six concurrent problems.”

Dentistry is a major part of preventive care for cats, says Middleton, who adds that owners often postpone it due to concerns about anesthesia and cost. She recently extracted six diseased teeth from an 18-year-old cat that was losing weight from mouth pain due to neglected dental care.

“Two weeks later, the mouth was fully healed, the cat was eating very well, gaining weight, had shiny fur and a very grateful owner.”

Cheshire Cat Clinic, 1945-B Garnet Avenue, San Diego, 858-483-1573.

In-Home Pet Sitter

FOCAS, the Friends of County Animal Shelters, is a nonprofit organization to help lost and abandoned dogs and cats in the three animal shelters operated by the county. It has helped place thousands of animals in adoptive homes. Two lucky dogs recently adopted are (at left, top to bottom) Willy, a terrier mix, and Sirus, a beagle blend.

a dog

FOCAS also supports a public education program to promote responsible pet ownership, which includes spaying or neutering animals to help stop overpopulation. To learn more about FOCAS, call 619-685-3536 or visit www.focas-sandiego.org.

Some owners would never dream of boarding their pets. They believe the whole kenneling experience would be too traumatic—or at least too impersonal—for the treasured family member who gets left behind.

Enter Stacy Kopper. Literally. She moves in while the owner is away to ensure there’s no break in Spike’s or Tabby’s routine. And that, of course, includes plenty of human companionship.

“I create a seamless and invisible experience for the pet, the next-best thing to having ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ there,” says Kopper. What began as “a favor to friends” eight years ago has expanded to several dozen clients, all of whom Kopper checks out as thoroughly as they do her. Her fees begin at $35 a day.

A postscript: There are hundreds of advertised pet-sitters—both in-home and drop-by —in San Diego County, and it’s important to get a referral. Check with a veterinary office or contact the Pet Sitters Association of San Diego, which says it checks references (858-514-8832, www.petsittersassociation.com). Stacy Kopper, 619-508-6517.

Veterinary Services

Still in the same unassuming brick building where it was founded in 1927, Main Street Small Animal Hospital was San Diego’s first and, for a while, only veterinary practice. It also was the first in the city (in 1973) to employ a vet board-certified in internal medicine, Dr. Michael Kelly, who remains on staff.

a dog with two vets

Main Street’s patient focus—dogs and cats only—hasn’t changed in nearly 80 years, but the scope of services has grown dramatically. “Advances in veterinary medicine are very similar to advances in human medicine,” says Dr. Rob Tugend, the hospital’s surgeon and medical director. “Basically, if a treatment or procedure is available for a person, it’s also available for an animal.” Ultrasound is widely used, as are endoscopic procedures, MRIs and CT scans.

“People are demanding more for their pets,” Tugend says. “They want more treatment, service and technology.” It comes at a cost; Tugend says it’s not unusual for cancer treatments for a dog, for example, to cost $10,000 to $20,000. “These are difficult situations for people, and it’s often very hard for people to determine how far they can afford to go.”

While Kelly was the first certified vet specialist in San Diego, today there are 70 —including vet anesthesiologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists and surgeons. Most specialists require a referral. For birds and exotic animals, Tugend and his colleagues refer owners to veterinarian Jeff Jenkins, a board-certified specialist (2317 Hotel Circle South, Suite C, San Diego, 619-260-1412).

Main Street Small Animal Hospital, 2773 Main Street, San Diego, 619-232-7401.

Pet Store

If you think you’ve seen everything in the way of paraphernalia for the pampered Fido or Fluffy, you haven’t been to Dogma Catma, a recently opened emporium in Hillcrest.

There’s a great selection of the usual accessories—leashes, collars, bowls and beds—and an imaginative array of who-ever-would-have-thought-it items: lavender-scented heating pads for arthritic pets, cat training boxes, electric canine toothbrushes, fried-chicken spray for dry food and a customized mosaic doghouse that’s yours for $6,000. No fewer than four dozen styles of squeaky toys are available, and while most pets are likely unregistered Independents, owners may choose to make a political statement with rubberized versions of George W. and Hillary C., currently in hot demand.

A centerpiece of Dogma Catma is a 46-inch plasma TV that continuously runs a slide show of the clientele’s pets. Customers e-mail their favorite pet photo or bring it in for the staff to digitally scan for big-screen viewing. “We want to incorporate the community into the store,” says company president Tim Oliver. “The slide show is great because we let your pet be a star for everyone to see.”

Dogma Catma, 142-D University Avenue, San Diego, 619-497-0180.

Pet Psychic

For a successful session with Brigitte Noel, pet owners are advised to bring an open mind; the animal, Noel says, already has one, and she can read it. In nine years of practicing animal telepathy, Noel has documented the behavior patterns of more than 2,500 pets and has hundreds of letters from grateful owners around the country attesting to her success in helping to ferret out solutions for problem situations, typically cats that urinate indiscriminately and dogs that are not well socialized.

“I literally have dogs and cats coming to see me who are on Prozac,” says Noel, whose office is in her Mission Hills home. “That doesn’t get to the essence of the problem.”

pet psychic

Behavior is an animal’s language, says Noel, who believes all animals have emotions. “I’m always looking for the ‘why’ of an animal’s emotions and experience—to see what’s working and what isn’t.” A 75-minute session costs $135.

Noel’s pet readings begin with “a silent conversation” between her and the animal, which she translates in a written question-and-answer format to share with the owner. She then discusses practical steps to better the pet-and-its-person experience. Readings are audiotaped, and after a month, Noel checks back with clients (the ones who can answer the phone) to monitor progress.

Noel works only with domestic animals, and her client roster ranges from fish to horses. Is there an animal she would like to read but hasn’t? “I’d love to work with a monkey,” she says, “but it’s hard to find one who’s a pet.”

Brigitte Noel, All-Ears Communication, 619-295-5504, www.brigittenoel.com.

Chris Martinez, who has owned and operated Shear Delite for 20 years, has been called “a dog whisperer” for her ability to groom even the most scissors-shy pooch. “It’s all in understanding the animal’s body language and stress level,” she says.

Housed in a small, shingled cottage in the heart of the Mission Hills business district, Shear Delite has customers from all over the county. “We’re very stable in a business that’s usually known for high turnover,” says Martinez.

With the exception of wolf hybrids and chows (“way too unpredictable,” says Martinez), she’ll take on any canine coiffure challenge. Cats, too, although she’s a tad more selective for the feline set.

Shear Delite, 818 Fort Stockton Drive, San Diego, 619-297-3470.

Fish

There are 377.8 million pets in the United States, and fish account for about 192 million of them (185 million are freshwater varieties; 7 million are saltwater swimmers). The information comes from the busy counters at the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, which says about 14 million U.S. households keep fish as pets.

For local fish hobbyists, Fountain’s Aquarium in La Mesa has been a mainstay since 1953. Owners Judy and Gary Hoffa, who’ve operated Fountain’s for 31 years, have kept the 17,000-square-foot facility as colorful and vibrant as the thousands of creatures that occupy their tanks, one of which holds 1,000 gallons.

In addition to plenty of livestock and tank products galore, the store carries hundreds of aquariums. If you don’t see what you want, check with the Hoffas, who might just manufacture it for you.

Fountain’s Aquarium, 7575 University Avenue, La Mesa, 619-465-5333, www.fountainsaquarium.com.

Dog Training

First you train the dog, then you train the owner. That’s the procedure at Pacific Coast Canine, a Carlsbad business that’s developed an intensely loyal following.

Owners check in their dogs for a three- to four-week stay that incorporates what trainer Rob Wolk calls an “8-to-5 day” where dogs are trained “to want to do it, not have to do it” in a mix of private and group sessions.

The secret to successful training, Wolk says, is to keep the instruction positive. “Never say ‘no’ when using a dog’s name,” he says. “Only use the dog’s name when there’s a positive response involved.”

Training owners poses its own set of challenges, says Wolk, who must often educate them about the wolf-pack hierarchy a dog innately understands. “In every case of an aggressive or biting dog, I’ll find an owner who allows the dog on furniture or on the bed at home,” he says. “This is basically telling the dog he’s your equal, that there is no hierarchy.”

Pacific Coast Canine, 7250 Ponto Drive, Carlsbad, 760-598-7246.

Dog Daycare & Boarding

With five dogs at home to care for, Angie Macaluso, a computer specialist working long hours, worried her pets weren’t receiving enough attention. She knew plenty of dog owners in the same predicament. After finding an 11,000-square-foot warehouse in the Morena District, Macaluso opened The Golden Paw, a high-end daycare, boarding and grooming facility that may be as much amusement for owners as it is for their canine buddies.

Choose what’s called Dog Day Play and your pet spends its workday in a size-appropriate playroom with other latchkey dogs. There are toys, agility equipment, comfy beds and plenty of human TLC. The best part for owners: a live Web cam to view just how much fun your dog is having while you’re trapped in the same old rat race. Costs start at $26 per play day, and packages are offered for two or more visits a week.

Boarding facilities range from the toy den ($26 per night) to the “blue-ribbon suite” ($42), which is outfitted with a Web cam and a TV usually tuned, Macaluso says, to the Discovery Channel or—but of course!—the Food Network.

The Golden Paw, 5305-A Metro Street, San Diego, 619-299-2730, www.thegoldenpaw.net.

Kibbles & Bits

A grab-bag collection of services and products for San Diego pets:

* Pet Lovers Publications is a free handbook chock full of important information for pet health and safety. Call 760-631-7886 or visit www.petloverspublications.com.

* Cutting Edge K9 Rehab specializes in swim therapy for dogs with orthopedic conditions and those recovering from surgery. Contact therapist Trish Penick at 619-227-7802, or visit on the Web at www.cuttingedgek9.com.

* You Dirty Dog is a mobile grooming service that comes to you. Owner Carolyn Moser also bathes cats. 619-297-6299.

* South Bark Dog Wash offers a complimentary blueberry facial for the lucky canines whose owners lavish them in lather. 2037 30th Street, San Diego, 619-232-7387.

Petcab Taxi Service helps the transportation-challenged get to the vet—or wherever your darling needs to go. 858-829-3071.

* Horse of the Sun, an equestrian retreat in Pine Valley, includes massage and acupuncture in its services, and we don’t mean for the rider. 619-473-8151.

* Original Paw Pleasers Bakery whips up bowser birthday cakes or a slew of healthy pet snacks. 1220 Cleveland Avenue, Uptown District Shopping Center, 619-293-7297.

* Cat Alley, 2807 University Avenue, 619-683-7877, caters to feline couture and fantasies, and Muttropolis, 227 South Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach, 858-755-3647, has the canine set covered.

* Pressplaynotpaws.com is a new dog-walking service dedicated to downtown condo dwellers. Owner Miguel Aguilar says, “You work 9 to 5. I work K9 to 5.” 619-840-0714.

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