Monday, October 8, 2012

Dog TV!!!

 Only in America!  TV is going to the dogs!

As a developmental optometrist I am often concerned about the television habits of my younger patients.  Too much can be big trouble.  I came across this article from California Veteerinarian magazine (Sept 2012) that I found very funny and thought you would enjoy it.  We receive this magazine because my wife was a practicing vet for 7 years.


Do your clients worry about whether their dog is bored when they’re away from home? 

Do they say their dog suffers from separation anxiety? Then DOGTV may be for them!


Yes, dogs now have their own television channel – DOGTV, created especially for canines. The cable channel features three- to six-minute segments designed to stimulate, relax, and entertain a dog while the owner is away.

It’s available in San Diego, can be accessed online, and will go national soon.

We have a “Top Ten” set of questions about DOGTV:
1. Will dog obesity rise from all that TV-watching?
2. Should we worry about too much violence on DOGTV?
3. Might too much TV watching ruin a dog’s eyes?
4. How will we keep our dogs from fighting over the remote?
5. Won’t all this TV watching cut into their Internet time?
6. Can DOGTV add a smell-o-vision feature with selected food odors?
7. Will DOGTV create alternate, dog-oriented versions of popular shows, such as “Real Housepets of Beverly Hills,” “Man, the Bounty Hunter,” and “Are You Smarter than a Cat?”
8. What if you offer your dog a trip to the park and discover he’d rather be a couch potato and watch TV?

9. What if your dog doesn’t care less what’s on television?
10. Will your cat start whining for a CatTV channel?


--- James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
     Agape Learning & Optometry Center
     Thousand Oaks, CA   91360

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Eye Safety Awareness

Jeepers Creepers, Watch Those Peepers!!


Home is a place we think of as a refuge. But when it comes to the eyes, home can be a very dangerous place.  Every year in the U.S., more than 125,000 people suffer injuries to the eyes in and around the home.  Most of these could be avoided by wearing proper eye protection.

Activities that are potential sight hazards include mowing and trimming, operating power tools, using hazardous chemicals or household cleaners and spreading fertilizer. 

October is Home Eye Safety Awareness Month.  Remember your eyes when working around the home.  For those who don’t require vision correction or wear contact lenses, we recommend ANSI-approved safety glasses available at hardware stores and home improvement centers.  For those people who wear eyeglasses, our office can prescribe safety glasses that meet ANSI standards.



--James B. Mayer, OD, FCOVD
     Agape Learning & Optometry Center
     Thousand Oaks, CA   91360