There are many different dog training collars on the market and many people seem to wonder, what's the big deal with them? What collar is the best for your dog if your aim is to train it?

The most common training collars are choke collars, electronic collars, harnesses and no-bark collars. A dog training collar is supposed to help you discipline your dog and let it know when it is doing the wrong thing. A choke collar can be useful as it slowly makes it more painful when the dog does the wrong thing. The dog will quickly learn that it is wrong and it causes a bad feeling.

Electronic collars might seem a big mean but they are very useful. When the dog does something it is not supposed to you give it an small electric impulse with the remote control. This electric pulse is not very strong and will only make the dog uncomfortable. This is just enough for it to feel bad about what happened and learn not to do it again.

To decide on the exact dog training collar you need it is best to research deeper about what kind of training you are aiming for and what kind of dog you have. Do some research and make sure you pick the right collar for what you are aiming for. In some cases it is only recommended by a professional dog trainer to use a certain dog training collar.

Combing good training with the right dog training collar can give you a really powerful method. As with all kind of pet training it is important to be persistent and never give up. Educate yourself all the time and try to reach the level where you feel comfortable with your dog and you notice progress.

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Max Gregus

I began searching for a dog training halter when I was yanked to the ground by our dog Holly during one of our walks. An aggressive puller like our dog can not be controlled by a simple leash. After looking at many dog training halters, I purchased the Sporn Dog Training Halter.

Joseph S. Sporn designed this dog training halter so that the dog is not controlled through her head and neck. Instead Sporn placed the tension control in the very sensitive area located in the “arm pits” of the dog's front legs.

The part of the halter that slips over the dog's head and around her neck is made of one-inch wide heavy duty nylon webbing. This collar has two nickel-plated steel D-rings in the center front and a two inch diamond-shaped plate made of the same material that rests on the back of the dog's neck. The collar is threaded through slits in this plate. Both sides of the collar have thermoplastic tri-bar adjusters so that the collar may be tightened to fit.

The restraint part of the Sporn Dog Training Halter comes from a half-inch wide braided flat cord which is looped through a one-inch diameter ring to which the leash may be attached, then through a thermoplastic toggle, and finally through the diamond-shaped plate of the collar. The sliding toggle allows the cord to be snugged up under the dog's 'arm pits'. Both ends of the cord are finished with swivel hooks that attach to the D-rings at the front of the collar. Sherpa sleeve tubes fit over the cord to protect the dog from irritation from the swivel hooks and cord rubbing on her underarms.

The Sporn Dog Training Halter fits dogs with necks measuring 9 to 33 inches. When purchasing one of these training halters, it is imperative that you measure your dog's neck and choose the right size. The Sporn Dog Training Halter comes in blue, red, or black. You may expect to pay between fifteen to thirty dollars depending upon where you shop. I found our training halter on eBay, but many other online pet supply stores carry the Sporn brand.

When first using the Sporn Dog Training Halter, you may be a bit confused as to how to put it on your dog. Learning to do this does take some time. To put the dog training halter on my dog, I make sure the part of the diamond-shaped plate through which the braided cord passes is facing her tail. I grip either side of the collar with its corresponding sherpa-covered restraint and pass it over the dog's head. Then I gently lift each of her legs one at a time through the restraints so that the sherpa sleeve is positioned under her 'arm pits'. Then I tighten down the toggle until the collar and restraints are snug.

I do not bother unhooking the cord from the D-rings at the front of the collar when I take the halter off our dog. Instead I move the toggle adjuster all the way to the metal ring so that the sleeves droop, then lift Holly's paws up and through the sleeves. Then I can remove the collar from her by sliding it over her head and off.

I have noticed that if the swivel hooks are not covered by the sherpa sleeves, Holly develops some nasty raw sores in time where the hooks have rubbed. Holly is a short-haired dog and I am not sure if a long-haired dog would have the same problems. Perhaps the longer fur would prevent the irritation.

Many dog trainers and veterinarians have recommended the Sporn Training Halter as a humane training device for dogs. With an ordinary collar and leash, an aggressive pulling dog will choke and possibly injure the larynx, trachea, neck, or head if he lunges. This does not happen when the leash attaches to the training halter between the dog's shoulders.

The Sporn Dog Training Halter has not trained Holly to stop pulling altogether but it has given me greater control over her movements. When I hold her to one side when walking, she does not cut in front and trip me. Any pull on the leash seems to exert enough tension to her underarms that she knows she must adjust what she is doing. The difference between walking her with a leash alone or the leash used in conjunction with the Sporn Dog Training Halter is noticeable.

Whenever I hold up the dog training halter, my dog gets excited and puts her own head into the collar. Believe me, she does not get as excited when I hold up her leash. She has come to know that the training halter means we will be taking a walk, but the leash means she will be put on her leader in the yard.

Thanks to the Sporn Dog Training Halter, I can walk my dog without the fear of having my arm pulled violently or being dragged belly down on the ground.

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Ulysses Valaitis

washingtonpost.com:

The District will become the first city in the United States to distribute female condoms free, part of a project that will make 500,000 of them available in beauty salons, convenience stores and high schools in parts of the city with high HIV rates.

Read the whole story: washingtonpost.com

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The San Gabriel Tribune reported on Thursday that California is making an effort to help out female veterans that are having trouble finding work after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Their trouble securing and holding down a job is sometimes caused by the psychological effects of being in combat zones. Women affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is fairly common among veterans, often feel ashamed that they have the symptoms. In addition, many women experience guilt for leaving their families and children behind.

All of these issues hold back women from finding work and thriving in the workplace. The California Employment Development Department (EDD), San Gabriel Valley office, held its first job symposium fair directed exclusively at women.

Auggie Gomez, a veteran's employment representative for the EDD, explains:

“We are seeing more and more females coming out of the military … like men, they find themselves with mental health issues, some are homeless or close to being homeless … a lot of them are single parents who can't find adequate child care … and many don't want to talk about their personal issues in front of me.”

Thursday's symposium invited employers and services directed at women, with typical job search opportunities and training information, as well as free child care opportunities and mental health support information.

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Caleb Brideau

PROFILES

PROFILES

What's the matter with Georgia? Two long-shot candidates in the state's governor's race were suspended as school-teachers after allegations of inappropriate conduct with female high-school students.

One of those, Republican Ray McBerry, leads a Georgia secessionist group and is hovering around 2 percent in GOP primary polls. McBerry already last weekend issued a hilarious pre-emptive denial of those charges — as well as several others. The other, Democrat Carl Camon, is the mayor of Ray City, and polls around 2 percent in the Democratic primary.

A 2004 case summary from the state's Professional Standards Commission, obtained yesterday by TPMmuckraker, alleges that McBerry “maintained an inappropriate relationship with a student and that he deliberately misrepresented the facts of the case in his first response to the school system's investigation.”

A girl to whom McBerry taught Sunday School had told investigators that she and McBerry, who also taught high school in Henry County outside Atlanta, had struck up a relationship, and that she had developed “romantic” feelings for him. She said that he had “kissed her and had fondled her breasts,” and that he had given her a cellphone so she could call him.

The girl's parents had subsequently tried to have McBerry arrested, and a judge warned him not to have any contact with the girl for six months. But McBerry was seen again meeting with the girl, though they were in separate cars. McBerry admits that when questioned about this by school administrators, he deliberately lied about the meeting, out of “panic.”

McBerry denied to investigators that he had acted in an in appropriate way with the girl, suggesting he was acting as a counselor and mentor. In the end, McBerry's teaching certificate was suspended for a week. He had resigned from the high school he taught at when the allegations were first brought.

Gary Walker, of the Professional Standards Commission, told TPMmuckraker he did not know the reason for the relatively light punishment, but said that it would likely have been administered with McBerry's agreement.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution first reported on the episode last night.

And it obtained a similar case summary, from 2009, for Camon, a former teacher at Valdosta High School, who was first accused in 2007 by numerous female students of making a slew of inappropriate comments. According to the summary:
• One student alleged that Camon “told her he wanted to take her home and 'beat it up' (i.e. have sex).”
• Another student reported that “when she told the educator that his girth was getting bigger, the educator responded that something else was getting bigger too.”
• Another “recalled that the educator had asked her if she was a virgin, and that the educator had often expressed displeasure that she had boyfriends.”
• Another “reported that she had witnessed the educator tell a female student that he would take her home and give her a whipping.”
• And several students said Camon told them that he could see their breasts, or up their skirts.

Camon denied to investigators that he had made such comments, saying that he had only told students to “correct your dress.”

Camon quit rather than agree to the suspension. “I was not going to serve a single day, a single hour, for something I didn't do,” he told the AJC.

The frontrunners in the race are GOPer John Oxendine, who is the state's insurance commissioner, and Democrat Roy Barnes, a former governor.

The San Gabriel Tribune reported on Thursday that California is making an effort to help out female veterans that are having trouble finding work after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Their trouble securing and holding down a job is sometimes caused by the psychological effects of being in combat zones. Women affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is fairly common among veterans, often feel ashamed that they have the symptoms. In addition, many women experience guilt for leaving their families and children behind.

All of these issues hold back women from finding work and thriving in the workplace. The California Employment Development Department (EDD), San Gabriel Valley office, held its first job symposium fair directed exclusively at women.

Auggie Gomez, a veteran's employment representative for the EDD, explains:

“We are seeing more and more females coming out of the military … like men, they find themselves with mental health issues, some are homeless or close to being homeless … a lot of them are single parents who can't find adequate child care … and many don't want to talk about their personal issues in front of me.”

Thursday's symposium invited employers and services directed at women, with typical job search opportunities and training information, as well as free child care opportunities and mental health support information.

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Best Easy Piano Lessons

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The joke in the newspaper used to go something like, ‘Man Bites Dog.’ It was meant to be a play on the well-known scenario of the dog chasing the postman or the dog chasing the door-to-door salesman.

Regrettably, the truth is that there are 4.7 million dog bites in the United States reported by victims each year. In fact, 800,000 Americans seek medical assistance following dog bites and 386,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to dog bites. Unbelievably, about a dozen people die annually in the United States as a result of dog bites.

A particularly frightening part of this scenario is that children account for the highest number of victims of dog bites. Children ages five to nine account for the single largest group injured by dogs. As children get older, they report fewer dog bites.

Tragically, nearly two-thirds of the injuries from bites to children four years and younger are to the head and neck regions. Also, statistics show boys are involved in many more of these incidents than girls.

Health organizations throughout the country are working with state and local governments to educate the public about preventing dog bites. An important function of these programs is to nationally tracking trends on dog bites. Also, state and local agencies are being urged to begin reaching out to explain to the public what can be done to prevent this largely preventable public health problem.

There are recommended steps families can take before bringing a dog into your home. Most importantly, consult a veterinarian or dog breeder to try and determine what might be a suitable breed for your home.

Of course, any individual dog with a history of aggression is dangerous to have in a home with children. Also, try to “read” your children to discover whether they are fearful or worried about having a dog in their house. If they seem to be, delay acquiring a dog.

Experts also suggest spending time with a dog prior to purchasing or adopting it. Additionally, use extreme caution when introducing a dog into a home with an infant or toddler.

One of the benefits of spaying or neutering a dog is it seems to reduce aggressive tendencies in the animal. Also, by avoiding playing aggressive games with a dog, such as wrestling and “rough housing,” you may avoid future problems.

All dogs kept in a home need to learn to socialize and accept discipline such as rolling over to expose its abdomen and giving up kitchen food without growling. Also, remember to immediately seek advice from a veterinarian or breeder if a dog suddenly shows signs of aggressive or other inappropriate behavior.

Other do’s and don’ts for a child to be taught about dogs include:
>Do not approach an unfamiliar dog.
>Do not run from a dog and scream.
>Remain motionless (e.g., “be still like a tree”) when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
>If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).
>Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
>Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
>Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
>Do not disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
>Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
>If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

For many people, their dog is a member of their family. However, keep in mind that a dog is an animal and can never behave in ways which are as predictable or consistent as human beings. Use common sense and caution to keep your loved ones safe around dogs.

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Reda Pensa

A British study has found an association between breast cancer risk and red meat, reports Reuters (today.reuters.com). The Study, which was conducted by Professor Janet E. Cade and her colleagues at the University of Leeds was originally reported in the British Journal of Cancer.

The detailed study followed 35,372 women, who were between the ages of 35 and 69 years of age. The researchers followed the subjects for eight tears. They found that the women who ate the largest amounts of meat were more likely to develop breast cancer than non-meat eaters.

The meat-cancer link was stronger in post menopausal women. Red and processed meat seemed to elevate the risk the most. Women who consumed the most red meat, defined as two or more ounces daily, were 56 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women who did not eat red meat.

Three ounces of a piece of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Processed meat showed an even more dramatic increase of breast cancer risk. Women who ate more than three quarters of an ounce of processed meat daily showed a 64 percent cancer risk increase.

Premenopausal woman did not show as strong of an association, but women with high red meat intakes were still 20 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, when compared to non-meat eaters.

There are a number of theories for the reason that meat intake may be associated with breast cancer risk. One theory is that the saturated fat in meat may promote the growth of tumor cells. The second theory is that certain compounds that are produced when meat is grilled promote tumor growth.

Studies have come to conflicted conclusions over the connection between meat and breast cancer. The American Institute of Cancer Research suggests that women eat meat in moderation. The recommendation is that women limit their intake of red meat to less that three ounces per day.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR.org) cancer is not a single disease, but is the generic name for over 100 diseases. The factor that cancers have in common is that they involve the uncontrolled reproduction of abnormal cells.

Although the possibility of a link between diet and cancer has long been suspected, scientists are just beginning to understand the causes and growth of cancer. The evidence showing that the food we eat can play a major role in cancer prevention grows daily.

The report, Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer; a global perspective, available on AICR, states that 30% to 40% of all cancers are directly linked to the food we eat, the exercise we get, and how well we watch our weight.

The increased funding for cancer research studying the role that lifestyle choices can play, offers the opportunity or everybody to participating in their wellness and cancer prevention.

The American Institute for Cancer Research has some simple guidelines on their website (aicr.org) for the prevention of cancer through diet. Utilizing these tips, that are based upon information from the latest research, may not guarantee that someone won't get cancer, but it may tip the odds in your favor. The guidelines include: eat a diet rich in plant based foods, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, maintain healthy weights, be physically active, drink alcohol only in moderation or not at all, eat foods low in salt and fat, prepare and store foods safely, do not use tobacco in any form.

Women that choose to cut down on meat consumption may find that they will naturally stop desiring meat as they increase the proportion of fruits and vegetables in their diet, as suggested by AICR.

Resources:
Reuters News (today.reuters.com)
American Institute for Cancer Research (aicr.com)

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my profile

Andres Barbee

Is Dog Daycare right for you and your dog? While dog daycare becomes more popular every day, there are still many dog owners who think dog daycare is merely another ridiculous extravagance for wealthy people to lavish on their favorite pet, falling in the same category as birthday parties and designer collars. However, dog daycare can be an affordable option that can significantly improver your dog's quality of life (and to a lesser extent your own) with merely a few visits a month.

“But I take my dog for walks three times a day!” You say. “Why should I spend money on something like dog daycare?” Well, for a few reasons. Dogs are by nature social pack animals, and most do not like to be left alone for any period of time. Think of how happy your dog is to see you when you come home. While exercise is a significant benefit of dog daycare, it's the socialization factor that truly benefits the dog. The opportunity to play with other dogs, even if it only comes twice a month, will be something your dog will eagerly look forward to.

That is assuming your pooch is the right kind of dog for dog daycare. Not all dogs are appropriate for dog daycare, due to that socialization aspect. For many dogs, the concept of the pack includes just you and the rest of your family, and they have no interest whatsoever in dogs (or people) outside of their pack. This is most commonly seen in older dogs, who have less energy anyways. Then there are dogs that are simply too aggressive or too submissive, and won't be allowed at dog daycare for their own safety or the safety of the other dogs. Even if your dog is a toy poodle, it's aggression could be too high to allow it to safely visit dog daycare, since many times aggression from one dog will be responded to in kind, regardless of size.

That is not to say that if your dog has displayed some aggressive tendencies towards other dogs while on the leash or at the dog park that it should be automatically disqualified from dog daycare. In fact, often times dogs will be much more aggressive on the leash, as they feel it is their job to protect their owner from any potential threat (even if the threat happens to be a tiny bichon frise.) Again, the opposite can be true; it is not uncommon to see perfectly trained dogs who obey their master's ever command turn into absolute terrors at dog daycare when the master is not present.

Due to these factors, most dog daycares offer an initial trial visit, and you should be wary of any dog daycare that is willing to just accept your dog off the street. But one thing that should not be a dis-qualifier is breed. While acceptance is at the discretion of every individual daycare, and some breeds do have to be regarded with more scrutiny due to their size, power, or aggressive tendencies (Rottweilers being a good example of all three) do not assume that just because you own a breed that most people think of as “bad” that you will be turned away from dog daycare. Now if your dog happens to exemplify the negative traits of the breed, well then that's a different story.

Another factor is whether your dog has been “altered,” that is, spayed or neutered. Due to the open nature of most dog daycare facilities, usually only altered dogs will be accepted. This is not merely to protect the business from the distraught accusations that a customer's prized AKC Boston Terrier was impregnated by a Corgi. While that is a factor, what is more important is that any unaltered dog will be adding hormones to the mix that would greatly increase the aggression levels of the playroom, leading to a potentially dangerous environment.

So assuming that your dog passes the requirements specific to the dog daycare in your neighborhood, what do you get out of spending your hard earned money on your pooch? Well, we've already mentioned the exercise. Most owners comment that not only does their dog sleep extremely well the night the dog comes home; usually the pooch spends the next day lounging around as well. This translates into peace of mind for the owner, reducing the guilt factor of leaving your dog at home every day while you go to work. Additionally, many daycares offer other services, such as grooming, walking, and crateless boarding. The latter is the most beneficial, as a weekend spent at a crateless boarding facility, playing and even sleeping with other dogs will be much less traumatic to a dog than a conventional kennel. Though it is worth noting that few “crateless” facilities are 100% crateless; most utilize crates at feeding time to prevent any scraps over, well, scraps.

Prices for dog daycare vary greatly depending on the area. Obviously dense metro areas where real estate is at a premium will have the highest rates. But when you consider the potential benefits, you will most likely find it hard to argue that dog daycare is not worth the price for the occasional visit at least. Most likely, your dog will enthusiastically agree with you.

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You know as you look for a collar for your dog you have quite a selection. I know that you have the cloth collars, leather collars, pincher collars, and choker collars. Now all the collars have bonuses and they also have negatives. I know the choke collar has quite a few positives and some big negatives that I found out the hard way.

The first positive that I have about the choker collar is that they will help you keep your dog close to you and in control while you're walking him. I know that when my dog would start to wander away when they were supposed to be in a heel and close to me they would instantly come back to my side when the collar started to tighten up on them. This is nice because it helps you control your dog better without having to exert much effort on your part.

The next positive is that the choker collar can be used to let your dog know that your boss. Now granted I do not like using a choker collar for anything at all, but you are able to use a choker collar to help teach your dog that you are boss. I know that some training programs will recommend you use either a choker collar or pinch collar because they give you a better control over your dog and how he is going to act.

Now the main negative that I have for the choker collar is that they are not quick release. So if your dog gets tangled up in something and is starting to choke themselves you will have to release them from the object. With a quick release collar if your dog starts exerting enough pressure on the collar you will then have the collar break free from your dog's neck. A quick release is a great feature if you leave your dog's collar on when you are not around him.

The other negative is that the choker collar can choke your dog to death. I know this from personal experience and lost one of my own dogs because of the choker collar getting tangled up in my other dog's mouth while they were playing. Now she choked to death even with people trying to free her from the collar. So you do have to be wary of that feature of the choker collar and always remove them when you are not going to be around to keep an eye on your dog.

Overall I would have to say the choker collar might work for you and your dog. It all just depends on the situation that you have for your dog. However, before purchasing a choker collar I would heavily weigh on the bonuses that they provide versus the negatives that they have as well.

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Virgilio Triarsi

In the fall of 2005 my Pomeranian was only a day away from being spayed when I found detected a lump on her stomach. I immediately became concerned and thought of breast cancer. Precious had been found on the side of the road and my vet estimated that she was probably around 5-7 years old. This unfortunately meant that she had been in heat several times. In order to help prevent breast cancer in dogs, you must have them fixed before they go into heat. I wish I had been able to do this for Precious. But, it was too late.

I took Precious to the vet the next day, for her surgery, and asked them about the lump on her stomach. They told me that it may or may not be breast cancer. The only way to be sure would be to send the mass off to have it tested. But, since she was being spayed that day, they would go ahead and remove the lump. This made me feel a little bit better. When I picked Precious up from the vet, it was hard to tell if the entire mass had been removed, because of her stitches. When her stitches were removed, I was thrilled that the lump was gone and started to put the bad thoughts of breast cancer out of my mind.

On Halloween of 2005, I found myself back in the vet's office. Almost over night another lump developed on Precious' stomach. This time the vet was able to take a sample and determine that the cells were cancerous. Again, Precious went into surgery and the breast cancer was removed. The vet told me that it would be seven years before the breast cancer would return, if it did return, which was unlikely. Unfortunately, this wasn't true.

In October of 2006, I took Precious to be groomed. The groomer actually clipped her a lot shorter than I wanted, but this turned out to be very beneficial. After returning home I discovered that Precious had another small lump. This lump was actually smaller than a BB, but I was still concerned. After all, she had only had breast cancer removed a year ago. I took her back to the vet, who was unsure if it was breast cancer or not, but told me that it was highly likely that it was breast cancer. I immediately wanted it removed, but my vet calmed me down and told me to just keep an eye on it. If the lump started to grow, and reached the size of an almond, then it should be removed.

It's now been 7 months and the lump I detected is exactly the same size as it was. Now, you may be wondering why the vet didn't think that Precious should have the lump removed right after it was detected. The vet told me that if it was breast cancer, more lumps might appear later on, which would lead to even more surgeries. It was best to wait and see if the lump changed, or if any other masses appeared, and have them all removed at once. In the end, this really did make sense. Each time you put a dog under, you risk your dog's life. If I were to put Precious through several surgeries she might not make it out one.

Now that I know my dog has breast cancer, there are several things I do to take care of her. If breast cancer has been detected in your dog, there are things you can do to take care of them.

Once breast cancer has been detected you will want to check your pet for more lumps around once a week. If another lump is detected, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Vets can be very busy, that's why it's important to remind them that breast cancer has been detected in your dog before. If the lump is big enough, you can request for them to take a sample of the lump to determine if more breast cancer can be detected.

If the lump is too small to test, your vet will probably instruct you to simply keep an eye on the lump. If this is the case, it is important to only check the lump around once a week. If you continue to check the lump every day after it's been detected, you may think the lump is growing bigger when it's not. Your vet will be able to tell you what size of lump should be removed. If the lump does keep growing bigger, you will want to have it removed as soon as possible.

Another thing you will want to do for dog, once breast cancer has been detected, is keep them properly groomed. If your dog has extremely long fur, you will want to have their stomach clipped as short as possible. It may be hard for lumps to be detected if the dog's fur is too thick. Once your dog is groomed, feel of their belly thoroughly.

As I said before, once breast cancer has been detected in your dog, you will want to keep checking your dog's stomach and chest for more lumps. To check for lumps, lay your dog on their back and feel all around the mammary gland. You may have to feel a few inches away from the mammary gland for some lumps to be detected. Once you have detected a lump, make note of its size. You may make a small note and keep it on your fridge or even draw a picture of its size. This will help you to determine if the lump has grown any bigger the next time you feel of it.

The most important thing you can do for your dog, after breast cancer has been detected, is to have them spayed. When you have them spayed, it will help some. Unfortunately, it doesn't do a whole lot of good. The best time to have your dog spayed is before they ever go into heat. You will also want to keep a close relationship with your vet once breast cancer has been detected.

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Graig Rothgaber

If you have recently been diagnosed with cancer and feel like you are grasping at straws for answers then you may want to consider hiring a cancer health care consultant to help you. A quality cancer health care consultant will be able to coordinate your medical care, surgeries, pre op and post op care, emotional and spiritual support, as well as provide you with all of the information you want about your cancer and the various treatments that are available to you. If you feel that having a professional help you with managing your cancer, then there are certain characteristics that you will want to look for in your cancer health care consultant.

Medical Knowledge

Your cancer health care consultant should have a strong medical background, especially relating to oncology and cancer diagnosis and treatment options. They should also be able to explain your condition and the various treatment options to you in a manner that you are able to easily understand, and they should be willing and able to provide your with supplemental literature and referrals to other professionals that will help you understand your condition. They should also provide you with information about what you should expect during and after treatments, and what warning signs you should look for. Infection control is another area that your consultant should address, especially if you select to use chemotherapy or major surgery as a treatment option.

In addition to having excellent knowledge of various cancers and their diagnosis and treatment, they should also have connections with various other professionals in the oncology field and rehabilitative services that they can refer you to. For example, if you have been diagnosed with breast cancer you may need to be referred to psychologists and prosthetic professionals to help you deal with the emotional and physical effects of breast cancer treatment.

Finally your consultant’s medical knowledge should span all of the available treatments that are available for your type of cancer. They should not limit your choices for treatments based on their own prejudices, but they should instead provide you with the pros and cons of all treatment options, no matter how controversial the treatment may be.

Support Team Organization

One of the largest roles that your cancer health care consultant will play is the organizer of your cancer care support team. This means that they will work with you to build a cancer care team that will provide you with the emotional, medical, psychological, and physical care and support that you need in order to get through your cancer treatments, and recover your strength and quality of life. They should have a game plan that first assesses what support you will need, that secondly recruits support team members, and that finally maintains cohesion of the support team as long as you need them.

Educator

As mentioned earlier, your cancer health care consultant needs to have a firm understanding of cancer and its treatments. This knowledge is not only used to help diagnose your condition and select treatment options for you, but it is also utilized to educate you about your condition and the options that you have available to you. The importance of educating yourself is so that you can make informed decisions about the types of services and treatments you want to accept, and so that you understand what you need to do to prevent medical deterioration during and after treatment. You should ask for a list of books and magazine articles to read, as well as professional literature and videos that can give you a better understanding of what to expect and exactly what is happening to your body. You may also want to ask your cancer health care consultant if there are support groups, or other patients with a similar case that you can talk to. Sharing experiences with cancer survivors is a great way to learn what home remedies work to stay off side effects of chemotherapy, and what alternative therapies are helpful at managing side effects. Your cancer health care consultant is your mentor in your cancer learning mission, and they should be able to provide you with information and guidance in a supportive and non-condescending manner.

Personality

While you may not select a doctor based entirely on their personality, because of the intimate nature of your relationship with a cancer health care consultant, it is important to find a provider that you can easily relate to. They should have a personality that is empathetic and sympathetic to your situation, and who is willing to take your feelings and points of view into consideration when designing a treatment plan.

Conclusion

When you are looking for a cancer health care consultant you want to find a person who is qualified. The qualifications that are most important in a cancer health care consultant are: large base of medical knowledge and resources, teaching skills, listening skills, open mind, ability to communicate, and ability to organize your support team. Asking questions and educating yourself will be your tools to selecting the best treatments, and finding the best people to include in your support team. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and expect answers from your medical team, especially from potential cancer health care consultants. Because they will be an important part of your life, and your lifeline to a successful recovery from your cancer, you want to find a person that is able to connect with you on an emotional level as well as a professional level.

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Homer Acres