The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

You must grieve to carry on Continued from page 21 23 · Thursday, January 12, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com mypet myvet Dr. Gesa Kohn-Gould Veterinarian & Owner V myanimalhospital.ca Sweet. Sparkling. Sensational! has died has gone to sleep or is on vacation can cause the child to be afraid of sleeping at night or develop a false sense the deceased will one day return. "The child understands there's a loss, a death, but doesn't understand death is final when they're young and they don't understand the implications of a death but they do realize they have lost a person close to them," Martini-Miles said. She notes two things could happen if adults shield children from the grieving process: no one talks to the child and they end up losing the memory of the deceased, which could cause them deep guilt; and second, they become excluded from the family when the adults gather to grieve. "We (the Lighthouse Program) come from the belief that you cannot take the death away from the child. The death is a reality, but you can provide the child with a support system that can help them understand the death, grieve, heal and then begin to build a life without that person physically there in their daily lives, but with their memory," MartiniMiles said. "The death will always stay with the children, but they should not stay with the death. They need to move on, but they can only do that when they've come to terms with it (and) they accept it for all it is." Entering its 13th year, the Lighthouse Program has tripled over the last two years, offering support to more than 250 children, teens and adults in 2010 and 2011 combined. Located at 82 Wilson St. in Oakville, the facility resembles a family home. All peer-support groups meet on weekday evenings with sessions running 90 minutes, every other week, during the school year. After orientation, the youth and parents/caregivers are assigned a group. The groups are facilitated by extensively-trained volunteers. "All information that is exchanged or discussed is strictly confidential, unless there's a fear or danger of suicide or harming self or others," Martini-Miles said. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.grievingchildrenlighthouse. org or call 905-337-2333. GDV: What you should know G astric dilation and volvulus (GDV), or commonly known as the bloat, is a lifethreatening medical emergency that can occur in dogs. The stomach may rotate out of its normal position, becoming twisted or torsed. This condition is a true emergency. Radiographs the only treatment option. Certain breeds, notably Great Danes and Standard Poodles are at higher risk of GDV. However, this condition can occur in any breed. Other risk factors include feeding once daily meals, feeding from an elevated bowl, very thin dogs, rapid food consumption and exercise right after meals. What to look for: an distended stomach, restlessness, excessive drooling and unproductive retching/g / agging. With any of these clinical signs contact your veterinarian or an emergency hospital immediately. How can this be prevented? Feed at least two meals per day, preferably presoaked food. Use a food bowl that slows down eating and restrict exercise at least one two hours after meals. High risk dogs such as large and giant breed dogs are considered good candidates for a procedure called a gastropexy. This is a lowrisk surgery that can be performed at the same time as your pets spay or neuter and involves anchoring the stomach to the body wall to prevent the life-threatening torsion. The Great Dane club of America recommends this to all its members. For more information visit our website. y Valley y Winter WineFest Twenty JANUARY 14 & 15 I JORDAN VILLAGE Enjoy an invigorating winter weekend filled with amazing wines, spectacular foods, celebrity chefs, winemakers' challenges, fashions shows and a fantastic evening street party. This year, in addition to premium wines from 31 of the area's most celebrated wineries, we have a truckload of fun lined up including cooking demonstrations and Black Box challenges featuring Celebrity Chefs Rob Rainford, Kary Osmond and Michael Olson. On Saturday night join us for a rockin' Street Party that includes mouthwatering dishes from 5 amazing Food Trucks and Canadian fiddling sensation Ashley MacIsaac. Plus our very own winemakers will compete in the annual barrel rolling competition and strut their stuff in our Fashion Show spotlighting fashion and accessories from the merchants of Jordan Village. Sip and savour from a list of over 80 specialty and reserve wines, sparking wines and Icewines! Visit twentyvalley.ca for full details! myanimalhospital.ca Askey Animal Hospital 24 Hour Emergency Care 3525 Fairview Street, Burlington 905-634-9088 Orchard Animal Hospital 2020 Appleby Line, Burlington 905-634-4526 Speers Road Animal Hospital 1026 Speers Road, Oakville 905-844-6786 FREE ADMISSION twentyvalley.ca 905.562.3636 Join our Group and upload your pet photo today me & my pet Advertorial Cave Spring Cellars Inn on the Twenty The Jordan House Aqua Ice The Grimsby Lincoln News News Talk 610 CKTB EZ Rock 105.7 The Watering Can Carruthers Printing