Pet Info

The return of warm water inspired me to offer some thoughts on keeping comfortable for the next few months: Cool your dog creatively. Lay down a wet towel for your dog to rest on; fill a kiddie pool and set it in the shade; turn on a fan behind a bowl of ice; or carry…

Spaying is not only the responsible choice for pet owners as it prevents unwanted litters and the cost if caring for homeless pets. As it turns out, neutering may extend your dog’s life, too, according to a recent study from the University of Georgia, reported by Smithsonian Magazine http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/04/ dogs-may-live-longer-if-they-are-fixed/#ixzz2R7dfeJr2.  Researchers in Georgia looked at more than…

I love my discs — to chase and chew and, at least half the time, catch in mid air. I’ve destroyed a couple discs already. The fabric versions have a longer life for me as they are less satisfying to chew. There’s a lot to know if your dog — like me — is serious…

How many times have you heard  that you can tell if a dog is sick if its nose is warm or dry? We did some nosing around and discovered, no matter how many times people say it,  it’s just not true. It’s an “old wives tale” that cold wet noses indicate health and warm or dry noses…

Bees gotta buzz, birds gotta fly, dogs gotta chew. According to the American Humane Society, puppies, like infants and toddlers, explore their world by putting objects in their mouths. And, like babies, they teethe for about 6 months, which usually creates some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better. What…

I was recently invited to a Puppy Social at my vet’s office, the Animal Wellness Veterinary Center, and as you can see — I had a super time! Socialization — introducing and familiarizing a dog  to new experiences,including people, places, objects, other animals, so I can learn to respond to and interact without fear — is…

The answer could be yes, according to WebMD http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/features/depression-in-dogs. The symptoms are what you would expect: less activity, changes in sleeping and eating habits, not enjoying activities he used to love. The causes are not surprising, either. A change in the household — new house, new baby, an owner taking a job out of the house — and of course,…

Dogs don’t typically graze on grass like a cow, but they may nibble on grass, for additional roughage or because they like the texture. Experts think that for most dogs, the interest in eating grass is something inherited from their wild ancestors, like wolves and cougars, who eat grass to obtain intestinal parasites to add digestion….

“If your dog thinks you’re the greatest person in the world, don’t seek a second opinion.” –Jim Fiebig Joe Kita in Men’s Health magazine has some good advice on getting the two-legged creatures in our lives to love us as much as our canines do. According to Kita, and the experts he’s consulted, all you…

According to Prevention magazine, http://www.prevention.com/homepage, locking eyes with your dog produces the happiness hormone, oxytocin, in your bloodstream. Various studies have implicated ox­y­to­cin, which is pro­duced by the pi­tu­i­tary gland at the base of the brain, in human and animal bond­ing be­hav­ior. Ex­pe­ri­ments have found that just sniff­ing ox­y­to­cin will in­crease a per­son’s trust­ful­ness of others….

“A good dog deserves a good bone.” – Proverb Many of us believe that old adage, but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowing dogs to chew on bones can cause serious injury. “Some people think it’s safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast,” said Dr….

I love a good run. Here’s me running full out when breakfast has been called. If you want to make a running partner of your dog, Runner’s World can be good guide.   “Dogs are made for running,” Joseph Wakshlag, a sled-dog racer and veterinarian at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University told Katrin…

We’ve got a few great places near our house where we can go for a romp and I love it when we do.  We recently visited a local park that welcomes pooches as well as people, where I met another Aussie, a border collie, an mini-Aussie mix, a Golden Retriever, a terrier, a Labradoodle and what…

Ever wonder why there are so many quotes about guilty dogs? “The guilty dogs bark loudest.” Unknown; “The guilty dog barks first.” Texas saying. “The black dog gets the food; the white dog gets the blame.” Unknown. I think we’re getting a bum rap and at least one scientific experiment backs me up. According to…

I love the outdoors, but there are some plants and products that should be off limits for me and my feline friends, including cocoa mulch, azaleas and pesticides — just to name a few. The ASPCA has a complete Guide to Pet-Safe Gardening on its website: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/pet-safe-gardening.aspx?utm_source=email_promotion&utm_medium=email&utm_content=PetSafeGardening;utm_campaign=SpringChecklist2012a

I love a good road trip!! It’s worth knowing that Loews Hotels — with 18 locations from Atlanta to Tuscon — are pet friendly-plus. The company sponsors all sorts of furry friend events, including Woofie Weekends (I had nothing to do with the name). Learn more about the Loews Loves Pets program: http://www.loewshotels.com/en/specials/pet.

The first snow in our parts (not counting that freaky October blast) was yesterday. I love snow — to run in and to eat. Partly it’s my fur coat, but my paws do their part, too. Japanese scientists recently reported in Veterinary Dermatology, that the veins and arteries in dogs’ paws and legs create a “counter-current…

  Ever wish you could kick back and share a cold one with your pooch? Thanks to Bowser Beer you can http://bowserbeer.com. The bottle looks familiar; you can even send in a photo and get a custom label made. But there’s no alcohol or carbonation, instead there’s chicken or beef, malt barley and glucosamine.  It’s even…

I love it and my Vet says he can see the difference in my gums since my we started using it.  We use Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs – Poultry Flavor. We got the toothpaste and Pet Dental Finger brushes by Four Paws from Amazon http://www.amazon.com. I am also a fan of Pedigree Denta-chews.  At my April…

Me, I wear my emotions on my mug. And if I can’t get my message across through my expression, I can talk. I have several varieties of specialized barks (“I heard the grass growing”) and whines (“I really gotta go”) and hard-to-describe squeals (“Pet me. Pet me now.”). Some dogs keep it a bit closer…

As any dog owner can tell you, dogs appear to empathize with their human pals. This empathy can extend to the point that some therapy dogs even seem to take on the emotions of their sick or distressed human charges, an effect called emotional contagion” according to a new paper in the latest issue of…