Snakes Alive! What to Do if Your Pet Gets Bitten
Most snakes are happy to go about their business, keeping the local population of pesky rodents and insects under control, but some dogs and cats just can’t leave well enough alone. If a venomous snake gets their fangs into your pet, it can be a life-threatening medical emergency. About 150,000 dogs and cats are bitten …
Can Nutrition Influence Your Dog’s Behavior?
If, as they say, “you are what you eat,” dietary ingredients could impact a dog’s health. Since our health affects how we feel, it seems logical that it could also affect how we act. But is there any evidence of a connection between diet and behavior in dogs? The pitfalls of an unbalanced diet Certainly, …
When the Wagger Doesn’t Work: Tail Injuries in Dogs
If there’s one form of canine communication we can all understand, it’s the tail. Sweeping back and forth like a windshield wiper, it’s the perfect symbol of dog bliss. But what happens when the tail is injured? Here are a few ways dogs typically hurt their hindmost parts. Tail trauma Trauma is one of the …
Would You Believe Cats Get Acne, Too?
Oh, the embarrassment of those unsightly blemishes. While often the source of teenage angst in humans, acne doesn’t have the same social repercussions for cats. In fact, feline acne has nothing to do with a cat’s teenage years or hormonal roller coasters going on inside the body. So what’s the deal with acne in cats? …
Fear of Fireworks: Help Your Pet Make It Through the Night
The whistle, boom, crackle and whizz of fireworks, not to mention the pop-pop-pop-pop of firecrackers, are enough to send many pets into a frenzy. Up to half of pet dogs react with fear to fireworks, according to a recent article in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. One study reported that more than 15 percent of …
Grapes Are Toxic to Dogs, and Now We Know Why
Among the many things on the no-no list for dogs are grapes and their relatives, raisins and currants. Accidentally feeding your dog any of these fruits could quickly lead to severe kidney failure and even death. For a long time, no one knew what, exactly, about these foods were toxic to dogs. The type of …
Feeding the Skinny, Older Cat
Cats are living longer, with some of them ticking past their twentieth birthdays. As they age, cats often lose weight, especially after about age 11, becoming frail, bony versions of their younger selves. Sometimes this can be attributed to one or more underlying diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), …
Lymphoma in Dogs
Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, nutrition and good daily care from owners like you, dogs are living longer than ever before. But unfortunately, pets can be diagnosed with cancer, especially as grey creeps into the fur around their faces. One of the most common pet cancers is lymphoma in dogs. As you might know, …
What’s the Right Way to Remove a Tick?
Only you know that special hollow, at the base of your dog’s neck, where you can scritch and send a hind paw banging on the floor, scratching at a phantom itch. But wait… what’s this? You part the hair. Eeewww, it’s a bloated tick. If it’s an adult deer tick, it can latch on with …
A Taste of the Wild Guide to Choosing the Right Pet Food
Choosing the right pet food isn’t easy. Simply walking into the pet food aisle can be daunting. So many choices you need to make, and so many options for each choice. All life stages dog food. Senior cat food. High-protein food. Flavor. Price point. Quantity. Ingredient. Nutrient. Protein source. What’s it all mean? Anyone who …