When your dog peers under the kitchen stove growling for hours, you can be pretty sure there’s some kind of varmint under there. If you’re lucky, your pet comes by these pest-hunting skills naturally, and somehow, the unwelcome critter will disappear. Other dogs, however, are specially trained to hone their hunting skills on vermin of …
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Last year, owners spent almost $73 billion on their pets, according to the American Pet Products Association. What accounted for the majority of those expenditures? Was it veterinary care or toys? Actually, the single largest expense, accounting for just over $30 billion was — you guessed it — pet food. As if choosing between dozens …
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If you’re happy to get outside after a long winter, you can bet fleas and ticks are, too. As we head into peak flea and tick season, here are some tips to keep in mind for your pets: DO take the health risks of fleas and ticks seriously. In addition to transmitting tapeworms and …
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Is your dog afraid of thunder? Does the pitter-pat of rain on the roof have a less-than-calming effect on your pet? Dogs with storm phobias, it seems, are better at predicting thunderstorms than the weather forecasters. Long before the first dark cloud rolls in, these dogs may pant and pace around the house or cling …
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It turns out that some of the pit bulls aren’t so tiny. There’s Hank, the giant 90-pounder who has been with the rescue for four months. There’s Sterling, the Great Dane/pit bull mix who is deaf. There’s Rusty, the “giant puppy” who loves kids. “Tiny” doesn’t begin to describe the Tiny Pit Bull rescue. Or …
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Over the years, horses have been used to pull just about every type of wagon, from covered wagons to hay wagons and even beer wagons. But did you know that dogs also have a place in cart-pulling history? Pulling their weight Since about the 18th century, dogs often pitched in around the farm by pulling …
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If only dogs could rub their lower backs with their paws and groan. Then you might be able to spot a spinal issue earlier. But all too often, you might not realize there’s a problem until your dog has trouble using one or more legs. What, exactly, is a slipped disk? Disks are buoyant structures …
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Accidents happen. Maybe your pet snoops in your purse and chews open a bottle of ibuprofen. Or your dog gets nipped by another at the dog park. Whether your pet’s just not acting like itself or it’s a medical emergency, you should always call your veterinarian before treating the problem yourself. However, it’s a good …
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Maybe you adopted a new cat to give your current cat a playmate. Or you brought home a kitten to encourage your two older cats to exercise more. But now they won’t have anything to do with each other. In other cases, cats in your multi-cat home may break into “cliques,” essentially ostracizing — or …
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So much fluffing and buffing goes on behind the scenes at dog shows. And all for what? A few minutes in the spotlight in front of the judges? Perhaps. A six-figure cash prize? Not likely, since competitions like the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show generally award trophies rather than cash. As it turns out, many …
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