27
Oct 2014
Pets come in all shapes and sizes with their own unique quirks. While many furry friends are adopted as happy additions to loving families, there are some animals that are overlooked at shelters because of certain “less adoptable” traits. Senior pets, pets with special needs, adult cats and pit bull-type dogs don’t always receive the love that their counterparts do, and can take about four times longer to get adopted than the average pet, according to adoption database Petfinder.com. This year, “Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week,” first launched by Petfinder.com, is being held from Sept. 21-27 to show that every pet......
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30
Sep 2014
Bloat is a life-threatening emergency that affects dogs in the prime of life. The mortality rate for gastric volvulus approaches 50 percent. Early recognition and treatment are the keys to survival. Anatomy of Bloat Bloat actually refers to two conditions. The first is gastric dilatation,in which the stomach distends with gas and fluid. The second is volvulus, in which the distended stomach rotates on its long axis. The spleen is attached to the wall of the stomach, and therefore rotates with the stomach. Gastric dilatation may or may not be complicated by volvulus. If volvulus......
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27
Jul 2014
Senior Dogs: Common Behavior Changes Puppies have their behavior problems and older dogs have theirs. For older dogs, in many cases it is not that they do not understand the ‘rules,’ but that they may, for many reasons, be unable to follow them. SEPARATION ANXIETY Separation anxiety is one of the most common behavior problems seen in older dogs. A dog who has separation anxiety will become very anxious when he senses his owner is about to leave. When the owner does leave, the dog often becomes destructive, barks or howls,......
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14
Jul 2014
Cats will chew on plants. And, because they love to climb and explore, it is difficult to keep plants out of their reach. Therefore, if you are going to have plants in your house, or if you let your cat out in your yard, you need to be able to accurately identify the plants to which your cat will be exposed. When in doubt, however, it is best to remove the plant from your home. If a plant is poisonous, assume all parts of the plant are poisonous — though some parts......
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16
Jun 2014
LA-based company Pet Center, Inc. is voluntarily recalling their Lamb Crunchy’s dog treats due to Salmonella contamination. The treats were sold in California, Colorado, Washington, and Wisconsin. Colorado health authorities found the contamination during routine sampling of the all-natural treats. No illnesses have been reported. Symptoms of poisoning include lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, (bloody) diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. If you have handled and your pet has ingested these treats, please monitor yourself and your pets’ health closely. The company is encouraging consumers to return the treats to the store of......
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02
Jun 2014
Although it can be irksome for owners, being branded finicky could ultimately be a boon for cats — especially when it comes to ingesting potentially dangerous foods. “The main drivers of palatability for cats are protein and fat content, with moisture and texture being important too,” says Dr. Sally Perea, DVM, DACVN, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist at P&G Pet Care in Ohio. Some “people food” is safe for cats in small amounts, but certain items — like raw fish and eggs — are definitely hazardous. Dr. Perea lists the top seven no-no foods for kitties:......
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01
Feb 2014
Most of us overindulge a little over the festive period and start January with a diet and detox – but what about our pets? A recent survey from Melton’s Town & Country Petfoods, owners of the HiLife brand of high quality pet food, revealed that 60 per cent of respondents plied their animals with special treats. But while it’s tempting to give your pet scraps from the table, you may be doing them more harm than good. Recent findings from the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report show that a massive 18.5 million......
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13
Jan 2014
When a beloved pet seems a bit “off,” it might be more than just a bad day; it could be a sign of mild sickness or a more serious illness. Here are some tips for recognizing the symptoms of sickness in pets and getting your pet the care he needs to recover. Keep in mind that animals will generally attempt to mask signs of illness. This behavior is a natural instinct that is used for protection in the wild, where any animal showing signs of weakness is likely to be shunned by......
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28
Jun 2013
. . . But just follow these safety tips from the ASPCA to make it less stressful! For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family—including the four-legged members of the household. While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips: Never leave alcoholic......
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05
Jun 2013
We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but being overeager in hot weather can spell danger, ASPCA experts warn. “Most people love to spend the warmer days enjoying the outdoors with friends and family, but it is important to remember that some activities can be dangerous for our pets,” said Dr. Camille DeClementi, Senior Toxicologist at the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. “By following a few simple rules, it is easy to keep your pet safe while still having fun in the sun.” Take......
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08
May 2013
This article reprinted courtesy of http://www.petplay.com/blog “Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures” – The Dalai Lama For dog lovers around the world, one of the most frustrating and devastating realities we have to face is that of the continued existence of puppy mills: large-scale breeding operations where the number one consideration is profit, instead of the well-being of dogs. Puppy mill owners resort to......
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30
Apr 2013
Why people declaw cats People often mistakenly believe that declawing their cats is a harmless “quick fix” for unwanted scratching. They don’t realize that declawing can make a cat less likely to use the litter box or more likely to bite. People who are worried about being scratched, especially those with immunodeficiencies or bleeding disorders, may be told incorrectly that their health will be protected by declawing their cats. However, declawing is not recommended by infectious disease specialists. The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from bites, cat litter,......
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29
Mar 2013
Consider two and avoid Single Kitten Syndrome. MEOW Cat Rescue of Kirkland, WA explains why (www.meowcatrescue.org): If you’ve ever raised a litter of kittens or adopted a pair of them, you know how much they play together. Some of this play is painful, as confirmed by the yowling and complaining that occurs. The kittens bite and scratch each other, sometimes quite hard. All the while they are learning from one another that this behavior is not the best way to make friends. If they’re lucky enough to have a mom cat around......
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09
Mar 2013
See catinfo.org for the full version of this great article by Lisa Pierson, DVM. Why are we feeding our cats a carbohydrate-laden diet? In their natural setting, cats—whose unique biology makes them true carnivores–would not consume the high level of carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, peas, etc.) that are in the dry foods (and some canned foods) that we routinely feed them. You would never see a wild cat chasing down a herd of biscuits running across the plains of Africa or dehydrating her mouse and topping it off with corn meal soufflé. In......
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10
Feb 2013
LOS ANGELES – February is National Pet Dental Month, and the veterinarians of VCA West Los Angeles share their tips, facts, and advice for caring for your pet’s dental health. Oral care is critical for your pet’s overall health and happiness, so here are 10 tips to maintain proper care: Pets have a remarkable ability to hide dental pain; their desire to eat far outweighs pain they may have in their mouths and thus, we can’t easily tell if they have a toothache or pain from an abscess. – J.J. Rawlison, DVM Brush your......
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