September is pain awareness month. I found some great information on the signs of pain in your pet. Many owners think their pet is just getting old by playing less or sleeping more. It may be that your pet is experiencing pain and does not want to move as much...

With summer comes heat, hot pavement, hot gravel, and hot concrete. Our pets love to go for walks and play with us. Beware that if pavement is hot enough to fry an egg it can do serious damage to Fido’s feet. One of my employees had their two dogs swimming and playing on a hot wooden deck. The moisture made the pads soft, and the heat caused them to burn, thus sloughing occurred. A hot surface and water are not a good combo for dog feet...

Traveling is no fun with a cat or dog that gets car sick. Most pets will outgrow car sickness, but some never are that lucky. A short trip to the vet or a long trip can be a stressful jaunt for your cat or dog...

This is a question I get asked quite often. In my veterinary training we were taught that feeding raw diets were not safe, nor nutritionally complete. That was 40 years ago. With the advent of more accessible sources of raw products and better food preparation knowledge my clients are asking more about feeding a raw diet...

Since the beginning of the pandemic, our pets have become a big part of their owner’s life. Toys are a large part of the new normal. Toys for pets come in many forms. It can be chew, plush, rubber, fetch, tug, electronic and puzzle toys...

Each year, veterinarians, pet groomers and pet lovers have debates about the pros and cons of shaving a thick coated or long-haired dog during the warm summer months. From our human perspectives, higher temperatures mean less and lighter clothing. Unfortunately, this is probably not true for the majority of our pets...

Toads are great to have in your garden. They dine on bugs and are a natural pest control. Dogs love to investigate anything that moves. Toads are everywhere and can pose a health hazard to an unwary dog. Dogs and toads are not good playmates. In fact, in a game of toad-catching by the dog, it’s usually the toad 1 and dog 0, which leaves the dog shaking his head and foaming at the mouth...

How summertime temperatures can soar in your car and harm your pet!...

For years, the Food and Drug Administration has warned pet owners and veterinarians about concerns with “jerky treats” for dogs. Over this time reports of pets with kidney failure, liver problems,, diarrhea and other illnesses have started to pour into the FDA’s offices and the situation has even garnered Congressional concern. What’s the whole story and how will you keep your pets safe?...

The two most important things for you to decide when placing your bird feeders: Make sure you see the feeder and is the feeder in a safe location. Both of these factors are important in your decision. Protection of your birds from window collisions and predators is utmost...

With spring here and people wanting to beautify their yards, here are some plants to avoid...

This toxic reaction occurs especially in dogs that are genetically hypersensitive to ivermectin, an anti-parasite medication most commonly used for heartworm prevention, to treat ear mites and kill mange mites. Ivermectin prevents or kills parasites by causing neurological damage to the parasite, resulting in paralysis and death for the parasite. ...

Last week my husband was sitting in his easy chair and all of a sudden, a poof of smoke appeared by the side of his chair. He thought what the heck! He proceeded to get out of his chair and another one with a pop. Our dog Murphy had urinated on the extension cord plug in under his end table. My housekeeper had forgotten to tuck it back under the table. This prompted a topic for Pet Talk...

With the arrival of spring, ticks arrive also. Here is some information to help you combat these blood sucking pests that bother both people and pets...

With spring rapidly approaching so are allergies. Many cats and dogs can suffer from springtime seasonal allergies just like us human. Many pets are allergic to grasses, pollen, molds and trees...

Here are some facts that most people don’t know about their animals. Some fish can recognize their owner’s face. There are tiny harvest mice that sleep in tulip petals. Bees can fall asleep in flowers and sometimes snuggle with each other. ...

It doesn’t need to be Halloween season for some of our feline friends to rock their vampire fangs. And just as polydactyl cats are adored for their extra toes, there are many cat lovers who are crazy about cats with vampire like fangs. For those cats who have long fangs, it gives them a wildcat look without having any wild cat DNA coursing through their veins. Have you ever wondered why some cats have long fangs? Keep reading to find out the answer!...

Great Dane: These gentle giants are loving and excellent with kids. They are alert guards but not overly aggressive. They are moderately intelligent but highly stubborn and hard to train. Mastiff: They are homebodies and love their families. They are extremely protective of their surroundings and will protect them with their lives if needed. ...

I found this great article in Scientific American written by Ramona Turner, DVM on the mystery of catnip and wanted to share with my reader...

My answer is NO! Cooking bones like chicken or pork chops softens them, making the bones less likely to splinter and potentially puncture your dog's esophagus or intestines but the risk is still there. Raw bones can cause severe problems. Rib bones can wedge in the roof of their mouth or get wedged between the cheek and teeth. ...