By now you probably know that Malachy, the Pekingese, won the Westminster Best In Show competition. With his win, Pro Plan, the pet food continued it's unprecedented streak as the fuel for Westminster Champions.

Malachy makes it six Best In Show champions in a row for Pro Plan. That's an amazing streak for a brand that is certainly not the biggest or best known pet food brand in the world.

Before Malachy made it six in a row Pro Plan aired a great ad touting the streak.

Continue Reading "Pro Plan Does it Agan at Westminster" »

Did you know that pet cats out number pet dogs in the US? In fact there are a little over 86 million cats in the US compared to about 78 million dogs according to my latest statistics.

Another interesting fact is that pet cats visit the Veterinarian far less than their canine adversaries. About half as often according to statistics kept by Veterinarians.

Do cats get sick less than dogs? Do they get injured less frequently? Are they healthier than dogs?

Continue Reading "Stress Free Vet Visits for Cats" »

I read another interesting article in the New York Times last Sunday. It's a topic of interest for dog lovers and to those poor souls that don't share our loveof shaggy beasts.

The article covered the conrtoversy around allowing dogs to run off leash in various city, county and state parks in the area around New York. This is not a regiounal issue, by the way. Even here, in my back water of New Mexico the "rights" of dog owners versus non dog owners is front and center.

Continue Reading "Should Dogs Be Allowed Off Leash?" »

Chloe sent me a question concerning cat whiskers that came in from a cat lover on our Facebook page. She wanted to know whether it was OK for her to trim her cat's whiskers or should she take her to the groomer.

Apparently she was concerned because she thought her cat looked like a "chia pet".

My answer; embrace the chia pet look and don't trim the whiskers. Here's why.

Continue Reading "Cat Whiskers" »

Pets and people face similar issues when it comes to oral health. Both face the spectre of periodontal disease and both need routine dentistry to help prevent gum disease. One key difference between pets and people though, is the issue of dental caries, or cavities as we more commonly call them.

Put simply, cavities are not a big issue for dogs and cats, and since it's Dental Health Month I thought it might be iteresting to examine why. At least I think it's interesting and you might be able to use this information at your next cocktail party, assuming your freinds aren't too squeamish.

Continue Reading "Why Dogs and Cats Don't Get Cavities" »

It's not often that I'm moved to tears by something I read, but that's exactly what happeened last weekend when I read a story in the New York Time's Magazine about  "Wonder Dog".

Like most of you, I'm a sucker for dog stories and I comb the popular press in search of them. This one had the added appeal of being about Service Dogs; one of my favorite topics.

If you missed this one, hit the link and enjoy.

Continue Reading "Service Dogs Breaking New Ground" »

Chloe asked me this question last week. She had been watching Marleigh sleep and seen what most of us dog owners see from time to time. Marleigh's legs were moving, her breathing was irregular and her eyes were darting about under the lids.

Most of us have seen he same things. I've certainly seen Miles twitching and even making stiffled barking noises. He looks just like my wife when she's dreaming. Don't get me wrong, she doesn't bark in her sleep, but she does make little whimpering noises.

Are they both dreaming?

Continue Reading "Do Dogs Dream?" »

Dr Bill did a nice post on Dental Health Month yesterday and I thought I'd follow up on that. If you have a PurinaCare Plus Preventive Care you have benefits that apply towards routine dentistry and you should take advantage of them every year.

In most homes the day begins and ends with our own attempts at dental hygiene. We brush our teeth at least twice a day and we have become accustomed to visiting the dentist every six months for an exam and cleaning.
 
Dental hygiene and routine care is no less important for our pets. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease as early as three years of age.

Continue Reading "Preventive Dentistry and PurinaCare Benefits" »

When I was in Vet school we always had four or five Dachshunds "walking" around the clinic in their little wheeled carts. They were recovering from a condition called Intervertebral Disk Disease which is common in the breed. As many as twenty percent of Dachshunds will succumb to IVDD at some point in their life.

The disease is the result of rupture of the intervertebral disk. These disks are kind of like shock absorbers between the vertebral bodies. They contain a hard outer covering and a fluid filled center. Injury or age related damage may result in rupture and leakage of the disc contents up into the space occupied by the spinal cord.

When that happens the result can be partial  to complete paralysis. Now there is new hope for these dogs.

Continue Reading "New Hope For Dachshunds with Spinal Cord Damage" »

I answer twenty questions from dog and cat owners every week on Yahoo answers. It's a great gig and it keeps me on top of the most common questions folks have about their pets. You can also tell that lots of people are feeling the financial squeeze of our slow economic recovery from the economic crisis that started in 2007.

Many questioners are looking for some type of OTC remedy or something an owner can do on their own because they can't afford to go to the Veterinarian. I get that, but in cases where you really need to see the Vet there are not too many great alternatives. While some medical problems don't need immediate attention, it can be downright dangerous to try to provide your own veterinary care for more serious maladies.

Continue Reading "Routine Veterinary Care Can Save Money Over Time" »