As Dr. Larry's daughter continues her search for a new puppy, I have to share some fun new pet sites I've discovered. As one would expect, pets online are a big deal these days, what with Dogtime and the Alltop pet channel, and numerous other pet communities, including the fun ones at Purina.

As I build my connections via Twitter, I get the pleasure of meeting a whole lot of new pet owners and pet bloggers, and I really can't help myself from sharing. Over at the Shine pet blog, I wrote a post about cat massage - and it comes complete with video. Who knew you could -- or should -- massage your pets, rather than merely pet them?

I also like visiting Pawfun, cause the crew over there finds all sorts of interesting and fun videos and facts one never knew. Then there's Pets are talking with Bridget Pilloud, who is an intuitive animal communicator. That's pretty fascinating to me. She listens to dogs and cats - and teaches pet parents how to communicate intuitively, also. I wonder what Bella, my daughter's cat, is thinking in this picture of her on the family bed. It's likely an invitation to have her belly rubbed...which brings us back to cat massage.

I know there are a lot of links in this post, but they're all good pet sites. Hop over and visit'em today. You'll be glad you did!

Dr. Kent Kruse, Bud Hanson and yours truly are in Phoeniz AZ attending the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) national meeting. We should be talking to over 2500 veterinarians and staff about the features of PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance.

My main point was to do your research first. Make sure you feel comfortable with both the veterinarian and the staff. You'll probably interact more with the receptionist and veterinary technician staff, so make sure they have good communication skills.

From the Pet Health Library Reference Desk -

This "Puppy Basics" video is found in the Pet Health Videos section, under Dog Videos:

Our reaction: C'mon ... it's about puppies! Approx. 6 minutes of non-stop cuteness. And lots of good information, too!

You're only a click away:

When I learned that Martha Stewart was going to add a pet channel to her website, I was less than impressed. Really, now... jumping on the pets online band wagon is nothing to crow about. Except - a visit to her pet channel really impressed me and this morning she had Easter bunnies on her show - along with a great animal expert, and that led to this post.

The bunnies on Martha's show this morning were really adorable. For a few minutes, just a few, mind you, I considered adopting a bunny rather than a dog. Until... until I put the question to my Twitter pals and each and every one said, "Get a dog."

So, I will get a dog. Not to worry. But, I can't help sharing the bunnies Martha had on her show - and some of the information her expert, Marc Morrone, shared:

Different breeds of bunny are: Lionhead, a new breed that is small to medium, in size, and has a mane of fur around its head like a lion (go figure). The Netherland Dwarf which is the smalled bunny breed with short ears and a flat face, and the Flemish Giant - from Belgium, this is the largest breed - could you guess that by its name?

Marc said bunnies do okay with cats and small dogs, but not big dogs. I couldn't catch his reasoning on the big dogs - are they a threat to the bunnies or just clumsy around them? Martha's site says to keep the animals separated when you are away. Bunnies do well in playpens, so they demonstrated on TV.

Much like dogs being crated - a practice that was frowned upon by some pet parents when I was a veterinary assistant. But today, crating your dog is a good way to give it comfort and a feeling of safety, when you're away. The key, both for bunnies and dogs, is lots of free time out of the crate or playpen, lots of love and attention, and all the best veterinary care.

I'm still wondering about a bunny - but, a dog must be first. Stay tuned. Here's a video where a dog actually adopted some bunnies. So cute!

We're starting a new PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance Podcast series today, sharing experiences of pets and their owners with some of the injuries and illnesses that result in pet health insurance claims. I'll be talking with Dr. Larry McDaniel, who most of you know from this blog and Scratchings and Sniffings, and Dr. Bill Craig, the Chief Medical Director for PurinaCare.

We hope you'll find these stories interesting and informative — occasionally moving — because these are real pets whose people were able to provide them the best possible health care when they needed it most. In this first case, hear what happened when this tiny Chihuahua jumped off her pet parent's bed:

Another issue requiring routine preventive care is the treatment and prevention of flea infestation and heart worm infection for both dogs and cats.

Unless you are a professional breeder there are really no good reasons to not have your dog or cat spayed of neutered. In fact, spaying and neutering have many behavioral and health benefits and can make owning a dog and or cat a more satisfying and less stressful experience.

Stress is something we all live with on a daily basis. Really, sometimes just getting out of bed in the dark of the 6 a.m. morning, bare feet hitting the cold floor, is stressful. If, in the process of slipping out of bed you accidentally step on your cat's or dog's tail...well, the stress increases exponentially, doesn't it?

Lately, with all the 'bad' news on TV and the net, stress has become a monster following us around, biting off bits of our self-esteem. Yes, "it's the economy, stupid." And yes, it's sure to hang around for awhile. But, here's a thought - how many of us recognize the amount of stress we pass along to our pets? How many of us stop to think about how our actions in the home impact our pets? The very same animals that offer us unconditional love, every day?

The need for annual boosters used to be the trigger for most people to visit the veterinarian. As we mentioned in the last post most pets don't need annual boosters anymore, but that does not imply that they don't need regularly scheduled check ups in between vaccine boosters.

For most pets this means an annual physical exam. In some cases, especially geriatric pets or those with chronic conditions, more frequent visits should be considered. Puppies and kittens get a thorough exam when they make their first visit to the vet around 7 to 9 weeks.

So what should you expect at the annual visit and how can you make it as productive as possible?

I'm the lucky receiver of new books, on occasion. I like to think it's because I am devoted to providing good content on pets and pet care, here and on the Scratchings and Sniffings blog, but maybe it's because I'm so gaga over cats and dogs, in general. A devoted pet parent, you bet!

Recently I was thrilled to receive a new book by Dr. Nancy Kay, Specialist, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Her book, Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to LiIve a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life fits in well with this blog. We're all about helping your dog, and cat, live a long and happy, as well as long and healthy, life here at PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance.

I haven't finished Dr. Nancy's book yet - it's substantial, as it should be, but I've visited her website, Speaking for Spot, and also her wonderful Speaking for Spot blog. There is a wonderful story there right now - about two pregnant Rottweilers - it's a must read. Hop over...

On her website she shares some questions we all wonder about, from time to time. The answers are in the book. But, I bet you've considered these questions before. I know I have...