Your dog doesn’t chew only his dog toys — he chews your shoes, the bedding, the furniture, and even power cords. How can you stop your dog from chewing? You can’t. Instead, you can respond to your dog’s reasons for chewing, reduce his access and interest, and give him appealing chewable options.

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Fluffy or Fido has developed a lump. You observe your cat or dog having difficulty when chewing. Your pet doesn’t want to play any more. The diagnosis: cancer.Dog, cats, and other mammals are susceptible to many of the diseases that humans get, cancer included. With advances in veterinary medicine, our pets are living longer, which increases their chances of getting cancer and other diseases. The good news is that cancer treatment for pets has advanced at the same pace as cancer treatment for people. Read the rest of this entry »

You’re planning your vacation, or you need to travel for other reasons. Should you take your dog with you? If you take him, how do you prepare for travel with your dog? The answers depend on your dog, the traveling type and distance, and the destination. Read the rest of this entry »

You want to keep your dog or cat safe in your yard. Perhaps you want to keep the neighbors’ cats and dogs out of your yard. Build a good fence, reinforce it, and design a yard that’s safe and fun for your dog or cat.

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You’re expecting a baby, and you already have a cat in the family. Your friends and relatives are telling you that you can’t keep your cat when the baby arrives. Do cats smother or suck the breath out of babies? Is it safe for cats and babies to live together?No, the old tales are not true, and yes, it is usually safe for babies and cats to share a home.

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Fido or Fluffy may be lethargic. Or hyperactive. Eating less and gaining weight, or eating more and losing weight. Feeling cold. Feeling hot.The thyroid gland, which sits against the windpipe, could be responsible. Dogs aged two and up are at risk for developing hypothyroidism, a condition resulting from not enough thyroid hormone. Middle-aged and older cats may develop hyperthyroidism, which happens when too much thyroid hormone is produced. An overactive thyroid (hyper-) speeds up the metabolism and body processes, while an under active thyroid (hypo-) forces everything to slow down.

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Cats and gardens go together like…well, it depends on who the garden is for. To cats, gardens are a little piece of heaven. Fresh soil makes a perfect litter box, and seedlings that get uprooted in the digging process are of no consequence to them. You may not want your cat in your garden, and if the cats in your garden aren’t your cats, you probably like having them there even less.The solution? Make your garden unattractive to cats, and give them a garden of their own. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s annoying. It’s sometimes maddening. It can even be life threatening.Your dog’s bark may not be as bad as his bite, but dogs’ barking is a common reason that dogs are poisoned. The good news is that you can work with your dog to reduce his urge to bark. Read the rest of this entry »

Why adopt an adult cat or dog?First, they’re kittens and puppies. They wiggle and totter and fall in love with us as we fall for them. Kittens and puppies remind us what it’s like to start on life’s great adventures, but they require a lot more work than adult cats and dogs do. They make messes on your floor, they scratch and chew on your furniture, and they pull at your drapes and your patience.

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It happens on your linoleum floor. Or worse, on your carpet. Your cat has done her litter-box business somewhere other than in the litter box.Why? And what can you do?

Cleanliness

Make sure the litter box is kept clean. Cats are fastidious about cleanliness, and if they have to get dirty to use the litter box, they may choose to relieve themselves elsewhere. Long-haired cats are known to be particularly picky as dirty litter may cling to their hair.

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