Tips & Newsletters
As both a professional pet sitter, and a dog owner, we know how important it is to understand how pets react in many different situations, which is why we feel it is extremely important to continue your pet-ucation. Click on the links below to read my current monthly newsletters and other helpful tips.2008
July 2008Heat Stroke in Dogs and Cats
Heat stroke is a major concern for pet owners. Humans and animals respond differently when they get too hot. Read more ...
April 2008
Estate Planning for your Pets
Should anything happen to you, who should get custody of your pets? Everyone who has pets should have a plan for their pet, or what's known in California as a Statutory Pet Trust. Read more ...
March 2008
About Pet Rabbits
Rabbits are growing in popularity as house pets. Social as well as active and playful, they have the potential to be wonderful pets for the prepared owner. Read more ...
February 2008
Snake Care
Snakes need the same basic things as any animal: proper food, clean drinking water, a secure shelter, attention to any medical problems, and the right temperature range. Get these set up, and your snake should live a healthy, happy life. Read more ...
January 2008
Protecting your Dog from Heartworm Disease
You hear about it from your Vet and see the commercials on television, but what exactly is heartworm and how can you protect your family pet? Read more ...
2007
December 2007Keep your Pet Protected from Poisons
If you fear that you dog could have been poisoned or may have eaten something harmful to him, you should call your Veterinarian immediately to find out what to do. Read more ...
November 2007
Pets and Disaster: Be Prepared
Our pets enrich our lives in more ways than we can count. In turn, they depend on us for their safety and well-being. Here's how you can be prepared to protect your pets when disaster strikes. Read more ...
October 2007
Destructive Behavior: Digging
Digging behavior in dogs can have many motivations. Some breeds, such as the Northern breeds (Huskies, Malamutes) dig cooling holes and lie in them. Read more ...
September 2007
Aggression: Sibling Rivalry
Dogs are social animals whose evolutionary history makes them willing and able to live in groups. Group living enabled wolves to work together to obtain food, raise their young and defend their territory. Read more ...
August 2007
Addison's Disease
The correct medical term for this disease is Hypoadrenocorticism. This term means that there is diminished or lowered hormone production from the outer part or cortex of the adrenal gland. Read more ...
July 2007
Keeping Pets Safe on July 4th
To protect the pets you are caring for on the Fourth of July, take these precautions: Read more ...
June 2007
What is the Canine Good Citizen Program?
AKC's Canine Good Citizen certification program is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the CGC test receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club and they are automatically recorded in the AKC's Canine Good Citizen Archive. Read more ...
May 2007
Changing Your Dog's Diet
With all the dangers and risks of feeding your dog a mass-produced, popular brand of dog food Ð what is a dog owner to do? The answer is simple: you have to change your dog's diet to a healthy dog food. Read more ...
April 2007
Dog Food Grading Scale
How to grade your dog's food. Read more ...
March 2007
Training Your Dog to Come When Called
One of the most common training problems owners have with their dogs is that the dog will not come when called. Training a dog to come when called is often referred to as a &qupt;recall." It is ironic that owners go to great lengths to train their dog NOT to come when called, and then complain about it. Read more ...
February 2007
How to Handle A Barking Dog
Barking is a perfectly natural canine behavior. Birds sing; frogs croak; and a dog barks, whines and howls. If you have a dog, you better expect some barking, whining or howling. It is unrealistic and unfair to think you can train your dog to stop barking altogether. However, Read more ...
January 2007
Litter Box Training Your Cat or Kitten
The most common reason a cat stops using its litter box is because the litter box is dirty - from the cat's viewpoint, not yours. Cats often react to any type of stress by suddenly urinating or defecating outside the litter box. Read more ...
2006
December 2006What Children Learn with and from Pets
Those of us who had pets as children probably remember the unconditional love we received, the pleasures of animal companionship, and the lessons in caring for another creature. Most likely, we gained far more from our pets than we realize even now. Read more ...
November 2006
Excessive Meowing: When Your Cat Talks Too Much
Fluffy meows when she's hungry, when she wants attention, when she smells foodÉand sometimes for reasons unknown to us. Her meowing may be conversational, or it may be annoying. Especially when we're trying to fall asleep at night. Read more ...
October 2006
Put Safety before Festive Fun
Pumpkins, tombstones, skeletons and witches mean that Halloween is close at hand. If you survive that, it's on to the next in a string of holidays; Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas and New Year's. Whether you embrace the festivities, or run screaming from an army of relatives who invade your peaceful home, remember that the holidays pose special risks to your dog. Read more ...
August 2006
Canine Worms
Dogs are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms that infest most puppies at some time in their young lives and tapeworms that can be a big problem when flea infestations are high.
July 2006
Help Your Pet have a stress-free move
No matter how frazzled you feel, moving is generally more difficult for your furry friends. Here's how to help them make the transition with ease.
June 2006
Heartworm Disease in Dogs
Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis, which lives in the right side of the heart and the adjacent blood vessels. Its presence in these blood vessels causes cardiovascular weakness, compromised lung incapacity, and eventual death.
May 2006
Heartworm Disease in Cats
Heartworm disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis, a parasitic worm that gains entry into cats via mosquito bites, can be potentially fatal to your cat. The article discusses how this disease affect cats and how it can treated.
April 2006
Don't give up on your pets!
Millions of cats and dogs are euthanized every year in thousands of animal welfare shelters, rescue homes and pounds.
March 2006
Giving Your Dog Aspirin
If your dog has chronic pain or inflammation, common aspirin can often be used to give your pet some relief. Since aspirin can cause some stomach problems, care should be used. (continue...)
February 2006
Poisonous House and Outdoor Plants
A compiled list of poisonous house and outdoor plants that may be lurking in your area and harmful to your pups. As pretty as they may appear, be on the alert and check the list.
January 2006
10 New Year's Resolutions for Pet Owners
Now that the new year is well under way and you have your own resolutions either under control or long-forgotten, it may be time to set some goals for your pet.
2005
December 2005Safe Chew Toys for Your Dog
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs. All dogs investigate the world with their mouths, especially during puppyhood. Providing safe things to chew is an important part of keeping your dog healthy. Find out how to choose the best ones!
November 2005
Five Games That Will Delight Your Dog
You can make your dog's heart leap even higher by taking along a ball, a Frisbee, or even a hula hoop. Here are a few activities you can play that will benefit the body and spirit (yours and his).
October 2005
When Your Cat Gets the "Midnight Crazies"
The "midnight crazies" is a popular name for a cat's behavior when she plays and roughhouses in short spurts in the middle of the night. What motivates a cat to such boisterous and disruptive behavior?
September 2005
Why do dogs eat grass
Dogs are not known for being fussy eaters. Put it in your dog's path and he'll gobble it up, whether it be table scraps, garbage ... or grass. We're not sure why your pup likes grass, although there have been many theories offered.
August 2005
Bad Breath in Dogs & Cats
Tooth and gum problems are the most common medical conditions seen in pets. Find out how bad breath in dogs and cat can go hand in hand with other health problems.
July 2005
Allergies in Pets
Veterinary practitioners recognize allergic diseases in companion animals and are often asked to give advice to people with allergies to pets. Many people with minor allergies to pets want hypoallergenic dogs. Is there really such a thing?
June 2005
Diabetes in Dogs
Diabetes can affect both cats, dogs and humans. It can be a debilitating disease if left untreated, managing it can be a challenge! Learn about diabetes in dogs and how they can be treated.
May 2005
Dealing With Aggressive Behavior in Your Cat
Cat owners report that biting is the second most common behavioral problem in cats -second only to inappropriate urination. Find out why they are aggressive and how to deal with such aggressiveness.
April 2005
Caring for Your Elderly Cat
Good nutrition and modern medicine are allowing cats to live longer and longer. What specific problems can be seen as your cat gets older and how can they be treated.
March 2005
Care of Hypothyroid Dog
A sluggish thyroid gland or hypothyroidism is the commonest endocrine gland disease of dogs. Learn how they can be diagnosed and treated.
February 2005
How Often Should My Dog Receive Vaccinations?
What Vaccinations and how often does he need them ?
January 2005
Treating Cushing's Disease
Cushing's syndrome is a disease with very distinct clinical signs in your pet. It is also called hyperadrenocorticism. Two small glands, the adrenal glands, that lay just ahead of your dog?s kidneys are responsible for this problem. When these glands over-produce the hormones, cortisones, hyperadrenocorticism results.
2004
December 2004What To Do When Your Dog Is Aggressive With Your Children
Counseling owners of biting and aggressive dogs is one of the hardest tasks that veterinarians face. This problem generally becomes apparent when the dog first reaches sexual maturity at 8-10 months of age. What can you do about it.
November 2004
Ear Problems in Dogs and How to Treat Them
One of the most frequent problems veterinarians see in their practices are inflammations and infections of the ear. How to find and treat them.
October 2004
Canine Heartworm Disease
Canine heartworms affect dogs throughout the world. These worms scientific name is Dirofilaria immitus They are common in the hearts and major heart blood vesicles in pet and stray dogs in all 50 American States.
September 2004
Why is My Pet Tearing Up the House!
Perfect pets, like perfect people are hard to find. Separation anxiety (SA) is a pet's exaggerated fear over separation from its owners. It is a modern, industrial age, disease.
August 2004
Choosing a Good Pet Food
Choosing a pet food from among the cans, bags, and boxes stacked on store shelves can be a daunting experience. Which formulation of food is best? Is my dog old enough for "adult formula"? Does my cat really need "premium"? Will Fido be healthier on "natural" food and will Fluffy fully appreciate "gourmet"?
July 2004
Is your Dog Overweight?
In the United States, pets and their owners have one thing in common: too much food and too little exercise. Many pet owners don't monitor their pets' weight and succumb too often to animals that beg and whimper for more.
June 2004
Adopt a Shelter Cat Month
Summer is here, time to play and have fun in the sun-and it's also time to celebrate Adopt a Shelter Cat Month with the ASPCA!
May 2004
Puppy love -- it's better than you think
It's well known that pets, especially dogs, offer their owners many health benefits. Now scientists say dogs may help us even more than onceÊthought.
April 2004
Dog Safety Tips for Parents
Reduce the chances of children in your care being bitten or injured by a dog if you teach them some basic safety tips.
March 2004
Top 10 Reasons not to Travel with your Pets
Today's loving pet owners want to share all of life's experiences with their four-legged family members. What better way to spend your vacation than on the road with your pets? Think again.
