If you have a super-smart puppy on your hands, you might be thinking about training the dog to dial 911 in an emergency. This is more than a simple trick; dogs have been able to dial emergency services when their owners had health issues requiring immediate attention. However, this is not as easy as it seems. What you want to do requires more than just training to hit a phone button, and the methods you can use are likely to be inadequate for training the puppy to know when to dial, and not just how to dial.
30 December 2014
For first time pet owners who are getting ready to make a big trip this holiday season, decisions on what to do with your dog during the time you'll be gone can be difficult. For those traveling shorter distances via car, bringing alone your canine friend may be simple. Similarly, those who will be gone for only the day have little to worry about when leaving their dog at home. For those who are planning longer trips involving airfare, deciding where your pup should go can become incredibly harder to determine.
30 December 2014
If your vet has given you pills to give your cat, you might be wondering how you're going to accomplish this task. It's not like cats simply gobble up the pill as soon as you put it near their mouth. It is more likely that you'll have to devise a plan to get it into their system. So, grab a friend and follow these steps to ensure that your cat swallows the pill every time you need them to.
29 December 2014
If you want an intelligent, social pet that's inexpensive to feed and thrives in small spaces, a pet bird is perfect for you. However, you should learn something about bird care before you bring one home. Birds can be a bit trickier to care for than dogs or cats, especially if you've never owned one before. For example, it can be very difficult to tell if your bird is sick, because birds do their best not to show signs of illness – in the wild, illness means weakness, and that can make a bird a target for a predator.
29 December 2014
A disaster, such as a catastrophic weather event or a fire, is not only devastating to you and your family, but to your pets as well. If you've just brought a dog into the family for the first time, take steps as soon as you bring them home so that you're prepared in the event you need to evacuate. This guide explains what you need to do to protect your pet during any type of disaster:
28 December 2014
Part of being a pet owner is knowing when your pet is hurt or sick and needs medical attention. Even though you may notice the animal is not feeling well, it can be difficult to determine if it is something you can handle at home, something you need to have a vet check at an appointment, or if it is something that requires emergency medical care. While there is nothing wrong with taking your pet in to an emergency clinic after hours if you are not sure, it can make you hesitate the next time something is wrong.
26 December 2014
You do not want to make the mistake of assuming that no matter what is wrong with your pet that it is something that can wait until your regular vet is back in the office. While it might be nice to have trust in the vet your pet is used to seeing, there are times where waiting simply is not an option. Make sure to take a moment to check out why you might need an emergency vet.
23 December 2014
Experts believe that about 90% of the cat population has the feline herpes virus; this particular virus isn't sexually transmitted, but is usually passed onto kittens by the mother cat. Usually, the virus lies dormant until the affected cat experiences a high level of stress. At this point, symptoms of the herpes virus may become obvious, such as watery eyes or eye discharge, a runny nose, and excessive sneezing. Fortunately, there are some simple things that all cat owners can do to reduce herpes outbreaks in their indoor cats.
19 December 2014
More people are keeping chickens and other fowl as pets or for fresh eggs. Like their wild cousins, these birds are well adapted to all kinds of weather. They don't need much help keeping warm and happy in the winter. Being a type of pet that is mostly kept outside, fowl can be especially prone to frostbite and other cold-related injuries. To prevent your birds from getting ill or injured when the weather gets cold and wet, consider the following:
19 December 2014