pethealth.
Vandelizer, Flickr We love giving our pets treats, whether to reward good behavior, keep them occupied or because we simply can't resist their plaintive stares or begging. But all those jerky treats, dental chews and milk bones are making our domestic animals fat. "If I could only point to one factor causing the modern-day pet obesity epidemic, it would have to be treats," says veterinarian Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention and author of "Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter – A Vet's Plan to Save Their Lives." Vets and animal-nutrition experts point the finger at fattening pet snacks: Packed with sugar and carbohydrates, even the tiniest ...
Zevotron, Flickr You never want to imagine your dog or cat needing a blood transfusion – but there is one group of people working to make sure your pet is covered. They're the folks at animal blood banks scattered throughout the country, a group that likens itself to the Red Cross -- but for pets. "We do everything the same way," explains W. Jean Dodds, D.V.M., president of Hemopet, the only national non-profit animal blood bank. Blood is taken, typed and stored for shipment to veterinarians across the country. At local clinics this blood supply is put into animals who've lost blood from injuries or is pumped into dogs during surgery. It is also used to treat a host of diseases from ...
An unusual threat is making dogs in South Florida suffer paralysis that can last up to a week and in extreme cases, can end in death. The surprising cause? Dead iguanas. The recent frigid temperatures killed these reptiles, leaving behind remains that are being eaten by curious dogs -- who then proceed to get sick from botulism in the dead animals. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's news program, The Morning Show, reports on the illnesses. ...
put that down, Flickr Did you know that 34.2 percent of people who give up their pets have had them for over two years? Clearly, these folks didn't give up their furry family member at the first sign of inconvenience--which, lets be honest, happens the first day you bring a pet home. But due to changes in housing, the potentially high costs of pet-owning, behavior problems, and a host of other reasons, many animal adoptions don't quite take. That's why this March, Petfinder.com is introducing their new FurKeeps program. (Though you can go online now and preview some of the features.) Prospective pet parents can go the section "Starting Your Adoption Right" which features an adoption ...
Courtesy of Morris Animal Foundation At 88, Betty White's career is going as strong as ever. She recently starred in the hilarious Snickers Super Bowl commercial, which was watched by the largest television audience ever. She had an unforgettable turn as Ryan Reynolds' kooky grandmother in the 2009 romantic comedy, "The Proposal," with Sandra Bullock. And in recent weeks, there's been a Facebook campaign to get her to host "Saturday Night Live," an effort that already has close to 400,000 supporters. White, who has been an actress for more than 60 years, has as much passion for animals as she does for show business and divides her time equally between the two worlds. For decades, she has ...
Getty Images Your dog's ears may be better at hearing than yours will ever be --- but taking care of them comes at a price. According to an evaluation of veterinary claims filed with the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), canine ear infections were the leading cause of vet visits in the United States. In 2009 alone, VPI -- the company that insures almost half a million American pets -- received about 68,000 claims for ear related vet visits. The average cost per visit was $100. Also among the company's top reasons for doggie vet visits were skin allergies at number two, followed by skin infection/hot spots, gastritis/vomiting and enteritis/diarrhea. In cats, lower urinary tract ...