Many of the same health problems that affect us, including hearing loss, also affect our pets. Fortunately, most pets adapt very well to the disability with a little help from their owners. What Causes Hearing Loss in Pets? Some pets are born deaf or hard of hearing, while others develop hearing loss
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Select your new dog with your lifestyle and living situation in mind. In addition to your new family member's personality, consider its temperament, size, and coat as well. Some breeds have traits that may be objectionable in certain circumstances, such as hyper excitability or a tendency to bark. Your veterinarian is a valuable resource and should be consulted before you acquire a pet of any kind.
Breed Selection
There are two types of dogs--purebred and mixed breed. The 124 recognized breeds are grouped into seven categories: hound, working, terrier, toy, sporting, non-sporting, and herding. There are thousands of mixed-breed combinations. Each purebred or mixed-breed dog has a unique personality. Dogs originally bred for a specific purpose tend to retain these characteristics. These dogs may require additional training and patience. Selecting a specific breed does not guarantee a particular behavior, but choosing offspring from animals with desirable temperaments does increase one's chances of getting the best pet. Mixed breeds can be as beautiful, intelligent, loving, and companionable as purebreds.Veterinarians, breed-specific books (usually available at libraries and pet stores), and dog shows are excellent sources of information about individual breed characteristics and needs.
Friend or Protector?
Most dogs, even tiny ones, bark when strangers approach their home or yard. This bark is usually enough to deter intruders. A pet should not be trained as an attack dog. Attack-trained dogs require special handling and knowledge to prevent accidental injury to people, including members of your own family.
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Pet Hearing Loss
Category: Newsletter Library, Tips for Pet Owners
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5 Common Myths About Pets
Category: Newsletter Library, Tips for Pet Owners
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3 Reasons Why Your Pet Could Be Coughing
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
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How Safe is Your Dog’s Food?
Category: Newsletter Library, Nutrition & Food
Over the last several years, numerous dog food brands and treats have been recalled for chemical contamination or Salmonella. This last summer many dog food brands were recalled due to Salmonella; all were manufactured in a Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, South Carolina, USA. This plant makes many
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Wellness Coloring Book
Category: Pets4Kids
Picking the Right Pet, Welcome Your New Pet Home, Pets Need Proper Grooming, Feed Your Pet a Good Diet, Training Your Pet, Pets Love to Play!, and Pets Can Get Sick Just Like You.
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Caring for Dogs with Wrinkles
Category: Newsletter Library, Tips for Pet Owners
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Can My Pet Get Depressed?
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
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Does My Pet Dream?
Category: Newsletter Library, Newsletter Archive, Fun with Pets
Are humans the only mammals who dream? Find out if your pet experiences dreams and nightmares.
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Bloat in Dogs
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
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Why is My Dog Vomiting?
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
Even healthy dogs vomit from time to time. Find out what causes the common health problem.
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Xylitol Poisoning in Dogs
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
There are an increasing number of cases of dogs getting sick from ingesting a common sugar substitute, xylitol. This substance causes no problems in people, but in dogs it can cause wild fluctuations in blood sugar, often leading to a severe hypoglycemia. It can also cause liver failure. Xylitol is
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Xylitol Food Additive Harmful to Household Pets
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
People love sweets and so do many dogs. In fact, some dogs love their family's sweet treats and sneak bites of it when the humans aren't looking. You or your children probably also share goodies with your family pet. Many sweets are made with the substance called xylitol. Xylitol is used to manufacture
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The Truth behind K-9's and Chocolate
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
We have all heard people say things such as "Don't give your dog chocolate, it will kill him!" or "Even a small amount of chocolate will kill a dog." Fortunately for all cabinet opening dogs out there, the truth to the chocolate rumors lies somewhere between the chilling truth in the refrigerator and
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Rabies- Not a Disease of the Past
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
Did you ever think that your pet's rabies vaccination wasn't all that important? Did you know that if your cat or dog is not current on its rabies vaccination, and a stray or wild animal bites your pet, the County Health Department can, and will, demand that the pet be euthanized or strictly quarantined
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Pretty Poisonous Plants
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
We all enjoy flowers, whether in a vase in our house or in our gardens. We enjoy the multitude of bright colors and the fragrant odor they give us. But there can be a dangerous aspect to some of our favorite plants. The list of poisonous plants is very long, but this will give you information about some
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Plants That Are Poisonous to Pets
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
Pets are incredibly curious creatures who are not above snacking on anything that interests them. When that snack is a plant, problems can occur. Many plants are poisonous if eaten and can cause symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to death. Below is a list of some of the most common plants that sicken
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