A few months ago, I mentioned that a shelter for women escaping from abusive situations in my hometown had developed a program to place the pets and livestock of abuse victims in loving foster homes while their human family members make more permanent arrangements. An interactive map...

How would you like to talk to your dog, cat, horse, or other non-human companion? I mean really talk, not just communicate in the vague or limited way that we do now? I’d love to have a conversation with my own pets, but even more exciting is the thought that I might someday be...

The slaughter of horses for meat is a hot button issue that we’ve talked about on several occasions. I believe that animals raised as companions should not end up in commercial slaughter facilities. We don’t send our unwanted dogs and cats to slaughter and sell their meat...

Have you heard of the plague? It’s not a disease that we modern day dwellers frequently consider, but it still exists and could potentially affect your pet.   The plague is a disease caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis. According...

No matter where you live, there is likely some form of natural disaster that could potentially threaten your home and your family. Whether the disaster is a widespread event (such as a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, or flood) or a more focused threat (such as a house fire or gas leak),...

An equine pregnancy lasts eleven months, which means there’s almost a full year to get excited and be as prepared as you can for the arrival of a foal. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect when your mare is expecting.   The majority...

This will be my last blog for Purely Puppy. I am moving on from here to a guest spot every other Friday on Fully Vetted. My draw to this blog was to spread the good word of behavioral medicine. To stand at the pulpit each week and preach that you don’t have to dominate your dog...

This week, I saw a post on Facebook that bugged me. The person posted, "Train the owner, not the dog." This is a commonly used phrase in dog training circles. While I agree that this can be the case with dogs who are unruly — that the owner is a lot of the problem —...

This week, as we focus on preparing for Spring and prevention of parasites, we are running one of our favorite Dr. Radosta columns on the topic of  worms. It was originally posted in December of 2011 under the title "Ewww ... Worms, Part 2." Dr. Radosta...

I recently ran across an article in Forbes magazine detailing a new dog food that uses hydrolyzed feather meal as a protein source. (Hydrolization is a process through which proteins are broken down into such tiny fragments that the immune system no longer recognizes and reacts to them.)...

I’ve mentioned many times on Nutrition Nuggets how important it is to monitor a pet’s response to a diet when making the final determination as to whether or not a particular food is right for that individual. One of the parameters I always look for is a healthy coat.   Owners...

The veterinary publication Clinician’s Brief recently summarized some of the presentations given at the 12th Annual American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (AAVN) Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium held last year in New Orleans. I found the following fascinating and...

Megacolon can be a frustrating disease for veterinarians, owners, and, most importantly, for the affected cats. The disease develops when the muscles within the wall of the colon (large intestine) no longer contract as they should. Feces builds up and dries out within the colon, resulting...

The best way to ward of many forms of dental disease in cats is to brush teeth. I always recommend tooth brushing to my clients, but let’s be honest, it is just not feasible with some individuals.   The most common form of dental disease in cats...

I’m often asked questions like, “Are premium pet foods worth the price?” or “Aren’t cheap cat foods just as good as the more expensive ones?” There are no simple answers to these questions. Cats are individuals and react to the food they eat as such.

Last week, we considered this question about the younger, healthy pet. I’ve seen a number of references in the comments to this blog about having older pets and wondering if they were insurable or not.   There are several pet insurance companies...

This week’s post is a follow-up to last week’s post. One of my favorite quotes is a proverb that says: When is the best time to plant a tree? Answer: 20 years ago When is the next best time to plant a tree?

If you listen to consumer watch groups or read publications like Consumer Reports, you might decide that pet insurance just isn’t worth it.   In their