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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

Pre-Op Planning Reduces Your Pet’s Stress And Yours

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Why all the lab work before your pet’s spay/neuter surgery or other procedure? He looks healthy, and as far as you know, there’s nothing wrong with him. The key words are “as far as you know.” Pre-operative testing is an important part of pre-surgical prep that can alert your veterinarian to underlying problems that could […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Team Effort Makes Training Fun, Successful

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Not long ago, a woman contacted me about her dog. He was an accomplished trash can raider and recently had surgery to remove several foreign objects from his intestinal tract. “I guess it’s time for him to be trained,” she said. This idea that training is something that happens to the dog is not unusual. […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

Do Pets Love Us? Why We Say The Answer Is Yes

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes How do I know my pet loves me? I get asked this question a lot! I suppose first I need to address whether or not pets can love. They certainly do have emotional capacity, as Temple Grandin, Ph.D., pointed out in her book, “Animals in Translation.” Others have demonstrated the same regarding the similar brain […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other Travel & Safety

Coyote Beat: Protect Pets Without Killing Predators

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Has your pet come face to face with a coyote recently? Even if you were right there, it probably struck fear not only into your pet’s heart but into yours as well. As urbanization sprawls into canyons, woodlands, and other areas that until recently have been home to animals only, confrontations between wildlife, humans, dogs, […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Other

Support System

Article

Reading Time: 2 minutes Who doesn’t like to have a friend along when facing a frightening situation? Dogs are no different. They are better equipped to face their fears in the presence of a friend, and that friend’s company can make them less likely to panic during scary circumstances. Whether your dog’s best friend is a person—you!—or another dog […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other Travel & Safety

Perfect Pet Sitter? Here’s What To Look For

Article

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you have a fearful pet or you simply prefer that he stay in familiar surroundings while you’re out of town on business or vacation, you likely have hired or considered hiring a pet sitter. That’s smart. Dogs and cats thrive with a routine, so when their family leaves on a trip, it can turn […]

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Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Whine, Wiggle And Wet: Why Dogs Wet At Homecomings And How To Stop It

Article

Reading Time: 2 minutes Does your dog whine, wiggle, and wet whenever you come home? That could be excitement related or even fear related to your homecomings. Of course, you don’t want your dog to be scared, but the wet floor ratchets up your stress levels, too. What does it mean, and what’s a caring pet parent to do? […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Stress: The Good, The Bad, The Measurable

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Stress: we can’t live with it; we can’t live without it. Defined as emotional strain or tension resulting from environmental challenges or demanding circumstances, stress is an integral part of being alive. No living being or environment is completely stress-free, no matter how sedate the existence. Stress jump-starts the body to meet challenging situations. The […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

Caring For Pets While Caring For Yourself

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes It is the worst when you have the flu or are recuperating from surgery, a broken bone or other injury. All you want to do is lie around and feel sorry for yourself. But if you have a houseful of pets, or even just one, that’s just not possible. Your dog or cat needs you […]

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Dogs Senior Pets Training & Grooming

12 Tips To Caring For Your Senior Dog’s Coat

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Your elderly canine friend might be a little grumpy about being brushed as she ages. Here are some tips to keep grooming sessions stress-free while taking a few extra steps to ensure her day-to-day comfort. Keep Sessions Short Older dogs may not be able to stand comfortably for more than a few minutes at a […]