Keeping Your Pet Happy and Healthy Everyone knows our pets need food, water, medical care and love; however, they have other needs as well. Physical exercise and mental stimulation are essential in order for them to lead a happy, fulfilling life. “They need ‘jobs',” says Kristen Collins, CPDT, and ASPCA Animal Trainer. Just like humans, [...]

According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, more than 80 percent of dogs develop gum disease by the age of three years. Common signs of poor oral health include bad breath, excessive drooling, loss of appetite due to oral discomfort, and teeth discolored by tarter build-up. Bad breath is often the most obvious sign, and [...]

Anyone who's ever owned a pet knows how difficult it can be after he or she passes away. For many, pets are part of the family, and losing one can be devastating, especially for children. Parents often shelter their children from the death of a pet; however, in most cases, this is not the best [...]

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Merrick Pet Care is recalling its Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat (Item # 27077, UPC # 02280827077, all Lots up to and including 10364) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. So far no illnesses have been reported. A company press release states that so far no illnesses have been reported, but [...]

From a press release issued by the Kroger Co. this weekend: The Kroger Co. said today it is recalling select packages of pet food sold in some of its retail stores because the products may contain aflatoxin, which poses a health risk to pets. Aflatoxin is a naturally-occurring toxic chemical by-product from the growth of the [...]

Blue Buffalo has issued a voluntary recall of specific production runs of its Wilderness Chicken-Dog, Basics Salmon-Dog and Large Breed Adult Dog products. The company states that these foods may contain a higher level of Vitamin D than is called for by its product specifications. The following letter, by Blue Buffalo CEO Bill [...]

The following is not a recall, the FDA has suspended  Evanger’s emergency permit so they can no longer ship their food interstate. FDA Suspends Temporary Emergency Permit of Pet Food Maker June 12, 2009 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today it was suspending the temporary Emergency Permit issued to Evanger’s Dog & Cat [...]

On February 8, 2009 I posted some additional recalls due to the salmonella breakout caused by products connected to Peanut Corporation of America.  At the time American Health Kennels, Inc. was not one of them, however, it has since been added. The company has voluntarily recalled these products. Stating they were ” effecting this recall [...]

I have been receiving requests for specific pet products that have been recalled due to the peanut butter Salmonella scare. Here is the latest information from the FDA, you can go to their page and check out the individual companies that have affected products. This list includes human and pet food subject to recall in [...]

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Food rewards are powerful tools in the hands of a good positive trainer. Food is considered a primary reinforcer because it has innate value; a dog doesn't have to learn to like food through association. Using a clicking sound made by a clicker (or other reward marker, such as the word “Yes!”), followed by a high-value food treat is a quick and easy way to send your dog a powerful positive message about which behavior he could repeat to get reinforced again. Food is also commonly used in classical conditioning and counter-conditioning, to create and build a dog's positive association with a specific stimulus. But what do you do when your dog can't or won't take a treat? It depends on the reason he has to decline the food offering.

There are currently seven different pet identification microchip registries in the U.S., making it difficult to track down a found pet's owner even when a scan finds a microchip number. Adding to the confusion, the chip's manufacturer may not be the company that registered the chip. For example, I had a dog whose microchip was made by HomeAgain but registered with AKC Companion Animal Recovery (CAR). All the registries that exist in the U.S. will register their competitor's chips as well as their own, but most charge a fee for doing so. Two companies have emerged with Internet-based products that make it easier for rescuers to quickly locate the owner of a dog with an implanted identification microchip: the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) launched its PetMicrochipLookup.org, and Chloe Standard introduced ChecktheChip.com. Each built a website with a searchable database of microchip numbers, and attempts to return information about where a microchip is (or is most likely to be) registered.