When searching for a dog you often see breeders referring to registries and other dog breed organizations. They may only use the initials of registries or they may mention registries that you’ve never heard of. Here’s a brief overview of some of the more popular registries in the United States. AKC — The American Kennel…
Buying a purebred puppy is a lifetime commitment and a decision not to take lightly. Puppies require time, energy, and dedication to raise properly and train to be well-behaved and rewarding companions. Far too often, the decision to buy a purebred puppy becomes an emotional one, and people jump too quickly into it. The same…
There’s no limit to the different ways you can choose a name for a dog. Some people name dogs after sports teams and great players. Other people look for inspiration in mythology. There are dogs named Thor and Zeus, right down the pantheon of gods. More than one dog has been named Apollo for his…
Dogs were probably the first animal domesticated by humans so it’s not surprising that there are a number of dogs found in mythologies around the world. Egypt, Greece, Ireland, and China all have mythological dogs. In ancient Greece, the god Anubis is depicted as the jackal-headed god of the afterlife. He was the most important…
Vaccinating your puppy is one of the most important steps in assuring their long and healthy life. Yet the various opinions regarding which shots are needed and when are confusing, and argumentative, and there is far too much misinformation out there for most of us to make an educated decision regarding what vaccinations puppies need…
You may think that cat toys are meaningless and pretty useless when it comes to the growth and development of cats, but you are wrong in this assumption. A cat toy will help stimulate your cat’s mind. When young kittens are healthy enough to start playing and exploring their environments, toys help them to sharpen…
Ever wonder how the Cat People somehow seem to just know what their cats are saying? Have you noticed that they all swear that their feline familiars speak to them? Do you think it’s a crock? Well, it’s actually not, and I am going to tell you a few secrets of the Cat Language so…
Seizures are the result of episodes of involuntary electrical activity within the brain and can take many forms, ranging from loss of consciousness and leg paddling to subtle, intermittent changes in behavior. Many different diseases can cause seizures in dogs. Problems that originate outside of the brain, such as low blood sugar, hypothyroidism, severe liver…
Parasites are common in dogs and most dogs will have some at various times in their lives. They can be external or internal. They include fleas, worms, mites, and ticks. They are easy for your dog to pick up, either from other dogs or from the environment. Left untreated, most parasites can cause serious problems…
To appreciate how glucosamine can help to manage osteoarthritis in dogs, we need to understand a little science. When a dog has osteoarthritis, the fluid in his joints becomes thinner and is less effective at lubricating the movement of the bones. Also, the cartilage at the end of the bones becomes damaged and eroded over…
Feeding cats and dogs in our modern world is relatively easy. Most of us simply go to the store and buy some pet food off the shelf. We may start to think that there’s not much difference in the diet of our cat and dog, but that would be incorrect. Just because their food is…
At the risk of sounding like I’m avoiding giving a direct answer, I have to say, “it depends.” If your dog has been diagnosed with a skin disease and is being treated with a medicated shampoo or rinse, follow the directions given to you by your veterinarian or what is printed on the bottles. A…