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Spring is here and we’re loving the great weather and flowers blooming all around us! But, some of those gorgeous plants are actually toxic to pets. Did you know that these Spring plants are toxic to pets? SHARE to keep other pet lovers in the know!!! You can like and share this and more great cartoons and images on our Adopt-a-Pet.com Facebook page here (cartoon from our fabulous friends Redandhowling)

Dog Chow is excited to introduce the Puppyhood program – your one stop shop to help raise your puppy right from the first bite.  With a wide range of educational content as well as interactive tools, Puppyhood is the go-to destination to help guide you and your pup through puppyhood.

 

TIPS AND TRICKS

Whether you’re looking for information about teething or potty training, finding the perfect vet or teaching your pup some basic commands, Puppyhood provides tips and tricks in the form of articles and videos.  With special sections dedicated to “Nutrition”, “Grooming”, “Exercise”, “Health”, “Behavior”, “Training”, and “Puppy Planning”, the Puppyhood has tips and tricks for everything your puppy goes through in the first few years.

 

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS

Joining the Puppyhood not only grants access to some great special offers, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of our exclusive online tools that will help your puppy grow up happy and healthy.  You’ll be able to sign up for video hangouts with our panel of experts, use our “Near You” tool to find puppy destinations around your location, and track every stage of your puppy’s development using our Milestone Tracker.

 

INTERACTIVE DOG WALKS

Part of the Puppyhood program is a great feature called The Dog Walk.  The Dog Walk helps people learn more about puppies through a 360°, interactive puppy world that offers up articles and videos about puppy topics along the way.  It makes learning about your new puppy fun and engaging as your explore!

 

PUPPY PLANNER

One of the truly unique aspects of the Puppyhood program is that it caters to those still considering pet adoption – which we of course love here at Adopt-a-Pet.com!  The Puppy Planning section has everything you need to know before getting a furry friend to ensure you’re ready for your new responsibility.  The breed selector even helps you pick just the right puppy to fit your lifestyle.

Join the Puppyhood today and get customized learning, helpful tools, and exclusive benefits and coupons on your puppy’s journey to doghood.

 

 

More pet owners are traveling with their furry friends and hotels nationwide are opening their doors to the practice. Several Web sites list welcoming facilities, allow you to make reservations online and offer reviews and advice from fellow travelers. Check out “petswelcome.com,” “petfriendly.com,” “bringyourpet.com,” “takeyourpet.com,” and “travelpets.com” or just search the Internet for “pet-friendly hotels.” Reviewing these options in advance can make the difference in how your trip unfolds.

Traveling By Car

Before taking your dog on a long trip, ask yourself these questions:
• Will your dog be welcome at the vacation destination?
• Will your dog enjoy the trip?
• Is your dog in good health?

If you’ve answered “yes,” accustom your dog to riding in a car. Begin with short rides each day and gradually increase the length of each ride. If your dog is unable to adjust to short rides, a responsible sitter or a boarding kennel is preferable. If you board him, make reservations well in advance, especially for summer months and major holidays.

• Do not feed your dog for at least three hours before leaving on a trip. Take your dog for a walk just before you start the drive and he will be more comfortable as the trip gets underway.
• During stops, provide fresh drinking water for your dog.
• Feed your dog shortly after you arrive at your destination or when you have stopped for the day.
• If your car has adequate space, using a carrier is the safest way for your dog to travel. Never put the carrier on the sunny side of the car where your dog may become overheated.
• If a carrier is not feasible for your dog, consider using a restraining harness. They come in different sizes to fit all breeds and are available at pet supply stores.
• Always put your dog on a leash before letting him out of the car. If you walk your dog on the highway at night, wear reflective strips on your clothing and place a reflective collar on your dog for visibility and protection.
• Never leave your dog in a closed car, even on a mild day. Temperatures in cars can rise quickly even if the windows are open slightly. The heat and insufficient air circulation can quickly lead to heat stress, suffocation and death.

Traveling By Air

• Try to avoid peak travel periods when delays and stopovers are longer. Traveling in extreme hot or cold weather may be dangerous if your dog must wait very long before loading and unloading. Plan a trip with as few stops and transfers as possible.
• Make hotel, resort and airline reservations for your dog well in advance. Some airlines have limited space for transporting pets.
• Some airlines allow small dogs to travel with their owner (generally for an additional charge) if the carrier fits under the passenger seat. Otherwise, rent or purchase a carrier or crate which meets airline regulations and affix a LIVE ANIMAL sticker. Mark it with your name and address and the name of a person who can be contacted about your dog at your destination if necessary.
• Put a cushion or blanket on the crate floor. Attach a water cup to the crate door. The cup should be deep, but not too full of water to avoid spilling.
• On the day of the flight, take your dog for a long walk before leaving for the airport.
• At the end of the trip, pick up your dog promptly.

Certain countries and island destinations require a quarantine period for animals at the owner’s expense. Ask your travel agent or the consul of the country you plan to visit about quarantines.

Health and Identification

• Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up-to-date.
• If the mosquito season begins earlier or ends later in the area you will be visiting, make sure you bring the appropriate heartworm protection.
• Be certain your dog is wearing an identification tag giving his name, your name and home address and telephone number including the area code.
• Take along color pictures of your dog and a written description of his colorings and distinguishing marks. Record your dog’s body size and weight. If he is lost, these identification aids could make the difference in locating him.

Packing for Your Dog

• Carry your dog’s health and rabies certificates with you. They may be needed if you fly anywhere or may be required if you board your dog during your trip.
• Pack your dog’s water and food bowls, grooming equipment and any heartworm or other medicine it may require
• If you are not certain that your dog’s usual diet will be available at your destination, take a supply with you to avoid digestive upsets which could be caused by a sudden diet change.

At your vacation site, observe all rules and regulations regarding pets. Confine your dog in a carrier or restricted space when leaving him alone. Your consideration will help keep dogs welcome guests.

Regardless of the reason for the switch, chances are you will need to transition your cat to a new food at some point in her life. When it’s time to make the change, try to take your time with your cat’s transition from one food to the next.

Cats have sensitive stomachs and may become ill or stop eating if their food is changed abruptly. This can happen when a new food alters the intestinal environment, which may lead to diarrhea, vomiting and a refusal to eat—that’s why it’s best to gradually wean your cat off the current food and onto the new one.

Our friends at Purina recommend using the “1/4 every 4 days” rule:

• Add 25% new food every four days until your cat is completely transitioned to the new diet.
• Start by feeding your cat 75% of her current food and 25% new food for the first four days.
• On the fifth day switch to 50% current food and 50% new food for the next four days.
• By day nine you should be feeding 25% “old” food and 75% new for the following four days.
• In a little less than two weeks your cat will be fully transitioned to the new food!

Dogs are social animals and bark for the same reasons humans speak: to communicate. Dogs do bark to warn and to sound an alarm, but they also bark in response to commands and at playtime. Like people, dogs can get lonely, fearful and stressed out. Their barks often give insight into their state of being.

Researchers have studied dog barks under different conditions to assess their range of tones. Findings show a contented dog’s bark is round and harmonious. An unhappy or distressed dog, on the other hand, tends to have a repeat, high-pitched, unpleasant bark. In either case, the dog is sharing information and inviting a response from its listeners.

Sudden onset shortness of breath, apparent weakness, or a distended abdomen might be signs of heart disease in either your cat or your dog. But all too often, there are no symptoms, so your pet’s best bet is regular visits to the veterinarian.

Jonathan Abbott, a Cardiologist at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, says there are a number of ways to diagnose heart disease in pets: “x-rays of the chest, electrocardiography and cardiac ultrasound or echocardiography are the tests most commonly used.”

Your veterinarian will also be able to listen for a heart murmur and use a blood test to check for heartworm. Once diagnosed, there are treatment options that will enhance both the quality and length of your pet’s life.

When the family pooch is eating like a racehorse, drinking water like there isn’t enough left on this blue planet, and requiring walk after walk to relieve himself, something is wrong! What’s going on with your friend?

Your dog may have diabetes mellitis, the most common hormonal disorder of dogs. The disease is caused by a lack of insulin, the hormone that regulates how sugar is absorbed and used by cells and tissues in the body. It most often afflicts dogs between the ages of five to seven and female dogs are more susceptible than males. Obesity seems to be a risk factor. So if you notice your pooch displaying signs of extreme hunger, thirst or urination, contact your veterinarian. Diabetes is manageable!

Giardia and cryptosporidium are two pesky parasites that can affect an animal’s small intestine, causing diarrhea and cramping. These nasty organisms are transmitted when a form of the parasite called the cyst is shed in one animal’s stool and consumed by another dog or cat.

Dwight Bowman, a professor of Parasitology at Cornell University, says that when the animal ingests drinking water or puddle water or pond water, or eats something that’s contaminated with the cyst, they can get infected. He says that if your dog has diarrhea, diagnostic tests will help determine the cause.

Fortunately, if giardia is to blame, you don’t need to worry about picking it up from your pet. Bowman says there’s no evidence that the species infecting dogs also infects humans.