Dogs

Dealing with an anxious pet can be challenging for even the most patient pet owners. Knowing the causes, signs, and treatment options for anxiety in pets can help you decide how to best help your furry friend. Look for the following signs of anxiety in your pet if you notice a change in behavior.

Is your dog sleeping more than usual? Is your small dog suddenly coughing, especially after that nap or following the least bit of exertion? Has your dog had problems with his dental health in the past?  Then your pet could be suffering from congestive heart failure which is a leading cause of death in older, especially smaller breeds of dogs.

The holidays are a joyous time for friends and socializing.  We decorate our households, cook elaborate meals, bring trees and special plants into our households.  Yet we often pay little attention to how these new habits might affect the furred and feathered around us. 

Some of the more common disorders seen during the holidays in smaller pets include pancreatitis, salmonella, plant toxins, chocolate toxicosis and of course gastric foreign bodies.

Though it's a fun holiday tradition for humans, mistletoe is toxic for pets.  Learn more about how to keep pets safe this holiday season. 

Pets become exposed to the toxic effects of mistletoe when the vine is bought in the home for as holiday decoration.  It is an English custom that any two people who meet under a hanging piece of mistletoe are obliged to kiss each other.  According to tradition, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of the Christmas greens after Christmas Eve.

Christmas or English holly is a common holiday ornamental that may prove to be irresistible to your pets.  Although there are two genera of holly, the Ilex genus, with its 29 species, are all toxic. 

You may have heard poinsettias are poisonous for pets.  Although poinsettias are toxic, they are more of a gastro-intestinal irritant.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are also known as the Christmas flower or star.  They are a popular plant used as decoration around the holidays from November through December.  The plant is actually a shrub, and features brightly colored red, white or pink terminal leaves, while the lower leaves remain green in color. 

We can't say for sure on a large scale, but anecdotally—yes! As people are becoming more conscious about what they're putting in our own bodies, it's only natural that we start to think about our pets as well. For years, many of our bestselling dog foods, such as Orijen, Acana, and Blue Buffalo, have been those that emphasize natural, organic ingredients and whole proteins. But how many times have we refilled our dogs' bowls with unfiltered tap water?

Have you noticed a flat half-inch long worm or longer crawling from your dog or cat's anal area or have you noticed what appears to be dried rice or cucumber seeds on the coat of your pet in the perineal area (body area surrounding the anal, and vaginal openings)?   Then your pet may be suffering from an infection with tapeworms.

Ever wonder what all the hype is about concerning Probiotics and Prebiotics? Confused about what health claims are fact and what is fiction concerning this new natural supplement? Not sure what the difference is between a probiotic and a prebiotic?

Looking for a smaller dog that is tough as nails?  One who will bond with only one person and not take off with any stranger that comes by?  Then the Basenji may make a great fit.   

The Basenji is an ancient breed that is believed to predate the modern breeds of the 19th century.  The modern Basenji hails from central Africa and was bred to hunt lions.