Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes April 10 is National Hug Your Dog Day, but hugging dogs isn’t always a good idea, or even an expression of love, at least not from the dog’s perspective. All primates, from chimpanzees to Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) to humans, are hard-wired to console others and communicate affection by hugging. Dogs are not primates. Perhaps […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes The doorbell rang. “Rosie, Place!” I called out. Four pounds of Yorkshire Terrier energy bolted across the home office, dashed into my open bedroom door, then pivoted around to face me. Her little nubby tail wagged furiously. “Yes!” I marked, tossing a treat into the bedroom. Rosie ran to inhale it, then dashed back to […]
Reading Time: 5 minutes I’ve always been the vet for my pets, handling their medical needs and surgeries as they aged and ensuring that their care was as Fear Free as possible. When I became a relief vet in 2020, filling in at different clinics around my area, I no longer brought my pets to work. I took on […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Every year, you send out the same holiday cards. Recently, you’ve been getting more photo print cards of entire families and you want to try it out. You need to get everyone to the photography studio, including your cat because, after all, she’s part of your family. You’d love some single shots of kitty, too, […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Relationships are at the heart of Fear Free, including the ones that are sometimes overlooked by society. “Imagine being an unhoused pet parent living in the shadows of society with a life preserver cleverly disguised as a dog or cat. You might be sick. Your pet might be sick. Or both of you,” says Fear […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Horses with asthma have trouble breathing, just like their human counterparts. This is caused by inflammation and narrowing in the horse’s lower airway and is usually triggered by an allergic reaction to dust or mold found in hay and bedding. Since wild horses rarely come into contact with these elements, this condition is considered a […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes My first dog as an adult was a Shetland Sheepdog named Sundance. I was determined to do everything right with Sundance, without the dependable net of my parents, who had done all the work with our dogs when I was growing up. I was going to love her, train her, and take care of her. […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cats are famously difficult to medicate successfully. Fortunately, compounding medications and customizing them to a cat’s particular tastes is becoming more common. Such meds allow veterinarians to better treat their feline patients and pet parents to successfully administer the treatment. Cats are particularly sensitive to bitter tastes, and many cat parents often recount their devious […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Your horse forcefully nudges your jacket pocket. What does he want? Oh, right, you put a handful of peppermint candies in it last night when you were leaving the restaurant. Sniffing them out is a pretty good feat for that long muzzle. While the vision and hearing of horses has been studied thoroughly, the equine […]
Reading Time: < 1 minutes The phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” isn’t really accurate. In our experience, cats and dogs can become best friends–if they’re introduced properly. This handout provides guidelines on ways to set up your household to facilitate introductions, keep cats safe during the meet-and-greet, avoid mistakes, and ensure that everyone gets their fair share of attention.