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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

What Movement and Gait Tell You About Your Cat

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Feline movement could be described as grace on paws. Cats have a variety of movements and gaits and can instantly switch from a slow, sensual walk to a slinky strut to a full-on burst of speed. Recognizing your cat’s movements is one of the keys to understanding his emotions and behaviors. Form Defines Function As […]

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Cats Dogs Other Veterinary Care

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Talking to Your Vet

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes Talking to your vet can be stressful. You’re already upset because your pet is sick, medical information can be complicated and confusing, and it’s hard not to worry about the bill. But you may not realize it can be frustrating for your vet as well. We talked to a couple of experienced veterinarians about how […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

Take the Panic Out of Handling a Pet Emergency

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Lisa Lippman, DVM, knows the value of always acquiring knowledge. That may explain why in addition to her skills in house call medicine, general practice, and emergency veterinary medicine, she made the decision to complete a two-day course to become a pet first aid/CPR instructor. Her reason is simple: “In a veterinary clinic, medicines and […]

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Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Stressed? You Might Be Stressing Your Cat as Well

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Reading Time: 3 minutes We all know about studies showing that sharing life with a pet has beneficial effects on human health. Even a few minutes of petting a cat or dog can lower blood pressure and release mood-enhancing endorphins. A University of Minnesota study found that cat companionship may reduce the risk of heart attack for people by […]

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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Travel & Safety Veterinary Care

Re-Connecting with Your Best Friend: Understanding Canine Motion Sickness

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small dog pomaranian spitz in a travel bag on board plane

Reading Time: 3 minutes As the summer approaches, many of us will be traveling to fun and hoping to bring our dogs with us. In fact, a recent study showed many pet parents travel with their pets every year!1  It turns out most of us take our dogs with us on daily errands (bank, gas station, coffee, etc), and […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home New Pets Training & Grooming

New Puppy? Socialization Starts Now!

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy skittered into class and ducked under a chair, trembling. It was Pip’s first night of puppy kindergarten, and he was terrified. After class, I chatted with his parents. “Your puppy is really shy,” I said. “Sixteen weeks is the latest we’ll take a puppy into this class, and he’s […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

When Vets Take Pets “To the Back”

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes When I worked as a vet tech many years ago, we didn’t routinely “take pets to the back” for treatment. Emergency visits, or pets not easily handled, were the exceptions. But more often than not, dogs and cats had their temperatures taken, vaccines administered, routine blood and stool samples procured, all while in the presence […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

How to Overcome Fear, Anxiety & Stress About Your Pets’ Dental Care

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Even though periodontal disease is the most common disease in both cats and dogs1, many pets don’t get the dental care they need due to the fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) they experience when going to the veterinarian. And that stress affects not only the cat or dog, but the owner, too. Two things need […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

How to Be the Perfect Pet-Sitting Client

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes What information does your pet sitter need to efficiently care for your home and pets? After 25 years as a pet sitter, I find it falls into two categories: pet care and “all that other stuff.” Here’s how to ensure that your pet sitter knows the most important details about your animal’s care. Meals, Meds, […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Other Senior Pets Veterinary Care

Anxiety Often Accompanies Cognitive Dysfunction

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes If your pet has cognitive dysfunction—canine or feline dementia—you may have noticed that he seems to be more anxious than in the past. That’s a common side effect of the condition, but there are ways to manage it. Aging dogs and cats have problems similar to those of elderly humans, and not just physical ones: […]