Category: dogs

Spay Cat to Prevent Surprise Pregnancy, Uterine Infection, and Mammary Cancer

Q: Stormi, my new kitten, will be an indoor-outdoor cat. I know she needs to be vaccinated and eventually sterilized, but isn’t it better to let her have one litter of kittens before that? A: Cats live longer, healthier lives if they don’t have kittens and are sterilized between 2 and 6 months of age….


CDC Wants Dogs Microchipped Before Traveling Abroad to Make Sure They Don’t Bring Back Rabies

For the first time in almost 70 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking to revise dog import regulations in an effort to keep dog rabies virus out of the country. Rabies is known for mutating to match the animals it infects. The strain most specific to dogs has not…


Keep Laundry Pods Away From Pets and Children

Q: My cat Milo is a “dog cat”: He comes when I call, fetches small balls, and loves to play with toys. Last week, I caught him batting around a laundry detergent pod. Should I let him play with those things, or are they toxic? A: Laundry detergent pods are so dangerous to pets that…


Build a Dog Kennel

You can create a safe outdoor space for a dog with a kennel made of chain link fencing. It’s a popular solution for your pet’s own place to roam and rest. You’ll find modular kits in various sizes and configurations or hire a fencing contractor to build one custom-made. The kennel is a system of…


How to Keep You and Your Pets Safe This Summer

By Kelly Hayes From The Gazette Colorado Springs—As summer approaches, you might have plans of traveling with your furry friends. And in Colorado and many other states, that means a lot of outdoor adventures. “There are plenty of hiking trails, running trails, everything that a lot of people like to bring their pets to,” said…


Paintballs Toxic to Dogs

Q: My husband and his friends want to play their paintball games on our rural property. Our dogs would be confined to the house during the games, but I’m concerned about their safety once they’re back outside. Are dogs attracted to unexploded paintballs, and if so, are the paintballs safe to eat? A: Paintballs are…


Reward-Based Training More Effective and Humane Than Aversive Training

Q: I mentioned to a friend that I am sending Bert, our new dog who is wild and undisciplined, to a training school to learn to settle down and mind his manners. My friend responded that this trainer uses shock collars to train dogs, which she feels is inhumane. What’s your opinion? A: The preponderance…


Dogs and Humans Don’t Share Cold Viruses

Q: I have such a bad cold that I can’t go to school. Mom is afraid I’ll spread my cold to our puppy, Barkley, so she won’t let him sleep on my bed or cuddle with me on the couch. Can dogs really catch a person’s cold? I don’t want Barkley to get sick, but…


Colorful Reflector in Cat’s Eye Enhances Night Vision

Q: I recently adopted a handsome orange male tabby cat named Henry. At night, his eyes are luminescent, reflecting a variety of bright colors. Is he unusual, or do all cats’ eyes shine in the dark? What causes this magic? A: Henry’s magic glow arises from the “tapetum lucidum,” Latin for “bright tapestry.” It’s a…


Proper Pup Etiquette

We like to think our pooches are very well-behaved, but how they behave in public, among strangers and other dogs, is the true test. Sit, Stay A properly trained pooch knows basic commands and, more importantly, obeys them while out and about. Knowing “sit, stay, come” at home is great, but immediately complying with these…