What began as a rescue for Weimaraners now accepts all dogs, but focuses their energies on saving large and giant breeds from certain death. Located in Palm Beach County, FL, Big Dog Ranch Rescue offers a true last line of defense for hundreds of souls, burdened by illness, neglect and despair. In fact, many of their canine residents are saved hours – even minutes – before they are slated for euthanasia at area shelters. It is for these reasons, and many others, that the Dr. Jane HealthyPetNet Foundation has selected this noble organization as the latest recipient of a financial award.
Doggie Dunce Caps: Bad Behavior or Serious Medical Issue?
Have you ever found freshly dug holes in your backyard? Or bits of your favorite chair strewn across your den? Are you the proud parent of a canine that greets your guests by repeatedly jumping on them? Does your furry friend beg at the table, bark incessantly or strategically deposit her poo next to the dining room table? Simply put, if your dog could star in a film entitled “Dogs Gone Wild”, then you share a common complaint among dog lovers worldwide: frustrating behavioral problems.
Did you know that cats can become mothers in their first year of life? While more and more pet parents spay their cats early in life, many good Samaritans have gotten more than they bargained for, after finding that the stray they adopted is pregnant. As a matter of fact, we here at the Life’s Abundance office found ourselves in a similar situation when a sweet little stray showed up at our door a while back. Of course, food and water were the first order of business. After a few days, she began to trust us enough to pet her. That’s when we discovered that she was pregnant. To make a long story short, we took good care of her and her kittens, and now the whole feline family lives with their new adoptive parents. If you have a pregnant cat, you may be wondering what to expect and how best to care for the expectant mother.
Two Types of Seniors to Benefit from Foundation Award
The Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation has made fresh inroads to making the world a better place for senior citizens and senior dogs.
Our charitable non-profit has awarded a financial grant to the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network (NBRAN), a dedicated organization devoted to saving the lives of abandoned American Brittanies both in the U.S. and Canada. A network of foster-care volunteers, NBRAN is comprised of individuals who work passionately on behalf of this lovable breed.
A relationship with a companion animal can be one of the most rewarding experiences we humans encounter in our lifetimes. In the last 20 years, medical science has repeatedly shown that having a dog or cat in your life can result in health benefits for you, including improved, self-reported mental and physical health, and even fewer doctor visits compared to no-pet people. Additionally, caring for pets can help us to develop a greater sense of responsibility, elevate our own sense of self-worth and foster a mutually beneficial bond that enriches not only our lives but those of our pets, too.
If you’re a dog lover, thoughts of summertime conjure memories of long evening strolls and outdoor recreation with your dog. In fact, you may have already started this summer to create new fond memories. Given that, the last thing you want on one of your nature walks is for your canine companion to be sidelined by an injury. Unfortunately, many pet parents don’t realize until it’s too late that there are menacing toxins lurking in the plants of both cultivated and wild landscapes. Plants that you are used to seeing in public parks, your neighborhood and perhaps even in your own backyard can lead to devastating effects. In what follows, I will review five of these dangerous plants so that you will be able to identify and avoid them when you’re with your dog. First up are four plants commonly used in landscaping that are actually toxic to canines …
Pet food labels contain a lot of information, if you know how to read them.
The Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) has its own set of regulations regarding pet food labels, which many states use. AAFCO labeling guidelines cover aspects such as product naming standards, guaranteed analysis (minimum percentages of protein and fat, and maximum percentages of fiber and moisture), and nutritional adequacy.
Always look for an AAFCO statement on your pet food that says either: “ABC Dog/Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog/Cat Food Nutrient Profiles."
We’re nearly midway through 2010, and we’d like to take this opportunity to share the progress made by the Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation thus far into 2010. While we have highlighted some of the caring animal rescue agencies who have received financial awards this year, many more grants have been awarded.
Before we convey some of the details about these worthy organizations, we want to thank you for all that you’ve done to support our foundation. Even if you have never made a donation directly to the Dr. Jane’s HealthyPetNet Foundation, if you have ever purchased any of our products, you have contributed to its reserves and thus helped animals in need. And for that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
As you’ve probably noted, the vast majority of the animal rescue groups selected for our grants are small non-profits who typically operate on shoestring budgets. In many cases, the only assets these heart-full groups have are the people dedicated to aiding homeless and abused companion animals. Frequently located in small communities, these affiliations fulfill a vital need in under-served areas of the U.S. Not only do they accomplish so much with so few resources, they work every day to relieve suffering and enrich their communities.
In recent months, we have explored gifts made to Golden Rescue South Florida, Palmetto Animal League of South Carolina and Dachshund Rescue South Florida. In what follows, we provide a brief summary of the other eight rescue groups who have received grants so far this year.
As a veterinarian, I am commonly asked “Why do cats purr?” Most people believe cats purr when they are content or happy. While cats do purr when they are content, researchers attempting to uncover the answer to this 3,000-year-old mystery are finding the answer more complicated than previously thought. All domestic cats purr, as well as many wild cats, like pumas, ocelots, lions and cheetahs. Purring can occur in a variety of situations. When cats purr in the presence of other unknown cats or kittens, the behavior may serve to convey submissiveness or a friendly greeting. While it is true that cats purr contentedly while on their pet parent’s lap, they also purr when they give birth, when they are frightened, severely injured and even while dying. Because kitties clearly cannot be content in all these situations, contentment or friendliness cannot be the only reason they purr.
As summer kicks off, the heat can bring dangers to pets. Even on seemingly "cool" days, the risk of heatstroke can be alarming.
Often, on days with mild temperatures, pet owners might be tempted to leave their pet in the car for "just a minute" while they run into the store. But a recent Stanford University study showed that on a 72-degree day, a car's internal temperature could climb to 116 degrees within one hour.
As the sun starts to stay out later for the Summer time, your pet will want to bask in the daylight, too! But there are some hazards you need to know before letting your pet roam around outside. Here are some tips to help your pets not get sick or hurt in the spring time!
Give Your Dog a Bone? Nope, Not Any More, FDA Says
Knick-knack, paddy-whack, give a dog a bone — this nursery rhyme might keep rolling home, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says giving your family pet a bone is a thing of the past.
“Some people think it’s safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast,” said Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Bones are unsafe no matter what their size."
Although dogs have been domesticated for a long time now, their personalities still differ from one breed to the other. Chihuahuas are cute, but did you know that they are not suitable for families with small children, because of their territorial and impatient nature?
So how do you go about choosing the right dog breed for you?
Abusive households are not the sole preserve of abusive behaviour towards Pets; studies show that it happens too in ordinary non-abusive households. Because children derive their behaviour from watching what adults do, behaviour tends to be passed down from generation to generation. The way you treat Pets and people will act as a lesson to your children.
Federal investigators have uncovered grisly conditions at puppy mills around the country where dogs were infested with ticks, living with gaping wounds and in pools of feces, according to a disturbing new report that placed the blame on lax enforcement.
Great Dane fans fear popularity boost -- and abandoned pets -- as a result of new 'Marmaduke' film
Fearing a "101 Dalmatians"-style upswing in Great Dane purchases in the wake of the upcoming release of the film "Marmaduke," the American Kennel Club and the Great Dane Club of America are urging potential pet owners to do their research before bringing home an adorable, big-pawed Dane puppy.
Make your kitty's indoor world safe and stimulating with these easy-to-implement tips.
Indoor cats have a cushy life, with food they don't have to catch, soft beds, and warm laps.
Indoor cats live longer, too, because they don't face the dangers of cars, predators, other cats, weather, and many diseases. The life span of an indoor cat can be between 12-18 years, while a free-roaming cat may live for as little as 3.
Still, it's not always catnip for indoor kitties, whose instincts are still telling them to hunt, stalk, scratch, and mark their territory. When they don't have a chance to do these things comfortably, some indoor cats can get depressed, bored, irritated, and even sick.
You can keep your indoor tabby bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and make kitty’s indoor world a safe and happy one, with these tips for a feline-friendly home.
Keep the peace between you and your feline friend with these solutions to common cat problems.
We love our feline friends when they rub against our legs, knead our laps, or look us in the eye and purr. Yet sometimes we may not like everything about our four-footed friends. Not when they streak through the house at 3 a.m. or reject a perfectly clean litter box.
The good news is that just about every common cat problem can be managed with a little help. That's why WebMD turned to the pet pros to get their solutions for some of the most common kitty conundrums.
Last year, there were more than 100,000 cases of pet poisoning in the U.S. Many of these were caused by substances you probably have in your home, substances that may seem perfectly harmless to you. But just because something is safe for people doesn’t mean it won’t hurt beloved pets. Some of the most dangerous dog poisons are foods and medications we take on a daily basis.
Depending on how a particular substance affects your dog’s body and how much was ingested or inhaled, pet poisoning symptoms can include gastrointestinal and neurological problems, cardiac and respiratory distress, coma, and even death.
We’re nearly midway through 2010, and we’d like to take this opportunity to share the progress made by the Dr. Jane’s