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Tips for Puppy-Proofing Your Home

There’s something irresistible about baby animals, isn’t there? Puppies, kittens, chicks, and more… so innocent, sweet, and cuddly! But for baby animals, some things around your house may be irresistable… and dangerous. It’s best to puppy-proof (or kitten-proof, or whatever animal you have-proof) your home BEFORE the new family member comes home. Even if you don’t get every potential hazard out of the way, you’ll still be ahead of the game! First things first: get a pet’s eye view on the world. That means crouching down — or crawling on your hands and knees — to see what the room … Continue reading →

Free Sample of Rachael Ray’s Dog Food

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray makes no secret of being an animal lover… or a food lover! She’s combined the two to offer a line of premium dog food called Nutrish. The website proudly proclaims that the first ingredient in Nutrish is real meat — and backs it up by posting the full ingredient list. You’ll find healthy omega fatty acids, essential vitamins and minerals, and fiber for digestive health in the mix. And if you’d like to give it a try, she’s giving out free samples. Just visit her Nutrish website (www.switchtonutrish.com) and fill in your address information. You’ll be … Continue reading →

Prescription Diets for Pets

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I had an unusual call at the cats-only boarding facility this morning: a client from the vet side, looking for prescription cat food. More specifically, she didn’t want to have to drive a half hour to the office to pick up a prescription diet, and wanted to know where else she might be able to get it. She’d tried calling veterinarians that were closer to where she lived, without much luck. If your pets are on a prescription diet, your emergency shopping options may be limited. Here are a few ideas: When your veterinarian prescribes a special diet, be sure … Continue reading →

What to Do If You’re Concerned about Lead Paint in Your Pet’s Products

Yesterday I wrote how children’s toys aren’t the only thing testing positive for lead paint. So are pet products, like food and water bowls and bird cages. Here’s some things to keep in mind if you’re worried about pet products you have in your household: 1) Check labels. Made in China instantly makes me wary anymore, but that doesn’t automatically mean lead’s in the paint. Also, some products specifically indicated paint used contains lead. 2) If labels are no help and you want to determine if your pet’s bowls or toys contain lead, buy a testing kit. (Options include the … Continue reading →

Do Your Pets Help With Chores?

Murphy, Mr. Meow, and Tabby do. Or at least they like to think they do. Mostly they just keep me company, but to a great extent that helps. It makes my chores go faster! Wayne’s always been amazed how consistent they are with helping me. Each of them picked the tasks they like helping me with best and every time I do them there they are, my little helpers. Murphy Helps With… Almost everything. He helps me: 1) bring in the mail 2) mail stuff out 3) bring in groceries 4) load up recyclables for dropping off (Which sometimes he … Continue reading →

Changing Your Pet’s Food

Back in November, my cousin who owns a pet store gave all the dogs in the family a can of premium dog food. Appropriately enough, the flavor was “Thanksgiving Dinner” and included things like turkey, rice, dried fruit, and other holiday treats. A family member who shall remain nameless split one large can between her three dogs. The next day, she was dismayed to report that all three dogs had suffered what we like to call “pudding butt” — otherwise known as diarrhea. She tried to warn me against giving the Thanksgiving Dinner to my own dogs, because she thought … Continue reading →

Caring For Your Goldfish When You’re On Vacation

You’re going away for a few days — who will be taking care of your goldfish? There are three things you need to take into consideration: feeding, air, and filter. Feeding is probably the most common obstacle you’ll face in goldfish care when you’re away from home. Do you ask a friend or family member to come in and feed your goldfish? Do you let your fish friend go hungry for a few days? What’s the right choice? If your trip will be four days or less, your fish will be just fine without food. However, if you’ll be away … Continue reading →

Why Is My Goldfish Changing Colors?

Not all goldfish are gold! Even a goldfish that starts life a bright shade of orange may change colors throughout his life. There are different reasons why a goldfish may change colors. Diet changes, poor quality food, and parasites can leave you with a fish of a different color. Genetics play a big part in goldfish color. Moors (black goldfish) may be cross-bred with telescopes (goldfish of any other color) to improve body shape or vision. The baby goldfish from a moor/telescope breeding may or may not change colors. Some baby goldfish stay black all their lives. Some change colors … Continue reading →

Fourth of July Pet Safety

On Friday one of the DJ’s for my local radio station mentioned upcoming Fourth of July celebrations, and she warned dog owners about fireworks. She said that she sees more fliers go up for missing dogs on July 5 than just about any other day of the year, all because of the fireworks noise. It’s something that never occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense. Depending on where you live and how loud noise from fireworks might be in your yard, Independence Day, while fun for us humans, could prove frightening for our pets. If you keep … Continue reading →

Getting Ready for Hurricane Season

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In seven days, it will be the Atlantic hurricane season. Now, Mother Nature doesn’t really read the calendar, and this past weekend Tropical Storm Alberto came to visit. He didn’t stay long, though, and quickly dwindled into a tropical depression. Alberto was a good warning to get ready, though! What should you be doing now to get prepared for hurricane season? Get your emergency kits ready. A good emergency kit will have canned food and water for at least three weeks. While canned food can last for several years, it’s best to change it every year so that you can … Continue reading →