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Should You Get Your Dog A Flu Shot?

Today in “vaccines I didn’t know existed for dogs” (last time it was for Lyme disease): canine influenza. That’s right, you can get a flu shot for your dog. Pet website ZooToo takes a look at it. Apparently, dog flu is a thing. I have to say I’ve never heard of it, not the way I’ve heard about bird or even pig flus. The difference is that while those strains can pass to humans, canine influenza doesn’t. It’s basically just dogs getting the flu, in a particular strain that won’t infect us. So while we might have to worry about … Continue reading →

I Want A Dog – Part 2

As promised, I’m continuing on in my exploration of the issue of bringing a pet into the family. Is there a “best time” to get a pet? If so, how do you know when that time has arrived? To find out more, I looked to animal experts for advice. The ASPCA web site is a wonderful resource for anyone considering getting a pet, whether or not you have children. On that site, I found a helpful guide to which pets are best for children in which age group. It probably goes without saying that infants can not take care of … Continue reading →

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 10 – 16, 2012

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Each week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a quick way to “ketchup” on all of the blogs that went up in the past seven days. There could be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear here in a given week. What did you miss? Protest in Chicago Over Birth Control Mandate About 500 people attended a protest in Chicago to express their dissatisfaction about the federal requirement that employer sponsored health plans must cover birth control. Just One Ticket Can Raise Your Car Insurance Premiums Drive safe this Summer! You’d be surprised how much one traffic … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – May 20 – 26, 2012

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Each week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review gives you a quick summary of all of the blogs that appeared here in the past seven days. This makes it easier for you to find the blogs you missed and the ones that you didn’t have time to read when they first went up. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on May 21, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode of CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, MD that was released on May 14, 2012. The episode is called “Should We Diagnose Kids Pre-Psychotic?” Dr. Gupta discusses the changes … Continue reading →

Dog Bite Claims Cost Insurers Millions

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What happens when a dog bites a person? First, the person goes to see a doctor or heads for the emergency room. Next, the person files a claim against the dog owner’s homeowners insurance policy. Dog bite claims are costing insurance companies hundreds of millions of dollars every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that around 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites each year. About half of them are children. Every year, around 16 people die from dog bites. It can be a very serious situation. A person who has been bitten by a dog … Continue reading →

What to Consider When Getting a Potbelly Pig

Over a year ago I looked at the teacup pig as a rare pet. But what if you want to adopt a potbellied pig as a pet? What do you need to know before bringing one into your home? First: check your zoning laws. For some reason potbelly pigs are sometimes not allowed in certain areas, so be absolutely sure that your local zoning laws allow you to keep a potbellied pig as a pet. Potbellies live for 10-15 years, so be sure you can make that commitment. Be careful from whom you buy or adopt your pig. You want … Continue reading →

Managing Smart Dogs

Smart is often a selling point for dogs. There are certain breeds, especially those known for herding, that are generally considered the cream of the clever canine crop. Thus if you want an intelligent dog it might not be too hard to seek one out, but there are some things you need to know before adopting a brainy companion. Pet site ZooToo has some tips. The most important thing to consider first is that smart doesn’t necessarily mean easy. We think that it will; we think how nice it will be to have a dog that can fetch slippers and … Continue reading →

Aggression in Multiple Dog Households

Here at the pets blog we’ve published many articles on dog aggression. It seems like one can never have too much advice on how to handle it; anyone who’s seen dogs fighting, and not in the playful way, knows how upsetting it can be. Today I’m going to focus on how to handle aggression between dogs in a multiple canine living situation. If you’ve already one dog and you want more, you need to be ready for the possibility of the rare or occasional spat between them. If at all possible, introduce the dogs before adopting your second, to make … Continue reading →

What to Consider When Getting Another Pet

Room for more? Most pet owners are animal lovers and that often means we want multiple pets. We know, however, that we can’t be pet hoarders; we have to draw the line somewhere. How do we know where that line is? I’m thinking about getting another cat. Cole gets lonely both overnight (cats tend to be nocturnal) and when we are away for long. My dog Chihiro doesn’t play with him as much as she used to. The perfect solution is another feline companion. But how to know if that’s the right thing to do? When thinking about getting an … Continue reading →

Getting Kids Involved in Photography

My daughter owns two digital cameras. Did I mention that she’s six years old? My mom says I am to blame for my daughter’s camera obsession. According to my dear, sweet mother, I’ve scarred my child by having her pose for nearly 15,000 photos since her birth. Apparently, my kid is so sick of being in front of the lens that she has taken to hiding behind it. I think my mom’s analysis may be a bit dramatic, though my daughter really does prefer being behind the camera than in front of it. However, I attribute that trait to her … Continue reading →