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Sick
of dry skin flaking all over your furniture? Get rid of your dog's
dandruff in five easy steps.
Are you tired of your dog
waiting until she's in the house to shake off the rain? Then teach her
to shake it on command. You can teach this useful trick through
association, pairing a word with the action when your dog does it on
her own. Any time you see your dog shaking off water, grass, or an
annoying fly, tell her "Shake it" and praise her enthusiastically,
until she makes the connection and shakes on cue.
The ASPCA
offers these tips for water safety:
Left
to their own devices, cats will leave no spot in your house untouched.
They are independent and curious creatures, which we love about them,
Boundary training teaches your cat where it can and cannot go in your
home, to avoid danger or unwanted visits at the dinner table, and more.
Start the training early with these helpful tips.
Simple ways
to keep your cat safe at home while you're away.
Too
Squeaky Clean?
Springtime
Plants and Your Feline
April marks
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month, so what better time to prepare
for emergencies? Here's what you need to be prepared for a cat crisis
in your home. 
Flowers are blooming, lawns
are turning green, and the milder weather calls both humans and dogs
outdoors to enjoy it. But not everything about spring is sweet and
mild. There are things to watch for when you and your puppy are out
walking. Steer clear of these common springtime items that could harm
your pup. 
Hit by a
car. If your dog is injured and can't walk, use a sheet of
plywood or a large box as a stretcher to get her into the car safely.
Place a blanket over her to keep her warm, and try to control any
bleeding with direct pressure.
Did You Know: Pets and the
Workplace
9 Ways to
Make a Difference for Homeless Dogs this Holiday Season
Go
slowly and be patient. Leave the harness lying around for a few days
and let your cat investigate it.
Fetch
is a cooperative game- at least it's supposed to be. If you'd like your
pup to return her fetch toy instead of teasing you with it, try the
magazine method. This technique requires a securely fenced yard or an
indoor play area, a fetch toy, a chair, and a magazine.
Grab A Leash-
Take a stroll with your dog, giving her time to stop and smell the
roses- as well as the grass, trees, and bushes.
It's nice
to take a break and catch some couch-potato time, but too much of it
can be a problem. To the list of ailments shared by you and your
four-footed companion, add arthritis. According to the Arthritis
Foundation, 66 million Americans are affected by a form of arthritis,
as is one in every five adult dogs in the US. For dogs and people,
walking is one of the best ways to reduce joint pain and stiffness,
build muscle, and promote weight loss, all of which improve our overall
health generally and ameliorate the effects of osteoarthritis
specifically. So, off the couch, on your feet, and out the door. Move,
and follow your dog's example by stopping to smell the roses- or ocean
breeze or sagebrush desert- occasionally. You'll both feel better.
3 Tips to Protect Your Cat
From Bird Flu
You might
have a miracle skin conditioner right in your kitchen - apple cider
vinegar. Use it straight, or mix it 50/50 with water to relieve itching
and condition your dog's skin and hair. Follow your dog's normal
shampoo and rinse with an application of the cider or cider-water mix
to soften her coat, eliminate dandruff, and give her fur a lustrous
sheen. You can apply it with a spray bottle or pour from a cup. A
diluted vinegar solution doesn't need to be rinsed, but don't use it if
your dog has a cut or sore.
Man's best
friend might be a dieter's best pal too. In a recent study from the
University of Missouri-Columbia, overweight individuals who walked a
dog every day lost an average of 14 pounds over the course of a year.
Can't commit to taking care of a dog? Participants in this research
used loaners from a student group called Pet-Assisted Love and Support.
Similar programs are available in many communities, and local shelters
often welcome volunteer walkers.
Overheated
dogs can often recover fully from heat stress with simple help. Your
goal is to bring your dog's temperature back to normal, not plummeting
to the ice-cold, opposite extreme, which may occur by placing the dog
in an ice bath. 
It's probably every pet owner's worst nightmare:
to have their pet disappear without a trace. With developments in GPS
(global positioning system) and GSM (global system for mobile
communications) technology, however, the ability to locate a pup who's
gone walkabout may soon be back in your hands. Because the portable GPS
transmitter is attached to your dog, it goes wherever she goes.
Although the systems can't keep your dog out of harm's way, they can
emit a signal that will help you find her once again.
How to
Handle Skunk Smells
You may have to leave your
house during a disaster and sleep somewhere else. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) has the following recommendations what you
should pack for your pets. 
Scottish
researchers were awarded £2.6 million from the United
Kingdom's primary funding agency for the life sciences. The research
will examine stress on farm animals and their young and look at ways to
improve their welfare. Scientists and veterinarians plan to examine
early life events, such as stress before birth and tail docking in the
first days of life, and determine the long-term effects on young
livestock. One of their goals is to focus attention on the need to
avoid adverse early life challenges to animals to ensure their future
health and welfare and optimize their quality of life.
Hookworm infections are a significant cause of
intestinal blood loss and iron-deficient anemia, affecting up to
one-fifth of the world's human population. Contaminated soil is the
biggest risk factor. The parasites digest hemoglobin in their
intestines, using a cascade of proteolysis that begins with a protein
called APR-1. Vaccinating dogs with recombinant Ac-APR-1 induced
antibody and cellular responses and resulted in significantly reduced
hookworm burdens and fecal egg counts compared with control dogs after
challenge with infective larvae of Ancylostoma caninum. Most important,
vaccinated dogs were protected against blood loss and did not develop
anemia. 
As winter approaches, pet owners should be
reminded of cold weather-related concerns. The ASPCA has issued the
following guidelines for winter pet safety: 
The
Society for Veterinary Hospital Pharmacists has issued a warning:
Dosing pets with date-expired prescription drugs can be hazardous to
their health. According to SVHP president Starr Miller, outdated
tetracycline can give cats "black, hairy tongue" while expired
antibiotics can cause gastrointestinal problems. A national survey
found only 31 percent of Americans check expiration dates on their own
prescription medications, Miller says, and the situation could be even
worse for pet pills.
According
to two studies appearing in the Journal of Periodontology,
researchers have found evidence that the amount of bacteria in
subgingival plaque may contribute to a person's risk of heart attack.
These findings substantiate what has long been assumed: Oral
inflammation allows bacteria from the mouth to access the bloodstream
and increases the possibility of organ infection.
A
recent study has found that when pets and people team up as diet
partners, they're more successful at losing weight and keeping it off.
In recent years, feeding dogs raw meat has
become increasingly popular. The trend, however, has sparked health
concerns, because of the risk of foodborne illnesses in pets as well as
in the public health risks of zoonotic infections. Now, a new study
that identifies potentially harmful bacteria in 21 commercial raw meat
diets booster concerns.
While
arthritis is widely recognized in dogs, it is less recognized in cats.
However, a recent evaluation of radiographs of geriatric cats show that
cats are more frequently affected than one might suppose.
A
defect in a gene that codes for part of the mammalian sweet taste
receptor could account for cats' indifference to sweet things. The
defect has been documented in cheetahs, tigers, and domestic cats.
Just
as you vaccinate your dog against disease, you can now vaccinate her
from the effects of a snakebite. The vaccine was developed by Red Rock
Biologics after a staff veterinarian's cat was bitten in 2002. Both
dogs and cats can receive the new vaccine.
A
national survey conducted by Hartz states that in three out of four
pet-owning homes, animals are considered family.
An
international research team has identified a gene associated with
canine epilepsy that may lead to help for humans, according to the
journal Science. The type of human epilepsy that may benefit from the
research is Lafora dieseas. It usually strikes teenagers, who
experience rapid neurological deterioration leading to dementia and,
within two decades, death.
Childhood allergies are on the rise, but
research suggests raising children in a house with pets may be a good
way to keep kids healthy. In a study following 700 children from birth
to age six or seven, allergist Dennis Ownby, of the Medical College of
Georgia, found that those who had been exposed to two or more household
cats or dogs since birth were less likely to react to allergens than
those born into animal free homes.
The average life expectancy of the Chihuahua is
13 years and it is not uncommon for them to live 15 years. Heart
disorders are more frequent in the Chihuahua than other breeds. This
sensitivity increases with age.
Garlic
is widely touted as a safe and a natural method for ridding dogs of
fleas, but there is no scientific research to confirm that it is
effective against flea infestations.
Two major airline companies, Midwest Airlines
and United Airlines, recently announced incentives for passengers who
fly with pets. Midwest offers pets a free roundtrip ticket for every
three domestic roundtrip flights pets take with their owners. United is
offering pet owners 1,200 bonus miles on up to two roundtrip tickets
when they fly with their pets before May 27, 2005.
According
to the American Heartworm Society (AHS), 27 million dogs are in danger
of contracting heartworm because they aren't currently medicated with a
heartworm preventative.
A
group of 16 rats was able to distinguish between spoken languages.
Researchers trained rats to push a lever when presented with a short
sentence in either Dutch or Japanese. The rats consistently pressed the
lever only when presented with "their" language. They were even able to
recognize the language when a different sentence was used. Humans,
tamarin monkeys, and rats are the three mammalian species in which this
ability has been documented.
United
Kingdom veterinary schools and nonprofit organization Animal Health
Trust are collaborating to compile an animal DNA archive. The archive
of donated samples will allow researchers to investigate factors --
genetic and environmental -- that predispose an animal to certain
diseases. The animals' DNA will also aid in human genetic research, as
many genes are common to both people and mammals. Researchers hope to
identify the causes of genetic conditions in animals and develop new
treatments, possibly eradicating certain diseases altogether.
