Pets are the most adorable little pains available to contemporary pet owners. They have this nasty trick; they get you to love them so that you won’t immediately kill them for scratching your furniture, eating your shoes, or ruining the carpet. Luckily for you (and them too for that matter,) there are some simple steps you can take to pet proof your home against many of the minor or major offenses that dogs or cats might commit. Tile/hardwood floors- If you have carpet and a puppy, you’re going to have a bad time. It’s just a rotten combination. This is probably the most expensive pet proofing alteration you can make, but it’s worth it based on avoiding the “ick” factor alone. Cleaning up feces is no picnic either way, but if you have to decide between scooping it up between individual carpet fibers or a flat surface, it’s a no brainer. Doggy doors/kitty doors- This is a good way to enrich your pet’s life while simultaneously making yours easier. Once housetrained, a dog or cat can use these pet portals to easily reach the outdoors and do their business. So you won’t get those random false alarms when the family dog just wants to sporadically sniff random stuff. If you’re in a neighborhood with coyotes or other large predators this probably isn’t the best idea and you should always beware of other intrusive varmints that might come calling. Dog Ramps- For the short stubby dog or the garden variety elderly pet, a tall set of stairs can be an even taller order. Or if you’re the type that likes to snuggle up on the bed with your Yorkie, you’d better either have a ramp or a mattress on the ground. Assuming you’ve moved past collegiate life, the latter makes more sense. Simple to make and inexpensive if you don’t feel like it. Ramps are a pet’s best friend. Scratching posts-Scratching posts are a necessity for any cat owner. Cats have an insatiable need to rend, rip, and tear apart tall structures as a way of marking territory. Don’t fall victim to a territorially protective pussycat. Place some catnip saturated scratching posts wherever you can. Check out this earlier post on the blog for more detailed information. Repellant sprays- If scratching posts are unsuccessful, or you have a rambunctious dog to contend with, you might consider purchasing a repellant spray. An odorless aerosol that carries a bitter taste pets would prefer to avoid. It should keep them from munching on anything too expensive. Trash cans with lids- Finally, if you’ve got an exposed trash can anywhere in the house, and you’re fond of throwing away leftovers, fragrant trash, or used feminine products then it would be highly advisable to get a can with a pop up lid. If it’s stinky, chances are your dog wants it in its mouth and all over your floor. Do the right thing and prevent your unpresentables from being on public display. That’s all for now. Check back for more helpful pet tips!    

Man’s best friend has been responsible for a lot of wonderful human advancements throughout the ages. Thanks to the domestication of dogs, humans gained the ability to herd other domesticated animals and support ever larger populations. Dogs have been guards, babysitters, watchmen, hunters, and rescue personnel among numerous other nifty vocations. But in their ongoing effort to outdo themselves in pursuit of our affections, now dogs can smell cancer. And yes, the cats are furiously accusing them of being over achievers. So jealous. Dogs detect cancer by smelling the waste products of tumors. Usually, something as simple as a breath sample, taken from patients and stored in tubes, can be presented to one of these lifesaving scent connoisseurs, and from that single exhalation they can sniff out serious health conditions. In the case of dogs detecting cancer, they sniff out tiny particles called alkanes as well as some unknown aromatic compounds that are generated as waste byproducts in tumor cell production. The researchers working on these findings managed to train the dogs to examine a large amount of these scent samples. They were trained to ignore the ones from patients lacking cancerous cells in their system, but they would sit or lay down in front of the samples that smelled a little more deadly. For their efforts they were rewarded with tasty food treats and clicker noises. The amount of cancers dogs can detect isn’t limited either. Through use of stool samples dogs can sense bowel and bladder cancer as well as lung from the breath smells. For once the canine tendency to sniff butts might come in handy. Incredibly, dogs have a sense of smell that is on average 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than the human olfactory sense. This stupendously sharp schnozzle is effective, (according to various estimates) anywhere between 93 and 99 percent of the time. This has led to a lot of differing opinions on practical application of dogs as healthcare professionals. Dogs are already in widespread use as ambassadors of goodwill in elderly homes and terminally ill wards in hospitals all over. Thus many medical researchers are suggesting that thoroughly trained tumor tracing hounds be on hand for diagnostic purposes as well. That would mean a hospital dog could be as common as a drug or bomb detecting canine. On the other side of the spectrum, many suggest that cancer detecting dogs should be used in labs to determine which compounds are actually being found as x factors in the detection process. That way the researchers can develop advanced detection equipment and let the dogs get back to rolling in the mud. Where ever they end up, you can bet that they’ll show up with tongues lolling and tails wagging at the prospect of being helpful to their human counterparts. Man’s best friend is always going the extra mile to try and help out an owner in need, but this latest battery of good deeds might just end up saving lives. Keep checking back for more informative pet news from the friendly folks at Petbucket.com!    

O melhor amigo do homem é muitas vezes um idiota adorável. Os cães são tão bonito como eles são mudos, mas eles mostram flashes ocasionais de brilho. Existem numerosas paródias de cães capazes de falar e o que eles podem dizer, mas a crua realidade é que eles têm um conceito muito limitado de linguagem. As pessoas pensam simbolicamente, os cachorros pensam de uma maneira bastante concreta. Isto levanta a pergunta: como o cão pensa e aprende? Como se vê, há duas maneiras diferentes que os cães aprendem. Um é através da interação social. Cães irão assistir as pessoas e uns aos outros para pegar linguagem corporal, ações, técnicas de caça, todos os tipos de pequenas ações nuançadas. A outra maneira, é muito melhor documentado e será o foco principal deste artigo: condicionamento comportamental

“Love thy neighbor as you love yourself”.  I would like to start with one of the Ten Commandments since pets are in many ways just like human beings.  They are our beloved neighbors, loyal companions, and inevitably fallible fur-balls.  That’s why it is so heartbreaking that many of our four-legged neighbors are left to fend for themselves with no proper food or shelter.  That’s why pet fostering is a very important subject. First of all pet fostering is the process of providing temporary homes for pets, just until a more suitabl home can be found. Helping homeless pets with behavioral issues, socialization or recovering from an illness not only makes them more adoptable, it also opens up spots in the shelter for other animals. But no matter how great it feels to help save the lives of these animals, it’s also easy to get attached to the pets you take in. When fostering a pet, the biggest emotional pitfall is getting too attached to your temporary pets. Try to keep in mind that you and your temporary pet have a working relationship. Don’t think of the dog or cat as a family member, but more as a collaborator. But attachment issues don’t stop at your emotions. Pets are very likely to become attached as well, almost inevitably so. While showing affection is important, dogs and cats are predisposed to becoming spoiled rather quickly. Animals that get attached to foster parents have a difficult time adjusting to their new homes. Focusing on treating a foster pet like a student or a colleague will keep both of your emotions on a short leash. Your foster assignment can last days, weeks, or months but no matter how long they stay, when it’s over, you’ve got to be ready. You’ve helped to prepare this pet for its forever home and now it’s time to do what’s best for the animal. Depending on the situation, you may even be responsible for meeting with prospective adoptive families. If you start thinking that they aren’t good enough for the pet, it might be a sign that you’ve grown too attached. Throughout your foster assignment, try to stay focused on the goal of getting the pet ready for its new forever home, so you’re always thinking positively of the day you’ll part ways. Don’t draw it out with a big teary scene, as that can be stressful for the animal. And if you find yourself overly depressed about the loss of your temporary friend, you can always volunteer to have another pet temporarily housed and loved. It’s also a good idea to exchange contact information with the family that adopts. This way you can be sure that your canine coworker is well provided for. If you aren’t involved in fostering pets but you would like to be, then try visiting the Pet Foster Network’s website: http://www.petfoster.org/ There you can volunteer your home and your time for a very worthwhile cause. One that can benefit you and furry little neighbor.

We’re picking up right where we left off from yesterday with part two of our list of common cat ailments and their symptoms. First up is… Feline Panleukopenia This condition is caused by a virus and is most commonly known as feline distemper. Though any cat can contract this illness, kittens are most at risk. Distemper is a contagious infection usually spread through litter boxes. If infected, your cat may become listless and lethargic. They may have severe diarrhea, vomiting, and refuse to eat or drink. Their skin will become dry due to dehydration, and fur may fall out or begin to look dull. If you suspect distemper, get to your vet as soon as possible. Distemper can be diagnosed through the observation of symptoms, or a white blood cell count. There is no medication to fight the virus but an antibiotic will be administered to fight off secondary infections. The bad news is that distemper is very difficult to fight off, and many cats die from the infection. Fortunately, there is a vaccine, and cats should be vaccinated against distemper while they’re kittens as part of routine veterinary care. Chronic Kidney Failure Kidney failure is most common in senior cats. Their kidneys begin to deteriorate and lose their ability to properly remove waste from the blood stream. Symptoms include: constipation, lack of appetite, lethargy, and nausea. As the kidneys fail they require more liquid to process toxins. Eventually, the cat can’t drink enough water and the toxins begin to affect its entire body. Your veterinarian will most likely use blood and urine tests to confirm kidney failure. There is no cure for renal failure but your veterinarian may be able to suggest treatments that prolong your cat's life. Common treatments include an IV drip or even a dialysis machine. This special machine can help your pet filter the toxins, but is also be very costly. Diabetes Much like people, cats can develop diabetes, a condition where the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to properly maintain blood sugar levels. If diabetes isn’t properly diagnosed it can drastically shorten a cat’s lifespan. Early symptoms of feline diabetes may include increased appetite with no weight gain or even weight loss in your pet. Excessive drinking and urination is also common. As the disease progresses your cat becomes less active and their coat loses its luster. They could also experience weakness, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. Breathing will become labored and signs of dehydration will be evident. Your veterinarian will run both blood and urine tests to screen your cat for diabetes. If the results are positive there are a number of treatments available depending on the severity of the disease. Many cats will require insulin shots once or twice a day along with a special diet. A very sick cat will need to be treated for dehydration and other issues before insulin and diet can help. Your veterinarian will work out a treatment for your pet as needed.  So be on the lookout for these common cat ailments, and take good care of your favorite feline companion!