The folks at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA) Poison Control Center don’t need a calendar to know when it’s Christmas or Valentine’s Day. Their phones ring off the hook. Yet another pet — most likely a dog — has gotten into some chocolate.
“We actually have what we call a chocolate season,” explains Dr. Tina Wismer, a veterinary toxicologist for the ASPCA. “It runs from Halloween until Valentine’s Day. That’s when we get most of our chocolate-related calls.”
Can you imagine what your teeth would be like if you didn’t brush them for a year? Talk about bad breath! Considering your pet can’t brush his own teeth, this is kind of what he experiences. February is National Pet Dental Health Month and a great reminder that dental health is more than just teeth; your pet’s oral hygiene affects his overall health. Diseases of the mouth can often be painful and can contribute to additional problems. Having regular dental checkups and having your pet’s teeth cleaned are important to ensuring a positive quality of life.
It has been 250 years since the world’s first veterinary school was founded in 1761 in Lyon, France, and 2011 is being hailed as World Veterinary Year. As we celebrate 250 years of veterinarians serving humankind in caring for our pets, it is important to recognize and celebrate our differences so that people in countries around the world, particularly our neighbors in Latin American, can share knowledge to continue this tradition of contributing to the health of pets globally.
A variety of cat litters are available commercially, including those made of clay, plastic, wheat, sawdust, newspaper pellets and corn cobs. The choice depends on what matters most to you and your cat. You may have to try a few to see what you and your cat like.
Click on the link above to flip through the pages of a book that teaches you about the history of the veterinary profession. You get to turn the pages on your screen just like you would in a real book!
If your favorite team’s season went to the dogs this year, Animal Planet has some new recruits that are ready for their chance to conquer the pigskin — or a chew toy — in Puppy Bowl VII. The yearly canine competition is back as a new team of pups takes the field for another year of dogged defense, puppy penalties and fido first downs. The action takes place on the grand gridiron of Animal Planet Stadium, where an all-star, all-“adoptable” lineup of rambunctious pups is ready to compete in the ultimate puppy showdown.