Blog

The July 4 holiday is almost upon us – a source of distress for many dogs, with its days and days of popping and...

Last week, I mentioned that there were a number of people coming to help locally with the emergency animal shelters established here in Butte...

I was just driving down the street and my eye, as always, was drawn to a dog – a Golden Retriever puppy, I saw...

One of my friends has a dog, Lena, who recently tore her ACL. She's on as much crate rest as my friend can manage....

Two training accomplishments above all others are the most pleasurable for me—and thus the most important for me to work on with my dogs: a tack-sharp recall and the ability to walk on leash without pulling.

Last September, I thought we were at the end of life for my 15-year-old dog Otto. His arthritis pain is severe, and his daily...

A good friend recently gave notice that he wanted to retire from a job he’s had since he was just a tiny puppy. My dog Woody’s best friend Samson, who has never weighed as much as five pounds, has been going to work with my friend Leonora since he was a 3-week-old foster puppy—and recently, he started telling Leonora that he doesn’t want to go to work any more.

A friend just posted an article online about the launch of a brand-new pet treat manufacturing company in California - that is, a California-based subsidiary of a Chinese pet food manufacturing company, Gambol Pet Group. The company is already the largest provider of private-label pet treats for Walmart in the U.S. and Canada.This is bound to set off a predictable avalanche of negative comments about Chinese manufacturers of dog foods and treats - which I, myself, strenuously avoid, due to concerns about lax controls over the food industry in China. However, this U.S.-based subsidiary will have to follow U.S. laws and inspections, and, in our opinion, really shouldn't be regarded with any more or less suspicion than any pet food or treat manufacturer.

There are lots of reasons that a house-training failure can occur. Perhaps the dog has a particularly small bladder or had a urinary tract infection. Perhaps the owner wasn’t able to let the dog outside as frequently as needed to support the house-training habit, or didn’t have the means or ability to manage the dog’s environment,

On September 20, the FDA issued a communication for pet owners and veterinarians, warning about the potential for neurologic adverse events following the administration of certain flea and tick products to dogs and cats. The products named in the release are oral products, available by veterinary prescription only, that contain isoxazoline-based ingredients. These include Bravecto, Credelio, Nexgard, and Simparica.

Decades ago, a chemist named Paul Krebaum (may his name be honored forever) cracked the chemical code of the stinky, sulfur-containing substances called “thiols” that are in the musk that skunks spray to defend themselves. Krebaum harnessed the power of oxidation, formulating a solution that changes the odorous thiols into odorless acids. He shared the recipe with a workplace friend who had been complaining about the smell of his cat, who had been skunked. Soon, other scientists heard about the formula and it went viral!

Expos are where pet products companies come to set up elaborate booths to show what they are making and selling these days. All the pet food companies, gear makers, and veterinary pharmaceutical companies will be there with gigantic, elaborate booths.