Dear Tabby: One Cat's Dramatic Tale of Transformation

Christmas Pet Safety

“My pet would never eat food off the table!”

“My pet would never knock over the Christmas tree!”

“My pet would never bite someone!”

We all know our pets pretty well, but what we don’t always realize is that stress can make anybody do crazy things! When you have holiday guests or flashing Christmas lights or loud holiday music—or all of the above—at your house all at once, your pet may get stressed and frustrated, causing them to act out in unexpected ways. Most pet accidents are met with the statement, “He’s never done anything like that before!”

We recommend always making sure that your pet has a safe place to sit and relax during your holidays parties. Just like some people, pets need to get away from the action and de-stress, but most of the time they don’t know how to ask for their space. If your pet is comfortable in their crate, we recommend moving it into a quiet room and letting them spend some time resting during your holiday get-togethers. Your pet will be happier, and by extension, you and your guests will be happier! And holiday disasters will be prevented.  

National Dog Show

Will you be watching the National Dog Show? The two-hour NBC special will air immediately following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. What is your favorite breed and why?
http://nds.nationaldogshow.com/event-info-breeds.php

Have you ever known a cat who likes to swim?

Make Sure They Can Get Home: Check Your Pet's Microchip

Is your pet's microchip up-to-date? If your pet were lost, would an animal hospital or shelter be able to contact you once your pet was found?

It's important to get your pet microchipped; but it's just as important to make sure that microchip contains the correct information in order for your four-legged friend to get home.

That's why the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are teaming up to encourage pet owners to update their pet's microchip information on National Check the Chip Day, Aug. 15.

Almost 9.6 million pets are euthanized every year because their owners can't be found, according to the American Humane Association. While tags and collars are important, microchipping is a valuable method because the microchip won't wear out, tear, slip off or become lost.

How does a microchip work?
The microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, is injected by a veterinarian or veterinary technician just beneath your pet's skin in the area between the shoulder blades. This is usually done without anesthesia, and the experience can be compared to getting a vaccination.

Each microchip has a unique registration number that is entered into a database or registry, and is associated with your name and contact information. If your lost dog or cat is found by an animal hospital, shelter or humane society, they will use a microchip scanner to read the number and contact the registry to get your information.

Make sure you can be found, too
While it may be comforting to know the microchip won't get lost or damaged, and that it will probably last the pet's lifetime, the microchip is useless if you're not updating your contact information with the registry. If your pet has been microchipped, keep the documentation paperwork so you can find the contact information for the registry. If you don't have the documentation paperwork, contact the veterinarian or shelter where the chip was implanted.

Keep in mind there are more than a dozen companies that maintain databases of chip ID numbers in the U.S. By using AAHA's Universal Pet Microchip Lookup at petmicrochiplookup.org, you can locate the registry for your chip by entering the microchip ID number. If you don't have your pet's microchip ID number, have a veterinarian scan it and give it to you.

Only about 17% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats ever find their way back to their owners. Prevent the heartache and ensure your pet has an up-to-date microchip.

Originally published by Healthy Pet.

Summer Treat Recipe for Dogs

Wondering how to make your pet feel included during your family ice cream break this summer? Stuffing a Kong and freezing it is a great way to make your pet feel like part of the activity!

Dog House Repairs Month

Does your dog have a dog house? It's Dog House Repairs Month! Make sure their house is not made of pressure treated wood if they are a puppy or a chewer! Pressure treated wood is treated with arsenic and is poisonous to pets if consumed!