Animals Unfolded

Those who know me are aware of my enthusiasm for travel, and it's something I take the opportunity to do whenever I can. In fact as I write this, I'm aboard a flight to warmer climes. No matter if I'm visiting a locale near or far, traveling is a great way to engage with others. Invariably, I'll find myself in conversation with other visitors about our respected travels, where "home" is, etc. I most often travel solo, which piques people's curiosity when they realize that I don't have friends or family that I'm waiting on or need to consult before heading to the next activity. It's never too long before someone asks about what I do for a living (something that is more common amongst Americans than those in other cultures) – something I try avoid letting out of the bag completely, as the topic then gets stuck solely on pets, animal behavior or "I've noticed my dog is doing this or that, how do I get them to stop?".  I often...

It's long been thought that cats rely more on their sense of smell when it comes to locating food.  Evy Mayes, along with a handful of other researchers at the University of Lincoln, UK,  set out to see if that was the case in a recent study. But as it turns out, cats can have as individual a preference for using their vision or sense of smell to home in on food.  To try and create an environment where the cats chosen for the study could demonstrate behavior and where the results measured reliably, the team decided to use a T maze that had "decision points". In essence, the cats had to select which way they would go – based on their preference for using an olfactory (scented) or visual (an image) cue. Eight cats were trained using a two-alternative forced choice procedure, meaning one combination of stimuli (again, visually or scent-based) resulted in the food reward while the other lead to no reward at all.  Six cats were successful in catching on...

A pet food recall by Manchester, CT-based  Bravo  has been put in place. The recall involves several products that were distributed to retail stores, internet retailers — even directly to consumers, between November 21, 2014 and January 15, 2015. Here's the information on the recalled product: Bravo Blend Chicken Diet for Dogs and Cats Product Number: 21-102 Size: 2 lb. (32 oz.) chub Best used by date 11-13-16     UPC:  82954621 1028 Recalls like this reiterate two important points when handling pet consumables: the need for  safe handling and handwashing techniques , and  saving the UPC code information from product packaging . Salmonella, also referred to as  salmonellosis , causes digestive problems, and dogs will typically present with fever, diarrhea, vomiting and weakness. Other symptoms can occur. Salmonella can affect other animals —  not just the dogs who consume the treats. There is risk to humans just the same...

One unseasonably-warm spring day in 2000, I was knelt down in a soon-to-be flourishing flower bed. Having ditched the hand shovel that I had been using, my gloved hands seemed a more efficient tool to dig small pockets in the soil in order to get the items that I'd picked up planted.  Unbeknownst to me, Gretchen – who was about 8 months old at the time – had been spying me instead of chewing on the bone that I'd given to occupy her mind. Her curiosity got the better of her it seemed, since before too long she had claimed a spot next to me, peering over at my methodic digging and mounding.  Suddenly, she set to jabbing one front paw at the freshly cultivated earth, then the other. Looking over at my work, and back to her own poking and digging, tail wagging all the while and her face wearing an expression as if to say, 'you and I – we're doing the same thing!'.  It's not just a fond memory for me, but an illustration that dogs are fully capable of ...

Cats love to have fun, and it's nice to indulge them in their quest to seek opportunities to engage in play, no matter their play style.  As I've previously discussed , felines are pretty good at playing independently or getting another pet or a human on board to interact. Though they'd be ecstatic if we were available 24/7 to entertain them, it's just not possible.  One new product, the Obi, is a toy designed to help keep cats happy by satiating their love of chasing lasers, and no humans need be in the room. With a sleek, minimalist design, Obi can easily notch into any decor seamlessly – and can fit on a shelf or even a small table.  The compact unit transmits a red laser, which can be activated and then controlled via iPhone in the manual mode, or it can be programmed to turn on at a specified time (when a sound will emit from the unit to let your cat know it's time to play). In the latter case, a boundary can be programmed in to restrict ...

How many times have you had a prescription filled, and for whatever reason there's a partial amount leftover?  Things happen: the antibiotic didn't work; only a portion of the steroid cream that your doctor prescribed for you was needed; those allergy eye drops expired; you had far more pain pills after an outpatient procedure than you really needed. The same situations avail themselves with the medications that your veterinarian prescribes for your pet.  In fact, many of the same drugs are used for humans and companion animals, but the end result is the same – you're left with unused bottles, tubes, blister packs and loaded needleless syringes of prescription or over-the-counter meds in your cabinet. Hanging on to them, we realize that the possibility that our all-too-curious kids and pets could ingest them and become a victim of poisoning (in the latter case, a leading cause of veterinary emergency room visit s each year). Of course, the reasons we don...

"My cat is going to need prescription medication for the rest of their life. How am I going to manage things if that's the case?"  This is a common refrain that passes the lips of clients – existing and prospective ones – not to mention pet owners that need reassurance. It's daunting, right – realizing that your pet is ill and then having a firm diagnosis, or having routine bloodwork come back indicating that there is something going on? The good news is that things have come a long way with treating disease in the years that I've been caring for pets. Advances in diagnostics and treatment have expedited the sometimes muddled path between "there's-something-going-on to here's-the-solution". That's especially true when it comes to treatment, especially with prescription medicines.  That brings me to an important facet of treating disease: if the option is there, you want to make that as easy and low-stress as possible on th...

I deal with a lot of dogs on a daily basis, and I find it fascinating to tap into their unique "language" cues that convey what they are trying to express – both the verbal and non-verbal kind. I'll be honest, the latter is by far their more precise lexicon, though because of it's nature, is more commonly misinterpreted by many people.  Why does this unique language barrier crop up? Our shortcomings Humans have come to rely so much on verbal communication with each other that we often miss out on everything that is being said, regardless of we're interacting with an animal or a human. The notion that we make assumptions about what is being conveyed rather than actively "listening" with our ears, eyes and emotional intelligence gets in the way, too.  Think about all of the times that you've felt misunderstood, or like you've completely missed the point of what someone is trying to get across. Yes! – dogs can totally relate to th...

Homing in on what our pets are doing on a day-to-day basis is important throughout their life, though no other time than while in their twilight or hospice seems more pressing.  Through the years, being a caregiver to pets – dogs, namely – in their very late age has been a big part of the [peace] work that I carry out each day.  It can be tough for those sharing life with pets in their twilight or hospice: bladders aren't as trusty; joints, more stiff; health issues more complicated. I am often contacted by families with older dogs to help out during this time when they can't be home due to work or other obligations. Having a hand to ensure their furry friend gets potty breaks, a little tender companionship and most of all, to be the eyes and ears to monitor things is certainly a boon (not to mention the opportunity to have a brief mental break from the situation). A lot of what goes on in the final months and weeks has to do with being aware of what is happening, ...

Summer is officially here, and it's a season filled with a lot of fun for us humans — but from a pet's vantage point, it can prove to be quite difficult — especially during Fourth of July and other gatherings. Fireworks (and in some cases gunfire) are unfamiliar and frightening to pets of all species.   Independence Day isn't my favorite holiday because of that. It's hard to see so many pets frightened by the noise and lights associated with fireworks.   As we've all experienced, the noise of fireworks doesn't occur just on July 4, and that can be challenging. This time of year — along with New Year's Eve — are prime times for missing pets, as many become frightened and dart out open doors. Injuries from coming into contact with fireworks can pose a threat during this time as well.   The onslaught of extra people in the house — or lack thereof, if you're away — can bring on anxiety too, as can the noise that sometimes accompanies the fes...

Peanut butter is a staple on most pantry shelves, and in homes with dogs, it's especially useful. Most of my clients leave a jar designated for their canine family members, and I use that to fill their Kong toys to freeze and enjoy. The ubiquitous product is also a popular vehicle to help administer oral meds to dogs.  By and large peanut butter is a safe product to offer to our pets, so long as it's simply peanut butter and not coupled with other ingredients.  It's reasonable to expect that peanut butter and peanut butter spreads that are devoid of enhancements like chocolate or hazelnut spread are safe, but one peanut-based spread came to light recently and illustrates that reading ingredient labels is key when it comes to pet safety.  A popular line of peanut spreads by Nuts ’N More — most prominently the peanut butter flavor — might easily be dismissed as something safe and offered up without a second thought. Why are wholesome and healthy products li...