Animals Unfolded

A jaunt with your pooch out in the woods can be a great way to get exercise and spend time together. Most dogs like to dart off into the brush, sniffing as they meander around. Typical dog behavior, right? Of course! flickr photo courtesy of The Equinest It's important when fun time is over, to examine your pooch thoroughly. Looking for ticks is crucial, of course, but there is another caveat to outdoor fun, especially for long haired dogs, like golden retrievers . Foxtails are notorious for hitching a ride and embedding themselves easily into tangles of fur, but they can pose a bigger risk: digging into openings in the skin. If this happens, big problems can ensue and surgical removal may become necessary. Three common places that foxtails enter the body are the ears , nose and paws, so if your pooch spends a lot of time outdoors in fields or brushy areas, examining these areas is very important. Paws: Keep the fur trimmed on the underside of the paws and che...

A couple of nights ago, I was doing my nightly reading and research and ran across a blog post that one of my fellow tweeps, @MelzPetPals had written. The post included a gut wrenching letter from a Shelter Manager that details the not-so-pretty side of reality in a dog shelter. Read it here - but I caution you to grab a box of tissues; you're going to need them. For quite some time, I've had this sort of thing on my mind, and have been trying to organize my thoughts to pull together a concise blog. I cannot figure out why people are not "getting it". Why is it that there continues to be a steady stream of unwanted pets relinquished to shelters, unplanned litters of puppies and kittens who were result of an 'accident' and cases of abuse toward animals? Why do people insist on having exotic pets - ones that they have no idea how to, nor ability to care for properly? The plight of  "designer dogs" is distressing, too - and unethical breeders n...

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(Photo courtesy of Kim Garrison) Sequel, seen here padding through a creek in NJ The weather here in southeast Michigan has been uncomfortable as of late - hot, muggy - oppressive! It's not just so for us, but our pets! We all want ways to keep cool, and safe from the effects of the high temperatures. This morning, one of my pawsome followers and fellow dog owner, @kimhalligan1 on Twitter reminded me of a great way to keep dogs cool on days like these, while getting them their much needed exercise. Read it here. Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of retractable leashes because they do not allow me the control and safety factor that is often needed when I'm walking dogs, but in this case - swimming alongside a clear riverbank, or even running or biking in a safe, open area - retractables work great and allow your pooch a bit more freedom and distance while keeping them tethered safely. Sometimes, that's a really good thing. So, why not get out there with your pup to...

Fred the umbrella cockatoo available for adoption at Huron Society of Huron Valley - AnnArbor.com

Firefly toxicity a problem in lizards - AnnArbor.com

Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary is hopping over to the Ann Arbor Art Fair - AnnArbor.com