Posts about Pet Care (6)

Meridian, Idaho:

Whole health is an initiative put forth by the American Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association to improve the health of people and pets alike. Parasite Prevention is an essential component to the whole health initiative.

We know that certain diseases can be transferred between pets and people. We call these zoonotic diseases. One such disease is the transference of parasites from our pets to humans, which can cause, among other things, blindness in people.

Each time you get into the car you buckle up. Your passengers buckle up. Your kids buckle up, or you buckle them into their car seats. But Fido, he jumps in and proceeds to stick his head out the window to enjoy the wind. But just like you, your passengers, and your kids, if you get into an accident, Fido is put in harm’s way if he isn’t buckled up.

About 85 million families across the United States (about 65% of total households) own a pet of some type, and a vast majority of that number consists of cat and dog owners. So, if you’re not one of the 85 million, you have to ask yourself: what’s so great about owning a pet?

People can suffer from anxiety, obviously, but so can dogs. Any breed at any age can suffer from anxiety and, if left untreated, can lead to bad behavior problems. Let’s go over the causes, symptoms to look out for, treatments and how to prevent anxiety all together.

Over the past few decades, Boise has seen a growth of service dogs. A majority of this growth has to do with our booming population, but a small portion of this has to do with people presenting their family dogs as training service, therapy, or emotional support dogs so they can take Fido everywhere.

Let's take a look at what the significant differences are in these types of working canines.

Despite some snow, it’s actually been an unusual winter here in Boise. In December we were hitting close to 50 degrees some days, now in February, we've been averaging just above 35 degrees. We’ve been very fortunate, especially those of us who have furry friends that can’t wait to get back outside! But those colder days can be brutal, especially when our dogs start acting out or acting strangely because they’ve been cooped up inside all day. The good news is that there are many positive activities you can provide your dog with so that they stay as their usual, happy and healthy selves!

As a dog owner, it’s important to understand the differences between what you can handle versus what your dog can handle. For example, just because your dog is covered in fur doesn’t mean that they can handle cold weather better than you. Bigger dogs are better at coping with low temperatures outside than little dogs are, but even they are still at risk. In this blog, we’ll cover what temperatures different-sized dogs can handle and which ones are potentially dangerous, as well as how to identify the symptoms of hypothermia and gauge the need for a visit to the vet.

In November, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), released their 2017-18 edition of their Pet Ownership and Demographics Source Book and they listed Idaho as having the most dogs! Of course, we were not surprised by the news, but it does beg the question "How do other states stack up to dog, cat and other pet-owning households?"

The holidays can be a stressful time. All the hustle and bustle, guests at the house, new faces, every surface cluttered with gifts and yummy smelling holiday baked goods—it can be a lot. And imagine all of those things from your dog’s perspective, who doesn’t even understand what’s going on.