Did you know that vinegar kills yeast? Dogs or cats that have problems with ear infections often benefit from a little vinegar in the ear!

Mix white vinegar and water in a 50:50 ratio and using an ear dropper, place a few drops into the ears once to twice weekly. If your pet continues to get ear infections, contact your veterinarian, as the infection may not be caused by yeast.

Good luck!

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This week’s Halo pet is positively pugnacious! Meet Rocky Bo, a cute little guy who will celebrate his second birthday at the end of this year. Rocky Bo is a very friendly boy who loves going on shopping sprees at PETCO and visiting with his buddies at Pug Meetups every month.

This boy also enjoys vacationing at the New Jersey shore, where he likes to run on the beach and dig up seashells. When he puts his little head down to smell the sand, he often comes back up with a sand mustache, which his mom was quick to snap an adorable picture of!

Rocky Bo was a Valentine’s Day surprise for his mom, which is very appropriate since he loves everyone, humans and animals alike. His mom says he makes everyone laugh and is the type of dog that can always put a smile on your face. We think Rocky Bo is a real charmer and a great pet of the week!

Think your pet should be next week’s winner? Just head over to the Halo Pets MySpace Page and send us a picture of your favorite furry friend!

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Q: I have an exotic short hair persian cat that is 4-years-old. Just had blood work done and there was nothing out of order. She is vomiting up small amounts of hair each day; it never reaches the intestines. I brush her every day, and nothing seems to help. I feed a cat food for persians — I don’t know what to do. Can you offer any advice?

A: Thanks for the question — daily vomiting in cats is not normal. The good news is that it is likely something minor and a few adjustments in her feeding routine or diet may take care of it.

• Feed a high quality natural cat food. Make sure the food has a low amount of grains and contains no inferior by-products.
• Feed canned food. Cats are carnivores and require very little carbohydrate in their diet. Excess carbohydrates in cats can cause poor digestion, gas, bloating, diarrhea or nausea. In general, canned food is lower in carbohydrates than dry food and tends to be a better choice for cats with digestive problems.
• Feed small meals multiple times daily. Multiple meals daily prevent bile build-up which can cause nausea and vomiting. TIP: Split the same amount of food into three or four meals — do not increase the amount of food or you may run into problems with pet obesity.

If these tips don’t ease the vomiting in your kitty, see your veterinarian to discuss other possibilities. Food allergy and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are other common conditions that cause vomiting in young cats. Both conditions are treatable but need to be managed under the watchful eye of your veterinarian.

Good luck!
Dr. Donna Spector, DVM, DACVIM

Do you need vet advice? Post a comment with your veterinary questions and we will send them to Dr. Donna Spector to be answered in a future column.

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It seems that furry writers of the four-legged variety are taking over the blogosphere! A few weeks ago we featured some of the most interesting blogs written from the canine perspective, but it seems the pooches aren’t the only ones putting their innermost thoughts on the web.

The cats have something to say too, so here’s a few fun blogs that offer some insight into the kitty mind:

• Luxor: A White Cat — Luxor is described as “the whitest of boys,” and given the lovely photos in this blog, the nickname sure seems to be true! Stop by the diary of this strikingly beautiful oriental shorthair to read kitty thoughts and see some of the best photography in the cat blogosphere.

• Daisy the Curly Cat — The journal of this Devon Rex features lots of humor and kitty photos. Check in on “Fashion Friday” to see adorable photos of Daisy dressed up in her favorite outfits. I’m particularly fond of her 1920s flapper dress.

• Adan’s Everyday + Lego — International kitty fans may enjoy this unique blog, written from a Chinese cat’s perspective. Follow Adan and his friend Lego on their adventures, and don’t worry if you can’t read Chinese – fortunately, most of the entries are also translated into English.

• The PsychoKitty Speaks Out — The “PsychoKitty” is a very opinionated cat named Max, who refers to the humans in his life only as “the Woman” and “the Man.” Max, who is clearly the smartest part of his family, has been detailing his life online since 2003 and even has several books for sale.

Do you know another cat who has a blog everyone should be reading? Post a link in the comments and make your favorite kitty writer a star!

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I have been helping care for animals in disasters for over eight years now, and 9/11 was my first disaster. As a veterinary technician, I help to provide the medical care for the animals who are involved in a disaster.

Being involved in disasters has given me some of my worst moments in life as well as some of my best. I will never forget the pile of mangled and twisted steel at my feet that was once the World Trade Centers. I will never forget watching my tears hit the dusty ground in New York City. But I wouldn’t trade all of my sadness for the world because I also will never forget helping search and rescue dogs feel better so that they could go back to work.

I am now deeply involved in helping animals in disasters. Most recently, I have helped to create a response team within my own state that will help animals affected by disasters. I have spoken on the topic of disaster medicine and published articles. There are many lessons I have learned throughout the years, and I wanted to share just a few with all of you. (more…)