You saw them on television these past two weeks: Olympic athletes. They jumped, ran and somersaulted their way to victory. Next to you, while you watched the Olympics, was your dog. He lay there next to you very bored, hoping you would soon take him out for a walk. Secretly your dog was wishing he could be like Nastia Liukin, able to jump and run with amazing speed and agility. Luckily for him, your dog can be just like an Olympic athlete — thanks to the rapidly growing sport called agility.

Agility is a sport for any dog and any dog owner. It is a team sport in which the handler (owner) directs their dog, off-leash, through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Both the owner and dog must work together in order to complete the course.

Any dog can be trained for agility (including my three-legged dog Serena), but training takes time and hard work. There are many people who take training classes and who have no interest in competing. Agility, even if you never want to compete, helps to form a stronger bond between you and your dog. If you have a high-energy dog, then agility is definitely for you. Agility teaches your dog how to focus and harness his energy in a productive manner. You will have a better well-behaved dog if you take agility classes. (more…)

Serena, my dog, only has three legs. She didn’t always have three legs; but one day cancer took one of her legs from her. After her surgery I pictured what every pet owner fears…that my best friend wouldn’t have as good of a life as she did when she was four-legged.

One month later, my tripod made her comeback in agility as a three-legged dog. She stole the show and proved to every four-legged dog that she was a force to be reckoned with. Three years later, she has one champion title and continues to earn points towards a second title.

If your pet just recently experienced an amputation, or if you are facing such a decision right now, you should know that having a pet with three legs doesn’t mean they will have a poor quality of life. From my own experience, the human has a harder time with the amputation then the pet.

Most diseases or injuries that require a pet to have a leg amputation are painful. By removing the painful limb, the animal can start to heal. Most pets will be up and walking on three legs about 8-12 hours after surgery. Although I work in a veterinary clinic and have dealt with many amputees, the initial shock of seeing my own dog as a three-legged dog is something I will never forget. Once Serena was fully recovered from surgery, I followed some simple steps to ensure that she would be as happy as any “normal-abled” pet. (more…)

Your dog is not the only one. Plenty of otherwise wonderful dogs enjoy the taste of poop. The term for this yucky behavior is coprophagia. So, what can be done so you don’t have to fear the lick of your best friend? There is no one “cure,” but there are some things you can try to help reduce, if not eliminate, this behavior.

Why Does My Dog Do It?

No one knows for sure, but there are plenty of theories. Puppies may observe their mother ingesting her young’s feces. Puppies also go through an oral stage where they explore everything with their mouth, including fecal material. Most puppies will eventually grow out of the desire to eat their own feces as they mature.

If an older dog ingests feces, it’s usually that of another species. Most common feces ingested are horse, cat, rabbit and bird. Plenty of older dogs also enjoy eating only frozen feces (a.k.a. poopsicles). There are plenty of theories out there that coprophagia could be caused by a nutritional deficiency. However, if this were the case there would be millions of nutritionally deficient dogs. If you are feeding your dog a well balanced nutritional diet, then your dog does not have a nutritional issue. Your dog, like most dogs, probably just likes to taste of poop. (more…)

Yeah! Fluffy and Fido are going on vacation with you! I’m sure they are looking forward to splashing in new streams, taking in the sun in a new window-sill or simply being spoiled in a new place. Before you leave, there are some tips you should follow to keep your pet safe.

1. ID your pet: Place an ID tag and/or update your pet’s microchip information with the address and phone number of where you will be staying. Rather than buying a new pet ID tag you can write the updated information on a small piece of paper and then tape it over the existing tags (be sure to place tape all around it so it is waterproof). The fastest way to get a pet back if it becomes lost is to have it wear an ID tag and be microchipped. It is also always good to carry a small picture of your pet with you at all times.

2. Know where the closest 24-hour veterinary emergency clinic is! Be sure to have their phone number handy and have pre-printed directions. Bring all your pet’s medical records including their vaccination record.

3. Take a pet first aid class. Pack a small pet first aid kit to take on your trip. Contact local shelters or veterinary clinics to see if they offer or know of any classes in your area.

4. Bring extra of all your pet’s supplies. This includes extra food, medication, leash, blanket, litter, and bowl. Just like a human pharmacy, unless you have a written prescription, you cannot get your pet’s prescription filled at another veterinary clinic.

5. Be sure traveling with your pet is appropriate. Having a veterinarian check your pet before any long trip is the safest thing to do. Make sure it is in your pet’s best interest to vacation with you.

6. Make sure the facility you will be staying at allows pets, and find out what their rules and regulations are. This includes if you are staying with friends and family. Many hotels do not allow pets loose in the room unattended, so you may need to bring a kennel for your pet. (more…)

A perfect world would be one that was 100% pet friendly. We would be allowed to have our dogs sit next to us on airplanes and our cats could come on cruises with us. Unfortunately, it is not a completely pet friendly world and there are times when we must leave them. The question then becomes “what is best for our pet when we are away?”

Home Care

Pets will experience less stress, obtain more exercise and generally receive more around-the-clock care than at a kennel facility. However, the pet sitter must be responsible to deal with any and all emergencies that may arise. Professional pet sitters should be well established and insured. If you elect to leave your pet in the care of someone either at your home or at their home, than you should do the following before going away to help keep them safe:

1) Leave your contact numbers, trip itinerary, a credit card, your pet’s medical record and the vaccine record in case of any emergencies. Most emergency medical care must be paid for up front and, unless you can be reached immediately, your pet sitter may be left making medical decisions for your pet. You should sign a letter that allows the pet sitter to make all medical decisions for your pet. This way your pet can receive medical care without delay. The pet sitter should understand your wishes for your pet in the event an emergency arises.

2) ID your pet: Place an ID tag and/or update your pet’s microchip information with the address and phone number of where your pet is staying. Rather than buying a new pet ID tag, you can write the updated information on a small piece of paper and then tape it over the existing tags (be sure to place tape all around it so it is waterproof). The fastest way to get a pet back if it becomes lost is to have it wear an ID tag and be microchipped. (more…)