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6 Vaccinations You Should Know Something About
Shots, shots, shots. It seems like doggies require endless vaccinations, but do you know what they're being safeguarded against? Take these quizzes about six diseases that pups get protected for to see if you're a shot-recognizing expert.
To the Rescue: How to Check Your Pet's Temperature
OK, now that you're aware of how to check your dog's pulse, let's move on to temperature taking. The easiest way to do this is with an ear thermometer like the Pet-Temp Instant Ear Thermometer ($40). It measures the infrared heat waves coming from the ear drum.
12 Diseases Humans Can Catch From Animals
The idea that a beloved pet could make us sick is a scary thought but, thankfully, not that common. With the first H1N1 cat case popping up last week, I've gotten many questions about which illnesses people could catch from animals (like rabies) and which are only for the dogs (like the H3N8 flu, parvo, or bordetella. To help out, I've rounded up 12 diseases that people could get from pets, wild animals, or flying insects, with a short explanation of them.
H1N1 Face Mask For Pets: Really Smart or Really Ridiculous?
With the new threat of pets (potentially) being able to be infected by H1N1 — poor kitty — some people are taking serious precautions to protect an animal from potential poisons. Take this pooch in China, he's been specially fitted with a face mask. While it limits his breathing in germs, it also prevents the extra sniffs and licks so many dogs are fond of.
The Scoop: First H1N1 Cat Case Confirmed by AVMA
Following last week's case in Oregon where vets confirmed the first H1N1 transmission between a human and a pet ferret, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has confirmed that a 13-year-old, indoor-only cat in Iowa in fact has swine flu.
While it's uncommon for flu viruses (like the H3N8 for dogs) to jump between species, doctors at Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine performed two sets of tests to find the feline was in fact infected. According to her owners, they had been sick with flu-like symptoms before noticing the cat was ill and, until recently, there was no reason to think cats could catch the 2009 swine flu.
What Do You Know About Heartworm?
Heartworm preventative is on the must-have list for many pet owners. Commonly found in tropical and subtropical climates, along with the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and Ohio and Mississippi river basins, no dog is totally safe from this parasitic infestation. Prove how much you know about the disease, and take this quiz.
What Do You Know About Canine Skin Cancer?
Just because the weather's getting colder in many parts of the country, doesn't mean dog owners can be less concerned with skin cancer. Luckily many cases can be treated successfully when caught early enough so brush up on the facts about the various types of this disease in the quiz below.
Take the quiz
Cat Owners Eight Times More Likely to Have MRSA at Home
If you're not familiar with it already, MRSA is a bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics, dangerous because of, well, its drug resistance. The first cases in pets popped up about five years ago in therapy dogs exposed to patients or healthcare workers, but the tables could turn, putting humans in more danger any day.
Typically, humans usually infect pets (and not vice versa), but animals can serve as a reservoir for the bacteria and pass it back to humans.
The Pet Ate WHAT?! This Year's Most Unusual Insurance Claims
Dogs (and cats!) eat the darndest things. I've rounded up and surveyed several inedible snacks but these take the cake. Seriously.
7 Holistic Practices and Services To Share With Your Pet
On the heels of National Dog Day, Aug. 30 is National Holistic Pet Day! In honor of our furry friends and ways to make them feel good, better, or the best, peep seven holistic treatments — from aromatherapy to hydrotherapy.
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