Diamond has expanded their recall (again) to include certain foods manufactured back in August, 2011. Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula samples, 6 pound and 18 pound bag sizes, manufactured on Aug. 26, 2011, have been added to the limited voluntary recall, due to potential exposure to Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported. The product was distributed in the following states, further distribution through other pet food channels may have Read More...

The “In Case of Emergency” Mobile App (ICE for Pets) that could be very useful to pet owners. It gives pet owners a way to make sure someone is contacted if they’re unavailable to care for their pets. The way it works is very simple. When you leave your pets alone simply use ICEforPets to create an “In Case of Emergency” push notification text message. This text message will alert your emergency contact at a specific time should something happen to you. It’s very easy to Read More...

Just like us, dogs and cats need to work up to being fit, especially if they are overweight. It is best to start with a complete physical examination for your pet. Your veterinarian will assess body condition and overall health and will be able to advise a safe work out regimen for your and your pet. Once that is established, here are some tips for getting fit with your pets. … Read Full Post Read More...

It’s a new video, but put together from his photos and videos.  I see him everyday so I forget what he looked like when he first got here and how much progress he has made. It does tug at your heart a little, I’ll be honest, but in a good and happy way.  You might want a tissue handy, though, I don’t want anyone blowing their nose on their shirt sleeve. I hope by sharing his story it encourages people to adopt shelter pets or take a chance on those who might not Read More...

These days, we all suffer from email overload. But when a subject line in your inbox says “AVAILABILITY for The Oprah Winfrey Show: PLEASE READ & RESPOND,” you have think to yourself, “What is this, spam?”  Turns out it was the real thing!  In late 2010, Muttville volunteer Patty Stanton was reading Oprah’s website when she spotted a call for entries that asked for nominations for someone who has “made a difference in your life or caused Read More...

I intended to save this story until later in the summer, but then I made the mistake of mentioning our childhood dog, Pal, in last week’s column and I haven’t been able to get my mind onto other things. It was an innocent enough reference to provide background to the story about Curly Jean’s carrot-colored deposit in someone else’s yard, but that one reference is all it took to bring memories flooding back. There’s something special about your first dog. There can always be a Read More...

I wish somebody had told me to shove a pack of tissues into my purse last Sunday as I headed off to meet Dogster Community Manager Lori Malm at a home in the East Bay. You’d think three years of editing the most harrowing dog-centric stories on the Internet would leave one a little bit jaded, but it really doesn’t work that way.  On Mother’s Day, we had a date with 26 greyhounds who had made the grueling journey from race tracks in Florida to California by way of Read More...

If your family is ready to get a pet, but you are not sure whether you should get a dog or a cat, you have a tough decision on your hands. Dogs and cats are very different in personality, temperament and what they like to do, so it is important that you not only assess your family’s wants and needs, but also whether those will align with the animal’s. The debate between dog lovers and cat lovers has waged for years, and there are good and bad qualities to both. Read on for some Read More...

On East Coast FM this week, a listener called in with an unusual problem: a Muscovy duck had crash-landed onto their conservatory. After dealing with this tricky situation, we moved on to discuss the… I’m a vet in “companion animal” practice, working only with pets. I love my job, and I enjoy writing about it – in newspapers, on my blog, wherever. I have a weekly column in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, as well regular features in several Irish newspapers. I Read More...

On East Coast FM this week, a reader texted in with a query about a cat that had started piddling in the house. This is a common problem, often linked to social stress. To hear more, click on the… I’m a vet in “companion animal” practice, working only with pets. I love my job, and I enjoy writing about it – in newspapers, on my blog, wherever. I have a weekly column in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, as well regular features in several Irish newspapers. I live in Read More...

Six-Figure Pet Sitting: Catapult Your Pet Sitting Business to Unlimited Success, (aff) by Kristin Morrison, of Six Figure Pet Sitting Academy, covers a wide range of topics to help pet sitters create a successful business. This includes writing a business plan, managing finances, organization techniques, marketing, hiring employees, customer service, and other subjects essential to operating a business. Where Six Figure Pet Sitting differs from other books geared to the pet sitting industry Read More...

The FDA has issued a list of observations made during an April 20, 2012 inspection of the Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, SC. The sloppiness of how the plant is maintained provides for numerous ways for the food they manufacture to become contaminated. Here’s the bulk of the report: OBSERVATION 1 All reasonable precautions are not taken to ensure that production procedures do not contribute contamination from any source. Specifically, no microbiological analysis is conducted or Read More...

One of the most common questions and concerns about parvovirus is how long it lasts and how to disinfect the environment. This is especially important if a new puppy will be brought into a possibly contaminated area. … Read Full Post Read More...

It was a rough couple of weeks for the Laskowski family of San Antonio, Texas. On April 26, Christopher Laskowski’s dog Thor, a friendly 3-year-old pit bull, had escaped from the backyard via a hole in the fence. Christopher, who is 31 and suffers from degenerative disc disease, was inconsolable, and so was his other pittie, Thor’s 14-year-old sister Athena. Christopher spent three or four hours each day looking for his lost friend, leaving the back gate open in hopes Thor would Read More...

Recent pet food recalls due to Salmonella contamination have increased consumer awareness about food handling safety. That kibbled dog and cat food could potentially cause illness in humans was … Read Full Post Read More...

College is fraught with stress: studying for back-to-back finals, all night paper writing, moving away from home, and making new friends. It can be tough on a student! Which is why more and more universities are offering their students a chance to hang out with therapy dogs on campus. The doggie doctor is in! Stanley is just one such Golden Retriever puppy who spends his days at the Emory University law library providing comfort and Read More...

Arthritis is, unfortunately, a fact of life. The syndrome occurs most frequently in middle-aged and older individuals of many species, including dogs, cats, and humans.  The most common form of arthritis in dogs is degenerative joint disease, or DJD. As the tissues in joints deteriorate, the joints lose their flexibility and can be painful or stiff, especially after a period of inactivity. The symptoms are most common in the morning and may be exacerbated by cold weather. Heavy activity Read More...

  If you’re planning on adding a new dog to your family, you’ll need to come up with a name. It’s important to take your time and choose the name for your dog. After all, this is something you’ll be calling your dog for years to come. So how do you choose the right dog name? Keep reading and we’ll reveal the secrets to finding the perfect name for your dog.   Naming a puppy might be a little bit more difficult than naming a full-grown dog. You Read More...