For those of you who don’t know Steve, he is a strong and vocal pet advocate. Through Steve’s various media outlets, he reaches more pet owners than any other media personality. You can find out more about Steve at his internet home, Steve Dale’s Pet World.

Steve had the honor of presenting one of the keynote addresses at the recent BlogPaws annual pet blogging conference. And I have to tell you, his presentation was excellent. After a glowing introduction by the awesome Betsy Saul, founder of PetFinder, Steve took the stage and held our attention from that moment on. He told stories about pets and what they have done for their owners. He shared experiences with his own pets. He spoke about how good things are in the pet world. Then he turned his attention (and ours) to some of the bigger problems within the pet world. Problems Steve addressed included a decrease in overall pet ownership numbers, a decline in the number of veterinary visits for pets (particularly cats), the abandonment of horses by former horse owners, and an increase in the number of preventable illnesses being diagnosed in pets.

You can see Steve’s keynote address in the video below in its entirety. Fast forward to approximately 13:30 minutes into the recording to find opening remarks by Tom Collins, co-founder of BlogPaws, followed by Betsy’s introduction and Steve’s address. Take my word for it…listening to what Steve had to say is well worth your time. Enjoy.

Video streaming by Ustream

In the past few days, I’ve been attending the BlogPaws pet blogger conference. There have been some great sessions here and I’d like to tell you about one of them today. The session was presented by Debbie Jacobs. Debbie has been a long time friend and, as a dog trainer, she is one of the people I most admire. I consider Debbie one of my go-to sources when it comes to dogs and dog behavior.

Debbie spoke about some of the common myths and misconceptions involving dog behavior. This is a summary of some of the most important information she offered.

Do Dogs Need Pack Leaders?

Dogs are social animals and, most of the time, a group of dogs will find a way to live together harmoniously. However, they do not form packs in the same way that wolves do. In fact, much of what we previously believed about wolf behavior was erroneous and based on observations of captive wolf packs rather than wolves in their natural habitat. Captive animals react and behave differently.

Dogs will be seen running in what may appear to be a pack. However, in most cases, this so-called pack is actually a group of male dogs following a female dog in heat rather than a true pack of dogs.

The main point here is that if dogs do not live in packs, they do not need a pack leader.

Why Is Food Used in Training?

The answer to this pretty simple. Dogs learn faster through positive reinforcement (offering a treat as a reward for good behavior) than through punishing an undesirable behavior.

Is It Possible for Us to Reinforce Fear for Our Dogs?

This is a misconception that I used to believe as well. It was something I was taught in veterinary school and never really questioned at the time. Debbie was the person who convinced me that my views were wrong. I’ve talked previously about this myth: Can Comforting Really Reinforce Your Pet’s Fear?.

Don’t Dogs Just Need To Be Loved?

Obviously, our dogs do need and deserve our love. That’s absolutely not in question. But for some dogs, particularly dogs that have not been socialized properly as puppies, love may not be enough. A well socialized dog is a confident dog but the most effective time to socialize a dog is as a puppy, usually in the first 3-4 months of life. After that, socialization is still possible to some extent but it takes place in a different manner and is much more difficult. Some dogs may never recover completely from incomplete socialization as a puppy.

Do Different Dogs Learn in Different Ways?

All dogs, according to Debbie, learn in the same manner by interacting with the environment and by experiencing consequences. They also learn by association. For instance, if the doorbell rings, a dog may associate the sound with the scary man delivering the mail or with the yummy treat received instead. It’s our responsibility, as dog owners, to make sure the association is positive rather than negative.

Debbie emphasized the point that how we think about behavior does matter and I agree with her on that point. A dog that is growling is often growling out of fear rather than true aggression. The growl is a warning to stay away, a way for the dog to say “I’m scared of you. I’m scared if I let you get close to me you’ll hurt me.” How we treat our dogs when they are displaying this type of behavior matters too. If we hurt the dog in this situation (through the use of a choke collar or electronic collar or through other means), we’re only going to make the dog more fearful and maybe even damage the bond between dog and owner.

Hoperfully, some of these words will provide some food for thought. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below. And find out more about Debbie at FearfulDogs.com.

Today, guest blogger Drew Kobb has provided a post about using food supplements in horses. We hope you enjoy Drew’s contribution. As with all things pertaining to your pet’s health, we recommend consulting your veterinarian before adding a supplement to your horses diet. Here’s the post.

Horse Supplements

Horses can sometimes benefit from a supplement added to the diet. Let’s talk more about horse supplements and when they might be beneficial.

Why supplement?

Many people argue that we get all the nutrition we need from the foods we eat. While that would be the ideal way to do it, food just is not what it used to be. The soils are beginning to be depleted, different chemicals are being used on plants, and the evolvement of the food through time all contribute to our food not having the nutritional value it once did. It is the same for horses; their food just sometimes is not enough to keep them completely healthy. And that is where supplements come in.

Replenish nutrient deficiencies

Supplements are a good way to give your horse the nutrients their food is lacking, such as vitamins and minerals, good fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants. All these things are needed to keep your horse’s cells healthy and functioning. There are also added supplements that are available for the active, athletic horses in your life, with added protection for joints, muscles, and electrolytes, that aid in recovery time.

Decrease risk of disease and injury

Many horse supplements are created for a specific set of needs. If your horse is healthy, all except those hoofs that are cracking or brittle, there is a supplement for that! Many companies have a product aimed specifically for strengthening hoofs, because we all know: no hoofs no horse! There are also dietary supplements that aim to strengthen your horse’s immune system and digestive/gastric systems, as well as the metabolic system.

Help with growth and development

We all know that our horses need different care at different ages, just like humans. Foals need support for growth and development in their minds and bodies that older horses would not need, and our senior horses may need a bit more support in their bones and joints that the younger horses would not need.

Supplements can also be important for the horse who is either under or over their optimum weight. It can provide them with the correct nutrients to help their bodies absorb what they need to reach that healthy weight.

Combat environmental stress

Many of our horses suffer from allergies, and “suffer” is an apt description. Allergies can make horses all sorts of uncomfortable. We can help them feel better though by giving them supplements that act in much the same way as our allergy medicine does. It helps the immune system suppress the chemicals released by the mast cells, which is what causes the allergic reaction.

There are times you need a calm horse, for instance if you have a naturally skittish horse and need to trailer them or have a vet visit, or if you have had to move and your horse is in a strange environment. These are just a few causes of stress that might cause your horse to act up. Some kinds of supplements can help your horse stay calm for a time, while the vet sees him or while he is getting used to a new environment.

Supplementing your horse’s diet can be a great benefit to his health and happiness, for whatever age he might be at or need he might have. Many companies sell horse supplements, so do your research and pick the best supplement for your horse’s needs.

Kidney disease is a common ailment in cats. One of the sequelae that can occur in cats with kidney disease is hypertension (high blood pressure). High blood pressure can cause serious symptoms by itself and can seriously complicate the treatment of kidney disease while also altering your cat’s quality of life.

Right now, there is a clinical trial underway to evaluate a new liquid medication that may be effective in treating hypertension in cats with kidney disease. The researchers conducting this study are actively looking for cats to participate in the study.

To qualify for the study, your cat must:

• Be at least 1 year old
• Be diagnosed with kidney disease
• Test positive for hypertension
• Not already have severe signs of hypertension (blindness, retinal detachment, nervous system signs)
• Be well enough to participate for up to 6 months (time enrolled depends on many factors, but may be from 2 weeks to 6 months)
• Not have any other severe uncontrolled diseases
• Meet other study criteria which will be explained by the investigator when your cat is evaluated

There are over thirty veterinary hospitals throughout the United States acting as investigator sites for this clinical trial. Cats that qualify for the study receive the following (quoted directly from the study website):

• Free diagnostic tests and evaluation: All tests required by the study protocol, such as blood work, urinalysis, physical exams, and blood pressure measurements are provided at no cost to qualifying patients.
• Free treatment: Your cat will be given either the test medication or a placebo (a liquid which contains no drug).
• Up to $400 in financial rewards: If your cat is enrolled, you will receive $200 if your cat completes the first part of the study. An additional $200 is available if your cat qualifies for and completes the second, longer portion of the trial. (These rewards are provided as a credit at the cat’s primary veterinary clinic and may be used for future veterinary services for your cat.

For more information or to find out whether your cat qualifies for this clinical trial, visit the clinical trial website or call (855)254-3971.

We are all very familiar with the images of firefighters, police officers and EMTs rushing towards danger, but few of us might realize that other first responders are also called out during disasters. Veterinarians, veterinary technicians and other animal health professionals often respond as part of a Veterinary Emergency Team!

Whether it’s rising floodwaters, raging wildfires or even acts of terrorism, catastrophic events require all kinds of professionals to respond. Even though most people know about police and firefighters, veterinarians are also often called to disaster scenes to help save lives and reunite families.

As we have all seen, tragic events like hurricanes, earthquakes or bombings take their toll on human lives. But, it’s not unusual to see animal victims of these disasters as well. Animals can be injured or lost and in the case of large scale calamities, local animal control resources are quickly overwhelmed.

Although our first thoughts often go to our companion animals, like dogs and cats, large animals, from horses to sheep and pigs to cattle are also at risk. In fact, horses will often panic and run in the face of danger while cattle will quickly scatter through downed fence lines.

What can local agencies do when animals are in need of help in addition to the local population of people?

Veterinary Emergency Teams (VET) are often called upon by local first responders when a disaster situation gets beyond their control. These well-equipped and well trained groups of volunteer veterinary professionals will bring in vital supplies, needed medications and even state of the art mobile facilities designed to provide a safe work environment as well resting quarters for the crew.

It’s obvious that these teams can function to help injured animals, but they actually can provide invaluable aid to local veterinarians who have suffered damage to their hospitals. In addition, these specialized emergency response units can also help triage animal cases, provide additional assistance to local animal control agencies by searching for microchips among lost pets and care for the many search and rescue or working dogs that aid in disaster relief.

Veterinary emergency teams also provide vital public health monitoring in the aftermath of catastrophes, give technical assistance to assure food and water safety and help prevent zoonotic and other disease outbreaks.

Although a National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) has been established and operates within the National Disaster Medical System, many states will also field their own veterinary medical assistance teams. Colleges, such as Texas A&M, the University of California at Davis and others have also developed volunteer groups that have responded to a multitude of local emergency situations.

With the passage of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Safety Act (“PETS Act”) in 2006, a greater emphasis has been placed on the care of our pets and animals in the event of large scale disasters. States must include animals in sheltering and evacuation plans and also provide means of tracking those animals throughout the event. Veterinary emergency teams are crucial to insuring that these standards are met.

Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal control officials, pharmacists and many others, including concerned citizens who aren’t in the animal health field, are eligible to volunteer for veterinary teams. Interested individuals should become familiar with the National Incident Command Structure as working in disaster zones requires a strict adherence to details and an organized system of communications. This means that even though you might have a strong passion for helping our four legged friends, you can’t just run into a danger zone and start trying to save pets. That type of action will not only endanger yourself, but also pull resources from where they may be needed if you get in trouble.

So, when disaster strikes, don’t be surprised to see volunteer veterinarians and technicians working with police and firefighters, saving lives and getting life back to normal and animals and families back together!

The video above, produced by the American Veterinary Medical Association, provides a nice summary of what vaccinations are meant to do and why your pet needs them. It also touches on the difference between “core” vaccines and “non-core” or “lifestyle” vaccines. The topic of vaccination sarcomas (a type of cancer associated with some vaccines and other injections) is briefly covered also. The video is well worth five minutes of your time to view.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that decisions about vaccinations for your pet should be made based on recommendations from your pet’s veterinarian, considering your individual pet’s health, lifestyle, and risk of exposure. The internet is a great place to look for advice but ultimately you and your veterinarian as a team are in the best position to decide which vaccines are right for your pet. Your veterinarian will know which diseases are prominent in your area. For instance, diseases like leptospirosis and Lyme disease are common in some parts of the country but less likely to be encountered in other locations. Your veterinarian can also, with your help, evaluate your pet’s lifestyle to determine how high the risk for a particular disease is for your pet. In addition, your veterinarian will examine your pet, making sure your pet is healthy and that there are no contraindications to vaccination for your pet.

Routine veterinary examinations should be part of every pet’s health care. That includes cats as well as dogs and is true whether your pet is due for vaccinations or not. At a minimum, your pet should have a thorough examination once yearly. Many veterinarians recommend twice yearly examinations, particularly for middle-aged to older pets. Pets with chronic health issues may require even more frequent visits. Your veterinarian can help you establish an appropriate examination and/or vaccination schedule for your pet.

Please see the list of related posts below for more information about dog and cat vaccinations.

Here’s the post:

This year 23 people were infected with an outbreak strain of Salmonella typhimurium reported in 9 different states, including Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington. Almost half of the patients were hospitalized and one death was reported in Washington. Lab and epidemiological findings show that these infections were caused by…hedgehogs.

There were 66.5 million pet-owning households in the United States in 2011. Pets such as chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, lizards, snakes, toads, and turtles can pass Salmonella bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risks associated with hedgehogs are growing.

Who Is At Risk?

Hedgehogs are small, insect-eating mammals with a coat of quills. They’re cute little pets that can make you really sick. The CDC recommends washing your hands after you handle hedgehogs, clean their pet cages, or touch any of their equipment. Children younger than five and the elderly are at the highest risk for severe illness contracted from hedgehogs. Even if the hedgehog doesn’t look sick, it could be. “Pets can look healthy but can carry germs,” according to Ian Williams of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How Do I Know If I Have Salmonella?

If you have a pet that carries Salmonella, you will want to be wary of these symptoms:

• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• fever

Should We Get Rid of Our Hedgehog?

While many parents who have read about the recent outbreaks probably prepared the hedgehog for the pound, there are other alternatives. If your child loves his or her hedgehog, there’s no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Hedgehogs can be good pets as long as their owners take the right precautions, says Tony Poutous, the head veterinarian at Midway Veterinary Hospital in Chesapeake, Virginia. Hedgehogs are “very interactive and quite entertaining.” If you choose to keep your hedgehog, follow these suggestions:

• Wash your hands with running water and soap after handling hedgehogs and their food.
• Keep animals out of areas where food and drink are prepared.
• Clean their cage and water bowl regularly.
• Do not allow children to kiss pets or to put their hands near their face after handling the animals.
• Avoid purchasing food with damaged packaging.

Where Should I Buy a Hedgehog or Other Pet

If you are planning to buy a pet that could put you at risk for Salmonella, look into sources that are approved by the FDA. You do not want to buy a pet from someone on the side of the road. Always do some research on your source whether it’s a breeder or pet store. Find out how much the seller knows about the hedgehog and how versed the seller is in keeping hedgehogs healthy and disease-free.

Recent Salmonella problems related to hedgehogs can be frightening especially if you have small children. But before you throw out the family pet, you can do research to figure out what to do to alleviate the risk of Salmonella and keep your family healthy.

If you haven’t taken our reader survey yet, we would be very appreciative if you would take a few moments to do so. Thank you!

Are mixed breed dogs inherently more healthy than purebred dogs? Do mixed breed dogs suffer from genetic (inherited) diseases at the same rate that purebreds do? This is a question that was recently addressed by Dr. Mary Fuller in a post entitled Mixed Mutts and Designer Crosses: Healthier than Purebred Pets? Her conclusion is no, mixed breeds, particularly the so-called “designer breeds”, may not necessarily be healthier or less likely to inherit genetic conditions than a purebred dog.

In fact, Dr. Fuller mentions a study that looked at this question more closely.

“In a five-year study of veterinary cases at the University of California-Davis, there was no difference between mixed-breed and purebred dogs in the prevalence of common inherited disorders. Even designer-bred dogs were being seen with hereditary conditions that it was assumed crossbreeding would eliminate: hip dysplasia, epilepsy, cancer, hypothyroidism, eye disorders and more.”

I do believe there is some credibility to the theory of “hybrid vigor”. However, there are mixed breeds and then there are mixed breeds. My grandmother used to refer to many of the mixed breed dogs around their neighborhood as “Heinz 57 dogs”, meaning that they had genetic makeup from many different and totally unrelated sources. Though these dogs can still have genetic disorders, that’s still a far cry from the “designer breeds” where both dogs (dam and sire), though of different breeds, are often still very highly crossbred or inbred within their breeds, concentrating the genetic makeup of those lines in their pedigrees. Obviously, the entire concept is much more complicated but, as Dr. Fuller says in her post, “If you cross a Labrador Retriever that has hip dysplasia with a Poodle that has hip dysplasia, what do you get? Chances are, a Labradoodle with hip dysplasia.”

That brings me to my next point. If you’re breeding a pet of any species responsibly (whether dog, cat, horse or other type of animal), you should be doing all you can to remove undesirable genetic traits from the gene pool. That means that you probably shouldn’t be breeding one dog with hip dysplasia to another dog with hip dysplasia anyway. This is true whether you’re breeding purebreds or “designer dogs”. Breeding for improvement means choosing animals that are good examples of the breed they represent both phenotypically (the way they look) and genotypically (their genetic makeup). It also means planning a mating between compatible animals with traits that complement or improve on each other.

Unfortunately, what is happening with “designer breeds” is not much different than what is happening with purebreds. There are too few responsible breeders and too many “backyard” breeders who see these animals as a means of making money. Worse yet, puppy mills have jumped on the “designer breed” bandwagon as well. These breeders are breeding animals that are not the best representatives of their breeds and, as a result, creating puppies (and kittens) that are genetically flawed as well. I take my hat off to responsible breeders but not so much to the others.

As Dr. Fuller (correctly) asserts in her post:

“Before breeding, all animals be tested for heritable conditions such as hip dysplasia, deafness and eye disorders, as determined by the national parent club for each breed. Breeders are encouraged to register the test results on a national health database, such as the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC), sponsored by the American Kennel Club/Canine Health Foundation and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.”

Though I have mixed feelings about “designer breeds” for several different reasons, I do believe that if we are going to be breeding them, we should be breeding high-quality individuals in an attempt to create a new “breed”, if you will, that encompasses the best of both breeds. Unfortunately, that’s not what I see happening for the most part in my veterinary practice. Too often, I see owners that paid an exorbitant amount of money for one of these “breeds” only to come home with a pet that suffers from the worst of both worlds/breeds rather than the best. And also far too often, these pets are consigned to living a life plaqued by chronic illness or behavioral disorders as a result, just like the purebred animals bred by puppy mills and other irresponsible individuals that these pets are supposed to surpass.

I’m not arguing the fact that these dogs can make great pets and companions. They certainly can and, for the most part, they do. However, why should we should we purposely be breeding pets (purebred or otherwise) that we know are likely to inherit any genetic disease? We can do better. As prospective pet owners, we can refuse to purchase animals from puppy mills and the like. We can choose to purchase only from reputable breeders who go the extra mile to produce puppies and kittens that are as healthy as possible. Why should we expect any less? Why should our animals deserve any less?

And breeding mixed breed dogs and cats? No breeder should be purposely breeding a mixed breed pet. With the number of animals euthanized yearly in shelters and rescues across the country, there is no way, in my opinion, to justify purposefully breeding a mixed breed.

So what do you think? Are “designer dogs” all they could be? Does it surprise you that these pets are not necessily healthier than their purebred brethren?

Also, if you haven’t taken our reader survey yet, we would be very appreciative if you would take a few moments to do so. Thank you!

The internet is full of advice about just about any topic you want to name. Pet care is no exception. But how accurate is all of this information and how much should you rely on it when your pet’s health is at stake?

Let me start by telling you a true story. I saw a dog today in the veterinary hospital where I work that was not doing well. For reasons of confidentiality, I can’t go into a lot of detail about the specifics of the dog’s condition but suffice it to say that, after examining the dog, there were a number of different conditions on my rule-out list that could be responsible for the dog’s condition.

I discussed all of this with the dog’s owner and suggested a basic blood screen as a starting point in trying to determine what was troubling the dog. The dog’s owner, however, informed me that, as a result of research he had done on the internet, he was positive that he knew what the dog’s problem was and didn’t think any diagnostic testing was necessary to know how to treat the dog.

To be fair, there were other considerations as well, primarily of the financial variety. But the primary issue was that this gentleman had read something online that convinced him that his dog could only be suffering from one condition and there were no other possibilities. It’s possible his diagnosis is correct. It’s also possible it is not.

The end result of the visit is that we settled on providing the dog with pain relief, hoping that at least we could make him comfortable. I don’t know what will happen or whether this dog will recover. I don’t feel good about the situation and the lack of diagnosis. But I can’t force the owner to do procedures he is unwilling to pursue. All I can do is hope for the best.

This situation got me thinking though about the internet and its impact on pet care. Let me say up front that I do not believe there is anything inherently wrong with researching your pet’s health on the internet. If I believed that were true, this blog would not exist. What I do believe is that there is a right way and a wrong to approach using the internet when it comes to your pet’s health care.

Though there is a ton of accurate and well-written information about pets on the internet, there is at least an equal proportion of less than accurate information offered. Some of the advice offered can even be dangerous to your pet.

When you do research on the internet, it always pays to consider the source of the information. Consider who is providing the information. What are their credentials? Are they simply sharing a personal opinion or are they sharing evidence-based scientific fact? In this digital-based age, it’s easy for anyone to start a webpage or a blog. It’s easy to assume that these people are experts. However, that may not always be the case.

It’s also important to remember that nobody on the internet can offer a reliable diagnosis of your pet’s condition without ever physically seeing and examining your pet. Internet advice should never replace a visit with your pet’s veterinarian. Offering general information about pet health issues is quite different than offering specific advice about an individual pet.

The internet is a good starting point to conduct research. It can provide you, as a conscientious pet owner, with pertinent questions to ask your veterinarian about your pet’s health. Your veterinarian may even be able to connect you with websites and blogs that can provide even more information of interest to you.

Conversely, your internet research may lead to alternative treatment options with which your veterinarian is unfamiliar. Don’t assume that your veterinarian is ill-informed if that is the case. There are new research findings and new treatment modalities discovered almost daily. Many blogs/websites and other internet resources are very focused and may be more up-to-date on a particular pet health topic than the average practitioner. That does not make your veterinarian a bad doctor. In most cases, if your veterinarian is unfamiliar with a treatment option, he or she will be willing to look into the treatment further to determine whether it is the right fit for your pet.

There’s no doubt, the internet can be a useful source of relevant general information. However, your veterinarian should be your primary source for advice about your individual pet. Ideally, a trusting relationship with your veterinarian in which both of you act as part of your pet’s health care team will develop, providing optimum care for your pet. You should feel comfortable asking your veterinarian questions, even about information you’ve learned online. But you should also be aware that your veterinarian is intimately familiar with your individual pet and, as such, is better qualified to offer suggestions about your pet’s health care than any internet website or blog.

If you haven’t taken our reader survey yet, could we please ask you to take a few moments to do so.

Moving on, the infographic below tells the true story of a young woman who fosters a dog, falls in love and later decides to adopt him. The goal of this infographic is to raise awareness of the amazing pet foster and adoption programs around the world.

Particularly notable are the following statistics:

• 6-8 million pets end up in shelters each year.
• 61% of people would foster if their local shelter had a foster program.
• Animals adopted from foster care have a lower rate of return than animals adopted directly from shelters (2% of foster pets returned versus 14% of shelter pets returned.)
• 20% of foster parents find their forever friend and adopt their foster pet.

Get more great info about fostering pets at Pet360.com/foster