Did you know that you have more bacteria living in your intestines than you have cells in your body?

Did you know that most of the different species of bacteria living in your intestines are there to keep you healthy?  Did you know that some researchers now consider these bugs, or your "microbiota", as a distinct organ, much the same way they view an organ system like the liver or the heart and lungs?

First, lets get a few basics down. The gastrointestinal tract is the organ that most of us associate simply with processing and digesting food and disposing of waste products in the process. That's all true, but in addition, the GI tract is the largest immune organ in the body. In fact 25% of the gut is composed of immune system tissue and the gut represents fully 70% of the entire body's immune capacity.

In addition to the good bacteria, the intestine plays host to many so called bad bacteria. These good and bad bacteria live in a balance and the good bacteria play an important role in keeping the bad bacteria in check. Intestinal problems like diarrhea can get started when things are out of whack and the balance tips over to the e. coli or salmonella sp.

Yesterday, Tom and I met with Jason Merrihew from the AAHA. How many of you know what the AAHA is? Not many, I think. I didn't really know what they were, or who they were, until our visit to the NAVC, last month. We stopped by their booth and learned that they're the American Animal Hospital Association. They exist to accredit animal hospitals for veterinary excellence. Jason told us that there are 900 standards each accredited hospital has to pass to earn AAHA accreditation.

This year, interestingly, AAHA has partnered with Animal Planet on sponsoring the Puppy Bowl. How kewl is that? Really now...when it comes to "bowls" on TV, this one has to take the highest marks. Puppies in a contest...running around chasing each other...just being...puppies!

I know where my TV is going to be turned, tomorrow: to Animal Planet at 3pm e/p. (there's a Game Day Pet Photo Contest, too! W00t!)

If you don't know what the Puppy Bowl is, and if you haven't already seen my post on this over at S&S, here's the scoop: The Puppy Bowl is a fun event for those of us who need a little entertainment on Sunday, and who aren't necessarily into that 'other' bowl. As part of the sponsorship of the Puppy Bowl, the AAHA is featuring 15-second ads and 30-second commercials on Animal Planet during the pet and wildlife-related programming. AAHA's message this year is on pet nutrition (we talk about that a lot here), pain management, wellness, and the importance of accreditation.  

One goal is to educate consumers (pet folks) on what the AAHA does - and maybe give folks some insight into what it means to be accredited. Not to mention, Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro, from the local Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital (local to me, here in Frederick, CO), has been chosen as the offical AAHA veterinarian and she will be participating LIVE on twitter - to answer your questions. Be sure to follow @healthypet and join the conversation.

Who can resist the Puppy Bowl? Even if you're planning to watch that other bowl show, you'll want to click into the Puppy Bowl now and then to see what's up, or down, or rolling all around! See you there!

Las Vegas is a great example of the consequences of unbridled development. When the economy turns south, years of speculation take a toll and the toll falls on people and their pets. Reports indicate that the number of dogs given up at the main public shelter in Las Vegas is up 10% annually in each of the last three years. The LIED in animal shelter in Las Vegas takes in 50,000 animals a year and 50% end up being euthanized.

If you read this blog you probably already have your dog spayed or neutered. Even if you are not wealthy, you probably weighed the financial responsibility of pet ownership when you got your critter and figured out a way to deal with it. Some folks aren't that lucky. The economic consequences of laws like these fall disproportionately on low income people. They may love their dog or cat but simply not have the resources to pay for a surgery, if they are out of work.

We've taken to calling our Wabby, the 17 year old resident kitty, The Grumpy Old Lady - just look at her picture and tell me she doesn't look like she not only got up on the wrong side of the bed, but that she doesn't even know where the right side of the bed is!

Anyway, she's become extremely vocal, of late. I don't know if it's because of the move, or just that she's a bit senile. In human years we figure she's well into her 90s, and I've heard that dogs and cats have their own form of senility, as they age. So, every morning around 5 a.m. the Wabby drags herself off of the bed (where she positions herself just so - just so Tom and I can't move our feet anywhere without kicking her), and makes her way downstairs.

Once at the landing, she lies down and meows. Ok, she wails. She sounds like she's dying. Sometimes the wailing is a bit faint, so we know she's strolling around the kitchen talking to ... the chairs? The table? The closed pantry door?

I wonder if she's looking for something particular. Maybe we left something (a certain smell or a certain ambience?) behind at the old house, that she can't find here. Maybe...and this is scary...she's looking for Carmie! She never did seem to believe Carmie was gone. When we moved Carmie's bed (after almost a whole year of her having passed over the Rainbow Bridge), the Wabby sat in our room and stared at the space Carmie's bed used to be.

Then, she would slowly turn her head and give us her "evil" stare. It was clear she did not approve. (as if she ever even sat on the bed or anything!)

Anyway, she's speaking out loud and clear in this new home. She's searching for something. Or, she's just being smart - that loud wailing gets us up, eventually. Whereupon it turns to the sweet little meows that melt our hearts.

Hmmm...what is it she really wants? Maybe, like her friend Romeo, she just wants breakfast!

It's that time of year again. Mid winter, terrible weather, cold and flu season and of course; Pet Dental Health Month. Yea February. Seriously, about the only good thing you can say about February, unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, is that my son Drew was born in February. He'll be thirty this year. Yikes.

I have just begun reading an outstanding book on dogs. It's been lying on my bedside table for too, too long and with all the busyness in my life, I decided to take a few moments every day to slow down...and read.

The book is Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, And Know. It's written by Alexandra Horowitz. I have to tell you, even though I've only read 7 pages, I am totally in love with this book! Alexandra has my undying appreciation for writing this book. As I read through it, I will share tidbits for you. But, even so soon into it, I can honestly say you should go get a copy for yourself!

Let me quote from it, starting with Alexandra's first (un-numbered) page: "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Attributed to Groucho Marx.

We next learn that the author is a dog person. I am a dog person. I am a cat person. But, my first and best love has always been dogs (until the Wabby - she has proven to me that cats are more mysterious than we ever knew!).

As she tells us of her history with dogs, Alexandra sets us up to trust her. To trust that she really does have the dog's best interest at heart in writing this book. I say that because what I believe she is doing, is sharing the secrets none of us have taken the time to learn from our dogs. Secrets they share with us, all the time.

"No data in dogs," she writes of the musings of her colleagues (other scientists who study primates, because primate have 'data' one presumes). "Dogs," the colleagues say, " are simple, happy creatures whom we need to train and feed and love." Nothing more.

Oh, but there is so much more! Here's what Alexandra writes, "Examined closely, simple play frolicking between two dogs became a dizzying series of synchronous behaviors, active role swapping, ariations on communicative displays, flexible adaptation to others' attention, and rapid movement between highly diverse play acts."

WOW!  Scientist-speak we can actually understand, and relate to. Who hasn't watched their dog play at the park with other dogs and wondered...what are they thinking?

As the book procedes, the author says, "In this book I introduce you to the science of the dog."

Stay with me and learn as I learn. I will write once a week about "the science of the dog" - learning from a master writer, Alexandra Horowitz. Join me. Read along. And share your insights as you read about the Inside of a Dog. 

In my last post over at Scratchings and Sniffings, we discussed the "Sensitive Cat Syndrome".

I attended a lecture given by Dr. Tony Buffington on this subject last week at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando. Florida. Needless to say this lecture had a big impact on me and got me thinking about cats in a different way. I guess you could say I've been thinking like a cat lately and for a dog person at heart I have an entirely new perspective. now.

We've even covered most of the more common disease issues faced by our feline charges, but we haven't spend a lot of time asking how we might prevent some of these problems in the first place. Well, feline enrichment might be just the ticket on that front.

It doesn't get better than this. PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance has just created a "Groups Benefits Department" that will offer employers and associations group discounts for providing their employees and members with pet health insurance.

A bold, forward move that needs to be applauded, don't you think? I do. According to the press release I found via Google alerts, "Pet insurance is a coverage program designed to pick up the tab on the high cost of vet bills." Got it? The "high cost of vet bills"...which is another way of saying, a great way to take care of your dog or cat when he or she is ill with an on-going medical problem or in an accident that requires extensive surgery and/or medical care.

It's not hard to believe the report by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association that says, "...last year dog owners spent $785 on average on vet bills, while cat owners spent $516." More studies show that despite the recession, 80 percent of pet owners continue to spend the same level of money on their furry friends. Why? Because pets have become part of the family.

I know that at my house, Wabby is my heart. (and she knows it!) My daughter treats Twiggy just like a member of the family and didn't hesitate to take care of Twiggy's broken leg when it happened last year. We not only grow attached to our pets as pets, our kids grow attached to them as trusted friends (they share secrets, I think!).

“Our years of experience working with animals have shown that pet owners will go to great lengths to provide the best care for their pets,” says David Goodnight, president and chief operating officer of PurinaCare. “By offering PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance, companies and associations can easily expand their menu of benefits with a high-quality new offering that is growing in demand.”

I so agree. Pet Health Insurance - it's here to stay and it's worth your consideration.

This is a very common question for many cat owners that are thinking about pet health insurance. They reason that keeping a cat indoors makes them less susceptible to infectious disease and less likely to be involved in a serious accident. For the most part, I agree with this logic and I'm an advocate of an indoor lifestyle for cats.

On the other hand I attended an interesting presentation last week at The North American Veterinary Conference that opened my eyes to the Health Risks of indoor living for cats. 

More feline health information from the NAVC. I attended an interesting talk on feline hyperthyroidism. This is a fairly common disease in geriatric cats. In fact, it's the most common endocrine disorder in domestic cats. Endocrine disorders are glandular problems and this one obviously affects the thyroid gland.

It used to be pretty easy to spot a hyperthyroid cat. Many were skin and bones by the time they showed up at the vet clinic.  These days, due to the high prevalence of obesity; 40% by some estimates, the weight loss associated with hyperthyroidism goes unnoticed. In fact, a common scenario these days if that hyperthyroidism is diagnosed subsequent to weight loss therapy.