Pets Articles

Cats are living longer lives thanks to dedicated care from their humans, and advances in veterinary medicine. Most experts consider a cat's "senior years" to begin on her 10th birthday. After this point, the aging process begins to slow in even the m...

Cats have a reputation for being finicky eaters, but that is usually a distortion of the truth. Cats have a very keen sense of taste and smell, and they know what they like. If you have fed your cat the same food for years, then change brands, she ma...

Many people think cats are asocial, but in fact they are very social animals. They bond with other cats in their house or neighborhood, their owners, even other pets like dogs and birds. They communicate to each other and us a variety of ways. A keen...

Goals of first aid are: Keep your safety in mind at all times. Attend to any severe bleeding that is present. Administer CPR if needed. Immobilize injuries and/or pet for transport. Take your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Delay in seeking...

Umbilical and inguinal hernias are very common in the shih tzu. They may be congenital or acquired. In acquired hernias, there generally is some history of trauma such is at birth with the umbilical cord being cut to short or excessive pull on the ...

If you need to help remove the afterbirth: First be sure your newborn puppy is breathing well on its own, the sac has been removed from the face, eyes, nose, head and the puppy has either been stimulated by mother or you, the doggie midwife, to brea...

Some puppies will be active the minute the sac is broke, others will seem lifeless and you will think for sure they are dead. I have rubbed and rubbed on lifeless puppies and then almost give up only suddenly to realize they were starting to move an...

It can take a while for us humans to suspect that we may have diabetes and go in for tests. It's much harder for us to spot the symptoms of diabetes in dogs. The disease tends to sneak up and the symptoms will often go unnoticed until the disease has...

The pins of your brush should make contact with the skin at the beginning of the brush stroke. From there, make a straight stroke outward to the ends of the hair. Try to teach your dog (and I say this in a "do as I say, and not do as I do," because...

A day or two before a normal delivery you may notice a small amount of mucus at the opening of your shih tzu's vulva. Just before the actual whelping, she will produce a mucous plug. You would have to watch your shih tzu very closely in order to ob...

Dogs in general, under free-ranging conditions, will live in mixed-sex, mixed-age social groups. Social ranking is determined by age, although sex may play a role. Females seem to be responsible for leading more often than males. Social ranking is...

While pets don't actually develop Alzheimer's disease, both dogs and cats develop a condition called cognitive disorder. While the condition appears new, it is not and has been recognized by veterinarians for many years. There are a number of clinic...

Factors that adversely affect the health of a shih tzu's skin are genetics, the immune system, nutrition, hygiene, bugs, and hormones. Nutrition is the key to good skin health. If your shih tzu is prone to skin disease first check with a holistic pr...

Here is what you need to do to ensure a smooth transition to a new dog food: Day One: Start by mixing your old brand with the new brand in a ratio of 3/4 to 1/4 - the smaller amount representing the new brand. Do this for three days. Day Four: After ...

Dogs and children need your guidance and supervision to live together happily ever after. Here are some tips that will help your family get along. One of the best ways to introduce your new dog to your children is to ask your children to help you to ...

Buying a new pet, especially a dog can be very exciting. It is worth considering your lifestyle choices and those who live with you before choosing a dog breed. Choosing any family pet may depend on several factors which must be taken into account. P...

Owning a horse is a huge responsibility for owners of any age. These magnificent creatures need care and attention to ensure your pet is happy and healthy. Caring for a horse is much like caring for a dog or a cat, although on a much larger scale. ...

Owning a horse is a huge responsibility. Just like owning any pet, you should put a great deal of thought and consideration before you decide to purchase an equine. Since most individuals will have to house horses off their property, you should fir...

The shih tzu with a long, flowing coat and an arrogant air is beautiful and captures the heart of many who own and professionally show the breed. Satisfaction, joy and pride can result from conditioning and growing a beautiful coat of hair for the s...

Use a gentle action to brush a shih tzu's coat. When you shampoo, thoroughly wet the coat with warm water, apply the shampoo and use a squeezing action to cleanse the coat rather than scrubbing the hair back and forth. There will be less damage to ...

Using a leash or harness on a bunny is a highly debated subject amongst long-time bunny owners and experts for good reason. There have been many accidental deaths as a result. You see, because rabbits are prey animals, they feel very confined and tra...

If your puppy gets excited and wets herself, especially when you have company or when you first arrive from being away from her, this is called "submissive urination." This kind of urination is different from breaks in house training. Puppies often...

Your rabbit will need her nails clipped fairly often, and you have two choices when it comes to clipping nails: you can take her to the vet (though, this admittedly will get expensive,) or you can cut them yourselves. (We very strongly recommend havi...

German Shepherds are an incredibly loving, intelligent breed of dog and are the ideal pet for active families. They love being with people and are generally extremely eager to please their human companions. There are 5 things you should know before y...

Cancer affects a significant percentage of canines. Know the risk factors that include: genetics, hormone imbalances, diet, vaccinations, environmental toxins such as lawn chemicals, flea and tick dips, tobacco smoke to name a few. Nearly half of ...

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that most rabbits can be litter box trained, just like a cat! Basically, what you want to do is take advantage of your bunny's natural tendency to deposit their droppings in just one or two places * Start of...

1. Using tranquilizers. This is illegal in many states but other groomers still use them. It may be that the groomer is afraid of aggressive dogs but it's more likely to be that the groomer is running a production line and has no time to calm ner...

The city I live in just increased its fees for dog and cat licenses. It's now $30 a year for unneutered/unsprayed pets and $20 a year for sprayed/neutered pets. Even though these are not major dollars, there were plenty of complaints. Some people ...

Is your dog a gentleman or lady? If so, you may be able to get an award to prove it from the American Kennel Club (AKC) through its Canine Good Citizen Program. This certification program is for all dogs, whether purebred or mutt. Any dog who has ...

Obesity is one of the most important health concerns facing dogs. If you love your dog, you should do something about it. Overweight dogs live shorter and less healthy lives and your enjoyment of their precious companionship may be shortened because ...