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The Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas holiday trifecta is traditionally characterized by festive and sometimes flamboyant displays of decorations. While many of these decorations are considered benign to the health and safety of you and your family, you may want to consider how they affect your pets. Dogs are the most likely culprits of gobbling up a poisonous holiday plant, so its important to take certain precautions when decorating your home for the holidays. First, beware of the poinsettia. This vibrant green and red plant indigenous to Latin America is a timeless decoration in the holiday season that garnered attention in the past for...

When a dog is digging up your backyard, you're going to wonder about two things. First, why in the world are they digging? Second, what can you do to stop them? We're going to take a look at some of the reasons that dogs dig in your yard and what you can do to stop them.  Reason 1: Your Pup is Bored The first reason that your dog is digging in your yard could be associated with boredom. Dogs have a lot of energy and if they don't have the proper outlet, they'll make their own fun. Don't be surprised...

Wet conditions can be challenging to proper hoof care, but it is easy to keep your horse on sound footing even during extensive periods of wet weather. How Wet Conditions Affect Hooves Soft, wet ground can dramatically affect horses' hooves. When the ground is very soft, hooves don't wear down as quickly, and can become overgrown or may grow unevenly. A horse's balance can be affected by soft ground and uneven hooves, which may lead to joint pain, limping or lameness, as well as increasing the risk of falls. In time, knee and hip problems can also develop. If the...

Your pets are susceptible to diseases that humans either rarely or never contract. That's why you have to look out for things like heartworms, which is a serious disease. Heartworms are the result of a parasitic worm known as Dirofilaria immitis. They'll infect your pet's body and cause harm as they mature. The adult worms are a foot long and live in your pet's heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels. Dogs are the natural hosts for heartworms. The heartworms that infect cats usually won't reach adulthood. As such, we'll mostly go over how heartworms affect dogs. Symptoms of Heartworm Disease While...

Pets Don't Have Holidays It's easy for humans to forget that pets don't have weekends. Their's is a 24/7 job. While they continue to surprise us with what they know - and learn - loud noises, flashing lights and frantic neighbors can signal danger and imminent harm. Smart humans combat this with intelligent planning and pragmatic responses. Practice Daily Intervals of Quiet, "You and Me" Time You would be surprised how many dogs need to learn how to just sit next to you and schmooze peacefully.  In my SPCA volunteer days, I used to practice regular command sequences of "sit,"...