Pass the puppy, please!

We have a little game we play with puppies. It usually starts after Dr. Burns gets finished examining one and starts chatting with the pup’s people. While the family is distracted, the puppy mysteriously disappears—sometimes until the visit is over and Dr. B walks the family back up to reception, where the missing puppy is [...]

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In Veterinary Medicine, the Standard of Care is rarely standard

Medical professionals often talk about the “Standard of Care,” a set of guidelines that define the appropriate treatment for a particular health problem. The standard of care is what helps ensure that patients receive a similar basic level of care no matter where they’re treated. Standards of care are nice, because they help set our [...]

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Tips for aging parents, pets

A feature on Forbes.com caught my attention this morning. The title alone was enough to draw a vet’s interest, but where it was published got me even more interested. What could a business news site have to say about pets? In How to Handle Aging Parent’s Pets, Carolyn Rosenblatt, a nurse, attorney, and author of The Boomer’s Guide [...]

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Bow WOW! Archeologists age world’s oldest dog.

While the finding is subject to debate, German scientists announced that they have used carbon dating to determine the age of a canine jaw found in a cave just across the Swiss border. The bone was unearthed in the late 1800′s, but aging of the 14,000 year-old fragment has renewed a debate about when and where [...]

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Creator of the Labradoodle wishes he hadn’t

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The former manager of Australia’s Royal Institute of the Blind’s puppy program credited with coining the name “Labradoodle” after breeding the first litter of the popular pooch now wishes he hadn’t, according to a recent interview with The Australian.  Wally Conran paired a purebred Labrador from the puppy program with his boss’ standard poodle back in 1988, hoping to [...]

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FDA Says: “No bones about it!

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The US Food and Drug Administration has just released a consumer health advisory stating that bones are unsafe for dogs. Dr. Carmela Stamper of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine explains that, no matter how big or small the dog or the bone, they are generally considered unsafe for dogs.  Most pet owners are aware that [...]

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Canine behavior expert to be featured on NPR

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A Conversation With Patricia McConnell | The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR Patricia McConnell, PhD, an expert on canine behavior, will spend an hour with Diane Rehm on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show tomorrow morning (the show airs at 9 am on KJZZ 91.5 fm here in Phoenix). You can also catch recordings of [...]

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Top 10 Dog Breeds Affected By Periodontal Disease

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A recent study by national veterinary practice Banfield sheds some light on breed predispositions for periodontal disease among dogs. The results of the study, reported widely in the veterinary and pet communities, come as little surprise to those of us who recommend dental care to pets. Nine of the 10 breeds to make the list have [...]

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Veterinarian speaks for Spot on NPR

Veterinarian Translates Barks And Meows, a popular interview with Dr. Nancy Kay was originally aired in March. This week was animal week at Fresh Air, and the interview was rebroadcast. Dr. Kay is a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and author of Speaking for Spot: be the advocate your dog needs to live a happy, healthy, [...]

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10 Reasons to supervise your cats outdoors

Most cats undeniably enjoy spending time outdoors. The opportunity to roll in the dirt, snack on grass, or chase bugs and lizards is actually a very valuable way to help reduce the stress of indoor life for many cats. But in most places, a strictly-outdoor existence is fraught with dangers for pets that routinely leave [...]

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