Blog

It’s National Animal Poison Prevention Week. Do you know what yard and household substances put your dog or cat at risk? In the kitchen, beware of dark chocolate, grapes, mushrooms and anything moldy that your pet might snag from the trash. Your medicine cabinet holds ibuprofen, acetaminophen and your prescription medication; even without opposable thumbs, […]

A reader had a simple question: Out of all the hundreds and hundreds of dog breeds on the planet, which is the largest and which is the smallest? Here’s my response. Q: What are the largest and smallest dog breeds? A: While humans measure height to the top of our heads, a dog’s height is […]

Have you decided leptospirosis isn’t a threat to your dog? It may be time to think again. Here’s a look at the disease, which is on the rise, from the weekly syndicated feature I write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker. When you think of leptospirosis — if you think about […]

In many areas, coyotes present a risk to pets, especially small dogs and cats who go outside. Here are my tips on keeping your pets safe. Q: When I’m walking my dog through a parkway near my home, we occasionally see coyotes. We have had a couple of small dogs killed by them in their […]

Whether they are cats, dogs, birds or other animals, our pets tend to hide their pain instinctively, to protect themselves from predators. That means we need to be extra-observant to know what’s going on with them. If your pet is behaving unusually — hiding in your closet, for instance — she may not feel well […]