A recent study published in the Veterinary Journal investigated the health risks to cats in large-scale hoarding environments. Researchers found that cats in crowded living conditions are at great risk for respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disease, parasites, malnutrition and other symptoms of neglect. Key findings from the...
This time of year is always fun, with lots of shopping, decorating, baking and party-hopping to keep us busy. But it’s also a good time to remember that the Christmas season poses some extra hazards to our pets. Here are a few useful pet safety...
A new study published in the journal Current Biology suggests that dogs process human speech in a similar way to us. Researchers from the University of Sussex in the UK conducted tests with 250 dogs to see how they process human commands. They found that, similar...
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, you may be wondering if it’s OK to share some of your Thanksgiving feast with your dog or cat. Here’s some guidance to help you give a thumbs up or thumbs down to some traditional holiday foods, courtesy...
Dogs Trust Ireland has created a powerful public awareness campaign called “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas” that reminds people to stop and think before they get someone a dog as a Christmas present. The organization reports that they get an alarming...
A study of the feline genome is providing new insights into how and why cats became domesticated. Compared to dogs, cat domestication is a relatively recent occurrence (30,000 years for dogs vs. 9,000 for cats), but researchers can still find signs of domestication in their...
Research on feline vision has shed some new light on how differently cats see the world as compared to humans. A recent British study confirms that cats (and some other mammals) can perceive ultraviolet light. What does that mean for your cat? It may explain...
[caption id="attachment_1127" align="alignnone" width="300"] Image from Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca, by Maria Goodavage (Dutton/Penguin)[/caption] As we salute our military heroes this Veterans Day, FACE would like to recognize the amazing contributions military dogs have made over the years. Here are just a...
Have you ever seen pictures like these on the Internet with funny “Sad” or “Time Out” captions? On first glance, these images are cute, but they may depict a serious medical warning sign in your pet. It’s called “head pressing” and could indicate a dangerous...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJiMO994gBg A new video from the American Veterinary Medical Association provides helpful advice for pet owners with older dogs and cats diagnosed with arthritis. Warning Signs Pets with arthritis pain may: Walk stiffly or favor certain legs Experience pain when touched in some areas Be hesitant to run, jump and climb stairs Cats with...
[caption id="attachment_1109" align="alignnone" width="225"] FACE Executive Director Brooke Haggerty with Success Story Loki[/caption] FACE Executive Director Brooke Haggerty was recently a guest on Animals Today Radio with Dr. Lori Kirshner. Animals Today, a project of Advancing the Interests of Animals, is broadcast in major cities such...
The 2014 edition of Banfield Pet Hospital’s State of Pet Health Report is available for download from Banfield’s website HERE. This report provides an overview of medical data from the 2.3 million dogs and 470,000 cats treated annually at Banfield facilities nationwide. The 2014 edition contains...
Yesterday it was announced that Dallas nurse Nina Pham’s beloved dog Bentley tested negative for the Ebola virus. Bentley had been placed in quarantine when Nina contracted Ebola. This good news is tempered by the earlier story of a Spanish nurse’s dog being euthanized when...
We’ve all grabbed the camera and taken a quick picture when we see our pets do something cute. But how do you take that special photograph of your dog or cat, one that shows them at their best? We asked professional San Diego pet photographer...
Are cats, especially black cats, in danger of harm at Halloween? There are many opinions about this issue, with some experts stating that Halloween poses no extra risk to cats, and others who argue that people with an anti-cat bias are more likely to abuse...
Pet health is important all year round, but did you know that your pets have special health concerns in the fall? Here are some autumn pet health tips to keep in mind, courtesy of Pets Best pet insurance: Parvovirus: Vets see an increase in Parvo infections...
Viewers of this week’s 60 Minutes were treated to a profile of an amazing border collie named Chaser and her owner John Pilley, a retired professor of psychology who has taught her the names of over 1,000 toys. Every toy has a unique name, and...
“Can we get a hamster, please?” For parents of young children, this is a common question. Small animals such as hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs are popular choices for a child’s first pet. Before deciding on a small animal as your child’s first pet, parents...
Cats falling from high places—over two stories, often from apartment windows or balconies—is so common that there is a name for the types of injuries sustained in these falls: Feline High-Rise Syndrome. The most frequently-occurring injuries from falls are trauma to the chest, face/mouth, limbs,...
Tear stains can be common in light-colored dogs and cats, especially in certain toy dog breeds and Persian cats. They are caused by an overflow of tears onto the fur, and are dark due to a reaction that occurs between the tears and normal bacteria...
Rattlesnakes are common here in Southern California, particularly the western diamondback. While much is known about rattlesnake bites in humans and dogs, less research has been done on the effects of, and treatment for, rattlesnake bites in cats. Recently, a study of cats bitten by rattlesnakes...