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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Petpourri

When Sammy, our first Pomeranian, was getting older, she would sometimes  get confused and pee wherever she happened to be standing. That was often on our living room carpet. After she passed away, the carpet was beyond even a professional cleaning so we decided to have it removed and replaced with bamboo laminate.

We knew her inability to control her bladder was because of her age. If your dog or cat is urinating in inappropriate places and too often, it could be a sign of a medical condition. For example, urinary tract infections could be one cause of frequent urinating. Diabetes and liver disease can cause more frequent drinking and urinating.

You should rule out medical problems first before treating your dog or cat for behavioral problems. Both dogs and cats urinate to mark their territory, in particular unneutered males. Cats may urinate outside their box if the litter or the location and size of the box are not to their liking. Or they may not use the box if it needs to be cleaned.

Dogs that have not been properly trained will urinate in the home. But even properly trained dogs will urinate in the home if left alone too long with no place to urinate.  Also, dogs who are stressed due to loud noises (like fireworks) may urinate. Be sure to check with your vet before administering any type of sedative and check for any medical problem that might be the cause of inappropriate urinating. 

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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Petpourri

I just read a very interesting article that was also very surprising.  Cats carry an antigen that cat owners, who reacted to their pet allergen, had a 90% increased risk of glaucoma compared with non-pet owners. On the other hand, dog owners were 20 % less likely to develop the debilitating condition.

"Allergens from cats may have biochemical or physical properties that trigger antibodies targeting the optic nerve, while dog allergens may behave differently, possibly because dogs spend more time outdoors," said Dr. Anne Coleman of UCLA.

"Cats could cause our immune system to react in a way that predispose eyes to the development of glaucoma...whereas exposure to dogs appears to be linked to the opposite effect and could be protective against the disease." British laser eye surgeon Dr. David Allamby also said that "...man's best friend may also save your sight."

For more information and to read the complete article, go to telegraph.co.uk under science news.

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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Petpourri

Mark your calendars - May 17 - 23 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Millions of people, mostly children, are bitten by dogs every year. In fact, dog bites are the 11th leading cause of non-fatal injury to children ages 1-4, 9th for children ages 5-9, and 10th for children ages 10-14 (statistics from 2003-2012).

Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities while interacting with familiar dogs.

There are many things a dog owner can do to prevent dog bites from properly socializing and training your pet to educating your children on how, or if, to approach a dog.

For more information about dog bites and prevention, go to the American Veterinary Medical Assoc (AVMA.ORG) website.

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