I really didn’t want to write this post. I hate pet world politics and I like to keep things positive. And I both admire and like the organizers of the BlogPaws conference personally and professionally; I’ve been extremely grateful in the past for the support I’ve gotten from them for my blog and my book,…
Pet Travel Overseas — & an International Contest
I’m still a little crazed over the notion that a respected travel expert would dismiss an entire segment of travel, and a very popular one at that. Luckily, this month’s pet travel interview on Animal Cafe with Diane Silver, blogger at To Dog With Love and caretaker of the charming Cosmo Havanese, provides an antidote…
A Close Call — and a Change of Medical Course
Thank heavens for sinus headaches. I never thought I’d have a reason to say that, but a nagging pain in my head combined with a friend’s fatigue may have saved Frankie’s life. Frankie’s insulin problems: Some background I’ve written about this many times before, so I’ll just recap. Frankie’s diabetes had been well regulated on…
9/11: A Moment of Silence
Pet Travel Is Here To Stay, Chris Elliott. Live With It
Imagine that a travel expert, writing for a megatraffic online travel site, chose a large segment of travelers to dismiss — say, baby boomers. “Baby boomers are slow moving and crabby,” he’d write. “They’d be better off staying home to care for their grandchildren, which most prefer to traveling anyway.” Then imagine if the evidence…
Do you fit your pet profile?
According to this Hunch.com infographic, based on my gender, politics, education and sense of humor, Frankie is supposed to be meowing. Do you have the right pet?
Tepary beans: A desert boon for diabetics (dogs too)
I am waiting on hold for my vet and hear a loop message, over and over: “Is your cat or dog obese? Ask us about the signs of diabetes.” This makes me crazy. Unlike cats, dogs don’t get diabetes because they’re fat. The Obesity-Canine Diabetes Myth Almost all* canine diabetes is akin to Type 1…
Animal Welfare Videos That Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself: Puppy Mill Edition
Puppy mill operators subject dogs to horrendous conditions before tidying them up to sell them to pet stores or showcase them on the internet. You’ve probably seen plenty of those graphic, disgusting images; I’m never going to show them here. The avoidance of suffering porn — as I think of it — is also the…
Food Patrol: What’s in Your Pet’s Bowl?
The pendulum has swung. From taking a laissez-faire attitude towards pet food, we dog and cat owners have become increasingly focused on the contents of our companion animals’ bowls. And what with the resultant glut of information, it’s not easy to separate the wheat from the chaff — or decide whether our pets should even…
Taking a Vacation from Caretaking
It’s common knowledge that caretakers need to take care of themselves if they don’t want to get burned out. This includes taking a break from caretaking. But knowing and doing are two very different things. Why Caretakers Have Such a Hard Time Taking a Vacation I can’t speak for others, but here’s why I have…