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i’ve seen lots of top ten lists in my lifetime , but this one is certainly the most fun so far. if you are or have got a guy in your life that’s looking for a pet , they just might get some use out of this top 10 manliest pets list from spike.com. you’d be surprised what sorts of pets are on this list too…some of which i didn’t think would be quite so manly? please read these with a grain of salt and a sense of humor…it is originally from spike after all. 10. pigs - here is a dirty , ...read on

with the swine flu going around , we’re all a little concerned about our chances of catching it and even our pet’s chances of coming down with this scary sounding flu. initially doctors were saying that its unlikely pets could come down with h1n1 , but a recent case of the flu where human members of a household gave the virus to their cat seems to be casting this opinion in doubt. a family in iowa recently came down with flu-like symptoms and were tested positive for h1n1. the cat later ...read on

it’s that time of year again. the air is nippy and your pup’s feeling chilly , especially during those long walks. walking your dog during the wintertime is a much more challenging venture for those who live in northern climates than it is during the summertime. during the winter it can be tempting to simply stop walking the dog altogether , by letting them go in the back yard or as i am occasionally guilty of , holding the leash out the front door long enough for them to go pee. ...read on

we live up on the great lakes and have our fair share of seagulls as a result. most people think of these as seabirds , while technically the great lakes are inland seas; they aren’t usually seen this way. so , it can be quite a surprise for the average tourist to encounter gulls on the lakes. our seagulls are just as bad as the ones you’ll find on the east and west coasts. if you feed them they will come…back for more and never leave you alone. in fact ...read on

a study run by the center for disease control and prevention (cdc) has recently completed and it’s quite revealing about the cause of the 2007 and 2008 outbreak of salmonella in the us . the study looked at some 107 reported cases of the virus starting with the case of two girls who came down with salmonella after swimming in a pool with their pet turtles. lessen learned right off the bat….don’t swim with pet turtles! seriously though , these two girls came down with a very bad case of salmonella. both of them developed bloody diarrhoea , vomiting , fever and stomach cramps and one girl ...read on

i've written about pets whom have problems with loud noises , especially fireworks before and how some of them even became so scared that they ran off. now , i thought i'd take a look at one veterinarian's treatment to help pets cope with those loud noises. the vets at oldmeldrum's meadows veterinary centre hold free information sessions from time to time to help out pet owners with their pet's problems. the sessions cover different topics , but next week's session will be on the topic of fireworks , how to prepare your pet for firework season and help pets ...read on

is your dog a good citizen? lots of dogs at the henderson county animal services on saturday became good citizens when they passed a series of tests put together by the american kennel club. this is a test thay shows your dog has good social skills and is completely safe around people. the test covers 10 skills of the good dog ranging from accepting friendly strangers to walking through a crowd and reacting well to other dogs. one dog who finally got his good citizenship certification is a three year old german shepard named toby , who tried six times ...read on

everyone feels guilty for not giving in to their pets when they beg at the table. you are in fact keeping your dog healthy. there are a surprising number of human foods that are bad for dogs. we all know about the classic chocolate is bad for your dog. however there are a lot of starchy foods and fruits that are bad for your pet. in fact its better to just list what's safe for your pet in case you give into the urge to feed them human food. here's a list of safe foods for dogs from msnbc.com vegetables ...read on

cesar milan isn’t the only one cornering the market on dog rehabilitation. there’s another group that works to help problem pets retrain and find homes at a no-kill shelter in kanab , utah , known to many television viewers as dogtown. if you watch the national geographic channel on a regular basis it’s likely that you’ve seen the reality television showed based on the lives of the staff and dogs at best friends animal sanctuary. the shelter works with dogs that other shelters deem un-adoptable and would most likely have to put to sleep. at dogtown they live with and are taught social ...read on

do you have a mixed breed dog? every wondered exactly where fido came from and who his parents were? now you can find out easily what your dog’s ancestry is through a home dna test kit. mars veterinary inc. is offering a dna swab test kit for pet owners curious about their dog’s mixed breed ancestry or even if they want to make sure their pet is purebred. the kit is offered through their company , wisdom insights and costs about $80. according to the company over half of all pets in the united states are mixed breed. however , a lot of pet owners are ...read on

a woman in china may have just paid for the world’s most expensive dog. it’s an 18 month old black tibetan mastiff and he’s just been purchased for $600 , 000. yes , there is a dog out there that’s just been purchased for a little over half a million dollars! hopefully , the new owner , identified only as mrs. wang will treat her pet with love and care. tibetan mastiffs are one of the rarest dog breeds in the world and also one of the oldest breeds. there is evidence that these mid-sized dogs served as watch dogs in china as long ...read on

there’s a special feeling in the air these days. the weather is cooler , people are starting their fireplaces at night and leaves are just beginning to change color. it’s a wonderful time of year when we can all look forward to enjoying the holidays with our families and bundling up against the chilly night air. however , it’s also the time when fleas and other insects are trying to find their way indoors before the cold weather hits. if you have pets , a dog especially , you find that ...read on

cesar milan , aka the dog whisperer , will be releasing a new magazine called , cesar’s way , this year. the magazine will feature all kinds of tips and advice for pet owners , especially dog owners , about raising pets. this new launch comes at a time when the publishing industry has taken a hit due to the bad economy; will milan be able to parlay his television success into the glossy world of magazines? i’m thinking yes , it will be a success. if only for the simple fact that dog owners love spending money on their pets and lots ...read on

hopefully , you all enjoyed your labor day celebrations. the holiday , especially one with a lot of pets participating in outdoor activities with their owners , got me thinking about the possibility of pet theft. there’s lots of chaos during these celebrations which many petnappers take advantage of to steal pets. to make sure you don’t lose your pets in the future here are a few tips from usa today: don't leave your dog unattended in your yard. dogs left outdoors for long periods are targets , especially if your fenced-in yard is visible from the street. • be cautious with information. if strangers ...read on

once more the veterinary pet insurance company (vpi) is raising awareness about your pet’s health with a new award called the hambone awards. it marks some of the more bizarre pet accidents. this first year you can vote from twelve different incidents have topped the list and some of them show just the kind of weird and unique the trouble that pets can get into. a dog named sugar chomped down on a small turtle breaking it’s shell and causing a small piece to become lodged deep in the pup’s nasal cavity. even worse , the piece was missed by vets for ...read on

well , labor day is coming up tomorrow. to help celebrate the holiday and bring pet safety to the forefront i thought i’d gather some additional pet safety tips relating to the holiday: assign a dog guardian. whether you have guests over at your house , you head off to the lake , or you hit the road for one more summer trip , assign one member of the family to keep an eye on the dog. it’s too easy to get into an “i thought you were watching the ...read on