Choosing the Perfect Pet Bed A supportive and comfortable bed is crucial for managing your arthritic dog’s pain and promoting restful sleep.  This blog delves into key factors to consider and highlights some comfy picks for your precious furry companion Comfort is King: Orthopedic support: Memory foam, gel, or egg-crate mattresses provide pressure relief and joint support. Raised edges: Bolsters offer head and neck support, aiding in getting up and down. Washable materials: Accidents happen, so choose machine-washable covers for easy cleaning. Heated options: Consider ..read more

Ramps & Steps for Arthritic Pups By Linda Simpson Stairs vs Ramp??? Rampsare best as they are the only solution that is impact free.  It makes a real difference for short-legged dogs whose backs are prone to injuries.  Also using ramps to prevent gradual repeated jumping onto higher surfaces can prevent irreparable disc injuries later. Helping your senior dog navigate those tricky climbs can be a pain, but it doesn’t have to be! This blog explores features to consider when choosing ramps and steps, along with some top-rated products to ease your furry friend’s journey. Must-Have ..read more

We finally found the right product for our  quite zippy Daphne,  who is our 14 year old Springer Spaniel!  Really the only way you can tell her  age besides her graying muzzle  is her back legs are “splaying out” on our wood floors and she at times struggles to right herself again.  It is heartbreaking to watch as you might imagine.  We have tried every possible product claiming to prevent this from happening from several rubber and texturized booties, rubber nail covers, pad covers, nothing worked until now! My husband finally found 1 month ago a site called ..read more

Sunshine Mills, Inc. is issuing a voluntary recall of certain dog food products due to levels of Aflatoxin that are potentially above the acceptable limit.  Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mold by-product from the growth of Aspergillus flavus and can be harmful to pets if consumed in significant quantities. The potential for aflatoxin levels above the acceptable limit in these products was discovered by routine sampling performed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry showing that a sample of a single 4-pound bag of one lot of the product contained elevated l ..read more

Queen Anne’s Lace is a very common during the summertime in New England.  The fields are full of them where we live.  Pictured above are Queen Anne’s Lace and our youngest Springer, Chauncey with his prized tennis balls.is our youngest, Chauncey crushing some.  As a child I loved picking bouquets of these flowers and making fairy wreaths for my head sprinkling the rest in vases throughout the house. Lately I heard some talk about queen Anne’s lace being poisonous for humans and dogs. This is not true. After fact checking I learned they are perfectly edible.  “Queen Anne’s L ..read more

Can Benadryl be a choice in treating your dog when they have an itch? You spend a ton of money at the vet and suddenly you think “Ah ha, I have some Benadryl in the cabinet, why don’t we use that?” By the way, Benadryl is a product name and you need to check the ingredients in any over the counter (OTC) medication you are thinking of giving to your pet. STOP, not all Benadryl products are safe for your furry friend. Some versions of Benadryl can contain ingredients that are unsafe or dangerous, including; alcohol, Xylitol and Camphor which is contained in the “Itch Cooling Gel” version. None o ..read more

Pests like fleas need to be controlled inside and outside the house to prevent an infestation.  Thank goodness we never had uninvited fleas, because I hear they like to overstay their welcome…not that anyone ever welcomes them home! If your poor pet (dog or cat) is frantically scratching and biting at their fur you could have a flea problem.  Even if you cannot see them right off, they can upset your pet as they bite and leave a substance that can also act as an irritant to many of our furry children. Fleas love to live on pet hosts as they love their blood.  Fleas bit ..read more

I adopted my first cat, Buster, from an animal shelter when my first child was just a few months old. Buster and Max immediately bonded and became inseparable, and kitty reacted the same way to Max’s sister Coco, born just a year and a half later. Buster, a handsome tuxedo cat, was abandoned by his owner and had lived at the no-kill shelter for years before we brought him home at the ripe old age of eight. Little did I know that he would be around to see my children nearly to adulthood. Buster was 24 when he died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family and the two female cats we had adopt ..read more

Bees and Dogs should not play together! Our black and white Springer Chauncey likes to swim as much as he likes to chase anything that flies including bees and when doing the later, it scares me to death! When your dog tries to bite bees, yellow jackets, hornet and wasps, they are usually stung in their mouth or throat. If this occurs, it can be dangerous as the swelling can block your dog’s airways.  See the above picture of this next to the bee.  (Poor guy) If your dog is allergic, the sting(s)can lead to anaphylactic shock which can be deadly.  If this is the case the do ..read more

Have a cat or cats already and thinking about getting another? Are you concerned about a new kitty getting along with your established pet? There are some simple steps you can take to make the transition as smooth as possible for all involved. First, introduce your cats by scent. Smell is a crucial sense for cats in identifying one another, perhaps even more than sight. If possible, ask the shelter if you can take home a towel your intended cat has slept on to present to your resident cat. If they allow it, you could also bring a towel or blanket that your current cat has used to present to y ..read more