Far too many pets are lost every day. A gardener left the gate open, a child didn’t close the door all the way, or a visitor accidentally let the dog out. If you have lost your pet, the chances that they are injured, stolen, or never come home are too high to even consider. If you have lost your dog, getting the word out on social media quickly with photos and cross streets where the pet was last seen are critical. Posting flyers helps too. Checking the shelters, social media, and Craigslist can all help find your dog. Below is a short excerpt from my book that helps detail what you can do w ..read more

So, you have a dog that has a penchant for digging through the trash or you would probably not be reading this article. I have been there. Two of my previous dogs, both Labrador retrievers delighted in tipping over my kitchen trash can and sifting through for forbidden treasures when I left the house. Aside from the obvious mess and nuisance, trash contains many toxic things that can also become bowel blockages in dogs. One of these scavenging dogs ate a box of steel wool soap pads. The second dog ate and digested a black trash bag. We did not realize that the entire trash bag was consumed unt ..read more

Yes. When it comes to dogs, they truly are a man’s (and woman’s) best friend. Some people, especially seniors do tend to heal faster with a dog in the home. And for those that don’t heal faster, it doesn’t have a negative effect on them. So, you have nothing to lose by keeping a nice gentle calm dog around. Seniors tend to have fewer social interactions. Their children are often grown with busy lives and family and friends cannot always visit as often as they would like to do. Many seniors are widowed, divorced, or remain single. Friends are often fewer. My grandmother used to have a group of ..read more

Did you recently adopt a new cat? Are they driving you crazy with all the scratching? Are they attacking your favorite chair or couch? In this post, I will share some easy tips that will help save your furniture from your cat’s scratching before you need new furniture, or lose your mind. Some people choose to de-claw their cats because of the damage cats can cause to furniture. This is never advised. De-clawing is a drastic and extreme measure that can cause permanent damage to your cat, is extremely painful, and leaves your cat defenseless. There are other options that work. Have scratching ..read more

Not too long ago, my granddaughters found a baby bunny. They were worried that the bunny was orphaned and would die without help. Of course, they wanted to help the little baby bunny. This led to them calling me since I take care of pets for a living. But, I have only cared for a few domestic bunnies. So I did some quick research and was surprised by what I discovered when searching for information about how to keep a wild baby bunny alive. This is what I found out. Wild bunnies are often left alone for extended periods of time by the mother bunny. The mothers often cover their babies with lea ..read more

Pest Control – Bees Recently, I came home to my condo complex to find a pest control worker killing a beehive right outside my door. The hive was in an olive tree. They weren’t bothering anyone (I was happy to see them buzzing around the flowers in the common area). When I approached him to discover what he was doing, I was shocked. The damage was done. He had already sprayed a poisonous foam over the hive. He was attaching screening over the hive and stapling it to the tree to trap any surviving bees from escaping the massacre. It made me so profoundly sad and also quite angry. I was stunned ..read more

Do you have a cat that yearns to be outside? Did you rescue a feral cat or a cat that was previously allowed to roam outside? Indoor outdoor cats, fully outdoor cats, and feral cats may never fully adjust to life indoors. Indoor cats live longer healthier lives because of the reduced risk of illness, disease, and injury. But, if you are considering allowing your cat outdoors, here are the risks and the rewards of allowing your cat to roam and explore freely. Every situation is different. Only you can decide if the rewards for your cat of being allowed to roam freely balance out the risks and a ..read more

Has your dog gotten fluffier lately? A common question I get asked by my clients is how they can help their overweight dog slim down. Dogs can have weight problems just like we do. Most already know that to lose weight, their dogs need to eat less and exercise more. But they often feel like what they are doing isn’t working. Here, I will share what I tell them about helping your overweight dog maintain a healthy weight. First, has your dog been to the veterinarian for a check up with blood work lately? Dogs age much more quickly than we do. So, it is important to visit the veterinarian regula ..read more

Do you love to go hiking but don’t think your little dog can manage it? I have two dogs. My border collie dog can hike all day and be very happy with the whole experience. She is a perfect size to scale steep trails and she is agile. I also have a little seven-pound senior chihuahua who loves getting out in nature. He is not nearly as athletic as my bigger dog. But, I still take him out when we are hitting the easier shorter trails. This is what I have learned to safely hike with little dogs. Most importantly, start slow. If your little dog has spent most of his day on the couch, don’t start ..read more

Which app is better to hire dog walkers and sitters? Have you gone back to work and are worried about your dog being lonely or needing a break during the day? Have you looked for local pet sitting or dog walking businesses in your area but are having trouble finding one that feels right? Many people turn to popular apps like Wag and Rover for their pet care needs because they are easy and quick. In this post, I will share my opinions on how to keep your pets safe when choosing an app-based platform, having used and worked for both for several years. While both are third-party apps that put you ..read more