If your cat is itchy, he could have an allergy to something in his environment. Molds, pollen and dust mites are common allergens, but can cats be allergic to dogs? While it’s not something you hear about very often, it’s possible. Can Cats Be Allergic to Dogs?
Although veterinarians say it’s not well-documented or very common, cats can be allergic to dogs. “When we perform intradermal allergy testing in cats, ‘dog epithelia’ is one of the allergens that we test cats for out of a panel of about 60 environmental allergens, including pollens, molds and house dust mites,” says Dr. Elizabeth Falk, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists in Stamford, Connecticut. “We can include that in the cat's allergy vaccine.” Generally speaking, cat allergies are not very well-studied, so knowing whether certain dog breeds are more allergenic than others is tough. It’s not much of a stretch, however, to suspect that certain breeds can potentially present more of a risk, veterinarians say. To read more on this story, click here:Can Cats Be Allergic to Dogs?
Dogs and cats have historically never been the best of friends when it comes to getting along with each other. The majority of dogs and cats keep a distance from each other. However, there are a few exceptions in some households, especially when the dogs and cats have grown up together from a very young age. Dog Allergic to Cat
But can dogs be allergic to cats and develop allergic reactions? It may surprise you to know that in the rarest of cases, this is actually true! How is it possible you might be thinking. It is extremely unlikely, but there is a slight chance that you may end up in a situation where your dog is allergic to cats and develops itches, red eyes and keeps sneezing as soon as a cat is near him or her. To read more on this story, click here:Can Dogs Be Allergic To Cats? Signs & Treatment
An adorable two-month-old puppy was surrendered to the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter in Newark, New Jersey recently; the dog's front legs grossly deformed. Perhaps his birth defect or being locked in a too small kennel as he developed saved his life; his past owner decided the little one's deformity made him unsuitable to be a fighting dog. Named Hulk by his rescuers, the staff at the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter stated the eight-week-old little bundle of cuteness was the meanest, nastiest little critter anyone would have wanted to meet. From the moment he entered the shelter, Hulk would bite, growl and snap at everyone. It was evident he hadn't been socialized; chances are he was already being taught to fight and be aggressive. According to the AHPPS, however the very young life of Hulk is making a positive turn: "...the rough edges have smoothed down with loving hands that hold him. There are two matronly female dogs who play with him so he can perceive that affection and dominance are taught in a favorable and rewarding manner." Hulk will be examined by a specialist this week in hopes of correcting his deformity. If you would like to help, please click here. Follow Hulk's progress on Facebook by clicking HERE.
Rabbits are susceptible to infection by a small oval shaped mite called Psoroptes cuniculi, which has a preference for ears. Rabbits can pick up infection when they contact eggs in hay, straw, or wood chip bedding.[1] Although the mites live in the ear, if the infection is not treated, it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the paws, head, neck, abdomen, or around the anus.[2] Learn how to treat ear mites so you can keep your rabbit healthy. 1- Clean everything the rabbit has touched. Ear mites are very contagious. Because of this, everything the rabbit comes into contact with should be cleaned and disinfected in case they harbor mites or mite eggs.[3] Dispose of all bedding materials and provide fresh bedding every day until the mites have been gotten rid of completely. Scrub and disinfect the hutch and run. Make sure to clean it often while your rabbit has the infection. Ear mites are highly infectious to other rabbits and can spread by direct contact. Therefore, all the rabbits in the household should be treated, too. To read more on this story, click here:How to Treat Ear Mites in Rabbits
People have loved–and even worshipped cats–since the beginning of time. We know Cleopatra of Ancient Egypt and her love affair with cats. In fact, the term “cat eyeliner” was another thing she was famous for. But there are a number of cat lovers throughout history that you may not know. Here we will take a look at some of the most famous cat lovers throughout history. Let’s see how many you already knew! Many of us know the 16th President of the United States for his untimely death and Gettysburg Address. But what you don’t know is that this impressive man was also a crazy cat lover! And better yet, Lincoln was the first president to bring cats to the White House. To read more on this story, click here;Famous Cat Lovers In History
Rare pink dolphin mom gave birth to a cute baby dolphin. People call her Pinky, and the animal has been spotted in the Calcasiey river in Louisiana. The pink calf was there, too. The pink mammal became popular 12 years ago. Captain Erik Rue was the first to spot her. The video of Pinky and her baby was posted on Pinky’s Facebook page. The dolphins were swimming in front of a big boat in the Calcasieu Ship Channel. According to experts, Pinky is a Rare River Dolphin who got the pink color from a rare genetic mutation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed river dolphins as endangered. It’s population is decreasing.
The birth of the calf gives us hope that calves have inherited their mother’s genetic mutation which would help in the effort of increasing the population of rare species.
A once perky pooch may now be listless and withdrawn. Or a dog who previously had the tolerance and patience of Job might have turned aggressive, snapping at the kids or destroying furniture. Could these be signs of depression? “It’s hard to know for sure because we can’t ask what they’re feeling, and have no tests to specifically gauge depression in dogs,” says Bonnie Beaver, DVM, of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “That’s why it’s important to see a vet whenever your dog experiences any sudden change in behavior — to rule out a possible medical condition ranging from GI upset to cancer. But certainly, there are situations where depression seems to be the only explanation.” Leading the list, perhaps to no surprise, is loss of a family member. “We definitely can say we see depression in dogs when there’s a death of a person or another pet in that household, or someone moves out,” notes John Ciribassi, DVM, of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and co-editor of the book Decoding Your Dog. To read more on this story, click here: Is Your Dog Depressed?
A Niagara Falls, Ont., man has been fined $15,000 after he was caught flying into Canada with a suitcase full of leeches. Ippolit Bodounov tried to smuggle 4,788 live, medicinal leeches in his carry-on luggage on Oct. 17, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). He'd just flown from Russia to Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Bodounov carried the leeches in a large reusable grocery bag, said Gerry Brunet, operations manager of ECCC's wildlife enforcement directorate, based in Burlington, Ont. Within that bag were 10 smaller, dampened cloth bags. A dog working with border agents smelled the leeches, Brunet said. "This is our first large-scale illegal leech import," he said, though the ministry sees a lot of illegally imported reptiles, turtles, tortoises and snakes. The ministry sent the leeches to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where Sebastian Kvist, curator of invertebrate zoology, identified them as Hirudo verbana, a threatened medicinal leech. To read more on this story, click here:Man Caught Smuggling Nearly 5,000 Leeches In Luggage
Number one canine problem behavior is “home alone.” Don’t panic if someone tells you that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. It’s probably not the case. Anxiety is a serious disorder and most dogs don’t have any anxiety when left alone. They are either under-stimulated and burn their surplus energy by wrecking the furniture, they’re having fun and don’t know that it is wrong to destroy human possessions, or the owners have not taught them the desired routines when left home alone.
'This is unacceptable behavior for dog owners. Why is it OK for cats?' asks Grant Sizemore, a conservation biologist with the American Bird Conservancy. UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Marian Parker pulled her small Hyundai into the parking lot of an Upper Marlboro, Md. strip mall and started her daily mission. In the cluttered back seat, rested an empty cat cage, several bags of dry pet food, and cases of 22-ounce 'Paws and Claws Turkey and Giblets' dinner cans. Parker comes daily to feed a colony of about 20 feral cats. The animals live in a trash-filled, muddy, no-man’s land in the forest behind the shopping center along the banks of the Western Branch near the busy intersection of Routes 301 and 4. Parker and others have set out overturned plastic storage tubs filled with flea-infested straw in the muddy woods to shelter the cats. Holes are cut in the plastic for the cats to enter. To read more on this story, click here:Feral Cat Colony Crisis Pits Environmentalists Against Humane Groups
Every dog owner knows that dogs sniff each other’s butts. It probably isn’t the most pleasant sight to witness, but it’s just a dog’s way of life. There are a few reasons why dogs sniff each other’s butts and it really boils down to their sense of smell and communication. Dogs smell each other when they first meet When two people meet, they evaluate body language, facial expressions and tone of voice to quickly assess each other. When two dogs meet, they don’t say hello or shake hands like we do, but they will gather lots of information from each other’s body language. When two dogs meet, they usually walk in circles while scrutinizing each other’s demeanor and posture. Are their ears back? Is their tail wagging? Dogs use their acute sense of smell to get a an assessment of the dog they’re meeting Dogs use their keen sense of smell, along with a visual assessment, to get vital information about a new canine acquaintance. The chemical aromas identify gender and mood, and can even communicate what a dog likes to eat. By simply smelling, a dog can determine if a new friend is male or female, happy or aggressive, healthy or ill. Dogs get a general idea about each other with a quick sniff, but get more detailed information by getting up close and personal and that’s where the butts play a part. The video below, from the “American Chemical Society’s Reactions series” explains this whole butt smelling communication! To read more on this story, click here:Why Do Dogs Sniff Each Other’s Butts?
Cat lovers know all the quirky traits of our favorite felines. One of the more perplexing behaviors is when you are sitting down, waiting for your kitty to curl down next to you, but instead your cat puts her butt in your face! And while we humans would never do this to each other, there are a few reasons why cats might put their butts in your face. Cats put their butt in your face as their way of saying hello! Cats raise their tails as a sign of friendliness and trust, allowing us full access to all of the intimate, olfactory details about them found in their scent. Turning around makes that invitation even clearer. Smell is so much more important to cats so inviting us to check them out is just a friendly hello! The butt in the face is their way of trying to be nice, not naughty! When cats greet each other, they usually sniff each other’s faces When greeting each other for the first time, cats sniff each other’s face and neck as an initial greeting. This is pretty similar to nodding a greeting to a stranger at first meeting. Cats produce cheek pheromones that signal friendship, so sniffing this area can actually help calm feelings of aggression or fear. To read more on this story, click here:Why Do Cats Put Their Butts in Your Face?
Augusto Deoliveira shared this video of him walking his pack of German Shepherds in public. All five dogs are unleashed and walk in a group, close beside him. What the video doesn’t tell is the story behind the dogs he’s walking with. He wrote, “This video features Savannah on the left (not quite a year old at the time). Griffin next to her (almost 2). The one behind me was a rescue dog (3 years old) who came to me with no training or socialization of any kind, she was very sweet but not confident She had numerous health problems and to me this is amazing of how she was doing after only a couple of months of training, given the fact that she never left her small kennel ever!” “Then Hannah (she came to me at 2). I did all the training with her. She is very confident. The one on the far right is another rescue who was tied on a leash outside day and night, even in the winter. She had just a tiny dogs house. She was in very poor shape when I got her. She had no training and again was not confident. Although those 2 [rescue] dogs will never to be 100% they are way better in this video than when I rescued them. They both have found great pet homes since then.” “The other 3 still live with me. This video is 2-years-old and was filmed in the winter in a very cold day if you didn’t notice.” Since the video went viral, Augusto has received many comments from people claiming the dogs were trained by shock collars or abuse because the dogs were not wagging their tails. But Augusto said this is simply not the case. “I know how much training and energy I put into these dogs to train them, and whether you use shock collars or not its not that easy to do this. I use my body language to let the dogs know I want them to walk close to me.”
Bindi's story was one of the Most Incredible Story category finalists in the National Cat Awards sponsored by Verdo Cat Litter. Bindi had always been a laid-back, gentle and sweet-natured cat, so when she started acting strangely one day, owner Valerie Lubbock knew something was wrong. Asleep on Valerie's lap, little Bindi, who was adopted from Crawley, Reigate & District Cats Protection, reached up, pushed her paws into her owner's chest and stared at her directly in her face. It was so out of character it was the incentive Valerie needed to go for that check-up. Within three weeks, Valerie had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a life-saving mastectomy.
