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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Humping: Why Do Dogs Do It?


At a local dog park in Atlanta, the other dog owners have a nickname for Lois Gross’ dog, a Dutch shepherd. “They say ‘Here comes Humping Taz,’” the Atlanta resident says of her 5-year-old, spayed female, Taz. “She doesn’t want to play or run, she just wants to hump all the other dogs in the park. We kind of joke about it, but some people get really upset when she gets on their dog so I have to watch her constantly.”

Although the image of a dog humping a person’s leg, a pillow, or another dog can draw a laugh in a movie or on television, in real life it can be annoying, embarrassing, and even cause fights between dogs.

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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Diabetes in Dogs - Treatment and Prevention - Holistic Approach


Diabetes falls into the category of hormonal diseases where the body, more precisely the pancreas, loses its ability to produce insulin, or there is an overproduction of glucose releasing hormone - glucagon.

To read more on this story, click here: Diabetes in Dogs - Treatment and Prevention - Holistic Approach
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Lauderdale County Couple Charged in Hoarding Case; More Than 200 Animals Found on Their Property


Lauderdale County, Ala. (WHNT) – A Shoals couple has been jailed on charges of animal cruelty. The remains of several horses were found on their property late Thursday evening by authorities who were investigating a citizen complaint.

Deputies say the couple had more than 200 animals on the Central Heights property, all of which have been seized by animal control officers.

To read more on this story, click here: Lauderdale County Couple Charged in Hoarding Case; More Than 200 Animals Found on Their Property
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'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Sued In Pit Bull Attack


Cesar Millan, the star of television’s "The Dog Whisperer," is being sued by a woman who claims she was attacked by a vicious pit bull that had been prematurely released by Millan's dog training center.

The woman, a critical care nurse in Florida, claims she suffered "disfiguring open wounds, deep muscle and tendon lacerations" and bone fractures in the Sept. 23, 2014, attack, just six days after the dog had been released by Millan's Dog Psychology Center.

To read more on this story, click here: 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Sued in Pit Bull Attack
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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Lamb Goes on Daily Walks and Wags Her Tail as She Thinks She is a Sheep Dog After Being 'Adopted' by Border Collies


Going on daily walks, wagging her tail and leaping about in the snow, this is the lamb who now thinks she is a sheep dog after being raised by Border Collies in the Scottish Highlands.

Hilarious footage shows 10-month-old lamb Pet adopting a bizarre running style as she tries to keep up with the pack of sheep dogs on her owners croft farm in Ullapool in Ross-shire.

Pet was taken under the wing of the Collies when owner Mairi Mackenzie brought the young sheep into the croft house after she struggled to survive following her birth in April last year.

To read more on this story, click here: Lamb Goes on Daily Walks and Wags Her Tail as She Thinks She is a Sheep Dog After Being 'Adopted' by Border Collies
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Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?


Those stiff hairs on your cat’s face and legs don’t just add to her cuteness -- they have real work to do. Whiskers are GPS and radar systems for your cat.

“They are a powerful and important part of how a cat senses the world,” says W. Mark Cousins, DVM, the founder of a veterinary clinic in New Orleans.

How They Work

Each thick whisker is filled with tiny, supersensitive nerves that help your cat judge distance and space. It’s how she makes decisions like: Is this box too small to get inside? How far do I need to jump to reach that counter?

It’s also how she detects what’s around her. “Cats that are blind can navigate rooms very well by just walking around and letting their whiskers get a sense of where they are spatially,” Cousins says.

The follicles -- the sacs that hold the hairs -- are deep, with lots of nerve endings that send messages to the cat’s brain.

There’s also a sensory organ at the tip of each whisker. It picks up vibrations in the environment that help the cat sense where she is and what other creatures are around her.

Most whiskers are rooted in the thick pads on the upper lip, but smaller sets are in the eyebrow area, along the chin, and near the feet.

The ones on the sides of the nose are the same width as your cat’s body; they help her figure out whether a space is wide enough to squeeze through.

Whiskers on the back of the legs help your cat climb trees.

What’s Your Cat’s Mood? Watch Her Whiskers

A complex set of muscles on the face moves whiskers back and forth.  

The way a cat arranges them will tell another animal -- or us humans -- how she’s feeling. When a cat is relaxed, her whiskers will remain still, sticking straight out from the side of her head. If she is curious or is on the hunt, she’ll press them slightly forward. Cats that are nervous or upset will pin the whiskers back toward the face.

Whiskers Don’t Need Trimming!

Like other hairs on a cat’s body, whiskers shed. That’s normal. But you should never trim them.

A cat with cut whiskers will become disoriented and scared.

“If you cut them, that’s like blindfolding someone, taking away one of their ways of identifying what’s in their environment,” says veterinarian Jane Brunt.

SOURCES:
W. Mark Cousins, DMV, founder of The Cat Practice, New Orleans.
Pet MD: "Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?"


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Monday, February 2, 2015

No More Corgis For The Queen


It is safe to say that Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s most famous corgi owner.  The royal matriarch has owned more than 30 corgis over the years, and the dogs have become almost a mascot. And now, according to the Express, at the age of 88, she has had enough.

“The fact is she worries about too many dogs around her feet and the danger she will trip up and hurt herself badly,” an unidentified court individual told the Express. According to the publication, the queen declined an offer of two Norfolk terriers from her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice.

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Terrence Cody Indicted On Animal Cruelty Charges


With the NFL season over, the Ravens officially released Terrence Cody today after announcing the move on Jan. 23. The Baltimore County Police also announced that a local grand jury had indicted Cody on charges of animal cruelty.

 Ravens To Cut Defensive Tackle Under Investigation For Animal Cruelty
Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody's one-year contract expires in March, but the team…

To read more on this story, click here: Terrence Cody Indicted On Animal Cruelty Charges

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