Newsletter

Without proper oral care, more than 80% of dogs and cats will show signs of gingivitis or even periodontal disease by the time they are three years old. Watch this video to see the new advances in pet dentistry and what you can do to keep your pet’s mouth healthy!

Quitting smoking can be difficult, but according to the results of a new study, pets may be the incentive some smokers need to kick the habit. A study conducted by the Henry Ford Health System's Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention found that smokers who own pets reported they would be more likely to quit if provided with information about the dangers of secondhand smoke for pets.

The study was based on a web-based survey of 3,293 pet owners. Among the survey respondents, 50% were either current smokers or lived with at least one smoker. While taking the survey, many of the smokers and non-smokers indicated they would be interested in receiving information about quitting smoking.

The results are good news, both for pets and pet owners trying to quit smoking. While the effects of secondhand smoke on humans are well known, studies have also found that secondhand smoke can cause health problems in pets. Lymphoma in cats and nasal and lung cancer in dogs have been linked to secondhand smoke. Additionally, secondhand smoke has been identified as a possible cause of allergic reactions in dogs, eye disease and respiratory problems in birds and oral carcinoma in cats, according to the Henry Ford Health System.

Most of all, the study provides further proof of how devoted pet owners are to their best friends. While pet owners who smoke may not think twice about their own health when lighting up, it's clear that many are thinking about their pet's health and taking that into consideration when they smoke.

Currently, about 63 percent of U.S. households (about 71.1 million homes) include a pet as a member of the family. About a fifth of all pet owners are current cigarette smokers.

In today's world, divisive opinions seem to be the norm, even when it comes to our pets’ health. Take pet insurance for example. Some consumer groups think it’s not worth the premiums but pet health experts believe it’s necessary to save animals from economic euthanasia. What should a thrifty pet owner believe? Watch this video to learn how several pet insurance companies fared when put to the test with a real world case.

Puppy Proofing Your Home

Once you have decided to bring a puppy home, there are jobs that must be done to ensure his safety upon arrival. Just like children, puppies are curious, adventurous, and very often mischievous. Regardless of his personality, your puppy will inevitably find something that you hadn't realized was accessible. Focusing on the safety of your puppy, and the care of your possessions, is an extremely important way to avoid any unnecessary trips to the veterinarian.

Look at the house from your puppy's point of view - get on all fours if necessary! Are there any dangling electric cords, loose nails, plastic bags, or other tempting objects that will be in puppy's reach? If there are, you must put them away immediately. As your new puppy grows, he will be able to explore higher places and be tempted to jump up on shelves. Consider how big your pup is supposed to be. If you bring home a Chihuahua, for example, then something on the kitchen counter may not be a hazard. If you bring home a Golden retriever, however, you may have to reconsider where you keep your dirty knives or household cleaners.

Once you have done the canine version of proofing your home, consider this list of potential problems that may need to be removed or placed somewhere puppy can't reach!

House Plants - While not all plants are toxic to your puppy (though many can be) it is not always the safety of the puppy you have to be concerned with. Pups love to dig, even if it is a small pot with only enough room for a paw and a curious nose! The health of your plants could be at risk. Reduce the possibility of your puppy destroying your plants or becoming sick and place the plants in an area off limits to your pup, or in a high enough place where he is unable to reach.

Trash Cans - Dogs, and puppies in particular, are always attracted to garbage. The kitchen garbage seems to contain a smorgasbord of exciting smells and tasty treats. Make life easier and put your garbage under the sink in a cupboard or in a container with a puppy proof lid.

Foreign Objects - Puppies, like most children, LOVE to put things in their mouths. Unfortunately, that includes things like paper clips, socks, shoes, hair elastics, ornaments, etc. Inevitably, your puppy is bound to find something that you didn't put away (or thought you put away) and made easy for your puppy to get. Provide your puppy with appropriate chew toys or interactive toys to help him avoid heading to your laundry basket or desk to find something entertaining.

Additional Tips:

• Never leave your puppy unsupervised, inside or outside.
• Patch up any openings your puppy may be able to slip through
• Keep your toilet lid down - there are too many reasons to list why this is important!
• Unplug, remove or cover any electrical cords.

One of the best ways to strengthen the bond between you and your cat is to play games together. When you play with your cat, you become the most interesting object in his or her life. Not only is playtime fun for your cat, it's also a great way to get your cat to exercise, both mentally and physically.

Following are six games you can play with your cat. Not every feline will want to play every game on this list, but certainly there are at least a few games here that you and your cat will enjoy. While most of them require objects you may have around the house, there are also a number of toys available that provide the same fun. The key is to actually play with your cat in order to create a fun and lasting relationship with your cat while also keeping them trim and healthy.

Paw Hockey - Play this game in a room with hardwood, tile, or linoleum floors that has at least 10 square feet of free floor space. Break off an eight-inch square of aluminum foil and scrunch it up into a hockey puck shape. (Please remember that foil balls should always be thrown away at the end of the game. They are fine for games, but are not safe for unsupervised play.) Show your cat the puck and then flick it with your fingers so that it goes skittering across the floor. Your cat will then chase after the puck, batting it with his paws and making it scoot from one end of the room to the other. If your cat starts to lose interest in the game, pick up the puck and give it another flick.

Staircase Dash - With your cat at the top of the stairs and you at the bottom, fling a ping pong ball to the top of the staircase, against the side wall, one or two steps in front of where your cat is sitting. The ball bounces down the stairs and your cat should race down the stairs chasing after it. When the ball reaches the bottom of the stairs, probably with your cat just a step behind, fling the ball back up to the top of the staircase. Keep tossing the ball up the steps until your cat gets tired.

Bathtub Scurry - Put a ping pong ball in a clean, dry bathtub. Remove the bottles of shampoo and bars of soap and plug the drain so the ping pong ball doesn't get lodged there. Put your cat in the bathtub, show him the ping pong ball, and bounce the ball off the side of the bathtub. As the ball bounces around, your cat should chase after it. If the ball starts to slow down, give it a good roll off the side to get it moving again and to keep up your cat's interest.

Chase the Thing on the String - Get an aluminum foil ball, hollow plastic Whiffle ball, or catnip mouse and tie it to a three-foot piece of twine or heavy string. Pull the string along the floor in front of you, over the cat furniture, or up and down your staircase and let your cat chase after the object. Be sure to allow your cat to capture the object every once in awhile so he/she can feel like a successful predator.

Shadows on the Wall - Turn off the lights in the evening and shine a flashlight on a nearby wall. Dangle bouncy cat toys or other small objects in the light and move them back and forth so their shadows race up and down the wall. Your cat should leap up at the wall trying to catch the elusive prey.

Every year about 5 million people are bitten by dogs and almost 1 million of those people require medical attention. Medical bills are estimated in excess of $250 million annually and the emotional damage, especially to children, is incalculable. How can "man's best friend" be responsible for so much damage? Can we learn to avoid dog bites? Watch this video to learn more.

Barney and President Bush

The Ford's dog, Liberty, and her puppies

U.S. Presidents and their families have typically liked animals.

The following list of presidential pets is not complete; however, without doubt, many a presidential cat or cow passed through without much public notice.