March « 2010 « Pet News and Views

Would You Give Your Pets Generics?

Dude, a black cat from an east New York City shelter was the inspiration for starting Putney, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of generic drugs for pets. It was just 10 years ago, when Dude was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, a condition that’s common in older cats. The good news is that it’s treatable with a single pill given [...]

Stem Cell and Platelet Therapies for Pets

Can the body heal itself? Many people who use alternative therapies believe it is possible. Veterinarians are using stem cells and platelets to heal dogs, cats, and horses. What makes these treatments even more attractive than traditional medicine is that they are less invasive and cost [...]

Cost of Pet Care Part III

Pet Health Insurance
When I first heard about pet health insurance, I was leery. If it is anything like health insurance for people, then we and our pets are in big trouble. I’ve spent countless hours on the phone fighting with health insurance companies over payments for my child’s coverage. I always win. I have the support of wonderful doctors. It’s just the insurance company always tries to deny coverage—even when my son is entitled to [...]

Cost of Pet Care Part II

Veterinarians Speak Out on Fees
What do pet parents do when they can’t afford veterinary bills? On Monday, I posted e-mails from readers who shared stories about their pets’ health care bills. For many of us, this is a highly emotional [...]

Cost of Pet Care

A good number of you have sent e-mails about the high costs of veterinary bills. It’s upsetting that so many people will have to forgo treatments for their pets because they simply can’t afford the [...]

Animal Nonprofit Events Calendar

Animal nonprofit organizations are hosting a wide range of activities that benefit dogs, cats, horses, skunks, and other critters. If you represent a nonprofit animal organization, feel free to list your event in the comments section at the end of this post. I will update this often. Please include the name of your organization, the [...]

From Service Dog to Surfing Dog

Judy Fridono sees the positive side in many situations. Diagnosed with a degenerative disease, Judy doesn’t focus on her constant pain; instead, she turns her energies toward training service dogs. Ricochet, her 2-year old Golden Retriever, was slated to become a service dog, but didn’t make the cut. Ricochet now works as a surfice [...]

Cat Behaviors

Every once in a while Earl Gray, my cat, makes mad dashes around the house. It usually happens at night. We have three floors in our house, and he practically flies up and down the steps. I should just give him a cape, and call him Super Kitty. If you ever wondered why cats get the night crazes, why they rub up against you, and why they exhibit other somewhat strange behaviors, read [...]

Cruelty-Free Fashions

For Jaclyn Sharp, the logo came before the product. When she created Imposter, a line of faux fur fashions, she wanted to make sure that everyone was aware that the fur she sported and designed was not real. So, each garment comes with a visible decorative IM embroidered on it.

“The fur looks so real, that a furrier asked me what type of fur it was,” she explains. “I wanted something beautiful and soft to the touch. And I wanted everyone to know that no animals were harmed in the making of these products. Imposter gives people a viable alternative. There are no excuses for wearing [...]

FURminator Contest Winners

Since I’ve been using the FURminator on Earl Gray, my gray and white tabby, I’ve seen a reduction of cat hair on my clothes and on the surfaces of my house. Earl loves it, and so do I. When I take it out, he comes to me expecting to be brushed. I’m still surprised at the amount of hair that winds up on the brush.
I was so impressed with the FURminator that I decided to host a contest asking dog and cat owners: What other uses can you find for cat and dog hair? The responses were amusing. You can read all of them in a previous post. And the winners [...]

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