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A microchip is a glass bead about the size of a grain of rice which is implanted between an animal’s shoulder blades. It contains a radio transmitter, an antenna, and a computer chip with a 10-digit code. The information contained in a microchip has to be read by a scanner — it is not a GPS system that will allow you to track and locate your pet.

Most humane societies and rescue organizations require that adopted pets be microchipped, so if your pet came from a shelter there’s a good chance he or she already has one.

For those of you who are still considering a microchip for your pet, there are a few important items you should first consider.

With or Without Anesthetic?
Most veterinarians will likely tell you that microchipping your pet is painless. But at my practice we would never even consider microchipping without some local anesthetic.

And I highly recommend that if your pet gets a microchip, you insist on anesthetic. No matter what you have been told, the procedure hurts — the chip is inserted with a really big 12-gauge needle!

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* Amphibians, reptiles, and fish: Aquarium, filter, heater, plants, owner’s manual.
* Birds and rodents: Cage, bedding or cage liner, dishes, toys, owner’s manual.
* Dogs and cats: License, collar, leash, brush, toys, dishes, bed, owner’s manual.

Here are some other ongoing costs to consider:

Food
Bedding
Litter
Grooming or grooming supplies
Regular well-pet veterinary care
Sick, trauma, or emergency veterinary care
Vaccinations and other medical care as needed

Do you have the time and energy to feed, clean or groom, handle, train, exercise, and take your pet to the veterinarian regularly? Here’s a run down of minimum time needed to provide basic care for a pet:

Amphibians, reptiles, and fish
10 minutes per day, plus 3 hours every few weeks

Hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits
30 minutes per day

Cats and birds
30 to 60 minutes per day

Dogs
More than one hour per day
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It is suspected that increases in the temperature and humidity of the skin environment may play a role in the development of these skin infections. This is probably why hot spots tend to be more common in the summer than in the winter. Often, hot spots may occur after a dog has been swimming in a lake or river, likely because this changes the temperature and humidity of the skin microenvironment. Dogs that are prone to allergies also tend to get hot spots more readily than non-allergic dogs.

At one time, all hot spots were thought to be the same and, as a result, were all treated the same way. However, research has shown that there are actually two distinct forms of hot spots (also known as acute moist dermatitis), namely superficial hot spots and deep hot spots. Correctly identifying which type of hot spot your dog has helps the veterinarian to determine the correct treatment and possibly even the cause.

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Benefits of spaying and neutering -

Health:

Neutering a male eliminates the possibility of testicular tumors and greatly reduces the chance of prostate problems. Neutering decreases the incidence of perianal tumors and hernias, which are commonly observed in older, unaltered males. Neutered males are less likely to try to escape a yard to find a female in season. This reduces the likelihood of them being hit by cars, getting into fights or lost. (Neutering is no substitute for a securely fenced yard, however).

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Traditionally, pets have often been checked as baggage, flying in the baggage hold with passenger luggage. However, baggage holds may not always be adequately shielded against the extremes of heat and cold that can occur during flights. They can become particularly hazardous if animals are exposed to extreme temperatures for extended periods because they miss connecting flights or have to wait out delays. There is no way to monitor or assist pets that become uncomfortable or ill during the flight. In fact, due to concern for the health of pets that fly as checked baggage, the US government recently enacted regulations requiring better training in pet handling for airline employees and requiring airlines to notify the Department of Transportation of any adverse incidents involving animals. Also, many airlines now refuse to ship pets as checked baggage during the hottest months of the year.

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TRAINING THE NEW PUP
Let’s start out on our own literary journey down this freeway of discovery and try to understand the many facets of successful traveling with a dog. And the best place for us to start is with a puppy. If you have an adult dog that has not traveled before, skip this puppy class and proceed to ON THE ROAD.

Puppies are smart. They just don’t know it yet. So you’ve got to show them how smart they are by putting them through a few little practice sessions prior to show time. Soon after you have that new pup home, spend some time in the car with it while the engine is off and the car is parked. Tiny tidbits of treats will assure the little rascalLook through the store for pet foods, toys, treats and lots more! that cars are a neat place for snacking. After a few practice sessions, do the same routine with the engine running in a well-ventilated area (NOT in the garage!) Do not get all excited about how great the puppy is doing and be overly praising, if you do, your smart little pup will think this car stuff is a big deal and we don’t want that. To a dog, cars are just another area for snoozing or introspective world watching. If you are quiet and passive the pup will take your lead and learn to relaxed.

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The study, an analysis of 84 cases of dog bites in children, also found that young children are especially vulnerable to severe bites in the head and neck areas, likely due to their short stature. The most common sites of bites to the head and neck were the cheeks (34 percent), lips (21 percent), and nose and ears (both 8 percent). More than half of the children (64 percent) suffered dog bite wounds in multiple locations, and the average wound size was 7.15 centimeters. Twenty-seven percent of dog bite injuries were caused by family pets. Pit bulls were the breed most commonly involved in attacks.

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“Darwin basically said that anything that is useful doesn’t just appear out of nothing,” said Stanley Coren, an author, psychologist and dog researcher who was speaking Saturday at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention in Toronto.

“We’ll begin to see glimmers of it in more primitive form in other species. And I think that’s the way it works when it comes to consciousness.”

Research shows dogs have similar intelligence to a 24- to 30-month old child, Coren said. For the record, cats are considered to have the intelligence of an 18-month-old.

The average dog has a vocabulary of about 165 words. The smartest canines understand up to about 250 words and are able to figure out new ones on their own.

“That kind of fast language learning we thought was only possible among humans and some of the higher apes.”

But more than that, tests suggest that dogs and apes both have some of the same basic emotions — fear, anger, disgust and pleasure — that toddlers experience, said Coren, while both the animal groups are missing some of the more complex, learned emotions such as guilt.

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There are two types of influenza viruses: Type A and Type B. The Type A viruses are found in humans and many types of animals, usually strains specific to that species. The type B viruses circulate widely among humans.

Dogs and other pets do have their own versions of influenza viruses. The canine influenza virus is an influenza Type A H3N8 virus, and the feline version is Type A H5N1 influenza virus. (The numbers and letters after the type denote the numbers and types of proteins on the surface of the virus. The letter H stands for hemagglutinin and the letter N stands for neuraminidase.²)

Who is spreading what virus? Its a fact that birds play an important role in the spread of all influenza A viruses. From the CDC: “Wild birds are the primary natural reservoir for all subtypes of influenza A viruses and are thought to be the source of influenza A viruses in all other animals.” Read more

While rare, there have been human infections from pigs. In this current case of swine flu, a pig virus mixed with a human virus at some point in time to produce the new strain that is being passed human-to-human. This allows for quick spread of this virus in the human population. Because this is a newly created (reasserted) virus, humans do not have any immunity from previous exposures as with “regular” viruses.

Both humans and dogs have influenza Type A viruses that can infect and cause illness in dogs and cats, humans are not as similar of a species to share these viruses in the current forms. There have been no reports yet of any cases that have spread to humans or from humans to pets.