Described by their name, pocket pets are small fluffy companions that could fit right into your pocket! Guinea pigs, sugar gliders, hedgehogs and hamsters are all a part of the pocket pet family. Pocket pets are an excellent addition to a home that is looking for a first pet, or has very small children who might be afraid of dogs or larger traditional pets. Pocket pets have a shorter lifespan than dogs and cats, require less space, and are usually quiet and friendly. “Pocket pets are more fragile than traditional pets and are very good at hiding any signs of illness,” said Dr. Christy Rettenmund, intern with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science. “Any changes in behavior, appetite, or appearance warrant a visit to your veterinarian”. Owning a pocket pet is a little different than owning a dog or a cat. It is a good idea to do some research before purchasing one of these pets because they have specific diet and husbandry needs. “Each type of pocket pet has specific nutritional requirements,...

If your younger dog always deferred to the older dog, but now they fight, one scenario may be that an older, previously dominant dog is challenged by a younger, more domineering dog. This may happen as the older dog ages, or as the younger dog reaches behavioral maturity at 12 to 36 months. This may be an attempt to alter the existing hierarchy but at other times the dog is being a “bully.” Sometimes the older dog will acquiesce and things are fine, but at other times the owners do not want the change and intervene. In some situations, the older dog will not relinquish the dominant role even though it cannot physically compete with the younger dog. This can result in severe, injurious fights.
Breaking up a fight can be a dangerous situation for people and dogs alike. Owners usually try to reach for the collar of the fighting dogs, or if one is small, pick it up. This can result in severe owner injury if the fighting is very intense. If both are wearing leashes, they can usually be pulled apart. If all else fails,...

Dogs are social animals whose evolutionary history makes them willing and able to live in groups. Group living enabled wolves to work together to obtain food, raise their young and defend their territory. It would be counter-productive for members of a group to fight with each other and risk injury. That would prevent them from working with the group.
Although domestic dogs are not wolves, they do have a social structure in which each dog is either dominant (leader) or subordinate in its relationship with each pack member. This is a “dominance hierarchy.” The leader or “alpha” dog is the one that has first access to all the “critical” resources. These resources include food, resting places, mates, territory and favored possessions. Assertion of dominance by the alpha is generally communicated through facial expressions, body postures and actions. Fighting is rare, since as soon as the subordinate submits or defers to the alpha animal and the alpha gets its way, he or she gives up the challenge.
Fights between...

Dogs fight for a variety of reasons. Usually there is a dominant and subordinate dog and the owner should not interfere with the relationship.
On other occasions, neither dog is willing to be subordinate. This could be due to a challenge to the hierarchy as a younger dog matures, as an older dog becomes sick or aged, when a new dog is introduced into the home or when one dog is not clearly dominant to the other. You should learn how to recognize canine body language and low-level threats such as eye contact, snarls or low growls. Keep records of threats, attacks or tension-producing situations. An owner must have excellent control over both dogs in order to succeed. To facilitate treatment, decrease the chances of injuries and increase owner control, a remote leash can be left attached to one or both dogs. Often the best form of owner control is to fit and train each dog with a head halter, and to leave a leash and head halter on each dog when they are together (under the owner’s supervision). In other cases,...

As the winter season settles in, the chill of the cold air often make
us more aware of our joint health problems- the same goes for your pet.
Though commonly bothersome in the winter, joint discomfort can be a year
round-pain that affects your pet’s quality of life.

“Joints are areas where bones come together,” explains Dr. Sharon
Kerwin, an associate professor at the Texas A&M University College of
Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “They are a combination of
bone, ligaments, cartilage, and the joint capsule and fluid. If anything
damages the cartilage or another structure in the joint then arthritis
or deterioration results.”

Unfortunately, at this point in time, there is no cure for arthritis.
Symptoms can be treated but arthritis is often progressive and gets
worse with time.

Though no cure has been found yet, there are ways to prevent or
postpone the onset of your pet’s joint problems.

“While genetics do play a role in the development of some joint
issues, weight control and proper diet are essential in both prevention<...

NAMPA — Anyone seeking a new or a lost pet should call the Pet Haven Shelter at 466-1298 for information, or visit the shelter at 333 Orchard Ave.
Pet Haven’s shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday noon to 4 p.m. and closed Sunday and most holidays.
It costs $50 to adopt a cat. These charges include spaying or neutering the pet, deworming it, vaccination and a leukemia test.
Remember the low-cost spay and neuter clinic at the shelter. Call for times and dates.
All cats ready for adoption are spayed or neutered. Cats available this week include two polydachtyl males, three orange-and-white males and eight kittens.
Find out more online at www.pethavenonline.org.
The Thrift Store at 619 Main St., Caldwell, helps fund the operating expenses of Pet Haven. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10-4:30 Saturday. The store is gearing up for spring. Spring clothes are coming out this week. For more information call 455-1303.

CALDWELL — The Canyon County Animal Shelter is at 5801 Graye Lane,...

Sharing With your Pets is Bad… At Least When it Comes to Disease.

Many of us share just about everything with our pets. After all, they
are part of our families. We share our home, our food, even part of our
couch. While we are taught early in life that sharing is good, there
are definitely some things that we don’t want to share with our pets
and one of these is disease.

Diseases that can be transferred between humans and people are called
zoonotic diseases. Dr. Mark Stickney, Director of General Surgery
Services at Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical
Sciences, explains how these diseases can be transferred and how they
can be prevented.

“The good news is that if you are sick you are almost certainly not
going to give it to your pet,” reassures Stickney. “The only real
exception is that it is possible to spread the flu virus from people to
ferrets.”

On the other hand, Stickney notes that it is much more common for
humans to catch diseases and/or illnesses from our pets.

“Our pets can actually give us...