By Scott Craven The Arizona Republic PHOENIX (AP) — This is what Tonya Bunce remembers from the funeral, the details still clear though months have passed: a peaceful Roxy - front legs wrapped around a Teddy bear with ears frayed from chewing - surrounded by loved ones, friends and much of the staff from the veterinarian's office. After the chaplain's comforting words, others shared their favorite memories of Roxy as they said goodbye to the little Yorkie cut down in her prime. For Bunce, who had no idea just weeks earlier that such a service was possible, it was a fitting tribute to a dog who had so touched her life in the 3 1/2 years Roxy had lived before being hit by a car. On that Sunday afternoon in a quiet, candlelit room at Fairwinds Pet Memorial Services, Bunce felt closure for the first time. "It was a blessing," Bunce said. "It was everything I needed." A growing number of people are finding solace in services, ceremonies and memorials dedicated to recently deceased pets. Veterinarians once were...

His pudgy nose, tiny paws and sloppy, wet kisses melted your heart in an instant. But after giving in to desire and surprising the family with a new furry friend, you found that caring for a new puppy was not exactly what you expected. Adopting a pet can be rewarding, but certain steps must be made before both you and your pet can be ready for the transition. “It’s important to avoid impulse adopting,” emphasizes Dr. Snowden, an associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “Pets are a life-long commitment. Dogs and cats can live ten to fifteen years, while parrots and turtles will live much longer.” So, how do you know if you are ready to adopt a pet? Snowden believes the first step of the process is to evaluate your needs and lifestyle. “Before adopting a pet, a potential owner needs to consider the amount of space in the home available to accommodate the pet,” says Snowden. “Evaluating the amount of time and care that can be spent with the animal,...

The African Grey (Psittacus erithacus) from central Africa is a highly intelligent bird commonly encountered in captivity. This elegant medium-sized bird is entirely grey with a strikingly red short blunt tail. The African Grey has a charming personality and is recognized as one of the best talkers among all the pet birds. With this extraordinary ability to imitate, some African Greys develop extensive vocabularies of words, songs, verses, whistles, sneezes, coughs and electronic sounds such as telephones and microwave ovens. Some individuals, especially if wild or improperly socialized, may have unacceptable vocalizations.
The sound that a frightened, defensive or timid African Grey will make is a characteristic, loud growl. African Greys bond readily, often with one member of the family or specifically with males or females. This bond occasionally leads to aggression towards others. These handsome, good-natured birds make excellent companions and family pets. Most are generally interactive and affectionate....

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<...

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...

Anyone who owns a dog or a cat knows that they will typically eat
anything they can get their paws on. While it is not harmful for a dog
to eat a cat’s food, it can be potentially hazardous for a cat to eat
a dog’s food. In moderation, a cat eating a dog’s food is probably
safe, but if the cat is only eating Fido’s dinner, they are probably
not getting the nutrients that are essential to their specific health
needs.

“Cats’ nutrition requirements are different than dogs’, they have
unique needs,” explains Dr. John Bauer, a professor of animal
nutrition at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine &Biomedical
Science. “Your cat is not going to get ill from eating the occasional
pieces of dog food, but if they are only eating dog food, then they are
not getting nutrients they need for a healthy life.”

If you have a cat that prefers to feast on their canine pal’s dinner,
it is important to know that there are five main nutrients, essential
to feline health, that are not balanced properly for proper feline
nutrition.

“First,...

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums, with or without infection. Stomatitis means that the inflammation involves the entire mouth. Cats have a disease that causes severe gum irritation that may involve almost all of the mouth. The tissues are infiltrated with plasmacytes and lymphocytes, cells of the immune system. Therefore, this disease is called lymphocytic-plasmacytic gingivitis, lymphoplasmacytic gingivitis, lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis, or lymphoplasmacytic stomatitis.
Contributing factors are tartar formation on the teeth and accompanying bacteria around the teeth and gums are usually present. Although these factors do not cause this disease, they contribute to its severity and must be controlled as part of the overall treatment protocol. Many of these cats develop tartar at a very rapid rate and need dental cleaning every 4-6 months.
This is one of the more common diseases of the mouth of cats.
The cause of this disease is not known. Various theories exist, most of which revolve around the...

Taking care of our pets is a year round commitment. However, caring for our animals is more than simply making sure they have food, water, and shelter each day. Making sure they visit their veterinarian for regular check-ups is vital to their well being as well.
October is National Pet Wellness Month. Sponsored by The American Veterinary Medical Association and Fort Dodge Animal Health, National Pet Wellness month is intended to promote awareness about the pet aging process, disease prevention, and the importance of pet wellness exams.
Many people adopt the misguided belief that unless you pet is clearly ill or injured there is no reason to take them to the veterinarian. Just because your pet is not displaying discomfort, does not mean it is healthy. Visiting your veterinarian for wellness exams can potentially prevent health problems, lead to early detection of health issues that could become problematic, and find existing problems that may be
corrected.
“Make sure your pets see their veterinarian at least once...

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums, with or without infection. Stomatitis means that the inflammation involves the entire mouth. Cats have a disease that causes severe gum irritation that may involve almost all of the mouth. The tissues are infiltrated with plasmacytes and lymphocytes, cells of the immune system. Therefore, this disease is called lymphocytic-plasmacytic gingivitis, lymphoplasmacytic gingivitis, lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis, or lymphoplasmacytic stomatitis.
Contributing factors are tartar formation on the teeth and accompanying bacteria around the teeth and gums are usually present. Although these factors do not cause this disease, they contribute to its severity and must be controlled as part of the overall treatment protocol. Many of these cats develop tartar at a very rapid rate and need dental cleaning every 4-6 months.
This is one of the more common diseases of the mouth of cats.
The cause of this disease is not known. Various theories exist, most of which revolve around the...

In the past few years veterinary medicine has made leaps and bounds in the types of procedures that are available for animals. Pet medical histories are beginning to resemble that of their owners. Cancer treatments, pacemakers and other surgical procedures are becoming more accessible and common for our furry friends.

With the rising costs and variety of pet procedures being offered, pet insurance policies are becoming more logical than ever, and opting for these policies can be beneficial.

“Pet insurance policies, like all insurance, allow you to plan for the event of a major medical condition,” states Dr. Dan Posey, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “There is no doubt that veterinarians and pet owners have had to make tough health care decisions sometime in their pet’s life and with pet insurance it makes these decisions easier.”

Before opting for health insurance for your pet it is critical that you research what each company’s plans cover and...

Hurricane season isn’t over yet. In the wake of Hurricane Ike’s wrath, we are again reminded of the stress and chaos that can come from evacuations. Though a difficult time for everyone, pet owners have the added responsibility of making sure their furry (or scaly) friends are safe.

First and foremost, do not leave your pets behind. If the situation is not safe for you, it is not safe for them. There is no way of knowing how long the evacuation will last, or what damage your home might experience.

“Saving the Whole Family,” a brochure in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s disaster preparedness series, recommends planning ahead. Create a disaster kit that you can grab on your way out. Of course making sure your pet has food and water is the most important necessity for their survival, but there are a few very important, less obvious things you need as well.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends having these essentials in your disaster kit:

Identification- Make sure your pet has on ID....

Cervical neck lesions, also one of the common problems of dental disease in cats, result from a progressive destruction of the enamel resulting in slowly deepening “holes” in affected teeth. Once the sensitive parts of the tooth are exposed, these lesions are intensely painful, and the only available treatment is to extract the tooth. The cause of this disease is unknown; however, poor oral hygiene is suspected to play a role in the disease-process.
If you see that your cat has evidence of tartar accumulation, gingivitis or is exhibiting any signs of mouth pain or discomfort, you should take it to your veterinarian for an examination. You will be advised of the most appropriate course of treatment, which may involve having the cat’s teeth examined and cleaned under short-acting general anesthesia.
The rate of tartar accumulation is very variable between individual cats, and in some cases, this may necessitate professional cleaning on a regular basis (every 6-12 months).
Do not try to remove tartar from the teeth...

COLLEGE STATION, Sept. 11, 2008 – If Rover seems anxious and wakes up panting at night, it may be more than just a bad dream.
He may be suffering with Cushing’s disease, and although it can cause significant health problems, it can be managed with proper veterinary care.
“Cushing’s disease (also known as hyperadrenocorticism) primarily occurs in small breed dogs that are middle aged and older,” says Dr. Deb Zoran, a veterinarian at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University.
“In 90 to 95 percent of cases, it is caused by a tiny tumor, called a microadenoma, that forms in the pituitary gland in the brain. The tumor secretes increased hormones that signal the adrenal glands to produce excessive amounts of a hormone called cortisol.”
In addition to panting and anxiety, symptoms may include pacing, increased thirst and urination, increased appetite, a pot-bellied appearance due to an enlarged liver, muscle weakness, hair loss, pigmentation of the skin and the appearance of thinning...