.. By Jelena

Since Tory’s surgery to correct his elongated soft palate, his breathing has improved by leaps and bounds. These days, I can hardly tell he was ever impaired at all! He snorks and wheezes like a normal … Read More

Nothing is more discouraging to a pet lover than a failed adoption. You fully intend to give a loving, permanent home to a pet in need, and instead you find yourself over your head with an … Read More

Sadly, most people have been in a situation in which they’ve witnessed someone close to them mistreating a pet. Whether it’s your college roommate giving alcohol to the fraternity cat, or your aging mother beginning to … Read More

So maybe your rat escaped and went canoodling in the bucks’ cage, or maybe you picked a suspiciously round female out from a feeder tank, or perhaps you’re breeding rats intentionally (if so, I hope you’re … Read More

Even the most experienced pet owners sometimes dread giving pills to dogs and cats. Children are hard enough to medicate, let alone pets, who won’t understand, “This is for your own good!” However, with a little … Read More

Not all animals seem to watch TV, but some do. We’ve all known a dog who barks at Lassie or Garfield, or a cat that bats at the television when the Nature Channel shows songbirds. Why … Read More

We’ve talked about owning pets during a recession before, and as the economy continues to stagnate, it’s more  important than ever to share ways to keep your family together without breaking the bank. I’ve recently started doing … Read More

My horse, Ember, was very head-shy when he first came to me as a rescued racehorse who’d been on his way to slaughter. A severe ear mite infestation made the problem even worse. After the mites were … Read More

It’s a rare dog who’s never pilfered a sock from his owners, nor been caught fleeing the dirty laundry basket clutching a pair of panties in his mouth. But why exactly do dogs steal dirty laundry? … Read More

I’m tipping my hat to the movie “WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price” in the title of this blog post, because in a way, pet stores and puppy mills are the  Wal-Mart of the dog world. Of … Read More

You’ve heard it, as all pet owners have: “Mutts are healthier than purebreds.” But is that true? As it turns out, things aren’t really that simple. While in some instances mixed-breed dogs may have a better … Read More

In part three, a veterinarian diagnosed Tory with several health problems requiring surgical correction. Tory had surgery yesterday, and I’m pleased to report that he’s recovering well, although still pretty groggy and  achey. Now the real work … Read More

Many people don’t want a cat who was found as a stray. Former strays are passed over at shelters in favor of kittens relinquished due to allergies, cats given away for shedding, and more. Strays are sometimes … Read More

Tory visited the vet yesterday. The news is not good! As I suspected, Tory has an elongated soft palate. He also suffers from a number of other medical problems. Tory is scheduled for surgery tomorrow to … Read More

Last week, I introduced you to my foster dog, Tory. At the time, he had not yet arrived. Now he’s at home with me, and has proven to be a little more of a handful than … Read More

“Stump,”  a 10-year-old Sussex Spaniel, won Best in Show this week at the 2009 Westminster Kennel Club championship. Stump is the oldest dog ever to amble away with top honors at the nation’s most prestigious dog show. … Read More

I mentioned yesterday that I’m expecting a new foster dog to arrive soon. We’ll be following my new foster dog, “Tory,” on his journey from intake to adoption. He’s not here yet, so today we’ll discuss the … Read More

When I mention that I volunteer for animal rescues, the most common response I get is something along the lines of, “That’s so great! I wish I had the time to do something like that.” Of … Read More

We’ve already covered the most difficult part of fostering: Letting go of a foster pet. However, I’m currently dealing with the other end of the foster cycle: Waiting for that call saying, “We’ve got a dog that … Read More

Rats, like most small wiggly animals, are notoriously difficult to photograph well. Many a rat owner has snapped what should have been the perfect shot– until the rat moved at the last second, and it ended … Read More

Veterinarians often recommend yearly tooth cleanings for dogs and cats, which require general anesthesia and often cost $200.00 or more. If your veterinarian has recommended dental work, you may be able to get the procedure performed … Read More

Dear Petlvr Mailbag … My dog has a fear of noises. At our training park, there is a BMX track next door. When the bikes take off, they go through an opening gate which comes down … Read More

What’s the most difficult part of feeding raw? Ask 100 raw feeders and you’ll likely get 100 different answers, but for me the answer is, “Fitting that much meat in my freezer and still being able … Read More

In my first blog about flying with rats, we discussed choosing an airline and making a reservation. However, once your ticket is booked, there’s still much more to be done before embarking on your flight. Today, … Read More

Most dog owners have experienced the consequences of failure to generalize a learned behavior at one time or another. For example, let’s say you just spent an hour carefully teaching your new puppy to “Heel” perfectly in … Read More

Yes, it’s possible to fly with rats, but it takes a little more planning and finesse than traveling with rats by car, and it’s not feasible at all times. Some airlines won’t carry rats. During very cold … Read More

Children, even at a fairly early age, are perfectly capable of teaching and reinforcing simple behaviors with the family dog. Training a dog is an easy skill to learn. It builds self-esteem for children, and is … Read More

You’ve probably heard time and time again that table scraps should not be fed to pets, but how true is that old adage? Like most absolute statements, it’s not that simple. Some scraps could be lethal; … Read More

Responsible, reputable rat breeders don’t exist in every area. Plus, families sometimes must move long distances with pets, or take lengthy vacations while bringing rats along. Traveling with rats is often necessary, but in some ways trickier … Read More

Breed bans, also known as Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) are ineffectual and at best serve only to temporarily reassure a community afraid of dog attacks. At worst, they result in the needless killing of family dogs with loving … Read More

Litterbox problems are commonly cited as a reason for rehoming or abandoning pet cats. It’s sad enough that pet parents give up their pets just because cleaning up after them becomes inconvenient, but the worst part … Read More

Oh, yum, everyone’s favorite subject: Ear infections! Dogs and cats can easily get ear infections, and acute infections may become chronic if not treated correctly. Monitoring pets’ aural health is very important to overall wellness. Ear infections … Read More

If you’ve ever volunteered with any sort of animal rescue, you likely know the pain of sending a pet off to what you believe will be its forever home, only to see it returned a few … Read More