Snakes. Do you react to this single word with fascination or phobia? Perhaps more than any other pet, a snake can evoke this range of responses. Snakes are not evil, slippery, or slimy. They are smooth, dry, and graceful. There…

Cats and dogs are naturally curious creatures. This curiosity, however, can sometimes get them into trouble. According to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, nearly 180,000 cases of possible poison exposure were handled in 2013. Items that can be toxic…

Just as you and your partner are adjusting to the big changes coming your way with parenthood, your dog will also need to adjust. How you handle this new phase of your life will affect how your dog handles it.…

Remember to have your pets spayed or neutered. Bob Barker, world-famous game show host, closed each installment of “The Price Is Right” with this prompt, but the decision to follow his advice is not always that simple. The question of…

Beautiful, intelligent, and social, with simple needs – birds can be ideal pets for all these reasons. Birds are relatively easy to care for and adaptable, but their behaviors are less familiar to most of us than those of the…

Did you know that 85 percent of our family pets over the age of four have some form of dental disease? This includes not only the tooth itself but also the gum tissue, or gingiva, and underlying bone. Dental disease,…

As a mother, I can understand and sympathize with the frantic phone call from a client that begins, My dog nipped at my granddaughter! Or this concern: My dog got kicked out of daycare! Or this one: My dog can’t…

People are often surprised to learn that our pets have many of the same diseases we do. Annual physical exams and routine blood work can be helpful in identifying these diseases early. Diabetes mellitus occurs when there is too much…

A lizard living in your home, on purpose, may give some parents pause. However, if your child is a budding herpetologist, a leopard gecko may be the perfect place to begin. There are many fascinating and beautiful species of geckos…

Acupuncture is an ancient medical therapy that involves the insertion of small, sterile needles into specific points along the body. Now if you are thinking, Sure, my cat will sit still for that considering she hangs off the ceiling just…