Most dogs love leashed walks, especially when they get the chance to sniff out new trails and explore new environments. My own dogs, Kona and Emma, are no exception. But before you head out to a new park or nature area, it’s critical to check whether the environment is safe—especially when it comes to toxic plants like poison hemlock. A …
Ensure Safe Water Adventures with Your Dog
By Arden Moore How to Play Safely With Your Pooch on the Water Ryan Lilly is an avid fisherman from Hampden, Maine who makes a living educating people on all the various types of canoes, kayaks and boats available these days. He handles consumer marketing for Old Town Watercraft, a Maine-based company making watercraft since 1898. Sure, Ryan loves catching …
Learning Pet First Aid Generates Global Interest
By Arden Moore April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month The month of April is recognized as Pet First Aid Awareness Month where I fittingly spent much of the month traveling to England and Greece to conduct pet first aid classes to pet professionals and pet parents. This was a sponsored trip from a nonprofit group called Let’s Be Smart …
The Brrr is On: Protect Your Pet From Exposure to Freezing Temperature
By Arden Moore When I moved to Dallas, Texas several years ago, I expected to endure hot temperatures starting in the late spring and continuing through the early fall. But I didn’t expect Texas, as well as other states in the country with warm climate reputations, to be socked by bitter cold temperatures this winter. Play it Safe – keep …
Tips to Help Your Pet Live a Longer and Healthier Life
By Arden Moore Four of my six pets qualify for senior status. Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday, Kona, my terrier mix, was a youngster enrolled in canine obedience classes and Casey, my orange tabby, was finishing the steps needed to qualify as a therapy cat with Love on a Leash. Both are now nine. The …
Keep Your Dog’s Joints Healthy with Super Foods and Safe Activities
By Arden Moore Weight and Age Matter Are you blessed to have a canine athlete? Whether your dog’s go-to sport is agility, dock diving, canine musical freestyle, surfing, long hikes or other activities, it is vital to keep tabs on his overall health and especially his joints. Our dogs are not insulated from muscle tears, joint dislocations and yes, arthritis. …
The Heat Is On for Dogs and Cats This Summer
By Arden Moore Summer is Here With summer’s heat in high gear, dogs and cats are at risk for heat-related health issues. Living in Texas, a state with a reputation for soaring temperatures, I am especially conscious of outdoor activity for my dogs, Kona and Emma, and my pet-stroller-riding cat, Casey. Be aware that heat stroke (medically known as hyperthermia) …
Beware of Corn on the Cob Dangers to Your Dog
By Arden Moore Access to Corn Cobs Corn on the cob certainly ranks as a popular food choice at cookouts and picnics. Whether you grill it or steam it and then slather it with butter, corn on the cob just tastes delicious. For people, corn on the cob is packed with protein, essential fatty acids and offers an energy boost. …
An Inside Look into the World of Pet Blood Donation
By Arden Moore In my pet first aid classes, I alert my students that a dog or cat with a serious arterial injury can bleed out and die in as little as five to seven minutes if on-the-scene first aid is rendered. These pets are immediately transported to the nearest veterinary clinic where the medical team does its best to …
Impact of Icy Cold on Dogs and Cats Outdoors
Brrr! Impact of Icy Cold Can Have on Dogs and Cats Outdoors By Arden Moore During the summer, we experienced 67 consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees in Dallas, TX. Other parts of the country also recorded heatwaves. And, now, as we enter the first month of January, the wind chill makes the temperature feel like 5 below zero. …