EVERYDAY DOGCARE

Thinking of choosing a new veterinarian? If so, one of the first considerations should be whether you prefer a large practice or small. Small practice benefits: Your dog will see the same doctor - or two - every single visit and will therefore develop a bond with the vet and feel less scared about going for medical care. The atmosphere will be less harried. The vet will have intimate knowledge of your dogs baseline health and will be in…

With which of these three animals do women get the best nights sleep: a dog, a cat, or a person? A dog, according to a survey of 962 women across the U.S. whose results were published in the journal Anthrozoos.

The delays, the people in Zone 4 trying to get ahead of you during boarding, the sterile atmosphere, the fear of flying…there are all kinds of reasons not to like waiting for your flight to take off. But what if you could pet or cuddle with a friendly dog to take your mind off the tedium and anxiety? At more and more airports, you can. Around the U.S. and Canada, airports have been instituting programs whereby people come and walk their friendly, well-behaved dogs around the terminal to soothe travelers strung-out souls.

Tufts veterinarians see more than their fair share of pups whose owners havent trimmed their nails - in the emergency room. The nails have grown in a circular shape and back into the dogs paw pads, causing painful infections that turn red and ooze pus.

My 12-year-old dog, Emmy, has been pure white her entire life - until the last 7 months. As you can see from the photo, she now has a rust-colored face and paws. Three different veterinarians have given me three different theories for why this has happened, ranging from old age to allergies. At this point she has been on four allergy medications, including steroids, but none of them has helped. I should note that she has also had pus in her left eye, which is red. I have been applying the over-the-counter eye ointment Maxitrol, but I am already on my fourth tube - it only works for a couple of days. Please help my baby girl. I dont know what else to do.

Could a hawk or an eagle carry off a small dog? We let our shih tzu, Lily, out in the yard by herself, and I worry because those birds circle round and round.

Every dog should have a bed. Its a go-to spot they love, whether to snuggle, snooze, or get a good nights rest. But which bed is best? It depends on your canine pals proclivities, health conditions, and age. A dogs bed needs to change through the years, and you may want to switch beds as she gets older. Here are eight types of beds, along with features that may suit a dogs specific needs.

Theres a common belief that once a child has been diagnosed with asthma, any dog (or cat) who lives under the same roof as the youngster should be re-homed because asthma leads to allergies, including allergies to pets. But according to the results of a new study from Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, that belief is nothing more than urban legend - as long as the child is properly treated for his condition.

Fully 95 percent of dog owners buy Christmas gifts for their pets, according to a survey reported on by Pet Age. On the one hand, it may seem silly. After all, dogs dont understand the holidays. They dont even understand what a holiday is. On the other hand, making sure the dog gets some attention by presenting her with a gift on a day that her routine is completely thrown off, often with people on the scene who she doesnt know or hardly knows, can be a nice way of remembering that she likes being in and also needs some focus to feel secure.

For us, daily tooth care and regular dental visits are basic things that we do to stay healthy. But did you realize that our pets require regular dental care, too? Truly bad dog breath (not normal doggy breath) is one of the most commonly ignored problems in our dogs - and a sure sign of canine dental and gum disease.

When fluffy-man Franklin was young, he would scream at our mail carrier, Pat, each time he came up the walk toward the house, which, of course, was almost every single day. Frank would rip the mail out of Pats hand as he put it through the slot, shredding bills, ads, wedding invitations - you name it. Today, 10 years later, there has been some mellowing - on Pats part. He knows Franklins schtick and is happy to throw him a biscuit if we happen to meet up during a walk.

All too few dogs engage in enough physical activity, which not only contributes to the epidemic of unhealthful excess weight in an estimated two in five of our canine companions but also leads to behavioral issues. Problems like whining, panting, barking, and aggression could be ameliorated with regular aerobic activity that gets the heart rate up and excess energy out. Some veterinary experts even put vigorous physical activity in front of training, diet, and other measures as a mood stabilizer and overall calming influence - no surprise to people habituated to using a good workout to lift their spirits and get the venom out.