The “Magic” Skunk Formula is Science, Not Magic…
Decades ago, a chemist named Paul Krebaum (may his name be honored forever) cracked the chemical code of the stinky, sulfur-containing substances called “thiols” that are in the musk that skunks spray to defend themselves. Krebaum harnessed the power of oxidation, formulating a solution that changes the odorous thiols into odorless acids. He shared the recipe with a workplace friend who had been complaining about the smell of his cat, who had been skunked. Soon, other scientists heard about the formula and it went viral!
Do Humane Certifications Influence Your Dog Food Buying Decisions?
Whole Dog Journal applaud any efforts made by food producers to buy and use humanely raised meat sources in their products. Do humane certifications or humane claims influence your buying decisions? Please tell us why or why not!
Have a Happy (and Safe) Halloween with Your Dog
Halloween can also traumatize dogs, or cause them to go missing (all those open doors and distracted door-answerers!). Here are some tips to make sure your Halloween is a safe and happy day for your dog.
Help Needed (at Your Local Shelter)
A couple of weeks ago, I took apart the Great Dane-sized crate that’s been living in my office and said I was taking a break from fostering. And then, as these things tend to go, I found myself putting the crate back together again.
How often do you vaccinate for parvo?
AAHA recommends that adult dogs who have received those core puppy shots be revaccinated a year after the last puppy vaccinations, and every three years thereafter. This is a somewhat reduced schedule from decades ago, when most veterinarians would recommend giving all the core vaccines to every adult dog annually.
Sorting Through My Books
Keeping my book collection to only three tall shelves has taken ongoing effort. At least once a year, I’ve had to give the shelves a critical pruning, throwing away titles that contained either incomplete or poor information and donating to my local library books that were of good quality, but not something that I planned to refer to again and again.
Assessing Frailty in Dogs
If we’re lucky, our dogs live a long, healthy life and, when their bodies wear out, they close their eyes and make that journey to the bottom of the Rainbow Bridge. Unfortunately, a simple death like that is rarely the case leaving owners judging quality of life.
Salmonella in Pet Food
People who feed raw diets to their dogs are generally aware of the risks of pathogenic bacteria that, and handle those products and their serving dishes accordingly. Foods that have been produced via a method that absolutely kills pathogenic bacteria—that is, extruded and baked dry foods—that have tested positive for Salmon are more concerning.
Weathering Storms With Your Dog
Even if you don’t live in an area where natural disasters occur often, it’s a good idea to keep some kind of emergency kit on hand. I’ve only had to use mine a few times, thank goodness, but it’s been invaluable when I’ve needed it.
Psychiatric Service Dogs and Flying
If you have flown anywhere lately, you are likely aware that there are many dogs flying with their owners these days
A Law to Help With Veterinary Fees
If you think veterinary fees have gone up recently, you’re correct. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows pet services have risen 60% over the last 10 years—and over 7% in just the last year.
Help Is Available for Dogs Owned by Victims of Domestic Violence
People who commit domestic violence rarely abuse only the people with whom they have been in a relationship; they often target anyone or anything that their victims care about, and frequently this includes pets. There are growing numbers of domestic abuse shelters that allow pets.