Cat & Dog Behavior & Care Advice
Amy Shojai, CABC, Pet Expert & Award-Winning Author
DWAA Hall of Fame & AVMA Veterinary Media Award Winner
Why Dogs Chew Your Best Stuff
Dogs use their mouths like people use our hands. That means nearly everything goes into the puppy’s mouth as he explores the world, and teething pups chew to relieve the discomfort. Dogs never outgrow the gnawing habit, though, and that can get them in trouble.
Here’s why they target your favorite things…and what you can do to reduce the risk.
Pet Dehydration? Causes, Symptoms & First Aid for Dog Dehydration and Cat Dehydration
Cat and dog dehydration refers to the excessive loss of body water. Pets are prone to dehydration when the weather gets very hot, and they don’t have access to enough water. As a result, they can develop heatstroke. More often, though, dog and cat dehydration happens from vomiting and diarrhea.
Here in Texas, we’ve had weeks of triple-digit temperatures. I worry about the outside pets, but even indoor cats and dogs can suffer from dehydration. Normal water loss occurs in the pet’s bathroom deposits, through moisture exhaled with the breath, and through sweat. These fluids get replaced when the cat and dog eat and drink.
Any illness may prompt pets to stop eating and drinking, and prolonged fever increases the loss of body fluid. Specific disease conditions or injuries like diabetes or kidney disease may cause excessive urination that also causes of dehydration.
Cats evolved as desert creatures and have an amazing ability to conserve water, but cat dehydration can still kill. Even though cats seem to prefer to drink water in the weirdest places (the sink? your glass? the TOILET?!) they most often just don’t drink enough water. Here’s what you need to know.
Pet Rescue Breathing & CPR Saves Cat & Dog Lives
Do you know how perform Pet Rescue Breathing and pet CPR? You can save your dog or cat’s life by knowing how to do pet CPR and how to perform rescue breathing. Pets suffer brain injury and death if oxygen is cut off for only a few minutes. When minutes count, rescue breathing can save your pet’s life.
How to Find Lost Pets
July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month. More pets disappear over the July 4th holiday than any other time, because they get so scared about the noise. But pets get lost all the time. Both Karma-Kat and Shadow appeared as lost babies. Please bookmark this site for tips how to find lost pets.
Scaredy Cat? Teaching Shrinking Violet Shy Cats
Do you have a scaredy cat? Working with fearful and scared cats can be a challenge. Does Sheba hiss at strangers? Does Tom dive under the bed when the doorbell rings? Do your kitties attack other pets (or humans)? What can you do to stop bad behavior if even a mild correction sends the cat into fearful meltdown? Here’s help.
Fear of Fireworks & Thunder? How to Calm Pet Noise Fears
Does your dog fear fireworks? What can you do for a cat or dog scared of fireworks? What about earplugs for dogs? Cats aren’t immune so New Year’s celebrations, Memorial Day (or graduation hijinks), July 4th fireworks, and thunderstorms can turn pets into shivery bundles of fur when BOOMS, bright lights, or even wind and rain noise fill the sky. Pets can be scared of all kinds of loud noises, and I get asked for advice all the time.
I share this information twice a year in time for July 4 fireworks, and the New Year fireworks. No matter the time of year, always pay attention to pet safety. . .
9 Tips for How to Keep Pets Safe Around Water
If your summer fun means time spent at the lake, swimming and paddling about to stay cool, do you take your pets? How do you manage pet water safety?
First Aid for Pet Drowning
Swimming comes naturally to most animals, but pet drowning happens just as easily. Many puppies leap before they look, or simply fall into the swimming pool, hot tub or break through ice on the lake and can’t get out. Dog paddling may be instinctive, but they can still drown if they can’t climb out and get too tired to float. Learn how to treat dog drowning and save pet drowning victims…
Pets & Sunburn: What You Need to Know About Sunburn Pain and Solar Dermatitis
Long sunny days can bring misery for people—and their pets. You can keep them safe with these tips. Yes, pet sunburn is real, and can not only cause painful nasal dermatoses in cats and dogs, but sometimes leads to skin cancer. ..
New Hope for Victims of Canine Parvovirus
Parvovirus, a highly contagious and often lethal virus, affects dogs of any age, but puppies are the most susceptible. There are about 330,000 cases of canine parvovirus annually in the U.S. with a 91% mortality rate with no supportive care provided. The highest incidence of parvo occurs in kennels, pet stores, shelters, and poor-quality breeding facilities. Until recently, we had no parvovirus cure.
But now, all that’s changed. Learn how veterinarians can now successfully treat canine parvovirus.

















