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What Is Homeopathy? Can Homeopathic Nosodes Replace Vaccines?

What Is Homeopathy? Can Homeopathic Nosodes Replace Vaccines?

In the past I’ve received messages from pet lovers anxious to protect their cats and dogs from disease using homeopathic nosodes. In one case, the dogs had bad experiences in the past with pharmaceutical vaccinations and had dog vaccine side effects. With plans for a new puppy or two in the works, she asked for advice about alternatives to vaccinations for the new pups, to protect them from the most common canine illnesses: distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies.

More specifically, she asked for recommendations for where to obtain homeopathic nosodes for each of these pathogens.

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Fake Service Dogs: Scammers Hurt Legit Animal Partnerships

Fake Service Dogs: Scammers Hurt Legit Animal Partnerships

Recently, I received another request from an online company to post an article here about their service. I declined–as I have no way to vet such things to sift through legitimate services versus bogus ones. I wrote this post several years ago and am re-posting as the information remains valid.

Online companies are getting very good at meeting the letter of the law, if not the intent. They promote themselves as a way to relieve pet owners of unfair expenses (pet deposits, airline fees, no-pets-allowed housing or other services) — oh, and sometimes as an afterthought, they add in the emotional aspect, too (insert #sarcasm).

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Dog Bite Prevention: 9 Tips to Keep Everyone Safe

Dog Bite Prevention: 9 Tips to Keep Everyone Safe

In March 2011, I served as an expert witness in a dog bite case in which a child was mauled, and the child’s grandmother who owned the home where the Pit Bull mix lived was prosecuted as responsible. I learned a lot during this trial, one of the biggest lessons having to do with the many misconceptions regarding dogs, dog language, and dog bites…

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The Soft Chew Shadow-Pup Kept Pestering For (Our PetLab Co. Review)

The Soft Chew Shadow-Pup Kept Pestering For (Our PetLab Co. Review)

Being loving pawrents, we do all we can to keep Shadow’s coat shiny, his gut well-balanced, and his immune system functioning well. So, as Shadow grows into his middle years (where did that adorable itty bitty puppy go?!), we’ve been exploring the benefits of adding daily probiotics to his routine. Cue PetLab Co. Probiotic Chews…

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Pets Are Family: What Are the Most Important Relationships in Your Pet’s Life?

Pets Are Family: What Are the Most Important Relationships in Your Pet’s Life?

Your relationship with your pet may be one of the most important bonds in your life. They have an incredible influence on our health and wellbeing. Pets are family, and we can’t say that enough. Mine inspire my work daily, and keep me grounded.

But what about the relationships our pets have with people or other pets outside of our home? Here are 5 stars in your pets’ relationship constellation.

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Gulp & Gorge: How Dogs Eat Their Food

Gulp & Gorge: How Dogs Eat Their Food

Dogs are passionate about food and that’s reflected in how dogs eat and how they drink.  In fact, many dogs will eat anything that doesn’t move faster than they do, and it’s up to owners to ensure the canine diet is appropriate…

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Dog Hunting Behavior & How to Control Canine Prey Drive

Dog Hunting Behavior & How to Control Canine Prey Drive

That pooch on your lap or sleeping by your feet doesn’t need to hunt to eat. Well-fed dogs hunt better than hungry dogs, too, because hunger doesn’t trigger canine prey drive. The sound, scent, or sight of moving critters triggers canine prey drive. Yes, hunting breeds may have this instinct fine-tuned, but even a pampered pet dog reacts to a leaping squirrel, the rustle of leaves, or the scent of the bunny frozen in the shrubs.

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Best Pet Door, Puppy Gate, and Pet Gate Options: How to Train Pets to Use Baby Gate

Best Pet Door, Puppy Gate, and Pet Gate Options: How to Train Pets to Use Baby Gate

According to many who know, a cat is always on the wrong side of the door. They drive us crazy with meow-demands to open the door, let them in, let them out, with rarely any rhyme or reason to their requests. So pet doors, baby gates for pets, puppy gates, and other pet barriers can offer the best options for your cats and dogs.

Why Use Pet Gates?

People use pet doors and puppy gates for convenience, but also for safety reasons. While dog doors typically give access to the backyard doggy potty area, there are multiple ways a pet door benefits Kitty. Think outside the cat box and a pet door helps you manage your multi-pet household, as well as potential behavior issues.

There are too many risks involved to allow cats or dogs to roam outside unsupervised. Coyotes come right up on my back patio and would love to munch my Karma-Kat. But if partnered with a safe area, a pet door offers lots of convenience for a cat, especially when you aren’t home to do door duty.

Install pet doors in the interior or exterior walls, doors, windows, or even sliding panels to give access to an inside room, or safe outdoor area. Cats love window watching, so this can be a great option when the pet door unit simply fits into the existing opening.

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How to Find Lost Pets

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. Now, chances are neither Karma or Shadow get lost on their own, but many adult dogs and cats get scared, run away from fear, and end up lost. Petco Love Lost offers a new, innovative way to track lost pets, adding to resources for keeping pets safe.

Backyard BBQ with neighbors, family, and kids are fun–until someone leaves the gate open and a pet goes AWOL. One in five pets goes missing after being scared by loud noises like thunderstorms or fireworks. Whether it’s summer fun, or winter vacation, we often want to include our pets in the adventure. Nothing stops the fun faster than lost pets, so it’s vital to create a pet-safe plan. Read on for more tips to prevent pets going AWOL and how to find a lost pet…

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Recent Posts

What Does Offering a Paw Mean?

I’ve written about dogs pawing your arm in the past, but what about–just waving that paw in the air? What does offering a paw mean? Here’s an ASK AMY video with the deets.

Cat Treats Help Make Cats Friendlier!

Baby cats almost always enjoy some snuggles and lap time. But as cats mature, their c’attitude often changes. So how can you “make” your cat more friendly? Here’s my take…

Why Is Your Cat Obsessed With Phones & Tablets

When the phone rings, does your cat come running? At our house, until recently we still have a land line with a long cord, in addition to our cell phones. My Karma-Kat tried to bite through the long red spiral cord whenever I’m in a conversation. Some cat lovers report that their kitties become aggressive around the telephone. Here’s what’s going on…

Dogs in Myth & Superstition

Here’s an excerpt from my book DOG LIFE (including a video and song!) featuring favorite dog myths and superstitions, just in time for Halloween. Enjoy!

Halloween Pets Safety: Protect Pets from Halloween Goblins

Halloween pet safety is needed every year. Halloween at its best is a night of mystery, fun, and thrills for human children and many adults. It’s important to keep your human kiddoes safe with these tips, but no less important for the pets. I write about Halloween pets safety every year because it can be a nightmare for your furry kids.

Dealing With Feral Cats: Our Responsibility

October 16 is National Feral Cat Day. North Texas is home to quite a large population of ferals–wild felines–that would benefit from a formal TNR program.

This is very close to my heart because Seren-Kitty was dumped on the streets at age seven weeks, and Karma met the same fate at eight months old. Had I not found and adopted them, their lives would have been much different.

Feral cats live life on the fringes. They breed, give birth, and raise kittens with little to no human contact. These are not pet cats gone wild (strays)–they are wild animals that really cannot be tamed unless caught as kittens. Even then, they may never be a typical pet cat, but face behavior challenges all their life.

Why should we care? Because if not managed properly, feral cats become a nuisance and health risk to owned cats, and even humans. Felines squabbling outside your window wind up your owned indoor cats and can result in cat fights. Caring for ferals is also the ethical, humane thing for caring people to do. Here’s what you need to know.

Halloween Pet Costumes: How to Dress Dogs in Costumes

Do you enjoy dressing up the house—and yourself—for the holidays? If you want to include Halloween pet costumes, start now to get them used to the notion. Most of the costumes don’t fit Bravo-Dawg, and I’ve not yet tried Shadow-Pup. I’ll share pictures if/when that happens.

Meanwhile, be sure to keep pets safe over Halloween, though. Dogs and cats aren’t always fans of wearing Halloween costumes, but with these tips, you can help pets accept the notion.

Halloween Pet Costumes

Some pets enjoy dressing up, particularly the small dogs already used to wearing coats and sweaters in cool weather. There are many pet costumes available from pet products stores, from fancy to plain. If your outgoing, confident pet is willing, you can have great fun with costumes. But if your pets don’t care for dress up, don’t press it. Many pets may bite over Halloween out of fear of change.

Even reluctant pets may be persuaded to wear a fancy collar or bandana or painted toenails.

WHY WE MUSTN’T ALWAYS GIVE IN TO CUTENESS

From time to time, I’m honored to share the blog with talented writers with a unique and important message. I’m no different than others who adore CUTE ANIMALS yet let’s take a step back and consider what cute means, for wild creatures and our own cute dogs and cute cats.

Help me welcome Taylor Waters, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and Farm Animal Advocacy Staff Attorney, Animal Law & Policy Institute at Vermont Law & Graduate School

Visit Amy’s Website

Amy Shojai CACB is an award winning author.  You can find all her publications and book her to speak via her website. 

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