By Arden Moore Many purchases made these days – from grabbing a burger at a fast food drive through to paying for a gallon of paint at the hardware store are cashless. It is far quicker to pull out a debit card or credit card and insert or tap to complete the purchase than to fumble in your front pocket …
Skunk Encounter! What Should You Do?
by Arden Moore Lucky to Have Avoided Them I feel like I’ve won nature’s lottery. Why? None of my dogs, dating back to my childhood Beagle mix named Crackers to my current duo of Kona and Emma have ever been sprayed by an agitated skunk. I count myself lucky. Far too many of my friends share how they dashed online …
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 …
Pay Attention to Potty Changes in Your Pet
By Arden Moore Noticing Potty Problems Even though your adult dog aced house training years ago or your cat has always been a champ at using his litterbox, you may discover a piddle on your rug. As our pets age, they can be at risk for a loss of bladder control or unable to control their bowel movements. The medical …
Doggy Breath Can Signal Serious Health Issues in Your Pet
By Arden Moore Dental Issues Serious dental issues can quickly surface in your pet. Kona, my 9-year-old terrier mix, was about to deliver a doggy kiss to me when I detected a foul odor from her mouth. I looked closely inside her mouth and discovered she had red, swollen gums. Every couple of weeks, I do a head-to-tail health check …
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 …
Get Your Groom on for Your Dog’s Sake
By Arden Moore All the dogs in my life have sported easy-to-maintain coats. Sure, Chipper, a Husky-golden retriever mix, did shed a lot, but rarely encountered any matted fur. Kona, my terrier mix, is easy to keep clean, requiring occasional brushing and water-free shampoo baths. Regular Grooming But a few years ago, we rescued Emma, a nine-pound poodle-Chihuahua mix. With …
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) …
Avoiding Springtime Problems for Your Pets
By Arden Moore What Spring Brings As many of us begin to shed our winter coats and store our snow shovels, we welcome the warm temperatures of spring. That means more opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors with your dog or adventure-minded, leashed cat. But be vigilant as there are many perils lurking that could cause injuries or sickness in …
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 …