National Animal Poison Prevention Week is observed the third week of March, falling this year from March 19-25. This important week is dedicated to educating pet owners about household items that are poisonous to pets, how to identify signs of poisoning, and what steps to take if your pet exhibits symptoms.

Ireland is the native country of some of our most beloved dog breeds, including two hounds, three gundogs, and four terriers. As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, let’s take a look at the nine Irish dog breeds that have been immersed in cultures across the world and adored for their talents and sweet demeanors.

What Is Cognitive Dysfunction?

If you have ever had a senior pet, you may have noticed that as they age their behavior can change. Just like people, cats and dogs can get behavioral changes that can look a lot like changes we see in elderly people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

As we make New Year's Resolutions for ourselves, why not include our four-legged family? Here are our Top 5 Resolutions for Pets- let's make the new year a great year!

Dogs are often categorized as senior dogs by a combination of their breed and age, with small breeds considered "senior" at 10-11 years, medium-sized breeds at 8-10 years, and giant breeds at 5-6 years. Genetics and lifestyle are also significant factors in how fast a dog ages, with fit, healthy dogs adding years to their lives. The appearance of gray on a dog's face and muzzle is often the first reminder a dog owner will be caring for a senior dog soon.

Finding a quality diet appropriate for your pets body condition and life stage can be a challenge, and basing your choice on the pretty pictures on the front of the bag of food wont help. Neither will be basing your choices on flashy advertising copy splashed across the front of the bag.

Misleading Advertising Terms

Im not picking on this diet, its just the first one I found when I googled natural pet food.

Here are the first four things I see wrong with one of the bags I found, right off the bat:

Itchy skin is one of the most common presenting symptoms at our animal hospitals around the county.

Having treated many hundreds of these dogs over the years, weve developed an 8 week plan for you and your pet, that has had a very good success rate in managing even chronic cases of itchy skin.

Why Is My Dog or Cat Itching?

Most dogs and cats itch for one (or more!) of these six reasons:

OK, I get it, feeding your dog your leftovers is fun. Makes them feel more like family, right? You know, nine times out of ten, I'm cool with that, as long as you're not overfeeding anybody, or feeding more people food than dog food.

And I don't want to hear "he's got kibble available all the time, but he oddly seems to prefer my eggs and bacon over his kibble", because as we all know, that which we prefer is not necessarily that which is best for us.