Dog shopping for candles

Looking for something that smells good!

Keeping cool in the pet pool

Jimmie is keeping cool in his very own pool

This is just too cute!

Coping with the loss of a pet

The loss of a pet can be a devastating experience in any pet owner's life, and the emptiness one can feel in their heart and home can become overwhelming.

Here are eight ways to honor your pet and help you to cope with the loss.

-- Hold a Memorial Service: Just like memorial services for our friends and family who have passed away, holding one for your pets can be a great way to say goodbye. By inviting family members, friends, and others who knew your pet, you can remember the good times you shared together and also realize that you are not going through this alone.
-- Create a Memorial Spot: Whether it's a gravestone or a tree you planted, creating a pet memorial spot where you can sit quietly and remember your pet can be a soothing means to honor the memory of your pet.
-- Utilize Online Memorials: Even if the people around you do not quite understand how you feel, there are millions of pet owners out there in the world who have suffered through the loss of a pet. Find an online site where you and others can share stories of your pets and help each other work through the grief you are experiencing.
-- Create a Scrapbook: Making a scrapbook is an excellent way to help remember your pet, as well as celebrate his or her life. Whether you incorporate pictures of your pet's greatest accomplishments, or just pictures of you and your pet on vacation, remembering the good times you had with him or her can help make you feel better.
-- Keep a Symbol: Whether it's your pet's collar or favorite toy, having an object that was his or hers is a little way of reminding you of the happiness they brought to your life. Whether you keep that object in your car, on a book shelf, or wherever else you feel is a nice reminder of his or her life, you can always remember the great times you shared together.
-- Donate: Making donations in your pet's name to a local shelter, a national organization, or the dog park you used to frequent is an excellent way to not only honor the memory of your pet, but also help support other animals in need.
-- Volunteer: If you do not feel ready to make the commitment to bring another pet into your life yet, volunteering at a local shelter or humane society is an excellent way to start the process and honor your pet. Volunteers are the people who take care of your pets before they are yours, and if you adopted your pet who has passed away, volunteering is a great way to pass the favor on to others.

"Revolving Pet Memorial Box in Mahogany"

-- Adopt Again: Once you feel ready, adopt another pet. Nothing can replace the loss of your pet, and adopting another will not be a disservice to your previous pet's memory. Through adoption, you will be offering another animal the same chance at the wonderful and happy life you were able to give your previous pet.
source petMD.com
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The best dog bed

Sleeping in on the weekend is Oh So Comfy on this dog bed

 

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Little Mama may be oldest chimp in captivity

Born in Africa, she came to the park in 1967 as one of the first residents at Lion Country Safari theme park in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Little Mama was part of the Ice Capades, a traveling variety show that performed on ice across the United States, before she was acquired by a pet dealer when babies at that time could go for 10 grand.

At that time birth records for chimpanzees were not kept so the park did the next best thing: They asked the world expert Jane Goodall to estimate Little Mama's age. Goodall determined that the chimpanzee was between 30 and 35 years old. Splitting the difference, the park decided to put her age at 32.

11 most common poisonous plants to dogs and cats

These beautiful plants are hazardous to our pets

Springs brings us many beautiful plants and flowers– but remember that some are very dangerous to our little furry friends

Easter Lily is beautiful but poisonous to pets

1. Lilies.  Most lilies, not just Easter lilies, are toxic to cats.  Any species of the Lilium  family should not be used  if cats are present.
2. Sago palms.  All parts of this palm are poisonous, but the seeds are the most toxic.  Ingestion of Cycas revoluta causes liver failure.
3.    Oleander.  All parts of Nerium oleander are toxic.  Ingestion causes heart arrythmias, hypothermia, and even death.
4.    Tulip and Narcissus bulbs.  Ingestion can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, drooling, depression, loss of appetite, seizures, and heart abnormalities.
5.    Amaryllis.  This is a common spring flower that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, and poor appetite if ingested.
6.    Azaleas and Rhododendron.    Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, coma, and death.
7.    Castor Bean.  The highly toxic ricin, potentially used in bioterrorism, comes from the castor bean.   Ingestion causes vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, tremors, seizures, coma , and death.
8.    Cyclamen.   The highest concentration of the poison is in the root of the plant.  Symptoms are intense vomiting; death has been reported.
9. Pothos. This popular household plant can also cause oral irritation and gastrointestinal symptoms.
10. Yew.  Ingestion of Taxus species causes tremors, incoordination, vomiting, diarrhea, heart failure, and difficulty breathing.
11. English Ivy.   Hedera helix, if ingested, can cause drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Willie Nelson to take burned and staving horses

Horses to retire to his ranch in Texas

The famous musician has agreed to take in Whisper the stallion along with mare Traveler from a man accused of neglecting them. Whisper was not only severely underweight, but suffering from kerosene burns from when his owner allegedly tried to cure a fungus along his back.

Both horses went into the care of Lowcountry nonprofit LEARN (Livestock and Equine Awareness and Rescue Network.

Earlier this month, Dwight Benjamin McCloud was charged with three counts of failure to provide care or treatment for a diseased or injured animal; three counts of failure to provide humane treatment to animals; and one count of failure to provide adequate food and water. He had four horses, but only two were seized. 

According to Elkins, Nelson is using Whisper and Traveler's story to advocate for humane treatment of equines, something he has championed for years.

Read the full story http://summerville.patch.com/articles/willie-nelson-to-take-burned-starved-horse

Top 10 cat and dog medical conditions of 2011

As listed by nations largest pet insurer

An ear infection, stomach ache or cough can prompt a visit to your doctor and the same holds true for our pets.

While the majority of these conditions are curable, they can become chronic and expensive to treat. Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) policyholders spent more than $46 million in 2011 treating the 10 most common medical conditions afflicting their pets. VPI, the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet insurance searched their database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the top 10 dog and cat medical conditions in 2011.

Below are the results

 Dogs                           Cats
        1.   Ear Infection             1.    Bladder Infection
        2.   Skin Allergies            2.    Chronic Kidney Disease
        3.   Skin Infection            3.    Overactive Thyroid
        4.   Non-cancerous Skin Growth 4.    Upset Stomach
        5.   Upset Stomach             5.    Periodontitis/Dental Disease
        6.   Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea 6.    Diabetes
        7.   Arthritis                 7.    Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea
        8.   Bladder Infection         8.    Ear Infection
        9.   Bruise or Contusion       9.    Skin Allergies
        10.  Underactive Thyroid       10.   Lymphosarcoma

See the full report here http://www.marketwatch.com/story/top-10-dog-and-cat-medical-conditions-of-2011-2012-03-28