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From the Chicago Tribune, an excellent article by noted pet expert/writer Steve Dale. Pet Ownership Has Dipped Slightly in the USA Steve Dale My Pet World, Tribune Media Services 4:30 a.m. CST, January 23, 2013 The American Veterinary Medical Association U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook is the closest thing there is to a census of pet ownership, and is conducted every five years. According to the recently released 2012 Sourcebook, between 2006 and 2011, pet ownership decreased by 2.4 percent in the U.S., to 56 percent of all households. Still, there are more pets than children in America! One…

Having been in the veterinary field for many years I have suffered my share of cat bites. Mostly there is no complications, but sometimes the next day you can have a great deal of swelling and express pus out of the wound. All too often, people ignore the bites and sometimes end up in the hospital. Cat bites and scratches can be fatal to pet birds. The Pasteurella multocida bacteria can go systemic reapidly and a bird who looks fine after a bite or scratch can be dead in the next couple days. That is why whenever a bird has…

From the AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief:   Vermont goes to the dogs (and cats) Saturday January 19, 2013 DAWSON RASPUZZI Staff Writer  BENNINGTON — Virginia is for lovers, Vegas is for gamblers, and now Vermont is for pet owners. According to a new study released by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vermont has the highest percentage of pet owners of any state. More than two-thirds of Vermonters (70.8 percent) own at least one pet, which is more than three percent higher than the next state on the list, New Mexico. And Vermonters also have the highest rate of cat ownership…

STUDY: Republicans Are Dog People, While Democrats Prefer Cats Lucas Kawa | Jan. 16, 2013, 6:31 PM Bo Obama, the First Canine Republicans and Democrats tend to disagree about everything, on issues ranging from tax policy to gun control.So it’s no surprise that a study by the American Veterinary Medical Association revealed that, by and large, red states and blue states can be divided by their preference of house pet. Overwhelmingly, red states have the highest rate of dog ownership while residents of blue states are more likely to keep a cat as a pet. The study, titled U.S. Pet…

Ice Melting Products Can Injure Pets From the AVMA Pet Health SmartBrief SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – During cold winter months, our pets can come into close contact with a variety of ice melting compounds during walks, some of which can cause serious illness. Dr. Millie Armstrong is from Petit Brook Veterinary Clinic in Colchester and a member of the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association. She has some tips on how to keep your pets safe. Some ice-melting products include calcium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, rock salt, and urea. The chloride salts are used for melting ice in colder temperatures (down to…

Purina, Milo’s Kitchen pulling some dog treats January 9, 2013 04:30 PM EST | NEW YORK — Two makers of pet treats are pulling products from the market because they may contain traces of poultry antibiotics that aren’t approved in the U.S. Nestle Purina PetCare is taking Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats off the market, while Milo’s Kitchen is recalling its Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats. The chicken jerky products, which are made in China, may contain minute amounts of antibiotic residue, the companies said Wednesday. The antibiotics have been approved by Chinese…

In conjunction with the previous post about song birds, a study about birds learning songs while they sleep.   Songbirds Learn Their Songs During Sleep June 20, 2010 — When zebra finches learn their songs from their father early in life, their brain is active during sleep. That is what biologists at Utrecht University conclude in a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Their findings are a further demonstration that birdsong learning is very similar to the way that children learn how to speak. This discovery has important consequences for our understanding of the brain processes…

How Do Songbirds Sing? In 3-D! Jan. 8, 2013 — The question ‘How do songbirds sing?’ is addressed in a study published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Biology. High-field magnetic resonance imaging and micro-computed tomography have been used to construct stunning high resolution, 3D, images, as well as a data set “morphome” of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) vocal organ, the syrinx. Like humans, songbirds learn their vocalizations by imitation. Since their songs are used for finding a mate and retaining territories, birdsong is very important for reproductive success. The syrinx, located at the point where the trachea…

Maybe we could learn something from our dogs. They always greet us enthusiastically even if we were only gone for a few minutes. They love us without reservation. There is a great truism that really fits dogs: A dog is the only one of God’s creatures that loves you more than they love themselves. The world would be a better place if we followed the example of our dogs.   Resolution: Be Like My Dog Marjory  Abrams I’ve read numerous funny emails about how being with a dog is preferable to being with people — no complaints, unconditional love. This…

I guess this chicken was channeling “Chicken Little” (of the ‘sky is falling fame’). Chickens are actually very intelligent animals and do make great companion pets. I know most people tend to underestimate them. MAN’S BEST FRIEND? Nothing paltry about this poultry Wisconsin couple escapes blaze thanks to their pet chicken   In this photo provided by Barb Murray, Brad Krueger of Alma Center, Wis., holds his neighbors’ chicken, Cluck Cluck, on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. The chicken, which the neighbors kept as a pet, is being credited for saving that family from an early-morning fire Thursday by waking the…