Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Adios Scratchings and Sniffings

It's been almost four years since I began writing for S&S in January or February of 2007. It's been a tremendous experience for me and hopefully some of you enjoyed my posts and maybe even learned a thing or two. 

All good things usually come to end and alas, so has my relationship with the blog. Purina has decided to move their sponsorship to other social media projects and I'll be working on some of those projects with them. I'd really like to thank Laura Lee, Chris Padgett and Michael Crawford, all marketing executives with Purina for their support of the blog and my efforts in particular. I know that they have learned a great deal through their association with Scratchings and Sniffings.

Veterinary Care for Military Working Dogs

We hear a lot about medical care for veterans of the military in the news these days. Some of that news is not so good, but I saw a story today about care for military working dogs that warmed my heart. I did a little digging when I got home and found some details that might interest us dog lovers.

There is a special place called Holland Military Working Dog Hospital where our canine veterans get top quality care. The place is staffed by Army Veterinary Corp Doctors and they can provide any type of care these soldiers need. They have complete medical and surgical facilities and complete rehabilitation services, too. 

A Visit From Miles

Wow, what a weekend we just had. We had two parties on Friday night and the Annual Black Tie Dance on Saturday night. I love living in a town where you really don't need a jacket and tie, but you do need a tux. We didn't get to bed until 3 AM on Sunday morning, but we had a lot of fun.

The most fun, though, was that Miles came for a visit on Friday night. I'm sure he remembered his old home after he had a few sniffs to remind himself where he was. He immediately settled in to his old routines. He'd be at the top of the steps wagging his body when he heard us coming up from our bedroom. 

Advice for Owners of Older Dogs

One of the great things about Face Book is that my friends send me interesting things about pets. One friend sent me a link to a Fresh Air segment about a new book on caring for older dogs entitled Good Old Dog.

I went to the Fresh Air site and listened to the interview of one of the authors; Veterinary Behavior specialist Nicolas Dodman. It's definitely worth a listen and you might even want to put the book on your Christmas list.

Holiday Pet Issues - Be Careful! A Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud

Welcome to a holiday Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud with Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry. Listen up as we discuss plants, people, and saftey. This podcast goes beyond the food items you should avoid all the way into how to make sure your dog or cat enjoys the holidays as much as you do.

Two Good Web Sites for Pet Behavior Help

I literally stumbled across two interesting and informative web sites devoted to behavior issues for both dogs and cats. HelpingKitty.com and HelpingFido.com are the work of two highly qualified behavior specialists. Both individuals hold Ph.D's and are Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (CAAB).

Both sites contain helpful information on common behavior issues and provide booklets and pamphlets for more detailed information. There is even a free e-mail newsletter on training and behavior tips that looks and sounds great. I'm signing up and I'll report back on how valuable it turns out to be. You might consider signing up too. Heck, it's free.

The Right Way to Socialize Puppies

The first three to four months is the most important period in your dog's life. That might seem like an extreme statement to some, but consider this. The most common cause of death for dogs under the age of three is euthanasia, and the reason for that is some form of behavior issue. I've written extensively on the benefits of socialization and training precisely because of this alarming statistic.

Your new puppy is like a blank canvas when you bring him home, assuming the breeder did their job. If you buy a puppy directly from a breeder you can ask the right questions about the parents and how the pup was handled since birth. If you adopt, hopefully the shelter can provide some background on the pup, and again, a good shelter should be doing their pre-adoption socialization and behavior evaluation on your potential puppy.

A Shortage of Vets in Farm and Ranch Country

Even though I was raised in the city, I knew from an early age I wanted to be a rural Veterinarian. Spending summers on my uncle Red's farm, roaming around the farm with his Collie dog Pat, and James Herriot all helped my make that decision. My undergraduate work in Montana helped me determine the location. 

Interestingly enough, those same decision criteria are used by prospective Vet's today when choosing a rural practice path. Unfortunately, there are simply fewer and fewer people making those decisions. The old bugaboo about more women in the profession gets some share of the blame, but that misses the real point. Things have changed in rural America.

Good Puppy, Bad Puppy

Puppies have two speeds; on and off. They're either asleep or driving us crazy. Much like our own children, they are rarely sitting calmly beside us having substantive conversations about world events. They're puppies, after all.

Our tendency is to look at their "on" behavior with detached dismay. We want to label the behavior as acceptable or unacceptable deserving of either praise or punishment. Before you're tempted to jump into the fray with a nose slap or a "scruff shake" think about "informed chillin'" instead. They're puppies, after all.

Cat Lapping

Hopefully you saw the article in the NYTimes last week about the science of feline lapping. It was an informative, and actually pretty funny piece especially the video, that you have to watch. Talk about nerds, the MIT scientists that spent two years on this project were picture perfect.

While it might sound strange, how cats lap is really important when you consider how important water consumption is to cats. The more water we can get into them the better, as far as their health is concerned, especially their urinary tract health.