Though Governor Romney no doubt now wishes he had simply brought along a selection of high end dog beds for the back of his station wagon, the scion of a famed political family is alleged to have strapped a pet carrier containing his family’s beloved Irish Setter onto the top of his station wagon. The story actually gets a bit gross after that, but the really interesting part of the tale is that it remains a problem for Romney nearly three decades after it allegedly occurred.

The public clearly wants a commander in chief who loves and respects canines. The history of dogs and presidential politics is a surprisingly long one and many a resident of one of the undoubtedly very luxurious White House dog beds has found its way into the daily news. Most recently, the selection of Bo, a hypoallergenic Australian water dog, as a gift to first daughters Sasha and Malia Obama was front page news during the honeymoon days of the Obama administration.

Going back a few decades earlier, young Republican vice presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon dealt with charges of possible improprieties relating to personal gifts from supporters by revealing that one of the presents — received after, not before, an election — had been a black and white cocker spaniel his six year-old daughter named Checkers. Nixon’s proclamation that he would keep the dog, no matter what, melted the nation’s heart for the sake of his daughters, and the canny pol and ardent family man became President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second-in-line for two terms.

Some years prior to the “Checkers speech,” Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt, according to some critics, had sent a naval destroyer to retrieve his dog, Fala, who had been left behind accidentally in the Aleutian islands. Roosevelt cracked wise about how it was one thing to attack him, but another to go after his dog. No surprise, the attack on FDR backfired. America loves a man who loves his dog. A smart pol is one who lets his pooches travel on the most comfortable dog beds, and never in less than perfect comfort.

A calico cat named Willow, who disappeared from a home near the Rocky Mountains years ago, was found Wednesday on a Manhattan street & will soon be returned to relatives where the children & the dogs will hopefully still know her.

But thanks to a microchip implanted when he was a kitten, Willow will be reunited in Colorado along with her owners, who had long ago given up trying to find her.

“There be tons of coyotes ’round here, & owls too” said Darnel Jackson, of Boulder. “He was a tiny lil thang, only ’bout half pound. They put out the `Lost Cat’ posters & did the Craigslist thang, but we thought she’d been eaten by [them] coyotes.”

Darnel was “shocked” when they got a call Wednesday from Animal Care & Control, which runs New York City’s animal rescue & shelter method.

Willow had been found on East 20th Street by a man who took her to a shelter.

ACC Executive Director Julie Bank said a scanner found the microchip that led to the Jackson family.

“All our pets be microchipped,” Darnel said. “If I could microchip my babies, I would.”, as he laughed out loud.

“I don’t know what kind of life she is had, so I don’t know what her personality be like now,” he said. When Willow disappeared, he said, “She was a icy cat, sweet.”

It might be weeks before the reunion. Willow may spend some time being fostered in New York.

Pet insurance does not always cover everything and even if it does cover your pet’s particular injury it might not cover enough, so it’s nice to know that one can always look to their auto insurance coverage as a back up. After an accident any pet related injuries should be stated on the accident report, so that your auto insurance company will know about it. Those with pets that are injured, would first pay for their pet’s vet bill and then expect to be reimbursed by their insurance company, so be sure to save and submit any related vet bills to your insurance company.

Always remember that if you’re going on a trip with your pet even on short distances, be sure to bring plenty of water with you, secure your pet in a kennel or with a harness to your vehicle’s seat belt, and most importantly don’t leave your pets in hot vehicles. It only takes a few minutes in very hot temperatures to do a lot of damage.

2) Cats can’t taste foods that are sweet
If you gave your cat a big slice of cake, it wouldn’t taste any sweeter to her than would her regular food.

3) Egyptians at one time worshiped the cat
In ancient Egypt, the people would often even mummified cats when they died.

4) Issac Newton was the inventor of the cat flap
After watching his cat wanting to come in and then leave then come back in his house, he decided to create a device that the cat can use to do just this without leaving his home wide open to intruders; thus was invented the cat flap.

5) Cats can see pretty well in the dark
If you had a dimmer in your room and turned the lights down enough just to where you could hardly see anything, your cat would still be able to see even if you turned it down 6 times darker.

6) Cats can hear ultrasonic sounds
Unlike humans and dogs, cats can hear the language of mice that communicate with each other ultrasonically.

7) Whiskers are a guide for your cat so that he knows whether or not he can squeeze through tight spaces
If his whiskers bend too much in a tight space he will promptly go no further knowing that he may get trapped.

8 ) Cats require Taurine or they will go blind
The amino acid Taurine is essential for cats. It’s always in their food.

9) Your cat purrs constantly
Even when you don’t hear it, she is still purring just quieter.

10) Abe Lincoln loved cats
And during his presidency, he kept 4 cats with him in the White House.

Dog Food
A good quality food with a meat source as the first ingredient and with no BHAs or BHTs. Quality food is important because it correlates to good health. The cheaper the food the higher the vet bills, plain and simple. Dry kibble should be fed to your dog while a high quality wet canned food may be supplemented. Again, be sure to read the ingredients list and find a meat source as the first ingredient. Many cheaper foods use corn or wheat as their first ingredient. These are mostly fillers with little nutritional benefit, besides making your dog “feel full”. BHAs and BHTs are preservatives that are known to cause cancer. Some good brands are Nutro, Avo-Derm, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Wellness, and Innova to name a few.

Bowls
Bowls are an important part of this list. Your dog should always have a source of water available to her. So the water bowl should be large enough to compensate this, for times when you are not home to refill it. The food bowl should be large enough to hold at least a couple cups of kibble. It’s a good idea to only feed your dog what’s recommended for his/her weight and age. Don’t overserve your dog for the whole day. You should feed your dog about twice a day, the required serving each time. This will help keep your new dog a good, healthy weight. There are higher end feeding/drinking devices like gravity feeders but in my opinion, these are only good as drinking devices because you don’t want to overfeed your dog and gravity feeders unfortunately encourage this. Another recommendation that I have is find a way to place the bowls high enough off the floor so that your dog doesn’t have to bend his neck to low to eat or drink. Supposedly this is healthier for your dog because it encourages better digestion. Your local pet store should sell devices that you can place your dog’s bowls in to alleviate the need for your dog to bend too far while eating and drinking.

Treats
Next on our list is treats. They not only make a good snack and are a great way to help bond with your new dog but are also good for training. Treats are a good reward for positive reinforcement type training. Treat treats like food. They should be healthy with a meat source at the top of the ingredient list. If your new friend is below a year in age, it’s a good idea to avoid rawhide. Rawhide can cause erosion of a young puppy’s stomach lining. Because training will play a major part of your interactions with your new dog, the treats you purchase should be small in size, where she should be able to chew the treat a couple times and swallow all within a few seconds. Swallowing the treat quickly aids positive reinforcement after your dog follows a command.

Chewing is also important for your dog. It helps relieve stress and is good for your dog’s teeth. As opposed to a training type treat a good chew treat should last longer. Greenies brand chew treats are top-notch. Not only do dogs LOVE them but they’re also healthy and are a good source for cleaning your dog’s teeth.

Toys
Toys are essential for your dog’s happiness. Dog’s crave interaction so playing with your dog is very important. You should get at least one plush toy for your dog to snuggle with, a rope toy that your dog can chew on, and a ball for playing fetch. If you have a pool or want to teach your dog to swim, you should also find a floatable toy that your dog can fetch above the water. Obviously the bigger the dog the bigger the toy should be. For strong chewers, find Kong brand rubber toys; these last the longest.

Leash, collar, walking supplies
Leashes and collars depend on the size and temperament of your new dog. If you are adopting a very heavy and strong dog, you will need to buy a reinforced 2-ply collar with a strong buckle. Cheap collars are known to break in the buckle, so you may want to invest a bit more here if you want a collar that will last a few years. Leashes come in a few lengths dependent on the style of training you want to give. Shorter leashes are better for dogs that are not yet trained in walking. As your dog becomes more accustomed to walking on a lead, you can lengthen it. Retractable leashes are good for small to medium dogs that are already well trained in walking and encountering other dogs that may cross paths with you on your walks.

You will probably also want to pick up a few waste bags or a poop scoop for your walks as well. It many places it’s the law to pick up after your dog, but even if not, it’s just the considerate thing to do. Many waste bags are sold as refills for a clip that you fix to your dog’s leash. You can find these in all pet stores.

Grooming Supplies
Shampoos and brushes are probably the most important grooming supplies. You can also purchase nail care products like clippers but be sure to also buy Kwik-Stop coagulant if you buy clippers just in case he bleeds from his nail line. If your new dog is a puppy, you can buy puppy shampoo, which is for more delicate skin types. Using a regular shampoo might irritate his skin. Ask the clerk which brush is best for your new dog’s hair type. There are different brushes for different lengths and thicknesses of hair.

Crate
For untrained dogs that are not yet housebroken, crates are essential. Dog’s don’t like to use the bathroom where they sleep. By making the crate your dog’s new “den”, it creates an environment for your dog in which your dog does not want to use the bathroom in. If effect, she’ll most often wait until you come home to take her outside. In time you will be able to completely remove the crate and let your new puppy roam the house freely while you’re away. For crate training to really work, you should not only make your new dog go in while you’re away but overnight as well while the family sleeps. Making the crate your dog’s “den” is essential for crate training to work.

That’s all folks! If you have any other suggestions, let me know in the comments.

The results show that most people (35%) spend $500 – $1000 on their pets each year. 27% spend between $1000 and $2500, while the top spenders, which comprise only 1% of the population spend over $10,000 per year on their pets. Wow!

So where does the money go?

56% of the money goes to food and treats
No surprise here. Food isn’t cheap and it seems to be constantly going up in price. At least if you’re not buying the corn filled, carcinogenic preservative injected kind; you know, the stuff with the BHAs and BHTs inside. A 35lb bad of Nutro Natural Choice (and this is lower end quality food here) at Petco will cost you about $50. Now if you have a couple good size dogs, that bag won’t last very long so you can see how food is number 1 on the list.

21% goes to the vet and other health related items
The average vet bill costs somewhere between $80 – $120. Dog owners should get their pets tested annually for heartworms as well as a regular exam for anything else. The cost of vaccinations are part of this cost as well. Obviously $80 – $120 is for a perfectly healthy pet. Factor in illness and over the counter supplements and medications and you can see how the average yearly vet/health costs go right up.

5% goes to clothing
Clothing for pets has become a rising trend for pet owners. I actually have a neighbor that dresses her poodle in new threads everyday; no kidding. One day you’ll see Roxy, her poodle, in a hooded sweatshirt and the next day she’ll be rocking a plaid tee shirt. Pets in the United States and in many other parts of the world have become a part of the family, so it makes sense to see pet clothing as a part of this list.

4% goes to accessories
Pet accessories make up a lot of things like what pets wear like collars, leashes, and jewelry and products like carriers and beds. It’s hard to leave the pet store with just food because there’s always something eye catching that you just got to bring home. I can see how accessories is 4th on the list.

14% other

How to save on pet costs
You might think that reducing your food costs by moving down to low grade grocery store food will help but think again. Most foods found in groceries contain high amounts of corn and wheat fillers as their first ingredients as well as harmful preservatives like BHAs and BHTs, which have been found to cause cancer. Like on human food containers, the label should be read from top to bottom. The ingredients are sorted by what the food contains most to what the food contains least of. So if corn or wheat is at the top of the list, then that is what the food contains most. Look for food that shows chicken, beef, or lamb as the first ingredient without the word “meal” next to it. The reason why good quality food is so important is because it contributes to good health and lower vet bills. If we were to see in our survey results that most people spent very little on food, we would also see that vet/health costs as number 1 on our list, so it seems that most people are on the right track by spending most of their pet fund on good, quality foods.

Clothing and accessories are left up to you. If you want to save money here buy less of the stuff your pet doesn’t need. For the things that your pets do need, then like food, cheaper is not always better. Spending a few extra dollars on a product that you know will last longer makes more sense. A good example of this is Kong dog toys. If you have a dog with a very strong bite like my dog does, then Kong toys are the way to go. They do cost a bit more than the others but Kong toys are known to last years with the strongest biters compared to their fragile toy counterparts.

Following the great success of the popular cat cave beds that have been around for a few years now, often found in your local pet store’s pet furniture section, dog cave beds are now being sold. These are great for small to medium-small size dogs that are the type that like to sleep under beds or other furniture or under blankets. The top cover provides your dog a sense of security, which is why they are under the furniture in the first place. Like their cat cave counterparts, they are often made of foam inside and cotton or polyester outside. The dog cave beds are generally larger for obvious reasons ranging from about 24 inches to 36 inches in diameter. Many of the ones I’ve seen have detachable tops so that washing is easier. The tops are generally supported by a wire frame so that it stays in a fixed position hovering above your dog; this is different than the cat type, which is often not supported.

I’ve seen these in most Petcos and Petsmarts and 1 of the 5 mom and pop pet shops that I’ve visited.

When asked most people tend to answer bed bugs. But, in reality fleas should be the more dreaded of the two. Why you ask, well because unlike bed bugs, fleas are known to transmit diseases to humans from animals such as dogs and cats. Notable types are cat scratch fever, typhus, bubonic plague, and tapeworms.

Spring and Summer are typically when fleas are most active both because of the rise in temperature and also because people tend to take their pets out with them more often like on hiking trips. Often hiding in grass outdoors, the fleas jump up to 4 feet high onto your pets as they walk past.

In your home, the fleas have their favorite spots to infest besides on your pet. Rugs and carpets are where fleas can most often be found. Another often overlooked location of the home is on the curtains, where fleas and mites I might add, enjoy the warmth from the sun and the dust particles that build over time on the curtain’s surface. Another popular location for fleas can be found in vehicles. Pets travel in cars too and fleas will embed themselves within the carpet of your car when they get the chance. Needless to say, all of these places need to be cleaned thoroughly and often when you have pets.

A few products that help keep fleas at bay are pennyroyal, Dawn lemon scented soap, Borax soap, cedar wood chips, Avon Skin So Soft bath oil, lemongrass, lavender, citronella, and finally eucalyptus leaves. Other products that are made specifically for ridding fleas are flea traps, flea combs, collars, flea sprays for your pets and separate sprays for their bedding, in addition and arguably most importantly flea medications such as Advantage and Frontline.

According to 1 vet hospital in Maryland during 2008, they reported to have treated 137 dog snake bites and 67 cat snake bites. Snake bites can often be fatal to your pet, so knowing the signs of a snake bite is important.

10 symptoms of snake bite in your pet include:

• Sudden weakness and collapse
• Shaking of the muscles and trouble blinking
• Vomiting
• Loss of bladder control
• Dilated pupils
• Blood in urine
• Salivation, drooling, frothing
• Loss of bowel control
• Respiratory distress
• Paralysis

Dogs usually are bitten by running through tall grass and by hunting and chasing snakes.

Reduce the risk:

• Keep your dog leashed when walking near bushes, wetlands, and dunes
• Keep your property safe from objects and rubbish piles that snakes could hide
• Keep the grass cut
• Build a snake proof fence

If your pet is bitten you should keep calm and quiet so not to increase fear in your dog which could speed the movement of venom throughout your pet’s bloodstream. You should keep your pet still. There’s a 90% survival rate if you immediately take your pet to the vet. IF the snake is dead, you should take it with you.

What not to do
Do not wash the wound.
Do not approach the snake if it’s alive.
Do not kill the snake but do get a good look at it if possible.
Do not panic.

If you don’t know what type of snake bit your pet, the vet will identify it with a blood test.

Case study: How George, a dog, survived a snake bite

Police in Sebring Florida are looking for the renter of a property that held about 80 parrots of which around 50 were found dead inside their cages. Police report that a couple dozen parrots that were sharing cages with the dead ones, were still alive but in very poor condition due to lack of food and dehydration.