Ask the Vet: Calling the Shots For Your Pet
January 20, 2010
We vaccinate our pets for the same reason we vaccinate our children: to protect them against serious diseases that can potentially be fatal. Also, some of these diseases are transmissible to people (i.e., zoonotic). As with people, vaccination may not entirely prevent the disease, but it will reduce the severity of infection. In general, dog diseases do not affect cats, and cat diseases do not affect dogs.
Puppies and kittens should receive a series of vaccinations every three weeks from the time they are six to eight weeks old until they are between three and four months old. The first vaccine for a kitten is called either a “3 in 1” or a “4 in 1,” or FVRCP, and it gives protection from viruses that cause serious upper respiratory symptoms that can become much more severe than just a “kitty cold.” [Read more]
Ask The Vet: Pets as Presents
December 23, 2009
Remember that neat gadget gift you got last year from your friend? I’ll bet by now it has lost it appeal and is either collecting dust on a shelf or has been re-gifted.
Imagine if that “gadget” were living, breathing and had four legs and a tail? Now what? [Read more]
Ask the Vet
November 19, 2009
On Nov. 2, test results confirmed an H1N1 influenza infection in a pet cat living in Iowa, a revelation that startled pet owners nationwide. Health officials say it is likely that human family members transmitted the virus to the cat. [Read more]
Ask The Vet: Super-Sized Pets
October 15, 2009
America is home to the most obese people in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a staggering 33 percent of American adults are obese, and obesity-related deaths have climbed to more than 300,000 a year, second only to tobacco-related deaths. So it is no surprise pets may walk in their owner’s footsteps.
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that nearly half of the nation’s pets are classified as overweight or obese by a veterinary healthcare provider, including 43 percent of dogs and 53 percent of cats. [Read more]
Talk to Me about My Pet
October 15, 2009
“How are the kids?” I always make a point of asking my friends.
They appreciate it and talk about day camp, allergies, Saturday’s visit to the Bronx Zoo, who’s good at math and who was so funny at the pediatrician yesterday.
My experience as an uncle seven times over has taught me how to talk to parents about their kids, yet I am surprised how poorly people engage my partner Bryan and me about our 6-year-old dog, Ezra Pound. [Read more]
Pet of the Month: September 2009
September 17, 2009
Little Bit, a rescued dog from an abusive household, wasn’t one to warm up to strangers. The first day that owner John Jerome welcomed her to his Upper East Side apartment, she ran under the sofa and hid.
“Over the weeks, things were not going well,” Jerome remembered. “She would just crawl under furniture and come out when it was time to go out.” But Little Bit did eventually come out for one person: Jerome’s friend Joseph Holladay, who earlier this year was severely beaten in a bias attack during Pride Week. After being discharged from the hospital, Holladay stayed with Jerome—and Little Bit’s behavior suddenly changed. [Read more]
Fashion Week Forever
September 17, 2009
It’s often said that pets and owners look alike, and there’s nothing like a few choice accessories to make sure your animal companion reflects your personality and style.
Those who lean toward the preppy, conservative side ought to consider the crocodile polo from Canine Styles (830 Lexington Ave., 212-838-2064, www.caninestyles.com). This bright, short sleeve shirt or dress comes is embroidered with alligators, and comes in orange, turquoise and pink. It will nicely match your Ralph Lauren Polo—if you’re willing to pay the $35 price tag. [Read more]
TV and Internet Pet Pharmacies: Fact Check
September 17, 2009
Anyone who has a pet (or a TV, for that matter) is probably familiar with the ads for online pharmacies that offer discounted pet medicines. Betty White and others speak of the great savings, the convenience and the guilty pleasure of skipping a trip to your veterinarian if you order from an online store. While many of these firms deliver the goods and services advertised, many do not. The financial success of these Internet firms (and they are hugely profitable, with more than $1 billion in annual sales) rests on two claims usually made in their advertising: that they provide the same products as your veterinarian at a huge savings, and that they offer the convenience of online ordering without a costly trip to the vet. [Read more]
Pet of the Month: August 2009
August 19, 2009
What started as a single photographer noticing Aston amid the models and celebrities at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week quickly turned into his moment of fame.
“One photographer just started taking pictures and before we knew it we had like 20 photographers crowding around him taking pictures,” said Aston’s owner, Dara King. “They must have thought he was a celebrity dog!” [Read more]
When Good Pets Get a Bad Itch
August 19, 2009
Itchy pets show their discomfort in lots of ways. Dogs may incessantly lick their paws, rub their faces, chew on their flanks or scratch at their ears. Cats may pull out their fur until their tummies are bald, dig at their ears or develop scabs. As varied as their symptoms may be, itchy pets have one major thing in common: frustrated pet owners. [Read more]
