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Visit PHSGA and you are sure to meet quite a variety of critters! On any given day, we have over 300 dogs, cats, and small animals each with its own unique appearance and personality. Each animal also has its own natural way of responding to the shelter environment.
Animal shelters present quite the challenge for animals. These facilities can be loud and full of new smells and faces. Furthermore, at PHSGA, animals are often physically recovering from illness, injury, or neglect. Just like us, animals have different personality traits and come from a variety ...
The official start of winter is just around the corner and as Northeast Ohio residents, we are all too familiar with the blistering wind, deep snow, and slick ice. As you prepare for the winter by bringing out the cold weather layers, installing snow tires, and stocking the essentials, don’t forget about your pets! They need some prep and extra care too! Consider the following tips as the mercury begins to drop:
· Don’t stop giving your pets monthly flea and tick prevention! Fleas and ticks survive even when temperatures fluctuate around 32F ...
With the holidays just around the corner, many of us are joyfully anticipating the wonderful treats and feasts while also lamenting about the latter effects on our waistlines. As we all know, overindulgence in tasty goodies can ruin diet plans, cause weight gain, and lead to obesity. Being mindful of our choices is important for our overall health!
Your concerns about weight management should also extend to your pets! Pets, as many of you know, are also at risk of gaining unnecessary weight, becoming obese, and developing other diseases. In 2014, 58% of cats and ...
Few things can ruin a nice cuddle with your dog or cat like a case of halitosis! Bad breath, also known halitosis, should not be ignored, especially if it is a chronic occurrence. As with all pet health matters, it’s very important to visit your veterinarian to determine what exactly is causing the bad breath and set up a course of treatment.
Typically, offensive pet breath is caused by tooth and gum disease due to plaque buildup. Your veterinarian should examine your pet’s mouth at each visit and can explain the state of your pet’s ...
Once a common practice, declawing cats is becoming less frequent as it declines in popularity. The procedure, called an ocychectomy, is a veterinary surgery that removes an animal’s claws by means of amputation. Some pet owners elect to have the surgery performed because they want to prevent damage to their furniture or avoid being scratched themselves during play. Declawing is not the only option though! Countless products and strategies exist to manage your kitty’s claws and scratching that do not require expensive, major surgery and protect the natural behaviors of your cat.
Cats have strong natural urges to ...
Properly crate training your dog has many benefits for you and your pet. With knowledge and patience, your dog will adjust to periodic confinement and associate his crate with safety and security. You should not view the crate as a “jail cell.” When used correctly and humanely, you should not feel guilty about the process as you and your pet will associate the crate with positivity!
The process may be trying at times, but the benefits of crate training will make you efforts worthwhile. Dogs have a natural instinct to not soil their den and ...
Common household items, if ingested, can threaten the health and life of your pet. Being aware of these dangers is an important aspect of responsible pet ownership. We all want our pets to be happy, health, and safe, so become knowledgeable about these poisons!
The most common dangers in your home are cleaners, pest-control chemicals, medications, supplements, and plants. You can find a more detailed list through VetStreet by clicking here. Also, although delicious to us, some of the foods we eat can be harmful and even deadly if eaten by our pets. ...
Walking your canine companion should be more than just a chore; it’s an essential part of your dog’s life that greatly improves her wellbeing! Daily walking provides exercise, training opportunities, and socialization while also feeding natural instincts.
The instinct to travel alongside her family is ingrained in your dog. Feeding her instinct to travel with her family on daily walks is essential for her happiness and wellbeing. The action of walking with your dog also encourages familial bonding.
Providing your dog with at least one hour of walking each day will relieve boredom, stress, and ...
‘Pocket Pets’, a term that refers to small companion mammals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, ferrets, mice, and hamsters (to just name a few!), make great pets! Provided with adequate enrichment, care, and attention, they are surprisingly entertaining, interactive companions that develop bonds with their human caretakers. Also, adding a pocket pet to your family is a great way to introduce the responsibilities of animal care to your children, with you, the parent, being the primary caregiver, of course!
Last year alone, PAWSibilities successfully adopted out 174 guinea pigs, 35 rabbits, 5 mice, and 2 rats ...
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our beloved pets escape from our care and the safety of our home. Handling a lost pet situation oftentimes results in frantic calls and sporadic searches. Preventing and preparing for such a situation is an important part of responsible pet ownership.
PREVENT:
There are several different steps that you can take to prevent the loss of a pet.
· First, never let your pets outside unless they are secured on a lead or within an enclosure such as a fenced-in yard. Periodically check collars, harnesses, leashes, and ...