Our dogs love us for their entire lives and we are blessed to have them as part of ours for just a short amount of time.  Providing proper care as your dog ages enriches their lives and makes their later years just as fun as puppyhood.  Just like humans, dogs age similarly:  their hair turns gray, eyesight and hearing start to fade, arthritis sets in, and incontinence may occur.

Thanks to modern molecular dating and evolutionary chronologies, we know that humanity’s relationship with dogs stretches back thousands of years. How far, exactly? According to anthropologists, it is likely that Homo sapiens and canines developed a mutually beneficial relationship approximately 30,000-40,000 years ago.

There are a few moments in life that really knock the wind from your sails. One of them is definitely the death of a pet. No matter the length of time they’re with us, we are left wholly changed when they leave. Whether it was unexpected, or a planned passing, the grief is still very real and something we are left searching for answers and meaning for a longtime. Both of us have personally had pets pass away over the years, and it never gets easier. 

Sedalia, MO is fortunate to have many wonderful nonprofits that call it home. The Cat Assistance Team- Sedalia (C.A.T.S.), is an established non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping injured, sick, and homeless animals in the town and surrounding area. Rescuing animals is not for the faint of heart and requires an extensive amount of time and resources to find loving adopters. From dealing with injured animals, to looking for continual funding opportunities, there is always work to be done. 

Cats have been the subject of our reverence and adoration for millennia, yet we humans still have a tough time deciphering their unique wants and needs. It is up to us as pet parents to put the research into understanding our kitties’ well being, which includes rethinking popular cat stereotypes. Did you believe in any of these feline fables? 

The Ozark Empire Fair has been an Ozarks tradition for over 80 years!  Perhaps you remember enjoying one of the small jugs of root beer with a little plastic monkey attached or eating a funnel cake covered in powdered sugar.  Maybe you enjoy memories of riding the Himalaya while Metalica blasted in your ears or maybe a more peaceful ride on the Rainbow was more your speed.  Does the smell of the livestock exhibitions bring back memories of watching that new calf being born?  Remember escaping the heat with a KTTS fan on a little wooden stick?  Whatever memories you have of fairs past, this year’s fair is sure to create new memories for generations to come.  

Every pet parent wonders: am I feeding my pet high quality, nutritious food? There are hundreds of kibbles on the market to choose from, each promoting their own special formula and ingredients. Veterinarian Ian Billinghurst describes a raw diet as an “evolutionary diet based on what canines ate before they became domesticated.” In essence, raw diets are meant to provide cats and dogs with a fresh primal diet based on evolutionary eating habits. 

Incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine. So if your dog is incontinent, it means they are not even aware they are urinating. This incontinence occurs often in places where pets are resting (like in their bed or on the couch), and it tends to be a normal or large amount of urine.

Would you love to take your dog to work with you? Scientists are studying the benefits to our mental and physical health from having dogs or other pets in the workplace. A 2021 study found that having dogs in the workplace “has a positive influence on individual and collective well-being of organizational members in an office environment.” (Wagnar & Pina e Cunha 2021).

One of the joys of living in Springfield are the outdoor events and festivals that happen throughout the year. Attending an outdoor event is even better with your favorite furry friend.  Bringing your dog to a pet friendly public event provides many benefits to your dog.  

Summer is a great time to be outdoors and to have fun with friends, family, and our dogs. It also means we need to be more vigilant for signs of heat stress and heat exhaustion. While you may be ready for longer walks in the park, hikes, or bike rides, your pup may not be conditioned or ready for that.

Creating a healthy and happy life for your pet doesn’t have to be difficult. Having a connection with a local pet store can make that task much simpler. Local pet stores offer a variety of products to pet owners whether your loved one is a dog, cat, bird, or fish. When you visit a local shop, you can see the products close up, touch them, and even give them a sniff. Have you ever ordered an item online only to be disappointed when it arrived at your door?

There continues to be a troubling trend in pet ownership, and it’s not getting better. 2020 saw us all staying home more, and with our pets almost 24/7. It also saw a record number of people acquire their first pet. While this was a wonderful time for bonding, and our dogs definitely loved it, now that we are out more, our dogs are left at home alone and confused. We’ve been seeing an increase in signs of separation anxiety in pets, both young and old. While it may seem adorable that your dog wants to always be around you and whines when you leave, separation anxiety is no joke and definitely impacts both your and your pets quality of life. 

There are few things more frustrating than dealing with a flea infestation, and ticks aren’t any fun either. Unfortunately, preventing and treating fleas can be time consuming and expensive, however fleas and ticks cause lots of health issues in pets. The best way to alleviate this itchy frustration, is to prevent a flea or tick infestation from happening in the first place, by treating your environment and your pet.

This week is Dog Bite Prevention Week. Dog bites pose a serious threat to children and adults alike. There are over 85 million dogs in the US and 38% of homes have at least one dog as a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association calculates. It is estimated there are over 4.5 million dog bites in the US each year. Nearly 800,000 are serious enough to require medical attention according to the CDC.

Did you know April is Active Dog Month? It’s a month all about enjoying spring and getting active with your furry best friend! Created in 2018, Active Dog Month strives to get dog owners motivated to shake off the winter blues. We get a bit bored after freezing all winter and April brings the warm temperatures we need to get outside.

Panic sets in the moment you realize your dog is missing! Your thoughts start to fumble over what to do next as your heart races. Where do you start? What do you do first? Quick thinking and remaining calm, along with taking the steps below, can give you a better chance of bringing your beloved dog home. 

Encountering an unleashed dog while walking your own dog can be unsettling and unfortunately quite common. While leash laws, and requirements to keep your dog contained in a yard, are typically required by most municipal and state laws, it can be difficult to enforce, especially in rural and suburban areas. A dog off leash may have escaped or may not have a permanent home.

Have you ever felt the intensity of losing a cat? It can be frightening when an indoor cat gets lost outside or if your outdoor cat doesn't come home.  We’ve put together some critical steps you can do to help bring your beloved feline back home. We also have included what to do when you find a cat. One thing to always keep in mind is the one sure proof of ownership is microchipping. If that is not possible, always keep current photos of your cat along with vet records for proof of ownership.

Our pets are like us in many ways, including developing diseases like diabetes. Diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions in humans and is also seeing a rise in cats and dogs. More than 37 million Americans have type 2 diabetes but in dogs and cats, it is about 1 in 300. Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the pancreas, a small but vital organ. When your pet cannot use sugar (glucose) effectively to control the sugar in the blood, diabetes mellitus occurs.