Blog Posts by vetstreet.com

By Amy Sinatra Ayres | vetstreet.com

Credit: Fox Carolina - A dog in South Carolina has adopted this kitten as her own.A South Carolina resident called police on Monday to report she'd heard a dog barking since Saturday. When animal control officer Michelle Smith followed the noise down a steep embankment to a ravine, she found a 5-year-old dog - who was nursing a tiny kitten. "I'm thinking that it just couldn't get back up with the kitten, and I don't think it was willing to leave the kitten," Smith said.

The officer brought the pair to a local shelter, Anderson County P.A.W.S., where the staff is now supplementing the dog's nursing with bottles. They said the dog appeared to be someone's pet, and they're hopeful that her owner will come to claim her - and to make the kitten a part of their home, too. - Watch it at Fox Carolina

More on Vetstreet.com:
* 20 Hottest Dog Breeds in America
* Can All Dogs Swim? No, and This Popular Breed Is Worst
* 11 Cat Breeds With Funny Names
* Kitten Plays With Patient Dog (Video)

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

With a little pomp and circumstance, Hero the service dog graduated alongside his best pal last weekend. The canine, who we think deserves an honorary degree, donned a mortarboard and blue gown to match his owner, Bridget Evans.

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"This is my service dog, Hero, after we graduated with our Master's degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign," Evans wrote in a caption with the Imgur photo.

See Also: Meet America's New Breed of Service Dog

Hero got a warm welcome during the ceremony - and this photo of him at his owner's side quickly went viral. "The girl and the dog received the loudest applause hands down. Very adorable," Reddit user tcjones54 wrote in the caption. Some Redditors suggested that Hero should have received a "dogtorate" or been the "valedogtorian."

The photo was taken at the Saturday convocation ceremony of the university's College of Applied Health Sciences, the Huffington Post reported.

When the picture

By Dr. Patty Khuly

iStockphotoIt's not much of a conundrum, really. The bottom line is that most of the time, dogs will lick their people as a sign of affection. "You are the sun and the moon," their silky tongue would have you know. "And guess what? You taste good, too!"

See Also: Why Does My Cat... Lick Me?

But much as barking can be, licking is also a multi-faceted tool that seems to play many roles in canine behavior and, consequently, tends towards many different interpretations. Here's a list of the many ways in which we homo sapiens have come to understand this culturally alien mode of communication: Licking is a natural instinct in canids. When a mother licks her pups and her pups lick each other during the course of grooming and other social interactions, we're observing quintessential licking behavior in dogs. Indeed, this behavior is held up as one that may serve as the basis for all other licking decisions a dog makes. ("Mom licked me now I lick you ...")

• Licking can play a role in

By Gina Spadafori

Credit: Animal PhotographyNo matter how much we love our cats, one question invariably remains: Why, in a room full of people, will he make a beeline toward the one person who is not paying attention?

Related: 9 Cat Breeds That Crave Attention

Cats don't like eye contact from strangers. When a friendly cat wanders into a room full of people, he may be intimidated by a new person's stare. So, he heads instead for the people he thinks are being polite - those who aren't looking. The cat doesn't realize that these people may not be looking because they don't like cats or are allergic. In the end, it's a bit of a cross-species miscommunication.

That's one theory, anyway. It could also turn out that rubbing cat fur on the slacks of a cat hater is just the ultimate feline fun.

More on Vetstreet.com:
* Looking for a sweet, gentle lap cat? Then this breed is NOT for you
* Why Does My Cat... Stare at Me?
* 4 Places to Pet Your Cat and 1 to Leave Alone

Some breeds, like Labrador Retrievers, have been popular pets for years, but other breeds have moved steadily up the list over the past decade. For example, 10 years ago you might not have even heard of a Cane Corso, but these days you're likely to cross paths with at least one at your dog park or vet's office.

To determine which breeds are truly the hottest breeds, we searched Vetstreet's data and looked at how many places each breed climbed between 2002 and 2012. The results included a plethora of designer mixes and about 800 pounds of giant breeds, plus a few surprises. Did your favorite breed make the list?

More on Vetstreet.com:
* 10 Trendiest Dog Names
* This Breed Is the Arguably the World's Smartest Dog Breed
* Most Popular Dog Breeds in 10 Top U.S. Cities

By Dr. Marty Becker | vetstreet.com

Kitty wants a new perchI love being a veterinarian and think it's important to "keep it real," particularly since I spend most of my time talking to the media about quality veterinary care. I see people and their beloved cats, and I see the worry on their faces. They're worried about their pets, of course, but they're also concerned about their pocketbooks. I know that even those pet owners who don't ask it directly are wondering the same thing about any recommendation I or any veterinarian makes for improving the health of their cat, especially during the recession we've all been struggling through.

They want to know: Is this really worth the money?

See Also: Why Does My Cat... Bite Me When I Pet Her?

When it comes to your cat, how do you know when to splurge and when to save? Are there alternatives to high-end options that are at least as good at a fraction of the cost? My answer: Sometimes yes, sometimes no; it depends on what we're talking about. Here's

By Amy Sinatra Ayres | vetstreet.com

Sally Safari, an 8-week-old Lab mix, has the doggie door down pat. His sisters? Not so much. That is, until he helps them out. Once outside the pups enjoy frolicking with the kids in the sprinklers.

Watch this adorable little family explore their backyard in the video here ---> 'Too Cute': Lab Mix Doggie Door Troubles








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* Video: Puppy Takes Himself for a Walk
* How Old Is My Pet in People Years?
* 4 Everyday Items That Work Wonders on Pet-Stained Carpets

By Dr. Patty Khuly

Barking DogDogs bark for all kinds of reasons. They may be alerting you to something noteworthy; making a request (or a demand, depending on your point of view); aggressively warding off (or confronting) prey, predator, or interloper; communicating stress or discomfort; or engaging in play.

Barking might be a response to a howl heard from half a mile away. Or because a squirrel just chattered in the backyard. Or because your dog wants dinner. Or because you walked in the door and life is just! so! good! In any case, barking is a perfectly normal canine behavior.

See Also: Want a Dog That Doesn't Bark? This Could Be Breed for You

Behaviorists categorize barking into these categories:

• territorial barking
• alarm barking
• attention-seeking barking
• greeting barking
• socially facilitated barking
• frustration-induced barking
• illness or injury barking
• separation-anxiety barking

But some dogs bark excessively, seemingly at the drop