Blog Posts by vetstreet.com

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

Humans aren't the only ones celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Some of the residents at Big Cat Rescue are marking the occasion too. A leopard had a grand time batting around (and tearing open) a piñata - but the tigers, as you'll see, would rather siesta.

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* 4 Everyday Items That Work Wonders on Pet-Stained Carpets
* 10 Most High-Maintenance Dog Breeds

By Dr. Marty Becker

Easily preventable pet emergenciesFew things are sadder in medicine - either human or animal - than a patient sickened or even killed by something that could have easily been prevented. In my more than three decades in practice - I'm "veteran veterinarian," as I always say - I've seen many preventable catastrophes. They break my heart, every one of them. Sometimes I can save a pet, sometimes I can't. But when the day is done, I always find myself wishing the pet's owner had known enough to keep the animal out of harm's way.

See Also: 10 Common Cat Behavior Myths Decoded

While I love to see pets and their owners, I'd rather see them in wellness exams. That's when I can celebrate what a pet's owner is doing right and help with suggestions for what will keep that pet in top form. Make sure that you only see your vet for nonemergency visits by minimizing your pet's risks. With a little care, it's easy to prevent many pet catastrophes. Here are five

By Dr. Patty Khuly | vetstreet.com

ThinkstockGot a dog who's conditioned you to think that his adorable presence is worth living with despite his foul odors? If your pet smells nasty -- on occasion or full-time -- then you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.

The trouble is that it's not enough to know you've got a stinker on your hands. It's in everyone's best interest to do something about the putrid problem, but that's not doable unless you know what's causing the stench.

To help you get to the bottom of your dog's funky smell, here are some common canine stench scenarios and causes.

See Also: Why Does My Dog... Roll Around in Stinky Stuff

If your pet's What's that smell? Discover how your dog's odor could be a sign of a skin problem.","template":"raw"}">skin smells reminiscent of rotting fruit or something freshly dug up from deep underground, it's more than likely related to skin disease. Whether it happens year-round or seasonally, pets with

By Gina Spadafori | vetstreet.com

ThinkstockKitty loves to scratch, but how do we teach our cats to use the scratching post instead of the furniture?

Yelling at the cat and punishing him won't work when it comes to destructive scratching. You have to use motivations that mean something to the cat. And you have to teach him where to scratch. Otherwise, how is he to know you want him to scratch the scratching post? Here are tips from KB, one of our readers, on how they've managed to keep their favorite feline in check.

See Also: Looking for a Sweet Gentle Lap Cat? This Breed Is NOT For You

Use the cat's favorite treats, a scratching post, a squirt bottle and some wide, double-sided sticky tape.

• The tape goes on the spots where the cat prefers to scratch, and the sticky feel discourages scratching. I begin training by rubbing their paws on the scratching post, so their paw-scent is left on it. I immediately give the cat a treat for having his paws on the post. Usually it takes only a few tries

By Yvonne Claire Stecher | vetstreet.com

Rachel Alexandra's foal, Jess's Dream, arrived a few days early on January 22, 2012, and was named after the late Jess Jackson. This Saturday, 20 sleekly muscled and finely tuned 3-year-old Thoroughbreds will leap from the starting gate at Churchill Downs, marking the running of the 139 th Kentucky Derby. Amid this display of spirit, speed and beauty, it will be hard to imagine that, not too long ago, these elite runners were adorable, fuzzy-eared foals capering around their pastures on spindly legs.

While one part of the horse racing world gears up this week for Saturday's classic race - which is often referred to as "the most exciting two minutes in sports" - another part of it has been experiencing excitement of a different sort this spring: the birth of a new group of foals.

Plus: 5 Former Kentucky Derby Winners - Where Are They Now?

Not far from the bustling, high-stakes world of the racetrack shed row is the quiet oasis of foaling barns and paddocks. About a third of the approximately 25,000 Thoroughbred foals who are registered

By Dr. Mary Fuller | vetstreet.com

Purebred vs. Mixed BreedAccording to conventional wisdom, mixed-breed dogs and cats are healthier than their purebred counterparts. On the surface, it makes sense: Dip too often into a shallow gene pool and the pet is more likely to inherit health problems. So mixing things up between breeds should create healthier genetic hybrids, right?

This genetic hodgepodge and its perceived health advantages has been a selling point for designer dogs, such as Labradoodles, Yorkipoos and Puggles. And it's one reason why breeders have been able to ask exorbitant prices.

See Also: 9 Designer Po Breeds and Top 5 Doodle Dogs

But it's simply not what veterinarians are encountering in practice, according to a recent presentation at the Western Veterinary Conference by Dr. Jerold Bell, clinical associate professor at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of Veterinary Medical Guide to Dog and Cat Breeds.

ThinkstockAre the arms of your furniture growing fringes where they used to be smooth? Does your cat regard them as his own personal tree? Have you reached the point where you're considering covering everything upholstered with tarps? Why can't your cat and your sofa coexist in peace?

From your cat's point of view, that's just what they're doing. Furniture scratching is yet another normal cat behavior that doesn't meld well with our households. Cats scratch vertical surfaces as a means of marking their territory with scent from their foot pads, as well as leaving a nice visual marker - your scarred and tattered furniture. Scratching appears to be pleasurable to cats and entails stretching and exercise.

See Also: Why Does My Cat... Shed His Claws?

You may have tried scolding, even swatting, your cat for his blatant disregard for your belongings, but chances are it did no good. Your cat may have learned not to scratch in front of you, but

By Dr. Mary Fuller | vetstreet.com

ThinkstockIn the years when I had two Shiba Inus, few things unnerved me more than the sight of a playful Golden Retriever - sans leash - bounding toward us, tail shimmying side to side, tongue dangling.

Inevitably, the owner would wave and holler, "It's OK, my dog is friendly." There was never time for me to shout, "But my dogs aren't!" before we'd be caught up in a maelstrom of fangs and claws and fur.

Grrrrrrrr.

See Also: 13 Largest Dog Breeds: Towering and Commanding

On most walks, my dogs were the epitome of gentility. They'd sit calmly while toddlers swatted their faces with sticky hands. They'd roll over for belly rubs from strangers. They'd sniff the nether parts of other dogs. But a dog off leash? It was an invitation for an all-out brawl. And there were plenty of them.

Many things can spark aggression in an otherwise peaceful family dog: being abruptly woken from a deep sleep; manipulating a painful,