Blog Posts by vetstreet.com

By Dr. Tina Wismer | vetstreet.com

iStockPhotoMany of us love the smell of lavender, cinnamon or jasmine, but what about our pets?

Aromatherapy has been touted to reduce anxiety, enhance energy and induce relaxation in people. But there are few scientific studies that have looked at the use of aromatherapy for pets and whether it has the same effects in them. As a result, there are certain rules of thumb that should be followed whenever you use these products around your pets.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils to create all those wonderful scents that we humans love to breathe in deeply and enjoy. It's important to realize, however, that many of these substances that seem relaxing to us are, in fact, volatile compounds, which means they can be potentially toxic to pets at certain concentrations. Animals and people are different in how they react to these substances, and your veterinarian should always be consulted before using these products around your four-footed

Last year, Dr. Patty Khuly wrote an article for Vetstreet on why dogs sleeping belly up? Based on your comments about that story, it sounds like many of your dogs (and cats!) are relaxed, easygoing pets who love snoozing on their backs. Your four-legged friends look so cute with their paws in the air we couldn't resist showing off some of our 10 favorites.

More on Vetstreet.com:

* 10 Surprising Things About How Animals Sleep
* Why Does My Cat... Hate Belly Rubs?
* Why Does My Dog... Walk in a Circle Before Lying Down?

By Mikkel Becker | vetstreet.com

Cat Misconceptions DispelledCats are the most popular pet in the United States; they are intelligent, affectionate and mysterious creatures. Despite this popularity - and perhaps because of their air of mystery - there are many misconceptions about cats that cause both social and physical problems for these animals.

Here are six common-but-false assumptions about felines - and the truth behind them.

False. Separation can be stressful for cats. Specifically, separation anxiety may manifest in behaviors such as urination and defecation outside of the litterbox, vocalization, vomiting, excessive grooming, lack of appetite, anxiety at departure or an exuberant greeting when you return. To keep your cat happy, it essential to limit their time alone and provide them with stimulation and interaction in the form of play, petting, food toys and perches. If you have an extremely stressed cat, it's essential to make an

By Amy Sinatra Ayres | vetstreet.com

Don't keep trying to fight it, pup. Just go off to dreamland.

By Mikkel Becker | vetstreet.com

Don't let a myth harm your relationship with your dog.Although dog training has become more of a science than a craft in recent years, some persistent myths still mislead us when reading canine behavior. Don't let a myth harm your relationship with your pooch. Here, we dispel 7 common myths and look at the facts.

False. Old dogs not only learn new tricks but they thrive when trained. My late Pomeranian, Mr. Teddy, who was adopted at an estimated 10 to 13 years of age, was a training superstar in Vetstreet videos, which were filmed two weeks before he passed away. By the same token, older dogs without housetraining experience as puppies can successfully be housetrained. As long as a dog is mentally and physically capable of learning to perform a behavior and is properly motivated, it's entirely possible to train her. While intense agility training for Teddy was not realistic, teaching basic commands was.

By Gina Spadafori

French Bull DogLike many people in late middle age, I find myself wondering if my next dog will be different. I have long shared my life with retrievers - active, field-bred dogs who throw themselves with joy into every situation (and every puddle of water bigger than a dinner plate). Their boisterousness is infectious: My dogs make me happy. But in 10 years, or 15, or 20, will I be up to the demands of dogs like these?

Or will a nice, quiet little spaniel be the dog I need?

My answer may be different than others, even among people of similar age (55), health (reasonably good) and activity level (decent, could be better). I live in a rural pocket near an urban center, and I can always walk out my back door and engage a bored retriever in a heart-thumping game of fetch in my horse pasture. But I won't always be able to lift a sick or injured 70-pound dog, and that's an unchangeable truth. These types of concerns explain in part the increased popularity of small dogs

By Laura Cross

We just can't get enough of this French Bulldog who dresses up in such cute and creative costumes that we don't know how she could possibly outdo herself for Halloween. When the Frenchie isn't mugging for the camera with a lei around her neck or a flower on her head, she's snuggling up with her favorite human, Olive, the super adorable baby, or clowning around with her canine bestie, Ruby. And, don't worry - the fashionable Frenchie seems to adore dressing up.

More on Vetstreet.com:

* 5 Popular Dog Breeds This Veterinarian Wouldn't Mind Seeing Less Of

* USA Just Became a Safe Place for Pets

* Is It OK to Kiss Your Pet?

By Lisa Granshaw

JustRosie.comImagine spending the first two years of your life in a house with 40 other dogs, hiding under a piece of furniture to avoid being trampled and never going outside to play in the sun. These horrible conditions are how Rosie, a 2-year-old Chihuahua, lived until being rescued from a backyard breeder in June 2012.

"She looked like a rat or an anteater. It was hard to figure out. So when you see that at first, it's hard to comprehend that that's a dog," says Cinnamon Muhlbauer, Rosie's rescuer. "I knew I had to get her and see what could be done."

The breeder and animal hoarder Rosie lived with was brought to Muhlbauer's attention by a friend who noticed a sign in her neighbor's front yard advertising free puppies. When the friend went into the neighbor's house, she discovered Chihuahuas who had been inbreeding for years, resulting in a number of puppies with deformities like Rosie's. When Muhlbauer arrived, she took Rosie and two other pups and went