Pat Rollins, the outdoor writer for The Citizen, has a column up about the first rabbit hunt of the season.  It describes the joy a dog has in doing what it was bred to do – in this case, a Beagle on a rabbit hunt. “You should have been here a half-hour ago,” Pete said. “The old boy saw me put on my coat and pick up my shotgun and he went nuts. When I put him outside he must have sprinted around the...
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Tonight at 7:30, NH Chronicle will feature Randy Pierce and his guide dog, Quinn.  From the WMUR site: “Randy Pierce is blind and Quinn is his guide dog. Together the dynamic duo is working to climb all of NH’s 48 mountains that rise about 4,000 feet. The project is called 20/20 Vision Quest and it’s raising money to help blind people across the state. Jennifer Crompton got to hike along side them and has their inspiring story.” For more information on how you can help...
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The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) has an interesting article about feeding your pets raw meats.  They quote a New Hampshire veterinarian, Dr. Richard McAroy, who is against it and doesn’t allow it in boarding clients. Here’s a sample of the article, but do read the whole.  It is a balanced report of the pros and cons of feeding your do or cat uncooked meat. VIN News. November 22, 2010 By: Carrie Peyton Dahlberg For The VIN News Service “Raw food and boarding don’t mix...
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Nicholas Dodman visited with Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air.  Here’s a taste: “As dogs age, taking care of them becomes more difficult. Owners of aging dogs often struggle with their pets’ dementia and incontinence — as well as navigating through the maze of end-of-life care decisions. Veterinary behaviorist Nicholas Dodman is the head of the Animal Behavior department at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has worked with aging dogs for decades. He says that old age isn’t a disease, but a...
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This is brilliant. From the hyperboleandahalf blog: Packing all of your belongings into a U-Haul and then transporting them across several states is nearly as stressful and futile as trying to run away from lava in swim fins. I know this because my boyfriend Duncan and I moved from Montana to Oregon last month.  But as harrowing as the move was for us, it was nothing compared to the confusion and insecurity our two dogs had to endure. Allie Brosh / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
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An oldie but goodie. We'll see you in 2011!
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From nh.com Waterville Valley , NH – Saturday, November 27, 2010 marks the 20th annual arrival of “Santa Arrives by Dog Team” at Town Square in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Santa and his team will arrive at the gazebo to greet the crowds at 3:30 P.M. Visits with Santa will take place in the Nordic Center in Town Square after the dogs are safely unharnessed, and will continue until Santa sees the last child. Each child will receive a small gift and candy from...
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Food usually abounds at holiday time and Thanksgiving is a time we often want to share our warm feelings with our pets by offering food treats. Then too food left out at mouth access height can be impossible to resist temptation for a pet. The wrong kind of treat can make the holiday weekend extra long as you try to find an emergency vet instead of the best shopping spots so its best to be careful what treats your pets get. Make sure dips,...
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For those of us who have multiple pets, there is always this concern:  ”Does my house smell doggie?”  We clean, we wash dog beds, we wash floors and still we worry.  Well, according to Christie Keith, the answer is STEAM. “There really is a solution to the problem of pet odors, and it has nothing to do with spraying, masking, perfuming, scenting, soaping or enzymatically purifying the air, rug or furniture. I’m talking about steam. I’m not talking about hot water, even if the...
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Pet insurance is a complicated issue.  It can be a great help if one of your pets needs major surgery or chemotherapy, but there are also pitfalls with it.  Just like human health insurance, it doesn’t always cover pre-existing conditions. There are two excellent web sites devoted to helping pet owners understand the ins and outs of pet insurance.  The first and most comprehensive is the Pet Insurance University.  This site takes an in-depth look  at pet insurance, offers comparison charts between the plans...
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According to the Veterinary Pet Insurance Company, here’s a list of the ten most common cancers.  This list is based on claims submitted to the company between 2003 and 2009. Lymphosarcoma Mast Cell Tumor Bone Cancer Cancer of the Eyelid Cancer of the Spleen Liver Cancer Fibrosarcoma (which stem from connective tissues) Cancer of the Thorax Oral Cancer Hemangiopericytoma (a tumor generally arising on a limb) There is some good news on pet cancer front,  a Canine Melanoma Vaccine has been licensed by the FDA....
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