Rethinking Pigeons
Michael Tyson's first fight was over a pigeon. To this day he protects and honors the bird. And with over a million-dollar purse, Pigeon Racing is fast becoming a popular sport. You'd be surprised what Jim Jenner (King of the Pigeons - Lord of the Wings) has to say about the under-bird.
Eeeeew de Toilette
A new study suggests male monkeys washing with their own urine may be putting out an irresistible scent to females. Brain images of female monkeys have revealed that male urine sends sexual signals.
Turtle Starts House Fire
A pet tortoise has left one New York family without a place to live. According to the "New York Post," a six-year-old African tortoise named Giovani burned down an apartment in Brooklyn after he crawled out of his tank. Giovani reportedly knocked over a heat lamp, which ignited a pile of art supplies and paint thinner. Nobody was hurt including Giovani.
Potty-training 101
Vladae the World Famous Russian Dog Wizard has little patience when it comes to inappropriate urination. "You must start with your puppy on day one!" Here's a quick refresher course.
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Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy
More pet lovers have decided to taxidermy their loved one. Melissa Milgrom journals about the strange art that is becoming less and less creepy the more you know.
Relief to Japanese Animals
Several groups are stepping in to assist the animals impacted by the Japanese disaster. World Vets is an international veterinary aid organization that provides free veterinary aid, resources and support during times of disaster all over the world.
The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has already deployed six Canine Disaster Search Teams to respond to the current crisis.
Japan SPCA is taking in lost animals at their shelter as well as organizing and contributing to relief efforts. They have set up a PayPal fund for donations.
Big Stud!!
If you thought paying a few thousand dollars for your purebred Golden Retriever hurt your wallet, consider what you could have paid for one very special Tibetan Mastiff. Big Splash, or "Hong Dong" in Chinese, is an 11-month-old that recently sold in China for $1.5 million. The dog, which stands nearly three feet high and weighs more than 180 pounds, was sold in the eastern Chinese city. This dog will probably be used as a stud and Fetch up to 100,000 in stud fees!
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Japan Could Happen Here
If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. To minimize evacuation time, store an emergency kit and leashes as close to an exit as possible. Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification.
This really takes the cheese...
Trained sniffer mice may complement airport security detectors some day, as an Israeli company has created a bomb-detecting unit based on rodents unique sense of smell. The founder of BioExplorers, a start-up company based in an Israeli town, claims that trained mice can be better at revealing drug traffickers or terrorists carrying explosives than full-body scanners and other airport systems. Rodents are simply trained to fear certain scents.
Your Dog Is Your Mirror
According to Kevin Behan, "Dogs feel what we feel and this changes everything we think we know about dogs." He says we can know exactly what's on our dog's mind if we try.
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Separation Anxiety
Bad behavior when you leave your dog is a pretty common problem. Your dog may become a nuisance when you even think about going somewhere without him. Vladae has the right techniques for squelching the noise and calming the puppy.
Kimpton Kicks-Off Photo Contest
We're looking for pictures of your pet for the ultimate Paw-parrazi giveaway. Kimpton Hotels has teamed up with Jet Blue, Pet Airways, Sherpa Pet Group, Republic of Paws, Olive and Polka Dog Bakery. Animal RadioŽ will judge for a 2 night getaway!
Spring Cleaning
Dogfather Joey Villani has tips on "spring cleaning" your cat or dog so that they're much easier to take care of throughout the year.
How Far is Too Far?
Okay, so we all love our pets. But would you go as far as sending out invitations to your cats birthday party? Vinnie Penn thinks this is the first step on the way to the nut-house.
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Poop Eating Pup
It's not such an uncommon problem. Your dog may like to eat dog pop or even cat poop. It's doesn't mean they're missing any nutrients. There are some simple paths to correcting this problem.
Joey Villani's Crappy Tip
Some smaller dogs are predisposed to smelling like ... well ... poop around the muzzle area. We've got the reasons and the cures.
Anderson Retirement Plans
Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has appealed to India's top medical institute to retire old monkeys used in scientific research. The Hollywood actress said she had seen a video allegedly secretly filmed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that showed sick monkeys and rabbits which had been kept in cages for up to 20 years. "It broke my heart to see the suffering."
Agility Pigs
Pigs are now allowed to join dog agility teams. Ten-month old Louie spends his days training to run a canine agility course - and playing fetch. He is now so good at running like a hound, owner Sue Williams hopes to make him part of the Cheshire Dog Display Team. For the last six months, her favorite little pig has spent every day learning how to run the dog agility course.
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Ask the Animal RadioŽ Dream Team
Listen to Animal RadioŽ LIVE every Saturday at noon eastern and Sundays at 5pm eastern on XM ch. 158 (America's Talk) or on any of the 100 AM-FM radio stations. Call with your questions toll-free 1-866-405-8405 or email yourvoice@AnimalRadio.com
When is it time?
George: Doc Debbie, I just started listing to your show a few weeks ago. My wife and I have a English lab. She is 13 years old. Just a few day ago she did not eat the whole day. My wife fixed her some white rice with chicken and a little ginger. She has been eating every day. The real question is how do know when its time to put your animal down. She goes to back of the house into the bathroom and sleeps in the bathroom, hip problems.
Doctor Debbie: Dear George,
You bring up a very good question- when is it the right time? I don't believe that the answer is the same for every person and when they the proper time has come for their pet. I do suggest looking at these points though:
1. Appetite- is her appetite poor on a regular basis, does she have a hardy appetite, or does she go days without eating?
2. Family interraction- does she still interract with the family members? does she get up to greet people when they come home?
3. Continence- is she failing to get up to void outside? is there unconscious defecation or urination?
4. Pain- does pain or failing mobility limit your pets ability to move around or do her daily things. Limping, slowness to rise, and stiffness are all valid signs of pain even when a pet fails to whine or cry.
When there are failures in these areas on a consistent basis- that is when it may be time. If there is any question in the household if it is time yet, then I try to look at a calendar and mark a day as "Good Day" or "Bad Day". After a short period of time the calendar will spell it out. Sometimes it takes a black and white answer such as that to help reluctant family members to make the right decision for the pets sake.
I hope that helps some. It might be a good idea to schedule an exam with your veterinarian as well. Sometimes after years of seeing a pet, I know and remember what the pet was like in times of good health. The objective outlook of your veterinarian might help you make this decision- especially if he or she knows your lab from years past.
My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.
Rocky Raccoon
Sheila: I have 6 feral cats (Daddy cat + 5 1 year old kittens) of which I have successfully trapped and fixed 5 of the 6. They are a very stocky build Daddy (the largest) is probably 12-14 lbs.
Over the last year, I have not been able to get any closer to them than to provided food, water and shelter within my garage through a doggy door (plastic flap removed). Over the last couple weeks I have noticed they have come around less predictably. Yesterday I discovered that a raccoon (about 20 lbs.) has discovered the garage as well. I modified the dog door to about a 4 x 8 (1/2 size) opening and found the raccoon was still able to get in.
Do you have any suggestions on how I can continue to provide the cats protection from the snow and continue to allow free access to food without sharing the love with the raccoon?
Dr. Debbie: The truth is now that the raccoons have also discovered your feral cat feeding site, there is little you can do to selectively feed the kitties. Unless the raccoons vacate the area you will continue to have an open smorgasbord for cats, raccoons and other wildlife! I like your idea of trying to limit the size of the doggie door, but as you have found out- raccoons are very "smooshy" and can fit through areas just like ferrets can! The only other alternative for limited doggie door access which we often use for house pets (dogs/cats) is to fit them with a radio activated collars that open cat/dog doors only for the individual animal- but this technique doesn't help with feral or un-catchable cats.
I wonder how much the kitties are eating currently now that the raccoons are around? It is likely that they have been forced to find other food sources with the wildlife dipping into their grub! You may want to consider discontinuing feeding in this area and trying remote feeding outside and some distance away from the home via a dog/cat kennel. This might help re-direct the raccoons that the food source near the house has dried up. Then later on, you can try resuming feeding the ferals in the garage.
Sorry, it seems like you have some freeloading raccoons to support now as well! :)
Best Wishes to you!
Listen to Dr. Debbie on Animal RadioŽ
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Events Calendar
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Send your events to: yourvoice@AnimalRadio.com
2nd Annual Doggy Derby
Where: The Graycliff in Moonachie, NJ
When: Sunday, May 7 - 11am to 3pm
The entire family is invited to come out for this event. We have plenty of kids activities and they get to participate in a great cause. We have really high end donations for our tricky tray and silent auction. http://halfwayhounds.com
17th Annual Walk for Animals
Where Crown Point Shores, Mission Bay San Diego
When: Saturday, May 7 10am-12pm
This year's "Barkin' Beach Bash" will offer a complimentary pancake breakfast, doggie games, information booths, music and festivities all while raising funds for the San Diego Humane Society's vital community programs. http://www.sdhumane.org/walk
Kimptom Hotels Paw-Parazzi Pet Photo Contest
At Kimpton, they love pets so much that they have set out to find the cutest and most photogenic pet out there by kicking off the Kimpton Hotels Paw-Parazzi Contest. Anyone can UPLOAD a pet photo to their site. Every two weeks, the five photos with the most "Like" votes will win pet-tacular prizes from their partners such as Olive Green Dog, Polka Dog Bakery, and Republic of Paws. On June 1, 2011, judges from Animal RadioŽ will select the Grand Prize photo from the 30 bi-weekly winners for the "Ultimate hosPETality Getaway" which includes:
* A two night stay at a Kimpton Hotel of the winner's choice
* Two round trip tickets on JetBlue for human passengers
* $500 credit for the photogenic pet on Pet Airways, a pet only airline
* One $100 Kimpton Restaurant or in-room dining gift certificate
* One in-room spa treatment for two
* An Amelia Collection Carrier by Sherpa Pet Carrier
* Use of pet amenities such as a dog bed, bowl, and treats
Celebrate your pets right now at AnimalRadio.com
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