We obtained another dog at pets in the park from a women about 60 or 65 who had health problems. we didnt plan on it, but this dog was so cute i had to pet it. i didnt know the dog was in need of a beetter home with people that could actually take care of her as this old women had failing health, and the puppy was and still is VERY active. so i fall in love with this dog and the women says shes up for adoption and explains her situation. we consider and our first initial thought is that our 6yr old dog wont take to this new one. and we consider it more and the women says handing me the leash ”oh, take her, walk around with her and see how you like her” so we walk around with her and by this point i have fallen in love witrh this dog, so we tell the women all this stuff and whatever and we tell her our dog may not take to her but this women shes practically begging us to take it. so we take it under the presumption that we discussed being a trial on OUR end if our dog takes to her and this women leaves in tears distraught, after more conversation and her friend with some dogs in a stroller that has A SIGN on it saying something like up for adoption on it which we didnt even notice said its for the best and all that crap. long story short, we couldnt get the papers , give any of our info, or leave money cause the women left in tears and wouldnt accept any money. so i fone 2 weeks later her saying were keeping the dog and our dog has taken to her and the women says ” umm sorry that wont be and option” so meanly and we haven’t answered her calls and we licenced the dog under us and the women wants to charge us wirth theft and has filed the dog as stolen. whe found that out when we got a call from a constable who also says that the women told her that the women was at our house to get the dog and she saw the dog get pulled away from the window and the lights go out, when we didnt give her any of our info an she practically abandons the dog with us, we don’t turn our lights on till about 10:00, their is nowhere for the dog to get up and look out the window and if she came to get the dog, and she didnt come to the house. and apparently her failing health is fixed now. we consulted with a lawyer and he thinks this women might be unstable and he says we are in the right, but i just dont know.
Also EVERYONE else asked or said that this women is or sounds crazy
also it may go to court but we would have to do mediation and my parent would have to miss work, and we would lose income and on top of that this women is insane and we cant reason with her. This women also put up a kijiji add (Its taken down now, but can still be seen) and it was 0.00! Proving that this psycho path advertised more then just the sign on the stroller

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So my vet had us give our dog a rabies vaccination and I wasn’t informed until later on that there are a number of health problems that "coincidentally" occur right after and around the location of the rabies shot site. Can a vet get in trouble for not giving people proper information like this?

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we just got two for free from a friend. whenever anyone asks us what they are and we tell them, the person acts really surprised that we got them for free and always remarks on how they are a rare breed in the US. anyone know about this? also some people have told us that because they are a rare breed and have health problems that it is hard to get pet insurance for them. true??

Technorati Tags: google, health problems, insurance, Pet Insurance, rare breed, script type, text javascript

I am planning on buying a rabbit to keep me company in my dorm room in August or September. I have done all the research and I’m trying to decide which one I want. These are my options:

1) Petco: They have neutered dwarf rabbits for . The price is way cheaper compared to if I were to buy another rabbit and have it neutered/spayed (it’s about 5 to neuter and more to spay). However, I don’t know how friendly these rabbits are, or if they have any health problems. The Petco is not abusive, as I have read some are. I don’t know the age though.

2) The other pet store in town: They have young Holland Lops, but they aren’t neutered or spayed.

3) I have found a teenager who breeds mini rex but they are not spayed/neutered. She thinks I can get by without having to spay/neuter…is that possible with a strictly indoor bunny?

I was wondering, which rabbit should I get (obviously the one with the best personality…but if they all have the same…then which one?).
This rabbit will be interacting a lot with me…I want to make sure that it’s healthy (obviously) and that it doesn’t have bad behavior. My sister has two rabbits that aren’t neutered/ spayed (they live outside year round), but they are just fine…and I haven’t noticed any bad behavior (other than they don’t get all the attention they deserve so they’re kinda wild…). Any tips on caring for rabbits or stuff to buy them that I wouldn’t have found/read on the Internet would be appreciated too. I am going to have one spoiled bunny–and yes, it will have its own exercise pen.
Ok, here are a couple of details. The ones that are at the other store and the breeder are around . Also, technically rabbits aren’t allowed in my dorm, but I have friends that have them, and I am a resident assistant now, so I am friends with all the other RA’s and I plan on hiding it anyway…and if I do get caught, my sister promised me she’d take care of my rabbit on our parent’s farm. I can’t use the Humane Society, because they have to talk to the landlord to get permission to adopt an animal out…and I volunteer at the Humane Society all the time, and they don’t have any rabbits anyway.

Here’s another question: Is it going to be ok for me to keep a female rabbit inside without being spayed? I know she has a higher rate of getting cancer, but anything else that would be worth the extra 0 to get her spayed?
As I’ve said before, the Petco in my town is not abusive in any way…they take good care of their pets and I am considering working there. The rabbits there seem healthy (one is really shy, but the other one is very personable and friendly)…they have been there for a long time (several months), so I know this Petco doesn’t ship them back if they haven’t sold in a set time. We live in a college town and it’s only got around 50,000 people in it, including the college, so it’s pretty much a local store and not very franchised.

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I’ve seen this many times on many different forums. There always has to be a debate about what type of diet people feed their pets.
Almost everyone seems to think that their way is right. Whether it be a BARF (Bones And Raw Food), home-made food, gourmet kibble, or cheap kibble. If someone chooses to feed something else, then they aren’t a very good owner.
Are you a pet owner like this? Why do you think your pet’s diet is the right diet?

My own personal opinion: I feed my pets cheap stuff. Why? Because I have seen firsthand how in the factory the "gourmet" food goes down one conveyor belt and the "cheap" food goes down another. It is the same food in a different bag.
This is done with human food, pet food, clothes, etc. Almost all large companies put out an "expensive" brand and a "cheap" brand. It even comes in the same delivery truck to the grocery store.
My pets also get table scraps. I use my common sense when offering these. They get leftover meats and vegetables.
I think the diet that I feed my pets is just fine. I have 3 cats (10 years, 9 years, 7 months) and 1 dog (7 years). No one has had any health problems so far and they go to vet annually.
I asked three questions: Why are some people so self-righteous when it comes to their pet’s diet? Are you a pet owner like this? Why do you think your pet’s diet is the right diet?

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Okay, I work at a pet store that sells high quality and grain free foods such as taste of the wild, merrick, wellness, eagle holistic, evolve, nature’s variety, wysong, halo, etc. Well, today at work, I was reading an article about a new line of food we will be carrying from wysong called "Wysong Epigen" (it’s a dry dog and cat food), and the article is titled "Starch free vs. Grain free". Here is the article: (ps – in your response to the article, I don’t want to hear you advocating raw food, I don’t care, all I want opinions on is the commercial dry foods, thanks)

"Starch is the fundamental problem is all kibble pet foods. "Epigen" is the first kibble pet food absent of this unnatural (to carnivorous pets) sugar source (starch is simply a polysugar). Grain free products have merely replaced grain with other, less healthy starches such as potatoes, peas, and tapioca. This solves nothing. It only creates a perception of benefit that, according to scientific studies, is not true. Starch is starch, whether it’s from potatoes and tapioca, or corn and wheat.

Starch-free Epigen represents a true first, and is an honest, natural, and healthy product. Grain free diets are marketed as "new", "more natural" "more wild", "just like raw" and "more meat". All such claims are false and misleading.

Starch-free Epigen replaces the starch ingredients with proteins (the carnivore’s main requirement) and a wide spectrum of essential nutrients. Grain free products are not only laden with starches, they are nutritionally inferior. Moreover, studies have shown that by replacing grain starches with other forms. beneficial probiotics are decreased and pathogenic bacteria are increased.

Grain free products have only been falsely promoted as more akin to what dogs and cats would eat in the wild. Grain free diets have no science behind them and solve no health problems because they contain the same problematic starch that has been in all pet foods since the beginning. They do, however, create an illusion of benefit and uniqueness, but that only justifies an inflated price. What has driven grain free is marketing industry trending, hype, and profiteering."

I am not a fan of this article. I have switched many people’s dogs with skin issues to grain free foods and have had GREAT feedback from most, and my dog is on Taste of the Wild, and his mild dry skin has disappeared. Do you agree with this article, or do you think it’s just marketing on Wysong’s part? thanks for reading.
we are not about marketing. We care about the foods for the pet. This is simply something that was faxed to us by Wysong company. I DO NOT like what they are saying, and I promote grain free feeding, and I feel as though this article does nothing buy bash it..

Technorati Tags: carnivore, cat food, dogs and cats, epigen, essential nutrients, free diets, fundamental problem, health problems, merrick, pathogenic bacteria, perception, pet food, pet foods, pet store, potatoes, probiotics, proteins, quot, raw food, wheat starch

I have a pug/beagle mix who will be 7 years old in a few months. I am thinking about purchasing pet insurance for him, one that will cover accidents, injuries, and illnesses, continuous care, even hereditary diseases and preventative services/vaccinations and yearly vet visits.

He hasn’t had any health problems so far, so there wouldn’t be any "pre-existing" conditions to exclude.

There will be a 200 dollar deductible that has to be met yearly, and then after that they will pay 80% of any vet bills he has.

Is this a good idea? Or will it end up being pointless?

The way I see it is, you never know what could happen. He’s almost 7 years old, and he could develop some illness or condition as he gets older, I have heard a lot of dogs do. And I would only be paying about 250 a year in insurance premiums.

I have heard people say that instead of getting insurance, you should just save the money in a savings account, but I disagree with that because if I saved 250 a year, which is what I would be paying in insurance premiums, I would only have saved 2,000 dollars by the time he is 15 years old. That would not help if he were to develop a disease or condition. With insurance, he could get 10,000-20,000 a year if he needed it, depending on the plan I chose.

What are your thoughts? Is pet insurance a good idea or a bad one? Has anybody had any experience with pet insurance? Know of any good companies?

Technorati Tags: accidents, continuous care, dogs, getting insurance, google, health problems, hereditary diseases, illnesses, insurance, insurance premiums, money, Pet Insurance, preventative services, pug beagle mix, savings account, script type, text javascript, vet bills, vet visits

I’m trying to figure out which breed of dog I want to get some day. I plan to have a small farm – goats, chickens, rabbits. I also plan to have kids.

I want a breed that, when obtained from a reputable breeder and properly socialized, will not be a danger to young children or anyone else, or to livestock. However, I DO want a dog who will bark at strangers and be tough looking enough to be a deterrent (not a poodle, not a retriever of any kind).

I don’t want any dog that could be "nippy" for instance I have considered German shepherds but some (not all) do have that tendency due to their breeding as herding dogs. Also preferably a breed that does not, when obtained from a reputable breeder, have a huge number of major health problems (I know almost all pure breeds have some).

I am aware that small children should not be left alone with dogs and I certainly do not expect the dog to baby-sit a la Peter Pan, but I would like to be able to answer the phone without worrying that I’ll come back to little Johnny missing a hand.
I’m surprised, guys, based on this – which is from a border collie rescue group – a border collie would be a really BAD idea

http://www.bcrescue.org/bcwarning.html

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I am interested in taking classes, open to the public, that teach basic skills in:
Administering Injections To Pets
Recognizing Health Problems in Dogs and Cats
Anatomy/Physiology
I am looking for all these subjects and suggested places in the San Francisco Bay Area, that offer them. Not looking at a Heald, type of school.

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I was wondering, I am in the process of buying a puppy (Yorkie). Its registered, CKC and it will come with all the medical papers, but in the contract, it said that I have 72 hours to report and health problems that the Vet will diagnose in order to get a full refund. So I was wondering what will be the cost (not exact) because I know it can differ from state to state, but I was wondering around in what area, would I be expecting to pay to get my puppy looked at within the first 72 hours ? And also, what are some good pet insurance plans (companies) that I should look into.

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I’m getting a new purebred,8 week old German Shepherd puppy, and i’ve been doing my research on dog training, health problems, etc. And I’ve noticed that a lot of ads include German Shepherd hip displacia, and in some cases owners pets have died from it. I was wondering if anyone knew any ways to help prevent it, I am planning to get this puppy to be fully trained and extremely healthy. ( Her name is Lily, and we get to bring her home February 13th, 2011)

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I realize this is a long question, but the basic summary is should I do anything about someone I just met and don’t know well who is illegally keeping a raccoon in unfit conditions although they plan to release him at some point?

The other day I met a friend of my fiancee’s who he met at work. We went to his house to later go to a Halloween party. They had lots of pets (a cat, gecko, snake, and hamster) and apparently their roommate caught a young raccoon a little while ago (I’m not sure how long ago or how young it is).

I was concerned because, well.. you can tell that the cage is too small. Raccoons in the wild need a lot of space and this cage was about the size of a small dog kennel. I mean it had nowhere to go, it sat in its ferret hammock and that was about all the room there was in the cage. They are feeding him dog food and recently washed him.

I’m concerned for the health of the raccoon. I just met these people so it’s not really my business to tell them that the raccoon shouldn’t be kept like that, but it shouldn’t. It’s illegal here in GA to own one without a permit which I believe the guy does not have although I’m not sure. They have said that they probably wouldn’t be keeping the raccoon when it gets older.

Should I do something about it? If so, what should I do? Or is it just not my place to interfere? I don’t even know these people, I just met them the other day and doubt I would talk to them again. I’m wondering if I should call animal control or something though, because that raccoon will probably die from health problems if they keep it so cooped up like that. But maybe I should just let them decide what to do and stay out of it.. I don’t really know, anyone got some advice?

Thanks for any help.

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I have a pug and a pekingese. My pug had a lot of health problems before he was even six months. Mites, dislocated hip, ear infection. I think his medical treatment has so far been around 00.

I know Pekingese are prone to health problems so I want to cover both of them. I obviously don’t want to be paying a lot on the insurance but I want to be covered for things like joint problems and eye problems in case anything like that happens with either of them.

Have any Australians out there had any problems with pet insurance companies or know which is the best?

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I’ve been searching for the perfect pet for a while, and I think I have settled on fancy rats
There’s a few things I need to know first:

1) Is it true that rats do better in even numbers? Would getting 3 be a bad idea?
2) I plan to have all female rats. Should they be spayed? Can you even desex rats?
3) I’ve heard females are more active and not as calm. Are they still as easily tamed?
4) How much vet care does the average rat need? Do they generally have a lot of health problems?

Thanks I just thought I should this before I make a decision. Feel free to add anything else.

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German shepherd/boxer mix. She has had no health problems to date. When she I was a puppy I used to take her to Banfield pet hospital but now that she is older I do not want to be paying /month for their Wellness plan if I only need to take her once a year or less.

Also, are there other less expensive alternatives to Banfield?

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