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Some form of identification is necessary for your pet. Of the millions of dogs and cats euthanized each year, many are lost pets whose owners cannot be found. Animal shelters or rescue organizations cannot hold pets for an extended period of time. If an owner is not found, the animal gets adopted out (luckily) or eventually euthanized.

Pet identification is a must!

There are several forms of pet identification - collar tags, tattoos and, more recently, implanted microchips. All are excellent forms of identification; however, which is the best?

The best form of pet identification is a combination of collar-tag and either tattoo or microchip. Even though tattoos and microchips are permanent forms of identification, they are not readily noticeable by the average person. If a lost pet has a collar with a name tag (bearing the owner's name, address and phone number), he or she can easily be returned to the owner.

Collars and Tags

Sturdy Dog Collar

These are a necessity. Collars (with information tags) are a quick way of identifying the animal's owner. Along with the owner's information, the ID tag should have the name, address and phone number of the pet's veterinarian. Attached to the collar, the ID tag should also be accompanied by the dog's license/rabies tag.

Tattoos

Tattoos have been used to identify dogs and cats for many years. The tattoo consists of numbers and letters usually found on the groin or upper rear leg. The number is registered with the National Dog Registry, or if the dog is a pure bred, with the American Kennel Club.

The chief problem with a tattoo is that it does not provide immediate identification when the dog is found. Most people do not look for a tattoo, and if they do see one, they do not know what to do. Another problem with tattoos is that many become illegible as the animal gets ages.

Microchip

Microchips are rapidly becoming a very popular method for identifying pets. Once the microchip is inserted, the pet is identified for life. Microchips are safe, unalterable and permanent identification for pets.

The microchip is a tiny computer chip or transponder about the size of a grain of rice. The chip is inserted under the skin between the shoulder blades of a cat or dog, in much the same way that a vaccine is administered. The microchip is coded with a unique 10-digit code. Each microchip that is inserted contains a unique code, specific to the individual pet.

When a pet is found, a scanner is passed over its body. If a microchip is present, the scanner registers the unique 10-digit code. This 10-digit code is maintained in a database with information regarding the pet.

Vet scanning for a microchip.

Your pet needs to have identification 24 hours a day. For immediate identification, there is absolutely no substitute for a collar with appropriate tags. Along with the collar and tags, a permanent form of identification is highly recommended. It appears as though the microchip is gradually replacing the tattoo as the preferred method for permanent pet identification.

1. What is the scientific word for a cat's whiskers?

A. Jactitatae
B. Oscillatae
C. Vibrissae
D. Quaverae

2. How many total whiskers does the average cat have coming from the 'whisker pad' (the puffy area between the top corners of your cat's mouth and the outer edges of his nose)?

A. 20
B. 24
C. 12
D. 16

3. How many times thicker than ordinary cat hairs are cat whiskers?

A. 2-3 times
B. 1-2 times
C. 3-4 times
D. 4-5 times

4. Whiskers are rooted very deep in the cat's face, in an area rich in nerves and blood vessels. Compared to cat hairs, how many times deeper in a cat's tissue are whiskers set?

A. 3 times
B. 4 times
C. 2 times
D. 5 times

5.Cat whiskers can give an indication of your cat's mood. When the whiskers are relaxed or pushed forward, which of the following is NOT how your cat feels?

A. happy
B. defensive
C. curious
D. content

6. It is okay to trim or cut your cat's whiskers.

A. True
B. False

7. Whiskers help the cat feel his way around. This is because whiskers are so sensitive that they can detect the slightest change in ...?

A. Air currents
B. Air speed
C. Air temperature
D. Air humidity

8.When can whiskers be a 'bother' to a cat?

A. When he is playing with string
B. When he sleeps on his side
C. When he tries to eat out of a bowl
D. When he is hunting

9.Cat whiskers fall out and are replaced.

A. True
B. False

When explaining pet death to children, it is important to be straightforward and honest. For many children, a pet's death is the first time they experience grief over death. Handling a pet's death in a positive way empowers children to handle grief in the future.

Children Cope Better When A Pet's Death Is Explained Honestly

The terminology that is used when explaining pet death to children is crucial. Euphemisms and clichés do not work. When explaining pet loss, use the words "death," "dead," and "dying" instead of "putting to sleep," "with the angels," or "visiting Uncle Harry" (an uncle who died a few months ago). These are all concrete words that children can wrap their brains around. Be clear, because children's minds may extrapolate harmful connotations from sugar-coated explanations.

A common euphemism for euthanasia is "put to sleep." There is no reason why children wouldn't think of this as a reversible process - "If the pet is asleep, let's just wake him up." Lying to your children by telling them that the pet ran away or that you gave it to a friend is a bad idea. Your children may exhaust every possibility looking for a lost pet, and the empty feeling of a pet that suddenly disappeared is worse than the truth about euthanasia. All of this only gives children a different kind of grief. If you say that you gave their pet to a friend, they wonder why their best friend would abandon them or why their parents would want to separate them from a creature that meant so much to them.

Instead, if you have made the decision to euthanize, it's a good idea to explain it in these terms - because we love Fluffy so much we do not want her to suffer. We are helping her to die because she is experiencing pain that we can no longer treat.

Talk about the death of a pet before the death occurs. Involve your child in the decision-making process. Not including children in the process makes them feel completely powerless about what is going on with their pet. If the pet has a terminal disease, talk honestly about the options with your children.

If the decision is made to euthanize a pet, your veterinarian can explain the medical aspects of death. The veterinarian can describe how euthanasia is done, and how the pet will look in death - the eyes do not close and the body may be warm for a few hours then later become stiff. If the pet dies or need to be euthanized as a result of an injury or traumatic accident, the veterinarian can also explain what went wrong.

Parents often wonder if a child should be allowed to be with the pet during death and see the body afterward. It may be a good idea to ask a child what he or she wants to do. If the parent or child does not want to be present during the euthanasia process, then they can go back into the room to say goodbye. Seeing that the pet is actually dead often helps give children and parents a sense of closure.

Involving Children In The Process Can Help Them With Closure

Grief issues do not just happen in the veterinary hospital; they happen after the children (as well as the adults) leave. Sometimes the grieving occurs months, or even years, later. During the grieving process, family members at various age levels will react differently. Children under two can sense stress in the house even though they do not know the cause. If this is the case, comforting them and paying extra attention to them may help. Children two to five years old typically believe they are invincible and regard death as a reversible feat that cartoons like the roadrunner and coyote enact. Although they may not understand that their pet is dead, explaining death concretely now helps them understand it better at a later date.

Eight-year-olds might understand that death is irreversible; however, in their minds, the universe revolves around them. If they think bad thoughts like, 'I don't want to walk Fluffy today. I wish she would just die' and then a couple months later, Fluffy dies, a child this age might believe that their bad thoughts caused the death of the pet.

Showing your own grief in front of your child is healthy. Grieving and crying in front of a child validates to the child that these emotions are OK to express. Hiding grief might make children wonder why you don't miss Fluffy. This could lead to them wondering if you would be sad if they died.

Children may react in ways that surprise adults. They may draw pictures of their pet underground, bury dolls, or ask shocking questions about what is happening to their pet's buried body. All of these responses are normal and healthy.

Families can be creative about memorializing their pet. Plant a tree. Put an engraved stone in your cat's favorite spot in the house. Encourage children to draw pictures. Each family member should be encouraged to memorialize their pet's death in a way that is meaningful to them.

If you or a member of your family is having trouble dealing with the loss of a pet, call your veterinary hospital for information. There are many Pet Hotline telephone services and counseling services available to families that have lost a pet.

Begging is a common problem in dogs. Often, dogs that beg for food are overweight or obese. Obesity is a medical condition that can lead to serious problems.

Dogs learn how to beg for food very quickly. Frequently they are not even begging for food but rather looking for attention. Because an owner associates this type of behavior as begging for food, food is often substituted for attention.

In order to eliminate this behavior, all members of the family must stop giving treats. Even if begging is rewarded only once in a while, the problem persists and can even get worse.

Food should never be used as a substitute for attention. All dogs require attention and affection.

Once you stop rewarding your dog for begging, the dog will no longer beg. It may take some time but Rover certainly will not starve.

Children should help with the responsibilities and tasks that are associated with having a pet. As adults though, we need to remember that children are children and adolescents are adolescents. It's very important to assign tasks that are appropriate with the child's age.

Here are some of the things you can expect

Toddlers - A toddler can help parents with pet care simply by being involved — "helping" a parent fill food and water dishes, grooming, going with parents to take the pet for a walk, or to the veterinarian. The toddler and young child can accompany the parent when he or she purchases the food, grooming supplies and other essential elements involved in pet care. The toddler can also give the dog a treat for good behavior, i.e. gets in bed or crate before family leaves the house. This special job is rewarding and enjoyable for both the dog and the toddler.

The 5-7 Year Old - The children in this age group are capable of doing some of the tasks above (feeding, watering, grooming) without parental help. Don't assume that children will automatically assume these responsibilities and that they will always remember to do them. Very often, a nice friendly reminder from mom or dad is required.

The 8-12 Year Old - At this age, a child can feed, water and play with the pet alone (depending on the pet's temperament and area for exercising). Parents still need to supervise children in this age group for some tasks, like walking the dog. Before a child is 10-12 it's not advised that they walk a dog without adult supervision.

Teenagers - Depending on your teen's maturity, you can sometimes allow him/her to take full responsibility for the pet, including feeding, cleaning up after, driving to the vet and exercising the pet. Allowing the teen to take the dog to obedience classes can also be a good activity for both of them.

While the history of dogs and cats is more commonly known, rabbits actually hold a longer record for domestication. Commonly misunderstood to be rodents, rabbits belong to their own order and are a separate species from hares or jackrabbits. Further distinction must be noted when identifying domestic rabbits from wild ones. Although domestic rabbits originally descend from wild rabbits, there is such a variety of domestic breeds - more than sixty-five - that the evolution of wild rabbits and domestic rabbits has progressed separately for hundreds of years.

Champagne d'Argente

The rabbit, as we know it, has been in existence for thousands of years. Although there is very little evidence to pinpoint the domestication of rabbits, there is proof that rabbits were introduced to Europe as early as 1100 B.C. and brought over to Spain by the Phoenicians. The abundance of rabbits in this area is suggested by its appearance on the Roman-Spanish coins of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 A.D.). Rabbits, in general, have a long history in a number of areas. In China, rabbits were used in Confucian ceremonies while according to the Roman scholar Varro, rabbits were kept in leporaria or escape-proof enclosures. The Greek historian Polybius, made mention of the modern European rabbit when writing about Corsica in the second century B.C. He called them kunikloi.

The actual domestication of rabbits is attributed to the early French Catholic monks. Selective breeding produced what we know today as the Champagne d'Argente. Champagne refers to the region of France in which they were bred and d'Argente refers to the color of the pelt which turns silver after six months of age. The word "rabbit" was first applied in the 15th century derived from the French word "rabet". It is probable that most of the domestic rabbits we see today are direct descendants of the hutch-raised rabbits of the French monks.

Folklore has a number of stories involving rabbits:

• Easter bunny
• Lucky rabbit feet - especially the left hind one
• Symbol of fertility

Prior to the 20th century, there is little evidence to suggest domesticated rabbits in America, though their presence in the wild is undisputed. The Belgian Hare was the first rabbit to catch the public's attention as a fancier's rabbit. Despite it's size, having one as a pet came first, eating it for dinner came second. With time, this particular breed evolved to fill the needs of the fancier, the commercial meat market, as well as the fur industry. It is believed that the Belgian Hare opened the door for many other breeds.

Belgian Hare

The pronounced gentleness of the rabbit is the best known quality that contributes to its popularity as a pet. Rabbits are not likely to bite and can easily become tame and companionable. Treated with patience and consideration, they may allow themselves to be picked up and handled frequently. Rabbits are silent creatures, prompting many people to think they are voiceless. This is not the case. Generally when they are not happy they will grunt or make noises to indicate their dislike of something.

Rabbits can make great pets but, like most companion animals, require appropriate care. There is a variety of breeds, sizes, colors, fur type, and disposition from which to choose. It can be difficult to choose a particular breed for personality type since most rabbits are bred for a specific look. Some breeds are happy to live outside in a hutch while others may prefer to remain indoors. Unfortunately, rabbits are high-risk prey animals and should never be left outside unattended for long periods of time unless safely enclosed in a hutch. With so many breed choices, the domestic rabbit has clearly carved a spot as a companion animal with a long and varied history.

1. I check my dog's stool in the yard everyday and do not see any worms; therefore, he / she does not have intestinal parasites.
   True
   False
2. Which of the following is NOT a dog vaccine?
   1. Rabies
   2. Parvovirus
   3. Distemper
   4. FeLV
3. Of the following, which is the BEST way to keep my dog's teeth and gums healthy?
   1. Rawhide
   2. Brushing with a vet approved dental paste and soft tooth brush
   3. Chew toys
   4. Tartar control diets
4. My dog has an ear infection. The best treatment is?
   1. Use a prescription from my other dog's ear infection
   2. See your veterinarian immediately
   3. Clean the ears with baby oil or rubbing
   4. Clean the ears with a cotton swab
5. Which breed is known for its dark purple tongue?
   1. Papillon
   2. Chow Chow
   3. Puli
   4. Irish Wolfhound
6. My dog only goes out for walks in the yard, so he doesn't need to be on a heartworm preventative.
   True
   False
7. My housebroken dog is suddenly urinating in the house. What could this possibly mean?
   1. Bladder infection
   2. Diabetes
   3. Kidney failure
   4. Any of these
8. My dog scoots his rear on the floor everyday after going to the bathroom. This is just a silly behavior problem.
   True
   False
9. The best way to treat my older dog's achy joints is?
   1. Tylenol
   2. Acetaminophen
   3. An approved canine anti-inflammatory drug
   4. Any of these are fine
10. When is the usual time to spay or neuter my dog?
    1. 5-6 months old
    2. 1 year old
    3. 18 months old
    4. After he or she is fully grown

Answers

1. False, 2. 4, 3. 2, 4. 2, 5. 2
6. False, 7. 4, 8. False, 9. 3, 10. 1