We've extended our holiday sale from the Thanksgiving weekend and made it even better for today ONLY!
Our gift kits are on special - $2.00 off their normal price! (no matter what quantity you decide to buy - they are $2.00 off!!)
For today only - Cyber Monday - we'll also give you a wonderful paw print gift bag with each gift kit you purchase!! These bags are so cute and they are only available as this bonus! And only for today! :)
Here is to you and hoping you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
We are offering a great Thanksgiving weekend specialif you're in the shopping mood!! :) See you next week!
Over the last month or so, I have been working on re-designing our website - www.veterinarywisdom.com.
Well, finally, today, I have finished the work, and the new look is UP!! Whoo hoo! We just celebrated here in the office with a little champagne toast! :) (and now I am sleepy and wanting a nap!)
I'd love comments if you go and take a look. The content is much the same, but the colors and look have changed! We'll be going in now and adding a lot of new stuff over the next few months (including articles, new products, and EVEN a whole new website! Watch for that!)
Send me any input you might have! I'd love to hear from you! tammy.durham@wbtt.com.
Wow! Every time I see a storysuch as this one I am amazed! This goes along with the story I wrote about a while back about the four-eared cat... This one is even more bizarre in my opinion.
A veterinarian in Australia got a shock when helping with the delivery of some kittens. The mother was having trouble and the vet and his nurse helped deliver three in the litter. The other two were "normal", but the third kitten (a male) had two faces. Literally.
The nurse said, "I have seen cats with two tails and extra legs, but not this." This baby has two faces and so far, is seemingly healthy. It eats out of only one mouth due to having a cleft palate in one mouth. It meows and purrs - and it meows out of both its mouths!
The family who the kitten belongs to says they will keep it and they are considering calling it Mr. Men or QuasiModo. The article says that only about one in a million cats are born with two heads. Wow! This would be a really crazy thing to see! I can't imagine actually having an animal with two heads quite frankly! I'm quite sure I'd get attached just as easily as with any other pet though!
(Photo from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article5195172.ece)
I read an interesting little article today. It was titled "Pets for Christmas are a bad idea".
I hadn't really thought about this concept before, but with the holidays fast approaching, presents are at the forefront of my mind! (Not only is Christmas coming up, but my husband's 40th birthday is December 15th! Yikes!)
We have too many pets already, so I'm not considering buying a pet for him, but I know that many people probably do give pets as presents. Have you ever given or received a pet as a present?
The author of the article today thinks that we should be really cautious about the gift of a living, breathing being as a gift! "Unlike a pair of slippers, a dog or cat can remain a part of a person's life for up to 15 years." (or more!) She is so right! A pet is a huge responsibility. Taking on the care of a pet is something to be considered and decided upon seriously. If it is a gift, you don't have that time to consider!
Now - if Mike (my husband - just because I like saying that since we've been married for all of 17 days now!) decided to buy me a kitten for Christmas - I would be ecstatic! He would know this, of course, so he wouldn't hesitate to do that. I think, if you know for sure that the person would want a new pet, and would care for it well, then it might be OK. Otherwise, I think you should let a pet decision be up to them, not you!
What is your opinion? Yes? No way? Want a basket with a puppy in it under the tree come Christmas morning?
(And speaking of holiday presents - we have a lot of ideas at our website! Go check it out!)
I don't often find things to post about farm animals, but this video is pretty cute! I lived on a farm for about 10 years (it wasn't my farm - I rented an apartment. I got the benefit of living there, but didn't have to do the work! I loved the pygmy goats in particular! I would much prefer to hear the goaties again instead of our neighbor's dogs!) Who knew that chickens could be bouncers?
Remember Gus? I wrote about him this summer when he won the title "World's Ugliest Dog".
Today, Gus lost his battle with cancer. He died at the age of 9. Gus was rescued from a bad home and lived happily with his adoptive family in Florida. He lost a leg to skin cancer, and was missing an eye from a fight with a cat. His adoptive family loved him in spite of his "ugly" looks.
Rest well Gus! You will be missed!
(Photo from MSNBC.com)
So, of course, the big news of the week - the presidential election on Tuesday. History was made!
The buzz following Barack Obama's acceptance speech on Tuesday night... what kind of dog would the Obama family be getting?!
You see - President-Elect Obama mentioned in his speech that they would be getting the promised dog before they move into the white house in January! The speculation began! Would they pick a specific breed? What breed would be best for the family? Everyone had their best suggestion! My favorite suggestions involved the family choosing a shelter dog!
And the news today - directly from Mr. Obama himself... "our preference would be to get a shelter dog". Obama also said that the dog should be a "mutt, like me". I LOVE this! I hope that they go with this and choose a mutt that needs a home! Imagine being a shelter mutt one day and a white-house resident the next! Malia and Sasha are lucky girls! And I know whatever pup they pick, it will be a lucky dog too.
What is your opinion on the dog for the white-house bound next first family? I can't wait to hear about the dog they pick, and what they name it!!
I am going to be absent from my blog for the next week! I am leaving to get married!! Yay! :)
Mike and I met almost 4 years ago via eharmony.com. We hit it off right away, and the rest as they say, is history!
We are going to "jump the broom", "tie the knot", and other cliches this coming Saturday!
I will miss catching up with you all while I'm gone, but I will look forward to reading your posts when I return next week! I'll have a photo or two to share when I get back too (even though there won't be any animal-related news with our wedding! Our cats have to stay home!)
Until next week!
This is the cutest cat ever! I can totally see my guys doing this too! (No printer at home to worry about though!) Have you ever caught your pets doing something like this?
How in the world, if your beloved pet has already passed away, can you make a duplicate of a ClayPaws® print?! Well, it truly is possible! And recommended!
Check out our new "Copy Kit". Included is everything you need to make duplicate prints of existing
ClayPaws® prints! We use this technique here in the office to make molds with which we create our demo prints! (We don't have a doggie here who lets us make ClayPaws® prints for you, our customers, all day!)
We know that one-of-a-kind memories like your paw print impressions are so precious! This copy kit allows you to make duplicate prints for family members, even for putting a print outside in the elements! You won't have to worry about the one and only getting broken or destroyed!
The process is fairly simple. Use the included MoldMaker™ product to make a reverse print or mold of your print. Bake this mold and then use it to press into the ClayPaws patties. This will press the impression of your pet's paw into the clay, just like the original! From there, your imagination can run wild!
If you are like me this week, you are in need of some fun! I came across this cuteness this morning!
http://upsidedowndogs.com/
The title of the site says it all - Upside Down Dogs! That's it. Photos of upside down pups! If they don't make you smile, I don't know what will! We have all caught our pets in funny positions - they all get into yoga poses that shouldn't be possible! Dogs especially look cute upside down becuase their flappy gums (technical terms!) looks all goofy!
Do you have any cute photos of your upside down pup? The site takes submissions! Now personally, I think there should be upside down cats too... but I enjoy seeing the dogs! :)
One of the many blogs I read - Jerry's Place for Tripawds - has experienced great loss. Jerry, the wonderful tripawd who "wrote" many of the posts, has died. His people made the decision to let him go on Friday, October 3.
Jerry lived many months longer than he was expected to post amputation. He brought much joy to his people. Through his blog and website, he brought much information and support to other pet parents experiencing cancer and amputation in their own dogs.
Jerry will be missed greatly. Blessed Be!
(Photo from the gallery at Jerry's Place)
There is a news story out there this week about kids and exotic pets. Doctors are warning parents against exposing kids to hamsters, reptiles, and chicks as pets.
According to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, pets such as these can be health risks to children. "These animals are more prone than cats and dogs to bite, scratch, or claw people, particularly children younger than 5 years old, and transmit dangerous and potentially deadly germs, like salmonella, the physicians said."
In reading the story, it seems the largest concern does come from the risk of salmonella being transmitted to young children. The bacteria can cause serious illness in younger children and "11% of cases in children come from handling lizards, turtles, and other reptiles."
What do you think of this? I had hamsters when I was a kid. I never got sick from handling them. I loved turtles, although I never had one of my own. Will you let your children have "exotic" pets? Or will you stick with dogs and cats? Do you worry about germs and illnesses that pets might transfer to you? I honestly don't really think too much about it.
OK - this baby has to be about the cutest ever! His name is Rupert. He is a 5 day old Muntjac deer fawn. (See full story here.)
His mother was killed after being hit by a car. Veterinarians worked to save her, but were unable to. They did save her baby and he is doing quite well in spite of his traumatic arrival in the world! This happened in Buckinghamshire, England.
The little guy really is tiny. He weighs about 500 grams and is only six inches tall! At full grown, these deer are about 37 inches in length and between 22-40 pounds. Currently, Rupert is being tube-fed and is living in an incubator. The vet clinic caring for him says he is very feisty! (We don't have any ClayPaws® prints of deer. Maybe Rupert should be our first!)
**Sad update: 10/2/08 - Unfortunately, the feisty little Rupert did not make it. The staff at the hospital taking care of him is predictably upset. They did their best to keep this little guy going, but he was too small and premature to make it. Blessed be little Rupert.
(Photos by Jeff Moore via DailyMail.Co.Uk)
We often get asked if the clay in ClayPaws® prints is non-toxic. This is important to us as well!! Animals are around this product. Their feet get pressed into the clay. What if they lick their feet?!
Well - rest assured that our clay is non-toxic. We wouldn't encourage you to let your animal (or a human!) eat the clay, but if some residue stays on their paws, and they lick it - they won't get sick!
I was prompted to remind you of this today because I saw an article about five foods that are toxic to dogs. I was surprised at several that are on the list. I didn't know they were toxic!! Did you know that:
1. Alcohol is toxic? I guess I would never had thought about giving alcohol to a dog, but I know someone who had a dog who developed a taste for beer! During the time when they were euthanizing her, they gave her a drink of beer as a treat.
2. Apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums are no good for dogs? "Large amounts of stems, seeds, and leaves of these fruits can be toxic". I wouldn't have guessed that fruit would be bad!
3. Avocados are BAD?! They are so good for humans - NO good for dogs! Again - I would never have known this.
4. Baking powder and baking soda? Wow - such common things that we have around! Be careful about leaving boxes of baking soda around to catch odors! Your dog could get sick if they decide to eat it!
5. Chocolate. This one I knew - did you?
Be careful what you let your dog eat!! And don't feed them any of the things on this list!
The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) announced yesterday that it would endorse a presidential candidate. They have never before endorsed a candidate for president - congressional candidates, yes, but presidential never.
The HSLF has chosen to endorse Barack Obama and Joe Biden's bid for President/Vice President. They base their criteria for backing a candidate on one thing only: where they stand on animal protection policies.
In his newsletter announcing the endorsement, Mike Markarian, President HSLF, stated, "I'm proud to announce today that the HSLF board of directors -- which is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans -- has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The Obama-Biden ticket is the better choice on animal protection, and we urge all voters who care about the humane treatment of animals, no matter what their party affiliation, to vote for them."
If you go take a look at the post - the issues and Obama's positions on them are listed out. Obama has been a solid supporter of animal protection (as has Joe Biden). He also responded to the HSLF questionnaire - something that his opponent John McCain did not do.
HSLF goes on to say that while McCain has been a supporter of some animal protection legislation (the article says "lukewarm") it was his choice of running mate Sarah Palin that helped them to make the decision to support Obama. Her record is quite extreme (I'll let you go read about it!) and the HSLF blog post states, "Her record is so extreme that she has perhaps done more harm to animals than any other current governor in the United States."
(I promise this is not turning into a political blog! I'm just bringing you the news!)
I won't go into my own political beliefs, but I came across a new blog recently. It's called Bark Obama! and it is subtitled Dog (and Cat) Bloggers United for Obama. (I haven't heard about or seen a similar blog about McCain, or I would post that link as well. Let me know if you know of one!)
Bark Obama! is a packed full political blog. There are lots of facts (checked out), news stories, and lots of humor too.
Would you use your animals to help promote your political candidate? A McCain t-shirt for your dog? An Obama visor for your horse? (I'm making it up here!) I like the idea. I think my cat Oscar would be a great political blogger - he is just grumpy enough! He'd get the facts, and then smack down anyone who riled him up! :) As long as he gets dinner on time, that is!
It seems that Hurricane Ike hasn't made big headlines like Katrina did several years ago, but the devestation is there! Galveston, TX was hit hard and there are many problems facing residents!
One of them, that we don't always think of, is the pets that get left behind. Humans are forced to flee their homes facing a hurricane, and so many times, pets get left behind to fend for themselves. The Houston SPCA is working hard to help all of these displaced animals! They received upwards of 200 animals who had been abandoned due to the storm. The Galveston Island Humane Society was apparently destroyed in the storm as well!
According to a story I read this morning, SPCA officials are asking residents in Houston to foster these abandoned animals until their families can claim them. If they are not claimed within 10 days, the foster families can choose to adopt the animals or return them to the shelter.
Have you ever weathered a bad storm? Did you have to evacuate, and if so, did you leave your pets, or take them with you? I know it is easy to say from my vantage point that I would never leave my pets behind, but I've never been in a spot where I had to evacuate quickly. Do you have a plan for that situation? It's something to think about and prepare for! My cats don't travel well (AT ALL!) so it would certainly be hard to take them with in an emergency situation. But I sure wouldn't want to leave them behind either! I hope that all of the animals left behind can be reunited with their families!
Yesterday was National Pet Memorial Day. I don't post over the weekends, but thought I would post some photos and stories here about my own pets who have died. I have lost several animals over my life, and I miss them all! 
First off is my poodle from childhood - Beau-Beau. He was a small poodle that I had from age 2 through about 13. My dad made the decision to have him euthanized because he couldn't get around at all anymore. I remember that the decision was SO hard for him. He took Beau to the vet alone. He is a softie about animals! I don't have a great picture of Beau, but this is me holding him, probably not too long after we got him!
We got another dog not long after Beau-Beau died. My dad rescued Little One from a puppy mill. She was about 7 years old and had never learned to play! She was a standard chihuahua and she LOVED my dad! She eventually learned to play with me, and she loved us all. She was very untrusting of strangers, and very scared of everything. She got cancer and we had to euthanize her at about 14 years old. We feel like we gave her a good life for at least half of her years!
Since then, I have had (and lost) a number of cats. Lissy was my first kitten. She was a nut job of a cat. She had some serious underlying health issues, and I had to euthanize her at about age 7. Her nickname was Pissy Lissy or Beasty. (she is on the left)
Bear was a sweet cat that I adopted to help out a friend. He was an outdoor cat who I loved very much - he always met me at the door, no matter what time I got home. He talked a lot! He got a fast-growing tumor in his mouth. His euthanasia was one of the hardest events ever. A veterinarian friend came to the house and euthanized him. Bear knew that we were helping him - he was so calm. He was a sweet boy right to the end. I miss Bear the most I think.
We currently have four cats - Miss Girl, Ben, Henry, and Oscar. The first three are all 7, and Oscar is 11. I hope they will all be with us for quite some time yet!
Did you do anything special yesterday to memorialize your pets?
It's official! World by the Tail, Inc. has a print catalog for the very first time! We have been hard at work for several months to create our print catalog! And it arrived yesterday afternoon. Boy, does it look good!
Lora, our new business manager/print media person went to work on this catalog as her first big task! She did a great job of designing a very professional catalog! Working with each of us to get it put together, our catalog has been realized!
You can see it online by going here. If you'd like a copy mailed to you, email me with your name and mailing address. (If you're a current customer, you will automatically receive a copy!)
We have some new products that I've recently added to our online catalog!
We have affiliated with Animal Behavior Associates. They have an amazing array of products, books, DVDs, etc. to help with all of your animal behavior needs and questions. Dan Estep, Ph.D. and Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D. are both certified applied animal behaviorists. They are highly qualified and have written numerous books and pamphlets! We are also carrying several of their books and DVDs/CDs. Check them out!
We have also added a selection of display easels for your ClayPaws® prints! We have four designs in bronze or black. They are inexpensive and quite nice. They work very well with most prints. (A large dog print or hoofprint might not work as these are sized for a typical 4" or so print.)
Jenny, the oldest living gorilla in captivity, died last night at the Dallas Zoo. She was 55 years old and had lived in Dallas for more than a quarter century!
According to the story, she had to be euthanized last night because of an inoperable tumor in her stomach. She wasn't eating or drinking. I loved how her keepers described her. "Sweet, though a little bossy."
Gorillas apparently can live to be about 30 or 35 in the wild and quite a lot longer than that in captivity. She was one of only 6 gorillas in captivity over the age of 50.
Jenny will be missed by the zoo and it's visitors! Rest Well Jenny and Blessed Be.
(Photo from Associated Press.)
Twitter. A rather weird little website that is gaining popularity. Totally addicting! Twitter states that "Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?"
On Twitter you are given 140 characters to answer the question "What are you doing?" You can follow people, and people can follow you. It's a peek into other's worlds. I have my personal twitter page that I've been tweeting on for a few months now. You can tweet once a day, or as many times a day as you have time for! (it CAN be a total time sink!)
Today, I started a World by the Tail Twitter page! I'm going to tweet about what we do here in the office. I'll tell about specials, suggestions, tips, etc. (Much like I do here on the blog, but in the informal Twitter style, and in short bursts, hopefully more than once a day!) I'd love to hear from you if you Twitter too! Come follow me, and I'll follow you! Tweet at me! :)
