At the 2007 American College of Veterinary Medical Forum in Seattle, Dr. Anthony S. Moore gave a lecture on dogs with mammary tumors. He stated that mammary tumors are the most common type of tumors found in unspayed female dogs. He also mentioned a study that linked making healthy dog food choices for your dog reduces dog health care issues, such as the risk of mammary tumors.

Mammary tumors account for nearly half of all of the tumors found in female dogs. Mammary tumors occur three times more often in dogs than humans. Dogs also have the highest occurrence of mammary tumors than any other domesticated animal.

These mammary tumors can be a dog health care issue when they are found to be cancerous– which occurs about half of the time. By the time that the tumors have been diagnosed, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Females that are not spayed are 7 times more likely to develop breast cancer compared to spayed females. Research has proven the earlier you spay your dog the less chance they have for developing mammary cancer.

Another study has shown a significant reduction of the risk of developing mammary cancer in dogs that were thin at 9 to 12 months of age. Feeding your pet red meat may also increase the risk of a dog developing mammary cancer.

To lessen your dog’s chance of getting mammary cancer, have her spayed. Spaying before the first heat cycle is preferred. Ensure proper dog health care by feeding your dog a healthy diet and keeping her at a healthy weight.

A dog crate is an essential tool for both dog health care and puppy training. According to Cheri Lucas, the founder and president of Second Chance at Love Humane Society, “Crate training has been proven to be the fastest and most effective way to housebreak a puppy.”

Dogs like to be in confined areas that simulate a den and they feel safe in enclosed areas where they can curl up. A crate provides the type of environment that will make a puppy feel secure.

Dogs naturally won’t want to go potty in the area where they sleep. This makes using a crate ideal for potty training. Choose a dog crate that is large enough for the puppy to stand up in, turn around, and lay in comfortably.

You want to avoid choosing a crate that is too large as the dog may use one end for a bathroom area and sleep in the other end. Crates that come with divider panels will allow you to buy a crate that will fit your dog when they are full grown but can be divided to a smaller size for when your dog is a puppy.

The best way to crate train a puppy is to start the first day you take the puppy home. The crate should be placed in an area of the house where the rest of the family will be. Dogs are pack animals and like to be with the rest of their pack, the family. Take the dog outside to go potty after taking them out of the crate and before putting them into the crate.

To ensure proper dog health care and good behavior, the crate should never be used as an area for punishment.

As a cat enters each stage of life, the care she requires changes. Cats are living longer now than they ever have.

According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the percentage of cats over six years of age has nearly doubled in just over a decade, and there is every reason to expect that the “graying cat” population will continue to grow.

With aging cats comes increased risks for disease and illnesses. Having cat insurance for your cat from the time they are kittens can help you ensure they receive the veterinary care they need throughout their life.

Symptoms of diseases are often noticed by cat owners but are thought to be due to the cat aging. Some of the symptoms that owners dismiss are changes in the amount their cats are eating and drinking, changes in activity levels and changes in sleeping patterns. To keep older cats healthy, have your cat examined if they exhibit any changes in behavior or eating, drinking or sleeping patterns.

Take your senior cat to the veterinarian for more frequent check-ups. Older cats should be seen every 6 months to monitor their weight and to get a thorough exam. Any changes in your cat’s health will then be further evaluated. Having pet insurance for older cats can help offset the additional costs of pet health issues that come with aging.

Most dog owners are aware of pet health needs and the necessity of heartworm preventatives, but it’s also a good idea to talk to your veterinarian about cat heartworm prevention too.

Heartworms are becoming more and more prevalent in cats. The increase is likely due to the fact that testing for heartworm is not necessarily done as part of a routine annual visit. Because of this, the definitive number of cats with heartworm is widely unknown. Giving your cat a heartworm preventative should be a part of your cat pet care regimen.

Heartworms are transmitted to cats when an infected mosquito bites the cat. The mosquito injects the heartworm larvae into the cat, which eventually ends up in the cat’s heart. Approximately 6 months later, the larvae become adult worms and begin to release microfilaria, or immature heartworms.

Indoor cats are not immune to the disease. Approximately 25% of the cats diagnosed with heartworm are indoor cats. The cat illness symptoms of feline heartworms are inconsistent, which makes diagnosing the disease difficult. The most common signs that pet health has been compromised are rapid breathing and coughing. These symptoms are also common in other feline diseases.

Feline heartworms are diagnosed via blood tests. Currently there are no safe treatment options for feline heartworms. Any symptoms caused by the disease are treated to keep the animal comfortable until the heartworms die. The lifecycle of the heartworms is approximately 2 years. Cat health issues, like feline heartworms, can be avoided by giving your cat heartworm prevention.

Pets Best Insurance has a limited benefit for the testing of heartworms with its BestWellness plan—which can be added on to any illness and accident cat insurance policy for $22 per month.

For more information on what is covered under the BestWellness plan, or general information about health insurance for cats, visit www.petsbest.com.

As many as 25% of homeless people in the U.S. own pets—and local activists want to lend a helping hand.

According to the Telegram.com news site, it’s often difficult for homeless people with pets to find shelter—simply because many shelters don’t allow animals inside. Not only does this deter the homeless from getting food, but it may impact pet health.

“Often the homeless choose to stay on the streets or live in cars to avoid having to give up a beloved dog or cat. It is difficult to find food for themselves, and feeding their pets adds to the challenge,” the news provider reports.

Local activist Dorothea Cassady contacted Ginny White of Ginny’s Helping Hands to help collect and distribute supplies to the pet-owning homeless.

“These people have been sleeping in their car since the beginning of March with their two dogs,” White told the Telegram.com of a homeless family. “They have a shepherd and a Chihuahua. That’s their kids. They will not give up their kids.”

White told the news provider she joined forces with Cassady because she also saw a need for this volunteer service and was worried about homeless pet health.

Genevieve Frederick, director of Feeding Pets of the Homeless, told the news provider that they’ve increased the number of distribution sites where the homeless can get food for their pets.

“We have distribution sites at food banks and places where homeless congregate,” Frederick told the news source.

Aside from getting help from Ginny’s Helping Hands, Cassady plans to reach out to veterinarians and other food drive services to join Feeding Pets of the Homeless.

The activists told the news provider that they will continue to do what they can to ensure good pet health, even for those without roofs over their heads.

A new hotel is opening in Fort Worth, Texas later this month that will boast custom beds, satin blankets, and flat screen TVs—but the hotel isn’t for humans, it’s for pets.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the $4.4 million hotel, called the Spa Paws Hotel, will offer pet facials, turn-down service and bottles of Evian water.

“There isn’t another hotel like this. It’s a hotel like you and I would stay in,” hotel owner Janice Ford Grimes told the source, adding that pet health will also be a primary focus.

Ford Grimes told the news provider that pets will be able to enjoy a wellness center that will offer Eastern medicine to ensure exquisite cat and dog health care.

While many people consider dog and cat insurance to be the up-and-coming pet trend, Ford Grimes wants to push the envelope even more.

The hotel owner plans to host pet weddings and birthday parties and guests will even be able to sit for a portrait by a professional photographer.

Ford Grimes told the news provider that the part of the hotel she’s most passionate about is the wellness center, which is inspired by Ford Grime’s cat Dakota, who died of a serious pet health condition—a brain tumor.

With rooms costing around $200 per night, Ford Grimes thinks animal lovers will see her pet hotel is worth every penny.

“Ford Grimes is prepared to subsidize the clinic with earnings from the hotel,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Her business plan has her making money within the first six months with occupancy at the hotel and salon.”

With Ford Grimes’ pet hotel opening its doors—pet health and luxury will never be regarded the same.

Hartz Mountain Corp. has issued a voluntary recall of nearly 75,000 bags of dog treats due to possible salmonella contamination, CNN reports.

According to the source, some 8-ounce bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs were randomly tested for the presence of salmonella by the FDA, and the results indicated they might be contaminated.

“The company, based in Secaucus, New Jersey, has not received any reports of animals or people becoming ill as a result of contact with the treats,” the news provider reports.

According to the source, the recalled treats are stamped with the lot code BZ0969101E and could jeopardize pet health if eaten.

Hartz advises pet owners who have purchased the potentially-contaminated treats to dispose of them immediately.

The FDA suggests that pet owners whose dogs display symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea take their pets in for immediate dog health care.

Consumers who have additional questions can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414.

Dr. Andrew Ward wishes more people would buy pet insurance for their pets, The Observer website reports.

According to the source, the vet feels that insuring pets allows their owners to provide tip top treatment.

“It is a great idea that gives financial backing to us as vets that an animal’s treatment isn’t limited,” Ward told the Observer.

“Quite often people can’t afford things such as tests or surgery.”

Ward told the news provider that he makes it a point to discuss the benefits of a pet care insurance plan with each of his clients—because too often, the only other option is euthanasia.

“Sometimes we have no choice but to euthanize an animal for financial reasons because their owners can’t afford treatment which wouldn’t happen if they had pet insurance,” Ward told the source.

Ward told the provider that when his clients opt to buy insurance for dogs and cats, there are more methods of treatment available.

“I really do hope it is a trend that will catch on.”