Blog posts Categorized under ‘Pet News (General)’

Jackson and his wife noticed that Peaches’ cat health was deteriorating when the pet stopped eating and began breathing irregularly.

Unfortunately, the Jacksons had to make the painful decision to have Peaches euthanized, according to PeoplePets.com.

But instead, on the way to the vet, the beloved feline died in Jackson’s arms.

After Jackson requested an autopsy, veterinarians discovered that Peaches had a large tumor resulting from malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Although medical tests later revealed that Jackson’s wife was healthy, Jackson was diagnosed with cancer on his left lung. While doctors determined that this was not necessarily related to the asbestos problem, Jackson claims that had Peaches not received an autopsy, he would never have checked on his own health.

"She saved my life," Jackson said, "If it wasn’t for Peaches, I probably wouldn’t be here."

The Iditarod recently ended when the 55th racer reached Nome, Alaska, capping one of the most famous dog sled races in the world.

Although one dog had gone missing for a few days during the trek around Alaska, it’s been reported that no dogs died during the 1,100 mile race, according to The New York Times. This is great news for the race, as it appears that dog deaths have become synonymous with the event.

Chief race veterinarian Stuart Nelson told the news provider that he could not remember a race without a dog death since he became involved in the event. Approximately 1,100 dogs participate in the two week race.

While animal owners are known for being extremely attentive when it comes to pet care for their furry friends, sometimes they can completely misdiagnose a problem.

John Grant was noticing that his Black Labrador, Bracken, was having trouble coughing something up and brought him to the vet, according to PeoplePets.com. When the doctors gave the pup X-rays, they noticed a strange, dark object near his heart.

Veterinarians suggested that Bracken be moved to a larger facility at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School for surgery, fearing that the object was a cancerous tumor. It turned out that the object in question was actually a 5-inch soccer ball. Bracken quickly received surgery to remove the ball, potentially saving his life.

"Most definitely, if he didn’t have this surgery, he would have died," surgeon, Damian Chase, told the news provider. "It’s good that he came in, though, because this way we found out about his disorder. He’s very lucky."

Grant told the BBC that he knows his dog has developed a taste for foreign objects, including plastic bottles, stones and golf balls.

For many pet owners, their pet is a best friend or even sometimes a family member. While they try to instill the best pet care imaginable, animal owners know that death is inevitable. Because people become so attached to their pet, losing their furry friend can be unimaginably devastating.

A recent study conducted by More Than found that one-third of pet owners believe that the death of their pet is comparable to the death of a parent, sibling or spouse, according to the Daily Mail. More than 1,300 dog and cat owners were interviewed in the study, and more than half believe that a pet’s death is equivalent to that of a close family member.

Approximately 53 percent of respondents also ventured to say that once a pet dies, their grief "never goes away."

According to USA Today, pet owners are also going above and beyond when it comes to funeral arrangements. Some animal lovers go as far as having a goodbye ceremony complete with $500 casket and headstones that could cost up to $3,000.

"Even in this economy, some people want to go the extra mile to commemorate their pet, and we do whatever helps them," Chris Stoessner, a licensed funeral director, told the news provider.

Some people may view feral cats as a nuisance, but others believe that they deserve compassion just like any other animal. Many Americans end up caring for stray cats on their own as they feel a sense of sympathy towards the homeless felines.

Portia de Rossi, who stars in the ABC Comedy Better Off Ted, recently teamed up with Alley Cat Allies to remind individuals to look after the well-being of feral cats, according to CatChannel.com.

"I’m very happy to be involved with Alley Cat Allies and their efforts to help stray and feral cats," de Rossi told the news provider. "The trap-neuter-return approach is the only way to help contain the populations and save their lives."

By getting the feral cat population under control, shelters may eventually become less crowded and more cats could be deemed adoptable. Feral cats are often not friendly animals and statistics show that they are usually the first animals killed in shelters because it is believed that no one would adopt them otherwise.

According to the American Humane Society, 71 percent of all cats that enter shelters are euthanized.