At the Dr. Michael Fox clinic on Holistic Care for Cats on Sunday October 26, I was reminded how narrow my approach is to holistic care. Even though I've been taking my pets to holistic vets for several years, I seem to forget the basis of the word holistic.

According to Wikipedia, holistic health is:

A philosophy of medical care that views physical and mental aspects of life as closely interconnected and equally important approaches to treatment. While frequently associated with alternative medicine, it is also increasingly used in mainstream medical practice as part of a broad view of patient care.

My bandwidth of "holistic" seems to mostly embody using herbs to fix a health problem. While listening to Dr. Fox's presentation on Sunday, he reminded me to step back and think more broadly (holistically) in caring for my animals.  read more »

Halloween Safety
By Laura French

There’s a long-standing belief that Halloween is a particularly dangerous night of the year for black cats. Many shelters ban the adoption of black cats in the weeks before October 31. Snopes.com, the urban legend website, says the evidence that this is a “real, widespread phenomenon” is “inconclusive,” although Snopes supports policies designed to keep pets from coming to harm. Just to be on the safe side, it’s best to keep black cats indoors for a few weeks, and keep all pets inside on Halloween.

While instances of torture and abuse might be rare, Halloween pranks are part of the holiday. The dog won’t know that Darth Vader’s laser sword is being aimed at it all in good fun.  read more »

I don't have to tell you it's getting colder. Whereas the cooler temperatures deflate my enthusiasm for taking the dogs on a walk, Dakota and Meadow are energized by the falling Fahrenheit.

A few weeks ago, I dug out my warm hoodie from beneath summer's short sleeve shirts and took the girls on a walk. One of the best things about my hoodie is its cozy fleece-lined hand-warmer pocket—great for holding poop bags and warming my non-leash hand. Three steps out the door, I shove (empty) plastic poop-bags into my pocket and discover an (empty) plastic Target bag left over from last year.

The next time I walked the dogs, I grabbed my hoodie and threw on a vest for more warmth. Each vest pocket came pre-loaded with a plastic bag—both from Target.  read more »

On this cold and rainy day, enjoy this website devoted to pictures of dogs--who are upside down. (I never want to see myself upside down...)

I came across this information and thought Pet Central readers would be interested.

It appears that there is no law that requires vets to report complaints about pet food to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Which is very, very scary. I don't even want to know what else goes unreported.  read more »

Today, bloggers across the country are taking place in the inaugural Pet Net Adoption Event, organized by Petside.com.

The goal is to raise our collective cyber-voices and urge pet lovers to adopt their next furry or feathered family member.

If there is one group of dogs who epitomize the importance of adoption and second chances—it's the Vick Dogs.

Vick Dogs Ready For Adoption
The fighting dogs confiscated last year from NFL player Michael Vick are now being adopted.

To most, this probably sounds ludicrous.

Will the dogs ever be "normal?"
Do they get along with other dogs?
Will they bite people or kids?
Can they ever really be trusted?

All very good questions. Considering the dogs were raised to fight for their lives as part of a brutal dog fighting ring—not many would foresee that these very same dogs would someday be living at peace with other dogs and people.  read more »

That Old Black (Cat) Magic
By Laura French

Superstitions about black cats are probably a matter of guilt by association. Cats in general are crepuscular creatures—their most active times are at dawn and dusk, a time that always seems mysterious and haunting to human beings. A black cat creeping through the shadows looks more mysterious than a bicolor or tabby—and seems more likely to be on its way to meet with witches, whose rituals were also said to be carried on under dark of night.

Cats were said to be the “familiars” of witches. They were four-legged servants who acted as spies and otherwise did the witches’ bidding. In some cases, it was believed that witches were “shape-shifters” who assumed the guise of cats to move through the dark. Stories abound of black cats injured by night and “witches” seen limping around with the same injuries the next day.  read more »

I’m not sure what my favorite part about Doggie Palooza was: the beautiful weather, the couple thousand dogs on site, the community participation or the happy vendors.

The four years that Doggie Palooza has been around, I’m left with a lasting memory of each one. This year, it’s a quote from a participant who approached me and said, “Thank you for having this event. It is exactly what we needed.”

I petted her dog Milo while she explained that Doggie Palooza is a unique event for people and their dogs, and it brings together local businesses and people for a real sense of community. While referring to the Twin Cities, she said, “It’s kind of our event. We look forward to it each year.”  read more »

Vick Dog Update: The “New” Meryl
by Kelli Ohrtman

I’ve been following the 22 pit bulls that arrived at Best Friends from the Michael Vick case for several months now on the Pet Central blog. This means going over to visit them, talking with their caregivers and trainers, and getting the general scoop about their personalities and progress. When I went to visit recently, I heard something that frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever hear: “Meryl loves people now! Do you want to meet her?”

Meryl is a different dog than the one that arrived here in January. The red pit bull with the cute underbite, speckled red and white front legs and the always-serious expression on her face was the one dog that everyone was extra careful with. Most of the dogs were more marshmallow than mean—-a surprise to many considering that they came from a fighting ring.

In the beginning, Meryl lunged and roared if anyone lingered too long in front of her run. She was afraid of new people, and was willing to defend herself. A select few staff made friends with Meryl, and once she accepted them she was golden—their best buddy. But it took a lot for Meryl to meet a new person. If a stranger were to saunter up to her run and barge in, she’d probably react. And it probably wouldn’t be pretty.  read more »

This Thursday October 2, Doggie Palooza will be promoted on Fox 9 News with M.A. Rosko.

Tune in Thursday morning at the following times to get a glimpse of some of the activities that will be at Doggie Palooza on Saturday October 4. (All times CST)  read more »