Prevent and manage arthritis in your pet
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
Santa & Me Photo Booth
Melissa L. Kauffman Covering the pet world for more than 25 years, Melissa L. Kauffman has been an editor/writer for a wide variety of pet magazines and websites from the small critters to parrots to cats and dogs. Her advisory team of rescued pets — dogs Tampa Bay and Justice and parrots Deacon and Pi-Pi — help keep her on top of the latest and greatest pet health research, training and products, anything to give keep them in the high life they are accustomed to. Follow Tampa and his crew on...
After A 2-Year Wait, Girl Finally Gets A Diabetic Alert Dog To Help Keep Her Safe
In 2004, when Julia Duprey was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was just six years old. Her body is unable to produce insulin, which makes it hard to control blood sugar and can become fatal if not taken care of. The young college student was put on a wait-list for a diabetic alert dog, and after two years, her wish finally came true. Duprey was able to adopt her new service dog through CARES. 14-month-old Pretzel is trained to alert Duprey when her blood sugar levels are dangerously low or high. They are trained by scent and are...
‘Ride With Valor’ Gifts Homeless Veteran A House & Service Dog After His Died
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 37,000 veterans are currently experiencing homelessness. Research shows that those who served in the late Vietnam and post-Vietnam eras are at the greatest risk of becoming homeless, but that veterans from more recent wars are also affected, of course. Photo: Unsplash/Benjamin Faust Many veterans who come home from deployments often face “invisible wounds of war,” which correlates with homelessness. Ride With Valor is a nonprofit that was founded in 2018 by US Army...
Good Samaritans Save Dog Trapped In A Hole In The Ground
Being a stray dog can be a very scary existence. They have to constantly dodge dangers such as cars and horrible humans that would actively seek to do them physical harm. As a result, sometimes stray dogs can become very shy and scared around people. They don’t know what someone’s intentions might be towards them, so it is safer to just run away. One little black dog was so scared of humans, when she saw some she ran across the road in an effort to escape from them. Sadly, she ended up suffering an accident and falling down into a...
Happy Husky Walks With A Wiggle Because Of His Special Needs
When April first adopted Clyde, she knew she’d face a challenging road ahead. It’s never easy taking on the responsibility of a dog, but when it’s a dog with special needs, the journey can be that bit tricker. Of course, it can also be that more rewarding knowing that you’re caring for and giving a dog a home and life that they might otherwise be denied because of their life circumstances. But April was determined to make sure that Clyde never felt like an outsider. She loved and treated him like she would any other...
Terrified Puppies Rescued From Landfill
Puppies can be notorious for getting themselves into trouble. Usually, it’s innocent and silly trouble, like the time my friend’s freshly bathed puppy got herself all dirty by running through some mud chasing a moth. But sometimes the trouble that puppies can find themselves in is a lot more dangerous, particularly if they’re strays living on the street. For a trio of small puppies, they had found themselves in a bit of a jam when they were found by construction workers inside a landfill. Photo: YouTube/Stray Rescue of...
Dog Abandoned At Truck Stop Outruns Rescuers For Months
It is always so sad to see a dog get abandoned. Sadly, it happens more often than we like to think. One dog in Bakersfield, California, had been known to chase after pickup trucks along the road, thinking that they were his owner coming back for him. It’s heartbreaking to think about since this little pooch had been dumped off at a truck stop, and he was unable to understand why his owners would leave him to such a fate. Photo: Pixabay/F. Muhammad The pup, later named Weston, was discovered by a guest at the motel across the road. The...
Street Dog With Terrible Mange Spends Months In Recovery
Every animal should have a loving home to call their own. Sadly, not every animal’s life starts out in that manner. For one pooch, Scamper, his life started out as a stray on the streets. But he was suffering quite badly as well – his skin was badly infected. He looked quite awful, but luckily for him, some of the neighbors in the area where he was surviving decided they needed to get in touch with someone for help. Photo: flickr/AmazonCARES That is when they got ahold of Animal Aid Unlimited, asking that they come and rescue the...
New Research Suggests Cats Keep Mental Tabs On Us While We’re At Home
Have you ever been in your house and no matter where you are in your home, it always seems like your cat knows precisely where you are? Well, it might not be quite as coincidental as you may think. Cats often get a bad rap as being aloof and cold towards everyone in their world. However, most cat owners know that the stereotype is quite wrong. They’ve actually got a very affectionate and loving side to them. In fact, our cats can be quite needy in their own little way. Photo: Pexels/Helena Lopes There is actually research now to back...
Hero Dog Needs Stitches After Defending Family Against Mountain Lion
Dogs will always be out most loyal companions. They have proved it time and time again throughout the years as we constantly hear stories of heroic dogs. Another such story pertains to a very brave pit bull named Rocky, who took on a mountain lion to defend his family. The fearless pooch took on the giant cat outside his family’s home in La Verne, California, right near the edge of the Angeles National Forest. Photo: Pixabay/lokalsportessen The entire ordeal was captured on the family’s surveillance video cameras, and it shows...
Feisty Kitten Protests Mom’s Yoga Routine
Cats often want to be the center of attention, and they’ll make it known when they feel like they’re not being seen. Growing up, I remember one cat, in particular, that wouldn’t let me read a book. Anytime I’d lay down in the sunshine to read, the cat would show up and plop down right on top of the pages. I’ve also heard stories of people working from home who are trying to type when their cats show up and lay down right on their keyboards or laptops. No matter what their owners are doing, cats want to be in the...
Up High or Hiding in a Nook: Is Your Cat a Tree Dweller or a Bush Dweller?
You go to your shelf to choose a book to read one evening, and there’s a feline librarian on hand to help you choose wisely… or to push the book you want off the shelf. Later, when you sit down to read, two nearly unnoticeable feline eyes peer at you from under the end table. You always knew your two cats were pretty different, but one theory says these kitties would actually be part of two distinct groups. Tree Dweller vs Bush Dweller PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK/DARIA Does your cat like to be high up, surveying their kingdom from the...
Puppy That Was Born Dead Becomes Therapy Dog for Cancer Patient
This story has been shared as part of the Fur Fam Story Contest. You can submit your own tale through December 5th. Voting will run from December 6th through December 31st. Three grand prize winners will receive a $500 prize, plus $2000 in cash and supplies for their favorite shelter. Share your story here! Well where do I begin? Tebow is a fighter like me and like many of the animals at Speranza. PHOTO: JACKIE MORRIS A quick story about me: I’ve been fighting cancer since 2017, which now has become terminal. I came across Tebow, whose...
“Muzzles are cruel” and other muzzle myths
Are muzzles painful? Are they strictly for aggressive dogs? Let’s debunk a few myths about muzzles and shed some light on the benefits of these tools! Most trainers and veterinarians agree, there comes a time at least once in every dog’s life where a muzzle may be needed. A muzzle is a training tool that comes in handy in emergencies and helps to promote safety. A muzzle is not, as many people assume, a permanent solution for aggressive dogs. Here are a few myths that have always revolved around the tumultuous subject of muzzles....
Border Collie
A medium-sized dog with a light frame and long hair, the typical Border Collie has a slightly wide head with a tapered muzzle, half-perked ears and dark, oval eyes. The long tail sometimes raises but never curls over the back. They have two types of coat: sleek and coarse (which is slightly longer than sleek). Colors include black, black & white, red & white, tri-color and black & gray. Overall, Border Collies have an athletic body—strong and agile, quick and coordinated—that seems always ready for action. Traits Long,...
Foxtail barley — a danger to your dog
This long feathery grass looks beautiful, but foxtail barley seeds have tiny barbs can attach to your dog’s coat and burrow into his skin, ears and nose. Find out how you can protect him. If you walk or run your dog in rural areas, be aware of a plant called foxtail barley. This tall feathery grass develops seed heads with tiny barbs that can attach themselves to your dog’s coat and work their way into his skin, paw pads, ear canals and nasal cavities. These barbs cause a lot of discomfort, and if they get lodged in deep,...
Woman Jumps In River To Save Newborn Kittens Discarded In Plastic Bag
For most of us, we could never imagine doing anything to cause an animal physical pain. I’m sure there are many of us out there who feel absolutely mortified any time we’ve accidentally stepped on our pets’ paws. I remember accidentally stepping on my cat’s paw in high school, and it took me a whole two days to stop feeling bad about the accident. That is why it is so hard to wrap my mind around someone who is actively harming an animal – especially an animal that is still a little baby. Unfortunately, there are...
Man Catches “Ghost Dog” Playing In Back Yard On Security Camera
Halloween might be over, but scary stuff can still happen all the time, especially if you’re one to believe in the possibility of the paranormal. Or…scary stuff can still happen when there is a rational explanation for a ghost dog being caught on camera, right? Well, the jury is still out on this one. Is it a ghost dog or a malfunctioning security camera? You decide. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Either way, a man in Australia was left stumped and stunned when he claims to have captured a “ghost dog” on camera playing with...
New E-Bike Makes Getting Around With Pets Safer
Being a pet parent is a wonderful feeling. No one will love you quite as wholeheartedly and unconditionally as your pet. But sometimes, we can’t always give them the giant home or yard that they deserve, especially if we live in an urban setting. Cities are oftentimes where the best opportunities are, so it makes sense that many people would choose to live in a sprawling urban metropolis rather than in the countryside or the suburbs. However, living in the city can sometimes come with some drawbacks, particularly if you’re a pet...
