Our brand-new pets section is up and live! We’ve got plenty of great tips from pet owners and experts but we could always use more - email us your stories and tips!

Top Three Tips

1. Know Your Pet. Familiarize yourself fully with the type of dog or cat breed you are interested in. Check to see if your lifestyle fits with the breed’s characteristics. Check to see if the breed you are interested in purchasing is prone to certain types of genetic diseases or chronic medical conditions.
– Barbara R. Gores, DVM, Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson

2. Have patience. People have expectations that the pet will be perfectly well behaved and not need training. There is a period of adjustment that will take time.
– Leslie Rocky, Colorado Animal Rescue Center

3. Visiting the vet. Vets are limited in time, just like a doctor’s appointment. The more efficient you can be, the more you’ll get for your pet. Make a list of questions ahead of time and write everything down.
– Dr. Louise Murray, Dir. of Medicine at ASPCA and author of Vet Confidential

Want more? Have a read through these top articles:

• Choosing a Pet
• Get Fluffy Disaster Ready
• Choosing a Groomer and Trainer
• Choosing a Vet
• Pet Medical Insurance

In the next few weeks, expect to see more pictures of cute fluffy kittens and puppies…we’re getting ready to launch our new Pets section!

But first we need the best of the best advice from you pet owners out there. Have a dog/cat/small animal tip? Post it in the Comments section below or shoot me an email!

We need YOUR advice on:

• Choosing a Pet
• Choosing a Vet
• Handling a Pet Medical Emergency
• Choosing Pet Insurance
• Lowering Pet Costs
• What to Do if You’ve Lost a Pet
• Traveling With Your Pet
• and any other top advice you’ve got. Share away - post your tips below!!

I spend the holidays with at least 6-7 dogs. While it is fun to cuddle and play with all of them, there’s also a lot of mayhem and barking!

Have a safe holiday season with your pets with these tips from the American Kennel Club (AKC):

• Daily routines change during the holidays, but try to maintain a feeding and walking schedule as close to your dog’s normal routine as possible

• Keep your driveway clean. Anti-freeze is attractive but lethal to pets. Ice-melting chemicals and salt are harmful to your dog’s paws

• Avoid feeding your dog table scraps and sweets

• Avoid decorating with popcorn or cranberry strands, tinsel and glass ornaments and keep small decorations out of your dog’s reach

• Consider using an artificial tree.Tree water and pine needles are harmful to dogs. Other holiday plants which are toxic to dogs are poinsettias, holly and mistletoe.

Happy Holidays!!!

I spend Thanksgiving with at least six dogs, each begging to have an extra nibble of turkey or trying to lick the plates as we put them in the dishwasher.

However, certain foods can be harmful to animals. Here’s a list of a few foods to watch out for (courtesy of Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer):

Turkey Skin - High-fat foods, such as turkey skin, can be hazardous to your dog. Since the skin is hard to digest, it can lead to pancreatitis. If you still want to share your bird, give your dog a small piece of white meat.

Turkey Bones - Cooked poultry bones are brittle and splinter easily. If ingested, they can lodge in the esophagus or cause stomach or intestinal irritation.

Xylitol - This sweetener is present in products from gum to sugar-free cookies. Even in small amounts, ingestion can cause low blood sugar, seizures, liver failure, and death.

Grapes and Raisins - These common snacks can induce permanent and life-threatening kidney failure in some dogs. Though some pets seem to handle eating grapes just fine, it’s safest to avoid grapes and raisins completely.

Chocolate - Most pet owners are aware of chocolate’s danger, but with the recent popularity of dark chocolates — which contain higher doses of toxic cocoa — it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about chocolate consumption. Ingestion can cause abnormal heartbeats, kidney failure, and death.

Onions - High levels of onion ingestion in dogs and cats can cause life-threatening anemia. Be aware of food at your table — such as stuffing or casseroles — that may contain this dangerous ingredient.

If you suspect that your dog may have ingested one of these foods or another harmful substance, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center National Hotline: 888-426-4435.

Productivity and frugality blog, WiseBread, has a great post about the top 6 professionals that you should have in your phone’s contact list…just in case. I’ve narrowed their list down to three and added in one extra professional I think you really should have in case of emergencies:

Attorney: Whether it’s a car accident, medical lawsuit or helping you draw up a will or other important document, everyone will probably need or meet with a lawyer at least once in their lifetime. Before something major happens, do the scouting now:

• Nolo.com (this is a commercial site but they have good, basic information on how to find a lawyer and understanding fees)

Doctor: Even if it’s just a cold, having a doctor that you can trust can make the world of difference. Build that relationship now before you feel under the weather:

• Choosing a Primary Care Doctor
• Choosing a Pharmacy and Pharmacist
• Finding the Right Hospital

Insurance Agent: Auto, car, life, medical, home owner’s and rental insurance…doesn’t matter what coverage you’ve got, you’ll need a great agent to get the coverage you need and help you get the most out of your claims.

• Auto Insurance Coverage: What to Ask Your Agent
• Home Owner’s Insurance: What to Ask About Your Coverage
• Purchasing Flood Insurance
• Working With a Claims Adjuster

Mechanic: Let’s face it. Someday (could be tomorrow, could be next year), something in your car will break. You’ll need a great mechanic you can trust to get your car back on the road - and fast. Otherwise, you’ll be back in the shop before you know it.

• Choosing a Mechanic

What professional couldn’t you live without? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below! (Thanks, WiseBread!)

If you lost Tiger or Fido during a loud fireworks display last night, give the local animal control and animal shelter offices a call!

Apparently this is a very busy time of year for animal shelters. According to the Humane Society, “pets across the nation often become frightened and frantic by the noise and commotion of Independence Day. In fact, animal shelters across the country are accustomed to receiving ‘July 4th’ dogs — dogs who run off during fireworks celebrations and are rescued by animal control officers or Good Samaritans who take them to the safety of the local shelter.”

If you haven’t lost your pet, keep an eye out for extra stray animals during this time and call the local animal control office to report the strays.

Many pet owners are anxious about what to feed their animals since the recall.

Did you know you can make your own pet food? Try googling that phrase - several websites offer recipes for you to try out your culinary hand.

Additional info on the pet food recall from the New York Times:

More than 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food sold under dozens of brand names were recalled on Saturday after being linked to the deaths of 10 animals.

The food was manufactured by Menu Foods, of Streetsville, Ontario, which makes wet food sold as store brands for companies like Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.

Menu Foods is providing information on what packages are being recalled at (866) 895-2708 or http://www.menufoods.com/recall/index.html.

Remember, when in doubt, throw it out - same general rule applies to “people” food.

With over 358 million pets in the United States, it is important to consider pets when thinking of disaster preparedness on a national scale.

After Hurricane Katrina, for instance, over 15,000 companion animals were in need of rescue after being left behind, for there was no pet evacuation plan in place.

So, in order to ease the relief efforts for the next big disaster, Congress passed The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which took effect in October. In order to receive grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state and local governments must devise evacuation plans for household pets in case of a disaster.

• Prepare your pets for the unexpected…