PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

I worked for a large retail chain dealing in live animals and pet supplies as my first job out of high school. At the time, I thought it would be the perfect job for a young pet lover eager to make money while introducing people to the joys of pet ownership. As it turned out, this was not the case. While pet supply stores that don’t sell live animals tend to be fairly pleasant work environments for people who thrive on customer contact and keeping a store neat and tidy, stores selling live pets aren’t a great employment choice for people who love pets.

Without naming names and while keeping things mostly light-hearted, I’d like to poke a little fun at my expectations (and the expectations of most newly hired pet store employees) by comparing them to the realities of working at a pet store. More →

Hairless rats are among the most unique pets a person can have. They look like little alien lifeforms, feel like warm raw chicken when held, and are certain to start a conversation with any houseguest brave enough to inquire about the host’s strange-looking pet. But do hairless rats need special care compared to other rats? There are numerous myths about hairless rats, most of which make them sound like much more difficult and time-intensive pets than furred rats. In this post, we’ll get to the bottom of these myths and discover what special care hairless rats really need.

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It’s among every pet owner’s worst fears: You die, acquire a severe disability, or are hospitalized in a coma, and your pets are bounced around between family members until someone gives up and drops them off at the local shelter. What a nightmare! Unless you’re a millionaire, there’s no way to be sure your pets will be cared for in the event you can no longer do so, right?

Wrong. While it’s impossible ever to be really 100% certain of the outcome of a situation beyond your control, it’s possible to take some steps that don’t require independent wealth and which come as close as possible to ensuring your pets will be safe even if you’re unable to continue taking care of them. More →

Ah, early Summer. The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and people are arriving in droves to dump their pets at local animal shelters. Litters of kittens and puppies conceived and born in the  Spring fill kennels and foster homes at this time of year. To make matters worse, it’s allergy season, and frequently pets are blamed for seasonal allergies and evicted from their homes by irresponsible pet parents who can’t be bothered to see an actual doctor to determine why someone in the family is sneezing and bleary-eyed. Some pets are dumped because their owners are planning summer vacations and don’t want to bother making arrangements for their pets. I’ve even heard of pets surrendered to shelters because a family’s Spring cleaning involved the purchase of new furniture, and the pet no longer matches!

Sadly, at this time of year, shelters are often full to brimming and euthanizing adoptable pets in droves. No-kill shelters and rescues may have to turn pets away. With pet dumping season coinciding this year with a worldwide recession, animal shelters and rescues are working overtime to save as many pets as possible, but many still will never find a new forever home. If you can help without compromising your ability to care for yourself or your pets, now’s a great time to do so. More →

Many dogs love water. It’s hard to resist letting a happy dog frolic in a creek or lake while out for a long walk, especially on a hot day. I’m sometimes tempted to jump in myself! But is it safe to let dogs play in and drink from creeks or lakes? Organisms like Giardia that thrive in water can make your dog ill. Certain algaes can be harmful, or even fatal, to dogs. In addition, mosquito larvae live in standing water, along with various other water-dwelling creatures that can be disease vectors.  So, should you let your dog play in creeks and lakes? That depends on you and your dog, and where you live.

Determining Local Water Safety

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You spend hours every day exercising and grooming your dogs, letting caged pets out for free-range time, petting and playing with your cats,  and coaxing the elderly horse to just eat one more bite of beet pulp. Your paychecks might as well be signed over directly to the veterinarian, trainer, groomer, and maybe a pet acupuncturist or masseuse. You don’t buy designer sandals– why bother, when a designer collar for your dog is so much more fun to choose?

If this describes you– the passionate pet parent obsessed with providing the best of everything for his or her pets– you’ve probably run into many people who just don’t understand. How many times have you heard, “You spent that much on surgery for a dog?! For that price, you could just get a new one!” How often have you had to bite your tongue when a coworker or friend complains that their new dog. left outdoors alone 12 hours each day, has been barking?  If you feel like you spend much of your life bashing your head against the proverbial brick wall when encountering people who don’t understand why you prioritize your pets above other aspects of your life, read on– I’ve dealt with this problem for much of my life, and I’ve developed what I feel is an effective coping strategy. More →

If you’ve never been fortunate enough to interact with a large group of domestic rats over an extended period of time, you may not know that rats are very similar to humans in terms of social behavior and relationships. Rats possess empathy and metacognition (they know what they know and know what they don’t know), two traits rarely found in non-primates. Each rat is an individual with a unique personality.  This can make keeping numerous rats– I have 13 now– a challenge not simply because each needs care and attention, but also because the pet parent must be respectful of the rats’ bonds and relationships when caring for them. In this blog, I’ll share some anecdotes about my rats’ relationships, ranging from amusing to bittersweet.

Molly Brown, McTavish, and Connor the Third Wheel

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The Internet has never before been more powerful, useful, or ubiquitous than it is today. Dog parents can get information, pet supplies, professional training advice, and more, without leaving their own homes.  However, at the same time, there’s never before been more junk and misinformation on the web. How do you find truly useful websites and online tools, while avoiding spam and intentional misinformation? This list of useful web tools for Internet-savvy dog owners is a great place to start;

1. Petfinder

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I’ve always avoided topical flea and tick medications whenever possible. I’m just a little uncomfortable with the idea of putting something on my pet’s body that is so poisonous to fleas and ticks that it will continue to kill them for weeks at a time. It looks like I’m not just over-protective after all: the Environmental Protection Agency has launched a review of the safety of flea and tick topicals, which may even lead to the cancellation of some products.

For my household this is no big deal, since there are relatively few fleas in Colorado, but what should concerned pet parents who depend on topical products for flea and tick control do until the EPA decides which products are and are not safe? There are several alternatives available, with varying degrees of safety and effectiveness. But first, let’s look at: More →

If you’ve ever walked into a pet store and seen “albino corn snakes” or “albino red-eared slider turtles” for sale, you know that many pets labeled albino in stores or by breeders don’t look like a typical albino. After all, albinos are supposed to be white with pink or pale red eyes, and most so-called albino reptiles are pale yellow, orange, or pink, often with elaborate color patterns, and sometimes even have brown eyes.

What Are Pigmented “Albino” Reptiles Really?

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