Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival and a public holiday in China. The Chinese New Year 2012 starts in January 22 (Chinese New Year’ Eve). It is the year of dragon.

Dedicated to PetFinder.my. Whose are them?  What can they do?  Remember us for we too have lived, loved and laughed with loving cat and dog  The webpage for Malaysia social and neighborhood to understand more about cat and dog. Many unaddressed animals were rescue by public as adopted through PetFinder.my.  The cat and dog paws always leaving the mark at there.

If you love dogs as much as my family and I. You wouldn’t even buy a ar without the “Opinion” of your four legged friends. I can accept it for what it is a good reliable nice daily driver and sametime able bring together all “Buddy”

Hear from other pet owners ” I had a wonderful doggie put down in my lap. I was hanging on until the Vet said “Shes in heaven now”. No matter what you do, it’s a terrible experience. “

Jim Schenning knew he was going to lose it, and he didn’t want to lose it in public.

So when the dreaded day came to end the suffering of his beloved Emma, an arthritis-stricken, 15-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Schenning didn’t go to his veterinarian’s office. Instead, he ended up cross-legged on the floor of his spare bedroom, crying quietly as Emma looked up from his lap. After a few minutes, he nodded to Julie Rabinowitz, a veterinarian he had never met before she arrived at his house a half-hour earlier. She leaned forward with a syringe. A little dog’s fatal dose of pentobarbital.
“There was no whimper. Her eyes just slowly closed,” Schenning recalled. “Dr. Julie waited two or three minutes and checked her heartbeat. She said in a quiet voice, ‘Jim, she’s gone. I’m going to let myself out now.’ ”

The gentle death scene that recently unfolded at Schenning’s house near Catonsville, Md., was part of a growing at-home pet euthanasia movement that is beginning to relocate one of pet ownership’s most painful rituals, the final, one-way trip to the vet’s office.

“It really made a terrible situation much better,” said Wendy Bowlds of Gainesville, Va., who in May had her elderly mutt, Niki, put down in her favorite spot, her dog bed in the kitchen. “There’s nothing so awful as leaving the vet’s office with nothing but the empty leash.”
Like a growing number of vets in the region, Rabinowitz, who is based in Baltimore, decided a few years ago to build her practice on end-of-life house calls for those who want more for their pets’ last moments than a frightened scrabble on a cold steel exam table.

At $200 for a sedative followed by the killing barbiturate, she charges more than twice what most vets do for an office euthanasia. But she has found no shortage of owners willing to pay the premium.

“Going to the vet was always stressful,” Schenning said. “I didn’t want her last day on this Earth to be, ‘Oh, no, we’re going into that white building.’ ”

And if Emma’s last few minutes with her owner would have been traumatic, he knew his own first minutes without her would be just as bad.

“I would not be able to bear walking through the lobby sobbing with my deceased dog in my arms past some mother and child,” said Schenning, 47, an unemployed bank investigator. “I just envisioned, ‘Mommy what’s wrong with that man?’  ”

Back in the day, of course, it was common for family animals to die at home, whether from natural causes, a shot from the family rifle or a needle from the bag of a vet who routinely traveled from house to house and farm to farm. But the rise of clinic-based animal care meant that the most common scene of a pet’s demise shifted to an office setting.

By Steve Hendrix http://www.washingtonpost.com

There are several factors to consider before you bring a dog into your home. If so, there are several things you should consider when getting a dog including:

1. Are you ready for a dog?
2. Do you have enough money for a dog?
3. When is the wrong time to get a dog?
4. What kind of dog should you get?
5. What age is best for you?
6. Where do you get your dog?
7. Is adoption right for you?
8. What’s in an adoption contract?
9. How do I choose between dogs?
10. How do I plan to include the dog in my home?
11. What do I need before taking my new dog home?

We think we know what’s best for our pets, but the truth is that sometimes we can be misinformed. When it comes to aging, for example, there are a number of misconceptions that pet owners sometimes believe.
Here are three “facts” you may believe about aging in dogs… and why they’re wrong.
1. One year in dog years is equal to 7 human years. This formula was developed as a simple way to gauge a dog’s stage of life. However, it is much too simple to accurately reflect a dog’s age. This formula is also misleading because it does not take into account the size or breed of the dog. Larger dogs tend to age quicker and have shorter life spans than smaller dogs.

2. It’s easy to tell when your dog is getting old. This statement goes hand in hand with the “fact” that sick dogs show that they’re sick. As with many animals, there is a large disadvantage to displaying symptoms of sickness or weakness in the wild. It is simply not advantageous for dogs to show that they’re sick. As a result, you don’t always realize that your dog is sick or getting old until they are at an advanced stage of the process.

3. Slowing down is a natural part of a dog’s aging process and there’s nothing I can do about it. Many dog owners assume that as their dogs age, they will experience mobility loss and difficulty getting up and moving around. And because they truly believe that their dogs are simply undergoing natural changes, they will also assume that they can’t do anything to help their dogs. Once again, this statement is false. Many times loss of mobility is a sign that your dog is experiencing age related problems like arthritis, and there are many things you can do to help.

Now that you understand the truth behind these myths, you can do something with your knowledge. Your dog’s age in years is just a number. Many older dogs can continue to have an excellent quality of life, with some help from you.
What can you do?

Many behaviorists and veterinarians (I’m Planet Dog Toy Fan and Seller) recommend that you have a variety of toys for your dog so you can “rotate” them. It’s easy. When your dog gets “bored” with one toy, hide it and replace it with another toy that he has not seen for a while. Let your dog play with the “new” toy like crazy, then when he gets bored with that toy, hide it and reintroduce another one. Rotating toys helps to keep things fresh and fun for your dog.The most important thing is that you choose safe toys with no “parts” that your dog can ingest. If your dog is a top-of-the-line destructive chewer, there is probably no truly SAFE toy. For these dogs, it is even more important for the owner to monitor their play. But for most dogs, good quality durable toys do the trick.

While the answer to this question may seem like an obvious “truth,” research shows that it’s not necessarily the hair that causes allergic reactions.

Dog hair is not an allergen.  Dogs secrete fluids and shed dander that contains the allergens.  Dander is the microscopic particles of your dog’s skin, fur and hair.  These particles stick to walls, clothing and other surfaces.  They collect each day and stay actively suspended in the air for periods of time, sometimes for several months.  For those with sensitive immune systems, the result is often an allergic reaction with sneezing, stuffy nose and inflamed eyes.

Despite some of us having to deal with these symptoms, most dog lovers don’t plan on parting with their canine friends anytime soon.  And besides, it still wouldn’t prevent us from coming into contact with pet dander.  Do you know that studies have found cat and dog allergens present in 99.9% of homes including homes that have never had pets? Amazing!

What can you do to help keep your dog calm during the fireworks? Here are some tips.

1. Don’t take your dog to the fireworks. Make sure he or she is calm at home. Or stay home with your dog during the fireworks. Keep your dog confined in a comfortable location if possible.

2. Don’t try too hard to reassure your dog during a fearful event with petting, soothing words, or extra attention as this can sometimes exacerbate the problem by reinforcing your dog’s fearful response.

3. Some dogs are very sensitive to peoples’ moods, so they may be influenced by the way that you react to the noise. It is best to act happy and upbeat or to redirect your dog’s attention to some absorbing activity.

4. If you must leave your dog alone, consider what would make your dog most comfortable. Bring your dog indoors. Would your dog feel safest in a crate? Turn on the radio/television/fan/air conditioner as (“white noise”). Make sure you provide a comfortable hiding place or “safe place” in case your dog is scared during the fireworks.

Photo By http://www.timoelliott.com/personal/

Does your dog have mobility issues? Does he lag behind you during walks? Or does he take longer getting up or down? Maybe he’s just less playful or active in general?
Having dogs with joint or mobility issues can be challenging. It’s already difficult for them to do normal everyday activities that require movement, so it can be an even bigger challenge motivating them to stay active and healthy. If you’re wondering how you can exercise your dog with mobility issues, here are some things you can do:
1. Incorporate a routine of daily exercise into your dog’s schedule – It can be very easy for a dog with mobility issues to fall into a sedentary lifestyle. Keeping your dog active every day can help improve his overall health and stamina.

2. Get some tug toys – If running and jumping are too much for your dog to handle, tug toys are a great way to provide exercise with less physical impact. Working the muscles your dog uses to pull and tug can still be great exercise.

3. Do you have stairs at home? – If your dog can handle it, throw some tennis balls down the stairs for him to run after. This is a simple exercise that can be done at home. Be sure to reward him with a treat after he fetches! If he has mobility problems that won’t allow him to do this don’t worry. Simple walks can strengthen muscles.