Can We Stress Out Our Pets?

According to a recent study, the connection between pets and the people who love them may be far more intense than originally thought. While stories of how pets emulate their owners have always circulated freely, researchers in Sweden have found pets often learn and internalize one of the most commonly seen conditions of our time - stress.

When a human or an animal experiences stress, the steroid hormone cortisol is released into the bloodstream and absorbed by hair follicles. Cortisol levels in studied dogs were found to have no correlation to the dogs' activity levels or number of hours spent in training, but rather to the cortisol levels of their owners. Similar results have also been found between cat owners and their cats. If you feel your pet is exhibiting signs of stress, he or she should be seen by your veterinarian as soon as possible.  That said, it is also worth examining your own state of mind, and perhaps scheduling a little extra down time.

Meet Nate, Our October Pet Of The Month!

World, meet Nate. He's our October - or shall we say "Dach-tober" - Pet Of The Month!

Nate is a 12-year-old Dachshund who was found wandering in the streets as the housing market collapsed. When no one claimed him, the family who found him decided to provide him with a loving forever home. He wasted no time wriggling into everyone's hearts and even alerted his mom to a venomous coral snake in the backyard. Who says little dogs can't be heroes?

Congratulations Nate, and share with all your friends - you're our "Dach-tober" Pet Of The Month!