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The goal of allergy testing is to identify the specific allergen(s) to which your pet has an allergy. Allergy testing is done either with a blood test (sometimes also called 'ELISA' or 'RAST testing') or with intradermal testing (sometimes also called 'skin testing'). Following the identification of the allergen(s), your pet usually begins a series of injections of a dilute solution of the allergens, with the idea of "desensitizing" his or her immune system to future allergen exposure. This is termed immunotherapy. The exact schedule of injections is tailored to each individual case, but often begins as a once a week injection. The injections are usually carried out over the course of several months to years, and most patients require the injections for life.

Intradermal Skin Testing on a Dog

Skin problems (particularly itching) and ear problems are two of the most common reasons why veterinarians see pets. Unlike humans who react to allergens with nasal symptoms, dogs react with skin conditions. These problems may range from poor coat texture or length, to itching and chewing, to hot spots and eventually self-mutilation. Allergies may also play a part in chronic ear infections. To make matters more difficult to diagnose and treat, thyroid disease may add to the problem as well.

Many times, severe skin itching and inflammation is caused by allergies to fleas, foods, or environmental substances. If we can determine exactly what your pet is allergic to, it will allow us to provide more effective treatment. For pollen and dust allergies, it allows for the possibility of treatment with "allergy shots" (also called immunotherapy or hypo sensitization), which help to decrease the immune system's exaggerated response to these substances. Knowing exactly what the allergies are may also allow you to avoid things to which your pet is very sensitive...for example, fleas.

There are basically two types of allergy tests performed by veterinarians. The goal of allergy testing is to identify specific substances that are causing the allergic reaction, so that avoidance (if possible) and / or desensitization through allergy shots may be attempted.

As mentioned previously, allergy testing is done either by blood testing or by intradermal skin testing. The intradermal test involves clipping the fur from the side of the animal's chest and injecting very small amounts of pollens (from trees, weeds, and grasses), molds, and insect extracts into the superficial layers of the skin. Often, the test is administered under a light sedative/analgesic so that the pet (dog, cat) feels no discomfort. If the animal is allergic, a 'hive' forms at the site of one or more injections. This type of testing is more traditional, more involved, and more expensive than blood testing, but has very few false positive reactions.

For the blood test, a small amount of blood is taken and sent to a special laboratory. Generally, the test results come back in about 3 weeks. This type of testing is newer and less expensive; however, interpretation is more difficult.

Although serum allergy testing can give meaningful results, intradermal skin testing is considered to be more accurate and is the preferred method of allergy testing.

If you have questions regarding your pet's skin problem(s), do not hesitate to call your veterinarian.

When your cat feels threatened, he may have a variety of responses. Generally he follows a pattern or displays one of three reactions: fight, flight or freeze. Each cat has a preferred way of dealing with a crisis. Knowing how your cat reacts to a perceived threat and what may cause your cat to consider a situation threatening helps you better understand your cat.

Common fearful reactions include hiding, freezing in place, loss of bladder and/or bowel control and aggression. Aggression can manifest in spitting, hissing, growling, swatting, biting, scratching and puffing up of fur. These are all normal behaviors if your cat feels scared or threatened. Your reaction to your cat's behavior is most important. Wanting to help and comfort your cat when he is frightened is natural; however, it isn't necessarily the best thing to do. Providing your cat with a safe and protected place (a box, space in the closet, under the bed) is often the best decision. Allowing your cat to deal with his fear is healthy as long as his aggression is not destructive and/or directed at you or other pets.

Many things can trigger fearful behavior in cats. The trigger could almost be anything, and until you learn what it is that initiates this behavior in your cat, you need to closely observe him when faced with new situations. Common triggers can be a particular person, a stranger in your home, another animal, a child, loud noises, household appliances and so on. It is important to note if your cat's behavior changes when faced with potentially frightening situations. In other words, the vacuum may draw an initial fearful response, but gradually change into acceptance. By noting your cat's ability to adapt to scary situations over time, you can learn quite a bit about his personality.

So what can you do to reduce your cat's anxiety or fear? To help him become more confident and secure, follow the steps described below.

• Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a thorough physical exam to rule out any medical reasons for your cat's fearful behavior. Cats very often show symptoms of sickness in their behavior. Any sudden behavior change could mean that your cat is ill. Common symptoms that appear in sick cats include unusual aggressiveness, frequent hiding and eliminating outside the litter box.
• If your cat is healthy but hiding, leave him alone. He'll come out when he's ready. To force your cat out of his hiding spot will only encourage fearful behavior. Make sure he has access to food, water and a litter box from his hiding place, and avoid "checking in" on him. By giving him space, you will not be conceived as a threat, therefore giving him a sense of security.
• If you have identified a specific person or circumstance that stimulates fear in your cat, minimize contact with that particular person or situation.
• Keep your cats routine as regular as possible. Cats feel more confident if they know what to expect daily. Feeding, playing, cuddling, grooming and napping generally round out a cat's existence. Interfering with you cat's routine may cause him to behave as though threatened.

Puppies have 28 temporary teeth that erupt at about three to four weeks of age. They have 42 permanent teeth that begin to emerge at about four months of age.

Puppies should lose a puppy tooth before the corresponding adult tooth emerges. If a puppy tooth is still in place when an adult tooth begins to show, contact your veterinarian. He or she may advise extracting the tooth.

Studies show that by age three, 80 percent of dogs exhibit signs of gum disease. Symptoms include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along the gumline, red inflamed gums and persistent bad breath.

Small dog breeds are more likely to develop periodontal disease than large dogs. According to veterinary dental experts, this is because the teeth of small dogs are often too large for their mouths.

The canine teeth of working dogs are essential for the dogs to carry prey and other objects. If these teeth are broken, a canine dentist can prepare a crown.

A broken tooth is a common problem, especially among outdoor dogs. Aggressive chewing on hard objects, such as rocks, is a primary cause.

While the history of dogs and cats is more commonly known, rabbits actually hold a longer record for domestication. Commonly misunderstood to be rodents, rabbits belong to their own order and are a separate species from hares or jackrabbits. Further distinction must be noted when identifying domestic rabbits from wild ones. Although domestic rabbits originally descend from wild rabbits, there is such a variety of domestic breeds - more than sixty-five - that the evolution of wild rabbits and domestic rabbits has progressed separately for hundreds of years.

Champagne d'Argente

The rabbit, as we know it, has been in existence for thousands of years. Although there is very little evidence to pinpoint the domestication of rabbits, there is proof that rabbits were introduced to Europe as early as 1100 B.C. and brought over to Spain by the Phoenicians. The abundance of rabbits in this area is suggested by its appearance on the Roman-Spanish coins of Emperor Hadrian (117-138 A.D.). Rabbits, in general, have a long history in a number of areas. In China, rabbits were used in Confucian ceremonies while according to the Roman scholar Varro, rabbits were kept in leporaria or escape-proof enclosures. The Greek historian Polybius, made mention of the modern European rabbit when writing about Corsica in the second century B.C. He called them kunikloi.

The actual domestication of rabbits is attributed to the early French Catholic monks. Selective breeding produced what we know today as the Champagne d'Argente. Champagne refers to the region of France in which they were bred and d'Argente refers to the color of the pelt which turns silver after six months of age. The word "rabbit" was first applied in the 15th century derived from the French word "rabet". It is probable that most of the domestic rabbits we see today are direct descendants of the hutch-raised rabbits of the French monks.

Folklore has a number of stories involving rabbits:

• Easter bunny
• Lucky rabbit feet - especially the left hind one
• Symbol of fertility

Prior to the 20th century, there is little evidence to suggest domesticated rabbits in America, though their presence in the wild is undisputed. The Belgian Hare was the first rabbit to catch the public's attention as a fancier's rabbit. Despite it's size, having one as a pet came first, eating it for dinner came second. With time, this particular breed evolved to fill the needs of the fancier, the commercial meat market, as well as the fur industry. It is believed that the Belgian Hare opened the door for many other breeds.

Belgian Hare

The pronounced gentleness of the rabbit is the best known quality that contributes to its popularity as a pet. Rabbits are not likely to bite and can easily become tame and companionable. Treated with patience and consideration, they may allow themselves to be picked up and handled frequently. Rabbits are silent creatures, prompting many people to think they are voiceless. This is not the case. Generally when they are not happy they will grunt or make noises to indicate their dislike of something.

Rabbits can make great pets but, like most companion animals, require appropriate care. There is a variety of breeds, sizes, colors, fur type, and disposition from which to choose. It can be difficult to choose a particular breed for personality type since most rabbits are bred for a specific look. Some breeds are happy to live outside in a hutch while others may prefer to remain indoors. Unfortunately, rabbits are high-risk prey animals and should never be left outside unattended for long periods of time unless safely enclosed in a hutch. With so many breed choices, the domestic rabbit has clearly carved a spot as a companion animal with a long and varied history.

Pet owners and their canine and feline companions aren't the only ones who look forward to the warm weather. As summer approaches, pet owners must once again be on guard against fleas, the prolific parasites that can keep dogs, cats and humans alike scratching for months on end. In the northern United States, fleas are prevalent during the warm summer months, though the pesky parasites cause trouble year-round for pet owners in the south.

Keeping fleas off your pet and out of your home is about more than just stopping your pet's constant scratching. Aside from itchy, irritating bites, fleas can cause the skin disease flea allergy dermatitis in both cats and dogs, as well as miliary dermatitis in cats. Fleas can also transmit Dipylidium caninum, or double-pore tapeworm, a common tapeworm found in dogs and cats, as well as a number of other diseases.

Even if fleas aren't on your pet right now, they may be living in your home. There are four stages in a flea's life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. It is only during the adult stage that the flea actually lives on an animal; during the other three stages, the flea lives in the surround environment. Immature fleas usually account for about 90 to 95 percent of the total flea population in a home. A good rule of thumb is that for every flea you find on your pet, there are about 100 more immature fleas living in the surrounding environment.

The average flea can live for anywhere between 12 days and 180 days, though the typical lifespan of a flea lasts three to six weeks. But even in that short amount of time, an adult female can lay more than 1,000 eggs, which means that even only one flea can result in big problems.

How can you tell if fleas have invaded your home and latched on to your pet? Scratching is often the first sign. During feeding, fleas inject saliva into the skin of the animal; this saliva contains proteins that cause allergic skin reactions, which leads to bouts of rubbing and scratching. Fleas are most commonly found on dogs and cats around the base of the tail and on the belly. If you suspect your pet has fleas but cannot see them, check for "flea dirt." This is the excrement of the flea and consists of a mix of feces and dried blood. To find flea dirt, have your pet lay on the ground and place a piece of white paper underneath him or her. Brush your pet and let the paper collect any dirt or debris. Next, add a few drops of water to the dirt on the paper; if dried blood is present, the water will take on a reddish color, indicating the presence of flea dirt.

If you are experiencing a heavy infestation of fleas, treating your pet is sometimes not enough. Home and yard treatments are also available to keep fleas at bay. Effective flea control measures include vacuuming several times each week and washing your pet's bedding once a week. For particularly bad infestations, try using an insect spray or fogger a few times. Outside your home, sprays can be used to hit fleas where they live. Fleas thrive in moist, shady areas, such as under bushes, mulch, porches and crawl spaces. Target these areas to reduce flea populations.

During the last several years, significant improvements have been made to flea control products. Oral and topical medications containing insect growth regulators (IGR) and insect development inhibitors (IDI) disrupt the flea's maturation process and stop infestations before they begin. These treatments are less toxic for pets and the environment and more effective in controlling fleas.

Topical treatments are more effective than past products because they remain on the surface of the pet's skin, where they are toxic only to fleas, rather than absorbed into the pet's bloodstream. There are many flea products and your veterinarian can recommend the product that is best-suited for your pet. Flea control products designed for dogs should not be used on cats and could result in serious illness or death. If you have multiple dogs, keep the dogs separated for an hour or two after applying each treatment in order to avoid oral ingestion.

Everyone knows how beneficial pets can be in our lives. But now, recent scientific evidence has actually proven what pet owners already knew. Heart failure patients who spent 12 minutes with a dog or cat had lower stress hormone levels, lower blood pressure levels, and a general brighter outlook about their recovery. Therapy dogs, and cats, have now started their rounds, under "doctor's orders". Watch this video to learn more.