As Daniel the emotional support duck basks in international fame, owner Carla Fitzgerald is a little surprised at the attention but says it’s well-deserved.

“It’s just weird how a little six-pound duck could cause such an uproar, you know?” Fitzgerald, 37, said with a laugh. “It’s crazy, in a very good way, and I’m very happy it’s in a good way. But what’s not to love about him? He’s a happy little guy, and he makes other people happy. He makes me happy.”

Daniel’s 15 minutes of fame began Sunday afternoon when Asheville author Mark Essig, on a short flight from Charlotte to Asheville, encountered the little fellow waddling up the aisle and started tweeting about him.
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To help every homeless or hurting pet in our community, we need the support of as many friends as possible. That means getting the word out! Join a national effort on Giving Tuesday that will help animals here in Missouri!

Your donation will rescue and shelter homeless and abandoned pets; provide medical care for those that are sick and injured; and help find forever homes for the incredible creatures – dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, pigs, goats – who come through our doors.
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Stray Rescue of St. Louis is an organization that has been saving animals lives for over 20 years and a staple in the community rescuing tens of thousands of abused and strayed animals. But as any shelter in America, diseases can pose a threat to even the best of the best.

On Saturday, October 29th Stray Rescue of St. Louis had multiple test results confirming that the shelter is experiencing an outbreak of distemper.

Distemper is a viral disease, which affects the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and central nervous systems in dogs. The canine distemper virus (CDV) causes the disease. It is highly contagious, and can be fatal. Vaccination against the virus is the best defense.  The primary symptoms include high, reddened eyes, and a watery discharge from the nose and eyes. An infected dog will become lethargic and tired, and will usually become anorexic. Persistent coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. In the later stages of the disease, the virus starts attacking the other systems of the dog’s body.
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No Scaredy-Cats Allowed

Halloween can be a festive and fun time for children and families. But for pets? Let’s face it, it can be a downright nightmare. Forgo the stress and dangers this year by following these 10 easy tips.

1. Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets.
All forms of chocolate — especially baking or dark chocolate — can be dangerous, even lethal, for dogs and cats. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning may include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and seizures. Halloween candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar and subsequent loss of coordination and seizures. And while xylitol toxicity in cats has yet to be established, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

2. Don’t leave pets out in the yard on Halloween.
Surprisingly, vicious pranksters have been known to tease, injure, steal, and even kill pets on Halloween night. Inexcusable? Yes! But preventable nonetheless.
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ORVIS DOGS

TIPS FOR CAR TRAVEL WITH DOGS

Car travel with a dog is likely a foregone conclusion if you count yourself among the roughly 60 percent of Americans who view the family dog as a bona fide family member. Anticipating his travel needs and thoughtfully preparing for them can help divert problems on a road trip with your dog before they happen. We’re here to help with handy tips for traveling by car with your beloved canine, brimful of advice for the most dogged road warrior and the novice alike. We want to help make traveling with your dog a smooth sailing success.

I. PROPERLY IDENTIFY YOUR DOG FOR TRAVEL

Your dog needs proper I.D. at home and when he travels with you. Redundant systems are a good thing: put critical information on his I.D. tags and personalize his dog collar with his name and your cell phone number. And microchipping your dog is always an excellent backup strategy. The idea that he’d bolt at a rest area (or at the beach or on a forested trail) is unthinkable. Best to be prepared: identifying your pet improves the likelihood of his safe return home to you should the unthinkable happen.

Quick Tip: Travel with Your Dog’s Photo
Always travel with a photo of your dog in case you need to make posters or fliers. And bring a copy of his vaccination records and a certificate of health if you’re crossing state lines with him; consult your veterinarian for these documents.

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By Wyatt Myers | Medically reviewed by Jennifer Garcia, DVM

Plenty of people share their beds with their pets. But is this really a good habit? Here’s how to ensure your bed doesn’t turn into the dog bed.

A growing number of Americans spend their nights snuggled up with their dogs. In fact, a recent survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that 42 percent of all dog owners allow their pooches to sleep in the bed with them at night.

And it’s easy to understand why many pet owners do this. “Dogs add companionship if you are single or in a bad relationship,” says Susan Nelson, DVM, a clinical associate professor at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “They provide extra warmth on a cold night. They evoke a sense of security, especially for children who are scared of the dark. They give an added sense of safety from potential intruders. It may also create a greater bond between you and your dog. Let’s face it: It’s hard to beat a warm, furry bundle of unconditional love.”
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Sassy is a life-saver!

When 92-year-old Marie Alexander fell in her yard, the plucky little Chihuahua did what she could to summon help for the Inverness, Florida, woman.

It’s a good thing the dog “follows me everywhere,” according to Alexander, who fell checking her mail a couple of weeks ago.

“When I went to step up on a walkway, my foot twisted and I just fell backwards,” she tells ABC Action News, who reported the story.

A fence and shrubs surrounded the property, so no one could see Alexander laying on the ground, unable to get up. Sassy wasn’t about to just sit there in her owner’s time of need. Instead, for five hours she attempted to bark down cars in the hot temperatures.
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By Everyday Health Guest Contributor  Published Aug 31, 2015
By Stefany Shaheen

If you told me a few years ago that a dog would change my life — and, most importantly, my daughter’s life — I never would have believed you.

Eight years ago, the oldest of my four children, Elle (pronounced “Ellie”), was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes: an autoimmune disease with no cure. Following this devastating diagnosis shortly after Elle’s 8th birthday, we discovered just how difficult it can be to survive and thrive with type 1 diabetes. Elle must take a shot of insulin in order to eat. Every meal. Every snack. She tests her blood sugar by pricking her finger with a needle 8-10 times each day. Every day. Every time she goes swimming or has gym class or dance lessons. All of the time. And for five years following her diagnosis, I would lie awake every night waiting to test her blood sugar, because it often dropped dangerously low while she slept.
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By Melissa Hogenboom   31 August 2016
Outside of humans and one species of armadillo, identical twins seem to be vanishingly rare. Now for the first time a dog has given birth to a pair.

It seemed like a normal day for Kurt de Cramer, a vet in a busy veterinary practice in South Africa’s Rant en Dal Animal Hospital in Mogale City.

He was performing a Caesarean section on a female Irish wolfhound, who showed distress and prolonged abdominal straining when she was due to give birth. For de Cramer it was a routine event; he averages about 900 Caesarean sections each year.

But something was different about this delivery. When he started the procedure, de Cramer noticed that the wolfhound had an unusual bulging by her uterus.

At first, he thought the lump was excess fluid surrounding a foetus. De Cramer painstakingly extracted this foetus from the bulge by making an incision into the dog’s uterus.

That was when the real shock came. He found not one, but two foetuses. They were both attached with umbilical cords to the same placenta.
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http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160830-first-identical-twin-dogs-discovered?ocid=ww.social.link.email