Pets

So here is a picture of my best buddy drinking as much as he wants and I promise to take care of him.

Our featured Wet Nose this week is Marionette. She's a 1-year old Australian Shepherd Mix that waiting for you at Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter.

Miss Frizzle is a 2-year old German Shepherd mix that's waiting for you at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter.

After less than 48 hours being our featured Wet Nose Wednesday pet, Taco has been adopted. The 4-year old Labrador and Chihuahua Mix found her forever home in Worden with Kristi Conklin.

It's Wet Nose Wednesday! Every week, we're spotlighting a dog or cat that's available for adoption at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter.

A man drowned while trying to save his dog near Glacier Park this week. Would you die trying to save yours? My answer is...

Another 4th of July celebration is complete. Our yearly reminder of just how bad dogs would be in a war. It definitely was a rough night for most four-legged family members.

They can damage crops, but their tunnels can lead to issues with livestock as well. I was reading this article which discusses the pros and cons of prairie dogs. In the article, a Texas veterinarian says there are three or four times a year where he has to treat or euthanize a horse or cattle that has fallen because of a prairie dog hole. That's some expensive damage and an obvious reason for ranchers to want rid of them.

When I was growing up, my family typically had a dog or two. We had some cats every now and then, but I wouldn't call them pets...more like exterminators. Currently, I don't live in a place that would be much fun for a dog, so I have a cat filling the pet void.

A brief disclaimer before I get into this: I am not an activist, a PETA member (a critic of them in fact), or otherwise. I do not make a cake for my pet's birthday, get him a Christmas present or the like. I believe in the right to hunt and I consume animal flesh on a daily basis. In other words, I'm not an extremist, but I do believe that if someone is a jerk to animals, they are likely a jerk in other areas of their life as well.

Today I saw someone post some disturbing pictures in one of the local Billings groups of two dogs left out in the snow. The person who posted the photos said these dogs were left out all day regardless of the weather. I almost shared this post, but I am trying to learn the lesson "sometimes pictures don't show the whole story" and I would rather witness things with my own eyes before I take part in causing a riot.

Besides eating pet food with high levels of Vitamin D, the other common source of toxicity are when dogs accidentally get into human vitamin supplements or by eating certain chemicals meant to kill rodents like rats and mice, called cholecalciferol rodenticides.