By Steve Dale, certified animal behavior consultant According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA CVM), from 2010 through Dec. 17, 2012, a reported 2,674 dogs were sickened as a result of eating chicken jerky treats made in China. A reported 501 dogs died as …

In honor of the upcoming holidays, PetFirst has contributed a post to help you protect your pet from the dangers that come with those holidays. Enjoy and protect your pet! ‘Tis the season for ribbons and bows, turkey bones and mistletoe! While the holidays bring with them the joys of …

By Steve Dale, certified animal behavior consultant In June, I attended Blog Paws 2012, a conference of pet bloggers, held in Salt Lake City. The conference was attended by hundreds of people and many toted their pets along. I was merely walking down a hallway when I asked if I …

For today’s sixth annual World Rabies Day (WRD) we have a guest post about vaccinating dogs in rural Nicaragua. According to the WRD talking points, there are 7,000 animal cases of rabies each year in the United States but fewer than 3 human cases. Protect your pets by keeping their …

Cats have a reputation for being low-maintenance pets. And, in many ways they are. But cats are also good at hiding illness or pain and even the most doting cat parent can miss signs that there’s a problem so it’s important to visit your vet regularly. (Learn seven subtle signs …

Nancy Perry, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), is Senior Vice President of ASPCA Government Relations, where she oversees the ASPCA’s legislative efforts and public policy at the local, state and federal levels. Under Nancy’s leadership, the team works closely with lawmakers and citizen advocates to …

Jan Robson has been a volunteer with Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Surrey, BC, since 2003. She has been director of volunteers and director of education, and now focuses on education and pet therapy. She is also the doting mom to seven rescued parrots: a mitred conure, four lovebirds and …

Q: How do I keep my male Chihuahua from marking my grandaughter’s toys that she leaves on the floor? – Kathy P. Thinkstock Andrea Arden, CPDT at Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York City, writes: If your dog is marking in the home then he isn’t housetrained, by definition. …

Q: How can I socialize my 2-year-old Lab mix, a spayed female, who got social experience as a puppy and went to training, but still doesn’t like other dogs — mainly ones she has never met?– Lindsey C. Maverick, an adoptable Lab at Brookline Labrador Rescue, prefers the company of …

Angela Mitchell is editor-in-chief of Guinea Pig Today and writes for CavyMadness. She volunteers with Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue, which rescues and fosters cavies in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania; and supports the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Medicine. She travels to pet conferences, expos and other …