Entries by Marie Gilmore

Animal Health Matters: Take time to keep ticks off your pets this spring

In veterinary practice, I had a front seat to the variety of people’s reactions to creepy crawly things I’d find on their pets. Ticks were a prime example. While some veteran animal caretakers would hardly bat an eye at fat bloated ticks covering their dog, others would become apoplectic at the site of a single […]

UA campus sees spike in support animals during pandemic

Almost every morning when Jennalee Wilson wakes up, she is forced out of bed by her furry alarm clock, Cleo the calico cat. “I cannot get out of bed, it’s the biggest challenge of the day, but little Cleo will be sitting, and her bowl will be full, let me just state that,” Wilson said. […]

Discover the remarkable healing power of therapy cats

(BPT) – You’re probably familiar with therapy dogs visiting hospitals, schools, senior centers and nursing homes to help alleviate stress and provide comfort in times of need. But did you know that time spent with therapy cats provides scientifically proven emotional benefits as well? A white paper by Pet Partners found that therapy animals have been shown […]

Pets show their power during pandemic and elsewhere

Owning or bonding with pets provided an even more important benefit to human well-being than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The value of companionship and emotional support that pets provide has become more significant during the pandemic,” said Dr. Fane Cross, veterinarian at the Routt County Humane Society Wellness Clinic. “People have become attached to […]

Pets can help people stay sharp as they age, new study finds. Here’s how

Your dog or cat might be better for your health than you realize, a new study found — especially as you get older. The benefits of owning a pet have been touted by researchers for years. A companion animal has the potential to decrease anxiety and loneliness, improve heart health and combat allergies, studies have […]

Dog Years: New Research Will Track Canine Aging

MONDAY, Feb. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Joshua Akey admits he didn’t care much for dogs in his youth. “My wife, who grew up with dogs, convinced me that we should get a dog our first year in graduate school. I very begrudgingly agreed, and have been a dog person ever since,” said Akey, a […]

Dog who survived being set on fire becomes therapy dog for victims of abuse

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Her scars tell her story of survival. But chances are, when you first lay eyes on Denali, this dog‘s smile and the wagging of her tail tell a completely different story. “She’s so happy, that her whole body wags when her tail wags,” said Karey Burek, who adopted Denali three years ago. Continue reading […]

Pet therapy group visits campus, alleviates stress

Alexander Gustanski, Campus Reporter FEBRUARY 16, 2022 Last week, the Fur Angels charity visited the Oakland Center. Handlers brought their dogs to OU for students to engage in canine therapy. The Fur Angels visited campus to help students with their first full week of in-person classes since December. The Fur Angels are a pet therapy […]

How animals could help provide health benefits

A lot of people grow up around a pet, whether they have one of their own or someone they know does. Many people are first introduced to animals as children. What children are too young to understand is that pets can help contribute to a less stressful life along with other potential health benefits. Research […]

Dogs understand foreign language, brain scans show

Just like you, your dog knows when someone is speaking your native tongue or a foreign language, Hungarian researchers reported. Brain scans from 18 dogs showed that some areas of the pups’ brains lit up differently depending on whether the dog was hearing words from a familiar language or a different one, according to a […]