Today, more and more concerned pet owners are choosing to board their dogs at boarding kennels. Kennel managers who belong to ABKA are professional pet-care providers who make a public commitment to quality pet care and who subscribe to the ABKA Code of Ethics and the Bill of Rights for [...]

For a variety of reasons, more people are discovering the delight of living with cats. In urban areas, apartment dwellers find that cats offer companionship, without the need for frequent outdoor exercise periods. In rural areas, cats still fulfill their function as rodent catchers for many households. If you are [...]

Being away from home can be more stressful for older pets than for younger ones. They are more set in their ways, and their patterns more deeply ingrained. Dogs and cats love patterns—knowing what is going to happen, and when—and changing those patterns can upset them. Additionally, geriatric pets are [...]

The trend in American society today seems to be work, work, work, and this requires leaving the loyal family dog at home for extended periods of time. Owners then come home to find a stressed out pooch, rampant destruction, either of the house, or the yard, and neighbors who complain [...]

One of the public relations problems for pet care facilities continues to be a much misunderstood disease in dogs called “canine cough,” tracheobronchitis, or often improperly referred to as “kennel cough.” As a dog owner you should be aware of some of the facts about this disease. What is “Canine [...]

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), commonly called “bloat” (also sometimes referred to as a gastric torsion), is a life-threatening emergency that commonly affects dogs. It occurs primarily in large, deep-chested breeds. GDV occurs without warning and is very difficult to treat. What is GDV? Gastric dilatation-volvulus is an acute swelling of the [...]

Grooming is an extremely important, but much-misunderstood art and science. Your ABKA professional groomer would like you to understand more about this service that can improve your dog’s health, appearance and social acceptance. The following questions are the most frequently asked, and the answers should help clarify some of the [...]

Upper respiratory infections (“colds”) are the most common cat disease. In fact, the feline distemper vaccine protects for the most common and widely recognized forms, although there are new viruses and bacterial infections being evolved constantly. As a cat owner you should be aware of some facts about these infections. [...]

Dogs that lead social lives are exposed to various viruses, bacteria’s and parasites more frequently than their counterparts that lounge at home in solitude. This includes going to the dog parks, dog daycare, boarding facilities, puppy socials, training classes—even the aisles at the local pet store! Just because Fido lounges [...]