Increased vulnerability to natural disasters has been associated with particular groups in the community. This includes those who are considered de facto vulnerable (children, older people, those with disabilities etc.) and those who own pets (not to mention pets themselves). The potential for reconfiguring pet ownership from a risk factor to a protective factor for natural disaster survival ha...

Pedigreed breeding often leads to severe health problems for, say, those dogs who exist as a result of the practice. It is also the case that virtually all of those unhealthy animals would not exist at all if it were not for the practice of pedigreed breeding. If those animals have lives worth living, then it follows that they are not harmed by the practice—assuming that a life worth living is ...

Dermatophyte infections were established in 6.9% of 640 unselected dermatology outpatients attending two district general hospitals in Cumbria over a six-month period. A clinical diagnosis of ringworm was confirmed in the laboratory in 43.1% of hospital and in 21.8% of a smaller series of general practice patients. No result of similar surveys have been published before., Even in a major stock-...

Research on domestic violence has established a substantial association between intimate partner abuse and the abuse of children within the home. It is only recently however, that researchers have demonstrated the correlation between non-accidental injury in animals, and abuse of women by their intimate male partners. A growing body of evidence suggests that animal abuse can be an early indicat...

Although this highly refined diagnostic approach has been used in several fields of allergy diagnosis, we noticed the scarcity of data on the role of CDR in detecting current sensitization to the allergens of common pets (cat / dog) and, especially, its potential usefulness in predicting the risk of sensitization to other furry animals. Reported data suggest that cross-reacting mechanisms might...

The relationship between people and companion animals, on the one hand, explains the bites and zoonotic diseases that occur among those with companion animals and, on the other hand, appears to enhance the psychological and physiological well-being of many people. Presently, no less than 56% of households in the United States have animals, typical of developed countries around the world. It is ...

This paper provides a working framework for enhancing the well-being of senior pet dogs and cats. Approaches to screening the medical status of senior pets are described in detail, with particular emphasis on establishing baseline data in healthy animals, the testing of clinically ill animals, and assessing senior pets prior to anesthesia and surgery. The management of pain and distress and the...

The vast majority of pet owners regard their companion animals as family members, yet the role of pets in family systems and family therapy has received little attention in research, training, and practice. This article first notes the benefits of family pets and their importance for resilience. It then examines their role in couple and family processes and their involvement in relational dynam...

ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT A marked difference noted when comparing small mammals and exotic pets to their wild counterparts is the degree of complexity and interaction that exists in nature and the frequent lack of complexity and interaction in pet environments. While laboratories, zoos, and large-scale animal breeding facilities are encouraged or required to provide enrichment programs for thei...