A new device called iCPooch lets canine owners video chat with their beloved pets while out of town or at work. All you’ve got to do is attach a tablet to the free-standing iCPooch, which is a rectangular box with a dispenser. Not only does it let you and your pet get some FaceTime, but the app even lets people control when their pup or kitty gets a treat.
The best part? iCPooch, hundreds of which have already sold online, was the genius idea of a 14-year-old. Creator Brooke Martin came up with the idea because she got upset when she was away from her dog, Kayla.
“I felt so guilty that I had to leave her alone all day depressed by herself,” Martin told CBS News. “I thought it would be great to connect with her while I was gone.”
Stray Dog Who Raced 430 Miles To A Better Home
Exhausted, covered in mud and desperately hungry, a team of Swedish athletes sat down for a meal as they prepared to take on a dangerous 20-mile trek through the Ecuadorian rainforest. As they opened their canned meat, a tired Mikael Lindord noticed a scruffy, miserable stray dog staring at him out of the corner of his eye. Feeling sorry for him, he fed the dog a meatball and thought nothing of it, but as the team stood up to continue their race the animal started to follow them–and he didn’t stop.
As the group of four navigated the final two stages of the 430-mile Adventure Racing World Championship, the dog befriended them and was given the name Arthur. Every grueling task the team faced, Arthur would do the same. He swam alongside them while they kayaked down rivers, dragged himself up hills during hikes and pulled through knee-deep mud during treks. Even when the team tried to get rid of their new member out of concerns for his safety–he refused to leave.
This meant when he was tired they stopped for a break and when he got stuck in the mud they pulled him out. After six days the team finished the race, and the dog had suffered. They therefore decided to take him to a vet while still in South America to have him checked out.
During that time Lindord thought that after their experience, they could not leave Arthur, so he decided to adopt him and take him back to Sweden. He applied to the Jordbruksverket (the Swedish Board of Agriculture) and waited to see if his application was successful. After a tense few days, the team arrived at the airport with Arthur and boarded the plane with him back home.
Before one of the segments of the race–organizers warned the team that taking Arthur along posed a risk to his and their safety. They tried to set off without him, but as they left he jumped into the water beside them and started desperately paddling. Lindord, heartbroken by the site of Arthur struggling in the water put him in the kayak and let him stay for the rest of the journey.
The gesture prompted a standing ovation and cheers from spectators watching from the banks.
Dog Shoots Man
Police in northern Wyoming say a rifle discharged after a dog apparently stepped on it, injuring a 46-year-old man. Johnson County Sheriff Steve Kozisek says the bullet struck Richard L. Fipps, of Sheridan, in the arm. The injury is not life-threatening.
Kozisek said that Fipps and two others were in a remote area trying to move a vehicle that had become stuck. Fipps was standing beside his truck when he told his dog to move from the front seat to the back seat. The sheriff says a rifle was on the back seat and it discharged toward Fipps.
Good To Know… February Is National Pet Dental Health Month
Don’t turn your nose to Fido’s or Fluffy’s bad breath! That odor might signify a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only your pet’s teeth and gums but its internal organs as well. To address the significance of oral health care for pets, the AVMA and several veterinary groups are sponsoring National Pet Dental Health Month in February.
Is the worst part of cuddling with your pet its bad breath? This could be a sign of looming dental problems. Preventive veterinary dental care can save you money in the long run. Pet Dental Health Month, sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association reminds pet owners that brushing their pet’s teeth is good for both your pet’s health and your budget.
“It’s something you do every morning, part of your daily routine–brush your teeth. While most people take care of their own mouths, they often forget that they also should take care of their pet’s teeth through a regular dental health care regimen,” explains Dr. Clark K. Fobian, president of the AVMA. “One of the most common problems veterinarians see in pets is dental disease, and, unfortunately, these issues can get serious if untreated. I remind pet owners that an untreated dental infection can spread to the heart, kidneys and other organs, and suddenly become life threatening. Practicing good dental hygiene at home, in addition to regular dental cleanings by your veterinarian, is the most efficient and cost-effective way to keep your pets healthy, comfortable and pain-free.”
Brushing is the gold standard, and many dogs and some cats will tolerate having their teeth brushed if the introduction to brushing is managed gently and gradually. In addition, several companion animal nutrition companies offer dental diets. The texture of those foods generates a mechanical cleansing effect on the surface of the tooth as the pet is eating. Dental treats such as chews can also be effective, either mechanically by scraping the tooth surface or by chemically removing excess calcium in saliva that could otherwise be deposited on the teeth as calculus. There are also plaque-retardant products available in the form of a water additive, spray, gel or dentifrice, and products that are used to seal the surface of the teeth to prolong the beneficial effect of professional dental scaling.
Talk to your veterinarian for more advice about preventing dental disease in your pets.
