Have a Very Gastric Christmas!
Everyone has their own family traditions when it comes to the winter holidays. Regardless of faith, I know for sure there’s one thing you don’t want to do on Christmas: take your pet to the vet.
But that can happen with all the commotion and extra temptations during the holidays.
Most animals visit their vets on Christmas day because of tummy trouble, according to a VPI Pet Insurance of claims. Here’s a list of the top five reasons pet owners take their animals to the vet on Dec. 25.
- Gastritis/Enteritis
- Lacerations or Bite Wounds
- Soft Tissue Trauma
- Foreign Body Ingestion
- Chocolate Poisoning
During the rest of the year, skin conditions, ear problems and other conditions are the top insurance claims. Only gastritis is in the top 10.
Long story short: keep your food to yourself.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – getchya a gator!
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman since Saturday -
- Alligator sighting reported at park. (Oklahoma City)
- Shelter gets funds for pet tag study. (Oklahoma City)
- Horse, owner get super win at show. (Oklahoma City)
- Shelter seeks pet gifts. (Oklahoma City)
- Giraffe suffers from neck injury during move. (Tulsa)
- Delays continue in state’s poultry waste pollution trial. (Tulsa)
- Swooping in: Oklahoma hosting national event for handlers of eagles, hawks and falcons. (Woodward)
- Rare birds seen in state. (Woodward)
- Horse country tour. (Texas)
- 5,600 species found during ocean census. (Louisiana)
- Cruelty brings no contest plea. (New Mexico)
- Ducks in trouble, Ducks Unlimited says. (northwestern United States)
- New books for birders. (nationwide)
- Jaguar blamed in miner’s death. (Guyana)
- Bulls escape from movie set. (Spain)
- White tiger gets new home. (Serbia)
- “Fantastic Mr. Fox” full of fun. (movie review)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Scary car thief
A Coloardo couple recently got a surprise when their car alarm started going off at 2 a.m.
They could see someone moving around inside their car from their window, so they called sheriff’s deputies. When authorities arrived the thief was discovered — a young bear somehow found its way into the car.
After snapping a couple of photos, deputies opened the door and the bear took off, but not before he managed to cause significant damage to the car’s interior. Apparently this isn’t an uncommon problem. People who leave food in their cars when bears are about run the risk of bear-related damage.
Fortunately, damage is repairable. I can only imagine the heart attack I’d get if I walked out to my car at night to find a bear inside.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Dogs are funniest … not on purpose
So just in case you were wondering, dogs outshine cats when it comes to wins for America’s Funniest Home Videos. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, though. Most of the time winners on America’s Funniest Home Videos have either done something ridiculously stupid or just been hit in the groin.
The show marks its 20th anniversary at 6 p.m. Sunday on ABC. (Read more about TV on the NewsOK Television Blog!)
And in honor of their anniversary, show officials calculated all the animal winners during the past 20 years. Dogs finished first with cats close behind. But there are all kinds of other animals that have won. (Who knew whales could be funny? And who knew that a praying mantis would win not once but twice?)
- 1 ANT
- 3 BEARS
- 22 BIRDS
- 1 BULL
- 1 CAMEL
- 34 CATS
- 1 CHIMP
- 1 DEER
- 136 DOGS
- 1 ELK
- 1 FERRET
- 1 FISH
- 1 FLY
- 1 FROG
- 4 GIRAFFES
- 4 GOATS
- 1 GORILLA
- 1 GUINEA PIG
- 3 HAMSTERS
- 4 HORSES
- 1 KANGAROO
- 1 LIZARD
- 2 LLAMAS
- 5 MONKEYS
- 2 MICE
- 1 ORANGUTAN
- 1 OSTRICH
- 2 PRAYING MANTIS
- 5 RACOONS
- 1 RAM
- 1 RAT
- 1 RHINO
- 1 SEA LION
- 1 SPIDER
- 1 SNAKES
- 9 SQUIRRELS
- 1 TARANTULA
- 1 TOAD
- 2 WHALES
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Doggie Snuggies are for mean owners
OK, I have to draw the line, pet owners. Dogs do not – I repeat DO NOT – need a Snuggie.
I’d heard rumors about the Snuggie for dogs, but I didn’t believe them. I thought friends were just pulling my leg because I’m a dog person and I think the Snuggie is merely a bathroom worn backwards. But they were telling the truth. You can buy a Snuggie for your puppy.
For about $23 plus tax you get two Snuggies for dogs. They come in pink or blue. Be sure to pick the right color because your dog would be TOTALLY mortified if it was wearing the wrong colored Snuggie, which in this case looks like some kind of French cape from the early 1900s. I mean look at this dogs in this promotional photo. Imagine how upset they’d be if they had on the wrong color Snuggie. Their doggie family portrait would have been RUINED. (As a side note, the one in the pink looks like an Ewok that’s really suspicious of the photographer.)
While I’m not totally opposed to dog fashion – my dogs both have Halloween costumes this year – I do think it’s silly for most dogs to have outerwear. They come with outerwear – fur. They are genetically designed to have their own Snuggies. (Iggies and Chihuahuas – you are excused, you poor, shivering cuties.)
If there’s anything redeeming about the Snuggie for dogs, it’s that they made a commercial:
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
I chose Brian Griffin
He’s my favorite TV dog.
Aside from his rudeness and occasional drinking problem, I love that he goes between being a human-like snob to a dog on the animated sitcom Family Guy. It cracks me up every time.
I think most of us imagine our dogs like that. My older dog goes from a grumpy old man to a silly pooch in a flash.
But of course, there are plenty of other famous TV dogs. Which is the best? This is the quesiton the AKC is trying to answer. I’m not sure why, but that’s OK.
They’ve come up with a list of 125 famous TV dogs in honor of the AKC’s 125th anniversary this year. You can vote for your favorite here. (You can also read more about the contest on the NewsOK blog Of Interest.)
I voted for Brian Griffin, and to my surprise he was in second place. But there are plenty of other, sweeter dogs to choose from. Go vote for your favorite.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
YARRR, my kitties! It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Avast, ye mutts! Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day! I know what you’re thinking, “How could I possibly have lived without this holiday for so long?” You’re right – it’s a good thing you checked the Pet Show blog today!
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pets in the paper – mallard pals
Check out these animal stories in The Oklahoman today -
- Ready for the fun as state fair begins. (Oklahoma City, photo here)
- Modernizing farms equals prosperity, ag secretary says. (Oklahoma City)
- Implausibility is reality in labeling animal clans. (general column)
- Rabies shots key for protection. (nationwide)
- Pet Tales: Fine-feathered friends adopt human mom. (Oklahoma City)
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Pool shark … or dog
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Incognito puppies
Thank you, Conan O’Brien, for this. I don’t think the puppies enjoy it all that much, but they’re still cute puppies.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
