Thanksgiving isn’t typically a holiday that you think you need to worry about your pets, unlike say, Halloween or the Fourth of July. Though there isn’t much around to scare a pet (unless you have a lot of family ringing the doorbell!), there are hazards readily available that you might not even give a second thought to.

Last year I provided a bunch of tips that included info on feeding dogs bones and table scraps, which many people know about, to lesser known issues like hidden toothpicks and skewers that dogs can easily choke on.
Another thing that occurred to me last …read more

My only experience with iguanas comes from the ones I helped take care of at my first job at a pet store. They’d come to us as babies and it was my job to feed them, which sometimes included holding their little jaws open to get the vitamin-infused Romaine lettuce into their little mouths when they wouldn’t eat. Fun times, right?
I did, however, learn a bit about them because I needed to know at least the basics when customers asked. Though I’m not interested in having one myself, I do think they’re very interesting animals, and my husband, who did …read more

Monkeysee has a great new set of videos on how to care for your newly adopted cat. Though a lot of the information is pretty basic — get a litter box, scooper, etc. — some of the ideas are surely things a new cat owner wouldn’t have thought of otherwise!
The video above, hosted by Dr. Kat Miller, a certified applied animal behaviorist at the ASPCA, gives an outline of the whole series, and describes the process and preparation as being similar to bringing home a new baby. She explains what should be done before, during and after bringing your new …read more

Looking for alternatives for conventional dog care? Check out Eco Dog: Healthy Living for Your Pet.

The 120-page book offers a bunch of planet-friendly, natural tips and how-tos, from how to make a lemon flea tonic or rosemary shampoo to how to make your own homemade dog jerky (no preservatives and you know exactly what’s in it!). It touches briefly on why it’s important to feed high-quality foods, and includes a recipe for a homemade meatloaf for dogs.
It also includes information on potential and hidden dangers with conventional pet foods and tools, but it doesn’t leave you on your own: it …read more

If there’s anything better than breakouts and fine lines at the same time, I don’t know what it is, man. I’m at that age where I’m starting to see where my first real wrinkles are going to be, yet I’m still dealing with zits. Not pimples, not blemishes, zits. ZITS. Seriously, are we not too old for this?
I’ve been using AcneFree once a day every day (following the itchy rash on my throat) and have gotten great results with it. This week, I started rotating it with the Mary Kay TimeWise skincare line, which promotes elasticity and prevents wrinkles, or …read more

When my friend Cory Jubitz tipped me off to a great article on acne in the current issue of Vogue, I just had to ask her to fill me in on the article. Here’s her take on it in one of Lively Women’s rare guest posts.
This month’s issue of Vogue includes a refreshingly candid, practical article about acne in adult women. The writer, 41-year-old former MTV2 veejay and Rolling Stone contributing editor Jancee Dunn, recounts the time she had a zit so prominent that the production staff scrambled to camouflage it before an interview with U2’s Bono. Her experience may …read more