According to renowned exotic animal veterinarian Dr. Susan Brown, "The more thoroughly educated a person is about the pet he or she owns the higher the quality of life for that pet. In addition, the bond between human and pet is richly enhanced through further understanding." In our Small Mammal Health Series, Dr. Brown shares her expertise on general husbandry, proper diets, and specific common (and not so common) medical disorders in rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, and other small mammals.

 Small Mammal Health Series

Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2008*
Rabies is a fatal viral zoonosis and a serious public health problem. The recommendations in this compendium, published in the CDC's MMWR, serve as a basis for animal rabies prevention and control programs throughout the U.S. and facilitate standardization of procedures among jurisdictions.

Tremendous Response to Animal Cruelty Column
My column from a few weeks back on the link between animal cruelty and crimes against people drew thousands of responses, flooding my e-mail for days with letters from everyday animal lovers as well as from social workers, therapists, teachers, law enforcement officers, academics, prosecutors, humane investigators, etc.

Seasonal Safety
Some people seem to have bad luck over the holidays, and I have traditionally been one of them. I've filled the house with smoke from a poorly laid fire in the fireplace just before guests arrived for dinner, and I've tripped over a sleeping dog on Christmas morning and ended up in the emergency room (the dog was fine; I went home with a cast). But that's nothing compared to the disasters that seem to dog the pets in our family over the years. I've spent good parts of many holidays in after-hours veterinary clinics, and a few times those trips were for problems that could have been prevented.