National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Today wraps up National Dog bite Prevention Week which is recognized May 20-26 of every year. Did you know that 4.7 million people in this country are bitten by dogs every year, and children are by far the most common victims of dog bites. This week was created to make everyone aware of how important it is for humans and canines to prevent dog bites from occurring. Also, National Dog Bite Prevention Week hopes to bring awareness to the dangers of unrestricted pets

This week is very important to many people such as the mail carriers of the U.S. Postal Service; who reported 5,577 employees as victims to dog bites last year. Do you remember as kids the cartoons would show the dog chasing the mail carrier and we just thought it was the funniest thing. it was depicted as just a part of the American life well it happens everyday but it is not a laughing matter. 

So let's support this week of prevention by learning how we can do more by preventing do bites in the future. to get you started here's a link to the American Veterinary Medical Association:
http://www.avma.org/public_health/dogbite/

Hamster Fun Facts

Hamsters are the most popular household pet of the rodent species. These small furry animals are very interesting and cute as a bear. Which is exactly how they received a few nicknames like black bears, panda bears,polar bears, teddy bears,and honey bear. To get you up on your Hamster knowledge here are a few fun facts:

• Hamsters are Omnivorous which means they eat pretty much anything they want from seeds to veggies. 
• Oh! What big teeth hamsters have! The better to chew on things because hamsters teeth better known as "incisors" never stop growing.
• Their are 25 hamster species and the best known are the Golden or Syrian Hamster. 
• Hamsters have two elongated pouches on each side of their head for food storage. Also, while giving birth if a hamster is startled they will put their pups in the storage pouch or eat them. 
• Lastly, hamsters are hind gut fermenters this means they have to eat their own feces in order to digest their food a second time. This process is called coprophagia and is necessary for the hamster to obtain the proper nutrients from it's food. Rabbits are one other animal that do this as well. Gross fact I know yet it is good information for my hamster fanatics!!