Inspired by my rescue and adoption friends on Twitter, plus just being the "right time" for our family, we started checking out available dogs on Petfinder.com. I was a little surprised and encouraged to discover that the first few dogs I checked into had already found homes.

Then my husband got involved. He hadn't forgotten Lotsie, my first Greyhound adoptee from years ago. The search was on.

Meet our new rescue dog - Argos the Greyhound

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Image: Argos the Greyhound hanging out with Sophie by Janet Tobiassen Crosby DVM

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Many people love macadamia nuts and they are a popular gift item. Many dogs like them too, but keep them out of reach from your canine friends - macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs.

Like raisins and grapes (also toxic), the exact toxin and mechanism of action to cause signs of poisoning in some dogs are not known at this time.

Another similarity to grapes and raisins is that the individual sensitivity to macadamia nuts appears to vary between dogs as does the amount of nuts needed to cause a toxic reaction. Read this FAQ to  learn more about macadamia nut toxicity in dogs.

Don't Miss:

• Foods Toxic to Pets
  Including chocolate, raisins and grapes, macadamia nuts,  yeast bread dough and more.
  
• Pet Safety Tips
  Learn about toxic foods, poison prevention and other household hazards to be aware of to keep your pets safe.

Image: Macadamia nuts by jessicafm on Flickr

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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and IDEXX Reference Laboratories have confirmed the first US case of the 2009 H1N1 influenza in a dog in New York state. In November 2009, the Chinese press reported two canine cases of H1N1, but news reports were not confirmed by the AVMA or any US disease center specialists.

In the New York case, the patient is a 13-year old mixed breed neutered male dog. As with the other species who have become ill with H1N1, the dog became sick after his owner was sick and confirmed with H1N1 infection. It is thought that humans are transmitting this virus to animals.

The dog was seen by his regular veterinarian after several days of not feeling well. After the initial course of antibiotics and anti-inflamatories did not help, his owner took him to an emergency clinic. According to the IDEXX case report , the dog presented with a dry cough, not eating, lethargy and a fever of 103.6°F.
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Many people are surprised to hear that the vast majority of calico cats are female. Why is this? Is it possible for a calico cat to ever be male?

Learn about the genetics of coat color in this feline FAQ.

Related Reading
Why does my orange tabby cat have black spots on his lips?

Paula the Calico Cat © GenGlo

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