LOS ANGELES: A toy poodle that was rushed to the vet after swallowing a tube sock. A Great Dane that had to be operated on three times for eating his owner's shoulder pads.

These are just a couple of examples of the emergency cases Dr. Karen Halligan has seen involving household items that seem harmless until an animal decides to munch on them.

LOS ANGELES: As the time nears for spring cleaning and companies offer more environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic cleaners, veterinarians say pet owners should keep in mind that what's green to a human can be dangerous — even deadly — to animals.

"People expose their animals without even realizing the risk," said Dr. Karl Jandrey, who works in the emergency and critical care units at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis. "That's the most common thing that happens when you come to our emergency room — the clients put their pets at risk because they were unaware of how significant the damage could be."

LOS ANGELES: When Jay Mesinger heard about a study seeking golden retrievers to help fight canine cancer, he immediately signed up 2-year-old Louie.

He and his wife know firsthand the toll of canine cancer: Louie is their fourth golden retriever. The first three died of cancer.

"They all had long lives but were taken by complications from one kind of cancer or another," said the Boulder, Colo., businessman.

For Louie and 2,999 other purebred goldens, it will be the study of a lifetime. Their lives — usually a 10-to-14-year span — will be tracked for genetic, nutritional and environmental risks to help scientists and veterinarians find ways to prevent canine cancer, widely considered the No. 1 cause of death in older dogs, said Dr. Rodney Page.

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study will be the largest and longest dog study ever conducted, said Page, the study's principal investigator, a professor of veterinary oncology and the director of the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University.

LOS ANGELES: Dogs and cats can't brush, spit, gargle or floss on their own. So owners who want to avoid bad pet breath will need to lend a hand.

"Brushing is the gold standard for good oral hygiene at home. It is very effective, but some dogs and more cats don't appreciate having something in their mouth," said Dr. Colin Harvey, a professor of surgery and dentistry in the Department of Clinical Studies for the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine.

The bulk of bad breath odor — the trademark rotten egg smell — comes from hydrogen sulfide, which is waste from anaerobic bacteria that thrive without oxygen in places like gaps between teeth and gums. Plaque buildup also invites the bacteria and as the accumulation grows, so does the smell.

Animal shelters and rescues know bad breath and filthy teeth can be a deal breaker. Some shelters, such as the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County in Florida, shuffle their charges through a dental health program before the animals are adopted out.

"We usually do dental cleanings and extractions when animals are spayed or neutered so the animal doesn't have to be put under anesthesia again after adoption and the adopter has one less thing to worry about," said Janet Winikoff, the shelter's director of education.

What to do when your pet is choking? It's not as simple as giving a human the Heimlich. Your pet may be scared from choking and isn't preconditioned to understand what you're doing.

Animal first aid expert Denise Fleck tells Animal Nation the first thing you want to do is let the animal try to cough it out first. If that doesn't work, try to see into their mouth to see what the obstruction may be. Seeing what your pet is choking on will help you decide how to remove it properly. Do it wrong and you could push the object further into the pet's throat.

LOS ANGELES: Two kids, two pets, two jobs, too much.

That's how it felt to Erin McCarthy when it came time to drag her cat and puppy to the veterinarian. So she jumped on a growing trend among veterinarians and called the vet to her.

House calls are a growing trend among the country's 85,000 veterinarians, said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

It's been a life-saver for McCarthy, whose cat Duke was so afraid of the vet he had to be tranquilized to get there. When he was joined by a Shih Tzu puppy, Pooch, they found a vet who makes house calls, Elisabetta Coletti. McCarthy has made liberal use of text-messaging when a house call isn't necessary.

"When Pooch ate a peppermint patty last week, she was there with instant advice that got us through the night," said McCarthy, a teacher in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Our Take On:

Declawing

Over The Counter Supplements (Nutraceuticals)

Nutraceuticals and supplements are commonly used in veterinary and human medicine for complementary treatment of many diseases. Many products claim to have medical benefits in preventing, treating or curing any number of illnesses.

Any compound with these kinds of statements on the label should be regulated as a drug and therefore approved by the FDA. Unfortunately, many companies don't follow this rule, and the FDA chronically ignores breaches if the products don't appear harmful.

When a product is regulated by the FDA, it must meet specific manufacturing and quality standards. Because there is no corresponding regulatory body for nutraceuticals, it can be difficult to assess some products.

The following is a release from the Portage County APL: 

On Saturday Humane Officer Steve Chapman got a call regarding a dog in distress. The caller reported that the owner hadn’t been there for some time and that the dog needed help. Officer Chapman arrived in Hiram around 30 minutes later to check on the dog. What he found was something out of a nightmare.

Greetings from Dancing Paws Animal Wellness Center! We're new contributors to the Pets Blog, and are so excited to be a part of the community!

For many pets, cancer is an unfortunate part of aging. As Babble pets states, cancer in pets can't be prevented. But detecting it early can it critical. Here are 10 things to look for to see if you pet may have cancer:

- Lethargy and depression
- Changes in bathroom habits
- Abnormal discharges
- Evidence of pain
- Abnormal odors
- Lumps or bumps
- Weight loss
- Change in appetite
- Non-healing wounds
- Coughing or difficulty breathing