I don't know if you've noticed, but I really like food. When it comes to eating, I never took much interest in what the food was served to me on. As long as it was there and tasty, I was all over it.

These days I'm taking a more careful look at my food, and even to the bowls I eat it from. In the market for new food and water dishes? Here are my recommendations.

Skip the plastic dishes. Read full post.

This sad story, and the recall it caused, are all over the internet this morning! Just in case you missed it, here's the scoop:

Four Paws Inc. is recalling one of their products, the red pimple ball with bell, because a manufacturing mistake makes it very dangerous to the pups who play with it. Just ask Chai, whose mom writes: Read full post.

Eddie says: "This post is from my fellow green crusader Cedar--she even has a cape, and a book! I invited her to write a guest post, and she came up with this helpful advice on what to do with pet poop." Read full post.

Okay, so I've given you the rundown on some of the safer dog toys on the market, but some of you are itching to know which toys you should specifically avoid. Here's what I've been able to dig up on dangerous dog toys.

The Basics: First, it's important to remember that any toy can pose a danger if it isn't used correctly. Most pet toys should only be used under supervision, and that's especially true if you're a chewer. So don't give your pet parent those puppy eyes when they take away your squeaky toy as they walk out the door. You know you'd tear it apart before they got home anyway.

Now, onto the culprits. . . Read full post.

Ever since I found out about all the toxic chemicals we pets are exposed to and founded Pets for the Environment, my buddies have had all kinds of questions for me. You've asked a lot of questions, too, and I keep getting one question over and over: what is it safe for me to play with?

Now of course, the answer to that question depends largely on your species. I know a lot more about dog toys than cat toys, so here’s something for my pup pals while I do some research into catnip.

1. Sticks
Sticks are the ultimate versatile dog toy. Forgot to bring your ball to the dog park? Grab a stick! Feeling the need to gnaw? A stick's just the thing. And just wait until your human tries to take it away from you. It makes for a great game of tug-o-war.

Keep in mind that some plants are poisonous to pets. You wouldn’t want to use oleander, or sticks from any of the other trees on this list. Common sense will tell you to avoid any particularly splintered sticks. Also, any wood that's been used to build things (especially outside things like decks and swing-sets) has probably been treated with gross chemicals, so don't chew on that. Read full post.

Eddie says: This post was written by Allie, whose blog Allie's (green) Answers features recipes, news, and daily tips to make your life a little greener. She's a daily read here at Pets HQ!

In March, my dog, Argo, had surgery to remove extra tissue on his shoulder to get wider margins on a biopsied lump that turned out to be squamous cell carcinoma.

In February, after the biopsy came back positive for cancer, we took him to a cancer specialist at one of the leading veterinary hospitals in the country. The specialist could not understand why a dog his age (he's four and a half) would have that type of tumor in that location. He couldn't give us a prognosis on Argo's health, because they'd never seen a similar situation before. My husband and I were devastated. Argo, a German Shepherd, is an amazing friend, a total goofball, and the biggest lapdog I've ever seen. German Shepherds are a working breed and Argo seems to think that cuddling is his full-time job.
During surgery, they found his microchip at the base of the tumor. They removed the chip. Thankfully, the surgery was successful and a second biopsy showed that they'd been able to remove all the cancerous cells. The surgeon told me that Argo's prognosis was excellent. It was also suggested that if the tumor wasn't related to the microchip, it was a very big coincidence. Read full post.

Any dog whose owner has flinched away from the pooch smooch knows the importance of proper dental hygiene. But believe it or not, fewer than 5% of pet owners brush their pet's teeth and fewer than 10% let the vet clean them. Show this video to your people to kick start healthy habits when it comes to your canine canines!

Photo by bunnyandcoco.

So, as you may have heard, I really want to test pet food. There could be all kinds of stuff in there, and I won't be satisfied until I've seen the science myself (err... until I've had someone from EWG explain it to me). Click here to find out how you can help Pets for the Environment test pet food for safety. Read full post.

Okay, humans. Imagine this: You're about to get into your nice, comfy bed, and you can't wait to snuggle into the covers. You crawl in between the sheets, pull the pillow under your head, and realize. . . someone's sprayed chemicals all over the place! The bed's covered in them! How will you ever get comfy now? Read full post.

My mom always tells my human brother and sister that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but you pets should know that just by existing we're doing our part to keep our humans healthy too!

New studies have shown that when baby humans grow up with lovable mutts (such as myself) it drastically reduces their chance of developing allergies later on in life. Apparently we provide the needed exposure to these little animals called germs that help in developing a healthy immune system. So make sure to look out for the health of your humans by licking and cuddling them often!

Photo by overdrive_cz.