Field Trials US

You might be one of those people who is really good about putting money aside for pet emergencies. But if you're like us, the cost of surgery and treatment can come as quite a shock.

So if you've thought about looking into pet insurance but have yet to take the plunge, you might want to check out the Pawlicy Advisor website. It has information on lots of providers, each of which offers plans with different options. Pawlicy Advisor has developed a tool to help you get started, make comparisons and get a better understanding of just what is covered.

You can check it out here.

Note: We discovered our auto and home insurance carrier (USAA) offered an extra discount on one of the providers. 

The Impact of Stress
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has awarded a grant to Colorado State University (CSU) to study the impact of stress on Labrador Retrievers.

Stress, or the Allostatic Load (AL) is the 'wear and tear' on the body due to chronic or frequent stressors. "High AL is a predictor of negative health outcomes including heart disease and cognitive decline." The team believes that having a reliable method of measuring chronic stress could help "predict success in working dogs."

You can see more information here.

Senior Dogs
The Morris Animal Foundation has recently provided funding to four researchers who are studying:

• The effect of toxic heavy metals on cognition and sensory decline
• Age-associated inflammation 
• Genetically programmed aging "clocks" and anti-aging strategies in retired sled dogs
• if exercise can improve frailty and health span

You can learn more about the Morris Animal Foundation (and even make a contribution) here.

For nearly 40 years, Sportsmens Alliance has "fought to protect and advance our outdoor heritage of hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting in all 50 state legislatures." The organization makes it easy to learn more about relevant legislative activity in your state, receive updates on important issues, see the status of current legislative campaigns and contact your officials.

You can sign up here.