Pet care

Being a pet owner is never easy. While pets bring us joy and companionship on a daily basis, they also require training, veterinary care, time, love, attention, and even tolerance. Tolerance is especially necessary when a pet owner is allergic to his or her companion animal.
Studies show that approximately 15 percent of the population is allergic to dogs or cats. An estimated one-third of Americans who are allergic to cats (about two million people) live with at least one cat in their household anyway. In a study of 341 adults who were allergic to cats or dogs and had been advised by their physicians to give up their pets, only one out of five did. What's more, 122 of them obtained another pet after a previous one had died. It's clear the benefits of pet companionship outweigh the drawbacks of pet allergies for many owners. Living comfortably with a companion animal despite being allergic to him requires a good understanding of the allergic condition and an adherence to a few rules.

Some things you may want to consider include:

Lock away household chemicals, such as cleansers, insecticide, antifreeze, and others. Animals are especially attracted to antifreeze; be sure to clean up spills immediately and keep the rest out of reach as even a small amount can be fatal.

Place houseplants out of reach. Many houseplants are poisonous.

Have separate areas for your new pet and any existing pets. Pets need to be introduced to one another slowly; be sure you have an extra room or a kennel so that your pets can be separated until they have grown accustomed to each other.

Tie electrical cords out of the way, if you can. Dogs and cats can chew on electrical cords - or even catch them while walking (or running!) around, causing lamps, TVs, radios, etc. to fall.

Keep doors closed - this includes the doors to your washer and dryer, your closets, the cupboards ... inquisitive little animals can sneak in just about anywhere!

Keep household trinkets out of your pet's reach. Stuff like garbage, medicine, pins, elastics, thread, needles, and so on should be placed out of the way.

When treating your home effective techniques are vacuuming and spraying the carpet and any soft furniture such as sofas. Outside, fleas live in shady areas covered with leaves - scraping and sweeping will allow sunlight access, and fleas do not like that. To finish the process use flea sprays to eliminate remaining parasites. Another option is hiring a pest control
professional; effectiveness is guaranteed and is often worth the expense.

Both, cats and dogs are social animal and most of the time they accepts other species into their world. The transition is always easier when the pets are at a young age. The personalities of each are important. If you are a dog owner who wants to own a cat, think carefully about whether your dog would be suitable first. Its temperament, breed and past history should play a significant role in your decision. Choose a cat that is not timid and shy.

To begin the introduction, let your resident pet sniff the scent of your new pet. You can use a paper strip or cloth to get them used to the idea of a newcomer. At first, it is a good idea to give each pet its own territory. Control all encounters until the cat or dog is fully integrated. Do not force them together; let them move at their own pace. Give your resident pet lots of attention while adjusting to the new furry member. Most important, be patient and calm.
source- homewithpets.com

Moving to a new home may be stressful to your pet. Be patient and understanding. Also, spend extra time with your pet and provide lots of affection. Before moving in for the first time, prepare a room with your pet's familiar furniture bed, litter box, food and water bowls, and toys. Make your new home safe for your pet. Keep any hazards such as choke
collars, small balls, sewing thread and needles, pantyhose, and bones which can cause strangle and obstruct breathing away from your pet's reach. Provide a secure place where your pet won't be able to reach cleansers, medications, lighter fluid and antifreeze.
As soon as possible, find a veterinarian. Taking a practice drive to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic can save you time and trouble in case of emergency. Also, learn basic pet first aid.

Pet dental health is just as important as dental care for people. By providing regularly dental care to your pet, you can eliminate lots of problems in the years to come. The secret? Start when your pet is young. This will get your pet use to having his/her teeth brushed without a fight-making it much more enjoyable for you both. To begin, wrap a cloth around your finger. After your pet is use to this try introducing a tooth brush. Make sure you choose the right size for your pets mouth. There are many products available to ensure proper oral health care for dogs and cats. Ensure that you use tooth paste that is designed for pets rather than humans.

Foul breath and yellow-brown teeth are not only unattractive, it could be a sign of
serious gum disease that can lead to other problems that affect the health of your pet. Periodontal disease affects nearly 80% of all cats and dogs by the age of three.

Symptoms of gum disease in both cats & dogs include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along gum line, inflamed gums, persistent bad breath or bleeding and/or soreness when mouth is touched. Broken teeth are a common problem, especially among outdoor dogs. According to veterinary dental experts, aggressive chewing on hard objects or commercially available cow hooves is a primary cause of broken teeth in dogs. It is recommended to provide your dog with proper chew toys that will meet your dogs needs to keep healthy teeth and gums.

Puppies start off with 28 temporary teeth when they three to four weeks of age and at four months have 42 permanent teeth. Check the new teeth at this time to ensure they come in correctly. Then check regularly for warning signs of oral disease.

Kittens have 26 temporary teeth that come in at about two to three weeks of age & 30 permanent teeth when they reach three to four months. In cats, cervical line lesions are the most common tooth disease. ( pinpoint holes at the gum line) Bacteria settles and eventually gingivitis sets in. If you suspect a problems consult a pet dental health professional.

Periodontis is irreversible & can only be contained to prevent progression. This disease causes red, swollen & tender receding gums, bleeding, pain and bad breath. If left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. When your pet is suffering time is of the essence.
-homewithpets.com

When a person you love dies, it's natural to feel sorrow, express grief, and expect friends and family to provide understanding and comfort. Unfortunately, the same doesn't always hold true if the one who died was your companion animal. Many consider grieving inappropriate for someone who has lost "just a pet."

Nothing could be further from the truth. People love their pets and consider them members of their family. Caregivers celebrate their pets' birthdays, confide in their animals, and carry pictures of them in their wallets. So when your beloved pet dies, it's not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your sorrow. Animals provide companionship, acceptance, emotional support, and unconditional love during the time they share with you. If you understand and accept this bond between humans and animals, you've already taken the first step toward coping with pet loss: knowing that it is okay to grieve when your pet dies.
source- annimalattraction.com

While grief is a personal experience, you need not face loss alone. Many forms of support are available, including pet bereavement counseling services, pet-loss support hotlines, local or online Internet bereavement groups, books, videos, and magazine articles. Here are a few suggestions to help you cope:

Acknowledge your grief and give yourself permission to express it.

Don't hesitate to reach out to others who can lend a sympathetic ear.

Write about your feelings, either in a journal or a poem.

Call your local humane society to see whether it offers a pet loss support group or can refer you to one. You may also want to ask your veterinarian or local animal shelter about available pet loss hotlines.

Explore the Internet for pet loss support groups and coping information.

Prepare a memorial for your pet.
-annimalattraction.com

If you like to travel a lot, that can certainly pose the problem about what you are going to do with your pet while you are away. If you are only going for a day or two, they might be okay in the house alone but then again they might not. They may behave themselves but then again they might tear up all of your worldly goods at the same time. Sure you can ask a pet sitter to stop by and feed and check on your pet, but what good can that do? If you travel a great deal, you should consider boarding your dog. If you don't think that boarding your dog is worth it, here are three great reasons why boarding your dog the next time you take a vacation is the best possible idea.

You Don't Have to Resort to Kenneling
When you go through the necessary motions to board your dog, you don't have to worry about having to pen him up in dog crates or kennels all day long. Sure this will keep them away from tearing up your goods but it is also a cruel thing to do to any animal. How would you like to live in a kennel for two to three days at a time? If you have a pet sitter they may be around to let your pet out to do their business and maybe get a couple of laps in the yard but that is no kind of dedicated attention-it certainly isn't what your dog deserves. So you take a vacation and your dog has to suffer in a cage all day? Certainly not! Boarding facilities may kennel your dog but they are sure to make it up with walking and individualized yard time and attention. That way, perhaps they won't miss you quite so much and they can take a little vacation of their own!

They Will Have More Play Time
Again, just because you have gone out of town doesn't mean that your dog has to pay for it. If you take a vacation, dropping them off at a boarding facility is a great way to help them have a little fun of their own. If your dog is well socialized and not aggressive, he or she may even be able to play with other dogs and have a few tough dog toys of their very own to tear up. Your dog deserves the opportunity to run free, and boarding facilities (at least the good ones) offer plenty of play time for your canine.

They'll Come Home Fresh and Clean
Many boarding facilities offer complimentary or included baths for your pet, so when they come home to you after days of separation you can count on them being fresh and clean. Boarding facilities have many different kinds of dog shampoos to choose from and they can help soothe an itchy, dry coat in no time and help your dog feel as great as he looks. There are a good many things that you can choose to do with your dog the next time you go out of town. If you want to make sure your dog is well taken care of and happy while you are gone, boarding facilities just may be the way to go.
article by Lisa Failla

By Amy Nutt
Having an aggressive dog is not only a problem to the dog owner, but also to other people. You will never know when your dog may attack or injure someone. In fact, dog aggression can result in injuries and even deaths of innocent people, and there are many laws and by-laws that are imposed to punish dog owners whose dogs are guilty of physical assault.

Find the cause of aggression before re-training

If you have an aggressive dog, you should know that it is possible to curb its aggression with the right training. With proper training, aggressive dogs will learn not to be hostile towards strangers, or your friends and relatives. However, if you really wish to understand the basics of re-training aggressive dogs, you have to know why dogs become aggressive.

There are numerous reasons why a dog can become aggressive. The main reason may be that it is territorial and feels that its territory is being invaded. Sometimes, it feels threatened with certain changes in the environment, and it will become defensive and react with aggression. This type of aggression usually comes about because of lack of security and confidence, and simple dog obedience training is not sufficient to curb the aggressive behavior of the dog.

Such aggression requires special dog training. The usual symptoms of dog aggression are barking and lunging at people. These symptoms have to be controlled before they become a serious problem that causes bodily harm on other people.

Ask your dog vet to suggest an aggressive dog trainer

Since a dog vet often meets with trainers and dog owners, he or she is the best person to approach when you are looking for the perfect aggressive dog trainer. A qualified trainer will have the necessary experience to control the aggressive behavior of any dog. However, remember that aggressive dog training costs more than normal dog training, and it is usually done with a special skill set. So, set aside sufficient money to pay for this kind of training.

Though you have to pay quite a large sum of money for aggressive dog training, you can be assured that you will get the results that you desire. It is not advisable that you enroll your aggressive dog for normal dog training classes because the trainers will not take any risk to train it with other dogs in the school.

Some training schools may harm your dog

Instead, your dog has to be sent to a special dog obedience training school where qualified trainers have the necessary skills and knowledge to handle aggressive dogs. You can use the yellow pages to find the best training school for your dog. One thing you have to consider when choosing the right trainer for your dog is the training method employed by the training school. You should avoid training schools that use obsolete training methods that can cause harm to your dog.

It is always better to choose a more experienced dog training school. This is because such a school will have the necessary experience and knowledge to train aggressive dogs effectively. As such, it will produce better results with the re-training of dogs.

With the right aggressive dog training techniques, it is possible to train your dog to control its aggression. Once your dog stops its aggressive behavior, you will find that it is indeed a loving companion, and you can spend valuable time with it. Without the aggressive behavior, you need not worry about the safety of your family or that the dog will bite other dogs or people.

Use websites for dog training tips

If there are no aggressive dog training schools or trainers in your vicinity, you can also search the internet to learn some tips on how to curb your dog's aggression. There are some sites on the internet that provide these tips. However, whether or not such tips are effective depends on how you understand and implement them on your dog.

By Christine Mandrake
Summer has officially started and it's time for fun family outings, picnics in the park and hiking and biking the trails. For many of us, our canine companions enjoy participating in all these fun activities. But, unfortunately not all our pets enjoy all the festivities as much as we do.

The 4th of July can be especially distressing and scary for some dogs (and cats too). If your pet experience stress to the loud booming noises of fireworks here are a few tips that can help keep them safe and happy.

July 4th Don'ts:

Do not take your dog to fireworks displays. Even if your dog isn't normally afraid of loud noises, the intense booms of fireworks and all the ooohs and ahhh's can make any dog a little (or a lot) tense.

Don't leave your dog in your car. Even with the windows partially open hot humid summer evenings can still pose a risk to your dog. And, cracked windows can be an invitation for your dog to escape placing them at risk for getting injured and lost in its panic to get away.

Don't leave your dog outside in a fenced yard or chained up. Every year dogs escape by jumping fences or digging under them. Scared panicked dogs are at greater risk of getting lost, injured or even worse killed by being hit by a car. Chains can also get tangled and injure a dog that is desperately trying to get away.

July 4th Do's:

Do make sure you keep your pets indoors in a safe and secure room. Make sure to remove any items that could be harmful like ropes, cords or anything that could be harmful if chewed or ingested.

Do make sure your dog and cat is wearing up to date identification. In addition, make sure your microchip company has the correct contact information on file. Also, keep pictures of your pets handy in case of an escape. Each year Shelters and Animal Control facilities see their share of pets, lost and frightened from fireworks. Having the proper id on your pets helps ensure their speedy return.

Do make sure they are surrounded by familiar items like their bed, blanket and their favorite toys.

Turn the radio or television on at normal levels to mimic typical household sounds. This can help keep your dog company while you're at the neighborhood barbeque, picnic or parade.

Keep blinds and drapes closed to help give them a more sheltered feeling.

If your pet has extreme anxiety consider using a safe calming supplement or spray. Many natural plants and herbs promote a sense of calm and relaxation in animals as well as people. Never use any drugs or medications with your pet without consulting your veterinarian.

By David Beart
Bathing your dog or cat is an important part of pet ownership. Regardless of your pets' breed and coat type, shampooing promotes cleanliness and a healthy skin and coat. Frequency of bathing varies greatly between breeds and individual pets, and how often your pet should get a bath depends on the needs of your own dog or cat.

Cats and dogs may share many things, when it comes to baths and bathing techniques, cats and dogs couldn't be more different. Cats are fastidious self-groomers, and many cats can go a lifetime without requiring a true bath. This is generally a good thing, because most cats aren't big fans of the bathing process, and bathing a cat is generally not for the inexperienced cat owner, or the faint of heart.

Some cats do require bathing, usually for medical reasons. Cats being treated for skin infections or fungal infections, such as ringworm, may need regular baths to treat and prevent reoccurrence of skin problems. Older and overweight cats may not be able to groom themselves as thoroughly, and may require routine bathing in order to keep up their personal hygiene. An occasional bath may be necessary if your cat gets sprayed by a skunk, gets unusually dirty, or gets a foreign substance on his or her coat. But for the average, healthy cat, a good brushing program may be able to replace the bath for routine coat care.

On the flip side, while dogs do require routine baths to stay clean and healthy, they fortunately are a little more accepting of the process. Regular bathing of all dogs, despite coat length or type, helps to keep the coat and skin healthy. Most dogs do not require frequent bathing (once a month or less!), but brushing in between bath times helps to keep them clean, removing dead hair, dirt and other debris from the coat.

How often you should bathe your dog depends greatly on your dog, his activity level and breed. The best way to tell if your dog needs a bath is through your nose- if your dog has that "doggy odor" than it's probably time for a bath.

Some dogs require more frequent bathing as a matter of cleanliness, but as a generally rule, most dogs should not have a bath more than once a month. Some breeds prone to oily skin, such as Cocker Spaniels and Shih Tzu's, may require baths every 2-4 weeks, while thick coated dogs, like Chows and Huskies may only need a bath a few times a year.

Unlike human hair, dog fur is not suitable for constant bathing, and repeated washing will strip the skin of its natural, protective oils. The loss of these oils can cause your dog to scratch, irritating the skin, and, yep- making the dog skink, causing him to be bathed even more frequently. While over-bathing can be a vicious cycle, there are some things you can do to make sure that bathing doesn't create a problem for your pet.

For the average dog, bathed once a month or so, human shampoo can usually be used without ill effect. Dog skin is more sensitive than human skin, and using shampoo designed for people can cause a pH imbalance in the skin, leading to excessive dryness. Any dog being bathed more frequently than once a month should always be washed in a dog-specific shampoo.

A quick trip to your local pet store, and you will find a variety of shampoos for every possible need your dog may have- formulated to help combat itchy skin, fleas and ticks, doggy odor, excessive shedding, coat color enhancers, and everything in between. Not all soaps are created equal- if you have questions, consult your veterinarian or groomer for their recommendations on a good shampoo for routine use.

There are some cases where your dog may need baths every few days for a time, such as for treatment of skin infections, fungal infections and other skin and coat problems. Your veterinarian may prescribe a medicated shampoo, designed to help combat the underlying skin problem. It is important to follow your veterinarians' instructions carefully in these cases, because often the medicated shampoos must be lathered onto the dog, and left in place for several minutes for optimal effect.

If your dog is prone to skin problems, talk to your veterinarian about your current grooming regimen, and see if adjustments should be made. Often dogs that suffer from recurrent hot spots and skin infections can be helped with a more steady bathing ritual, to remove dirt and build up from the coat and allow the skin to breathe. Dogs that swim in pools and the ocean should be bathed thoroughly after every swim- the chlorine and salt water are both highly irritating if left on the coat, and can cause skin irritations and infections.

If your dog is longhaired, or prone to tangles, a coat conditioner may be useful as a second step to the bathing process. Conditioners can help to manage the hair and make it softer, allowing for mats and tangles to be more easily removed, along with re-moisturizing the coat.

It is important to note that in dogs prone to ear infections, bathing (and swimming) can be a constant cause of ear irritation. In order to help avoid ear problems, place a cotton ball into the outer part of your dogs' ear canal while bathing, to prevent excessive water from seeping in. After bathing, clean your dogs ears with a dog-specific ear cleaner- this will help to remove excess water from inside the ear canal, a prime candidate for causing ear infections.

How often you should shampoo your pet depends greatly on your dog or cats living circumstances, age, condition and breed. Bathing is a valuable tool to keeping your pet healthy and happy, and when done correctly, can help your pet to lead a long and happy life.