by Ryan Williams
Dog lovers and owners everywhere are often faced with the issue of how to get rid of fleas! When your beloved pooch gets infested with fleas it can be an agonizing experience for both the owner and pet. There can be some dangerous side-effects of some well known dog flea products. The chemicals used in some of the nationally available household name products and major popular brands may be poisoning our pets and damaging our own family?s health at the same time. So the question remains, how to get rid of fleas safely? Our local pet food store sells an assortment of flea collars, flea powders and flea shampoo including Frontline for fleas. Even though the staff are knowledgeable and great, it is still difficult to know which product to use and almost impossible to know all of the active components of these dog flea products.
As people become more aware of issues pertaining to their health, dog owners are seeking all-natural alternatives to the question of how to get rid of fleas. Some of the more common and popular all-natural dog flea remedies are sketched out below:
1. Household salt solution. Sprinkle table salt all over your house. Pay particular attention to where Fido takes his nap. Let the salt sit for at least one week and then look at the results. Fleas don?t seem to like salt. Your dog will lie down on the rugs, etc and the salt will also get on to his fur?fleas don?t like this. A few days later the fleas are gone.
2. Baking Soda to get rid of fleas. Cover your dog with baking soda. The baking soda will smother the fleas and kill them. This all-natural flea remedy is often recommended for puppies and kittens who are too young to be exposed to any flea remedy chemical. You can also use talcum powder or baby powder.
3. For the dog fleas on adult dogs, you could try an olive oil bath. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the fleas just drown in it and fall out. Start from the dog?s head and work your way back so the fleas don’t move to the face where it’s really hard to pluck them off. Then you just shampoo the oil out and the dog fleas will wash down the drain.
4. Some people think garlic is the best all-natural dog fleas remedy. Use freshly diced garlic. You can put a dab of oil into it in order to make it smoother plus the oil will make for a nice shiny coat. Some people use a garlic pill supplement while others use freshly chopped garlic and mix it into the food. The fleas don?t like the scent emitted by the dog after ingesting garlic.
There seem to be many all-natural alternatives to treating dog fleas. Some are bound to work better than others. These treatments will likely work best for a small infestation. For a really major case of fleas you might want to try a stronger dog flea remedy available at the pet store or vet?s office. In figuring out how to get rid of fleas its best to do some homework. However, with all matters pertaining to the health of your dog, please check with your vet about potential bad side effects.
by Virginia Sutherland
If you have ever been licked by a cat, you know(!!) that cats have an amazing tongue. It sure does feel like sandpaper! This tongue is specially designed to keep their fur looking their best, along with removing, and digesting lose hair. Sometimes the cats own effort isn’t quite enough to keep tangles and mats at bay. This is especially true in the spring when cats tend to shed quite a bit, and if the cat is long haired. Sending your cat to a groomer can help to untangle mats, remove large quantities of lose hair while shampooing the cat to make her look and feel her best.
Most groomers will bathe the cat and add some form of conditioner. But there are many other services a groomer will do. Many groomers offer haircuts for cats. Some will do an overall trim, while others do fancy cuts. Your cat can look like a lion, or, **cough** a poodle.
Plenty of cat owners send their cats to the groomer in order to get their claws trimmed, and in some cases there are cat owners who send their cats to the groomers with the express intent of getting the cats gussied up with nail polish on the claws and bows in the fur.
Needless to say, most cats do not enjoy this process whatsoever and will put up a fight every step of the way. After all, cats aren’t really sure what is happening when a groomer starts coming at them with water and soap, and so it’s only natural that the cats would react with fear and sometimes even with aggression.
You’ll need to find a groomer who is well versed in dealing with cats, because a dog groomer may not have the talent needed in order to finagle a cat into accepting this type of treatment. Before taking your cat to a groomer, ask about the groomer’s experience with cats and make sure that this won’t turn into a disaster. A groomer who is well versed in dealing with cats will know exactly what needs to be done and how a cat should be restrained in order to get the job done.
When your cat comes home from the groomers – especially if this was its first experience with a groomer – it may hide out for a while. You might be disappointed because perhaps you want to show off your shiny, groomed cat, but you need to be patient with your cat because going to the groomers can be a traumatic experience for a cat.
While it is nice to get your cat groomed once in awhile, the fact is that most cats spend a whole lifetime without ever getting a bath. They are very efficient at keeping their “do” looking and smelling beautiful. If you have decided to take your cat to a groomer, expect to pay a bit of money and to pay restitution to your kitty when she comes home.
by Heather Fox
All ear infections display the same symptoms regardless of the cause. Listed below are some of the signs to watch for at home.
Shaking the head
Scratching at the head or ears
Rubbing the head and ears on the ground
A distinct redness or irritation in the ear canal
Liquid leaking from the ears
Brown or Yellowish discharge present in the ears
Foul odor coming from the ear
Pain when the head or ears are touched or petted
Veterinarian Visit – The Diagnosis
At the first sign of symptoms an appointment should be made with a veterinarian. It is also important to remember that you should never put anything into your dogs ears before seeing the veterinarian. This could result in additional symptoms including neurological which include head tilting and walking in circles.
For dogs that get repeated ear infections or have infections that will not go away with treatment, it is important to find the underlying cause of their problems. Some things are easy to figure out just from a physical examination. If a dog has a lot of hair in its ears, floppy pinnae, or small ear canals, a visual examination will show this. Tumors and foreign objects in the ear can usually be seen during a physical examination, too.
In order to rule out an allergy to food, the veterinarian will put your dog on a hypoallergenic food for a period of about eight weeks. During this time you will monitor your dog and keep a journal of any receding symptoms, increasing symptoms or no change in symptoms at all.
Skin and blood testing is used to rule out Atopy. This word stands for seasonal and inhalant allergies. The test will provide the veterinarian with exactly what your dog is allergic to, if anything.
Hypothyroidism and other endocrine diseases affecting the skin are usually diagnosed through a series of one or more blood tests which test the function of a particular endocrine organ. Usually dogs with endocrine disorders will have other symptoms besides ear infections that will lead the veterinarian to suspect another problem.
Treatment for Ear Infection
Once the underlying cause is determined, the treatment can begin. For dogs with food allergies, avoiding these foods is paramount. In dogs with seasonal and inhalant allergies, a combination of medications including antihistamines, omega-3 fatty acid supplements and cyclosporine will be prescribed and your dog will most likely be required to take them for the rest of his/her life.
In addition, topical treatments, antibiotics, antifungals, shampoos and rinses may also be required. However, each dogs case is different and will depend on the severity of their allergy.
In general, an ear infection can be cleared up with a combination of oral medication and medication inserted in the ear. However, it is imperative that you clean your dogs ears once or twice a week to remove excess buildup of medication which can retain debris and impede the healing process. An ear infection is usually treated for two weeks, although some cases may take longer. If the infection does not clear up, a swab or ear culture may be needed for further testing.
Dog Ear Infection Prevention
Treat all underlying diseases present in your dog
Dry your dogs ears thoroughly after bathing
Dry ears thoroughly after swimming
Do not use water or cleaner inside your dogs ears unless absolutely necessary and always make sure to dry them thoroughly
Remember: Keeping the ears dry is an important part of treating and preventing ear infections.
by Sonia Kekkonen
So now that you are a cat owner, it is a possibility that you may at some time have to deal with a cat that has peed outside the box. (Cats DO prefer to use their box, so if your cat is not, there is some reason that you have to not only discover, but also fix.) Getting cat urine on your carpet is by no means one of the joys of pet ownership. It can be really distressing and frustrating and it is easy to get angry at kitty…
Cat urine is one of the more challenging odors to remove especially when not using proper cleaning products.When cat urine is allowed to dry in a carpet, amino acids in the urine actually bonds with the fibers of the rug.
Salts in the urine form crystals that causes another type of bond with an ionic charge. The longer the urine has been on the rug, the stronger these bonds become.Using a homemade cleaner will not dissolve these bonds, nor does steam cleaning your carpet. Sometimes steam cleaning will make the problem worse.
Some commercially available “pet odor removers” work by masking the odor by masking the foul smell caused by the bacteria that is using the urine as it’s source for fuel.Other products use compounds in the attempt to absorb the smell.
There may be an immediate relief from odor using these products, (or a home made one) but as you may have noticed, the smell comes back especially on damp, humid days. In order to eliminate the urine totally and comlpetely, you need to use a cleaner which will actually consume the urine. This is done with a cleaner containing not only enzymes but bacteria as well.
The first action to take when discovering a wet spot:
1. Blot or mop up as much urine as possible. Lay down absorbent towels and walk on them. Care should be taken if water is added to the spot -it can easily spread and make clean-up more difficult.
2. Use a cleaner based on enzymes that will actually consume the urine. Inject it into the padding, and then spray on top of the carpet. Pet the cleaner into the carpet.
3. When using a proper cleaner, that is all you need to do. No rinsing needed. Keep your cat away from the area until it is completely dry which can take a few days.
Even though it can be easy to let the frustration out on the cat, remember that cats do not eliminate outside the box without some, for them, good reason.
Inappropriate urination is a symptom that something is not OK. You may need to investigate what caused your cat to not use the box along with some enticement to use the box again. Not correcting the reason your cat is not going in the box may keep you cleaning your carpets and furniture over and over again.
Cleaning the area properly, eliminating all traces of urine along with understanding the cause, and maybe using an attractant like the very popular Dr Elsey’s Cat Attract, will soon see a kitty using her box and a sweet smelling home.
by Virginina Sutherland
Most of us believe that when we buy food for our precious feline, it is good, healthy, nutritious food. But guess again! Finding a high quality food for your cat can be a bit tricky amongst the expert marketers of cat food all trying to get you as a customer by using words such as “approved by top vets” “Wholesome” “nutritious” not to mention deceptive labeling practices making it appear that “meat” is the number one ingredient.
Unfortunately there are a number of ingredients in cat food that not only do not belong there, they can be detrimental to your cat.
While the pet food conglomerates want you to believe that grains are “wholesome” for your cat or dog, they are implicated with a long range of health problems. Not to mention grains have no part of the diet that our magnificent felines have evolved on for the past few millions of years.
The use of corn is a very bad addition to your cat’s or dog’s food. It causes allergic reactions and acts as an irritant to the bowel. Possibly a problem of an even greater magnitude is the fact the corn has a high glycemic index.
What that means is that after the cat eats a meal that contains corn, her blood sugar level rises. Cats have different metabolic pathways than humans do, and do not have the necessary enzymes to handle the onslaught of sugar in their blood stream. While humans get their energy from sugar,cats get their energy from animal protein.
Commercial kibble containing corn has 30-60% carbohydrates. A cat in the wild, eating what nature intended for them to eat, will eat food containing 3-5% carbohydrates.
A cat eating kibble will have a blood sugar spike after their meal. Cats, having again a very different way of metabolizing food, do not release insulin in response to a high carb content meal like we do. They release insulin in response to eating meat.
Constant spikes in blood sugar levels are taxing on vital organs such as liver and kidneys and taxing on the endocrine system. The end result is not infrequently insulin dependent feline diabetes.
Corn is also a culprit in feline obesity. Cats do not register full after consuming carbs. Cats register full after having consumed the required amounts of protein. In order to satisfy the need for protein your cat has to eat more of the inferior, grain containing kibble.
Getting your pet onto a food that contains no grains should be a goal for all pet owners and can reverse illnesses such a IBD and even insulin dependent diabetes.
Getting your cat or dog, onto a food that does not contain corn is of utmost importance.
