Toxic Plants to Cats
Holiday and Seasonal Decorative Plants Amaryllis spp. Chrysanthemum spp. American Mistletoe Phoradendron spp. Autumn Crocus Colchicum autumnale Bittersweet Celastrus spp. Japanese Euonymus Euonymus japonicas
Bringing cats in from the cold
Pretty soon, the frost will be on the trees and that means it's time to start thinking about cold weather safety for your cat. These guidelines will help you protect your pet when the cold creeps up. It's best to keep your cat inside at all times, but especially when the mercury dips. If he does manage to get outside
Poop Bags to the Rescue
Cleaning up after your dog is more than a matter of being a responsible Pet Parent. It also means being a good citizen of the earth. By simply carrying and using poop bags to clean up after your dogs during walks (or even in your own backyard) you can help keep pollution down and protect soil and aquatic life. Parasites and
Common Problems Caused by Fleas on Dogs and Puppies
GENERAL DESCRIPTION Fleas are small, flat, wingless, external parasites that feed off the blood of your adult dog or puppy. Fleas are not only an annoying problem for dogs and owners, they also cause diseases such as allergies, anemia and tapeworms. Fleas can bee seen crawling on your dogs skin (particularly the belly) or jumping on your dogs coat. SOURCE &CAUSE(S) Dogs usually
Different Types of Ticks
GENERAL DESCRIPTION Ticks are small bloodsucking ectoparasites that attach themselves to dogs, cats, and humans. Ticks are not insects; they are small arachnids which are related to spiders. Some ticks attach and feed on the head, neck, shoulders, and hind areas, while other ticks are more prone to feeding on and in the ears, under the tail and in between the
The Impact of Impacted Anal Glands on Your and Your Pet
GENERAL DESCRIPTION Dogs and cats have anal sacs and occasionally they can become irritated. The anal sacs are located at four o’clock and eight o’clock around the anus. These sacs are frequently referred to as the anal glands, which produce a foul smelling secretion during defecation. The anal glands often become full and blocked, not allowing them to empty. When this
What Is An Abscess?
GENERAL DESCRIPTION A localized area of infection that generally looks like a lump or bump and contains pus. SOURCE & CAUSE(S) Abscesses generally form as the result of trauma to the skin and are most commonly the result of a cat or dog fight where the incidence of a puncture wound is high. Abscesses will form when the body detects bacteria or a
Your dog's health
Preventive care Good preventive care begins with careful attention to the basics: Nutrition A healthy, nutritious diet builds a foundation for well-being and disease prevention throughout your Pet's life. As a dog ages, their nutritional needs change; for example, a puppy needs a diet high in calories and protein to maintain its active lifestyle and to grow healthy bones and muscles. An older
Whet your dog’s appetite with wet food
The term “canned dog food” is all wet: Thanks to new flavors, additions and recipes, many manufacturers now prefer the phrase “wet dog food.” Which of the new products are best for your pet? Canned or bagged, wet or dry: These are basic choices you must face when perusing the pet food aisle of your favorite store. “Wet” products have undergone
Your Kitten's Veterinary Visits: The First Year
Kittens ingest antibodies from their mother's milk that protect them against disease. Once they start to eat solid food, however, they need vaccinations from the veterinarian. Kittens should receive their first series of vaccinations when they're six weeks old. If you adopt a kitten from a shelter or buy one from a breeder, ask for the kitten's medical records. The kitten
Uh Doc, My Dog's Got Critters
OK, so you just found out that Fido is running 30 head of tiny livestock on his "back 40." What the heck are you going to do about it? First of all, don't panic, we have many new weapons in the war on fleas. Let's take a look at the different flea control products available, and how best to utilize
Why Diabetes Causes Excessive Thirst, Hunger in Cats
Diabetes mellitus is a serious medical condition where your pet cannot control her blood sugar levels due to problems with insulin production or function. It has many symptoms, but the most common that concerns Pet Parents are excessive urination, excessive thirst and eating while losing weight. Glucose is the main energy source that body cells need to operate efficiently. Your cat’s digestive
Proper Socialization for Fearful Dogs
Lately I’ve seen a lot of fearful dogs coming to class for socialization. Specifically, these dogs are fearful of humans, but rather than display any aggressive behavior, they tend to hide or freeze. As someone trained in reading dog body language, it is clear that the dogs are basically screaming, “Don’t touch me!” However, because they are not growling or snapping when the stranger is touching them, many owners think that the dog is “OK” or getting “socialized.” Therefore, it seems important to discuss what proper socialization for fearful dogs involves.
First, and most important, we need to stop subjecting the dog to touching by strangers before they are ready. In order for the dogs to relax and trust the handler, they need to know that the handler is not going to let anything bad happen to them. While the Pet Parent may not think that petting is a “bad” thing, a fearful dog does. It can be embarrassing for the Pet Parent to say no when someone asks, “May I pet your dog?” but it’s important to do so in order to gain the dog’s trust.
Once the dog is starting to relax (rather than retreat) when someone approaches, the handler can begin to give the dog treats when someone approaches. Ideally the handler should have the strangers ignore the dog (no talking to, staring at, reaching toward, or looming over the dog). At this stage, the stranger is still not touching the dog and the handler is treating when the stranger approaches. You should remain at this stage until the dog appears relaxed and looks toward the handler, in anticipation of a treat, when the stranger approaches.
At this point, it would be okay for the stranger to start doing the treating. Initially, it would be best if the stranger tossed the treats to the dog and as the dog gets more comfortable, the stranger can toss the treats closer to himself so the dog ends up closer to the stranger. Eventually, if the dog is fairly confident approaching the stranger, the stranger could hand the treats to the dog. Only when the dog was at a point where he could easily approach a stranger with a relaxed body posture would I consider letting people pet him. Strangers should be instructed to pet under the dog’s chin, NOT on top of the head as reaching for a dog can be seen as a threat.
Proper socialization involves positive experiences at a pace the dog can handle. While it may feel like it’s moving along at a snail’s pace, it is important not to overwhelm the dog or ask more than he can handle. With some patience, remedial socialization can make great strides in helping your dog overcome his fear of strangers.
Does Your Cat Have Fleas? Signs, Symptoms and Treatments
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Fleas are small, flat, wingless, external parasites that feed off the blood of your adult cat or kitten. Fleas are not only an annoying problem for cats and owners; they also cause diseases such as allergies, anemia and tapeworms. Fleas can bee seen crawling on your cats skin (particularly the belly) or jumping on your cat coat.
SOURCE & CAUSE(S)
Cats and kittens usually get fleas from other pets that have them or from being in a flea infested environment such as the backyard, a park or even inside a house.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
If your cat or kitten has fleas, you will generally notice the following:
•Itching and scratching
•Biting at the hindquarters
•Hair loss (most commonly seen behind the ears, down the back , back legs, tail and rump)
•Red, scaly, flaky skin
•If your cat is infested with fleas, you will see the fleas crawling and jumping on the body. They look like tiny pieces of black rice.
•It is common to see flea dirt on the tail and in the area just above the tail on the hind quarters. Flea dirt will look like black specs on the skin. Think of dandruff, only black.
COMMONLY CAUSED PROBLEMS
Fleas are disease carriers and can cause a host of health problems for our pets. Most health issues caused by fleas stem from a heavy infestation; however, there are situations where just a few fleas can lead to serious health problems.
The following are problems most commonly seen with fleas:
Flea Allergy Dermatitis - A condition caused from a severe allergy to the flea saliva on the skin of your cat or kitten. This reaction causes intense scratching and chewing and leads to hair loss and skin infections.
Tapeworms – Your cat or kitten can become infected with this parasite when they ingest a flea carrying tapeworm eggs.
Anemia - A condition most commonly seen in young kittens that are infested with fleas.
Hot Spot - If your cat is highly allergic to flea saliva, just one or two flea bites will irritate a spot on the body causing your cat to scratch and chew at the area resulting in an infection and/or a hot spot.
Feline Infectious Anemia - Most vets agree that fleas can transmit rickettsial bacteria that causes Hemobartonellosis in cats. This bacteria can be transmitted from fleas to cats causing destruction of the red blood cells thus leading to anemia.
TREATMENT & MANAGEMENT
The most common treatments for fleas include:
Flea bath - Bathing your cat or kitten using a special shampoo designed to kill the fleas (available at most department or pet stores).
Flea comb - This comb, also available at most department and/or pet stores, is used to "pick up” fleas on your cat, however, this method is only effective if the flea population is very small.
Treatment of house and yard - You can have your yard sprayed to kill and prevent fleas. Most pest control companies offer this service or you can spray the area yourself with a specialty spray available at most hardware/feed and/or department stores. When treating the area yourself, it is important to read the cautions on the label and follow the instructions closely.
PREVENTION & HELPFUL TIPS
PREVENTION is the best treatment for fleas.
Your veterinarian probably offers a wide selection of monthly preventives, in either topical or pill form. Both treatments are administered monthly. These treatments prevent fleas from living on your pet and both products are effective. Consult your veterinarian for more specific information.
NOTE: Your veterinarian has probably already recommended a preventive monthly flea and tick product in your cat or kitten wellness health program.
