animal care |

animal care : "The first step to having a parasite free pet is to give it a flea bath. Although, since most flea products are too harsh for puppies you should be extremely careful to consult your veterinarian and follow all instructions on a flea products label if your puppy has fleas. A flea bath can also give relieve from itching and irritation, however you should not stop at shampooing your pet as a flea bath does not really protect the animal after having a flea bath.
Although, it is not recommended by most veterinarians, one alternative for keeping fleas away for some time after the treatment is to use a flea dip. However with the use of flea dip also comes the possibility of the dog licking, swallowing or eating the fleas after treatment of a flea dip, since a flea dip remains on the animals coat a good long while. Alternatively, you may choose the option of a flea collar. You should keep in mind that flea collars only work in killing fleas around the face and neck of the dog, and not its whole body. Moreover, some dogs have shown signs of being allergic to flea collars by developing a rash when wearing a flea collar. You should also consider that since they hang loose from your dog's collar that flea medallions can possibly contaminate the dog's drinking water, and thereby make it ill. "

animal care |

animal care : "Fleas also known as cat fleas are tiny, irritating parasites that not only feed off your pet's blood, but your own blood as well. It is possible to find that fleas have laid their eggs almost anywhere and everywhere they please inside or outside, for instant, in your carpets, furniture and bedding as well as your front and back yards. Therefore, it is likely that an infestation of fleas and their eggs is very high. To determine if your animal has fleas, you should look for the tell tale signs of fleas on your dog, for instance the excrement of fleas are dark, specks of curly dots which are also called flea dirt.
This flea dirt or excrement are black specks, which are the remains of digested blood that has a reddish brown appearance when wet, and are best found while having your pet lay on a white sheet or cloth while you brush through its coat. On dogs that have a darker coat you will need a magnifying glass to search for flea eggs, as they will give the appearance of dandruff within your pet's coat. "

animal care |

animal care : "Dogs can be the greatest source of love and happiness in our lives. However, they can also be a source of endless frustration. Usually the difference between a well-behaved dog and a chaotic dog is training. Dog training is an art and a science. Thee are many videos and books written on the subject and a lot of good information can also be found online. One of the most basic training commands is 'Sit.' It is also one of the most useful. When I take my dogs into a dog store, so many pets are misbehaving, barking at each other, or trying to show who is boss while we are in line. My dogs, however, are commanded to sit while I wait in line. Usually, people are awed by this. But it really isn't very remarkable. Teaching a dog to sit does not have to be challenging. Below is some advice I found online:

Few things in life are prettier than watching a well-trained dog and one of the basic commands is the sit command. There are several methods of teaching your dog to sit. Two of the most popular are the Click and the Compulsory methods. The Click method is based again on purely positive reinforcement while the Compulsory method uses both positive and negative reinforcements. Let's begin our discussion with the easier of the two, The Click Method. "

animal care |

animal care : "Why does a Labrador have doggy odor?
Like any other animal, dogs will walk, run, and play in areas that might result in their gathering dirt, disease, or odor. The Labrador retriever may begin to produce odor due to a number of factors, such as oily skin, dirt accumulation, ear or anal infections, and dental/plaque buildup. Not only can odor be offensive, it can be a sign of an unhealthy retriever. If a Labrador retriever is not monitored, and the sources of doggy odor are not removed, the Labrador retriever will develop chronic physical problems.
What to do About Doggy Odor?
When a Labrador retriever begins to emit doggy odor, closely inspect the dog from head to tail. Check the retriever's ears for debris, red skin, and odor. If an ear infection is present, it could be the result of the dog's ears not being properly ventilated. Ear infections are common in dogs with ears that are floppy or folded over. If the dog's ears are not properly ventilated, the inside becomes moist and warm, and infection can easily result. "

animal care |

animal care : "There are so many brands, all shapes and sizes of pet food to choose from - it can get so confusing! You are about to learn seven secrets to choosing the absolute best food for your pet.
Secret #1... All pet foods use descriptive words like choice and premium, though few of them actually use premium or choice ingredients. The 'secret' is per the rules of the pet food industry, no pet food can make any references on their label or advertising as to quality or grade of ingredients. The word 'premium' when it's related to pet food DOES NOT mean that the ingredients in the food are premium. With pet foods, premium does not (can not) describe the food nor does it (can it) describe the quality of the food. It is a marketing term and that is all. Per the industries own rules regulations, 'There are no references to ingredient quality or grade' (regulation PF5 d 3). So, words like premium, or choice, or quality are just marketing or sales terms, don't use them to influence your buying decisions.
Secret #2... If I can compare 'people' food to pet food for just a second, we all know there are different qualities of people food. There is White Castle (I love 'em!) and there is Outback Steak House (another favorite). Both restaurants serve meat and potatoes. At White Castle for under $3.00 you get a couple of hamburgers and fries. While at Outback you can get a steak and baked potato for around $16.00. Both serve beef and potato - yet you already realize that there are huge nutritional differences between a fast food hamburger and a steak...right? "

animal care |

animal care : "Cat hissing can be very disturbing for many cat owners. Often times their cats will hiss at them just for approaching them. The are many ways to get your cat to stop hissing at everyone that comes by.
Cat behavior problems are the most common reasons cats are given over by their owners to cat shelters. Among these cat behavior problems that are most common are litter box problems and aggression, cat hissing falls into the cat aggression category.
Cats usually hiss because they are either frightened or trying to scare someone off. Cats that are cornered and think they will be attacked will usually hiss. Cats that are trying to be left alone or trying to get rid of someone will also usually hiss.
One cat owner had a cat that sat on the doorstep and constantly hissed at the new boyfriend or anyone else that came near the doorstep. No matter what she tried the cat would continue to hiss at the new boyfriend. It got so bad that many people when they came to her house would just enter in from the garage.
One thing that helped this cat owner is desensitizing and positive reinforcement techniques. Desensitizing is a common behavior modification tool that many people see great success with.
To use desensitization for a hissing cat, slowly approach the cat until it starts to hiss, and then back off. Slowly over the period of a week or two try to decrease the distance you can approach the cat without it hissing at you."