Archive for April, 2007
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There is more to being a loving cat owner than just feeding and playing with your little feline friend, a lot more. You have to do those things to, but you are also responsible for ensuring your cat’s health, and that includes taking care of your cat’s dental needs. Sure, you take your cat to the veterinarian when you are supposed to, and of course, he cleans and checks your cat’s teeth when you are there, but you should really be performing cat dental care at home as well. When it comes to your own dental care, you couldn’t go to the dentist twice a year and then walk around the rest of the time without ever brushing your teeth, or eating a breath mint…well, technically you could, but you would probably have a severe case of halitosis, not to mention be missing a few teeth sooner or later! Just as you can’t get by with that kind of dental care, neither can your cat!
When it comes to cat dental care, it is very similar to your own dental care. Food and plaque build up on your cat’s teeth and gums, and if left to sit there for long periods of time, will slowly start to eat away at your cat’s teeth, leading to tooth decay, oral infections, lost teeth, and even gum disease. All of these conditions are very detrimental to your cat’s health, impacting his ability to eat properly, leading to poor nutrition, and even more health problems, all that could be avoided with some general cat dental care.
When you take your cat to the veterinarian, he is placed under general anesthesia for his dental care, so it may take him some time to get used to you messing around in his mouth at first. At the veterinarian, your cat gets his teeth cleaned, and examined for any potential problems. Most of the time, this doesn’t get too expensive, unless you have neglected your cat’s dental care, in which case more extensive dental care may be required. So, not only can you protect your cat’s health by performing home dental care, you can also save yourself a lot of money in veterinary bills as well! Just another reason why you should take the time to clean your cat’s teeth, just once a week will make a big difference.
You can brush and care for your cat’s teeth at home, and should do so on a regular basis. Talk to your veterinarian for his suggestions, and follow his instructions. You can purchase small cat toothbrushes that fit on the end of your finger from your local pet supply store, and toothpaste designed particularly for feline use. If you have not brushed your cat’s teeth before, he may not be very happy with this procedure. You should start by letting your cat get used to having your finger in his mouth, and once he accepts that, then move on to getting him use to the toothbrush, before you even try to brush his teeth. Once he accepts the toothbrush in his mouth with minimal fuss, you can add the toothpaste and start brushing his teeth.
If you don’t have the time or desire to care for your cat’s dental needs at home, you should take him to the veterinarian for regular dental care, as his teeth still need to be properly cared for. If you have pet insurance, it may not be as expensive as you think, definitely not as expensive as having to have major cat dental work done, which is what will happen if you neglect your cat’s dental needs.
So, whether you provide your cat’s dental care at home, or you have your veterinarian do it on a regular basis is up to you, but it is part of your responsibility as a pet owner to make certain your cat’s dental needs are being met, however you choose to do it. Don’t put your cat’s health at risk just because you don’t have time or want to brush his teeth!
By: Jean Morgan -
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Jean Morgan is a writer of articles concerning pet health and the owner of Natures Healthy Pet
April 18th, 2007
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Puppies are like children. They can get into unimaginable difficulties when their environment is not structured.
Puppies can open loose cupboard doors. Buy cupboard door protectors or get out the good old duct tape and make sure that the cupboards that are low either can not be broken into or do not contain hazardous elements!
Puppies can chew light cords. Arrange your home so that light cords, TV cables, computer cords, and so on, are hidden behind heavy immovable furniture or are enclosed behind barriers.
Large Breed puppies can put their front feet onto ALL the counters. Push back items that they can get into, take them off the counters, or be prepared to have your most valuable items (such as your TV remote control) dragged off and chewed!
Clothing articles can be DEADLY. I personally have known several puppies around the age of five to six months that have died from ingesting socks or chewing on scatter rugs…. fabric often balls up and creates an intestinal blockage. By the time the vet discovers it, it is too late.
Household poisons used for insect or rodent control should be absolutely out of the question in the puppies’ environment. Simply do not apply poisons in areas that your puppy has access to, under any circumstance!
Toys should be dog toys. Left over trucks from the kids’ toy box are NOT GOOD. Items which have small parts which can be chewed off or swallowed are NOT GOOD. Likewise, most bones are NOT GOOD. Vets will tell you of the numbers of surgeries they have performed to remove bone shards from the intestines of dogs.
Sticks are the favorite as far as retrieving, but sticks in the mouth of running puppies are dangerous. They can jam that stick into their throat if they run into an immovable object, OR they can take out the eye of another dog or even a child. Use good dog toys for retrieving…and be sure the toys are not too small for the dog’s mouth and can not be swallowed!
Nothing “settles down” a hyperactive puppy like a good exercise session. Do not over do, and be careful that you do not demand too much of your puppy before its young bones are ready….but go on walks, by all means. And make these walks a time to teach your puppy the basics of polite manners…sitting when you come to street corners, not barking at strangers that you meet. So that means these walks must be ON LEASH. (It’s better exercise for you, that way, too!) After the “controlled” walk, a good run in a dog park, off leash, or a good swim in a nearby pond are excellent ways to burn off excess energy.
Nothing is as important in the care of a puppy as regular vet checks. Be sure that your puppy is immunized at the right times, fed well, exercised well, and spends the majority of its time in a “puppy-safe” environment….and have fun bringing up your puppy!
By: Michael Russell
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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Pet Care
April 18th, 2007
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You want a pet but you don’t know what exactly you should get. A dog is out of the question since your flat is too small, and besides it would just be cooped up in there the whole day long while you went to work. A cat might be a good pet. It’s independent, it can take care of itself, and you can still come home to a warm living body that will curl up to you. But what about pet birds? Did you ever think of getting a bird for a pet?
You didn’t, but the idea intrigues you. It’s not something that had ever crossed your mind, but it had definite possibilities. On second thoughts though, you feel that you might go for a pet cat instead. Less hassle all around you feel.
So you wander on down to your pet store one glorious sunny day with the intention of getting yourself a pet cat, or kitten as the case may be. You walk in and are greeted by the sight of birdcages, bird houses, bird baths, and even a birdfeeder. You stop in surprise and look around just to make sure that you’ve actually come to the pet store and not a bird store.
What’s overwhelming you though is the noise of the screeching birds. They’re all going at it full voiced and you can barely hear yourself think let alone hear the proprietor apologize for the whole mess. He was rearranging some of the stuff and the birds got excited. You are now doubly glad that you didn’t decide on pet birds as your choice of pet.
You notice that you’re the only customer around and with good reason. You might also be tempted to leave and come again on a quieter day, but you came down here for a purpose. If you put off getting a pet for longer you might not get one in the near future.
You’re taken down a winding alleyway of colorful fish tanks and straight on past an array of screaming birds. As you pass the last one however, your attention is caught. This lone bird isn’t screeching, isn’t making any kind of sound but is instead regarding you with a steady eye. You move forward and it moves its head along with you. You move sideways, the same thing happens. Intrigued you move this way and that watching in entranced delight as this little beauty follows your every move.
That’s when the snare falls and you find yourself leaving the store with the very thing that you told yourself you didn’t want a pet bird. At least you can tell yourself that it wasn’t pet birds.
By: Bakhru
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Krishan Bakhru is the editor of Natural Pet Care Home Remedies
April 18th, 2007
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Many of your friends have pets and they don’t stop talking about them mostly in a positive light.
Or there was a family pet in your home when you were a kid, you have nothing but pleasant memories about the time that you spent with that pet.
So you start thinking that perhaps it is time for you to take care of a pet, it might be fun and at least there will be something to greet you when you drag your tired body in through your door after a hard days labor.
Yes, pets can be terrific companions, very loving, can be great fun, and are good for us. But along with all those advantages come responsibilities.
So you’ve got to ask yourself – “Am I Ready To Take Care of A Pet?”
Have you fully thought through what taking care of a pet involves? Yes, you have thought about feeding, and if you a considering getting a dog you have thought about all the long walks, but possibly not considered how many times a day a dog may need walking. Don’t forget, that there will be times when all you want to do is flop in front of the television, and times when it is raining like it will never stop. Your faithful dog will still need his walk, are you sure that you want to take care of a dog?
How about cleaning, have you thought of that? Sometimes it takes a spell before pets stop having accidents around the house. Pet hair can get all over the place, sometimes those hairs can take a lot of cleaning up are you prepared for that?
How about scratch marks on your furniture? Cats can be persuaded to use a scratching post but that may take a little time, will you put up with the odd mark on your favorite household possessions?
And how about your pet’s health, about the veterinarian’s bills, pet medication and nursing your pet when it is sick? Even the smallest of pets can rack up some awfully big vet bills, will you be able to afford them or afford pet insurance? Your pet may need spaying or neutering, do you know how much that costs?
What about other expenses. As well as food there will be the cost of any training, (obedience classes maybe,) pet beds, kennels, grooming aids, collar and leash and don’t forget that many pets benefit from a good range of toys.
How about traveling? Sure, for your annual vacation you can get a pet sitter or there is always boarding out, but what if you enjoy traveling a lot. What if your pet ends up constantly being boarded out, would taking care of a pet be such a good idea in that case?
Do you have a family or share your home with other people? What are their views on you bringing a pet into their home? Do you know what kind of animals they would tolerate, you may think that snakes are the cutest things but someone in the house may be repulsed by reptiles.
Do you become really enthusiastic about something and then lose interest after a few months? Could this be the case in your desire to take care of a pet or are you going to remain committed. Pets deserve commitment.
Be realistic, there is no such thing as a perfect animal. A health or behavior problem is bound to arise at some point and with some pets there may be many problems. You have to commit to working through those problems, this will take plenty of patience, love and understanding.
Spend plenty of time studying up on the kind of pet that you have your thoughts on. Be sure that you know what is involved. Talk to owners, find out what their experiences, good and not so good, have been. If you can, spend some time helping out with taking care of that pet.
If you can be absolutely sure of taking responsibility, showing patience, giving commitment and plenty of love, then you will find that there are few things in life that offer so many rewards as taking care of a pet.
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Cat Art - and a whole lot more about cats.
Cat Figurines
April 18th, 2007