Feeding Pets at Thanksgiving, Be Safe

We all feed our pets some of what’s on the table at Thanksgiving, so here are two tips to keep it safe:

1. Control the amount of calories.
Don’t give your pet more total calories today that it usually has. Too many calories cause pancreatitis, which is very painful, and doesn’t go away just because we stop overfeeding. Nope, we can harm a pet for life by feeding too many calories on only one day of the year.

2. Limit fat.
Don’t give your pet more fat or oil on Thanksgiving that it normally has. To limit fat intake, remove the skin from the turkey, tear it into strips, freeze, and feed a strip a day for the next couple of weeks. Avoid putting gravy on the vegetables your pet gets, and don’t give sweet potatoes baked in butter. Hold the stuffing.

Bless you for wanting your pet to enjoy its food. If your pets aren’t used to human food, give only small amounts of deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables, and small amounts of meat, fish, eggs, or other proteins. For example, give a Labrador a half dozen blueberries, a quarter cup of sweet potatoes, a quarter cup of cooked broccoli, and a quarter cup of turkey. Give a little poodle, 3 blueberries, one tablespoon of sweet potatoes and a tablespoon of cooked broccoli, and a tablespoon of turkey.

Let’s give gratitude to our pets for what they bring us all year long by feeding them well on Thanksgiving and every day of the year.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Holiday Care For New Pets

Anyone with a new pet at the holidays, whether the pet is in the White House, or your house, needs to provide extra attention. What we shouldn’t provide are extra calories from our wonderful holiday meals. So, let’s look at the attention we should give our new pets:

Calm petting. The more noise and commotion is in the house, the more our dogs and cats need a quiet reassuring hand to confirm all is well.

Calm hiding spot. If pets prefer to hide under a bed, they’re telling us they’re not feeling safe in their own home. Remove the extra noise by closing the door and putting on a calming CD. Open the crate or sleeping kennel and let your pet ease into its safest place.

Calming pheromones. Use DAP Comfort Zone for Dogs or Feliway for cats to provide the signal that all is well directly to the oldest part of the brain. The rhinencephalon registers the message from DAP or Feliway and bypasses the cognitive, thinking part of the brain. It soothes pets without their even being aware of it.

Calming routine. Pets enjoy routine exercise and play times and routine bedtimes. Even over the holidays when children and households are taking breaks from routine, pets need the same old exercise, feeding times, and bed times. If they get more exercise than normal, they should have more sleep than normal. Keep the balance.

What's coming?
In the next Caring for Pets blog, let’s look at holiday nutrition, especially holiday nutrition for a new pet.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Mixed-Breed, Any Breed, The White House Puppy Needs Love & Care

President Obama’s girls want a puppy, and we’ve looked at dozens of kid-friendly breeds, from small to giant, but why not get the best of all breeds, the mixed-breed. Mixed-breed dogs are mutts, and having a mixture of genes usually allows mutts to be healthier than are dogs bred to have a specific size, color, shape and personality.

No matter what type of dog Sasha and Malia choose, we know they’ll give it lots of love. They’ll also feed it and take it to the veterinarian. Let’s look at what Malia and Shasha and all families with new pets need to consider. First, let’s cover how to keep new pets healthy over the holidays. Then, let’s look at pet’s long-term health and see what nutritional guidelines we can recommend to get them started on the right track.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Best Puppy for Malia and Sasha Obama

The Obama children, Malia and Sasha Obama might want a puppy that grows up to be a big dog. There are many large breeds known to be good with children:

· Bearded Collie
· Bernese Mountain Dog
· Black Russian Terrier
· Bloodhound
· Bouvier Des Flanders
· Boxer
· Collie
· English Setter
· Flat-coated Retriever
· Giant Schnauzer
· Golden Retriever
· Gordon Setter
· Irish Wolfhound
· Labrador Retriever
· Newfoundland
· Old English Sheepdog
· Pointer
· Redbone Coonhound
· Spinone Italiano

Boxers are light on their feet, gloriously playful, and have short hair. The Golden, while it has long hair, is world-reknown for gentle disposition. The Bearded Collie is known for its humor. If it’s a large dog that Sasha and Malia are looking for, they’re got wonderful breeds to choose from.

Almost always, though, mixed-breed dogs are just as wonderful as our purebreds. And, often mixed-breed dogs are healthier than pure-breed dogs. The Humane Societies and animal shelters are full of loving, trustworthy large and small dogs, both mixed-breed and pure-bred. We hope Malia and Sasha Obama turn their hearts toward the millions of puppies and adult dogs that need a good home. We know that dogs’ hearts will be open to the entire Obama family, no matter what dog the children choose.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Puppy for Malia and Sasha Obama

The Obama children, Malia and Sasha, want a puppy. There are wonderful medium-sized breeds that are known to be good with children:
· American Foxhound
· Australian Shepherd
· Beagle
· Brittany
· Bulldog
· English Cocker Spaniel
· English Foxhound
· Field Spaniel
· Harrier
· Keeshond
· Nova Scotia Duck Toller
· Pharaoh Hound
· Plott Hound
· Portuguese Water Dog
· Shetland Sheepdog
· Spitz
· Standard Poodle
· Sussex Spaniel
· Welsh Springer Spaniel

While all these breeds make fantastic pets for children, the Poodle has curly hair that helps decrease allergy problems. Poodles are also bright, easily trained, and robust. They’d have the athletic ability that Malia and Sasha will look for in a playmate. Lots of poodle rescue groups have wonderful pets to consider, and the girls would be showing the entire country that they care about the plight of homeless dogs if they consider rescuing a pet.

In a future blog, let’s discuss some large dogs that Sasha and Malia might also consider.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Puppy for Malia and Sasha Obama

Which breeds would make the Obama children, Sasha and Malia, happy? Let’s consider breeds by size and start with small dogs known to be good with children:
Small breeds:
· Bichon
· Border Terrier
· Cairn Terrier
· Havanese
· Lakeland Terrier
· Norfolk Terrier
· Norwich Terrier
· Schipperke
· Tibetan Spaniel

Of these, the Tibetan Spaniel & Havenese have extraordinarily calm temperaments.

By choosing a mixed-breed dog with a little poodle in it, the hair would be less inclined to shed and the dog would be more hypoallergenic.

In a future blog, let’s consider medium-sized dogs for Sasha and Malia.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fleas and Flea Medication

Why isn’t it enough to kill adult fleas? Why should I try to prevent them?
Adult fleas are only 1-5%% of the flea population. It’s the adult fleas that do bloodsucking damage and spread tapeworms, so it’s important to eliminate them; but at least 95% of the flea population exists as eggs, larvae, and pupae that hide in carpets and yards.

Only one of my dogs has fleas. Why did the vet tell me to treat all my pets, even the cats?
Treating all pets (and the environment) ensures the removal of smoldering flea reservoirs. You may have noticed your pet has a flea problem because it has flea allergies and scratches incessantly. Other pets can have fleas but if they are not allergic to them, they won’t scratch obsessively. It’s easy to assume that pets who aren’t scratching don’t have fleas, but that’s not always so.

To remove the fleas from asymptomatic pets, treat all pets whether they are scratching or not.

Can I put dog flea medication on my cat?
No. Cats are not small dogs. Use cat medications on cats. Cats are much more sensitive to drugs than dogs are, and some flea treatments will kill them. Because the surface area of the cat is proportionately different than that of a dog—a cat requires a different level of preventative. Medications are formulated based on size and physiology so cat medications are the best and safest products to use for cats. The single biggest cause of all non-medicinal poisoning is using the wrong products on cats.

If you treat your dog with a permethrin-containing medication, allow the medication to dry before reuniting the dog and cat.

Why is my topical flea medication not working?
There are 3 reasons a topical doesn’t appear to work: application procedure, the pet’s skin, the flea reservoir (environment and untreated pets).
1. Application: Be sure the applicator touches the skin and the product is not spread through the hair where it cannot be absorbed. Do not rub in the product. Keep your fingers away from the applicator tip so that the pet, and not you, receives the full dose. Squeeze the tube entirely empty. For cats, apply medication to the base of the skull rather than between shoulder blades where some flexible cats can lick off the medication.
2. Skin health: Be sure the skin is soft, flexible, and healthy. If it is dry, thick, and unhealthy, the medication will not be carried through the skin as it should. If necessary supplement your pet with Omega 3 fatty acids to improve skin and coat health.
3. Flea reservoir: Remove fleas from the house and yard. Treat all pets in the household, even those that are not scratching because fleas don’t cause all pets to scratch. Limit your pet’s exposure to wildlife and stray pets. Great efforts bring great rewards.

Why are there 8 categories of products just to kill fleas and ticks: shampoos, dips, sprays, powders, foggers, combs, topical and oral medications?
From the number of categories of products, you can tell how serious the flea and tick problem is. For most pet parents, topical or oral medications used monthly are the most convenient.

When flea prevention efforts haven’t been sufficient, dips, powders, foggers, sprays and shampoos are necessary. These products kill adult fleas immediately. Some also contain Insect Growth Regulators that prevent larva and egg development.

Flea combs and shampoos are excellent products to use on geriatric pets and those that have lost enough blood to fleas to be anemic. Combs and shampoos are also useful for young puppies and kittens with immature nervous systems. Or, prevent puppies and kittens from ever having fleas by treating the mother and the whelping area before they arrive.

Can I use two flea medications at the same time?
Generally, it is unwise to combine two flea medications because pets are healthier with limited chemical exposure. When it is necessary to use more than one product on a pet, it’s because there is a problem with environmental control measures inside and outside the home.

Do not use two topical medications at the same time, such as Frontline and Advantage. It is possible to use an oral Insect Growth Regulator medication with a topical medication. For example, with a cat, give oral Program and apply Advantage or Frontline topically. For a dog, give oral Sentinel and apply Frontline or Advantage topically.

It is always better to control fleas in the environment than to put chemicals on pets to control them.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fleas and Pets

Fleas cause pet misery that ranges from constant scratching to hot spots. The more we know about them, the better our changes of controlling them and helping our pets be flea-free.

Do fleas prefer pets to people?
Lucky for us, yes. Because fleas prefer dark, they gravitate to haired areas on our pet’s skin. Because pets have more hair than people, hence have more dark hiding places, fleas prefer pets to people. Because fleas prefer dark, they scatter from sight if we part the hair to look for them. They can be very difficult to find.

Do fleas like some areas of the pet more than others?
Yes, fleas prefer the rump and the head where your pet cannot reach to remove them. Fleas also find the belly a choice area to invade. On some cats, you’ll find fleas high along the spine between the shoulder blades.

Does everyone have a flea problem?
Unfortunately, flea problems are widespread, and few homes are spared—not even the spotless homes.

Veterinarian’ homes are no different. They have flea problems too.
One veterinarian spent 3 months ridding an apartment in Chicago of fleas. In fact, fleas tormented him so much that he became a veterinary dermatologists and devotes himself to making others have an easier time of it with fleas than he had.

In the South, fleas are a year-round problem because they survive during the easy winters. In the North, winter temperatures fall, but fleas survive in heated garages, barns, hay bales, on wildlife, and on pets that stay indoors.

Humidity is probably the single most important factor in flea survival, but in hot, dry areas with low humidity, fleas survive because they can remain cocooned for months. Parts of the world that are exceptionally hot or dry, though, have no resident flea problems at all. Of course, most of us wouldn’t to live there either.

Do fleas transmit diseases?
Yes. The cat flea transmits tapeworms and several infectious diseases, including the plague.

Whenever your pet snaps at a flea and swallows it, it has exposed itself to Dipylidium caninum, a tapeworm that attaches to the small intestine where it sucks up nutrients. In a few weeks, you’ll find dried, tan, rice-like tapeworm segments attached to the pet’s rectum or in the feces. These tapeworm segments carry eggs and can eventually infect humans and other pets. One more reason to prevent fleas.

More information on fleas to come.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fleas Cause Itching

Fleas are still causing problems in pets, even after Obama is elected, even after there’s snow on the ground in some states, and even though there’s been a good rain in California. Pets with itching caused by fleas often attack their skin with “corncob chewing” motions. The area over the tailhead, back and belly are most often affected.

In a previous blog, we covered a dozen flea facts, and here are more.

How do fleas suck blood?
Fleas drink blood using two mouth parts. One part squirts saliva and partially digested blood into the host, and the other sucks blood from the host. This is how fleas transmit pathogens, like tapeworms, to your pet.

Can fleas suck enough blood to kill pets?
Yes. Fleas have taken enough blood to kill kittens, puppies, calves, lambs and goats.

How fast to fleas feed?
About 60% of fleas will feed within 5 minutes of jumping onto your pet, and almost 100% of fleas are engorged with blood within 1 hour of being on your pet.

How fast to fleas lay eggs?
The female lays eggs 24-36 hours after her first blood meal. Fleas lay up to 50 eggs a day, which is equal to their body weight. They can lay this many eggs because they suck up 15 times their body weight in blood daily. This blood lust can continue for 3 months.

How fast to flea eggs hatch?
If the temperature is 95 F and there is 70% humidity, half of all flea eggs hatch within 36 hours. If it is only 55 F, half of all flea eggs will hatch within 6 days.

How long can newly hatched fleas can live before they attach on a pet?
In a humid environment, over 60% of newly hatched fleas can live without a host for 2 months. In a cool, dry environment, only 10% will live without an immediate host. Humidity is the key to flea survival.

How quickly can a flea go through its entire life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult?
The entire flea life cycle can take place in less than 3 weeks.

How long does it take a flea to develop into a million fleas?
6 weeks. In 3 weeks, a flea can pass through its entire life cycle and can lay 1000 eggs. In another 3 weeks, those eggs can hatch and lay 1,000 eggs each, so within 6 weeks, it is possible to have a million new fleas.

How do fleas survive the freezing winters?
Fleas, eggs, larvae or pupae die if the temperature falls to 37F for 10 days. Still, fleas survive up north where it’s much colder than 37 F. Why? These fleas survive on stray domestic animals and wild mammals—raccoons and opossums and in
· barns
· heated garages
· kennel bedding
· carpets
· pick-ups carrying hay bales for traction

More flea FAQ to come.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fleas on Dogs & Cats

Because fleas are the most common cause of itching, we're going to cover lots of flea facts over the next few days. We can help our dogs itch less if we keep them healthy by feeding them appropriately, give herbs and supplements to support healthy skin, and control fleas in the environment. The more you know about these amazing creatures, the easier it will be to eradicate them.

Do fleas fly?
No. Fleas are wingless, but they are Olympic jumpers.

How big are fleas?
Fleas look like a copper or blackish pepper flakes, about 1/8 inch long—when you get to see them. Most fleas dash out of sight, heading toward cover. When you do see fleas, you know a dozen of their comrades are in hiding.

Flea eggs, 1/64th of an inch fall off the pet and to the floor, resting in cracks between boards, along moldings, or in leaf litter.

Does the cat flea attack dogs?
Yes. Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea, is the number one external parasite of cats and dogs, and several other family pets: rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets. So, don’t get confused by the name; it’s called cat flea, but it is the number one flea of all pets, dogs included.

Has the cat flea developed resistance to flea products?
Yes. The cat flea is resistant to more products than any other type of flea, but rotating products helps decrease resistance.

Does the flea attack wild animals?
Yes. The cat flea plagues wild animals as much as it plagues pets. Wild animals that carry the cat flea, and can deposit flea eggs and larvae in your yard, include raccoons, opossums, deer, cattle, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, skunks, ferrets, and Florida panthers.

Do adult fleas jump on and off animals?
No. Once an adult flea has found a pet to feed on, it remains on the pet to feed, mate and lay eggs. The eggs fall of the pet and the larvae and pupa mature off the pet in the carpet and grass.

What’s flea dirt?
The female consumes 15 times her body weight in blood, which passes through her digestive system and is defecated out onto the skin. This comma-shaped feces is called flea dirt. The female flea lays her weight in eggs daily, and can lay for over 100 days.

What's next?
More flea facts are coming!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Itching & Allergies Caused By Feathers, Cedar Chips and other Contact Allergens

Itching and allergies are a serious problem with many pet families because they dislike having their pets suffer with itching and they dislike being awoken at night with pets scratching.
If you’ve ever had poison ivy, you know how miserable our pets can be as they chew their feet raw and rub themselves so hard that they develop hot spots. We can help pets have fewer allergies and less itching if we control fleas, foods, and airborne materials. We’ve covered how to control these factors in the last few blog entries. Now, let’s consider contact allergens that might also cause itching so that we can remove them from our pets’ world.

Pets can be allergic to anything that touches their skin:
· cedar chips in a pet pillow
· pine shavings used for rabbits and guinea pig housing
· detergent used on clothing
· soaps used on the floor
· shampoos used for bathing
· cow leather on the sofa
· sheep wool in the carpet
· saliva from fleas
· mites under the bed (Dermatophagoides)
· wood preservative on the deck
· feathers in a pillow
· grain used in your neck-warming “Bed Buddy”

If your pet has allergy symptoms with constant itching, hot spots, and yeasty ears and you’ve controlled fleas, foods, and inhaled allergens, then focus on removing possible contact allergens, such as those described above. Your pet will love you for finding and removing whatever is causing it to itch.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad