Pet dental care is important. Brushing your pets teeth is a simple way to prevent disease in your dog or cat. It’s easy to teach your pet to accept brushing.

Brushing your pet’s teeth is an often overlooked part of caring for your furry friend. It is not as hard as it may seem, and it is a very important part of preventing disease in your pet. Many people are not aware that pets are prone to gingivitis (gum disease) and tartar just like humans. By brushing your pet’s teeth, you will make their breath smell better and their teeth much healthier. You also reduce their risk of heart trouble and kidney failure, which are sometimes caused by the bacteria associated with severe dental disease.
Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping your dog groomed is not only important to his appearance, but to his health as well

Regularly grooming your dog can keep him free of parasites and improve his general appearance as well. During grooming you also have the opportunity to check the condition of the dog’s skin, eyes, ears, coat and teeth. Deciding on how often to groom your dog is up to you, however it should be at least once a week.
Read the rest of this entry »

Dogs feet care. What you should do to care and look after your dog’s feet, paws and claws.

It is important to look after and care for your dog’s feet. As with humans dogs depend on their feet and if that are not properly cared for this can cause discomfort and limit your pets activity.

Dog’s feet should be kept clean. Always remember to wash the feet as well when you bath your dog. Wet the feet and gently clean around the paw area and the claws. This should not cause you pet any pain and if it does so, then you should probably take your dog to the vet as there may be some infection or problem.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Maltese dog is an all time favorite because they require such low maintenance.

A Maltese is a small, white breed with an extremely long coat. It is gentle, friendly, clever and affectionate. It makes a charming escort dog as it loves human company. Despite its diminutive size, a Maltese can be a good watch dog. Its keen nose warns it of approaching strangers.
Read the rest of this entry »

Fleas are one of your pet’s greatest enemies. These tiny, wingless insects jump onto cats, dogs, and people and ingest their blood. Fleas flourish worldwide in moderate humidity and temperatures; only extreme, prolonged cold weather kills them. Their complex life cycle includes several microscopic stages including egg, larvae, and pupae. Fleas can live for several months.What are the Dangers to My Pet from Fleas?
Fleas aren’t just a nuisance for you and your pet; these pests can cause the following medical problems:

Tapeworms — If your pet eats a flea, which is likely during self-grooming, he could become infected with the immature tapeworms fleas can carry. These long, flat parasites can cause weight loss and diarrhea, and can be contagious to you and your family. One sure sign of tapeworms is the “white rice” you may find on your pet’s coat underneath the tail. These are tapeworm segments, and they also can be found on your pet’s bedding. If you see them, take your pet to your veterinarian right away to get rid of these pests.

Read the rest of this entry »

Pedro and Michelle Rivera live on the rural outskirts of Madison, WI. Far from the city lights, fast-food drive-through restaurants and bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic, they share 65 acres with three spirited cats and four playful dogs. These critters bound in and out the front and back doors frequently during the day, all year long.

“None of our pets have fleas. Not a single one,” declares Michelle Rivera, a licensed massage therapist and herbalist. “They have been flea-free for years.”

What’s their secret? A constant, all-out chemical warfare assault of flea dips, bombs, sprays and topical medications? Far from it. The Riveras attack fleas safely and naturally.

Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy of the Rhone-Merieux Company, makers of Frontline

Do not use any of the “mythical” methods of removing ticks such as petroleum jelly, cleaning fluid, burning matches or cigarettes. These may irritate the skin and kill the tick, making it difficult to remove intact. Ticks are difficult to remove because their mouth parts are barbed. They also secrete a glue that holds the mouth parts in place while feeding, guarding against easy dislocation.

1. Using tissue or tweezers, gently grasp the body of the tick and pull directly away from the point of attachment. Do not jerk or twist.
2. If the mouth parts break off in the skin, use a sterilized needle to remove as you would a splinter.
3. Wash the bite area with soap and water and apply an antiseptic such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
4. Wash your hands thoroughly.
5. Mark the date of the tick bite on the calendar. Watch for symptoms of disease in the upcoming weeks.

It happens every year: Those tricky ticks appear in early spring, hang around until midsummer, then sometimes return in early fall and linger until cold weather sets in. If you live in an area with a regular rainy season, expect to find these pests on your pet during that time as well.

These days, ticks are showing up in growing numbers and in a widening geographic area. They love to feast on the blood of pets — from cats and dogs to snakes — and in so doing can spread illnesses such as Lyme disease and, less frequently, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In addition, they may cause temporary paralysis in an animal while they are attached.

Although Lyme disease has usually been associated with the tiny deer tick, recent evidence shows that the larger, common tick may carry the disease as well. It makes sense to treat all these pests as enemies. (Even those that don’t carry disease are pretty disgusting.) Here are some ways to make those ticks take a tumble.

For Pets in General

Check Mate

During tick season, check your pet every day for ticks. If your pal is a reptile, examine his skin, especially in areas with folds. If your friend is furry, run your fingers through her coat, checking for any little bumps. If she has long hair, comb it; your comb may catch a creature or two. Examine all around her ears — inside and underneath. Check the area where her front legs join her body, as well as skin folds, under her back legs, and anywhere else a tick might be able to burrow. Watch for Hitchhikers

During the season, perform a tick inspection anytime your pet returns from being outdoors. Experts once advised people to cut their lawns so that ticks couldn’t hide in tall grass, but even manicured estates aren’t safe anymore. Ticks seem to be everywhere. So if your pet has been outside, assume that the animal may have given a tick a ride home. Stay Out of Dangerous Neighborhoods

Ticks especially like wet areas such as marshes, swamps, and reservoirs, so it’s smart to avoid those spots — or at least to check especially carefully for the pests after returning from a jaunt to such a location. Don’t Let Them Move In

Although ticks don’t breed in your home the way fleas do, they enter your house clinging to pets, clothes, patio furniture — anything you bring in from outdoors. You need to check your home regularly for ticks. Pay special attention to the laundry hamper, carpets, upholstered furniture, even bedding. And, of course, check the areas that your pet frequents. Tick Them Off

To remove a tick from your pet, dab a little rubbing alcohol on the tick with a cotton ball or swab. Wait two to three minutes. Then, with tweezers or a tissue, grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can without pinching your pet and gently pull the tick out. Don’t flush the tick down the toilet. It won’t necessarily drown and may even climb back out. Instead, drop the pest in a glass jar with a tablespoon or so of rubbing alcohol, then close the jar tight. That will kill the tick. A Little Dab’ll Do Ya!

Another way to remove a tick from your pet — particularly if the pest has not yet locked on too securely — is to rub petroleum jelly on and around the tick, including the head. This suffocates the pest. Or use dishwashing liquid, which has the same effect. Wait a few minutes, then pull the tick out with tweezers or a tissue. Don’t worry about separating the tick’s head from its body, leaving the head embedded in your pet’s skin. Contrary to popular belief, this rarely happens. Get Yourself Some Extra Pull

If you just can’t bear to get near a tick, don’t try to detach it from your pet by burning it with a lit match or lighter! You’ll only succeed in burning your pet and probably yourself as well. Instead, buy a tick remover and keep it on hand. Tick removers come in several versions. One type, made of metal, is about the length of a nail clipper and has a slit in the end designed to grasp the tick while you pull. It’s a good, safe tool to have on hand.
Copyright © 1999 by Rodale Press, Inc.

Fleas are an itchy subject for every pet owner. You’re afraid of finding evidence of even one of the loathsome creatures in your home or on your pet. But the only way to keep fleas totally out of the picture is to keep all your pets indoors all the time — nearly impossible for dogs and not desirable for every cat. Keeping just one pet inside won’t solve the problem either, because an outdoor pet is bound to bring a few fleas into the house, where they’ll jump to an indoor pet. You need to go on flea patrol, hunting them down and knocking them dead. And you need to do it early in the season — not, say, in September, when an unchecked flea population may have reached the millions.

Wage the war against fleas on three separate fronts:

(1) Shampoo your pet with flea shampoo and spray the animal between shampoos with flea spray.

(2) Collar your pet with a flea collar.

(3) Treat the outdoor environment into which your pet ventures.

Read the rest of this entry »

See that itsy flea on your itchy pet? Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Within the next month, that flea (with a little help from her girlfriends) could fill your house with up to 250,000 descendants.

What’s more, for every flea you see on your pet, you can bet there are up to 100 more, in one form or another, that are not on your pet — they’re in the yard, on the floors and in the linen, says Michael Dryden, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor of veterinary parasitology at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Manhattan, Kansas. “It can be quite daunting.”

The little pests can be incredibly difficult to get rid of. In fact, you may never be able to eradicate them 100 percent from your house or yard. But you can still prevent your pet from going buggy from fleas. “You have to realize it’s a never-ending battle, but if you’re diligent, you can win,” says Philip Kass, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Here’s what you need to do.

Read the rest of this entry »