Making your home hygienic and safe is critical to avoiding pet poisoning because more than 90% of poisonings occur at home. Pets have a habit of nibbling on leftover, scavenging the dust bin, and ingesting pills on the floor.

Basic Food that causes Pet Poisoning

Many foods commonly found in the kitchen are toxic to our pets. Avoid giving your pets a taste of the following:

• Chocolate
• Xylitol (sugar-free gum/peanut butter)
• Grapes
• Raisins
• Alcohol
• Yeast dough
• Caffeine
• Onions
• Macadamias
• Mushrooms

43% of pet-poison call was made for dogs that ingested over-the-counter-drugs, and 16% of calls were for dogs that helped themselves to foods that are safe for humans, but poisonous for dogs.

The overdose of dietary supplement and vitamins were another cause for pet poisoning.

Although it’s hard to determine the poisoning, you must look out for these signs to provide immediate medical treatment.

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Lethargy
• Drooling
• Twitching
• Tremors
• Seizure

Some of the other major pet poisoning problems are;

a. Irregular Heartbeats from Dog Poisoning

Ingestion of items such as jimson weed, kalanchoe, milkweed, mountain laurel, and oleander can cause an irregular heartbeat.

b. Kidney Failure from Poisoning

Antifreeze poisoning can cause your dog kidney failure and the inability to produce urine. Plants can also cause kidney damage. House plants such as dieffenbachia, Easter lily, caladium, pigweed, and philodendron can cause antifreeze poisoning that can lead to pet’s kidney damage.

c. Liver Damage from Dog Poisoning

Eating medications like acetaminophen and plants such as tansy ragwort or rattlebox can cause liver damage in pets.

d. Loss of Blood from Dog Poisoning

Ingesting rat or mouse poison can cause loss of blood from the stool. Eating onion, garlic, sweet clover, or bracken fern could also lead to anemia.

e. Neurological Symptoms from Dog Poisoning

Accidentally eating antidepressants, alcohol, aspirin, drain cleaners, dishwasher soap, gasoline, marijuana, flea repellents, tobacco, furniture polish, and strychnine can lead to severe neurological ailments in pets. The seizure is a common problem created by poisoning. Bite from breeds of snakes, spiders, toads, and frogs can cause the seizure.

How to Prevent Pet Poisoning

1. Keep Cabinets and Doors Locked

You must consider keeping your kitchen and bathroom cabinets closed all the time. The shelf which are in pets reach should be locked, so they can’t open it. Do not throw unused or expired medications in the garbage can.

2. Be Aware of Poisonous Household Products

Most household products such as lotions, creams, perfume, and house plants can cause fatal poisoning in pets. You should determine what things can be poisonous to your pets and consider keeping them away.

3. Stay Informed

Be mindful of the types of products, food, and plants you bring into your home. Also, keep the number of emergency services and veterinary care in reach. It is essential to have the local poison control phone number accessible and added to your mobile phone’s contact list. Better yet, download an app!

Always be careful when it comes to the life of your pet! Keeping in mind the safety first is important to ensure their health and wellness.

February is recognized as “Spay and Neuter Awareness Month” throughout the U.S.  The purpose of celebrating the day is to encourage pet owners to get their pets sterilized before the arrival of spring and summer months.

Spring and summer are associated with the rampant overproduction of puppies and kittens. The experience can get really unmanageable for most animal shelters, hence, spaying and neutering helps to prevent the problem.

Although neutering and spaying are associated with fixing male and female pets respectively, neutering can be used in the case of both male and female pets. Castration, sterilizing, and fixing is few of the contemporary terms used by most people.

Benefits of Spaying and Neutering your Pets

a. Female pets live a longer and healthier life

Spaying has major health benefits to female pets. It helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is rampant in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying female pets before their first heat prevent from these diseases.

b. Neutering provides major health benefits to male pets

Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering male dogs prevent testicular cancer and some prostate problems.

c. The spayed female won't go into heat

While cycles can vary, female cats usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. To attract males, they often yowl and urinate -sometimes all over the house! Spaying prevents female feline from going into heat.

d. The male dog won't want to roam away from home

An intact male often roams outside home to find a possible mate. Neutering your pet helps to keep them grounded and prevent unnecessary roaming outside the home.

e. Neutered males are well behaved

Neutered pets focus their attention on their human families. Unneutered dogs and cats generally mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house, and they tend to be aggressive. Neutering pets help to prevent aggression.

f. Spaying or neutering doesn’t make pets obese

Fixing your pets doesn’t invite obesity, lack of exercise and overfeeding does! Keeping your pet fit is more to do with daily diet, calorie intake, and exercise.

g. It is highly cost-effective.

Spaying and neutering pets cost lesser than you have imagined. It also prevents any unnecessary accidents, health issues which can cost more in the near future.

h. Good for Community!

Stray animals pose a real problem in a human settlement. They tend to prey on wildlife, invite car accidents, damage the local infrastructure, scratch or bite children etc. Spaying and neutering help to prevent aggression and overproduction of pups and kittens.

i. Education purpose

Millions of pets land in animal shelters every year, most of them are euthanized because only fewer pets ever get adopted. Fixing your pets helps to educate society including young children about the benefits of spay and neuter.

Control pet population

Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. To prevent animals from landing up in animal shelters or outright being assaulted on street, you can consider spaying and neutering them to control the unnecessary childbirth.

DID YOU KNOW? February is designated as the National Cat Health Month.

Sixty-eight percent of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet, according to the 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association.

You will likely find more cats than dogs in the U.S., mainly because the Cat owners are likely to own more than one cat.

National Cat Health Month was founded to shed light into various health issues and treatment of cats in the country. Unlike dogs, cats are more wandering pets. A cat owner needs to be extra careful when it comes to caring a feline.

8 Tips to keep your Cat Happy

Annual Wellness Check

A wellness check or wellness examination is a periodic medical test of the pets to assess their overall health. A wellness examination may also be called a 'check-up' or a 'physical examination'.

The yearly checkup will allow you to catch any potential issues early, ensuring your furry friend stays in the best of health. A wellness check also includes prevention and treatment, so if it has any issues, the vet can clear it off.

Regular Vaccination

Most vaccinations are given during the wellness check, however, you should ensure to provide necessary vaccination to your cat at the right age. During the annual wellness check, your vet will review any necessary vaccinations to prevent your cat from contracting serious illnesses. Even indoor cats need protection against disease.

Spay or Neuter Your Cat

If you haven’t already done so, now’s a good time to do so. Spaying or neutering your cat prevents it from contacting many illness or diseases.  Along with ensuring population control, you can help prevent potential illnesses or conditions related to the reproductive organs.

Dental is Important!

By the age of 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of gum disease. The dental problem isn’t only persistent in senior pets.

Some of the common risks from the dental problem in pets are;

• If your pet remains uncured from dental disease, they are at a higher risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease
• Bacteria under the gum can travel to different internal organs.
• Dental disease can result in bad breath, painful chewing, and tooth loss.
• Broken teeth are a major concern among pets. Chewing on hard surfaces or materials can render their teeth weak. A broken tooth can expose the nerve of the tooth which can be a painful experience for your pet.

You should consider brushing your cat's teeth twice every week and visit for dental check a couple of times a year.

Feed Your Pet a High-Quality Diet

Cats are an obligate carnivore and can’t survive on a vegetarian diet. To stay healthy, your cat needs a high-quality protein based diet. You must include meat in their daily meal and avoid feeding them milk or milk-based food. Cats tend to be lactose intolerant.

Keep Your Kitty Active

You need to keep your cat active. An obese cat can attract many health issues including diabetes. Let your furry friend play, interact, and enjoy outdoor.

Pay Attention to the Litterbox

Cats are naturally clean, and most will instinctively use a litter box; you just have to show yours where it is. Don't place your cat in the box and make little scratching motions with their front paws. This will probably upset your cat and make them leery of the box. Scoop the box at least once daily and periodically wash it with dish liquid and hot water.

Celebrate Your Furry Friends

Spend time with your pet and let them know that you care. Remain a true companion to your pets.

National Dress Up Your Pet Day is observed by the pet owners and pet community each year on January 14. It was founded in 2009 by the Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Behaviorist, Colleen Paige.

This is what Colleen Paige has to say about the event;

I realize that there are many people who are excited about this day and some others, not so much. The one thing that I feel important to note is that as silly as this day may seem to some, all of my holidays have the underlying goal to help save lives and give homeless animals as much exposure as possible.

You can celebrate this jubilant day by sharing the picture of your pet on social media using the hashtag #DressUpYourPetDay and to raise awareness of the followings;

• To have fun with a pet fashion
• To ensure the comfort & safety of pets
• To celebrate the pet
• To inspire others, both pet and non-pet owners
• To promote Pet Adoption

How can you observe National Dress up your Pet Day

Adopt a Pet

About 6.5 million pets enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats), simply because the pet shelters lack enough room for new pets and lesser pets are ever adopted.

• It actually costs lesser to adopt a pet than buying a new one from the pet-farm or Puppy mills. Pet farms are the breeding center of pets that put profit above the welfare of dogs. The pets in farms are generally poorly housed.
• Adopt a pet from your local shelter or rescue. There are more than just dogs and cats that need homes, pets such as bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds and farm animals need forever homes too.

Celebrate the Companionship

This can be the best opportunity to celebrate the companionship with your pet. Dress up your pet in a comfortable and safe costume and consider taking photos to share online. You can bring happiness to your pets and share a special moment with other pet owners.

While posting a photo, don't forget to tag it with the hashtag #dressupyourpetday.

Promote Philanthropy

National Dress up Day is also a special occasion to promote philanthropy. You can donate blankets, food, and toys to animal welfare organizations and animal shelters. You can also choose to volunteer at the local animal shelter. You can play with pets for adoption, clean their cages, litter boxes etc.

If your state allows puppy mills and gas chamber for killing, you should consider writing your Congressman and ask them to support the ban of puppy mills and gas chambers in the state. Consider adopting a pet if you have a home large enough for multiple pets.

You can also take up the responsibility of looking after pets in absence of the pet-owners at your neighborhood.

What would this world be without our pets? It’s harder to imagine a life without our beloved pets by your side. We share a special bond, and to maintain this bond we must ensure to provide them with enough care.

Here are 5 useful blog posts we made in the past year to help out all the pet owners and our furry friends.

Can pets get Skin Cancer?

Unfortunately, Yes! Like Humans, pets are susceptible to cancer and other form skin related diseases. Many domesticated and wild animals suffer from some form of cancer too.

Skin tumors are the most common form of cancerous tumors found in Dogs.  However, if it’s caught during early onset, it can be treated effectively. The disease is generally classified into Benign and Malign cancers. The term ‘Benign’ is used for less harmful cancer tumors, while ‘Malign’ is used for harmful cancer tumors.

6 types of common cancers among pets

• Malignant melanoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Mast Cell Tumor
• Melanomas
• Hari follicle tumor
• Epitheliotropic lymphoma

Read more..

How often do you groom your dog?

Dog grooming is a process by which a dog’s appearance is enhanced. It not only enhances the appeal but also keeps your pet hygienic and clean. It is also essential to keep your pet stress free and comfortable, especially those with long or heavy coats.

A person who professionally grooms the dog is known as dog groomer or Groomer. The grooming procedure, time and tools differ from one breed to another and one coat type to another.

5 benefits of Regular Grooming

1. Eradicate Health Problem –Grooming lessens any chances of various health problems, such as skin allergy, parasitic infections, scratches, and matted hair.
2. Cleanliness –General tidiness and physical appearance are ensured by regular and proper grooming.
3. Vital Organs in Check –Grooming also monitors the status of essential body parts for the infection, such as; Eyes, Ear and Teeth, Nose, Underside, Skin Coat, Nail and Pads etc.
4. Physical Appeal –The physical appearance and standard are maintained with regular grooming.
5. Stress-free environment –Matted hair, long and burly fur can cause stress to many dogs on daily basis. Grooming keeps them comfortable and happy.

Read more..

The Obesity-related Condition in Dogs

Obesity is common in dogs with an unhealthy diet or lifestyle. As a pet owner, you must keep their weight in check and offer an optimum quantity of nutritious meal. It’s completely wrong to feed your dog from your plate or dinner table because their meal requirement vastly differs from humans.

According to a study,

Obesity accounted for more than 1.3 million nationwide pet insurance claims in 2016, a 23 percent increase from three years before.

10 Obesity-related conditions

Obesity causes various medical conditions in Dogs. Some of the common conditions are;

• Osteoarthritis
• Cystitis
• Hypothyroidism
• hepatitis
• Cruciate ligament injuries
• Diabetes
• Intervertebral disc disease
• Chronic renal disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Lipomas

Read more..

Dental Problem in Pets

The dental problem in pets, both cats and dogs, is quite common than you think. By the age of 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of gum disease. The dental problem isn’t only persistent in senior pets.

Here are some of the common risks from a dental problem.

• If your pet remains uncured from dental disease, they are at a higher risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease
• Bacteria under the gum can travel to different internal organs.
• Dental disease can result in bad breath, painful chewing, and tooth loss.
• Broken teeth are a major concern among pets. Chewing on hard surfaces or materials can render their teeth weak. A broken tooth can expose the nerve of the tooth which can be a painful experience for your pet.

Read more..

All about Canine Therapy

Canine therapy is the guided interaction between a person and a dog with the goal of comforting and increasing joy in a person with a mental or physical health condition. The patients may learn to give the command to the dogs, play with them or pet and care for him.

Therapists observe their actions and behavior with the dog and use them for in other situations and further treatment.

Therapy Dogs

Any dog can be a therapy dog as long as s/he is well tempered, obedient, well socialized and loves to cheer others up. Therapy dogs undergo extensive training before working with patients. They work with people with special conditions, for example, people with learning difficulties, in special places such as a hospital, nursing home, hospices, schools, stressful conditions, and disaster areas.

Read more..

What are you looking forward to doing this year? Work less, enjoy more, and eat healthily?

Like you, your pets look for greater things in life. If your pets could talk, this is what they would wish to do this year.

Adopt Shelter Pets

Approximately 6.5 million pets enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized due to lack of shelter and adoptive homes.

The cost of adopting a new shelter pet may cost $0- $500. The cost of adopting a new dog depends on its age and breed. Most feeds are taken by the shelter homes to take care of the necessary needs of the pet including vaccination, spay or neutering, and microchip etc. Most fees go into the shelter homes’ fund.

Go Hiking

This New Year, consider going on a hike with your beloved pets. Most small pets can hike 10 miles a day. A large dog can hike more. However, the hiking ability of canine isn’t determined by their size but age, health, and ability to breathe well.

Dogs with physical ailments can’t hike a long distance. And, you must provide paw protection to avoid any injury. Going outdoors with your pets can be the best thing to do. You can spend precious time with our pet indulging in a fun activity.

Pay Regular visit to Vets

Regular wellness exams help the vet to evaluate or determine the changes in your pet’s health and diagnose conditions before they get worse. Regular well-checks help to save valuable time, money and stress in the long run. Well, Check includes the pre-examination and physical examination to assess the overall health of your pet.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends for dogs and cats to have check-ups annually, at least.

Socialize more

Dogs are a social animal. They enjoy the company of humans and fellow pets. Socialization should begin at a young age which helps them to adapt to social circle and behavior. The ideal age is between 3 and 14 weeks of age for puppies.

Socialization helps to elevate stress in animals. Here are few tips to socialize your pets.

• Take your pet out to observe other animals
• Resist tugging while walking
• Go to pet training classes
• Ignore your pet's unwanted behavior
• Introduce other pets/animals slowly

Groom often

Grooming is a process that ensures your pet’s hygiene and appearance is kept at an optimum level. Grooming may involve cutting or trimming hairs, brushing, washing, cutting nails, cleaning teeth and others.

Some of the benefits of grooming are;

• Eradicate Health Problem –Grooming lessens the chances of contacting health problems, such as skin allergy, parasitic infections, scratches, and matted hair.
• Cleanliness –General tidiness and physical appearance.
• Vital Organs in Check –Grooming also monitors the status of essential body parts for the infection.
• Physical Appeal –The physical appearance and standard are maintained with regular grooming.
• Stress-free environment –Grooming helps to keep the fur even, clean, and unmated which helps to lessen the stress.

Get Pet Insurance

Pet insurance helps to cover medical costs and ensure your pet gets the optimum services during the emergency. It doesn’t only the pet owners to save cost, but make better decisions about the pet’s health based on finances.

Pet insurance can greatly decrease the cost of visiting vets from plain illness to major injuries. In an emergency, the insurance can be a lifesaver. Insurance offers the veterinarians freedom to provide the most comprehensive care possible.

You can choose to add more to the list. Ensure to keep your pets happy at any cost. They aren’t just your pets but a life-companion.

December is also known the Happy Cat Month or Cat Lovers' Month by the Cat Lovers. Initiated by the CATalyst Council to help spread awareness about feline health and welfare. CATalyst Council’s vision is a cat-caring society.

In U.S. alone, 86% of household owns about 85 million cats according to National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA).

A happy cat makes a happy life! Unlike canines, treating cats can be challenging as they enjoy living in their own space. However, it doesn’t mean that cats do not need a companion. You can become their great companion if you treat them right.

#FUNFACT

There are more cats than dogs in the U.S. The reason is those cat owners are likely to own multiple cats as compared to dog owners who own just one dog.

Here are 5 ways to treat your Cat right!

1. Relieve their Stress

Pet owners expect their cats to be domesticated like dogs. Lavishing their cats with affection and treats doesn’t earn their content. Cats treat themselves as the owners of the home, and they love marking their territory.

Stress in cats leads to anxiety and behavioral problems which can be troublesome for both the pet and the owner. You can relieve their stress by reducing the stressors and introducing feline friendly home-environment.

Telegraph UK reported,

“Cats suffer from stress because owners expect them to behave like dogs, according to a leading animal behaviorist.”

How to relieve their stress?

• Slowly introduce a new pet to your cats
• Make the vet visit enjoyable
• Offer them treats for their good behavior
• Let them settle in the new setting

2. Proper Vaccination

Vaccination at the right age helps to prevent any unforeseen illness in pets. Every cat requires core vaccines which are considered vital based on the risk of exposure, the severity of disease or transmissibility to humans. In cats, core vaccines are panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), and rabies. These vaccinations are required by law.

• A timely vaccination helps to prevent diseases in your favorite companion, hence, increasing its livelihood.
• Animal vaccines help to control disease, many of which can affect people.

3. Avoid Fatty Food

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention,

59% of cats living in the United States are obese.

Wrong food is the main cause of feline obesity. More or so, high-carbohydrate, corn-laden dry food, and calorie-rich food and treats are the major reasons for gaining excess weight.

Obesity may cause severe diseases and physical ailments in cats. Few of the common problems are namely Inflammation, Diabetes, Heart condition, Hepatic lipidosis, Metabolic, and Endocrine disorders.

Insufficient exercise is also another major reason for feline obesity. You should consider feeding them animal-based protein, taurine (amino acid), canned food with enough moisture, and enough fresh water. Pets Hydrotherapy is another effective method to burn excessive fats in animals.

4. Regular Well Checks

A well-check or wellness exam is a periodic medical test conducted on the pets to assess their overall health.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends an annual well check for dogs and cats, at least. Most Vets suggest that your cats are overdue for well-checks.

Although the popular belief holds that one human year equals to 7 cat years, however, the truth is that in one human year a cat may age the equivalent of 4 to 16 years in a human's life.

Consider taking your cats to the Vet immediately if you haven’t taken it in a while. Cats are good at hiding problems or ailments.

5. Nutrition & Meat based meals

Cats are an obligate carnivore. Unlike canines, cats cannot solely survive on the vegetarian diet. A nutritious, balanced diet is essential to keep your cat healthy. They require a high-protein, low fat, low carbohydrate, and low-calorie diet.

1. You should strictly consider feeding them animal-based protein. While choosing a canned food, you should go for meat-based, high-protein food with low carb and calories.
2. The quantity of food your cat needs depends on its weight, size, and age.
3. Avoid feeding raw meat until the kitten is at least 20 weeks of age, as their immune system isn’t resistant enough for potential pathogens.

Foods to avoid feeding your cat

• Raisins/sultanas
• Grapes
• Chocolate
• Onions
• Coffee or caffeinated products
• Bread dough
• Avocado
• Nuts
• Fruit stones – for example, mango seeds or apricot pips
• Fruit seeds
• Corncobs
• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Milk and other dairy products