Leash Training Tips For Dogs

 

Walking your dog is a necessity to stretch his muscles, keep him active, and support his good health. If it is your first time owning a pet dog, understand that walking a dog is not that simple because you have to think of both your security and safety.

Start this endeavor by training your dog to walk on a leash without pulling you. Practice in your yard; do not bring your dog out for a walk in the streets until he learns that proper procedure.

Here are the tips on how you should train your dog how to walk on a leash.

Establish the side where you want your dog to walk and consistently follow this.

• Grip the lead in your opposite hand – keeping it a bit loose as you hold a treat in your hand near your pup.

• Allow your dog to see the treat and walk forward.

• Let him follow your hand and say “heel” – allowing him to bite in the treat.

• Do the same steps as you reach more distances while walking.

• If your dog fails to keep up with these steps, try changing the direction.

• Give praises when your dog does the task at hand.

Make sure that your pet’s preventatives and vaccines are up to date before outdoor excursions. Call your animal hospital San Diego, CA for information. 

Taking Care Of Your Senior Cat: Food And Water Intake

 

If you have decided to get a senior cat to add to your growing family, congratulations. This decision will surely impact your life meaningfully as you change the life of an old cat and witness how she transforms into her golden years.

Now, be sure to understand all needs of your senior cat. Such knowledge will help you be the best fur parent you can be. Read on and take note of the things you need to keep in mind.

• Senior cats experience more physiological changes such as the inability to absorb or digest food well
• Senior cats fail to use their sense organs to the full
• Senior cats are more prone to being dehydrated and having heat stroke or heat stress 

How can you address these concerns?

• Give your senior cats highly absorbable food filled with nutrients to support their healthy aging
• Motivate your senior cats to increase their water intake to keep hydrated and to support kidney function

A sudden change in your pet’s drinking and/or urinating habits should be brought to the attention of your veterinarian San Diego, CA. Read more here.

Keeping Your Cat Safe When Introducing A New Dog And Vice Versa

 

To keep your cat safe when introducing her to a new dog, don't bring your cat to see the dog in the shelter. They can meet each other at home instead.

Likewise, when you're introducing a new cat to your dog, refrain from bringing your pooch to the shelter as he may scare the cats. It's also not a good factor in how your dog may react when bringing the kitty home.

A better thing to do is ask the adoption counselors about which cats are most likely to befriend a dog. Confident cats, for instance, do fine with dogs given controlled conditions. However, if that isn't possible, you may apply an alternative way by bringing in your friend's or relatives' dog-friendly cat. The least you can do is bring in your new cat and introduce her to your dog.

Your pets will benefit from regular health and wellness checks at your animal care San Diego, CA. 

Cold Weather Pet Care

 

When winter arrives, expect that your dog may experience a few issues with his skin and coat. In particular, the skin of your pup can become itchier, drier, or flakier because of the cold yet dry weather. The paws of your dog can also be affected as they become chapped.

Can you address these issues? Yes, you can by following the below tips:

Give your dog fewer baths than the routine. The goal of doing this is to retain the essential oils of the skin and prevent it from becoming excessively dry.

Keep the humidifiers inside your home going to support skin moisturization.

Use a special shampoo on your dog to keep his coat moisturized and to avoid itchy skin.

Do not completely shave the coat of your dog during the cold season. Doing this will give your dog natural protection against extreme cold weather.

Trim the fur between the paw pads of your dog to avoid the formation of ice balls.

If your pet is showing signs of hypothermia, contact a veterinary hospital San Diego, CA immediately so you can be instructed on what to do. 

What Should I Do If My Dog Or Cat Eats Acetaminophen?

 

Accidents may happen no matter how supervised or hands-on you are to your pets. Some things happen unexpectedly and may even go out of hand. 

But, understand that you may employ some strategies to help you address these inevitable accidents, such as when your cat or dog eats acetaminophen.

• The first thing you can do when the exposure just happened is to call your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline, an animal poison control center (800-213-6680). Do this right away when your pet is not showing indications of exposure yet.
• If your pet is already showing indications of anxiety or distress, rush your pet to the nearest animal hospital San Diego, CA. Bring with you the pills and the bottle. You must also know the details regarding the incident, including

Type of medication

Amount ingested

Time ingested

Signs

Are Essential Oils Safe For Pets?

 

Since the dawn of civilization, humans have been using various kinds of essential oils on their skin or in their immediate environment. However recently, aromatherapy or the process of diffusing different essentials oils for holistic healing has become a fashion.

Aromatherapy gurus recommend not using essential oils in the same closed spaces as your pets, without the approval of veterinarians who are familiar with essential oils therapy. As a general rule, as long as the room has good ventilation and pets may get out of the rooms by themselves, using essential oils should be okay.

Do note that the majority of pets are quite sensitive to smell. And while they vary in terms of sensitivities, in general, stronger smells can overcome their systems and may cause errant behavior.

Your veterinarian San Diego, CA is a valuable resource when it comes to your pet’s health and needs. Read more here.

Fatty Liver Disease in American Curls

 

Did you know that fatty liver disease is one of the most common and most severe forms of liver disease in felines? The disease has no preference of breed, age, or sex. The main function of the liver of an American Curl, for instance, is to produce chemicals necessary for digestion and the detoxification of the body. Fatty liver disease occurs when large amounts of fat are deposited into the liver. For reasons often unknown, an American Curl will start to lose weight and become undernourished even though his diet hasn’t changed. As a result, his body will transfer fat reserves to the liver to be converted into the proteins needed for energy. An American Curl’s liver is unable to handle this large amount of fat and may become swollen. In addition, the liver is no longer able to process other materials including red blood cells. Call your pet clinic San Diego CA to learn more.

Ticks in Pets

What are ticks? Ticks are bug-looking parasites that feed the animal host’s blood to survive. Pets typically get ticks from outdoors, especially in places that have grass or bushes. So, they are at risk when the weather is warm as pets do more activities outside the house such as hiking, walking, or playing at the park. When traveling, pet owners should take extra caution when in places that have a high tick population. Ticks are also disease carriers and as such, are harmful not only to pets but to pet owners too.

Pet owners can remove ticks in their pets by using specially-formulated treatment products such as soap, shampoos, sprays, powders, dips, topical spot-on, medicated pills, and tick collars. Some pet owners employ natural ways to treat ticks like using a homemade spray solution or essential oils. 

Before purchasing a product or making a homemade remedy, consult first with your animal hospital San Diego CA on the most effective tick treatment appropriate you should give to your pet.