Can All Cats Swim?

 

It depends on their breed. Not all cats can swim in the water because they have been exposed to less water. These species came from an origin that lived in the desert for a long time. Thus, cats generally do not like water.

Some cat breeds have the skills required to swim, such as the Bengal. However, some cats cannot soak in water more so swim because of their body or fur length that are not conducive or ideal to swimming.

Another thing that affects the cats’ ability to swim is their fear of the water. Most cats panic when they fall in the water. Who could blame them, right?

With all these things in mind, it is safe to assume that your cats are not born swimmers. Thus, you may spend some time teaching them how to. For what purpose? You are helping your cats be more adaptive to the world they are part of.

If your pet is showing any signs of illness, make an appointment with your pet hospital Washington DC. Set an appointment here: https://www.metrodcvet.com/.

Do Dogs Need Carbohydrates And Fiber In Their Diet

Dogs need to get proper nutrition to have healthy growth and development and for maintenance of their well-being when they are already adults or seniors. Six essential nutrients help a dog reach an optimal health status. One of these nutrients is carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients in the dog’s diet. Basically, they are made of sugar building blocks. Their primary function is to provide energy to the body. These support the different bodily functions for the dog’s survival. They also have an essential role in the structure and functions of the cells, tissues, and organs.

Fiber is another essential component of your dog’s healthy diet. It comes from plants and doesn’t get digested or absorbed by the dogs. It just passes through the entire gastrointestinal tract of the dog and outside its body. The main categories of fiber are soluble and insoluble fiber.

Many health benefits can result in giving enough fiber to your dog fiber. It promotes normal bowel movements and healthy bowel quality. It is also known to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Thus, their weight will be more properly managed with the addition of fiber to their daily food proportions. 

Your veterinarian Washington DC is a valuable source of information about your pet's diet and nutritional needs.

Why Getting a GPS Collar for Your Dog Is Worth It

If you are a dog parent, you understand the stress and anxiety of losing sight of your pets at least once in your life. If you’re playing outdoors, they could wander by themselves, and the next thing we know, they have vanished. This certainly gives pet parents a mini-heart attack. Even in the comfort of our own home, they could sneak into places and fall asleep there. And when we call them, they are unresponsive. 

The best solution to this is getting a GPS collar for your dogs. They work by tracking down your pet’s location with the use of your smartphones. This lessens the worry you might experience when you lose sight of your beloved pets. You just open your phone’s app, and then you get a notification of their exact locations.

Getting GPS collars for your dogs is worth trying. They can give you peace of mind while letting your pets have the freedom to wander. They can explore as much as they want without getting lost.

Your veterinarian Washington DC is a valuable resource when it comes to issues that affect your pet’s health and behavior. You can visit their profile to know more.

Why Your Dog’s Bed Should Often Be Washed And Dried

 

Pet dog hygiene does not just consist of regular bathing. You also have to ensure that your dog’s water and food bows are regularly cleaned using safe cleaning products.

Also part of your dog’s care routine is ensuring that you clean all of the items your pet uses daily.  Among the recommendations in properly practicing canine care is washing your pet dog’s bedding. Bedding maters can harbor ticks, flea eggs, and other skin parasites.

Regularly washing your pet dog’s bedding helps in preventing tick and flea infestations.  Additionally, this regular washing of the bedding benefits the people residing in the same home too. If a family member has allergies, then regular bedding washing could help in minimizing allergic reactions.  Regular washing could also help in minimizing the spread of infectious diseases. 

If you have concerns about your pet's health and/or behavior, make an appointment with your pet hospital Washington DC.

Should You Choose A Purebred or A Moggie Cat ?

 

A cat’s breed will depend on its lineage. When both parents are of the same breed, their offspring is also purebred. But when both parents come from different breeds, the result will be crossbred. The offspring will have a unique personality because they carry the traits of their parents. Finally, when cats are not purebred, their offspring is a moggie.

Some owners might not like the idea of raising moggies because these have varied breeds. But they can make great pets because they are resilient and healthier. They are not prone to diseases that certain cat breeds carry. Another plus point is that moggies are cheaper to purchase when compared to purebreds. 

Moggies make interesting pets because they have unique personalities. Their characteristics will become more evident as they grow older because the mixed genes look the same when they are young. They make a great addition to the household if you are planning to adopt a cat. 

Your veterinarian Washington DC is a valuable resource when it comes to your pet’s health and needs. Visit this website for more information.

Proper Ways To Care For Your Dog’s Ears

  

You can give your dog an eye exam at home to know its eye condition. Bring your dog to a well-lit place in the house before checking. When you check his eyes you should check for tearing, whitish cloudy material, or any form of inflammation.  The dog could be suffering from a health condition if you see any of these conditions in your dog’s eyes.

A healthy dog should have bright and clear-looking eyes. Also, check for the white area around the eyeball. The pupils should also have the same size and should be intact. The eyes should also be free from any discharge or crust formation in the corner. While holding your dog’s face, check the lower eyelid to see if the lining is pink-colored. The eyelid should not be red or white because it might mean that the dog is sick.

You can clean your pet's eyes by wiping them with a wet piece of cotton. Wipe outward starting from the inner corner of the eye. Don't touch the eye since you might scratch the cornea as well.

For any sign of infection, bring your pet to a vet hospital Washington DC for prompt medical attention. Read more here.

Dog Flu

Dog flu, or canine influenza, is an illness brought about by a virus of the influenza A-type.  It is a highly transmissible illness and dogs have a high probability of getting infected through direct contact with an infected dog.  There are other transmission vectors like exposure to surfaces and objects that are contaminated, secretions from the nose that get released when infected dogs cough, bark, or sneeze, and by persons who have had contact with a dog that is infected, and then moves over to a dog that is uninfected without taking steps to sanitize.

Dog flu symptoms are very similar to kennel cough (or infectious tracheobronchitis) symptoms.  Afflicted dogs have a cough that is very persistent, and there could be a fever, and thick discharge coming from the nose.  The infected dog could also seem lethargic and have some kind of discharge coming from the eyes.  The illness can have varying degrees of severity ranging from severe to mild.  It is also possible for some infected dogs not to display symptoms of the disease at all, but are very much contagious.

Dog flu patients usually recover after two to three weeks, but then there are some dogs that have resulting secondary infections, leading to pneumonia, thereby exacerbating the seriousness of the issue.  

Consult your vet clinic Washington DC about the best way to protect your pet from dog flu and other important health issues.

The Importance Of Knowing Your Pet’s Medication

 

Keeping track of your pet's multiple medications can be quite confusing. But you must understand what each medicine is for.  You should also understand what the side effects are, so you can recognize if something is amiss. By being knowledgeable about the drug’s effects, you would know when to bring your pet to the animal hospital.

You can ask your vet for any medication that was given to your pet. Get more information on its effect, as well as a schedule of medication. You should also know what to do in case of overdose or missed medication.

If your pet is undergoing a long-term medication, it is also important to visit the vet regularly. This way, the vet can monitor your pet’s progress as well as seeing how it responds to the long-term drug intake. 

Talk to your vets Washington DC if you have any concerns about medications that your pet is taking.

Why Overweight Cats Must Slowly Lose Weight

Rapidly losing weight is not recommended for obese or overweight cats because it can result in them being afflicted with fatty liver disease.  Should you be assisting your cat in losing excess weight, please note that the safe threshold is 0.5 pound per month, so that the weight loss is gradual.  If it is just a slight overweight, then one pound in a month is okay.  A cat’s susceptibility to developing potentially life-threatening liver issues increases as his weight and fat percentage increase.

Fatty liver disease, also known as hepatic lipidosis, is developed when there is rapid weight loss detected by the body.  This is actually a self-preservation response of the body.  When the body detects accelerated weight loss, it will activate the body’s stored fats.  This abrupt uptick of lipid activation tends to overwork the liver, overwhelming it to a point where it shuts down.

The best course of action is to check in with your animal hospital Washington DC for a much safer and healthier weight loss program for your pet.

What your cat needs to stay healthy

 

You have a cat in your life who needs you to take the time to help her stay happy and healthy in your care. This means making sure you are able to take the time to offer her what she needs to make the most of each day.

 

Your pet needs you to offer her all the pet supplies needed to help her address her needs on a regular basis. She will be on the lookout for things she can do to spend her time in an enjoyable way, so be there to point her toward productive habits that will allow her to multitask a bit. Be sure to supervise her as well as spend some time with her so you can better grasp who she is as an individual. For additional information on looking after your pet, please contact your local animal hospital Washington DC.

Snake Bites in Cats

If you own a cat then you’re probably familiar with a cat’s love for hunting and playing or pouncing on just about anything that squirms, flaps or slithers its way across the cat’s path. Oftentimes, anything they catch they’ll keep it long enough to play with it. This can be dangerous for your cat especially if he gets hold of a snake. If you think your cat may have been bitten by a snake, please call your vet right away. Snakes tend to leave their marks on the head, neck and legs of a cat. Note that most venomous snakes have elliptical pupils and non-venomous snakes have round pupils. Even if not poisonous, a snake bite can be painful and cause infection. Signs of poisoning could include dilated pupils, muscle weakness, drooling, vomiting, etc. Call or take your cat to your local veterinarian Washington DC immediately.

Is your cat comfortable in her carrier?

Your cat needs to head out of the house with you from time to time and you know that it’s important for her to have a cat carrier in order to help her do this safely. How can you tell if your pet is comfortable in her carrier?

It’s important to think about your pet’s preferences when selecting a carrier so you can offer something that will be appealing to her. This should be the right size to let her get up and turn around within it. Her carrier should be easy for her to get into and out of.  It should be comfortable for her to relax in and allow her to have a level of visibility that she prefers, as some cats will like their privacy, while others will want to check out everything around them. Your local Brentwood Animal Hospital Washington DC can offer additional suggestions.

Treating Diabetes In Cats

Cats that are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (insulin diabetes) will have an individual response to therapy. The treatment regimen for diabetes cases in cats is based to a large extent on the severity of the symptoms and whether the cat has other health issues that could complicate the treatment regimen.

Some cats may already be seriously ill when they are first diagnosed, so they will require intensive treatment and hospitalization for several days until the blood sugar levels are regulated and stable.

Oral medication and/or a high-fiber diet may be indicated for cats that are stable when diagnosed with diabetes.

Insulin injections are generally necessary for most cats diagnosed with diabetes to keep their blood glucose well-regulated. There is a need to establish the amount of insulin that will be given based on the cat’s weight and response to treatment.

Work closely with your veterinarian Washington DC in managing your pet’s symptoms.

Mange Mites In Dogs

There are several species of mange mites that infect dogs. Some normally reside in the skin and hair follicles of dogs, while others don’t. When conditions are right, such as the presence of a health issue or a compromised immune system, mites living in the dog’s body can reproduce and multiply causing mild to severe skin infections.

There are 2 types of mange that commonly affects dogs – demodectic mange (Demodex canis) and sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabei). Sarcoptic mange causes canine scabies and is easily transferred between dogs. As for demodectic mange, there are 3 types that have been identified in dogs – the localized form which is confined to a certain spot or two, generalized form which affects a larger part of the dog’s skin, and demodectic pododermatitis which is confined to the foot and is often accompanied by secondary bacterial infections.

Any sign of skin problem should be checked out by a vet Washington DC.