Brushing Long-Haired Dogs

 

Brushing your dog’s coat is one way to bond with your pet. Brushing helps in natural oil production, making the coat shiny and smooth. How often you should brush your pet’s hair depends on its coat type. Short-coated dogs usually need brushing once a week. An essential tool in brushing your pet’s hair is an appropriate pet brush or comb. For dogs with a long and silky coat, brush it daily using a slicker brush to remove the tangles followed by a bristle brush. For dog breeds with hair that extends to the feet, such as the Afghan Hound, trimming the hair around the feet is necessary. Dogs that have long hair are prone to matting. In some instances, using a slicker brush will not do. You may clip the hair for heavily matted fur, but with extra caution not to cut the skin.

Skin and/or hair coat problems in dogs warrant a visit to a vet clinic Tampa FL.

Feeding Puppies – Switching Diets From Canned Food To Kibble

Most puppies don’t experience any adverse reactions when shifting to kibble from canned food though it can prove difficult to others. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

To make an easier transition to a new food/diet, it is best to introduce the new pet food in increments. To start, mix ¼ of the new pet food along with ¾ of the old pet food you usually give. Change the proportions in the next three to five days or so, slowly adding increments to the new food and giving less of the old food. Do this until your pet’s meal is composed of  100% of the new pet food.

It may not be appealing to your pup if the food has already been left for hours, so try giving only small increments and putting it away after half an hour. Offer fresh new pet food every 4-5 hours but do not give anything else except clean drinking water. During your dog’s transition to a new diet, do not offer leftovers and treats as giving in to your pup’s craving can only make the transition more difficult.

If you have concerns about your pet’s diet, contact your pet clinic Scottsdale AZ.

Cattitude

 

Cats can be hard to read sometimes. They tend to demand attention at some times, and refuse it at others. They are also likely the only one of our animal friends that sometimes bites us just for fun.

This can be a bit perplexing, as Fluffy can go from affectionate to feisty very quickly. It's important for you to know how to tell the difference between an angry cat and a frisky one. If your feline friend is really attacking aggressively, she may flatten her ears back, and she'll bite with a lot of force. If she's being playful or even affectionate, she'll likely bite gently. She may even stop biting you in order to lick you, rub her head against you, or just meow at you.

It's best if you don't encourage this type of bad behavior. If your cat tries to bite you, tell her 'No' in a firm tone. You can also say 'Put your claws up' or 'Don't bite.' Don't punish your cat, though: this may just make her feel threatened.

 Your pet clinic Coral Springs, FL can tell you more about how to properly care for your kitty. Learn more here.

Dry Skin Syndrome in Keeshonds

 

Dogs have been known to develop dry eyes due to allergies, weather, or the environment in general. If your Keeshond appears to have red or irritated eyes, give your veterinarian a call. Your Keeshond’s irritated eyes could be from a variety of things in which your vet will need to exam his eyes and possibly run tests.  The medical term for dry eyes in dogs is Keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS. Dry eyes can be caused by weather or allergies, but they can also be caused by an immune-mediated disease, systemic diseases such as canine distemper virus, medications, or hypothyroidism. Dry eye can develop in dogs of all breeds, but is especially common in breeds such as the American Cocker Spaniel, Bloodhound, Boston terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, English bulldog, English Springer spaniel, etc. Consult with your vet Middletown, DE regarding treatment options including medicated eye drops. Visit https://www.galenaanimal.com/ to learn more.

Vaccinating your Finch

If you’ve recently purchased a Finch, check with the former owner or pet store associate to find out if the bird has received any vaccinations. As with dogs and cats, vaccines differ from region to region. In general, the only vaccine that birds need is the Polyomavirus vaccine. The Polyomavirus is a virus that can affect a bird’s organs and other parts of its body. Baby birds are the most susceptible to this virus and rarely survive. The vaccination schedule should be given to baby birds at five to seven weeks of age. Juvenile and adult birds can be infected by the virus, but are most often able to overcome the virus and make a full recovery. It’s important to keep infected birds separated as the virus can easily spread. Click for more information or give your vets Middletown, DE a call for additional assistance and details.

My American Curl Cat is Afraid of Thunder

 

If your cat is anxious, scared, or in a panic during thunder storm stalk to your vet about ways to keep her calm. While most cats appear to be brave and independent on a daily basis, there are still times when they get scared just like dogs and people. A common fear for cats is the sound of thunder and even bright flashing lightning. Your American Curl may meow excessively, pace, or hide during a storm. If she does this, do not pick her up or cuddle her. Your vet may suggest that this action will encourage your American Curl’s anxiety instead of helping to calm her. Instead, reward her calm behavior with little treats or snacks on a routine basis. When a storm hits, talk to your American Curl in a soothing tone and then reward her for calming down. Contact your vets Middletown DE for additional tips.

Gearing Up for Flea and Tick Season

Among the parasites in cats and dogs, fleas and ticks are two of the most common. Taking steps to protect your pet from tick or flea infestations is very important. This is because they do not just suck blood from your pet; ticks and fleas can also be vectors of diseases that can affect both pets and humans.  A very heavy flea and tick infestation in a very young puppy or kitten can bring about anemia, and eventually, death.

A flea bite can, for the most part, only cause slight skin irritation in some pets.  Then some pets are hypersensitive to bites from fleas and can induce dermatitis from a flea allergy.  Your pet might have extreme itching on its skin, causing irritation and persistent scratching that can lead to significant hair loss and infect open skin wounds.  These wounds can form scabs all over the body, as well as raw patches of skin that becomes irritated.  Removing the fleas that are on your pet and preventing a future infestation is still the primary way to combat flea allergy dermatitis.

Be careful not to use dog flea and tick products on cats, unless specifically advised by your local vet Carolina Forest SC.