Dental Health
Dental diseases can lead to more serious health problems such as heart, lung and kidney diseases and bacterial infections. It is important to work with your home or veterinarian to prevent your dog’s breathing from becoming a life-threatening illness. Dental treatment for dogs and cats is one of the most overlooked areas of pet health.
Thanks to regular vaccinations and other preventative health measures, pets live much longer than before. As lifespan increases, many veterinarians see an increase in dental disease. It is estimated that up to 80% of pets have some form of oral disease. Learn how to prevent dental problems in pets, young and old.
There are Various stages in dental disease in your pets like: Plaque building, Tartar formation and Periodontal disease.
How to create a good dental care program for your pets.
Home cares include:
- Home oral exam: Check for any swollen or bleeding gums, bad breath and also take a look at for discolored, fractured or lacking teeth.
- Brushing daily: Brushing only once a week that means tartar has already begun to permanently adhere to your pet’s So, try to brush daily.
- Use the Right tools for brushing: Try a finger toothbrush or a softer pet toothbrush. Be sure to use pet toothpaste, an enzyme that helps dissolve plaque on contact. Keep in mind that fluoride and foaming agents in human toothpaste can be harmful to pets if swallowed.
- Additives to Food & Water: Kelp, Chlorophyll, and green tea bases items reduce the tartar buildup and maintain
fresh breath.
Doctor or Veterinary care include:
Regular veterinarian visits are important to monitor dental health. If there are signs of illness, the veterinarian may recommend professional tooth cleaning, X-rays, removal of any damaged teeth and administering of medications to a healthy tooth.
Cats Litter Box Problems
Cats are very sensitive to even small changes in their environment and may show stress by avoiding the litter box. Cats exhibit inappropriate elimination problems for a variety of reasons. It’s important to first rule out any medical conditions with your veterinarian, then you can work through non-medical causes to find solutions. By practicing good litter box hygiene, addressing changes in the environment, and reducing stress, most litter box issues can be readily solved.
So, here are some tips:
- Rule out any kind out of medical concerns first.
- Identify the problems and find solutions.
- Cats get stressed out with environment changes – New place, new pets, new family member, any change in the diet, change in the litter box location, and any other animals bothering them etc.
- Yelling, punishing and harsh treatment towards your pet is not the answer.
- Increase in water or giving high moisture food help pet to hydrate.
Other possible solutions:
- Make using the litter box a positive experience so they want to keep using it.
- Keep the litter box clean.
- Ensure that the litter box is big enough for the cat to turn around freely
- Try different kinds or a new litter, test and see which one your cat likes.
- Choose a nice and quiet location to place the litter box away from loud noises.
- Place the litter box away from the food bowls.
- Reducing Stress could be one of the solutions like using synthetic pheromone, putting a comfortable bed, placing climbing or scratching posts, playing with toys, enriched food and clean litter box.
Pet Supplements
A healthy and balanced diet is the basis of a healthy pet. Start by giving your pet high quality pet food that is nutritious and free of preservatives and chemical additives. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a good diet, but recent studies suggest that dietary supplements offer additional benefits to pets.
A good pet supplement should:
- Show a detailed study and analysis
- Shows all the whole food sources
- Palatable to the pets.
Supplements for joints:
Glucosamine and chondroitin, derived from shellfish and animal cartilage, have been shown to provide significant improvements in relieving the pain and discomfort associated with pet arthritis. Glucosamine and chondroitin fight the disease progression itself, as opposed to painkillers that simply hide pain.
Multivitamins:
As for supplements, the less you have, the better it is for your pets. To avoid overdose, it’s best to choose a complete supplement rather than a combination of several. Vitamin toxicity can occur, especially with fat-soluble vitamins A and D, in the case of severe overdose. The key to this is matching needs and benefits. Many pet owners feel that taking multivitamins has improved their pet’s energy levels and skin and coat health.
It is found that older animals tend to consume less vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. Multivitamins can bring vitamin intake to the right level. Pet owners cand choose vitamins like: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Skin & Coat Supplements, Digestive aids like probiotics and Prebiotics etc.
Bird Wing Clipping Guidelines
If done correctly, cutting bird feathers is safe and painless. If you don’t know how to do it yourself, find a pet store that specializes in birds and let them do it for you. Birds are often resentful of being treated between wing clips, and if done by others, the bird may be angry with the bird keeper instead of you.
Use a small and very sharp scissors to cut or clip off the bird’s feathers. Hold the bird firmly and carefully and do not clamp your hands on the bird’s chest as this will prevent breathing and cause the bird to panic. Clip the grown out main feathers, line them until they meet the edge of the new feathers. This will yield a neat clip and visually a good-looking wing on the bird.
Birds can fly with their wings cut off or still can escape. They slow down and fly lower and awkward but are still potential victims of household danger like, open windows or doors and or attacked by other animals. New regrowth of the feathers occurs very quickly, allowing the birds with full flight capability. Never cut the pin feather as it can open the veins and the bird may die of bleeding. Also, Check the cut feather skin itself for infections. Limit them to the cage while waiting for the feathers to fully grow, open and cure. They have an active blood supply while the birds grow new feathers.
Introducing Crate to Your Dog
Dogs are den animals. Their den is a home, a place to hide from danger, and a place to sleep. The crate serves as your dog’s personal den. A place where they can go in search of comfort and privacy and know they’re safe and free from vandalism while you’re away.
Proper crate training can:
- Reduce Behavioral Problems.
- Decrease Housebreaking Time.
- Control Destructive Behavior.
- Provide Safe Travel.
The crate provides a relaxing place for your dog to feel safe and calm, as you know that both your dog and your home are safe while you are away. If your dog is still growing, choose a crate that fits its adult size. Your dog should be able to fully stretch while lying down, standing, turning over, sitting and without hitting its head on the crate. For young puppies, choose a crate with dividers to limit the crate space during housebreaking.
Be sure to remove both the collar and the tag before the dog enters the new crate. Allow your dog to explore the crate by themselves. You can put in some of their favorite toys and treats which creates an interest and intrigue the dog to step in the crate. Keep the door open during the guidance phase. Don’t force your dog into the crate and admire them whenever they come in by themselves.
When your dog willingly goes in and out of the crate you need to close the door for a few seconds or a minute, stay near the box, and admire your pet while it’s inside. The dog stepping out of the crate should not be an exciting moment as this makes your dog to leave its crate instead of enjoying the time in it. If our pet barks or cries in the crate, calm it down and wait for it to calm down before removing it from the crate. You do not want your pet to associate a negative behavior with being released from the crate. You can increase the amount of time your dog stays in the crate gradually. Your absence in the beginning should be less than an hour. Please be careful about departure and arrival. Put your dog in the crate every day for a few minutes when you are at home. That way, the crate does not always predict you will leave. After a few trials over a couple of days, most dogs will gladly quietly enter the crate and take a nap. It is normal for pets to bark and scream as they get used to the new crate or home.
You can also feed the pet in their crate, but when they’re done eating remove the bowl to keep the crate clean and out of the pets’ way and sometimes this helps build the dog’s trust for the crate. Remember to take your pet out as puppies eliminate immediately after eating and adult dogs eliminate after few minutes. When your puppy or dog is no longer in the habit of chewing, you can put a washable blanket or other bedding on the bottom of the crate for your pet’s comfort.
It is very important not to abuse the convenience of the crate. All dogs need a lot of exercise and should be given the opportunity to interact with their human family every day.