Category: Animals

Buying the best pet food for your dog can be tricky with the many choices available in the market. Dog food falls under the following types: homemade, premium dog food, natural commercial diets, generic or economic, and veterinary prescription food.

Choosing the best type of pet food will depend on your dog’s age, size, breed, health, and other features. This article will discuss important guidelines in choosing the best pet food.

Before buying a particular product, you should always read the label. Dog nutrition is regulated by the AFFCO or the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AFFCO). Narrow down your choices to pet food that fully comply to AFFCO’s rules and contain human-grade ingredients.

Once you know all the healthiest options, experiment with your dog’s diet. Start by feeding the different samples to your dog. Take note of how your dog reacts to the brands. During the experiment, you must get the dog used to the new food first. It takes about three to four weeks before seeing any significant changes. Go for the brand that improves their appearance and movement.

A good pet food to check out is Flint River Ranch dog food. It offers Original Puppy and Adult dog food formulas. A healthy diet is assured with its natural, oven-baked mix. The food line does not contain any additives, meat by-products, or artificial components. Instead the Flint foods combine an appropriate amount of necessary vitamins and minerals, grains, herbs, proteins, and fruits. The protein comes from quality lamb and chicken meal. Whole wheat and rice make up the grain ingredients.

Expect that Flint River dog food does not contain ethoxyquin, BHT, BHA, artificial flavouring, and other dangerous chemicals. It is always wise to stay away from pet food products that contain the said ingredients. It’s also wise to talk to your vet about the best food options.

Through the right research, careful planning, and common sense, your dog will enjoy a long life that avoids disease. Only a lack of sufficient information holds you back from the best pet food brand. After knowing the right ingredients and what to look for, you can now be confident about your purchase.

People have very different tastes when it comes to pets. There are some animals that may seem like a nuisance to others and make very good pets to someone else. Rats are a good example of such animals. There are some people that prefer to have rats as pets. Fancy rats especially are a common choice for pets. They provide good companionship. They have certain characteristics that make them good pets. One of these is their playfulness. They are fun to have around because they make for good playmates. This may not be an appreciated trait among other pets. There are some animals like cats and dogs that dont get along with these particular types of rats.

Having fun with Fancy Rats

Rats are a good choice for pets for children. At a very young age, a child may not be able to the care of a large animal. With a fancy rat, they enjoy the advantages of having a pet without the hassle of taking care of a large animal. It doesnt take too much to keep a fancy rat entertained. With wheels and balls around the house, then they can have a lot of fun. One thing to note though is that caution must be taken when the rats are to be let around the house. They can get into small spaces.

When picking housing for a fancy rat, its good to remember their size and their temperament. The age and size of the rat will count a lot when deciding what kind of housing to get. The best thing is that fancy rats will do well in any kind of environment. Even when it comes to eating, they are not picky. This makes it easier to provide for their food. There are a lot of sites online that will provide the right information that would help a pet owner take good care of their fancy rat.

Keeping a gopher

Another animal that people consider for a pet is the gopher. To some people this particular animal may be a pest. This is because it is well known for its burrowing properties. For farmers its especially annoying. A gopher can dig through soil and destroy crops and plants. This is why a lot of people classify it as a pet. However it still does make for a good pet. For someone who prefers smaller animals for pets, a gopher would make a good choice.

When providing the right environment for a gopher, on should keep in mind their character. The burrowing doesnt go way just because they are pets. This means that the housing has to provide for that. One can find the best way to make sure that a gopher can still do what they love even if they are in a cage. Feeding a gopher is not hard. With a good supply of leaves, a pet gopher should be well nourished. One can find out if there are any specific types of leaves that a gopher prefers. Gophers are typically omnivorous and that means a lot of things can be included in the diet.

Back in 2003, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) revised vaccination guidelines, recommending veterinarians to vaccinate adult dogs every three years instead of annually and many veterinarians have changed their protocols in respect to the new guidelines. The change was implemented after experts agreed with the overwhelming evidence showing annual vaccinations for canine diseases were unnecessary and harmful. It behooves the pet owner to avoid veterinarian service providers who recommend, and even demand, annual vaccines. There are many veterinarians who choose to ignore the guidelines as they dont want to lose the income these booster shots bring in every year. Another veterinarian service pet owners should avoid are those provided in a parking lot or pet supply store where you and your pet are without the benefit of a relationship with the veterinarian providing the inexpensive service. Your pet may pay the price of inappropriate or unnecessary veterinarian care. Vaccinations are a major stress to your pets immune system and can cause side effects and allergic reactions as well as long term chronic disease such as skin allergies, arthritis, leukemia, upper respiratory infections, irritable bowel syndrome, and neurological conditions as aggressive behavior, epilepsy, auto-immune disease and cancer. It is common today for veterinarians to see sicker dogs and cats at a much younger age. Pets as young as 5 years of age are diagnosed with cancer and auto-immune disease is also on the rise. Combine over-vaccination with poor nutrition, poor breeding practices and environmental stresses and your left with generations of pets who are susceptible to chronic disease and congenital disorders. Yearly veterinary checkups are imperative for your pet as this provides them with a strong health baseline, helps pet owners recognize subtle changes in their pets over time, as well as develops a relationship between your veterinarian, you and your pet.

It is best to prepare yourself for your dogs annual veterinary visit. Be ready to discuss the best vaccine strategy for your pet by bringing veterinary records of your pets vaccine history with you. Dont assume the clinic will have the most recent information on hand and this is more imperative if youve changed veterinary clinics. Include all test results such as heartworm, antibody titer, blood and/or urinalysis. Have a clear idea whether you want or need your pet to receive any vaccinations for which diseases and ask your veterinarian if any particular vaccines are necessary due to conditions in the area you live in. Consider the risk. If your pet is indoors only and is never exposed to unvaccinated animals, then the risk of infection is low. Educate yourself so that you can have an intelligent conversation with your veterinarian concerning the good and bad of vaccinating your pet. Know your pets health; whether he has health or behavioral issues that your veterinarian should be aware of and bring a list of any medications or supplements your pet is taking along with dosage, strength and frequency. The decision to vaccinate your pet or not is very individual and should be based on extensive research before you go to your veterinarian. If you are seeing a veterinarian for the first time, it is a good idea to make an appointment to see him without your pet to discuss his philosophy toward vaccinations and other tests such as the antibody titer test. A titer is a measurement of how much antibody a certain antigen is circulating in the blood at that moment. A dog displaying a positive antibody titer test result is considered protected from the disease for which the vaccine is intended and does not need vaccines at that time. Never vaccinate a pet whose immune system is compromised with an infection as the vaccine might distract the immune system from handling the infection and create the likelihood that the vaccine may not produce protective immunity.

Should you choose to vaccinate your pet, consider asking your veterinarian to perform a health exam and other tests first then wait for the results. If your pet is in good health, schedule a follow-up vaccine visit. Avoid multiple vaccines in one or combination vaccines; if this is the only option available, look elsewhere. Dont vaccinate your pet more than every three years. Some vaccines such as Lepto, Bordetella, or Lyme do not last more than one year however consider whether these diseases are heightened in your area before vaccinating your pet. Schedule these vaccines separately from the rabies vaccine if your pet needs them and administer them in another part of the body. Vaccine programs must be designed to each animals specific needs, not the masses. You need to figure the dogs age, environment, activities, lifestyle and previous adverse vaccine reactions, if any, in the equation. Do not vaccinate puppies and kittens who are younger than 12 weeks of age as their immune systems are very vulnerable to the stress of the vaccine. Keep puppies and kittens safe from exposure by avoiding pubic areas such as parks and pet stores. Vaccinate puppies between the age of 12-15 weeks for parvovirus and distemper and wait until after they are 6 months old before vaccinating for rabies. For kittens, one Panleukopenia combination (FRCP) and, if available, have the vaccine administered separately spaced three to four weeks apart. Consider the lifestyle and environment of your cat; if he goes outside and you have rabies in your area, vaccinate him at 6 months of age. Feline leukemia and FIP vaccines may not be necessary for your cat. Keep in mind that legal requirements vary from state to state. Studies show that a single vaccination for parvovirus, distemper and panleukopenia provide long-term protection and a simple blood test will revel if antibodies levels remain high enough to resist infection therefore a booster is not needed. Vaccines do not need boosting. Unless diseases are locally endemic or if a specific kennel has contracted Bordetella, corona virus, leptospirosis or Lyme, veterinarians do not recommend vaccinations. The leptospirosis vaccine is generally not useful because the currently licensed leptospira bacterins do not have the serovars which cause leptospirosis today. An alternative homeopathic method used by pet owners choosing not to vaccinate are Nosodes which can be used on animals younger than three months of age if the animal is at risk. These homeopathic medicines help protect pets against Parvovirus, Distemper, Kennel Cough, Panleukopenia and FIP. Though some nosodes work more effectively than others, they are not vaccines and do not produce titers against these diseases but seem to offer some protection in the severity of illness if the pet has been exposed even if they dont prevent the disease.

When it comes to vaccinating your pet, educate yourself. You are your pets guardian and the decision is yours, not your veterinarians, nor should it be. You are responsible for the care of your companion; give them the best by researching and very carefully weighing decisions about their healthcare.

People of all ages, especially children, enjoy animal slippers. Fortunately, there are many kinds of animal foot slippers to choose from. You will find slippers that look like domestic animals, jungle animals, animal prints, and animals from cartoons and movies.

It may be very challenging to determine which of the animal slippers that you stumble across will be best for your child. Given the styles, colors, designs, features, and prices associated with novelty slippers, it is no wonder many people find it challenging to select just one pair.

In this guide, you will learn how to select animal designed slippers for kids.

The first to step to choosing novelty slippers your kids will love is to think about what they like. Do they like prehistoric animals or elephants? Do they have a favorite movie or cartoon character? Maybe they like horses.

When deciding what deciding what the child likes, you will also want to the about the child’s gender. The idea is to buy animal slippers that will appeal to each individual child you are buying for, not children in a general manner.

When choosing animal theme slippers, be certain to pay special attention to the size. Many animal slippers will use standard sizes such as “Small”, “Medium”, “Large”, and “Extra Large”. If you look closely on the tag that is attached to the slippers that you are interested in, you may find even more details regarding the size.

For example, the tag may say something like “Size Small 4-6”. This means that children that wear a standard shoe size of four to six will be able to wear the small slippers. Since animal theme slippers are often more bulky than traditional slippers, allot some space for the decorations on the animal slippers.

When choosing fun novelty animal slippers for kids, it is really important to consider the level of slip resistance that the slipper has. Toddlers and even older kids are known for moving from one area to another quickly.

If a child’s slippers are non slip resistant, there’s a good chance that they will slip and fall. Since this could result in injury, choose only slippers that are slip resistant. If you heed the tips given in this guide, you can quickly narrow down your choices and choose the perfect animal slippers for your little one.

Essential oils are great for promoting a healthy life and aiding the body to get rid of sickness. Most people did not know that the oils are not only great for humans though, they are great for using on your pets for the exact same reasons. Many pet owners want the best for their animals and want to prolong their lives as long as possible, and essential oils can help with these desires.

Uses for Oils

Pets have health needs that are easily treated with essential oils. These are perfect for owners who are looking for a more natural approach to helping their pets. Some of the most common oils that are used on animals are the following:
-Purification oil: Great for keeping away fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. Also can treat ear infections in animals. Just massage a bit into the base of the ears and on the inside of the ear flaps, but never put oils inside the ear.
-PanAway Blend: Perfect for aiding in pain control, relaxing muscles, ligaments, and tendons
-Geranium oil: Also great for pain control and infection prevention
-Cistus and Cypress oils: Both are helpful for reducing swelling and controlling pain
-Citrus Fresh oil: Helps to clean fur and keep it looking shiny and smooth
-Frankincense oil: A milder oil ideal for small pets and birds to help combat tumors, wounds, infections, and fungus
-Lavender and Peppermint blend: Great for helping combat infection and speed healing after injuries. Also repels parasites, calms nervous, and can help sleep
-Thieves: Very helpful when treating any dental concerns as well as dressing minor wounds, abrasions, and lacerations.
-Valor: Helps relieve itching

The Processes for Usage

Using oils on animals may take a little bit of learning but it isn’t too hard. Most animals don’t fight against using the oils because they like the smells for the most part. If they are having a bad reaction, simply use a different oil and see if they like it better.

Before you give an oil to an animal you need to know the right amount. There are dilution rates, just like for humans, based on weight. Large dogs and animals don’t usually need any dilution, but if you have any doubts, it is best to start off with mixing it with a really good carrier oil. A smaller dog or cat that weighs under 20 pounds should have the same amounts and dilution rates as a small child. A horse or cow is going to require more oil than a human because their weight is significantly more as well.

There are different ways to apply the oils to the various kinds of animals. Absorption through the paws is a much faster way to get the oil into the animal while animals who have hooves are going to require the oil to be massaged into the spine or applied directly to the affected area. Other areas to consider when applying oil to a small or medium sized animal is to:
-Apply the oil on the belly or other area where there is thinner skin
-Let the animal smell it right out the bottle or your hands
-Put the oil in your hands and just pet the animal from head to toe

Always start with less oil than you think is necessary, especially if the animal is sick or toxic. The oils work in a way that detoxifies the body through the cells and if you apply too much at once, you may overwhelm the body. You can always give more later, so there is no rush to give them too much oil in the beginning.

Prevention and Healing

No matter what the reason is for applying essential oils to your animal is, the thing that matters most is that you are helping your pet to feel better. Oils are great antiseptics that cleanse the body and rid toxins that may be floating around in the animal’s systems. Not only can you help your animal be healthy for longer, but through this you are essentially helping to extend the life of the animal. Don’t let infections or illness take your beloved pet away, start using essential oils to help them live a full life.