Archive for February, 2010



Mange Treatments To Aid A Sick Animal

Saturday 27 February 2010 @ 8:07 am
by Becca G. Taylor

Mange is a skin condition that includes scabies, red mange, ear mite infections and cheyletiella which is caused by mites in mostly dogs and cats. The veterinarian can offer the right advice and provide the correct Mange Medicine for your pet.

If you are dealing with one of the conditions more severe forms, Demodex Mites, Ear Mites or Sacoptic Mites, then you definitely need to consult your veterinarian sooner than later, as these variations can cause your pet to become seriously ill as a result of them. In addition to the previously mentioned forms there are many other kinds of Mites which can pose a threat to your pets – and to livestock as well.

One of the first symptoms that a dog with Scabies will present is a crusting of the skin on the ear. Intense irritation can be caused by the Notoedres Mite and Sarcoptic Mange can also affect humans. With all of the intense itching it is possible for the mites get transferred to humans and cause them to itch as well, however, the symptoms will disappear in a couple of weeks if the pet is disinfected.

If left untreated they would cause discomfort in your pet along with scabs, serum seepage or itchy red boils and the infection may turn severe. If your pet has patches of bald skin then get the animal tested. The vet will take a skin biopsy to ensure it is not another symptom of a different disease.

Steroid creams such as cortisone can be used to relieve some of the itching, as well as the redness and irritation. Bathing the animal is also recommended, using dandruff shampoos followed by any vet-recommended insecticides.

Demodex mange or red mange is not contagious hence humans cannot be affected by this. The first signs are patches of bald skin on the pet which would increase with time and get a secondary bacterial infection. They cause a lot of discomfort in the animal making the skin itchy, along with redness and boils.

When a pet has a weakened immune system, he will be more prone to contracting Mange and also slower to recover. But, luckily, in most cases, pets that are healthy and not experiencing any hormonal changes will recover fairly quickly from the condition.

Vets would recommend treatment to ensure safe recovery and that includes boosting the dog’s immune system with tonics and vitamins. Baths with a Benzoyl peroxide shampoo would help the pet.

Be very careful with treatment for your cat with Mange. Cats are much more sensitive to chemicals than are dogs, so it is imperative that you first discuss with your vet any treatments you plan on trying out for your cat.

Homeopathic treatments are a popular choice for many pet owners and they can be a good choice for pets that have sensitivity to certain medications. But, again, the first course of action is to talk to your vet. Of course the most important thing is the proper care, nutrition and cleansing of your pet to help prevent him from getting any of the varieties of Mange ever again.

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How to Choose a Dog Grooming Clipper

Friday 26 February 2010 @ 4:50 pm
by Babette Woodhouse

Getting a dog requires more than just feeding and walking him. Dog owners must provide a grooming schedule to help keep their pet healthy and happy. A part of a healthy dog’s lifestyle is a suitable grooming kit for home use and in between regular grooming appointments with a professional groomer. A complete dog grooming kit should have brushes, shears, a nail trimmer, and a good shampoo for your pet specifically.

At the moment, we’ll be concentrating on the dog clipper. There are numerous clippers to select from, in a wide price range. Take it from me, when I say that the cheaper the trimmer, the more frustration and dissatisfaction you will experience. For a mid-level price, you can get a better quality clipper from a more recognized company, such as Andis or Oster, which will last a longer time and give you better results. Only use pet trimmers specifically designed for animals.

Caring for your pet’s coat can be a scary chore. If you are unsure how to properly clip, brush or clean your pet’s coat, consult a professional groomer or your veterinarian. Your groomer will be more than happy to show you the proper way to maintain your pet’s coat in between regular appointments. Regular grooming, both at home and with your professional groomer, will make the experience for you and your dog much more enjoyable.

WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN LOOKING FOR A PET CLIPPER * A price tag that suits you * A product made by a well-known manufacturer * Variable speed options * RPM’s – the higher the RPM, the cleaner the cut * The weight of the trimmer should be light and easy to handle * blade options and interchangeable blades by manufacturer * Battery operated or standard electric corded pet trimmer

A pet groomer needs to be of good quality, easy to handle and rather noiseless. Correct handling of the pet groomer will give a level trim and a relaxing experience for your pet. Should you need a hand in learning how to operate the dog trimmer on your pet, enquire about a quick appointment with your pet groomer to get help. We would preferably help you uphold your pet’s coat than for you linger too long only to have to totally cut off your pet’s coat completely.

When you find a great pet groomer, it will make the job of grooming much easier and it will be a tool that lasts for a long time.

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Dog Allergies: How to Deal with Them

Friday 26 February 2010 @ 10:35 am
by David John Jordan

Dogs are easy to love, especially for people who like animals. Dogs seem to have unlimited reserves of energy and spend that energy unconditionally loving their owners. Who doesn’t like that? Some people can’t get as close to their dog, however, due to severe dog allergies. Certain dog allergies can rear their ugly heads and cause real problems. This forces some to find a quick fix, and they end up sending their dog to a new home. While technically this works, it’s obviously not the ideal solution to the problem.

Dander (shed skin cells,) saliva, and urine; these are the main villains when discussing dog allergies. When people with sensitive immune systems come into contact with these allergens, reactions can occur. Don’t worry about long haired dogs. It’s a myth is that hairless dogs will not cause reactions anyway. Less allergens, in the case of skin cells, every dog with drool and urinate. And while annoying, it’s good to know that most people will recognize dog allergy symptoms as normal allergy symptoms that they are used to anyway, such as red/itchy eyes, stopped up nose, shortness of breath, and rashes. Of course these are not any fun, but they are manageable.

A clean home is the best defense against dog allergies and allergens. Making a point to vacuum regularly helps, as does using furniture that is upholstered in leather. Changing your air filter to your AC unit will help reduce dander floating around in your house. And since fur can retain allergens, regular bathing is a good idea. Be sure to remember to wash your dog’s bedding or cushions, or else anything you gained from giving the dog a bath will be lost quickly.

Or take the easy way. Many companies make products that reduce allergens. Special shampoos can help reduce dander on a dog without drying the skin. Start learning some new habits and you’ll be decreasing dog allergies in not time at all.

The simplest way to reduce the effects of pet allergies may be to consult an allergy specialist. As a pet owner myself, I frequently use allergy medications to reduce the itchy eyes and runny noses that are a result of owning two dogs. Allergy shots are also offered as a form of immunotherapy. These are very effective way to prevent allergy symptoms. Rather than finding a new home for your dog, make the adjustment and life for you and your friend will be much easier!

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Non Toxic Mange Treatment

Friday 26 February 2010 @ 8:32 am
by Wendell Ruben

It is wise to determine what kind of mange your pet has; demodectic mange or sarcoptic mange before you decide on a mange treatment. Another factor when deciding on a mange treatment depends on how severe your pets mange symptoms are. Beware… There are many mange home remedies on the internet, there are also traditional very toxic mange dips and oral medications such as ivermectin and there are also very effective topical non toxic mange treatments.

Finding a good Mange Treatment for Demodectic Mange and Sarcoptic Mange is basically a two step process. You treat the infection if it is present and your treatment should kill the mange mites that are causing your pet to itch and tear its skin. This can be a pretty daunting task if you don’t know how to accomplish this task easily and quickly.

Lets talk about a Mange Treatment for Demodectic Mange. Demodectic mange, sometimes also called Demo or Demodex mange most often includes infection. You can usually tell if your dog or cat has infection by just smelling your pet. If it has a septic smell, then it is most likely that your pet has infection. The skin is usually red and perhaps even raw.

A Mange Treatment that will stop the infection as quickly as possible is most often needed because if the infections gets too bad, it could get into your pets blood stream and your pet would then have to be treated orally with antibiotics. This plays a big part on why your pet is not running around and he is not happy.

Finding an effective Mange Treatment to kill the mites using non toxic topical products is also critical. You don’t have to make your pet sicker by applying toxic dips or giving him oral toxic medications such as ivermectin. These toxic products reduces your pets immune system even more. The mites are there doing damage in the first place because your pets immune system has already been compromised; that’s why it can’t fight back the mites. So why make it worse?

The reason that Demodectic Mange is much harder to treat than Sarcoptic Mange is because the mange mites are buried deep into the hair folicles while Sarcopitc Mange Mites burrow themselves just below the first few layers of skin. A mange treatment for Sarcoptic mange will usually last about 2 weeks, while treating mange for demodectic mange can last months.

You normally want to continue The Mange treatment several weeks after symptoms stop, the skin has healed and/or hair has started to grow back. It is also recommended that you give your pet vitamins to boost its immune system; this way he will be stronger to fight a future mange infestation.

It is always recommended that you keep your pet that is infested with mange mites to keep them isolated from the other pets. Wash its bedding daily and never allow your pet to sleep with you; or you’ll be scratching too! Mange mites are highly contagious to other pets and your family too.

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Dog Health Problems – Solutions That Work

Thursday 25 February 2010 @ 4:40 pm
by Greg E. Johnson

The master is who takes care of the health of the dog and it’s a hard task to take, but that’s the responsibility of owning a dog. Watching out for health problems in your dog is a must in order to obtain a good healthy pet. If you do not pay close attention to the health of your friendly pet, it could have you paying lots of money and this is another reason why it’s important to remember the responsibilities of taking care of a dog. When you find that your pet has a health problem, you will need to take them to the vet. Dog health problems can vary between bodily problems and skin problems. Within this article, I am going to discuss how to avoid certain dog health problems.

You will find dogs to have certain health conditions depending on their breed. Two good examples of this are a boxer and pit bull. A boxer is more likely to get vision problems and a pit bull is more likely to get hip dyspepsia. This article will give you valuable information that can be applied to all dog breeds. This includes pit bulls, huskies, boxers, and rottweilers.

You should understand that a healthy dog is a happy dog and a happy dog is one that has been trained. You may not realize it right now, but training a dog will help the dog stay healthy. Smart dogs have a tendency to stay healthy. If you really care about your dog, you will start training him as soon as you bring him home. You should start with leash training them and teaching them their name. This way, whenever you call your dog, he will come to you. Teach your dog that the road is a very bad place, because many lives have been lost on the road.

If you are worried about your dog’s health, you must locate the best vet that can assist you in resolving the problem. There are various health issues your dog can be afflicted with and one of the major problems is heart worms. The heart worms can make your dog’s older years very difficult and more than likely shorten his life span. A sign of heart worms is coughing. So if you see your dog coughing, then he might need to be looked at by a veterinarian. Fortunately, there are many methods that will prevent the occurrence of heart worms and allow them to live a long, healthy life. If your vet detects the heart worms too late (heart worms have spread throughout the body and grew all over the heart), then your four-legged friend might die sooner than you want.

To watch out for problems, you should watch for those that are the most common. The most common health problems involve fleas and ticks. To get rid of the ticks and fleas, you should look into a good type of flea prevention and tick prevention. There might also be parasites and bugs on the body which can also have a negative effect on the body. Parasites can feed on the body leaving it weak and can also cause problems with the heart.

If your dog has a skin problem, he can get a condition known as mange. Mange is a common health problem among dogs that live in the outdoors and don’t get washed regulary. Many dog owners find that many health problems occur because of neglect or because they did not take their dog to the vet enough.

Some dog health problems such as bone problems can be difficult to avoid. Many canines with hip problems and other problems with their bones will have a difficult time when they get older. They will not have an easy time moving around and they will have to endure some pain. The best thing a veterinarian can do to alleviate the pain is to give them pain medicine and/or joint supplements.

Your dog needs to have nourishment. There are certain health supplements and/or vitamins that your vet will be able to offer your dog in order to help out with their health issues. However, you must make sure that you are purchasing supplements and/or vitamins that are trusted products. You should talk to a veterinarian to learn the truth. No matter how good a supplement or vitamin claims to be, you should double check with your veterinarian. If you give your dog the incorrect supplements and/or vitamins, it could be disasterous to his health. Would you take medication before you asked your doctor if it was okay? No. Then why shouldn’t you show the same consideration to your dog.

You should also take note that exercising your dog is extremely important. In order to find the right exercise for the breed of dog you have, you will need to ask your veterinarian. Some of the exercises could be something as little as playing fetch, while certain dogs, such as pit bulls, enjoy a game of good old ‘tug-of-war’ or Frisbee.

You should also pay attention to the vaccination schedule. Just as humans need to be vaccinated, so do your pets. There are vaccinations that can prevent infections and viruses from taking over your little friend. Some of the vaccinations may require you to go in for a follow up either a couple of months or a couple of years later as your dog is growing up.

As you are growing up with your canine, you should always make sure that dog health problems are your first concern. If you notice any abnormal signs in your dog, then take him to your veterinarian immediately. In fact, you should get your dog checked by a vet annually in order to make sure that he is in the best possible health.

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