Posts Tagged ‘Dogs And Cats’

Finding the Right Pet Food that will Optimize Your Pet’s Health

Monday, February 8th, 2010

It goes without saying that we all love our pets and pet health is important to us… we want to ensure that our pets live long and healthy lives. We take them to the vet for their checkups and vaccinations, we spay and neuter them to help reduce the animal population, we buy pet medication when they need it, and we open our hearts and our homes to them. We also are subjected to a steady stream of pet food commercials, each company trying to convince us that their pet food is superior to the others. The unfortunate truth, though, is that not all pet food companies have your beloved animal’s best interests at heart.

In fact, much of the dog/cat food on the market isn’t nutrient dense; instead, it relies in large part on fillers and animal byproducts. Look closely at the list of ingredients for the pet food you have on hand. Even so-called premium brand pet foods have ingredients that will take you aback.

The first five ingredients listed usually make up the lion’s share of the pet food. Leading cat food and dog food brands will include things like chicken by-product meal, corn grits, corn meal or corn gluten meal, and wheat flour or wheat gluten. An ideal diet for cats is one that’s human grade. For example, cat food should contain a concentrated, high-quality protein source like chicken meal, ground brown rice, rice flour, chicken fat, and dried beet pulp. Dog food should contain the same ingredients, with the exception of substituting oat groats for rice flour.

The list of ingredients in your dog/cat food may be surprising, but it’s also startling to see that even premium brands don’t typically include ingredients that will sustain your pet’s health and longevity.

What are some of these ingredients for healthy pets? For dogs and cats, nutritious food should include vegetables and fruits, which contain antioxidants, as well as fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients. It should also include direct-fed microbials – the kinds of microbials that are found in yogurt that help maintain good health. Similarly, omega-3 fatty acids should be incorporated into a nutritious pet food, both because they support health and because they keep your pet’s coat shiny.

When you contrast how we eat with how our pets eat, it becomes clear that the quality of their food is of paramount importance. After all, we eat a wide variety of foods, and can always supplement our diets with vitamins if we skip on the veggies or fruit. Our pets, on the other hand, eat the same food day in and day out for most of their lives, with a few added treats now and then; if there’s a vital nutrient missing, they don’t have the opportunity to consume it elsewhere.

Life’s abundance is meant to be shared. Our pets give us so much unconditional love that the least we can do in return is provide them with human grade, nutritious pet food that will ensure that they enrich our lives for years to come.

 

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Tape Worms in my dogs and cats?

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

What are tape worms?

Tape worms in cats are intestinal parasites. Because they are classified as cestodes, they belong to a different family of worms than hookworms and roundworms (called nematodes).

The most common tapeworm of dogs and cats is called Dipylidium caninum. This parasite attaches to the small intestinal wall by hook-like mouthparts. Eventually, adult tapeworms may reach several inches in length. As the adult matures, individual segments (proglottids) break off from the main body of the tapeworm and pass into the stool.

What is the life cycle of tapeworms in cats?

Tape worms are internal parasites, infecting all types of mammals, including humans and domestic animals. Their life cycles are very complex. They require one intermediate host and a final or definitive host in which to reproduce. The final host is considered the animal in which the adult tape worm lives.

The segments, full of eggs, are passed in the pile. While warm, the segments are active, but as they dry, they break open and liberate the eggs inside. Either an adult louse or a flea larva ingests the eggs. The egg develops into an immature form in the insect. When a dog or cat eats the insect, the immature form develops into an adult and the life cycle is completed.

How did my dog or cat get tapeworms?

By swallowing a flea infected with a tapeworm larvae.

This process begins when tape worm eggs are swallowed by flea larvae (an immature stage of the flea). Contact between flea larvae and tapeworm eggs is thought to occur most frequently in contaminated bedding or carpet.

Next, the pet chews or licks its skin as a flea bites; the flea is then ingested. As the flea is digested within the pet’s intestine, the tapeworm hatches and anchors itself to the intestinal lining.

Obviously the secret to never having tapeworms back again is to kill fleas. Unless the fleas are gone, the pets will continue to be reinfested with tape worms.

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Dog Tear Stain – An Easy Solution to Dog Tear Staining that Works!

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Does your pet have some rust colored stain on their face around their eyes or around their mouth?

My Maltese had dog tear stain all over its face and I was very concerned.

Not only was there a lot of dark brown or dark reddish tear staining on his little face, he also had a bad smell coming from the stained area. It was awful.

He went from a cute little puppy to this nightmarish looking, bad smelling little dog and that was the pits. The real bummer was that my dog now looked like he had a hygiene problem but really overall he was clean except for those darn dog tear stains.

I took him to the vet and he said that it is common for Maltese dogs along with many other breeds to have tear stain problems due to their bone structure and their genetic predisposition to extra tearing from their eyes.

The other breeds of dogs and cats that often suffer from tears stains are: Bulldog, Terrier, Bichon Frise, Chihuahua, Coton de Tulear, Havanese, King Charles Cavaliers, Lhapsa Apso, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle, Pug, Saint Bernard, Schnauzer, Sharpei, Shih Tzu, Spaniel, Westie, Devon Rex, Exotic Shorthairs, Himalayans, Persians, Ragdolls, and Scottish Folds.

The extra release of tears causes a wet area around their eyes, nose and mouth and this wet warm space becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. That bacteria causes the awful sour smell that emanates from the stained area and it also causes the awful stained look.

After much searching I found this fantastic dog tear stain remover that really works and is so easy to use. Now my Maltese face and coat are beautiful and white again!

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Comparing Vacuums Before Buying Your Next Machine

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

It’s little surprise that everyone needs a top quality vacuum cleaner for their house. They not only vacuum up dirt and other debris, they additionally remove those tiny allergens like pet dander and dust mites that you cannot see. And the attachments that many come with enable you to clean multiple types of surfaces like furniture and stairs with ease. Modern vacuum cleaners are so advanced with their features that they dwarf the choices of even 5 years ago.

The History Of Upright Vacuums

The history of the upright vacuum is quite a bit more interesting than it might seem. The entire vacuuming process is done via a series of modern stages taking place in the cleaner itself. The end result is a clean floor and healthier air, which is accomplished via the HEPA filtration system. This advanced type of filter remove the tiny organisms that you cannot see but will enter your body causing you troubles with allergies. A HEPA filtration system is essential for having a healthy home, especially one with dogs and cats.

Over the last ten years, vacuums have become much better in their abilities to get your home clean. However, this comes at a higher cost as today’s vacuums cost more money than ever. The advances in filters as well as attachments makes this greater cost justified as you’re left with a house that has far fewer allergens, and thus much healthier air to breathe. With so many people afflicted with allergies today it is wonderful that you can purchase a vacuum cleaner that can help so much. The top companies like dyson vacuums all have great choices for vacuuming your entire household on a regular basis. And thanks to the world wide web it is easier than ever to do your research to find the best machine for you. When you are ready to take the first step to find a high rated vacuum cleaner, go to your favorite search engine like google and begin searching. Your research will be simple to do and will lead you to the right vacuum cleaner whether it is an upright or canister. Plus you will be able to find great prices and have the unit shipped right to your door.

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