Cattle

Archive for May 6th, 2008

A window pet door is usually made for small animals like kittens and puppies. It’s because we usually use flaps or screen doors on it and the materials is not for animals heavier than 20 pounds.

You may already have a window opening on your balcony where your pet can enter and exit through. But it is not always that you can you leave your windows open. Burglars and other intruders can enter inside your house.

On the other hand, if you put a screen on your window, cats can figure out that they can have their way inside by crawling a hole through the screen.

They could also accidentally break your pots or vases.

To solve this problem, you may want to install a window pet door for your pet. This type of door is not only made for cats, it is also preferred for small animals like puppies. This window pet door has thin aluminum or plastic frames.

The materials are not extremely strong so it is not recommended for big animals like large breeds of dogs. They can easily be damaged if the dog going through is more than 20 pounds.   

You can install window pet screen and flaps for ease of use. A window screen is also a sturdy place to attach a pet door as long as it is intended for small animals like puppies. You can install a window pet door in the screen of your window to let your pet come and go. It is a plastic door held closed usually by a small magnet.

To install a window screen mounted door, you have to cut a perfectly good window screen. If you happen to cut a hole in the top of the screen instead of the bottom, you may have to replace your window screen and start the process all over again.

To avoid this mistake, try marking the location of the pet screen door with a masking tape or use a pencil so you’ll know where is the top and bottom of your screen. This way, you’ll know where you’ll cut the screen.

Tips in installing a window screen pet door
1. Place a piece of plywood or a thick board on the ground. Lie half of the frame of the pet door on top of it.

2. Next, lay the window screen on top-half of the door and the wooden board to line the entrance in the correct position. Move the screen until the pet door lines up with the pencil marks or tape marks you made on the screen.

3. You can use the grooves from the dog or cat door all the way around the frame as a guide to cutting a door-sized hole in the screen.

4. To roll the screen in, use a screen roller to roll the edges of the cut screen into the dog frame with screen spline. After this, your gate is complete and you can now reinstall the screen.

Your pet can be easily trained to use this type of door. He will only need to push the flap if he wants to enter or exit the house. The magnet keeps the flap closed while your screen keeps the bags out even if the window is open.

Putting window pet doors in the screen just lets the pet come and go as they please so long as the window is open. With this type of pet door, you’ll never have to worry about your pets going back to your place.

Itchy skin, hair loss, constant scratching, ear and anal gland problems are the most common indicators of a dog skin problem.

Although there are many canine skin disorders, the 5 following tips will help to identify some of the more common dog skin problems.

1. Fleas: The best way to identify a flea problem is to check your pets belly area and along the inside of the back legs. The hair is thinner in this area and easier to spot both fleas and flea dirt. The flea itself is brown or copper colored and roughly the size of a pin-head. Flea dirt looks like sprinkled pepper. Ruffling the fur on your dog’s back and along the base of the tail is also an easy way to find fleas and flea droppings. Often times dogs that develop Flea Allergy Dermatitis will show hair loss around the base (top) of the tail. There are many options available for flea and tick control.

2. Food Allergy Dermatitis: Although food allergies can appear in pups as early on as 5 or 6 months, they can also develop in adult dogs as late as 11 or 12 years old. Common symptoms of food allergy dermatitis are itching of the skin, excessive scratching, hot spots and even skin infections. Dog owners should realize that there is a distinct difference between Food Allergies and Food Intolerance. Like people, classic symptoms of a food intolerance would be an upset stomach and diarrhea. All foods do not agree with all dogs. Pink Bismuth is a safe remedy for stomach upset and diarrhea in dogs. Food allergies require slowly eliminating foods and changing the diet.

3. Atopic Dermatitis: A condition caused by environmental allergens. Dogs that suffer with airborne allergies will often rub their face along the side of a sofa or along the carpet. As with food allergies, dogs will also chew their feet. With Atopic Dermatitis, it’s common for dogs to develop ear infections due to a yeast overgrowth. Pollen, trees, grass, dust and wool fabric are just a few common airborne allergens that some dogs are sensitive to. Antihistimines are often prescribed.

4. Acral Lick Dermatitis (Lick Granuloma): This raised lesion will be red, hairless and is usually found on the leg of the dog. This neurological condition is self-induced due to continuous licking. Possible causes include anxiety, boredom and stress. Treatment will include identifying the source of the problem (anxiety, etc.), restricting licking of the area and often times medication for behavioral modification.

5. Hot Spots: Medically referred to as Acute Moist Dermatitis, these round lesions generally appear in warmer weather. Along the hip, the sides of the chest and around the head area are the most common locations for hot spots. These moist and hairless inflammations are painful causing the dog to fixate on the particular spot by licking, chewing and scratching at it. Continuous licking in one area is a large factor in the development of hot spots. These lesions can quickly become very large in size. The location of the hot spot will help determine what the underlying problem could be an; anal gland problem, ear problem or a flea problem. A Veterinarian will clip the hair around the spot, clean it with a medicated solution, prescribe antibiotics and pain medicine.

Determining the source of many dog skin problems can be difficult. Skin conditions can be uncomfortable and painful, so dog owners should not give up until they know where the problem stems from.