Cattle

Archive for September, 2011

Has this ever happened to you?  You find your cat in his litter box, straining to urinate, crying out in pain.  He can’t seem to pass any urine.  You take him to the vet, who tells you that your cat’s urinary problem is due to cat bladder stones.

Bladder Stones In Cats

A bladder stone, or urolith, is made up from minerals present in your cat’s urine.  These minerals sometimes form crystals that stick together to form a stone in your cat’s bladder.  These stones can be as small as grains of sand, or they can grow to the size of a piece of pea gravel. 

Your feline friend may have only one stone, or he could have several dozen. 

Why do the minerals form crystals?  There are several theories.  Your cat’s urine may be high in minerals due to his diet, or it may be because he has an infection in his bladder.

Bladder stones usually take several months to form, but they can grow in just a couple of weeks.

Symptoms Of Cat Urinary Problems

If your cat suddenly starts urinating in places other than his litter box, this can indicate that he’s having a urinary problem.  You may notice him licking his bottom more than usual, too. 

Blood in the urine is another symptom to watch for.  It can sometimes be hard to see this in cats as they usually go in the litter box.  But if he’s urinating outside his box, you may see it.

If your cat is straining to urinate, or can’t pass any urine, this indicates a blockage.  A urinary blockage is a veterinary emergency, and you need to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.

Treatment For Cat Bladder Stones

Your vet will probably take some x-rays or do an ultrasound to verify the presence of bladder stones.  Once they are diagnosed, you vet will probably outline two treatment options.

The first is surgery to remove the stones.  This is the fastest solution to the problem. 

The second is to try to dissolve the stones with a special diet.  This is a good option for many cats.  However, it may not work well for all felines.  The major reason is that it’s a slower treatment.  It can take several weeks or months for the stones to dissolve.  During this time your cat will still be passing bloody urine, and may still be straining to urinate.

Diet therapy doesn’t work with all stones.  It’s helpful if the cat passes a stone so that you vet can analyze it to see what it’s made of.  Some types of stones can’t be dissolved.

Some cats won’t eat the special diet food.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t work unless it’s the only thing your cat is eating.

Are Herbal Pet Remedies The Answer To Cat Bladder Stones?

Many cat owners are turning to herbal pet remedies to help solve cat urinary problems.  These herbal and homeopathic remedies have been used by people across the world for centuries.  These remedies work to solve the underlying problem, instead of just treating the symptoms. 

It’s very important to buy these herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that specialize in producing them.  Do your homework and be sure that the company stands behind its products.  You want to be sure that you find remedies especially formulated for pets.

These natural remedies are inexpensive and readily available.  They have stood the test of time, and there are no side effects to worry about. 

Now that you have this information, you can take action to prevent cat urinary problems.

House training is the first and most essential part in training your new puppy. A puppy is a member of your household and the first thing a puppy must be taught is the toileting process. This will last a lifetime so it’s important to do this puppy training right the first time. 

It’s important to understand that your puppy probably won’t be completely trained until he’s almost 6 months old. That’s because young puppies lack the bladder and bowel control that they need to be reliably left alone for long periods of time.

You should be available to supervise your new puppy but we all know it is not always possible. If you can’t be available for some period, confine your puppy to a small puppy-proof room. The entire floor should be covered with newspaper or some absorbent, disposable material. Initially, your puppy will go all over the area. As he gets older he will prefer one area. Gradually reduce the area covered in papers until the puppy eventually goes only on the toilet papers. The floor in the puppy-proof room should not resemble other floor areas in the house like carpet or hardwood. Once your puppy is used to eliminating on a particular surface, he will want to eliminate on that type of surface.

Most owners prefer for their dogs to eliminate outside so the puppy-proof room should only be used while you aren’t home to supervise. If your puppy spends time in a crate, which he should at first, you can place papers in one area in the crate for your puppy to use. Dogs are naturally very clean animals and they will do their best not to soil their bed area. This really helps your puppy develop self control.

 For puppies who are to be outdoor trained, take the puppy to his designated toilet area every 45 minutes. When your puppy does his business in his designated area, lavish praise on him. He is learning the most important lesson in living in your household so go overboard with praise.

 Put your puppy on a consistent feeding schedule so you can anticipate his needs. While he does need free access to clean, fresh drinking water, don’t give him unrestricted access to food. Equally, until he is fully trained, do not give him the run of the house. It will greatly aid in this training process is putting a collar and long lead on your puppy and tying the other end of the lead around your waist. Your puppy will like being close to you and he won’t have the opportunity to make many mistakes.

That doesn’t mean that mistakes won’t happen. When they do, don’t punish or reprimand him. He won’t understand the reason for the punishment and he might become nervous or distressed. He might even think he is being punished for eliminating at all. This may well set your training back rather than moving it forward.

The most important thing you need for house training your puppy is patience and a good sense of humor. Be calm and relaxed while being consistent in your training schedule and your puppy will be relaxed and calm while learning what he needs to learn to become a well adjusted member of the household. While you and your puppy are bonding during this training time, you can start to introduce other commands like sit, come, stay, down. 

For your complete DIY Dog Training course in easy steps visit

www.mnb-gooddogs.com.

In addition, over the years, the parvo virus has mutated into at least two different strains. Every case of canine parvo virus, or CPV, comes from these two strains.

Every different species has its own parvo virus and it cannot be spread outside of the species, so there is a human parvo virus, a canine parvo virus, a feline parvo virus, and so on. However, it can be spread by contact. For instance, if your cat would wander through your neighbor’s yard and would pick up the virus on her feet, she can track it inside of your house and infect your dog.

Sadly enough, my neighbour’s puppy contracted parvo virus. The puppy had all of the classic dog parvo symptoms, yet my neighbour really did not know what was wrong until he took the puppy to the vet. Once he did that, parvo treatment began immediately. After several days of intensive treatment for parvo virus, the puppy was free to come home. The puppy was lucky. Many dogs die from parvo virus before they can be treated.

The parvo virus works in two ways either through the intestines or through the heart. When a dog gets an intestinal infection, it is picked up by the animal through oral contact with contaminated feces. Simply put, your dog would have to come into contaminated feces from another dog. The intestinal dog parvo symptoms occur when the virus attacks the bone marrow, rapidly dividing cells in the intestinal crypts and the lymph nodes. This allows normally occurring bacteria from the intestines to enter the blood stream to make the animal septic. The virus can be shed in the stool for up to three weeks thus making this a very contagious disease for pets that have not been inoculated.

The cardio form of this infection is usually seen in puppies that are infected before birth or shortly thereafter. It is noteworthy that the cardiac form of CPV is not as common since the mother passes immunity on to her pups from birth. The parvo virus will then attack the heart in the infected puppy and death will occur shortly afterwards.

Dog parvo symptoms usually present themselves within 3 to 10 days of contact. They include the following: lethargy, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. The diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and secondary infections. The dog will not usually die from the virus but from a secondary infection.

Survival rate depends on how quickly CPV is diagnosed and treatment is begun. When the case is not caught early the best treatment option is an IV through which fluids are pushed to re-hydrate the animal more quickly, in addition anti-nausea and antibiotic shots may be given intramuscular.

The prognosis is good with proper care but an absolute death sentence without it. There have been a few reports that the human antiviral, Tamiflu, can be effective in treating CPV but there are no studies to substantiate this. A veterinarian will advise you to give your pet a parvo shot about eight weeks after they are weaned. With the prevalence of the virus and its ability to kill some precaution should be taken to protect your canine.

Dog training will transform the dog’s mannerisms, from a dog that will not do as he is told by you to a dog that will pay attention to your orders, from a dog that is annoying the neighbors into a calm one, from a dog that is at all times scampering from you into a dog that will remain at a halt at your order. Just like in any other training scheme, there are some methods to be followed.

The dog has got to be familiar with his name, so he can act in response to the master’s instructions. When he is familiar with his own name, you can begin teaching with the check lead and instruct “here” or “come”. You can begin all this in the house, but initially, he has to be able to make out his own name. If you would like the puppy to pay attention just to you, then do not permit him to play with other people. If you will allow him to play too much, he will begin to snarl and bark every time you take his playthings away.

One more essential feature of dog training is that you have to teach your pet, so no one will get harmed when you are out with him and people are all about him. By making use of the dog training instructions correctly, you do not have to be anxious that he will bite off someone or he will scamper off. Even if you have trained your dog to be compliant and pay heed you, you should admire him as well since after all, you selected him, he could not select you, and if you will not take care of him properly, he will in all probability run away, or he will be miserable. The fundamental dog training instructions that a dog should act in response to are: fetch, stay close, here, sit and come.

– Begin teaching the dog whilst he is still a puppy – this makes sure of much better achievement rates even for starting out dog trainers.

– Put up some information on dog training and only then acquire a new puppy.

– Free dog obedience training programs ought to be modified to the precise necessities of your dog breed. Please see our collection of precise dog breed training techniques in order to get more understanding on this subject.

– Make certain that the puppy is in high spirits and has an adequate amount of energy to try out training.

– Be inventive, by no means let the puppy get fed up and coach the dog where the limits are set.

You’ve picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting pups until you find just the right match.

Now what? He needs a name!

Over the course of its life, you will use your dog’s name more than 35,000 times. So be sure you’re picking a name you can live with and love.

With these seven simple steps, the key to finding the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips!

? Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.

? Your puppy’s name shouldn’t sound like any commands. “Stacy” and “stay” are too close for comfort. Such a name will only confuse the issue.

? Remember, you’ll be using your pup’s name in public. “Boner” may be cute among your fellow fraternity members, but it won’t go over well at the veterinarian.

? Make your kids part of the decision process. Kids like it simple, too, so if calling your Champion Cavalier King Spaniel “Bootsie” works for them, consider keeping the hoity toity name strictly for AKC purposes.

? You may think it’s an honor to name your pup after you’re favorite Uncle Norbert. Naming your baby after him may keep you in the will, but naming your puppy after him won’t.

? If you’re bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with the name it already owns. Can’t stand it because “Barney” was the first boy who broke your heart? Then stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. “Barney” morphs into “Farley” easily.

? Once you’ve chosen a name, try it out for a day or so. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, there’s always more puppy names on your list!

Take a look around you. All around are terrific ideas to inspire you.

At first glance, a couple things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy him or her for a day or two and take these into consideration.

? Appearance. What’s your dog look like? His color, size, and personal style inspires a variety of name choices. “Stubbs” would be a great name for a dachshund pup. Or you may call a cream colored cock-a-poo “Buffy.”

? Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog’s personality will really shine through. Try “Cuddles” for the sweet little guy who loves to get cozy or “Puddles” for the pooch who can’t seem to find the doggie door.

If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog names or foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.

? Celebrity puppy names. Today, pooches have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on “Lola,” a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.

? TV dogs. “Scooby” and “Astro” come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.

? Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke’s “Blue” would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs. Or try “Bodie,” from the weeper Steel Magnolias.

? Comic dogs. “Snoopy” will always be a favorite, but also consider “Daisy” or “Odie.”

? German dog names. For starters, try out “Fritz” or “Kaiser.”

? Irish dog names. “Finn” fits well for any pup, as does “Murphy,” which just happens to mean “hound of the sea.”

? French puppy names. “Pierre” and “Gigi” are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.

The choices are endless. However, with these simple tips and some thought, before long, you’ll have found the perfect puppy name!