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Cat owners know for a fact that bad cat breath can be downright awful. It isn’t that much different from bad human breath, as both are caused by bacteria found in the mouth that breaks protein down and releases the sulfur compounds out into the air. Sulfur smells really bad on its own, which is why breath containing it smells bad as well. The bacterium that causes bad breath with cats is normally associated with a buildup of tartar around the teeth. Tartar is yellow in color, known as a coating of bacteria, food, and minerals.

To cure your cat from bad breath, you’ll need to remove the buildup of tartar. There are several cat foods out there that are designed to reduce the buildup of tartar, many containing enzymes that will literally dissolve it. You can also give your cat treats as well, as many of them will help eliminate and prevent tartar. If the buildup of tartar is bad, you may need to have your cat’s teeth professionally cleaned. Once the tartar has been removed, the bad breath will go away.

You may be able to clean the tartar off your cat’s teeth at home. There are several toothpastes available for pets, available in several different flavors. You’ll need to get a mechanical toothbrush, as the motion is very important for removing tartar buildup. Toothpastes that contain enzymes will dissolve tartar, helping to cure bad breath. If you start early with brushing your cat’s teeth, you can virtually eliminate any type of tartar buildup that will ultimately lead to bad breath.

Some bacteria that lead to tartar can be found in your cat’s diet. When you feed him, you should always make sure that the food he consumes doesn’t contain a lot of bacteria. If you shop healthy and feed him only healthy foods, it can help his bad breath a great deal. When you give your pet a treat, make sure that the treat is designed to help with tartar. After your cat has finished eating, you can brush his teeth or rinse his mouth out. This way, you’ll get the bacteria out of his mouth before it has time to build up on his teeth.

Sometimes, cats may have a bad odor in their mouth that doesn’t come from tartar or bad breath in general. In these rare cases, it can be either liver or kidney disease. If you notice bad breath and it isn’t tartar, you should take your cat to the vet. Even though it may be something to do with tartar, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Your veterinarian can pinpoint the problem, let you know what the cause is – and how you should go about fixing it.

The Collie is a wonderful family dog. They come in two varieties, smooth coated and rough coated. They are generally good with kids and other animals and love their adopted family. The most famous Collie is Lassie. They may not be suitable for an apartment as they need room to exercise. A properly fenced in yard would be ideal.

Approximate Adult Size

The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Collie is 24 to 26 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 60 to 75 pounds. The female ranges from 22 to 24 inches to the withers and 50 to 65 pounds.

Special Health Considerations

Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Collie is no exception. Be on the look out for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (inherited disease of the retina that can cause vision loss and blindness), canine hip dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), and they can be drug sensitive.

This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

Grooming

The Collie comes in two varieties, smooth and rough. In general, the outer coat is harsh to touch and straight. The inner coat is soft and dense. She is prone to shed and should be brushed regularly. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat, avoid mats and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.

Life Span

The Collie can live between 12 and 14 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

History

The Collie comes from the Scottish Lowlands as a sheepdog. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1885.

Dog kidney disease is probably one of the leading causes of death in older dogs. There are two forms in which the disease can manifest itself, acute or chronic. The acute form can happen so quickly and suddenly, while the chronic form begins slowly and progresses over time. Sadly for the owner, news of either form of disease is upsetting.

Kidneys are an important organ for the body – human or canine. They are responsible for ridding the body of toxins by filtration. Kidney disease causes the kidneys to function at only about thirty percent of their capacity. If the kidneys stop working, the toxins accumulate in the blood and get deposited in other organs. Subsequently, the dog dies.

As the toxins start building up in various organs, they start to ‘shut down’ that organ. The owner can notice the apparent symptoms in such cases. The kidney disease hinders the body from functioning properly and the warning signals become more obvious. The signs can vary between the two types of kidney disease. Sudden dehydration is a sign of acute kidney disease. If you gently pull the skin of the stomach on your pet and it doesn’t spring back, then it could be that he or she is dehydrated.

You may have noticed your dog not wanting to pass urine or no urine production at all. This is also is a warning sign that your pet may be a victim of acute kidney disease. This disease can lead to your dog having extremely painful kidneys; or you may notice the animal moving with stiff legs or an arched back. These symptoms are signs for any dog owner to watch out for.

Chronic kidney disease shows different symptoms. They may well have a change of appetite with no desire to eat where normally they would gulp food. They may perhaps go off their food altogether. This will, over time, lead to weight loss. The first warning signs which highlight the start of the disease are increased thirst and water consumption. These are frequent exhibits of the condition. Sadly the dog may lose control of its bladder with frequent increased urination occurring. As time goes on urination will become painful, some cases impossible and blood may appear in the urine. Canine kidney disease can be deadly and serious, any signs of urine symptoms, vomiting, lethargic or depressed in your pet treat this as a warning sign and alert your vet straight away. If caught quickly it may be possible to gain control over the disease.

If the veterinarian suspects kidney disease he will usually follow four steps to decide if the dog has the disease or not. A thorough physical examination is what he will normally do first. The dogs relevant history will be gone over with the owner next, things such as their home behavior and symptoms. A blood test and urinary test are the two steps he will take after the first two steps are done. Both tests have to be done to make sure of a correct diagnosis. Whether or not your dog has acute or chronic kidney disease will be confirmed by both of these tests.

It is always difficult to deal with the loss of a pet, but it can be even more devastating to a child. Children often find it hard to understand what happened to their pet, and older children who do understand are often distraught. When you have to help your child deal with this loss, it can be a bit more difficult for you. Not only do you need to help your child with this loss, but you also have to cope with it yourself. It is natural for your child to grieve. To help you give your child the help that they need, here are some ideas that you can use to help your child get through this time of grief.

Encourage Discussion About the Pet

The first thing you can do to help your child get through the grieving process for your pet is to encourage discussion about the pet. Allow them to talk about their pet. You should be open about your pet as well. Encourage them to talk to others about their pet too. Discussing the pet can make them feel closer to their pet, even though the pet is gone. Grieving is all about openness and talking about the pet can be very helpful to children who are grieving.

Share Your Own Feelings

Another important thing you can do to help your child deal with pet loss is to share your own feelings. You need to let your child know that you are upset as well and that you feel the pain of loss and sadness. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help your child is to shed some tears together. They will feel like you are there with them, feeling the same pain, which will help them get through this.

Try to Answer Questions Honestly

You also need to try to answer questions honestly with your children if they ask you about the loss of a pet. Sometimes for smaller children, this can be a bit more difficult. Consider the age of your children and do your best to give honest answers that are age appropriate. It may not be easy, but honesty can help them get through this time, even though it is difficult.

Take Time for a Memorial to Your Pet

Taking time out to have a memorial to your pet is a wonderful idea if you have kids that are grieving over the loss of their pet. Whether you simply have a time of silence in the back yard, you bury your pet, or have them put in a pet urn, a special memorial can help your child have a sense of closure. When you formally grieve the pet, it can help your child get through this process, feeling that they have taken the time out to grieve their pet.

These are just a few ideas that you can use to help your child as they go through pet loss with you. Use these tips to help them deal with the loss and make sure that you take time to grieve your pet as well.

Do you feel guilty eating a snack in front of your dog? If so, you’re not alone. After all, we wouldn’t do that to one of our kids, and our beloved pet is just as much a part of the family. Nevertheless, there are some foods you need to make sure your dog does not eat.

When you think about the wide range of things your pets might nibble on – from dirty socks to kitty litter – it’s easy to believe there’s very little that will make them sick. However, your seemingly indestructible pet can be experiencing many internal issues that don’t show up on the outside for quite a while. Some issues only become noticeable when the problem has become extremely serious.

Here are some foods that will make them sick and can cause permanent harm, so avoid these at all cost.

First – CHOCOLATE
This is one of the worst foods for your dog because their systems are unable to digest it. Those yummy brownies or a bit of your pick-me-up candy bar will make them sick and can cause major health issues.

If you absolutely can’t resist giving your dog a chocolate treat, white chocolate is the least harmful, while dark baking chocolate is the most dangerous.

Second – GRAPES and RAISINS
Once while dieting, I convinced myself that grapes and raisins are candy, so I still eat a lot of them. As a human they’re very good for you, and although they may seem like something that would be harmless to your dog, they’re not.

Consuming grapes or raisins can cause your beloved pet several issues, including kidney failure. At the very least, this seemingly harmless food could result in an emergency trip to the vet to have your dog’s stomach pumped.

Third – ONIONS
In most cases dogs don’t really like onions, but if they get hold of one (even in another food) make sure you call your vet right away. This root vegetable will cause your dog to have major digestive issues.

Although these are the most dangerous things for your dog to eat, these are by no means the only items to avoid.

Here are a few other items that should be kept away from your pet:

*Avocado (including the fruit, skin, seed, leaves and stem)
*Macadamia nuts
*Garlic
*Leaves and stems of potatoes, tomatoes and rhubarb
These foods are toxic to your dog’s gastrointestinal system and will
cause severe digestive problems and potentially kidney failure.

These items can cause your pet to have labored breathing:

*Caffeine
*Eggplant
*Moldy foods (why do they eat those things??)
*Tobacco products

In general, be aware of what your dog is eating at all times. Just as you would for a child, the best way to keep them safe and healthy is to make sure they don’t have access to foods, garbage, chemicals or any objects that could be harmful to their digestion.

It’s ok to give your dog a treat once in a while as long as you know what ingredients are used. Look for all natural products to give your pet the best, and at the same time avoid any health issues.