Cattle

Posts Tagged ‘anti’

Try as we may, there are certain afflictions that our animals seem to be prone to contracting despite our best efforts.  Ear mites are one of those maladies.  Ear mites can affect cats and dogs and left untreated can cause considerable harm.  Therefore, all pet owners need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of ear mite infestation and understand the necessary treatment.

An ear mite is a tiny insect related to the tick.  The feast off of the blood of your pet and burrow into the skin.  If viewed under a microscope they look like tiny crabs.  Once the mites have a firm hold with the tiny hooks on their legs, they are impossible to remove and must be killed.

The most common area of infestation is along the outside edges of the ears.  The ears are relatively dirty areas, especially on a dog, and the mites feast off of the dead skin and dirt found there.  The mites can quickly move from one animal to another through contact or through contaminated bedding.  In rare cases the mites can even infect humans, though it’s rare due to normal human hygiene.  Once one of your pets is infested, the rest of your menagerie will soon exhibit the tell tale ear scratching behavior of the afflicted.  A serious infestation can prevent the animal from sleeping and nearly drive them insane.

This furious scratching causes its own complications.  Often the animal will scratch until the skin is raw and bleeding.  As the mites multiply, they move farther and farther into the ear, leading to hearing problems.  Ears can be permanently scarred.  These wounds then become infected and if left untreated can be life threatening.  A good pet owner will never let the condition progress to this stage.

Preventive measures as always are the best option, followed by early treatment.  Owners should inspect their pets’ ears regularly for signs of infestation.  Vigorous scratching or shaking of the head will probably be the first sign that ear mites are present.  Visible indicators will look like dirty spots in the ears and there will usually be signs of bleeding.  Ears should be cleaned inside and out, especially if the animal has large floppy ears.  Medicated washes are available that can treat mild cases if caught early.  More serious cases might require medications and antibiotics to treat for infection.

Though difficult to prevent, ear mites are easily treated and should not cause a major problem.  However, if you ignore your pet’s health and hygiene, ear mites can blossom into a serious health problem.  Save yourself the annoyance and your pet the discomfort and perform routine checks every couple of weeks.  This simple measure is all that is required to keep this parasite at bay.

The first time your dog receives a correction from the bark control collar he may react in a way that concerns you. He may yelp or yip or jump slightly. Do not be alarmed by these reactions. His first reaction to the correction will always be his most intense.

After the first few corrections his reaction will lessen. He will eventually just stop barking and remain calm. It is advised that you observe your dog’s reactions to the correction.

You should notice an improvement in your dog’s barking within the first week of training. At this point many dog owners feel that the “problem has been solved”. In some cases this may be true, but in most cases the training is still not complete.

Most, if not every dog, will “test” this new learning experience, i.e., they will increase their attempts to get away with barking. This testing period usually occurs during the second week of training. When it does occur you must remain consistent – do not alter your use of the bark control collar.

Once your dog is trained, you must continue to place the dog bark control collar on him in every situation in which he must be quiet. He may see a new dog or a squirrel through a window for the first time and he may bark. If he is not wearing the bark collar he may get away with barking and his training may suffer a setback. If he is wearing the bark collar, he will stop barking immediately and any setback will be prevented.

Moreover, you may have a need to train your dog to do other things. If you decide to use another type of training tool, be selective with the type you use while your dog is wearing the bark control collar. Generally, it is best not to let your dog wear more than one collar at a time.

Never use a metal choker collar while your dog is wearing the anti bark collar as it may trigger false signals and possibly false corrections. If you must have a second collar on your dog consider the use of a nylon choker collar or other nonmetallic collar.

If you use a leash, attach it to a collar other than the one used for the bark control collar. You should never attach a leash to the collar and you should never pull the bark control collar while it is on your dog. Doing so you may cause injury to his throat.

Owners of dogs should place greater emphasis on the prevention of dental diseases in their pets. Dental disorders have been found to bear a strong connection to other systemic disorders in dogs. That is why, today, dental care gets top priority.

Daily Care of Your Dog’s Teeth

Dogs should not be given highly alkaline or acidic food in order to prevent damage to their teeth.

The development of new teeth makes the animal bite anything that catches its fancy. If a dog does not get a bone or something resembling a bone to bite on early in its life, there is a higher risk of it developing dental disorders later in life. Therefore, dog owners should give their pets something to bite on during this crucial stage in their lives.

The teeth of hunting dogs need to be taken care of more than any other breed in order to avoid dental complications in furture. Get a good brush for your dog’s teeth. You need to, however, invest time, energy, and a lot of patience to use a brush on your dog.

Nip Dental Disorders in the Bud

Antibiotic treatment has to given right in the initial stages of a dental infection. Otherwise, it might lead to infection of specific areas. In worse conditions, the infection might spread to areas such as the pharyngeal region, the mucous membrane in the oral cavity and so on.

If the dog has bleeding in the oral region, it should be examined carefully for any dental disorders. Usually puppies, and at times, even adult dogs suffer from dental injuries. As a preventive measure, they should be immediately attended to. Otherwise, the animal might develop secondary bacterial infection.

In many countries, centers for disease control and prevention are now formulating guidelines to prevent dental disorders in dogs. Take you dog for regular oral examination. A little bit of care goes a long way in nipping any dental disorder in the bud.

Pets definitely help us live longer and healthier lives. This is especially true of the elderly and those of us who live alone. Pets make wonderful and faithful companions. They are always there for us. However, this relationship can become strained, and sometimes even be broken when someone in the household develops an allergy to a beloved pet.

Studies show that approximately 15% of the population suffers from an allergy to a dog or cat, and about one third of those with an allergy to cats choose to live in a household with a cat despite the allergy. Some allergy suffers live happily with a pet for a year or two before an allergy starts.

There are sometimes long term health ramifications of repeated allergy flair up’s, especially for children. Repeated flair-up’s can cause permanent lung damage in children. This should be carefully and thoroughly discussed with your physician. One of the ways to live happily with an animal you are allergic to is to decrease your exposure to the animal. Keep the animal outside if possible.

If the allergy sufferer only has a mild reaction to the animal there are ways for the two of them to live together in harmony, but it takes work. The animal should not be allowed in the allergy sufferers bedroom or on the bed. Keep the animal off of any upholstered furniture in the house as dander can be transferred to upholstered furniture. Use a room purifier to remove airborne animal dander. Remove carpets from the home if possible and replace with wood floors. Wash area rugs on a regular basis with warm water. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter in order to trap dander. The allergy sufferer should wash his or her face and hands after handling the animal. The animal can be bathed weekly in specially formulated shampoo that removes dander.

In some cases where the above methods and the use of over the counter antihistamines and decongestants do not help, the allergy sufferer may need to seek the help of an allergist. Immunotherapy can be thought of like a vaccination against your allergies. Given on a regular basis as shots, immunotherapy helps your body build up a natural tolerance to specific allergens.

With the use of the above methods you’ll be able to live a long and healthy life with your pet

If you are a cat owner, you must have given up on  obedience training at some point in your life. Maybe you thought cat training was similar to a dog’s and you have tried unsuccessfully to train your cat to do a simple task or to recognize your voice but ended up frustrated. You see, teaching cats obedience is vastly different from dog training.

Cats are not obedient by nature and they don’t correlate your words to the action you want them to do. You have to be patient and determined with cats and you have to understand how their thoughts work. If the cat is not in the mood to obey your command or what you’re asking him to do is not in his nature, meting punishment on him will not change anything. Your cat will simply zone out on you and go where he can avoid you. To make cat obedience training a success for you and your cat, here are some tips to try.

The first thing to keep in mind about cat obedience training is that more weight is given to rewarding positive behavior rather than to punishing bad behavior.

• Cats want affection and attention from their owners and speaking to him in a soothing voice and patting him when he does something you approve of is part of cat obedience training.
• Praise him when he gets into the litter box and refrain from scolding him when he doesn’t. Cats also love treats. Always keep some on hand and give him one when he gets into the harness without any resistance. This will make him associate the act with the treat and soon, he will get into the harness without any trouble as he anticipates his treat. Repeat this type of cat obedience training with everything else.
• Reward him for doing what you want but don’t punish him if he doesn’t.
• Stretch your patience and dig your feet in with determination. It won’t be long before you see the effectiveness of your training and you are the proud owner of an obedient pet cat.

In your training program, review the behaviors you are teaching your cat to do. The behaviors you have in mind might be activities that cats don’t consider normal or natural for them. Unlike for dogs, fetching a ball and returning it to you or jumping through hoops are not typical cat behavior and your cat can be obstinate and refuse to do them. Instead of thinking that your cat obedience training is not successful and blaming yourself, stop and think about your cat’s nature. Unreasonable commands are not part of cat obedience training.

Teach him to stay away from houseplants or keep out of high shelves, not to catch a Frisbee or to roll over. Knowing what and how to teach your cat is one way of turning him into the obedient pet he ought to be.