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It is not only our responsibility as bird owners to provide food, water and spacious cage for our pet birds. It is insufficient to spend more time with our birds and bond with them.  The first thing that we should do make sure our pet birds would live a long and healthy life is choose a good avian veterinarian.

If you have a dog or a cat and already have a veterinarian for them, that may not be necessarily be the vet that you need for your bird.  Birds have different anatomy and different needs compared to your feline and canine companions. 

Where can you find an avian vet?

There is the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) which maintains a directory of  qualified veterinarians.  You can even get assistance from the Veterinary Medical Association located in your state. Yellow Pages are also a great source of information.   If unable to get hold of anybody from these groups, you can check out their websites in the internet or even ask the local Bird Club if they could recommend anybody.  Pet bird owners like you are can give you the best advice based on their experiences. Also check with local pet breeders.  Most of the times, the most sensible advice comes from them.

Once you have identified the vet that you would go to, the next step is set an appointment to further know the practice and background of the vet.  When talking with the avian get, get to know how long has she or he been ion practice and their professional background.  Make sure that the vet that you have chosen is familiar with the pet that you have. 

Get to know the vet’s schedule and if the vet can do house calls.  Birds can easily get stressed in the slightest change in their surroundings, which is why birds find it difficult to move or to travel.  If the vet is unavailable, it is also important to know if the vet who would be filling-in is also capable to treating avian sicknesses and concerns. 

If you have an exotic pet bird, then it would be helpful to ask the vet if they are constantly updated with new methods in the avian medicine.  Also, get to know the financial costs of getting veterinary services from that vet.  You want to have a qualified and good vet within your financial reach.

Once you have settled that you will be getting services from him, ask the frequency of the check-ups your bird needs to have.  To avoid any emergencies or any sickness, it is best to have your bird regularly checked.  Most of the times, you have to bring your pet bird to the vet annually.

Aside from this, it is always a great point that whenever you visit the vet the doctor and the staff receive you and your pet warmly.  It will be great to walk into a pet clinic that provides you an air of assurance and importance. 

Keeping tabs on the health of your beloved bird does not only fall in the hands of the avian vet.  How would they know that your bird is suffering sickness if you are not paying attention?  It is also important to maintain a healthy working relationship with your vet since you would not know when emergencies can happen.

The vet can even help you draw up a diet plan for your bird which would surely improve the disposition and health of your pet. Also ask your veterinarians about any emergency first aid methods that you can do when something bad happens to your pet bird.  An avian vet is your ally in making sure that your bird would live a long and joyful life.

Whether you are considering becoming a first time dog owner or adding a new canine member to your household, consider a breed-based rescue organization as a great source for your new pet. The advantage of selecting a pet from a breed-based organization is the foreknowledge you have about your pet’s personality. Although your dog may not be AKC registered for that breed, he or she will be primarily characterized by it.

You should begin your search for a dog by doing some basic research on individual breeds. In addition to considering size, you should think about exercise requirements, guard or watch dog behaviors, and hereditary diseases that may be associated with that breed. You should be honest with yourself about your willingness to housebreak a puppy or provide an environment that includes daily walks or outdoor play time. Once you establish your basic requirements, select a breed that typically exhibits the desired characteristics.

The breed-based rescue organizations, such as The Golden Retriever Rescue, have potential pets available including puppies, mature, and senior dogs. The rescue organizations usually provide medical and foster care and can tell you about individual habits and personality from direct experience. In many cases, they will know how the dog reacts to other dogs in the home, young children, and cats. Rescue association will check their dogs for illnesses and heartworm. They provide treatment when necessary and neutering before a dog is placed on the eligible list. On organization websites, you will be able to see pictures of the available dogs and get information about their behavior in their foster home and any special needs or considerations.

Dogs come to rescue organization because their owners can no longer care for them. They are not bad, sick, or misbehaving dogs. There are many reasons why someone must give up a pet such as: illness, moving to a new location that does not allow pets, a new baby in the house, or a change in financial circumstances. These owners are being responsible and trying to ensure that their pet has a good home. Most rescue organizations also maintain contact with local shelters and will save breed dogs from euthanasia when it is believed that the dog is a viable candidate for adoption.

Rescue organizations go to extraordinary lengths to make sure that your family and your new pet are well matched. There are rescue organizations for most AKC recognized breeds. You can find one close to your home through your vet, the yellow pages and on the internet. The American Kennel Club maintains lists of breed specific rescue organizations organized by state. Although adoption procedures vary among organizations, the following activities are fairly standard. In your initial contact with the organization, you will register and provide basic information about your expectations and the environment you will provide. A preliminary phone interview or home visit may be conducted to allow the caring folks from the organization to ensure that you are worthy of being a caregiver to one of their special dogs. The organization really wants you and your dog to be happy together rather than just placing a dog to decrease inventory.

When you have selected a dog that you want to become a member of your family, the rescue organization may schedule a visit between you. They want to know about the environment you will provide. If you have other pets in your home, there may be a supervised meeting to determine if there are potential compatibility problems.

Rescue organizations are usually non-profit and staffed with volunteers who are also pet owners. There is a fee for adoption that typically ranges from $200 to $300. The process to adopt from a rescue organization may seem lengthy and involved, but, the organization exists to protect their dogs and ensure that new homes and families work out well for both the dogs and the new owners. You benefit greatly from their stewardship because you get a pet that is matched to your needs and is ready to share his or her unconditional love with you.

With the increasing number of serious incidents reported at public and community dog parks, private dog parks such as Royal Paws Dog Park & Dog Day Care are quickly gaining popularity as the only safe and enjoyable choice for dogs and their owners.

The current trend is city and home communities responding to area dog owner demand by setting aside a small plot of their least desirable piece of land and designating it as the area dog park. Unfortunately these unmanaged and unregulated dog parks often turn to that of neighbor confrontation, injury and horror, even with the best of intending groups and dog owners. Let’s face it, without any oversight or enforcement, incidents are going to occur. So with this increasing number of these dog parks follow the increasing number of serious incidents being reported. The well intending community becomes the venue for headlines such as “Dog Killed” or “Child Mauled by Aggressive Dogs”. The only safe alternative is that of a well run, private dog park where it is run as a viable business. A properly designed and managed private dog park is an entirely different experience than public parks because it will include dog screening, grounds maintenance, park rules enforcement and more suitable land parcels.

The benefits to a dog at an off-leash dog park or any open area of land are immense. Unleashed running elevates heart rate, increases metabolism, improves gastrointestinal efficiency, and extends muscles and joints, all of which contributes to general overall fitness. It is known that maintaining such a healthy lifestyle for your loved dog will increase longevity and reduce risk of all associated conditions and diseases that obesity can cause. The experience for a dog in open field run is like no leashed exercise. Benefits of off-leash play beyond fitness include socialization, that is, if experienced without incident. Well exercised and well socialized dogs make better community members as they are much less likely to contribute to neighborhood nuisances like chronic barking or aggression to other dogs.

If public parks could operate as the run private dog parks do, these benefits would be available to all community dogs near any type of dog park. Unfortunately, these community or city dog parks cannot staff, screen or have the resources to manage park operations. Thus, incidents will occur, often causing loss of dog’s developed social skills and development of behavioral issues. Incidents like a dog being intimidated, bullied or even attacked by another dog will occur in parks not privately run. Such negative experiences can cause dog aggression, fear aggression or cause physical injury or death. Physical or emotional recovery of a dog from a traumatic incident requires a positive and secure environment that only a well managed private dog park can provide. The good experiences enjoyed in a well-managed private dog park is the primary reason that many loved dog owners everywhere chose private over potential chaos at a public dog park.

Even with the best of run private dog parks, the dog owners retain a high level of responsibility upon park entrance and must be willing to withstand the occasional park staff directive. They must carefully watch their dog, abide by all park rules, maintain the obedience skills of the dog and know their dog well enough to predict their dog’s behavior. Each dog owner should understand their dog’s postures, expressions and movement to be able to differentiate in off-leash situations when they are comfortable and when they are not and to identify or correct any potential troublesome behaviors. This too is critical to the enjoyment of the park by all.

While private dog parks are gaining popularity because they may be the only choice for safe and enjoyable off-leash fun, still do homework because none of the dog parks are regulated by any government agency. A good rule of thumb for any place intended to visit with a dog, learn your dog’s body language and level of social skills, have good control and be comfortable with the facility layout and staff to lessen the chances of any possible incident with your dog.

Ask A Pet Owner

Being a dog owner myself, I have learned that there are many options for pet care while living in the Frisco and Plano regions of Texas. After having some real bad experiences with boarding my pets, I finally decided to hire a pet sitter. I knew right away that using a pet sitter was by far the best option for my 2 dogs. Being that I already have dedicated my life to animals, I then decided to open up Bestest Buddies Luxury Pet Services here in Frisco, Texas. What I have learned over my years in pet sitting is that once you choose a pet sitter, you will never board your pets again. If you don’t believe me, just ask any pet owner who uses a pet sitter. Here are just a few things that pet owners would say about their pet sitters.

Flexibility

Having a Frisco pet sitter makes your life easier. You have no need to take your pet to and from a boarding facility. All boarding facilities have a check-in and check out time for your pets. If you happen to work weird hours or have last second plans, you might not have an option for your pets. With a pet sitter, you are easily able to make an appointment for when you will be away. Have last second plans? Do you have a flight that leaves late night? Using a pet sitter makes these things a non issue, for both you and your pets!

Price

Since boarding facilities do have check-out times, even if you come home even just an hour late you will end up paying for an additional day. Since my work schedule was rather unpredictable at times, I always ended up paying for 2 days of care even though I only was away for 10 hours. Worst yet, I was not able to pick up my dogs until the next day which was rather inconvenient. With a pet sitter, you will be in charge of how many visits you pet will need while you are away. More importantly, after you do finish working that long day at work or after a long flight, there is nothing in the world better than coming home and having your pet greet you at the door! Having a pet sitter really does make a huge difference in peoples lives, as well as their pets.

Care

I cannot tell you how many times my pets would get ill when going to a boarding facility. I always took great care of my dogs. What I realized is that you cannot trust others with their pets. My dogs were constantly coming down with something when I boarded them. If it was not a virus, it would have been fleas. Once my older dog came home limping after playing rough with another dog. With a pet sitter, you will never have to worry about other people’s pets. Any vet will tell you that your dog is at their safest when at home. With a pet sitter, you won’t have to take your pets to the vet as often. We all know you love your dogs, cats and caged animals, but how can you fully trust other people’s pets? You can’t, so using a pet sitter and having your pets at home is really the best option. To me, it is the only option.

Service

Our pet sitters at Bestest Buddies have on-call services. Do you want to go out after work but know your dog needs to go to the potty? Call us, our pet sitters will gladly make sure your pet does not suffer because you want to go out on the town. Have you ever been snowed in or missed a flight? Our pet sitters easily accommodate changes in plans. There is no need to keep your pet boarded for an additional night because you are going to be home a few hours late! With our pet sitters this will never a worry! We also make sure that while you are away, you will receive pictures of your pet with a daily updates on all of the fun they are having. We believe at Bestest Buddies that your pets deserve the highest standard of care while you are away. This is why 95% of our business is either repeat business or from client referrals.

In Conclusion

Owning pets is one of the biggest joys of our lives. It has been proven that pet owners live longer and are more happy than non-pet owners. Though work and travel can be stressful, having a pet sitter “on staff” can make your life much much easier. There is nothing better than knowing that your pet has someone dedicated to them and their happiness! I know this first hand not because I own a pet sitting company, but because I use pet sitters myself!