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Posts Tagged ‘pet health’

Making The Most Of A Visit To The Veterinarian For Your Pet

March 31st, 2011

These days everything has a price tag and it may be necessary to combine, consolidate and prepare in advance for various types of expenses. One expense that often crops up unexpectedly and can be quite costly is veterinary care. This isn’t something that can be cut from the budget, but you can keep your pets healthy and be frugal at the same time. You can avoid unnecessary trips to the vet by being prepared and making the most of your pet’s vet visits.

Just like with doctor’s appointments for the human members of your family, the best time to go to the veterinarian is early morning. This has nothing to do with the capability or attention of the staff, but for time reasons. Earlier appointments tend to run on time because they have not had a whole group of patients in before them.

Before heading off to a pet doctor, make a list of any issues and concerns you may have about the animals health, behavior or habits. This list will help you keep your thoughts on track after each topic and help you through the appointment. While at the office, don’t be afraid to refer to that list or show it to the doctor, that’s what they’re there for.

While discussing all of these issues, make sure you write down the key instructions or important highlights of the information you are given. While you’re there you may discuss so many things that it will be hard to remember them all later. Notes are also great for sharing the information with your spouse at home later.

Sometimes you’ll have a choice of tests or treatments for your pet. Make sure to ask questions about each option. Find you what each one does, how it affects the animal, how much it costs and what the benefits and risks are. Having a notepad with you can help keep you focused and calm, especially if you’re upset about an injury or illness. The information you receive can sway you in the right direction for you and your pet.

Before the visit ends, make sure you know exactly what to do at home to take care of your pet. Do you need to clean incision sites? How and when should medication be given? What warning signs should you watch out for? Find out when you need to bring them back, or when you should call in for a status update. Follow up appointments in order to make sure the problem is resolved and get your pet back on the road to good health. Maybe you only need to bring your pet back if symptoms persist for a certain period of time. Be clear on what that means.

The best way to have a great visit with the animal Doc, is to make sure you maintain your animal’s health throughout the year. It’s important to keep your pet fit, eating right and pest free. Be observant of your pets and when something isn’t right, determine what you need to do to correct any problems. Routine checkups are always better than visits related to an illness that could have been caught sooner.

Asking simple questions and listening to the answers may be all that’s required to make the most of your visit to the veterinarian. You may find, though, that there are other things you could do to make the visit as productive as it could be, so that distraction, forgetfulness and human error don’t derail you. Don’t forget to bring your written questions with you, write ask questions, write down the answers and get the early appointment. Being prepared will help you to make the best decisions for your pet’s health and will hopefully avoid unnecessary visits to the vet.

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Why Do We Subject Our Four-Legged Friends To Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery?

May 15th, 2010

These days people are taking their love of their pets to another level. Pet owners are progressing beyond dressing up their animals in cute outfits and rhinestone dog collars. People are taking an extreme approach to their four legged friend’s appearance. We are talking about pet plastic surgery!

Plastic surgery for pets is becoming a fad in the United States. It has been seen on several news and television shows. However, this fad poses moral issues in regards to proper health and wellness for ones pet. Animals feel pain just as people do, and needless surgery can often cause a lot of pain and possible future complications for pets.

There are many cosmetic procedures available for animals. Some of the most popular include: Liposuction, wrinkle reductions, & testicular implants. Animals can also get Botox injections! Ear cropping and tail docking have been performed for a while. There are multiple dog breeds in which this is traditionally done. Most notable are Corgis, Rottweilers, and Boxers. Breed owners that participate in ear cropping plead the case that the procedure aids in preventing future, more painful, complications.

These plastic surgery procedures are offered at many veterinary clinics throughout the United States. Cats and dogs aren’t the only ones receiving these surgeries. Horses and bulls have also been reported to receiving some plastic surgery procedures.

The American Kennel Club, which sets the breed rules for the U.S. dog show circuit, has stopped any plastic surgery beyond ear and tail cropping to stay within breed guidelines. There are many people are hoping to stop unnecessary plastic surgery. West Hollywood, California has been on the forefront of this type of ban, which has already been in effect in other countries. In England and Wales, Ear docking is illegal and any dog that has been docked is prohibited from competing in any Kennel Club event. This is great because it will stop those in the dog show community from misusing plastic surgery to win competitions. The United States is still unrestricted in regards to these kinds of plastic surgery procedures. Some states are considering bills to prohibit it. make it illegal. Hopefully America will follow England’s lead and prohibit this abuse!

Not all of the cosmetic surgery procedures are terrible for your animals. Some dog breeds get breathing impairments. Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers are breeds that often suffer from breathing impairments. They are great candidates for nose jobs. However, this type of nose job is not to enhance the dog’s appearance, but to improve their breathing.

Overall, using plastic surgery to change your furry friend’s look is ethically irresponsible. Your adorable animal does not have any say in your decisions and how you care for them. We should make certain that our animals are well cared for by providing proper nutrition, a cozy place to sleep, and most importantly, affection and love. There is no need to involve your pet in the superficial world of plastic surgery. It is too risky and will bring your pet unnecessary pain. So the next time you watch “Nip Tuck” and think your pet should go under the knife for some plastic surgery enhancements, opt for one of those sparkly jeweled collars or a new haircut instead!

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Dog Diarrhea And Best Dog Cures

January 21st, 2010

Diarrhea Cure when the Doctor Is Not Available or Close by…

There is an immediate safe cure that can be tried in emergencies right at home with the use of a simple, natural product found at the corner grocery store.

Pumpkin for Diarrhea and Constipation - It’s quite amazing that canned, plain, pureed pumpkin 100% natural UNSWEETENED does wonders for both the occasional bout of diarrhea. And, it will also cure the opposite, constipation in dogs. I’ve used it over the last two years with great success as it firms up dog’s loose stools or diarrhea within a few hours. When diarrhea first begins, stop feeding all foods immediately and keep fresh ample water nearby. Depending on the size of the dog, a couple of teaspoons of pure, unsweetened pumpkin for a small dog or a couple of tablespoons for a larger dog will start helping the pet diarrhea

Make sure that there is FRESH water always available to keep the pet from dehydration. If your dog will not eat it the pumpkin, add some brown rice with a small amount of very finely shredded chicken breast for flavor and scent. If your dog has chronic diarrhea seek medical help as it can be life threatening - especially for puppies.

First, Some Hard Core Facts about Dog Diarrhea…

If the diarrhea has come on suddenly, consider if you have made any changes to diet or if the dog ate something it should not have like candy or a snack food that people eat - like potatoe chips. Big point to remember is that cheap dog foods with junk fillers and full of salt often cause diarrhea. A sudden change in diet can also rumble a tummy. Feed your dog a good, high quality diet - feed your dog the best possible food that you can afford as you would your baby. Cheap dog foods are filled with useless carbohydrates and high levels of salt which pass straight through your dog. Bottom line: If you put in rubbish, rubbish will come out. The type of pet cure is crucial to overall well being.
Very important is that diarrhea can also be caused by dairy intake in dogs due to lactose intolerance. Dogs and puppies should not be given milk or ice cream to eat or to drink. Steer away from all people food. It is a proven fact that a good, high quality diet can keep any dog alive for at least 20 years. Hey, my large Labrador dog is now going on 14 years and the vet said most labs are blind or crippled at 12 years or dead. He is given brown rice, organic eggs and green peas every day. Good food, exercise and diet can improve any pets life and extend it too! There are some basic supplements that will greatly improve pet health

Closing Thoughts…

In most almost cases, dogs and cats can get a bout of diarrhea when they eat something that is not good for their stomachs which is human food. Table left over’s “scraps” or deserts can wreak disaster with your pet, so don’t think that you are doing them favors when you give them a “treat”. For example, ice cream is a bad culprit while spicy or salty foods can cause major problems too.

As we mentioned in other chapters, dogs and cats should be thought of like babies that never grown up and require attention and close observation so you can insure that nothing goes wrong - they can’t talk and it has been discovered that animals are pretty tough and stoic. You wouldn’t feed a baby table human food like fried chicken, meatloaf, spaghetti, bacon, or doughnuts would you? This is exactly why aliments like dog diarrhea occur.