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Here are a few tips to help you become more comfortable giving treatments at home:

· Have a friend or family member hold your pet to minimize squirming.

· Smaller pets can be wrapped burrito style in a towel or blanket to keep front legs under control.

· A muzzle can be used in painful situations.

Cleaning the ear:

1. Gently instill cleanser into the ear canal and massage ear to loosen debris.

2. Allow your pet to shake out any excess solution or debris.

3. Wipe out ears with a cotton ball until clean and dry.

4. Disperse medication throughout the ear and gently massage the external ear canal.

Applying eye medication:

1. Use your finger to lift the upper eyelid and steady the heel of your hand against your pet’s forehead to prevent the tip of the tube from touching your pet’s eye.

2. Instill a ribbon of ointment or a drop or two of solution onto the eye.

3. Release the eyelid.

4. To prevent your pet from pawing or rubbing eyes an Elizabethan collar may be required.

Patience and Consistency is the key.

My cell phone rings, it’s a client I have not seen in years. She is panicking because her senior pet (Maggie) has been having seizures for the past hour. What do I do?  According to my records Maggie should have had a senior wellness exam 2 years ago. I rush her into our emergency care facility and do my best to alleviate the debilitating symptoms.  Silently I wish she had come in for that annual visit. Maggie would have been vaccinated along with a senior wellness exam with lab work. I may have diagnosed a medical condition in Maggie which could have prevented this unexpected emergency visit.

So you ask does it cost more?

Sure, but isn’t it a small price to pay for a relationship with the person who could save your pets life one day.

Preparing Your Family Pet For The Holidays!

Pets are just as much a part the American family as baseball and apple pie! When people talk about daily events in their lives, they often make mention of their pet or companion animal. Time after time we here how pets enrich our lives. So it is only right that when we prepare for the holidays with our families and friends we should also prepare our pets. Here are a few common Holiday Safety Tips:

·         Christmas season plants are poisonous to pets; mistletoe, hibiscus, balsam, juniper, cedar, pine and fir.

·         Holiday candies and treats can cause intestinal upset; gravies, drippings bones, table scraps and alcoholic beverages.

·         Holiday decorations, electrical cords, gifts, foils and candles can cause intestinal obstructions and choking.

·         Pets are sensitive to noise; holiday noise makers and firecrackers.

·         Increased activity and visitors can upset your pet’s routine. Try and keep your pet on a regular routine of feeding and exercise.

So remember it’s a busy time…a time of much planning, shopping, cooking and rushing around to and from parties with relatives and friends. Oftentimes we forget about our little four-legged members of the family. They our curious and can become anxious as we, their caretakers are and there are many hazards waiting for their curiosity.

Is Your Pet Suffering from Behavioral Issues?

If you own a pet you will have fleas in the house from time to time. All dogs pick up fleas, ticks, and chiggers at one time or another, usually during the warm weather months.  Even though there are more than 2,000 known species and subspecies of fleas, only one class of flea called the ‘cat flea’ Ctenocephalides Felisis to blame for almost all the fleas found on cats and dogs in the United States.

Although many species of fleas feed primarily on one type of animal, the common cat and dog flea will readily take blood from a variety of animals, including man.Most of the animal owners face a real challenge in tackling ticks, fleas and lice which infests their animals resulting in reduced productivity and health. As with flea shampoos, when using a flea dip, always begin on the dog’s head, face, and ears so the fleas won’t run for shelter in those hard to reach areas. Since the 1980s, pharmaceutical companies have developed many new chemical treatments for controlling or preventing fleas and other external parasites, and there are some great products available today in the form of flea collars, pills, oral liquids, spray-on formulas, and special shampoos.

There are wonderful flea collars and other products on the market for your pets now that work terrific in keeping the fleas off.If you find fleas within your house, chances are that the gardens and yards would be infected as well and treatment of these areas need to be carried out as well as part of your flea control plan. If your cat or dog has been infected with fleas it’s a good idea to clean and vacuum the areas where your cat likes to sit and sleep. 

In ideal conditions, adult fleas hatch from their cocoon in as little as 5 days, although they can live in the cocoon for up to 5 months. Larva - flea larvae feed on organic material in the environment and on the droppings from adult fleas.

In choosing a flea killer look on the labels and make sure that they kill adult fleas and also make flea eggs sterile.In order to prevent dog fleas from infesting on your pets or in your premises,you have to be careful to maintain the cleanliness of your pets and premises. To succeed in getting rid of fleas, it all boils down to diligently following an integrated plan whereby you need to treat both your pets and the premises at the same time. In order to properly rid you home and pets of fleas you will treat the infestation as a whole.  Obviously beginning a good solid prevention plan is always the smartest and most cost effective way to approach any pet concerns.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Making sure your pet is free from flea,you will surely be able to enjoy the company of your pet and keep your home safe. When you know how to get rid of fleas in your home, you’ll be able to rest much easier.

Your other family doctor,
Dr. Anderson & Staff

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles DirectoryAbout the AuthorMichelle Johnson is highly respected in her community for her knowledge about dogs. For more information on dogs visit her blog at: http://rustydogblog.blogspot.com

Ways To Prevent Flea Infestation