These happy dogs are beating the heat with a dip in the pool. Talk to your veterinarian about ways to protect your pets during high temperatures.
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Adopting a pet can be an extremely rewarding experience for you and your family. However, as with any major life decision that involves animals, there are some considerations to make before finalizing an adoption. Specifically, your new pet may have some special needs related to the way it has lived until now.
Although animal shelters and adoption agencies usually try to get volunteers to socialize with the inhabitants as much as possible, it’s important to realize that adopted pets often need their owners to show a lot of patience and compassion during the bonding process. Your new pet may not be used to snuggling and being affectionate the same way as an animal that has been in your house since birth or soon after. It can take many years before an adopted pet feels comfortable enough to be openly affectionate. Sometimes, adopted pets need to receive treatment for fleas and ticks. However, it’s important to inquire about whether that has already been taken care of by the respective adoption group. Many organizations give dogs and cats flea and tick prevention medication, plus an initial course of wormer. Those treatments allow your new pet to have the best chance at good health until you can get an appointment with a local veterinarian. It’s very important to watch your adopted pet carefully to see if you can pick up on any aspects of the environment that may be frightening because they are triggering memories of how life used to be for the animal. For example, some pets that end up in adoption shelters were mistreated by their first owners, but you’ll have little or no concrete knowledge of what actually happened. If it seems your pet gets very nervous around men and brooms for no apparent reason, maybe a man abused it with a broom handle earlier in life. This scenario is a good teaching opportunity to instill good values in young people about how to behave around the new pet by showing unconditional kindness and concern. Finally, some adopted pets have noticeable physical disabilities such as missing limbs. If you decide to bring one of those into your life, it’s crucial to get guidance from a veterinarian about how to best care for the animal immediately, and moving forward. In many cases, disabled pets can live very full and rewarding lives, similarly to people who have disabilities. To learn more about adoption and veterinary service care for pets in San Jose residents can click here. There's been a lot of news lately about dogs being left to suffer or die in hot cars. Recently Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu took a challenge....read more
He’s not just any man’s best friend, he’s your best friend. Don’t you want what’s best for him? Read up on keeping your pet healthy, including how to provide the best veterinary care for him.
When talking about spaying or neutering your pet, one obvious topic that often comes up is controlling the pet population by disallowing your pet to breed if it were to get out and find another animal. Another mentioned benefit is the loss of behaviors such as spraying in cats, as well as other pesky animal behaviors caused by hormones. Such behaviors can even escalate to aggression.
However, many pet owners who choose to get their pet spayed or neutered do not realize an added bonus, which is a potential increase in the lifespan of their beloved furry family member. Research published in 2013 in the online journal PLoS ONE found that sterilized dogs lived an average of 9.4 years, versus unaltered dogs, who lived on average 7.9 years. The study found that sterilized dogs were more likely to die from cancer or autoimmune diseases. Potential explanations of this finding involve the kinds of cancer that commonly occurs in altered dogs, for example female dogs sterilized before sexual maturity are less likely to develop mammary cancer due to a decrease in estrogen exposure in the body. An explanation for the increase in cancer outside of the reproductive tract is that dogs sterilized before puberty grow taller, and growth is considered a risk factor for various cancers. Unaltered dogs may be more prone to disease due to the fact that progesterone and testosterone, both present in unaltered dogs, can be immunosuppressive. A report by Banfield Pet Hospital revealed that neutered male cats live 62 longer than unneutered cats, on average. Spayed females live, on average, 39 percent longer than unspayed cats. The trend was similar, with neutered males living 18 percent longer and females 23 percent longer. Although there are many benefits to getting your young pet altered, including prevention of unwanted litters as well as a longer lifespan, there may also be potential drawbacks, such as a negative effect on growth since it will not be regulated. There are some solutions to these problems offered up, however. One such solution is to give male animals vasectomies, so that the hormones are still being produced to do their job without the risk of an unwanted litter of puppies or kittens. You may be reading this article because you wanted to get more information about altering your pets. If you are ready to control the pet population all while giving your pet the gift of a longer lifespan, be sure to click this link for assistant finding a spay and neuter clinic in Scotts Valley. An older gentleman attended one of my group classes with his two Siberian huskies. The nine-year-old siblings were smart....read more
You know your dog better than anyone, and can spot unusual behavior easily. Any change in your dog’s routines should be checked by your vet. If your pet is pressing his head, get him emergency medical attention right away as this is a life-threatening situation.
You may consider your cat to be part of your family, and want to provide the best medical care possible just as you would for any other member of the household. Here are a few ways to find the best veterinarian for you four-legged companion.
1. Get a recommendation. A friend, co-worker, or pet sitter can give you great advice if they have pets of their own, because if you like them you probably have similar attitudes towards pet care. They also have experience with a particular veterinarian already. 2. Check out a potential vet first. Drop by the office and get a feel for how the place is run. Is it clean, does it have a comfortable waiting room, and are the pets there more or less stressed than you would expect? Talk to the staff and the veterinarian and see if you have good rapport with them. 3. Ask specific questions. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Ask about accreditation's and what equipment is used. You may want to know about the evaluation process before major procedures, or how the animals are cared for if they must remain overnight. 4. Make sure to visit regularly. Don’t wait until your pet is sick to take it to the vet. Regular preventative visits not only help your pet become comfortable with the veterinarian and have a better experience, but your vet will also know your pet much better and can make better choices about your pet’s needs. If you are new to the area or looking for a new veterinary service in Soquel, visit this website to learn more about important pet care. Your animal’s wellbeing is an important part of your quality of life, as well. If you are considering investing time, money and your heart into a relationship with a cat, learning more about the five healthiest feline breeds can help you to make the best choice of type to get.
Though cats tend to be rather healthy, breeding to enhance certain genetic qualities in any pet can lead to predispositions toward serious illnesses and syndromes. Cats with broader gene pools, their ancestral makeup, will be less prone to such illnesses. If you hope to secure a pedigreed cat, however, there are a few that seem to be healthier than most others. American Shorthair cats are among the most popular in the United States because they are the quintessential homegrown variety. Pretty, easily cared for and affectionate, these cats make excellent pets. Known for their distinctive spotted coats, Egyptian Maus are both strong and beautiful. Their compact bodies are muscular, and they exhibit tremendous agility and speed. In some cases, Maus have been tracked running at speeds approaching 30 mph. Many owners remark that these elegant cats are extremely loyal and have beautifully musical voices that they share in playful moments. Developing naturally in the wild of Russia originally, Russian Blue cats are sleek, vibrant, and extremely pretty. Although they tend toward shyness around strangers, the relationships they build with their human caregivers are usually very loyal and friendly. As this breed became more commonly bred, their popularity spread. Eventually, a shortage of Russian blues directly following World War II led to the inclusion of Siamese cats into their stock. Another breed that benefits from its natural origins is the Maine Coon. Extremely large with showy long hair, these cats are both lovely to look at and fun to hold. Their broad original gene pools have made them hardy and resilient, but recently intense breeding practices have caused them to be susceptible to feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a heart condition) and hip dysplasia. Traditional Persians can be healthy and beautiful additions to any home. These can be distinguished from the over bred varieties by their longer, more pronounced muzzle. Traditional Persians exhibit beautiful coats that come in a wide variety of colors. Gentle and calm, these cats are often said to be excellent choices for apartment dwellers. When you are ready to make room for a cat in your home, considering their physical and emotional characteristics is a great way to make sure you welcome one who will be as happy with you as you should be with him. Your perfect cat should fit your personality, have a healthy lifestyle and get lots of attention from his beloved human. Please visit this website to learn more from a veterinarian for cats in San Jose. Senior dogs are hard enough to adopt out when they're healthy, so the Animal Ark Rescue in Georgia knew it would be no easy task to find someone to care....read more
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AuthorNancy has a deep love of animals and talks and writes about them regularly. She is a huge animal rights advocate. Archives
November 2016
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