Natural Pet Health

These days, cats are among the most popular pet you can own.  There are several breeds available, with the most popular being Persian and Siamese.  Cats are a domesticated animal, with origins dating back some 8,000 years and beyond.  Like any other pet that you may own, including dogs, cats cost money to take care of properly.

When you get a cat, you’ll need to think about the costs.  You’ll obviously need food, and you’ll also need to plan ahead for vet costs.  You’ll also need litter, which can tend to get quite expensive as the years go by.  Your cat will need a litter box, food dish, and water dish.  You should also invest in some toys as well, such as a scratching post, cat toys, a pet carrier, and a bed.  You should also look into getting an ID collar as well, just in case your cat ever gets lost.

Feeding your pet will depend a great deal on his age.  Older cats require two small meals or one large meal for the day.  Kittens on the other hand, require several feedings a day until they get around the age of 12 weeks.  Cats that are between three and six months of age need to be fed three times a day.

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How sustenance is just as important as safety

The notion to feed cats milk has become ingrained in the minds of many pet owners, thanks to the media and pop culture featuring healthy cats lapping up bowls of dairy. However, the truth of matter is that cats actually do not receive any notable health benefits from milk… rather, they may develop adverse effects from it!

Just as holistic health is important for sustainable health in cats, so is proper nutrition. Cats benefit most from a well-balanced diet with foods specially designed for their needs and digestive systems. Kittens’ bodies have the necessary enzymes to digest their mother’s milk. However, with age, this enzyme production slows, leading to most adult cats being considered lactose-intolerant. While cats can tolerate small quantities of milk, the sugars in it will likely cause digestive upset in their delicate systems, leading to stomach troubles such as cramps, gas, and diarrhea.

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Human beings are not the only ones who can suffer from insomnia, pets sometimes get it too. Unless your pet is keeping you up at night, you may never even have a clue that he is not sleeping and since they can not speak, this can make it especially difficult. Temporary bouts of insomnia can appear with your animal for the same reasons that insomnia appears in humans. It is likely that something is bothering your animal resulting in his sleep loss.

Dogs and cats are much attuned to what is going on with their owners and around the house in general. If there is construction going on very nearby that is causing a lot of chaos, this can affect your pets sleep pattern, if there is someone new sleeping in your home, you will likely notice a difference in your pet, and if there is a lot of fighting and arguing going on, that too can affect your pet and his sleeping. This is something that pet owners usually never give too much thought to but it does affect your animal.

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As more and more people become pet owners, sometimes disturbances in behavior, such as anxiety around noise, aren’t considered before adopting or buying. However, to provide both emotional and physical support for your pet during times of nervousness, it is important to be ready to care for your pet in the best way possible—without exacerbating an existing problem or creating a new one.

• Regular exercise is essential. High energy pets need a natural outlet for their energy and exhaustion can have a dramatically calming effect on an overly active animal! Plus, exercise has been shown to have a mood-stabilizing, calming effect
• Ensure your pet is eating a balanced, high quality diet with plenty of raw and unprocessed food (preferably organic). Behavioral issues can often be related to food intolerances and an inadequate diet. A diet that is too high in protein can also be a factor. If in doubt, please consult your vet.
• Keep natural remedies on hand to immediately soothe a highly-strung pet by supporting nervous system health safely and effectively.

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Kennel cough in dogs is an infection that can be caused by a number of agents. These agents work together to damage and irritate the lining of trachea. Though kennel cough is commonly associated with a bacterium known as Bordetella bronchiseptica, two other viruses, parainfluenza virus and adenovirus and parasitic bacteria (mycoplasma) can also lead to kennel cough in canines.

The condition is self limiting and the duration of kennel cough in dogs is short. However, that does not mean that it does not cause discomfort to the dog. The condition can cause your dog to cough continuously for several minutes. His cough may sound like a ‘honking’ sound as if trying to expel something out from his throat. The continuous sound of the cough can be extremely irritating to the owner as well; not to mention the discomfort that it causes the dog.

Kennel cough is a contagious disease. The name comes from the fact that this condition is often seem among dogs who return from boarding at kennels. However, all dogs that have been boarded in a kennel which contains an infected dog do not contract the disease. And the difference lies in immunity - the body’s own ability to resist and combat infectious invasions. Herbal remedies can help in preventing kennel cough as they are equally inclined to treat kennel cough and strengthen the body’s immune system.

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When looking for a hypoallergenic dog, you will have to decide on a breed of dog and also how the dog will fit into your lifestyle. Many hypoallergenic dogs are small or medium breed dogs. This means that they are small sized or medium sized dogs that require more attention than larger breeds.

Hypoallergenic dogs may cause you to have fewer allergy attacks because their hair does not shed, they don’t have an undercoat, or they do not shed a lot dead skin cells, or dander. The following breeds of hypoallergenic dogs are popular with those who suffer from allergies: Irish Water Spaniel, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and Bedlington Terrier.

For those looking for a hypoallergenic dog that is larger than other breeds, the Irish Water Spaniel may be the dog for you. These dogs have very short human-like hair that will prevent shedding and allergens from entering the air. The coats of these dogs must be maintained through grooming every two months. The Irish Water Spaniel is a friendly dog that likes to exercise and swim during the warmer months of the year.

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One of the best parts about camping is being able to see animals in their natural habitat.  National and state parks have been setup to help preserve nature and animals that are threatened by modern civilization.  Camping is now the only way to see many species of wildlife and taking time to watch the animals can be a fun part of your camping trip.

Before you leave for your camping trip you’ll want to do some research.  Find out what type of animals are going to be in the area that you’re camping.  Make sure you know what animals may present a danger to you or your family.  Also find out if carrying a firearm is allowed where you will be camping.  If so, be sure to bring one.  If any animal appears to be threatening you or your family a shot in the air will typically scare them away.  Certain seasons also present unique opportunities to observe animals such as during migrations.

Read up on the animals that you are likely to see and if bringing kids be sure to educate them about the different animals.  Camping can be not only fun, but educational as well.  You’ll also want to make sure and get a nice set of binoculars to bring with you.  If you are prepared, your camping trip can be a great educational opportunity to see animals in the wild.

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Urinary tract infections respond very well to antibiotics. However, antibiotics tend to kill friendly bacteria along with the disease causing bacteria. Diminished friendly flora in the body can be a cause of other diseases that may be far more difficult to treat than urinary tract infection.

If you see the following signs in your cat, you should suspect prevalence of feline urinary infection.

-    The urine has a bad smell.
-    The cat is straining to urinate or cries while urinating.
-    There is blood in urine.
-    If it is urinating at odd places, often in small amounts.

The common conventional treatment modality is to get urine and blood tests done to identify bacteria and give antibiotics to eliminate the infection. Alternative and holistic medicines, however, look beyond the immediate cause and look towards treatment along with boosting immunity. This spares the cat from the harmful side effects of antibiotics and also ensures that the probability of a recurrence is reduced.

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Nasal infections in cats may be viral, bacterial or fungal. The primary symptom of all these infections is a nasal discharge which turns from serous (thin and clear) to purulent (thick with yellowish green pus) if the infection continues over a period of time. Other symptoms include sneezing, coughing and gagging. Nasal infections usually lead to refusal to eat as the cat is not able to smell food.

Any feline respiratory disease that originates in the nasal cavity causes irritation and consequently inflammation in the turbinates, the scrolled spongy bones in the nasal passage. These delicate bones are easily twisted and pressed out of shape or even destroyed. This easily allows bacteria that are normally present in the nasal cavity to grow rapidly, leading to secondary infections.

The frontal sinuses that are located just above the eyes are connected to the nasal cavity through a small canal. Cat respiratory infections spread to the sinuses through this canal causing sinusitis.

There is no cure for viral infections but they are self limiting and usually disappear after a week or two. The best that you can do for your cat is to try to alleviate symptoms of viral infection by keeping her in a warm and moist environment. If the symptoms are severe, Interferon, an antiviral protein that inhibits replication of viruses may be used to restrict the duration of the infection.

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Macaws are very good eaters, and are seldom picky about the foods that they eat. With that said, however, while your Macaw may enjoy many foods, there are some foods that are not suitable for your Macaw. Some are even quite deadly – but he doesn’t know that, and he will eat them anyway if they are made available.

The first food that you should always avoid is Avocado. Avocado is considered to be toxic for all birds, as it causes considerable, irreparable liver damage. Don’t just avoid feeding your Macaw Avocado fruit. Avoid giving him access to the trees, to the branches, and to the leaves as well.

Your Macaw will enjoy all other fruits. However, fruits that have pits should have the pits removed first, and fruits that have seeds should have the seeds removed. All fruits should be washed well – and even scrubbed, and then cut into small pieces for your Macaw to enjoy at his leisure. If possible, always choose organic fruits.

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