Natural Pet Health

Any time you own a pet it is your responsibility to keep him happy and healthy. Part of your pet’s care must include some type of grooming. Dogs’ and cats’ hair can get dirty and matted and needs to be combed out. Leaving mats in your dog’s fur can cause skin irritations. And of course cats, especially the long-haired varieties, when left totally on their own to groom themselves, can develop hair balls.

Grooming your dog can be an essential part of your dog’s care, especially if your dog suffers from the heat in the summer. Getting his fur cut or shaved can help keep your dog more comfortable in the hot weather, and possibly even help to prevent heat stroke. And, as mentioned, untended mats in your dog’s fur can cause skin irritations and infections.

Over the last thousands of years, cats have pretty much handled their breeding themselves. In the beginning, they were used for one purpose – hunting and killing rodents. As the years progressed, we began to breed cats more to our liking. Now days, there are several different breeds of cats – which you can tell if you look closely.

These days there are over 70 distinct cat breeds, which are recognized through cat registries. There are several registries that will recognize around 40 breeds or so, as they exclude the more domestic breeds such as tigers. There are also many variations as well, including wild cats that have longer hair.

Adapted from New Choices in Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats, by Amy D. Shojai.

For pets that are sensitive to heat, the steamy summer months are not only uncomfortable, they are also the time when the risk of fatal heatstroke is highest. Thousands of pets die needlessly every summer from over-exposure to heat.

Learn how to protect your pets from this easy-to-prevent killer.

Here’s how:

Heastroke is an emergency that needs medical attention as soon as possible. Even before you take your pet to the vet, however, you need to start cooling her body down by putting her in a tub of cool water, for example, or by applying wet towels or ice packs to her body, says Susan G. Synn, D.V. M., a veterinarian in Atlanta. When you are in the car, turn the air conditioner on high and get to the vet as quickly as you can.

The Persian cat breed was first brought to Europe from the Ottoman Empire in the XVI century. Although originally the Persian cat was typically short-haired, the long hair version of today’s Persian was thought to have been developed from the Pallas cat strain.

As is commonly known, today’s Persian cat breed has an extremely long, thick coat. This cat’s legs seem to be short compared to its body size. Its head is wide and the ears are rounded and typically set far apart. It has beautiful large round-ish eyes and an extremely fore-shortened, flat-faced muzzle, making its face seem almost squashed.

This breed of cat can have any color or markings, including, tortoiseshell, blue, tabby or pointed. There are tipped varieties also which are known as Chinchilla. Point types are known as Himalayan in the U.S. and Colorpoint Persian in Europe.

Does your pet come home from the park with fleas and ticks?

Are you looking for natural flea and tick pet care? Did you know that apple cider vinegar repels fleas and ticks?

To make the solution more fragrant, you can make a tincture of fresh and dried leaves such as rosemary leaves, calendula blossoms, rose petals, lavender, lemon peel, sage, comfrey and/or chamomile.

Loosely place the plant leaves & blossom in a small jar filling about one third full. Cover with vinegar. Leave the jar in warm place for two or more weeks. Occasionally shake the jar gently.

Strain the scented vinegar and add several drops essential oil of rosemary or lavender to enhance the fragrance. Store the vinegar in a cool dark place.

Cat owners know for a fact that bad cat breath can be downright awful. It isn’t that much different from bad human breath, as both are caused by bacteria found in the mouth that breaks protein down and releases the sulfur compounds out into the air. Sulfur smells really bad on its own, which is why breath containing it smells bad as well. The bacterium that causes bad breath with cats is normally associated with a buildup of tartar around the teeth. Tartar is yellow in color, known as a coating of bacteria, food, and minerals.

Unforeseen Dangers of Spring

With warmer spring weather arriving in the next few weeks, pet owners face an entire new set of challenges. While your pet was likely cooped up inside during the winter, the change in climate will soon likely bring your pet outdoors—also exposing it to potential health hazards.

Nearly every system in your pet’s body can be affected by the change in season, but preventative measures can be taken to ensure your pet stays safe and healthy while frolicking in the great outdoors!

When unleashing your pet into the yard, park, or other place of recreation, be sure to err on the side of caution regarding the territory they investigate. Puppies especially tend to mistake blooms, leaves, and branches as potential chew toys, which can disrupt digestive systems or even be poisonous.

Cats are one of the most popular pets in North America. They are loving pets, capable of providing you years of companionship. Like other pets, cats can sometimes get sick. There are several different types of ailments that cats can get, one of which is feline diabetes. Feline diabetes is a serious disease, although it can be treated by a veterinarian.

Diabetes is more common with humans than with cats or other animals. The cause of diabetes is actually quite simple. Sugar, or glucose, is found in the blood. The level of blood sugar in the body or the animal is kept under control by hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces. When the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, diabetes is to blame.

Not everyone loves reptiles, but reptiles can also be good pets for the chosen few. Before making a decision about adding a reptile to your family, be sure to consult the laws in your area. Some reptiles, like constricting or venomous snakes, are not allowed, by Law, in some areas.

It is best to pick a captive-bred reptile when possible so that your pet will be used to handling by humans. When purchasing your reptile at a pet store or breeder, look for a healthy one with clear, alert eyes and no visible sores or lesions.

There are other types of pets that may suit you better than the traditional ones like a dog or a cat. These can include small well-known pets such as mice, hamsters or fish, but can also include more exotic pets like snakes, lizards or even monkeys. The type of pet that may be right for you is strictly a personal choice, but there are too many other types of pets you may want to consider.

Hamsters – The most common type of Hamster that is kept as a pet today is the Syrian Hamster. Although there are other varieties, different varieties go not get along together. Even with the Syrian Hamster it is better to keep one Hamster to itself in a cage as often having more than one will cause fighting.