Five Natural Ways to Say “NO” to FLEAS

You will continuously be able to see fleas and ticks on your pet, if you have a huge flea and tick problem in your region. Fleas top the list of creatures that badly affects pets and causes the worst health conditions from skin irritation, redness to flea allergy dermatitis.

Come summer and from nowhere there emerges the swamp of fleas always ready to attack pets – that comes on their way. Happy to feast on your pooch’s blood, these nasty creatures are all set and ready to multiply on thousands, continuing their life cycles, unless a ninja source is not applied to combat and destroy them completely.

Yes! Pet owners have to establish and get on all the tools to fight back these filthy fleas attacking your furry companions. To eradicate them and protect your pets from the devastating flea infestation, here we bring you the most effective flea control ways to get rid of fleas on your dog naturally.

Flea Comb at a Rescue

The most effective and easiest way of eradicating fleas is using flea comb. Not just keeping your pet well groomed, flea comb helps in removing adult fleas along with flea dust. A quality brush is gentle on pets as well as eliminates fleas, eggs and larvae. Normally, flea eggs and larvae are not present, but if any left, comb can help to remove. Ensure the fur of your dog is detangled to reduce pain while combing through flea comb with narrow teeth.

Upgrade Your Dog Shampoo

Whether you are using flea shampoo or an ordinary dog shampoo, you can enhance its effectiveness for removing fleas. Take a half cup of any good shampoo and add freshly squeezed lemon juice along with two cups of water. Fill this mixture into a bottle and use it every week when bathing your furry pal. After your pet’s bath, do not allow your dog to just run away and go into the backyard. Pat dry him and comb your dog’s fur with a flea comb and what you see is just horrible, the fleas shower away from the pet.

Washing and Heating Bedding

A dog with heavy flea infestation can shed flea dust – flea eggs or larvae wherever they go. Mostly on the carpets, furniture and even in the bedding. You would be astonished to know that washing bedding with hot water and strong detergent effectively removes most of the fleas, flea eggs and larvae. Drying is also effective, when it comes to removing fleas.

Flea Collar

Using two drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil in one tablespoon of water prepare a solution. Apply this solution all over your dog’s collar or put it on a handkerchief and tie it around your dog’s neck. This natural flea collar distracts the fleas and prevents them from attacking your pooch.

Vacuum The Floor, Furniture, Curtains, Upholstery and May Be All

Usually, fleas reside in damp, warm and dark places – in the crevices and miniature cracks of the floor, beside the curtains, sides of the furniture and the dark areas where they can fit in. If you are not attentive about cleaning your house, there is every possibility that your house would soon turn out to be a flea bomb shell. Carry on vacuuming your house – floor, crevices or gaps in the walls, furniture – every nook and corner of your house. Do it periodically and thoroughly, which helps in eliminating fleas before they multiply in hundreds and thousands to infest your house and yard. You can even use products like dried cedar chips and lemon rinds to avoid flea influx in your surroundings.

A Simple but Essential Thing to Notice

Most natural oils seem good. But it is not necessarily, that your pooch would react to all them positively. As they have sensitive skin, there is always a possibility that they may be allergic to any of the contents of the oil. It is better to consult a vet for the right quantities for using on your pooch to keep those fleas at bay. The other safe option to avoid heavy flea infestations is to opt for flea and tick treatments. Your vet may guide you on this to which product is more safe on your pet.

How To Boost Your Dog’s Energy

If your dog is slower than usual, is ignoring play time, or choosing to lie over the sofa more often, there is a great chance your dog is low on energy. There are several factors that can lead to this lethargic behavior like illness recovery, joint pain, low metabolism, anxiety or more.

Regardless of the reason, you can help your pup gain its energy back, all you need is a few right approaches. The first and important step is to acknowledge lethargies in your dog. If the change in behavior is significant, it is vital to consult your vet about the matter. If the case is of low stamina or laziness, we got you some best energy booster approaches for your furry friend.

Give your pup balanced nutrition

Never underestimate the importance of a balanced diet for your pet. Boost your dog’s immunity by including food with high nutritional value like antioxidants and vitamins; some good sources of such nutrition include blueberries, kale, green beans, pumpkin, and more.

Play fetch down the Stairs

Dogs love fetching game. However, if for any reason your dog doesn’t go out or gets exhausted playing it in its original form, there is another way to play this game. Use stairs to play fetch, just toss the ball down the stairs and let your dog chase the ball while you sit comfortably.

Keep your pup mentally stimulated

Just like physical activities, mental stimulation impacts your pet’s wellness and energy levels. You can boost the mental stimulation of your dog by teaching him commands or engaging him with interactive toys.

To teach commands, begin with easy to follow commands like sit, and shake hands, later go to more challenging tricks like spinning. You can also make use of toys like puzzle balls; treat dispensers and more to make your dog more active.

Hide your Dog’s favorite toys and treats

Another way to move your lazy pet is to hide things he likes and make him search. For instance, show him his favorite treats or toys. Ask someone to divert his attention and then hide the treat at an accessible place like a sofa. Let the dog search, and when he finds his toy make sure to praise. Also, after some success you make the game more difficult by hiding his favorite treat to a different spot.

Consider joint care supplements for your pet

Joint issues are more common in dogs than you think; these issues are especially prevalent in working dog breeds. If your dog is avoiding stairs or has slowed its speed of walking, the reason can be joint pain. Some of the common reasons for joint pain in dogs include arthritis, fractures, hormonal disorders, and even cancer in some cases. It is important to take precautionary steps before it occurs and the best way to do that is to provide your dog with the right nutrition, supplements and encourage exercise in their routine. Visit DiscountPetCare to look for suitable supplements for your canine friend.

Dogs’ activity pace or energy tells a lot about their overall health. Hence, it is crucial for you to be aware of what’s normal and what’s not normal for them. If you do not regularly walk your dog or play with him, start doing it now as it will help you catch illness or slow metabolism and take necessary steps at the right time.

Puppy Teething: A Complete Guide

Puppies adorably make the owner fall in love with their cuteness. However, at a young age their habit of chewing and destroying household things and furniture may not please their parents. Puppies like children, go through the process of teething and that’s the reason your puppy is attacking your furniture and other items.

In this blog we will take you through some vital information on teething in puppies.

Why does your dog attack everything?

At an early age puppies chew on every object as they learn how things feel and their mouth is their first medium to touch and grab. The tendency to scratch and chew out objects is also because of the discomfort caused due to the teething process.

When do puppies go through teething?

Puppies’ teeth start emerging when they are two –three weeks old. By the time they are six to eight weeks old, almost all their deciduous teeth tend to be present.

When do dog’s baby teeth fall out?

Unlike babies, your dogs will not have baby molars. By the time they are 12 weeks old, their deciduous teeth will begin to fall out and then the permanent teeth will start to erupt. According to Dr. Alexander Reiter permanent teeth in dogs erupts at two months.

Below is the average teething cycle in dogs:

• Incisors – 2-5 months
• Canine teeth – 5- 6 months
• Premolars – 4-6 months

How to Care for a Teething Puppy

Dog parents often overstress on the teething process. If your pup eats his meals and performs daily activities like playing; socializing then there is nothing to worry about.

If you see a major change in these activities, it may be associated with teething discomfort; in that case you can consult your vet and get a clear understanding about the health of your pet’s teeth.

The main reason for your pet to chew during teething is because it eases the discomfort. As pet parents, you can help your pet release their discomfort of chewing by satisfying their cravings.

Here are some more ways that can help soothe teething process of puppy:

Toys

Make sure that the chewy toys are not too hard; it should be soft and flexible. It’s important to note that even when toys are safe with regards to ingestion or inhalation, it may not be good for your dog’s teeth. Even if the risk of chewing multiple objects is low, it still exists. Supervise your pup while they’re chewing toys, as none of them are 100% safe.

Bagel/ Fruits

A simple frozen bagel or fruit, can help sooth inflamed or sore gums and may help loose deciduous teeth fall out easily. However, make sure you only provide your pet the fruits that are safe for his health like Banana, apple, mango, raspberries; avoid giving fruits like grapes, cherries, raisins.

Wet Towel

Another way to reduce teething pain and fall out loose deciduous teeth is to use a wet towel. Use a dish towel that’s soaked in water; twist and freeze it before applying it to your dog’s mouth. Make sure the towel is new and clean and does not contain any loose threads.

Things to avoid during teething

Don’t pull loose teeth. Dog’s teeth have long roots that can break while pulling. This can cause severe pain or infection.

Don’t use ice cubes to soothe as your dog might gulp the ice which can trouble his teeth or can lead to choking.

Conclusion

We hope this information helps you to take care of your pup during teething. Even after your dog turns young and gets all his permanent teeth, he may still feel chewy; it’s vital to take care of his teeth, use the right chewy toys, and avoid using toys that are too big or too small. Also use chew treats and dental care products that are good for their oral health and hygiene.

Common Options Of Heartworm Preventives For Your Dog

Heartworm preventives are treatments given to pets to protect them from getting the heartworms. Preventives kill the heartworms larvae before they grow and turn into adult heartworms. Nowadays, there are number of heartworm preventives available in the market.

The pet owner should first have your dog tested for heartworms. If the test result is negative, then the vet may recommend you the preventive for heartworm that will work best for your canine. It is paramount to prevent this deadly disease, as the prevention will be cheaper and safer than the treatment. Here are the some of the preventive treatment options for heartworms in dogs which your vet may prescribe you to protect your furry pal as follows:

Monthly Oral Heartworm Treatments

Oral treatments which are orally administered to your pooch in the form tablets or Chewables. These products typically contain either Milbemycim or Ivermectin as their active ingredient. This has to be given one tablet or chew on a monthly basis and it will protect the whole month from heartworms. You have to take care that your pup has eaten the whole tablet or chew and does not spit any of it out. It is important that your pooch have the entire piece of the tablet or the heartworm treatment loses its effectiveness.

The product the vet will prescribe you are Panoramis and Interceptor spectrum, which are in oral form. These oral treatments have more than one function, this will not only kill heartworm larvae, but also eliminate the intestinal worms from your dogs such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. There are also ingredients involved which will help to eliminate or control the fleas from producing live eggs. These tables will be like a treat as they are flavored tablets. If your furry pal has an allergy then there are other alternatives of heartworms prevention in dogs.

Monthly Topical (Spot- On) Heartworm Treatment

There are topical (spot-on) heartworm preventative available for your Fido. These are applied on the body of your pooch at the surface of the skin such as the neck or between the shoulder blades. Spot-on treatment not only protect against the heartworms but also kill fleas. The heartworm product Revolution with Selamectin as the active ingredient which also helps to eliminate ear eliminate ear mites, mange mites, ticks and as well as some of the internal parasites. This product can be used for dogs and cats. There is another product known as Advocate which has got Moxidectin and Imidacloprid as active ingredients. This is a topical heartworm preventive available both for dogs and cats. This protects your pet from heartworm larvae, fleas, gastrointestinal worms such as roundworms, hookworms and whipworms.

The topical preventives are toxic if ingested, so make sure that your pet does not lick it or other pet come in contact for some time after application till it dries. Keep it out of reach of children. Ensure that after administering the pet you wash your hands thoroughly.

It doesn’t matter which alternative you choose for protecting your furry pal from heartworms. Make sure that read the labels carefully and follow the instructions. The treatment or doses have formulated according to the weight and age of your pooch or kitty. So, it is important that you follow the instruction and get the correct product for appropriate pet.

Autumn Pet Health Tips – From A Vet’s Journal

Autumn can be a great time to enjoy the aromatic air, the tantalizing landscape covered with the colours of red and orange, and of course your dog’s sprightly jump over those piles of dried leaves. Though pet parents are more concerned about winter and summer hazards, they rarely consider autumn, which is no exception with a platter full of different risks.

Generally, there are more issues related to cat and dog health to deal with during the transitional months of autumn.

Here are the few safety tips that dog and cat owner need to be well versed with to keep their pets healthy as the scenario of dwindling temperatures set in.

Exercise

With the temperature droppings, pet owners tend to neglect exercise which is the key for your pet’s health especially as the winters are on the way.  Lack of agility not only tend to put on weight but also paves way to behavioral issues such as chewing and barking to release energy. Moreover, weight gain can be a cause for certain diseases.

Therefore, ensure your dog continues his exercise regime without a miss.

Walking

Missing walks due to low temperature or bad weather is no excuse. Pet owners tend to neglect those dog walks as the days get shorter with nights colder. But the necessity to walk your dog should not be cut off. Your negligence of dog-walking duties does more harm to your pet than any good.

Balanced Diet

Diet has direct relation with your pet’s health. And the transitional month means, taking extra care when filling up that dog or cat bowl.

The low level of mercury means that your pet requires more amount of energy to generate heat for combating the cold.

Get nutritional diets for your dog or cat as per their health conditions while adding up supplements to ensure their overall wellbeing.

Dog Bedding

Start preparing winter beds as the temperature drops in autumn. Plan out a place in your house, which is warmer. Put your pooch’s bed on the raised platform covered with a lot of blankets.

In case your dog sleeps outside and in no way, he can be kept inside, prepare a proper kennel for him.  Ensure that the housing is dry with proper insulation and sloped roof. Keep some straw or cardboard to make it warm.

Cat Closets

For your indoor cat, you can arrange a basket stuffed with proper furnishing that can provide warmth. A place at a high level or near the hearth can be wonderful for her.

If your cat usually stays outdoors ensure that proper shelter is arranged for her to combat the chill air.

Clothing

As you wrap yourself with those chunky scarves and thick coats to face the cold weather, so is true for your furry pal. Get some warm clothes for your pooch or kitty to cover them up. Usually, pet owners are unaware of the fact that too cold air may also bring in running noses, cold, and cough in furry pals. So, it’s better to wrap them up to prevent all such conditions.

Preventive Treatments

Autumn does not mean ‘NO’ fleas or ticks. These nasty creatures are still there preparing to seek place in your homes to carry on their task during the winter. As the temperatures drop, pet owners also seem to drop the monthly flea and tick treatments which invariably lead to heavy flea and tick infestations with the winter approaching.

Thus, don’t render to miss those monthly parasitic treatments but rather gear up to keep a track of your pet’s flea, tick, and heartworm preventive treatments.