Cheap Pet Insurance

December 17th, 2009 by J Anne Moore

The joys of pet ownership come with the burdens of pet ownership. Fleas are one example of such a burden. At one point or another, all pet owners will have to treat and or prevent flea infestations on their beloved pets. Fleas are a hassle and are also a great discomfort to our pets. The faster we can get rid of them, the easy the job will be and the better our pets will feel.

The best way to deal with dog fleas is to prevent dog fleas. However, even with the best of intentions and discipline, our pets will at some time come into contact with fleas. The most effective way to deal with fleas is to take a multi-pronged approach. First, you must get rid of the fleas on your pet, Secondly, you must rid the immediate environment of fleas to prevent immediate re-infestation. Lastly, you must re-double your efforts towards flea prevention.

There are now some flea medications available though your local vet that make the fight against fleas much easier. These products include the brand names Frontline and Advantage. Both of these products, if used correctly, can rid your pet of fleas within 3 to 4 days of the first application. Your pet will feel noticeable relief within 1-2 days. Applied to the base of the pet’s neck, these solutions are non toxic to the pet.

There are also ways to get rid of fleas naturally. More common methods include rubbing olive oil on to your pet’s skin. Working from the head to the tail, the olive oil drowns the fleas. Of course, this method can prove to be expensive for larger animals. A similar method uses baby powder or talcum powder.

Pay close attention to the areas in your house in which your pet sleeps or passes his day. These areas will, most definitely, have fleas. Vacuum every surface your pet may have come into contact with. If feasible try to steam clean your furniture and carpets using the hottest water possible. Make sure you wash all of the bedding, throw blankets, pillow covers etc. Once you have vacuumed, make sure you seal the vacuum bag and take it out of your house.

Once you have eliminated fleas from your pet and your home you can think about taking steps to prevent further flea problems. There are commercially available flea prevention solutions and natural flea prevention solutions. Adopt whatever flea prevention tactics you are most comfortable with and which you will apply diligently. Preventing fleas is a lot easier than getting rid of fleas.

Please visit this dog fleas site, or find more information by clicking here.

December 15th, 2009 by Megan Smith

Fleas are a headache and can be dangerous to the health of your dog. Flea remedies would be unnecessary if pet owners would just use some all natural flea control techniques. People are always looking for natural healthy ways to treat fleas. The best and easiest way to deal with fleas is to prevent fleas. The best way to prevent fleas is to use natural flea control methods.

Flea prevention using all natural methods is cheap and easy. Some people use a citrus repellent which is clearly derived from the potent mosquito effects of citronella. To create a such a repellant for your pet, cut up a lemon and place in a pot. Cover the lemon pieces with boiling water and let them soak for 10 hours. After they have soaked, transfer the lemony liquid into a spritzer bottle. You now have dog friendly all natural flea repellent. Spray your dog or cat all over remembering to pay special attention to behind the ears, around the base of his tail and under your dogs “armpits”. Be careful of your pet’s eyes when spraying as citrus can sting.

You can also use an aromatherapy repellant for your dog. Use 10 ml. of sweet almond oil as your base and add 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of cedarwood. Shake the mixture well and spread 1 or 2 drops over the skin. Repeat this treatment as needed or at least twice a week. Admittedly, these ingredients are typical household ingredients but this really does work.

Lastly, a natural flea collar can be created by rubbing a few drops of eucalyptus oil, Tea Tree Oil, citronella, lavender or geranium essence on to your pet’s ordinary rope or webbing collar or even his or her bandanna. Re-apply the oil or essence as needed or at least every week.

Another common sense and very helpful suggestion is to reduce your dogs exposure to fleas. You may want to begin by reducing the dog fleas outside your home. A failure to deal with these fleas will result in your pet continually getting infested. One method to reduce fleas outside is to install a Purple Martin bird house. Purple Martins like to dine on dog fleas, thus controlling the outdoor flea population.

Fleas can be a serious dog health problem. The best flea remedy is to use an all natural flea control methods. Remember, fleas make your treasured pet very uncomfortable and they are no fun for the dog owner’s family either. The best cure for anything is an ounce of prevention, and this goes double for flea remedies.

If you have had enough with dog fleas, find more information about natural flea remedies at getting rid of dog fleas.

November 26th, 2009 by Geraldine Dimarco

Holistic dog health care is becoming a natural way for pet owners to provide a dog health diagnosis so their cherished pets are always at their healthiest.

Perhaps the most important aspect for a dog’s health would be a unique blend of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to make sure the joints, organs, and digestive systems make work in harmony. The skin and coat of your dog is probably the first sign either of health or illness in a dog. A great diet for your pet dog is holistic in approach, with meals consisting primarily, though not exclusively, of meat. The most important thing is to avoid processed foods.

Using a variety of essential oils, plant extracts, herbs and flowering essences, people have treated numerous ailments and conditions over the past thousands of years. Ancient healing practices have found their way into the field of pet healthcare in the recent times, to keep up with the increasing demand for a more natural approach to dog health diagnosis and treatment.

Canine herbal remedies include calendula and chamomile for treating wounds, with chamomile used to give relief for respiratory compaints as well. Flaxseed mixed with lots of water may help cure dogs who are constipated or have other bowel problems. Oats may help soothe your dog’s dry, itchy skin, and smelling lavender may help your pooch get some shut-eye if he is having difficulty sleeping.

Your vet can provide valuable input and recommendations in relation to holistic dog health care, but if you have a vet who is not interested in discussing alternative health methods with you, you should do your own research, as well as consider finding another vet who is willing to listen to your views about the use of alternative treatments for your dog.

There are an increasing number of veterinarians these days who are putting great stock in holistic dog health, making it a large part of their practice. A veterinarian who practices holistic pet care treats animals as a whole, rather than identifying a certain problem and prescribing one type of treatment related to that specific injury or illness.

As an example, if your dog presents with a skin rash displaying symptoms like itching, irritation, redness, and possible infection with concomitant fur loss, a presciption from a “traditional” vet would certainly include an antibiotic and maybe an ointment for the itching.

A holistic veterinarian will be more concerned about the source of the rash and why it happened even though they may still prescribe the two remedies. Keeping holistic care in mind, the dog’s indoor and outdoor environment, its daily lifestyle, eating habits and nutritional intake are all to be considered before diagnosing or treating the animal.

To find out about holistic dog health and dog health diagnosis to improve dog health in your dog, visit HealthierDogs.com

September 28th, 2009 by George Carmichael

Various websites are available that create gorgeous cat and dog necklaces fashioned from semi-precious stones and crystals. The crystals used to make the dog necklaces act as a holistic and alternative healing solution for your “best friend” your pet!

Ancient Chinese and Egyptians knew that semi-precious stones and crystals provided health benefits to the people who wore them. Crystals are created by wind, fire and rain; the natural life forces of Earth. In ancient times, it was believed that the energy from the Earth was trapped inside the crystals, and bore great health benefits.

Websites have conducted extensive research on the healing and health properties of various crystals and semi-precious stones. By utilizing the stones that will best suit the needs of your pet, beautiful dog and cat necklaces can be created. Pet necklaces will help to calm your pet, relieve its stress, and will provide numerous other holistic pet healing solutions. The following is a list of some of the precious stones used to fashion the Pet jewellery:

Pearl – Ensures longevity and good general health. The mother of all stones!

Carnelian – Provides help with arthritis.

Turquoise – Beneficial for the entire body, but the respiratory and immune systems in particular.

Turquoise – Beneficial for the entire body, but the respiratory and immune systems in particular.

Pearl – Ensures longevity and good general health. The mother of all stones!

Carnelian – Provides help with arthritis.

Not only will your pet look sharp wearing its pet necklace made from healing stones, but it is believed that your beloved animal will be receiving alternative and holistic health benefits that those reputable crystals and gems have to offer.

These healing stones and many more are being utilized by websites to fashion incredible pet jewellery. Your best friend will receive some excellent alternative health benefits based on the properties of the stones and crystals, and better yet, your pet will look really amazing!

Your pet will be stylin’ with bling and healthy too wearing a pet necklace made of semi-precious stones and crystals!

Not only will your pet look terrific in it’s new jewellry, it will potentially reap all of the holistic benefits that semi-precious stones and crystals can provide!

See incredible dog necklaces and pet necklaces that are believed to provide awesome health benefits! Feel good knowing that your pet has the beautiful bling that it deserves, and the healing stones and crystals said to help prevent illness, or relieve some stress.

September 7th, 2009 by Heather Fox

What exactly is a Hot Spot?

In the simplest of terms, a hot spot is an area of skin that has an infection. Typically, dogs with thick, long coats, dogs who swim and dogs who live in moist, humid environments are the most likely to have these localized skin surface infections. In addition, flea or bug bites can bring on these infections as well. Initially, these hot spots occur when an excess amount of moisture remains on the skin changing the environment of the skin and allowing bacteria to be present and grow. The bacteria release toxins which then inflame the skin and cause it to be itchy. As a result the dog will chew, bite and lick the area searching for relief. This action unfortunately causes the infection to get worse. This becomes a vicious cycle that can enlarge the spot quickly. It is amazing to note that these spots can appear quickly, usually within twenty to thirty minutes. As mentioned earlier, flea and bug bites can initiate this process as well.

Dog Hot Spot Symptoms – What to Look for at Home

Identifying a hot spot is fairly easy. In general they are large red, inflamed areas that are hairless and can often be oozing or scabbed over. The general localized location for hot spots is mostly on the hind legs or neck but can also appear anywhere on the body the dog can reach with its claws or teeth. In addition, the irritation of the skin can become so inflamed that is painful when touched.

Diagnosing Hot Spots

Generally, all that is needed to diagnose a hot spot is a visual inspection or physical examination.

If a dog seems to get many hot spots, some diagnostic tests may be needed to find out why. These include:

Skin scrapings to rule out mange

Fungal Culture – This will rule out Ringworm as the cause.

Blood Tests – These are used to rule or seasonal or inhalant allergies.

Blood and Skin Test – This can rule out an allergy to fleas.

Invasive treatment for fleas even if none are present.

Food Testing – This is performed in order to rule out an allergic reaction to food.

Treatment of Hot Spots

The most important things to address when treating a hot spot are:

Alleviate Itching

Remove the Infection

Keep the dog from chewing or licking at the area

Keep the area dry

All hair left on the area as well as that surrounding the area must be clipped. Then the spot must be cleaned with antibacterial soap and dried thoroughly. Oftentimes, these spots are so severe that this procedure is very painful. In these cases, the dog must be sedated.

The infection is treated with a combination of oral and topical antibiotics. Usually, the topical antibiotic that is used also contains a corticosteroid to help with inflammation. To stop the itching, a short course of oral corticosteroids is used. It is important to be aggressive in stopping the itching. This makes the dog more comfortable and stops it from continuing to chew on the spot. This breaks the itch-chew-infection cycle, which speeds healing.

If your dog is unable to stop licking the area, an Elizabethan collar or lamp shade like collar may be needed. This is generally only needed for a short period of time as most dogs become comfortable within 24 hours. Within one week, the hot spot is usually healed.

Dog Hot Spot Prevention

There are several different ways you can prevent hot spots from occurring. They are:

Using effective flea control both on your dog and in your environment

Trim long hair and thick haired breeds during the summer months

Whenever possible, prevent your dog from swimming

If swimming can not be prevented make sure that you dry your dog thoroughly

Heather Fox is a an experience veterinarian who writes and shares her knowledge with others. She is a featured writer on Clivir.com where she shared more information about Dog Illness Diagnosis and Dog Hot Spots Treatment.