Tips for Adopting a Healthy Dog

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Believe it or not, when adopting a dog you need to make sure the dog is healthy first. Unless you are intentionally adopting a dog with special health issues, finding a healthy dog is an important step in the adoption process. Many new dog owners make the mistake of assuming that the dog is healthy and then become overwhelmed and incapable of dealing with a dog's health problems. The following are some general guidelines that will help you to adopt a healthy dog.

Adopt from Reputable Institutions

When adopting a dog, try to choose organizations that have a good reputation or that are well known. Choosing a well known institution like the SPCA for example, will ensure that you will be informed of all the dogs health needs. Certainly, organizations such as the SPCA care as much about animals as you do and they would want to be sure that the dog is well taken care of.

Visit a Veterinarian

Before committing to adopt a dog, agree with the agency that you can have your own veterinarian perform a check-up on the dog. This will certainly cost you a bit of money but you will be sure that your new dog is in good physical condition.

Know Your Breeds

Especially if you are considering adopting a pure bred dog, you should know as much as you can about the breed you are interested in. Many pure bred dogs have specific health conditions that can come about at any age. This is an extremely common problem that should not be overlooked. In fact, there may even be some medical procedures that your veterinarian will recommend to prevent future illness or health concerns. In addition, ask your vet to conduct a thorough blood test and fecal and urine analysis as these tests can provide information about possible future problems related to breed.

Interact with the Dog Before Adoption

Many new dog owners fail to give due attention to the dog before they adopt him or her. Adopting a dog is an exciting time in one's life but it is important to not get lost in that excitement. Spend as much time with the dog as possible to see how s/he interacts with you and pay special attention to possible behavioral problems. In addition, by observing the dog, you can watch for any strange characteristics that might be a warning of health problems.

Get the Medical Information

Finally, be sure to ask for any pertinent medical documents or histories before you adopt a pet. This will hopefully give you a clear indication of the dog's current health.

Keeping your Cat Free of Fleas

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Dealing with fleas can be a highly frustrating and time consuming activity. While most cat owners will agree that flea season can drive you crazy, there are several natural, preventative measures that you can take to keep your cat free of fleas. For cats, the main symptoms associated with fleas are often itchiness and allergies, many kittens with fragile immune systems can become ill. Skin irritations and hair loss are also sometimes associated wit fleas but perhaps the biggest problem is that fleas reproduce very quickly and can infest your entire house.

Bathing

Bathing your pet is one of the best preventions to fleas. Unfortunately, bathing a cat can be quite a challenging endeavor. If your cat is still young, it is important to familiarize it with being bathed so that it is easier when they become older. Cats are naturally averse to water but exposing them to bathing from a young age can make the chore more manageable latter. However, if you're trying to bathe an older and more stubborn cat, here are some tips:

1. Think about what you're wearing. Wearing a long-sleeved sweater or shirt can protect you from scratches and you'll probably want to wear older clothes that you don't mind if they get torn or dirty.
2. Don't bathe your cat alone. It's best to have one person holding your cat's legs and jaw to prevent being scratched or bitten.
3. Trim your cat's nails before bathing. Obviously this is done to reduce scratching.
4. Have all bathing necessities on hand. Make sure that you have shampoo, towels, a comb, and all other items on hand as soon as you start the bath. It will speed up the process so that you and your cat don't have to suffer any longer than necessary.

Keep Your Cat's Environment Clean

It is also important to keep your cat's environment clean. Regularly washing bedding, at least once a week, can help prevent fleas from reproducing. You should regularly machine wash blankets and other bedding in hot water to kill any fleas. Similarly, even if your cat sleeps on the carpet it is important to keep this area clean. You should diligently vacuum carpets especially where your cat tends to sleep. Also, don't forget to vacuum your furniture as well. Anywhere that your cat might spend time, including sofas, chairs, and other furniture should be vacuumed as often as your carpets. If possible, it might even be best to try to close off areas of the house to your cat in order to prevent the spread of fleas.

How to Keep Your Dog Cool During the Summer

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Depending on where you live, we all know that the summer can be very hot and uncomfortable for us. Considerate pet owners will know that the same discomfort that affects people is likely to affect their dogs as well. As such, it is important to take certain steps to keep your dog cool during the hottest summer months. The following are some tips that you can easily follow whether you are indoors or outdoors with your dog.

Indoor Tips

1. Air conditioning is obviously a great way to keep the house cool during the hottest months; unfortunately this isn't always a viable option for most people. Instead, you can also invest in some fans for around the house. Moving the air around in the house prevents air from becoming stagnant. Also, when temperatures start to cool, you can put fans near open doors and windows to circulate cooler air throughout the house.
2. Keep your pet hydrated! Just as people need to drink more water during the summer to prevent dehydration and heat stroke, so do dogs. Constant water access for dogs regardless of the season is advisable for all pet owners so it makes sense to ensure there is always water for your dog during the hot summer months. However, if you have a puppy that is not quite house trained, you may want to limit access to water during the night.

Outdoor Tips

1. Although it's important to give dogs regular exercise, try to be mindful of the temperature. Once summer temperatures rise above 27 C (or about 80 F) you need to refrain from taking your dogs for longer walks. Also, consider avoiding walking on asphalt as it can get very hot on their feet. A trip to the park, or the beach, or somewhere that your dog can enjoy the water is a great alternative.
2. Avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest hours of the day. Usually late morning to early afternoon is the hottest period of the day. Make sure your dog has access to shade during these hours or just stay inside the house.
3. Finally, always make sure your dog has access to water if you're going to be outdoors for long periods of time. Ample drinking water is important but it is also nice to pour water on your pet if it is especially hot.
   

Traveling with your Pet? Here's Five Tips for Making it a Pleasant Trip

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Whether you're traveling with cats or dogs, it can sometimes be a challenge to make the trip comfortably. This article will specifically discuss a few helpful tips to make car travel more comfortable, and therefore more pleasant, for both you and your pet. The following five tips for pleasant travels with your pet can be easily followed regardless of whether you have a cat or dog.

1. Let your pet investigate - If you want your dog or cat to be comfortable with car travel one great, and easy, tip is to let the investigate your car a few times before you go on your trip. Your dog will enjoy sniffing around to see what he can find and the chance to familiarize himself with this new environment will reduce anxiety when it actually comes time to travel. The same goes for cats. They tend to show higher anxiety levels in new environments so exposing pets to your vehicle on a few different occasions when you're not actually traveling will help them adjust to the trip.
2. Practice makes perfect - One simple idea is to take your dog or cat on several shorter trips first. Driving around locally will allow them to grow more confident traveling in the car and it also gives you a chance to judge their reactions. Many animals will have absolutely no problem with going in the car while others will show some signs of stress. Plus, if you practice with mini trips it'll be easier to deal with any emergencies that may come up.
3. The first destination should be a pleasant one - Animals are not stupid. If you were to take your dog or cat for an unpleasant veterinary trip on their first time in a vehicle, chances are they're going to associate the car with that unpleasantness. This can make future car trips extremely stressful for both pet and owner. Instead, take your pet somewhere that they are likely to enjoy themselves, like the park for example, so that they can associate car travel with having a good time.
4. Car sickness might be the biggest problem - Many animals suffer from car sickness and, rather than behavioral problems, this is often the biggest issue pet owners face. The fact is that car travel is not exactly a natural activity for animals or people and often car sickness will result. It's best not to travel immediately after a meal.
5. Acclimatize to the pet carrier - Traveling with a pet carrier is the safest way to travel by car for your pets. Unfortunately, pets are often very reluctant to go in a pet carrier. As such, it is important to familiarize your cat or dog with their pet carrier from a young age. Let them sleep in it, for example.