Choosing a veterinarian for your dog.

How does one decide which veterinarian to use for their dog? What if you also have cats, or other pets that may need to see a veterinarian from time to time?

When you call a veterinarian for the first time, ask what the vet specializes in, such as-small animal care, or large animal care. A vet that works with horses or farm animals won't usually see small animals. Veterinarians who see small pets, such as your family dog, won't usually make house calls to help with a problem with your horses.

This does not mean the vet is not qualified-it is more of a preference. Like physicians who specialize in pediatrics, and therefore don't handle obstetrics, veterinarians sometimes specialize.

Also, consider the location of a veterinarians office when finding one to treat your dog or cat. If you have an emergency, you want to be able to get your dog or cat to the vet quickly. Having a vet two towns away will be very inconvenient.

Once you have taken a dog to the veterinarian's office, go with your intuition. If you feel the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and your pet seems calm, you may be in the right place. When a dog acts very unhappy to be in a place, remember, dogs and cats can hear and smell things you can't. Respect the intuition of your pet instead of your own.

Price, of course, is always a factor. If you feel you can get a better price elsewhere, why not ask the office about their rates, and see if you can get a better price? Especially if you a paying cash, rather than using a credit card, the office may agree. In these times of high unemployment and foreclosures, a discount may very well be in order. And-you won't know until you ask!


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Keeping our Pets Pest Free

How do we keep out cats and dogs free of fleas and other pests? What are the best products to use, and how should we go about this?

There are many products available for purchase without having to go to a veterinarian, and many are also available on line. However, first, it probably is best to talk to a veterinarian. You want to do what is best for your furry friend, and there are some things you may need to know. For instance: You can't use the same treatment on a cat that you use for your dog. Also, there are products you might be able to use on a dog if you don't have a cat in your house. If you also have a cat in your house, the products you use for your dogs will have to be different.

Flea collars are something most of us have used over the years. With the introduction of topical products that may keep our pets pest free with just a once a month application, many of us choose this. If your pet is outside in grassy areas you know could be filled with fleas and possibly ticks, be sure your veterinarian takes this into consideration.

Because you use a product on your pets to help eliminate fleas and ticks, don't feel you will never find something on your pet you were not expecting. Ticks in particular we have found are always trying to hitch a ride. Check you pet daily for any offenders. A thorough brushing every day will usually let you see if there is anything to be concerned about.

Be sure to continue bathing your dog on a regular basis with a product suggested by a veterinarian who knows what other products and medications your dog or cat is taking. This can help with your effort to keep your pet pest free, while avoiding unnecessary health concerns.


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Does your dog get bored?

What does your dog do all day while home alone?

Do you think about what your dog is doing all day while home alone? Hmmm. You may wonder if the dog is missing you, watching the door, eagerly anticipating your return. Or, does the pooch just sleep until a human shows up?

You no doubt remember to leave plenty of water, and some food for your dog while you are gone, but what else could you do? Be sure your dogs toys are within reach, and not stuck under a piece of furniture. Okay, that was an easy one. What else?

Some people say they phone home and talk to the answering machine so the dog will hear their voice. They claim the dog moves around, barks, and has some activity it might not otherwise have. It's hard to say if a dog appreciates this from their human, because they can't blog!

Owners have gone as far as to leave a television on in the room the dog will mainly be in while the human is at work. Is this safe, or could it be a fire hazard? Other owners think a radio would be a cheaper, and safer idea to keep some noise in the house for the dog.

If you leave edible treats for your dog, you probably know they are the first thing the dog attacks once you leave the house. If you can get your dog in the habit of chewing hard toy bones that are made specifically for dogs who feel the need to chew, the dog may have something to do besides sleep.

However, as canines do like to snooze most of the day away even when their humans are around, don't feel guilty about not having an entertainment committee on hand while you are working to earn doggie treat dollars.

Ever thought about setting up a web cam of sorts to find out for sure what goes on while you are gone? That may be fun. What about snapping a picture of the dog's pile of toys before you leave one morning, and see what is different when you get home? You may be surprised to see your dog did actually have some fun alone.


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Preventing Canine Obesity

How can you prevent canine obesity when everyone loves to feed treats to the family dog. No one is keeping track of who is doing this when, how many times a day, how much each time. Soon your little dog is dragging it's tummy on the ground.

Hmm. How did this happen?

Some think it's cute to see a fat dog. The truth about canine obesity is this: There really is nothing cute about something that will shorten a dog's life. If a fat dog does not die young, it will at least be unhealthy compared to a trim, well exercised dog. Determine to get your dog back on track to living a healthy life. How do you begin?

Check the food you are using. Is this the one recommended for the breed you own? Also, check to see that you are feeding the dog the amount of dog food and treats recommended. If you have an obese dog that is supposed to have 1 cup of dry food each day, and you are giving it just 10% more daily, expect it to gain weight on a regular basis.

What about the treats you buy? Ask your dog's veterinarian what type of treats are good, and how often it is okay to give the dog a treat: Once a day, or once an hour?

Exercise is important for your dog, and it is important for you. Don't allow the dog to miss it's daily walk, or it's chance to run outside each day. If you can't fit dog walking into your schedule, find someone in the neighborhood, or in your family to do it.

Exercise is especially important if your dog has been in a pet crate all day. It's funny how people who have overweight dogs are sometimes themselves dealing with weight issues.

For the health of your pet, for the life of your pet, give your dog's health serious thought. If your dog is obese, fat, pudgy, deal with it now.

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Creating A Dog Grooming Station

Photo copywritten property of T. Anthony

Creating A Dog Grooming Station

If you are currently reaching over the family bathtub to bathe your pet, think about making your life a little simpler. With a reasonable amount of money, and some expertise, you may be able to have a pet grooming station in your home.

You will need a money, a laundry tub, a plumber, or handy family member.

Determine where you have space to locate a laundry tub. This can be near the plumbing in your laundry room, bathroom, or any other part of the house. It does not have to be in the same room; It can be on the other side of the wall where plumbing exists in a wall, so that a plumber can tap into the existing pipes. This gives the option of installing a pet grooming station outside the house if needed.

See Lowe's for a good deal on a laundry tub with cabinet. Purchase the laundry tub you have room for. Lowe's has several that start around $100. A simple laundry tub works great to begin building your pet grooming station. This might not be as high class as the one your favorite groomer has, but will be all you need at home. The one we used included the cabinet, and the spay faucet, which you will want.

A plumber, or handy family member, will tap into the existing plumbing, connecting the laundry tub you purchased to the water supply. This can be quite easy, or very complicated, depending on the structure of your home. We have been able to accomplish this easily in several homes.

Your pet grooming station can be as simple, or glamorous, as you prefer. Once you have your laundry tub installed, find a used table to place near the laundry tub. Your pet grooming station can be as simple, or glamorous, as you prefer. Place a hamper for the dog's towels near your tub. Keep grooming tools and shampoo in the cabinet. Think about purchasing a hair dryer just for the dog. These are easy yard sale finds.

Choose pet grooming tools from online sources, or at your favorite pet supply store. You do not need to buy professional dog grooming supplies, because you are not a groomer. Inexpensive tools should last several years if you only have one or two dogs. See resources below.

You are ready to groom your pet at home. No, you won't be ready to open a pet grooming business, but you will be able to save a few dollars each year doing some of your pet's grooming. Also, you have the convenience of rinsing or completely grooming your dog as you see fit-not when you can get an appointment.

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How To Groom Your Dog At Home

If you want to groom your dog at home, but don't have a clue where to begin, think about this: If you take the time to learn some of the basics to groom your dog at home, you could save several hundred dollars each year.

Saving money is something most of us are interested in these days, but face it-we don't know how to do everything. We may have to hire someone to dig a well if we don't have the equipment. But, grooming a dog? The basics should be fairly easy to comprehend. This does not mean you will not use a professional several times a year. However, with the economy the way it is, we are all being forced to do more things than we did before.

The groomers we usually use are great. They have expertise no one in our family even begins to have. However, with our pet bills being close to our monthly utility bills, we had to make some adjustments.

We do have a dog washing tub, which is a welcome addition to our Florida room. We have the correct shampoos, some clippers, and the proper brushes and combs for our dogs.

If you have dogs that have long hair you may feel they need to be bathed weekly. Some vets say this is fine as long as you are not using a shampoo that is not for dogs. The vet we use told us to rinse the hair, but don't shampoo every time. Rinsing is enough to get the mud and dirt out of the dog's hair. This vet also recommended oatmeal shampoo to prevent dryness when we do shampoo. Your vet may have a different recommendation, depending on the breed of dog you have.

The dog washing tub we installed is sold as a laundry tub. The tub is deep enough that most dogs can't see what is going on outside of the tub. This tub has a spray faucet, which is ideal. With a cabinet under the tub for supplies, it was a bargain at Lowe's Home Improvement for a bit more than $100.

If you use a tub of any sort, place a shower mat under the dog so it does not slip. Be sure all shampoo containers have tight seals so they will not leak if dropped while washing the dog.

Before we wash our dogs, we are sure to brush and comb them thoroughly. When washing the dogs, we do not allow water to get into their ears, or use the spray of water to get near their eyes. We wash the eyes and ears with a wash cloth, and plain water. We haven't found a need to use anything other than water in these areas, and have never asked our groomers what they use.

We use a standard hair dryer set on medium. We dry about half of the hair, and let the rest of the hair dry naturally.

Once the dog is dry, we comb and brush the hair again. If we feel the dog's hair should be trimmed, we have a table near the washing tub that is just for this purpose. It allows the dogs to be at the height needed so that we do not have to bend over the table. Learning to trim long haired dogs seems to be an art. We give trims, not styles-that the groomer will do.

The dogs may not look perfect, but we feel the $400 or so we saved in the last 12 months is worth these pets looking a little less then Hollywood.

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How to Pick a Dog for Your Family

Having a family pet may be very important for the health and happiness of humans who have them. Making the choice to add another mouth to feed, and another living thing that will need care is a big one. Proceed with as much caution as love. If you think a dog is sense

Consider making a list of what you expect from a pet. Are you looking for companionship? Are you looking to be entertained by a pet? Do you expect a dog to fill a void in your life, or that of a family member? Do you enjoy cleaning up messes? How about getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning to walk the dog?

Talk to at least one local veterinarian. A vet can give you many ideas on what to look for in a pet. Also, a vet can help you realize if you are being realistic about your choice. A trip to a vet several times a year may not be in your budget.

Choose a dog food that will keep your dog happy. Discuss all needs of the pet you can think of with anyone who will help you. How much will it cost to feed a pet? Which food is best? Does your roommate agree to walk the dog every day at lunch break? Do any kids in the house agree to feed the dog each day at a set time? A pet is a living, breathing creature that needs full time assistance. They can't open the door, fill their water bowl, express an illness.

Think: A pet for a companion may seem a wonderful idea-yet we must remember they could need us for 15 years.

Pets can be very expensive. Research on line which ones have less illnesses, and less medical needs as they age.

Taking the time to research these issues will give you a much better idea of the pet that is best for you, and your household.

Photo

and dog property of

Tas Anthony

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