Pet Help

June is the start of summer and is the official National Pet Adoption Month, what a better way than to start with adopting a pet. There are so many animals in your local shelters that need a loving home. Many of these animals have been abused, mistreated, abandoned, or their owner just was not prepared for the responsibility. Here are some great tips to get you ready for your pet.

• 1.The shelter where you intend to adopt your pet should be clean and professional. Make sure the staff is friendly and have a good understanding of the pet’s behavior. If the shelter and cages are dirty and the pets look distant and timid. Run!!!!!
• 2.If you have children or another pet and you are getting them a companion, bring them with you so you can see the interaction between your children and/or pet and the new pet you intend to adopt. Nothing is worse than bringing home a new pet just to bring it back because they become aggressive towards your children or pet.
• 3.Research! Research! Research! Have questions about where the pet came from, how they have interacted with the staff, do the pet have a behavior issue, etc. For more info check out the www.aspca.org.
• 4.Do you have time for a pet? Dogs, cats, and other animal companions cannot be ignored just because you’re tired or busy. They require food, water, exercise, care, and companionship every day of every year. Many animals in the shelter are there because their owners didn’t realize how much time it took to care for them.
• 5.Be Prepared. The costs of pet ownership can be quite high. Licenses, training classes, spaying and neutering, veterinary care, vaccinations, grooming, toys, food, kitty litter, and other expenses add up quickly.

Most of the pet supplies can be easily bought online at a great online retailer like Entirelypets.com . Here is a pet essentials grocery list to prepare for even before you get your new pet home.

• 6.Fleas, ticks, and other nasty bugs. Be prepared to protect your pets from nasty bug that can hurt your pets. Have Frontline defend against fleas and ticks, and then have Heartgard to protect them from Heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms. Heartgard is especially need for pet who like to go in the yard.
• 7.Have a place for your pet to sleep. Having a pet bed like the Climb or the Sleep by Otis & Claude is perfect because it is easy to clean and your pet can identify a resting place.
• 8.Having the right pet food. You should buy pet food that is suited for your pet’s age and type. Pet who have the wrong food diet can get severely sick so we recommend Hill’s Science Diet because of the custom formulations that they have for each stage of your pet.
• 9.Got toys and treats? One good way for you to train your pet and give them exercise as well is having toys and treats a moment’s notice. Toys like the Bettie fetch toy and the Ba Da Beam rotating Laser will have your pets exercising for hours. The treats is a great way to reinforce well habits and train your pet obey. It is also a great tool to have your pet feel comfortable around others.
• 10.Groom your pets. Brushing your pets help reduce the amount of allergens that your pets put up in the air. The FURminator is the best tool for this job because it get also removes hair from the under coat of your pet where it makes them itch.

Although it looks daunting to get a pet, it is one of the most rewarding things you can do for a pet and yourself. Once you have the essentials in place everything else will fall into place and you will enjoy the love that your pet will bring. Pets bring so much joy into your life that it can’t be quantified.

When you build your own fish tank, there are only a few really important things to do. Anyway, before buying your fish you should sit down and make a detailed plan about how to start up with your fish tank and answer yourself the following 3 questions:

1. Do I want a freshwater or a saltwater aquariums? (This is probably the most important question. Both fishes and plants can only survive in their natural habitat, freshwater and saltwater plants and fishes cannot be mixed with each other.)
2. How large do I want my fish tank to be? How many gallons of water should it hold? (The larger the aquarium, the more it weights. Never underestimate the weight of ‘a few litre water’ when calculating the weight of your aquarium. 1 U.S gallon are 3,8 litre are 3,8kg. A fish tank stand for a 55 gallon fish tank has to carry about 208kg water plus the fish tank itself!)
3. Do I want only one species in my fish tank or several different species? (Not every species is as peaceful as we want it to be. Mix the wrong fishes and watch how the attack each other instead of getting along with each other.)

After answering this three questions, you probably know, what you want to have. The next step is to gather all supplies you need to build your own fish tank. You need at least the following 5 piece of equipment:1. The fish tank itself - only use tanks that are made for being filled with water! Never divert some canister from its intended use! Can you image a dozen litres of water pouring on your floor because the container you used (maybe to save some bucks) burst under the large weight?

2. The fish tank stand - Since you know the proportions of your fish tank now, you can calculate, how much weight the fish tank stand will has to endure.

3. A filtration system - Without any filtration system the water in your fish tank will become cloudy in no time. The filtration system depends on how much water it is supposed to filter. If your filtration system is too weak, the amount of filtered water will be to low and it will have no effect at all. A good filtration system also provide fresh oxygen.

4. Heater - Most fish species have a certain temperature which represents their natural environment. Your fish will be unable to survive if the water in your aquarium it either to warm or too cold. Temperature fluctuations can have the same effect, that is why a constant temperature should be provided. Tropical fish will most likely prefer a warmer water.

5. Light - A light system is important for your fish and the plants in your aquarium. Like any other animal, fish have a day and night cycle and they will negatively react to any disturbance. How would you react, if the sun would rise an set randomly?

Now that you know what kind of fish tank you want to have and what kind of equipment you need, you know how to build your own fish tank.

We know that you want your pet to be happy and healthy. We know that you will do anything to make sure they stay that way. One of the most important things you can do to make sure your pet lives a long and happy life is to watch it nutrition. The thing that makes pet nutrition so difficult to understand is the wide variety of nutritional products on the market; if you are at all confused about your pet’s nutritional needs you should consult your veterinarian.

Consider Your Pet’s Age

Different age pets have different nutritional requirements. Most pet food manufacturers make it easy to make sure your pet’s age nutrients are covered, they have designed foods for each of your pet’s stages of development. All you have to do is make sure you pick up the right bag of food while you are at the pet store. One of the biggest nutritional differences between young pets and old pets is the amount of protein they need. A young pet that is still growing needs more protein then a old pet.

Taking Medical Conditions into Consideration

If you have a pet that has a special medical condition such as chronic urinary infections or a heart problem, you will have to take extra care with its nutrition. We recommend that you seek the assistance of your pet’s veterinarian when you are trying to determine a balanced menu for your family pet. Your veterinarian will be able to give you a list of foods that your pet will be able to safely eat. They will also give you a list of foods and treats that will be detrimental to your pets overall health.

Changing Your Pet’s Nutrition

There are times in your pet’s life when you will have to change your pet’s food. Some pets are so into their food that they don’t seem to notice the change in food. Other pets notice the change and refuse to eat. If you need to change your finicky eaters’ food, we recommend that you do so gradually. We suggest you start mixing the two types of food together, start with just a small amount of the new pet food and increase the amount with each feeding. After a few days, the pet will be eating the new food.

Pet owners often love their pets in the same way that they love their children. So isn’t it important that you care for your pet’s health just as you would care for your child’s? The only way to make sure that your pets are healthy is to bring them to regular veterinary check-ups and feed them a nutritious diet. There are five basic treatments that you should follow in order to ensure that your animal will live the longest, healthiest life possible.

1. While you and your pet are at their yearly check-up, your veterinarian should draw a small amount of blood. The blood will be screened to check for any possible organ problems, thyroid disease, or diabetes. If the blood is normal, then that sample will provide a comparison for future blood work.

2. Just as vitamins are essential to the health of people, they are also essential to the health of animals. Vitamins can help pets avoid suffering from common problems including arthritis, skin problems, and tumors. As your pets get older, it becomes more and more important to give them vitamins since vitamins can also help many of the affects of age.

3. Make sure that the food you are buying for your pets are made with raw meat. Many pet foods are now being made with grain, but true nutrition comes from meat. Pets are animals that could survive in the wild and wild animals eat meat, raw meat. Animals’ digestive systems are made to digest raw meat, not processed grain.

4. However, even though your pets could be wild animals, chances are their ancestors have been domesticated for generations. This means that their digestive systems may have begun to adapt to grain food. It is still important to include raw meat in their diet, but make sure that your pet’s diet consists of other foods too, such as vegetables.

5. The best way to ensure that your pets are maintaining a nutritional diet is to make them food at home. Sometimes it is hard to find pet food that is made with raw meat. If that is the case, then you can feed your animal real meat, such as chicken, beef, lamb, etc. Just be sure to feed them raw meat sparingly. They need a well-rounded diet just like us!

Maintaining pet wellness is the most important part of making sure that your beloved animal will live a long and healthy life. The best way to do this is through regular veterinary procedures and proper nutrition. We wish you and your pet a long and healthy life!

Animals die needlessly when humans don’t take the necessary action to protect them. A bold statement but a true one, and a problem that has been solved through the introduction of Microchip RFID technology.

Through the use of microchip technology today companion animals can be chipped and the owners can make sure the registrations are submitted to one of the major recovery services in their country. The microchip is a small transponder that is activated by a scanner and reads the number of the chip that has been implanted in the animal. The procedure to do this involves a small needle being introduced under the loose skin between the shoulder blades of the animal and a microchip the size of a grain of rice being implanted through the sterile needle. It takes about the same time as it takes for giving the pet their shots or vaccinations. It has been used around the world and extensive testing has shown it to be safe for pets

According to a 1997 study of 1000 animal shelters across America,conducted by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, approximately one million dogs and 584,000 cats were taken in as strays. Unfortunately for the both the owners and animals only 16% of those dogs and 2% of the cats were returned to the owners. It is alarming that thousand of pets are euthanized because their owners cannot be found. We have the power to stop this.

When natural disasters such as Hurricane Rita or Katrina happen we see the importance of microchipping as the reunification of lost pets is enhanced. Accidents and natural disasters happen as do open doors and unlocked fences which allow the pet to escape without being noticed. Leashes and collars as well as collar tags can fall off or be lost and animals go missing. While some purebred pets are tattooed upon birth by breeders and kennels this is still mainly done for show dogs. The responsible answer is microchipping.

The cost of microchipping varies by veterinary charges and registration fees varies but is usually around $45.00 and registration with the recovery services is free or a small annual fee to keep the registration current when people move. Some of these services keep the data current by regularily contacting and confirming the contact information with the owner. Others rely on the owner to keep the record updated, Some municipal governments use the tag information to license pets in their area and provide support for animal control activities. Others use metal tags and tokens that can fall off and be lost.

The success rate of microchipping is far better than other methods and improves on the hand written or copied notices with the pets picture on utility poles or grocery store bulletin boards. It is incumbent on owners to ensure their pets are chipped and registered, either though their vet or their local shelter. One less child relieved from tears and anguish and more animals saved from the finality of euthanasia is worth the effort.

The information contained in the registration allows the rapid contact and return of the animal upon arriving at animal welfare organization. Shelters across North America have scanners that can read and identify a wide variety of chips being used. In the United States there is a movement to international microchip standards (ISO) which are used in most developed countries including Canada. The current non-ISO chips in the US can be read today and in Canada the scanners read both ISO and non-ISO chips in scanners provided specifically for that market. Once the animal has been scanned and the pattern of the chip identified by the code and number, the appropriate registry is contacted. The registries are not all exclusive to the chip manufacturers and some include all chips that are in the market. One registry, 24PetWatch, is also integrated in real time with the largest online shelter software in North America to facilitate recovery and contact while others all have Toll-Free telephone numbers for recoveries. It is the least we can do to let Lassie come home.

Even though your kids want a pet and promise to take care of it, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are mature enough to handle the responsibilities of pet ownership. Pets offer companionship and teach children important life lessons about friendship and responsibility, however, some pets are better than others for certain ages and lifestyles. Following are 7 tips for choosing an age-appropriate pet for your family:

1. Choose a social pet Consider choosing an animal that has already been socialized and knows how to behave around children, such as an older cat or a dog with a history of getting along well with young children. Families with small children should be wary of bringing home a new puppy or kitten since baby animals require extra care and are more prone to scratching and playful biting.
2. Learn about breeds. Using dogs as an example, it’s important to know that some breeds, such as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, are traditionally gentle and friendly and, thus, offer a great choice for families with small children. Find information on different breeds online or at the library. Ask veterinarians or friends with similar pets about their experiences. Determine if you can accommodate the type of pet based on their exercise, space and attention requirements.
3. Practice first. If you have never owned a dog before, be sure to do a trial run with a relative or a friend’s dog before committing to the real deal. This way, you can make sure your kids are capable of tackling the responsibilities of caring for a pet.
4. Teach behavior. Show your kids how to act appropriately around animals, such as how to handle their new pet without squeezing, dropping, or disturbing the animal. Remind them to always wash their hands after handling any animal. Never leave a small child alone with a dog or cat until you know the pet is trained to stay calm. Remind children to ask the owner before approaching animals they don’t know.
5. Consider your schedule. Think about how much space you have inside and outside your home to accommodate a pet, how often you are home, and if you have time to devote to feeding, walking and cleaning up after a pet. This will help you determine if you want a pet that needs a lot of attention, or if you want a pet that requires minimal interaction. Also consider any allergies of family members before bringing a pet home.
6. Be prepared. Discuss the pet’s needs and type of care required and try to have all the equipment ready in your home before the new pet arrives.
7. Clean up potential hazards. When bringing a pet into your home, you will need to pet-proof it as you have childproofed your home, such as removing plants that are poisonous if ingested and securing electrical cords so the pet won’t chew on them.

Following are age-appropriate pet recommendations:

• Ages 3 to 5: Consider a guinea pig for preschoolers. Guinea pigs are gentle, like to be held and rarely bite.
• Ages 6 to 10: Consider “shelf pets” for elementary-age kids, such as fish, mice, hamsters and gerbils.
• Ages 10 to 13: Consider rabbits, dogs and cats for tweens.
• Ages 14 and up: Consider a bird or fish for teenagers. These low maintenance options are great for older kids who are busy with school and extracurricular activities.

Following are age-appropriate pet chores:

• Ages 3 to 6: Play with the pet while supervised, help pick up pet toys and wipe up spills caused by the pet.
• Ages 7 to 10: Feed and brush the pet. If the pet is a dog, this age group can help walk the dog.
• Ages 10 and up: Clean a cage, walk a dog, empty a litter box, bathe a pet and help give medications.