First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘animal health’

When considering a new pet, it is important to decide whether a cat or a dog is going to fit better into the family. There are some people that find it hard to decide between because they like dogs and cats. That’s why you need some pet health advice to steer you in the right direction. Choose the pet that fits around your lifestyle the best.

Why Cats Are Cool

Many people would agree that cats are furry bundles of fun, and they are great for the owner looking for a low maintenance pet. It is important that you let cats have their own space. Its not that they need a lot of exercise, its more a case of the foraging instinct kicking in and they want to go out. Now when it comes to pet health, cats mainly suffer with hairball problems and these should be monitored. Avoid milk as many are lactose intolerant and cats find it hard to digest. A good tip is to add water to the dry food you feed the cat so that it aids the digestion process.

Cats are great pets and easy to look after. However, they are not the warmest of animals when it comes to companionship and affection, which is why many people opt for a dog instead. Some people suffer with cat allergies too, caused by the saliva, so check your family aren’t allergic before getting a cat.

The Dog – Man’s Best Friend

Dogs have always had a warm place in people’s hearts and there are more dogs than ever before in Britain. One thing they’re not is low maintenance though, so be prepared to devote many hours to your dog if you decide to get one. Man’s best friend is loyal and can be great with kids. However, dogs also require a lot of attention and exercise to keep healthy, and pet health is very important with dogs. The dog will need a lot of protein based foods and there are many manufacturers out there today that can provide the right type of dog food for animals in all life stages.

Remember that grooming is an important aspect you need to be aware of and this can help with general pet health. Do not feed chocolate, as this is poisonous to dogs and their pet health.

Dogs are very curious animals and as omnivores and natural scavengers, can get into and eat just about anything.   However, there are many toxic substances found in your home that could potentially kill your dog. The following is a list of 4 common household substances that you should make sure to keep out of your dog’s reach. Just by following these simple steps you can make sure your dog health care routine is boosted.

1) Antifreeze: Many people do not realize it, but common antifreeze kills many pets each year. It smells and tastes very sweet to your dog and is very appealing to him. The core ingredient of antifreeze is ethylene glycol and this is very dangerous. Symptoms of toxicity include seizures, vomiting, stumbling and lethargy leading to kidney failure. You can prevent this painful death by just making sure the product is kept far out of reach. If your dog does end up ingesting some antifreeze, call the vet immediately.

2) Chocolate: Dark chocolate is a prime example of something very dangerous to dogs. It does usually take a large amount of chocolate to kill a dog, but even small amounts can be fatal. The symptoms you need to be aware of with chocolate poisoning are diarrhoea and vomiting. After this, you can even find the dog suffers seizures. Even the slightest suspicion that your dog might have even chocolate means you have to visit the vet to get checked out. Chocolate ingestion is very dangerous for your dog’s health.

3) Bleach: Something like bleach is highly toxic to your dog. Anything containing bleach should be out of sight and out of mind. If your dog does drink bleach, the symptoms are nasty, including abdominal pain.   Do NOT induce vomiting if you suspect your dog has ingested bleach and contact your vet immediately. Remember that by doing these simple things, your dog health care routine stays in check.

4) Mouthwash: Mouthwash can contain boric acid which is highly toxic to dogs. Mouthwash poisoning can even send your dog into a coma, which is a heartbreaking thought. You should take your dog to the veterinarian immediately if you suspect poisoning by mouthwash or other household item containing boric acid like contact lens solution or denture cleaner.

If you own a pet then you have to take responsibility for it and this means looking after its health and keeping toxic products out of reach. Making sure your dog has a lovely conditioned coat is important, as is showering it with love, but this isn’t a good dog health care routine if your pet ends up dying from ingesting a toxic substance. Just remember that if you suspect anything bad has happened, then it is time you made a swift visit to the vet.