Stuffed Animals

Those solutions are certainly solutions, and they do work. However, flea and tick treatments, both over-the-counter ones and prescription ones, usually contain toxic chemicals. Not only can those chemicals potentially poison your pet, they can also harm you and your family. Even when you apply them following the instructions provided, pesticides such as tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur can be deadly if you are in contact with them on a regular basis. Think of little Susie picking up Fluffy and hugging her tightly, cooing in her little whiskered face how much she loves the kitty. Do you seriously want to have toxic chemicals radiating their fumes just inches away from little Susie’s face?

The Natural Resources Defense Council has a mission to protect wildlife and animals of all kinds, and to ensure that life on earth exists in a health environment. Their new report on pesticides for the flea control and ticks strongly recommends that the FDA should ban some pesticides from being used in pet products, and the NRDC advises consumers to closely scrutinize how safe products on the market are, before using them on their pet.

The NRDS examined the listed ingredients of over 100 flea and tick treatments, to compile a report about which chemicals they contain and how toxic those chemicals are. The report details which chemicals have been scientifically linked to allergies, asthma, and even cancer in humans, and which are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Every product is categories in the report according to its possible risks. Young children and pregnant women are especially at risk, and should try to avoid all pesticides that may be used on animals. Spot treatments, in particular those containing phenothrin and cyphenothrin, may pose a hazard to both people and pets because they are very concentrated.

In some cases, particularly severe infestations, chemical control is unavoidable. In these cases, consumers can choose a safer treatment and avoid extremely toxic chemicals by following the recommendations on the NRDC’s list. But for regular ongoing prevention of flea and tick problems, there are several safe and effective natural solutions.

Regular vacuuming, coming, and bathing of your pet can greatly reduce the spread of fleas. Fleas caught in brushes and combs can be drowned easily in soapy water. Baths control fleas easily, and any soap will get rid of the fleas – you don’t need a chemical-laden flea soap to do the trick. Your pet’s bedding should be washed in warm water at least once a week. Fleas have a tendency to accumulate and breed in pet bedding, so when you gather up the bedding to put it in the wash, take care not to fluff the bed or shake it, to avoid spreading any flea eggs or larvae that might be secreted in the bedding. When you vacuum, bags should be thrown away immediately to prevent the fleas from being able to escape and re-infest the area. For a severe infestation, a professional carpet cleaning using a steam cleaner will do the trick. Read the rest of this entry »

Help Fido and Fluffy celebrate the season safely by protecting them from these holiday pet health hazards:

* Mistletoe, holly, poinsettias and Christmas lilies all make lovely holiday decorations but are all toxic to pets when ingested. Mistletoe causes gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. Holly and poinsettias can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and lethargy.

* When using holiday plants to decorate your dining table, move them to a location where pets can’t reach between mealtimes. Hang mistletoe where pets can’t reach it; berries are highly poisonous, and highly attractive to cats. Don’t allow pets to remain in the room with your Christmas tree without supervision. Even eating a few pine needles can cause a puncture in pet intestines!

* Tape down or otherwise secure electrical cords for holiday lights to prevent chewing on them and unplug tree lights before leaving home.

* Secure your Christmas tree to the ceiling to keep it from falling on pets. Don’t let pets drink water from the tree holder. Even fresh water can contain fertilizer residue, and stagnant water is full of bacteria. If you use tree water preservative, be sure to buy one that’s labeled non-toxic in case pets decide to quaff while you’re not looking. And NEVER use aspirin as a preservative in tree water. Ingesting aspirin-laced water can cause serious illness and even death.

* Keep tinsel and other ornaments well out of pet range. Cats in particular like to play with tinsel, and some will eat it, which can block intestines. Pets can mistake ornaments for toy balls to pets, and shards from broken glass ornaments can cause injury to mouths and paws. Swallowed, they cause major injuries to stomach and intestinal tract.

* If pets persist in trying to play with ornaments, blow up a few balloons and hang on lower branches and stick around until your dog or cat snares one. The sharp sound of even one balloon breaking is often enough to convince even the most determined pet to leave tree decorations alone.

* Once gifts have been opened, have children put their new toys away, especially those with small parts that can cause choking and intestinal blockage in dogs and frequently need to be removed surgically.

* Most pets love snoozing on a warm hearth. Always use fireplace screens, even when you think the fire is completely out. Keep candles out of pet reach and extinguish when leaving the room.

* To reduce stress, maintain pets’ routines. Walk your dog as you always do. Serve pets’ meals at regular times. Make sure fresh water is always available for them.

* Remember that holiday foods that are fine for people can make pets seriously ill. Macadamia nuts can cause muscular weakness, depression, vomiting, disorientation, tremors, abdominal pain and muscle stiffness in dogs. Chocolate can be fatal; ingesting as little as 1/4 ounce can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity and increase thirst, urination and heart rate.

* Call your veterinarian immediately if you think your pet may have ingested something toxic. If unable to reach your vet call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour emergency hotline at 1-888-4-ANI-HELP.

Julie S. Crawshaw is a freelance writer, animal lover and the author of Talking With Animals, available at http://www.howtotalkwithanimals.com.

Visit http://www.howtotalkwithanimals.com/books.html for more articles about interacting and communicating with animals.

     The care for exotic pets is also more expensive, as some of these animals require a veterinarian with specialized knowledge and skills in order to properly care for the them. This is one reason why many owners of such animals seek out insurance. Some have even declared that they would never again be without such coverage because of the amount of money that they have saved due to unexpected veterinary pet bills.

     Recent studies have reported that approximately 40% of all reptile owners have needed to take their pet in for an unplanned veterinarian visit at some point during the previous two years. The study went on to report that over one third of these cases ended up requiring three or more veterinary office visits during that same time frame. This is just one example of how pet insurance for exotic creatures is very beneficial, because for some people, such a level of care would not be affordable.

     One of the common misconceptions about exotic pet insurance is that it only covers health related costs, such as veterinarian fees and prescriptions. However, most of the insurance policies for exotic pet coverage will provide for many additional benefits as well. Much of what is covered will depend on the type of coverage you choose and the cost of such coverage and how it fits within your own budget constraints. Read the rest of this entry »

     Pet health insurance now equips and supports the pet owners with insurance covers that are provided at different levels of care. The changes include the areas which were previously considered ‘cost prohibitive’ by the insurance providers. Most pet owners react from the hassles they face when dealing with insurance red tape and problems prevalent in the human health care fields. The increasing cost of veterinary medicine and the responsibility of the pet are leading pet owners across the globe to address the need for dedicated pet health insurance. The cover basically takes care of animal hospitalization and health care needs addressed by the veterinary.

     What does pet health insurance take care of?

     The pet owners are responsible for veterinary costs incurred, like preventive or routine pet care, emergencies and conditions that require hospitalization. The pet health policies are quite similar to human insurance policies. Pet health insurance also involves the payment of annual or semi annual premiums, calculating deductibles and evaluating the different coverage plans based on budget and specific terms and conditions. In the case of the animals, the pet health insurance plans are based on the species, the pet’s age and any pre-existing health conditions. In certain policies, the lifestyle of the pet, which needs to be declared as indoors or outdoors, is also considered. Most of the pet health insurance companies offer policies to animals that have completed a certain number of months since birth. There are some that do not follow the ‘age limit’ criteria at all and yet some others who actually design pet health insurance policies and plans for ages between those specified by the company only.

     Qualification criteria: Read the rest of this entry »