When Your Pet's Gifts Aren't So Welcome! What Do You Do When Your Pet Brings Home More Than A Good Time From The Great Outdoors? This information is for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. The information is NOT to be used for diagnosis or treatment of your pet. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet. The information about medications is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, allergic reactions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for your pet. It is not a substitute for a veterinary exam, and it does not replace the need for services provided by your veterinarian. The use of this material is for the promotion of 1-800-PetMeds.com products only and not for the purpose of copyright infringement. All material presented here is the sole property of 1-800-PetMeds.com. - Touch the skin with the applicator tip. Don't put the applicator tip in the hair, because hair cannot absorb product. Put the tip on the skin, which is able to absorb the tick and flea medication.
- You can slide the applicator under the hair (rather than parting the hair with your fingers) if you are sure the applicator touches the skin.
- Apply along the back where the pet cannot reach.
- You can apply to one spot or several spots, however, the more often you lift the applicator tip and move to another location, the more likely you are to get product in the hair or on yourself. If it is difficult to do well, do it only once.
- For some pets it is helpful to apply both above and below the collar.
- For flexible cats, apply at the base of the skull rather than along the back. If a cat can lick it off, the medication won't work and the cat may get sick.
- Do not rub the tick or flea product in.
- Keep your fingers away from the applicator tip so that the pet, and not you, receives the dose.
- Keep your fingers away from the applicator tip so that the pet, and not you, receives the dose.
- Squeeze the tube entirely empty.
- Praise the pet for sitting still.
Healthy skin allows maximum benefit from topical tick and flea medications- Be sure the skin is soft, flexible, and healthy.
- If it is dry, thick, and unhealthy, the medication will not be carried through the epidermis as it should.
- If necessary, give your pet a nutritional supplement with Omega 3 fatty acids and flax oils to improve its skin and coat.
Back To Top Getting Rid of Skunk OdorSkunk spray is a scent that can make our pets outcasts. Want to eliminate that smell and bring them back into the home? Here is a recipe for a homemade solution that works to remove the odor. Use it within one hour of mixing it because it loses potency quickly. Do not store with a tightened cap. De-Skunk Solution- ¼ cup backing soda
- 1 teaspoon dish soap
- 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
Double the recipe for a large dog. Application Method- Put the solution directly on your pet. Do not add water or get your pet wet before applying the solution. Work this solution into the coat and over the skin. Carefully avoid the eyes. Apply to the head with a cloth. Leave the solution on for 5-20 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly with water.
- Wash with pet shampoo working the shampoo well into the skin and hair to lift any oils.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Apply conditioner.
Additional Help - For pets with severe, direct hits, reapply the peroxide de-skunk solution.
- For pets normally trimmed at the groomers, have them trimmed to remove lingering scent trapped in the hair.
- Supplement with products that replenish the skin oils stripped by hydrogen peroxide: Nordic Naturals Omega 3 for Pets
 , Lifetime of Wellness Be Well for Dogs and Be Well for Cats. - Reapply topical flea and tick products, such as Frontline and Advantage, in 24 to 48 hours because they are stripped from the coat along with the skunk scent.
Products That Have Been Tried - Tomato juice and tomato paste color white coats pink and they are not as effective as the peroxide de-skunking solution.
- Vinegar solutions are ineffective for removing skunk odor. They do help remove the pink color that tomatoes leave.
Your pet appreciates everything you do to remove the skunk odor and allow it to remain in the heart of things. To help your pet’s skin and coat return to normal after all the scrubbing, feed Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Use the Lifetime of Wellness product Be Well for Dogs and Be Well for Cats. Back To Top Diarrhea In Dogs And CatsNormal pet stool is firm and formed. Diarrhea is loose stool caused by excess water in the feces. Loose stool may be accompanied by increased frequency or increased urgency. Normally, adult pets defecate once a day if they are fed once a day, and twice a day if they are fed twice a day. Puppies and kittens defecate more often because they are fed more often. In dogs and cats, normal stool is large enough, and firm enough, to push against and empty the 2 glands situated in the rectum. These glands, also called anal sacs, discharge a malodorous material onto the stool that provides special signals for other pets. Causes of DiarrheaDiarrhea can be caused by problems from within the digestive system itself, or by problems from outside the digestive system. Problems from within the digestive system include ulcers, food allergies, infections, poisons, worms, foreign bodies, and cancer. Problems originating outside the digestive system that cause diarrhea include anxiety, Addison’s disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and a pancreatic disease called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). Acute or Chronic DiarrheaDiarrhea can occur suddenly and resolve quickly (acute) or it can be chronic and last for months. Most cases of diarrhea are acute, isolated incidents that resolve easily. Pets with acute diarrhea need medical attention if the diarrhea is bloody, or if it is accompanied by general signs of illness: fever, dehydration, abdominal pain, or weakness. All pets with chronic diarrhea need medical attention. Two Types of Diarrhea: Large Intestine and Small IntestineThe intestines, which are also called bowels, have 2 distinct sections, small and large. It’s useful to distinguish between large and small intestine diarrhea because different medical problems cause diarrhea in different sections of the intestines. For example, whipworms cause large intestine diarrhea and roundworms cause small intestine diarrhea. Generally, we can look at diarrhea and tell whether it came from the small or large intestine. With small intestine diarrhea, the stool is larger than normal and malodorous. The pet defecates frequently and may lose weight. With large intestine diarrhea, the pet often strains to defecate, and produces a stool covered with mucus. The small intestine and large intestine have different functions. The stomach empties into the small intestine, delivering nutrients that are moved across the intestinal wall into the blood vessels lying just outside. The small intestine has 3 sections, the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The stomach and the first section of the small intestine, the duodenum, can develop bleeding ulcers. This blood is partially digested causes the feces to be black and tarry. Black, tarry feces can also be caused by bleeding secondary to parvo virus infection. In the large intestine, water is removed from the feces. Some pets, especially Boxers, are prone to inflammation of the large intestine, which is called colitis. Pets with colitis pass diarrheic stools and large amounts of malodorous gas.Bacteria within the IntestinesBacteria and microorganisms (also called flora) within the intestines can be friendly, good microorganisms or pathogenic, disease-causing organisms. Friendly bacteria help make vitamins and fatty acids, and they help produce mucus that lines the digestive system and protects it from infection and physical damage. Supplements that supply good microorganisms to colonize the intestines are called probiotics. Probiotics protect against inflammation, infection, diarrhea, and cancer. NaturVet Enzymes and Probiotics is an excellent source of gut-friendly probiotic microorganisms, such as Aspergillus Oryzae, Trichoderma Longibrachiatum, Aspergillus Niger, and Lactobacillus Acidophilus. Not all bacteria and microorganisms in the digestive system are good. Pseudomonas, salmonella, and coccidia are disease-causing inhabitants of the intestines. In healthy pets, good microorganisms predominate and prevent pathogenic microorganisms from causing disease and diarrhea. To maintain good gut bacteria, it’s helpful to feed prebiotics. Pre (before)-biotics, such as chicory and FOS (fermentable oligofructose fiber), are the nutrients that good microorganisms use to stay healthy. In pets fed FOS, intestinal cells are larger and healthier, have a thicker protective mucus layer, and are almost 100% more efficient at absorbing nutrients from food. Apple pomace and inulin, which are contained in Azmira dog food, are also excellent nutrient sources for good gut bacteria. ConstipationConstipation is the opposite of diarrhea—it is a hard, firm, infrequent stool passed with straining. Constipation is common in dehydrated pets, dogs with enlarged prostates, and senior pets, especially senior cats. Providing extra fluids and providing fiber helps prevent constipation. Among the best sources of fiber is Be Well, which can be fed at double the normal dose to help prevent constipation. For example, a senior 20-lb poodle with constipation would benefit from 2 teaspoons of Be Well sprinkled on its food daily. A senior cat would benefit from 1 ½ teaspoon of Be Well sprinkled on its food daily. Who Gets Diarrhea?Diarrhea is one of the most common illnesses of dogs and cats, and is especially common in puppies and kittens. Diarrhea frequently occurs in pets kept in kennels and exposed to salmonella or parvo infections. Diarrhea is also common in pets eating garbage, poor quality food, or food to which they are allergic. Diarrhea occurs in pets drinking water contaminated with wild animal feces, which often contains giardia. Puppies and Kittens Versus AdultsPuppies and kittens have diarrhea much more often than adult pets do, and the causes of puppy and kitten diarrhea are different from the causes of adult diarrhea. Puppies and kittens have diarrhea from eating garbage, swallowing foreign bodies, infections, and from the bowel folding back on itself (intussusception). On the other hand, adult dogs and cats are more prone to diarrhea caused by disease: liver disease, kidney disease, Addison’s disease, and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Back To Top DOG FLUProtect your pet from the deadly dog flu virus. There's an infection sweeping the US, the dog flu virus. This virus is killing as many as 1 in every ten dogs at greyhound racing facilities, but all dogs are susceptible. The dog flu virus is a respiratory illness that is easily spread from one dog to another through coughing, sneezing, and licking. This is a new virus so no vaccine has been developed for it, and it may spread like wildfire.
Help your dog avoid this infection by boosting its immunity and preventing it from becoming stressed. As much as possible, avoid kennels, dog parks, and animal shelters. Put your dog on Missing Link or Super Vita Chews to build resistance to infection.
If your dog develops the flu, it will cough, and it may have a fever and body aches. For a sick dog, use a homeopathic remedies, Cough Free, HomeoPet Nose Relief, or HomeoPet Cough Relief. These remedies boost your pets natural immunity and will not interfere with any other medication your pet is taking. For sick, coughing dogs, kibble can be hard to digest. Instead of feeding regular dog food kibble, provide easily digestible meals, such as cooked chicken. Skim off the chicken fat, and feed your pet the meat (without bones) and the broth. Add mashed sweet potatoes or carrots that have been pulverized in a blender. Return to feeding a normal diet when your pet is no longer achy and coughing.
Humans can carry the dog flu virus, and although they do not become ill, they can transmit the infection to dogs. Keep yourself healthy, and wash your hands before feeding your pet and changing its water. For the time being, don't let your pet lick your face. Back To Top |
