Pet Skin Doctor
Pet Skin Information
Archive for June, 2009
From overweight to highly allergic dogs, making your own treats is a great way to monitor what your dog eats. When making your own treats, you say what goes into them and the size of the treat. There is a vast amount of dog treat recipes available, even for those with little to no cooking experience and those who don’t have much time. Making your own treats is also a great way to stretch a tight budget.
Dog treats can include any kids of food from veggies and fruit to meats. Treats also go further from just dog bones to yogurt and ice cream! Be careful as to the ingredients of your special treats as using certain ingredients may cause dog skin allergies.
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Contrary to the name, Feline Leukemia is a virus, not a cancer. Feline Leukemia is spread through the saliva, making mutual grooming the most common cause of transmission, as well as bites. Nose-to-Nose contact, shared food and water bowls, as well as a shared litter box, may become sources of transmission as well. Little kittens may become infected while in the womb or when feasting on the milk of there mother.
Feline leukemia may present symptoms with loss of appetite, poor cat skin conditions, persistent fever, infections of skin and bladder, persistent diarrhea, and swollen lymph nodes. Make sure to get every new cat or kitten tested before introducing them to the house. Talk it over with your vet, and maybe consider vaccinating against this disease.
Just as your would vaccinate your cat and dogs, ferrets should be vaccinated as well. Even if the ferret is inside 24/7, certain viruses can be brought in through your others pets. Also, A virus can live on your own clothes and shoes. Although it is unlikely your ferret would become infected with rabies, the law requires every pet to be vaccinated since the virus could be deadly to owners. Ferrets can also catch canine distemper, and the results could be deadly. When ferrets catch canine distemper, they may become depressed, have discharge around nose and eyes, swollen lips or chin, and may show signs of pneumonia.
To ensure the best ferret care, vaccinate young ferrets or kits, around 7 , 9, and 12 weeks. Kits should also receive a rabies vaccine around 12 weeks. After the third vaccine a kit receives, the ferret should come back yearly for both shots. Vaccination of your ferret may be fatal, check around for a vet that best suits your needs. It also may be necessary to wait 30-60 mins after vaccination to watch for any reactions.
The last few days have been absolutely miserable for our household. Our nearly 5 month old rottie pup has diarrhea. As often as I’ve begrudgingly cleaned up after his unpredictable bowels this week, I try to keep in mind how awful he must feel.
I’m also concerned. Since his diarrhea may be a sign of dog allergies, I don’t want it to progress into a skin problem. We thought he may be allergic to his food. We just recently switched him from his Purina puppy chow to an all-natural adult dog food. Our vet doesn’t seem to think that it is his dog food though. He recommended a boiled hamburger and rice diet over the next few days.
Porcupines are timid animals, but when threatened, a porcupine will shoot out quills. Extreme care must be taken when removing quills, since quills have sharp barbs. Barbs pull the quill deeper into the skin. Twisting or turning the quill will cause considerable pain to the already injured pet. If your pet becomes quilled, proper care should be taken quickly.
First, you may wish to muzzle your pet since even the friendliest pet may become snappy when it is in pain. Second, grab the quill as close to the skin as possible, using a pair of pliers, and pull straight out. If the quill breaks off, a trip to the veterinarian may be necessary. Third, wash the infected area and keep it clean. With proper pet skin care, a pet will rarely die from being quilled. If there are too many quills or they are deep within the mouth and throat, it may be beneficial for your dog to see the vet right away.
When you’re a pet owner, you’re agreeing to not only deal with the good times, but you’re also responsible for the not-so-good times. As such, that means pet owners have to quickly and responsibly deal with any number of medical issues that might befall their pets. If you have a cat, for example, it is your responsibility to check for items like ear mites, ticks, hairballs, and more.
You also want to keep your eyes open for cat skin conditions. There are a number of common irritants that could cause general skin problems in a feline, and you must accurately identify that irritant to ensure the skin problems don’t persist. Try little things like altering the cat’s diet. If the problem still won’t go away, it’s your responsibility to make a trip to your vet.
Many dogs like to indulge in a pig ear, just as you would a chocolate bar, but pig ears can posses seriously risks to a dogs health. Pig ears contain a high fat content so they may cause obesity. Also, if given in large contents, may cause loose stools. If large pieces get swallowed it may cause a bowel obstruction or become a choking hazard. Pig ears cause harm to humans as well, since a dog’s pig ears can contain salmonella.
Pig ears were once considered a fun and healthy treat, so many dogs may already be hooked. Pet Skin Doctor recommends close observation of your dog if given a pig ear. It is always a good idea to monitor a dog or puppy with any new toy or treat to prevent from swallowing any pieces and to make sure the dog shows no signs of aggression.
If you dog or puppy is anything like mine, the moment something drops to the floor he lunges to eat it. If that doesn’t work sometimes, he’ll cruise the house looking for something to nibble on but the simplest things can be devastating to your pet if ingested. As few as 4-5 grapes or raisins could cause toxic symptoms in your pet. Onions can cause Heinz body anemia. xylitol, a sugar-free sweetener found in gum and candies, can cause hypoglycemia in pets. Just as you wouldn’t want to eat anything rotten or moldy, these items shouldn’t be given to pets, which can cause the same problems as humans when ingested. Others include chocolate, caffeinated items, macadamia nuts, fruit pits and seeds, and lastly, alcohol and yeast dough.
Most certainly, the bigger a dog, the more easily they will be able to handle the toxins. Also, different breeds may be susceptible to toxins. Consult a vet if your dog has ingested any of these items, as quick action is best for a speedy recovery. Remember, even a poor diet can cause poor pet skin conditions and decreased energy.
A good rule of thumb for bathing your dog is every 6-8 weeks using a dog shampoo and / or conditioner. Never use a people shampoo or conditioner because animals have different skin glands than humans. Generally, felines may be bathed every two months and ferrets may be bathed every 2-3 months. But remember, every pet situation is different. Age and type of your pet makes a big difference on how often is too often for bathing, or whether they should even be bathed at all.
Why is bathing too often a concern? Because the natural oil of our pet’s skin and fur is stripped away during a bath. Pet skin problems may occur due to the dry skin and coat from bathing too often.
A good idea is to make sure you can fit two – three fingers underneath the collar to assure proper width. As with very tiny dogs, such as a Chihuahua and collar never should be used, as it may cause strangulation when walking or leashed outside, instead use a harness.
Pet skin doctor reccomends checking your dogs collar periodically. A tight collar can cause hair loss under or around the collar. Also, it may lead to difficulty breathing.