May
21
2009
0

Do Household Cleaners and Air Fresheners affect Your Pet Health?

Here’s a common complaint: Your pet is sick and the vet can’t figure out why! They are trained to treat the symptoms from something that is likely to be transient; They are ill-equipped to treat a constant health threat, like cleaning and air freshening products. Yes, the very products you use to clean your home and freshen the air can be making your pets sick! Think about it: Store bought cleaning products and air-fresheners are made with chemicals, or combinations of chemicals. Most of the labels tell us they are harmful if swallowed, or if they get in your eye, open cuts Granted that is not likely to happen, but what about constant exposure… How much is too much?

Although you may not have experienced any of the afore mentioned symptoms, but what about your pets? Unfortunately, your pet can’t say “Hey,this is burning my eyes, nose, my mouth, or my paws!” Remember one of our years is the equivalent of 5-7 of theirs! Their exposure is far greater than your own. While it is very important that the areas your pets roam are clean and disinfected, it is also important that you know what you are using to do so. Chemical cleaners can be very toxic, even when properly diluted, but the tendency is to use a more concentrated cleaner for the areas your pet frequents to protect your pet and your family. People who are unable to clean and disinfect regularly, often place air-fresheners near the bedding and resting places. And when they do get to clean, they are likely to use more concentrated products.

Imagine you are your pet. You spend most of your home life at floor level, where fumes and germs are the most concentrated. Keep in mind your pet’s nose is thousands of times more sensitive. The chemicals used in cleaners, disinfectants, and air-fresheners can burn your lungs, and eyes. They can cause the pads of your feet to burn. In response, your pet licks their pads (often incessantly), and ingests the chemicals. This is often an unknown cause of diarrhea, vomiting, and numerous misdiagnoses.

With a few basic and inexpensive off-the-shelf harmless ingredients (hydrogen peroxide and vinegar) you can make your pet areas clean and germ-free without exposing your family or your pet to toxic chemicals. You can make the hydrogen peroxide more effective by adding colloidal silver. I use colloidal silver mixed with 3% hydrogen peroxide to disinfectant everything that comes into my home, as well to disinfect the floors. Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, developed a more readily available cleaning and sanitizing combination consisting of 3% hydrogen peroxide ( available at the drug store for gargling or disinfecting wounds). Gallon jugs of concentrated hydrogen peroxide are available from beauty supply stores. Hydrogen peroxide is much cheaper by the gallon, but must be handled with gloves, and carefully diluted with distilled water. Exact measurements are very important to achieve the proper 3% dilution. If you make a gallon, you can use some to mop floors, put some in a spray bottle to disinfect the air, bedding, walls, door handles, countertops, fruits and vegetables, cutting boards, remote controls, cell phones… Fill another spray bottle with plain white vinegar to use as a cleaner. The combination is also good for cleaning food and water bowls, litter boxes

In tests done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the two mists were used on heavily contaminated food and surfaces. The combination killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria when used in this fashion. The combination was more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach, or any commercially available kitchen cleaner! The best results were achieved using one mist right after the othe being ten times more effective than using either spray by itself! When cleaning fruit; spray well with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, leave on for 1-2 minutes, and then rinse under running water, preferably filtered. You can spray either the vinegar or the hydrogen peroxide first. There is no after taste, or toxic residue.

The burning question (no pun intended) is “Why have we gotten away from basic, safe, yet effective cleaners and replaced them with potentially harmful off-the-shelf chemical cleaners and air-fresheners?” Clearly, Madison Avenue is very good at what they do, but at whose expense?

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Mar
04
2009
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Free Tips for Keeping a Healthy Pet

Assuming that you are a pet owner and that you probably own either a cat or a dog (as that is what most pet owners do) I am not going to teach you something that you do not know but rather bring your attention to something that you might have forgotten.

* Exercise amount: Whether you have a cat or a dog it is vitally important that you make sure that it gets the right about of physical activity. Larger pets will require more exercise than smaller pets.

* Exercise type: Most cats will want to stay outside and as long as you let it do that itll do the necessary physical activity that it needs. For dogs you need to take them for longer walk once, twice or even three times a day. If you can take them for a swim occasionally that would be beneficial as well.

* Don’t spoil: Giving your pet food in excess amounts will be just as harmful for them as it is for you to overeat. The problem is that since they are pets they don’t know that what you’re giving them will actually harm them.

* Proper nutrition: Make sure to provide your pet with healthy organic foods. If youre in doubt what would be right for your particular pet be sure to ask your VET. Dont guess and end up making vital mistakes.

* Caring: Be sure to express that you care for you pet via both words, tonality and physical gestures. Pets are no different than humans and if they don’t receive love they’ll become sad and lose the will to keep on living.

* Insure your pet: Every day thousands of pets get hurt by cars and there is nothing we can do about it. But instead of hoping that it’ll never happen to your pet be sure to get an good pet health insurance that will cover everything if bad luck strikes.

* Plan: Make sure you use a schedule for all major appointments. Be sure to note the regular VET check-ups and that your pet gets any medication or vaccines that it’ll need. Small things like these will add up in the long run.

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Written by John Sommer in: Dogs | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Feb
22
2009
0

Finding The Best Pet Insurance

Having the best pet insurance for dogs will help you to ensure the fact that your pet will also have the best medical attention possible. When you have the best rated pet insurance, you can be certain that no matter what happens — even if it’s really expensive — your pet will have the best coverage possible and you won’t have to pay top dollar for it.

Learn More About best pet insurance plan

So many people find that their pets end up going without the care they need simply because they do not have hundreds of dollars to fork over at any given time. When you have the best pet insurance plan, however, you don’t have to worry about paying the vet bills and can concentrate on your pet.

Even with the best pet medical insurance, however, you will have to pay for the full medical procedure up front, no matter which insurance company you have. If you are at the vet office, you will have to pay for the full bill up front and only after will the best pet insurance plan give you the reimbursement check for services covered in your policy.

For this reason, you might have to wait a few weeks before you get your reimbursement check. Even though that may put a damper on some things, it is certainly a lot better then not having any coverage at all.

Where to Get Insurance

Shopping for all of your possibilities is the smart choice when looking for the best value pet insurance. Finding the best pet insurance for dogs starts by asking your vet, but you will need to do more research than just this. If you are wondering what the insurance company will actually pay you, vet offices can be a good place to start. You will eventually see which company is the best pet insurance plan company for you after your research.

Start by comparing all of the insurance companies you find online with the others. You can see all the coverage plans and policies with each of the possible insurance companies.

Look at how long the insurance company has been in business and how satisfied their customers are with the business. Research how long it will take your insurance company to reimburse you after you paid your vet bills and given them the information they need. Take into account all of these factors to determine which pet insurance company is right for you.

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Feb
06
2009
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Life Insurance for Pets Essential Facts

Oftentimes, people are not aware that life insurance for old pets exists. Life insurance for pets is not the same as life insurance for humans, although many people think it is. Unfortunately, these individuals are wrong. You will not receive the same payout when your pet dies that you would with a human’s life insurance.

Why is life insurance for pets different? Pets are not human beings, no matter how much of a part of the family they might be. The pet’s life is no less valuable than a human’s, but society says that humans and pets deserve different life insurance policies.

If you don’t have the same benefits in life insurance for old pets as life insurance for humans, why get it? if you don’t see any extra money from pet life insurance, why invest in it? Wouldn’t it be smarter to get insurance for older dogs?

If your older dog is not covered, however, consider life insurance for pets. To help you understand what you will get from life insurance for older pets, here are some important things that you should know about life insurance for older pets.

Full Coverage For Your Best Friend

Even if you don’t get money when your pet dies, life insurance for pets will help you pay for costs at the end of the animal’s life. Life insurance for pets gives you additional coverage so you don’t have to pay for your dog or cat’s cremation. When your pet dies, the cremation service is expensive and without coverage, you might have to dip into savings or go into debt to pay for it. If you are unable to afford it, your animal will not be able to have a decent service.

Cremation, burial services and even bereavement services can be included in your life insurance for pets. When a pet dies, many individuals feel lonely, sad and depressed and need counseling. Bereavement counseling can help the owner cope with the loss of the pet family member.

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Dec
13
2008
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Vitacoat: Pet Eye Stain Wonder.

Tear stain solution is easy for pedigree showdogs, but also for your average dog with Angeleyes stain remover.

Doctor Golds clears up unsightly tear stains on white fur particularly which can be rather off-putting to look at.

Vets cite several plausible explanations for over-tearfulness in dogs.

A simple bacterial infection could be behind excessive tear production. This can be followed by a yeast infection which causes dark red marks on the dog’s “cheeks”.

The old enemy the flea might also play a role in too many tears, as they may irritate the eye area; but family history, blocked tear ducts, mineral-rich water and food intolerances could all be responsible.

Changing your dog’s diet may solve the issue if food is the culprit. A water test can be done just by substituting normal water for filtered water and seeing whether there is an effect.

Some recommend dry all-natural kibble without added food color, preservatives and additives, which they claim keeps the face cleaner. Others swear by making their Maltese or Westie drink only mineral water.

If you are the owner of a white dog you will find this familiar territory, and Doctor Gold stain remover can help.

This is especially true for show dogs with pale faces.

Sometimes water is not readily available so you need a better solution.

That solution could come in the form of Vitacoat Diamond Eye, for cat and dog usage. Made for use around the eye area but of course not in the eye itself.

Doctor Golds are suitable for cats and dogs. They are designed for use on the outer eyelids and eye area.

Cleaner eyes mean less of a risk of eye infections which of course is a bonus, the eyes will appear more attractive and of course there are whitening cosmetic benefits as well as practical ones.

The benefits are multifold – cleaning the area will remove any stains for shows, it will reduce the chance of eye infection or could be used to clear debris away from the eye, and it’s a handy product to keep in your pack while hiking with your dog. Best of all it doesn’t require rinsing.

They come in packs of 100 and contain Deionized Water UV Sterilized, Cocamido Propyl Betaine, Propyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben and Boric Acid.

Be careful not to touch the actual eye itself with the wipe, as this could irritate.

Another option especially for show dogs is Vitacoat tear stain remover.

For more than forty years Vitacoat Diamond Eye has been a mainstay of dog showmen all across North America for its gentle but effective cleaning power.

All you need to do is soak a swab and use it to gently rub the fur. Clearquest Eyewipes is a quick solution for you dog to look his best.

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Dec
10
2008
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Frontline For Fleas For Optimal Animal Contentment.

Frontline tick is the first choice of the vets in North America for treating canine and feline pets.

Frontline plus for dogs destroys all your pet’s fleas within one day and all ticks within two days.

Frontline for cats ranks first as it works effectively for one month, & that is double the duration than that provided by its next competitor.

Because it is waterproof, owners of dogs that frequently get wet prefer Front Line.

Chemical formulations are included in dog flea medications in order to kill the parasites.

Frontline flea control can kill the parasites quickly while being gentle to the animal.

The medication is applied to the coat, oftentimes with a dot of liquid to the back of the neck.

Translocation is the process that the flea medication will be dispersed over the whole coat.

It is normally advised that you keep your pet dry for a minimum of 24 hours to help this process happen in an effective manner.

When the medicine is translocated, you will not have to apply it again. It will protect your pet for an entire month.

Cat frontline, the most up to date form of the Frontline for cats, has an additional ingredient that will actually stop the fleas breeding cycle.

Frontline plus flea and tick actively prevents further infestation because fleas breed after being on the host for 24-36 hours, and Frontline is able to kill fleas within only 18 hours.

You might actually count more fleas in the first 18 hours after application of the product because it irritates fleas so badly, causing them to react by surfacing at your pet’s coat before they die.

Two of the leading competing products are Advantage and Frontline Plus flea protection.

Among the two, Frontline pet med is the most popular partly because in trials lasting for 28 days, Frontline Plus flea protection killed a higher percentage of fleas.

Frontline flea medicine has been proven to be the most effective, and is better than other medications on the market, including organic treatments.

The medication does not have an expiration date and although some individuals may be allergic, the side effects are insignificant. Without doubt, veterinarians have great trust in Frontline.

Frontline spray is not effective in the treatment of heartworms, but the answer to this problem is the use of Revolution Flea control.

One should consider Revolution Flea control if any of these are of concern since Frontline plus focuses only on fleas and ticks. Frontline for fleas are effective in treating fleas on dogs.

Get rid of your pet’s fleas with Frontline spray; the best flea dog medication available.

Hookworm and heartworms are other kinds of parasites, which could be destroyed using a product designed specially recommended for the purpose.

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