Holiday Pet Safety: 5 Toxic Holiday Foods For Your Pet 

With the holidays around the corner, you’re likely preparing invitations, gift lists, menu options, and decor purchases for your home. If you have a four-legged friend, you might be used to feeding him table scraps or letting him have little treats throughout the holiday season. While some foods are safe, there are some holiday pet safety no-nos. Here is a list of 5 toxic holiday foods, ingredients, or categories you want to keep away from your pet this season and year ‘round. 

Sweet Treats

Chocolate

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3 Tips For Initially Introducing a New Dog to the Pack

When you fall in love with Fido and decide to bring him home, you think about a new food bowl, toys, trips to the veterinarian, and how he’ll adapt to your home. But do you stop and think about how to introduce him to your other pets? This can be a bit of a rocky road, or it can be smooth sailing depending on the personality of each pet and whether they “hit it off.” Whether it’s an instant brotherhood or a case of green-eyed envy, here are three tips to keep in mind when initially introducing a new dog to the pack. 

Introduce Them By Smell First

Before your new family member arrives home, introduce him to your current furry friends by smell. You can do this by bringing home a piece of fabric or a blanket with the new dog’s scent on it. Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and this non-threatening introduction will put them on alert that another dog is soon to come. Place the fabric where your new dog will sleep to prepare your current pets for his arrival.  Generic Modafinil 200 mg http://www.wolfesimonmedicalassociates.com/modafinil/

Meet in a Neutral Location

If possible, allow your pets to meet in a neutral location for the first time. This can be at a local park, a relative’s house, or your neighbor’s backyard. When introductions take place outside of your home, your pet won’t feel the need to defend his territory. Instead, the focus can be on meeting the new dog.  

You should not force this interaction. Instead, have realistic expectations from the first meeting. Keep them both leashed so you can better control their behavior. The ultimate goal is for them to be near each other without displaying negative or aggressive behaviors. 

You don’t want to head home with your pets until they can be around each other without being aggressive. Remain at the neutral location until this occurs Anytime negative behavior is exhibited, separate them, wait a few minutes, and try again. 

Head Home

Once they can calmly be around each other, you can head home.  

Take them for a walk around the neighborhood and lead them in the house together, but allow your resident dog to enter first. Then, bring in your new family member.  Fildena 100 mg online http://www.healthfirstpharmacy.net/fildena.html

Keep both pets on a leash and walk them around the house. If they continue to display appropriate behavior, you can let them off the leash to continue getting to know each other better, but be sure to keep a close eye on them. 

Introducing a New Dog to the Pack Is a Process

When you are introducing a new dog to the pack, remember that it’s a process. Just like when you add a new baby, husband, or wife to your family, it takes time. Keep an eye on your pets to ensure they are behaving appropriately around each other. Don’t leave them alone together during the first few weeks, and if behavior escalates, do your best to stop it in its tracks.

One additional suggestion for introducing a new dog to the pack is to keep your pets in separate crates for the first few weeks when you’re not at home. This can make your dogs feel antsy, and sometimes they might need a break from the crate. Bringing in a dog walker can be a great way to provide stress relief to your furry friends during this time of transition. 

Be mindful of your resident pet and new pet’s feelings during this time and rest assured that they will develop an unbreakable bond. 

It’s hurricane season.  With the peak time for a storm coming in September, now is the time to have a plan in place for your pets in case one hits your area.  When preparing your pet for a hurricane evacuation, you want to have a plan in place to ensure your pet is safe. This plan should consider whether he or she stays with you during the storm, or has to seek shelter elsewhere. 

Keep reading to learn some items you should use to create a pet hurricane evacuation kit.  [Read more…]

The Simple Guide to Making Pet Nail Trimming Stress Free

When your pet sees nail clippers does he or she automatically experience anxiety and run away as fast as possible?  If so, the nail trimming process is likely a struggle leading to frustration on both parts. While trimming your pet’s nails isn’t exactly a trip to the spa, it doesn’t have to be a constant battle.  Keep reading to learn how to make pet nail trimming stress free.  [Read more…]

CBD For Pets: Navigating The CBD World For Your Furry Friends

You can’t go anywhere without hearing about the benefits of CBD, but have you considered if CBD for pets might be an option for your furry friends? Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is used frequently to treat a variety of symptoms in humans, and now many pet owners are using it to improve their pets’ conditions.

What is CBD

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Safeguard Your Four Legged Friends With Flea & Tick Protection

No pet mom or dad wants to see their furry family member suffering from symptoms associated with having fleas and ticks.  It can be irritating, painful, and even life threatening if not treated properly. That’s why flea and tick protection for cats and dogs is a necessary part of pet care.

Why You Need Flea and Tick Protection

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4 Springtime Injuries That Require Pet First Aid Care

Your pet is part of the family, and this spring, your family will be taking part in more activities that without care and caution can put your four-legged family members in danger.

April is Pet First Aid Awareness month and the prime time for you to freshen up on your pet first aid and safety knowledge to keep your furry loved ones out of harm’s way.

Accidental Poisoning

When spring cleaning, keep all chemicals out of reach – even the natural ones because they can be harmful if ingested.

As you work in your yard, make sure all fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, etc. are also out of reach. Some chemicals can be absorbed through the paws, so decreasing the use of dangerous products in general, is a safer option.

Poison Pet First Aid Tip:

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Keeping Your Pets Safe This Winter

Winter hats? Check. Snow boots? Check. Pet jacket? If you’re drawing a blank on that last one, or winter pet preparedness isn’t on your to-do list, this is definitely the article for you. When winter comes around, it also brings with it several unique health hazards for your pets, both of the feline and canine variety. While some seasonal dangers are well known, such as not leaving your pets out in the snow for long periods of time, others might be a surprise. Read on and find out what you should be keeping an eye out for and how you can protect your furry loved ones this season:

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Show Love to a Grey Muzzled Loved One for Senior Pet Month

As November rolls in and the nights turn chilly, we start to throw an extra blanket on the bed at night and increasing the budget for dessert-themed coffees. As November is also Senior Pet Month, you might also want to think about providing some extra care to your furry loved ones, too. While they might sprint after a ball like a puppy or get into mischief unrolling the toilet paper like a kitten, your pets are just like us when we get older – the creature comforts become more important to quality of life.

Older pets, in general, suffer more frequently from stiff joints, arthritis, illnesses, and sensitivity to temperature changes. [Read more…]