• Any sign of diarrhoea.
• If you sense some unexplained weight loss or a sudden drop in weight.
• Your pet goes off of its food dramatically or indeed the opposite and is eating too much.
• Any vomiting.
• If you’re pet seems to be pawing at its ears or shaking its head.
• Any lumps or bumps felt on your animal.
• Pets do shed their fur which is normal but if you are noticing any fur loss that is abnormal, as well as dull or patchy coats.
• Sneezing or coughing persistently.
• Any discharge from the eyes or nose which isn’t thought to be normal.
• If your pet is moving with difficulty and is not as active as usual, a stiffness or weakness in any of its joints.
• When urinating or defecating, if any straining is present. However the inability to urinate will be an emergency and you need to get your pet to the vet immediately.
• An injury or any description.

Keep the name and number of your pets vet clinic at hand for after hour pet care as well as the regular vet number.

Pets will or will not get along depending on their personalities. The pet you currently have may see your new pet as a threat, in which case may result in a few scuffles between them as each animal gets to know his place in the ‘pack’. Unless there is any sign of injury do not intervene as this process needs to be done.

Some pets will just tolerate each other as oppose to others which can become the best of friends, some tips below will help you to introduce a new pet to the family.

You must always supervise your pets until you know for sure that they are getting along. Up until that moment arrives it is best to separate your pets giving at least one of them its own room. They can interact but only while you are there. This process may take hours, days, weeks or even moths for the total adjustment to occur.

• Make sure the first meeting is indoors and a controlled situation. Dogs should be kept on leashes and do not allow aggressive behaviour. If it’s a cat introducing to a dog the dog must not corner the cat or chase it.
• Allow the new pet to familiarize itself within its new home.
• Give your pets separate food and water bowls.
• Just give your pets time, they will adjust at their own pace, do not try and force them to get along.

Even with vaccinations kept up to date, every pet will suffer from the odd illness. The top things to look out for are;

• Diarrhea and/or vomiting
• Unexplained or sudden weight loss or molting of the coat
• Significant loss of appetite or increased appetite.
• Pawing at ears or shaking head.
• Lumps on body
• Persistent sneezing or coughing..
• Stiffness or weakness in any joints; pet moves with difficulty.

These are just some of the normal symptoms of animal illness and if any of these are seen for extended periods of time, medical advice should be sought.

Something that is astonishing to caring pet owners is the lack of knowledge that some pet owners have about their own pets. Many owners are unable to tell the signs of a sick pet or identify the key tell tale signs of illness in beloved house hold creatures. We will identify the top things for you to keep a tabs on when looking after you pet.

The first defence is to ensure that the pet is kept up to date on their required vaccinations. The vaccinations are prescribed by the national vetenary association and therefore have been set as guidelines to follow based on trials and experience.

Even with vaccinations kept up to date, every pet will suffer from the odd illness. The top things to look out for are;

• Diarrhea and/or  vomiting
• Unexplained or sudden weight loss or molting of the coat
• Significant loss of appetite or increased appetite.
• Pawing at ears or shaking head.
• Lumps on body
• Persistent sneezing or coughing..
• Stiffness or weakness in any joints; pet moves with difficulty.

These are just some of the normal symptoms of animal illness and if any of these are seen for extended periods of time, medical advice should be sought.

We love our pets.  They are a regular member of the family.  Unfortunately the cost of taking care of a pet can often be quite high.  Here are some tips to help you take care of your pets without breaking the bank.

• Shop Around.  We all want the best care for our pets but not all vets charge the same rates.  Do your research and look for a pet Dr. that has the combination of services and facilities that you need at a rate you can afford.
• Set a Budget. Pets are a member of the family and we have a tendency to spoil them but let’s face it those luxury pet items can really add up.  Make sure you are allocating your money properly to be sure you can cover healthcare needs before you spend extra on toys or fancy foods.
• Keep your pets healthy.  This seems like a no-brainer but when life gets busy we sometimes miss things that should be taken care of.  Feed them well, make sure they have plenty of clean water and exercise and always follow the recommendations of your veterinarian.  Stay up to date with all pet vaccinations.
• Get cheaper prescriptions.  Vets often have a huge markup on the cost of prescriptions for your pet.  You can almost always find them cheaper via mail-order or online.
• Look for alternative treatment providers.  Sometimes your local animal shelter will offer vaccinations and services like spay or neutering at a discount.
• Get pet insurance. If your pet is eligible to be covered with pet insurance it is a good idea to check it out.  If you have a breed of dog that requires higher-maintenance, having insurance can really make a big difference even when factor in co-pays and deductibles.

Pets only care of their feelings and yours so they do not want to be immediately connected or bonded to the new pet. They might perceive them as a threat or an outsider. In some cases, like dogs, they might felt unwanted and disposed so they start making attention by making a mess or worst, they may become hostile and may became irritated to your sudden lack of attention to them and may became harmful.

Here are some helpful tips in preventing jealousy among pets:

Carefully introduce them – Bringing a new pet to the household is not that simple. A dog will not welcome a new dog to its territory that easy so introducing them with one another requires precautions and in some cases needs the assistance of an expert like a vet or even a dog whisperer.

Feed them separately – Pets are overprotective when it comes to their food so the new pets must be fed separately for they are still strangers to other pets. Dogs can be extremely aggressive with their foods and they will attack the new pet if feed near with each other. In some cases, the pets health are affected due to stress and malnutrition.

Always provide enough attention to your first pets – To prevent jealousy among pets, make sure to continue the attention you give to your current pets and it would be much better to spend more time to make them feel they are not left out and neglected.

Pet jealousy must be taken a lot of consideration to prevent pets from isolating themselves which may lead to poor health and unease with the environment and also to prevent aggression which may lead to serious fights.

Homemade dog foods is not as easy as mixing a bowl of meat with a bowl of potatoes. The nutrients dogs and cats need differs from us and we are not all nutritionist or vets. Our expertise when it comes to pet’s nutrients is actually insufficient for us to prepare homemade pet foods. Although it is an advantage preparing pet foods that are fresher, there are many factors to consider first before we shift to the home made pet food from commercial pet food.

1. Pets are focused on Nutrients and Less on The Ingredients

Commercial foods are made based on the pet’s nutritional needs. They are processed to provide the needed daily nutrients of our pets. Concocting our recipes may be risky for we might be depriving them of important nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates.

2. Fresh are Good but Raw are Bad

Fresh foods are good and in fact, vets advises pet owners to give fresh foods to their pets such as bananas and some veggies but not all pets eat veggies and fruits. Raw meats are dangerous. Even though our pets may enjoy nimbling raw meats and bones, it is not safe to give them raw and uncooked foods. Pets are susceptible to salmonella and E.Coli with raw meats. There are also studies showing that dogs became aggressive when feed with raw meats.

Home made pet foods are good but it must be well prepared. Seek advice from your vets or find an online recipe for your dogs and cats. There are even books for pet foods. Commercial pet foods are still advisable because they are economical but it would also be a good treat to your pets if you cook for them once in a while.

Here are some very useful tips when bathing a cat:

1. Have a partner – It is not advisable to bathe a cat by yourself. Cats will try its best to get away from the water and it will be involves hissing and scratching.

2. Protect Yourself – Use gloves and if possible use eye goggles. Cats claws are sharp and cats are strong. There are incidents that people got blind due to getting scratched in the eyes by cats.

3. Fill the Tub with water first but not reaching up to neck – Cats does not like running water so the sound will cause anxiety to them. It is best if the tub is pre-filled with water but not reaching their neck or just half of their body. Dip them slowly and if possible, put a mat or towel in the tub for the cats to stand to and make them comfortable.

4. Use Cat’s Shampoo or Hypo Allergenic Shampoo – Do not use human shampoo. It maybe toxic or too strong for your cats. It may irritate the eyes of the cats which may cause them to panic and start attacking you.  Use cat’s shampoo or baby’s shampoo to make sure that it will not irritate them.

5. Talk To Them in A Lower Voice – Do not shout. It will make your cats aggressive and will try to escape from you. Make them comfortable by talking to them in a calm manner.

6. Prepare Another Bucket of Water For Rinsing – If rinsing is necessary, prepare another bucket so that the bathing will be quicker.

7. Dry Them Using A Towel – Dry your cats using a towel. You can also use hair dryers but it will scare the cat so make sure that your partner is holding the cat properly, firmly but gently.

Before you bathe your cat, decided first if it is really necessary, cats can clean by themselves. If it is really necessary, follow the steps for a safer bathing. It will protect you and also keep your cats away from danger like drowning, shock and getting toxic substances.

So what is the truth? Is it really bad? or beneficial? Lets find out!

Onions and Garlic came from the Allium species in which a type of herbs that are commonly used by humans for flavorings and medicines for it promotes better blood flow and causes warmth to our body but the Allium substance may not be beneficial to the dogs and cats. It is not really well documented if Garlic and Onions are bad for the animals but in my own opinion the effect is based on the amount of the Allium taken.

Here is the logic, we, humans uses a small dosage of garlics and onions in our food, probably just half a clove of garlic and one piece of medium sized onion for a single dish. Doubling or tripling the amount will have a nasty effect to us and the same effect will happen to our pets if they intake high dosage of garlics and onions and that makes the Allium toxins to their body. Remember that they have smaller body compared to us.

So the best thing to do is to keep away Garlic and Onions away from our pets.