Thought for the weekend...

It has been a gorgeous weekend so far here in Raleigh, NC, USA.  I would love to hear about the adventures you've had with your animals so far!

The parks are filling up with people playing frisbee and other games with their dogs. If you have been able to get out with your dogs or cats tell us about it and if you have pictures we would love to see them.

Thanks so much for reading our blog and I look forward to hearing your stories!

Dry, Flaky Skin On Your Dog? Here Are Some Tips.

Every year I know someone who has dry skin during the summer or winter or both.  Humans can use lotions to help with this.  What if your dog has dry skin?  What do you do then?  Well there are some very easy and inexpensive ways to treat this condition.  First of all, you should make sure there isn't a medical reason for the flaking before treating things on your own so check with your vet to make sure your pet is okay if this is a new condition.  If fido is medically healthy and there is enough water being given, then here are some things that are sure to help.

First of all, what are you even looking for when people say "dry skin"?  What does it look like?  Well it looks just like human dandruff.  It will be little white dots/flakes on your dogs fur when you scratch him while petting.  I will scratch back and forth on my dog to see how dry his skin is periodically.  You will immediately be able to tell.  However, if your dog is white or light in color you can always scratch like I talked about and then pull apart the fur down to the skin to see if there are any flakes.

This is what you're looking for.

Safflower oil on your dog's kibble will help not only the skin but the fur as well.  A little goes a long way with this so no need to drench the food.  Just coat it so it's shiny.  Sunflower oil works the same way.  You could even go so far as to use a little vegetable oil but I'd personally only use that in a pinch.  I know the other two are more expensive than veggie oil but you aren't using but a small amount so it really does last a while.

http://dogfoodcoach.com/2012/11/14/is-safflower-oil-good-for-dogs/

Of course bathing your dog is good to do as well so using an oatmeal shampoo or even an over the counter human shampoo like Pantene is fine.  I have personally seen Pantene do wonders for a dog's skin and fur.  Medicated human shampoos and ones with insecticides are bad for dogs so please do not use them.  We want to treat the condition, not make it worse. 

Fish oil supplements are also good for your dog.  You can poke a hole in the end of the capsule and put the contents on the food or simply put it in some peanut butter (or other high value treat) and give the whole thing to them.  I personally suggest the treat simply because it's easier.

http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-dry-skin.html

There is also a product called Allerderm.  This product is administered like flea treatment (on their skin) and you should wait 24 hours before and/or after a bath before giving it but this will work by going through their skin instead of the intestinal tract.  My vet personally recommended it at my dog's last visit and said I should get it on Amazon because it is the cheapest place to get it (less than $30 for 6 pipettes).  I am going to be ordering this tomorrow for my dog, Lucien.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=allerderm&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aallerderm

One final tip for this topic is food.  Of course the food you feed your furry loved one is important.  There are so many brands out there that it can be extremely confusing.  Once again, my vet recommends Purina products and I feed Lucien Purina One which she was happy with.  I feed dry only but she did recommend to make sure he gets extra water.  Most vets will sell Science Diet or other type of prescription food in their office or recommend some type of grain free food for some sort of allergy.  Every animal I have had on Science Diet has gotten fat (even giving the recommended feeding amounts, then cutting back) and the grain free doesn't seem to help any of the animals with allergies any more than the high protein wet food would.  My vet agreed with this and said grain free was simply a fad she felt would go away.  Maybe, maybe not but the companies make a lot of money off of the products.  My animals do not like the high end food like Blue Buffalo and Lucien's digestive system cannot handle that type of food.

So, all of that said what does it mean?  If your dog has dry skin just make sure he/she doesn't have a medical condition and then just try these tips I've given you.  I will personally buy the product from you if it doesn't work.  I'm that confident that one of them will work for your pet.  Always consult your vet before giving your pet anything new.

As always, we welcome any comments, questions and topics you'd like to see discussed here.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook (click the links on the right) and tell your family and friends about us!  Thanks for reading!

What Happens When I Get An Animal From A Shelter?

When people adopt an animal from a shelter most of the time your adoption fee will cover some initial vaccines and a spay/neuter surgery depending on the shelter you adopt from, but sometimes that is not the case.  Always make sure you know what is covered by your adoption fee before leaving with your new pet.  Nevertheless, as a new pet parent an initial vet visit should be one of the first things you do to establish a baseline evaluation and so your vet can meet your new wonderful pet.

Also, it is important to note that there are a lot of 'cooties' in shelters so your new pet may come down with a cold after you get him/her home.  This is not uncommon.  The stress of being in the shelter and then moving to a new home will lower your pet's immune system making him/her more susceptible to illness.  You may hear your vet say something like URI or upper respiratory infection.  This is nothing more than a cold that antibiotics will take care of successfully.

If you adopt a dog, you may hear things like kennel cough and distemper from people.  Those are two very good reasons to take your dog to the vet soon after adoption but no reason to panic.  Most shelters will vaccinate against these two things which protects the dogs against these two things.  Kennel cough is very contagious, however, which is why it is very important for shelters to not only do an exam in addition to vaccines to ensure dogs do not contract this viral and bacterial disease.  Antibiotics will treat the bacterial part of kennel cough but NOT the viral.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/respiratory/c_dg_canine_tracheobronchitis#.UW6inaASRsg

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/kennel_cough.html

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/dogdiseasesconditions/a/CW-Distemper.htm

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/distemper-symptoms-treatments-dogs

There are things you can do to help keep your pet as healthy as possible to help prevent illnesses in the first place.  L-Lysine for cats is a great way to help their immune system.  It's a human amino acid that stops the replication of viruses and allows their immune system fight off any viruses that may be trying to rear it's ugly head.

Some natural options for your dog are Echinacea and Dandelion.  The Echinacea will help the immune system much like the L-Lysine and the Dandelion will help with the liver and digestive health.  I do use the L-Lysine with my personal cats and have used it with former foster cats.  I have found it to be extremely effective in helping to prevent illness and the ones who were sick when I got them have gotten over their illness quicker.

http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/ailment/cats-dogs-viral-infection-remedies.html

I hope I have given you some information you can take home to your pets and you will use or tell your family and friends about.  It is our goal to be as informative as possible about topics you want to know about so if you have something you'd like to know more information about please send us a note.

As always we welcome any and all respectful comments and questions.  Don't forget to follow us from this page on Facebook and Twitter.  Tell your family and friends about us and once again, thanks for reading!

Indoor Only vs Indoor/Outdoor For Dogs And Cats!

There are a lot of schools of thought when it comes to whether or not an animal should be indoor only or be allowed to be indoor/outdoor or maybe even outdoor only.  Most of our parents probably had outdoor only cats or at least indoor/outdoor and maybe an outdoor only dog.  That was just the way things were then.  I had outdoor only animals growing up because that's what my parents told me was the right thing to do.  They loved the animals but thought they were supposed to be outdoors.  So what is the right thing to do?  Well, while I do have an opinion this can also be a personal decision as well animal dependent.

For instance, you would not want a feral cat in your home as a pet because these cats are pretty street savvy and know their way around and are not friendly to humans.  If you want to help them it is better just to leave out food for them.

If you want a dog and don't want to have him/her in the house then you'll need to consider your

climate and the living arrangements for the dog because in your area there may be laws regarding outdoor dogs and tethering.  In my area it is illegal to have a dog tethered (chained or tied up) for any reason.

Most dogs are very people oriented so having them be outdoor only dogs will only break their spirit which is not why you get a pet. Dogs love to please their humans and they cannot do that if they live outside. 

Some people who own what people call "pitt bulls" will chain them up outside because they feel they look vicious and people will stay away from the house if they see them outside.  Also, a lot of dog fighters will do the same thing.  These people are doing the animal a huge disservice and definitely giving those particular dogs a bad reputation.  Of course there are people who take very good care of their dogs who are outdoor only and the animals are very well socialized and very well taken care of so there are people on both ends of the spectrum.

As far as cats go, having an outdoor only cat goes I really feel it depends on the cat and if you have a

cat that doesn't like humans a lot then it's okay for the cat to be outdoor only but if the cat likes humans and wants to be around them then the cat really should be indoor only because he/she is going to be too nice to survive outdoors.  There are too many toxic plants, cars and mean people who try to poison cats  out there to leave your sweet pet kitty outdoors on its own.

The picture on the left is a great way to have your cat outdoors without worrying he/she will get hurt.  Cat runs are a great idea for times when you want to be outside with your cat but do not want them to run off and want them to be safe.  They are available online and are relatively inexpensive compared to the expense of emergency vet care if your cat gets violently ill or hit by a car.

Contrary to popular belief, most cats are people oriented and love their humans as well so having a cat indoor only will help them as well as you because they will feel loved and you will have your furry companion with you.  They will also live a much longer life as well.

As always, we welcome any comments, questions and topics you'd like to see discussed here.  Please click on the follow us button on this page to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  Be sure to tell your friends and family about us!  Thanks for reading.

How To Introduce A New Cat To Your Current Cat...Is It Really That Hard?

So you've got a new cat...congratulations!  So how do you introduce him/her to your current cat?  Will they just work it out?  Sometimes they will and sometimes they won't.  It is important that a slow introduction be done and to work on their time frame and not yours. 

A slow introduction means they are separated for a while and the new cat has a space of their own to get used to the new sights, sounds, smells, etc. as well as the new friend on the other side of the door.  It's important that the new cat have a space of their own because more than likely he/she will be nervous and may hide for a little while.  That is okay for them to do because they are just doing what makes them feel safe.  It's important to establish a routine and to spend time with them in the room regardless of whether they come out to see you or not.  Eventually they will come out, I promise.

At some point the current cat will be interested in the new cat and there will be sniffing, pawing and probably some hissing under the door.  This is very normal behavior.  They are starting to establish the heirarchy in the household.  Cats are territorial animals so they have to figure out who is in charge, but this can be done slowly.  Here are some links to some great information from not only the Humane Society but Jackson Galaxy as well.

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2010/10/01/cat-to-cat-introductions/

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/introducing_new_cat.html

So what do you need in order to set up the initial safe place for the new cat?  You'll need a litter box, food and water dishes, a scratching post, and what I call a 'hidey hole' which is simply a small space for them to hide such as a box with a hole cut in it or a cubbie from a pet store.  If you want to get them a bed in case they want to sleep in it that is fine but depending on the cat it may be a while before that happens. 

The most important thing to do during this process is listen to the cats and what they want.  For instance, if you crack the door so they can see each other and there is swatting and hissing then they are not ready.  You can also use food as a way to teach them when they see the other cat they get food which is good so the other cat must be good.  Whatever is of high value to the cats is what you will use to teach them the other cat is good.

This is what you want to see when they meet instead of hissing and swatting

A good meeting may involve a hiss or two and then ignoring the other cat.  It may involve what you see in the picture above or they may rub up against each other.  It just depends on the cats.  The timeframe also depends on the cats.

I have friends who have 6 cats and every single one of them walked into the house and within 24 hours they were integrated.  This is highly unusual and does not normally happen with new cats. 

In my experience, it takes about a week to a month for the cats to start accepting each other.  Depending on the background of the cat it can take longer, however.  I have fostered cats that never integrated and went to homes with no other cats and they are extremely happy.

All of this being said, segregation is a good thing at first and let them slowly get used to each other.  It will happen, it just takes time.  If you are patient with them they will reward you with a lifetime of love and companionship.

As always, we  welcome comments and questions and any topics you'd like to see discussed here.  Please do not forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.  Tell your family and friends about us!  Thanks for reading.

Shelters vs. Rescue Organizations: What's The Difference?

I'd like to discuss today the differences between shelters and rescue organizations because I've had a lot of people over my years of doing rescue be confused and ask questions about this very topic.  It can be very confusing when several places are supposedly doing the same thing.

Here's the difference:  most shelters do euthanize animals on at minimum a weekly basis while rescue organizations do not.  A local organization in my area has said they are no kill, but this has only served to confuse people because they think the shelter is no kill when in fact it's the adoption center that is no kill.  The shelter euthanizes animals on a regular basis.

Shelters do what they can to find homes for the animals brought to them but the reality is not every animal can be saved and there just isn't enough money, manpower or space to help all the animals that are in need.  I would love to say there is, but that's not reality.  The ultimate reality is these animals are in the cages like you see below, they get upper respiratory infections (most of them, especially the babies) and once they do they are euthanized because there isn't enough money to care for them.

Rescue organizations do not have enough of those things either (money, manpower or space) but most have a cap on the number of animals they bring in so they can wait until the right home for their animals is found.  Then they can take in more.  Pleas for help are constantly coming in so people do not have to take their animal to the shelter but another reality is there aren't enough foster homes for these animals.

Ok, so to answer the question "what's the difference?"  There ultimately is no difference except for grant money and the people backing the organization.  They are all working toward the same goal...the welfare of the animals and finding them new homes.

So the bigger question is what can you do to help?  If you have room for one animal to foster in your home, if you can volunteer your time, if you can donate some of your money then it will help.  Here are some rescue organizations in the Raleigh, NC, USA area that would be very glad to have you help out with anything you are able:

www.calvinspaws.org
www.bfpa.org
www.safehavenforcats.org
http://www.secondchancenc.org/
http://www.snowflakerescue.org/

These are just a few of the very many in the area.  Of course there are also breed specific groups as well if that is your interest for both dogs and cats.  Most of the groups I listed above have dogs and cats so if you want to foster or sponsor an animal just let them know.

Our economy is so tough right now and everyone is feeling the tightening of the belt, so to speak, and many of our animals are being surrendered because of finances.  Please search for groups to see if they can help out or if there are avenues so you can keep your animal with you so they aren't euthanized.  If it's not possible, then please consider fostering while the group is looking for a home for your pet.  That way there are few moves as possible which creates stress on the animal and that can create medical issues.

As always, we welcome comments, questions and any topics you'd like to see discussed here.  Our goal is to provide you with the information you seek.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and tell your family and friends about us!  Thanks for reading.

What Breed Is Right For Me?

So you've come to the point in your life where you want a pet.  That's great!  Cat or dog?  Male or female?  What age?  What breed?  So many things to think about before adopting.  These are all great things to think about but ultimately researching the breed in particular is what is more important because for the most part each cat will have the general personality of the breed.  However, there are exceptions to every rule so it is also important to visit with the particular cat as well to determine personality.  Remember, baby animals do not develop their personalities until they are a little older so at 2-3 months old you have no idea what their personality is going to be like at 6-8 months old and even older.

If you are wanting a laid back cat that loves their people and likes to snuggle and isn't much of a climber then an Abyssinian is probably not your cat because they love to climb and are extremely playful.  If you think you want a dog but aren't sure about the responsibility then maybe a Maine Coon is good for you because they are known as dogs in cat suits.  Leash training them is fairly easy and they are laid back cats but can get on the larger side.

Here are a couple of good resources for cat breeds and this will give you insight into their personality, intelligence (believe me that's important), playfulness, grooming requirements, etc.

http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/catselectorindex.do

http://simplycatbreeds.org/

Here are the dogs:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/abc.htm

Finding the right animal for your family, lifestyle, and/or home is very important because if you get the wrong one it can go very badly and the animal can end up at the shelter which always a bad ending for the animal.

Just keep in mind if you are not an active person then most dogs probably are not for you.  If you are an active runner and like being outside then a very large, 'fluffy', dog is not for you.  Just because it's a pretty animal doesn't mean he/she is right for you.

In my experience, the most loving and affectionate cats are Ragdolls/Ragamuffins.  They are great family cats and are good with kids.  They tend to bond with one person, though.  Maine Coons can be very affectionate as well but are more aloof.  They have a small voice for their large bodies which is entertaining to me.  They can growl a little when they are talking but are in general very gentle creatures.  They are the gentle giants of the cat world.

This is a baby Maine Coon...cute!

In my opinion, though, the most appreciative animals are rescued animals.  Most of them have had a hard life or have been given up by their families and simply want a good home to live out their days and have a loving family to love on and give all their attention to.  Whether you find an animal on the street and take it in or go to the shelter and save a life they will be so appreciative and will love you for the rest of their lives.

I hope this has helped you in trying to figure out where to start in your search for the right pet for your family. 

As always, we welcome any comments and questions and if you have a topic you'd like to see discussed here please let us know.  Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and please tell your family and friends about us!  Thanks so much for reading!