Pet Care Online: Building A Useful Pet Care Info Site

Would you have guessed that there are around sixty-eight million dogs in America living in forty million households? Would you believe that nearly thirty billion dollars are spent on pets annually?
Clearly, Americans are animal crazy. There is little we will not do for our beloved pets. We take them with us wherever we can-to the corner store, a café, on a train. We buy them gourmet food, order customized beds for them and dress them in specially made clothing. We are attentive to their every need, making sure they also have top of the line health care.
In many ways, we treat our pets like our children. We shower them with affection and bask in their attention. And when something goes wrong and Spot or Fluffy suddenly falls ill, we do whatever we can to fix it right away.
In turn, it is important for pet owners to have comprehensive and up-to-date information about medical treatments and nutrition available to them 24/7. While it is true that their vets may be their best resource, these vets may not be the most reliable. For example, what happens if your vet is on a lunch break when you call or if the office is closed for the day when Spot gets tangled in a fence?
A website that lists the latest news on vaccines, diets, exercise programs, and emergency animal treatment is priceless. In an emergency situation, the pet’s owner does not have time to spare; answers are needed right away. Logging on to a pet care resource site takes just seconds and it will provide the facts they need immediately.
Owners can also save money by using a pet care site. If one can find a solution to Fluffy’s dry skin problem on the internet, there will be no need to schedule an expensive consultation with a doctor (and Fluffy will be thrilled that she is being spared the stress of an office visit!).
The best pet care websites also offer money saving opportunities. If you are a pet store owner, maybe a local brand of fish food will offer a discount to your viewers, or perhaps you could post a reduced price on dog toys for anyone who comes into your store and mentions your website. Obviously, there are numerous promotional possibilities. All you need is a clever idea and an attractive web presence.
Here are some other examples of what can be included on a resourceful site:
-Information about pet boarding
-Information about pet travel and safety
-Using your pet as protection in your home
-Common diseases and common cures in household pets
-Allergies: Human and Animal
-Grooming techniques (traditional and otherwise)
-Training techniques for large and small animals
-Breeder information for dogs, cats, horses, etc.
Having a well designed and informative website is a huge bonus for your clients and you. Whether you run a veterinary service, own a pet store, or at a trendy pet “barkery,” the internet can help you to advertise and expand your customer base. A website shows that you are serious about reaching out to your community and providing helpful information.

Great Pet Care on a Budget ? Part III, What kind of pet is best for you?

You have decided that you want a pet. Now it’s time to decide what kind of pet you want. The first thing you need to do is to evaluate what type of pet owner you will be. Will you be a lazy pet owner that does not provide much pet care or are you a very active person that will be doing activities with the pet on a daily basis? Be honest with your answer and choose a pet based on your decision.

Lazy pet owners should not get an active pet like a Jack Russell or a Labrador retriever. These dogs have an enormous amount of energy and they need to channel it into something. That could be a 3 to 4 mile walk or it could be chewing up your couch. The energy will go somewhere.

If you admit you would be better off with something that does not require so much time then choose a more docile pet like a cat or small mammal. You and the pet will be much happier with the level of pet care you can provide.

Where you live can play a very important role in your new pet decision also. Do you live in an apartment? Do they allow pets? If so, you will probably have to walk a dog on a leash at all times, even in the middle of the night if he has to go to the bathroom. Is he going to have to stay inside the apartment all day while you are at work? A cat or goldfish might be a better choice for you if this does not sound like a good idea.

We hope you enjoyed this article from Jack’s Pet Care Series.

 

 

Six Ways To Lessen Pet Care And Vet Expenses

Keeping pets in the house could do serious damage to your savings account. A pet entails almost as much responsibilities as taking care of a small child. You need to feed them, groom them, and take them out for walks and regular check ups to the vet. Most people endure huge pet care expenses because these furry friends are lovely additions to any household.
With today’s economy, though, it’s wise to keep your pet care expenses in tow. This article gives you six ways to do just that.
Avail of pet wellness insurance plans
A lot of introspection goes into shopping for the right pet wellness insurance plan. Some people spend almost half of their income on pet care products alone. A newly born pup needs a whole batch of vaccines and treatment just to grow up well. It’s best to make a close comparison of all pet insurance plans available in the market before making a purchase. Choose what pet insurance plan suits your pet and your budget the best.
Consider taking a CareCredit card
A CareCredit card basically works the same way as your regular credit card. However, this plastic money caters mostly to your pet’s vet expenses. You should ask your vet if he accepts this card for transactions. This is very useful when you don’t have enough cash at hand.
Take advantage of your vet clinic’s special offers
You should keep an ear out for promos which your animal clinic may offer. Every vet knows how expensive it is to keep your pets in tip top shape. Some clinics can get cheaper bulk offers on pet food, shampoos and vitamins. These clinics could then occasionally offer these goods to their clients for less.
Buy your pet supplies in bulk and split it with a friend
Pet supplies are generally cheaper when purchased in large volumes. You could probably cut down on your pet supplies expenses by buying certain products like pet food by the bulk. Look for friends or fellow pet owners in the neighborhood who might be willing to split the products and expenses with you. This means huge savings on pet care products for both happy pet owners.
Trade your services for vet check ups
Money doesn’t have to be the only bartering card in these deals. There’s a possibility that your veterinary is also involved in another businesses, like sales, or maintaining a website. If you find yourself capable of offering your skills in exchange for your pet’s checkups and treatments, do so. Your vet could give you special discounts if you can tutor his son in school, or give him and the missus a good travel deal to a tropical island in the summer.
Be preventive
If your pet is injured or showing subtle signs of being sick, don’t hesitate to go to the vet as soon as possible. Most pet owners shoulder larger hospital bills by holding off the vet visit. Bring your pet to the vet before the injury or illness gets any worse.

Great Pet Care on a budget ? Part II, Why do you want a pet?

Great Pet Care on a budget – Part II, Why do you want a pet?

 First, ask yourself “Why do I want a pet?” and be honest about your answer. Maybe it’s to have a companion to help from being lonely or maybe it’s for protection. Did you grow up in an environment where there were pets around? Did you have them when you were a child? Or maybe you seen someone else with a pet that you admired and you decided that was the right pet for you?

The answers are limitless but whatever the reason you have to have a willingness to care for the animal through thick and thin and not when it’s small new, and cute. Getting a pet on a whim is never a good idea. You need to be ready for all the activities that go along with pet ownership including:

Owning a pet requires a lot of time and effort if it is to be done correctly but unfortunately most people don’t realize this until the animal is home and after awhile the owner becomes overwhelmed. 

So when you decide that you are ready for pet care and you are ready to move forward. Be honest with yourself, take your time and look around for the pet that’s right for you. 

We hope you enjoyed this article from Jack’s Pet Care Series. 

Please check out part I & part III of this series for more information on pet care and pet ownership.

 

 

 

The Basics Of Pet Care

So you have a pet that you love a lot. But that’s not enough. Your pet is not just an object of your affection. It is a living being and needs care. Your pet depends on you and what you know about pet care and how to go about it is what will keep you pet happy and healthy.

You need to understand what your pet needs. While pet care will vary according to the pet you have, there are some basic rules that you can keep in mind:

• Learn about your pet’s special needs – food, health, housing and other general pet care issues • Remember that not all animals of the same species have the same personalities – just ask any dog owner. Understanding your pet’s personality is an important part of pet care. • Health and immunization is an important part of pet care. Ensure that your pet visits the veterinarian regularly and is given all the immunizations that are needed. • Many pets have special grooming needs – pay attention to them. • Pet with insufficient companionship can get bored and depressed which often results in bad behavior. Before punishing your pet for having done something wrong, see if you are any role to play in the cause of this behavior. • Make sure your family and friends know how to interact with your pet – people can often be unintentionally cruel or hurt the animal. • Discipline is an important component of pet care. A pet that knows it boundaries and what it can and cannot do is a happy and secure pet.

Find pet supplies at www.hbconnection.com – the only health and beauty search engine(for pets too)!

Choosing a Name for Your Pet

How to Choose a Pet Name
Coming up with good pet names can be very challenging sometimes, especially in a very large family where everyone has their own ideas about what the best name for a new pet would be. For other people, names like “Spot” or “Fluffy” get very old after a while, and people are looking for something unique and new. There are some wonderful websites online that can help with the process of selecting a special name for your new pet that reflects their character and personality well.

Bowwow Pet-Names With Personality
Bowwow is a website that is truly dedicated to the quest for the perfect pet name. There are a multitude of search options, including:

Top 20 names
Names of the month
Visitor suggestions
Single name search
Paired name search
Alphabetical search

There’s even a dog age calculator and e-Cards! You can search in categories such as cartoons, movie stars, or personalities for names of famous people that you might like to name your pet after. The website even features a “pet name search engine.” If you want to have fun with pet names, you should definitely make this one your first stop.

World Wide Pet Names Project
The world wide pet names project provides a list of favorite names that website visitors have submitted. You can even submit your own suggestion if you have an idea for a favorite pet name. Because it’s primarily user-driven, this list has grown exponentially to almost 7,500 pet names. If you simply want a comprehensive list of names to rattle off, hoping that one simply sticks out as the perfect name for your pet, then this is the website to visit.

Pet Names World
Pet Names World is another very fun pet name selection website. It is definitely geared toward children in that it features fun cartoon images and a cute poll where kids can select what animal the name “Ruth” best fits.

The list of names on this website is also fairly comprehensive. They are listed in alphabetical order. But one of the unique things about the list on this website is that the list also includes whether the name is intended for a male or female, the origin of the name (Latin, Hindu, Hebrew, etc.) and also the meaning of the name. This website is fun to browse just to learn the meanings of some of these names.

Cat & Dog Names
Cat & Dog Names is a somewhat simple website that allows you to browse through dog names, cat names, or mixed pet names. The unique thing about this website is that it also allows you to view lists of suggested names that are based on the appearance and features of your pet. Some of these lists are extremely long, and cover categories such as popular Irish dog names, unique Australian dog names, stray kitten names, and black cat names. There is a huge variety of other categories.

Cat Names
Cat-Names.us is a fairly large database of over 5000 unique cat names. This database allows you to search using a category of appearance or behavior, a sub-category if appropriate, and gender. These search criteria offer a list of names in the database that match those characteristics. The names in this database are actually fairly unique. Additionally, this website also offers visitors a free “custom naming guide” which walks pet owners through the process of selecting the perfect name for their cat.

Dog Names
Dog-Names.us is also a large database of over 6000 unique dog names. This database also allows you to search for dog names the same way the cat name search works. The names in this dog database are unique as well.

A Pet Portrait Featuring Your Pet’s Name
Once you’ve decided on a name that represents your pet’s personality and characteristics, there is no better way to celebrate this new name than with a painted pet portrait.

Pet portraits are sweeping the country as a very popular form of recognizing how much your animal friend means to you and your family. Pet portraits are an ideal way to preserve the name of your pet by asking that the name be placed somewhere on the portrait.

The best pet portraits in the country are created by artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. Nikky is more than pleased to accept requests for incorporating the pet’s name somewhere in the picture. Such a beautiful portrait of your family pet would become a family heirloom that would stretch for generations.

Understanding Pet Astrology

While the concept of pet astrology may seem odd to many people, there are many people who believe that the date of birth of your pet, related to astrological signs of the planets, the sun, and the stars, have a significant impact on the basic behavior and mood of their pets. There are particular character behaviors that are associated with each zodiac sign for pets. These include all of the following:

Aries: Aries pets are known to be very active and also hypersensitive to the environment around them.

Taurus: Taurus pets seem to have a passive nature normally, but if they are ever caught in a fight where they need to defend themselves or family members, they will not give up a fight.

Gemini: Gemini pets tend to be extremely intelligent, so they are usually very easy to train. But their intelligence also means that they can require a lot of attention, and always need to be in the company of their owners.

Cancer: Cancer pets are extremely sensitive. Because of this, when they get attached to a person, they are loyal to that person for life.

Leo: Leo pets tend to be very independent and almost always end up leading the pack. These pets will be more difficult to train, as they won’t want you to take the role of leader. Be persistent, and the Leo pet will eventually succumb.

Virgo: Virgo pets have a multitude of wonderful characteristics and behaviors that make them perfect human companions.

Libra: Libra pets tend to be extremely easygoing. This means they will make fantastic family pets for families that aren’t very active. Unfortunately this also means that Libra pets are typically somewhat lazy and eventually get overweight without being forced to exercise.

Scorpio: Scorpio pets are extremely possessive of their owners. While this typically makes for an extremely loyal pet, it can also become a problem if the pet believes their owner is being attacked and they aren’t. They can be overprotective at times.

Sagittarius: Sagittarius pets make great pets because they are both fun loving and very intelligent. However, their energy level can be difficult for families that aren’t used to active pets.

Capricorn: Capricorn pets tend to remain very young at heart, and remain very playful even into their old age.

Aquarius: Aquarius pets are extremely intelligent, but for some reason that intelligence can come across as a level of stubbornness that makes them appear ill-tempered and sometimes difficult to handle.

Pisces: Pisces pets are very introverted and extremely gentle. However, their sensitivity means that they can easily sense the moods of their owners. This pet is perfect for people who are naturally calm, but not so good for people who can be very emotional.

Astrology.com

The family section of astrology.com features a great section on pet astrology that lets you select your pets sign from a drop down list in order to get a detailed description of the personality of your pet, how to manage their personality and traits, and how to care for them while taking into account the natural inclinations that are a part of their personality because of their astrological sign.

This website also features fun quizzes, such as “What kind of dog would you be?” or “Are you a cat or dog person?” Additionally, you can find a “pet grid”, which rates several personality traits including “affectionate”, “energetic”, “friendly”, and “loyal” on a scale of 1 to 3 for each zodiac sign. This grid helps you to determine which traits your particular pet is likely to have. There is also a chart that helps you to determine what sign your pet is based on their birth date.

Express Your Pet’s Sign With a Portrait

When you fully educate yourself regarding your pet’s zodiac sign, it may be something that makes you very proud of your pet. You may wish to commemorate your pet and his or her zodiac sign through a painted pet portrait utilizing an astrology theme that integrates the pet’s zodiac sign.

Pet portraits are very popular and sweeping the country. Nikky Hughes, of Los Angeles, offers amazing pet portraits that utilize unique backgrounds and themes. She is always happy to do portraits on request, and a pet’s zodiac sign would easily fit into the creative and witty existing portfolio of pet portraits that are displayed at her website.

Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. Pet astrology can provide a great deal of insight into the behaviors of your pet, but it also brings great pride in knowing how your pet fits into the cosmological universe. Feature your cat in a beautiful painted portrait that incorporates the zodiac, and you have an astrological masterpiece that will last a lifetime.

External Parasites and the Health of Your Pet

Fleas

Flea Basics
Fleas thrive when the weather is warm and humid. Depending on your climate, fleas may be a seasonal or year-round problem. Your pet can pick up fleas wherever an infestation exists, often in areas frequented by other cats and dogs. Adult fleas are dark brown, no bigger than a sesame seed, and able to move rapidly over your pet’s skin.

Adult fleas live their entire lives on your pet. Female fleas begin laying eggs within 24 hours of selecting your pet as a host, producing up to 50 eggs each day. These eggs fall from your pet onto the floor or furniture, including your pet’s bed, or onto any other indoor or outdoor area where your pet happens to go. Tiny, worm-like larvae hatch from the eggs and burrow into carpets, under furniture, or into soil before spinning a cocoon. The cocooned flea pupae can lie dormant (inactive) for weeks before emerging as adults that are ready to infest (or reinfest) your pet. The result is a flea life cycle of anywhere from 12 days to 6 months.

Risks and Consequences
You may not know that your pet has fleas until their number increases to the point that your pet is obviously uncomfortable. Signs of flea problems range from mild redness to severe scratching that can lead to open sores and skin infections. One of the first things you may notice on a pet with fleas is “flea dirt” — the black flea droppings left on your pet’s coat.

Fleas bite animals and suck their blood; young or small pets with heavy flea infestations may become anemic. Some pets can develop an allergy to flea saliva that may result in more severe irritation and scratching. Also, pets can become infected with certain types of tapeworms if they ingest fleas carrying tapeworm eggs. In areas with moderate to severe flea infestations, people may also be bitten by fleas. While fleas are capable of transmitting several other infectious diseases to pets and people, this is rare.

Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will recommend an appropriate flea control plan for your pet based upon your needs and the severity of the flea infestation.

Fleas spend a lot of their time off of your pet and in the environment. In addition to treating your pet, reduce the flea population in your house by thoroughly cleaning your pet’s sleeping quarters and vacuuming floors and furniture that your pet comes in contact with frequently. Careful and regular vacuuming/cleaning of the pet’s living area helps to remove and kill flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. You may also have to treat your house with insecticides to kill the fleas; consult with your veterinarian about products safe for use around pets and children.

With moderate and severe flea infestations, you may be advised to treat your yard in addition to treating the inside of your home. Your veterinarian can recommend an appropriate course of action and suggest ways to prevent future flea infestations.

Ticks

Tick Basics
Hosting a tick is the price dogs or, less commonly, cats may pay for investigating shrubbery, brush, or wild undergrowth. Ticks have a four-stage life cycle, and immature ticks often feed on small, wild animals found in forests, prairies, and brush. Adult ticks seek larger hosts like dogs and cats who venture into these habitats. Tick exposure may be seasonal, depending on geographic location.

Risks and Consequences
Ticks are most often found around your dog’s neck, in the ears, in the folds between the legs and the body, and between the toes. Cats may have ticks on their neck or face. Tick bites can cause skin irritation and heavy infestations can cause anemia in pets. Ticks are also capable of spreading serious infectious diseases (such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and others) to the pets and the people on which they feed. Disease risk varies by geographic area and tick species.

Treatment and Control
Prompt removal of ticks is very important because it lessens the chance of disease transmission from the tick to your pet. Remove ticks by carefully using tweezers to firmly grip the tick as close to the pet’s skin as possible and gently pulling the tick free without twisting it. After removing the tick, crush it while avoiding contact with tick fluids that can carry disease. Do not attempt to smother the tick with alcohol or petroleum jelly, or apply a hot match to it, as this may cause the tick to regurgitate saliva into the wound, increasing the risk of disease.

Pets at risk for ticks should be treated during the tick season with an appropriate tick preventative. Your veterinarian can recommend a product best suited to your pet’s needs. Owners who take their pets to tick-prone areas during camping, sporting, or hiking trips should examine their pets for ticks immediately upon returning home and remove them from their pets. If your pet picks up ticks in your backyard, trimming bushes and removing brush may reduce your pet’s exposure to tick habitats.

Ear Mites

Mite Basics
Ear mites are common in young cats and dogs, and generally confine themselves to the ears and surrounding area. Mites are tiny and individual mites may be seen only with the aid of a microscope. Your pet can pick up ear mites by close contact with an infested pet or its bedding.

Risks and Consequences
Ear mites can cause intense irritation of the ear canal. Signs of ear mite infestation include excessive head shaking and scratching of the ears. Your pet may scratch to the point that it creates bleeding sores around its ears. A brown or black ear discharge is common with ear mite infections.

Treatment and Control
Treatment of ear mites involves thorough ear cleaning and medication. Your veterinarian can recommend an effective treatment plan.

Sarcoptic Mange Mites

Mite Basics
Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites cause sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies. Sarcoptic mange mites affect dogs of all ages, during any time of the year. Sarcoptic mange mites are highly contagious to other dogs and may be passed by close contact with infested animals, bedding, or grooming tools.

Risks and Consequences
Sarcoptic mange mites burrow through the top layer of the dog’s skin and cause intense itching. Clinical signs include generalized hair loss, a skin rash, and crusting. Skin infections may develop secondary to the intense irritation. People who come in close contact with an affected dog may develop a skin rash and should see their physician.

Treatment and Control
Dogs with sarcoptic mange require medication to kill the mites and additional treatment to soothe the skin and resolve related infections. Cleaning and treatment of the dog’s environment is also necessary.

Demodectic Mange Mites

Mite Basics
Demodectic mange caused by demodectic mange mites is mainly a problem in dogs. Demodectic mange mites are microscopic, cigar-shaped, and not highly contagious. A mother dog, however, may pass the mites to her puppies.

Risks and Consequences
Localized demodectic mange tends to appear in young dogs as patches of scaly skin and redness around the eyes and mouth and, perhaps, the legs and trunk. Unlike other types of mange, demodectic mange may signal an underlying medical condition, and your pet’s overall health should be carefully evaluated. Less commonly, young and old dogs experience a generalized form of demodectic mange and can exhibit widespread patches of redness, hair loss, and scaly, thickened skin.

Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. Treatment of dogs with localized demodectic mange generally results in favorable outcomes. Generalized demodectic mange (demodecosis), however, may be difficult to treat, and treatment may only control the condition, rather than cure it.

Important Points

Look for fleas, ticks, and coat abnormalities any time you groom your dog or cat or when you return home from areas that are likely to have higher numbers of these parasites.

See your veterinarian if your pet excessively scratches, chews, or licks its haircoat, or persistently shakes its head. These clinical signs may indicate the presence of external parasites or other conditions requiring medical care.

Prompt treatment of parasites lessens your pet’s discomfort, decreases the chances of disease transmission from parasite to pet, and may reduce the degree of home infestation.

Discuss the health of all family pets with your veterinarian when one pet becomes infested. Some parasites cycle among pets, making control of infestations difficult unless other pets are considered. Consult your veterinarian before beginning treatment.

Tell your veterinarian if you have attempted any parasite remedies, as this may impact your veterinarian’s recommendation.

Be especially careful when applying insecticides to cats, as cats are particularly sensitive to these products. Never use a product that is not approved for cats, as the results could be lethal.

Follow label directions carefully.

Leave treatment to the experts. Your veterinarian offers technical expertise and can assist you in identifying products that are most likely to effectively and safely control your pet’s parasite problem.