Pet Care Articles

May 13th, 2012
If your dog or cat is overweight, now is the time to act to get it under control.  Being overweight can be an eventual death sentence to a dog or cat.  Courtesy of catchannel.com, the following statistics show being overweight for a dog or cat is a serious matter...

From 2007 to 2011, the overweight or obese dog incidences increased 37% and overweight or obese cat incidences increased 90% in cats. Overall, 1 in 5 dogs and cats were classified as obese or overweight in 2011.
 
Obesity or overweight was diagnosed in dogs and cats diagnosed with other chronic diseases, including:
 •    40% of dogs and 37% of cats with arthritis,
 •    40% of dogs and 40% of cats with diabetes,
 •    40% of dogs with high blood pressure,
 •    60% of dogs with hypothyroidism.
 
36% of dog owners and 28% of cat owners ...   Read more...
April 26th, 2012
Well, I don't know what to say other than the following story is truly AMAZING...

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/04/19/special-needs-kitty-specialized-surgery 
  Read more...
April 12th, 2012
Our little Bomber had a bad case of dental issues recently.  Within a week of returning from California with Bella in tow, Bomber began to have horrid breath and stopped playing with his new playmate.  We knew something was wrong and sure enough it was his teeth.  As a result, the vet performed a dental cleaning and three upper teeth in the back of his mouth had to be extracted.  This was Bomber's first dental.  He's 5.5 years old.  The total cost was over $300, but it was well worth it.  We were recommended Science Diet's TD formula to help prevent tarter build-up.  Both dogs love it.  Why are dentals so important?  Check it out courtesy of a CBS report...

“Disease can go to the kidneys and the heart and the brain and really cause a lot of damage,” explained Dr. Jan Bellows of the American Veterinary Dental College.

Experts say brushing is best, but that can be difficult for many dogs.  ...   Read more...

March 29th, 2012

Teaching your dog to walk on a leash (courtesy of DogChannel.com):

A good way to teach loose-leash walking to a dog who pulls on the leash is to show her that pulling no longer “works” they way she thinks it will. When your dog starts to pull, simply stop walking. Stand still and wait for your dog to realize she’s not getting anywhere.

If your dog continues to pull after you’ve been stopped for three seconds, start very slowly walking backwards. Your dog will realize she’s losing ground now, not gaining it. When the dog turns around to look at you, wondering what’s gone wrong at your end of the leash, the leash will loosen a little bit. At that point, you can praise her and start walking forward again.

By consistently repeating this process each time she pulls, she will start to realize that pulling activates your “brakes” and not your “accelerator,” and the frequency of pulling will gradually ...   Read more...

March 23rd, 2012
Pet owners need to ensure their pets are healthy and remain that way.  To that end, here are the top five issues concerning pet health right now...

1) Pets are becoming medically underserved - Data shows the pet population in the U.S. is climbing, but visits to veterinarians are declining. On an annual basis in 2007, dogs saw a veterinarian 2.6 times per year and cats only 1.7 times, indicating cats are affected more than dogs. This number has continued to decline in the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008.  Taking your pet to the vet is more important than ever.  Do it regularly!

2) Obesity in pets is skyrocketing - If you love your pet and want it to live a long, healthy life, keep its weight down. Obese pets have a shorter lifespan and increased risk of cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems, bladder disease, and, like humans, diabetes.  The fatter the owner, the fatter the pet, in most ...   Read more...
March 8th, 2012
We'd like to take this time to announce the addition of Bella, a Maltese/Shitzu mix to the Paw Minders Plus family!  We adopted her as a rescue dog from Living Free Shelter linked below...

http://www.living-free.org/

You can see her profile on the site below...

http://www.living-free.org/about/dog_tammymarie.html

We have renamed her to go along with our little Bomber.  Bella and Bomber!  A nice ring to it, eh?   Read more...
February 21st, 2012
Do you live in an apartment?  More apartments are allowing dogs.  The following are five tips for dog owners before and after you bring your pet into an apartment (courtesy of dogchannel.com)...

1) Check the rules. Before bringing a new dog home, make sure you know your apartment complex’s rules regarding size, breed, pet rent/deposits, etc.  Don't assume fido is allowed to live with you there.

2) Let your neighbors know about your new best friend. There are two good reasons for this. First, if you are bringing home a puppy, you might want to warn your neighbors that there will be some crying the first couple nights while your pup gets adjusted. This courtesy will be appreciated by your neighbors.

3) Pet Identification is essential. Having more than one type of identification is even better. Pet ID Tags are great; anyone can read the number and call you.  Best ...   Read more...