It’s that time of year when routine pet care has to include preventative measures to avoid flea and tick woes for your furry family members. Treating your pets isn’t just for but to mitigate the onset of any diseases or illnesses from the little blood suckers. It is important to pick the right products and use them correctly to keep the pets, you and others safe as well!

The best place to start any task is at the beginning, and in this case it means carefully reading all the labels on whichever products you choose. First of all, make sure you are purchasing the right dosage size for your pets. Be sure to use ONLY approved products for your pets’ age, weight, health status, and species. BES SURE to be extra careful if you have pets that are in any extreme range…very young, very old, pregnant, nursing, ill or debilitated. Also, if your pet experienced sensitivity to any of the available products in the past, be sure to talk to your veterinarian first!

These products are species specific. Dogs should only be treated with products specially made for dogs. While cat products might not cause harm to a dog they most likely will not be nearly effective enough for them. On the other hand, don’t use Fido’s preventatives on Fluffy the kitty! Cane products can actually be quite harmful to your feline family members. ALWAYS consult your veterinarian with an chemical being given to your pets!

After reading all the directions for applying the product to a pets, only use the amount required for your critter. For example, don’t use more flea and tick product than indicated and do not use more than one product at one time! One flea and tick product, regardless of how it is applied, should be all that is needed to do the job for the length of time indicated on the package!

To prevent yourself from accidental contact with the topical type products during application, use disposable gloves to protect your skin. Thorough hand washing with soap and water is a must after any application! Keep the kids away from the pets until the product is thoroughly dry. Be sure to read the instructions for proper disposal of the empty product containers after use.

If your household has several pets, it is a good idea to keep them apart from each other for the time it takes the product to dry in case one of the poets decides to groom another and ingests the chemical.

Lastly but equally important, watch your pets for adverse reactions. A good rule of thumb: for a few hours after treating a pet with ANY flea and tick preventive product, keep an eye on your dog or cat for any reactions or sensitivity to the product. This is especially important when using a product for the first time on a pet! Keep all the packaging for the product for a day or two after application. Why? So you will have both the kind of ingredients used AND contact information for the company that manufactured the product!

What to watch for?
• Excessive drooling excessively or foaming at the mouth
• Stumbling or incoordination (ataxia)
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Trembling (seizures)
• Lack of appetite
• Severe depression

If you notice any unusual behavior shortly after applying a preventive product, call your veterinarian immediately. Bathe your dog completely in soapy water and rinse its coat with copious amounts of water.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all went by in a blur of activity and now it’s time for a brand new year. Now is the perfect time to take a few moments and focus on our furry friends who put up with all the commotion and repay some of that undying loyalty!

All pets need and deserve good veterinary care. It is easy to forget follow up appointments for our pets, putting their needs on a back burner, and letting vaccinations and health exams slide. Why not go into your files and look for your pets’ medical records? Can’t find them? Call your vet and have them check on it for you. Even if your pets look perfectly fine, annual exams are essential in good preventative care of them. Call and book an appointment in January!

Yes, it is freezing cold and many dogs have had their walks cut short. But exercise is key for any pet’s well-being. Roll a tennis ball down the hall at home. Take short but more frequent walks with your dog. Dust off the laser light and kitty feather toys and give your cats a workout, too! January has most people reassessing their own health and weight – why not reevaluate your pets’ weight and activity levels? Be it indoors or outdoors, keeping your pets mentally and physically stimulated will add years to your enjoyment of your pets! Stop by a pet store and get a new year’s present for your pet. There are so many smart toys and brain teasers for you and your pet to pick from!

While the holidays are still fresh in your memory, consider how your pet handled all of it. Did your pets score an “A” in their socialization, vocalization, and overall good behavior? Or were your home-entertaining attempts dampened by incessant barking, whining, growling, jumping or hiding in terror under your bed? Now is a great time to search the net for training ideas, talk to your vet about the issues, and seek out the help of a pet behavior professional. Marathon County is blessed with a great variety of experienced and reputable pet professionals to help you help your pet! It isn’t just the embarrassment of a misbehaving pet, but chronic anxiety or stress can negatively impact the health of your furry pal and make it difficult to attain the goals you are setting. Seek out the help your pet needs NOW while there isn’t so much on your schedule. Your pet is surely worth it, right?

REMEMBER that rock salts and deicers are both toxic to your pet and irritating to paws and skin. As the temperatures drop and/or the wind chill increases, so do your pet’s chances of getting frost bite. Now is the time to treat your dog to a winter coat and snow boots that FIT! Clearance prices are happening in all the stores, so what are you waiting for?! Not sold on the boots or can’t find a pair that fit? Be sure to gently clean your pet’s paws after going outdoors to keep them from becoming irritated and to prevent your dogs from ingesting the chemicals when he tries to clean his own feet!

Pets feel our stress and we impact them with our hectic lifestyles. I love to cuddle on the couch with my dog when I watch a movie, and he enjoys getting bundled up for a quick walk outdoors. Playing fetch with the squeak toys he got for Christmas can keep him active for a long time indoors, and he even tries to join in exercising to a workout DVD!

Start this year out with time for fun, love, health and happiness for your entire family!

Thank you for your patience!

Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season and with it come holiday guests to coexist with your year-round pets! For most pet families it is a fun time for all, many with pet “cousins” visiting, too. But in other households it can be a pretty daunting experience. How to balance welcoming guests while keeping a pet feeling “at home”…at home?

The first thing to do is make all invited guests aware that you have a pet or several of them! Nothing says trouble like an unsuspecting guest discovering pets when they enter your home. Call and let them know about your furry or feathered (or any other) pets and talk a bit about your pet family.

Next, get a safe room set up for your pet. No one wants to exclude Fido or Fluffy from the family fun, but as a pet owner and host, you have some weighty responsibilities. You want to make your guests feel welcome while keeping your pets safe. In reality, sometimes having your pet spend a few hours in a safe space is better for everyone. After company leaves you can give them all the attention you need to remove the guilty feeling sure to come.

Allergies can be a nightmare to deal with. Some folks may be allergic to certain species, or breeds, hair or even saliva. Investing in extra time to clean and vacuum is a no-brainer! Don’t be offended if some guests just bow out from the festivities. Allergies are nothing to sneeze about for severe allergy sufferers.

Some folks are simply afraid of animals. Some may be okay with small breeds or cats but terrified by the bigger dogs. If Fido has a bark that shakes the rafters, prepare guests for what to expect! Prior bad experiences or just inexperience around animals can leave a bad taste for pets in general. Plan ahead, Have pet snacks on hand so guests can treat your pet to one or two. Also, take minute to just explain “Dog Basics 101”:

• Don’t stare directly into the eyes of a dog. Dogs may consider this a challenge. Teach guests to give a quick glance and look away.
• An extended hand, palm upward and flat, is the best way to greet a new dog.
• Avoid touching the top of a dog’s head as this may be read as a sign of dominance. Speak in a soft, happy voice. Dogs are very astute and can sense fear and confidence, and they will react accordingly.

Obviously, if your dog has reacted aggressively in the past, it is much better for both your pet and guests to keep him in a safe room. He’ll be fine with his toys, bed, food, water, and maybe with a TV on for company. Always check on him throughout the festivities for reassurance for BOTH of you!

So what if your pets don’t have a mean bone in their bodies? What about Mr. Exuberant Labrador or overly affectionate Miss Kitty? While no ill will is intended, your guests may not welcome all the attention. It is your responsibility to keep your pets (and sometimes human kids) from being a nuisance to your guests! Some folks don’t eat unless they wash up after petting an animal. A dog who keeps his snout lifting a guest’s hand can really put a cramp in eating those hors d’oeuvres. Begging is a no-no, as is loud barking and meowing, and jumping on the company! It is never too late to start teaching your pets how to be the perfect furry hosts at your holiday gatherings.

Now, sometimes it is the guest who is the problem! Guests freely feeding from their plate or kids roughhousing with Fido can be setting the stage for unwelcome consequences. Pets can become confused and frightened by uncommon behaviors. Take the time to establish your house rules and gently insist guests abide by them.

• Guests should not feed your pet food, except with treats approved by you.
• Guests should not chase your pet or make him feel trapped or insecure in his own home.
• Pets should not be picked up or cuddled against their will. If your pet is accustomed to having his own private space, keep it off limits!

If guests just can’t be trained to follow the rules, remove the pet to his safe room for the duration of the evening…and make that room OFF LIMITS to everyone.

On the other hand, if your pets and guests are well behaved, then everyone can share in the holiday fun. Unrealistic expectations set the stage for failure. Prepare for the worst case scenario and expect the best to happen.