Grooming

Grooming is a very important part of owning an animal I take my 2 dogs to the groomers once a month, mostly cause they get their nails shorter than I do and also they like it my groomer locks the door and lets play all day an then about an hour before I pick them up she does her thing, anyways in between I will bathe them if needed mostly the lab sinces he has allergies and some hairless spots I bathe him 2 times a week in all natural shampoo that is specified for allergies and hot spots, but if they dont have allergies and such then I recommend using oatmeal shampoos that dont have detergents, it helps their skin and coats and if your using frontline or some other product like that then haveing no detergents keeps it lasting longer. Brushing your pet is very important if its a long hair then brushing should be done every other day or as needed using a brush with long bristles to get down deep. and for a short hair that sheds alot if you have aproblem with all the shedding everyday is the best to keep that under control if its not that big of an issue then when ever you feel like doing it and I would seggest using a furminator or something like that they have cheaper versions and my lab loves it and it works great. Last and probably the most important is the nails they need to be as short as possible without making them bleed of course, if they are really long right now then once a week cut them and the quick will shorten also then they can be shorter, useing one of the many drimel type tools is the best and you can get the nails much shorter with out hurting them and they wont fight as much ( makes everyone involved happier), when the nails are long its like they are walking on high heels all the time and that sux, or if they get way to long they will start to curl under and they can grow back into the pads of the paw.

Feeding your pet

My best suggestion for this is if possible get specialized food for your breed these can be found at most big pet stores, like I feed my dachshund special dachshund food from eukanuba, it has extra glucosamine and condroiton for there long backs and short legs they are prone to arthritis like a large dog. For large breed dogs I suggest anything thing specified for large breed but you can also get special breed food for them also like shepherds, boxers, and labs check with your local pet stores. Another thing when feeding your dog if you have a dog that has really oily skin or itches alot and seems like they have allergies my first recommendation is to get food with as little or no corn or corn by products alot of dogs have allergies to them especially labs and lab mixes like mine when I first rescued him he always seemed to smell, was oily, and itched then my mom told me about her lab they had and what they did so I tried it and it worked, although the oiliness and smell went away for the most part he still itched so then we started giving him fish oil supplements and haven't had much problem with it since, grooming can have alot to do with that also and I will get into that tomorrow. Now with cats if you have indoor cats that never go outside I suggest anything that is made for them, and out door cats just about anything, but for any cat take out any fish product I know that most of them say that they are made with fish but its really not good for them, they cant process it in the stomachs very well, if you have a cat that is have alot of UTI's ( urinary tract infections) try taking the fish out of there diet completely and give them more wet food. Cats urine is very potent so they need alot of water to help dilute it but most of them don't drink as much as they should especially if you have one or more that don't like the dogs and wont go to the water when the dogs are around like 1 of mine does, so give them there own water bowl and also give them a can of wet food every other day or so, this should help with the UTI's or prevent them. The last thing's about feeding if you have plastic bowls wash them everyday the can harbor bacteria easily and cause many different stomach problems and on dogs cause doggy acne, if possible use ceramic which is the best or metal which is ok, and store the food in a dark dry container and if its plastic also try to wash that when possible and you food wont get bacteria or become stale. If you have anything to add please do.

A rescued pup

So the other day I was given a dog that wasn't wanted and she looked like crap. She is a mini Dachshund and her ears feel like leather and you can see all the bones in her tail and back she has some missing hair, and last her nails were so long that even when she walked on carpet you could hear them click together. I don't know how people can treat animals this way, shes nervous doesn't like loud noises and when the friend of mine went to get her I asked her to get her food and any vet papers that they have on her but when she asked about these things they told her that she had never went to a vet and they weren't sure what food she eats but they did have a small bag of kibbles and bits ( which for a dachshund isn't good), they also told her to be careful around kids with her because where she was living they had kids that beat up on her, these things really upset me but she is in a much better place now and she will grow big. The other thing they told me is that she was like a year old but I'm not sure of that either and if she is then she really has had a bad diet cause her teeth look really bad. So my point is if your going to get an animal especially a dog do your research , do some basic training (like house breaking), if its a small dog teach your kids not to chase them or things like that they can get hurt easily especially dachshunds they have very long backs that can break easily or slip discs, get them good food I understand than in these times it hard on the pocket but at least get something that will help them live long and healthy, keep there nails trimmed short ( if they are to long its like they are walking in heals all the time), bathe them and put frontline or something like that on them so they don't get critters, check the web for your dog and see what others say is good for them , and last but most important take them to the vet they need shots and check ups just like we do the things that dogs and cats can get like parvo can come on suddenly and kill them over night and it can be passed to other animals. If you have anything to say about this topic I would love to hear it and maybe do more on it just let me know.