‘Pet Health’ Articles
It’s a well-known fact that owning a pet can be good for companionship, but it can also be good for your health. Recent studies have proven that companion animals can help improve our physical and mental health. Lowered anxiety and stress, lower blood pressure and stable heart rate are three health benefits that pets can give their owners.
Most pet owners are young children and their families, and pets have been known to enrich their lives – but they can also be very helpful in assisting the elderly. Pets have been proven to help elderly owners extend their lives, stay healthier and avoid stressful situations. Studies from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society compared independent seniors with and without pets, and the senior citizens with pets proved to be stronger physically and mentally. Thanks to their pets, they live less stress lives and are more physically active and happier.
Owning a pet and maintaining it can seem like a lot of hard work for some of us. However, when a pet owner takes the time out to actually take care of his or her pet, including the usual maintenance, feeding, bathing and walking, these activities lead to a reduction in anxiety, tension and blood pressure, a reduction in heart rate and the proper release of beta-endorphins in one’s body. Taking care of your pets in the simplest ways can be a workout of sorts, improving heart rate and keeping your joints flexible and mobile by performing actions like changing your pet’s water or opening the pet door to let your pet dog in or out. It may not be a real workout, but it helps pet owners stay healthy.
Of course, a lot of a pet’s benefits cannot be seen by the naked eye. Having a pet around the house allows for companionship for the owner, love and affection, and a play companion in the absence of children. Pets can step up to the plate as well for older pet owners without close family relatives or friends. When faced with a tough emotional situation, pet owners can turn to their pets for additional support. For those living alone by choice or by fate and for elderly folks in nursing homes, pets can provide much-needed social protection.
Pets are ideal companions for older people, as they provide support, keep them motivated and interested in living their lives to the fullest, and allow them to take care of routines like buying groceries or simply leaving the house. Indeed, pets’ interactions with elders are a great help to their physical health while at the same time keeping them stress-free.
Tags: animals, Pet Health, pets
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If you have decided to build a chicken coop shed, then congratulations! You’re doing a great thing both for your lifestyle and even helping the environment. However, all this effort isn’t going to pay off unless you make sure you have a really solid plan to follow before you get started. Don’t make the same mistake as so many others and fail to plan!
If you don’t plan, you’re going to make mistakes that could cost you a lot of time and money. Your coop won’t last, and you’ll be sorry that you didn’t spend that little extra time in the beginning. Here are a few tips to help you avoid this fate.
Do You Need to Build A Chicken Coop Shed That’s Mobile?
Everyone will have different needs, and for some a mobile shed is going to be the best type to build. So many people just go ahead and build a standard shed, and before they know it they are regretting their decision. If you make sure to get a good plan to follow, it can help you decide between the benefits and drawbacks of each option to help you make the right decision.
Consider How Big It Really Needs to Be
You’re really going to have to think hard about the size before you build your chicken coop shed. Why? Because if you build it too small you’re really going to regret it down the line when it starts to create problems for you.
You need to make sure that your chickens are happy. Happy chickens mean eggs for you. Your chickens need the space to move around freely – if you think that you should just cram them into as little space as possible then you’re not going to see the best results. So don’t make the mistake of building too small, consider the size carefully before you begin!
As You Begin
Lastly, when you’ve considered all of the other aspects, you’ll need to think about the materials that you build your coop from. There are a number of different materials available, and some are far cheaper than others. By all means make sure that your project is affordable, but not at the expense of picking good quality materials that will ensure your coop lasts for many years to come.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider before you start to build a chicken coop shed. However, it isn’t as difficult as you might think as long as you follow the right plans. Make sure you do the research now, so you won’t be sorry later.
Tags: animals, chicken, eggs, family, food, health, home, materials, Pet Health, recipes, woodwork
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Canine arthritis is a progressive condition that can occur within any joint, though the hips are most commonly affected. In addition to proper medical treatment, here are tips to increase comfort for arthritic dogs:
1. Help your pet maintain a healthy body weight. Leaner body mass relieves pressure on the joints.
2. Monitor your dog’s exercise. Too much strenuous exercise can be harmful, while too little will weaken muscles and cause inflamed joints.
3. Do not encourage exertion such as leaping or extended running.
4. Prevent jumping up onto beds other places within your home. Consider a step stool to help your dog up to his/her favorite bed or couch.
5. Consider dog treats that are rich in glucosamine, cherry extract and other ingredients that help promote healthy joints.
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This recall includes a long list of pet nutritional products, all of which have been recalled for possible salmonella contamination. Although most of them are intended for dogs, there are some significant product names which stand out, which might be used for cats, such as Nature’s Miracle Pet Mess Easy Clean-up, or Doctors Foster and Smith Cran Health Support Normal Urinary Tract Health tablets.
For a complete list of the recalled products, see the FDA announcement.
From the FDA:
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
People who handle these products can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with them or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with the product should contact their healthcare providers.
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Cats do not get a vacation from the dog days of summer, and they need your help to keep summertime annoyances at a minimum. Learn how to keep your kitties cool and free from parasites, hairballs, and other nasty things that savage their comfort during the year’s hottest season, with these tips for summertime comfort for cats.
You know the drill: the sun is blinding, relentlessly beating down reminiscent of a Stephen King novel. If you don’t have air conditioning, you seek out shady spots and sigh in relief from the slightest breeze, otherwise you huddle inside. Your thirsty body craves fluids, and the beverage of choice suddenly becomes water. Consider that long before you reach this state, your cat may be exhibiting signs of heatstroke. Learn the symptoms and what to do.
Don’t Let Fleas Win the War!
You’ve seen them – tiny, quick creatures that scurry through your cat’s fur, feasting on her blood, and causing painful itching – so bad that kitty may scratch herself raw in seeking relief. Summertime is particularly bad for fleas, making it even more important to nip those little suckers in the bud. Help your cat with regular flea control.
Give Kitty a Safe Outdoor Experience
Cat lovers who want their cats to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and the ambience of trees, bushes, and plants, often feel guilt by confining their cats to the indoors. Today, however, we understand the hazards of allowing cats to roam freely, either by personal experience, hearsay, or through the media, including the Internet. On the other hand, there are some safe compromises to offer your indoor cat the best of both worlds, without the potential hazards of free roaming outdoors. Consider an underground cat fence or a cat enclosure.
Plant a Garden for Your Cat
If you enjoy gardening, plant a small garden just for your cat, with cat-safe herbs and flowers. Ideally, it will be inside an outdoor enclosure, but any corner of your yard will do, as long as your cat is carefully supervised while enjoying his own garden. You haven’t lived until you have seen a cat roll around in a fresh bed of catnip!
Build an Outdoor Sanctuary for Your Cats
One of the best ways for cats to enjoy a safe outdoors experience is with their own outdoor sanctuary. It can be as simple or complex as you have the time, space, and materials for. Work from your own plans or use some of these links to outdoor cat enclosures as references. If you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, kits are also available.
Vaccination Time!
Several years of publicity and warnings about VAS (vaccine-associated sarcoma) have led some cat owners to believe that all vaccines are bad for cats. Not entirely true! Learn the approved vaccination protocols recommended byt the VAS Task Force as well as the American Veterinary Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners; especially the importance of core vaccines.
Don’t Forget Cool Water!
Although cats are by history desert creatures, they still need a ready source of cool, clean water at all times. Even cats who don’t drink a lot of water often enjoy drinking from an automatic pet fountain. We have two, and keep several ice cubes floating in each to add interest during the very hottest days. The cats all love them!
Summertime and Hairballs
Nothing is quite so alarming as hearing the “hack-hack-hack” of a cat trying to cough up a hairball. And almost nothing is as disgusting as seeing one on the floor, unless it is stepping on it at night in bare feet. Ughh! Seriously though, although hairballs may be the topics of jokes among thoughtless humans, they are a source of discomfort or worse, for cats, and they are particularly bad in the summer, when cats tend to shed more. Give your cat hairball relief this summer.
Grooming is Especially Important in Summer
While cats are basically self-cleaning animals, there are times when they definitely need human assistance, in the form of claw trimming, detangling mats, routine brushing for prevention of hairballs, dental care products to help prevent tooth decay and loss, and the occasional bathing when they’ve rolled in something nasty. It cats are going to get their coats in a mess, it will be more likely in hot weather, and they will greatly appreciate soothing baths, detangling, and mat-free coats in the summer.
When Appetites Wane
Cats tend to eat less in the summer, just as humans do, and a small amount of seasonal weight fluxuation is perfectly normal. But a very heavy cat who loses weight very quickly is susceptible to a condition called hepatatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease.) Here are some times for coaxing a finicky cat to eat, before she reaches that stage.
Don’t Forget Playtime!
While cats may prefer to nap away during warm days of summer, they still need regular exercise to remain fit, trim, and alert. Set aside 15 minutes or so in the early mornings and evenings, open windows to let fresh air in, and indulge in some interactive play with your favorite feline. Don’t allow him to get too tired, and follow playtime with a light snack for him, some iced tea for you, and some cuddle time for both of you. Your rewards will be priceless.
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