ePetDrugs Blog

Jodi Webb

Your actions could make your pet(and you)sick but if you’re causing it you can often take steps not to do it. Let’s start with cigarettes. Humans aren’t the only ones affected by secondhand smoke. Yet another reason to slap on that nicotine patch. Not just human smoking but also coal and kerosene heater can affect a pet’s health. Make sure your furnaces are properly vented and cleaned annually to reduce the effect and send the human chimneys outdoors to light up.

Sometimes contaminants don’t originate from your pet’s home. Instead owners can bring it home from work with them. If you use chemicals on the job such as specifically insecticides 2,4-D, paints, asbestos or solvents they can also affect your pet’s health. It helps if you discard your “work clothes” at your work place or immediately upon returning home and following up with a shower. That means no sitting on the sofa to go through the mail in your work clothes or leaving the work clothes lying on the bed or floor. Designate a covered hamper for work clothes to limit exposure to your animals.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

The green community wants us to shed a lot of household contaminants we don’t even realize are filling our homes such as the flame retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in our furniture, carpets, and mattress as well as in many plastics.

PBDEs fill the air with a dust that we(and our pets)inhale. Since our pets are so much smaller and closer to the floor(where this dust eventually lands) as well as self-groomers, their levels of the contaminant are a lot higher. Being an indoor animal, constantly exposed to the dust also leads to a higher level in your pet’s system. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency believes exposure to this household dust can be linked to cat diseases affecting the thyroid, liver, and nerves. Many manufacturers are halting use of PBDEs—to find out what is PBDE free check out www.ewg.org/pbdefree .

Jodi Webb

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

For many pet owners, saying goodbye to their kids at the school bus also signals another goodbye: goodbye to worrying about fleas and ticks. But don’t heave a sigh of relief yet.

Although fleas prefer warmer weather, ticks are the opposite. They actually prefer the more moderate temperatures of autumn and spring. And with the cooler weather you and your pet may be spending even more enjoying the outdoors: romping in the leaves, hiking, watching your kid’s soccer game. And offering more chances for ticks to hitch a ride.

So don’t give up checking your pet for hitchhikers or using a prevention medication like K-9 Advantix or a Preventic tick collar. Don’t overlook your cat, even if he is strictly an indoors animal. Ticks have a way of getting indoors—on other pets or humans. Check your indoor animal for ticks also.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

Is your pet shaking his head at you in that cute way? Hold on, it might not be so much cuteness as ear mites. Ear mites are a common problem with animals and easily spread from one animal to another so chances are you’ll be dealing with it eventually.

What Are They—Tiny crab-like parasites that live in the outer ear canal(usually) and eat tissue fluid.

What Will I Notice—Ear scratching, head shaking, increase in ear wax, strange odor around the ears and/or a dark crustiness in the ears(think coffee grounds).

What Should I Do—It’s time to consult the vet(just in case it isn’t ear mites). If it is ear mites he’ll probably clean your pet’s ears and prescribe a topical medication for ear mites. You should probably have other animals in the household checked and treated since ear mites spread quickly from one animal to another.

Apply the Medication–Apply it to the ear using a cotton ball—not a cotton swab. And here’s a funny thing: you should treat your pet’s tail since they often sleep with their tail curled around them—right near their ear—and ear mites can migrate from the ear to the tail.

Prevention—Dry your pet’s ears thoroughly after swimming or bathing. Consider a drying agent such as Epi Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser or Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution. Check your pet’s ear frequently, especially if they have droopy ears such as a Bassett Hound.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

My five year old son brought home a new book from school yesterday, Boomer’s Big Surprise by Constance W. McGeorge. It was about how a dog named Boomer got a new puppy at his house. My son loved the book. But Boomer didn’t love the new puppy. Maybe because his owners did a few things wrong.

A second dog always seems like fun—fun for you, fun for your first pet, fun for the kids. And it is, after you get over that introductory phase. It’s up to you to create an atmosphere that makes these dogs friends, not competitors.

1. Initial Meeting—Don’t bring the new dog directly to your house. Try a neutral spot. But not the local animal shelter or a dog park. All those other dogs are a big distraction. Also, sad to say, it’s easier to return a dog if it becomes obvious the dogs don’t get along if the newcomer hasn’t actually been to your home. Keep both dogs on leashes and let them sniff each other—just a little bit.

1. Let’s Play—Put away your older dog’s favorite toys and introduce some new ones they can play with together. Sharing should not be expected at this point. No sharing toys, water dishes, beds. You should be seeing double at this point.

1. Suppertime—Feed the dominant dog first. Normally this would be your first dog. Same goes for treat time. Never put them in the position to be fighting over food. It also helps if you have a puppy or older dog who is eating a different type of food.

1. Go, Go, Go—Choosing two dogs with the same energy level increases the chance of them getting along. But even if you have two of the same breed if one is a puppy he’s going to have tons more energy. And he’s going to annoy the adult dog. Take special care using up the energy of your younger(or more hyper breed). He might need an extra or longer walk or more extreme play time.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

We all know why we take our dogs for walks—physical activity. Just like we need daily exercise so does our dog. And a tired dog is a well-behaved dog. Sure, exercise contributes to a dog’s behavior but there’s another part to the equation—mental activity. Because a bored dog is much more likely to misbehave. So what is mental activity for a dog?

Well, walks can be one kind of mental activity. All that sniffing, wandering, and other exploring he does as he make your way down the road wishing he’d just WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE? That’s him thinking. “Oh, a dog was here…someone dropped food here…what’s that weird smell.” But don’t rely solely on walks to get your dog thinking. Learning tricks, new toys, games, even just sitting watching a busy street can rev up his brain. Just remember, if you take time to play that old favorite “Find the Hidden Treat”, he has less time to create his own games “Chew the Shoe”, “Knock the Box of Cereal to the Floor(and Eat it), or “Destroy the Sofa Cushions”.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

We’ve all heard about chocolate and pets—a strict no-no. But what other foods can cause problems with your pets? And remember, it doesn’t have to be just the foods listed. Any food that has one of these foods as an ingredient can also cause problems. They may not kill your pet but they can cause a host of health problems ranging from anemia to digestion.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

We all know why we take our dogs for walks—physical activity. Just like we need daily exercise so does our dog. And a tired dog is a well-behaved dog. Sure, exercise contributes to a dog’s behavior but there’s another part to the equation—mental activity. Because a bored dog is much more likely to misbehave. So what is mental activity for a dog?

Well, walks can be one kind of mental activity. All that sniffing, wandering, and other exploring he does as he make your way down the road wishing he’d just WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE? That’s him thinking. “Oh, a dog was here…someone dropped food here…what’s that weird smell.” But don’t rely solely on walks to get your dog thinking. Learning tricks, new toys, games, even just sitting watching a busy street can rev up his brain. Just remember, if you take time to play that old favorite “Find the Hidden Treat”, he has less time to create his own games “Chew the Shoe”, “Knock the Box of Cereal to the Floor(and Eat it), or “Destroy the Sofa Cushions”.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

I don’t know about you but I always seem to get invited to more parties where food is a key element once the weather cools—not just Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day—but get togethers for football games, PTA meetings, birthday parties. With all that yummy food around we’re all tempted to give our pets “just a taste”. There are several reasons to ignore those sad “I haven’t been fed in days” eyes staring up at you. First, it encourages bad habits. Sure, you don’t mind the begging but do you really want Fido howling for roast beef when you have the boss over for dinner? Second, for every bite of human food they have that’s on less bite of their pet food that they eat. Seems like a fair trade but the fact is that commercially prepared pet food also includes a mix of minerals and vitamins your pet needs—a mix they might not get from that slice of pumpkin pie. Third, the food could be toxic. Yes, we know you’d never feed your dog a chocolate bar. We all know chocolate and animals don’t mix. But there are plenty of other human foods that animals don’t eat and sometimes it isn’t that obvious. For instance, dogs shouldn’t eat onions. But what about meatloaf? Meatloaf’s fine. Except for the chopped onion that you forgot about inside the meatloaf. Oops. It’s simpler to just declare all human food off limits.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi webb

In 1930 a flat-coated retriever named Jack lived on the North Docks of Swansea, Wales with his owner William Thomas. In his lifetime he was credited with saving 27 people from drowning. He was named the Bravest Dog of the Year in 1936 and awarded two bronze medals by the National Canine Defense League. He was immortalized with a statue of Swansea Jack on the town’s promenade but this year the town is trying a little something new to commemorate his bravery.

This year’s Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts will feature “A Song for Jack”, a pre-recorded concert of some songs celebrating the relationship of man and dog. Some of the numbers will be a new take on an old Beatles favorite: “All You Need Is a Dog” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. All the singers will be making their doggie debut. The town had tryouts but only ten dogs made the cut including a Basset Hound, Bichon Frise, Border Collie, German Shepherd, Jack Russell, two Lurchers. The problem is a different song inspires each dog to sing: one prefers “Happy Birthday” another “Hooray for Hollywood” another “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. Hopefully they can all come together at the same time.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

I’m sure that’s what our neighbor’s dog was thinking earlier this week as she paced nervously along the fence line of her yard. We thought she was just stressed by the picnic her owner threw and all the canine guests but that wasn’t it. Turns out she was trying to pass a few kidney stones(a few dozen it turns out). Eventually she was so restless our neighbor took her to the closest vet he could find on a holiday weekend—45 minutes from our street. The stones had migrated and were blocking the tubes to her bladder. She’s back home now recovering from her surgery. I never even knew dogs(and cats)could get kidney and bladder stones. Seems they’re pretty common in certain breeds such as Dalmatian dogs and Persian cats. But there are some steps to take to help ward off stones, especially if your pet is a susceptible breed.

Eat—Stick to a commercially prepared food since a diet high in vegetables and grains can cause certain stones to form. Yet another reason to forgo the scraps from the table. Sometimes canned food is preferable to dry food because of the added water content.

Drink—Stones are cause by minerals and the minerals are more diluted if your pet drinks a lot of water. Some vets recommend that animals that have had stones drink salted water( 1/4 teaspoon salt for each pint of water)so they drink more.

Be Merry—Make sure your pet has plenty of outdoors time. All that drinking doesn’t help if they don’t also have the opportunity to urinate frequently. And keep a close eye on your pet when outdoors. Some of the symptoms of stones are painful or blood urinating, decreased urine output, vomiting, or a changed mental state: depression or agitation.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

Ah, Labor Day weekend. A time for picnics, a time for friends and family, a time for unwanted guests…

Almost everyone of my friends has a pet, usually a dog. I like dogs—big dogs, little dogs, fancy dogs, roll-around-in-the-mud dogs. What I don’t like are uninvited dogs. I suppose many people assume that since a picnic is outdoors it’s OK to bring their dogs. I don’t know about Miss Manners but Miss J. is telling you don’t do it. For so many reasons.

1. Space—even a huge backyard will seem smaller when it’s packed with people, tables, grills, and food.
2. The Call of Nature—do you want to spend the entire party following your dog around with a pooper scooper or watching him urinate on the host’s favorite rosebush?
3. The Guest Factor—there may be guests at the party who aren’t dog people, or allergic, or wearing a white sun dress(this is particularly disastrous if your dog is black, shedding, and likes to sit on laps).
4. The Dog Factor–there may be dogs at the party who aren’t dog friendly. Even if the host’s dog is normally friendly, he may be feeling territorial with so many people at the house.
5. Food—will people feed your pet food you don’t want him to have(or alcohol?), will he beg, will you have to cart along food and water for him?
6. Stress—even if your dog is friendly and easygoing he may not like parties. Chances are you’ll want him to behave—for a long period of time. No barking, no begging, no running, no eating the delicious food. Sound like fun to you?

Leave Fido at home—he and the sofa will have their own party.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

Last time we talked about preparations to make at home for traveling with your pet. Now it’s time to consider preparations to make for when you arrive at your vacation spot.

Let’s Pack – Of course you know to bring your pet’s favorite toys, and food bowls. Also consider taking enough of his regular food—there’s no guarantee the local grocery store will stock his favorite food and treats. What about the weather? If it might be much hotter or cooler don’t forget a blanket or a Super Soaker(a lab I know swears by them in the hot weather).

Having Fun – You’ll run on the beach, eat at outdoor cafes, shop out the craft fair…or will you? While you’re finding a animal friendly hotel check on what activities are animal friendly. Consider the disaster if you head you the beach only to discover that animals aren’t allowed on the beach until the weekend after Labor Day. Also check on any local ordinances about animals. And bring your pooper scooper! Even if the hotel owner swears there isn’t a scooper ordinance many tourist destinations often have their own scooper rules.

Pet Sitter – Yes, you’re going on vacation with your pet—you don’t want a pet sitter. You say that now. But what if you decide you want to hike up a mountain and your poodle isn’t keen on the idea? Instead of scrambling for a pet sitter/walker at the last minute get the name and contact info for one before you even arrive. Talk to your hotel owner.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

Many pets, especially dogs, miss us when we go on vacation. Thinking about taking Rover on your next weekend getaway? It’s not a simple as throwing his favorite chewee toy in the car.

What’s Up Doc? — The first thing to do is make an appointment with your vet. Make sure he’s in tiptop shape and don’t forget a health certificate which will be needed for many types of transportation and by many hotels. Ask your vet for a recommendation of a vet at your vacation destination. If your pet suddenly becomes ill or injured you don’t want to waste precious time searching for a vet.

Planes and trains and automobiles – Consider what mode of transportation your pet is most comfortable with when making arrangements. Does he need a new/bigger pet carrier or a car restraint? Even if your pet is normally a happy traveler you might want to discuss getting a sedative with your vet, just in case.

Hi, My Name Is… — Of course your dog has a collar with your name, address, and phone number. Your home phone. That info won’t be very helpful if you and your dog are hundreds of miles from home. Pick up a second tag listing your cellphone number and attach the name and phone number of your vacation hotel to the tag(masking tape works well).

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies

Jodi Webb

If you’ve spent any time standing in line at the grocery store lately, perusing the headlines of the magazines on the racks you’d know that sleep deprivation is a big problem for many Americans. While the Center for Disease Control(CDC) recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep for adults, many of us our getting by on 5 or 6. Why? Second jobs, worries, a partner’s snoring…a pet’s snoring.

John Shephard MD of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center found that 22% of the people who come to the center with sleeping problems have a pet sleep with them. Sure, drifting off to sleep with a furry friend lying next to you seems comforting but what happens next? Does your pet snore, wander around, or get up for a 3 am bathroom break? Does she hog the bed, make the room too warm, or wake you at the crack of dawn? If he disturbs the quality or quantity of your sleep, it may be time to think about new sleeping arrangements. Your pet may protest at first but ask yourself, “Is it more important for him to have me lying next to him at night or to have an energetic owner during the day?” Chances are, eventually he’ll prefer the new arrangements. After all, YOUR snoring may have been disturbing his sleep.

Discount Pet Meds and Pet Supplies