ePetDrugs Blog

There are many  different types of pet foods on the market. There are foods that are high in fat and low in protein, some that have glucosamine for joint health, and some that help with hairball maintenance. Depending on what your pet needs, there is a food designed especially for them.

If you are looking to increase the shine on a coat, look for a food that is high in Omega-3’s. These will also help with skin and nail health and even kidney function. If your pet is older, get something with glucosamine. As far as active dogs, a higher protein diet will provide them the energy that they need in order to sustain their activity level. For bigger dogs, an equal balance of fat and protein, I have found, tends to be the best.

Hairball reduction is big in cat foods, and especially important for cats with long hair. This helps their body digest the hair so that it doesn’t come back up the wrong way. You can get the same type of results if you are looking for organic food. For instance, a food that has cranberries is great for kidney function and anything with fish is usually high in omega-3’s.

Look at your pet’s needs before purchasing food to figure out what the needs are. If you still have any questions, make sure you talk to your vet. Also, remember that if you are changing food, do it gradually as to not upset your pet’s stomach. The best way to do this is to break it into quarters. For example, the first 2 days, mix 75% of original food with 25% of the new food. The next two days, go 50-50. For two days after that, make it 25% of the old and 75% of the new. Then you can start the new food by itself. If your pet seems to have serious bathroom issues, back down the amount of new food and gradually increase it again.

Have you just changed foods? What type of pet do you have and what needs did you address?

While the holiday season is filled with joy and fun, they are also a prime time for disaster to strike. There are a few things to consider if you are hosting a holiday get-together this year, especially if you have pets. Making sure you and your pets make it through the holiday season safe and sound is one of the biggest accomplishments you can boast about the day after, that and that amazing green bean casserole you made from scratch.

If you have a medium to large dog, please make sure they do not go table surfing, especially during the actual dinner. It is a great way for them to get sick, not to mention who wants to eat that amazing green bean casserole if it has a paw print in the middle of it. When dogs, and some cats for that matter, table surf, they tend to over eat big time. The result, you will have to clean up more than the initial mess they made. While food is out, let the pets outside to stretch their legs if you have a fenced in backyard. If not, put them in another room with a toy and a few treats of their own.

Turkey bones, or any avian (bird) bones for that matter are bad news when it comes to pets. The reason being, bird bones are lighter than others as they have tiny air pockets in them to help the bird fly. These bones don’t just break like a stick would, they fracture and shatter into tiny pieces. These small pieces can cause a choking hazard to cats as well as lodge themselves in digestive tracts and can wreak havoc on internal organs.

With the flow of guests this season, the door will open and shut enough times to heat the entire neighborhood. It is important to make sure you have a good eye on your pets as friends and family come and go. The last thing you would want on a Thanksgiving is to have to look for your pet because they just so happened to slip out when someone had the door open.

Along with the opening and closing of the door, you have to account for the number of people you will have at your place. Before inviting your friends, family, neighbors, home-owners association members, city council, and your long lost cousin’s father’s monkey, ask yourself how many people your pet has been around at any given time. If the answer is only 3 then you might want to scale back your festivities or find some way to keep your pet away from all the new people. When scared or anxious, pets sometimes lash out or try to get out. Neither of which would make for a good party vibe.

Most importantly, be conscious about your pet(s) and their behavior. If necessary, take them into a quite and dark room so they can calm down and relax a bit and when you do so, make it a point to let your guests know not to go in the designated room. Everyone will have a much better time if these things are considered.

If you are like me, your pet is a member of your family and there is no getting around the holidays without gifts for them. Today I am going to give you my top picks for cats and dogs. I guarantee that your four-legged family member will love these special gifts.

Dogs:

1. Kong Puppy Flyer - Puppies have a ton of energy, but they also have razor sharp teeth. What better to play with than a gift that will make them run, but is also indestructible to those little balls of fur. This gift will exercise all of the family and makes for a great time, especially when they catch it a time or two.

2. Aspen Leather & Floss - What dog doesn’t enjoy a good game of tug-o-war? I know my dogs love it. With this leather and rope toy they get to pull you around while helping their teeth. The leather makes for an easy grip (important for puppies and senior dogs) while the rope part gets those hard to reach places between their teeth. Have you ever tried to floss a dog’s teeth without one? I wouldn’t recommend it.

3. Eco Bones - For the environmentally conscious dog, these bones are soft and squeaky, plus they are made of eco-friendly materials so no worries when they get lost or better yet, torn to shreds. Great for low energy dogs who just like to sit around.

4. Powzer Flash ‘N Dash Ball - Tons of fun for the dog on the go. These balls come in an assortment of colors. When they hit the ground they flash for 25 seconds. Great for night games of fetch or the human that comes home after dusk. They also make good markers if you walk your dog at night so cars can see you. Perfect for winter boredom when stuck in the house.

5. Peanut Butter Bone - This is my Great Dane’s favorite. Take a hollow bone, fill it with peanut butter and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Your pup will go nuts trying to get the peanut butter out of the middle. It also works their jaw muscles (an important thing for dogs who love to chew) so they are less likely to go after a shoe or furniture.

Cats:

1. Eco Fish for Cat - Perfect little play toy for your kitten. They will roll around for hours, pouncing, clawing and biting these little fishies. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the messy clean up as with real fish, nor that old fish smell. Sounds like a win-win to me.

2. Kitty Lure Caster - This is fun on a stick. If you enjoy interacting with your cat, this will be a blast for the both of you. You can lure and move the dangling toy and watch your cat jump and flip for joy.

3. Good-Time Gecko - A rather large, 6″ toy filled with organic catnip. Your cat will flip out over this toy, guaranteed. Plus, it is large enough that they won’t be able to hide it from you or stash it away without your knowing. Those cats can be sneaky, sneaky sometimes.

4. Kitty Hoots Big Mama’s Scratch-O-Rama Scratchy Mat - Long name, amazing results. For the cat with claws, give them something to scratch other than the drapes or the carpet. This mat is filled with catnip and will provide hours of entertainment. They will roll on the mat, scratch the mat, and probably even fall asleep on the mat out of sheer exhaustion.

5. Laser Pointer - Some think that this is a cruel toy, but it can be a lot of fun if you are not cruel with it. My cat loves this as it simulates the hunting experience. It is fun to see them crouch down, wiggle their hind end, then pounce only to have the little dot move away. Then they go running after it like a lioness chasing a gazelle. Great for those cold winter weekends when no other cats want to come out and play.

There you have it, my top 5 toys for cats and dogs. Get them something nice this holiday season, wrap it up and put it under the tree. Don’t let them peek though, I already said those cats can be sneaky creatures. Enjoy!

To all of the new readers, as well as the older ones, welcome to the new installment of the ePetDrugs blog. I will be your new host. Let me tell you a little about me.

My name is Sal and I was born and raised in Louisiana. I spent 2 years as an understudy at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine to become a Vet Tech. I moved to South Carolina in 2003 and studied for another year and a half at the Dorchester Vet Hospital working mostly with dogs and cats. I also have an invisible sign on my front yard that only stray animals can see. It constantly flashes, in bright neon lights, “SUCKER LIVES HERE!” That being said, I have had every sort of animal from Great Dane to Sugar Glider and many in between.

I am looking forward to answering any questions you might have but let me preface with the fact that I am not a licensed Veterinarian, so I might refer you to such if the questions get too detailed. I can provide you with my opinion, but I do not claim to know everything about animals and some things will need to be seen by a licensed Vet.

I would like to start an Ask ePetDrugs column on Fridays where I will field any simple questions you might have. The email for this will be askepetdrugs(AT)gmail.com. If you have any questions on which toys are best suited for Chihuahua’s to how do I clip the nails on my German Sheppard, feel free to email us and we will field those as they come in.

Tomorrow we will do a toy review for all of you who are braving the traffic and lines to get those special holiday gifts for your furry loved ones. As always, feel free to leave comments downstairs and introduce yourself so that we can get to know each other a little more (don’t forget to introduce that little one of yours too, they are also important to get to know). Until then, find a tummy to scratch and a ball to throw. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.