Cat Grooming

Regular grooming of your cat consists of hair treatment, bathing, nail trim-ming, and ear cleaning.

Hair Treatment

Different coats need different strokes: the combing or brushing needs varyaccording to the length and coat type. Longer coats need bristle, wire, or cardbrushes, and pet combs with rounded teeth that avoid irritating the skin. Brushshort-haired cats weekly with a grooming glove. This will decrease the chance ofhair balls.



Long-haired cats often have matted hair (from infrequent brushing and comb-ing) behind their ears and under their legs. This should be pulled gently apart andcombed out.

Many breeds of cats need regular clipping and stripping. You can learn to doit at home or find a professional groomer, who should be gentle and have a clean,odorless establishment. Ask your neighbors and friends for recommendations.

If you start the brushing and combing early (about twelve weeks of age) andstay gentle and patient, this will be an enjoyable and healthy experience for youand your pet.

Bathing

Cats need baths just as humans do, because tongues are not adequate cleans-ing tools. Since the oils come back in the hair and skin within twenty-four hours,bathing could be done as often as necessary, but once every month or two isadequate.

Start bathing your kitten at fourteen weeks of age (sooner if it gets verydirty - just avoid chilling it) so that it will be accustomed to regular baths. The bestway to bathe is to make your pet comfortable and to make it a game. No noise andslow motions will ease your job. Before placing your pet in the sink or bathtub, fillit with a small amount of warm water (running water will only scare your pet).While talking quietly and stroking and petting your kitten, place it in the warmwater. Continue the petting motion and wet your pet with a soft spray hose at-tached to the faucet or use the water in the tub. The same petting and stroking canbe used to lather the shampoo (preferably a good pet shampoo or "no-tear" babyshampoo) into the hair coat. It is a good idea to protect the eyes first with a fewdrops of cod-liver oil or ophthalmic ointment and the ears with a small wad ofcotton. Rinse with a soft spray hose attached to the faucet, still stroking, petting,and talking to your pet. Rinse thoroughly, because dried soap can irritate the skin.A creme rinse or hair conditioner can then be used to make the hair softer andmore manageable for combing out. Don't forget to remove the cotton from the ears!

Towel dry your pet and continue all the ploys you used for the bath. Thenoise of a hair blow-dryer disturbs most animals, but you can try it later - afteryour pet is accustomed to baths. Make the whole experience pleasant and playful.A cat treat would definitely be in order after a successful bath. My cats are easy tobathe, although each needs special care. One has to walk around the water contin-ually while we lather him; another must be rubbed on the cheek and talked to whilebeing bathed.

If your cat doesn't take to bathing, try placing a window screen at an angle inthe tub. The cat can cling to the screen, making bathing easier. Holding the cat bythe scruff of the neck is also helpful.

Nail Trimming

Start trimming the nails at twelve weeks of age to accustom your pet to thismportant grooming practice. Long nails can get caught in carpeting, grow into theootpad, or cause your pet to stand improperly. The dewclaw (equivalent to theNumb) does not touch the ground and needs more frequent trimming.

You can trim your cat's claws with a "human" nail clipper, or with a Resco orWhite nail clipper. Trim just in front of the pink area, or dermis. which containsserves and blood vessels. If the nail is dark and the pink area cannot be seen easily,tune a bright penlight through the nail to see where the dermis begins. Otherwise,List trim the nail as it curves clown.

A nail trimmed too short will bleed. Application of a styptic pencil or directpressure with gauze or a clean cloth will stop the bleeding.

Ear Cleaning

Many owners neglect proper ear care and become aware of its importanceelf when their cat "smells funny." Then they look in the ear and discover an affection.

The wax in the ears should be cleaned once a month (more often if your catas a history of ear problems). Clean only that part of the ear canal that you cansee: otherwise, you may damage the eardrum. Use a cotton swab soaked in mineralcoil or alcohol. Wax protects the ear canal, so a small amount left behind is beneficial.

The hair in the ears should not be plucked unless there is so much hair thatR impedes air circulation. If your doctor feels this is necessary, use your fingers toremove only the hairs that come out easily. Plucking can expose the hair follicleso bacteria, so be careful. Some doctors recommend an antibiotic ointment afterplucking to prevent infection.

Cat Ears

Not long ago, we came home to a very strange sight. All our cats had gathered around the refrigerator and were completely entranced by its bottom. On moving the refrigerator, we found cockroaches! The high-pitched communication of bugs or rodents that falls on our"deaf" ears is music to a cat ears.



A cat's superb hearing ability begins with the sound-gathering flap called the pinna. The inner surface of the pinna and the beginning of the ear canal (which you can see) should be a light pink.

The cats ear canal is L-shaped, going down (vertical canal) and then in (horizontal canal). The eardrum is at the end of the horizontal canal. Sound waves (the cock-roach talk, for example) travel down the canal and beat against the eardrum like stick beating a drum. The cockroach-talk vibrations are amplified in the middle by three small bones called the auditory ossicles, which pass the sound on to the inner ear's snail-shaped and fluid-filled cochlea via the oval window (a vibrating membrane). The waves produced in the cochlea are converted to electrical sages that travel to your pet's brain via the auditory nerve. Your cat ears interprets message as cockroach talk and sits in front of the refrigerator, patiently waiting for a roach snack.

Above the cochlea are three small, fluid-filled semicircular canals. These loops of tubing contribute to your cat's remarkable sense of balance. If your cat starts to fall, fluid in one of the canals is displaced. Hair cells in the canals detect be change and immediately inform the cat's brain, which orders muscles to tighten and keep your cat upright.

Cat ears Infection

The ear canal is L-shaped, going down (vertical canal) and then in (horizontal canal). The cat's ear canal (which you can see) should be a light pink. You may see a small amount of yellow wax and a few hairs at the canal opening. These act like flypaper, trapping dust, insects, or other potential irritants and guarding against infection. If this area is reddened, foul-smelling, or has pus like or brown, waxy discharge, an ear infection may be present.

Symptoms

1. If you see your cat shaking her head most of the time, there might be infection in her ears.


2. There may be black discharge in the ears cat which may led to even bleeding.


3. If the cat scratches at their ears again and again, this indicates that she is uncomfortable. There may be detritus's, trashes in your pet cat ears.

This all may lead to a serious disease called ear mites. Ear mite may cause serious damage to the ears of cat if they remain for a long time.

How can you cure them?

Taking care of ears of a cat is very necessary as this is one of the utmost important organs of your pet. If you find any of the symptoms mentioned above in your cat ears it's better to consult to near by veterinarian. The veterinarian can check the rest of the ear with anotoscope, a special instrument equipped with a light source and magnifying lens. He can remove the waste from cat ears by some other methods also which he finds appropriate.

Cat Birth

In general, your assistance won't be required, but it's a good idea to be there, if the mother cat will endure your presence, to monitor the process in case something goes wrong. Keep the area quiet, especially if this is your cat's first delivery; talk in whispers and avoid bright lights.



When the kitten is born, it may be enclosed in the amniotic sac. If so, themother cat should chew open the sac immediately, so that the kitten can breathe, and stimulate the kitten by licking it. The mother should then chew apart the umbilical cord. After birth, the queen may eat the placenta - that's okay.

If your cat does not chew open the sac immediately, gently tear it open your-self and clean the mucus from the kitten's mouth with your finger. Wait a few minutes to see if the mother chews the umbilical cord. If not, tie it tightly with a pieceof thread that has been dipped in alcohol about one inch from the kitten's abdomen. Using scissors that have been dipped in alcohol, cut the cord on the mother'sside of the thread. Rub the kitten gently with a clean, soft towel to stimulate circulation and respiration.

Kittens, like humans, may enter this world head first or feet first. If only apart of the kitten shows, wrap a clean cloth around the slippery newborn's bodyand, as the mother strains, pull it gently all the way out. Pause when the queenrelaxes. Call your doctor if you are not able to deliver the kitten.

If a kitten is not breathing, wrap it in a warm towel with its head down (but support the head so it doesn't wobble) and shake it downward. This should stimulate respiration and remove fluid from its breathing tubes. If a breath still is not taken, gently blow into the kitten's nose until its chest expands, and try rubbing it in a warm, rough towel to stimulate respiration.

The mother cat may rest anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours betweendeliveries. After all the kittens are born, the mother will stop straining. Instead,your cat will comfortably lick and clean the new kittens.

Within twenty-four hours after the delivery, which in most cases occurs withno problems, the mother and kittens may be examined by your doctor. In general,however, most veterinarians don't feel that cats need to be checked or given ahormone injection after a trouble-free delivery. Be sure to keep the kittens warmif a trip to the office is necessary. A snug blanket placed in a box is perfect.

The doctor will palpate the queen's abdomen to make certain all the kittenswere delivered. The mother will be given an injection of a hormone (oxytocin) toinvolute (shrink) the uterus and to stimulate milk flow from the breasts. Your veterinarian will determine the little ones' sexes, weigh them, and check for birthdefects, such as cleft palates, hare lips, heart problems, and umbilical hernias.

If there are any problems at all during delivery, telephone your doctor. If akitten is stuck in the birth canal and you have tried gentle help, professional manipulation may solve the problem. Sometimes an episiotomy (an incision between the upper end of the vagina and the anus that enlarges the vaginal opening andeases the birth of the kitten) is necessary.

Occasionally, uterine inertia (weak contractions of the uterus) will occur du-ing delivery. If the mother is obese, old, or upset by many people in the room, orhas been straining for a long time, the uterus may become tired and stop squeezing the kittens out efficiently. Injections of oxytocin may help.

In some instances, a caesarean birth (surgical removal of the kittens through the abdominal wall) is necessary. Timing is very important. but the surgery is generally fast and safe. After recovery from the anesthesia. the mother can nurse thekittens and go home. The sutures are removed in ten days.

Bird Pet Feeding

Correct bird feed with proper nutrition is one of the most important factors for healthy and contented birds. In the case of seedeaters, the seed diet is straightforward. The soft bill fancier must take extra care, since the requirements of the many species of soft bill are more exacting than those of seed eaters.

It is always worth while to make a little extra effort to provide as wide a variety of food as possible. Additional nutrition and favored tit-bits make the difference between the average healthy bird and the specimen with excellent show potential eager to breed. In general, hot weather causes the problems with regard to following hygienic feeding routines. With nectar feeding soft bills, however, cold weather is a nuisance if severe enough to freeze the nectar mixture in its plastic tubes.

All birds require the following:

• Vitamin A promotes healthy skin and feathers and is essential for young birds.


• Vitamin B is needed for the central nervous system and vitality.


• Vitamin C prevents skin disease. Vitamin D aids formation of bones.


• Vitamin E prevents sterility and aids fertility.

Egg Shells – Birds especially female birds need good amount of calcium for strong and tough bones. To prepare egg shells as bird feed you have to first wash few egg shells and when they dry up. Bake the egg shell at about 200 degree to 300 degree celsius just before the egg becomes brown. Then grind the egg shells into powder before offering them to eat.

Fruits – Oranges, grape fruits, chopped raisins soaked in water and apples. Provide them fresh fruits to eat and clear the left over every day in order to avoid growth of bacteria. Birds like orioles, jay, tanagers love to feed themselves with orange segments and grape halves.

Mealworms – Several species of birdss love to have worms as their diet food. Birds like blue birds mostly prefer meal worms.

Seeds – Many of the species are of seed eating breeds. There are many seeds like milo that may not be popular among few bird breeds. So, it would be always wise enough to buy mixed seeds. While buying a bag of mixed seeds you should be careful that the mixture should not have large amount of milo seeds as one of the constituents.

The sunflower seed is a popular bird feed. The black oil sunflower seeds are highly preferred by birds. It is also quite easy to open and so it is ideal food for soft billed birds.

Suet – Suet is dense form of fat that is found around the beef kidney and loin regions. The suet mixed with sunflower seeds, peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Birds like woodpeckers enjoy having suets. Suets are ideal for birds of cold climatic regions. In the warm regions the suet has to be rendered with a hard substance so that it does not melt.

Provide your pet bird with fresh and clean water to drink. The water has to be changed regularly in order to avoid contamination.

Addison's Disease Dog

Addison's disease or syndrome is the counterpart of Cushing’s disease in that the body produces too little of a cortisone like substance. It appears to take some weeks or even months of insufficiency before a sudden attack of weakness, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are observed. With Addison's disease the coat will be dry and straw like, with excess dandruff. A dog in this condition can progress quite suddenly from weakness to a coma and death. Hospitalization, tests, and treatment swill often save a dog's life if started soon enough.

Sterol cell tumor, which causes feminization in a male. He develops enlarged nipples and may not raise a leg to urinate.

In a small percent of females the loss of the estrogens from a spaying operation results in urinary incontinence. This is thought to be due to the pituitary gland's loss of influence on the sphincter muscles of the urinary bladder. The condition is corrected by administration of diethylstilbestrol (DES). Although this hormone has been incriminated in problems in humans, DES has to our knowledge caused no problems in dogs unless given in excess. An excess will produce heat signs even in the spayed female.

Information Addison's Disease Dog

The following information on addison’s disease dog would help you to know the symptoms and nature of the disorder in detail.

• The absence of mineralocorticoid steroids and glucocorticoids is quite fatal for your dog. Your dog may suffer from serious disease consequences if left untreated or not treated properly.


• A dog will be able to lead a normal life if the disease receives effective medical attention.


• The affected dog should be administered with blood work on a regular basis. Blood work is done to monitor the proper functioning of the electrolytes and the kidneys.


• In case of extreme trauma and stressful physical discomfort you may take your dog to a vet surgeon as many times under such conditions dogs are administered with Prednisone supplementation.


• Though not impossible but the incidence of the disease is quite rare in dogs and cats.


• The common symptoms of the incidence of the disease includes repeated spells of vomiting, weight loss, feeling of depression, lethargy, weakness, loss of appetite, increased rate of urination, dehydration and fast beating of heart.


• The affected dog may suffer from attacks of shock which can be quite scary and shocking to see.


• The blood work of an affected dog shows low level of sodium, increased potassium content and high kidney enzymes.


• The IV fluids are recommended by vet doctors in case kidney failure takes place. The IV fluids helps in controlling the electrolyte imbalance which ultimately makes the dog feel better.


• The addison’s disease is diagnosed when the Adrenocorticotropic hormone or the ACTH is tested to be positive.

The test of ACTH takes around two long hours. At first a sample of baseline reading is drawn and then the dog is then injected with synthetic ACTH hormone or Cortrosyn. After an hour a sample of blood is taken for testing. In case the dog is suffering from addison’s disease the reading would be unchanged as affected dogs have very low concentration of cortisol.

Babesiosis in Dog

Four species of babesia have been identified with the tick-borne protozoan disease, asbestosis: Babesia can is, B. gibson, B. vogel, an dB. Ellis. The first three affect dogs and the fourth, cats. These organ-isms are so tiny that they live in the red blood cells. From one dog to the next the transfer is made by ticks, especially the brown dog sickbays is more prevalent in some places than in others. There are places where dog owners have never heard of it because it apparently doesn't exist in that locality. There are other areas where it is present, though rare, and still dog owners have never heard of it. In the southern part of the United States especially in Florida it is a seri-o us disease. The British Isles have been virtually free of it. Some sec-t ions of South America report it. Wherever ticks are prevalent, the protozoan organism causing asbestosis may be present.

Asbestosis can be very serious when it is acute. When it is chronic it may simply keep a dog feeling miserable for a long while and afford splendid opportunity for ticks to replenish their supply of the infecting organism and spread it further. In other words, the chronic cases are carriers.

In the acute form it may be difficult to distinguish the outward symptoms from those of other diseases. The dog's temperature rises;the third eyelid looks redder than usual; the pulse and respiration both increase; the appetite diminishes; the urine may be reddish brown. But unlike dogs with distemper, and like dogs with explosions, about half the dogs afflicted with asbestosis develop jaundice. In the acute form,even with adequate treatment, mortality is high.

In chronic cases the mucous membranes, such as the third eyelid,gums, and lips, all become pale instead of a healthy pink; the temperature rises and falls intermittently; the dog's appetite is poor and picky.The dog refuses to play, preferring to lie about.

How can you be sure that your pet has this particular infection?First, your veterinarian, becoming suspicious because of the reddish brown urine, can detect the organism in the red cells from a small sample of blood.

Diagnosing the chronic form is not too easy, so in kennels the veterinarian draws a little blood from a suspected dog and injects it into one or two puppies known not to have been exposed previously to the disease. If the dog has the disease, the organism will show up in the blood of the puppies in from four to seven days. Then the veterinarian can cure both the adult dog arid the puppies.

PREVENTION: The best prevention is to keep the dog free of ticks.

TREATMENT: A series of injections of various drugs is used to rehabbers. Your veterinarian knows and will tell you what needs to be done and how you can cooperate. Even with blood transfusions and good supportive treatment mortality is high.

Dog Cough

Dog cough is the most common cause of persistent coughing in dogs. In the early stages it occurs only after considerable exercise, but as the problem progresses it becomes more pronounced no that even moderate exercise and excitement bring on a coughing spell.



The dog with certain heart problems coughs because the weak heart cannot profuse the lungs with blood adequately, resulting in an excess of carbon dioxide. The excess carbon dioxide in the blood affects the cough reflex center in the brain, causing the cough. When the cough stops or is markedly reduced, this is in one sense helpful to the veterinarian who had prescribed drugs to strengthen the heart: the cough becomes a barometer of the heart's condition. There is also commonly a fluid buildup in the lungs of dogs with some heart problems and coughing helps clear some of it.

As with humans, coughing dislodges phlegm when necessary, which dogs usually swallow. Persistent coughing is a good reason to seek veterinary help.

The following are the types of dog cough that commonly occurs.

Types of Dog Cough

Kennel Cough – The kennel cough is an acute form of respiratory disorder which is characterized by dry hacking cough in dogs. This disease generally occurs among dogs who are in the habit of staying together in a confined kennel. The disease is characterized by serious irritation in the tracheal and bronchial area, due to the development of mucous formation leading to pneumonia. The dog should be given proper medication as soon as the dog owners come to know about the fact. To save dogs from the high contagious disease Bordatella vaccination is injected in the pet.

Distemper – Most dogs are vaccinated to stay away from the disease. The disease is accompanied by the incidence of cough, very high fever and thick discharge from the eyes and the nose. The disease mainly occurs in young puppies, old dogs and those having a poor immune system. Adult dogs with strong immune system if affected suffer from mild form of distemper.

Internal Parasites – The presence of parasites may also trigger the incidence of coughing. This occurs when the parasites like the round worm travels from the intestines to the heart. Heart worms are also responsible for cough. Young heartworms are transferred from the circulatory system. The heart forms can turn out to be potentially fatal for the dog if left untreated. The can cause severe cough if in case it the parasites travels to the lungs of the affected dog.

Allergies – the intrusion of pollen grains or other minute particles of irritants may also cause the excess secretion of the mucous lining along the respiratory tract. The affected dogs suffer from the wet cough due to the incidence of the disease.

Dogs may also suffer from cough due to the occurrence of tracheal collapse or any injury in the neck. The dog while coughing produces a honk like sound. Suffering from fungal infections is also a reason behind the development of the dog cough. Especially dogs that are staying close to live firm or poultry firm or an environment having huge bird dropping get infected with fungal spores.

Source: http://www.petcaregt.com/dogcare/dogcough.html