If your cat has a lot of loose dead skin cell flakes caught in his fur, you may be dealing with cat dandruff. Its not unusual for dogs and cats to experience a bit of dry skin during their lifetime, but its important to identify the underlying cause of the problem. Common causes include allergies, diabetes, poor diet, fur mites, and even sun burn. Here’s some tips on identifying the root cause of cat dandruff and how to deal with the problem for good.

Dandruff is loose dead skin cells from the outer layer of your cat’s skin usually visible in his fur. He may even scratch himself bloody resulting in missing patches of fur. The most common causes of cat dandruff are: (more…)

You may be shocked to learn that the rate of feline diabetes is skyrocketing. You may be even more shocked to find out that diabetes in cats can often be prevented. Preventing your kitty from becoming a feline diabetic is much easier than treating the disease once it’s developed. Here are three ways to prevent this illness.

Feline Obesity Is The Number Reason For A Diabetic Cat

We feed our pets too much of the wrong kinds of foods. Some experts go so far as to say that feline diabetes is a man-made disease, and that it’s completely preventable by feeding the proper diet. (more…)

A very common problem that virtually all of us see as dog owners is dog vomiting.

There are potentially many different causes of dog vomiting. The most common cause is garbage gut, where your dog consumes something he shouldn’t have, resulting in vomiting. Other causes include food allergies, parasites, medications, infectious causes (i.e. parvovirus), cancer, liver or kidney disease, pancreatitis, metabolic disorders (thyroid disease or diabetes), physical obstructions such as a ball or a bone, and primary motility disorders (the stomach doesn’t contract normally).

Any vomiting dog must be evaluated for dehydration. If your dog is vomiting persistently and unable to retain even water, wait no longer than 24 hours before going to your veterinarian. This indicates a severe problem, such as an obstruction, that needs to be treated with IV fluids and possibly surgery. If your dog is still consuming water and occasionally vomiting, then you can try some of the home remedies. (more…)

Like humans, cats may also suffer from dandruff. Dandruff manifests itself as little white specks on the cat’s coat. It develops when loose dead skin cells from the outer layer of the skin flake off and get caught in the cat’s fur.Dandruff can cause an animal’s coat to appear unsightly and unhealthy. Fortunately there are some home remedies for cats with dandruff which can be used to cure the condition.

Causes

Dandruff may be caused by a variety of factors such as sensitivity to a fungus that is present on the scalp, fungal infections, over-active oil glands or clogged oil glands the skin which can get very dry and produce dry flakes. Stress or a weakened immune system may also be the cause. Similarly, environmental conditions like cold weather or a dry environment can also trigger dandruff. Dandruff may also result from food allergies or intolerances. Excessive washing of your cat may also result in flaky, dry skin. (more…)

Your pet dog, besides eating whatever you give them, eats everything and anything they can lay their paws on. You can see them poking into your garbage can and trying to gobble whatever they can find interesting, or you can see them chewing on your cushions or your shoes. You will also see them digging out a very old bone and chewing it happily. No wonder, that they suffer from a massive problem due to worms in their stomach and intestines. If these worms are allowed to grow, then they will affect the dog. So you should know how to get rid of worms in dogs. Given below are some guidelines which are sure to help you and your dog.

How Can You Tell That Your Dog Has Worms?

If you have dogs at home, then there are certain things which you have to do in order to keep them healthy. Worms in dogs could prove to be fatal. Thus, you have to be able to figure out when your dogs have worms. There are some symptoms of dog worms that can help you identify this condition. Whenever dogs pass feces, if you notice wriggly creatures on them, then that’s a sign that your dog has worms. That means that you have to check your dog’s feces frequently. Secondly, if your dog vomits out whatever they eat, if they show signs of loose bowel movements or if they have low energy levels, then these are signs that it’s time, you get your pet checked for worms. Worms in the stomach can also lead to dull fur, weight loss and even loss in appetite. (more…)

Herbal remedies for dogs have become very popular these days. Many owners, after trying and seeing positive results from homeopathic or natural supplements themselves, seek similar products that were made specifically for dogs. Finding a good herbal remedy, however, is not that easy. Let me tell you why.

The next time you go to the store, take a good look at the pets section. You can find literally hundreds of products from various companies. All these companies proclaim that their product is the best. With this being the case, finding the right herbal treatments for dog can be a tad difficult.

The best way to find the right natural supplement for your dog or cat is to look for certain natural substances which are well known for their therapeutic effects. They are (more…)

Fleas are ferocious little creatures. Although they are small, they can cause destruction to animals and humans. They find a host and suck on their blood. They carry a number of diseases as well. Their favorite preys are dogs and cats. But they can prey on human beings as well. Getting rid of fleas on your pet alone doesn’t resolve the whole problem. Based on research, in a flea life cycle, only 5 percent of fleas are living on its host. The rest are living inside your house. Simply put, if you want to get rid of dog fleas completely, you need to eradicate flea infestation at home.

So, how do you eliminate dog fleas at home? Here are a couple of tips:

Vacuum Fleas
It is important to vacuum first before you spray insecticides, because the sound and vibrations created by the vacuum stimulates the fleas to come out from their cocoons. Once they are out, it will be easier to expose them to the insecticides. (more…)

If your dogs at home have ringworm, then it is not impossible that you too could possibly be infected by it. Ringworm is a skin infection caused by a group of fungi called “dermatophytes”. These ringworm causing fungi prefer to live on human and animal skin. Why? It is because dermatophytes feed on keratin and keratin can mostly be found on areas of the body such as nails, scalp, feet as well as the groin. Keratin is not only found on humans but animals as well such as cats, dogs, sheep and cattle. They also love to live on areas that are warm and moist.

Before you get any of those fungal infections, it is best if you get them off your dogs as soon as possible.

Here are ways on how to get rid of ringworm in dogs:

• Trim. But please, if you do not know how to give your pup a haircut, don’t even think about it! As much as possible, have an expert do it since dog hairs are much more delicate than human hair. If you see any ring on your dog’s skin, use electric clippers to remove the hair from that part so that it will be easy for you to treat the affected area especially with the use of ointments. The medication will take effect on the ringworm directly because there would be no dog hair to block it. Avoid using a pair of scissors since this will only leave cuts on your dog.

• Wash. Give the affected area a good wash with the use of anti-fungal soap or antiseptic soap that contains povidone iodine and chlorhexadine like Betadine Skin Cleanser. Washing will prevent the spread of the fungus on other areas of your dog’s body.

• Shampoo. It is best to shampoo your dog’s hair every other day with the use of 0.5% chlorhexidin shampoo, 2% miconazole shampoo or ketoconazole shampoo. These shampoos will help get rid of the lesions and will help your dog’s hair grow back.

• Creams and Ointments. When it comes to treating dogs, it is best to use creams and ointments. However, it is still recommended that you take your dog to a veterinarian first before using any OTC creams and ointments. It is important to have a proper diagnosis of your dog’s condition in order to provide an effective treatment.

• Griseofulvin. Griseofulvin is a drug in tablet form that should be administered daily for 30 days. Most veterinarians prescribe this drug over OTC creams and ointments. Every administration should be followed by fatty food or any meat.

There are other ways to get rid of ringworm in dogs, but it is important not to roughly treat the ringworm. As much possible do it in a gentle and gradual way. Your dogs need your tender loving care even in treating their affliction.

If you want to know more about this information, please read on. ringworm and ringworm in dogs