How to Get Fleas Off a Kitten Or Puppy

Getting rid of fleas is never easy, but it can be a particularly tough challenge if your pet is not old enough for flea medication. There are some things you can do to ward off the problem in the mean time, but the fleas will likely come back until you can completely eradicate with the medication. Here is a guide for getting rid of fleas on a puppy or kitten until you can use an actual treat the issue with medication.

Bathe the Kitten or Puppy

The easiest thing to do is to bathe your kitten or puppy in mild dishwashing soap like Joy or Dawn.

Run some moderately warm water in the bathtub. Put on rubber gloves in case your pet scratches you. Then the shower hose to run the water over your pet. Pour a quarter size drop of soap in your hand and begin to lather the fur. Be sure to get the soap close to the skin. Rub it in all over, especially near your pet's face. Do not get it in the eyes, but get as close as you can.

When the pet is fully lathered, wrap it in a towel for a moment and just sit there. This allows the soap to kill off the flea eggs. Use tweezers to pick live fleas off your pet's face because that is where they will run to. Dip the tweezers in a cut of water to kill the fleas you pull off. Try to get them all if you can.

Once you have let the soap sink in, use the hose to thoroughly rinse off the soap. Then use a towel to dry down your puppy or kitten and leave the rest to air dry.

Vacuum the House

Try to vacuum the areas that your pet goes to as often as possible to pick up potential flea eggs. There are some mild carpet flea killers out there that are safe to use around kittens and puppies. Simply sprinkle those around and vacuum up as directed.

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Alternative Medicine For Pets

Many people are not aware of the alternative medicine for pets that is available. There are many products that can help your dog or cat maintain a healthy appetite, promote healthy organs, and restore energy levels and overall vitality. Here are a few ways that alternative medicine for pets can help your animals.

Domestic pets are exposed to a lot of things that their bodies may not be used to. Artificial foods, preservatives, and a lack of exercise are common traits in any domestic pet's life. This can make your dog or cat get sick and weaken their immune system. Here are a couple of things that you can do to keep your pet healthy, and one alternative medicine that can restore your pet's vitality.

Give your pets clean water to drink. I know it sounds crazy, but your 4-legged buddies benefit from filtered water. Many people do not drink their tap water until it has been run through a filtration system. This practice should be done for your pets too.

Give your cats and dogs a healthy diet. There are many brands of pet food out there. This is one area where the cheapest pet food can do more harm than good. You should try to find pet food that does not contain preservatives or dyes. You should also avoid giving your pet onions or chocolate, because these items can be very toxic to animals.

Try to avoid smoking in the house. We are all aware of the dangers of second hand smoke. But many people forget about their pets when considering this rule. Your puts need to maintain healthy lungs as well. So try to keep the smoking outside.

Make sure that your pet gets exercise. Animals have a lot of energy and they need to be let out to run around. Make sure that you bring them to the park regularly.

These practices can be done by any pet owner. If you want to provide your pet with other health benefits, you can add an extra prevention by providing your pets with compounded herbal products as an alternative medicine for pets. These are designed to fill the gap that your pets miss out on with commercial diets.

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Hamster Housing

So... you have decided that it is time for your family to have a new pet, and that pet is going to be a hamster. Have you decided on the type of housing you will provide for your new hamster? There are a number of factors you should consider when purchasing a habitat or cage for a hamster, including size, space, supplies/accessories and safety of the animal. Let's take a closer look at these factors, and how to deal with them.

Habitats and Housing

When it comes time to purchase a home for your hamster, there are four things you need to think about:

Size: Hamsters need exercise, so you need to make sure that there is plenty of room in the cage for them to exercise. There should also be areas for eating, sleeping and using the bathroom. At least two square feet is needed for an optimal hamster living space. You can add space by purchasing cage add-ons, such as tunnels and houses.

Space

Where you place the hamster habitat in your home is very important. You have to ensure that the habitat is not in direct sunlight, or in a noisy area of the house. Because hamsters are nocturnal, they need to have a quiet place to sleep during the day.

Hamster habitats should not be located in areas that are too hot or too cold, as either can be detrimental to the health of your hamster.

Habitats should be placed where small children and other animals can't get at them. Also, make sure you place it where it is not likely to fall.

Obviously, putting a hamster habitat in a kitchen is a bad idea, because things that the hamster moves around, like bedding, food, and feces, could contaminate your food.

Supplies and Accessories

You will need the following supplies and accessories to ensure the health and happiness of your new hamster:

Food and water: Have a bowl or dish for food, and a specially-made water bottle that the hamster can't chew apart.

Good bedding: This should be absorbent. Items that work well include cotton, wood shavings, shredded paper and pellets.

Exercise wheel: Hamsters need exercise, and a good wheel will provide that exercise. Make sure it is large enough for the hamster.

House or enclosed sleeping area: Just like you, your hamster likes to feel snug when sleeping, so provide an area just for this purpose.

Toys: Hamsters need toys for exploring, such as tubes (can be as simple as paper towel rolls), tunnels, ramps and nooks and crannies to hide in. They also need toys that they can chew on.

Safety

If you are going to have more than one hamster, make sure, if the breeds are different, that they are compatible. Also, remember that if you have male and female pairs, you can expect babies!

Make sure you inspect the habitat, and make sure that you have eliminated any chance of escape! Hamsters are great escape artists, so you want to give them as little opportunity to do so as possible.

By following the above steps, your hamster is sure to be healthy and happy.

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Addison's Disease and It's Effect on Your Pet

Addison's disease is a rare condition that can affect dogs and cats of any breed or age. This endocrine disorder occurs when the adrenal glands fail to manufacture enough adrenal hormones.

Certain breeds of dogs are genetically predisposed to getting Addison's disease. Poodles, Airedales, Saint Bernards, and German Shepherds are among these breeds.

The adrenal glands are in the stomach area right in front of the kidneys. These important glands produce corticosteroids, adrenaline, mineralocorticoids and androgens. Without these hormones it becomes difficult for your pet to metabolize their food and maintain a regular balance of potassium, salt and H2O. Blood pressure, stress and heart rate are also controlled by the hormones produced in the adrenal glands.

There are several things that can signify Addison's disease. If you pet is not eating enough, lethargic, dehydrated, weak, depressed or vomiting then they could be suffering from this rare adrenal gland disorder. Make sure you take them to the vet right away. Even if it is not Addison's disease there could be another serious problem brewing.

Your vet will give your pet a complete examination and look over it's medical history. They might run a CBC (complete blood count), urine test, x-rays and an ultrasound. Once other disorders are ruled out they should be able to give you an accurate diagnosis.

Researchers have not discovered the cause of Addison's disease but many of them think it has to do with the adrenal glands being destroyed by the dogs/cats immune system. Heredity, infection, cancer and withdrawal from a steroid prescription can also contribute to causing Addison's.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Addison's disease. If it is caught early a long term treatment plan can be setup and your pet can still enjoy the rest of it's life.

Addison's disease is treated differently depending on how severe the symptoms are. If it is a chronic case then hormone replacement therapy might be in order. For these cases, a salt supplement is often given once a day.

If your pet is in crisis it might need to be hospitalized. An IV will be started and the electrolytes and acids will be monitored. Hormones will likely be given to them while they are still in the hospital.

Chamomilla, zingiber, cratageous, nux vom and lycopus are herbs that can help your pet along because of their effect on keeping the endocrine system in balance and their support for the thyroids. If you decide to use a natural medicine you should still talk to your vet. There might be things you need to do, in addition to a natural routine.

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