Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?

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Dog owners are often perplexed when they are enjoying the outdoors with their furry friends and the animal begins to snack on grass. Several theories exist as to why some dogs try to eat grass, but a general consensus hasn’t been found. It’s been suggested that dogs eat grass for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they are biologically hard-wired to eat as much as possible when food is available in order to compensate for future lean times.

No matter what the reasons, it’s been found that grass is the most commonly eaten plant by dogs, but that could be that it’s the one that they have the most access to. Following are some of the speculated reasons why our canine companions sometimes eat grass:

Intestinal Distress

Dogs may sometimes eat grass in an attempt to relieve stomach discomfort or pain. Although this is often attributed as the main cause of dogs eating grass, experts contend that it’s actually very rare.

Boredom

It’s also speculated that some dogs chew on grass out of boredom. This is especially true of dogs that are left out in the yard the majority of the time.

They Like It

Some dogs may simply enjoy the taste of fresh green grass. Experts believe that they may be trying to compensate for a lack of dietary fiber, and some pet owner have noticed that adding fiber cuts down on this behavior.

Although chewing on and eating grass is generally looked on as harmless by veterinarians and other animal experts, be careful not to let your dog chew on turf that has recently been treated with chemicals.

Cats and Dogs in Heat

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Unless you’re an owner of a female cat or dog and are planning to breed the animal, discovering it in heat can be daunting. You probably want some quick answers on how to deal with heat cycles.

Identifying an Animal in Heat

Step one is making sure the animal is really in heat. Female cats go into heat around at six months and continue several times a year. Heat lasts 7 to 10 days. They’re noticeably more affectionate than usual, often assume a position with rear end in the air and head down, become extremely vocal and might spray urine. Some lick themselves a lot and have a decreased appetite.

Female dogs experience swollen vulvas about a week before bleeding. They could start to hump other adult females, pups or human legs. Many perform lots of self-licking. Fertility begins about 12 days later.

Your veterinarian can confirm whether the animal is in heat—or pregnant.

How to Care for a Pet in Heat

The best way to prevent the odd behavior and messiness associated with a heat cycles is to spay your cat or dog. You should keep animals that haven’t been spayed inside and away from males while in heat. This means shutting windows and making sure gates and doors are closed. Never leave these females unattended outdoors.

Don’t allow your dog to breed until its third season of heat, or age 1 1/2 to 2. Activities like brushing calm dogs in heat. It’s important to keep them clean during bleeding, typically with sanitary pads, and to wash bedding covers often.

Never take a pregnant cat to be spayed. Those that don’t become pregnant will most likely go into heat again in about 3 weeks. Your vet can recommend hormone supplements to calm frantic behavior associated with heat. Catnip is also calming, but has been known to agitate some felines.

The Difference Between Stray and Feral Cats

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You might think that stray and feral cats are the same thing, but there is one main difference. Stray cats become socialized to people while feral cats do not. What’s socialization? Cats who are friendly to and enjoy companionship with people are socialized. Socialized cats include both pets and strays. Feral cats either have never had contact with people or contact with people has diminished over time.

Why should I know the difference between stray and feral cats?

Since stray cats have social interaction with people, they can readjust to living with people. You can bring them into their homes and adopt them. Feral cats are not and cannot be socialized. They will not adjust to living with people, so you cannot adopt them. You can socialize kittens born to feral cats and adopt them into your home.

How do I tell the difference between stray and feral cats?

Observe cats outdoors to determine whether they’re stray or feral. Look for these signs to make your decision.

  • Stray cats may approach people or houses, but feral cats will avoid people and seek hiding places.
  • Stray cats usually live alone, but feral cats may belong to a colony.
  • Stray cats might walk like housecats with their tails up, but feral cats might crawl or crouch and protect their bodies with their tails.
  • Stray cats may meow or respond to your voice, but feral cats won’t meow or purr.
  • Stray cats are usually dirty, but feral cats keep their coats clean and well-kept.

Is it safe to kiss pets?

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For pet owners, there is often a close connection with the pets they own, so often times, this leads to a playful kiss. Whether this is a kiss on the forehead of the cat or right, smack on the mouth of the dog, most pet owners have some way of showing their affection towards their pet. Often, this comes with a big, messy, lick in return. However, while this is an adorable sign of affection, it might not be the best thing to do, as these kisses can potentially cause health problems in the owners.

Often times, when kissing a pet, there are microscopic bacteria that is transferred between the pet and the owner. In a 2011 study out of Japan, researches found that bacteria found on the gums of a dog is likely to also be found on the gums of the owner, if they partake in these kisses. The particular form of bacteria the researchers found, has a direct link to gum disease, which can also eventually lead to other physical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and kidney failure. While this isn’t stating kissing a dog is going to lead to diabetes, a connection is possible.

Also, the breed of the animal can greatly affect the kind of kisses a pet owner receives in turn. Some dogs are scavengers by nature, so they are often going to chew on just about anything while outside, which can include feces and other animal deposits. It is possible these feces can contain hookworm, tapeworm or other issues, which can be directly transferred over to the human, if the two share kisses.

A boy and his dog

 

We cannot stop sqeeing over these adorable photos of a boy and his dog. We love the photography, we love the boy, we love the dog, we love the props – we could not love these anymore!

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Spring Dog Shedding

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“Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.” ~Franklin P. Jones

If you have a dog that develops a thick coat during the winter and when spring comes sheds significantly, so that the furniture and floors begin to resemble your canine companion, you are not alone.

From a scientific perspective, according to Dr.Danny W. Scott, professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, the reduction in sunlight and temperature during the winter trigger hormonal responses that grow additional fur, and the spring triggers the growth to stop and shedding begins. Therefore, indoor dogs experience less shedding compared with those that spend a significant amount of time in the outdoors.

Brushing a dog routinely is the most important method for handling shedding because it removes excess fur repeatedly so that less of it accumulates on the dog and the floor, furniture, clothing and all other surfaces it inhabits during the dreaded season. Regular bathing may also help to remove excess fur and condition the skin.

An effective stainless steel comb that can remove the undercoat effectively when the groomer exerts a normal amount of effort is the Furminator, which is a comb product specifically designed to help with shedding. The price is approximately $39, and many experts and customers advocate for its effectiveness online.

Some dogs shed more than others. A dog with a heavy overcoat, such as a Newfoundland or Malamute sheds heavily. A Poodle and Yorkshire Terrier shed less because the hair shaft lasts longer in these breeds, or the Bichon and Shih Tzu has minimal undercoat.

Cleaning dog hair from furniture may be an simple as vacuuming or brushing a damp cloth across the surface. Other tips include using a clean rubber glove to gather the fur.

A healthy diet may minimize shedding. According to the host of “Ask Marc, The Petkeeper” on Martha Steward Living Radio, Marc Morrone, feeding a dog healthy pet food can regulate the shedding, sometimes reducing it or easing the transition. It supports the dog’s body systems and encourages easing the transition from furry to fur-less. A healthy dog food lists meat as the first ingredient and may also include flax seed oil and other natural additives, but no foreign sounding terms that may cause allergies or otherwise complicate your pet’s body’s functions.

Why do cats purr?

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While everyone who has ever been around a cat knows that cats purr, what is less common knowledge is why they do so. While scientists have not been able to come to a concrete conclusion as to exactly why cats purr, they have found some interesting reasons behind this behavior.

Surprisingly, cats do not only purr when they are happy and content. They also purr when they are stressed out or in pain. Given this fact, some scientists believe that purring is a cat’s way of coping with problematic or difficult situation.

Purring is also clearly a form of communication. Mother cats purr to their kittens and the kittens purr back. This type of communications serves wild cats well, as predators are not able to detect the low, humming sound.

A cat’s purr also helps it to heal. Because purring is a low frequency sound, it eases muscle pain and enables broken bones to mend faster than they would have otherwise.

Purring is more than just a sound. It is a fascinating behavioral trait that is unique to cats and while science is not able to figure out all the reasons why cats purr, it is clear that doing so is of great benefit to cats and helps them express their feelings, deal with pain and discomfort and more.

Testimonial Tuesday: Kidney Stone Edition

Today we have a couple testimonials for our Vet Select Kidney and Bladder Stone treatment. We’re so happy to hear good news from both of these great customers!

Our shizu came to our house during a bad storm and we took her in. She had huge bladder stone which required surgery. Months later she started bleeding again and I ordered the kidney/bladder supplement kit. She stopped bleeding and we now have her on a maintenance program of just the pills..two a day. Thank God for this supplement. It is a blessing and keeps crystals from forming. We also just feed her canned food from Blue.

 

We have a dog that is seven years old that has been suffering from kidney stones for about 3 yrs. now. “Sami” was put on the SD diet at our local vet. This proved to be VERY ineffective. We were then told that she would need surgery amounting in the 2000.00 dollar range or to put her to sleep. It was so hard with her urinating all the time and to see the red blood coming out of her was terrible. THEN…my sister visited for Christmas and referred us to you..okay I thought its worth a try for the 90.00 dollars but was not expecting anything. Well today about 3 mos. later I am purchasing more product to manage her kidney stones as really she appears in every way to be healed from them! Thank you for giving us back our Sami!Please let us know if we need to keep her on the product to manage this.

Thank you

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