Domestic Long Hair Cat

Longhair cats look beautiful and are a pleasure to keep as pets. There are many different domestic longhair cat breeds. The long hairs of a cat are caused due to a recessive gene. A combination of two genes is required for the cat to be long haired. Cats which have only one of the genes required will have short hair, however, this trait can be passed on to the offspring of the cat.

The earliest long hair cat breed known to man was the Angora cat. The angora cats were named after the Turkish city of Ankhara because they were first spotted there. These cats were first imported into Italy and France, where they were interbred with long haired Persian cats. The first longhair cats were commonly known as Angoras.

In the earliest art depictions of cats, the animals have always been shown as having short or no hair. Moreover, the old remains and fossils of cats don’t tell much about the length of their hair. The short haired cats are more popular as pets because they are easier to groom and maintain. Between the long haired and the short haired breeds, there are also many intermediate lengths of hair.

Both long hair and short haired cat breeds can experience loss of fur. Cat hair loss, also known as alopecia areata in cats, is a common disorder which can affect both short haired and long haired cats. Though some shedding of hair is normal, if the cat begins to shed hair in patches from all over its body, it can be a cause for concern. The cat may lose its hair due to skin infections, parasites, and other glandular diseases.

Fleabite allergy is the most common cause of alopecia areata in cats. Cats may be allergic to fleabites and this causes intense reactions, which are prolonged. If a cat has an attack from mites, the cat may keep scratching itself till it pulls out all of its hair. Such an infestation of mites can cause a condition called mange.

Ringworm, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, and other glandular diseases may cause loss of hair in the body. In some cases, the loss of hair occurs in symmetrical patterns, but mostly, it happens in patches all over the body. The overproduction of steroids can also cause loss of hair. Cat hair loss, especially in a longhair cat breed, can seem very ugly. It is also often an indication of a disease or a health condition and therefore should be treated immediately.

Dog treats are an invaluable resource for showing your affection and appreciation for your dog. However, if your dog treats are moist or are not packaged properly, their shelf life is very short and they often get spoilt. These dog treats can be used during the training of your dog or for restraining your dog. Most pet owners use dog treats as a reward for good behavior so that the behavior is reinforced. Taking in account the importance of dog treats, it becomes important to keep them handy.
Dehydrated dog treats are great for your dogs. They have a better shelf life and don’t spoil that easily. There are a number of ways that you can create your own dehydrated dog treats. While it is always more convenient to buy the commercially available dog treats, making them at home ensures that your dog is getting the best quality foods. With commercial foods, there is no guarantee on quality and pet owners should be wary of them.

When you dehydrate dog treats, these can be preserved for a longer time. Cooking has always been used to improve the shelf life of various foods. The process of cooking helps evaporate the moisture from foods, allowing them to stay fresh for a longer period of time. When you cook your dog’s treats, you dehydrate the treats, kill the bacteria that may be present, improve and enhance both color and texture, and impart better flavor to the treats.

While you are cooking the treats, you can also add tocopherol and vitamin E, both of which are natural preservatives. In the case of dog food treats, there is little else that you can do other than to cook your treats. Simply baking dog biscuits till they are done, as with other baked foods, would prove to be inadequate as there is still a lot of excessive moisture present in the treat.

You can also make some homemade food, using vegetables, rice and meat, and bake them together to form hard, cooked slabs. Cut these slabs into small pieces and then use them as dog treats.

Using a convection oven and a good amount of baking soda or yeast ensures that you have a crunchy and healthy treat for your dog. You can knead your ingredients into a soft dough and then bake the dough in your convection oven. These treats can be stored for a long time and are both healthy and tasty—the perfect reward for your canine companion.

A cat making hacking noises and throwing up a cylindrical mass of hairs and mucus can be quite alarming. This problem is cat hairball, a mass of hairs accumulated in the intestine and stomach when the cat grooms and licks its fur thereby swallowing loose hairs. These loose hairs cannot be digested and do not pass through stools completely, which makes the cat throw it all up. The problem becomes graver when the cat sheds heavily, grooms and licks other cats, or swallows big hairs. Cat hairball can clog the digestive system and can be removed only by surgery. Whether the cat has long hairs or short, over grooms or not, it will face this problem some time or the other.

The cat will vomit hairball just about anywhere and any time. Some cat hairball symptoms include the cat passing hard stools containing hairs in them, lethargy, vomiting after consuming food, dry cough, and a loss of appetite. Additionally, the cat’s fur also becomes matted, and the cat will seem depressed and fatigued all the time. A general pet health information is that when the cat tries to vomit a hairball out, she will crouch, back up and hack, symptoms that are similar to cat asthma too. So, if one finds the cat showing these symptoms several times without throwing up anything, the owner must take it to the vet immediately as it may be an asthma attack in deed.

Even though one cannot do anything when the cat is expelling hairball, controlling this problem is quite possible. Preventing hairballs can be a part of pet health care as this problem can lead to extreme abdominal pain, intestinal blockage and even death in some cats. The owner must brush the cat’s fur about twice a week and once everyday during the shedding season to remove loose hairs. Feeding the cat half a spoon of melted butter everyday for a few days or a little petroleum jelly will lubricate the intestine and make the hairball pass through feces instead of vomit. It’s important to improve the quality of the cat’s coat to prevent shedding and consequent hairballs. For this, the cat’s food must have more fiber and less grains like corn or wheat. Heavy snacking and inadequate exercise will make the cat’s bowel movement difficult and in turn make it throw up the hairball. There are many commercial hairball remedies that can help in treating pet health issues like hairballs and inability to defecate.

Cat Hair Loss Tail

Hair loss in cats is becoming one of the commonest pet health issues these days. A cat loses hair all over the body or just in patches, (a condition called alopecia areata) due to many reasons. One of the most common parts where a cat loses hair is its tail. Often, the hair loss is at the tip of the tail and moves upwards. Factors like toxins in the blood, mites or flea infestation, stress, hormonal imbalance, injury, or stud tail causes alopecia areata in cats tail.

The most common cause for a cat to lose hair on its tail is an allergic reaction to flea bites. In this case, the bite of a single flea is enough to make the cat scratch, bite and lick the tail at the skin level causing baldness in that area. One can prevent this by applying anti-flea ointment or brushing the coat with a metal flea comb regularly. Including fish oil in the cat’s diet also helps in treating flea bite allergies. There is also endocrine alopecia that is responsible for hair loss on the tail. This condition causes inadequate or excessive hair growth hormones thus disturbing the hair growth cycle. This problem can be treated only by a veterinarian. Injury to the tail can also be a reason for hair loss, as it makes the cat lick the wound excessive causing hair fall. So, it is important to check for injuries on the tail or any other body part if one notices hair loss in an area.

If there has been a change in the cat’s environment or even food, it will become edgy, nervous, stressed and anxious and lick itself excessively causing hair loss. Checking for and eliminating such factors will help in getting rid of the hair loss on the tail. The presence of toxins in the body also makes them lose hair excessively as the poisonous chemicals in the blood stream affect the body cells. Keeping the cat free of toxins should be a regular part of pet health care and it can be ensured by regular moderate exercise and nutritious cat food. An important pet health info with regards to cat hair loss is a condition called stud tail. Sometimes a build up of wax or oil from the sebaceous glands near the base of the tail causes hair loss and a sour smell. A veterinarian must be consulted if the owner suspects this condition.

Cat Ear Hair Loss

It is disheartening and worrying to find hair loss in a furry pet like cat. Cat hair loss, also called alopecia areata, can be hereditary or acquired and has several causes. Though the cat loses hair all over the body, the face, neck, and ears are most prone to cat alopecia. Pet health info worth noting is that hair loss caused on the ear the most worrisome one and must be treated immediately. Allergens like some food products, pollen or dust mites, ear mites, fleas, chronic stress, and side effects of some medications cause alopecia areata in cats. General pet health care can prevent all these problems and the resultant hair loss.

Ear mites infesting a cat’s ears cause severe itching, redness, wax, foul odor and hair loss. Mites can be easily removed from the ears and a solution can be instilled into the ear canals. Similarly, the saliva left behind by the fleas after biting causes an itchy reaction in the ears. The cat scratches its ears against furniture or rough surfaces to find relief, in turn, losing hair. Fleas can be treated by insecticidal sprays or shampoos. Ringworms, actually an itchy fungal infection, also affect the cat’s ears. The mites that cause this infection survive in the hair follicles and nourish on dead cells and cause breakage of the hair at the skin level thereby leaving bald patches. Fungal infections often require the cat’s hair to be shaved off completely. Tablets and topical ointments are available to treat the infection. Mange is also a mite infestation that causes hair loss in the ears, and on the neck and face. Additionally, the skin gets covered by a yellowish crust. The treatment of mange includes applying lime sulfur once a week about six to eight times.

Apart from these infestations, food allergies also cause itching and subsequent hair loss, which is further worsened by chronic ear infections. It’s important to find out what is causing the allergy and avoid feeding the cat that food. Lastly, though in only a few cases, stress and boredom also cause hair loss in cats. The more stressed a cat is, the more it licks its fur and paws. This causes the hair to fall, and since ears have short hair, they fall off more easily. If all the factors causing stress are eliminated, the cat won’t suffer from hair loss. There are other problems like damage to the sebaceous glands or even cancer that cause hair loss on the ears too.

Cats are generally known to be an independent breed. When it comes to pregnancy, too, the cat is more or less independent throughout the gestation period and during the delivery. She will decide who does and does not she want to be with and will also look for a cozy place in the house on her own to deliver her litter. The cat goes through the pregnancy and delivery almost without any trouble. The owner may not have a big role to play. He will just need to pay attention to her nutrition and general pet health care during her pregnancy and give her affection, fresh water and make a comfortable litter box for her.

When a cat gets pregnant, she will show many physical and behavioral changes. She will have a bigger appetite, will gain weight and her nipples will be larger and rosier. There will be behavioral changes as well. A cat that likes being outdoors will be seen around indoors more often. She will be more subdued, lazy and will want to sleep more than usual. An important part of pregnant cat behavior is her disinterest in male cats and other cats in general, as she wants privacy during gestation period. So, it would help if the other cats in the house are kept away from the pregnant queen. The cat will shower more affection on her human companions and she will also seek more attention from her owner. The owner must give her that attention but try not to pick her up too much as this will make her irritable. In some cases, the pregnant cat may avoid her human companion and behave moody. But once she has delivered, her behavior will be back to normal.

During the last stage of pregnancy, the cat will be restless and try to find a comfortable place in the house where she might deliver the kittens. This is perfectly normal. But if the cat gets too irritable and restless, or pants and paces around too much, the owner must consult a vet immediately. One of the reasons for such a behavioral problem can be eclampsia (depletion of calcium from the blood stream), which is one of the pet health issues found in cats during the last stage of pregnancy. If you see cat behavior problems like not eating and being too lethargic along with passing a discharge, you must have your cat checked by a vet immediately.

Usually, the owner cannot tell that his cat is pregnant for the first three weeks, unless he has bred her and keeps a track of her pregnancy. A sign like a bulging stomach becomes visible only a couple of weeks before the cat is due to deliver the litter. So, a cat’s pregnancy often goes undiscovered till she is well into the pregnancy period. One can determine whether a cat is in gestation or not by knowing some pregnant cat symptoms, which are both physical and behavioral.

One of the first cat pregnancy signs is a stoppage of her heat cycle. The pregnant cat will stay indoors and away from male cats. This can be seen as the first sign of pregnancy. About three to four weeks after conceiving, the cat’s nipples become more visible, softer and pinker. This change is called pinking. Other than these, signs of a pregnant cat also include increase in its appetite and weight gain. Since the cat has to eat for herself and her fetus, she will crave more food and after four weeks of pregnancy gain considerable weight too. The weight gain will be more on the stomach and mid-section. Just like human beings, a pregnant cat also suffers from morning sickness, that is, she will have occasional bouts of vomiting in the morning. While this is perfectly normal, if the episodes of vomiting become too frequent, a veterinarian must be consulted.

The owner will also be able to see a change in the cat’s behavior when she is pregnant. She will seem lazier, quieter and will tend to sleep more. Jerky and sudden movements such as stretching will be avoided by the pregnant cat. Though the pregnant cat will be less affectionate towards male cats, she will have affection in abundance for her owner. This is often credited to her maternal instincts. During the advanced stages of pregnancy, she will look for a warm, quiet and secluded place to deliver her litter, a behavior that has been termed as the ‘nesting behavior’. It becomes important to pay attention to pet health care when the cat is pregnant and give her nutritious food. Though these signs show that a cat is pregnant, ultrasound procedures are recommended to rule out abnormalities in fetuses that can pose pet health issues later. Another important pet health information for a pregnant cat is that she must be given adequate clean water and exercise to prevent obesity and to keep her muscles toned.

Cat Gestation

Other than how many kittens a pregnant cat would be delivering, the most likely question about cat pregnancy is: how long are cats pregnant. The usual cat gestation period is 58 to 65 days, that is, about nine weeks or a little over two months. However, the cat can have a normal delivery approximately five days before or after the stipulated date too. So, over all, the cat pregnancy period can be as short as 58 days or go up to 70 days. If the owner is breeding the cat, he will be able to keep a check on the gestation period. But, if the cat is in heat, meets an unneutered male cat and has an unplanned pregnancy, there are chances that the owner will discover it after about three weeks. This is because the cat will not show any signs or symptoms of pregnancy for about three weeks after breeding, and her abdomen will bulge only a couple of weeks before she gives birth to kittens. If one finds the cat’s nipples getting softer, rosier and warmer, it should serve as the first sign of pregnancy. Other than that, the cat’s appetite increases, it gets more affectionate, gains weight, and suffers from morning sickness. If all these signs are visible, the cat must be taken to the veterinarian to confirm pregnancy.

Cat Pregnancy Tips

Even though cats are self sufficient during pregnancy, it is very important to give the pregnant cat the right care throughout the pregnancy period. One important pet health fact about a cat’s pregnancy is that she must be kept indoors as much as possible throughout the cat gestation length as she can be on heat during pregnancy as well. She can have two different sets of litter at the same time. Anyway, kittens must be delivered only in a warm environment. The cat must be fed nutritious food high in proteins and calcium. To ensure that the cat produces a healthy litter, one can mix cat food with a premium kitten food as it has more calcium, fat and protein than regular cat food.  Other than specific pregnancy tips, the owner needs to keep general pet health care in mind during pregnant cat care. She must not have fleas or intestinal worms as she can pass them on to the kittens through her womb or milk. It always helps to have your cat checked by a vet regularly to prevent any pet health issues especially during pregnancy.

How to Boost, Increase Dog Immune System

Boosting dog’s immune system is very important for its well being. This vital system continuously protects the body against viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Boosting a dog’s immune system helps to kill virus and bacteria and remove toxins from the body. Improper functioning of the immune system in a dog leads to certain problems such as chronic  or acute, eczema, yeast infections, demodectic mange, arthritis, food allergies, ear infections, fertility disorders, or slow healing of wounds.

There are many reasons for low immunity in dogs such as stress, inadequate sleep, lack of exercise, auto immune diseases, and most important of all, poor diet. The most prominent reason for immune deficiency is improper nutrition. Research on dogs has proved that nutritional deficiencies in dogs can affect the next generation’s immune system even if the next generation of dogs is well nourished. Here are some tips to boost your dog’s immunity:

•    Stabilized levels of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements are necessary to your dog’s immunity to fight parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria.

•    A dog’s digestive system is designed for raw food, which enhances the immune system. Avoid commercialized dog food as it decreases the immunity due to its contents of over processed food mixed with chemicals. Prepare food at home containing all the vitamins and minerals.

•    To satisfy the total nutrient requirements for your dog, you can use good quality nutrient supplements to your dog’s food such as folic acid, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, magnesium, iodine, potassium and biotin. Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, antiviral, and toxin fighter, is a very important immune booster. Omega fatty acid is another very important dog nutritional supplement for boosting your dog’s immune system; it makes food digestion more efficient.

•    Natural or herbal nutrient supplements are the best immune boosters in dogs; they allow the body to fight against the infections naturally, without any side effects. The important natural or herbal nutrients are astragals, mistletoe, echinacea, Indian ginseng, milk thistle, and cat’s claw.

• Astragalus maintains the blood sugar levels and enhances appetite.
• Mistletoe is used to treat circulatory and respiratory problems.
• Echinacea maintains the blood pressure and boosts immunity.
• Indian ginseng strengthens the immunity.
• Milk thistle is a liver tonic. It cleans the toxicity.
• Neem extracts increase the production of T cells, thereby enhancing immunity levels.

•    Give your dog a fresh, clean bowl of filtered water frequently. This helps flush the toxins out from the dog’s body, which is important for the proper functioning of all the organs, including the heart and brain.

•    Exercise your dog daily to relieve stress.

Xylitol Side Effects in Dogs

Xylitol is a substitute for sugar that is found in substances like toothpastes, candies, chewing gums and baked food and are considered a great alternative by diabetic patients or by those who are on a diet low in carbohydrates as the amount of insulin released is less. However, this substance is very toxic and a small dose of the same can prove fatal if consumed by dogs. Just one chewing gum containing xylitol consumed by a small dog can prove fatal. Your dog might experience difficulty in standing or walking followed by dog vomiting and weakness after consuming xylitol in any form. These symptoms might show up as early as thirty minutes after its consumption after which immediate medical attention will be required.

Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia which is caused due to a heavy release of insulin into the bloodstream that leads to extremely low levels of sugar in the blood. In about 72 hours, the dog might experience heavy bleeding and a gastrointestinal hemorrhage because the side effects start affecting your body within minutes. Xylitol can cause great damage to the liver which in turn can cause a liver failure and this effect can be seen within approximately 10 hours of its consumption. The exact reason as to how xylitol affects the liver is not known but it is said to damage a very important compound in the liver which makes it difficult to perform effectively. Symptoms for a liver damage include vomiting, diarrhea that leads to dehydration, a loss in appetite, feces that are dark in color or bloody, anemia, loss of blood, increase in water consumption and frequent urination. Treatment for xylitol needs to be instant because if the condition leads to hypoglycemia and the dog is treated for the same; his liver might get affected eventually leading to his death.

If the time from consuming xylitol is less than 30 minutes, you can use hydrogen peroxide to induce your dog to vomit so that the poison can be thrown out of the stomach. You need to keep your dog on fluids as this is very important to keep them hydrated. Also activated charcoal can be another option that you can consider. You should keep a tab on what your dog is eating and do not feed them gum or any other food that contains xylitol. You must ensure that such items should always be kept at places that are not accessible to your dogs