Does Your Pet Have Fresh Water—Every Day?

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by Diane Burket

So….you’ve got a glass of water on the table that you were drinking last night. Two days go by.  Will you still drink that glass of water?  Probably not.
Why do you think it’s OK to leave water out for days for your pets?  Guess what?  It’s not OK.
At the least, I clean and refill all the pet bowls every  day….and I tell my petsitters to do the same.

Stainless steel bowls are best for pets.

Keep your pets healthy with fresh water.

11 Ways You’re Shortening Your Dog’s Life

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I found this article today and I actually agree with the whole article!
Please give it a read.
It’s on the PetMD website and it’s filled with great information.
See if you’re guilty of some or all of these “dog sins”.
I’m pleased to say…I’ve passed the test with flying colors!

www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/11-ways-youre-shortening-your-dogs-life

Dry Skin in Cats and Dogs

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by Diane Burket

If your pet has dry hair & skin, try adding up to one tablespoon of corn oil, safflower oil or olive oil, per day, to his/her food. You can also use fish oils. During the winter, skin and hair is often more dry, due to the heat being on in the house. You’ll find your pets tend to itch more in the winter.  Give them a break—feed them oil. 
Regular grooming is important for all pets with hair…even for short-haired pets.  Brushing will stimulate the scalp and bring out the natural oils.  

The “Zoom Groom Brush” is a rubber brush that works well for shampooing and grooming. You can use it on cats and dogs.  I’ve found the Zoom Groom Brush works especially well on very short-haired dogs—like Greyhounds, Boxers, Dobermans, etc.  A regular brush might hurt the skin of short-haired dogs…but the Zoom Groom stimulates their scalp and removes loose hair without hurting the dog.
 

Zoom Groom Brush

I tried the Zoom Groom on a Greyhound I was boarding.  He absolutely LOVED it!  With the help of the Zoom Groom and oil in his food, he no longer has itchy, dry skin.
 
Another solution for dry, itchy skin is to run a humidifier at home. The air from your heater is super dry and I have found the humidifier works for cats, dogs & myself.

My brother’s Black Lab mix, Ebie, had chronic flakey skin.  I told him about bathing her with Dr. Bronner’s Eucalyptus Oil Soap.  Besides being great for dry skin, it’s also fantastic for fleas and ticks.  The Eucalyptus Oil Soap worked immediately on Ebie’s dry skin and my brother has not used any toxic flea or tick medicines on his dogs in years. (Fleas hate the smell of eucalyptus). 

BTW…the humans in our house bathe with Dr. Bronner’s Eucalyptus Oil Soap, too.  It smells great and leaves our skin soft!


Barking, Fighting, Bad Behavior? Solution: A Spray Bottle with Water!

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by Diane Burket

Does your dog bark every time someone comes to the door?  That may be a good thing when you’re not home.  But if you’re home and Fido has a barking fit whenever friends and delivery services come to the door, it can get pretty annoying.  Dogs bark.  Yes.  But they shouldn’t bark without a good reason.
One way to stop a dog from barking is with water.  Fill a cheap spray bottle with plain water.  Spray your dog in the face if he/she barks inappropriately.  Don’t spray from too close….don’t want to get in their eyes.   You’ll be amazed at how quickly your dog will stop barking.  My spray bottle is at the ready on the staircase.  Now, I only have to pick up the bottle and my dog stops barking.
Want to stop a dog or cat fight?  A little play fighting is fine—but sometimes they cross the line.  Try spraying them with your water bottle.  The fight will stop.  (Watch out to not spray in their eyes).
This simple technique can also work for other unwanted behaviors.  Dogs that constantly whine drive me crazy.  Spray with water and they’ll change their behavior.
Dog jumping up to the kitchen counter?   Spray with water.  Begging?  You get the picture. If you’ll consistently correct your pet’s bad behaviors, they’ll stop.