Archive for March, 2008

Taking Your Pet to Work

March 22, 2008 · Filed under petcare · Tagged , , , ,

Stress is everywhere in the workplace these days. What better way to reduce this stress than by bringing your lovable pooch to work with you?

Researchers have discovered that pets provide many health benefits, one of which is lowering of the blood pressure. More and more companies are starting to allow you to bring your dog to work with you – but for this to be a success for you, the dog, and the company, here are a few tips to help pooch settle in:

  • Only bring dogs that are properly socialized and well-behaved. Your pooch must be able to get along with other people and pets, and must not bark, fight, or otherwise misbehave. You are still at a place of business; your pet must not disrupt the work of your coworkers or clients.If you find your dog misbehaving, you can try providing him with more exercise. Tired dogs are good dogs! Take him out for a long walk before work so that he’ll be calm when you get in. At lunch, play a game of fetch or take him for a jog. If you can’t do provide him with enough exercise, think of hiring someone else to do it for you.

    Oh – and be sure to take him out regularly for bathroom breaks. You can’t blame a dog for misbehaving when he’s really got to go!

  • Bring doggie essentials. Be sure he has a food and water bowl, some toys (no noisy ones!), a blanket or bed, a brush or comb, and some treats. You’ll also want to bring a clean-up kit just in case poochie has an accident.
  • Keep your dog confined to your space. Hard though it may be to believe, some people are not fond of dogs. Others may have allergies. Regardless of the reason, you should have a way of keeping your pooch beside you.Some examples are: tying his leash to your desk; erecting a pet gate; using a kennel; or simply shutting your office door.

There are thousands upon thousands of people who would love to have their pets beside them at work. If you’re one of the lucky ones with this opportunity, take some time to help your pooch adjust. You’ll be able to enjoy each other’s companionship throughout the day – and your dog can bask in the attention of your pet-loving coworkers and his new doggie-friends!

Leave a comment »

Dog Health – Is Your Dog Worth $300 A Year?

March 19, 2008 · Filed under petcare · Tagged , , , , ,

Health care for dogs is not inexpensive. Yearly physical exams, blood tests, vaccines, antiparasitics, and good food can cost $300 a year or more. However, preventative medicine is always cheaper than treating a disease; overall the health care costs for your dog will be reduced if you invest in preventative health measures.For example, a year of heartworm preventative for a small dog can cost on average $72 dollars, but treatments for heartworm can cost up to $600 dollars. It is always cheaper to avoid a disease than to treat it, and of course your dog will have the best chance for a long life if he or she leads a healthy lifestyle.

While the cost of health care for dogs has increased, there are now many different types of health insurance plans available to dog owners.

Talk with your veterinarian about insurance plans, and check Internet websites for health plans that may work for you and your dog. Health insurance for animals is becoming a more popular choice for pet owners as these plans are becoming more comprehensive and cost effective. Take the time to research these plans, and you may find a plan that will save you money and help you to care for your dog.

Prevention And Early Diagnosis

Prevention and early diagnosis are the two keys that will give your dog the best chance for a healthy long life. Always pay attention to your dog’s behavior, and never take a ‘wait and see’ approach; if you feel that something may be wrong with your dog, have a veterinarian look at the dog immediately.

Take precautions to keep your dog safe in and around your home as well. Owning a dog is a lot like having small children about your home; they like to explore, taste, touch, and smell whatever they can get their paws on. ‘Doggy proof’ your home by keeping poisonous products out of reach and always store medications far out of reach, (pay particular attention to pills that are left on a counter, in a purse, or in an accessible drawer, these are some of the more frequently reported incidences of dog overdoses).

The Dangers Of Poor Health

While many of the dangers to your dog’s health discussed in this article are not always lethal at the time they occur, they can cause damage to your dog’s body that will harm your dog’s chances of living a long life. One infection may not harm your dog, but repeated infections combined with such things as parasitic infections or poor nutrition can add up to damage overtime.

Try to take all measures possible to keep your dog healthy from the very start. If you are adopting a dog, which has not been treated well in the past, this is particularly important. Good nutrition, owner vigilance, and parasite control will help to keep your dog strong and healthy for years to come.

A Long And Healthy Life

As a dog ages, it is important to provide care to support the problems that come with increased age. It is not enough for most owners to have a dog that lives a long life; they want their dog to be healthy and happy as well. In order for your dog to lead a long and healthy life, you will need to increase your dog’s veterinary care and yearly screenings; pay particular attention to the diet needs of your senior dog and be aware of any changes in behavior.

Support your aging dog with pain control medications in the event of any illness or disease, and adjust the surroundings of your senior dog so that he or she is more comfortable. For example, extra padding on the bed, a higher doggy dish to avoid neck pain in cases of arthritis, and a movable sturdy ramp that will help your senior dog get up short flights of stairs or climb into the car.

Will your dog be killed by its food?

Did you know that the wrong diet can cause your dog to die prematurely? The fact is, commercial dog foods that are high in preservatives can cause cancer in dogs, as well as liver failure, leukemia and even increased aggressiveness – something that can be a real problem if the dog is around kids.

Leave a comment »

The Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

March 15, 2008 · Filed under petcare · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Do you pick out a pet to fulfill a need or do you consider the added health benefits of owning a pet?

A great number of people want to have pets simply so that they can have something cute, cuddly or an animal that will always love them, never leave them and never complain. Some people have pets because they need assistance and the pets have been trained to offer them the assistance that they need just to get by.

Still others want to have more exotic pets … some for the purpose of bragging or showing off and others simply because they have a deep love for nature. Whatever your reason for owning a pet, would you believe that it actually increases your chances of being healthy, lowers your chances of serious disease and even increases your lifespan?

None other than the Center for Disease Control says so. The Center for Disease Control or CDC has conducted a great number of surveys, scientific experiments and other complicated studies in order to help the American public remain healthy. Their research has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that pet ownership has many health benefits.

Now more than ever, depression is becoming more and more common among people. Treatments for depression often include costly drugs that sometimes have very unpleasant side effects. Sometimes, for some people, the side effects are actually worse than the depression that led them to resort to medication. Well, according to the CDC, pet ownership decreases the incidents and severity of depression.

Heart disease is also a major concern for many people. While the causes for heart attacks and other heart related issues are numerous, pet ownership decreases most of the causes of heart disease. Pet ownership also greatly decreases the likelihood of a heart attack or other fatal heart diseases. Something so simple as a cuddly kitten could very well save your life.

Further studies by the CDC show that pet ownership decreases the levels of LDL or low-density lipoprotein … also known as the bad cholesterol. Pet ownership has also been directly correlated to a reduction in triglycerides. Triglycerides can be less scientifically defined as the bad and unhealthy fats in food and in your body. A reduction in the levels of triglycerides results in a greatly reduced risk of many heart related issues. Pet ownership can be directly related to a reduction in many heart-related health issues but it still gets better.

Would you believe that pet ownership is proven by a federal government agency to improve your possibilities of having an active and rewarding social life? Yup! According to the CDC, pet ownership will actually increase your opportunities to get out and exercise and be a great conversation starter among members of the opposite sex.

Who knew it was so easy? Would you like a rewarding life replete with great exercise, health benefits and an equally rewarding social life? Believe it or not, according to the CDC, pet ownership not only makes it possible, but probable.

Leave a comment »

The CAT – An Awesome Beast

March 10, 2008 · Filed under petcare · Tagged , , , , , , ,

For a while now I have been dreaming of taking the recently re-introduced high-speed ferry service from Toronto to Rochester. The ferry service briefly ran last year, introduced by a group of private investors, but stopped running after a few weeks due to financial difficulties. It was reintroduced this year after the City of Rochester purchased the ferry at an auction and contracted an experienced ferry service based out of Nova Scotia to run it.

North America’s newest CAT fast ferry is an amazing vessel. Built in Australia in 2003, it made its way around the globe to its new home on Lake Ontario in 2005. It’s as long as a football field and can also reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers or 52 miles an hour. The CAT can carry up to 774 passengers and 220 cars, and is one of the fastest and largest car ferries in North America.

It’s a sharp-looking ship and its aerodynamic style and 44,000 horsepower engines allow it to make the lake-crossing within only 2.5 hours. I had a look around the ship and when you first come upstairs from the cargo hold area, you arrive in a sleekly designed passenger room that has airline-style seats, some of them with tables in-between so people can comfortably sit down and enjoy food that they may have purchased at one of a number of on-ship bars and bistros.

I took a stroll around the ship and was quite astounded by the amenities: the CAT offers 2 movie theatres, a duty-free shop, a video arcade / children’s game area and a gorgeous Panorama seating area at the front of the ship that allows you to take in the scenery as you approach the harbours.

While it was raining 2 days ago on my trip to Rochester, yesterday was a crisp day with crystal-blue skies and the experience of approaching Toronto’s skyline in the ferry was breathtaking. The Panorama lounge holds comfortable table and airliner-style seating and offers excellent views through its large windows. The only unfortunate thing is that when you ride the ferry with your car, you have to leave about 10 minutes early to get to your vehicle so you don’t get to see the complete docking process.

I really enjoyed the expansiveness of the CAT. You can walk around, sit in different areas, or you can go up to the top level viewing deck and watch the vessel depart the harbour. Since it was such a beautiful day yesterday, I went upstairs to the open-air deck and watched the process as the ferry pulled away from the attractive Rochester Ferry Terminal, a 55,000 sf terminal facility built at the Rochester Harbor with ground level restaurant and retail facilities. Then it slowly proceeded to glide out between the two long stone piers, and picked up speed once out on the open water.

The return price for one passenger is US$ 144.00 including passenger, vehicle transportation and security fees and it shaves substantial time off the drive the Rochester. There is a $15 return vehicle discount in addition to numerous packages and special offers throughout the year. I thought one of the greatest advantages of taking the ferry are the border processing facilities. The inspection procedures on both the American and Canadian side were extremely efficient and friendly and definitely alleviated one of my worst fears of crossing the border since 911: the wait times at the border crossings. If passengers have proper ID and travel documents as required by Canada and US Customs, the check-through procedures are very smooth. On the way back I was actually the second vehicle out of the ship and within less than 5 minutes I was on my way home, well-rested after an exciting , luxurious high-speed adventure across Lake Ontario.

Leave a comment »

How TO Take Care Of A Cat

March 7, 2008 · Filed under petcare · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Your cat looks to you to find love and comfort and your cat relies on you to make sure she stays healthy and that you take care of her. Cats are great pets and they bring lot of joy and happiness into our lives and in exchange they want you to take care of them. One must make required changes at home in order to take care of the cat properly like removing small items that may choke or can be dangerous to a cat or any other pet at the home these items include but are not limited to small tinsels or rubber bands. In order to take proper care of your cat you must also try to train your pet cat so that she can take care of her own self too like providing and training a cat to use litter box so that a cat can take care of her waste.

Socialize your cat

One important requirement of proper cat care is to socialize your cat so that she fits into the environment and does not feel like an outsider. In order to socialize and take proper care of your cat you need to familiarize yourself with cat behavior and her needs. A Pet owner must be very familiar with the behavior and needs of his or her pet cat before training her to avoid your cat to engage in unwanted behavior.

Cat food and nutritional care

Another important part of cat care is cat nutritional needs. Cat food and nutrition needs is the most important part of proper cat care and this changes as your cat grows older. It is very important for you to familiarize yourself with the needs of your cat and to provide her all the necessary nutrients and food which is required for the proper growth and health of a cat. One of the best food that you can offer to your cat is milk in addition to special cat food available in the market.

Cat Health Care

Health is also one of the major and most important part of proper cat care as it is essential for a cat owner to take good care of his or her cat. Taking care of cat’s teeth is very important as cats get affected by dental diseases as much as humans do and to prevent such problems one must brush his or her cat’s teeth very often and offer your cat proper food which is nutrients enriched.

Cat Safety

Safety is another important requirement of proper cat care and one must ensure safety for his or her cat. A cat owner should keep the doors and windows locked specially if you are living in high story apartments or multiple story homes. A cat owner must also keep away everything that can be harmful to his or her cat in any way.

Proper grooming and trimming the claws of cats is also very important specially if you have a long hair breed. You can prevent lot of health problems and diseases just by taking proper care of your cat so it is very important for a cat owner to familiarize himself with the behavior of his cat and how to take proper care of a cat. For more detailed information on how to take care of cats health please check detailed articles and your cat breeds behavior and how to take proper care of that cat breed.

dogup.com

Dog Up! – Dogs are our friends!
Dog Breeds Dog Names Puppies for Sale Dog Store

Leave a comment »