PET OBESITY

Obesity as commonly perceived is not just a problem with human beings. It is prevalent in animals, both wild and pet.. In case of animals it is mostly found in pets. According to a recent research it has been found that about 25% of the pets are obese or overweight. The study and percentages indicate that the problem has reached proportions where it cannot be ignored.

A pet’s weight cannot be evaluated by just measuring the weight. It is more appropriate to observe the physical condition of the pet by comparing it with one of its own breed or species. The overall appearance of the pet is of prime importance since the ideal weight is very varied in case of pets or for that matter in all animals, in judging the obesity factor.

A scale of body condition scores is used in observation of physical condition of a pet. The body condition score is normally between 5 and 9, and a score of 7 is optimal or ideal. This score is assigned after observing a pets build, fat coverage on rib cage and the waist. Other factors that influence this score are sex, breed, age and life style.

Some observations that can help in your own assessment of your pet are suggested. The ribs should not be visible to the eye but should be easily felt without pressing. The stomach or the abdominal area should be tucked in. These simple tests or feels can be reviewed at home if the owner can objectively record the same. A veterinarian would be required for advice if you find that your pet does not possess the much sought after hour-glass physique. The owner should have a good reference point to infer the results from his observations, i.e. he should have good knowledge and information about the general physical appearance of the species of his pet.

Obesity decreases the life span of your pet, and an overweight pet is generally not healthy. Obesity may lead to diabetes, arthritis, heart complications, endocrinal diseases and bad joints. The medication for these conditions is also seriously compromised due to underlying obesity factors and age.

You pet is overweight because of the simple reason that it has more to eat and not enough exercise. The over feeding trend arises from the owners special way of showing love and care to their pets It is very important to keep tabs on the feeding habits of your pet. Many pet food packs carry a dosage level instruction, but it cannot be really depended upon. It is the owner who has to decide how much feed the pet since a lot of other factors like life style, exercise, activities, age etc. Most animals tend to overeat given the opportunity, curbing it is the owner’s responsibility. Taking advice from a veterinarian in regard to determining the pets ideal weight, creating a weight loss and maintenance plan, would be a good start.

Living with Arthritis

Arthritis can be painful and limiting. Many people have experienced it in one form or another. There are several treatments including medications, exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes. Even sleeping habits and mood changes can affect arthritis. There is no direct correlation between how severe your arthritis is and how much pain you feel. So how do people deal with this disease?

There are several ways to lessen how much pain you have when your arthritis acts up. Some are preventative. One way is to lose weight. Extra pounds add stress to your joints. Eat a healthy diet. Not only will that help you keep those extra pounds off, but there are certain vitamins that specifically help arthritis. Vitamin C repairs tissue, vitamin D absorbs calcium, builds bone mass, and prevents bone loss, and calcium strengthens your bones. Moderate exercising strengthens your joints and increases flexibility and stability. Those with rheumatoid arthritis need to refrain from exercising during flare ups. You should only exercise to the point where you feel mild discomfort. You should not feel pain. Get plenty of sleep. Patients with arthritis should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep.

When your arthritis does flare up there are different treatments to help with the pain and inflammation. One common treatment is use of medication. Certain types of medications can have serious side effects, so you need to weigh the pros and cons with your doctor. Ice packs can help with swelling and inflammation, but people with circulatory problems should avoid this. You can also use a heating pad or take a hot bath or shower. Patients with arthritis may sometimes use splints, braces, canes, or walkers for stability.

There are adjustments you can make in your home to ease your arthritis too. A “grabber” can help you get a can out of the cupboard or pick up laundry off the floor. Replace faucet handles that twist and round door knobs with levered handles. Don’t overdo it. Tiring yourself out can especially provoke flare ups for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Take breaks and don’t feel like you have to do everything in one day.

If you are in a situation where you don’t move around a lot, it could affect your arthritis also. Sitting at a computer desk for 8 hours a day can stiffen you up. Be sure to take a break to move around and do stretches. If available, use a trackball instead of a mouse and a split keyboard. If you have the right software you can use “macros” to store frequently used words and phrases. This will save on your typing. Again, take it easy. You don’t want your arthritis to flare up from overextending yourself.

There are many things you can do to prevent or lessen an arthritis flare up. It is important to do your part. It is equally as important to check back with your doctor for advice as well. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and check with your local Arthritis Foundation to see what resources are available to you.

Keeping a Dog Tick-Free

Dogs and in general all pets tend to spend more of their summer time outdoors. In case of dogs, it is very important to be careful about parasites, bugs and micro organisms that can harm them while they get their whiff of fresh air. Precautions are necessary to keep these dangers away. One of these pests that can cause a lot of nuisance and damage are the ticks since they carry diseases. Avoiding the ticks is of prime importance than curing at a later stage.

Why Ticks?

Ticks tend to stick to warmer temperatures, CO₂ and movement. Ticks do not transmit through the air. Their motion is limited to crawling. They transmit themselves by climbing up taller structures or plants and drop onto any living and moving human or animal. The danger of diseases or kinds of diseases transmitted by ticks depends upon the country and culture, therefore the cure of after effects of ticks and ticks itself varies from country to country. The danger of having ticks on your dogs body begins once the tick bites. The bite itself is painless and unfeeling but the place of bite might get infected in no time. Consulting a veterinarian is advisable for treatment which normally involves oral antibiotics. If your pet dog is diseased due to a tick bite, there is a risk of infection spreading due to your dog salivation on or biting another pet. The most popular disease spread by a tick bite is the lyme disease but not the only one.

How to keep ticks away from your pet dog

The best way to avoid ticks is to avoid walking your dog in the midst of vegetation during tick season. Always keep the vegetation around your house trimmed. Certain preventive medication products are also available. More information can be gathered from your veterinarian about suitability of these to your dog in respect to age and area. Do not use medications without consulting and proper instructions must be followed in using this kind of medication. Please remember that these medications are suited for a single class of pets only, meaning that tick prevention medication for dogs is for dogs only and should not be used on cats or any other pets.

Removing Ticks

When your dog comes back from outdoors make sure to check him carefully for ticks. They are normally found in warm areas, under the arms, in the ears, between the toes and in the folds of the skin. If you find any, remove them safely. Do not touch the tick, use a alcohol swab, then pull it up slowly with tweezers. Make sure not to leave any parts of the tick sticking to your dog. If you are unsuccessful contact your vet.

Dogs and lifestyle

For some these two notions might seem too far apart to present any similarities. But still, more than we know, dogs as object of our love or repulsion, affect our lifestyle.

Each and every one of us has gone through at least one experience that included a dog. Whether sad or fortunate, these experiences exist and cannot be ignored. As every other marking moment emotions triggered by a dog at some point influent our ways from that moment on.

Just for fun I want to show you what I mean by giving a rather unknown example to prove my point.

Let’s say you are over 30 and tried already every diet in the world to loose a few ponds. And naturally, nothing worked. Well, one evening, rainy evening of course, you come across a little fluffy puppy abandoned just next to the garbage can in front of your house. You don’t necessarily like dogs, but this one seems different and so alone, maybe even a little sick, that you feel pity (you think) for him and take him in…just for the night. And then you keep him another night, and another one till he officially becomes your pet – you can’t deny it anymore. You walk him every day at fixed hours and, although you forgot all about your weight problem being too busy petting the little pet, you amazingly reached undreamed results in that particular problem. Surprised?

You shouldn’t be, it’s known (by some at least) that regular daily 10 – 15 minutes walks are the best diet of all. Try them on your own and you might get bored and give up. But with a dog, the walks are a must, they have to be done, you can’t miss any of them.

So, the little innocent dog not only made you a better person since you let him into your house (and heart), but also solved the problem you had that all your determination and lost money on diet products couldn’t solve.

If I wasn’t convincing enough, just try it. Get a dog. And miraculously you will be a different person.