CATMARIO4

Treating Kidney Disease in Cats

As a cat ages, it is more susceptible to kidney disease. Chronic renal failure (CRF) is more common in cats over 15 years old. Since the disease is life threatening, early detection can stabilize the condition and provide for a good quality of life.

If the animal is experiencing weight loss, excessive thirst and urination, loss of appetite, vomiting, difficulty in urinating or a dull coat, the disease could be a cause of the problem. Other diseases such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes causing similar symptoms can mask this condition. A veterinarian can determine if it is present. If left untreated, the kidneys will completely shut down leading to death.

Once CRF is diagnosed, there is no cure but life can be extended with proper treatment. It is diagnosed by a blood panel measuring levels of critical components. A low phosphorus diet can help prevent or retard it. The diet should also consist of low protein content, low sodium content and high potassium content. The diet should not restrict essential nutrients to maintain the animal’s health.

The low phosphorus content decreases kidney calcification called nephrocalcinosis. It is the deposit of calcium salts in the kidneys. When functioning nephrons drop below 25%, kidney failure occurs. Toxins build up in the blood and the kidneys are not able to filter the blood to eliminate the toxins. The kidneys besides eliminating waste in the blood, regulate the body’s acidity, electrolyte levels, water balance, hormone production and vitamin D.

CRF can be treated by adding additional fluids to food or under the skin (SQ fluids), diet, medications (Epogen shots or oral medication) and appetite stimulants. Appetite stimulants are important because a poor appetite is a result of the disease. Adding tuna juice or liquid from canned food can help the feeding process. In some cases, force feeding with a syringe may be the only alternative. For these options to work, dehydration must not be present. This is also beneficial to an older healthy cat because it could prevent the disease. Hemodialysis and kidney transplants are rare and expensive.

The condition can cause an emotional experience for an owner. The pet will have it’s good days and bad days. An owner must try to relax and not stress out. The pet will sense the owner’s stress and this can have an effect on it’s health. Like any serious condition, the life expectancy is unknown. Caring for and enjoying the cat is the best way to cope with the problem.

There are many foods on the market that are tailored to be used for CRF. Royal Canin and Wellness Core are two brands that offer a low phosphor food. Consult a veterinarian to determine what is best treatment.…

At What Age is a Dog Considered a Senior Dog?

Many dogs would be considered senior, reaching the last 25% of their expected lifespan, although there is no set age to determine when your dog is officially a senior. Smaller breeds tend to live longer than larger breeds. Genetics, diet, and overall care can also play a part in how your dog ages. Additionally, one of the main factors in determining your dog’s senior status would be his behavior.

Importance of Senior Dog Supplements: How to Manage Health Concerns

As with people, older dogs may have different needs and considerations than their younger counterparts. Supplements can help support your dog’s health as it ages. These supplements include:

• Mobility and joint health
• Gastrointestinal health
• Radical damage is free
• Questions about skin and coat
• Organ health
• Cognitive health

1. Mobility and joint health

Supplements such as chondroitin, green-lipped mussel, and glucosamine can help to support the structure and function of joints for dogs as they age. This helps maintain healthy cartilage and connective tissues and relieves occasional stiffness and pain from daily activities.

2. Gastrointestinal health

Dogs with aging can have sensitive stomachs. As a result, they may experience gas, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. Probiotics can be used daily or during stressful situations (such as separation anxiety) to maintain healthy gut bacteria. This will help support good digestion and good bowel health.

3. Radical damage

Antioxidant supplements can reduce the harmful effects of free radicals and their buildup. Free radicals are unintended reactive molecules that can directly harm the body’s cells and tissues. They are caused by environmental stressors like poor diet, aging, and other factors. They can be neutralized by antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E as well as minerals like magnesium and zinc.

4. Skin and coat

Omega-3 fatty acids supplements can help with skin health, dry skin, and skin allergies in aging dogs.

5. Organ health

Aging dogs may need assistance in maintaining organ health. Supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids and/or vitamins D and E can support their brain, liver, eye, kidney, and heart function.

Additional care recommendation for older dogs

Senior dog care doesn’t have to be difficult, so many veterinarians recommend you consider giving your dog a daily supplement such as a Balanced Breed all-in-one vitamin. Giving your dog supplements can improve their quality of life. Balanced Breed is an all-natural vitamin that helps senior dogs with immunity, joints, skin, heart health, and more. With great reviews by many pet parents, Balanced Breed’s all-in-one vitamin is an affordable, healthy choice that will leave your dog feeling his best, even throughout his senior years.

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Free Kitten Stuff For The Furriest Member Of The Family

We love our cats, and they are often thought of as another member of the family. They often have their own special place to sleep, have their own toys, celebrate their birthdays like other family members, receive holiday gifts and get into mischief like the other children.

Not only do they add to the enjoyment of the family, but they can also add to the expenses of the family. Kittens need to visit the vet, need special kitten food to help them grow strong, require travel equipment and many kittens needs something to play with to keep them occupied and out of trouble.

All of these things can be a financial burden, but one that many people will put up with in order to have their kitten around and taken care of. So why not utilize ways to limit and lower the expenses of your kitten? A quick search online can lead to you an enormous amount of free kitten stuff for the furriest member of the family. You may be surprised at the options that you are presented with to win or try for your kitten.

Often people think of free kitten stuff when they consider the cost of food that they purchase for their animal. It can be expensive to feed kittens since they need more nutrients and all of the special vitamins that they need to grow into a healthy adult cat.

Not only do kittens need special food to help them grow but they often need shots and medicine from the vet to keep them safe from flees and other insects and diseases that they can get. Just like human medicine, animal medicine can become quite expensive and these meds are often monthly. Searching online you may be able to find free kitten stuff that can help you fight off flees and bugs that love to live in and on cats.

You also hope that at some point your cat will be litter trained to do their business on the specified box of kitty litter. In order to train your cat to go on the kitty litter you have to first purchase the litter and the box and the tools to clean up the litter. The list can become expensive if you had not planned it into your budget. To offset some of the costs many kitten owners look for offers for free kitten stuff online that includes the litter.

Kittens are often adventurous and can use their claws to get into trouble and mischief. In order to provide a distraction and something that they can scratch other than your couch and flooring many cat owners provide their kittens with toys to keep them from scratching and playing with things that they are not suppose to. A quick search online and you can find free kitten stuff that you can offer your kitten as an alternative to playing with your shoe strings.

We love our pets and want to take care of them and provide them with a good life. As a member of the family we want to love them and sometimes we need a little financial help with the family and the family pet. Searching for free stuff can help us give them the love they need and still be able to keep our finances in line.…

Ferret Pictures – Guide to Choosing Your Furry Friend

The first step in adopting a ferret would be to decide which type of ferret you want. The Internet houses a huge collection of ferret pictures along with information about the varieties. Browse through these pictures to find out which variety you like best. Pictures of these cuddly, fuzzy creatures are sure to make you fall in love with them.

The different coat colors in ferrets

A� The most common variety is the Sable, with dark to chocolate brown fur.

A� The most popular choice in ferret pets is the Albino, with snowy white fur, pink nose and red eyes.

A� The third category includes the Dark Eyed White ferrets, called as the DEWs.

A� The fourth variety is the silver ferret with hair color ranging from silver to dark grey.

Patterns on ferret furs

While looking through the ferret pictures you will notice certain markings on their fur making up interesting patterns. Some common types include-

A� Mitt – these are sable ferrets with a bib-like pattern and white fur on the feet.

A� Blaze – a variety of the mitt, with a blaze of white fur extending over the middle of the head from the forehead to the shoulders

A� Siamese – the tails and the legs have darker hair than the rest of the body.

A� Roan – these have a mixture of white and colored guard hairs.

A� Panda – they have white hair all over their head, neck and shoulders, as well as on their tail tips and knees, and have mitts on every foot. They have distinctive colored hair around their eyes and also forming a saddle shape on their backs.

Breeders have mated different varieties of ferrets with each other and come up with new color combinations and fur traits. You will find many pictures of such exotic pets in the internet, like the Angora ferret, which has long hair.

Looking at the pictures of ferrets put up by their owners, you will also get an idea of their friendly personality. They are social animals and love to play. A ferret will surely take away the monotony of everyday life and fill your home with laughter.…

Are you looking for a pet? Do you want a warm companion to keep you company on cold wintery nights? If you answered yes, then you should consider getting a cat. They are the perfect pets and they are pretty easy to care for. You can learn more about caring for them in the following advice.

To keep your cat healthy and strengthen its bond with you, always set aside lots of play time. Kittens especially need lots of attention, which you can easily give to them through play. Pull a piece of string around for a fun and gentle way to keep a cat entertained for hours!

When you move your cat from one house to another, be sure to move the cat last. Set up a quiet room with familiar items for the cat. Keep your cat in the room and quiet for a day or two. Visit and feed the cat in the room. After a couple of days, the cat can explore the rest of the house.

Make your own enclosed litter box from a large tote box with a lid. Use a coffee can lid as a pattern to cut a door in one side of the tote. Place the coffee can lid fairly high up on the side of the tote. Trace around it with a permanent marker. Cut out the circle with tin snips or a box cutter. Add litter. Put on the lid.

Should you leave the house with your cat, make sure that she is wearing a collar with tags. This way, if anything happens and you two become separated, anyone can find her and know how to reach you. Your cat may not like the collar all the time, but when she’s out of the house it can save her.

Cats are great family pets, but small children might be too rough. Make sure your child knows how to pet a cat. Children need to know how to hold a cat and what sorts of play a cat likes. Tell them that a cat’s bones need to be handled more gently than those of a dog.

If you going to be gone for more than a day, you should have someone look in on your cat. Leave out plenty of food, but have someone come to make sure it doesn’t run out. If you do not have a neighbor or family to look in on your cat, you can usually find a cat sitter for a few dollars each day.

Cats enjoy high places. Your cat will be truly happy if you provide a place for him to view his surroundings. You do not need a big cat tree in the living room; simply provide a solid shelf next to a window. For an extra treat, place a blanket or small bed up there too.

You should do regular checkups of your cat between veterinarian visits. A good time to do this is when you are petting the animal. Check the entire body for things like scabs and lesions. Also look in and around the ears for any discharge, which can be a sign of ear mites. Check the cat from head to tail.

Seek the advice of others if you have a cat that’s giving you problems. Other cat owners may have had experience with what you’re going through right now. You can find online cat forums to ask questions, or you can speak with your vet.

Do not wait too long to scoop any waste that has accumulated in a cat litter box. When left dirty for too long, bacteria can grow and it can cause health issues for you and your kitten. It is best to do this every single day so you avoid any issues.

Animal Control

Keep track of your feline friend by having the animal microchipped. This small device is implanted beneath the skin between your cat’s shoulder blades. Microchip implantation may sting for a few seconds, but the implant is otherwise unnoticeable and will not cause your pet any discomfort. This chip makes it easier for animal control to locate your cat if it goes missing.

Now that you know how to care for a cat, you should have no problems getting one. A cat can do wonders for your life. It can provide you with plenty of hours of companionship. Heed the advice given here and you’ll have a friendly companion that will never leave your side.…