Pet Health Diary – Monthly Check-Up

First of every month marks my monthly pet check-up. Why the first you might ask? Well, it is easy for me to remember. I do my monthly invoices on the first, I pay my credit card bill, the month changes and it is one of those tasks I always do on the first of each month.

All pet owners know that even a low maintenance pets need some care. When it comes to cats and dog they need much more attention than a fish or a turtle for example. There is quite a lot of things which need monitoring and checking up on, on a regular basis.

I have a list (kept safe in my head) which I run through during my monthly pet check-up.

Body mass

This is related mainly to Lilly. She has a weight problem, so my monthly check-up on how she is doing is a must. There is a great body condition tool on the Purina website, which can be a tremendous help for any dog owner.

Skin, coat and nails

This one is especially important for Bunk. He gets hot spots and despite petting him daily sometimes they get missed. A full body check-over of the skin is a necessity for me. This also applies to our cats. They aren’t happy with the check-ups but I simply need to know if they are all ok.
As for nails – I don’t trim nails myself but I monitor them monthly and take the dogs to the groomer or vet if needed.
This is also the best time for some preventing treatments. I treat all my pets with Frontline in order to keep them tick and flea free. The treatment is easy and as long as you have the correct product from your vet, you can easily do it at home. You can read more about fleas and ticks here.

Ears

The first of the month is also the time when my dogs get their ears cleaned. No matter if they are dirty (they shouldn’t be) or not, they get cleaned. Keeping your dogs ears clean is very important as an untreated infection can lead to a hearing loss 😦

Eyes

I buy an eye cleaner for my dogs. In most cases it is used if / when needed. Bunk is a very messy pup and from time to time things get into his eyes, things like his dinner for example. Then he rubs his eyes with his paw, making the irritation even worst. A few drops of eye cleaner and a cotton wool pad and done, shiny healthy eyes.

Mouth

Smelly breath isn’t nice. We have a no kisses policy anyway as standard behaviour in the house but as bad breath can suggest something more serious is going on with your pets health I like to check if their breath is still acceptable. At the same time I have an opportunity to check their teeth and gums; this is how I know that Lilly needs a trip to the vet dentist for some fang cleaning.

This is our standard monthly routine. Every three months I am adding some worming tablets to the mix just to keep things on the safe side.

Do you perform any health check-ups on your pets?

Pet Box Subscription – Purrfectbox and Pawsomebox – Review & Giveaway

Lately box subscriptions have become a very popular phenomena, you can get almost everything this way: food, make-up, cosmetics, even clothing… so why should pet goodies be left behind?… well… they aren’t, not anymore!

Purrfectbox and Pawsomebox offer a box subscription for your cat or dog respectively. Every month you get a lovely box delivered to your door packed with goodies suitable for your beloved pet. The boxes aren’t totally personalized but they do take into consideration the breed and size of your pet.

Cost?

Well that depends…

If you want to order just one box or don’t like making long term commitments, each box will cost you £19.90 but if you were to subscribe for a year, the price drops 20% making each box only £15.90 (this price includes delivery charges).

So what’s inside the box?

This month our Pawsomebox contained:

• A Basketball rawhide chew, which can double up briefly as a toy
• A Nobbly Wobbly Ball
• Some Mutt & Jeff Crunchy Chicken Bites from Hollings
• A delightful Hot Dog Squeaky toy
• A collar LED light from Pet Gear
• Some bacon strips from Trixie

And…This month our Purrfectbox contained:

• Sanicat Clean wipes
• Cat toys
• Food selection from Scheshir
• Scratching post from Wasabycat
• Kitty treats from Zolux

Is it worth it?

Looking at the prices yes, both boxes offer good value for money and savings comparing to the cost of the separate purchase of each item included in the box.

But this isn’t just about prizes and savings. For me these boxes are treats for my little guys. We all treat our pets (at least I hope so) and sometimes it is nice for someone else to make a treat choice for you. It is not because I am lazy and don’t want to go to the pet store, it is simply due to the fact that I personally can learn something, I can discover new brands I’ve never heard of or some product I would otherwise never came across.

Looking at the content of two boxes I shared with you above, we will use most of the items included. The food and treats will get eaten for sure, as for the toys… we have banned all squeeze toys that squeak from the house, so there is no way my guys are getting their paws on this Hot Dog! But as we have a lot of friends with dogs, I am sure one of them will get on our “black list” soon enough and we will have the perfect gift for them next time we see each other – an annoying squeaky toy 😉 (ooh I feel like an evil villain plotting my sweet revenge).

My favourite item from our January cat box is: The bathing Mitt from Sonicat, simply because I’ve never heard of this product and I am really keen on trying it out. As for our doggie box it will be without doubt the Collar Flash Light. We have a few similar lights like this already but they are getting lost from time to time so having a spare one will defiantly come in very handy.

Do you like the idea of pet subscription boxes?

I hope you do because if so, you will have a chance to win 1 of 5 boxes for dogs or cats depending on your choice.

All you have to do is follow me, Purrfectbox and / or Pawsomebox on Twitter, RT the giveaway tweet and tweet us with a hashtag #purrBT if you want to win a a kitty box or #pawBT for a doggie one. If you own both, cats and dogs, and you can use both boxes, you can use both hashtags in your reply.

#Win a #pet goodie box! FLW me @pawsomeboxUK @purrfectboxUK RT and use hashtag #purrBT or #pawBT Full T&C http://wp.me/p3l2gI-1wd

#Win a #pet goodie box! FLW me @pawsomeboxUK @purrfectboxUK RT and use hashtag #purrBT or #pawBT Full T&C http://t.co/dIJ5FYwdga

— Agata @ BarkTime (@AgataPokutycka) January 29, 2015

Good Luck!

T&C:
1. Open to UK readers only.
2. One obligatory entry per reader – follow me Purrfectbox and/ or Pawsomebox on Twitter RT the tweet as stated above and tweet us with a hashtag #purrBT for a cat box or #pawBT for a dog box.
3. There will be 5 winners in total.
4. Each winner will receive one pet goodies box for either a cat or dog. The prize will be provided by Purrfectbox or Pawsomebox.
5. Winners will be picked at random and informed within 2 working days via Twitter.
6. Winners will have 7 working days to claim the prize, after this time, a new winner will be selected.
7. Closing date is Friday 6/02/2015 at 23:59pm, any entry made after this time will not be counted.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
Loquax – Home of The Lucky Duck
SuperLucky Blog Giveaways Linky

***

7/02/2015 WINNERS UPDATE

Well done to:

@felixisfriend
@marjoleine72
@bobbylolly570
@cripaltron
@ChanetteKennedy

Why all pet owners should use PetsPyjamas?

Ok, I know what you are thinking now… “Why on earth would I need pet pyjamas?”… You wouldn’t but you might need PetsPyjamas – the website where smart pet lovers go 🙂

PetsPyjamas is the number one lifestyle website for smart pet owners – putting you and your pet at the forefront of everything we do, from providing the very best products and services to arranging your next pet friendly holiday.

There are a lot of aspects to the PetsPyjamas website. It is not just your average online pet shop. You can find in there all sorts of information that you may need relating to your pet, including pet-friendly travel, pet services and a lot of well written articles covering all sort of pet related topics like travel, wellbeing or current trends.

To make PetsPyjamas even more attractive they run a PetPoints scheme. For every purchase you make you are rewarded with points which you can then swop for goodies. I know that a lot of shops run reward schemes like this but here you can actually get something useful without the need for collection your point for ages and ages. You will get 10 PetPoints (more or less) for every £1 spent and the rewards can be redeemed starting for as little as 500 points, which means that your £50 purchase could already yield a free gift…

Actually you get 400 points as a joining bonus so… you do the math 😉

The PetPoints scheme is one thing which makes me want to shop on PetsPyjamas but there is something else which in my humble opinion beats it – shopping by breed. Bunk is giant (as a generic breed only… as an individual dog he is actually on the skinny side), which makes shopping for him rather difficult. So many times I have spotted something I would love to buy for him, only to find out that this particular item is not available in his size. PetsPyjamas gives you an option to shop by breed – for both cats and dogs – which will bring in your search results only items suitable for your selected breed.

No more getting excited about that nice new collar, which is only available for “cat” sized dogs.

But this isn’t all the things I like about the website. I also like all the additional bonus information which you can find on the PetsPyjamas site, especially all the Pet Services. Currently they have a selection of both pet friendly services and pet friendly places covering:

Every vendor on the website is described in detail and has a review page, so you know exactly what to expect. This really makes life easier, doesn’t it? No more hours of internet searching and checking forums for feedback on that new sitter or groomer you found… now all you need to do is open PetsPyjamas and pick your location.

Have you ever used PetPyjamas?

Did you know that they offered so much more than just an online pet shop?

* Post written in collaboration with PetsPyjamas

How to keep your pets healthy and avoid the vets

When you decide that it’s time to introduce a pet into your family’s life it’s easy to get caught up in discovering all the cute little things they do. One aspect that many people overlook is the potential expense that an unexpected trip to the vets can cost. With vets’ fees rising sharply, the average single pet insurance claim now costs more than £600.*

Luckily, here in the UK we have the NHS to rely on if we fall ill or have an accident but our furry, scaly and feathered friends are not so lucky and when they need medical attention veterinary treatment can be very expensive. Accidents can happen to anyone, at anytime and having More Than pet insurance will give you peace of mind that those costly unexpected bills are taken care of.

Nobody likes seeing their pets unwell, so making sure that yours stays as healthy as possible is one very easy way to avoid going to the vet.

Here are 3 simple tips to keep your pet in tip top condition.

Road Sense

Collisions with cars can cause horrible injuries to animals and a simple way to prevent them is to always keep your dog on a lead when you go onto the street or near a road. Cats are creatures of habit so only let yours out into your back garden rather than letting them out of the front door towards the traffic.

Home Check Ups

As the temperature drops at this time of year, take the time to make a regular check of your pet’s paws and pads. Winter grit and salt are two of the biggest culprits for small cuts and grazes which can easily become infected. Both cats and dogs will always try to clean their own wounds but sometimes they will only irritate them further and can result in an upsetting appointment with the vet.

A Healthy Diet

Providing your pet with a healthy balanced diet is essential for them to get all the nutrients that they need and it is the very least that any responsible owner should do. It’s nigh on impossible to monitor everything that they eat when they’re off their leads in a park or put out for the night but while they’re under your control make sure that they’re eating the right amount of wholesome food. Another way to ensure your pet is having a well balanced diet is by making the food yourself rather than buying it from stores.

Do you have any tips on how to keep your pet healthy?

*Post brought to you by More Than.

Easy ways of pampering your pets

Certainly, twenty years ago our furry friends were less spoiled than today. Programmes like “World’s Most Pampered Pets” have showed us how much money pet owners are willing to pay for the comfort and welfare of their ‘new kids’.

To put this in context, we have found this infographic based on a survey carried out by Multiyork that shows us some facts and figures of the luxuries of our pets throughout the country.

Courtesy of Multiyork

Britain is well-known for its long love affair with animals; from royalty to families with benefits, pets are considered part of the English family, 13 million of households are home of pets, and charities like the RSPCA and RSPB are at the top of Britain’s charities ranked by donations.

Nevertheless, is a fact that families are becoming smaller, busy young couples prefer pets than kids nowadays and relaxing at home next to your ‘best friend’ is the best therapy after a long day at work without breaking the bank.

Here are three easy ways of improving your pets’ quality of life and have a nice time together without disrupting your lifestyle.

A proper walk

Is not just about having a nice stroll in the park, a walk is also a great opportunity to practice obedience skills with your dog. For example when you bump into another dog, try to practise social skills and reward your dog for a good behaviour.

Also, bear in mind there is a ‘proper’ way to walk your dog; make your dog walk either beside you or behind you, never in front of you. You are the one walking the dog no the other way around.

Regarding how long a walk should be, it depends on how young your dog is and also how often you walk him, but in general half an hour per day is a good amount for both the dog and your own health benefits.

Quality time

We’re busier now more than ever, or it certainly feels that way. We’re working longer hours, and as a result of that, we’re tending to have much more active social lives. It’s easy to forget amidst our working hard and playing hard that we have a furry friend at home, patiently waiting to catch a glimpse of us between engagements.

Even if your pet isn’t tremendously touchy feely, you might have noticed that they tend to gravitate to wherever you are in the house, even if they don’t come thundering up to you, demanding attention.

Pets, for the most part, like being around humans, even if it’s just hearing their voices, or seeing their faces. While you’re out, why not give them the next best thing and leave the TV or radio on for them? One small appliance shouldn’t bump up your electricity bill, and it might make the silence a little less deafening in your absence.

Rewards and treats

You will no doubt already know that treats and rewards are key in the formative stages of your pet’s life. To briefly delve into Psychology, the theory behind treats is to form an association between behaviours and outcomes.

Continuing to provide treats after your young cat or dog successfully performs an act that you deem to be desirable, eventually results in that action being desirable to them too because they associate carrying out that action with a positive reward.

Now, once the training is complete, and your pets are doing what you want them to, or not doing what you don’t want them to do, we tend to become lax in dishing out rewards beyond the training stages.

This is not to say that you should be rewarding your pets every single time they do something good, but the odd treat here and there reinforces their training, ensuring that they don’t fall back into old habits or start to feel neglected.

*Post brought to you by Multiyork.

Cat Dreams – Felix Crunchy Crumbles Machine

Have you ever stopped and wondered what your cats actually dream about? What on earth goes on in their minds….It might be a new soft bed to sleep in, a feline companion, a field with unlimited supply of mice or maybe something much more elaborate, something just like the Crunchy Crumbles Machine, a very complicated and rather clever contraption that has the dream job of serving new Felix Sensational cat food all day long!

I know my cats would love it, though not sure they would actually wait until the final presentation once the packet was open, more likely scenario is you watch them hunt the bowl down.

They both have access to dry kibbles all day long but once a day, in the evening, they share one sachet of wet cat food. The dogs are fed in the evening, so I always felt a bit guilty that we didn’t have anything special for the cats during “dinner” time. They used to stare at us with their big eyes and wait, when nothing was coming for them, they would walk away with an air tinged both with disapproval and disappointment. So finally picking up on the signals, meaning we caved to the emotional torture, we started to feed them wet food just as a treat.

It is quite amazing watching them just before their food is served. They walk around the kitchen and meow very loudly, they never meowed before we started feeding them the sachets – I guess in cat language it would be something like “Hurry up already”. I know that they aren’t hungry, or at least they shouldn’t be, as they can simply walk upstairs and munch on some kibbles whenever they want.

This is a very special time of the day for my cats. They can be happily running or hiding somewhere outside but as soon as I start making a rattle and preparing the dog food, the cats know that they are next, and who knows maybe today is the day they are first! So they will run to the kitchen and wait… not very quietly I must admit, nope, not anymore.

Cats are cleaver and cunning. I wonder, if they actually did have a Crunchy Crumbles Machine in their possession, would they wait for food to arrive or would they find a short-cut in?

* Post written in collaboration with Purina FELIX.

Who / What Am I? 29/08

Good Evening,

If you are reading this, it means that the following are true:

1. The WordPress scheduler works

2. I am still stuck somewhere in Europe on my way home… let’s hope it is in Germany.

Lots and lots of correct answer to last week picture! You are right, it was a cat and to be precise it was a kitten 🙂

Have a look at him.

Did you know that on average, cats spend 2/3rds of every day sleeping? That means a nine-year-old cat has been awake for only three years of its life.*

I knew that they sleep a lot but I didn’t really know that they sleep that long! There must be a reason for it. I will have to research it a bit further.

This week I have for you something black, just to nicely balance the white shot we had last week.

Who / What Am I?

Have a fantastic Friday guys and enjoy your weekend!

Once we get to Poland we will sleep, sleep and then probably sleep some more… just to make up for the 18h car drive 😉

Will post something when we eventually come too… and have a coffee…

All you need to know about Ticks and Fleas

Ticks and fleas are a big problem for our four legged friends. So often I hear “Oh but my dog doesn’t have fleas, so no, I don’t use anything”. That’s just pure silly. The fact that a pet is flea or tick free today doesn’t mean it will be like this tomorrow. And believe me it is much easier to prevent the infestation than later trying to cure it.

I found a brilliant table on Cesar’s Way website, which shows the main differences between ticks and fleas – have a look.

Ticks crawl onto tall grass and shrubs and wait for a host to walk by. They can wait for a year without feeding. Dogs are most likely to pick up ticks while walking in the woods or high grass from spring through fall. Outdoor cats can pick up ticks the same way. Ticks are more common in warm climates. Ticks are much more dangerous for us and our pets. You can feel ticks while petting your cat or dog, and you can see them. They most often attach near the head, neck, ears, or paws. On cats, they’re typically found around the ears and eyes. Ticks can carry dangerous diseases, and it doesn’t take long for a pet to pick up the disease while a tick is feeding. If you find a tick on your pet, try to remove it as soon as possible. There is a lot of “magical” ways to remove ticks, but skip gasoline, nail polish, petroleum jelly, alcohol, or a hot match. These methods can force infected fluids back into the bite. Instead:

• Use gloves or tissue to cover your hands.
• Grasp the tick with tweezers from the side, by its head, close to the skin.
• Pull straight up. Don’t twist.
• Don’t squeeze (or pop!) the bloated belly.

Wash the bite area and your hands. Mouth parts that remain rarely cause serious problems. But if you’re worried, call your vet.

Ticks can transmit many potentially deadly diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis; they cause similar symptoms in dogs, which include:

• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Joint swelling or pain

These diseases can have serious complications, so prompt treatment is essential. Tick-borne diseases are uncommon in cats, but they can get a tick infection called cytauxzoonosis, which is often fatal – so do your best to keep pests off your cat and out of your home.

In addition to spreading diseases, ticks can cause other health problems in dogs, including: anemia, skin irritation or infection or tick paralysis.

Fleas are much more common problem. Fleas rarely jump from one pet to another, as is often thought. Instead cats and dogs pick them up from infested environments. This could be your garden, the local park, a friend’s house – any place where an animal that has fleas, such as a rabbit, hedgehog, fox or another cat or dog, may be found.

Most people think of fleas as a nuisance but they are much more than this. In addition to creating itchy spots they can carry diseases; the most popular being tapeworms. The worst part is that this doesn’t stop at pets; they can be transmitted into humans too.

The most obvious sign of fleas is scratching or when it comes to some cats over grooming. Fleas can jump and once in your home, you might need to treat more than just your pet 😦

So, how to protect ourselves and our pets?

The answer is simple: use a good quality preventive product to avoid the tick and fleas in the first place.

We use Frontline Spot On; it kills fleas and ticks and controls biting lice on both cats and dogs. Frontline Spot On is Fast Acting: kills fleas within 24 hours and ticks within 48 hours; it is long lasting: kills fleas for up to 5 weeks in cats and up to 2 months in dogs as well as kills ticks for up to months in both cats and dogs; it is water resistant, which means that your pet can swim or be bathed as usual from 48 hours after application.

Thing to remember: there is a lot of different products on the market but please whatever you choose always consult with your vet before picking any tick or flea treatment. Never use your dog treatment on your cat as this can be fatal. Never think your pet is safe from ticks or fleas because it simply isn’t true.

Be a responsible pet owner and protect your furry babies!

* Source:
http://uk.frontline.com/Pages/default.aspx
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/flea3.htm
http://www.cesarsway.com/flea-and-tick-awareness/The-Differences-Between-Fleas-and-Ticks
http://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-flea-and-tick-overview
http://www.purina.co.uk/content/your-cat/helping-to-keep-your-cat-healthy/regular-cat-care/cat-fleas-and-ticks
http://amicus-wet.pl/static/upload/Content/MVOL_Ticks_and_Fleas_DRUK__2__tcm115-221437.pdf
http://piesikot.waw.pl/porady-lekarza-weterynarii/zdrowie-psa-porady-lekarza-weterynarii/72-pchy-i-kleszcze

A guide to safe driving with your cat or dog

By Lionel Thain

Even if you don’t make regular car journeys with your pet, you never know when you might need to transport them somewhere. Meanwhile, if you do drive with your pet in the back (or front!) seat regularly, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible. Follow these tips to keep your cat or dog happy on the road.

Make them comfortable

If you’re planning a long journey get them used to being in a car by taking them on shorter trips beforehand. Bring along their favourite toy or blanket to help them feel more at home in unusual surroundings.

Restrain your pet

In most cases it’s important to restrain your pet for the safety of everyone travelling in the car. Their movements can prove a distraction to the driver. Small dogs and cats should be in a suitable container, while larger dogs can wear specially designed dog seatbelts. While some owners will feel comfortable letting their dogs travel loosely in the car, it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re planning on travelling abroad that in some European countries this is actually illegal.

As with the previous tip, make sure they’re accustomed to their container or restraint before setting off for your journey.

Have your vet on speed dial

Add your vet’s phone number to your mobile in case you need to contact them in an emergency. If you’re travelling a long distance find out beforehand where the nearest vet will be.

Make sure your pet is healthy

To avoid causing undue distress, you shouldn’t travel with an ill or injured pet (unless the illness or injury is minor, or you are taking them to the vet for treatment). Heavily pregnant pets that are likely to give birth during the journey or those that have given birth in the past 48 should also be spared the demands of a car journey.

Feed and water them

Feed your pet a light meal a couple of hours before the journey – it won’t want to travel on a full, heavy stomach. You should ensure that your pet has continual access to water. Bring food or snacks with you if your journey is a long one – just remember to keep meals light.

Keep them cool

The vehicle, and any container your pet might be in, must be kept well ventilated to stop your pet from becoming overheated. Long haired dogs, those with breathing problem and snub-nosed dogs are all at higher risk of heatstroke.

If you suspect your dog is suffering from overheating – their panting will become heavier and faster, they will become visibly agitated, and they will produce more saliva than normal – you must act immediately to allow them to recover quickly. Take it to a shaded area, give it plenty of water to drink, and cool it by spraying it with cold water.

It’s never a good idea to leave your pets unattended in a car, but under no circumstances should you ever leave one in a car in high temperatures or direct sunlight. Even a few minutes in temperatures above 25C / 77F can present a health risk.

Take breaks

If at all possible you should take breaks. Dogs can be taken for short walks, while cats will enjoy the opportunity to move around the car freely even if they can’t be let out. Use this time to give your pet some much needed comfort and attention.

***

Written by Lionel Thain of online competition site MyOffers. Visit them at MyOffers.co.uk for a chance to win petrol, insurance and even cars.

*Post in collaboration with MyOffers.

Cat Dilemma

Go out?

… or stay in?