Protect Your Family And Pets Against Shared THREATS

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On one hand, there are many ways having a pet can contribute to your health. Pets offer emotional support, help people exercise and assist the disabled.

On the other hand, pets (and other animals) can also spread diseases to people. Called zoonotic diseases or zoonoses, they can be especially dangerous for young children and people with certain medical conditions.

There are two main types. One, such as leptospirosis (a bacterial infection), can be transmitted from animals to people. The other type infects both people and pets. Lyme disease, for example, can cause arthritis and is spread by ticks.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep your family and pets healthy. According to veterinarians, you should:

• Get a wellness exam for your pet every six months. Remember, pets age seven times faster, on average, than people and need regular checkups.

• Make sure your pet is protected against disease whenever possible. Many zoonotic diseases, including leptospirosis, Lyme disease, rabies and giardia (a parasitic infection), can be prevented by vaccination.

• Ask your veterinarian about flea and tick control.

• Wash your hands often when touching, playing with or caring for pets.

• Never handle the stool of any animal without wearing disposable gloves or using a plastic barrier.

• Avoid kissing your pet or letting him lick your face.

• Do daily "tick checks" on yourself, your kids and your pet. If you find a tick, use tweezers to slowly pull it out. After removing the tick, immerse it in rubbing alcohol. Wash the tick bite wound and your hands with soap and water.

• If you're pregnant, have someone else clean the cat's litter box. If you must do it yourself, wear gloves and immediately wash your hands after changing the litter.

• Wash your hands after gardening or working in soil where pets may have relieved themselves.

• If you are scratched or bitten, wash the area with soap and water right away and administer first aid. If you are concerned, contact your health care professional.

• Not let your pet drink from standing water outdoors.

• Remove food, garbage or nesting material that may attract disease-carrying wildlife.

To help protect pets and the people they come in contact with, thousands of U.S. veterinary clinics are participating in National Pet Wellness Month, a veterinary clinic-centered educational campaign sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Veterinary clinics offer pet wellness exams and consult with pet owners about disease prevention and other ways to help their pets live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Your veterinarian will know the predominant disease threats in your area and can develop a plan to provide disease protection for you and your pet.

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Motorcycle PET CARRIER Dangers and How to Avoid Them

Dog in a soft crate
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pet travel is a great way to enjoy the open road on your motorcycle with your four-legged friend. But traveling with pets should never be without precaution. Certain motorcycle pet carriers can pose a threat to your pet's life and your own. Let's explore several potential dangers of motorcycle dog carriers or cat carriers and how you can avoid them.

Pet Squirming, Falling and Jumping while Traveling

Most pets - dogs and cats alike - are prone to squirm, jump, and pace while traveling. They don't realize the potential dangers of moving around and often try daring feats without warning. It's up to you as a pet owner to ensure your pet's safety at all times.

Motorcycle pet carriers that are held against your body with secure straps, such as pet travel chest pouches, will usually give and move as your pet moves. Unfortunately, when the pet begins to squirm, this can be a distraction to you as a driver or to your passenger if the pet is being held by someone in the motorcycle's passenger seat. A chest pouch can also become an annoyance in itself. It can become uncomfortable and very hot after a while, leaving both you and your pet feeling trapped and exhausted.

Another pet carrier that poses threats is the pet carrier bag that attaches to your motorcycle and secures your pet on a leash in front of the driver (between the knees) and allows the pet to stand while riding. This is a popular method for those who want to "show off" their pet while riding slowly in a parade or motorcycle rally, but it's not a safe choice for fast speeds on the open highway. The dog can easily lose his footing and slip off the motorcycle. This could hang him before you can reach out to save him. It can also distract you while driving when the dog moves around. This endangers you, your pet, your passenger, and others driving on the same highway.

With either of these types of motorcycle pet carriers, your pet will likely get hurt badly or killed if a serious accident occurs.

Other Dangers when Accidents Occur

Sturdy pet crates are the safest products to use for pet travel on motorcycles. But keep in mind, that the pet crate is only as good as its protective covering and mounting security. Pet crates that are not built solid will not endure a strong impact on the pavement. If the pet crate gives, your pet may not survive. Also, if the pet crate cannot be mounted securely on your motorcycle, find one that will!

Pet crates and other pet carriers can also pose a threat to your pet's health if they contain dangerous protruding objects or screws on the interior, an insecure cage door, or improper ventilation.

Avoid Potential Dangers of Pet Travel

You can avoid these potential dangers by choosing a motorcycle pet carrier that is durable and has all the safety features needed for a comfortable, secure ride. Your pet should have plenty of room to move around within the pet crate, and plenty of ventilation for fresh air. The pet carrier should be mounted with secure bolting, and it should be made of hard plastic that can withstand direct hits on a pavement.

If you enjoy other methods of transportation such as scooters or bikes, find a pet carrier that can be used for any method of travel. There are scooter dog carriers and bicycle pet carriers available that will also attach to motorcycles. You can go online to compare pet carriers and find a high-quality one that will meet your needs.

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The Advantages Of The MICROCHIP For Your Pets

Every pet owner wants to keep his or her beloved cat or dog as safe as possible. You do everything you can do make sure your pet is well cared for and healthy. If you have an indoor pet, you may not think that keeping identification tags is important, but it is. What if your fuzzy feline accidentally slips out of the door at night and you search to no avail? What do you do, especially if your dog or cat has no identification? Placing a collar with an identification tag is important, but collars sometimes become lost.  When you consider the fact that many animal shelters only keep dogs and cats for seven days, you want to make sure that your pet is properly identified. That is where the microchip comes in handy. The microchip is the newest way to identify lost pets and helps ensure that your lost pooch or feline finds his or her way back home.

Microchip Scanner (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The technology of the microchip has become so popular that most animal clinics and animal shelters have the ability to scan a cat or dog for microchip identification. If you opt for the microchip, you should know that it is a painless procedure for your pet. Your vet will insert a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice directly under your pet’s skin using a hypodermic needle. The microchip is usually placed behind the neck. The microchip contains special digital number that has been entered on a national microchip database. That information will give the person your contact information. When you pet is lost, a veterinarian or animal shelter can use a special scanner to retrieve the microchip information. It is that easy.

Pet owners love the idea of the microchip because it is permanent. You cannot remove the microchip and unlike a collar or tags, it cannot be lost or destroyed. This is one of the best features of pet microchip, especially for cats. If you place a collar on a cat, more than likely it will be a breakaway collar. If your cat climbs a tree, or is caught on something, the collar breaks off. If your cat does not have a microchip, it will be very difficult to identify your cat if it is found.

There are a few important things to remember about pet microchips. First, if your pet gets lost, you should never just sit back and wait for a call, even if your pet has a microchip. Not all veterinarians and shelters are equipped with this technology. You need to take the time to call around and place “lost pet” flyers around your neighborhood. In addition, you need to make sure you take the time to update your contact information should you move. It does little to no good to have your pet implanted with the microchip if the information on the national database is incorrect. Your veterinarian can give you information on how to update this information.

It is important to get your pet implanted with the microchip at a young age. Puppies can have the microchip at age six weeks. Even small breeds of dogs can handle this procedure. Kittens can also undergo this procedure at six weeks. The insertion of the microchip is not painful and feels like a regular vaccination shot. You can have your pet implanted with the microchip at your veterinarian office and can expect to pay between $30 and $50 for this service.