Quality of life for humans has grown exponentially in recent years. While many humans still are intent on abusing their bodies with a variety of unhealthy activity choices, many people who take the initiative to take care of themselves are experiencing a longer and better life.

Animals are also reaping the same benefits. Pet health care for a dog by their owners has allowed our canine friends to also enjoy a long and relatively comfortable life. At one time, there was no quality pet health care for a dog.

Dogs lived in the wild, hunted in packs, and only ate when they killed. Food could be scarce for extended periods of time. Furthermore, dogs were at the mercy of the elements. Storms, rain, blizzards all contributed to short life spans for these four legged friends.

Do-it-Yourself?

Unfortunately, when it comes to pet health care for a dog, dogs can not rely on being totally self sufficient. The reasons dogs do not hunt in packs to kill for food lie in the fact that their human owners provide food for them.  So, for a dog to continue to have a full, healthy and extended life expectancy, the human owner must provide the best possible pet health care for a dog that they can offer.

So how does one go about providing the best possible pet health care for a dog that one could offer? There are a few methods. The most obvious are providing the dog with the basic essential needs that the dog requires for a healthy life. The dog must be well fed and fed regularly. Well fed does not mean overfeed. A dog that is overweight may end up with a variety of health problems. A Doberman, for example, is very susceptible to heart attacks when it is overweight.

Pet health care for a dog is only as good as the shelter one provides for the dog. One error many pet owners make is keeping their dog outside in a dog house that does not provide sufficient shelter. This is made even worse when the weather is very cold and the dog must suffer through frigid temperatures.

Also, a dog will inform its owners when it not feeling well. Pay attention to your dogs habits and if the dog is acting strangely, there may be something wrong. This is a red flag to take the dog to the vet to find out the root cause of the strange behavior. Follow those simple steps and you will provide excellent pet health care for a dog.

You will be surprised to know that dental pet health can increase your pet’s life span. You surely remember that from you mom, grand mom, teachers, and last but not least your dentist, all have repeatedly urged you to brush your teeth regularly. They all also told you that by not doing so you can cause damage to your teeth.

The same thing is valid for your pet as well. Dental pet health care is becoming a necessity in order for your pet to lead a happy, healthy and longer life. A study shows that by the age of three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have developed gum disease; in the same study it has been proven that by not practicing regular dental health care your pet will not only loose his/her teeth but also damage his/her liver, heart, kidneys and other organs.

You often must have wondered or exclaimed about your pet’s bad breath; that however, is the first indicator of dental problems. Left unattended they form tartar and plaque in the pet’s mouth affecting first the gums. This leads to periodontal disease that can cause bacteria and toxins which enter the blood stream with potential harmful effects on internal organs.

Finding Proper Care

Dental pet health must be conducted by a veterinarian. Some states (such as California) clearly specify that such practice such only be conducted by qualified personal to protect your pet from injuries. Pet owners should not allow their pet’s teeth be cleaned in a grooming store or pet shop under any circumstances. Not following proper procedures can severely harm your pet.
Veterinarians are trained in animal dentistry and have the right equipment to conduct such dental health care for your pet.

Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth

Ideally your pet’s teeth should be cleaned everyday; just like us humans, they eat daily putting their teeth and dental pet health at risk.

Here are some tips to keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy:

* In the case that you have never brushed your pet’s teeth start by rubbing his/her gums from front to back. Make sure to wrap some gauze around your finger first and then try dipping your finger into beef bouillon for dogs and tuna water for cats; this usually gets them get familiar with the idea of brushing teeth without opposing it.
* The next step is to try the brushing with a soft brush as well as specially made toothpaste (usually meat flavored) both of which you should find in your vet’s office.
* Do not force your pet in brushing, try for as much as possible to make it fun. Remember not to press to hard and cause bleeding.
* Keep the session short as even the shortest of sessions will benefit your pet a great deal.

Make sure to have regular dental check visit to keep a track of the dental pet health care. You will notice a healthier pet that will be around for you enjoying life longer.

Cat pet health care is a general worry that most cat owners share. Having any pet is great, at the same time you must take care of them and some of the hardest areas are health concerns. It is very hard to tell what is wrong with our pet; most of us deduce a change in behavior from their playful self to quiet and withdrawn.

Cats have many health issues just like any other pet. Most of these health problems may never happen during their life span however, some will with every cat at least once.

Common Issues

* Scratching and itching – this is a condition known as neurological dermatitis where the cat will lick, scratch, bite himself/herself for no apparent reason to you. This usually results in a secondary infection, which will cause more itching and scratching. There are drugs and creams to treat the infection and alleviate the itching.
* Cat heartworm disease – This usually appears more frequently in dogs but it is likely that a cat will get it once in her/his lifetime. It is hard to recognize this illness until it becomes chronic and your cat will vomit, have breathing problems, seizure or worse such as blindness and collapse. Some other signs are loss of appetite and lethargy. Drugs are available for this disease which is orally fed to the cat.

Skin Problems

* Matted fur – Matted fur will encourage the breeding of parasites on your cat. Matted fur is very hard to comb, do not cut it of as you may injure the cat. The only treatment is to take it to the vet to sedate and shave of the fur. To prevent matted fur you need to groom your cat regularly.
* Bald patches – Fleas, allergies, eczema, and ringworm cause irritation of the skin causing bald patches. Sometimes stress can be a factor too. Hormone shots will be given by the cat’s vet and even tranquilizers to control the itching.

Regular Care

Cats like any other pet need to be groomed and taken regularly to the vet’s office for check ups. Because they cannot tell us what is wrong with them and we cannot guess right all the time we should not wait until the disease gets in advanced states. The earlier the vet gets the problem the sooner you cat pet health care will be solved.

Cat pet health care is something you keep yourself updated on with books or online. It is suggested not to guess and treat your cat yourself but check it with the vet to make sure your cat receives the best treatment.

Cats bring us a lot of joy and richness so do the right thing for her/him in return by getting the right cat pet health care.

When the average human being eats a terrible diet, that diet will eventually erode their health. What one puts in one’s body determines much in regards to a person’s general health and welfare. Animals are no different.

A Quality Diet

All pets, dogs, cats, and birds, must have a quality diet that will ensure the proper functioning of their organs and provide a balanced diet full of nutrients that will keep them healthy. In years past, there was very little on the market that would be considered pet health food. Today, pet health food is more widely available.

Humans and Animals Alike

What plagues human food is the same thing that plagues pet food. Food that is loaded in processed sugars and saturated fats will wreck havoc on one’s body. Sugars and excess fats will do the same to beloved pets. Pet food should always be of the pet health food variety. It should be nutrient rich and devoid of dead, empty calories that provide no value.

Organic Food

There has been a huge boom in the human world for organic and natural food. Now, there is a movement for natural pet health food that is quite similar. Unfortunately, pets have to rely on their human owners to buy this pet health food for them and sometimes even the most well intentioned pet owners are neglectful.

In The Wild

In the wild, animals ate other animals. While not a pretty image, it is a steady diet of natural, raw meat that is rich in nutrients. Processed animal foods are loaded with all kinds of fillers (including corn and soy!) that are not staples of a dog, cat, and etc diet. These are foods that the animal’s digestive system was not meant to absorb. While it isn’t healthy for the pets, it is health for the bank account of the pet food companies. Since our pets are not hunting for organic meat, it is up to the owners to buy pet health food that has those natural meats that a pet truly needs.
Is It Really That Important?

Questions like that are asked by people looking to dodge responsibility. Of course it is important. If we want to continue the companionship that our dogs, cats, mice even, supply, then we have to treat the animals with the respect they deserve. The best way of showing respect is taking the responsibility to provide our pets with a healthy diet.

The push for all natural alternatives in our synthetically saturated society has finally become a force in the pet health care product industry.  The “organic option” is no longer limited to the pet owner, but has become a viable and more affordable alternative for pets as well. So what are the benefits of using an all natural pet health care product?

Less Chance for Allergic Reactions

Herbal remedies are often less concentrated than manufactured drugs and so in general there is less chance for strong allergic reactions to the medicine.  It is important to consider that it is much harder for a pet to communicate its discomfort or physical symptoms than it is for a human being, so herbal remedies may lessen the suffering of a pet if that medication is not suited for it. 

Pet Drugs Less Reliable

There is also less money spent testing a pet health care product than there would be for a human being.  This means that pet medications are often less reliable than drugs made for people, which means the side-effects are often less documented as well.  Giving your pet an organic solution to a health problem may allow them to avoid some of those adverse effects.

Pet are Frightened of Pills

Most pet owners have experienced the challenge of trying to give an animal something as unnatural as a pill.  In most cases the pet must be held down or forced to consume medication.  It is also harder to mix synthetic medications in with your pet’s food because most animals have a keen sense of smell that alerts them to the “medicinal aroma” of the drug you’re attempting to give them. 

It may be easier to give your pet organic medicine in their food because it is less alarming to an animal than say, breaking up white pill powder into your dog’s food dish. 

Supporting the Organic Foods and Medicine Industry

If you are a person who supports organic farming and takes herbal medication yourself, then it makes sense to purchase your pet health care product from the same people.  Herbal medication companies and organic farmers often do not have the same financial base as large pharmaceutical companies, so by supporting them with your pet health care product needs, you’re ensuring that your own supply of herbal remedies and organic foods will always be readily available.

Our pets deserve the best of the best. It is essential for us to at least provide the basics of pet health care, so that we can keep them well – healthy and fit. When we are talking about pet health care, what comes into our mind are giving our pets healthy food, giving them sufficient exercise, and bringing them to the vet for medical check ups.

Pet health care watch is very important, and if possible you should keep tracks and reports of what they do everyday, what they eat, and their statistics everyday; at least until they reach adulthood. Here are some tips of good pet health care;

Cleanliness and Medical Check-ups

If you’re having a pet that moves about the neighbourhood a lot, check on its teeth regularly. Brush it teeth everyday and deep-clean often. Bring it to get a dental check-up once every 3 months. This may sound more regular than our dentist trip, but the reason is because our pets will roam around and can chew on anything that may stain the teeth. Despite all that, if its teeth turn brown and the gums get inflamed, seek medical advice immediately.

Get appointments for regular blood tests, cardiology evaluation, kidney and liver scanning and many more.

Clean the nails and ears and nostrils often. For pets with sharp nails, de-claw or clip them. This is beneficial for both our household things as well to their health, because bacteria won’t be able to easily get into their body. Clean the ears and dig out the wax. Too much buildup of wax may lead to many complications such bad odor, chronic ear infections and other hearing problems.

Allergens, Toxins and Pests

Avoid foods that are toxic to certain animals and keep away allergens as well. For example, if you have a dog, try not to keep many grapes or raisins, because they can be poisonous if they are eaten in large quantities. Other than that, when talking about allergens, it is advisable not to have any of those allergens at home, or at least avoid your pet getting exposed to them. For example, certain breeds of cats are allergic to dust and mold, and for that you have to clean your house regularly to keep it clean and dust free.