When a cat is allergic to something, common indications will be itchy skin, coughing and/or sneezing, or vomiting or diarrhea in the case of a digestive allergy. Allergies to fleas, foods, things inhaled, or something they have come in contact with are the most likely allergies in cats.

Contact allergies generally result in a fairly localized reaction on the skin. The cat may scratch a lot or there may be an indication of irritation at the place of contact. Most common causes of contact allergies in cats would obviously be items with which they come in close contact such as flea collars, bedding, toys, etc. The simplest cure is to remove the contact.

Flea allergies are very common in cats. A normal cat may simply bite or scratch for a while and then go on to other things, but a cat with a flea allergy may scratch, chew, and worry at the spot until large amounts of fur are lost.

Inhalant types of allergies are probably the most common in cats. Your cat can be allergic to the exact same allergens that you are. Tree pollens, grass pollens, and weed pollens along with the rest of the items we humans fear; mold, mildew, dust mites, and dust itself can all trigger allergic reactions in cats.

There is very little worse for a family then living in a house with a cat that is suffering from a flea infestation. It’s bad enough that your cat is always scratching and clawing at itself, even ripping large hunks of hair and flesh from its body in an attempt to rid itself of the biting insects. But unfortunately there is nothing to prevent the fleas from staying on the cat. If the problem is left untreated, you could quickly find that your entire house is full of fleas, and that you are being bitten nearly as often as your pet house cat.

It is important to stop the fleas before they start to take over your home.

Preventive medicine is the best way to make sure that your pet and house stay flea free. There are several topical medications available on today’s market that are designed to prevent fleas from feasting on your cat. Most of the products are quite successful provided the cat owner follow the directions and use them properly.

Nobody knows exactly what causes cancer in cats and dogs but a number of risk factors have been identified including stress, pollution, colorings and preservatives and an inadequate diet.

These factors and others can damage your pet’s immune system and a compromised immune system damages the body’s natural ability to fight cancerous cells.

Finding out that your pet has cancer is devastating. But before you give way to grief, first get pro-active. You need to find out as much as possible about your pet’s condition so that you can provide him with optimum care.

Find out what type of treatments are available and consider which would be suitable for your pet’s condition. In addition to conventional treatments (which are often effective although extremely harsh) there are a number of alternative treatments which have proved extremely helpful in treating cancer in pets, including acupuncture, aromatherapy and homeopathy.

All may be used on their own, or in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments as supportive therapy. Many holistic vets are increasingly aware of the benefits that natural remedies and complementary therapies can offer in the total treatment program.

Symptoms of UTI infection in pets

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are uncomfortable and extremely painful. They tend to be more common in cats than dogs and can be caused by bacterial infection, bladder stones or urolithiasis (stones in the urinary tract).

UTIs often recur and can lead to more serious kidney infections if left untreated. Symptoms include

* Straining to urinate
* Obvious pain or discomfort when urinating
* Constantly licking their genitals
* Frequent urination without passing much urine
* Urinating in unusual places
* Cloudy or bloody urine
* Fever and loss of condition

What is the conventional treatment?

Conventional treatment of UTIs will depend on the specific cause of the problem. In many cases, antibiotics are prescribed which invariably relieve the animal’s symptoms rather speedily.

However antibiotics tend to have a general weakening effect on the immune system which can cause further problems, especially in the long-term and particularly if they are prescribed regularly for recurrent infections.

What is PetAlive UTI-Free?

UTI-Free is a selected combination of herbal and homeopathic ingredients especially formulated to safely and effectively treat the causes and the symptoms of urinary tract and bladder infections in pets.

Dog skin problems seldom give rise to emergent situations. If you are regular in pet care and look for changes in skin and coat for dog or cat dandruff, canine or feline acnel, skin lumps and lesions there is every reason to believe that you will have enough time at hand to consult your veterinarian about it.

Emergency situations like noisy breathing, panting or gasping for breath, excessive bleeding, a blue tongue, ingesting poison, cessation of urination and labor contractions for a long period without actual delivery of puppies are not associated with skin problems. They are also almost never caused by skin related issues.

But that does not mean that caring for your pet’s skin is not a requirement. On the contrary, the skin and coat of a pet is the best indicator of any underlying menace that may be brewing inside. And given that your dog cannot communicate minor discomfort to you, the skin proves to be the best indicator and an early warning for things to come.

Flea Prevention: Chemicals & Natural Remedies Which Work Best?

What are the best flea medications out there and are there any natural remedies that work? What natural ways can you use to prevent them altogether; before they spread throughout your dog’s environment and your home?

These are very common questions that just about every dog owner asks when trying to keep their pets and homes flea-free.

Fleas are like roaches – they have been around for a very long time. There doesnt seem to be a way to eliminate permanently. Every year, with every new season, the fleas like to come around for a long, annoying stay. And if you live in the tropical areas then they pretty much stay year-round.

So What Can You Do About It?

Your options to counter the flea problem vary. Here are the most common ways to deal with them:

1) Veterinary prescribed flea medications
2) Over the counter flea spot treatments
3) Insecticide dip
4) Flea collar
5) Flea-fighting shampoo
6) Flea powder

Most unnecessary deaths of dogs that occur due to flea collar poisoning are the result of an allergic reaction to the active ingredient. Even if your dog is perfectly well at the time the device placed around his neck, observe your dog closely for the first few days.

If your dog should become ill while wearing a flea collar device, remove it until the reason for the illness can be determined. Leave the device off until the dog is completely recovered.

By observing the following eight precautions, you can use the flea collar to your dog’s best advantage:

1. Buckle the collar securely, but not tightly around his neck. These collars, as well as any collar for that matter, should be worn loosely.

2. When bathing your dog, remove the collar until the dog is completely dry. Never let your dog get wet while wearing a flea-killing device.

3. Animals should never be allowed to chew on flea collars or other flea-killing devices. Keep in mind, if you have more than one dog, they may be tempted to chew at these collars worn by the other dogs.

Most packages containing flea collars or other similar-type pest-fighting devices usually carry a printed caution on the front: Do not allow children to play with this collar.

The purchaser is then invited to read the additional precautions printed on the reverse side of the package. Over 50% of the dog owners polled about their knowledge of flea collars admitted that they either did not read the directions, or if they did, simply did not pay much attention to them.

Be Careful

Flea collars should be buckled securely, but not tightly, around the dog’s neck. A collar buckled too tightly will cause greater levels of the active ingredient to be absorbed into the bloodstream of the animal. This condition usually manifests itself by neck irritation, followed by a loss of hair under the collar.

When first placing a flea collar on a dog, the owner should observe the neck area for the first few days and be alert for signs of irritation. If irritation occurs, the collar should be removed immediately.

When I was younger and living in San Diego, California, a mixed breed lab died a painful death which was eventually traced to the flea collar it was wearing.

Years later, in a small town in Texas, a puppy from a litter of 4 died, which was later found to be directly attributed to a flea collar device. The stricken puppy, however, had never worn such a collar he had chewed on one from another house dog.

And in New Jersey, an entire litter of puppies, 6 weeks old, succumbed to what was later determined to be caused from a flea collar. Yet, not one of the puppies in the litter had ever worn such a device.

In each of the above true cases, the attending veterinarian reported that the deaths were needless and could have been prevented if a few simple facts have been known by the owners of those dogs. Moreover, veterinarians agree that literally 100% of the fatalities which do occur as a result of flea killing devices could be prevented.

Dog skin problems seldom give rise to emergent situations. If you are regular in pet care and look for changes in skin and coat for dog or cat dandruff, canine or feline acnel, skin lumps and lesions there is every reason to believe that you will have enough time at hand to consult your veterinarian about it.

Emergency situations like noisy breathing, panting or gasping for breath, excessive bleeding, a blue tongue, ingesting poison, cessation of urination and labor contractions for a long period without actual delivery of puppies are not associated with skin problems. They are also almost never caused by skin related issues.

But that does not mean that caring for your pet’s skin is not a requirement. On the contrary, the skin and coat of a pet is the best indicator of any underlying menace that may be brewing inside. And given that your dog cannot communicate minor discomfort to you, the skin proves to be the best indicator and an early warning for things to come.