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.

What is Lyme Disease and what are the symptoms?

Lyme disease is an infectious tick-borne disease that mainly affects dogs, although it is not unknown in cats and other animals. It is caused by a type of bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi.

Studies suggest however that only about 10 percent of animals exposed will actually contract the disease and the severity of the disease appears to vary with the animal’s age and the strength of their immune system.

Arthritis may develop in the short to long term and a few dogs develop severe progressive renal disease, which often leads to death.

The most common initial symptoms of Lyme disease include:

* Fever
* Joint Swelling
* Lameness
* Lethargy

What is the conventional treatment?

The conventional treatment of Lyme disease usually involves antibiotics (usually for a period of between 14 to 30 days, but sometimes extended antibiotic use is recommended). In fact, a notable symptom of Lyme disease is that it does usually respond to appropriate antibiotics.

However antibiotics have a general weakening effect on the immune system which can cause further problems, especially in the long-term.

What are some of the most common skin and coat problems in domestic pets?

Skin and coat problems are very common among domestic pets and appear to be on the increase. They include:

* Abscesses
* Skin odors
* Eczema
* Allergic dermatitis
* Contact dermatitis
* Dandruff
* Hair loss
* Warts
* Puppy acne
* Seborrhea

What are the causes of skin and coat problems?

Toxins are routinely eliminated through the skin, and skin and coat problems can often indicate a number of underlying concerns including toxin overload, anxiety, thyroid problems and a compromised immune system.

Other causes of skin and coat problems include:

* bacterial and fungal infections;
* fleas (some pets develop a hypersensitivity to fleabites)
* dietary allergies
* allergies to certain irritants (e.g. commercial pet shampoos)

What is Skin and Coat Tonic?

PetAlive Skin and Coat Tonic contains a combination of especially selected herbs, nutrients and biochemic tissue salts known for their tonic and healing effect on the skin and hair.

Whether your pet has a chronic or acute skin condition or whether he just needs a bit of a help after a bout of illness, PetAlive Skin and Coat Tonic will quickly help to restore shine and health, as well as healing most chronic and acute skin conditions.

How can toxins affect my pet?

Daily exposure to a wide variety of toxins can seriously affect your pet’s health.

A highly processed, chemically-enriched diet filled with colorants and preservatives; drinking chlorinated water, regularly wearing a commercial flea collar, daily being exposed to second hand cigarette smoke, insecticides and pollution – all these are just the tip of iceberg when it comes to the toxins affecting our pets.

Exposure to toxins can weaken a pet’s immune system and damage his body’s natural ability to fight off disease. Domestic animals are provided with food which they do not have to hunt for and which is not always suited for their bodies.

In addition, they are often exposed to a lifestyle which contributes to sluggish metabolism, underactive thyroids and livers which are not able to remove toxins or eliminate unwanted fat from their bodies.

The first step in helping your pet eliminate toxins from the body is to examine lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. Most of us are so used to feeding our pets commercially produced food that the thought of doing anything else seems very strange. But just as we need to eat a range of foods to ensure we remain healthy, so do our pets. And the more natural and unprocessed the better.

What is Canine Distemper and what are the symptoms?

Canine distemper is a highly contagious, extremely serious viral disease which occurs in dogs and other wild canids (e.g.. foxes, wolves and coyotes), raccoons, skunks and ferrets.

It is an airborne virus, which affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system of the animal. Puppies between three and six months and elderly animals are particularly at risk.

Symptoms grow increasingly severe as the disease progresses, they include:

* Conjunctivitis (a watery, pus-like eye discharge) and inflammation of the eye
* Fever
* Nasal discharge
* Pneumonia (Coughing and labored breathing)_
* Lethargy
* Reduced appetite
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Seizures
* Hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as pain or touch)
* Muscle twitching
* Progressive deterioration of mental abilities and motor skills
* Complete or partial paralysis

What is the conventional treatment?

There is no doubt that Canine Distemper is a serious illness. According to conventional veterinarian treatment, about 50% of dogs that contract it will die. Those that survive will often be left with debilitating conditions like permanent digestive problems, neurological problems, seizure disorders, deformities of the paw pads, etc.

Hyperactivity and delinquency in pets

A hyperactive, out-of-control pet is enough to drive even the most laid back owner straight to therapy.

Some animals become increasingly hyperactive and delinquent over a period of time while others are that way from the start. Either way you need to do something to calm their errant ways!

It’s important to try to understand, if possible, why your pet is behaving the way he is. For instance, some breeds of pets such as border collies, are naturally more highly strung than others. Border collies are typically bred as working dogs so if instead they are kept as pets their owners need to be aware that they need lots of exercise and attention.

Other factors that can contribute to hyperactivity and delinquency include boredom, lack of stimulation, an inadequate diet (especially one with too much protein), allergies, stress, lack of attention and/or lack of exercise.

Recent environmental changes to their environment such as introducing a new pet or a new person to the home, moving house or even a new, particularly high-pitched doorbell can also contribute to problem behavior. Pets may feel insecure and fearful and “act out”, sometimes even becoming aggressive or displaying inappropriate sexual behavior.

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 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.