Pet The World

If you own a pet chances are you might be faced with the need for someone reliable to look after your pet.

Pet sitters care for your pet just a babysitter cares for your child while you are gone. Pet sitters do much more than just providing food and water. A good pet sitter will look after your pet as you would yourself. A pet sitter will provide exercise, some playtime, some attention and also be aware if your pet needs veterinary attention.

People with exotic or particularly high maintenance pets will benefit from the services of a pet sitter.

Pet sitters will allow for the most positive experience your pets can have while you are away. Pet sitters offer the added advantage of allowing your pets to stay in their own environment while you are away. Your pet will be less stressed than if they where in one of the more traditional options for pet’s whose owners are away.

Pet sitters provide one on one attention and the special care that your beloved pet will require in your absence.

Hiring a pet sitter will not only give you peace of mind but will also save you worrying about your pet while you are away. Your home is also a lot safer. You have someone who will pick up the mail, water the plants and check on the general welfare of the entire home.

It’s worth the extra expense for the added peace of mind.

CHOOSING A PET SITTER

If you are going to go to the trouble to pay someone to look after your pet and home while you are gone, you will want to spend some time choosing the best pet sitter for you and your pet.

Make sure you see some qualifications.

Also make sure to ask for references, and follow up. This is the best way to get some idea of how reliable your pet sitter is. Glowing references are the best way to gauge which is the best pet sitter for your home.

You can start with the phone book or an online search. You can ask your Veterinarian for a reference. The vet often knows who the best pet sitter in the area is.

It’s best to line up a few different options. Arrange interviews with them all. Check to see how they interact with your animal. Many pet owners know hat animals can be fussy too!

When interviewing your prospective pet sitter it’s useful to see if the sitter asks a variety of questions too. The pet sitter should be interested in any medical conditions your pet might have, likes, dislikes allergies etc. If your sitter does not ask these questions rather choose someone who is genuinely concerned about the well being of your pet.

When choosing a pet sitter you don’t want to take any chances. After all it’s not just your pet who is vulnerable it’s the entire contents of your home too!

You can things a bit easier for your pet sitter too. Buying extra pet food and treats, leaving clear instructions and taking your pet for his regular checkups will ensure that things go smoothly. If you have a pet that is fussy or has a medical condition make sure you leave clear instructions for the sitter as to how to handle the situation.

Also if you have a complicated alarm system or security system make sure to explain clearly to the sitter how to get in and out, and how to secure the property in your absence. Leave a copy of your keys with a trusted neighbor and explain that you will be away. You can never have too many people keeping their eyes open.

Now that you know your pet and home are being well looked after, you can have a relaxed holiday. All that’s left to do is enjoy your vacation!

Steve Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders along with his brother Gary. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies they occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Steve is also the co-author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide.

Share This

Do you make a lot of trips to the vet’s office? Do you spend your hard-earned money on vet bills because your dog suffers from chronic ailments? Give your dog or cat the nutrition he needs, and chances are you can spend your money on other things rather than giving it to your veterinarian.

Nutritional deficiencies are often the cause of chronic ailments in pets. Most holistic vets believe that improving a pet’s diet will boost health and vitality and often restore chronically ill dogs to health.

Pets need to eat a variety of fresh, whole foods. A balanced, raw, home-made diet provides the nutrients pets need to heal from the inside out.

If you don’t have time to feed a home-made diet, buy the best commercial pet food you can find, one made with human-grade ingredients and without chemical preservatives, byproducts, and fillers. (These foods may be difficult to find in grocery stores and pet stores, but are easy to find and purchase on web sites.) Then improve on it. Fresh juice and raw liver are two of the healthiest foods you can add to your pet’s diet:

**Fresh Juice (for dogs only):

Use a juicer if you have one. Most dogs love carrot juice, and it contains zinc, vitamin E, beta carotene, copper, and other ingredients that strengthen the immune system. It’s best to use organic carrots, and you can add celery, parsley, or apple. Feed directly or mix with your dog’s food. Try to feed 1/2 cup juice per 25-30 pounds of weight each day.

**Raw Liver (for both dogs and cats):

Some vets consider liver a miracle food because of its ability to save lives and improve health. Raw beef and chicken liver are rich in amino acids, protein, phosphorous, potassium, copper, and Vitamin A & B-complex.

Feed liver only from organically raised cattle and poultry because the liver stores toxins. You can add raw liver to the fresh juice you make or add it to your dog’s food. To help sick pets, feed small amounts of organic calf or chicken liver once or twice per day (one teaspoon per 10 to 20 pounds of body weight).

If your dog has multiple health problems, supplements can also help:

**Digestive Enzymes such as pancreatin and bromelain help to replace enzymes destroyed by heat. Give enzyme supplements between meals.

**Probiotics and Prebiotics contain bacteria that help with digestion and fight infection. They replace bacteria destroyed by an inadequate diet or antibiotics.

**Colostrum and Lactoferrin enhance immune function.

**Vitamins and Minerals are especially helpful when pets have multiple infections. Choose a vitamin/mineral supplement made from whole-food sources. Pets can easily assimilate these.

**Amino Acids are the building blocks of proteins, and proteins are needed to construct every cell in the body.

**Garlic fights infection, helps prevent cancer, expels tapeworms, prevents blood clotting, and makes pets less attractive to parasites such as fleas.

If you provide your pet with the nutrients he needs, you should see a much healthier and happier pet. And maybe that money that used to be spent on vet bills can now go towards a new car, home improvements, a vacation, or even a savings account!

Deena Caruso, author, teacher, & distributor of natural pet products
Helps pet owners create healthy, happy pets.
To receive FREE “Pet Pointers” Newsletter, go to:
http://www.healthyfoodforpets.com deecaruso@cox.net
Ph: 760/758-7963, 877/877-0665

Share This

Dog Food

Have you ever heard of a dog living into his late teens? I personally have never met such an age-defying dog but it does happen. Did you know, however, that many veterinarians and scientists today estimate that the life span of a dog should be into the late teens and even into the twenties? It is a wild idea, but many see it as attainable.

Science advances rapidly. It seems as if every day we read of a new advancement, a new wonder-drug, a new technique for improving both the quality and the longevity of our pets and ourselves. These advancements are wonderful. It was only a generation or two ago where simple infections could mean certain death for our pets, where a difficult labor would be the downfall of both mother dog and puppies, where diseases were common due to lack of vaccinations and proper treatments. I applaud science and hope they continue in their march toward a higher quality of life.

With all these dog health improvements and human life spans increasing, why the heck aren’t our dogs living up to their true potential life spans? I believe that the factors are many. The main factor, in my opinion, is the nutrition that we give our dogs.

Did you know that the pet food industry is largely unregulated? The pet foods that you pick up at the grocery store are made by companies owned by some of the largest companies in the world. These mega-companies make largely human consumer products and their dog foods and pet foods are manufactured from the by-products that weren’t fit for human consumption.

I know, I know. This sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it’s true. What kind of things are they able to get away with? Dog foods are made with leftovers. It is well documented that these dog foods are manufactured with dead and rotting carcasses. These are often carcasses from animals that were diseased, sickly, or otherwise not fit for human consumption so they were used in dog food. These carcasses are gathered and sit around a lot rotting and putrefying often for days before it is their turn to make it into the dog food bag. Other non-nutritional products like hooves and horns are also ground up and thrown into the mix. Have you ever wondered what happens to all that grease and oil that fries up those potatoes in fast food joints? Yup, it’s true. Dog food companies buy leftover grease by the ton and use it as a coating on dog food that you may be giving your dog. Why would they do that? Well, that grease is pretty tasty (albeit nutritionally abominable) to your dog. The dog food companies know that the unpalatable product they make will be eaten if they cover it with this leftover fat.

That’s not all, though. Most commercial dog and cat foods are full of fillers, preservatives, baked in a manner that strips the food of nutrients, and so chemically treated that they resemble Twinkies more than they resemble nutrition for your pet.

What is the solution? Well, there are many but the first step is to switch to a premium food. Feed your dog a food that uses human grade ingredients, doesn’t cram the food with fillers, and leaves out the chemical enhancers that give commercial dog food the shelf life of uranium.

DogBehaviorOnline.com is an official partner of one such food. Click here to find out how you can start turning around your dog’s health today.

Share This