How to Choose a Pet Name

Coming up with good pet names can be very challenging sometimes, especially in a very large family where everyone has their own ideas about what the best name for a new pet would be. For other people, names like “Spot” or “Fluffy” get very old after a while, and people are looking for something unique and new. There are some wonderful websites online that can help with the process of selecting a special name for your new pet that reflects their character and personality well.

Bowwow Pet-Names With Personality

Bowwow is a website that is truly dedicated to the quest for the perfect pet name. There are a multitude of search options, including:

• Top 20 names


• Names of the month


• Visitor suggestions


• Single name search


• Paired name search


• Alphabetical search

There’s even a dog age calculator and e-Cards! You can search in categories such as cartoons, movie stars, or personalities for names of famous people that you might like to name your pet after. The website even features a “pet name search engine.” If you want to have fun with pet names, you should definitely make this one your first stop.

World Wide Pet Names Project

The world wide pet names project provides a list of favorite names that website visitors have submitted. You can even submit your own suggestion if you have an idea for a favorite pet name. Because it’s primarily user-driven, this list has grown exponentially to almost 7,500 pet names. If you simply want a comprehensive list of names to rattle off, hoping that one simply sticks out as the perfect name for your pet, then this is the website to visit.

Pet Names World

Pet Names World is another very fun pet name selection website. It is definitely geared toward children in that it features fun cartoon images and a cute poll where kids can select what animal the name “Ruth” best fits.

The list of names on this website is also fairly comprehensive. They are listed in alphabetical order. But one of the unique things about the list on this website is that the list also includes whether the name is intended for a male or female, the origin of the name (Latin, Hindu, Hebrew, etc.) and also the meaning of the name. This website is fun to browse just to learn the meanings of some of these names.

Cat & Dog Names

Cat & Dog Names is a somewhat simple website that allows you to browse through dog names, cat names, or mixed pet names. The unique thing about this website is that it also allows you to view lists of suggested names that are based on the appearance and features of your pet. Some of these lists are extremely long, and cover categories such as popular Irish dog names, unique Australian dog names, stray kitten names, and black cat names. There is a huge variety of other categories.

Cat Names

Cat-Names.us is a fairly large database of over 5000 unique cat names. This database allows you to search using a category of appearance or behavior, a sub-category if appropriate, and gender. These search criteria offer a list of names in the database that match those characteristics. The names in this database are actually fairly unique. Additionally, this website also offers visitors a free “custom naming guide” which walks pet owners through the process of selecting the perfect name for their cat.

Dog Names

Dog-Names.us is also a large database of over 6000 unique dog names. This database also allows you to search for dog names the same way the cat name search works. The names in this dog database are unique as well.

A Pet Portrait Featuring Your Pet’s Name

Once you’ve decided on a name that represents your pet’s personality and characteristics, there is no better way to celebrate this new name than with a painted pet portrait.

Pet portraits are sweeping the country as a very popular form of recognizing how much your animal friend means to you and your family. Pet portraits are an ideal way to preserve the name of your pet by asking that the name be placed somewhere on the portrait.

The best pet portraits in the country are created by artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. Nikky is more than pleased to accept requests for incorporating the pet’s name somewhere in the picture. Such a beautiful portrait of your family pet would become a family heirloom that would stretch for generations.

External Parasites and the Health of Your Pet

Flea Basics
Fleas thrive when the weather is warm and humid. Depending on your climate, fleas may be a seasonal or year-round problem. Your pet can pick up fleas wherever an infestation exists, often in areas frequented by other cats and dogs. Adult fleas are dark brown, no bigger than a sesame seed, and able to move rapidly over your pet's skin.

Adult fleas live their entire lives on your pet. Female fleas begin laying eggs within 24 hours of selecting your pet as a host, producing up to 50 eggs each day. These eggs fall from your pet onto the floor or furniture, including your pet's bed, or onto any other indoor or outdoor area where your pet happens to go. Tiny, worm-like larvae hatch from the eggs and burrow into carpets, under furniture, or into soil before spinning a cocoon. The cocooned flea pupae can lie dormant (inactive) for weeks before emerging as adults that are ready to infest (or reinfest) your pet. The result is a flea life cycle of anywhere from 12 days to 6 months.

Risks and Consequences
You may not know that your pet has fleas until their number increases to the point that your pet is obviously uncomfortable. Signs of flea problems range from mild redness to severe scratching that can lead to open sores and skin infections. One of the first things you may notice on a pet with fleas is "flea dirt" — the black flea droppings left on your pet's coat.

Fleas bite animals and suck their blood; young or small pets with heavy flea infestations may become anemic. Some pets can develop an allergy to flea saliva that may result in more severe irritation and scratching. Also, pets can become infected with certain types of tapeworms if they ingest fleas carrying tapeworm eggs. In areas with moderate to severe flea infestations, people may also be bitten by fleas. While fleas are capable of transmitting several other infectious diseases to pets and people, this is rare.

Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will recommend an appropriate flea control plan for your pet based upon your needs and the severity of the flea infestation.

Fleas spend a lot of their time off of your pet and in the environment. In addition to treating your pet, reduce the flea population in your house by thoroughly cleaning your pet's sleeping quarters and vacuuming floors and furniture that your pet comes in contact with frequently. Careful and regular vacuuming/cleaning of the pet's living area helps to remove and kill flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. You may also have to treat your house with insecticides to kill the fleas; consult with your veterinarian about products safe for use around pets and children.

With moderate and severe flea infestations, you may be advised to treat your yard in addition to treating the inside of your home. Your veterinarian can recommend an appropriate course of action and suggest ways to prevent future flea infestations.

Ticks

Tick Basics
Hosting a tick is the price dogs or, less commonly, cats may pay for investigating shrubbery, brush, or wild undergrowth. Ticks have a four-stage life cycle, and immature ticks often feed on small, wild animals found in forests, prairies, and brush. Adult ticks seek larger hosts like dogs and cats who venture into these habitats. Tick exposure may be seasonal, depending on geographic location.

Risks and Consequences
Ticks are most often found around your dog's neck, in the ears, in the folds between the legs and the body, and between the toes. Cats may have ticks on their neck or face. Tick bites can cause skin irritation and heavy infestations can cause anemia in pets. Ticks are also capable of spreading serious infectious diseases (such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and others) to the pets and the people on which they feed. Disease risk varies by geographic area and tick species.

Treatment and Control
Prompt removal of ticks is very important because it lessens the chance of disease transmission from the tick to your pet. Remove ticks by carefully using tweezers to firmly grip the tick as close to the pet's skin as possible and gently pulling the tick free without twisting it. After removing the tick, crush it while avoiding contact with tick fluids that can carry disease. Do not attempt to smother the tick with alcohol or petroleum jelly, or apply a hot match to it, as this may cause the tick to regurgitate saliva into the wound, increasing the risk of disease.

Pets at risk for ticks should be treated during the tick season with an appropriate tick preventative. Your veterinarian can recommend a product best suited to your pet's needs. Owners who take their pets to tick-prone areas during camping, sporting, or hiking trips should examine their pets for ticks immediately upon returning home and remove them from their pets. If your pet picks up ticks in your backyard, trimming bushes and removing brush may reduce your pet's exposure to tick habitats.

Ear Mites

Mite Basics
Ear mites are common in young cats and dogs, and generally confine themselves to the ears and surrounding area. Mites are tiny and individual mites may be seen only with the aid of a microscope. Your pet can pick up ear mites by close contact with an infested pet or its bedding.

Risks and Consequences
Ear mites can cause intense irritation of the ear canal. Signs of ear mite infestation include excessive head shaking and scratching of the ears. Your pet may scratch to the point that it creates bleeding sores around its ears. A brown or black ear discharge is common with ear mite infections.

Treatment and Control
Treatment of ear mites involves thorough ear cleaning and medication. Your veterinarian can recommend an effective treatment plan.

Sarcoptic Mange Mites

Mite Basics
Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites cause sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies. Sarcoptic mange mites affect dogs of all ages, during any time of the year. Sarcoptic mange mites are highly contagious to other dogs and may be passed by close contact with infested animals, bedding, or grooming tools.

Risks and Consequences
Sarcoptic mange mites burrow through the top layer of the dog's skin and cause intense itching. Clinical signs include generalized hair loss, a skin rash, and crusting. Skin infections may develop secondary to the intense irritation. People who come in close contact with an affected dog may develop a skin rash and should see their physician.

Treatment and Control
Dogs with sarcoptic mange require medication to kill the mites and additional treatment to soothe the skin and resolve related infections. Cleaning and treatment of the dog's environment is also necessary.

Demodectic Mange Mites

Mite Basics
Demodectic mange caused by demodectic mange mites is mainly a problem in dogs. Demodectic mange mites are microscopic, cigar-shaped, and not highly contagious. A mother dog, however, may pass the mites to her puppies.

Risks and Consequences
Localized demodectic mange tends to appear in young dogs as patches of scaly skin and redness around the eyes and mouth and, perhaps, the legs and trunk. Unlike other types of mange, demodectic mange may signal an underlying medical condition, and your pet's overall health should be carefully evaluated. Less commonly, young and old dogs experience a generalized form of demodectic mange and can exhibit widespread patches of redness, hair loss, and scaly, thickened skin.

Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. Treatment of dogs with localized demodectic mange generally results in favorable outcomes. Generalized demodectic mange (demodecosis), however, may be difficult to treat, and treatment may only control the condition, rather than cure it.

Important Points

• Look for fleas, ticks, and coat abnormalities any time you groom your dog or cat or when you return home from areas that are likely to have higher numbers of these parasites.


• See your veterinarian if your pet excessively scratches, chews, or licks its haircoat, or persistently shakes its head. These clinical signs may indicate the presence of external parasites or other conditions requiring medical care.


• Prompt treatment of parasites lessens your pet's discomfort, decreases the chances of disease transmission from parasite to pet, and may reduce the degree of home infestation.


• Discuss the health of all family pets with your veterinarian when one pet becomes infested. Some parasites cycle among pets, making control of infestations difficult unless other pets are considered. Consult your veterinarian before beginning treatment.


• Tell your veterinarian if you have attempted any parasite remedies, as this may impact your veterinarian's recommendation.


• Be especially careful when applying insecticides to cats, as cats are particularly sensitive to these products. Never use a product that is not approved for cats, as the results could be lethal.


• Follow label directions carefully.


• Leave treatment to the experts. Your veterinarian offers technical expertise and can assist you in identifying products that are most likely to effectively and safely control your pet's parasite problem.

The Vets Examination – What You Should Know Before Visiting Your Veterinarian

Randy Jones

Nobody likes surprises, so it's always nice to know what to expect when you take your pet to the veterinarian. A good physical exam usually begins by weighing and recording so that a continuing record can be formed. An increase or decrease in weight can indicate a problem. Next, the temperature is taken, usually rectally with a normal temperature of 101 to 102.5 degrees for both dogs and cats.

Coat and skin are examined next as poor hair coat or skin can indicate a poor diet or dermatological infection. Coat should be shiny, not brittle and coarse, and the skin, clean and not greasy. While handling your pet, the bones, muscles, and joints, nails, feet, and lymph nodes are checked for any abnormalities. The chest, heart, and lungs are examined with a stethoscope, along with the rate and nature of respiration.

At the head, both ears are examined deep into the ear canal for infections. The visible eye structure and lids are examined and the interior of the eye is checked for cataract formation, and an examination of the mouth and throat for infected gums, loose teeth, tartar buildup on the teeth and any damage or swelling in the throat.

Lastly, at the rear, the anus, anal glands, prepuce/penis or vcalva are checked for any abnormalities, and the anal glands cleaned if they are compacted. During the examination the vet will usually ask the name of your pet's food and any other treats or vitamin supplements, along with any medication you may have given your pet.

A fecal sample will be taken for examination to check for intestinal parasites, such as hookworm and roundworm, and a blood test may be recommended if heartworm is suspected. No checkup would be complete without a flea and tick prevention/treatment with a choice as to who will administer the treatment, you or the vet. As you can see,the vets examination is one of the most important things you can do for your pet. Whatever you do, do not ever skimp out on your pets care. While the exam may sound involved and complicated, the entire process usually only takes about 30 minutes and guarantees your pet a healthier happier life.

How to Housebreak Your Puppy

Cassandra Stinchcombe

So you gave yourself the gift of a new puppy or someone else gave it to you. Unfortunately, this little bundle of joy doesn’t understand the specific places designated for going to the bathroom. So what do you do? How do you housebreak your new pet?

Housebreaking really isn’t all that difficult. As with all, dog training it will take consistency and patience but the hardest part will actually be training you and the rest of your family.

Before you start any training, you always want to be certain your pet is healthy. There is nothing worse then continually disciplining your puppy for going in the house and then finding out they have a kidney or bladder dysfunction.

The key to housebreaking your puppy is close supervision. You need to catch your pet right before or in the act of making a mistake so you can immediately say “ah ah” and take them outside or on to their paper. Using a crate can really speed up the whole process because it makes it easier for you and the rest of the family know when your puppy will need to go to the bathroom. General, but this will very with each puppy, about thirty minutes after eating your puppy will need to go. I recommend feeding your puppy at specific times then put them inside their crate for the thirty minutes and then take them directly outside. Walk around for a bit, if they haven’t gone after a few minutes take them back inside and put them in their crate, repeat until they go to the bathroom. Having treats and lots of praise ready for when then do go will also speed up the process of you puppy learning. Some other times your puppy will most likely need to go is right after waking up and after excited play.

Another thing to keep in mind is how long puppies can actually hold their bladder and bowels for:

2 months old - 3 hours
3 months old - 4 hours
5 months old - 6 hours
6 months old - 7 hours

So, if you work a 9-5 job and your planning on leaving your puppy at home by it’s self all day it may not be realistic to expect your puppy to be housebroken until at least 6 months old.

When your pet starts to go to the bathroom outside you want to have a word that you will say. This way your dog with start associating your command with the act of going to the bathroom. Eventually your dog will be able to go on command, this can come in really handy in the winter when it’s really cold and you want your pet to hurry up. “Hurry up” is the command I have chosen to use with my dogs. I think is sounds better then “Go potty” or “toilet”, but it’s your command so you chose what ever word you will feel most comfortable with.

Housebreaking your pet should not take very long, if your finding that your pet is continually having accidences and it’s driving you insane ask yourself two questions. One, could my puppy have a health problem? If not, have I really been consistent in watching my puppy and catching him before or during the mistake. If you haven’t been consistent you can’t really expect the dog to understand. It’s time consuming at first because you really need to pay attention to what your dog is doing and what he looks like when he’s about to go to the bathroom. But remember if your consistent everything goes much smoother and your puppy will be housebroken in no time.

Essential Guide to Choose And Buy A Pet Parrot !!

Jimmy Lee

4 Essential Parrot Buying Tips to choose the right parrot !!

All bird lovers listen up!! Do you know how many bird species are there in the world? Answer: Over 9000 species. And out of which the parrot group itself consists of about 330 species and are particularly popular with pet owners.

If you are also thinking of keeping a pet parrot, read below for the tips I am going to provide for selecting the suitable parrot for yourself and the family.


Parrot Buying Tip (1) -- Buy a young parrot

Rearing a new parrot from young helps to facilitate taming. An older parrot can also be tamed just that it takes more time and patience. However, the tricky part is in determing the age of the bird. However, some basic things to look out for are the scales on its legs, color of the eye and the color of the body. A young parrot often has a dark gray iris that becomes white or brown when it grows up. The scales of young parrots are also much smoother than that of mature birds. Their body color also appears initially to be much duller than when they are matured.

The best option is to buy one which is newly born which is independent of its parent.


Parrot Buying Tip (2) -- Choose the right species of parrot

Do you know the characteristics of the parrot you are interested in buying?

Do they
-make tremendously loud voices which can cause huge disturbance to the neighbours?
-have powerful beaks that can damage your personal belongings if let free in the house?
-need special accomodation, which will potentially incur higher costs for you. Bigger birds would require bigger cages made of metal so that the parrot cannot damage it.
-need special nutritional foods? Some birds such as the lorikeets need special foods since they feed on nectar. This also relates to cost.


Parrot Buying Tip (3) -- Check the condition of the parrot

If possible, ask for a certified health certificate by the veterinary so that you have assurance of buying a healthy parrot home. If that is not available, dont worry, you can check out the below factors for some tell-tale signs on the conditions of the bird.

i) Inspect the living conditions of the bird. Dirty or poorly maintained perches, food and water containers, excess fecal wastes in the cage, all show poor management of the birds leading to bad health. The eyes should also be clear and not showing any discharge. Also look out for any swelling signs which will indicate rising health problems.

ii) The bird feathers should be tidy and clean. Any bald areas on the parrot body could indicate an infection which is very unsightly and may not be able to cure, or it may also be due to the parrot being a feather plucker which means it is getting very bored. This activity may stop when you start to show it more attention. Then again, it is better to stay clear of such birds, since they could be carrying diseases on their bodies which you dont want it to spread to your family members.

iii) Support the bird on its back and check the vent for cleanliness. Also check for any crusty appearance on and around the beak which could indicate a mite issue subjecting from unclean environments.

iv) Also feel the flesh on both sides of the breastbone, and ensure it is solid and not hollowed. If protruding, it also indicates a nutritional deficiency, and should be avoided.

v) Ensures all claws are there. There should be 2 toes pointing forward, 2 facing backwards. Check for any protruding leg scales as they could be potential sources for leg mites.

vi) Beware of birds that act aggressively towards you when you try to approach it. Symptoms include fluffing up feathers and eyes dilating when you try to move your hand close to it. These birds are probably not young birds, and they will likely bite you if you cross its safety zone.


Parrot Buying Tip (4) -- Buy from reputable, reliable sources

Buying from well-established and reputable pet shops assures you the best quality services, and often the pets you are buying through them have been certified to be in good health before they release it out for sale.

Avoid open markets, and buying through mail order. It is always good to see and feel what you are buying so that you dont regret your buying decisions later. If you dont, how do you implement parrot buying tip 3?


Conclusion

To summarize, it is great to have parrots as pets, as they can be good source of fun and companionship. However, it is important to know some essential tips on selecting and buying the right parrot, and this can be categorized into 4 great tips namely to buy a young parrot, choose the desired parrot species, check condition of the parrot, and always buy from reputable pet shops.


Hope you enjoy this article !!