Daily Paws

Pet news, tips, entertainment and opinions from VetLocator.com

Archive for June, 2012

Daily Paws Picture of the Day: Chicky Love

Friday, June 29th, 2012

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How to stop a nightmare. Awwww!

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

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Daily Paws Picture of the Day: Group Hug

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

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Cat Food Facts You Should Be Aware Of

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
Korean (Cat) Food
(Photo credit: Taekwonweirdo)

There are many competing cat food products on the supermarket shelf vying for your attention and asking you to buy them. I’m sure you know what I mean, they have their full-color pictures of happy looking satisfied cats that are in peak health condition because they eat the XYZ brand of cat food. But are you getting the best cat food for your pet?

What none of those pretty packets tell you is that cats are obligate carnivores, which means they must have the nutrients that are found in animal protein just to survive. By protein, I mean meat, chicken and fish, the flesh of these meats, not the by-products. In the wild cats eat the meat of their prey, just as they do when they find a mouse around the house.

Good quality cat food should list the actual meat such as beef, lamb, tuna, turkey, salmon, chicken, etc. that is in the tin or packet you buy. Chicken meal is actually considered to be the single best source of protein in commercial pet foods. If you only see the words ‘meat and/or meat bone meal’ on the packet, be aware that this can legally include animals that are road kill, have been euthanized by vets and ground and rendered in factories. Some rendering factories also use diseased, dying and decayed animals to supply to pet food companies.

Dry Cat Food

Cats don’t have the teeth to chew their food like we do. Their teeth are designed to bite and swallow so a diet of dry biscuits is going to be a problem for them. Not only can they not chew the biscuits; their bodies lack specific enzymes for carbohydrate digestion and metabolism. Cats lack a salivary enzyme called amylase, which are used to digest carbohydrates. And almost all cat food biscuits are primarily carbohydrates. Cats can utilize the carbohydrates, but their body and digestive tract are suited for protein and fat.

Cats who are fed dog, rabbit or other types of food are at high risk for blindness and heart disease due to insufficient amounts of taurine in their diet. Taurine is a very important amino acid and will be found in commercial cat foods. Other diseases such as obesity, food allergies, diabetes, and heart disease are just some of the diet-related diseases that appear to become an epidemic in our cats all over the world due to poor nutrition.

Are You Saving Money By Feeding Cheap Food?

If you are feeding your cat on a cheap food with low quality ingredients, it will need more of this food to get the nutrients required. As a result, you will end up buying more food, which will either end up costing you the same amount as better quality food, or in many cases, more than if you were feeding your cat a diet with healthy, high-quality ingredients.

Another thought to keep in mind is that a cat who eats more food will produce more waste, which means more work for you to clean the litter tray and therefore, more money spent on cat litter.

A cheaper but fewer healthy diets can also contribute to serious health problems that will end up costing you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in veterinary bills and prescription drugs for your cat.

Remember your cat is a part of your family and is dependent on you for its life. Investing in the best-quality cat food you can afford is a better alternative than the heartache and shortened life span that comes with taking shortcuts or buying inferior food. A cat is for life and the joy and love it brings to you, and your family should not be underestimated.

Secrets to Finding the Best Pet Sitter

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

by PetsitUSA Pet Sitter Directory

What is pet sitting?

Many times a pet owner might have to travel due to business or for other reasons and during such a time it is not always possible to take your pet with you.  Even if you are able to take your pet along, you may not want to as your pet is going to be uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place.  Pets, especially dogs, prefer to have a familiar environment where they can be happier and safe.  When you change the place of residence for your pets, you can be sure they will not like it as much.  This is why it is best to leave your pet to a pet sitter.  While there are other options for you regarding leaving your pet, it is always better to leave your pet in the care of a pet sitter.

Here are some of the advantages of hiring a pet sitter:

1. With a pet sitter, your pet is not stressed because it is cared for in its comfortable surroundings.  Since there are no changes in the daily routine of your pet, you can be sure that your pet is happy.

2. There is a distinct disadvantage of leaving your pet in a pet boarding house or kennel.  For example, when it comes to dogs, if you leave your dog in a kennel, it may not get along with dogs of different breeds or other bigger or smaller dogs.  This could surely be the cause of fights or injuries.  However, a pet sitter is going to come to your house and look after your pet, which means no worries for you.

3. Another disadvantage of leaving your pet with a common pet boarding house is that you will be exposing your pet to potential infections or diseases, which are going to be affecting its health.

With a pet sitter, you do not have to worry about this.

When you think about all of this, you will find pet sitting to be your best option for your pet.

Daily Paws Picture of the Day: See you later said the Alligator

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Daily Paws for Ashburn Virginia

Avoid these Food to keep your Cat’s Urinary Tract Healthy

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

by nifwlseirff

What is the right kind of cat food for urinary problems? This is something every cat owner should know. By giving your cat the right kind of food, you can make sure it stays healthy for a long time. This is true, especially in the case of urinary infections. Let me tell you what you need to do as a cat owner to help your cat stay away from urinary problems.

First of all, you need to understand the way a cat’s body works. As you know, cats usually feed on mice. What many people do not know is that nearly 3/4th of a mouse’s bodies are nothing but water. So, cats, by nature, are designed to eat food that contains high-water content. It is nature’s way to keeping them hydrated adequately. This is the reason why you do not see cats that live in the wild get urinary tract infections or other such as problems. In other words, food with high-water content is the best cat food for urinary problems.

Now, think about the kind of food that most cat owners feed their cats – commercial processed pet food, which is full of artificial chemicals, coloring agents, preservatives, and other such as things, which are not needed for the cat’s body at all. Most importantly, most of these commercial pet foods are dry. So, by making your cat eat this kind of food every day, you are literally making it vulnerable for urinary problems Now, let us come back to the question – what is the right kind of cat food for urinary problems? Let me tell you.

Start by limiting the amount of processed food your cat eats. Switch to unprocessed, raw food which is ideal for your cat’s health. Unlike processed food, fresh food does not alter the pH of cat’s urine, and hence it is safe for cats. This is why it is considered the best cat food for urinary problems. Furthermore, give your cat lots of high quality canned food with high-water content. Above all, make sure your cat drinks plenty of clean water. Since tap water is badly contaminated with a variety of bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and poisonous chemicals, it could be harmful to your cat’s health. So, make sure you give your cat plenty of clean, filtered water to drink.

Apart from giving the right food, you can give your cat some natural health supplements, which will strengthen its urinary system and prevent urinary problems. From my experience, I can safely say that homeopathic medications are the best choice. They are effective, safe, and cheap as well they can treat infections very effectively and prevent recurring infections as well. So, a regular dose of these healthy, natural supplements will make your cat a lot stronger for sure.

I hope the article answered the question ‘what is the right kind of cat food for urinary problems.’ It is very simple – give your cat plenty of raw food to eat, clean water to drink, and a regular dose of natural health supplements. This will make sure your fluffy cat stays disease-free for a long time.

Daily Paws Picture of the Day: Cutie Kitty

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

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Dogs Sneezing

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Daily Paws Picture of the Day: Smiling Puppy

Monday, June 25th, 2012

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