The Purrfect Nanny & Purrfect Pet Health Blog

I just found this awesome site!
It’s kind of like Web MD for kitties!
It lists symptoms you may be seeing in your pet.
Through the symptom links you can find out what might be the cause and what steps you should take. It lists suggested home care and tests your vet might run to determine what is going on.
Take a look and make it one of your favorites too!

In order to keep my horse’s joints  sound and lubricated I depend on joint supplements. For a long time I was used to inject Adequan until I learned about Acetylglucosamine. This product is at least as good as Adequan if not better and it cost me so much less to maintian joint health. With permission of Dr. Grisel from the Atlanta Equine Clinic in Alpharetta I post his article about joint health. Should you deside to order the product at the Atlanta Equine Clinic, please mention that you heard about it on our BLOG.

Any medication administered outside the joint (by mouth, intravenously, or intramuscularly for example) for the purpose of improving joint function and/or comfort is considered a form of systemic arthrotherapy. Anti-inflammatory medications (such as phenylbutazone), some pain relievers (such as capsaicin), and joint supplements (such as Adequan™, Legend™, and Cosequin™) are included in this category. Joint supplements have seen wide use in recent years, and are most often the client’s first line of treatment for DJD in their horse(s). The primary goal of the joint supplement is to stimulate normal activity and function of the synovial membrane thereby enhancing the integrity of the joint environment. Oral, intravenous, and intramuscular forms exist.Most studies show that the oral medications (e.g. Cosequin™, MSM, Flex Free™, Corta-flex™, etc.) are quite effective when absorbed into the system. This type of arthrotherapy works especially well in people and dogs, who are able to absorb relatively large molecules (like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) through their intestinal wall easily. Horses, on the other hand, are generally not proficient at absorbing large molecules into their system from the intestinal tract. Therefore, a portion of the oral medication (and the client’s investment) may not be completely utilized. Many companies are continually working to find ways to improve absorbability of oral supplements in the horse. Read the rest of this entry »

A total different approach on dog training based on true friendship and understanding with our companions. This is really one of the best books I ever read about developing a mutual relationship with our dogs. I heard about it from a friend of mine, Tanja with Holistic Sitting in Woodstock, GA. Thank you Tanja!

Who is your favorite dog trainer?

February 24, 2009 the Humane Society of the United States starts its annual campaign to encourage people to save animals lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. Why does the Humane Society want to promote spaying and neutering? “Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets, even purebreds. Maybe someone’s cat or dog got out just that one time or maybe the litter was intentional, but efforts to find enough good homes failed. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them.”

Find out more about why you should spay or neuter your pet.

Find a local Spay Day USA 2009 event here.

Our kitties need special treats too!
You can whip this up in the food processor to make it easier.
If you have children running about, enlist their help in rolling the treat balls.

Ingredients
7 1/2 oz tuna in vegetable oil
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
water (as needed)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix tuna, flour and parsley together well, breaking up tuna pieces so they are soft and mushy. A food processor will make easy work of this!

Add water gradually, as is needed to make a firm dough that is easy to mold into a small shape.

Roll a teaspoon-sized amount of the dough between your palms, creating a small round ball. This is where the kids come in

Flatten the ball so it becomes disc-shaped.

Repeat process until all mixture is used, placing each biscuit disc onto a lightly greased oven tray.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Turn oven off but leave the tray in until the oven has completely cooled. (This will help the biscuits dry out further, and help the treats keep longer).

Treat your kitties once the biscuits have completely cooled.
Store treats in an air-tight container in the pantry.

We hope you have a Purrfectly Happy Valentine’s Day!

This Valentine’s weekend PBS’s Nature explores why humans love their pets.
Sunday night our family will be watching to find out more about the science of why we love of furry friends so much! You can find out too by tuning into your local PBS station Sunday night at 8.

Find out more and see a preview of Sunday night’s show on Nature’s site.

Just in time for Dental Health month, these crunchy biscuits with mint and parsley will help keep your pets teeth in tip top shape.

Minty Biscuits

* 2 Cups Whole Wheat flour
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 1 1/2 TBL dried mint)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 3/4 cup water
* 6 tablespoons safflower oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, cornmeal, mint
3. and parsley in a large bowl
4. Add water and oil and
5. mix thoroughly
6. On a floured surface roll
7. out dough to 1/4″
8. Cut with cookie cutters
9. Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned
10. Turn off heat and allow biscuits to continue drying in the oven for several hours

Do you have a favorite treat recipe?
Share it with US!

In an effort to bring awareness to proper equine dental care, the American Association of Equine Practitioners developed the “Chew on This” campaign.

They focus on yearly examinations and owner education.
Check out their tips to keep your horse smiling!

Learn to Recognize Your Horse’s Dental Problems

Horses with dental problems may show obvious signs, such as pain or irritation, or they may show no noticeable signs at all. This is because some horses simply adapt to their discomfort. For this reason, regular dental examinations, at least annually, are essential to your horse’s health.

It is important to catch dental problems early. If a horse starts behaving abnormally, dental problems should be considered as a potential cause. Waiting too long may increase the difficulty of remedying certain conditions or may even make remedy impossible. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the following indicators of dental problems will help you know when to seek veterinary attention for your horse: Read the rest of this entry »

How often do you clean your pets teeth?

You can and should brush your pet’s teeth daily, but any brushing is better than none at all. Here are some tips to help you through the process.

Establishing a routine will work to your benefit. Generally, right after dinner your pet will be happiest. This is a great time to enlist their cooperation. Feed, clean teeth, play.

Use a soft toothbrush.

Help your pet become accustom to having something in their mouths.
Start by slowly lifting the lip and running your finger or damp wash cloth along the gums and teeth.

Talk to and praise your pet during “teeth time” to encourage calm cooperation.

Each day gradually increase the amount of time you spend in the mouth.

Focus on the outside of the teeth where gum disease usually occurs. The inside of the teeth are kept cleaner with help from the tongue.

Only use toothpaste formulated for pets. Do not use human toothpaste. Avoid using baking soda, the high sodium content can be dangerous to some pets.