Humane Education
Adopting A Friend From A Shelter:
An Artistic Part of Our Culture
Have you ever noticed that certain breeds of dogs, or even cats for that matter, have features and qualities that highlight a certain sense of natural beauty? Think about a feline’s face, how some of those stripes, body markings and even their whiskers make them so incredibly cute.
A “tuxedo cat” for example, although not an actual breed of feline in itself, is still well known for those particular markings that exhibit and remind ourselves about a trip to the prom, inclusion in a wedding line-up or other formal affair. It’s being all decked out with those black-and-white features that sets them apart from the rest of the cat crowd.
What about an Alaskan Husky, with those beautiful, crystal-clear, blue eyes and that thick, black, grey and white coat, a sight to be seen and an awesome dog that’s full of devotion, loyalty, love and affection. Then a Doberman Pincher sets his sights for an audience, with another suit of black and brown perfection found on this palate of a dog’s fur.
Shabby Chic
When you think about movie star dogs like the classic collie of Lassie or the perfect stance of a German Shepherd like Rin Tin Tin, don’t forget about the shabby, little dogs that also captured our hearts on screen. When Toto followed Dorothy down the Yellow Brick Road or Benji bounced onto the movie scene during the eighties, these loveable little terriers still tugged at our heartstrings and became an important part of our culture and found a place in our hearts forever.
While the part of Toto in the Wizard of Oz was played by a female Cairn Terrier, she also starred in sixteen other feature length films. Benji on the other hand was a mixed-breed shelter dog that was rescued by another animal trainer who took him on many adventures on the big screen.
Finicky Feline and Grumpy Gato
Many may not remember Morris the Cat, known as being the most finicky eater who would still consumed the Nine Lives ® brand of cat chow back in the seventies. Even more recently, Grumpy Cat, owned by Tabatha Bundesen, turned this former waitress into an internet sensation worth over $100 million dollars practically overnight. Even though this sour puss was born in the Bundesen home, Grumpy makes personal appearances at shelters to help boost pet adoption numbers.
Whether you’re looking for a fluffy feline, a purebred pup or a mongrel mutt, consider the fact that 25% of all dogs dropped into shelters around the country are actually purebred pooches without papers, according to figures from the Humane Society of the United States. Whether you admire them for their natural beauty or want a certain breed that will fit in with your lifestyle and unique situation, you’ll still find a best friend for life at a shelter near you.
Author: Amber Kingsley
Heartworm Disease:
How It Affects the Lifestyle of Your Pets
With the aim to help pet owners on how to care for their furry pets such as cats and dogs, Jordan Walker keeps on writing informative posts at the Coops And Cages blog. To help increase our awareness, Jordan shares his post about heartworm disease.
Heartworm disease is a serious infection in animals, which are most common in pets, and might eventually become untreatable if not detected early. The carriers of this disease are the foot-long worms called heartworms. They are called such as they live inside an animal’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. If left untreated, the animal infected with heartworms may suffer from organ damage, heart failure, lung disease, and worse, this can even cause death.
Domestic animals such as dogs and cats can be infected with heartworm disease. It can also be detected in other mammals, and in rare cases, including humans.
How Heartworm Disease Is Transmitted to Your Pets
Heartworm disease or HW infection is caused by Dirofilariaimmitis, a parasitic worm that breeds through a mosquito bite. As the mosquito bites an infected animal, it then carries these baby worms which develop and mature in a 10 to 14 day period. When the infected mosquito bites another dog or cat or a disease-prone wild animal, the infective worms are then transferred to the animal through the mosquito bite wound.
Heartworms then destroy the important organs in the animal’s body as they travel through the bloodstream. Once the worms are inside the body of a new host, they mature into adult heartworms in a time span of six months. They continue to grow in size after reaching sexual maturity, or around three months after entering the animal’s heart. All these grown entwined heartworms cause the blockage of normal blood flow inside an animal’s heart.
When heartworms are already fully grown, they continue to produce their offspring and live for up to five to seven years inside a dog’s body and about two to three years inside that of a cat’s. As the number of mosquitoes starts increasing during the spring and multiply more during the summer, the number of heartworms inside an infected animal grows too.
How Heartworm Disease Affects Your Pet Cats
Cats can also have heartworm disease if bitten by an infected mosquito. However, heartworms do not grow well inside a cat’s body as a cat is the kind of host that is resistant to worms.
A cat infected with heartworm disease rarely shows any symptom. But some of them with the disease suddenly die even if they didn’t look sick at all. Aside from x-rays, heartworm disease can be detected in cats through blood tests and a heart ultrasound.
After three to six months of being bitten by an infected mosquito, heartworms then arrive in the heart and lung arteries of the cat. When these heartworms die, they release toxins into the cat’s bloodstream causing lung problems to the cat. The cat then shows symptoms of respiratory problems such as coughing, difficulty in breathing, and increased respiratory rate.
Prevention and Treatment for Heartworm Disease in Your Pet Dogs and Cats
Heartworm disease is easily preventable by getting a veterinarian’s prescription on what your pet dogs and cats should take. Through a complete animal checkup, the vet will advise you with the best course of treatment for your pet. It can be through a surgery and removal of heartworms inside the animal’s body, or through a series of drug injections.
Prevention is still better than cure. When you have noticed a sudden change in your pet’s behavior and she seems ill, consult a veterinarian immediately. By doing this, you are assured of your pet’s health and safety, and you get to spend more time with your beloved pet.
Our Mission
Author: Jordan Walker
Jordan is the lead content curator for Coops And Cages as well as a couple of other pet related blogs. His passion for animals is only matched by his love for ‘attempting’ to play the guitar. If you would like to catch him, you can via Twitter: @CoopsAndCages
Pet Education Library
Get them started out on the right paw. New pet owners receive a LOT of information when they adopt a new pet. But, how often does this end up getting lost or thrown away? Bayer Animal Health has an online library full of educational articles regarding pet care – everything from parasite prevention to how to give a dog a bath – that your clients and staff can easily access. Simply visit www.petbasics.com/education.