Nail Trims

This is a very emotional topic with animals and their owners. One of the suggestions I usually give new puppy owners is to play with their feet as much as possible. One of the reasons dogs hate to have their nails trimmed is that no one ever touches their feet. Then they go to the vet and someone "grabs" their foot and makes a loud noise next to it. A nail trim doesn't hurt an animal anymore than cutting your fingernails. If you get to close and "quick" them then it probably does hurt some.  Its not near as horrific as they make it out to seem. If they are used to having their feet messed with then it's not as traumatic and they are much calmer for the whole process.  I have trimmed nails for a very  long time and occasionally I will get one to close. If you try to do it at home and cut one close and it starts to bleed... don't panic. They will not bleed to death from a nail trim and they are reacting from your emotions as well, they can sense how nervous and scared you are and then they figure it  must be really bad if you are scared.
 The best thing to do is apply pressure to the tip of the nail. It may take up to a minute of applying the pressure for the bleeding to stop. Once they have gotten upset it raises their blood pressure and the bleeding seems worse.
 You can use some corn starch,or an old piece of soap or just a piece of paper towel, whats important is the pressure. Try to calm them and talk soothing to them while you are holding it, get both of you calmed down. Animals, like people, have their nails growing at different speeds. Some of them need a nail  trim every two weeks and others not so much.
 On white nails its easy to see the blood vein. You will see the margin of pink inside the nail close to the foot. I normally do not try to get it as close as possible I merely try to get the hook part off. On the black nails it is alot easier to quick them. If you just try to get the hook part cut off usually you will be fine.  Practise makes perfect and it will get easier. The technicians at your local vet will be happy to show you.

Obesity

Why is obesity in animals so bad? Just like in people the extra weight on an animal is very detrimental to their overall health. Excess fat build up in the abdominal area will actually move organs and can constrict some organ function. If you have a dog that should weigh 12 pounds and it weighs 17 then he needs to lose 5 pounds, that is greater than 10% of his body weight. It is just as difficult for an animal to lose weight as it is for people, the advantage we have is that we can control their food. In the example above the dog that should weigh 12.. its body is not meant to carry that much weight around so you are adding significant stress to the joints and heart. Many dogs will tear their ACL 's (anterior cruciate ligament) carrying that much weight. Doctors are hesitant to perform surgery like that on an overweight patient because you are putting all the weight on the other leg while that one is healing and 9 times out of 10 they will tear the ACL on the "good leg".
The heart also has to work much harder to bring valuable oxygen and nutrients to all organs of the body. They also run the risk of becoming diabetic. Yes dogs and cats can be diabetic and there are alot of them out there. Treating diabetes in an animal is very demanding on your time. They require strict regiments of diet, exercise and insulin injections.
 If you have an overweight animal and want to get them back into shape here is some advice. Do not use "light" foods, as these are designed to actually help them maintain the weight they are at and not to lose. You will need to purchase a prescription diet for weight loss. These diets are high in fiber to help them "feel" full and they have a specific caloric intake. You also need to look at the treats and how many you are feeding a day. Most treats are empty calories so you may need to replace them with diet treats while they are losing weight. Sticking to the regiment your vet has given you will give you great results. You may even find that when you get them to the weight they should be at they will have alot more energy and look happier.
 Being significantly overweight will shorten the life span of your pet. I will be happy to suggest treat options and the different diets out there if you have any questions.

Training cats II

Again.. this is not an easy task to do, so it will take patience and diligence. Teaching a cat to not jump on furniture. The only advice I have on this is again cats are sensory animals so if you can put 2 sided tape on the piece of furniture you are trying to deter them from, that will help. They will jump up and not like the tape sticking to them and jump down. You must do this for acouple weeks at least to really drive the point home. I also suggest, and for some reason the guys love this one, get a water gun and keep it handy. Now the REALLY important part is you do  NOT  let the cat see who is using the water gun, so you will have to hide and they will associate jumping up on the table or chair with getting wet and they usually don't like water. Also they have a strong aversion to citrus scents so you can always try to use that on the specific area.  Do not try to many of these options at once, pick one and stay with it for acouple weeks to see if it will help. If they know who is getting them wet then they will just not come around when that person is there, so they cant see where the water is coming from.
One other bit of helpful advise, you can rub catnip on the sides,if you will, of a cat scratching post to attract them to it. Once they have a spot to scratch the rest of the house should be safe. If they have already picked a spot that is not acceptable then you will have to try the 2-sided tape and the catnip enhanced scratching post. Make sure to put the post close to the original area to help them make the transition.
Making them a place just for them will give them somewhere to go  like a window seat with a lambs wool blanket on it will attract the most finicky nappers. Having an assortment of toys to stimulate their senses can help save destructive behavior from starting.

Training cats......hmmm

Well not to leave out our feline friends I am going to touch base on a few of the issues I have seen with cats.  One is going to the bathroom outside the litter box. Again you have to look at several options to rule out any health issues. Cats will do this behavior when they are not feeling well, to let you know. If they have always used the litter box and then one day you find urine in the sink or tub, you need to take them to the vet. They may have a urinary tract infection,fever, even allergic skin issues can be enough to offset their normal routine. If they have a clean bill of health from the vet there is an issue we call litter box aversion.  If you have changed the litter recently it can be something as simple as they don't like the texture or feel of the new litter on their feet.  Is the litter box big enough for the size cat or do you have enough litter boxes for the number of cats you have in the house. You may  need to  get acouple different litter samples and set out acouple boxes and see which they prefer. A multi cat household will need more than one litter box and if you have a 2-3 story house you may  need to have boxes at different levels of the house.
 Older cats can have issues climbing into larger boxes, or up onto raised areas. They also will need more boxes for quicker access.
 I cant stress the need to clean the boxes at least once a day, keeping that area as clean as possible will help deter any "bad" behavior from starting. Once they have started urinating inappropriately it is very hard to stop them. The scent in that area brings them back to urinate again. Don't use cleaners with ammonia in it as that can imitate the urine odor. Some people have used citrus scents sprayed in that spot as strong odors like that tend to repel cats.  They are very scent oriented. It can also be the introduction of a new cat to the household that starts the inappropriate behavior as well as a  stray cat outside that is  upsetting your house cat. A new addition to  your house such as a baby or house guest, moving to a new house or moving their litter box can also upset them. There are lots of factors to think about when they start inappropriate eliminating around the house, so you have to look at the environment as well as the cat to try to solve this one.
Any problems or questions with this issue click  on the comment link and send them to me.

New Puppy training

When you go to pick out a puppy, you should observe them all playing for a few minutes. You don't want one that is nervous or extremely shy as they can grow up to be fearful. I like to pick one that is observant and inquisitive. Pick them up and flip them over to expose their belly.  Exposing your belly is a submissive position for dogs, so some are reluctant to allow this to happen. If you want a strong willed dog and are willing to put alot of training in with them, then that's a good puppy for you. I  like to find one that doesn't mind being on their back.
 Then following the post earlier about handling them all over, I start that as soon as possible. You get them desensitized to being handled so that the vet visits wont be so scary.
I also tell people not to use old socks or shoes as toys. New puppies do not know the difference between the old shoe and the brand new pair you just brought home. Keep a basket of assorted toys available, puppies need different textures to chew on while they are teething and having their own toys in the same place helps them to know what is theirs. It is not acceptable to let your puppy use you as a chew toy, you need to discourage that behavior and give them an appropriate toy instead to chew on.
 I have found a great little booklet called Super Puppy Book, you can google it, that gives you information about several topics. It helps with house training and body language, I really recommend this booklet to all new puppy owners.
 Don't forget... if you have any questions or comments hit the link and send it to  me, I will be happy to help you as much as I can.