7 Steps To Your Pets’ Healthy Life

Tips for a healthy dog and cat.

Here at Clear the Air, we love our pets and want to provide them with a long and happy life. We would like to share some tips on keeping your pets’ happy and healthy.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Comment on our blog!

1. Regular Vet Visits – Just like a human, your pet can get heart problems or have arthritis. Prevent any issues by taking your pet to the vet to prevent any issues or catch them early.
2. Spay And Neuter – Sadly 8-10 million pets end up in US shelters every year. An easy way to stop that number from growing is to spay and neuter your cats and dogs. Not only does spaying and neutering cut down on the number of unwanted pets, it also can lower the risk of certain cancers and can reduce the risk of a pet getting lost by lowering the tendency to roam.
3. Parasite Prevention – Fleas and ticks are the most common external parasite to plague pets. Fleas can lead to irritate skin, hot spots, infection and hair loss. If your pet swallows a flea, it can end up with tapeworms. Year round prevention of parasites is important to your pets’ health.
4. Weight Control – Just like humans, obesity in pets in dangerous to your health. Do not over feed your pet. They need far fewer calories than most of us think. Ask your vet for feeding instructions.
5. Enriched Environment – Mental simulation for your pet is key to long term health and welfare for your cat and dog. Daily walks for dogs and scratching posts, window perches and toys for your cats are great for your pets.
6. Dental Care – Pets can suffer from gum disease, tooth loss and tooth pain. Make sure to keep up on regular brushing and oral cleanings to make sure your pets’ teeth stay healthy and clean.
7. No People Medication – Medicines for humans can kill your pet. The most common pet poisoning culprits are ibuprofen and naproxen. They can cause kidney damage, seizures and cardiac arrest in a dog or cat.

Danger: Garden Plants Toxic To Pets

Planning a garden for the spring? Make sure you stay away from planting these plants if you have pets!

Clear the Air would like to share some toxic plants you should avoid planting in your garden if you have pets. Check them out below:

Flowers

• Lilies: Any member of the lily family, from onions and leeks to Easter lilies are toxic to cats. Dogs may also be victim to this plant family.
• Oleander: This beautiful flowering bush is a danger to pets and to humans. A dog may think it’s great for a quick game of fetch, but that might be the last game the dog will ever play.
• Foxglove: Pharmaceutical companies use this biennial to make drugs for the digoxin family. It acts on the heart and can kill quickly.

Fruits

• Grapes: It doesn’t take many grapes or raisins to kill a dog, and the faster the animal gets to a vet, the greater the chance it won’t die. If your grape vine is like mine, it might be easier to keep the dog away from the vine as they fall off faster than they can be picked.
• Apple Family: Cats probably won’t be bothered by this because they don’t have a desire/need to chew on things. Dogs, on the other hand, are far more likely to have problems. Like oleander, the sticks are toxic. The cyanide content from the inedible parts of this family can kill. This family includes apricots, plums, cherries, apples and peaches.

Herbs

• Comfrey: Eating this plant can cause liver problems, no matter the species. It’s not a common herb garden plant, but it is beautiful, so it could be found in a flower bed.
• Chrysanthemum Family: Like the onion family, there are a lot of plants and they don’t look like they are related. Pyrethrum is used as fly spray on horses, and there are those who feel that it is dangerous. Stronger versions include wormwood, mugwort and southernwood. The latter is very aromatic.

Vegetables

• Tomato Family: Many vegetables in a veggie patch are related to tomatoes. This includes potatoes, eggplant and peppers. They are all members of the nightshade family. The edible parts are just that; edible. However, the rest of the plant, including leaves, is not safe.

When you are planning a garden, it’s a good idea to look up each plant. You can also talk to someone at the local nursery to make sure your pets are kept safe.

Does Your Dog Bed Smell?

How to eliminate doggy bed odors.

A lot of times our dog beds will acquire that good old “doggy smell” and although our dogs may think it smells heavenly, sometimes it’s nice to eliminate the odor so you can’t smell it laying in your bed!

What we recommend is taking apart your dog bed (should you have a cover on it) and throw it in the wash along with any blankets your dog may use in his bed.

After you wash and dry your dog’s bedding, we recommend sprinkling our Clear the Air Furniture Odor Eliminator on the padding before zipping up the cover around the dog’s bedding. Your dog’s bed should smell fresh and with Clear the Air in your dog’s bed, the doggy odor will stay away for longer.

If your dog bed cover can not be unzipped and separated from the padding within the bed, place your dog’s bed outside in a well ventilated area and sprinkle Clear the Air Furniture Odor Eliminator all over the bedding. Leave on the bed for 24 hours and when done, shake out the granules and vacuum any leftover granules.

It is also a good idea to hang our Clear the Air Odor Eliminator Bags above your dog’s bed to absorb any “doggy” odors your dog may leave behind.

Do you have any questions about eliminating odors? Please comment on our blog or contact our customer service agent!

How Safe Is Your Pet From Fleas?

Summer is around the corner and that means flea season.

Clear the Air wants to protect your pets from harmful pests such as fleas.

Is your pet safe from fleas? Follow these helpful steps below to make sure your pets aren’t overtaken by flea infestation this summer:

• Clean your home thoroughly. For any level of flea infestation, you will need to do a thorough house cleaning. Vacuum every corner of your home, wash all your dog’s bedding and toys, and vacuum your car too. Even if you don’t take your dog in the car, fleas can travel on yourself and stay in your car when you leave the home.
• Use a spot on medication such as Advantage or Frontline. Although only applied to one spot on your pet, spot on medicine is extremely effective at covering your pet’s entire body. The medicine is not affected by bathing, swimming or rain and will kill and repel fleas for several weeks before application. Make sure to purchase one that is appropriate for your dog’s age and size.
• If your flea infestation is serious, oral medications when combined with spot on medications will work to disrupt the life cycle of fleas. Try hiding the medicine in your dog’s food or smashing it into a powder and mixing it in your cat’s wet food.
• Bathe your dog with special medicated shampoo that kills fleas on contact. This process usually needs to be repeated every two weeks as the effective ingredients in these shampoos don’t last as long as spot-on or oral medications.
• Keep your yard trimmed back to help reduce the population of fleas. You can try using various yard sprays or granular treatments available at your veterinarian or garden center.

Prepare Your Dog for a New Baby

Tips to get your dog ready for a new baby.

Bringing home a new baby can be stressful on your pets, especially if you have always treated them like your “babies”! Check out Adopt A Pet’s helpful tips on bringing home a new baby and how to prepare your dog for the new family addition.

What does your dog expect when you’re expecting? We’ve heard stories of dogs curling around pregnant bellies, stealing baby toys, and many other silly and wonderful stories from our pregnant friends and family about their dogs behavior when a human baby is on the way!  Our friends over at Bark Busters —the world’s largest dog training company—offers tips to help families ensure a smooth transition for their dog when bringing home a new baby.

If you are expecting a baby and you have a dog, take time now to prepare your dog for the day you bring home your new child. “Dogs can feel rejected and become confused or stressed when parents suddenly shift their attention from dog to baby,” said Liam Crowe, CEO and master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA. “A dog doesn’t understand why a baby is being elevated above the dog in the pack. In trying to regain his pack position, the dog may seek attention through behaviors such as barking at the baby’s cries, jumping up, or chewing on baby’s things.”

Head on over to the BarkBuster’s Tips to Help Prepare Your Dog for the Arrival of a New Baby for help reducing bad behavior, easing everyone’s stress, and help to keep baby safe.

http://blog.adoptapet.com/prepare-your-dog-for-a-new-baby/

Can A Dog Tell When You’re Sad?

Dogs are much more perceptive than we think.  You may not be able to talk with him about your bad day at work but when he lies next to you with his nose on your lap, you can tell he just gets it.

Did you know a dog’s mind is roughly equivalent to that of a human two-year old’s and they have the social consciousness of a teenager? The following are emotions dogs can sense you are feeling:

Sadness: When you are down in the dumps, your dog will probably act extra-tame. Why do you think they use dogs for therapy for sick and elderly people? Scientists are still a few steps away from saying dogs have true empathy for humans but they are optimistic. In a study published in the journal Animal Cognition dogs would lick all around sad people’s hands or faces and some sweetly brought over toys.

Unfairness – Your dog may notice if you play favorites with other pets. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that when dogs saw other dogs getting treats for a trick they’d been performing unrewarded, the uncompensated dogs became visible distressed. In the study, as long as both dogs received a treat, one with a piece of sausage, the other with a piece of bread, both dogs were happy.

Priorities – When a baby comes home from the hospital and your pet is not longer the focus of your attention, he’ll pick that up pretty quickly. In some cases it can even lead to depression. Make sure you show love to your dog as well as your baby. A good suggestion is to bring an extra swaddling blanket to the hospital, wrap the baby in it, then bring it home and put it where your dog sleeps. This way your dog gets used to the scent from the very beginning and associates it with something he likes.

Annoyed or mad – If you’re angry with your dog, he’ll act submissive. That’s where the puppy dog look comes in. Interestingly enough, dog owners who scolded their pets whether or not they acted up, found the guilty look didn’t necessarily correspond to the dogs that actually had been naughty.

Fear – If something is menacing in your home, say a rat or intruder, as soon as you give off scared vibes, your dog will pick up on them. Unless you have a breed of dog that acts more as a guardian, your dog will most likely be just as scared as you are in that frightening situation. Your dog will usually mimic your emotion you put out. For example if you act cautiously and shy away, your dog probably will too.

Generosity – Did you know dogs watch and listen to your social interactions with other humans? In a study done out of the University of Milan, researchers had dogs observe two actors: one who kindly shared his cereal and sausage bits with a beggar, and another who shooed off the beggar harshly. Scientists found that, more often than not, dogs approached the more generous person when prompted—and it seems that a friendlier tone of voice made a difference. So beware: Your dog may judge your personality while you yell at your husband or kids.

Sickness – Believe it or not, it is not an urban legend that dogs can sniff out sickness. A fascinating research shows that many diseases, like lung cancer and prostate cancer, cause the body to give off odors that dogs are able to detect. In certain situations, a dog’s nose is between 1,000 and 10,000 times better than a human being’s. Dogs may not necessarily know if something is wrong, but they can tell something is definitely different.

Attention – Your pet is most likely sneakier than you think. In a study, researchers put treats on the floor in front several dogs, forbidding them to eat the food. The dogs behaved as long as the person watching them stayed in the room. When the person left, the dogs ate the treats within 5 seconds.

Why Does My Dog Roll In Things That Smell?

My dog smells!

Have you been on a walk with your dog and he runs off to pick the smelliest thing possible to roll around in? Don’t worry its normal!

We’re not sure why exactly dogs do it, but when they smell something that may smell bad to us; they have a tendency to roll in it.

Why do dogs roll in foul smelling things?

Maybe it is because they want to mask their scent just as their ancestors, the wolves do. Wolves roll in decomposing carcasses or the feces of herbivores to disguise themselves. By covering up their odors, their prey will not be alarmed by their scent allowing them to sneak up on their pretty and having a better chance at making a kill.

Another reason for dogs rolling around in things that have a strong odor is to tell their pack mates where they’ve been and what they’ve encountered in their adventures.

How do I prevent my dog from bringing home the smelly odor? Remember, rolling around in something that is smelly is a natural action for your dog. You should not punish your dog for this behavior but you can discourage him from doing it with these tips:

• If your dog rolls around in his own feces, immediately clean him up in your yard.
• Keep your dog on a short leash when walking him to prevent him from rolling around in other dog’s poop or other smelly things.
• You can also try making a loud or sudden noise when your dog starts to roll in something smelly. He will start to associate rolling around with the unpleasant experience of the noise you make.

Of course, if your dog rolls around in something foul smelling, the easiest way to eliminate the odor is to sprinkle Clear the Air’s Pet Odor Eliminator directly on his coat. It is non-toxic and 100% all natural.

Easter Safety for Pets

Easter safety for your dogs and cats.

Clear the Air would like to share an article from The Country Feed Store about pet safety during Easter. Check it out:

• Treats – Chocolate bunnies are popular this time of year however chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs. Small amounts of theobromine, the toxic ingredient in chocolate, can cause vomiting and restlessness in pets. Large amounts of theobromine can be fatal.
• Xylitol – Sugar free treats usually contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener used in many candies, chewing gums and baked treats. However, xylitol is extremely toxic to your pets. Don’t let your dog or cat snatch up a sugar free treat.
• Easter Lilies – Along with spring comes Easter Lilies. However, Easter lilies are toxic especially to cats. They can cause kidney failure and even death. Usually, when a cat consumes an Easter lily, they will vomit and usually become depressed within two hours. The vomiting will subside however the cat will not eat and will become more depressed. Call your veterinarian immediately.
• Plastic Easter Grass – Cats especially are attracted to the plastic grass you use for your Easter baskets. However, if ingested, it can cause gastrointestinal obstruction. If you suspect your cat has ingested the plastic grass, call your veterinarian immediately. Use paper Easter grass instead.
• Loud Noises – If you have a party and there will be loud noises and children running around, it might be wise to put your pet away in a quiet area. If your dog likes company, make Easter fun by creating an Easter basket for him and let him enjoy the festivities.

How To care For Your Dog’s Teeth

Caring for your dog’s teeth.

Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to caring for your dog’s teeth. Avoid disease with these helpful tips:

Starting a dental care routine as early as possible in your dog’s life will help him get used to the feeling of having his teeth brushed and inspected. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth that typically fall out by about six months of age. By this time, your dog should be getting his teeth brushed regularly.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind when brushing your dog’s teeth:

• Use a “finger brush” or special long toothbrush designed for use on dogs. When starting out with brushing, the finger brush can help ease your dog into it, as these do not feel as awkward as hard brushes.
• Don’t ever use human toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth – it can make your dog sick. Use special enzymatic toothpaste made especially for dogs. The same goes for oral rinses. You can pick these up at The Country Feed Store.
• Plaque begins to turn into tartar / calculus within 24-48 hours, so daily brushing is recommended. Work your dog’s tooth brushing into your own routine – consider brushing his teeth around the same time you do yours so it will be easier to remember.
• Before you begin, ask your veterinarian to show you some techniques to make tooth brushing easier on you and your dog.

If you are not able to brush your dog’s teeth, there are other options. Consider using oral rinses made especially for dogs. You can also purchase special dental treats. Avoid real bones – not only can they lead to gastrointestinal upset, they may also cause tooth fractures.

How To Eliminate Odors From Your Dog Bed

Eliminate “doggy” odors from your dog bed.

Does your dog bed have the “doggy” smell you can’t seem to get rid of? Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to making your dog bed smell a little less “doggy”!

If you have a cover you can take off of your dog bed, we suggest washing that in the washing machine along with any blankets your dog uses in his bed. Once you wash the cover, before you put it back on, sprinkle a thin layer of our Clear the Air Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator in your dogs bed. Now put the cover of the bed on and invite your dog to c0zy up! Having Clear the Air in the bed will help keep away that doggy odor for up to three months. Once three months is up, you will probably want to go through that process again.

If your dog bed does not have a cover and you cannot easily wash it in the washer machine, take it outside. Once outside, sprinkle Clear the Air Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator on the bed and let it sit outside in a well ventilated area for 24 hours. You may need a second application depending on how strong the odor is. After 24 hours, shake off the Clear the Air and vacuum the dog bed. Your fresh smelling dog bed is ready for use!

We also recommend hanging a Clear the Air Odor Eliminating Bag above your dog bed. As you know, Clear the Air does not have to come in contact with the odor producer, it will simply pull the odors like a magnet and eliminate them.

Do you have questions about keeping your dog bed clean and smelling fresh? Please comment on our blog or call us!