Pet Health

There’s only one downside to being a cat parent: stinky, dirty litter boxes. In addition to the mess and odor, clay and clumping litters often contain harmful chemicals that have no business near your family. That’s why iHeartCats partnered with  PrettyLitter , a revolutionary cat litter that blows the competition out of the water when it comes to safety, cleanliness, odor-control, and much more! So, how can PrettyLitter improve your life? 1. Less Litter Means Less Scooping With PrettyLitter , you use far less product and only have to scoop when there’s poop! Clumping litters turn urine into hard, messy lumps, but PrettyLitter absorbs and eliminates moisture. So, you only have to replace the crystals every 3 to 4 weeks, depending on the litter box size. https://iheartcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/iHeartCats-x-PrettyLitter-2.mp4   2. Less Dust, Less Mess We’ll get to how harmful the dust from traditional cat litters can be, but for now, let’s focus on the mess....

The litter box in your house might have a bad reputation, but a new name in kitty litter is changing everything pet parents know about how to keep cats healthy. We have partnered with PrettyLitter to give our readers an exclusive offer, 20% off your first order when you use code BESTPET20. Before PrettyLitter , cat litter was often thought of as a necessary evil. A hassle. Large, heavy bags. The dusty mess. And the odor. Thankfully, PrettyLitter eliminates all these problems – even the odor! Best of all, PrettyLitter not only makes life easier for you, it can make life better for your cat, too. Safe For Your Cat Let’s get a little technical for a moment. PrettyLitter is made of silica gel crystals – NOT crystalline silica. These two sound like the same thing, but that’s where the similarities stop. Silica gel, which is found in PrettyLitter , is non-toxic and non-flammable. Silica gel is completely safe for humans and cats. Crystalline silica, on the other hand, can cause dam...

When it comes to kitty litter, pet parents want a product that’s clean, easy to use, and odor-free. If you are still using clumping store bought litter, it’s time to up your kitty litter game. PrettyLitter offers cat parents a new way to take care of kitty business with less mess, no odor, and ultimate convenience. On top of that, it helps pet parents keep tabs on their cat’s health. There are so many reasons why PrettyLitter is the best brand in kitty litter. Here are the top 5 reasons your cat needs PrettyLitter . #1 – PrettyLitter Monitors Your Cat’s Health PrettyLitter distinguishes itself from store bought brands by using technology to track the PH level of your cat’s urine. The litter can identify illnesses early with a simple urinalysis. Plus, PrettyLitter allows you to do this in the comfort of your home. It can detect health concerns like UTIs, bladder stones, and metabolic acidosis . The litter changes color based on the PH level. Normal cat urine is dark yellow or ...

Using broad-spectrum CBD to bridge the gap between full spectrum and isolates. Broad-spectrum extract has very low THC content, far below that of full-spectrum hemp. I first developed broad-spectrum hemp products five or six years ago, in the infancy of the pet CBD craze. It was an important way to ensure the safety of these extracts for use with dogs. Over time, we’ve placed 500,000+ units of various products into the hands of veterinarians, and anecdotal reports indicate that there has been minimal to zero adverse reactions to the THC content of these formulations and no perceived diminution of efficacy for osteoarthritis, epilepsy and anxiety, the three most dominant applications for pet CBD. However, anecdotal evidence is not the same as unbiased, placebo-controlled, blinded research into a product’s efficacy. To this end, we are in the middle of a study at a veterinary rehab hospital in Austin, Texas, to measure the efficacy of our broad-spectrum extract in naturally...

To find out, we asked Robert J. Silver, DVM, MS, CVA, author of “Medical Marijuana and Your Pet: The Definitive Guide.” 5 Key Takeaways • Cannabis is the single most significant new development in veterinary pharmaceuticals to emerge in at least the last 20 years. • Currently, CBD has been demonstrated to be effective only for the treatment of osteoarthritis and some forms of epilepsy. • While both humans and dogs have endocannabinoid systems , they respond differently to CBD based on the configurations of their individual systems; therefore, research results for one species aren’t necessarily transferrable to the other. Tags:  health care CBD & Dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/3kkyKLv

Oh, little Finnegan, how I want to scritch your chin again…and again and again! From the care of Ellen Carozza LVT with the Nova Cat Clinic and the Chris Griffey Memorial Feline Foundation comes another adorable kitten, and he’s well on his way to strong and healthy as the newest member of #teamscratchndent . Only a few weeks old, Finnegan arrived in Ellen’s hands with what she described as “a wicked abscess behind his left ear.” The tiny tabby kitten was also experiencing neurological difficulties, leaving him unable to sit on his own or walk. Ellen told Love Meow, “He was absurdly small for his size for his birth date being January 3rd. He was quite wobbly to the point he could not hold himself up.” @thecatlvt/ Instagram @thecatlvt/ Instagram The cat lovers of Nova Cat Clinic went to work right away on the baby, giving him antibiotics, tasty food and supplements, and lots of hugs. Feeding time also required extra care as Finn couldn’t even sit up on his own to take a bot...

New documentary is a portrait of human-dog partnership. The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics) is a charming, mysterious and beautiful film about a cadre of venerable Northern Italian men and their beloved dogs. Together, they hunt one of the world’s most-prized culinary delicacies: the delectable white Alba truffle, coveted and desired by gourmands around the world. The film is also a study of the sweet love that exists between these men and their dogs as they work together towards a shared mission. The prized Alba truffle is found deep in the forests of northwestern Italy, in a region known as the Piedmont. Pungent but rarified mysteries, they cannot be cultivated and are exceedingly difficult to locate in their natural habitat. This tiny circle of canines and their elderly human companions are among the few who know how and where to unearth them. Tags:  media reviews dog culture videos from The Bark https://ift.tt/2ZLrJdi

Physical exercise isn’t the only way to stimulate your dog—engaging his mind works, too. Dear Bark: My 12-year-old Bulgarian Shepherd, Gus, has never been very interested in play. He struggles to play with other dogs and is not interested in fetch, tug or chase with me. He loves long walks and going to the dog park, but now that he’s older and has arthritis, my vet has directed me to keep our walks and visits to the dog park (disappointingly) short. Since I started working from home during the pandemic, Gus has been very restless, fussing for attention throughout the day. His behavior is making it hard for me to work. All the barking, scratching and licking my feet makes me think he’s frustrated by a lack of activity, but I’m at a loss! How do I get my quirky boy to play with me and work off some of this energy? Tags:  ask the expert Enrichments dog behavior dog training from The Bark https://ift.tt/2OWhu3p

Must love dogs, and a sense of humor really helps. When I envisioned my dog-walking service, I saw myself dressed in a cute white sweater and 501 red-tag Levis, walking along the Pacific shoreline with six attentive, well-behaved Golden Retrievers and Labradors. Being my own boss, making my own hours and being around dogs all day long. What could be better? Reality hit on my second day of professional dog-walking, when I twisted my ankle and fell face-first into the sand after chasing a ball-obsessed, overweight yellow Labrador named Willard and a Sheepdog named Bear who behaved like she was on an acid trip. Sand was everywhere—up my nose; down my pants; in my mouth, my shoes, my hair. It was an exceptionally bad start to my new career. Tags:  life with dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/3aQ6Eo0

Labrador receives a second chance to thrive following a historic cardiac procedure. As a puppy, Rudy preferred a secluded place to hide from his romping litter mates. When Jill and Chris Carter saw Rudy in the adoption shelter, their hearts went out to him. “His brothers and sisters would not allow him to hide,” Jill remembers. “Chris noticed that he was being drug out from his hiding place by his tail and being forced to join the puppy fun fest.” The Rochester, Minn., couple adopted Rudy and his sister, which they named Holly. Two weeks later when the Carters picked them up, the differences were striking. Rudy weighed 5 pounds while Holly had grown to 11 pounds. And Rudy appeared bloated. Their veterinarian recommended deworming, which didn’t help. “Holly was growing like a weed, but Rudy was rounder and not really growing,” Jill says. Tags:  veterinarian health care from The Bark https://ift.tt/3uj55XH

The importance of allowing dogs the freedom to decide, even in small ways. Someone once asked me, “What does it mean to allow dogs to choose? Why should they decide where to sleep, walk and play?” I’m often reminded that the idea of giving dogs a choice is dangerously close to anthropomorphism. But I argue otherwise. All animals—those who live in the wild and those who spend their days with humans—make choices every day. Some of those choices cost them their lives, and some help them survive. In either event, the outcomes are at least partially determined by the animal. Tags:  dog behavior from The Bark https://ift.tt/3ke2E3X

Rouen is a certified Therapy dog. She loves her visits to the local library and enjoys having the children read to her. Tags:  smiling dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/2P2DEkH

When Tuff is not enjoying the outdoors, he can be found in the bay window on his dog bed watching the desert critters play in the yard. Tags:  smiling dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/2ZCkOTC

Training dogs to detect prostate cancer gets one paw closer to a ‘robotic nose’ to diagnose the disease, including most lethal form. A study by Medical Detection Dogs, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University combined three current methods of diagnosing prostate cancer for the first time to detect the disease early. Larger-scale studies planned to develop a machine olfaction diagnostic tool – a ‘robotic nose’ – that may ultimately be a smartphone app of the future with prototype developed by MIT. Tags:  dogs help us work of dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/3pE0w6J

The FDA is alerting dog owners that Sportmix dog food contained potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins. Multiple samples of SportMix pet foods, manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc., contained in excess of 400 parts per billion (ppb) of aflatoxin, according to information contained in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Inspectional Observations report (Form 483) dated 5 February 2021. The FDA’s action level for aflatoxin in pet food is 20 ppb. Tags:  food & nutrition recall from The Bark https://ift.tt/3bg49KH

A common canine cancer, described Canine melanoma, one of the five most frequently diagnosed cancers, can develop in many places on a dog’s body. The way the tumor behaves varies with its location. What is it? A canine melanoma arises in pigment cells on the skin (where, unlike human melanomas, it’s usually benign), in the mouth, in the nailbed (toenail) or footpads, or in the eye. While human melanomas are generally the result of too much sun, that doesn’t seem to be the case for dogs. Light-colored dogs are rarely affected by a melanoma; it’s more commonly found in dogs with dark coats and darkly pigmented skin. Oral melanoma (OMM) is the most common form and is often discovered during a routine examination or by the owner. It may appear on a dog’s gums, lips, tongue or hard palate. Tags:  wellness health care from The Bark https://ift.tt/3apHtZh

A common canine cancer, described As they age, most dogs will develop a lump or bump, or a whole series of them. It can be tempting to ignore them, or to write them off as just another old-dog thing. While that’s what they often are, they should always be checked out by your veterinarian. Canine mast cell tumors are one of the five cancers most frequently diagnosed in dogs. What is it? Part of the immune system, mast cells’ job is to respond to inflammation and allergic reactions. Among other things, mast cells contain granules of histamine, which are released in allergic/hypersensitivity reactions (think hay fever). They are found in connective tissues, particularly those close to the surface. When mast cells proliferate at a tissue site, a tumor may result. Accounting for about 20 percent of all skin tumors, mast cell tumors can be locally invasive, which sometimes makes them difficult to remove completely. Tags:  wellness health care from The Bark ht...

As a cat parent who loves your special kitty, you want to feed him the best food available and, in your home, this might mean learning how to make homemade cat food. But the world of the cat chef isn’t as cut and dry as buying a pack of chicken breasts, boiling them up, and feeding it to your purrrsnickety feline patron. Sure, kitty will gobble the chicken down, but meat alone won’t offer your cat the full range of nutrients he needs. When cats eat small prey, they eat bones, organs, muscles, and skin in order to get the full range of healthy benefits from their snacks. Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, DVM, says , “Keep in mind:  Bones = calcium (etc.)…..Meat = phosphorus.” Learning how to make homemade cat food is serious business and you can’t be squeamish in the kitchen if you want to feed your kitty right. Keep in mind, cats require very specific nutrients to maintain good health. So, before you start crafting a purrsonalized dining experience, let’s have a look at what cat bodies ne...