Many cat owners never learned to trim their kitten’s nails and struggle with nail trims for their adult cat. To prevent scratches to people and furniture, as well as to decrease the potential of too long nails causing pain, difficulty walking, and other medical issues your cat’s nails will need to be trimmed from time to time. To make trimming your cat’s nails easy for you and acceptable for your cat will take time, patience, and rewards. There are several low stress handling methods that can be used to make it easier for you to trim nails, such as a

Technique for Kittens If you have a kitten, your work starts now! Between three and nine weeks, kittens are at an important age for socialization. Now is the time to expose your kitten to other people, animals, and situations such as nail trims. Treats are the best rewards to use with your kitten. This will help them associate nail trims with a positive experience.      Kitten on back Photo Courtesy of CattleDog Publishing      First, figure out what position your kitten prefers. Choose a position that will keep your kitten at ease and that will allow you to

Introduction Dogs are living longer these days than ever before due to advanced veterinary care and better nutrition. However, as they get older, age-related diseases such as arthritis, dental disease, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, thyroid disease, cancer, and decreases in vision and hearing can all result in subtle or more obvious behavioral changes in dogs. These changes can include decreased activity, loss of appetite, and even aggression. What about Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CCDS)? Similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans, another disease to consider in older dogs is canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CCDS). This disease affects the brain, causing behavioral changes

Cats learn by association, so the sudden appearance of the carrier tends to signal that something scary is happening. Training cats to love their carriers is beneficial for many reasons. The key is to build and maintain a positive association with the carrier to make your cat’s visit to the veterinarian as low stress as possible.

Storm phobia, or fear of storms, is a common behavior in dogs. A magic pill to treat a noise or storm phobia does not exist. Treatment involves a combination of environmental management, behavior modification, and medication.

Recommended by veterinarians, daily toothbrushing is one of the best ways to slow the progression of dental disease, lengthen the time between professional cleanings, and has many other benefits to your pet’s overall health. When you brush your pet’s teeth it’s okay if you aren’t perfect. It is more important for your pet to be comfortable and willing to accept frequent brushing.