There are different places from which to adopt a pet. Shelters or pounds have many animals that were previously stray or unwanted. They may have mutts or purebreds. Purebred rescue groups recruit people who are fond of a particular breed of dog or cat to foster homeless pets until they can be adopted out. There will probably be nominal fees associated with adoption to help counter the costs of feeding and sheltering the animals.

A benefit of pet adoption is the option to obtain either a young or mature pet. With cats, their personalities are not fully revealed until adulthood. Adult dogs may come already housetrained, avoiding the accidents in the house during puppyhood. Some people like to adopt pets with special needs that would not otherwise find a home.

Another consideration to make before adopting a new pet is the financial cost. All pets will require vaccinations, spaying or neutering, and good nutrition. Health problems and emergencies can arise down the road for which the owner will be financially responsible. Talk to a veterinarian about the potential costs of pet ownership. Many pets wind up in shelters for this very reason.

If a family has very young children, it may be best to wait on adopting a new dog or cat. The children should be mature enough to understand right and wrong ways to handle a pet. Waiting a few years may avoid a trip to the emergency room with a bitten finger.

Adopting a pet is a life-enriching experience. Dogs and cats provide unconditional love and companionship to their owners. Consider adoption over purchasing an animal from a breeder or a pet store. There are too many pets already that just need good homes.

Puppies should be fed at least three times a day, and they should always have access to fresh water. A name brand premium puppy food will provide proper nutrition to grow up healthy and strong. Supplemental vitamins are not usually required when a good balanced diet is fed. Puppies should be fully weaned before adoption.

Crate training is the fastest way to house-train a puppy. It helps to establish a schedule for sleeping, playing, feeding, and eliminating. The crate is never used for punishment, as the puppy should consider it a safe and happy place to be.

A puppy’s stools should be checked to be sure they are formed. If the puppy has diarrhea, it can quickly become dehydrated. Blood in the stool is a sign of serious illness or intestinal parasites. If the stools are not normal, seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

Obedience training begins as soon as the puppy’s attention span allows for it. Around six weeks old, dogs can begin learning basic commands like sit. Patience, persistence, and time are all that are required to properly train the puppy. Commands can become more complex as the puppy matures.

Puppies should be well socialized to people and other pets. Beginning at a very young age, the pup should learn proper interaction and social skills. Fear of people when the dog is older stems from improper socialization when it was young. Many behavioral problems can be avoided in this way.

Caring for a puppy is a challenge that will bring many rewards. Having a well trained, happy, and healthy dog begins with raising a puppy properly.

Implanting the chip can be performed without anesthesia. The procedure is relatively painless. A modified syringe and large bore needle are used to place the glass tube beneath the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Scar tissue forms around small barbs on the microchip to keep it from migrating out of place. Some pet owners will opt to have this procedure done at the time of spaying and neutering.

There are several brands of identification chips that are FDA approved for implantation in dogs and cats. Some brands can be read by other company’s scanners, and some cannot. Pet owner’s should consult their veterinarian about which brand of microchip is most universally readable in their area.

Microchipping is the most effective method of positively identifying your pet. Each year, thousands of dogs and cats are reunited with their owners thanks to this technology.

Pregnant and nursing queens should be fed free-choice high quality kitten food to provide the extra protein, fat, and calcium they will require to raise a healthy litter. Fresh water should always be available. A whelping bed can be made from a large box with warm blankets. Be sure it is large enough for the queen to arrange and groom her kittens when they are delivered. A heating pad is not recommended because the kittens will not be able to cool themselves by moving away from the heat source.

The queen may become especially needy during pregnancy, and this is normal behavior. Give her the extra attention she seeks. If she becomes aggressive however, it may be a sign of pain or complications with the pregnancy. Veterinary advice should be sought.

In may be necessary to assist the queen in cleaning the birth sac from the newborn kittens. Generally, she should not be bothered during labor; but if she can not tend to the kittens in a timely manner, remove the sac using a soft wash cloth to prevent suffocation. There will be amniotic fluid in the kitten’s mouth and lungs that can be aspirated with a bulb syringe or gently shaken out. Stimulate the kitten fairly vigorously with gentle rubbing until it begins squirming and crying; then allow the queen to finish grooming it.

Cesarean Section (surgical delivery of kittens) is rare in cats unless there are complications such as dystocia (an unborn kitten lodged in the birth canal). Phone numbers for an after hours veterinarian should be obtained in case emergency care is needed. Labor usually lasts a couple of hours. If more than 20 minutes of contractions elapse without delivering a kitten, or if a partial birth occurs and is not completed after 10 minutes of contractions, this is an emergency situation that requires immediate veterinarian intervention.

The decision to breed a cat should not be taken likely. Consider the hundreds of thousands of homeless cats that wind up in shelters or on the street every year. Spaying and neutering is the only way to avoid unwanted litters.

Both male and female cats are capable of urine spraying. It is unlike normal urination, in that the urine is forcibly deposited onto vertical surfaces. The cat will raise and shake its tail and spray urine onto a wall, furniture, or even a television at about nose height. Intact (un-neutered) male cats are the most likely culprits of spraying behavior and leave a distinctive tom-cat odor behind that can last for months. Spaying and neutering cats before sexual maturity (around 6 months old) can prevent about 90% of marking problems.

About 10% of cats will continue marking, or simulated marking where no urine is sprayed, despite spaying and neutering. This commonly occurs during territorial disputes in multi-cat households, or when a spraying tom-cat marks outside the cat’s home. Cats may increase marking behavior during times of stress, or when a new pet – cat or dog – is introduced into the household. Besides spraying urine, a cat may rarely deposit stool during marking behavior.

Marking should be differentiated from other very common inappropriate elimination problems in cats. Urinating just outside of the litter pan can be a symptom of Feline Idiopathic Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). If urine is found on the floor, or if no typical marking behavior is noticed, a urinalysis should be performed to rule out bladder and kidney stones or infections.

If the problem is indeed marking behavior, intact cats should be neutered or spayed. It may take weeks for hormone levels to subside and spraying to cease. Once spraying has begun, it can be very difficult to stop.

Changes in the cat’s environment such as new additions to the household including pets and people, and outdoor cat encounters, must be considered when a cat suddenly begins marking. The cat may need to be isolated in a separate room for a period of time until it can become acclimated to the changes. Occasionally, anti-anxiety medications can be used to help reduce stress in a persistent marker. All other forms of urinary tract disease must be ruled out before beginning any behavioral drug therapy.

If the problem arises from outdoor cats marking the house and yard, strategies to remove them need to be pursued. Closing curtains where indoor cats may observe the unwelcome intruders may help. Enzymatic odor neutralizers may help if it is possible to locate the source of the urine. They should also be used in the home where an indoor cat has sprayed in the past.

Even if the odors have been removed inside the house, a cat may continue spraying unless the cause is addressed. It may sometimes help curb spraying behavior by confining a cat to a very small room with only its own belongings. Cats are not likely to mark food bowls, litter pans, and personal bedding or toys.

Dogs have been domesticated by man for thousands of years. The canines we describe here are not feral dog descendants. It is obvious that a wild canine such as a wolf, coyote, dingo, or a jackal would not make for a good house pet. The domestic dog comes into the world seeking human companionship. Still, they are animals and their ancient instincts are strong. When we do not nurture the human-dog bond, they revert to those instincts that are not acceptable in our homes. Thus, our dogs are products of the environment that we control.

That said there are characteristics of certain breeds of dogs (and the predominant lineage of a mixed breed) that lend themselves toward aggressive behavior when mishandled. These traits are actually the inherent instincts of feral canines that we have bred into our dogs for particular purposes, such as herding livestock and hunting game. Eye contact with prey is a favorable dominant quality of shepherd dogs and pointers. However, eye contact from a small child may be interpreted as a challenge to an un-socialized dog and may provoke the dog to establish its dominance. Therefore, certain qualities may cause a dog to be more prone to aggression than others.

The bottom line is that we can predict most aggression, and avoid it, if we are paying attention to the needs and unspoken language of our canine companions. When choosing a dog for our family, we should select a breed with an energy level that is compatible with our own. A working breed such as a border collie needs a lot of activity to avoid inappropriate behaviors caused by boredom. Obedience training is mandatory for all dogs. In fact, training helps the dog to be confident because boundaries and rules are established. Insecurity and anxiety comes when the dog has no idea what we expect from it. Everyone in the house must participate in training. Being pack animals, dogs have a need to know where they fit in the hierarchy of the house. A child should not be perceived as subordinate to the dog. Furthermore, we must teach our children to respect the dog as well. Even the most docile animal has a pain threshold. On the other hand, if a child is especially apprehensive about a dog, it can trigger anxiety in the pet and lead to fear biting. Small children should never be left alone with any dog.

Spaying and neutering not only prevents unwanted litters of puppies, it also reduces aggressive tendencies. Hormones are powerful signals to become territorial, possessive, and dominant. The dog should also be taught to allow treatment of sensitive areas before any illness occurs. While a puppy, the feet should be handled, the coat brushed, and the ears cleaned. This will desensitize the pet and gain its trust that it need not be defensive. The puppy should always relinquish food. Many bites occur when a dog is guarding food. This instinct keeps wild canines from starving when the pack competes for a meal.

At the first sign of any aggressive behavior, professional help should be sought. Aggression is amplified over time. Every time a situation occurs, it reinforces the inappropriate response. A canine behaviorist can give an unbiased opinion to help an owner see what is going wrong. Many problems stem from the fact that our human nature causes us to see the dog’s actions as human emotions. We misinterpret signals that are uniquely canine. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

Thousands of dogs are euthanized for aggression. Yet more are allowed to become aggressive despite this tragedy. Public education is key to preventing the unnecessary destruction of man’s best friends.

The Spay Surgery
The ovariohysterectomy is an abdominal surgery that is performed under general anesthesia. Your cats belly will be shaved and cleansed, and an incision will be made a few inches below her belly-button. The veterinarian will remove both ovaries as well as the uterus. Several layers of stitches will close the incision internally. Your veterinarian may also close the skin with stitches, or may use a surgical adhesive. Following spay surgery, your cat will no longer go through heat cycles and will be unable to get pregnant.

Although the spay surgery is very routine, it is still a major abdominal operation. It carries the risks normally associated with general anesthesia and surgery. Your veterinarian takes numerous measures to keep your cat safe, such as checking her heart and lungs before administering anesthesia and monitoring her constantly while she is asleep. You can ask whether your veterinarian recommends any additional safety precautions, such as pre-anesthetic blood tests or administration of IV fluids during the procedure.

Benefits
Unspayed female cats usually go through three heat periods each year. During her heat period, your female cat may drip blood. She will also make every effort to sneak out to find a mate. As a result, she is at high risk for being hit by a car.

Unspayed female cats suffer from a high incidence of mammary tumors, false pregnancies, uterine infections, and reproductive cancers. Spaying your cat greatly reduces the risks of these cancers. It has been said that it may be beneficial to let your cat produce one litter of kittens before she is spayed; however, this is not at all necessary.

The final benefit of spaying is that its the best way you can help end pet overpopulation. Every year, 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters. None of us wants to contribute to that sad statistic, but we may do so unwittingly. Cats adopted to apparently good homes may be given away or lost.

Considerations Before Surgery
Consult with your veterinarian about when to schedule your cats spay surgery. Traditionally, pets are spayed at around six months of age. However, some veterinarians advocate performing the procedure earlier. If possible, schedule your cats surgery when she is not in heat.

The night before your cats surgery, remove her food and water before you go to bed. She should not eat or drink anything during the night or the morning of her surgery.

Considerations After Surgery
Your cat may go home the day of her surgery, or may stay in the hospital overnight. If she goes home the same day, expect her to feel a little groggy. Keep her indoors, in a warm, safe, quiet room away from other pets. During the first week after surgery, try to restrict her activity level. Mild swelling and soreness are common, but let your veterinarian know if you see any discharge or if the swelling is excessive. It is very important to keep the litter box very clean for your cat following surgery.

If your cat was in heat when she was spayed, she will continue to attract males during this time. Keep her away from male cats during her recovery so that she isnt accidentally injured. Stitches, if present, will need to be removed in about 10-14 days. If you have any concerns about your cat following her surgery, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian.

The Spay Surgery
The ovariohysterectomy is an abdominal surgery that is performed under general anesthesia. Your dogs belly will be shaved and cleansed, and an incision will be made a few inches below her belly-button. The veterinarian will remove both ovaries as well as the uterus. Several layers of stitches will close the incision internally. Your veterinarian may also close the skin with stitches, or may use a surgical adhesive. Following spay surgery, your dog will no longer go through heat cycles and will be unable to get pregnant.

Although the spay surgery is very routine, it is still a major abdominal operation. It carries the risks normally associated with general anesthesia and surgery. Your veterinarian takes numerous measures to keep your dog safe, such as checking her heart and lungs before administering anesthesia and monitoring her constantly while she is asleep. You can ask whether your veterinarian recommends any additional safety precautions, such as pre-anesthetic blood tests or administration of IV fluids during the procedure.

Benefits
Unspayed female dogs usually go through two heat periods each year. During her heat period, your female dog may drip blood. She will also make every effort to sneak out to find a mate. As a result, she is at high risk for being hit by a car.

Unspayed female dogs suffer from a high incidence of mammary tumors, false pregnancies, uterine infections, and reproductive cancers. Breast tumors are the most common type of cancer in dogs. One out of every four unspayed dogs will get breast cancer, and half of the tumors are malignant. Unspayed dogs are also prone to pyometra, a life-threatening infection of the uterus. Spaying removes the possibility of diseases of the ovaries and uterus, and comes close to eliminating the chance of mammary tumors.

The final benefit of spaying is that its the best way you can help end pet overpopulation. Every year, 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters. None of us wants to contribute to that sad statistic, but we may do so unwittingly. Puppies adopted to apparently good homes may be given away or lost. In six years, one female dog and her offspring can produce as many as 67, 000 dogs!

Considerations Before Surgery
Consult with your veterinarian about when to schedule your dogs spay surgery. Traditionally, pets are spayed at around six months of age. However, some veterinarians advocate performing the procedure earlier. If possible, schedule your dogs surgery when she is not in heat.

The night before your dogs surgery, remove her food and water before you go to bed. She should not eat or drink anything during the night or the morning of her surgery.

Considerations After Surgery
Your dog may go home the day of her surgery, or may stay in the hospital overnight. If she goes home the same day, expect her to feel a little groggy. Keep her indoors, in a warm, safe, quiet room away from other pets. During the first week after surgery, try to restrict her activity level. Leash walks are OK, but avoid excessive running, jumping, and roughhousing. Be sure to check her incision daily. Mild swelling and soreness are common, but let your veterinarian know if you see any discharge or if the swelling is excessive.

If your dog was in heat when she was spayed, she will continue to attract males during this time. Keep her away from male dogs during her recovery so that she isnt accidentally injured. Stitches, if present, will need to be removed in about 10 14 days. If you have any concerns about your dog following her surgery, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian.