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Pet Halloween Costume Ideas

Traditionally, Halloween night has been an occasion for kids, and often for their parents as well, to dress up in fancy costumes and go trick or treating about the houses in the neighborhood. And nowadays, it appears that the family pet is not to be deprived of its share of the fun, and is also brought along to add to the familial spirit of the festival. From taking the dog or the cat along, it is but a simple step if you want to make the pet a full-fledged participant in the revelries: why not dress the pet up in a pet Halloween costume? The idea may appear to be a bit weird or even funny but consider: firstly, Halloween is the night that you are licensed to be weird; and secondly there are scores of festivals and competitions organized all over the USA at which people dress up their pets for fun and games. So then there's no reason why your pet can't put on a Halloween costume and join in the fun.

Pet Halloween costumes are in fact getting increasingly popular and are readily available at all the major pet stores and even departmental stores like Wal-mart and Target have separate sections for pet Halloween costumes. Since this is still a niche market, the costumes are somewhat expensive, but depending on the sum you wish to spend you can choose anything from simple dresses to those which are not a whit any less elaborate than the most complicated human Halloween custom. So you can dress up your cat, dog or pet iguana as a princess, a fairy, a devil, or for that matter even a cow. The choice is simply amazing. But when purchasing that costume, be sure to size it correctly. Since the pets are not generally used to wearing dresses, much less elaborate ones, a costume which is a bit too large can cause the pet to trip up, or it may even manage to wriggle out of it.

In consideration of this last problem, it may not only be simpler but also more effective to make your own pet Halloween costume. You are likely to find all the items you require already in your house. A simple pet Halloween costume need be nothing more than a hat! So for that perfect Halloween dress for your pet, get yourself an old hat and attach a Velcro strip, two pieces of string or even a belt, whatever is handy, to act as a fastener. But before the actual show time, it might be a good idea to get the pet accustomed to wear the hat. Provided it has had some practice, the pet shouldn't try to get it off, and all would be well. You could also try and add some accessories to the plain hat, such as a pair of sunglasses or a bandanna. The super-pet is sure to impress the neighbors and get a little extra candy on the night.

You could also try some more elaborate Halloween costumes for your pet. So for instance, you could coordinate the costume for the pet with the ones that your children are wearing: if your child is in a puppy costume, how about having your dog dress up as a mommy, nurse or a nanny. Or if the dog is rather small, you could dress it up as a baby in swaddling clothes and make your child play the role of the nurse with a pram. The range of things you could do to make your pet a part of your Halloween festivities are boundless: by your effort, imagination and creativity you are sure to come up with a great Halloween costume for your pet

Protection From Ticks During Summer Months For Pets and Pet Owners

Anyone with pets knows how determined ticks can be in the summer months, but due to the mild winter prior, ticks have become even more of a nuisance across the country. Veterinarians have seen an increase in the number of pets arriving to their door with ticks spread across their coats. An increase in ticks on pets means a potential increase in exposing ticks to their owners. Not only are ticks dangerous to pet health, but they are the harbinger of deathly diseases for humans too. Most notably, ticks are known to carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but can also carry other lesser-known diseases such as Relapsing Fever and Babesiosis, all which can be debilitating and painful.

While Lyme disease is prevalent in northern states of the US and affects pet owners and pet health, the disease is found in deer ticks that live in almost all states. The deer tick, also known as the Black-legged tick, is identified to keenly bite humans in its nymphal phase, the moment just before it becomes adult, which happens in the summer months when humans are mostly outdoors. Once it becomes an adult, the percentage of humans who contract the disease from the deer tick decreases, as exposure to human donors becomes nominal. The Lyme disease bacterium is known to live in mice, squirrels and other small animals. The bacterium is transmitted among these animals, and to other animals, through the bites of ticks. Within the northeastern and north-central regions of the United States, the black-legged tick transmits Lyme disease. In the Pacific coastal United States regions, the disease is spread by the western black-legged tick. These are the only species of tick found in the United States that have been shown to transmit. Most infections to affect pet health can be passed by an infected tick to pet owners as well.

The ticks that have been prolific this season are not of the Ixodes genus, but of the Dermacentor genus. The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), as well as the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) is responsible for the transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. American dog ticks are considerably bigger than that of a deer tick and have noticeable white markings on the back of the female tick. Those who become infected with Rocky Mountain spotted fever will need hospitalization, as it can be a life-threatening disease and detrimental to human and pet health conversely. Prevention of exposure relies solely on the person who is in contact with the tick. Hikers and outdoorsmen need to wear insecticides that contain DEET and apply it often to skin and clothes while outside. Wearing light colored clothes help determine if ticks are on the body and conduct a full body search once indoors. To remove ticks, use a pair of tweezers to grasp closely to the skin and pull straight up. It is of great importance that the head be removed, as it could lead to infection at the bite that will require doctor's attention. It is best to allow the tick to remain intact, as contact with the bodily fluid could contain infectious organisms. If possible, save the tick for identification, in case any symptoms appear in the days following.

With pets, monitor their coats for any signs of infestation, as well as implementing a flea and tick control regiment to discourage ticks from attaching. It is also a good idea to monitor the pet health, as fleas and ticks tend to attach to unhealthy and elderly animals. Maintaining a healthy environment for pets and their owners can ensure that both are happy and disease-free. The only way to prevent tick attachments is to avoid areas that ticks inhabit, by limiting exposure to the outdoors and animals that are infested.

Boarding Your Pets

Sometimes you have some things that you and your family need to do. On occasion this involves a trip that your cat or dog cannot accompany you on. In cases like this, you should know that you have some options.

The first option that tends to come to mind is to have a friend or neighbor come by your home a few times a day to take care of your pet. People also think about leaving their dog or cat with a friend. While these options may seem like the easiest way to go about things, they may not be the best. Leaving your pet home alone for most of the day can make him or her lonely. Your sudden absence can have a large effect on your pet, boring him or her, and possibly leading to a depression if you are gone for long enough. Because of this you may think that it is better to leave your pet with a friend.

This gives your pet the company that he or she craves while you are gone. However, this may still be the wrong choice. If there is an emergency while you are gone, your friend will have to take your pet to the veterinarian. In this case, the friend may not know the medical history of your pet, or where to get it. This could cause some fairly large problems.

Another option to consider when you go on your trips is to board your pet at a veterinary clinic. Your pet will have the company of the clinic staff to keep him or her happy. If your pet is on any medications, the knowledgeable clinic staff can administer them as often as is necessary. This can be a great help that your friend or neighbor may or may not know how to do. If there is ever any kind of emergency with your pet while you are gone, he or she will already be at a veterinary clinic. This means that there is no lost time in transportation. Also, the clinic will have your pet's entire medical history on record. This will be a great help in that the veterinarian will know what he or she can and cannot do or give to your pet.

It is always very important to do what is best for your pet. The better you take care of your pet, the longer he or she will be around to bring joy into your life.

Your Pet and Glucosamine

Uri acid is part of red meat and this meat is found in a lot of dog foods. The dilemma is that too much uric acid is a cause of arthritis. Glucosamine helps reduce the inflammation. Cartilage and synovial fluid have glucosamine in them; cartilage is part of the connective tissue and synovial fluid is a lubricant for the joints.

Glucosamine has been shown to help alleviate these health problems: rheumatoid and osteoarthritus, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, inflammation, bursitis, and disc degeneration. This nutrient will benefit your dog by reducing the inflammation in his discs, joints, and his siatic nerve. A common health ailment that dogs develop and more so large dogs is hip dysplasia; that means that there is a ball and socket situation. In other words, the joint moves out of alignment. This ailment can begin in a young dog and there won't be any symptoms like pain or limping until later. The good news is that glucosamine supplements can help this problem. Cats also find glucosamine beneficial if they develop arthritis, which is less common for them, but if a cat has had trauma to a joint it can develop.

This supplement can make the difference between a dog or cat suffering from inflamed joints and hobbling around and one that can move freely and whose pain and inflammation have been reduced. Dogs that are jumpers put more strain on their joints and are more likely to develop joint problems. Supplementing while your dog is younger can help to reduce the incidence of joint aliments.

Pets and Roundworms

While keeping your pet healthy and happy, a pet owner needs to be aware of various gastrointestinal parasites and how to recognize them in your pet. One of the most common types of parasites pets suffer from is the roundworm. Roundworms can easily be passed from one pet to the next. Depending upon the type of roundworm, it is even possible for your dog to pass roundworms to your cat or for your cat to pass roundworms to your dog. Therefore, it is important to know how to identify these parasites so you can treat them properly and keep your pet healthy.

Identifying Roundworms
Roundworms can be easily spotted in your pet's vomit or stool and look somewhat like pieces of cooked spaghetti, in that they are long and thin. Roundworms can be passed on in many ways, including from a mother's milk to her puppies or her kittens. Roundworms can be passed on through ingestion of another animal that has become infested with roundworms.

Types of Roundworms
The type of roundworms that affect dogs and cats may be different, with the one affecting dogs being called Toxocara canis and the ones affecting cats being called Toxocara cati. These roundworms cannot be passed between dogs and cats, but there is a type of roundworm called the Toxascaris leonine that infects both dogs and cats.

Passing on Roundworms
Regardless of the type of roundworm, they are often found in soil and the eggs of this parasite are resistant to both weather and chemicals. As such, they can remain infective for several years, which means your pet can become repeatedly infected. Pets often pick up roundworm eggs in their fur while playing in the grass and dirt. Later, pets lick their fur during grooming, the eggs are ingested and later hatch.

Developing Roundworms
After hatching, the larvae continue to grow inside your pet's small intestine. It only takes about three to four weeks for the larvae to mature and become adults. Once they mature, larvae produce more eggs, which are passed out of your pet through its feces. After the eggs are passed, it takes about one week before they become infective.

Preventing and Treating Roundworms
You can help keep your pet healthy and free from roundworms by giving it preventative medication, with the most common being pyrantel pamoate. Although this drug is effective at killing roundworms, it is only effective against the adult worm. Therefore, it is necessary to give your pet a second dosage about three to four weeks after administering the first dose. Otherwise, the eggs laid by the adults will hatch, produce additional eggs, and continue the cycle of infection.

The second dose of medication is essential in order to rid your pet of roundworms. If you allow too much time to pass before you provide the second dose, the adults will continue to produce eggs, which will continue the cycle leading to your pet becoming reinfected. Vigilence in administering the medication and following the recommended treatment is essential to assuring your pet becomes free from infection.