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Archive for November, 2018

What Causes Cats To Pee Outside Their Litter Box

Thursday, November 15, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

It can be very frustrating when your cat who always used their litter box suddenly starts to urinate around your home. What causes  this behavior change? Fellway.com attempts to answer this question. Fellway makes a product that will help stop your cat from peeing outside the litter box.

All cats, male or female, neutered or not, will mark out their territory with urine spraying. Normally this is rare and discrete. But when this natural behavior happens in your house, it can be very frustrating.

When this happens, it is due to fear and anxiety.

It can be a reaction to:

  • Recent changes at home:
    • New home, new furniture
    • New cat or kitten, new dog
    • New family member, baby, …
  • Conflict with other cats:
    • Competition for access to litter box

It can also be caused by a medical issue. If your cat starts peeing outside the litter box, please consult your veterinarian.
Especially older cats, who are at risk of more medical issues.

Using FELIWAY CLASSIC is clinically proven to stop urine spraying indoors.
It will help your cat feel calm and comfortable and may help reduce urine.

Using FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser continuously may help stop and prevent spraying, especially if your cat seems emotional and sensitive to any change at home.

Remember your pets count!

It’s time for the best oldies of all time. Edgewater Gold Radio plays the best mix of oldies from the 50s through the 80’s. Download the free Edgewater Gold Radio app or listen from our website: edgewtergoldradio.com.

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A Cat Designed My Mother Nature

Wednesday, November 14, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

If you were to design a cat that was perfect for cold climates, you probably couldn’t come up with a better cat that mother nature has already designed. The Norwegian Forest cat.  This is a very old breed that used to roam the seas with the vikings.  It has a beautiful long double coat that changes to fit the seasons.  The outer layer is waterproof, ready for harsh snow and rain.  The cats tail is long and bushy and its ears have long tufts for extra protection.  It’s interesting, but the Norwegian Forest cat does not require a lot of grooming. It also makes a wonderful house pet that is good with children and other pets. So if you’re considering a cat, buy those cat treats and cat toys for your Norwegian Forest cat!

Remember, your pets count!

The best oldies are always on Edgewater Gold Radio! Oldies variety play all the time on Edgewater Gold Radio. Listen from our website: Edgewatergoldradio.com.

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You’re at the pet shelter trying to decide on what pet to adopt. You’re staring at an adorable Yorkshire Terrier puppy. His little brown eyes, floppy ears and button nose warm your heart and you’re now ready to sign the adoption papers. There are certain things that you should know about Yorkshire Terriers. They were first bred in the 1800’s for the purpose of catching mice and rats. These dogs are very active and need lots of exercise. It’s also a good idea to have them properly trained at an early age. If not, they can be disobedient. Yorkshire Terriers are great dogs for apartment living. They are small and with their loud bark, make good watchdogs. They get along well with children who play gently with them. They can snap if frightened or are treated rough by a child.

Now that you’re aware of some of the characteristics of a Yorkie, do you still want to adopt him?  Sure you do, go ahead and sign those papers!

Remember, your pets count!

Tell Google or your Amazon Echo device to “Play Edgewater Gold Radio.” Your favorite oldies will flow all day! Edgewater Gold Radio plays the great variety of oldies from the 50s through the 80’s. Listen from our website: Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

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Millie, Not Your Typical Cat

Monday, November 12, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

Yesterday, we took a trip up to New York City to see a Broadway show. We left our cat Millie alone at home and since we were coming home later in the day, we saw no problem with this. Cats are independent creatures and could do fine by themselves for a few days. Millie is a little skiddish and was abandoned as a kitten during Hurricane Katrina. Her behavior is a little different than most cats.

When we arrived back home at about 10pm, there was no sign of Millie. We called her a few times and she did not respond. Usually during a normal day, she  comes out right away.  After calling her several times she came out from under the bed. I believe that being alone for an abnormal period of time frightened her and reminded her of the time she was abandoned during the hurricane.

Not all cats are alike. We always take into consideration that Millie is not your “typical” cat and reacts differently when there are changes in her routine.

Remember, your pets count!

Happy Veterans Day! Make it a great day with great oldies on Edgewater Gold Radio! The best mix of oldies – download the free Edgewater Gold Radio app from your app store. Listen from our website: edgewatergoldradio.com.

 

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Diagnosing Liver Diseases in Pets

Saturday, November 10, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

A healthy liver is essential for a healthy pet. Your pet’s liver is vital to maintain his metabolism and to get rid of toxins. Veterinarians find one of the most common pet ailments is liver disease and the symptoms can be vague or hard to spot.  Most often, liver problems make a pet lethargic and sluggish. Some people say that their cat or dog just isn’t acting like himself.  Pets with liver disease will also eat less than usual and his eyes and mouth may develop a yellowish tint.  If your pet has any of these symptoms, take him to a veterinarian.  Liver disease can occur at any age but there are good treatments and pet medication available. The sooner it’s diagnosed, the better.

Remember, your pets count!

It’s a 60s and 70s weekend on Edgewater Gold Radio! The station that plays the best of the 50s 60s 7s and 80s with 60s and 70s plus a classic disco show on Saturday night at 7pm.

Tell Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio or listen from our website: edgewatergoldradio.com.

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A Simple Training Method For Dogs

Friday, November 9, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

Training dogs can be simpler than you think. Lets say that you have a dog that darts towards everyone that walks through the door and jumps up and tries to greet them. The dog is showing affection but this can be very uncomfortable and even dangerous to guests who are entering your home. To stop this behavior, get a plastic water bottle, and drop about twenty pennies inside. As soon as your dog runs and tries to jump shake the bottle and say “no” or “stop.”  Repeat this every time he goes to run and jump on someone. After about a week or so, try not shaking the bottle and if you see your dog starting to run toward someone, simply say “no” or “stop.” Eventually, your dog will not do this anymore.

Dogs are very sensitive to sound, that’s why a loud sound is a great way to change your pup’s behavior.

Remember, your pets count!.

Turn on your favorite oldies! Edgewater Gold Radio plays the best mix of oldies from the 50s through the 80s. Listen all the time from our website: edgewatergoldradio.com or download the free Edgewater Gold Radio app. Tell Alexa or Google to “play Edgewater Gold Radio.”

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Approaching Strange Dogs

Thursday, November 8, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

Put yourself in the mindset of your dog for a few minutes. You are being taken for a nice long walk with your owner, you’re seeing and experiencing different smells and scenes, then suddenly, some “little person” run.s up to you and waves his hand in front of you and attempts to touch you. What is your normal reaction?  First of all you’re startled, then you feel threatened and are maybe even fearful of someone you’ve never seen before. What can be your first reaction? You bark and go to bite the arm of the perpetrator. This is done in fear and maybe even to protect you and your owner.

The point that’t I’m trying to make is that NEVER, EVER have yourself or your child run up to a dog you think is cute and attempt to pet it., This is totally the wrong thing to do. So what should you do? The proper way to handle this situation is to first ask the owner, if the dog bites, then second ask if it ok to pet the dog. Finally, stoop down, let the dog sniff you or your child and note any aggression. If the dog growls, barks or looks uncomfortable, step away. If the dog seems friendly and comfortable then you can feel safe petting it.,

We must execute some common sense and etiquette when approaching a strange dog. In many cases, dog bites are the fault of humans not the dog.

Remember, your pets count!

When you get to work, turn on your favorite oldies!  Edgewater Gold Radio is your place for the best variety of oldies from the 50s through the 80s! Download the free Edgewater Gold Radio app today. Listen from our website: Edgewatergoldradio.com.

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Do You Have To Keep Vaccinating Your Pet?

Sunday, November 4, 2018
posted by Jim Murphy

Kim Campbell Thornton of NBC News published an interesting article about pet vaccinations. It was first thought that we had to get our pets vaccinated every year but that may not be the case anymore.  The detail are outlined below in the article.

Vaccinations have saved many pets’ lives over the years, but they aren’t without risk. Now, with new research showing that immunity may last longer than once thought, veterinary experts say it’s safer to decrease the frequency of most shots that typically have been given every year.

Side effects from vaccinations range from mild itching and swelling to anaphylactic shock leading to death. Cats may develop vaccine sarcomas, which are cancers that develop at the site of the injection. And dogs may develop certain autoimmune diseases.

Veterinarians have suspected for years that annual vaccinations for cats and dogs aren’t necessary, but large, well-controlled studies just didn’t exist to prove it one way or the other. With the exception of rabies vaccine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t require data beyond one year for any vaccine.

With that being the case, vaccine manufacturers arbitrarily recommended annual vaccinations, and most veterinarians, concerned about liability issues, concurred.

 

Sometimes immunity lasts a lifetime
More recently, however, several published studies have shown that immunity provided by some vaccines lasts for much longer than one year and in some cases for a lifetime.

“We know that for [canine] distemper and parvo, for example, the immunity lasts a minimum of five years, probably seven to nine years, and for some individuals for a lifetime,” says veterinarian Jean Dodds, founder of Hemopet, the first nonprofit national blood bank program for animals, located in Santa Monica, Calif.

“For cats, so far we have challenge data out nine years showing that immunity is still protective,” says Dodds. And with rabies vaccine, new data indicate the immunity lasts for at least seven years, she says.

What does all this mean for your dog or cat? As with many other aspects of veterinary medicine, vaccinations are becoming individualized, but in most cases, fewer and less frequent vaccinations are the way to go. Most animals need only what are known as core vaccines: those that protect against the most common and most serious diseases. In dogs, the core vaccines are distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and rabies. In cats, they are panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), and rabies as required by law.

Three-year interval recommended
“Current vaccine protocol is to properly immunize puppies and kittens with two or three doses, starting later than we used to, maybe at eight weeks and not earlier than six weeks,” Dodds says. “Then you can give a booster at one year and either repeat it every three years, stagger it by giving one vaccine per year instead of combination vaccines, or do titers instead.” Titers are tests that measure the level of antibodies in the blood, which would indicate that immunity still exists.

That recommended three-year interval was a compromise decision. “Annual boosters for the core vaccinations are excessive for most dogs and cats,” says veterinarian Link Welborn of North Bay Animal and Bird Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and a member of the most recent panel of veterinarians that revised vaccination guidelines for dogs and cats. “Limited studies suggest that booster vaccinations for many of the core vaccinations last for at least seven years. However, given the limited number of animals involved in these studies, three years seemed like a reasonable compromise.”

There’s also an advantage to giving single rather than combination vaccines. “Giving more vaccinations increases the likelihood of side effects,” Welborn says. “Separating vaccinations allows the veterinarian to determine which vaccine caused a side effect if one occurs.”

If you’re concerned that your dog or cat will develop a vaccine-related health problem, but you want to make sure they’re protected against disease, annual titers are an economical alternative.

They’re reliable and costs are comparable to those for vaccinations. For instance, at Canyon Animal Hospital in Laguna Beach, Calif., the rate for a combination distemper/parvo titer is $39. If the dog turns out to need a vaccination, it’s given at no additional charge. Titers are also available for cats.

Consider changing veterinarians if yours claims that titers are too expensive to perform, charges $50 or more for them or wants to vaccinate because a titer level is “too low.”

“Any measurable titer to a specific antigen means you’ve got immune memory cells,” Dodds says.

Skip the annual exam, too?
So do these new recommendations mean that your dog or cat no longer needs an annual veterinary exam? Don’t get your hopes up.

The physical exam your veterinarian performs is far more important than vaccinations. In a recent study on longevity, 16 percent of dogs and 20 percent of cats were found to have subclinical — meaning signs weren’t yet obvious — diseases that were diagnosed through an exam and routine lab work.

“Many people, because the animal is living with them, don’t notice subtle changes in the behavior or the clinical state of the animal that a veterinarian would notice,” Dodds says.

Welborn likes to see veterinarians and pet owners working together to perform an annual lifestyle risk assessment. That means looking at the animal’s environment and habits to decide whether it needs such non-core vaccines as those for feline leukemia or Lyme disease or canine cough (probably not, unless the exposure risk is high) and whether it needs changes in diet or exercise levels to prevent obesity and its attendant problems, which include arthritis and diabetes.

“Care should be individualized for each pet,” Welborn says. “The days of treating all dogs and cats the same are gone.”

Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning author who has written many articles and more than a dozen books about dogs and cats. She belongs to the Dog Writers Association of America and is past president of the Cat Writers Association. She shares her home in California with three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and one African ringneck parakeet.

Remember, your pets count!
Edgewater Gold Radio is playing all of your favorite oldies right now. It’s a sixties and seventies weekend! Join us on this beautiful fall day on Delmarva. Listen from our website: Edgewatergoldradio.com.

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Our dogs have a little bit of diarrhea and vomiting from time to time. As long as this is just occasional, short term stomach trouble, we usually don’t worry. Long term episodes of vomiting and diarrhea may be signs of irritable bowel syndrome.  If your dog is diagnosed with I.B.S., your veterinarian may suggest a temporary change of diet.  You could be told to substitute with bland foods such as steamed rice or pasta. Sometimes increased fiber in the diet or pro biotic supplements will help.  Remember, irritable bowel is a syndrome, not a specific disease. Intolerance to certain foods can cause irritation as can stress. You and your veterinarian must work to find the cause and the solution. Your dog will thank you both!

Remember, your pets count!

Edgewater Gold Radio playing the greatest variety of oldies all the time. It’s a 60s and 70s weekend on Edgewater Gold Radio. Listen from our website: edgewatergoldradio.com.

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Our family lost one member earlier this year. My beloved cat Molly crossed the bridge on Feb. 3rd. Our other cat Millie is still with us and she is already 13 1/2 years old. Millie is now the “Queen of the house” since Molly was the dominant cat, Millie is now taking her turn being “in charge.” Molly and Millie never got along since both are females and Molly was our first meaning that she controlled everything.

We would like to adopt a dog but chose to wait. Since Millie is finally more comfortable and is getting all the attention, we wouldn’t want to traumatize her but taking in a new family member. Sometimes we do things like adopting a pet without thinking things through.

Remember, if you’re  thinking of taking in a new pet, take a breath and remember your other pets. What kind of disposition do they have? If you have a cat, would you want her to spend the rest of her life hiding under your bed because the new pet is terrorizing her? Never act on impulse. Analyze your situation before making a decision.

Remember, your pets count!

Edgewater Gold Radio is playing the best variety of oldies from the 50s through the 80s. It’s a 60s and 70s weekend. Keep us playing all weekend long. Download the free Edgewater Gold Radio app. Listen from our website: edgewatergoldradio.com

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