Pet Grooming Orange County

Pet Safety For The Holidays

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Pet Safety For The Holidays

Holiday festivities can create a variety of problems for both people and their pets. While you can’t always control every holiday problem, it’s up to you to take precautions on behalf of your pet. With a little thought and preparation you can make the holidays happy and safe for your entire family.

Eating the wrong thing is the biggest danger to your pet during this time of the year. In fact, it’s the number one reason pets end up in the emergency clinic. During the holidays there are a lot of temptations for your pet, including extra food and decorations.

The best way to prevent decoration disasters is to replace fresh greenery with artificial plants. If you must decorate with fresh greenery, be sure to use special care when hanging and removing decorations to ensure pets can’t access dangerous items. Always hang greenery (artificial and real) securely and out of the reach of pets.

When selecting gifts for your pet, be sure to choose things that are appropriate for their size, age and ability. Keep your pet’s allergies and weight in mind when selecting treats. Even though letting pets unwrap their gifts can be fun to watch, you should monitor them closely with ribbons and bows which can cause severe intestinal issues if ingested.

Remember to consider your pet when decorating your tree. Tinsel and ribbon might be intriguing to pets and can cause major problems if ingested. Ornaments, if chewed, can cause cuts in your pet’s mouth, throat and intestines. They can also create choking hazards. It’s a good idea to encircle your tree with an exercise pen to keep curious pets away from your decorations. You might also want to run extension cords through plastic pipes to stop pets from becoming electrocuted.

A feast, even just one day a year, isn’t safe for pets. Too much food, or too many fatty foods can cause severe and life threatening inflammation of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. Symptoms include sudden vomiting and pain in the abdominal area. Also, many holiday foods are poisonous to pets or can cause a choking hazard. Avoid offering table scraps and let your guests know that they shouldn’t share their meal with your pets.

We hope that this information has been helpful as we strive to provide education on all aspects of pet care.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

 

Making Paw Print Ornaments

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Holiday Fun – Making Paw Print Ornaments

The holidays are an excellent time to celebrate with your entire family, including your pets. One activity that can bring a family together during this special time of year is making holiday ornaments. This is an inexpensive way to decorate your home while creating personalized ornaments that represent your entire family. The following instructions will help you create paw print dough ornaments:

  1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of water. Mix thoroughly to form your dough.
  3. Lay the dough on a flat surface. Sprinkle some flour on a rolling pin and the surface of the dough and roll your dough out to a thickness of ¼ inch.
  4. Cut out a circle or square of dough that is large enough to fit your pet’s paw.
  5. Press your pet’s paw down into the dough to create a paw print. You might need a little help to keep your pet still.
  6. Using a toothpick, write your pet’s name across the middle of the paw print or below it.
  7. Use the same toothpick to create a hole in the top of the ornament. This will be the hole that you will thread your ribbon through to hang your ornament.
  8. Place your ornament on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  9. Bake your paw print ornament in the oven for two hours.
  10. After the ornament has cooled completely you can paint it however you like. You can also glue sequins and glitter to the ornament for an extra special look.
  11. Once the paint is dry, thread some ribbon through the hole at the top of the paw print ornament and tie a knot at the top. Now you are ready to hang your ornament!
  12. In addition to decorating your home or tree, these ornaments can be tied to the tops of presents.

We hope that this information has been helpful as we strive to provide education on all aspects of pet care.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

 

Cat Boarding

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While you might enjoy traveling, your feline companion probably does not. This is why planning your holiday vacation must also include proper preparations for your pet. Cat boarding can be an excellent solution, but you must choose the right boarding facility if you want to minimize your pets stress during your absence.

Visiting a boarding facility can be a stressful experience for the family cat, especially if they are timid or older. It’s important to visit the facility before you even consider leaving your pet. Keep in mind that certain situations will make your cat’s experience more stressful. These include small cages and kennels that have absolutely no hiding places or elevated cat trees or shelves. Also, the facility should look and smell clean.

Consider preparing a list of questions for the cat boarding facility. You will want to find out if the staff will interact with your cat during its stay. Ask them if they require proof of vaccinations. If they do not require proof, your cat could come into contact with a cat that is ill or unvaccinated during its stay. If your cat takes medication, make sure that the facility is prepared to administer it. If your cat requires a special food or litter, check that you can bring it to the facility. You will also want to speak with your veterinarian before boarding your cat. There might be special vaccinations or pest control that is recommended before boarding. Also, your vet might be able to give you tips about reducing stress during your pets stay.

Remember that your cat will probably be more comfortable if it has some of its own things when it arrives for boarding. This might be a special bed or blanket. Familiar objects with the smell of home might help your cat relax a little bit. It’s also a good idea to bring along some of your cats own toys. Even if your cat doesn’t play with them, their presence might be a comfort in your absence. If your cat eats a special food or uses a special litter, make sure to bring them along as well.

Located right next door to Claws N Paws Day Spa, Claws and Paws Cat Boarding provides a luxurious, stress-free and safe environment for your cat’s away from home stays! When your feline friend needs a place to stay, you can be confident in knowing that we will provide them with the care and individual attention that they need. Free time, one-on-one attention and plenty of space to stretch their legs are just a few of the amenities that we provide.

We intentionally do not board dogs in order to keep a quiet, stress-free environment for our feline visitors. We strive to make the feline members of your family feel safe and secure with all of the comforts of home.

Please feel free to contact us for a tour of our facility or to set up an appointment.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

Are No-Kill Animal Shelters a Good Idea

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Are No-Kill Animal Shelters a Good Idea?06_02_08_5

As hard as it might be to imagine, homeless and neglected dogs and cats could face a much harder fate than a painless death at an animal shelter. In areas where no-kill policies have been put in place, shelters are often overrun, forcing them to turn animals away. These rejected animals are often abandoned. Many are hit by cars or eventually succumb to disease or hunger. Thousands of deceased animals are removed from the streets every year. Additionally, many “no-kill” shelters simply send less desirable animals to euthanasia shelters where they will be put to sleep by someone else.

Animals that are abandoned must fend for themselves on the streets or in unfit homes where they might starve, become sick with deadly and contagious diseases, be injured or killed by traffic, or be viciously attacked by other animals or people. During the time that they are alone, these animals continue to reproduce, resulting in even more homeless animals.

Many areas, under pressure to reduce euthanasia rates, will utilize self-styled rescues to house elderly, sick and disabled animals. Unfortunately, these facilities are often unable to provide the type of care that animals need. Pets at hoarding facilities posing as rescues are often found in filthy, stacked up cages without shelter or adequate food or water. After years of suffering and neglect, these poor animals usually die alone in their cages.

Reputable shelters and rescues worry about animals suffering slow, miserable deaths. They impose safeguards such as applications for potential adopters as well as fosterers and reasonable adoption fees. They also accept all animals in need, even those that are too sick, old or aggressive to find homes. Many no-kill advocates do not follow these safeguards and instead pressure shelters to give animals away to anyone that will take them.

For animals not eligible for adoption, a painless death at a city shelter is a better option over abandonment, suffering and abuse. However, if we really want to end the homeless animal crisis we must start with the cause of it. The only way to prevent overcrowding of shelters is by ensuring that all pets are spayed and neutered.

We hope that this information has been helpful as we strive to provide education on all aspects of pet care.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

Thanksgiving Safety for Dogs

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Thanksgiving Safety for Dogs

Typically, dogs enjoy Thanksgiving as much as humans do. After all, there are many delectable smells drifting around the house, bits of food dropping on the floor and lots of new people to love and pet them. However, Thanksgiving shouldn’t be a free for all when it comes to our dogs. There are several items that are simply not safe for dogs to consume.

During the holiday season, veterinarians experience a high number of calls regarding digestive issues. While it’s tempting to offer our dogs a big bowl full of turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy, these foods can cause upset stomach, diarrhea or a life threatening condition known as pancreatitis. A few strips of turkey on your dog’s normal food is fine, but too much can cause serious issues. Additionally, turkey skin is extremely tough on a dog’s digestive system.

A great way to keep your dog happy during your Thanksgiving feast is by putting a bit of their regular food and a very small amount of boneless, skinless turkey inside a Kong toy. This will keep them occupied for quite a while. It’s also a good idea to walk your pet before the festivities begin.

Cooked turkey bones are dangerous for your pet. You might not find out for several days if your dog has a turkey bone lodged in their digestive system. Always keep plates, bones and leftover turkey far away from your dog. In addition to bones, anything that contains onions or herbs should be kept away from pets. Eating onions can lead to a dangerous form of anemia and sage and other herbs can cause upset tummy and central nervous system depression if eaten in large quantities.

Occasionally, dogs are attracted to alcoholic beverages. If consumed, the dog can become disoriented and ill. Too much alcohol can lead to coma or death. Make sure that you keep a close eye on alcoholic beverages that might be left within your dog’s reach.

We hope that this information has been helpful as we strive to provide education on all aspects of pet care.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!

Pets and House Guests

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Pets and House Guests

The holiday season often brings a steady stream of house guests. The holidays are a wonderful time to open our homes to distant relatives, friends and other guests. However, mixing holiday guests with your pets can result in a number of problems. While you should be able to entertain guests you don’t want to make your pets feel unwelcome in their own home.

Make sure that all of your guests know that you have a pet before they arrive. Even though your close family and friends probably already know about your pets, check to see if they will be bringing anybody else. Informing guests of the type of pet that you have will give them the opportunity to alert you of any allergies. Although guests with severe allergies are likely to decline an invitation, less severe allergies will require you to spend some extra time vacuuming and cleaning. Informing your guests of your pets can go a very long way towards making holiday visits run smoothly.

Prepare a special place for your pet ahead of time. While it might not seem fair to keep them away from the festivities, you must consider their comfort and safety. It might sometimes be better for your pet to spend a few hours in a safe and comfortable place. Prepare the space with a water bowl, food and toys and remember to check on them regularly.

If you decide to keep your pet out during holiday get-togethers you will need to monitor them closely. Make sure that your pet is not bothering your guests or begging for food. Also, watch for guests that feed your pet from the table. Kids often don’t realize when they are playing too rough, putting themselves and your pet in danger. House guests that engage in behaviors such as roughhousing or improper feeding might be putting your pet at risk. As the host, it is your responsibility to ensure that your guests are following the house rules in regards to your pet.

We hope that this information has been helpful as we strive to provide education on all aspects of pet care.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality dog and cat grooming in Orange County, California. For more information, or to schedule a grooming appointment, please call 714-962-1005.

Receive a free teeth brushing for your pet when you mention our blog!