Pet Bucket Blog

Here’s a common scenario: you’re at the supermarket in the dog food aisle. You’re looking at a bunch of different brightly colored bags, labeled with funny terminology you don’t quite understand. One reads, “All-Natural Puppy Food for Large Breeds” another says, “Holistic Lamb and Rice for Smaller Dogs.” Meanwhile, you’re left wondering which one offers the most nutrition for dogs. All of these bags seem virtually the same so you grab the one with the most recognizable name. Sound familiar? Keeping up with nutritional value is hard enough to do in your own diet; knowing the facts about nutrition for dogs means adding another mouth with significantly sharper teeth into the mix. That’s a sure recipe for confusion. All of these odd little labels and miniscule differences between largely identical name brands is enough to make anybody’s head spin. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information online to help you traverse the maze of mongrel mastication. Unfortunately, it’s still pretty complicated. So in the interest of brevity, here are some of the most important considerations when shopping for a nutritious dog food. What Are Your Nutrient Needs? When it comes to nutrition for dogs, you must first know what you’re looking for. It’s easy to forget because of their uniform geniality, but dogs are actually individuals. If you’re dog has joint problems, needs a shinier coat, is still growing, is elderly, has urinary tract problems, and so on—these are things you need to consider. Think of any nutrient needs or special attributes of your dog and take those into account before purchasing their food. Holistic, Organic, and All Natural Shenanigans The next thing to do is avoid the marketing schemes. Believe it or not, there is no law or regulation in place to keep greedy dog food makers from placing meaningless labels onto their products. The terms “Holistic” and “Organic” mean effectively nothing when stamped on the side of your favorite puppy chow. They are undefined and disingenuous. “All Natural” is kind of tricky too. It can mean that there aren’t any synthetic ingredients in the feed, but it can also mean there is only a small amount. Look for Nutritional Value Thirdly, read the ingredient list. A good indicator is if they have a meat, fish, egg, or some type of meat meal or fish meal as either the first or second ingredient. These are high quality foodstuffs that provide plenty of nutrition for dogs. There will also be a percentage of each ingredient listed. Check this an make sure that at least 10% of the dog’s daily diet, by weight, would be protein, and 5.5% would be fat. Lastly, keep this quick list of helpful dog nutrition tips in mind: Wet food- more fat and protein than dry food. It therefore costs more, and requires less feeding per meal than dry food. Although it’s mostly water and not usually recommended by vets. Semi-wet food- will always contain a sugar preservative Dry food -will always contain starch Look for the AAFCO statement. This shows that the food is approved by a governing body.  

Just about everyone is aware of how dangerous it is to feed a dog chocolate, but as it turns out there’s a plethora of dog poisons.  In fact poison and dogs are pretty close bedfellows. Here, compiled for your information and the public safety of canines everywhere, is a list of items okay for human consumption, but dangerously toxic for dogs. First on the list is Caffeine. Caffeine is that helpful compound that keeps you from killing your fellow employees in the morning. However, in your panting pet partner, caffeine is all kinds of deadly. This means that giving a dog chocolate, coffee, many soft drinks, and a lot of different teas is off limits. The precise reason for caffeine’s status as a dog poison is methylxanthines. Methylxanthines are molecules contained in caffeine that cause all sorts of caustic complications in your pets. If this particular dog poison enters your canine’s system then prepare to take a trip to the vet, or at least make a call to poison control. The effects of this molecule on animals include: vomiting, diarrhea, panting, major thirst, and abnormally frequent urination, hyperactivity, irregular heart rhythm, trembles, seizures and in the worst cases expiration. Another dog poison that shouldn’t come as a surprise to the seasoned pet owner is alcohol. Alcohol isn’t exactly good for people, (though excessive consumption does occasionally have a well-known side effect of making you an awesome dancer) so it should come as no surprise that it is absolutely terrible for dogs. Also unsurprisingly, just as people are inexorably drawn to booze, dogs love it too. The rest of the items on the list are a little less obvious. Raisons, grapes, yeast dough, avocados, chives, onion, garlic, milk, salt, raw meat, eggs, the sweetener xylitol, chicken bones, and macadamia nuts all have a serious impact on an unsuspecting canine that consumes them.  It’s a dog’s life, eh? That’s quite a number of allergies to keep up with. Best keep to dry food for the time being.   Here’s a quick breakdown of some other dog poisons: Avocados give you a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats, but give one to a dog and you’ll be dealing with leakage from both ends. Macadamia nuts are awesome in cookies, but are known to cause hyperthermia, weakness, depression, vomiting, and trembling in dogs. Grapes/raisons will cause kidney failure. Yeast dough will expand in a dog’s stomach and cause serious complications. Salmonella and E. coli can get to a dog just like a human, so avoid raw meat and eggs yolks. Chicken bones will splinter into shards and cut a pup up from the inside. Xylitol leads to liver failure due to insulin release. Onions, garlic, and chives will hurt red blood cells. Milk is terrible for digestion. And a ton of salt is just as poisonous to dogs as it is to human. So remember to keep these foodstuffs safely out of reach from your dog, and tune in next time for more helpful pet tips!    

Have you ever felt like your dog was more than just your faithful family companion? Did you ever get the feeling that the house hound was more like a kid than a big dumb drooling animal? Relax. You aren’t a crazy pet person. Well, maybe you are, but there is scientific data saying that it’s pretty normal to act that way. A fascinating and incredible fact you probably wouldn’t have expected to find out about dogs lies beneath the chemical makeup of the bond between man and his best friend. It’s called Oxytocin. This crazy little chemical is responsible for the bond between parents and children, social awareness, and empathy. It’s released in the brain at birth and during the child’s maturation. It’s a handy evolutionary add on that helps human beings to feel affection for the annoying little rascals that show up suddenly to turn your nights sleepless, and make you change large quantities of overflowing diapers. A potent antithesis to post-partum depression. And Guess what? The same chemical makeup that is responsible for a mother’s love  plays a big role in the feelings between you and your dog. Recent scientific studies performed by the fine Swedish scientists at Uppsalla University show that after only 10 minutes with an adorable little doggy there are sizable increases in the levels of oxytocin in both the brain of the human and the dog! Similar findings in lab rats could indicate that oxytocin is actually responsible for all human/animal bonding. People have always known how therapeutic owning a dog or cat can be. Observable effects on pet owners throughout the years have included longer life, lower stress, and an overall  better level of health. However, now that science is finally catching up to common sense we can actually learn the chemistry behind our most powerful emotions.  That’s a handful of fascination that you might not have expected from ol’ Fido. The implications of this study are pretty huge. Animal based therapies have been in place for a long while and have had some incredible results for the elderly and infirm especially. Now that we are attaining a better understanding of oxytocin and its role in our brain’s chemical makeup as well as our social interactions will only increase the effectiveness of such therapies. Now that we’re catching on to the effectiveness of an oxytocin treatment it’s only a matter of time before it’s monetized and sold for millions. However, in the meantime there’s no oxytocin tablet available for sale. Which really kind of puts an even more positive spin on owning a dog. After all, you don’t need a prescription for a puppy, and they’re a lot cheaper than going to a high priced shrink to endeavor to eliminate your social anxieties and help you better bond with your fellow man.  In the meantime, your doctor recommends you pet your puppy 40 times per minute for 5 minutes and call him in the morning.

Don’t you just love a fat cat? Aren’t you just smitten with kittens? When you get home from work, do you make a B-line for your feline? All cutesy kitty poetry aside, cats are great companions who can provide hours of entertainment. Don’t you wish you could share in some more group activities? Maybe you should teach them some cat tricks. You must be thinking: “How do I train cats?” Well, you’ve read this far basically on the momentum of the poetry, but what if you found out that learning to train cats is easy? While cat training is fairly easy, it can be frustrating as well. Cats are not dogs. They do not wait on your beck and call. Whereas a puppy might decide to play dead in order to get a smile and a word of affirmation, cat tricks will require a more substantial bribe. Finicky creatures that they are, you’ll have to choose your treats wisely. Tuna snacks are a popular choice, and there is no lack of cat treat recipes online. So how to train cats? Well, it’s a simple process that takes time and repetition to complete. First thing’s first. You’ve got to get kitty to sit. Sitting is a foundation of all other cat tricks. It’s required to get your cat’s attention. The cat will need to be standing still to begin any sort of training. Since Kitty is more likely to do this in a sitting position rather than standing, it makes more sense to teach this cat trick first. Secondly, a lot of the other tricks must be performed from the sitting position. To train cats to sit, utter the command and put light pressure on the cat’s rump. It may take time, but eventually the cat will either sit of its own volition or due to your prompting. Once that’s accomplished, immediately reward your cat with a tasty treat, a pat on the head, and exclaim in your sweetest tone of baby talk:” Good kitty!” You can also say “Good Sit!” Or “Hallelujah!” if your cat is particularly stubborn. Whatever you like, really. It’s your cat, go nuts. Once you’ve got sit down, (no pun intended) the other tricks come pretty naturally. After sit, learning how to train cats is a breeze. Begin with sitting, then just say the command while performing the following actions, and always reward with petting, treats, and kind words. You can have them shake by placing your hand behind their front leg and bumping a paw, You can hold out a hand palm upward for a “low five,” Hold it outstretched for a “high five,” Hold a treat above the cat’s head to have him “Sit Up,” And hold a treat at eye level to get the cat to “wave.” Remember while learning how to train cats, you must be patient and consistent, and never expect Mr. Mittens to perform for laughs. Always have those treats ready, or prepare to face the wrath of kitty! Need more help? Check out these helpful training videos!

Today’s showcase will be about Trifexis. This little known tablet is the preferred monthly preventative of veterinarians. Puppies coming in for their first checkup will usually be prescribed Trifexis as their very first chewable flea killer. However, there is much more to this vet favorite than just the wholesale slaughter of everyone’s least favorite bloodsucking insect. Dogs taking Trifexis will have three things less to worry about than the average untreated pup. This powerful monthly treatment stays true to its name and fights off three different kinds of unwanted houseguests. That’s right, the holy trinity of dog terrorism: fleas, heartworms, and the intestinal worms whose names you’ve come to know and loathe. Fully matured hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms all tremble in fear at the sound of this drug’s name. Ingredients for Success These dangerous parasites haven’t got a prayer against the combined might of two powerful active ingredients in the makeup of Trifexis. If you’re old enough, you may have heard of spinosad, a powerful insect killer developed in the late nineties to protect agriculture without any adverse environmental effects. Now it’s doing the job inside your dog’s biochemistry with equal cautious care. The other active ingredient, milbemycin oxime, is a drug produced exclusively for veterinary purposes. It’s the active ingredient inside of Interceptor, another pet preventative favored by proud puppy parents the world over. The drug is metabolized in the liver and acts mainly against the intestinal and heartworms, leaving the insecticidal work to the Spinosad. Affecting Effectiveness Together these two make a powerful super drug with a broad spectrum of efficacy. However, that scientific mumbo jumbo isn’t really all that important to the drug purchasing laymen. The average pet owner only cares about one thing. Does it work? Sure enough, this drug garners praise and subscriptions from various veterinary facilities for good reason.  The studies (page 3) conducted before the drug was approved by the American Food and Drug Administration showed a 100% effectiveness rating, when properly administered in the suggested intervals. Doesn’t get much clearer than that, does it? A 100% effective treatment in stark black ink on white paper says that there isn’t much more you could do for your dog than keep him or her safe with this powerful monthly medication.  Your dog will appreciate the fact that it isn’t itching, but it’s more likely to show gratitude for the tablet itself. The tasty flavoring on the outer shell can pretty much assure a popular reception among the canine population. Benefits: Convenient – easy to administer and happily received with a wagging tail. Effective—100% effective in the treatment of hookworm, roundworm, whipworm, heartworm, and fleas. Fast acting, and consistent—Begins killing parasites within 24 hours and keeps killing them for 30 days! Tasty—The Flavored spinosad will kill fleas while maintaining a flavor your dog will flip for. And virtually without side effects. So don’t wait one more second. If your dog needs treatment, grab yourself some Trifexis today!

Tapeworms. What freaking nightmare. They’re tiny little worms that sit in small intestines and eat all the food before their hosts can draw nourishment. It’d be bad enough if they were only infecting your pets, but these dirty little parasites can make their homesteads in your bowels as well. It’s like something out of a horror movie. The marquis would read: “The Worms Within...” Underneath the title there would be a pale, sickly, multi-fanged abomination of nature exploding out of a cute co-ed’s stomach. Shudder in fear, good people. Shudder in fear. These disgusting parasites are a commonly creepy problem for pets. Fortunately, the worms are more of an annoyance than a legitimate threat. Treatment is relatively painless, and it can be quite reasonable if you head to the right retailer. The problem with the worms is how easy they are to contract. The trouble with tapeworms is all about ingestion. Flea larvae start out eating fecal matter that contains tapeworm eggs. The eggs mature in flea stomachs, the flea is ingested by a dog or cat and presto chango: your dog is scarping his butt across the carpet in supreme irritation. Tapeworm Symptoms You might notice that your pet is tapeworm ridden by some of the following signs: The aforementioned anal itching. Dried worm parts crusting around your pet’s sphincter. Moving worms in your dog/cat’s fecal matter. You could also check out a smear of poo under a microscope, but that seems a bit drastic for the average pet owner. Just look for the other signs and head to the computer to point and click your way to parasite destruction. Now how do you treat or prevent tapeworms? Glad you asked. There are many treatment options for tapeworms, and nearly all of them are instantaneous. That means a case of tapeworms isn’t much more than a disgusting inconvenience. Drontal dewormer works quickly, effectively, and definitively. Britain’s #1 dewormer has an awesome track record in taking out intestinal worms of all kinds, and tapeworms are no exception. One dose of Drontal will take out your pet’s parasitic problem in a day flat. Tapeworm Treatment Other quality dewormers include: Frontline Advantage Multi Advocate Milbemax If you’re thinking more about tapeworms prevention than treatment, you’ll want to stop them at the source. As you’ve already learned, tapeworms are spread through ingestion. If your dog or cat doesn’t have a flea to eat, then there’s very little chance that they can become infected. Make sure to keep them away from feces too. Cats shouldn’t have a problem in this area, but if you have a dog with a penchant for munching on waste… Well, keep a close eye out and nip that behavior in the bud. Remember to keep treating them with monthly worm and flea preventatives as well. The less invaders they have to deal with the better. After all, if they don’t get bit, then they won’t bite and scratch themselves, virtually eliminating the possibility of eating a parasite within a parasite. Avoiding Insect Inseption.

Having an aggressive kitty on your hands can be more than a handful. Cats are usually demure, aloof, and playful little critters, but a few hazardous pitfalls can really ruin their disposition. The fastidious feline nature of your average kitty cat gives them a fragile temperament that can become easily unbalanced. However, with the right motivation and correct information even the meanest of these half feral bad cats can be turned around with relative ease. The goal of this article is to educate you about the potential causes and easy methods to avert an overly aggressive cat. An angry cat is always the direct result of some untoward stimulus in its environment. Being such sensitive animals their triggers are numerous. Anything from a messy home, loneliness, or even something as simple as an active play session can be factors. The key to figuring out your bad cat’s behavioral puzzle is paying attention to their actions, noting changes in their behavior, and always seeking proper authoritative answers when the trouble becomes serious. The first stop after determining your cat to be overly aggressive is the Vet’s office. Discussing an aggressive cat with your vet can be informative at the least and powerfully productive in most other scenarios. If your bad cat is hurting or not feeling well, then that’s an obvious answer to their being moody. Keep good notes of any changes in your cat’s daily routines or any abnormal activities going on around it so that you’ll have no lack of information to share with your veterinarian. If there is an ailment related cause to your angry cat, then the vet will be the best, first, and only source you’ll need to consult. Another common cause of angst amongst kitties is an abundance of testosterone. If you’ve got a Tom with an attitude, you should consider getting him fixed. Male cats are inherently more aggressive than females. They have all that tiger blood coursing through their veins making them territorial and unpredictable. Not unlike Charlie Sheen before an interview on 60 Minutes. However, having an angry cat is not a “winning” situation. Or perhaps your place is a little overcrowded for your cuddly critter. If there is a lack of cat assets then you may have a berserker miniature lion mauling the toes of houseguests at every turn. Make sure that your cat has enough clean litter, food & water/food & water bowls, playthings, sitting spots, etc. Cats are used to being worshiped and pampered. Allow them to live luxuriously. If all else fails, seek professional help. A bad cat is a big problem. Sometimes people forget that cats, despite being super cute and ultra-adorable, can be dangerous adversaries. Their claws are razor sharp and they are quick, vicious, and hard to catch besides. Look around your area for an animal behaviorist or some such other pet expert. That’s all the cat tips you get for now. Until next time be benevolent owners and vigilant parents to your favorite furry felines! <--I prefer this kind of cat aggression.

Ah, the smug and snuggly kitty cat. It sprawls out comfortably on your keyboard to quietly survey its domain. Its eyes lazily gaze over to your new sofa. Claws go out and retract in sudden anticipation. A moment later mittens has carved a brand new pattern into the rich Italian leather. Meanwhile, you’re grinding away at work, blissfully ignorant of the damage you will find upon returning to the homestead.   Worry not! The cat scratch fever doesn’t have to infect your life. Keeping cat scratches in a contained and manageable area doesn’t need to be a source of constant worry. It’s as easy as ABC. You know, that is if ABC spelled constant supervision and a thorough plan of attack. Why Do Cats Scratch? Cat scratching is mostly about marking territory. They love to rip up hard, highly visible surfaces. It’s a way for them to decorate their living space, while simultaneously leaving their scent, (through glands located in their paws). Moreover, they think it is perfectly acceptable and normal behavior. Even if you berate them verbally or spray them with water bottles, they will only know that sometimes their scratching will draw punishment, without making the connection that it’s bad manners. Cat Scratch the Itch Instead of trying to stop the cat scratching, a tactic that is sure to fail, you have to redirect the scratching to an area of your choice. In other words, you need to give your cat a more tempting target. That’s why scratching posts are effective, and in some cases: high dollar items. The ideal scratching post is taller than your cat—at least 28 inches, a rough and tough surface that they can really sink their claws into, and placed right in the middle of everything. A high visibility area is important because your cat wants everyone to know what a good little scratcher he or she is. Some preferable materials for scratching posts are as follows: Wood. A tree stump to be more precise. Evolutionarily speaking, it’s what they’re used to. It’s a tough surface they can tear up with pleasure, and it gives a homespun log cabin-esque aesthetic to your humble abode. Sisal. Sisal rope or material, are both excellent choices for cat scratching posts, and have long been considered the industry standards. Carpet. These posts are a highly diverse option, with numerous patterns and materials to match your personal décor. Cardboard. Most Cardboard cat scratching posts are refillable, making them more practical than the carpet ones that have to be replaced entirely after heavy use. Further Countering Cat Claws Beyond the material, you might also try putting cat nip on the posts to attract the cat. Also remember that all cats aren’t created equal. Some might prefer a certain material over another. You may have to try a few different options before settling on the best fit for your feline. Now that you’ve armed yourself with knowledge, get to work and keep your couch cat scratch free from now on!

Nothing is cuter than a fresh faced little tail-wagger nipping at your fingers while at play. However, the game gets old quickly as their jaws get stronger. Puppies are cute, but there’s nothing cute about a full grown dog that hasn’t learned restraint. It’s best to break them of it when they’re young. After all, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. First, understand that there isn’t anything wrong with a puppy biting, nipping, chewing, gnawing, or any other mouth-related actions he or she might take. It’s what they were born to do. The problem occurs when you haven’t properly socialized the munching mutt. Puppies need guidance, and that usually comes from a consistent set of rules enforced at regular intervals. The puppies that are worst behaved are usually the most confused, due to inconsistency. So what should you do, specifically? Begin by reassuring yourself.  Training to avoid puppy biting isn’t particularly difficult. Here are some general do’s and don’ts to stop puppy biting. Do: Yell “Ouch!” When your hand starts to sting from a puppy bite, make a loud noise and disengage from play. This makes an association in the puppy’s mind between hard biting and losing a playmate. It’s the same way puppies intermingle in the litter. Keep a toy handy. Every time you fall victim to a puppy bite, replace your flesh with a chew toy. They will eventually learn to chew on plastic rather than knuckle bones. If your puppy is teething, give them ice cubes to chew on. The cold is soothing to their sore gums. Wear kid gloves. One thing you can do to stop puppy biting is wear rubber gloves and coat them with a bitter or foul tasting substance. The puppy will latch on, give you a confused look, remove your hand from its mouth, and probably shake its head in a humorous fashion. Obedience training.  Giving your dog a well-rounded education will make him a lot more manageable. So eliminate puppy biting and teach them a few useful commands in one fell swoop. Don’t: Don’t overdo it. Once you’ve found a training method you like, stick with it. Don’t overload your puppy with 20 different teaching techniques. Don’t hit the puppy. Never strike your dog. Hands are for loving. If both pain and petting come from the same outlet, your dog will either think you are playing with them or they will become frightened of you. Both results are more likely to increase puppy biting. Don’t wrestle around. Chasing or grappling with your puppy is fun, but they are dominance related activities. It’s best to avoid this during puppy bite training. Once puppy biting has ceased to be a problem, you can resume wrestling, but always be sure to calm your dog with petting and a soft reassuring voice when you’re done playing. Follow these tips and your puppy will seem a lot cuddlier and far less intimidating. Stay tuned for more vital pet information for your everyday life.

Cats are no problem. You feed them, leave out some litter, and throw them in after they eat. Simple stuff. To Train your dog? That’s a lot more difficult. Puppies are quick learners, of habits both good and bad. So the first thing you want to be sure of is instilling the right behaviors in your dog, and keeping consistent throughout their first year. Habits learned during puppy-hood will stick in their minds during their entire lifetimes, making it of paramount importance to set your routine how you want it immediately. Everyone Hates Wet Socks First thing’s first: Potty training. There is nothing more irritating than coming home from a tough day’s work, taking off your shoes, and getting your socks wet and yellow as you stride over to your couch. It’s even worse if you’re walking on a Persian carpet at the moment of sock-soiling.  To avoid this you’ll have to be diligent at first and consistent thereafter. House training a puppy takes time and patience. You’ll more than likely be ready to throttle your pup after the third day, but resist the urge. Remember that any mistakes are part of the learning process. Get used to them. Be Consistent! Start to train your dog by getting on a schedule as soon as possible. Take the playful puppy out as soon as he wakes up, again after his morning meal, and frequently ever after. A good rule of thumb goes by age: for every month they’ve been alive, that’s an hour they can hold their bladder. So if you have a three month old puppy, then you should be able to wait three hours between potty breaks. It’s the Little Things that Count When you take your playful puppy out train your dog using a consistent buzz word to remind them what they are doing. Tell them to “Go potty,” or some other equivalent command.  The important thing is you use that same consistent command that they understand and associate with the action. After they’ve finished their business, you must praise them liberally so that they know they’ve pleased you. This method will work better with some breeds than others. You may want to go as far as giving them a treat whenever they’ve relieved themselves properly. Train Your Dog Forever! After a few successful runs, you will notice accidents becoming far less frequent. Dogs will pick up on what’s expected of them fairly quickly when the circumstances surrounding the rules remain constant. This is good, but don’t let up! Train your dog with regularity, because backsliding has been known to occur, and accidents are inevitable. Your Playful Puppy will make mistakes, and you must be patient. Tell them “no” When they piddle indoors, but don’t make a big deal out of it. They will start getting scared to make water in front of you and that will be a real problem come walky time. That’s the long and short of it. Remember consistency and vigilance are the key. Keep an eye out and a leash ready!