Frame Your Pets - Info

(NC)—As a pet parent, you will be faced with many choices regarding the health and happiness of your furry friend. One of the first decisions you will need to make is selecting a veterinarian.

The best first step to finding a good veterinarian is to ask other pet owners for their recommendations. Speak to family, friends, colleagues or neighbours who have a similar approach to pet care as you do. If you don’t know many pet owners, you can use the internet to search for a veterinarian clinic in your community.

Once you narrow down your search, schedule a visit to get some first-hand insight of your clinic contenders. When you book your appointment, ask to tour the facility, inquire about the hospital’s services and meet the staff. Remember, you should use the same considerations as if you were looking for a medical centre for yourself.

If possible, speak to the veterinarian who will be your pet’s doctor. Chat with your veterinarian about your pet’s habits, hobbies and nutritional well-being. You should also discuss the type of food to feed your furry friend – a formula likes Iams ProActive Health features the prebiotic FOS (fructooligosaccharides) which will promote your pet’s strong defenses.

Following the easy steps above will ensure you make an informed decision for your pet’s well-being.

More information on responsible pet parenting can be found online at www.iams.com.

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- Don’t wait until there is a problem with your pet to visit a veterinarian.
- Do add annual veterinarian visits to your family calendar. The furry member of your family member will thank you for it.
- Do make nutrition a top priority in your pet’s overall wellness plan. Feeding a premium pet food, such as the-prebiotic formula from Iams, helps keep your pet healthy from the inside out.
- Do monitor your pet and look for signs that you should take him to the veterinarian, including physical irregularities and changes in normal sleeping, eating activity or behavioural habits.
- Don’t wait for any bumps, growths or discolourations to get big. If you notice something different on your pet’s skin, contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Do ask your veterinarian to conduct a complete “nose to tail examination”.

More information on responsible pet parenting can be found online at www.iams.com.

Source: www.newscanada.com www.thenewsleader.ca www.thenewsleader.info

(NC)—While visits to the veterinarian are essential, it is equally as important to conduct regular at-home examinations in between appointments. At home check-ups will help alert you to any irregularities and potential health problems with your pet. They will also help you gain a better understanding of your furry friend and enable you to deliver educated updates to your veterinarian on the status of your pet’s overall health – remember, you are essential to the well-being of your furry friend. Here are a few important things to keep in mind when conducting an at-home pet check-up:

- Brush your pet’s fur in the opposite direction of growth to check the skin for redness or irritation. A black, crusty residue could be a sign of fleas.
- Check your pet’s ears for redness and inflammation – a healthy ear is light pink in colour.
- Check for odour, crusting, or hair loss around the ears – these are all common signs of an ear infection or ear mites.
- Monitor your pet’s weight – it should remain stable (within a few pounds) from month to month. A healthy pet diet consists of food high in good quality animal protein, and appropriate for your pet’s specific needs. Choose a pet food, like Iams ProActive Health which features the prebiotic FOS (fructooligosaccharides), to promote your pet’s strong defenses. The right food in the right doses will help keep your pet at an ideal weight.
- Give your pet a massage and run your hands all over his skin to feel for lumps, bumps or growths. Make sure you report anything unusual to your veterinarian immediately.
- Choose healthy treats that are high in nutritious value, such as Iams treats and biscuits, to maintain your pet’s overall health and happiness.
- Ensure your pet has regular exercise to keep them healthy and feeling their best. The amount of exercise your pet needs depends on their specific breed, size and type of pet.
- Provide lots of love and attention to your furry friend – a loved pet is a happy pet.

More information on responsible pet parenting can be found online at www.iams.com.

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(NC)—The partnership you develop with your veterinarian is one of the most important relationships you will have as a pet parent. Here are a few simple steps that you can take to ensure your time with your veterinarian is time well spent.

- Remember to get your pet examined annually, especially during heartworm and flea season.
- Complete a pre-visit checklist consisting of a “nose-to-tail” examination. Check for any signs of limping, unusual skin irritations, bumps, coughing or vomiting.
- Monitor your pet between visits so you can flag any changes in their normal sleeping, eating activity or behavioural habits.
- Develop a list of questions to ask during your visit. Veterinarian visits can sometimes seem overwhelming for you and your pet – keeping a list handy will help you stay on track and get the most from your visit.
- Think about you pet’s health from the inside out – responsible pet parenting includes providing a balanced diet, like Iams Proactive Health, which meets the nutritional needs for cats and dogs to maintain their overall well-being.
- Think holistically – your pet deserves the same attention as you do, so make sure you inquire about health, behaviour, nutrition, hygiene, allergies and vaccinations.
- Speak to your veterinarian for tips on essential at-home care so you can maintain the health of your pet between visits. Be proactive with your pet’s health. You’ll be glad you did.

More information on responsible pet parenting can be found online at www.iams.com.

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“Hello, I’m Magnum the Cat. I’m here to inform you that you still haven’t cleaned the outbox, but I’m getting used to it. Eddie the Dalmatian is here but doesn’t care about the outbox, although he looks a little sad. What’s up, Dot?”

I am a little sad.

“Don’t tell me our last trick is a sad one.”

I’m sad because it’s our last trick. It’s been so much fun and now it’s over.

“Not really, Eddie. You have your blog and I’m sure if you have anything else to teach you’ll announce it there.”

I suppose I could do that.

Anyway, I should get to today’s trick. It’s a reminder to be patient when taking photos of your pets. You have to remember we weren’t trained for any of this and although we trust you and love you, we don’t always get what the big deal is about taking our photos all the time. We also don’t know what you consider the perfect photo when all we want to do it play or sleep.

So remember to give us a break. If you take it slow with us, we promise you will eventually get the photo you were looking for.

“Thanks, Eddie. Some of us need to get slowly used to the idea of that clicking thing in your hands, but we will get used to it after a while.”

Well, that’s it. We’ve taught you all the tricks we had to taking better pet photos. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we enjoyed teaching them to you. We also hope you’ve been able to practice and use some of them already.

You can always drop me a line at eddie@frameyourpets.com to let me know how you are doing. Magnum, Yogi and the Humans (George and Brenda) also get the odd e-mail there as well.

Magnum mentioned my blog earlier. It’s located at: http://frameyourpets.blogspot.com/ and I try to add to it whenever I can. I’ve posted photos of all of us at Frame Your Pets along with some photos sent to us by people just like you! The blog let’s you send us comments and share other interesting things with us.

Thank you so very much for your support from all of us at Frame Your Pets!

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