diane walker asked:


The key to introducing a cat or a dog to a new baby is to get your pet used to the idea of a new addition to the family as early as possible - before the baby arrives on the scene.

Firstly, allow your cat and dog to investigate the room where your baby will sleep. If you don’t allow your pet into the room, they will think there is something in there that needs their attention! Supervise them while they check out the new smells of the nursery, and start carrying around a ‘pretend baby’ (a doll in a baby blanket).

After the arrival, safely let your pets check out your baby whilst you hold it. Make sure that your pets don’t lick your baby, but as dogs depend on their sense of smell, a few sniffs around a baby, under close supervision, may help them get to know each other.

Try to give your pet the same attention and routine you normally would, and stay as relaxed as possible with all of these exercises so that your pets do not pick up on any anxiety you may be feeling.  This will make them feel that they are not being ousted from the household.

You should never leave your baby unattended with any pet, but especially cats and dogs.  Your pets will not understand that their actions, such as trying to climb into cot, could be harmful. Keep your baby behind closed ‘pet-free’ doors if you are not nearby.

It takes time and effort to introduce toddlers and pets.  Closely supervise any interaction between them, never leave them alone no matter how well behaved your pet is and praise your child when they handle your pet correctly. As children often imitate parents, how you react will show your child what is acceptable behaviour.

All pet owners should ensure their dogs are fully obedience trained before allowing them to interact with children.

Many children are happy to look after and learn about pets, but should only be given responsibility based on their ability, age and interest.  However, many studies have shown that children who are taught to respect pets become more compassionate adults.  Taking time and care to teach children and pets to treat each other with respect will create long-term advantages for both pet and child alike.

Read our weekly Animal health advice articles at http://www.in2town.co.uk and http://www.in2town.co.uk/PDSA-animal-magazine-and-animal-advice.html



Nyah

WoodCreek Pet Products asked:


First Principles

Teach respect, a dog has to be taught to respect its owner. You have to be his leader and not let him be yours. As you communicate with your dog he learns to understand you, he will forever be willing to please. Once the dog knows you are his leader, he will be a happy follower by teaching your dog the basic training commands and discipline.

It is next to impossible to have a normal, well-behaved, even-tempered dog without discipline and some training. Once a dog is trained he is a better pet and greater companion, and he himself will be happier for knowing that his owner is pleased with him. There are many books devoted to discipline and training and free online resources for dog training than ever imaginable! There are also many great obedience-training classes for low cost to no cost, one for example is PetSmart and I highly recommend this form of training, it helps your dog or puppy learn to socialize as well as get his basic obedience training from a professional source, helping you and your dog learn together. You must be willing to accept the fact that if your dog fails the course and becomes a dropout, it is entirely your fault not the dogs. He is a willing subject, it is your complete responsibility to ensure you and he complete all training classes and continue to adhere to the lessons learned.

Any sincerely interested dog owner can train their dog, and it can be a most rewarding educational experience for both. Patience and consistency is the key to successful training, at times you will have to be firm, but gentle and always, always give praise for each and every one of his positive efforts.Basically dog training is built on reward, repetition, reprimand and again praise. Although it can be too early to begin training, it is never too late. Most puppies form a strong attachment to an individual which may persist or wane, and there is often a phase of disobedience and defiance. Discipline is needed during this crucial period, but it must be with patience and never overbearing or intimidating. Don't listen to the old cliché "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". There is nothing further from the truth, I don't for one moment believe that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, he can be taught new tricks and all the basic commands whatever his age.

 

It is bound to be a more difficult to break old habits like barking, chasing cars, sleeping on furniture etc., and can be resolved with proper training aids, such as no-bark collars, sonic bark control devices, citronella spray collars, indoor radio fences, and scat mats, if all other resources have been exhausted to resolve these and various other undesirable habits develop or exist. You and your dog must be relaxed before you begin any training session. He can and will know when you are tense or uncomfortable, he can't learn while he is tense or timid and if your dog or puppy is showing signs of stubbornness or defiance they may be more resistant to teaching, but don't give in, stay firm, consistent and have a routine, all animals are creatures of habit, so stay with the training. In essence complete relaxation is essential for both dog and trainer, also, make lessons fun for both you and your dog. He will learn much faster, and give you a greater reward for your training efforts, vise-versa.

 

Getting To Know Your Dog or Puppy

 

To train your dog or pup to the best advantage for both, you must get to know their personality, for example there are sensitive or shy dogs who squeal at the slightest noise with disciplinary action and the merest jerk of a training lead, grooming comb or word of discipline, causing you to hurt his feelings and mistrust. Take caution and try to understand this dog or puppy’s personality, this is vital to their mental health and needs to be taken in a very slow, easy manner. If a stronger, more aggressive training method is used with this type of personality it cannot be reversed, and will ultimately result in a very scared, confused pet. Then there is the more assertive type dogs, they may need a stronger form of training and attention spans may need to be focused on, "Fearless" Fun loving, and go for it types of dogs always pushing himself at you for your attention, he jumps on your guests, slobbers on them, forces his "Here I am" on you, your guests, children or the elderly. This personality may or may not need a more aggressive training method, depending on the breed and the owner's training abilities.

Make the Lessons Fun

Dogs get bored with long training sessions. If you work them for over 20 minutes at a time, they will lose interest and stop listening to you. For a younger dog or puppy, 5 to 10 minutes is long enough for one training session. But do it frequently, and again with, praise or training reward treats.

Basic Dog Training Commands

(1) Leash Training: This is the first and foremost of all dog and puppy training. Say you need to take your pet to the Veterinarian for a check up...this cannot be done without a well leash trained dog or puppy. Work with your dog or puppy daily  DO NOT: pull, drag or force your dog to follow the leash, take it easy.....let them walk to you, stop...say "Good Dog" Reward them with a treat, and let them sit, then, pet, praise them. Give them time, always be patient, they will respond soon to your leash training, it is so very important not to scare them while leash training!!!! They will never feel safe with you!!

 

(2) Heel: You teach your dog to walk on you left side without pulling in front of you; he always walks beside you, comfortably, easily and will never pull at the leash. When he tries to walk in front of you, you jerk back on the lead and say the word "Heel". Use this command with easy, gentle commands, do not "Yank" on the lead, be very, very gentle or this will cause your dog to become scared and try to bolt and make the "Heel" command frighten your dog, therefore, reversing your training and all trust established with your dog or puppy. Please always use good sense and respond to your dogs action or "Reaction" to "Leash and Heel" Training.

(3) Sit: Pull the leash straight up and while pushing down on his hindquarters, saying the word "Sit". Most dogs learn this very quickly.

(4) Down: You don't want your dog or puppy to jump on people, especially, elderly guests, children or anyone else that is coming to visit your home. Your dog needs to learn this after he is confident with his leash training. Grasp the leash or collar just under the dog's neck and while gently pulling in the downward motion as you say, "Down"

(5) Stay: This is a very important command, as it can save your dog from a situation were harm or injury may occur, and this can be beneficial to the both of you. This command can save you or your dog from being hit by cars, or any other dangerous situation, this can your dogs life. To teach the "Stay" command put your dog in a sitting position and talk a few steps away, and if he attempts to come to you, firmly say "Stay" and stop walking, ask your dog to sit, and start again, keep repeating this procedure until he stays, this may take some time, remember keep the lessons short, and be consistent.

(6) Come: Be sure to do this with a leash or long lead. First put him on the "Stay" command, use the word "Come" and give the leash a light tug toward you, when he responds a comes to you give him praise and or a reward treat and repeat this lesson until your dog is responsive to the command, then you can remove the leash or lead and repeat the lesson. This is one of the easiest lessons dogs learn very quickly.  With all said and these simple, easy to follow training guidelines, you should have a long and happy relationship with your dog or puppy. Note: Never give up, be patient, consistent and always praise!!!! Love your dog like he loves you.

YOUR DOG

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.....You are his life, his love, and his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy ofsuch devotion. "

Author unknown:

 

 

 

 



Joseph

samanta wolon asked:


Just like children, pets provide a lot of love but they also take a lot care. Most of us start out thinking that our pets will never cause the kind of damage we've seen at Other People's Houses. Oh no. It won't happen to us.

 

And then, real life happens. The dog gobbles a hot dog from the street while we aren't looking and gets sick in the house an hour later. The cat gets a urinary infection and just can't get to the litter box in time.

 

I could go on. But you know the problem well or you wouldn't be reading these words.

 

So what should you do after the fact? How can you get rid of the stain from your carpet, floor, or upholstery?

 

No single remedy works with all kinds of stains and odors. Stains and odors are the result of the chemical composition of the substance that caused the stain, the chemical composition of the material the substance landed on, and the interaction between the two. While sometimes the result is irreversible, in most cases the stain can be eliminated or at least made much less noticeable.

 

The first rule is to act as quickly as possible. If you witness your pet in the act, mop up as much of the offending substance as quickly as possible while trying to keep it from spreading. Always mop up from the edge of the area toward the center so as not to make the stain any bigger than necessary.

 

Of course, often your pet won't make a mess in your presence. In that case, the urine or vomit may have sunk into the carpet, wood floor, or upholstery. If there is some solid material involved, first carefully remove it. Try not to rub it into the carpet or upholstery.

 

Spray the area with a half and half mixture of water and household vinegar – just regular vinegar, not wine or cider vinegar. If done in time, this should stop the stain from setting permanently in the carpet or fabric. Now blot up the moisture by applying clean cloth or paper toweling to the area. Use pressure to get as much liquid out as possible.

 

If the stain is still visible, baking soda may do the trick. Add a few teaspoonfuls of baking soda to the vinegar solution and apply the mixture liberally to the stained carpet or fabric, and then blot dry as before. There will be a chemical reaction between the two that will reactivate the stain and make it easier to remove. When the area is completely dry, a thorough vacuuming should remove any remaining traces of baking soda.

 

If these simple home remedies don't do the trick, it's time to call in the professionals. They'll bring the appropriate equipment and materials to restore your home to its former state.

 

Accidents do happen. Don't let them spoil relationship with your pet or your home.



Brynn

Article Manager asked:


Are you perplexed about a gift for your friend’s birthday, who is a pet lover? Don’t you think pet portrait is the best gift for your friend? Yes, it is. If you know that your friend is very fond of pets, then definitely you are thinking in the right direction by presenting him/her with the portrait gift. Many people are having very affectionate attitude towards their pets and they take care of them as their own children. Pets give an unconditional love and affection throughout the life. So, gifting any pet portrait to your friend is surely going to be a rocking and unique idea.

Although, you can purchase or order various pet portraits but cat, dog and horse portraits are the most common and popular choices among the masses. Idea of these portraits are slowly and steadily gaining popularity these days because of the following two main reasons-

•    Firstly, handmade portraits are those memories which a person can hold and cherish for lifetime. Moreover, they are much lively than usual photographs.

•    Secondly, it is a fact that after a few years’ pets will eventually leave you. So, having their portrait in the house is like showing your love, concern and appreciation towards them and paying the tribute to them in the most elegant manner.

However, a professional artist can only give natural and true feelings to all your imaginations by painting the satisfactory and finest quality of portraits. These professional artists are specialized in painting beautiful portraits by using either pastel or oil paints because pastel and oil paints are considered as the best paints for portraits. The only effort required from your side is to give the photo of your beloved pet to them and rest leave everything on their natural talent. These professionals are experts in delivering breathtaking portraits within the time span of 3-4 weeks at the most competitive prices.

Through the internet you can easily find out various websites that can provide you with this valuable service. You just have to send the photo online by disclosing all the necessary details such as size of your pet portrait, the style you want, and many more. And thus, get your desired imagination turn into reality at the pocket-friendly prices.



Shyanne

Jim Thornton asked:


When you share your home with children and pets, carpets often start to look aged and dingy before their time. Luckily, with a few simple carpet cleaning tips, the like new look of your carpet can be maintained for years to come, no matter the spills, accidents and uh-ohs that happen when animals and children are involved.

Tip 1: Vacuuming. Vacuuming is something you probably already do regularly, but if not, know that regular vacuuming will greatly extend the life of your carpet. Vacuuming at least once a week will keep the heaviest dirt from being ground into the carpet and causing dinginess. However, for a more effective solution, take some time and evaluate the traffic patterns through the carpeted areas of your house. Is there a spot where the dog likes to lay, or a path the children run from room to room? Giving these high-traffic area a quick once over with your vacuum cleaner every day or so will keep the wear from showing up as quickly.

Tip 2: Child-related stains. When you've got young children in the home, spills are bound to happen. Juice, food, paint and all kinds of other things will surely find their way to your carpet. The most essential thing to remember when dealing with spills and stains is that the faster you can treat it, the better. Use a standard carpet cleaner to treat the spot as soon as you notice it. Follow the instructions on the package of the carpet cleaner closely and pay attention to the type of stain you're dealing with. Some carpet cleaners work especially well on organic stains, such as fruit juice or food, while other cleaners are designed to remove things like melted wax or paint. Keep a couple of different carpet cleaners on hand so that you're ready for any accident.

Tip 3: Pet accidents. No matter how well trained your cats and dogs are, the occasional accident does happen. Not only accidents, but some more territorial pets are prone to marking their territory. In this case, again, it is important to treat the area as soon as you notice the stain. You do not want to give the pet urine time to settle down into the pad beneath the carpet, as this will make removing odors much more difficult. Visit your favorite pet store and look for a carpet cleaner specifically designed for pet stains. There are enzymes in these carpet cleaners that break down the offensive material and eliminate both the stain and the odor. Not only will this keep lasting damage from happening, it will also prevent the pet from marking the same area over and over again.

Tip 4: Steam cleaners. With regular vacuuming and quick treatment of stains, your carpet will stay in good shape for the most part. However, for some more difficult stains or stains that had a chance to set before you could reach them, a professional carpet cleaning machine is in order. A carpet cleaning machine can be rented from many local grocery stores, and there are even some personal carpet cleaning machines that make sense for individual purchase. The combination of steam and industrial grade cleaning solutions is sometimes what is needed to get rid of those persistent stains. Additionally, make it a habit to go over your whole carpet, especially those high traffic areas, once every month to two months with a professional carpet cleaning machine. These machines will bring up deep, ground in dirt that has settled into the carpet, instantly renewing the look and feel of the rug.

Tip 5: Professional Carpet Cleaning Companies: If you've moved into a new home with carpets that are a bit more dingy than you would like, or if you'd like to attempt to revitalize your old carpet rather than purchase an entire new one, look into the possibility of having a professional carpet cleaning company come out to your home. Your local yellow pages will have many listings for these types of companies. Be sure to get several quotes and ask about multi-room discounts. If you have been considering replacing your carpets, do yourself a favor and instead have a company come out for professional cleaning. The cost is much less than installing new carpeting, and you'll be amazed at how fresh and new your carpets will look.

Whether you're starting with brand new carpets or simply trying to extend the life of your current carpets, these tips will help keep them looking as fresh and new as the day you bought them. Most importantly, vacuum high traffic areas often, treat kid and pet stains as quickly as you can, and when all else fails, consider a professional carpet cleaning.



Nataly

John Richards asked:


rms should, in my humble opinion, be mandatory for all small kids. What am I talking about? Well, research shows that children who've had the experience of being responsible for a pet grow up to be more responsible adults too. Hardly surprising but think about it. If we had more responsible parents out there, there would be fewer kids out on the streets causing all sorts of trouble after dark. OK I know I'm on my soap box but this stuff is important. Anyway, this article quickly runs through the main Orders (or groups) of insects to determine which are the most suitable for children to have as pets.

The main insect pet groups look like this:

Ants (Order Hymenoptera) Ants make great pets You can buy an ant farm for under $20 Very little maintenance is required They eat virtually nothing yet are active all the time and perform remarkable feats of tunnelling. They are great to watch.

Stick insects and leaf insects (Order Phasmidae) - these are great when newly hatched - they run around all over the place. But as they get bigger there level of activity drops off and they begin to loook more like their namesakes - sticks. As the insects become more and more stationary for longer and longer periods, a child's interest is likely to tail off, quite understandably. Need fresh plant food regularly.

Crickets (Order Orthoptera) Now these guys can make very good pets for kids. The many different species vary considerably in their appearance and show quite a bit of sexual dimorphism (that is, the males and females look different) They can be quite active, particularly at warmer temperatures and some will sing, given the right encouragement. Need fresh plant food regularly.

Bees (Order Hymenoptera) Definitely adults only. Bees are fascinating to keep, and can earn you a little money, but require a good deal of equipment, and care.

Cockroaches (Order Blattodea) A lot of parents have an understandable aversion to cockroachesbut, provided they are housed and looked after properly caged then they are the same as any other insect. Everyone knows how active cokroaches can be, but they do have the alarming habit of eating each other of food gets short. Kids might find this difficult to take. Will eat pretty much anything. Hissing cockroaches are extremely striking insects.

Millipedes (Order Myriapoda) Interesting to watch but can spend long periods in an inactive coil, which is pretty boring for children. Prefer warmer temperatures. Eat detritus. Giant millipedes can be up to 12? long and as thick as your finger so you will need a large tank or terrarium.

So, there are clearly many options open to you when choosing an insect for a pet. Although I find all insects interesting, I think, for children, ants in an ant farm is likely to offer the best chance of success. The ant farms themselves are cheap, and there are many types to choose from. The ants are usually active and will capture a child?s interest and running costs are virtually nothing.

Nya

Markus Skupeika asked:


Ever Wonder Your Pet Stain Removers Are Created With?

Did you know that older pet stain removers were developed to make your pet pee more. You daily household pet stain removers do have so many secrets. What do you really know about them?

I am about to tell you what you are cleaning pet stains with and when you leave your pet alone what type of chemicals you are leaving behind.

In this article you will learn about the health effects your children, pets and the earth are suffering from simply because you may have not known better.

Important Facts That Open Your Eyes

1. Many childhood problems such as eczema, asthma, and learning disabilities are induced by toxins from household cleaners and toxic raw materials.

2. EPA Considers Common Household Cleaners "Hazardous Waste" - household over cleaners, drain cleaners, wood, tile and grout cleaners, tub cleaner and bleach.

3. Around the year in 2005 218,316 reported poisonous exposures from your common household cleaning products. That is about 9 out of 10.

4. In the United States the common household generates more than 20 pounds of hazardous waste per year. In fact the average home will accumulate 100 pounds of household hazardous waste.

5. According to a Toronto Air Conference that was done for 15 year study women who have done work at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who worked away from home. The study came to find that it was a direct relation to the increased exposure to toxic chemicals, many which have been found in your common household cleaners.

6. Only a small percentage of the registered chemicals in household cleaning products have been actually tested for human health concerns.

Natural Cleaning Products In The Home Need To Be Safe

Your home should be the safest place in the world for your family and pets.

Although natural cleaning products seem to be available they do not seem to work as well. Especially in the terms of pet stains and odors.

In fact did you know that pet stain removers in the past were developed with ammonia which is toxic, but also this ammonia raw material was known to have your pets continue to pee in the same spot.

Simply because animals have ammonia in there urine and believe when you clean the stain with an ammonia based pet stain cleaner. Another dog is in fact peeing in that spot.

This was grand marketing scheme for some larger corporations and we are addressing this.

Not only do pet stain removers need to be organic and safe they must soothe the soul.

With this in mind a new Green Bean Cleaning Product has been developed to not only clean pet stains, odors, but also using an aroma therapy like fragrance which soothes the users. Imaging coming home to clean carpet that has zen like fragrances that will relax you.

This product will not mask odors, in fact it will encapsulate the carpet fiber. While encapsulating it neutralizes the odor and stains. So no matter how old the stain is, it literally no match for Stainerizer.

How Green Pet Stain Remover Is Completely Different

When Your Green Bean Cleaning It Is Entirely A Different Experience

Do not have to worry about toxic chemicals and in fact will be making your family healthier.

SAFE

· Nontoxic

· No toxic fumes

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· No hazardous chemicals

· No chlorine

· No kerosene

· No dodecylbenzene-sulfonate

· No phenol

· No cresol

· No lye

· No morpholine

· No petroleum distillates

· No benezene

· No ammonia

· No paradichlorobenzene

GREEN

· Sustainably sourced natural ingredients

· Biodegradable surfactants

· No chlorine

· No phosphates

· No nitrates

· No borates

· No animal testing

· Recyclable packaging

POWERFUL

· Outperforms 11 national brands

· 100% money-back guaranteed

Try A Free Sample Of Stainerizer Risk Free.

Be apart of the Stainerizer launch to receive a free sample, free shipping, and additional bonues.

When you sign up for the Stainerizer launch you will be included with videos and educational informational that will open your eyes to our lab testing and product developments.

The pet stain remover launch will amaze you as you will see case studies of the product in use. You also will receive amazing bonuses that no one else will receive.

Additional bonuses like free shipping, launch discounts, free pheromones added to your order and inclusion in the product launch so you receive the product first before it hits the market at regular price.

For a limited time, get a free sample of the new organic carpet pet stain remover risk free at http://www.mycleaningproducts.com/pet_products.html.



Veronica

June Sabe asked:


It is possible for children and pets to coexist in the same household, peacefully. Many people mistakenly think that as soon as they start having children that their pet needs to head to the local shelter. They fear that the cat or dog will not get along with the new child and it will result in biting or scratching. This is not always the case and if you take the time to introduce your pets to your children properly, your kids and pets can live in harmony.

One of the biggest concerns that new parents have when it comes to pets in the home is how it will react to a baby. Many of the old wives tales such as cats sucking the breath out of babies simply are not true. In fact, many cats and dogs readily accept a new child into the home and become fiercely loyal and protective over the baby.

When you bring your baby home from the hospital, you should introduce your pet to your new baby. Of course, these introductions need supervision. Allow your cat or dog time to sniff your child at his or her own pace. Make the introduction pleasant for your cat or dog. In most cases, your cat or dog will not give your baby a second thought. Allow your pet to adjust to the new situation on his or her own terms. When a baby comes to the house, it is an adjustment for everybody.

The other thing that you might want to consider doing when you bring a baby into the home is to make sure that your cat or dog is properly groomed. This includes trimming your dog or cat nails. Your dog may want to put a paw on your baby. If his or hers nails are long and sharp, your dog may accidentally scratch your infant. While you can never eliminate pet hair from your home, if your dog or cat clipped and brushed it will certainly help your home stay a little cleaner. Many new parents also worry about allergies. The fact is, many studies have shown that children who are exposed to pets from a very young age, actually have less pet allergies than children who are not exposed to pets.

Another good idea is to make sure that your pets do not have access to your baby's room during naptime or at night without supervision. While your pet probably means no harm to your child, pets are naturally curious. A cat may jump into your infant crib, or in large dogs could easily a knock bassinet or cradle over. You should always supervise your pet when it is around your new baby at all times. Most of all, you should try to make sure that you are still spending quality time with your pet when possible. This especially pertains to dogs, which are used to playing in the backyard and going for walks.

As your child grows, you need to begin teaching your child proper pet etiquette. If your dog or cat has learned to respect your child, then your child also needs to learn to respect your pet. Teach your child from a young age that they should never pull or yank a cat or dog's tail or ears. Your child can learn proper pet etiquette even at a very young age. You will also want to teach your child to respect your pet's space. This includes making sure that your child understands that he or she should never wake a sleeping pet. This could cause your pet to become startled and could result in biting or scratching. In addition, you will want to make sure that your child understands to stay out of your pet's food, water and litter box. Your child will be naturally curious, so it is always best to give your pet some private space away from your child.

There are many things you can do to make sure that children and pets coexist peacefully. Your children and pets need to learn to respect each other from the very beginning. There is no reason to get rid of your cat or dog just because you have a child in the home.



Adonis

Prof Prayag Dutt Juyal asked:


 Over the years the tendency of keeping companion animals for pleasure, security and sports across the world has increased tremendously. Domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animal in human history. A dog is considered to be the man’s best friend. Watchman qualities of dogs have come in for a measure of recognition and strength in prevailing system of animal placements and ratings. A dog is just not a pet but very much treated like the part of the family. They act as companion, friend or even fashion accessory. The emotional value of the pet is much higher. A positive pet experience is highly beneficial to children. Taking care of a dog can help children develop social skills, build self esteem and self confidence. Healthy companion animals are significant in human-animal bond and may have a positive influence on family’s health. So, Owning of a pet can be a wonderful and rewarding experience for you and your family. Consequently, the pet industry is booming in India and abroad. But a family keeping a pet (dogs and cats) without proper health care may be exposed to variety of harmful parasitic infections during life time. To keep companion animal healthy and free of parasites, an optimum level of veterinary intervention is needed.

Zoonoses (the diseases shared by man and animals) can pose a serious threat to the families with unprotected pets and may put not only children, pregnant females and adults but also to the veterinarians and immuno-compromised individuals at greater risk. You share many things with your pet but certainly disease should not be one of them. Because of the wide publicity about emerging diseases like bird flu, mad cow disease and others, the veterinarians frequently receive the questions from the people about potential zoonotic diseases transmitted from dogs and cats. Of newly emerging and remerging infectious diseases, over 75% are of zoonotic origin. India has approximately 25 million dogs, (as per census 2002) with an estimated dog: man ratio of 1:36, while a survey in 2003 reported that about 17% house holds have a pet/domesticated dog. Dogs fall into four broad categories: pets (restricted and supervised); family dogs (partially restricted, wholly dependent); community dogs (unrestricted, partially dependent); and feral dogs (unrestricted, independent). About 80% dogs in India would fall into the last 3 categories. The societal change has driven the growth in pet population. The dog population is increasing by 26% per year. Increasing number of single executives and women and single child families or parent whose children have settled abroad kept pets. Mostly the pets are infected with parasites, if come in contact with people may transmit the disease and significantly interfere with the relationship between people and their pets.

 However, most pet owners are simply unaware of need to protect their pets and families from these parasites. There is urgent need for pet education and counseling. Every year, millions of dogs and cats are treated for internal and external parasitic infestations in Metropolitan cities in India. Recently, > 15,000 cases of dogs in a month have been registered for treatment purpose in veterinary clinics at GADVASU, Ludhiana. A zoonotic infection is caused by the transmission of round worms in the intestine of dogs and cats to people. Growing popularity of pets has resulted in wide spread contamination of the environment (soil) with hookworm and ascarid infective larvae and eggs. Principal risk factors for human disease include presence of dog in the house, geophagia and dirt eating habit (pica) of children .Children play habits and their attraction to pets especially dogs  put them at higher risk than the adults. A condition called VLM (Visceral Larva Migrans) develops in children; main organs affected are eye, lung, liver, and brain where infection can cause visual impairment, neurological and other tissue damages. Risk with cats is less due to their defecation habits. In another condition CLM (Cutaneous Larva Migrans), human gets infection through infective larvae either direct penetration of skin or through ingestion. The most common seen is of elders and children moving barefooted in the field or lawns or in the public parks or garden where dogs often defecate. Plumbers, gardeners and sunbathers are also most likely to suffer from skin manifestations. Hookworm eggs can develop into infective larvae in the soil as little in 5 days and ascarid eggs within 2 weeks depending on temperature and humidity. An ascarid female can produce >100,000 eggs per day contaminating the environment. Once they become infective, remain in the environment for years together. Most cases of human ascarid and hookworm infections can be prevented by practicing good personal hygiene, regular deworming of pets and keeping the children away from the areas that may be contaminated with feces. The regular veterinary care of pets is of utmost importantance.

 Ingestion of cat feces, raw meat and unwashed fruits and vegetables may transmit  toxoplasmosis in man. The populations at risk are pregnant females and the person under going immunosuppressive therapy. Once a pregnant female is infected, the child will be borne with many abnormalities like loss of vision, mental retardation, and loss of hearing. Her family has to bear the life long agony of rearing of an abnormal child. The pregnant females at times have miscarriage and still births. But owning a cat does not mean that you are infected with the disease. It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur. However, precaution has to be taken that cat may remain indoors and is not fed raw or uncooked meat. Treatment of infected cat and proper disposal of the feces play a significant role in the elimination of the disease.

Hydatid disease is of tapeworm origin and found in dogs. In humans, it affects the organs by putting pressure on it resulting into organ failure. Man gets infection by ingestion of eggs through contaminated soil. A few infections like cryptosporidiosis, giardiosis and external parasites can not be ignored either and precaution should be taken accordingly.

 Health Tips to protect you and your family

Wash your hands well after contact with pets. Do not allow your kid to eat dirt or soil. Do not stroll in the park bare- footed. Wear shoes in public parks. Dog and cat waste quickly disposed off from the areas where children-pet play. Pregnant females and immuno-deficient persons to take extra care. Eat only well cooked meat Wash fresh fruits and vegetables to eliminate contamination. Chop meat separately. Get fecal examination of pets done regularly by a vet (2-4 times in a year for parasites). Deworm dog or cat as per vets’ recommendations.

 

The writer is Professor and Head of Veterinary Parasitology Department at GADVASU, Ludhiana, India



Ryann

Debra Sale Wendler asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Debra Sale Wendler

Children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), bipolar, autism, Asperger's syndrome, and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), can be very difficult. If your child has one of these conditions, he may try to push your buttons so you lose control and he wins. The only way out of this gridlock is to develop some refusal tactics of your own.

Adopt these winning tactics that soothe your child and elevate your parenting style:

1. Refuse to argue. Your child's first line of defense (and distraction from the real issue at hand) is to start an argument. Counter his defensive tactic with your calm logic.

For example, if you child doesn't want to do the dishes, he may say, "I didn't eat any of that stupid dinner so I'm not doing the stupid dishes." You can say, "I hear you. The chore chart shows clearly that you wash dinner dishes this week. Please start now." If you weaken and argue, he wins.

2. Refuse to cater, coddle, or pamper your child when he is disagreeable. Otherwise he'll think, "I must be the prince, and you must be the doormat. Why else would you cater to me when I treat you lower than the rattlesnake's belly?"

Your child's second line of defense may be to throw a tantrum or act out.

This is a control tactic plain and simple. Your child can control this. Counter his defensive tactic by withdrawing your attention. Calmly clear other children, pets, and breakables from his tantrum area, and move to another room. Without attention, he will get bored quickly with his tantrum.

3. Refuse to get emotionally overwhelmed. If you get overwhelmed, say "I need five minutes to decide what to do with you." Calm down and return in exactly five minutes. That's modeling self-control. (And you win.)

4. Refuse to raise your voice. If he's out of control, try whispering. If he unnerves you enough that you raise your voice, he wins again.

5. Refuse to beg, bribe, or nag. Or your child will think you're weak, and he wins. Praise him when you catch him being good. And give him a chance to win by improving his behavior.

6. Refuse to hit, spank, or threaten. You already know that these methods do not work. Your child sees your attempt to use these methods as weakness (and he wins again).

You need to motivate your child to improve his behavior and win your praise and attention.

You can remote control your child's behavior with a token system, also called a behavior chart.

The secret is to find one that is easy to use. Some are too complicated.

7. Refuse to hold grudges or gripe about the past. It's impossible to change the past, so it's unfair for you to harp on it. If you do, your child is entitled to have a tantrum. (And he wins.)

All you have is the present. What you do right now builds your future, and your child's, so make it count.

You Can Solve This.

Your calmer cooler response will be so surprising that your child will admire and respect your patience and strength of character. Then and only then will he trust you enough to learn from you. You both win.

I invite you to use these methods to transform quickly from reactive parent to surprisingly calm cool and collected parent worthy of attention and respect.



Parker