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Your Pets and Hygiene: Advice Roundup!

PetSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:00:28 -0700

We've exchanged lots of advice on these pages, and I think it's pretty cool that we have both the tried-and-true, and new methods to try thanks to your comments! In order to keep everyone up on their pets' hygiene, I rounded up my favorite tips and tricks to keep your pets clean, healthy, and smelling fresh all year. Check out the slideshow by hitting the start button below! Source

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Cat Owners Eight Times More Likely to Have MRSA at Home

PetSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:55:01 -0700

If you're not familiar with it already, MRSA is a bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics, dangerous because of, well, its drug resistance. The first cases in pets popped up about five years ago in therapy dogs exposed to patients or healthcare workers, but the tables could turn, putting humans in more danger any day.

Typically, humans usually infect pets (and not vice versa), but animals can serve as a reservoir for the bacteria and pass it back to humans. Healthy animals rid themselves of bacteria in a matter of weeks.

According to a study this Summer, Elizabeth A. Scott and colleagues at the Center For Hygiene and Health in Home and Community at Simmons College in Boston swabbed household surfaces and found that one variable that overwhelmingly predicted the presence of the germ was the presence of a cat - they were eight times more likely than others to have MRSA at home.

To learn some tips to keep your human (and furry) family safe, read more.

Wash your hands or use antibacterial hand gels before and after playing with a pet or handling wastes and food.
Don't let pets lick near your face or any cuts or sores, and be sure to keep your broken skin bandaged up.

What Happened This Week on PetSugar (5/10-5/15)?

PetSugar — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:00:23 -0700

This week on PetSugar, we offered a very scientific study of cuddly animals, admitted the little white lies we all tell about our pets, and learned some simple tips for keeping pets healthy - from their dental hygiene to snoring. What else did we cover? Take this quiz and find out if you've been paying attention to our training sessions.

Take the quiz

Twittering Cat Raises $5,000 For Charity: In the LINK of an Eye!

PetSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:00:49 -0700

Romeo the cat raises five grand for animal charities – People Pets
Super cool interview with animal safety rep for TV, movies and commercials – Paw Nation
Lord & Taylor throws a "Puppy Love" party – WWD
Edie Falco has a Marley of her very own – Celebrity Dog Watcher
Can you tell the Cockatoo from lil Puggie poo? – Cute Overoad
Origami style cat grass planter looks like . . . a cat – moderncat
This vet loves CET Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews – Wag Reflex
Even more ways to go green! – PetMD
Found It! Rabbit Paintings From the Kimber Modern – CasaSugar
Do you treat pets better than yourself? – Dolittler

Street Team: Tartar-Reducing Flossies

PetSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:30:53 -0700

There are definitely times when it's hard to convince a pooch that teeth brushing is a fun activity. It's important to practice good oral hygiene for pets, and there are many different toys and treats that freshen his breath and clean his teeth in the process. Myko here gets very squirmy at just the idea of that brushing, and wren wants to keep the professional vet cleanings at a minimum (because of the necessary anesthesia). However, she located this great product seen here to help her IG get clean teeth and a treat in the process! Learn all about it when you read more.

You can find Flossies at well stocked pet stores or online – wren picked one up from a local shop whose owner's four-year-old pooch had bright, white teeth. She tells us:

It's made of beef tendon, and the bands of fibers really help to scrape plaque off a dog's teeth and between them, too (hence the name). I've really started to notice a difference after a few weeks of use. I cut the Flossie into five pieces, and he chews through each piece in about three days. Best of all, he loves it.

Do you have great products your pets love? Keep sharing them with PetSugar's Street Team!

Thurman Murman Gets Pampered at K9 Loft!

PetSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:30:52 -0700

Only fitting so close to Mother's Day that we feature our fave celebrity (dog) mommy. R-Bils brought her very special pooch to a very special shop in LA yesterday, K9 Loft. Looks like her lil pup got groomed up nicely and even sports a new bandana on his scruffly neck. Learn about this facility (and see adoro piccys) when you read more.

K9 Loft is a one-stop destination in the Echo Park 'hood of LA for those pampered SoCal pooches. With everything from obedience training and full-service grooming (including dental hygiene!) to webcam-monitored daycare and outdoor excursions to Silver Lake Dog Park, lucky pups can come here for a pampering day . . . and moms can pick up some cute gear from their retail shop on the way out. Rachel seems to like bringing Thurman everywhere herself but, among K9 Loft's high-end services, they'd offer a car service to deliver him on those days when she couldn't break away from her busy life to get the lil man. Oh, and even I'm not too sure what kind of pup he is – other than absolutely adoro – maybe one day she'll choose to invest in the DNA testing they offer there as well.

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Flynet and Source

I Need Your Help... Stinky Puppy

PetSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:00:08 -0700

Look at this lil face – can you imagine something so adorable could be so stinky?! When I spotted 7kimba7's blog about her smelly pup, Scout, I couldn't resist trying another team effort here! Read through her story which I've summarized below, and then share any tips or experiences in your comments!

"I have a Shih Tzu/poodle mix – his hair is getting long and he's starting to smell. It's not that I expect him to walk around smelling like peaches and roses, but he smells pretty soon after he gets a bath (not like poo, but very dirty dog). I have been giving him baths every Friday, I brush his hair everyday so it doesn't mat, and I find it odd that he smells so bad three days after his bath. I've even tried those "freshen-up" wipes, but nothing works.

Can anyone recommend anything to keep him non-stinky for at least a week? Or perhaps having shorter hair will help? Any tips for grooming in general would be appreciated . . . I am new with the doggy thing and I'm trying to be a good mommy. And again, I know that dogs smell; his scent is excessive. I guess I'm afraid that you guys will say 'dogs smell, get over it!'"

To read my advice, and share your own, read more.

First up, try to isolate the smell. For example, extra stinky ears can be a sign of excessive wax or an infection, smelly breath can come from bad oral hygiene, or smelly fur and skin can (unfortunately) be more common with some breeds. Pups with oily skin can have extra oils in their coats that can become rancid and stink or cause (even more smelly) skin conditions. Also, some pups are more prone to bacterial skin diseases – I'd say make sure you are using a good anti-bacterial shampoo, and ask a vet or knowledgeable shop owner/groomer for suggestions. Lastly, smelly fur and skin can not only come from weak shampoo, but also from a pooch's diet. I couldn't help but recall Bella's smelly cat problem, and all of the food suggestions – do any of you have remedies, supplements, or grooming suggestions to combat the stink?