My dog has bumps on her stomach

Your dog is not as energetic and jumpy as always, and this may seem unusual.  It’s easy to notice when something is wrong with your dog due to the sudden change in their typical amount of activity and energy. If you notice that your dog has bumps on her stomach, continue reading for some information that can help.

This can suggest food allergies, parasites, disease, infection or other serious medical conditions.  You can try administering a home remedy such as shampooing your dog with a medicated shampoo to relieve any itchiness or soreness from the bumps.  You can also try washing her sheets/bed padding in the case there are parasites or other insects camping out in the bed.  If it looks like she has hives, rubbing Benedryl over your pet’s bumps may also provide some relief and may help reduce their appearance.

Persisting problems

If these don’t help, contact your veterinarian to get your pup checked out.  Try using TalkLocal to locate one nearby.  TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reliable veterinarians in your area within minutes.  All you need to do is enter your dog’s specific symptoms, your location and your availability, and TalkLocal will contact multiple professionals who will then call you directly, ready to help.  Save time and stress from searching for the right, most affordable vet, and let TalkLocal find one for you!

Moving over a long distance can be stressful not only for you, but also your feline friends. Long distance moving with your cat can be a challenge, but the following advice will help you to know how to move cats long distance.

Test Drive Before the Big Move

If you have ever driven your cat to the vet, you probably know how they react to a car ride. Make sure you familiarize yourself with your cat’s car ride behavior before the long trip. They will probably react the same to a long car ride as they do to a short one.

Use a Pet Carrier or Crate

It may be tempting to let your cat roam free during the trip, but its best to use a pet carrier or collapsible crate. Just like humans needs seatbelts to keep them safe and secure in a car, your pet needs to be secured inside a carrier. (There are no laws regarding this, but it is just a safer choice). Larger crates can accommodate more than one cat. Throw in a comfy blanket to encourage them to take a nap. It’s also more comforting if your cat can see you, so keep the crate close by.

Prevent Kitty Carsickness

Nobody wants to deal with a carsick cat, especially during a long ride. To prevent a sick kitty, it’s best to let your cat travel on an empty stomach. Feed your cat less than normal if food is necessary. Otherwise, carsickness may be imminent.

To Sedate or Not to Sedate?

You may want to sedate your cat before the long car ride. This decision depends on how your cat reacts to car rides. If your cat is easily stressed by travel, you may want to use sedation. If your cat tends to curl up and fall asleep during car rides, sedation may not be necessary. Consult your veterinarian for suggestions.

To get in touch with a local vet, use TalkLocal to talk to one in minutes! Just file a quick service request online and up to three reliable vets will call you almost immediately.

Are you looking for the best dog treatment for ticks and fleas? To answer that, Frontline Plus is the best treatment you can use on your dog. It is a waterproof topical liquid that you place behind your dog’s neck and along its back.  Frontline Plus is guaranteed to kill ticks and fleas within 24 to 48 hours of application.  It keeps ticks and fleas away, and they will die if they come in contact with your dog.

K9 Advantix is another dog treatment for ticks and fleas; however, it is not as good as Frontline Plus.  After 28 days, K9 Advantix loses about 50% of its effectiveness, whereas Frontline Plus only loses 5%.  K9 Advantix has also been known to have harmful chemicals that can hurt your dog and other pets you may have in your home.

Home Remedies

Tick and flea medication for dogs can be expensive.  You can treat dogs for ticks and fleas with items found in your own home—and within your budget.

Apple cider vinegar is a good way to keep ticks and fleas away from dogs.  Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in your dog’s food.  Another great way to treat dogs for ticks and fleas is to spray your dog with apple cider vinegar immediately after thoroughly bathing your dog.  Washing your dog with blue dawn soap is also a well-known home remedy for treating dogs.  Let the apple cider vinegar air dry, and then comb out the dead ticks and fleas.

You can also try bathing your dog with diluted Head and Shoulders shampoo.  It will irritate the ticks and fleas and they will leave your dog.  If you are worried your dog brought fleas and ticks inside your home, spray your home with Citrus Spic and Span.  It will kill fleas and ticks instantly, as well as freshen up your home.

If you would like to find a quality veterinarian in your area that knows more about different types of dog treatments for ticks and fleas, TalkLocal can help connect you.  TalkLocal can also put you in touch with the top pest control professionals in your area to help get rid of ticks and fleas in your home.

If your budgie is not eating or drinking, it is likely that your bird is ill.  With a variety of possible illnesses, there is no way to diagnose and medicate your bird on your own.  Your best option is to consult veterinarian care as soon as possible.  In the mean time, there are temporary support measures you can take to keep your bird alive while you seek professional care.

Create a makeshift ‘brooder’

–  This should be like a nest for your bird.  Use an appropriately sized box lined with soft cloths like t-shirts.  Tuck in more materials to make an oversized box smaller on the inside if necessary.

–  Place a heating pad under the nest to keep the brooder warm.  If you do not have a heating pad you can use a thick, clean sock filled ¾ with plain, white rice.  Knot the end and microwave it for about 1.5 minutes.  Shake it afterwards to distribute the heat, making sure the sock is not too hot.  The tuck the sock just under the cloths.

Try to provide your bird with nutrients

–  Use a dropper every 20-30 minutes to gently feed Children’s Pedialyte to your budgie.  Put the dropper gently inside the beak and let the drops fall into the bottom beak under the tongue.  Do not force the droplets into the back of the throat, which can cause the bird to inhale the fluid and develop pneumonia.

–  You can also substitute Pedialyte with sugar water.  Just mix 1-2 tablespoons of natural white sugar in ½ cup of water.

–  Organic baby food (squash, yams, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables) is another feeding option.  Offer ½ spoon of all natural baby food to your bird to see if he accepts.

Remember, these are just temporary measures.  If your bird continues to avoid food or water, it is vital that you seek emergency attention.  Need to find a reliable veterinarian professional in your area?  TalkLocal will connect you to one in minutes!

Birds expend a lot of their energy ensuring homeostasis and thermo-regulating their body temperature so they don’t overheat.  Even though parrots are exotic birds used to tropical climates with high humidity and temperature, they are actually most active during the morning and evening, (the cooler portions of the day).  If your Parrot is panting, don’t worry, it is usually indicating that your parrot is hot and trying to expend excessive heat, much like how humans sweat.

In most cases, you’ll simply want to move your parrot to a cooler area of your house or just out of direct sunlight and make sure they have access to fresh, cool drinking water.  If they still don’t stop panting, then you may want to use a fan to keep your parrot cool, or even use misting to the same effect. (Caution: excessive misting of the feathers will have the opposite effect as the feathers will become heavy and inhibit airflow.)  Once again, the best thing to do is to remove your parrot from direct sunlight so that they have access to both shade and cool fresh water.

However, if the parrot doesn’t seem to be overheating from being in direct sunlight or being by a heating source (like a radiator), panting could indicate much more severe physiological problems.  It could range from having a seed stuck in the trachea (breathing problems), heart issues, or even cancer.  You will want to contact an avian vet immediately so that they can diagnose your parrot, as it is very difficult to diagnose the problem without expertise.  TalkLocal can make that extremely easy for you and connect you to the highest rated vets in your area in just minutes.  Simply enter your location, availability and a brief description of your needs, and you’ll have a vet helping your parrot in no time.

There could be many reasons why your cat is constantly sneezing and coughing. It may only be a minor problem, or it may be a serious condition.  This article outlines some possibilities for what may be wrong with your cat, but it is recommended that you take your cat to a local veterinarian if the problem continues.

Rhinotracheitis (Herpes-1)

Rhinotracheitis is most common in cats recently obtained from a shelter, but it is possible for a household cat to contract it as seemingly healthy cats can be carrying the disease.  Signs include sneezing, watery eyes, listlessness, declining appetite and occasionally coughing.  The disease is not deadly; letting your cat rest and feeding it chicken soup is an effective way to get rid of the disease.  Your veterinarian can also prescribe you some antibiotics that can prevent your cat from developing any more serious complications from the disease.  If you are worried about your cat not eating, you can feed them through a dropper, or try feed them pungent foods like sardines or tuna.  Vaporizers, steam, and nasal decongestants can be helpful for dealing with your cat’s congestion.

Migrating Hookworm and Roundworm Larva

Young kittens in unsanitary conditions may accidentally eat a hookworm or roundworm larva, an egg that burrows in their stomach or intestine, which can cause a cough once the hookworm or roundworm matures.  This can be prevented by keeping the environment sanitary.

Heartworm Disease

Heartworms are transmitted to your cat through mosquito bites.  They are more common on dogs, but they can be found on cats as well.  Heartworms damage the heart and cause inflammatory damage to the lungs.  In cats, the symptoms of heartworm disease can appear similar to asthma.  Your veterinarian can give your cat an injection or a monthly heart worm preventative to kill the heartworms.  However, the damage to the heart cannot be repaired.

Congestive Heart Disease

If your older cat is coughing frequently and their gums appear blueish-gray then they probably have heart disease.  To treat heart disease your veterinarian can place your cat on the diuretic furosemitide, and you can place your cat on a sodium restricted diet.

Lung Tumors

Older cats may develop tumors in their lungs.  Heavy coughing, possibly coughing up blood and phlegm is a sign that this the problem.  Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done for cats with tumors in their lungs.  There is some chemotherapy available for animals, but it is not very effective and will only lengthen their life span a short bit while causing them much suffering.  However, your veterinarian can provide you with cough suppressants, steroids, and bronchodilators that will improve your cats remaining life as much as possible.

Lungworms

Cats can obtain lungworms by eating birds or rodents that have eaten an infected snail or slug.  Lungworms will cause coughing and an increased white blood cell count.  Your veterinarian can treat a cat infected with lungworms with fenbendazole.

Bartonella

Bartonella is a bacteria that can cause a wide range of diseases and symptoms in cats.  If the cause of your cat’s coughing and sneezing remains unclear, your veterinarian can run a test for Bartonella.  Your vet can also treat your cat’s Bartonella will azithromycin, doxycycline, or rifampin.

These are just a few conditions that can cause coughing or sneezing in your cat.  It is highly recommended that you take your cat to your local veterinarian to get them checked out by a professional.  If you do not already have a veterinarian for you cat, you can use TalkLocal to find a high quality veterinarian in your area that is willing to help.

Worms are one of the most common ailments that affect dogs, so you should not freak out when you think your pooch may be suffering.  There are ways to tell if your dog has worms, how it got them, and how it can be treated and prevented in the future.  Your dog can’t speak, so it is entirely up to you to keep an eye out for anything that could be troubling them. Below is more information on how to treat worms in your dog.

Symptoms

– Visible worms or eggs in fur, fecal matter, vomit

– Scratching/rubbing butt on ground or against furniture

– Bloated stomach

– Weakness, weight loss, increased appetite, diarrhea

How dogs get worms

– Worm eggs can form cysts in adult dogs that remain dormant and transfer to puppies through birth/milk

– Contact with infected dirt

– Fleas

– Hunting/eating wildlife

Treatment

– All-in-one medications in flavored chewable tablet form

– Dewormers  — Find the correct cure for your dog’s type of worm

1) Ivermectin- prevents heartworm

2) Pyrantel pamoate- treats hookworms and roundworms

3) Selamectin- treats heartworms, prevents hookworms/roundworms

4) Milbemycin oxime- prevents heartworms, treats hookworms/ roundworms/whipworms

5) Paziquantel- treats tapeworms

Preventative measures

– Keep your dog on a monthly treatment of tablets

Continuing Problems

If you continue to have problems with your dog getting worms, you should speak with a veterinarian.  Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local veterinarian businesses.  You don’t have to do any work! Simply input your problem and availability and within minutes your should be connected to someone who can help you out.

If your cat will not stop meowing, it can not only be annoying, but sometimes worrisome as well.  This can be happening for a number of reasons, usually none of which are anything serious.  Read on for more information on why your cat might be meowing nonstop.

Causes

Usually, cat meow for the same reason as babies would cry.  Cat meow to tell their owner they’re hungry, thirsty, or want some attention.  Kittens, on the other hand, have some more specific reasons why they may meow.  Kittens sometimes meow when they have hypothermia, or when pushing out waste, so pay close attention to their health.  Kittens under four months old cannot urinate or defecate  unless their genitals or anal areas are stimulated.  This might cause them pain and frustration, therefore causing them to meow.  In general, different breeds of cats meow more than others.  For example, a Siamese cat usually meows more frequently than other cat breeds.

Solutions

The following tips might work to calm a constantly meowing cat:

–  Satisfy any of the cat needs or wants.  Clean the cat litter box regularly, supply their bowls with food and water regularly, and play with cat regularly.

–  Ignore the cat.  Ignoring the cat’s meow can discourage the cat from meowing because you are not showing any reaction.

–  Use a water spray bottle.  When spraying water in a cat’s face, this delivers the message, “Stop.”

–  Scold the cat when meowing, and praise them for stopping.

If none of these solutions work, the problem might be more serious.  You should take your cat to their veterinarian as soon as possible.  If you are looking for a veterinarian in your area, use TalkLocal.  Simply enter a brief description of your cat’s symptoms along with your location and availability, and TalkLocal will do the rest.  Within minutes, you will be connected to multiple highly rated veterinarians willing to help.

To say that vomiting is an unpleasant experience is to be kind. And for man’s best friend this can be an excruciating experience. Dogs are not supposed to throw up, so when they do, you should be a little worried. Before you figure out how to stop your dog from vomiting, you need to determine the reason for your pet’s sickness and then take action as soon as you possibly can. Some possible reasons are listed below:

– Sudden change in diet

– Growing too fast

– Ate something toxic

– Extreme allergy

– Part of a cheap gnawing toy stuck in digestive track

If your dog is vomiting you should put it on a fast. An adult dog needs to not eat for around 12 to 24 hours and a puppy should not eat for about eight to 10 hours. This gives their stomach a rest and helps to regulate their digestive system. You can give them a small amount of water, but nothing else. After the fast you can start them on a strict diet plan. You need to implement a small bland diet of 2/3 white rice and 1/3 boiled chicken. If the dog can keep it down, then give them another meal of the same composition in four hours. If your pet seems to be getting better, continue with this diet over a few days and gradually put the dog back onto its regular food plan.

If your dog is vomiting frequently you should consider it an emergency and take them to a animal hospital or to its vet. Vomiting can be extremely dehydrating for your pet. Your vet may want to prescribe an antibiotic like Flagyl which kills bacterias and parasties that could cause your dog to vomit. You could also try to give him a homemade medical solution containing two teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide followed by a teaspoon of salt to solve his vomiting problem.

Continuing Problems

If your dog continues to get sick, you should seek professional help.  Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local veterinarian services.  You don’t have to do any work! Simply input your problem and availability and TalkLocal will do the rest. Within minutes, you should be connected on the phone with someone who can help you out.

Your pet hamster will spend most of its life in its cage, so it is important to pick out the right one. Cages come in all shapes and sizes, from plain and simple to flashy and colorful. When choosing a hamster cage, make sure to choose one that is large enough to accommodate your hamster and all accessories. This includes water bowls, food bowls, a hamster wheel, and a hamster house. If you have more than one hamster, make sure there is enough room for all pets to live comfortably. Read on for the different types of hamster cages.

Wire Frame Cages

This cage style is popular because it is virtually chew-proof. Your hamster will try to chew on anything it can, including his cage. Pet supply stores have many kinds of wire cages in stock and they can come in single and multi-levels.

Glass Aquarium Cage

Glass enclosures give you the ability to see your hamster’s burrows, reduce drafts, and reduce the chances of escape. However, they are harder to clean, heavier than wire cages, more expensive, and sometimes have problems with condensation.

Plastic Cages

Plastic cages have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as a glass cage because it is completely enclosed. However, plastic cages are lighter, easier to clean, and usually cheaper.

Plastic Tube Cages

This type of cage is very popular among young hamster owners. Although fun to look at, plastic tube cages are difficult to clean. Cleaning involves removing the tubes completely to clean the inside. Condensation may also occur, which is why many owners prefer wire frames. Plastic tube cages have the advantage of having pre-made burrows in which your hamster can run and play. They also provide entertainment to observers.

Additional Help

No matter what cage you choose, it is crucial to keep the cage clean for your hamster’s safety. If your hamster does happen to get sick, you can consult with a veterinarian for recommendations on how to maintain the cage. Use TalkLocal to get in touch with a high quality veterinarian in minutes!