If you’re a pet parent and love to take your pet along when traveling, here are tips for pet-friendly hotel travel that you will find useful on your next vacation. While an increasing number of hotels are becoming pet-friendly, you need to follow certain etiquettes when you book accommodation with your pet. Follow these tips to ensure a relaxing hotel stay for both you and your pet: Look for pet-friendly hotels You can find pet-friendly hotels by asking for references from your friends or family who have traveled with pets, or you can look up a travel guide that lists pet-friendly hotels at your destination. You can also search online for pet-friendly hotels, but ensure that you double-check the hotel’s latest pet policies directly from them. Call them over the phone, speak to someone in a position of authority, and check the regulations you’ll need to follow when on the property. Get the latest details Find hotels that are happy to accommodate your pet family along with you. Another tip for pet-friendly hotel travel is to gather the following details about the hotel you choose: How many pets can you bring along? Are there any restrictions on the species or breed of pet allowed?

Allergies in dogs are not as simple as we wish them to be. As in humans, they are caused by the reaction of the immune system to certain foreign substances. Though many factors trigger allergies, there is a genetic predisposition to allergies. Food allergy, one of the allergies that affect dogs, others being due to fleabites, and environmental factors make up only 10% of the allergies. Food allergies are difficult to diagnose, so it would be better to consult your vet and feed your dog a healthy diet that keeps him free of allergies. The signs and symptoms of food allergies Itchiness in the skin, making your dog scratch non-stop, is a clear indicator of allergy. Ears, paws, inner thigh, belly, eye, or front leg area are parts of the body found to be most itching. Red, inflamed skin, hives, and swelling are seen on the face, ear flaps, lips, and eyelids. Constant licking at paws and nails which appear discolored and sensitive. Itchy and watery eyes with discharge. Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea with blood or mucus in stool, straining to pass stool, and abdominal pain. Persistent ear infections throughout the year. Recurring ear infections strongly indicate a food allergy.

Pet-friendly destination across the country is undoubtedly on the rise over the past couple of decades. There are some highly promising trips to go along with your pet, but it is essential to do some groundwork before packing your bags for interstate travel or within the state. Here are some tips and to-do’s to perform to make sure you and your pet have a great holiday.  Destinations The destination is as important as the journey when traveling with a pet. It is always advised that you know the places and pet-fried hotels nearby. Even if its a round trip or a road trip where there might not be a destination, crossing over or reaching out to pet-friendly cities or towns makes a lot of difference to our travel. Almost all states have at least one or two pet-friendly destinations, including some breathtaking national parks and natural locations, such as the San Juan Islands, Lake Coeur d’Alene (Idaho), Bighorn National Forest (Wyoming), Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona), White Sands National Park (New Mexico), Wichita Wildlife Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Monument Rocks, Trempealeau National Refuge, Effigy Mounds National Monument (Iowa), Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (North Dakota), Fort Robinson State Park, and Dog mountain (Vermont).

Your pretty pet cat and many of your beautiful houseplants don’t go well together. The lively green and flowering plants in your house have an aesthetic appeal and have health benefits for you, but many are poisonous for your cat. There is a list of houseplants that are toxic to cats. You will have to consult Pet Poison Helpline or your vet about the plants’ toxicity levels and how they can affect your cat. You have to watch out for the symptoms of poisoning in your cat, which vary from mild to severe clinical symptoms that need medication.  Listed below are the poisonous houseplants that must be kept avoided Many common houseplants have been reported as being toxic to cats. The lilies, vines, crotons, aloe, begonias, philodendrons, and azaleas are not tolerated by your cat’s sensitive respiratory and digestive system. American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has listed the plants that are toxic to pets in terms of its severity. So, avoid the plants that can harm your kitten inside the house and in the yard. Some of the common ones are: Aloe Aloe is an easy-to-grow house plant that comes in many varieties. It is popular because of its medicinal and cosmetic properties.

Fleas and ticks are more than an annoyance. Fleas create allergies in your dogs and also transmit diseases. Ticks, if embedded in the skin for a long time, lead to Lyme disease, tick paralysis, and spotty fever. Taking preventive measures and finding proper remedies can keep your dog free of those pests, the related diseases, and stress. Home remedies are healthy alternatives to medications and chemical treatments. They prevent the pests from infesting your home and surroundings too. These natural remedies can be made out of ingredients at home and used safely on your dog. Remedies to treat from the outside Make a vinegar solution. It is a good repellent of fleas and ticks. It is a pet-friendly cleaning solution, and pests do not like its smell. It can be made with vinegar and water in the ratio 1:1 or 1:3 if your dog finds the smell offensive. Choose white vinegar or apple cider vinegar   Spray your dog with this solution avoiding its eyes and air dry thoroughly.  You can also soak a washcloth in the vinegar solution and wipe your dog with it if spraying is difficult.  Repeat the process for a few days. Remedies that can be fed The vinegar treatment works well when you feed it too.

One of the most common questions that pet owners seem to be raising is if they can use essential oils on their pets. To answer that question in just one word would be -Yes. However, there are certain things that you, as a pet owner, will have to know before you can use any essential oil on your pet. Pets metabolize oils much differently than humans do. Hence you will need to use extra precautions before you start using essential oils on your pets. The quality of the essential oils that you use matters a lot. Make sure you buy essential oils that are pure and do not contain any additives, synthetics, or artificial ingredients. If possible, you can also try and find out if the essential oils you buy to use on your pet are grown without the use of pesticides and toxins. Invest in a company you know and in one that manufactures good products. Knowing what you buy is a very important factor that you, as a pet owner, will need to consider before you invest your money to purchase essential oils for your pet. Cheap versions of essential oils might bring out nasty reactions in your pets.

Like humans, cats are also prone to getting diabetes. Obesity is a significant risk factor for the disease in felines. However, other factors such as pancreatitis and certain medications can also cause diabetes in cats. Nutrition plays a key factor in the lives of diabetic cats. Read on to learn about a few diet tips that can help cats with diabetes mellitus. Keep track of the calories As obesity is one of the primary risk factors of diabetes in cats, you, as a pet owner, will have to track the number of calories that your cat consumes in a day. Therefore monitoring and measuring your cat’s food is mandatory. Many diets are found in the market for diabetic cats; however, they can be quite high in calories, thereby making it very hard for your cat to lose weight. It is hence important that you talk to your veterinarian about what diet will best suit your cat’s needs before you start on any particular diet plan. Low-carbohydrate diet A diet that is low in carbohydrates is highly beneficial for cats with diabetes. You will need to pick out low carbohydrates for your cat, as foods rich in carbohydrates will make your cat put on unnecessary weight, and helping your cat get fat is the last thing you want when they are a diabetic.

As every cat lover knows, when you are owned by your cats, spoiling them is your only choice. Zealously demanding that belly rub right when you are heading out the door, sharing your workspace to securely stash their favorite toy and making themselves cozy on your brand new comforter, all these are decisions your cats make. They certainly do not wait for your approval. However, what you feed them in between meal times as a snack or to encourage a particular good behavior is your decision. Listed below are a few tips for buying healthy cat treats that might interest you and excite them. How old should cats be to have treats? As soon as kittens wean, approximately when they are eight weeks old, it would be ideal to start giving them treats. It is when they can have solid food, and it is also the best time to start training them. So treats are useful for rewarding good behavior. Choose soft to chew treats that are tasty too. Similarly, when you have senior cats whose teeth are not in the best condition, do not stop offering them their favorite treats. Only make the right choice and get them squishy ones that they will be able to enjoy.

Diet is one of the biggest contributors to the well-being of a dog. Hence deciding on what to feed your pet dog is not a subject that you should take lightly. The eating habits that you set up for your dog can ensure that he/she lives a healthy life. Let us explore at some of the food tips that you can follow to benefit your dog’s life: Check the label Picking out the food that your dog should eat just based out of advertisements is not an ideal thing to do. You will have to be more responsible than that, and you will need to check the label of the dog food you want to feed your dog before you can do so. It is important that you check out the ingredient list on the label of the product and see if it has all the nutrients that your dog requires to lead a healthy life. Avoid shelf-stable foods Having your dog simple live off-dry or wet canned food is not the best option for your furry pet. Home-cooked meals are the best as they are packed with nutrients that packaged goods fail to deliver. Picking out packaged foods adds no nutritional value to your dog’s life, and they can be used once a while when you are really pressed for time or if you are taking a trip.