Store bought cleaning products and air-fresheners are made with chemicals, or combinations of chemicals. Most of the labels tell us they are harmful if swallowed, or if they get in your eye, open cuts Granted that is not likely to happen, but what about constant exposure? Things like frequent headaches, loss of energy, dizziness can all be attributed to over-exposure to chemicals. The issue is How much exposure is too much? Heres a common complaint: Your pet is sick and the vet can't figure out why! Vets are trained to treat the symptoms from something that is likely to be transient; They are ill-equipped to treat a constant health threat, like cleaning and air freshening products.

Although you may not have experienced any of the afore mentioned symptoms, but what about your pets? Unfortunately, your pet can't say "Hey,this is burning my eyes, nose, my mouth, or my paws!" Remember one of our years is the equivalent of 5-7 of theirs! Their exposure is far greater than your own. While it is very important that the areas your pets roam are clean and disinfected, it is also important that you know what you are using to do so. Chemical cleaners can be very toxic, even when properly diluted, but the tendency is to use a more concentrated cleaner for the areas your pet frequents to protect your pet and your family. People who are unable to clean and disinfect regularly, often place air-fresheners near the bedding and resting places. And when they do get to clean, they are likely to use more concentrated products.

Imagine you are your pet. You spend most of your home life at floor level, where fumes and germs are the most concentrated. Keep in mind your pet's nose is thousands of times more sensitive. The chemicals used in cleaners, disinfectants, and air-fresheners can burn your lungs, and eyes. They can cause the pads of your feet to burn. In response, your pet licks their pads (often incessantly), and ingests the chemicals. This is often an unknown cause of diarrhea, vomiting, and numerous misdiagnoses.

The good news is that you can make your pet areas clean and germ-free without exposing your family or your pet to toxic chemicals. I personally use colloidal silver mixed with 3% hydrogen peroxide to disinfectant everything in that comes into my house, as well as the floors, bathroom walls, toilets... Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, developed a cleaning and sanitizing combination consisting of 3% hydrogen peroxide (available at the drug store), and vinegar. Fill one spray bottle with plain white vinegar to use as a cleaner ad the other with hydrogen peroxide. You can save money buying them in bulk. Gallon jugs of concentrated hydrogen peroxide are available from beauty supply stores, but must be handled with gloves, and carefully diluted with distilled water. Exact measurements are very important to achieve the proper 3% dilution. If you make a gallon at a time, you can use some to mop floors, clean food and water bowls, sponges, spray litter boxes, disinfect the air, bedding, walls, door handles, countertops, fruits and vegetables, cutting boards, remote controls, cell phones...

In tests done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the two mists were used on heavily contaminated food and surfaces. The combination killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria when used in this fashion. The combination was more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach, or any commercially available kitchen cleaner! The best results were achieved using one mist right after the othe being ten times more effective than using either spray by itself! When cleaning fruit; spray well with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, leave on for 1-2 minutes, and then rinse under running water, preferably filtered. You can spray either the vinegar or the hydrogen peroxide first. There is no after taste, or toxic residue.

Somehow, we have gotten away from basic, safe, yet effective cleaners and replaced them with potentially harmful off-the-shelf chemical cleaners and air-fresheners. The burning question (no pun intended) is "Why?" Clearly, Madison Avenue is very good at what they do, but at whose expense?

Posted under Dogs

Most pet owners love their pets dearly and would never want to hurt them in any way or form. Unfortunately the trend is that less and less pet owners are spending very much time on either taking care of their pets or even thinking about whether they are doing a good job or if something needs improving.

With more and more people working a full time job and maybe even a second job there is very little time left to spend on yourself and your pet. Statistics show that not only humans are getting fat and moving around less but the same applies to our animals. Pets are getting fat and are out of shape and the problem increases every day.

Let me share some ideas and ways that you can help your pet (and yourself) get back into shape and feel energetic and healthy once again. None of them will require very much time and you don't need to do all of them at once.

Idea 1: Healthy Nutrition - For your pet's body to function the way it was designed you need to give the body what it requires and not what is left over from the dinner table. Ask your VET what will be the best possible food for your particular pet and follow their recommendations.

Idea 2: Go to Routine Checkups " There is a reason for someone inventing the term routine checkups and it is not just so that the VETs can make more money (even though that might be part of it). By having your pets health condition checked by a professional every 6 months will insure that most signs of something being wrong will be discovered in time.

Idea 3: Move Some More " You probably already know it but exercise is one of the best ways to stay healthy and vital. Without movement the muscles will disappear and the body will become weaker and weaker. If you dont have the time to take your pet for a walk then hire someone who will. It should not hurt your pet that youre lazy

Each of three ways will do wonders for your cat or dog if you're not already using them. You do not have to take on all three at the same time but if you're able to implement all of them you'll see great results.

But nothing will ever prevent illnesses and accidents from happening and that is why I will recommend that you look into having some kind of insurance for your pet. Most insurance companies will have different plans and you'll do yourself and your pet a great benefit to pick one that suits your pet's needs.

Posted under Dogs

Just like humans, aging pets need more medical attention than their younger counter parts. This means that you will need to pay extra medical cost to keep your pet healthy. No, you cannot just ignore the medical needs of your aging pet because you want to save money. Remember that pets are like family members. They need to be taken care of as they grow older. Getting insurance for older pets may be a wise decision, because vet bills tend to get costly for older pets. It will be a lot easier to cover the costs of vet bills as your pets age if you have pet insurance.

What Coverage Does Your Older Pet Need?

Pets are just like people. Your pets bones will become weaker and more brittle as they age. This will make your pet more likely to break a bone if there is an accident. Some pet insurance companies include this kind of coverage in their insurance for older pets, so you may not need to pay anything extra.

Your older pet will need some types of special insurance coverage. For example, you'll want to be sure your pet is covered against strokes and seizures. Strokes and seizures are especially common in some pure breed dogs. No, there is no guarantee that Rover will not die of stroke if you get him insurance for older pets that cover him against strokes and seizures but you can be sure that he will get the right treatment when this happens.

You can also get coverage for ailments like heart disease and cancer. Experts agree that pets are more likely to develop heart problems or cancer as they age. You'll need this kind of coverage for cats and dogs especially. If you have a cat at home and you are worried that you cat may develop cancer late in life, you better get insurance for older pets that cover both heart and ailments for your cat. Don't add extra stress as your pet ages. Make sure you are able to cover the medical bills you may incur. Be prepared to care for your pet.

Posted under Dogs