Getting a pet for the home is a great move particularly for families that love animals. It is also an opportunity for parents to teach kids responsibility in caring for pets.
Buying a dog or cat from the pet shop is a common option. However, you might also consider adopting a pet from a shelter that keeps homeless animals.
Families that get a pet from the shelter are helping a major cause which is to reduce the number of unwanted animals. Doing this means you are saving a life.
If adopting a pet is your preference, there are some things you need to know first foremost of which is where to find pets up for adoption. Many charities are involved in rescuing unwanted, neglected and abused pets. There are also special interest groups and organizations that rescue and rehome specific breeds of pets. As such, you have to do a little research on these groups in your locality.
More »
Dogs like many creatures have an inert ability to learn and getting them started early is key to avoiding problems in adult life. Being nice to have around kids, they teach them the fundamentals of responsibility that can go both ways with dog training. Simple routines that the animal can remember gives them character and takes away some of the mischievousness they possess in adult life.
Dogscan be taught many a unique skills and they often learn so much they can amaze many with that ability. Your kids can also learn with a little encouragement that their dog is a responsibility, getting to share the load of care and upkeep of the pet. Dogs live an average of 10 to 12 years depending on the breed and for a good relationship, one that is manageable to the family and home is best. Breeds that tend to love kids grow protective of their young masters as well as the rest of the family. Being social, getting them to move around is good for it develops good social behavior essential for a well mannered canine. In the end your family will have a pet that loves you all with the bond getting stronger each passing year as you both grow in love.
I’ve happily been in a Christmas reverie all week, finishing up our decorating, the shopping, and planning out fun activities for the coming weeks, when I was jolted back into Doctor-Mom-Reality last night. My four-year-old O had just finished at the potty, and as I was about to flush, I saw a horrible horrible thing – a nasty long white worm, almost as thick as a pencil. It was awful. O had been complaining of tummy aches (or “tummy eggs” as calls it), and didn’t want to finish his food lately, but I had attributed it to simple childhood grumbles. Poor O had probably had this nasty worm for some time now, given its size, and I had no idea!
After the whole family had a good look at the worm (gross, but a good deterrent so everybody keeps clean!), I rang Dr.J our pedia, who prescribed Mebendazole to be taken now then repeated in two weeks. She advised us to keep clean and to watch out for any more worms, so I decided to keep him home from Kindergarten for the next couple of days. Apparently it was caught from playing in the garden or at the park, probably from soil that he touched and transmitted through his mouth. Or it could have been through his feet. What I find most distressing is that the slimy devil had been feeding on my little boy’s nutrients for a while now – not great since he is already so skinny. After the course of medicine, thankfully no more worms appeared, nor did my other kids get infected. Phew.
If you’ve never had a child who’s infected with worms (this particular one was a round worm), I would be aware of these symptoms, all of which my little boy had for a couple of weeks before the worm actually came out:
1. Frequent complaints of tummy aches
2. Disturbed sleep (O came to our room every night because he couldn’t sleep)
3. Loss of appetite – feeling full after just a few bites.
For more on worms, do visit these sites:
Worms in Children
Is Your Sandbox Safe From Roundworm?
If you have pets in your household like we do, and think it could be related, read this from Dr.Greene.
And lastly, PREVENTION is key. After the worm incident, my kids now meekly obey when I remind them to wear shoes in the garden, wash their hands rigorously and keep their fingers away from their mouths. Here’s a great lesson plan and activity you can do with your kids to teach them about worms. I’ll never forget my poor son’s face when I showed him this awful photo of roundworms in the gut. He was silent for a while then said, “Mom, am I going to die?” Awww, kids!
Photo via crimfants
Our furry friends have been known to lower stress of parenting and childhood for they offer companionship without question even if they do get around to mischief from time to time. Raising kids can be quite hectic specially in today’s recession wrecked economy but having them take care of a pet can be a nice way to teach them some responsibility. They do entail some costs for care and veterinary services to ensure they are fit and well but take my word for it, they’re well worth the cost so knowing the breed through updated dog information is essential for both your sakes.
You can also try animal shelters and animal charities for some pets that have had it rough and need loving families. May you be a pet lover or not, dogs and all other pets deserve care for they are our responsibility. Dogs are more energetic than cats and may even contribute to the health of your family as you have to take them for walks, call it a symbiotic existence where both benefit from living together.
Parents and kids alike will benefit for with the kids, they get to get a taste of responsibility and compassion for animals. For us adults, they become a sort of multi-tasking ward, guarding our homes, watching over the kids and what can we say, it’s just fun to talk and pour out stress without having the other party answer back!!!
We are an animal-loving family. In our household, we have 3 dogs, 5 cats and two turtles. Two years ago, our male basset hound, Pancho passed away, bitten by a vicious snake who had gotten into our garden. Pancho had a terrible temper, but did have a sweet side of him. As he got older, his temper got worse, so when he passed away, we consoled ourselves that perhaps it was for the best, as we had a new baby in the house then, with O just a few months old.
Pancho was my husband’s dog, really, and he was the only one in the household who Pancho actually listened to, and never dared bite (yes, he bit us all- nothing serious though). So since he died, it was my husband who missed him most, and whenever we’d see a basset with his blackish-tri-colour markings, it was very apparent.
Then last week, my sister (who’s even more animal crazy than we are, with over 50 cats and two labs who are treated like humans) sends me a link to a petfinder site, showing photos of a litter of bassets who were born earlier this year, two days after N’s birthday, three days after O’s!
On top of the nice birthday coincidence, which scores high points in our family (Jasper, our persian, has the same birthday as O, and Otto, our golden retriever, the same as my husband!), one of the puppies also had very similar markings to Pancho!
So on Saturday, N and I went to see the breeder ( a nice couple who obviously loved dogs), and met the puppy, who was the friendliest of the litter. N and I both fell in love (how can you not? look at her photo!) and promptly laid a deposit. We’ll be picking her up in a few weeks – in perfect timing for my husband’s birthday!
Do you children have pets? I grew up with dogs all over our house – my dad loves animals and we grew up loving them as well. Yet some of the saddest times in my life are linked to the times when one of the dogs would die. Some died of old age, some of illness, one of an accident, another of poisoning. Looking back, I realize how parents can have a hard time explaining the loss of a pet. More than having to deal with the loss of a treasured companion, parents have to explain the concept of death. How do you deal with the loss of a pet?
I found some practical information in an article written by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend in Christianity Today. They point out that:
They’re not sure what dying is all about. They don’t have a clear idea if it’s like sleeping or if it’s a trip to another dimension. They don’t know if it’s good, bad, permanent or temporary. Your basic task is to help your child see that the death of a pet is real. And yet it’s a reality that’s bearable because he has a mom who will help him understand and deal with it.
So what can we do as parents? They outline some tips:
-Help your children understand that death is part of life. It is not something to be scared of.
-God loves pets and is in control of whatever happens to them.
-It is ok to feel sad – grieving is a part of life.
-Create a positive memory – remind your children of the happy times they had with your pet.
-Get back into life’s activities. As the saying goes, life goes on.
Losing a pet is indeed a difficult situation but it is a good opportunity to show your children that death is not something that we should fear.
This Halloween, lets not forget the furry members of our family. Aside from dressing them up (pet-willing, although I think the photo you see above is a little over-the-top – would brave old Lassie really want to be dressed as fast food?), we as responsible pet parents, should also take into account their safety and well-being.
In my household, we have quite a menagerie going – four tabby cats and a persian kitten; a basset hound, a copper retriever and a doberman; two turtles; 2 doves; and two pigeons (homing I think), so I’ve found some useful tips from the ASPCA to keep in mind:
1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (USA).
2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are ingested.
3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.
4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.
5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don’t put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.
6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn’t annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal’s movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe or bark. Keep a look out for small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.
7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not obstruct her vision in any way. Even the sweetest animals can get snappy when they can’t see.
8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.
9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn’t dart outside.
10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.
[tags]Halloween,Pets,Pet safety,Halloween tips,costumes,safety tips[/tags]
Written by Lara on October 29th, 2006. Comments Off
Filed under Holidays, Home, Pets.
