While surfing the Internet the other day, searching for an interesting topic, I happened to run across an advertisement for the book, “Amazing Pet Cures” by Joey Green.
Not only does it recommend “1,130 Secret Uses for Your Favorite Products” as safe and effective home remedies for curing simple pet ailments which may save a trip to the vet, the book’s main theme is “pampering your pet for pennies using-well-known brand products”. The enticing hook? Many of these products are more than likely already found around the house.
While considering the use of some of these common household products may initially be appealing, while checking them out I found some of them to be just plain outrageous. For example: using KrazyGlue to safely remove ticks from pets makes absolutely no sense to me at all. The active ingredient in KrazyGlue is cyanoacrylate, a material that is related to cyanide. Instructions provided by the manufacturer warn that the product needs careful handling.
Another worrisome suggestion offered to readers is the use of Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain rice to help sweeten kitty’s breath. However halitosis may be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition, so before looking for a quick fix to cure or mask bad breath, to me, it seems more prudent to seek veterinary advice.
Recently we talked ad-nauseum about flabby tabbies. But if your pooch is a bit pudgy, to help him shed a few pounds, the suggestion is feeding him Grape Nut’s Flakes. As far as I am concerned, without knowing if there is an underlying medical condition causing a dog to be overweight, the idea seems to me, (pardon the pun) to be a bit “flaky” and irresponsible.
Another rather bizarre idea to help dogs who enjoy romping in a winter wonderland is to use Pam Cooking Spray to prevent the snow from sticking to their paw pads. I don’t know how your dog or cat would react to the hissing sound of a spray can, but if I tried this little trick on Sir Hubble Pinkerton, or Dr. Hush Puppy, I would have two very frightened cats hanging upside down from one of our ceiling fans.
While I am all in favor of some my grandma’s tried-and-true home remedies meant to stifle sniffles, relieve those red and runny eyes together with those pearls of wisdom aimed at alleviating the discomfort of the nagging simple aches and pains we endure daily may well be just what an old-fashioned and experienced doctor may prescribe; when it comes to treating sick kitties, I seek my veterinarian’s recommendations.
After all, although it may initially be a tad more expensive, in the long run using more traditional measures can save pet guardians a lot of heartache and financial distress. So if you’re really committed to helping Fido lose some weight, consult with your vet for a safe exercise program and a sensible weight control diet. And rather than using Pam Spray on your pet’s paws, try rubbing a dab of Vaseline onto their tender footsies before trekking about in the snow.
While these “trendy” products that this book pitches may initially seem like a great idea, especially since many of us may have them stashed away in a closet; in the vast number of cases using products designed specifically for pets is far more effective and a darned sight safer.
What do you think? Which type of products do you prefer? Share your thoughts in a comment.
That is good veterinary care really. It with delegating in a way their role to somebody who they know is competent and who can do more in the field than they could ever achieve. I like that attitude and I agree that these veterinarians are good for that reason alone.
i feel blessed that i knew some good cat vets who were willing to take the time to teach me — ’cause they knew that i took care of lots of feral cats and i was on a limited budget so it wasn’t like i could bring all those cats to a veterinary clinic to be attended to.
Sometimes a well educated (self-educated) cat caretaker can do veterinary work better than a vet for all kinds of reasons one of which is that the “trauma” of going to the vet is avoided. Another is speed. You can deal with things faster. And some vets are not very good or not good with cats etc.
thank you michael. i’ve been taking care of cats for over 30 years. many many years ago some of the vets taught me how to do certain procedures – -like give the cats the shots -all except for rabies, which i need to take them to the vets for that one. so i’ve been treating cat ‘owies’ for years.
Nice comment. I agree there are times when a cat caretaker can do it. It depends on the skills and knowledge of the caretaker.
one of my cats recently came home with his rear end opened up from some kind of cat fight. rather than take him to the vet [which i have done on other occasions and the vet has assured me that i am quite capable of treating those kinds of problems] — this time i decided to do just that — treat it myself. lena is healing nicely — he had some tense moments there for about a week – but hopefully by next week he will be able to go outside again.
of course, if he had gotten worse, instead of better, i WOULD have taken him to the vet in an instant.