Dog Collar vs. Harness: Which is Right for Your Dog?

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Posted by admin on March 7, 2013 – 8:20 am
Filed under 1800petmeds, New Pet Products at PetMeds

There are many benefits to choosing a harness over a collar

A dog collar or harness is an important accessory for your dog since it carries his identification, license and proof of rabies vaccination and also keeps him safely tethered to you on the end of a leash. It’s also a way to showcase your dog’s style, whether you choose a sturdy leather model, a sporty and practical nylon harness or collar or a fancy designer style. But the first thing you should consider is whether a collar or harness will be best for your dog. While the collar is the most popular choice, there are many benefits to choosing a harness for your dog instead. Read More »

Choose the Right Retractable Leash

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Posted by admin on January 11, 2013 – 8:30 am
Filed under 1800petmeds, New Pet Products at PetMeds

Flexi leashes are handmade in Germany

The start of a new year often brings resolutions to get in shape. If you have a dog, you already have an ideal fitness partner, and your four-legged buddy is always ready and willing to get outside and have fun. Just as the proper running shoes and athletic clothing can help you get the most out of your workout, having the proper leash will help your dog get the most benefit, too. PetMeds now carries a line of Flexi leashes, handcrafted in Germany, in a variety of styles to meet the needs of your furry exercise companion:

Read More »

An End to Ugly Cat Furniture

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Posted by admin on November 1, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under 1800petmeds, New Pet Products at PetMeds

Mr. Herzher's Double Seat Cat Perch

If you have cats, you know they love to climb and scratch, and most cats appreciate a place to sleep that’s elevated off the ground.  Unfortunately, most cat “furniture” doesn’t exactly blend into your home décor. Worse, if you place the cat furniture in an out of the way area, your cat is unlikely to use it. PetMeds now carries a line of quality cat furniture that you’ll be proud to display in your home. Mr. Herzher’s cat furniture features durable, solid wood construction in a clean American Craftsman style that complements any décor. Available Mr. Herzher’s pieces include:

  • Single Seat Cat Perch: The seat is upholstered in a soft, neutral microfiber suede fabric, and the edges are raised for safety and comfort. This perch is available in Early American or Ebony colors.
  • Double Seat Cat Perch: For multi-cat households, the double seat perch provides more lounging areas. The seats are on different levels to allow space between cats sharing the furniture.
  • Double Cat Perch with Scratching Pad: This piece is the same as the Double Seat Cat Perch but with the addition of a scratching surface.  The scratching surface is made of natural, long-lasting sisal.
  • Combo Cat Scratching Pad: This sturdy scratching post can be placed in a flat or angled, upright position to suit your cat’s scratching preferences.

Your cat will thank you for a sturdy and comfy place of his or her very own to hang out or scratch, and you’ll be glad to display furniture grade, attractive feline furniture in your home.

Dog Tags Matter: Ensuring Your Pet’s Safety with Proper ID

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Posted by admin on September 25, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Uncategorized

The following is a guest post from Chip Green, the Marketing Director for PupLife Dog Supplies:

An identification tag is important for your pet's safety

You love your dog. Your dog loves you. The mere thought of being separated sounds unbearable, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, this happens more than you would think. A door pops open unexpectedly. A gate is left ajar. Every day, dogs go missing from their owners. Lacking identification, the odds of your precious pet finding his or her way back home diminish greatly. Making sure that your pet has proper identification, either by dog tag or personalized dog collar is the single best way to ensure that your pet is returned home safe. Read More »

Hide the Litter Box in Plain Sight

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Posted by admin on September 14, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under 1800petmeds, New Pet Products at PetMeds

Mr. Herzher's Wicker Litter Box Cover is available at PetMeds®

The number of  cats in U.S. households now exceeds the number of dogs, and it’s no wonder. Cats make great pets, especially for those living in smaller apartments that might not allow or have enough space for a dog. One issue that cat guardians face is where to place that unsightly litter box. This can be even more challenging if you don’t have an extra bathroom to tuck the litter box away out of sight, and no one wants to look at a cat litter box in their living room.

PetMeds now carries Mr. Herzher’s Wicker Litter Box Cover, which solves this dilemma. The decorative cover serves two functions: it hides the litter box and the catch tray helps keep stray litter confined inside the cover. It looks like a piece of furniture, so it blends into your home’s décor. The cover is made of durable resin Rhino-wicker which looks just like real wicker but doesn’t absorb odors or fluids; clean up is simple with just soap and water. It also appeals to a cat’s innate sense of privacy.

Mr. Herzer’s Wicker Litter Box Cover is available in large (16.25″W x 19.75″L x 18.5″H) and jumbo (18.25″W x 23.5″L x 19.5″H) sizes, and you can choose from almond or dark brown colors.

Products for Pet Car Travel

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Posted by admin on July 27, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under 1800petmeds

PetMeds carries a line of Solvit products that make traveling with your pet more safe and fun

Do your summer vacation plans include traveling? Your vacation can be even more fun if you’re able to bring your furry family members along, too. Most dogs love to go on car rides, and if you are traveling by car, there are lots of great products that make traveling with your dog safer and more enjoyable for you and your pet. PetMeds now carries a line of Solvit products designed just for that purpose! The Solvit products available include:

  • Seat Covers: allows your pet to travel in comfort while protecting your car from pet hair, dirt and other messes.
  • Pet Barriers: keeps your pet safely confined in the back of your car while you are driving.
  • Cargo Liners: durable fabric liners which provide protection for your SUV and a soft spot for your pet while traveling.
  • Pet Ramps: lightweight ramps help your dog climb safely into your car, SUV or truck.
  • Booster Seats: provides a secure place for your pet to travel and enjoy the view.

With a little preparation, you and your four-legged family members can enjoy a summer road trip in style.

Elizabethan Collars for Pets

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Posted by Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian on July 14, 2012 – 8:30 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog

E-collars are usually left on for 7-10 days post-operatively

Elizabethan collars (“E-Collars”) are common hard plastic devices applied around the neck of pets, especially useful in post-operative situations to avoid self-trauma at the surgical site, and to allow optimal healing to occur. Many veterinarians will routinely use these collars in all soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries done in pets, especially when sutures and/or staples are used to close the skin. These collars also often come in handy to avoid self-trauma associated with hot spot allergic dermatitis, as well as to prevent unwanted chewing of skin growths or tumors.

Typically, these collars are left on for 7-10 days post-operatively and for a similar period when allowing for maximal healing of allergic hot spot dermatitis. There are Bite Not collars that may be useful as alternatives for Elizabethan collars; however, I have not found these collars as effective as traditional Elizabethan collars.

Other options include various sprays to deter biting of surgical incisions. Products here include bitter apple spray and bitter orange spray which supposedly make the areas less attractive for pets to chew or lick at. I have found these products partially effective at best. While Elizabethan collars should be worn at all times, especially when a pet is not under direct visual supervision, they can be removed at meal times to allow pets to eat more easily, after which they should be rapidly replaced back on the pet.

Four Things you Might not have Known about Microchipping your Cat

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Posted by admin on March 14, 2012 – 8:36 am
Filed under 1800petmeds

The following is a guest post from Gayle Bentham from SureFlap Ltd:

If your cat is microchipped, it can use the SureFlap Microchip Cat Door

1.  Microchips can be more effective than collars

A collar and tag can be a great visual way to instantly identify your cat if he becomes lost. But what happens if your cat loses its collar? If your cat doesn’t have a microchip as a back-up, it is very unlikely that your beloved pet can be returned to you if it loses its collar. A cat’s microchip cannot get lost and will work as a permanent form of identification for your cat for its entire lifetime. If you prefer your cat to wear a collar, make sure he also has a microchip as a back-up.

2.  Your cat won’t need to be sedated to be microchipped

A microchip is small, about the size of a grain of rice. Your cat can be microchipped at your local veterinary surgery in a quick and simple procedure that doesn’t require your cat to be sedated. The microchip is inserted by a veterinarian into the loose skin behind your cat’s neck using a syringe. The whole procedure is over quickly, and often painlessly. If your cat finds visits to the vets distressing, why not take him to be microchipped the next time he needs his booster jab?

3.  Microchipping your cat could be the cheapest way to identify your pet

The cost to microchip your cat varies greatly, but in many countries it’s cheaper than you might think. A collar and tag might appear to be the cheaper form of pet identification, but it could be more expensive than microchipping if your cat loses its collar regularly. The cost of replacement collars soon adds up and you might end up spending more money on them than you would to microchip your cat. You will only need to pay to microchip your cat once.

4.  If your cat is microchipped, it can use a SureFlap Microchip Cat Door

Many cat owners have experienced the problem of neighbourhood cats terrorising their pet by entering their home through an ordinary cat door. Such an intrusion can cause considerable stress to the resident cat. If your cat has a microchip, he can benefit from a SureFlap Microchip Cat Door, which reads your cat’s unique microchip number and only unlocks for your pet. Only your cat has access through the SureFlap, stopping other cats and wildlife at the door! The SureFlap can also be used internally in multi-cat households to create separate feeding areas for cats on different diets.

Gayle Bentham is the Marketing Assistant for SureFlap Ltd, who manufacture and sell the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap. For more information about SureFlap, visit www.sureflap.com.

Traveling With A Pet

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Posted by admin on August 4, 2011 – 8:24 am
Filed under 1800petmeds
Flying with your pet can be stressful - using a service like PetAirways can give you peace of mind Traveling with your pet can sometimes be cumbersome for not only you, but your pet as well. Some pets feel anxious and restless in unfamiliar surroundings, and may whimper or bark to let you know they are feeling uneasy. Keeping your pet with you during the flight is the best way to quell your pet’s anxieties. Luckily, most airlines allow a small carry-on for pets as long as the carrier fits underneath the seat in front of you, such as the Airline Pet Carrier or the Under Seat Pet Carrier, both of which were specifically designed to fit underneath airline seats.

Carriers need to make your pet feel at ease and allow him or her to turn around, stand up and lie down comfortably. Unfortunately, it can be a tall order to find a carrier large enough for your pet, small enough to fit under the seat in front of you and easy for you to carry. If you are traveling with multiple bags, having a carrier with a shoulder strap like the 3-in-1 Soft-Sided Pet Carrier, can be helpful for keeping your pet cozy while also keeping you comfortable.

While the airlines pet policy is fine for small pets, unfortunately it is not helpful for larger animals, or certain breeds – because recently airlines have not been accepting certain breeds onboard. Therefore, it’s customary to board certain breeds and larger animals along with cargo; however, it’s not the most comfortable way for your pet to fly. When your pet is flying in cargo, air quality may be compromised and subjected to a frightening area.  Read our Click and Learn on additional important facts you should know before flying with your pet.

If you don’t want your pet to fly in cargo, there is another option for you — Pet Airways. Your pet can benefit from Pet Airways, because instead of being in the cargo hold, he or she will actually fly in the main cabin – which means proper air circulation, monitoring by a trained pet attendant, no breed restrictions and a potty break.

Keeping your pet safe and comfortable during airline travel is necessary for a successful trip. Carrying your pet onboard with you is the safest and most comfortable way for your pet to travel; however, if you have a larger pet or a breed that your airline won’t allow to fly with you, you can consider using Pet Airways to get your pet where he or she needs to go.

*When bringing your pet onboard, we recommend you check with your commercial airline at least two weeks in advance for their specific rules and requirements on pet travel.

PetMeds® Is Catnip Safe?

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Posted by Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian on July 13, 2011 – 11:33 am
Filed under Dr. Dym's Vet Blog
There is nothing more pleasurable than watching a playful feline roll around on the floor in ecstasy over a catnip toy. The main ingredient in catnip is an herb of the mint family that acts like a feline pheromone, meaning that it chemically stimulates the olfactory system involved in the sense of smell in cats. About 25 percent of cats do not react to catnip because they lack the receptor that triggers stimulation

Interestingly, 25% of cats do not react to catnip because they lack the receptor in their nervous system involved in stimulation, while some kittens also seem unaffected. Those cats that do react to catnip will eat it or lick it, while some others will even roll in it. Yet others just sniff it. The psychostimulatory effect on many felines will typically last 20 to 30 minutes.

Many cat owners often love giving catnip to their cats, but some worry if it is safe. In most cases I have found catnip very safe in most cats. On rare occasions I have seen cats seizure, so I always recommend supervision when giving this herb to our feline friends.

Does your cat love catnip? What are some of the amusing things your cat has done with his or her catnip toy? Share your stories in the comments!