Sunday, 25 December 2011

Keeping your dog clean in the wintertime

Wintertime offers a new set of challenges for keeping your four-legged friend healthy and clean.
Few seasons of the year can be more fun than wintertime for a pet owner. Any dog owner knows how much their pet loves to play in freshly packed snow. But keeping your dog clean during this time of year can be a real challenge. Here are a few tips for keeping your best friend healthy and looking his best.

Protect his paws:
During the winter, de-icing products such as sand and salt can be found all over. These can irritate his feet and cause his paws to dry out and crack. Be sure to wash his paws off with warm water to remove this residue after going outside. If he will not wear booties, try rubbing petroleum jelly on the pads of his paws. This will help protect his paws from frostbite and irritants. Also, trim the hair from around and between his toes. If this grows too long, it can become matted and collect snow and ice, causing irritation.

Dry Skin:
Winter is often the worst season when it comes to your dog’s skin. Just like with people, the cold air will cause his skin to dry out and make him itch. Help prevent this by bathing your dog regularly. Try using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and be sure to only use products made specifically for dogs. Never use your own products as they can actually dry out your pet’s skin even more. Also, frequent brushing stimulates his skin to produce oils that may keep him more comfortable. Check out our selection of shampoos to find one right for your dog during this season.

Clip his nails more frequently:
It often seems that your pet’s nails grow faster during winter than the rest of the year. This is because when your pet gets less exercise, he won’t wear down his nails as quickly. You will have to clip them more frequently as a result. If you are uncertain on how to trim your dog’s nails, ask your veterinarian or check out our article.
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Keep to a regular trimming schedule, even in the winter:
If your dog is a breed that requires regular trimming during the year, keep to that schedule. Owners may be tempted to let their pet’s fur “grow out” for the winter, but long hair can cause matting in his coat, often leading to skin problems. If you are going to allow your pet’s coat to grow out, it must be brushed more frequently, daily even. If you’re afraid that your dog will be cold, a sweater or fleece is a better option than a matted coat.

Bundle up:
A sweater or fleece need not be just a fashion accessory. Wrapping your dog up can really keep him warm during the cold winter months. This is especially true for smaller dogs or dogs bred for warmer climates. A sweater or coat will protect him from the ice and snow the same way it will you. Boots are a great way to protect his paws from frostbite as well as deicing salt, if your pet will wear them.

For more information on Hartz Flea Control products for cats and dogs, logon to www.hartz.com

Thursday, 22 December 2011

Flea Facts That You Need To Be Aware Of

You can’t argue with the fact that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. It is especially true for flea infestation, because these little suckers are capable of infecting your pet with numerous parasite-borne diseases.


Using preventive measures, with reliable pest control products such as Hartz Flea & Tick shampoo is a much better option. Being pro-active about preventing a problem is wiser than trying to find solutions once the problem has reached out of control proportions.


Fleas are tiny insects that feed on the blood of their host and multiply at an alarming rate; while they can survive without a host for some time, they need to feed on blood to complete their normal life cycle and reproduction.


They digest only a fraction of the blood and expel the remnants in the form of small, dark, fecal pellets often termed as “flea dirt”. Owing to their laterally compressed bodies, they move swiftly through the thick fur and their legs help in jumping and grasping when they move from one animal to another.


They often jump seven inches vertically and thirteen inches horizontally to reach new hosts.
Female fleas often start producing eggs 24 to 48 hours after their first blood feeding. It is quite common for them to lay 40 to 50 eggs per day.


Temperatures of 65-80 ºF in shaded areas with high humidity are ideal for rapid breeding of fleas. Moreover, flea eggs can survive dormant without hatching for up to 1 year.


Once eggs find congenial conditions, they hatch and grow into adult fleas within just 5 days.


Since manual removal of fleas from a pet is not only extremely difficult, but also dangerous as their body fluids can lead to other infections, it is essential to keep your pet free from these creepy crawlers with the regular use of Hartz flea control products.


Hartz is a prominent brand renowned for an extensive range of high quality pet care products.

 

For more information on Hartz Flea Control products for cats and dogs, logon to www.hartz.com

Monday, 19 December 2011

Flea Facts That You Need To Be Aware Of

You can’t argue with the fact that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. It is especially true for flea infestation, because these little suckers are capable of infecting your pet with numerous parasite-borne diseases.

Using preventive measures, with reliable pest control products such as Hartz Flea & Tick shampoo is a much better option. Being pro-active about preventing a problem is wiser than trying to find solutions once the problem has reached out of control proportions.

Fleas are tiny insects that feed on the blood of their host and multiply at an alarming rate; while they can survive without a host for some time, they need to feed on blood to complete their normal life cycle and reproduction.

They digest only a fraction of the blood and expel the remnants in the form of small, dark, fecal pellets often termed as “flea dirt”. Owing to their laterally compressed bodies, they move swiftly through the thick fur and their legs help in jumping and grasping when they move from one animal to another.

They often jump seven inches vertically and thirteen inches horizontally to reach new hosts.
Female fleas often start producing eggs 24 to 48 hours after their first blood feeding. It is quite common for them to lay 40 to 50 eggs per day.

Temperatures of 65-80 ºF in shaded areas with high humidity are ideal for rapid breeding of fleas. Moreover, flea eggs can survive dormant without hatching for up to 1 year.

Once eggs find congenial conditions, they hatch and grow into adult fleas within just 5 days.
Since manual removal of fleas from a pet is not only extremely difficult, but also dangerous as their body fluids can lead to other infections, it is essential to keep your pet free from these creepy crawlers with the regular use of Hartz flea control products.

Hartz is a prominent brand renowned for an extensive range of high quality pet care products.
For more information on Hartz Flea Control products for cats and dogs, logon to www.hartz.com

Sunday, 4 December 2011

Why You Need a Complete Pest Management System

We constantly receive questions from our fans saying no matter what they to do, they cannot get rid of their dogs’ fleas!


Quite simply, dogs are exposed to fleas, ticks and mosquitoes on a daily basis. Every time you take your dog out for a walk, to the dog park, or even for a romp in your back yard, your dog is a walking target for disease carrying fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. That’s why we recommend having a complete pest management system that focuses not only on your dog, but also on your dog’s environment and surroundings.


On Pet


Protecting your dog is the first step in the fight against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.


We recommend products that protect against adult and pre-adult pests. Preventing a future infestation is just as important. Our veterinarian, Dr. Melinda, recommends Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® or Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® once a month topical drop treatments or collars because these products have active ingredients focused on breaking the life stages of fleas and ticks. Unlike competing products such as Frontline Plus or Pet Armor, Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® topical drops also kills mosquitoes, which are known to transmit heartworm disease.


If your dog already has fleas and ticks, Dr. Melinda recommends the use of Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® shampoos, Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® dog sprays, or Hartz® UltraGuard® powders to bring immediate relief to your dog before using the topical drops or collars.


In Home
The critical second step in a complete pest management system is treating your home.


Unlike ticks and mosquitoes that only breed outdoors, fleas thrive indoors. Female fleas start producing eggs 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day. These eggs are laid on your dog, and easily fall off onto bedding, carpets, furniture and everything else your dog comes in contact with. The places where your dog rests and sleeps become primary habitats for eggs and developing fleas.


To help on the home front, we offer in home products, such as Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® Carpet Powders and Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® Home Sprays that can be used throughout your house. If you are facing a wide spread infestation, Hartz® UltraGuard Plus® Home Fogger is recommended.


In Yard

The final step in a complete pest management system is taking care of your yard where fleas, ticks and mosquitoes can be prevalent.


Ticks find their hosts by climbing on grass, shrubs and other outposts. They simply wait for your dog to walk by and grab on. To fully protect your dog be sure to use products such as Hartz® UltraGuard® Yard Spray to eliminate multiple types of pests outside your home.


We want to help you make sure that your dog remains pest free this summer. Visit HartzUltraGuardPro.com for some great coupons that will help your dogs fight those pesky fleas.

 

To know more about the Hartz Flea products, log on to http://www.hartz.com/