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Winter and Your Horse
Winter and your Horse
Winter weather brings important changes for your horse. For most, this means increased time inside and increased danger outside.
The presence of snow, sleet, slush and ice outdoors can be dangerous for horses and riders during winter months. Take extra care to ensure horses are given safe and stable ground to stretch their legs during long winter months. If riding your horse, it’s important to pick paths that you and your horse know well. Snow and ice can hide pathway and pasture dangers.
Increased stable time means extra allergen exposure. During winter months barns are filled with dust and dander. Help out your horse by opening up the doors and windows on nicer days to clear the air and reduce allergen exposure. It’s especially important to thoroughly clean stalls in the winter to reduce the ammonia level and relative particle load in air. Fresh air literally helps keep horses healthy.
Just like people, a horse’s skin and coat suffers during dry winter months. Use of hydrating baths, sprays and oils can be very helpful in keeping your horse’s skin and coat healthy. Hoof care is also very important to provide good traction and avoid cracking and excessive damage.
It is easy to be fooled by a horse’s metabolic demands in winter. Even though your horse may be more stationary and less active, winter months bring cold weather and a higher caloric need during periods of rest. Be sure your horse has plenty of access to fresh (unfrozen) water, high quality grain and hay.
Winter can be a fun and exciting time to share with your horse. Special attention to your horse’s winter needs will keep the season safe and enjoyable.
Post Provided by Heather Stern – All Natural Horse Skin Care Treatments
Winter Safety for your Pet
As the seasons change so do the needs of our furry friends. Dogs and cats require special and different care during winter seasons.
Just like people, the lack of humidity in most winter climates can be rough on the skin and coat of dogs and cats. Dry, flaking, cracked skin is not uncommon during winter months. Skin and coat care requires special winter attention. Excellent grooming habits are especially important during the winter. Dogs and cats should be bathed and groomed with high quality, detergent free products that are designed to enrich the skin and coat with moisture. Special salves and sprays are often helpful to keep the paw pads from cracking and becoming sore in the cold.
Metabolic needs are also very different in the winter. Ensuring that your dog or cat has enough high quality food and calorie intake is very important when the temperature drops. One of the most important diet ingredients is ample access to water. It’s easy for water outside to freeze and cause pets to become dehydrated. Ensure your pet has plenty of fresh water at all times. Heated water bowls are an excellent idea to ensure that outside bowls don’t freeze and become a health hazard.
Finally, it’s important to pay attention that pets are staying away from the many new hazards that come with winter weather. Antifreeze, ice-melt chemicals and partially frozen ponds are just a few of the new hazards that the winter season has to offer.
Keep your pet close by this winter and pay special attention to their winter health, nutrition and safety needs.
Post provided by Heather Stern – All Natural Pet Skin Care
Ear infections can be costly and painful for your dog or cat
Ear infections are one of the most common reasons that dogs and cats are taken to the veterinarian every year. Ear infections are a painful, smelly and unpleasant condition for everyone involved. If your dog or cat has ever had an ear infection you know that treatment can be time consuming, costly and sometimes very difficult.
There are many reasons that ear infections may occur. The ears of dogs and cats are very different than humans. Their ear canals have many grooves and turns that make it a great place for moisture, debris and ultimately infection to reside.
The best way that you can protect your dog or cat from ear infections is with routine ear cleansing. Whether your pet has an ear infection or not, routine cleansing is a major part of prevention and treatment. For pets without active ear infections, ear cleansing removes debris and moisture from the canal making it an unfavorable environment for bacteria or yeast to accumulate. In active ear infections, cleansing removes infected material and helps allow the prescribed ear medication to work.
There are many types of ear cleansers available today. It is important to balance the need for cleansing and soothing in these products. Products that contain natural ingredients like aloe vera are great for keeping the ear canal clean and healthy.
Post provided by - www.calmcoat.com – All Natural Dog, Cat & Horse Products.
All Natural Skin Care for your Dog or Cat:
Skin conditions are one of the most common reasons that cats and dogs are presented to their veterinarian. Itching, scratching, hair loss, scabs, crusts and excessive shedding are just a few of the side effects of dermatologic conditions that commonly affect pets.
When it comes to caring for your pet’s skin and coat there are many choices. The key ingredients are important and can provide great relief. In the face of severe skin disease most of the problem is often a direct result of deep skin inflammation. This leads to itching, scratching, hair loss and often extreme discomfort.
Many prescription therapies exist to help reduce the discomfort associated with skin disease in the dog and cat. Often these products are comprised of steroid compounds to reduce inflammation. While steroids are sometimes needed in the most severe cases, these medications are not without side effects.
For health conscious pet owners, an all natural approach to skin care is a great way to provide your dog cat or horse with the relief they deserve in a safe and effective way. Ingredients such as aloe vera, oatmeal, eucalyptus and vitamin E are excellent sources of all natural soothing and healing for skin and coat. These products are great in the face of skin disease or as a routine skin and coat care plan.
Post provided by – All Natural Skin Care Products for your Dog or Cat