Pet Diabetes is on the Rise: 32/16 Percent in Dogs/Cats



Jumping 32 percent in dogs, and 16 percent for cats, pet diabetes has increased substantially over the last five years — just as it has in humans. (Source: Banfield Pet Hospital, a nationwide chain.)  Linked to obesity just as it is for humans, pet diabetes symptoms are the same for both species and also includes excessive thirst and urination. Cats suffer more from obesity when related to diabetes as they tend to be less active.

Today, more and more people are adopting pets of all ages. Should you believe one of your pets could be diabetic and if you do not have a specific veterinarian in place for your pet, look for a local Vet online via SF pet services, and take them in for an exam. Diabetes is treatable in many cases.

Watch the treats, do not serve leftovers top your pet, and review your pet’s food consumption. Look for pet coupons for healthy foods that your Vet recommends, and monitor your pet’s water intake carefully.

Hot Trend: Localized Pet Services and Supplies Couponing



Pets Love Deals is part of an exciting new and thriving industry. During tough economic times, pet owners still like to pamper their pets.  In fact, the SF pet services and supplies market is one of the few that has grown over the past few years.  Americans spent $55 billion on their pets in 2010, according to the market research firm Packaged Facts. The market for pet supplies has remained relatively unaffected by the economy. 

The New York Times said there was a 7 percent increase in veterinary services in 2010. While some pet owners cut costs by spending less on luxuries and premium brands, most dog owners continued to maintain the high quality and premium diet for their pets, and that also included the highest quality of pet services like veterinary care.  Perople believe that premium food extends the life and health of their dogs, helping avoid costly vet bills. 

Spending  has been concentrated in specific categories such as high-quality necessities like food, beds and collars/ leashes.  In fact, in 2011, at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, which tends to be pet food dominated, quite a few vendors were pushing human-grade pet food, including organic blends, and even diet meals in prepackaged with portions for overweight pets. Owners and manufacturers alike recognize that pets need food to survive.  But even more important,  even in the face of a severe economic downturn, many pet owners are shopping for animals that they consider their children.

Though the veterinary and the San Francisco pet supplies sectors have seen growth as well, the 7 percent growth cited by the New York Times is driven, in part, by a pet population that’s living longer. Human medical technologies like CAT scans and cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy are increasingly being used on companion animals. Pet owners are demanding the same level of care they receive themselves and with advances in technology, veterinarians and other San Francisco pet supplies and services providers, such as high end retail stores and kennels and dog boarding facilities, are able to provide it.

People are investing in their pet’s quality of life.Other trends in pet care include the fact that pet insurance plans are becoming more popular, with multiple companies offering plans under manydifferent brand names.  The industry is projected to grow to $600 million by 2013. (Source: Small Business Trends.)  The quality foods,  hi-end beds and toys all have a direct impact on a pet’s comfort and health, as do other San Francisco pet supplies and services that they receive.

20 Steps: How to Bathe a Cat



Here is a short list of all the considerations for bathing a cat.

1) Trim your cat’s claws. This reduces the chances of deep scratches from long nails.

2) Wear clothing to keep skin covered, and make sure you are safe from scratches. (e.g. Long sleeves, gloves, etc.)

 3)  Speak to your pet in a calm, quiet voice.

4) Face the cat toward the back of the tub and of it ties to escape

5) If you have a long haired cat, be sure to brush out mats, burrs or knots  before you bathe the cat in water.

7) You can always take your cat to a groomer to comb out knots by searching for San Francisco pet services then bathe your cat yourself the next day.

8.) Fill the tub with four or five inches of warm water before bringing your cat into the room. (Some cats are afraid of running water.)

9) Fill a couple of extra buckets with rinse water so you won’t need to run more water during the bath.

10) Place a rubber mat or towel in the tub.

11) if your cat is really strong it could squirm or leap its way out of your hands, so you need a helper.

12)  Hold your cat firmly — one person can hcan be onto its legs, and the cat’s jaw so it will not be able to bite; the other person does the bathing.

13) Never use normal shampoo, as it can be toxic to the cat. Use a  mild baby shampoo and conditioner, or pet shampoo.

14) Have  a wash cloth ready, and two towels for drying your pet.

15) Washing the cat by soaking it from the neck down, using a wash cloth. Add a little bit of shampoo mix it with water – wash its neck, body, legs, belly and tail.  

16) Rinse with the water in the extra tubs while draining the soapy water – rinse two more times.

17) Dry the cat by blotting gently; wrap and rub gently with one towel, then switch to a second dry towel when the first one is wet. 

18) Make sure your home is warm, and do not leave the cat in a draft.

19) Give your cat a nice reward like treats or catnip so maybe the next bath will be a little easier.

20) Remember to look at PetsLoveDeals.com so you can find deals for SF pet supplies to groom and bathe your cat the next time.

 

Adopt a Pet at the Bay Area Pet Fair



PetsLoveDeals, Inc. will be attending and supporting the , Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11 at the Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. The San Francisco pet coupon company helps customers save money and save animals, so it is a perfect match for Pets Love Deals to educate attendees at their booth while holding a drawing for a gift certificate, and also distributing free doggy bandanas.Pets Love Deals, Inc. offers discounts on pet products, and related goods and services in the San Francisco/Marin County/East Bay area while showcasing local animal welfare non-profits.

The Bay Area Pet Fair will host be more than 40 local pet adoption and rescue organizations with hundreds of adoptable cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, and other critters. Their goal for the weekend is 500 pet adoptions!  And for every pet adopted, sponsor Pet Food Express will give the adopting family a $25 PFE gift card and donate $50 to the adopting rescue group. Over 200 vendors will also be on hand with the latest in pet apparel, collars, leashes, bowls, treats and supplies.  General admission to the event is $7, $5 for children 6-12, and free for children under 5 and adults 55 and over. Family four packs are only $20 and include free parking.

PetsLoveDeals.com offers pet deals and discounts on pet-related goods and services in the San Francisco/Marin County/East Bay area while also showcasing local animal welfare non-profits and sharing a portion of net revenues with them.

PetsLoveDeals.com Offers Free Bandanas at Bay Area Pet Fair Adoption Event



SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(September 2, 2011)–PetsLoveDeals, Inc., the San Francisco pet coupon company who helps customers save money and save animals, will be attending and supporting the Bay Area Pet Fair, Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11 at the Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. Traditionally one of the best family events of the summer, the pet fair will be hosted this year by local pet supply company Pet Food Express. Pets Love Deals will have a booth and will be giving away doggy bandanas, in addition to holding a drawing for a gift certificate.

The Bay Area Pet Fair organization’s goal for the weekend is 500 pet adoptions. There will be more than 40 local pet adoption and rescue organizations with hundreds of adoptable dogs, cats, bunnies, birds and other critters who need forever homes.

For every pet adopted, Pet Food Express will give the adopting family a $25 PFE gift card and donate $50 to the adopting rescue group. An additional 200 vendors will be on hand with the latest in pet apparel, collars, leashes, bowls, treats and supplies. General admission to the event is $7, $5 for children 6-12, and free for children under 5 and adults 55 and over. Family four packs are only $20 and include free parking.

Festivities include:

  • The “My Mutt” pet show—open to all pet breeds, ages, sizes—and talents—with amazing prizes
  • Agility training for kids and their dogs
  • Tillman, the world-famous skateboarding bulldog, will perform
  • Dusty, the “klepto cat,” as seen on TV, will “steal” the show
  • Bay Area K-9s to demonstrate their crime-busting skills
  • Nose Work—Canine scent detection sport demonstrations
  • Nutrition, health and educational seminars
  • Local retailers with great products and treats for your furry companions
  • My Mutt “bark art” gallery, featuring the finest pet photography in the Bay Area
  • PLUS refreshments for sale, raffles, FREE balloons for kids, give-a-ways and

Not your average coupon deal site, PetsLoveDeals.com offers pet deals and discounts on pet-related goods and services in the San Francisco/Marin County/East Bay area while also showcasing local animal welfare non-profits and sharing a portion of net revenues with them. Typical deals will include discounts on local dog and cat boarding, grooming, training, pet sitting, dog walking, doggie day care, veterinary care, pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, and day trips, and products and supplies for all kinds of pets.

About Pets Love Deals, Inc. (www.petslovedeals.com)

Headquartered in Orinda, California, Pets Love Deals, Inc. offers discounts on pet products, and related goods and services in the San Francisco/Marin County/East Bay area while showcasing local animal welfare non-profits. The company donates up to 10 percent of the profit on every deal to one of nine animal non-profits including Marin Humane Society, Pets Unlimited, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, WildCare Wildlife Rehabilitation, Wonder Cats Rescue, Marin Friends of Ferals, and Golden State Greyhound Adoption.  Purchasers select the non-profit to receive the donation on check-out.

Unlike Groupon, Living Social, and other deal websites, PetsLoveDeals is all pet coupons all the time.   PetsLoveDeals is just for pet lovers looking for great deals on great pet stuff. Typical San Francisco pet deals include big discounts on local dog and cat boarding, grooming, training, pet sitting, dog walking, doggie day care, veterinary care, pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, fun day trips, and products and supplies for all kinds of pets.

Merchants benefit from a pet-focused local audience who are also motivated to support local animal non-profits.  Non-profits promote PetsLoveDeals on their websites, through e-mails to their supporters, and on their social media sites. PetsLoveDeals.com in turn promotes merchants at no cost to them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a host of other social media outlets.

Contacts:
Kristin Gabriel
MarCom New Media
T: 323.650.2838
E: Kristin@marcomnewmedia.com

Pets Love Deals, Inc.
T: 925.250.6848
E: info@petslovedeals.com

Pets and Earthquakes



During the last few weeks, along with all the hot weather and huricanes,  there were also earthquakes all over the U.S. A number of people noticed that their pets started acting odd just before the earthquake hit.  There were some reports of cats stopping and looking into the air, while others noticed their dogs suddenly started barking ferociously, but did not find out there was an earthquake until the next day on the news, and then put two and two together.

So  can pets sense an earthquake before it happens?  Interestingly there was a study conducted in 1988  in San Jose, California that determined  there was “no significant positive correlation” when they looked at the correlation between missing dogs and earthquakes over three years.  This study only looked at dogs running away as a reaction to sensing an earthquake.  The fact is that it did not study pets who paced, barked or were anxious.  Many pet owners believe their pets knew an earthquake was coming.

Have you heard about PetQuake.org? If not then keep the url handy and the next time your pet behaves strange, check it out. This organization studies the information pet owners submit.

Also make sure you are prepared for he;ping to save your animals in case of a bad earthquake. Add extra collars and leashes to your preparedness bag, items you might find at a discount on websites like www.PetsLoveDeals.com, where you’ll find lots of San Francisco pet coupons.

 

The Popularity of Pets and Pet Coupons



It is amazing to see these numbers, and hard to believe… but according to the APPA National Pet Owners Survey (2011-2012) 62 percent of U.S. own a pet.  This means there is a pet in about 72.9 million  U.S. households!

5.7% = Birds
38.9% = Cats
46.3% = Dogs
2.4% = Equines
4.6% = Reptiles
0.7 = Saltwater Fish
11.9% = Freshwater Fish
5.0% = Small Animals

What this means is that our San Francisco pet coupons site will be servicing a lot of pet owners. Pet coupons are one of the most popular ways for people with pets to save a bundle.here are just a few of the basic annual expenses pet owners spend on their pals:

Dogs vs. Cats

$407   $425 = Surgical vet visits
$248   $219 = Routine vet
$254   $220 = Food
$274   $166 = Kennel boarding
$73     $34 = Grooming
$70    $441 = Food Treats
$43     $21 = Toys

Summer Heat and Pets



It is that time of year, when sadly we hear news stories of yet one more person who left their pet – usually a dog – in the car, parked in the sun with no windows open.  The advice is simple: NEVER leave any animal locked inside a car alone. Not even if the day feels fairly mild, or if you park in the shade. A car will turn into an oven in just minutes even if the windows are open.

The best thing you can do during hot weather is to leave them at home. Skip the exercise on warm days, and bring them (even cats) inside where it is cooler. Dogs do not have the ability to sweat like humans, through their skin. Both dogs and cats release body heat by panting or via sweating through their nose and foot pads.

The medical term is Hyperthermia, which means elevated body temperature. And for dogs and cats, it is a very serious diagnosis.  There are two types of hyperthermia, Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion. Both can cause your pet death or permanent damage.

Once the symptoms of any type of hyperthermia appear, you’ve got very little time to get medical attention.

When a dog’s body temperature internally reaches about 106 degrees, it could have irreversible damage to its organs and cellular system. Here are the things to watch…

  • Rectal temperature over 104 degrees.
  • Hard and vigorous panting.
  • Thick saliva.
  • Gums become dark red.
  • Dry or tacky gums and mucus membranes.
  • Unable to get up.
  • Dizziness or disorientation.
  • Loss of consciousness.

What to do if your pet has the above symptoms:

  • Move your pet out of heat and sun, and stop all activity.
  • Don’t force water on your pet, but do offer it.
  • Use a rectal thermometer to see how hot the pet is.
  • Begin cooling your dog gradually by using cool, wet towels, on their foot pads, and also around their head.
  • Never use ice because  too much cold can constrict the blood vessels.
  • Take the temperature again and once it is at 103 degrees, stop the cooling.
  • Make sure to get your pet to the vet, even if he seems OK.

Check back because Pets Loves Deals has pet coupons for water fountains from time to time, and pet services for less.

This Pets Love Deals, Inc. article is intended for general information only.  It is not intended to be professional medical advice and is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified veterinarian. Pets Love Deals, Inc. makes no representations or warranties in relation to the information on this website.  You must not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to medical advice from your licensed veterinarian. If in doubt, call your Vet! Nothing in this article or elsewhere on this website should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a medical opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of veterinary medicine.

A Dog’s Sense of Time



Behaviorists tell us that dogs and other animals have no sense of time…that they live in the present with no grasp of past or future. If that’s the case, how is it that they seem to keep such good track of time, knowing before we do just when it’s time to wake up, eat breakfast, go to the park, time for you to leave the house and arrive home again?

There’s evidence that animals aren’t really timekeeping, they’re only reacting to internal biological cues like fluctuating hormones and body temperature.  Yet a recent study in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that dogs show different physical reactions like heart rate and hormone levels when you leave them home for 30 minutes versus 3 hours.  Which makes you wonder how it can be that they have no sense of past or future if they have some reaction to the passing of time, even if it’s only an unconscious  one.

A lot of us wish we could be more like our pets and stop dwelling in the past or daydreaming about the future.  Could it be that they just put on a good show for us?  Do you think your pet can conceive of a past or future?

Has Your Hamster Escaped? What to do!



Accidental escapes happen … cages can be left open or for anyone who has a hamster, you know they are also great escape artists. But for a tiny hamster, the world outside of the cage is scary place. So the sooner you start looking for a lost hamster the better — as it means the furry critter will have less chances of getting hurt.

The first thing to do is to leave the hamster’s cage door open with a few sniffable and tasty treats inside. Hamsters like cheese or peanut butter with crackers. If you are really lucky he may come back and go into his cage. But just be sure to leave some fresh water around the house.

When you begin searching for your friend, first check the most likely hiding places, as if you are walking out from the open cage. Think warm, dark hiding spots such as: behind a sofa, beds, or kitchen appliances; inside cushions, cabinets or drawers; spaces under or behind cabinets which can lead behind walls; inside boxes with tissue or packing stuffing;
under water heater or other warm places; behind the drapes; and inside shoes, purses or luggage.

One high tech tip is to set up a motion detector, or place a pile of treats and keep track of any missing ones — this could lead to your pet’s hiding spot. Another trick — put a little flour near the treat piles, which can lead to evidence if the hamster is on the run.

And if all else fails, you can always try the old bucket trick — a plastic bucket with a little wooden ramp, and a towel with cheese or treats in the bottom to try to lure him inside until you can, hopefully, find him.

Once you have found your little treasured friend, make sure to check the PetsLoveDeals sit for hamster-related pet coupons