cat litter box illustration

Things to Know Before Buying an Automatic Cat Litter Box

, PetsJames Castillo

If you are planning to find the right automatic litter box for your cat, you need to check some vital points before you make a decision. You should note that an ideal litter box for one cat is not the best for other cats. Therefore, buying an automatic litter box is dependent on several factors that should be considered. Although you need to consider various aspects, a self-cleaning litter box offers a lot of benefits that you will not regret having one. These are some of the things to know.

Human Supervision

cat and kittensGetting an automatic litter box does not mean you replace human supervision. Although robots and machines can replace some human tasks, as far as automatic litter boxes are concerned, human supervision is still needed. That is because cats are unpredictable animals. For instance, there are times you will have to clean floors because of kicked litter, change trays, and bags. Moreover, you will need to disinfect and clean the unit.

How Your Cat Behaves

There is a need to look at the way your cat urinates. For instance, if it urinates horizontally, having an automatic litter box with a low wall, will not be of help. Usually, cats require an adequate amount of litter to dig. Therefore, a shallow box cannot provide your cat with the much-needed depth to do so. You should look for a cat litter box with adequate depth.

Your Cat Health and Diet

A health cat does not urinate excessively, and the feces are not creamy. Thus, its feces are easy to collect. In fact, your automatic cat litter box does not have issues collecting and containing the waste when you have healthy cats. However, if your cat has urinary tract disease, digestive problems, or diabetes, an automatic litter box may not function as expected.

Cat’s Habits

There is a need to consider the habit of your cat as far as the use of litter box is concerned. Some cats do not take new systems as they are used to a given type of litter box. However, if your car does not want to adopt using a litter box, you will need to train it. Remember that the cat’s age determines the habits of your cat. In fact, old cats are likely to have more resistance to make changes in their habits. You should note that automatic litter boxes cannot be used in the kitchen if your kittens are less than six months old.…

dog

How to Feed a Sick Dog That Would Not Eat

, , PetsJames Castillo

After severe illness or surgery, the reserves of the body are often exhausted. To help your dog get back on its feet, you should know the right feeding technique as well as the right dog food to give to the dog. For minor surgery with little anesthesia, a special diet is usually not necessary, while after serious illnesses and interventions, a special diet makes sense so that the dog can recover more quickly. However, it may be that the dog cannot eat after certain diseases such as in the intestinal tract infection or diseases of the mouth or pharynx. In such cases proper nutrition is necessary, usually supervised by the veterinarian.

injured dog

In the case of surgery, mostly blood and tissue losses occur. After that, the body tries to detoxify the organism by breaking down metabolic products. Immediately after an operation, the dog is therefore provided with intravenous fluid therapy to compensate for the fluid loss and to supply electrolytes and glucose.

Then the dog should get the highly digestible food with moderate protein content, abundant digested carbohydrates, balanced vitamins, and minerals.  These feeds are concentrated with high energy content, which simplifies the feeding of small meals to spare the digestive system. They are usually highly digestible and tasty, while their consistency is usually gel-like, so it can also be administered by injection into the mouth, if necessary. Homemade food is also possible, which is made from meat,

sick dogAfter the “catabolic” comes the “anabolic” phase, in which the body builds more protein again. In this phase, sufficient protein supply is particularly important, as are iron and zinc, which are essential for blood formation and wound healing, as well as vitamins A and E and the B vitamins. A is found in cod liver oil, liver and egg yolk, vitamin E in vegetable germ oils, and B vitamins in brewer’s yeast. Besides, you should give per 10 kg body weight one teaspoon fish oil containing valuable omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for the function of cell membranes and anti-inflammatory effect.

In disturbed intestinal flora, pro and prebiotics should be entered. Pro-bacteria is, for example, the lactic acid-forming bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus in yogurt. Suitable prebiotics is pectin or wheat bran.

sick bulldog

What to Look for When Feeding

The convalescent dog would rather receive several small portions throughout the day than one or two large meals. After a bowel operation, the dog must first receive food in mushy consistency, so prepared dietary food or homemade rice or oatmeal or baby porridge with pureed muscle meat.

If the Dog Does Not Want to Eat at All

sick labradorFeeding a sick dog can be tricky. It is best to warm the food carefully (body warm) because it enhances the smell of the food. Besides, you can pour meat broth or tuna juice over the food or little milk, slightly mashed leafy stomach or green rumen or mashed, fried liver. Some dogs also like a bit of honey over the food or two, three tablespoons heated cat food. Also helpful: pour warm baby vials (with veal or chicken) over the food. If nothing helps, the vet can prescribe appetizing medications.

If your pet is suffering from a rapid weight loss while refusing to eat or receiving only very small quantities, please contact your veterinarian immediately so that the cause can be investigated in case of doubt.

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