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PawsNClawsLA.com - Pet Articles for Los Angeles Pet Owners

Skin Problems in Cats and Dogs

Scratching CatThe skin, your pet's largest organ, acts as a barrier against harmful invasions from the environment. As an organ of elimination, symptoms of disease often show up in the skin and the body rids itself of toxins

Skin problems are probably the most common ailments seen in dogs. Usually they are not a disease in themselves, but a symptom of another underlying problem.

Allergies are the most common reason one sees problems with the skin or coats of their dogs and cats. Foods, pollens, dust or medications may cause signs of allergy. Problems can also show up due to dietary deficiency or poor diet in general. Symptoms include itching, redness, and poor coat quality.

If no other reason for the problem can be found, it is time to look for food allergies. Simply changing the dog or cats diet to a higher quality food will often make a difference. Often simply adding raw meat to the diet is enough to see an improvement.

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Tips for Taking Pet Pictures

A dog close upIf you've ever tried taking pictures of your pet then you know it can be tricky. But before you throw in the towel, try out these helpful tips for getting great pet pictures and you'll soon discover that pet photography can be a whole lot of fun.

Catch it All

Unfortunately, our pets are only with us for a limited period of time.  This is one reason it is critical to grab pictures of your animals in action while they're in their prime.

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Perilous Preservatives in Pet Food

Have you ever opened a bag or can of your pet’s food and been hit in the olfactory senses with an unpleasant odor?  What you smell is almost Dog bowlcertain to be rancid fat.  It is not a secret that many of the ingredients in pet foods are by products of our own meat processing plants that are deemed unsuitable for human consumption. To be honest some of these by products should be deemed unsuitable for animals to consume as well.

Pet food manufacturers use animal and poultry fats to provide oils essential for healthy skin and coats.  The problem arises in the fact that many of these fats have already begun to turn rancid.

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Adopting Your Next Family Member

by Christina Kilby

ThAdorable orange kittenankfully, more and more people are turning to animal shelters and rescue organizations instead of breeders or pet stores when looking for their next pet. With the overwhelming companion animal overpopulation, rescuing an animal in need helps everyone. Contemporary animal rescue organizations may run a bit differently than you are used to. Let’s go over what you can expect when heading out to adopt.

In the past (and in most City and County shelters it is still the case) you could walk in, pick out your animal, pay and leave. With behavioral issues being the number one reason for animals being relinquished, organizations are beginning to take steps to ensure that the animal is placed in the right home the first time.

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Children and Pets: Avoiding Disaster

IDog with a child and parent can’t tell you how many times someone has said “I want a puppy/kitten I can raise with my child so I know they will get along.” I also can’t tell you how many times a young dog or cat has been returned by its owner because, despite growing up with the children, he/she didn’t get along with them! Think about this for a moment -do all people like children? Just because someone is raised with other children does that mean they will all want to run pre-schools and be teachers? I have plenty of friends, and I’m sure you do too, that dislike the screaming, diaper changing, time consuming babies that melt the hearts of so many other adults in the world. So why do you assume that your puppy or kitten, after having it’s ears pulled, tail tugged, being picked up by it’s back foot, and having objects thrown at its head will adore those little children they live with?

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