Kreiser's Kritter Sitters Tails

Hooray for MAY!

kreiserspetcare — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:08:59 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I thought it would NEVER get here…not just the month, but the SUNSHINE! We’ve certainly had our share of rain & muddy paws this year. With the arrival of the sun, I thought I’d post a few quick tips to help keep your fur babies safe this summer. First and foremost, NEVER leave your pet in your vehicle during daylight hours. Temperatures inside a locked car can rise 30 degrees in just 20 minutes, even with the windows down. If you see a pet in a vehicle, call your local police department immediately and they WILL respond.

Keeping your pet groomed is important all year round, but it is especially helpful in the summer and aids in keeping your pet as comfortable as possible. Additionally, always be sure to have plenty of cool (not cold) water on hand for your pet inside & outside. And don’t forget their water when you’re on a walk! It’s best to keep exercise activity to either the early morning hours or evening, when the sun isn’t beating down on you & your pet.

Here’s hoping ALL my happy clients have a safe & fun summer!

Flea & Tick tips

kreiserspetcare — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:47:50 +0000

Yup…it’s that time of year again! Although you can have problems with fleas & ticks virtually all year round, the hot, rainy summers provide prime conditions for these parasites to thrive in. The first line of defense is to treat your pet regularly with a Flea & Tick treatment such as Frontline. With three dogs of my own, I know how expensive this can be, but believe me, it saves money in the long run! Additionally, be sure to purchase your treatments at your veterinarian’s office, as they will be guaranteed. I’ve done a lot of research and my veterinarian sells them for virtually the same price as those so-called discount pet care websites. Also, there have been recent reports that the products have been mis-labled, which has caused health problems in some pets. When you purchase from your veterinarian, you know you’re getting the exact treatment you want.

If you’ve been treating your pet regularly but have found a flea problem, chances are you are only killing the adult fleas, not the eggs. Adult fleas live only about 2-3 days on your pet, so thorough treatments of carpets and lawns are a must. Be sure to vacuum every day, especially pet-frequented areas & bedding. Place a piece of a cut-up flea collar in your vacuum bag/canister and always empty the contents into a bag, tie tightly and immediately take outside to the trash. Otherwise, those little buggers will just hop right out of your vacuum and right back into your carpet! You may also sprinkle carpets with a mixture of 1/2 baking soda and 1/2 table salt and allow to sit overnight, then vacuum in the morning. This mixture dehydrates the fleas.

Another option is to place a VERY stable table lamp on the floor next to a bowl filled with water and a few drops of Dawn. Fleas will be attracted to the light and fall into the bowl of soapy water and die.

For lawn treatments, there are many chemical pesticides available, but be cautious using them around your pets. Read the instructions carefully, and keep pets contained from treated areas. An all-nature pet-safe method is using Diatomaceous Earth (used in some pool filters and easily found in pool supply stores) sprinkled all over your yard. This is another treatment that dehydrates fleas, but is completely safe for pets.

A dietary supplement of Brewer’s Yeast and garlic can be added to pet food to help deter fleas & ticks. While there are no proven medical studies this works, a number of people swear by it, and it’s not harmful to your pet, so it can be worth a try!

When removing ticks from your pet, always use tweezers to be sure it is removed completely. Removed ticks can be dropped into a jar containing a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, and tightly lidded. These can be saved for examination by your veterinarian, if needed to determine any diseases. The most common diseases transmitted by ticks are Lyme Disease, tick-borne fever, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Hope this information helps, have a safe and happy summer with your furbabies!

Kreiser’s Kritter Sitters new website!

kreiserspetcare — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:44:35 +0000

As you may have noticed, the Kreiser’s Kritter Sitters website has a whole new look! I’m very excited to finally have total control over the look, feel and content of my website. Although I’m still working on getting my new blog format embedded (probably not the right terminology here!) and my new & exciting photo gallery uploaded, I’m really excited that I have taught myself, (with some help from a GREAT computer guy), how to write some very basic code. Being in total control will allow me to serve my customers even more efficiently, by providing them an easily-navigated format with fun and informative content. If you haven’t already, you can view my website here: www.kreiserspetcare.com.

In addition to the website, I am currently studying for the Pet Sitters International Accreditation course. My goal is to be accredited by mid-July. I’m really learning a lot about pet care & pet health, as well as expanding my horizons into more exotic breeds. I’ll be sure to announce, once complete.

I do all this because I have a passion for my business. To me, it’s not just a business, pets are my life. I hope you all stay tuned to my blog for future Kreiser’s Kritter Sitters updates as well as all kinds of wonderful, fun, and informative pet care insight.

And of course, to finish off my new blog, I’d like to announce that my Rottweiler, Roscoe~CGC and I have become a certified Therapy Dog Team through KPets. We’re very excited to be embarking on this new journey, and I couldn’t be happier to share my special guy with the world!

me & my special guy!