The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats by Amy D Shojai

Learn first aid for hot spots, swallowed objects or other pet shedding/chewing concerns.

$21.95

Paperback

At my house, the Magical-Dawg leaves tufts of black fuzz wherever he decides to lounge. The pale carpet may hide Seren-kitty's Siamese shedding but it becomes a canine canvas for my German shepherd's fur-painting creativity. Uck. The Chow Chow (above) is another notorious fur shedder.

Shedding may be a big hairy deal—but it is normal. Floating fur increases the challenge of keeping dry cleaned apparel a Fido-free zone. Unless you’re a passionate pet lover who considers pet hair to be a condiment, understanding how to tame the hairy mess will keep your pet’s coat and skin healthy and simplify housecleaning.

It’s not the temperature that prompts shedding. Light exposure, either to sun or artificial light, determines the amount and timing. More hair is shed during the greatest exposure to light. Outdoor cats and dogs living in the northeastern United States shed with the seasons, with the most fur flying in late spring for the several weeks during which daylight increases. But house pets under constant exposure to artificial light shed all year long. To learn how to control your pet's furry drifts, check out 6 Tips to Control Flying Fur.

All the shedding prompts lots of canine nibbling and chewing, too. Can you imagine a German Shepherd-size hairball? (stay tuned, more on that this coming Friday!). At least the Magical-dawg has outgrown his "illegal chewing urges." But in a recent ASK AMY video, one puppy owner was at the end of his rope with "Jaws" the chewing maniac. Check out the video here (plenty of BLING there, too!) and please share your dog (or cat) chewing woes and how you managed the gnawing problem.

By the way, Gina Misiroglu of Red Room put me in touch with the AOL people, which is one of the great ways in which she's bringing traffic to Red Room and getting attention for Red Room's authors.

Woofs & purrs,

amy

http://www.amyshojai.com