• NATURAL PET CARE PRODUCTS • • OTHER BALTER ARTICLES •

Natural Pet Care Articles

Buying a Puppy
Great things to consider before making that emotional, spur of the moment purchase! A puppy belcomes a part of the family. Do your research before making the commitment.

Cure Your Pet’s Ear Infections
Is your dog or cat tormented by ear infections? Do you spend time and money at the veterinarian's office trying to bring relief to your beloved pet, only to find that another infection appears over time? If so, you may want to try some more natural approaches to preventing and treating your pet's ear infections.

What to Look for in a Dog Perfume
When you are shopping for dog perfume, remember to ask yourself what you are looking for. Obviously, you want a

Pamper Your Natural Pet at the Balter Catalogue Company - Living is only natural; let us help you live it more naturally!

perfume that deodorizes that dog odor, but don't you also want a product that won't dry out or irritate your dog's skin? Although the term "perfume" typically indicates a product made with a high concentration of fragrance oils suspended in an alcohol base, you should look for a dog perfume that is alcohol free in order to keep your dog's skin from drying out. Also, artificial fragrance oils may contain a variety of undisclosed chemical ingredients which could potentially irritate your dog's skin. Look for a product which uses natural essential oil as it's scent.

Special Treats for the Pampered Pet
When it’s time for a treat, don't forget one of the most important members of the family. Try these recipes for your special pet. If you have a friend who has a special pet, have fun and surprise him this year with a gift for his pet. Fill a jar with some of these homemade treats and tie a bandanna around the top. When the treats are gone, the pet can wear the bandanna!

Does Your Dog Have Food Allergies?
Because every dog is unique, it's sometimes very difficult to determine what causes food-related allergies and what doesn't. Common pet food culprits include wheat, corn and soy. Various proteins also create their share of problems in certain dogs. I was shocked to learn that some dogs are allergic to chicken, while I know from first-hand experience that my Jack Russell Terrier Lucy used to be allergic to beef.

Foxtail Grass — A Danger to Your Dog
If you have dogs, keep the foxtail out of your lawn! Foxtail is a common annual grass usually considered a weed. It grows 1 to 3 feet tall, with branching and some spreading at ground level. Leaf blades are 4 to 15 inches long. Flower heads are dense spikes with yellow to reddish, green or purplish bristles. As foxtail matures, seeds are formed at the top of the stalk. The bushy seeds are what gives the plant the name of "foxtail."

Do You Know What's in Your Dog Shampoo?
It is important to choose a dog shampoo which addresses your dog’s grooming needs without exposing these sensitive animals to artificial perfumes or detergents. In today's modern society, we often expose our companion animals to a variety of artificial perfumes, insecticides, and detergents found in common grooming products and treatments. While these products usually do their jobs effectively, some of their ingredients can cause both allergic and nervous reactions in dogs. You are left with a squeaky clean, flea free, pina-colada scented dog that itches like the dickens, and will often rush off to find some soothing mud to cool her skin and remove the overwhelming perfumed scent from her coat.

Don’t Feed This to Your Dog!
Unfortunately, there are a number of household items that we tend to take for granted that are potentially very dangerous to your dog's health. It is especially important to be aware of this because as you know, dogs are essentially scavengers and will often eat just about anything they can sink their fangs into. I would say that my own dog is more like a mobile garbage disposal. It is also very important to be aware of these items since dogs’ sense of smell is so well developed that your pooch will be able to find what you may think is well hidden.

Throw a Dog Birthday Party!
Dog birthday parties are becoming increasingly popular. You can celebrate even if you don't know your dog's birthday. Just choose a date to commemorate the day your puppy joined your family, and prepare to lavish him with love! You could celebrate at a dog park, but if you have an appropriate sized backyard, why not invite your puppy's playmates over for a fun off-leash day right there?

Pets and Kids: When Baby Makes Four (Opens to a new window)
A curious and affectionate pet can unintentionally harm a baby. A child may be accidentally scratched or even dropped when a friendly dog jumps up on you to investigate. When the baby learns to crawl and then to walk, it enters a new phase, and your pet's view of the child may change.

Have an itchy dog? Non Chemical Grooming Tips
Many dogs today suffer from itchy, irritated skin caused by a variety of factors. Their owners often fret that they are suffering from allergies and take the dog to the vet, who prescribes medication. However, in many cases, the “itch factor” may have a simpler cause and solution. Dogs have a more sensitive skin than we humans do, and are often exposed to a variety of irritants in their indoor and outdoor environments. Before turning to medicated products, try these grooming tips, which may help to alleviate your dog’s irritation.

Seizures in Pets - Pet Seizures - Dog Epilepsy
Witnessing your precious dog or cat having a seizure can be a most frightening experience. During seizures, pets often lose control, fall over, chomp their teeth, salivate or drool, whine, paddle with their feet and begin to urinate or defecate on themselves. Their eyes become large (dilated) and unresponsive. Caregivers can feel panicked and helpless while watching it all happen.

How to Create a Unique Dog Gift Basket
If you are looking for a dog gift for a pet lover, and want something that stands out from the crowd, consider putting together a spa gift basket for the dog! You will be providing quality products for the owner to use on their dog's sensitive skin, and giving the owner the gift of a great smelling dog! Here is how to make your dog gift set look great!

Why Does My Pet Eat Grass? Make Your Own Too!
Are you concerned when your dog or cat eats grass, then throws up afterwards? You'll probably feel relieved to know that pets eat grass because their bodies need it.

Treat Your Dog’s Feet to a “Pawdicure”
Your dog’s feet work hard to provide traction and shock absorption to this natural runner. Ensure you keep them in top shape with a periodic pawdicure and these common sense tips!

Exercise Made Simple: My "Golden" Gym (Opens to a new window)
In his insightful book The New Work of Dogs, John Katz makes the case for the new role of dogs. Once herders, guard and hunting dogs, now our canine friends have a new work: tending to life, love and family. Dogs need a job, and they will adapt to whatever circumstances their human companions give them. What I wanted from my dog was simple: security while walking in the woods and a reason to walk every day.

Lavender Essential Oil and Dog Aromatherapy
Lavender is among the gentlest of all essential oils. Its light floral scent is said to calm and relax those who smell it; it is also purported to possess healing qualities, and is often put to use on itchy skin as a healing aid. Essential oils are made by distilling pure plant material. They are different from fragrance oils, which can be made with a variety of artificial ingredients. In addition to smelling good, essential oils are said to posses certain therapeutic properties.

Dogs Welcome: Dog Friendly Hotel Accommodations
If you are one of the 29 million dog owners who like to travel with your pet, you will be happy to know that many fine hotels will now welcome you and your pooch with open arms and luxurious services. We tracked down a couple of spots in the northwest where your dog can enjoy the good life. The world's going to the dogs and we couldn't be happier about it!

Dog Grooming Tips to Consider
Can you regularly groom the type of dog you want yourself, or can you afford to have it done professionally? Inquire about the cost with your local groomer before deciding, and talk to others who own such dogs. Starting from a young age, praising your dog during and after the grooming process, and brushing and bathing on a regular basis will help to ensure that you both enjoy this time together. Your dog may not enjoy being bathed at first, but remember that you aren't doing your dog a favor by letting him get so stinky that you don't want to cuddle him! Dirty skin, matted hair, and uninspected wounds can also lead to more serious problems. Praise him effusively, of course, and keep grooming sessions short when he is a puppy so he doesn't become bored.

New Baby and the Family Dog
I always advise that as soon as you are aware that there will be a new baby in the house, begin to prepare your family dog. Do not leave it until the new baby arrives. It is important that your dog associates the new baby with as few disruptions as possible. It is essential to ensure that your dog has a basic understanding of good behaviour. The dog should be able to lie quietly for short periods, not jumping up, walking on a lead without pulling and coming when called are all essential.

Children and Dogs
The most frequently bitten people are children. By the age of 14, about half of all children have been bitten by a dog. The overwhelming majority of bites occur in children under nine years of age, sometimes resulting in both physical and emotional damage. Through an understanding of canine behavior and preparation for what to do in the event of a canine confrontation, many such bites can be avoided.

CAT ANTICS: Cats Use the Family Toilet
Question: Hi! How do you train cats to do it? (use the family toilet instead of a catbox) I've heard this before, but I always thought people were pulling my leg. I have a lovely Maine Coon cat, and he's smart, but I don't know if I could train him to use the toilet. Kathy Neufeld and Giggles! (Giggles is a Guide Dog for the blind.)

Dog Food Secrets
Dog foods do vary in quality. So do the companies that make the foods. To some companies quality is only a word. To others, it's a way of life. Ultimately, the quality of a dog food is best measured by your dog. How your dog performs on the food, how he looks, feels and acts are the best measures of the quality of any food. At least 30 per cent of my clients that report behavioural problems find that a change of food changes the unwanted behaviour.

Biting Dogs
Often dogs lash out when reprimanded for doing something wrong. This is because the dog does not know what it is doing wrong. It only knows you are being aggressive. Remember a dog should not be punished for anything after three seconds of the act, it just does not understand. Any punishment after that time can result in the dog fearing you and can often cause aggression.

Basic First Aid for Dogs
As an ardent reader of the Collins Dog Photoguide I came across this article, which I feel, might be of interest to readers. A traffic accident is probably the most common cause of serious injury to a cat or dog. Always approach the animal with caution, it may react aggressively because of the pain.

Clicker Training
Since things started the primary means of controlling dog behaviour has been with a collar, leash and the strength of the trainer's hand. Most pet dog owners do not have the strength and skill required. Over the past 12 years a new form of dog training has developed based on the system used by Karen Proyer, pioneer marine mammal trainer now known as the "Clicker" which is used for dolphin and whales. The training of dolphins is based on a positive reinforcement-primarily a bucket of fish.

Christmas Time (with dogs)
Every year comes the message "A Dog Is Not For Christmas, its for life" A living puppy should not be thought of in the same category as a Christmas toy. A puppy that makes it first appearance, as a gift under the Christmas tree is more likely to be thought of by children as an object or a toy, rather than a family member.

Thinking Of Getting a Lhasa Apso Dog?
One of the cutest looking dogs around is the Lhasa Apso. The puppies especially are just irresistible but before one decides to purchase a Lhasa just because the kids are begging for one, there are some things that should be known about this particular breed. Historically, Lhasa Apsos were kept by the monasteries and nobility in Tibet as indoor watch dogs. They would sleep by their masters and with their high intelligence plus keen sense of hearing, would warn of any intruders. Lhasa Apsos were never bought or sold in Tibet. Instead, the Dalai Lama sent Lhasa Apsos in pairs to the emperors of China as gifts. High ranking visitors to Tibet also received them as gifts.

10 Tips for Buying a Parrot
Parrots are one of the most attractive and rewarding animals in the world. Though parrots are very intelligent their requirements and demands are quite different from other types of pets. They need the care and attention of their owners far more than other household animals. Most of the parrot breeds are both noisy and destructive; and the larger breeds live for a much longer time than the smaller ones. Therefore it is necessary for you to think carefully about the following issues before buying them.

Exercise for Dogs
Most veterinarians will caution pet owners not to exercise a dog right after feeding him. This is certainly true of strenuous exercise, which can make a dog throw up and can lead to gastric torsion. A recent study by the Divisions of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University proved that exercise after eating seems to burn up more calories by raising the body's rate of metabolism. After eating, many dogs will lie down to digest their food.

Barking and Destruction
I am often surprised at the number of owners that have barking and destructive dogs. How do they manage to put up with all that the noise for so long? Perhaps after a while, we manage to turn a deaf ear to the racket the dog is making. In many instances, nothing is done about the dog barking until a neighbour complains.

Dogs and Chocolate
Chocolate made for human consumption can cause death in dogs. Dogs are sensitive to a class of chemicals called methylxanthines. Caffeine and theobtomine are members of that family. Dogs simply cannot metabolise and excrete methylxanthines as efficiently as humans. The half life of those compounds in the human body is in the order of 2 to 3 hours, in the dog it is more like 18 hours.

Punishing a Puppy
I think the message I have is that we cannot ever expect a puppy to think human...therefore it is quite reasonable for us to think like a dog. A very good book on the market is called Think Dog...by the late John Fisher, well worth getting. When puppies annoy the bitch she will use eye contact and facial expression first. The youngster will carry on the unwanted behaviour then the mother will give out a low growl which will increase in volume with a show of teeth.

Jumping Up
If a dog is jumping up,most pet dog owners will have all hell trying to get a dog to sit. Lets get it right, sorry for being blunt but I shoot from the hip! Most people have never bothered to attend a training school, read a book and now expect to train a dog by letter, well I do not think it can be done.

Jumping Up 2
Teach your dog to sit whenever you ask him to. Sit at the curb when you cross the road. Sit in front of you. Then when he runs at you, or anyone else, if told sit he will sit. BUT it has to be practiced, and used constantly, not just now and then. When he sits as you have asked reward him with a titbit...a very tiny one. Sit while his food is being prepared. Lying down is another skill that is useful. Lie down, I am busy. Lie down, I want to watch TV. Lie down, while we eat.