The Ranch Pet Resort

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Cat Care

Help Your Dog or Cat Get Relief from Seasonal Allergies

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If your dog or cat is prone to allergies, there is a good chance this time of year is especially difficult for them. Spring and summer are not only difficult times for humans who suffer from allergies, but they have an effect on dogs and cats as well.

Pets are Prone to Allergies, Too

Just like humans, dogs and cats react to allergens when their immune system reacts to a foreign body such as pollen, dander, dust mites, mold spores, chemical skin irritants, stuffing from dog beds, proteins from foods, saliva from fleas, and more.

Allergies are common among dogs and cats of all breeds, frequently occurring after the pet reaches six months of age. Some allergies are thought to be genetic, such as atopic dermatitis or bee pollen.

Signs of Allergies in Your Dog or Cat

If you believe your dog or cat has an allergy, look for one or a combination of these signs:

  • Red, itchy, or inflamed skin or paws
  • Hives
  • Swelling
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Excessive licking of paws or anal glands
  • Itchy or running eyes with or without discharge
  • Scooting on their bums
  • Ear infections
  • Excessive shedding
  • Respiratory issues such as wheezing, coughing, or having difficulty breathing

Relief for Allergies in Your Dog or Cat

English cocker spaniel dog taking a shower with shampoo, soap and water in a bathtub

The best relief for allergies for your dog or cat is to visit your local veterinarian. The veterinarian will examine your pet and can test it for allergens to be able to treat it more effectively.

Some helpful ways to treat your pet are:

  • Wiping down your pets’ paws or fur after being outside to eliminate the pollen coming inside
  • Anti-inflammatory drugs (please check with your vet as some drugs may contain chemicals that are harmful or fatal to your dog or cat)
  • Bathing your dog or cat in an oatmeal-based dog or cat shampoo
  • Changing your dog or cat’s diet
  • Flea and tick prevention
  • Fatty acid supplements
  • Avoid the irritants

What to Do if Your Dog or Cat has a Severe Allergic Reaction

In the event of a severe allergic reaction, your dog or cat could go into shock. “A dog that goes into anaphylactic shock, for instance, will have a drop in blood pressure followed by shock, which is very different from a skin condition.”

The dog or cat must be treated by a veterinarian immediately. Sometimes it is possible to figure out the allergy, other times it is not.

In any case, the best way to prevent your dog or cat from the effects of severe allergies is to pay attention to how your pet acts and treat the symptoms.

A call to your vet is one of the best places to get the attention and treatment your dog or cat deserves and needs.

Summer Tips to Keep Your Pets Happy, Healthy, and Safe

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The happiness, health, and safety of your pets is a priority at The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa.

Anyone who has been to our facility for grooming, doggie daycare, or pet boarding understands how much we love your pets as well as our own.

As the summer approaches, we thought it would be a doggone good idea to provide you with Summer Tips to Keep Your Pets Happy, Healthy, and Safe.

Never Leave Your Pet Unattended in a Car

No matter how quick you think your errand is going to be and how much you and your pet love going for drives in the car, never leave your pet unattended in a car.

The temperature outside is no indication of the temperature that quickly rises in a car. The temperature inside of a car can quickly rise to 120 degrees even if windows are cracked.

While we know how much fun it is for both our pets and us to spend time together, when it’s hot outside, please leave your pets at home!

Time Your Walks for Cooler Weather

Take walks in the early am or evening when it is cooler. Dog paw pads are sensitive to hot asphalt and can burn.

Also, dogs who exercise in the hot sun can suffer from heat stroke, which can be debilitating and deadly.

Older dogs, those that are overweight, and breeds with flat noses are particularly susceptible to heat stroke. Dogs with heart and lung issues should be monitored carefully.

Possible signs of heat stroke in dogs include:

  • Excessive panting
  • Drooling
  • Abnormal breathing
  • Vomiting
  • Collapsing or weakness on feet
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • Seizure
  • Bright red gums

If your dog is acting abnormally, especially in the heat, please contact your veterinarian or closest emergency hospital immediately.

Keeping Your Pet Safe in Hot Weather

With temperatures outside rising during the summer, it’s imperative that your pet has adequate conditions to keep them cool.

Basic necessities such as shade, cool water, escape from the elements, and air conditioning will keep your pets safe, happy, comfortable, and thriving.

If you need to leave your dog outside for any length of time in hot weather, give it fresh, cold water, and a way to escape from the sun.

Add fans or turn on the air conditioner when inside the home.

Long-haired animals are especially susceptible to heat even in the 70’s, so it’s very important to take precautions to keep their temperature down.

Dogs pant to cool themselves, as they are unable to perspire as humans do.

So, consider what your needs are to make yourself comfortable and offer the same to your pet, especially as the Tri-Valley is set to experience a heat wave.

Be Careful Around Swimming Pools       

If you have a water dog, you will probably not be able to keep him out of the water. But some dogs can’t swim or tire easily and can actually drown.

Make sure your pet is supervised during any water activity.

Have a Safe and Happy Summer

The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa wants to wish you and your family a safe, happy, and healthy summer.

We hope our summer tips will provide you the best protection to keep your pets around for a long time.

It’s Kitten Season, a Pawsitively Purrfect Time to Add a Family Member or Two to Your Household

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Two little striped kittens with blue eyes on green grass

Spring has sprung and along with the birds and the bees, the flowers and pollen in the trees, comes kitten season. Kitten season happens as the weather warms up and continues until October or for warmer seasons, until the end of the year.

For many households, kitten season marks the perfect time to bring home a new kitten or two or maybe even a momma and her baby.

Believe or not, adopting two cats at the same time is easier than one. Not only will the two entertain each other, but they will find comfort in each other, and what’s not to love about two new cats or kittens!

Choosing the Right Kitten for Your Household

Kittens are cute and playful and fun, but choosing the right kitten for your household is a serious decision. When you consider the lifespan of a cat can reach up to 20+ years, you need to make sure you are committed to caring for that kitten that will turn into an aging cat.

Once you have committed to providing a safe, comfortable, secure, loving environment for your new kitten, it’s time to choose the one or pair that is right for you!

Look for a kitten that has bright eyes, well-kept fur, and no signs of disease or illness such as diarrhea or wounds.

Ask to hold your kitten to see if its temperament is one that matches yours. Often, kittens will want to cuddle up and take a cat nap depending on what time of day it is. But don’t pass up a sleepy kitten and confuse it for not being playful. Like babies, kittens will sleep a majority of the day.

Often, your kitten will choose you! Be open to accepting a kitten or pair that isn’t the one you have chosen based upon a picture or description.

What to Consider with Bonded Kittens

Bonded kittens require the partnership of each other. The special bond between two cats who groom each other, sleep with each other, and play with each other should not be broken; separating bonded cats causes trauma, stress and depression. The pair has a special relationship that requires the other kitten to be a part of its life. Consider bonded kittens BFFs for life!

Adopt a Pair of Kittens Through a Local Rescue Shelter

Local rescue shelters depend on the kindness of kitten lovers to adopt the millions of kittens that are brought into shelters during kitten season. Often rescuers at these shelters house the kittens and can give you more information about their personality, assuring a great match!

Rescue shelters ask a nominal fee for the adoption of a kitten and often give a reduced price for a pair of kittens. The rescue shelter will perform a health check on the kittens, often spay and neuter them, microchip them, and give them shots appropriate to their ages.

When you adopt from a rescue shelter, you make room for other kittens and cats to be put into foster care, saving even more lives.

The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa Offers Cat Boarding

When you need to take time away from your kittens, you can count on The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa to board your feline friends. We give all the time, attention, love and care that you would normally do for your kittens.

Cats and kittens are housed separately from their barking neighbors, since we know felines require a bit more of a quiet environment.

Think of our cat boarding facility as a home away from home. The purrfect place to stretch, nap, play, and find the comfort and love they deserve.

Contact us to reserve your cat’s vacation!

Holiday Tips for Your Dog or Cat

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Safe dog treats during the holidays

The holidays are here and for many, it’s a time of festivities, laughter, company, food, and libation!

We try to cram in our daily responsibilities along with planning for family and friends, gift buying and wrapping, sending off cards, cooking, cleaning, and holiday parties.

During this busy, crazy season, it’s important to remember that the holidays can be an uneasy time for your beloved canine and feline, who pick up on the stress you are feeling.

To make this holiday season the best for you and your fur babies, here are some holiday tips for your dog and cat.

1. Try to keep a similar schedule as the one you currently have with your dog or cat. When schedules change, dogs and cats can experience stomach issues, have accidents that wouldn’t normally occur, or feel agitated, worried, or anxious.

2. Give your dog or cat a safe place to hide from Aunt Margie with the overdone lipstick who wants to kiss your kitty or Uncle Lu who may not understand that feeding your dog tidbits from the table isn’t healthy for your dog or cat. As much as we love being around family and friends, that doesn’t mean our furry friends do, too.

A kennel provides dogs a natural environment to feel safe and secure. Filled with a favorite blankie, toy, or treat, it’s a haven from all the chaos they feel.

While some cats may feel comfortable curling up on the couch in between Grandpa and Uncle Benny, many cats like the safety of hiding under a bed, a dresser, or in a closet. This safe space allows them to come out on their own time…or not come out at all. But by giving them a safe place for comfort, you avoid the possibility of them being injured by many well-meaning guests, running away, or fear biting.

3. Arrange for responsible pet care in advance if you are traveling. Whether you hire someone to come into your home or need to arrange for dog boarding or cat boarding, plan well in advance. The best pet sitters and dog boarding and cat boarding facilities book up quickly!

4. Avoid feeding your dog or cat food that is not part of their regular diet. While it’s tempting to want to indulge Doggie or Kitty with the festive food that are a huge part of the holiday season, many of the foods we eat during the holiday are poisonous to our pets or can cause digestive issues. For a list of foods to avoid during the holiday, click here.

5. Don’t forget your best and most loyal friend during the holidays. Treat your dog or pet to veterinarian approved treats, toys, a grooming appointment, or a playdate at The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa.

Afterall, your pets deserve the very best, even if they do make Santa’s naughty list!

Holiday Dog and Cat Boarding at The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa

If you are looking to board your dog or cat at The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa for the holidays, book now! We fill up fast! There’s a reason we are the number one veterinarian recommended pet care provider!

Check out our Google Reviews!

Planning for Your Pets in the Event You Can No Longer Care for Your Them

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Our pets are family, and while we all want a lifelong relationship with our fur babies, sometimes circumstances arise that we don’t foresee. It’s important to remember that in the event we are unable to take care of our dogs, cats or other critters at home we love, we have a backup plan.

Prepare for All Circumstances With Back Up Caretakers

No one wants to think about not being our animals’ primary caretakers, but in the event we are incapacitated or unable to care for our animals, it’s important to have back up caretakers.

Choose a member of your family, friend, neighbor, or coworker who you would like to take over your pet’s care in the event you cannot.

Make sure the person you choose is willing to give your pet the lifelong care, love, attention, and medical treatments it needs to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life.

Keep certain considerations in mind when choosing the right caretaker.

Considerations When Choosing a Caretaker For Your Pet

Be precise and meticulous about whom you choose to take care of your pet. Here are some tips to help you make the right match between you and your pet.

  1. Make sure the caretaker is willing to adopt your pet and care for it on a permanent basis. Sometimes people may agree at the moment, not thinking through all the requirements to properly care for your pet for the longterm. Or perhaps circumstances change, making the caretaker unable or unwilling to care for your pet. It’s good to have back up caretakers.
  2. Have the caretaker become friends with your pet and see it on a frequent basis to alleviate the pet/pets’ anxiety, confusion, concern during the transition.
  3. If possible, set money aside for the care of your pet/pets. Medical care, food, toys, and lodging are expensive, and setting aside money to care for your pets will alleviate the burden of caring for your pets.
  4. Keep diligent vet records and store them in a place your caretake can access them. Include any allergies the pet may have.
  5. It’s better to be safe than sorry. No one wants to come to terms with not being able to care for a pet; but for the pet and your well-being, make time to pick a caretaker.
  6. If the caretaker has pets, make sure your pet gets along with the caretaker’s pet. As great as animals are, some animals just don’t fit in with certain other pets.
  7. Try to keep the pet’s routine in place to ease the anxiety the pet will experience. If the pet sleeps in a crate at night, try to keep that same routine.
  8. Allow the pet to grieve along with the caretaker. Pets are very perceptive and pick up on changes just like humans do.
  9. Make sure your caretaker’s values in terms of your pet are similar to yours. In the event of a medical issue, would your caretaker be on board with the decisions you’d make for your own pet?
  10. Educate the caretaker that change takes time; the behavior of the pet may change over time, but if given the opportunity to grow and thrive and feel love again, your pet can make a great addition to the caretaker’s family.

What to do When You Find a Lost Dog or Cat

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It’s no coincidence that more dogs and cats get lost this time of year than any other part of the year.

Holiday parties, Fourth of July Fireworks, BBQ’s, summer pool fun, vacations, and visitors mean more chaos in the household and more chances for scared, anxious, frightened, or excited dogs and cats to run away, run and hide, or just plain venture out when a gate is not closed or locked. According to the American Kennel Club, “…more pets go missing during July 4th weekend than any other time of the year.”

So, what do you do when you find a lost dog or cat?

Tips on Reuniting the Family Dog or Cat with its Owner

When you find a dog or cat that you believe is lost or displaced, it’s important to act in a timely manner. Chances are, the owners are looking for the pet as well, and trying to unite the two will ease the stress and anxiety for both the lost dog or cat and the owners.

Approaching a lost dog or cat should be done with careful precision not to cause injury or harm to you, the lost pet or your pet.

If a dog shows signs of being friendly, carefully approach the dog and look for a tag, collar, or other apparel such as a bandana that might include identification. If you find identification, call the number as soon as possible and text a picture of the dog for further confirmation.

If the dog is without a collar and allows you to either put a leash or collar on it, it’s best to isolate the dog in a confined space if you can. This time alone keeps your pets safe, calms the lost dog, and lessens the chance of either pet contracting diseases or fleas. Include a blanket or bed if you have one and food and water.

If you find a lost cat, carefully attempt to look for identification as well. Displaced or stray cats are extremely difficult to catch, and you should only attempt to do so if you have prior experience and the right clothing and a carrier.

Should the lost cat allow you to pick it up, quarantine it in a small space with a blanket, food, and water.

I Have the Lost Dog or Cat- What Do I Do Now?

If the lost dog or cat does not have an ID tag, call your vet and ask if you can bring the animal in to scan it for a microchip. Most vets will help you scan the animal; many rescue sources may even send a person to your home, thereby eliminating the stress from a trip to the vet.

If the pet is microchipped, contact the owners immediately and make arrangements to return the pet. Then congratulate yourself for successfully rehoming a lost dog or cat.

Advertise a Lost Dog or Cat

Social media is an excellent place to advertise a lost dog or cat. The Nextdoor app is also a great platform to use to share news of the lost dog or cat. Include several pictures of the dog or cat and a summary of what the dog or cat looks like.

Include the gender and color of the dog or cat and keep in mind that time away from home, the weather, mud puddles, and more can alter the color of the animal. Take notice of any unusual markings or behaviors that might distinguish the lost dog or cat from any other.

Also include the area you found the lost dog or cat, keeping in mind, lost animals can travel miles away. Of course, include a way to contact you-display several phone numbers, an email, a social media account, an address, or all of the above.

Put up fliers around the neighborhood with pictures, descriptions, and contact information.

Look on Sites that Advertise Lost Dogs and Cats

Be proactive in your search and contact your local animal shelters with a description of the lost dog or cat. Visit as many as you can if you have time and look through their book for postings that match the dog or cat you found.

Look for websites that post lost pets and be diligent in checking constantly. Sometimes an owner is unaware of their pet being lost due to being on vacation or traveling.

Contact rescue sites and nearby vets and pet stores in case the owner has been there looking for their pets.

Be sure to share with everyone you know that you have found a lost dog or cat and ask them to share this information as well.

Today’s technology makes the world a smaller space to reunite lost dogs or cats and shortens the time it takes to reconnect loved ones with their pets.

Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe this Summer

If you are worried that company, your travels, or your busy lifestyle might be too much for your dog or cat, consider boarding them with The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa in Livermore’s beautiful wine country.

Whether you are interested in daycare or boarding your dog or cat, The Ranch Pet Resort and Spa is a safe and enjoyable place for your dog to rest and relax. Contact us to make a reservation!