Sit, stay, heel, and off. Off is a good one. You want to make sure that they understand that no means no.

Right away. Even as puppies, they're so smart. Using positive reinforcement is definitely the way to go. Negativity, yelling, stepping on their feet, choking them with choke collars, things like that really aren't recommended. I only say choke collars because I would say 90% of the time, people don't use them correctly. But use positive reinforcement. Give them a treat. It doesn't have to be something big. It can even be a hot dog. I love using hot dogs. I like to cut them up in super tiny pieces. Remember, they have great noses, so they know that that little piece of hot dog is worth any work they have to put forth. I like to toss them in a microwave after cutting them up really small for about 30 seconds. They turn into little rubber pieces, which are perfect for keeping a baggie in my pocket and rewarding any positivity.

As far as something you would give out of the house, I would say no. Something that we give, yes. As I mentioned a couple of times earlier in this conversation, we use cortisone in the form of an injection. You don't have to give pills because, obviously, that can be problematic for some kitty owners. The injection typically lasts about four to six weeks. Again, these kitties would get significant relief over that period in most cases. Can you give medications? Yes, but I wouldn't recommend it.

You can. I don't know why you would, but it almost never works for cats. Typically, we have to give them the liquid, and good luck, because it tastes pretty bad for cats. You'll probably have to be prepared and have some bandaids and a first aid kit handy if you try to give Benadryl to your cat. But basically, no, it almost never works for dogs. I would never recommend that for a cat. You can do it, but why would you?

By changing the food. But here's the problem: a lot of people think they can change brands. They think it's a brand problem. It's not. This is an ingredient issue. So you've got to be intentional about what you change your pet's diet to. You can stay within the same brand of food. We just need to look for a different ingredient and a different primary ingredient you're feeding. When I say the primary ingredient, I'm talking about protein. The vast majority of the allergies we see in dogs and cats when it comes to food is the main protein of the diet. Cats primarily eat beef, fish, and dairy. For dogs, it's usually chicken and beef. If I have a cat eating a fish-based diet, I like to try something a little bit more exotic. I like to go with something like, believe it or not, a rabbit diet. That's pretty easy to find for the most part. Hopefully, COVID hasn't created too many issues in the supply chain for rabbit food, but I think that's always a good choice for most cats. But you have to change the food. The second thing is if you have other cats in the house and they're getting a different diet, you have to be very intentional about making sure the kitty that we suspect has a food allergy cannot access your other cats' food. Third, if you have a cat that goes outside, we're kind of rolling the dice because if your cat likes to roam the neighborhood and it might find another food source, that can be a little bit out of our control. If you've got some neighbors who are putting some food out to get in good graces with your kitty, have a conversation with them or give them some food. You can say, here, I'm going to give you the food. This is what they can eat, and let them put that food out. So there are ways of getting around that, but the key thing is that you have to be very intentional about what they consume.

In two ways. Primarily, we first need to find out the problem's source. I say two ways, but it depends on the problem. If I suspect a food allergy, then first things first, we're going to change the diet. The three most common causes of food allergies in cats are dairy, fish, and beef. That's going to account for the majority of food allergies we see in cats. If we suspect a food allergy, first, let's change the diet. With flea allergies, pretty simple, we'll get them an effective flea product. We carry a range of different flea products that do work, not like the crap you buy at the pet stores and such. I like to give those cats a cortisone shot, not for the fleas but for the relief from the intense itching, biting, scratching, licking, and chewing they're doing. If they get a seasonal allergy, typically, the first thing I'm going to do is also give those cats a cortisone shot. I should mention the cortisone shot usually lasts about four to six weeks. So it gives them plenty of time to get some relief from the itching, which takes a few days but also gives them continuous protection from the itching, so they're not back at ripping themselves again. We have to get those allergies under control. With the seasonal allergies, at the very minimum, I'll encourage pet owners to start taking the washcloth and water and keep wiping their kitties down three times a day to remove any pollens, dust, and things of that nature that could be triggering a seasonal or environmental allergy.