Often your vet will prescribe medication to treat your pet's illness. Here's how to give medicines to your pet:
1. For cats, you should first wrap a towel around his chest so his feet are blocked by the towel.
2. Place the palm of your hand over the bridge of your pet's nose. Your thumb and middle finger should circle the muzzle and fit behind each upper canine (long) tooth.
3. Gently press his lips against the teeth to make him drop his jaw.
4. With the other hand, quickly poke the pill to the back of his tongue. Then hold his mouth closed and stroke his throat until you see him swallow. When he licks his nose, you know he's done.
5. The best way to make sure your cat actually swallows is to startle him. As soon as you've given him the medicine, gently blow in his face - he'll reflexively swallow.

The following may signal that your pet needs medical attention. You should seek veterinary care:
1. Any time you find a lump on your pet's skin.
2. If your pet seems unusually short of breath.
3. If your pet experiences a sudden change in appetite.
4. If your pet starts losing weight.
5. If your pet drinks often and urinates more frequently.

Yes! Chocolate is a tasty toxin, which like caffeine, is dangerous to dogs and cats when eaten in large quantities. Baking chocolate is the most dangerous. Keep chocolate out of the reach of pets at all times.

Feel on the inside of his back thigh, where the leg joins the body. Normal for cats: 110-170 beats a minute. Normal for dogs: 70-150 beats a minute.

The following areas are pressure points on your pet which, along with direct pressure on the wound, will help stop bleeding.
1. The upper inside of the front leg. Pressing here will help control bleeding of the lower forelegs.
2. The upper inside of the rear leg. Pressing here will help control bleeding of the lower hind legs.
3. The underside of the tail. Pressing here helps control bleeding of the tail.
Note: Forget the tourniquet. A lot of limbs are lost because the blood supply is cut off for too long a time.

Coughing is the most common sign of heart disease in pets. If your dog has been coughing for more than 24 hours, see your vet. Coughing is extremely rare in cats and should always be seen by a vet.

You should always have a pet first aid kit handy in case your pet is injured. Here are some veterinarian's recommendations on what to include:
1. Your vet's telephone number, plus the number of an emergency weekend or nighttime vet.
2. Gauze rolls or pads.
3. Absorbent cotton.
4. Scissors, preferably with rounded tips.
5. Hydrogen peroxide.
6. Hydrocortisone ointment.
7. Eyewash.
8. Tweezers.
9. Rectal thermometer.
10. Syringe (without the needle) for giving oral medications.
11. Anti-diarrheal medicine for dogs and cats.
12. Upset stomach medicine (for dogs only).
13. Antihistamine liquid.
14. A clean, white sock - to slip over an injured paw, to keep the wound and your fingers clean until the bleeding is stopped.

1. A sweet, fruity scent indicates diabetes, especially if your pet is drinking or urinating more than usual.
2. A urine-like smell might mean kidney disease.
3. A mouth odor that vets describe simply as "foul: when accompanied by vomiting, loss of appetite, swelling of the abdomen or yellowing of the eyes or gums, could indicate a liver disorder.

1. Philodendron
2. Dieffenbachia
3. Jerusalem cherry
4. Yew
5. Caladium
6. Spider plant
7. Airplane plant
8. Cyclamen
9. Foxglove
10. Dragon tree
11. Holly
12. Mistletoe
13. Azalea
14. Poinsettia
15. Rhododendron
16. Mother-in-law's tongue
To be safe, vets recommend you always put houseplants where pets can't get them.

Gently lift the skin along your pet's back. Normally, it will snap back into place. In dehydrated pets, however, the skin loses elasticity, causing it to stay up in a ridge. If this happens, see your vet right away.

When a pet has bad teeth, bacteria can get into circulation around the gums. The bacteria float around the bloodstream and eventually settle on the heart valve. To help keep your pet's teeth clean, brush or scrub the teeth daily. In addition, giving your pet raw carrots and hard rubber toys to chew will help keep the teeth clean.

1. Blood in the vomit
2. Blood in the urine
3. Pale pink or white gums
4. Listlessness
Perform the following test: Press a thumb against your pet's gums. If they don't turn pink after a momentary whiteness, he could have lost large amounts of blood. See your veterinarian immediately.