Posts from — July 2006

Goldfish are susceptible to disease and once infected can have a greatly shortened life span. The most common reasons goldfish get sick are if the fish tank is dirty, due to poor filtration, the water and oxygen levels are too low, the temperatures are either too warm or too cold and being improperly fed. Prevention and early detection is the key to help ensure healthy goldfish.

Ich (Ick, Ichtyopthirius, Freshwater White Spot Disease)

Symptoms: Body and/or fins are covered with tiny white dots and rapid gill movements may be noticed in later stages.

Ich is one of the more common diseases of goldfish, and if left untreated, it can be fatal to your fish. Treatment can take many days to cure, and it should be treated promptly since Ich is highly contageous.

The disease is easy to identify. The white dots are small and sometimes numerous, about a millimeter in size. They are easiest to see on the fish’s transparent fins. When on the fish, medications have no affect on Ich. As the parasite grows, however, it will eventually drop off the fish to reproduce. At the bottom of the tank, it will form a cyst (also resistant to medications) and soon hatch into hundreds of baby parasites which will seek a new host animal. This process weakens the fish and leaves holes in the fish’s body. A badly afflicted fish will likely display rapid gill movements.

Remedy: Contact your vet or pet store for further instruction. Several effective medications are available. It is wise to treat your main tank in order to ensure that you have successfully removed all traces of the parasite from it (although it may be beneficial to also move a badly afflicted fish to a quarantine tank). Leave the filter running, but remove any activated carbon because this substance takes medicine out of the water.

Tail or Fin Rot

Symptoms: Fin rot is a general term for necrotic loss of fin tissue, resulting in split or ragged fins. It is usually the edge of the fin that is attacked, although occasionally a hole may appear in the middle of the fin. The appearance of fin rot can vary between a distinct, semi-circular “bite” shape and a “shredded” effect.

Nearly all cases are caused by stress, fear or poor environmental conditions. Fin rot is often one of the first signs that a goldfish disease problem exists and all cases should be investigated to determine the underlying cause.

Remedy: You must first identify and address the cause of stress, this could be due to a fish disease such as parasites, overcrowding, low oxygen levels, bullying or poor water quality. If caught early, removing the stressor may be sufficient.
Medications used to treat the symptoms include Melafix, Maracyn, salt, antibiotics as a last recourse (such as Tetracycline or Sulfa-based products), hydrogen peroxide bath, or applied to the area (be very careful that this does not touch the gills since this can be fatal).

Fungus

Symptoms: Grey, or grey-white tufts of cottony material covering areas of the fish’s body, sometimes covering almost all of the fish’s skin.

When fungus is suspected, there could be several possible causes. All are somewhat similar in appearance, and include common fungus, mouth fungus, and body fungus.

Fungus normally indicates there is another problem which has weakened the goldfish. Some possibilities include parasites or even an injury due to spawning or due to colliding with a tank decoration. Whatever the secondary reason, it should be found and taken into account when the fish is treated for fungus.

Remedy: Improve water conditions and treat promptly. Standard anti-fungal medications, such as methylene blue, are usually very effective, but may affect filtration and water quality. When the disease occurs on open wounds, aquarium salt at a dose of 1-3g/litre can help reduce salt loss.

Constipation

Symptom: Goldfish is having trouble passing faeces, or are constantly trailing behind the fish. This is often caused by a diet without enough variety, or by feeding too many starchy foods.

Remedy: This problem is easily solved by changing to a diet with more variety and roughage. Some suggestions are live foods, peas, spinach, and tubifex worms. Enticing fish to swallow one grain of Epsom salt is also said to be beneficial.

It is also advised that dry fish food be soaked in water until it is soft before feeding. This helps in digestion, and also reduces the likelihood of constipation.

Dropsy

Symptoms: Dropsy is a bacterial infection that infects the goldfish from the inside and causes the scales to stick out from the goldfish’s body. Dropsy can be caused by a bacterial infection which causes kidney failure in goldfish. The problem is, by the time you see the symptoms of dropsy on your goldfish, the damage to the kidneys has already been done.

Remedy: The main defence for dropsy is to keep your goldfish parasite free, which will reduce the chances of bacterial infections, which in turn will reduce the chances of a kidney failure. A broad spectrum anti-bacteria treatment is the best option in most cases.

Pop Eye

Symptoms: Fish’s eyes stick out unusually. It is important to realise that some varieties of goldfish have eyes which naturally protrude, like the Moor, the Celestial, and the Water Bubble Eye. With juveniles, it is possible their eyes are developing into their adult configuration. Sometimes a fish will not develop telescopic eyes until it is two years of age.

Pop eye, however, is a condition which causes a fish’s eyes to protrude away from the fish’s head in an unusual way. Pop eye is usually caused by septicemia or tuberculosis.

Swim Bladder Disorder

Symptoms: A goldfish with swim bladder disorder will periodically float on its side on the water’s surface or swim on its side a great deal. Usually it will only be periodically, with the fish sometimes able to swim normally. If a fish lies on its side on the water’s surface without moving at all even after touching it, it may indicate a fatal kidney problem which fancy goldfish are prone to.

Remedy: Discourage the goldfish to swim greedily to the surface to suck down food, by soaking flake food before feeding so that it will sink lower in the water so the goldfish will not intake as much air. Also, the food will be less dry and instead of taking on moisture in the digestive tract and swelling up, causing blockages, the food will be moister and easily digestible. An increase of vegetable content in the goldfish’s diet may also help, as well as the addition of aquarium salt to the water.

Discover The Hidden Secrets Behind Caring For Your Gold Fish That Guarantees Them A Long, Happy, Healthy Life.

2002
Cher and I starting going camping with the family. We loved it.
Max is getting old and Mom has to get up several times a night to let him outside. I’m worried she isn’t getting enough rest taking care of Max and our boy. She tells Dad she will do what ever she has to for Max for as long as he needs her. I know this is true, she has always cared for us and taken care of us like we were her kids.

2003
This was a sad year. Max crossed over 10 days after his 15th birthday. We were all lost for several weeks. Then Mom found out Cher had cancer in her nose. I had to step aside for a while and let Mom and Cher have their special time. We weren’t even used to Max being gone when Cher left us 6 months later. She was 13 years old. I thought she would be the last to go since she was the baby. Wow I was lost. I had never been the only dog and didn’t know what to do. My family felt so bad about my brother and sister being gone. They spent all their free time with me. I went camping with them, went on hikes, and went on car rides. I was getting used to being the only dog but I knew Mom would never stop missing Max and Cher. I sat with Mom many hours while she read books about natural and non-toxic products for pets. I know she felt it was her fault Cher got cancer. I don’t think it was anything she did but I couldn’t tell her that. After much reading she switched my dog food. I have a sensitive stomach so it took a few months to get me 100% on the new food. She found a senior vitamin for me that I didn’t like. She tried tricking me by crushing it in my food. I was too smart for this, remember I was the one who trained her years ago in obedience. She gave up on the vitamin. Mom took a job at the Humane Society. No one thought she would like it or last long. She loved it, loved helping other animals and I think it helped her accept the passing of Max and Cher. She brought a CAT home from the shelter! His name was Bob, what kind of name is that for a cat? I wasn’t into playing with him much but we got along fine. I still loved playing with my tennis balls, going on walks and being with my family.

2004
Mom brought a sheltie pup home from the shelter. Now I’m thinking she should quit working at the shelter. Scotty turned out okay. I liked him and tried to play but he was so much younger he would knock me down a lot. I helped train him in basic obedience. He watched me heel, sit, stay, down and stand and he caught on really fast. I was never jealous of him the way I was with Cher. He got in trouble a lot because of his barking and destroying things. Scotty and I got our pictures taken with Santa, I didn’t ask for anything, I have all I need and want with my family. I’m not sure what Scotty asked for, we both got fresh bones, yum! Scotty and Bob love playing with each other. It was like a cartoon watching them chase each other around the house.


I need to take a nap now but please do check back soon for more about me. I’m gald you vistited and hope you enjoyed hearing about my life so far.

Woof, Tara

Robin Plan- life long dog lover
squidoo.com/healthypets_now/ Passion for pets

You’re walking down the street with your pooch, having a fine time, when a loose dog appears, no owner in sight. Without knowing if this is a four-legged friend or foe, what should you do to keep you — and your pet — safe?

1 Read body language.

A friendly pooch’s ears are relaxed, its mouth is open in a grin and its tail slowly wags in a wide sweeping motion. On the other hand, a “flagging” tail — like a child waving a flag back and forth — is a possible sign of aggression, as are stiff, jerky movements; a direct stare; raised lips or growls. Flattened ears and raised hair along the spine can be signs of either combativeness or fear.

2 Stay calm.

Experts say your pet is usually the target of this unwanted attention, not you. “People often make the situation worse by tightening up on the leash and saying to their dog in a worried voice, ‘Everything’s OK.’ That transmits down the leash to the dog, ‘We’ve got a situation here,’” advises

Rachel Jones, owner of obedience-training company K-9 Divine. “If you are calm and silent, you stand a much better chance of keeping the encounter under control.”

3 Pick up cup-size canines.

“Small dogs are delicate. We don’t see it too much, but one bite from a large dog can be fatal,” says Dan Teich of Dupont Veterinary Clinic. “If you’re unsure about the loose dog’s intention, pick up your tiny pooch.” Exercise caution — if the unleashed canine is right in front of you, bending down to pick up your pet puts your head and hands at risk.

4 Break eye contact.

In confrontational situations, dogs stare at each other until one looks away, essentially saying, “You win.” “If you break eye contact, sometimes the dogs lose the drive to become aggressive,” says Teich. Experts suggest that, for this purpose, you might want to make a habit of carrying one of the following items with you on walks: a whistle, a large umbrella that quickly opens with a whooshing sound, a filled water pistol or a silent noise maker designed to repel dogs. For owners whose pets wear head halters (like a Gentle Leader or Halti), Teich suggests gently pulling on the leash, which turns Fido’s head sideways.

5 Walk away.

Move slowly backwards and away from the loose dog. Don’t run — even a friendly pup will chase you. And once again, if worse comes to worst and a battle erupts, don’t try to break it up. Warns Jones: “Even a nice dog that’s not trying to harm you will bite if you stick your hand in the middle of the fight.”

petgadgets.com/” target=”_blank www.PetGadgets.com

Part1: There is Actually a “Wrong” Way to Crate Train

Crate training dogs, (or crate training puppies) if approached correctly is by far one of the most effective tools you can use to form good dog behavior.

The most subtle mistakes in crate training are sometimes the worst because they go undetected and are repeated over and over again which can make the whole experience of potty training dogs negative and frustrating.

Using the correct method of crate training you can avoid subtle mistakes and have your puppy or dog’s training move along quite smoothly.

Even though crate training dogs is by far the best way to potty train, it can backfire if not done correctly. This is why there are so many pet owners who attempt crate training and wonder why they’re still having problems; because there is a right way and a wrong way to approach the whole process.

My proven methods of crate training make this stage both a positive and rewarding experience for both you and your puppy (or dog).

A Basic Understanding:
———————

The first step in puppy training or dog training is to learn how your puppy or dog is viewing things, what actually forms his puppy behavior and what you can do to appropriately shape it.

By understanding the canine mindset better, you can make the process a lot easier and faster, which in turn makes it a lot more fun and rewarding for both you and your puppy.

So in order to be successful in crate training dogs or puppies, a basic understanding of “natural” puppy behavior is needed. Here are a few examples:

1. Dogs cannot view things the way we do; and in fact many times situations are just the opposite of what it looks like from our perspective.

2. Dogs do not make connections between cause and effect when any amount of time has passed.

3. Dogs do not understand the spoken language unless it’s paired consistently with something meaningful to them.

4. Dogs are frightened and confused by anger that humans display.

5. When a dog experiences fear and confusion as a result of a human getting angry with him this also slows down the dog’s learning process since effective learning cannot take place under these conditions.

What Dogs Do Understand:
————————

Some of what dogs and puppies do understand is:

* Instinct and self preservation-(neither of which they have conscious control over)

* Immediate consequence to action

* Positive rewards

* Tone of voice

* Some body language

And they are effected by our emotions even when they don‘t understand them.

Dogs and puppies respond more quickly and more reliably to positive incentives than to fear or punishment. And in dealing with puppies, fear and punishment can and will damage their personalities for life.

In many cases, punishment tactics actually cause behavioral problems, can compound existing ones, and can even bring about the opposite behavior than what we are trying to achieve.

Crate training dogs and crate training puppies using positive behavior shaping methods allows you to effectively train your pet without having to use punitive measures at all.

Kathleen Amaro is the owner of puppy-potty-training.com puppy-potty-training.com. Her instantly downloadable ebook “25 Secrets to Raising the Perfect Puppy” not only tells you how to raise the perfect puppy, it presents the exact methods of how to puppy-potty-training.com crate train your puppy or dog using only positive and healthy learning techniques.

No need to wrestle your cat into a flea dip anymore. The latest preventive treatments are easy to apply. While shampoos and flea collars are still options, parasitologists have developed wonderful new weapons in the war against fleas and ticks. With simple monthly administrations of these oral, injectable, or topical medications, you can guard your cat against flea and tick infestations. Fleas and ticks are dangerous disease carriers that can make your cat’s life miserable. Fleas can transmit tapeworms and cause itchy allergic reactions, which can lead to scratching, hair loss, and infection. Fleas ingest animals’ blood, and the bloodsuckers can actually consume so much that some cats die of blood loss. Hence it’s crucial to keep your cat flea-free.

These Treatments Keep the Pests Away

New medications prevent infestations by killing the adults that hitch a ride on your furry friend or by keeping their eggs from hatching. Here’s what you need to know about the most common flea and tick preventives in your veterinarian’s arsenal.

Program contains lufenuron, a chemical that prevents flea eggs from hatching but does not kill adult fleas. It is available as a monthly oral tablet or suspension and as a twice yearly veterinarian administered injection. This compound doesn’t work against ticks.
Frontline is available in a dab-on formula or a spray. It uses fipronil to wipe out both fleas and ticks, and it continues to work even after you give your pet a bath.

Advantage (imidacloprid) is a topical treatment that also withstands washings and keeps killing fleas for a full month.

Revolution (selamectin) is the latest big gun among the monthly options for flea and tick prevention. You apply a few drops of the liquid medication to your pet’s skin, and it guards against heartworms, flea eggs and adult fleas, ticks, ear mites, hookworms, and roundworms.

If Your Cat Has Been Infested

If you started using one of these flea medications after you discovered a flea infestation, you’ll need to treat your house too. Fleas can live for several months in your house and yard, and flea eggs may hatch in your carpet, cushions, and drapes for years. Your cat isn’t the only one at risk: People can get irritating fleabites too. Ridding your home of these pests takes time and a concerted approach. Here’s what to do.

To get rid of housebound fleas

Use professional flea foggers in each room and sprays for hard-to-reach spots. Clean the flea eggs out of your house by vacuuming several times in a week. After each vacuuming session, remove vacuum bags and tape them closed, then throw the bags away. Also clean your cat’s favorite hangouts and wash her bedding regularly.

If your flea problem is recurring

You may need to treat your yard as well. Use professional concentrated yard sprays for the outdoor fight. You can buy many that attach easily to the end of a garden hose for application. It’s especially important to spray moist and shaded areas of your yard. Note: You should never use any environmental treatment directly on your pet. Ridding your pet and home of these hardy pests is a tough job, but you’ll rest easier knowing that your cat doesn’t have to endure the maddening itch or insidious diseases these parasites can inflict.

Chassie has been a volunteer for RescueCats.org RescueCats.org since April 2000.

Choosing a Vet

When deciding on a veterinarian, your initial reaction is generally your best guide. First, check references, ask for referrals and visit the practice. Find out what services are available, i.e. Boarding, Grooming, Hospitalization, 24-Hour Emergency Care.

Veterinary medicine is constantly changing and new techniques are continually emerging to offer better health care for our pets.

Approximately four billion people or 80 percent of the world population use herbal medicine and 1/3 of all Americans use alternative therapies to enhance their own health care. Estimates indicate that Americans visit alternative health care practitioners more often than physicians and spend over 14 billion dollars doing so. Annual sales of vitamins and herbs in the United States alone exceeds four billion dollars. This trend is also occurring in veterinary medicine and the demand for alternative pet health care is growing. Some veterinary schools are now offering courses in alternative medicine as part of their curriculum. These include Colorado State University, North Carolina State University, The Univeristy of Florida, Tuskegee University and the University of Prince Edward Island. Visit veterinary medical associations and websites that can refer you to qualified practictioners worldwide.

How to get the Best from your Vet

Work together with your cat’s vet as a partner in your pet’s healthcare team.When your cat is sick, jot down the most important facts about his or her problem and keep updated progress reports.

Notes should include:

*Your cat’s age and history.

*Signs of the problem, the date they began, how long they have lasted and updates on his condition.

*Any medications your cat is currently taking.

Copyright 2007 Dr. Carol Osborne

Dr. Carol Osborne is the inventor of PAAWS, the pet anti-aging wellness system seen on TV. VitaLife is Dr. Carol’s newest line of pet vitamin supplements and is the best supplement available for arthritis and anti-aging in dogs and cats. PAAWS and VitaLife are revolutionary breakthroughs, with all natural nutrients that virtually peel away the years, seeming to reverse the aging process normally experienced by pets.

Get FREE pet advice from Dr. Carol at CarolonPets.com/ CarolonPets.com/

Visit Dr. Carol’s blog at CarolonPets.com/blog/ CarolonPets.com/blog/

Buy PAAWS and VitaLife dog and cat vitamin supplements and other pet health products at DrCarol.com/ DrCarol.com/

Saltwater aquariums are the most sensitive and delicate aquariums that can be maintained. Saltwater aquariums resemble the oceanic environment for saltwater fish. Unlike freshwater fish, saltwater fish are very sensitive to sudden temperature fluctuations.

Saltwater aquariums need to be larger than fresh water aquariums, because saltwater fish require more space than freshwater fish do. A saltwater aquarium can get overloaded with just a few saltwater fish in it. Larger tanks also avoid sudden fluctuations in aquariums temperatures. For example, if the heater in aquarium fails to work, the temperature would reduce very gradually in large aquariums when compared to smaller tanks. Large saltwater aquariums also help to maintain the pH balances and nutrient levels in the water. Any kind of fluctuations or sudden variations can make saltwater fish ill.

The various things that are to be maintained in saltwater aquariums are pH, alkalinity, nitrites, and temperature. The alkalinity content in saltwater aquariums should be around 3.0 and the nitrate levels should be less than 20ppm for saltwater fish. Temperature is the most important criteria for any saltwater aquarium, and it is to be maintained constantly around 77°F.

Saltwater aquariums are more difficult to set up than freshwater aquariums, but once saltwater aquariums are set up properly, they make good ecosystems and can maintain themselves.

Saltwater fish need extra care and more space than their freshwater counterparts, who thrive in smaller water bodies. Hence, the latter can adjust to small mistakes in temperature and salinity, but the former cannot.

Since great care is to be taken to maintain saltwater aquariums, many first time aquarium keepers start by having a freshwater aquarium and learn the basic rules and maintenance methods of an aquarium before going in for saltwater aquariums.

It is also important to select the right kind of fish for saltwater aquariums, because freshwater fish cannot survive in saltwater.

Aquariums-Web.com Aquariums provides detailed information on Aquariums, 3D Animated Aquariums, Aquarium Lights, Aquarium Fishes and more. Aquariums is affiliated with Birds-web.com Bird Baths.

There are currently nearly 4’800 lizard species around the world, all of which have slightly different habits and will require specialised care if kept in captivity. It would be impossible to create an information sheet that could apply to all species of lizard. However, this article should give you a good idea how to create the best possible environment for your lizard, and how to keep its mind stimulated for a long, healthy and happy life. Lizards with no mental stimulation can eventually succumb to anorexia, hyperactivity, obsessive disorders and persistent attempts to escape from the enclosure.

The first and foremost thing that you should do as a keeper is to research the particular species of lizard you wish to keep. Find out what country the lizard would naturally come from, what habitat it prefers to live in and the temperatures and humidity their habitat would be exposed to at different times of the year. Find out how the lizard lives; is it nocturnal or diurnal, insectivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous or omnivorous? Unlike most species of snakes, a large proportion of lizards are social animals that may live in pairs, groups or even large colonies in the wild. Usually one male will dominate this group and control a large number of females. Is it a solitary species or does it live in families or groups? Is the species a fairly inactive species, or does it regularly travel some distance in order to drink, hunt etc…? Is your lizard terrestrial or arboreal (tree dwelling) or perhaps even aquatic or semi-aquatic? Once you have determined what categories your lizard will fall in to, you can learn from the following points and enhance on the quality of life your lizard has.

Most lizards will make good use of a spacious terrarium, and I would therefore recommend that you provide the largest amount of space possible. It has been documented that much like fish; reptiles will grow slower, and perhaps not as large as it could when kept in a small, confined enclosure. As a general rule, most lizards should be kept in a terrarium which is a minimum of double the total length of itself. This however is just a general rule, keeping a 15cm Green Anole Lizard for instance in a 30cm enclosure would not justify the high activity levels this lizard possesses. However, keeping a 40cm Blue Tongued Skink in an 80cm enclosure would be a little more reasonable. Lizards are generally not intimated by space like many snakes are, so providing a large sized enclosure will only benefit the lizard. To ensure there is no intimidation, provide several hide areas and a variety of décor across the terrarium.

Terrarium furnishings and substrate play an important part of any lizard’s enclosure. Not only does it serve as more interest to the lizard, but adding different substrates and varying décor items will also make the terrarium more appealing to you. Give the lizard varying depths and types of substrate. This can be done to almost any lizard enclosure, no matter whether they are a desert of rainforest dwelling species. You can create different levels by forming natural barriers in the terrarium with rocks, wood or cork bark. Depending on where your lizard originates from, you could offer varying types of substrate to replicate their natural habitat. A desert species may benefit from a mix of dry soil, sand and small pebbles. Lizards that naturally occur in rainforests may do well on a substrate with a mix of soil, leaves and bark chips. Depending on the species of lizard, live plants or small bushes could be planted in the enclosure. This will not only look pretty, but will add new fragrances into the enclosure potentially causing the lizard to explore more. Be careful which plants you decide to use, many can be toxic if ingested so it is vital that only safe, edible plants are put into the terrarium. Plants should also be pesticide free, so be sure to spray it down with water. Re-arranging the cage furniture from time to time will keep the lizard stimulated and active.

It is important to realise not only what temperatures your lizard should be exposed to, but also in what manner they are offered. In the wild, heat is gained by use of the sun, but this is not to say that every lizard must have a basking area with heat or light from above. You should first find out where your lizard comes from and the daily habits which it would naturally go through.

Nearly all diurnal snakes will bask in the sun; it is therefore only natural to offer a spot bulb type of heat. This will mimic the sun and should allow the lizard to bask directly underneath the area which the bulb is pointing. The sun also moves throughout the day, meaning that many a time, the lizard will also have to move. Often, diurnal species do not bask during the middle of the day; instead they will bask in the early morning and late afternoon. By placing 2 spot bulbs in different areas of the terrarium wired into a timer, you can mimic the effect of the sun and give the lizard the chance to search out a new, better basking site. If you have a large budget and terrarium to play with, you can offer further basking sites for different times of the day. You could even set up the lamps with timers on dimming thermostats so that the temperature output could lessen or greaten depending on the time of day. Diurnal species will also require UVA and UVB rays normally gained through the sun. This can be given in the form of a spot / UV bulb in one, or can be offered separately in the form of a UV Strip Light.

Many nocturnal or rainforest dwelling species will not bask in the sun, but should be exposed to a higher day time temperature. Although it is recommended that you offer varying temperatures, there should be an overall air temperature. This can be achieved by using a power plate. A power plate is a 75Watt heater that is attached to the ceiling of your terrarium and provides a wider range of heat from above, making it more efficient at raising the actual air temperature than other heaters. Lighting should still be offered for these species, although in the form of a fluorescent tube. At night, a red bulb or moon bulb could be used for background heat and to allow better viewing of the lizard.

Nocturnal, terrestrial species that do not live in a rainforest environment will often obtain their heat from the ground surface, usually on flat rocks which have been exposed to the sun during the day and allowed to heat up. This heat is retained for some hours throughout the evening. Hot rocks are available to mimic this behaviour, although it is only suggested that you use these for a few hours at the appropriate time; generally as lights go out until 4 hours later.

Water is generally offered in a small water dish which doesn’t even allow the lizard to fully submerse itself. Although this is preferable for many desert dwelling species, other species will regularly travel to streams, ponds or puddles to drink, bathe and swim. Offering water in a larger dish, away from the heat source will often stimulate many species of lizard to bathe and swim more often, allowing for more exercise. Be sure to watch for faeces in the water, as many lizards will commonly excrete during bathing. Allowing water movement through a pump, air bubbles or even a small waterfall will also stimulate the lizard to bathe and drink regularly. For rainforest dwelling species, a drip system and / or misting system will simulate rainfall in the wild. This may be very important for some species such as Chameleons that will predominantly drink from water droplets that gather on leaves or branches.

Foods and feeding methods play an important role in stimulating the natural responses of most lizards. In captivity, it is ever popular to attempt feeding your lizard by hand. This may be fun and rewarding for you as a keeper, but if done too often will result in a lazy lizard with little self drive to hunt or forage for its food.

Herbivorous lizards will naturally find their food in different areas. They may have to climb to different levels on mountain side to find their preferable choice of flower, or move from tree to tree to find the best leaves. It is therefore only common sense to realise that placing all of the lizards food into a bowl in one area of the terrarium will not stimulate any natural feeding responses and result in a lazy, overweight lizard that may potentially succumb to anorexia or other behavioural problems. Putting a different food item into the bowl from time to time does not class as enrichment, as it does not change the way a lizard feeds. However, placing the items in different areas of the enclosure may change the way the lizard forages for food and therefore does class as enrichment. Clips can be bought which stick to the side of a terrarium and will hold leaves at different heights for the lizard to reach. Placing a live, edible plant in the terrarium will stimulate the lizards scent responses and will make for a much more exciting meal that could last for days. You could even try hanging a branch from the roof of your terrarium so that it sways around as the lizard attempts to feed on it. Some vegetable or fruit matter could even be hidden from your lizard. Placing a peeled banana behind a rock or under some leaves will tempt most herbivorous lizards.

Carnivorous and Insectivorous lizards can also benefit from feeding techniques and food items offered. Unlike vegetable matter, live insects will move, and different species of insect may move and act in a different way. This may result in a different hunting technique your lizard has to adapt to. Offering brightly coloured or fast moving insects is something that makes many lizard species extremely excitable. Try catching and feeding the occasional Daddy Long Legs; many lizards will go crazy over these. It is important that your lizard’s staple diet has been ‘gut-loaded’. This means that your lizard’s food item should also be fed itself, after all, there is little point in feeding a malnourished cricket to your hungry lizard. Applying the appropriate calcium and mineral supplements is also important. Research should be carried out as to what supplements and which foods should be fed to the particular species of lizard you own. Many keepers will place live food into a bowl where they cannot escape from, or they may dismember the insects so they cannot move. This certainly makes life easier for the lizard, but certainly not a natural one. A slow release insect feeder is recommended, and will overcome the problem of lots of insects running around at the same time, resulting in hidden, uneaten insects. Many species of lizard; Monitor lizards and large Skinks in particular will eat small mammals and birds. Live mammals and birds should not be fed in captivity and are not necessary. In fact, many of these lizards will primarily feed on carcases of dead animals. Hiding the food underneath leaves or even burying it under the substrate will stimulate most monitor lizards to dig and find the food. You can also try hanging the food from the roof of the terrarium.

It is not wise to tie the food with string or other non-digestible material; however, a mouse tail for instance could be trapped in the lid of the terrarium or some kind of clip. With the force of the lizard tugging at the food, it should break free. This will make it a little harder for the lizard to feed, as the food will sway around as it attempts to bite it. Tease feeding is an excellent method to re-create a wild animal’s movements. With a pair of long forceps you can grip the food item and move it around, simulating the movements of the animal in the wild. If the lizard shows interest, move it further away and around the enclosure, enticing the lizard to chase and hunt the food.

Handling your lizard on a regular basis is a similar situation to taking your dog for a walk. It is a way of taking the lizard out of its usual environment to provide exercise and an array of unusual smells. Many wild caught lizards, or lizards not used to being handled should have limitations on the amount of time spent handling. The last thing you want to do is stress the lizard by over-handling. Captive bred individuals that are regularly handled will however enjoy human interaction and the chance to move around different surfaces. On a warm day, take your lizard outside in the garden and let it roam around on the grass. The natural UVA and UVB rays the sun produces will also benefit the lizard more than any commercial bulb is able to do. Be very careful not to take your eyes off the lizard though, the last thing you want is for it to quickly burrow into the ground or worse still, grabbed by a passing predatory bird. Being able to handle your lizard will not only allow exercise and scent stimulation, it will also allow for easier maintenance and veterinary care if needed.

Although human interaction will stimulate the responses of your lizard, other lizards may also be beneficial. Bearded Dragons for instance will naturally live in groups of one dominant male to several females and perhaps juveniles of both sexes. Many geckos will live in large colonies, often having the same nesting area for a large number of females. Some skinks live in families and their young may not depart the family for many years. Other lizards may sometimes provide the natural stimulation a captive lizard needs, and depending on the species and sex of your lizard, should be considered for the health and wellbeing of your pet.

Lizards can make wonderful companions and can live for many years. By providing a fulfilling and happy life for your lizard you will no doubt prolong it and get more enjoyment out of it yourself. This article, together with your own ideas should prevent your lizard from become overweight or inactive, further resulting in behavioural problems.

We would love to hear if you try any of our methods, or have your own methods you would like to share with us. Please visit our web site and let us know how you and your lizard are getting on!

By Chris Jones
Director of Pet Club UK Ltd.
petclubuk.com petclubuk.com

Leash training is perhaps the most important and most basic of all dog training, and these important lessons will form the basis for more advanced training. It is important, therefore, for all dog owners to teach their dogs to obey basic commands and to walk calmly on the leash.

Before any leash training can take place, it is important that the puppy be comfortable wearing the collar around the house. It is essential that the puppy be completely comfortable with the collar before the leash is introduced. Leaving the collar on while the puppy plays under supervision, and rewarding the puppy when the collar is accepted, is a good start.

After the collar has been accepted, the leash can be added and left on during supervised playtime. The puppy will no doubt need some time to get used to this new contraption, so patience is a virtue. It is also important to keep in mind that the attention span of young puppies can be notoriously short, so multiple short sessions can get much more accomplished than a single lengthy training session.

Puppies learn well through positive reinforcement as well, so having a couple of small treats on hand can be a big help. Rewarding the puppy when he does what is desired, such as walking on the lead without fighting, can be a huge help as the training proceeds. It is important to take things slowly, and not overwhelm the puppy’s young mind. Try to make these early training sessions as fun as possible by playing with the puppy and generally having a good time. There is no need to get stressed out about this natural and basic part of dog training.

Have more fun training your puppy by learning some training tips. Here are 3 great articles from The Dog Guide. This article has advice for dogguide.net/blog/2007/04/simple-housebreaking-tips/ housebreaking a new puppy. Here is an article on dogguide.net/blog/2007/04/answer-excessive-chewing/ how to stop puppy chewing. If your puppy nips, this article shows you dogguide.net/blog/2007/05/answer-teaching-a-pup-not-to-nip/ how to stop puppy nipping.

If you compare the difference between the salt water or marine fish and freshwater fish, you know that the fish for freshwater aquariums can be a bit dull and boring compared to salt water fish. However, there is one fish for freshwater fish tanks that is so beautiful and exotic it can rival any of the marine fish.

This fish is the Betta or Japanese fighting fish. You’ve probably seen them sitting In tiny round bowls at your pet store. These are the beautifully colored fish with long flowing fins that come in a range of red, purple’s and aqua’s.

These fish exhibit a grace and beauty that compares to none other and you might just one of the lucky fish tank with a dozen of them. However, this wouldn’t be very good idea since male Bettas – the ones with the long fins – a very territorial and will fight to the death.

When buying Bettas for your fish tank you need to make sure that you only have one male aquarium. You can have more than one female, but the females are not as beautiful as the males having much shorter fins and in fact, the females can also fight but are not as aggressive as the males.

in addition to being beautiful, the Betta is also one of the few freshwater fish that can survive in water that has little in as they can actually take the oxygen from the air itself. But just because they can survive in a little tiny bowls doesn’t mean you should subject him to such a boring life. just like with any fish the bigger the aquarium and the better the water quality and healthier you fish will be.

If you do decide to keep your Betta are in a small fish bowl you’ll need to spend a lot of time doing water changes in making sure that the water quality is good enough for your fish to size. The water in a small bowl will soon become toxic due to decaying food and wastes and there is not enough room in a small bowl for enough bacteria to build up for sufficient biological filtration. You should probably change out half the water to three times a week in order to keep the ammonia nitrate levels at bay. Also be sure that your fish gets the appropriate heat and light necessary to survive.

Feeding your Betta the appropriate food will help keep him healthy and colorful. Bettas are carnivores and will need a meat-based feed food. They like food such as prime time, freeze dried blood worms and you can also buy food specifically formulated for the Betta fish. If you’re feeding him frozen brine shrimp, thaw it out so that your Betta can digest it properly. Don’t overfeed refresh, simply given up what he can eat in a minute or two as you want to avoid having food rot on the bottom of your tank which will reduce the water quality.

Bettas like a water temperature that is around 78 to 80°F and it is good to keep this temperature consistent. keep your tank away from windows so that algae does not build up and also keep it out of drafts or sunlight is the sunlight can heat the water up to much. Adding live plants suitable or aquarium can help filter the water and keep the quality at peak levels.

Lee Dobbins writes for fish-tank-guide.com fish-tank-guide.com where you can learn more about aquarium care and fish such as the fish-tank-guide.com/care-of-the-siamese-fighting-fish.html Betta.