Posts from — September 2009

As a 10 year old child, I watched helplessly one hot August day as my beloved boxer, Duke, died in my arms. Four decades later, I still have that memory painfully etched in my mind. We didn’t learn until after the fact that Duke had died of a heat stroke. Even more painful was the realization that, had we known what to look for, we could have taken measures to possibly prevent his death. In honor of his memory, I want to share vital information that may keep your dog from suffering Duke’s fate.

What is heat stroke?
Too much time exposed to the dangerous combination of increased temperature and humidity can lead to a heat stroke. A mammal’s body (and that includes humans, too) can only tolerate temperatures up to about 107 degrees before cells start dying. The higher the temperature, the faster this occurs. The longer the body remains at an elevated temperature, the less chance there is for recovery. Heat stroke can occur very quickly, given the right set of circumstances, and if too much time has elapsed, even your best efforts may not be enough to keep your dog alive.

Is my dog at risk for heat stroke?
Any dog can fall victim to heat stroke, but hot weather is especially hard on puppies and older dogs, (they have a harder time regulating their body temperature), short-nosed breeds, (like pugs, pekes, boxers and bulldogs), overweight dogs, those with heart or lung problems, and dogs recently moved from a cooler climate. These risk factors increase if your dog doesn’t have enough water, if he’s in an enclosed space or is exposed too long to direct sunlight.

How can I recognize heat stroke?
Heat stroke causes dogs to pant rapidly and heavily, the body’s defense in an effort to lower the core temperature. Their eyes may be open abnormally wide, and they may appear to stare blankly, ignoring your commands. They may drool excessively and stagger weakly. The gums will appear pale and dry and eventually, if left untreated, the animal will collapse into unconsciousness.

What should I do if my dog has a heat stroke?
If you suspect your dog is suffering from heat stroke and you’re close to a vet or animal hospital, put him in the car, crank the air conditioning all the way up and get him there as soon as possible. They’re the ones best equipped to handle your dog’s recovery. If that’s not possible, you must try to reduce your dog’s temperature yourself. Get him to a shady area and either put him in a tub of cool (not cold) running water, or spray him with a hose. Be sure the water penetrates his coat and wets the skin beneath. Run it over his tongue and mouth, inside the legs and on his stomach. Remember that small dogs will cool down more quickly than larger breeds. Take your dog to a vet as soon as you can.

Hopefully your dog will never suffer a life-threatening heat stroke. If he does, at least now you know the signs and symptoms to be aware of, and the measures you can take that will offer him the best chances for a full and total recovery.

Honey Wesley is the owner of

Keeping tropical fish is a great pastime that can bring immense happiness. Before doing so, however, there are several key points that you need to be aware of – or the whole exercise could end up in great disappointment.

Before you set up a tropical fish tank, there are several guidelines that you should adhere to. If not, you may be endangering your tropical fish without even knowing it.

If you truly care for your fish you must act in their best interests, and no doubt you want to do exactly this. One common error that many people don’t really understand is that there are some bacteria that you actually want in your aquarium (as they help balance the delicate biological life cycle). Do you know which bacteria I am talking about? I certainly didn’t when I started out.

Katy’s Tropical Fish Guide gave me a very good understanding into how to:

Set up my new tropical fish tankHow to introduce tropical fish to the tankCaring for the fish tankFeeding the tropical fishMaintaining the health of the fishBefore reading it, I really had no idea on what was involved. Sure, the people at the store gave me some advice, but it was never pleasant finding my fish looking unhealthy, let alone, dead!

I wasn’t overly impressed with the quality of other tropical fish books that are available on the market. I thought a lot of them were overpriced – especially for the information they offered; and they generally didn’t focus on telling you how to get the best results using methods that don’t require a lot of effort and products that don’t cost the earth.

Both of these things I believe take the fun and enjoyment out of keeping fish. After all, something that costs a significant amount of money and requires a lot of work on your behalf can’t really be deemed as enjoyable.

Don’t waste your time with other expensive books or videos that promise the earth. informationbase.net/_articles/tropical-fish-care Katy’s Tropical Fish Guide costs a fraction of inferior products on the market, but the advice I received was far, far superior. Without it, I would have spent a lot more money, lost a lot more fish and probably would have given away the idea of looking after a tropical fish tank. Instead, I’m now extremely happy and gain great enjoyment from my tropical fish tank.

Allergic dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases that may pester or affect your beloved dogs or cats. You should be informed, however, allergic dermatitis is a serious chronic skin disease that can never be cured, only treated or controlled.

Literally, the term ‘allergic dermatitis’ is derived from root words allergy, which means sensitivity or physical reaction to certain substances, and dermatitis, which means inflammation that is normally and usually exhibited or found in the skin.

Hence, allergic dermatitis can be accurately defined as skin inflammation caused by exposure to strong and harsh substances called ‘allergens’ in medical jargons. These substances are often absorbed through the skin, inhaled or taken in as food.

Symptoms of allergic dermatitis

The most common symptom or sign that your cat or dog is infected with allergic dermatitis is excessive itching. Dogs usually chew, bite, lick or scratch the itchy part of their skin, which will consequently bring about skin redness, open sores or, to your dismay, hair loss.

In dogs and cats, however, sometimes, it will be hard to differentiate if their itching is caused by fleas or allergic dermatitis. If the pet’s itching persist and there are no signs that it is caused by fleas, then, automatically, it is allergic dermatitis.

The most common spots where allergic dermatitis manifests in your pets are the armpit areas, the feet and the face. Be cautious and alert because if allergic dermatitis is not treated immediately, it may infect the entire body. Some pets would also tend to itch, but not indicate any skin problems. In such cases, a visit to the veterinarian would be advised.

Specifically, for dogs, allergic dermatitis is manifested by redness in the face, dark or stained areas on the foot due to licking excessively and oily skin due to chronic rubbing.

Cats do not get allergic dermatitis as frequently as dogs do, but when they are infected with it, some additional symptoms may be observed. Among them are the appearance of small bumps all over the body, lip ulcers, neck excoriation and patches of lost hair.

Causes of allergic dermatitis

Several causes are cited for the occurrence of allergic dermatitis in pets. The most basic is hereditary or genetic factors, meaning, it runs in the pet’s family.

Another is the inhalation or intake of allergens like grass, tree pollens, feathers, cigarette smoke, weed, house dust and wool. Take note that several of these also cause harsh allergic reactions to hyper-sensitive humans.

Treatment

Since allergic dermatitis is treatable but never curable, medications available in the market would only help ease your pet’s discomfort until the symptoms fade away.

It would be best to seek the help of your trusted veterinarian to get prescriptions for such medications and know their accurate and safe administration.

Since medicines for pets are not easily distributed, it would help if you would also ask your veterinarian where the drug shops for pet care are. These drug stores usually practice strict drug distribution practices to secure safety both of the pet and the owner.

Cortisones, antihistamines, anti-fungals and antibiotics are the usual drugs prescribed by veterinarians for pets with allergic dermatitis.

Prevention

To avoid the occurrence of allergic dermatitis in your pets, be sure they would not be exposed to allergens identified.

Clean your house thoroughly to get rid of dusts and pollen that might arouse allergic dermatitis among your pets. Give your pet a good and quick bath after a short outside trip to eliminate pollens and dusts that might have been stuck through their furs.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
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Charlene J. Nuble 2006.

For answers to All your frequently asked questions about allergic dermatitis, please go to:

Puppy training pads are well known by many puppy owners, some owners don’t prefer them and others couldn’t imagine living without them, The best way to get your dog to use the training pads, you want him or her to use so bad, is with time and patience. After a week or so of trying to teach them, they will begin to pick up the idea you are stressing.

Dog’s and puppies both can understand body language very well, your dog can read you especially when your getting angry with them. Although some dogs just will never understand and rather then doing there duty on the puppy pads they decide to tear it up or eat it, Pug’s especially.

There are a number of different puppy training pad products available online and off, the most common name brands are, Pet Gold, Clean Go and Out, there are many others as well and while some don’t do as good of a job as the more popular name brands do.

The most common problems with puppy training pads are tracking problems, and leaking issue’s. Most people get overwhelmed with the problem or get upset and give up with them all together. Then the next best thing comes along, the puppy pad tray stopping this problem right in it’s tracks. the puppy pad tray really does a great job at protecting your floors when the pads leak. But leaks only happen when using generic brands.

Most puppies will break the habit of using there indoor training pads around three months, it’s not really suggested to use training pads if your dog is of bigger size, but older dogs will use them. The best way to teach an already trained dog (older dogs) to use training pads is to leave them with no alternative’s, and with persistence and patience they to will make use of the dog training pads. If you have a large house, you may want to place pads in several areas of the house.

Puppy training pads have great benefits to them such as, they make it a very easy clean up, most have a scented smell to them, encourages them to eliminate in specific areas. Most pads have a scientically treated with an attractant to encourage pets to the pad. the days of using news papers and magazines are over.

Adam A Archer author and owner of dogtrainingpads.com” target=”_new Puppy Pads offers a selection of the best puppy training products available online, if your puppy is having trouble adapting to the training pads you have, then it’s suggested you try another brand. dogtrainingpads.com” target=”_new Puppy Pads has a great selection.

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the United States so there are lots of good things to say about them. They will do ok in an apartment as long as they can be walked frequently. They do like lots of exercise. If it is possible for them to experience water occasionally, so much the better as they have a water resistant coat and love to swim. A properly fenced in yard is best for them. They love people and do well with other dogs and pets, especially if socialized early. They can be good watch dogs. They need to be part of a human family so please do not neglect that requirement or they can become destructive. They are great with children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog.

Approximate Adult Size

The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Labrador Retriever is 22 to 24 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 60 to 75 pounds. The female ranges from 21 to 24 inches to the withers and 55 to 70 pounds.

Special Health Considerations

Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Labrador Retriever is no exception. Even though this is considered a hardy breed, be on the lookout for Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), epilepsy (comes in various degrees and is common in dogs), skin allergies, eye disorders and skin tumors. This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

Grooming

The Labrador Retriever has a double coat of short, hard, dense and straight hair which is water repellent. She should be brushed regularly. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.

Life Span

The Labrador Retriever can live between 10 and 12 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

History

The Labrador Retriever comes from Canada where they were used by fisherman to help collect netted fish and also by hunters to retrieve ducks and other water fowl. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1917.

Some Registries

Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.
UKC United Kennel Club
NKC National Kennel Club
CKC Continental Kennel Club
APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.
AKC American Kennel Club
FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale
NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club
KCGB Kennel Club of Great Britain
ANKC Australian National Kennel Club
ACR American Canine Registry

Litter Size

7 to 8 Labrador Retriever puppies

Category

Gundog, Sporting Group

Terms To Describe

Strong, character, soundness, outgoing, smart, kindly, non-aggressive, gentle, hard working, good natured.

SPECIAL GOOD POINTS

Good watch dog.
They are very friendly.
They want to please.
Great for kids.
She is the most popular breed in the US.
Easy to train.

SPECIAL BAD POINTS

Poor guard dog.
May take up to two and one half years to mature.
They need lots of exercise.

Other Names Known By

St. Johns Dogs, St. Johns Newfoundland, Lesser Newfoundland

Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.

About the Author

Mitch Endick is a short article writer, editor and website developer for the popular pet site petpages.com petpages.com, a pet information site with free pet ads, dog classifieds, and puppy for sale info. petpages.com Petpages.com also offers information on cats, fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, mice and even pet bugs.

Unlike many of the birds you may try to attract with feeders in your garden the hummingbird is not one to share. They are one bird that is protective of its own territory and will not readily share a food source with other hummingbirds. That means if this is the bird you want to attract you will need to put several humming bird feeders around your garden. Hummingbirds are very accepting of where their feeders are located so you can put them in many locations. They can be outside a window of a home or office or on an apartment’s balcony. These places are as comfortable for the birds as if they are hanging from a tree branch. The thing you need to be sure of is whether the area you live in is one that hummingbirds travel through on their yearly migrations.

To ensure you have a chance of attracting these beautiful little birds put the humming bird feeders out early in the spring. Then keep them out there until the end of the fall. If you have previously attracted the hummingbirds and then there are none that will mean they have completed their migration south and it is time to put the feeders away until next year.

Hummingbird feeders can be bought or you can make them yourself. They are frequently made from a bottle or a tube. This kind of feeder is made from glass or plastic and has tiny holes in it for the feed, known as nectar, to come through. These feeders must be made to in a way that allows them to be cleaned regularly. Again, based on the nectar, this is important. You want to be able to take it completely apart and wash is each time before you are ready to refill it. The nectar is very easy to make. You take water, boil it, the add sugar. It should be one fifth sugar with four fifths water which is then stirred until it is well mixed. Once this is done allow the mixture to sit until it has cooled. Then pour it into the nectar feeder and wait for those amazing little birds to come and have a drink.

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website bird-feeders.wares-are.us/ bird-feeders.wares-are.us/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with bird-feeders.wares-are.us/Articles/Humming_Bird_Feeders.php Humming Bird Feeders

When it comes to your turtle care then you can never be to careful. If you take good care of your turtle then she will live for many years under your happy eyes. I think that the most important problem in the turtle care process is the turtle feeding. You must be very careful what you feed you turtle because there are turtle foods that can harm them very bad. you should always consult speciality books referring straight to you kind of turtle.

When a man will search some information on turtle feeding he will probably find a lot of lists with food that you can give to your turtle. But if there aren’t specified some important details then one could think that an aliment that is much alike one that is recommended is good for the turtle to. This is a big mistake. There are many differences starting from the way the food is served(cooked) to what substances it contains. So, for making your turtle care easier ,i will try to present in this article some turtle foods that you should never feed.

Forbidden foods

- If your turtle is a vegetarian one then you shouldn’t feed meat. This would be very bad for their metabolism.

- It’s usually recommend to feed any vegetarian food that it’s not toxic for the human. Spinach is one of the plants that you shouldn’t feed. The spinach has a high concentration of oxalic acid which prevents calcium absorption. So i recommend you not to feed or to feed very rarely. The same problem appears for rhubarb and chard. Also never feed rhubarb leafs because they are poisonous.

- When you cook something for you i don’t advise you to give it to your turtle because they are to salty and fatty.

- Any processed meat like pork, bacon, sausages is bad for your turtle feeding.

- Never feed raw chicken or turkey because there are many chances for the salmonela to appear.

There are also some food that you can feed to your turtle but rearely.

- Canned cat or dog food it’s good but it’s too fat and it contains to much protein.

- you can feed Lettuce and celery but i can tell you that they don’t have any nutritional value.

- you can include in your turtle feeding some beef, chicken or other meats that humane eat but give them only cooked.

The best way for you and you turtle is to find an exact food mix that will provide the pet the resources she need without harming them. If you won’t feed the foods i have listed than you shouldn’t have any turtle care problems when it comes to feeding.

If you want to find the best turtle care advice on the net about different

Broken colored horses are associated in the popular imagination with the old American west. In particular, they are associated with Native Americans, with whom they were a popular choice, as the pattern of broken colors made the horses hard to see, either during a hunt or during war.

Broken colored horses – also known as pintos – continue to be popular today, both in the American west and around the world. However, even though “pinto” is the Spanish word for “paint”, pinto horses are not quite the same thing as paint horses.

To be registered with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), a horse must not only have the classic broken-colored coat, it must also have either the sire or the dam registered as an American Paint Horse and have Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred blood somewhere in its background, Quarter Horse for preference.

Thus, while all paint horses are pintos, not every pinto is a paint horse – for example, a chestnut-and-white Shetland pony, while it certainly fits the description of a pinto, is not a paint horse. The same is also true, for obvious reasons, for parti-colored donkeys and mules.

Appaloosa horses, while they were also developed by Native American tribes for a similar purpose, are not classified as pintos, even though an Appaloosa can do much of the work that a paint can. The Appaloosa spots and “blanket pattern” are unique to that breed alone. The same applies to other spotted breeds.

Those not familiar with the term “paint horse” or “pinto” may be uncertain as to what the terms actually mean and what all the fuss is about. In general, paint horses are bi-colored horses, having a coat that is a mixture of white patches and patches of another colour. This should not be confused with the color known as roan, where individual white hairs are interspersed with either chestnut (red roan) or black/grey (blue roan).

A horse with black and white patches is often referred to as a “piebald” and a horse with patches of white and another color is known as a “skewbald.” The most common patch colors in skewbalds are brown and chestnut, but patches of palomino (gold) and buckskin are also possible.

Among paint horses, further distinctions are made, tobiano and overo being the main ones. A horse classified has a tobiano is predominantly dark on the belly and neck with the white markings being smaller, while an overo is the reverse. Paint horses are often bred for the beauty of their markings.

Why choose a paint horse? As they have Quarter Horse ancestry, paint horses can take on a number of working roles with ease. They make excellent mounts for stock work, combining beauty with practicality, and perform well on the rodeo circuit in cutting competitions and barrel racing.

Paint horses also make good trail horses or general hacks. They also do well in the show ring, their distinctive coats making them particularly eye-catching. And, of course, many are kept as companion animals by those who admire the beauty and history of the breed.

For more information on horses, try visiting interestinghorses.com interestinghorses.com – a website that specializes in providing horse related tips, advice and resources including information on the interestinghorses.com/painthorse.html paint horse.

Is your cat peeping outside the litter box? Is your bed starting to really stink? Well there are some basic things you can do right now to help your cat start using the litter box again.

Cats can stop using the litter box for any number of reasons. Some of these could be stress, medical, or behavioral. Some cats get stressed out when new cats or people are brought into the house. Some cats can even get stressed out when there are changes in the household routine. Can you identify any of these as possible causes as to why your cat has started peeing outside the litter box?

Some cats pee outside the litter box to mark their territory. Once a cat has urinated somewhere it can be very hard to get the scent out of the carpet or bedding. You need to really clean that area good because cats have a great sense of smell and if there is any scent left of their urine they are likely to urinate there again.

Medical problems may be another reason why some cats pee outside the litter box. Some cats can have urinary tract infections or feline lower urinary tract disease. Both of these conditions can be very irritating to the cat and cause them to not use the litter box. If you suspect your cat has one of these conditions you need to seek veterinary help immediately.

Other causes of peeing outside the litter box could be due to hormonal or metabolic conditions. Older cats can get a condition called hyperthyroidism and this can lead them to urinate outside the litter box.

As you can see there are many reasons why a cat would start peeing outside the litter box. It is always best to have a good physical exam done on your cat by a veterinary to rule out medical causes before focusing on behavioral causes of urinating outside the litter box.

1catbehavior.blogspot.com Stop That Cat

Giving your dog some basic training is a necessity for any pet owner. In order for them to be trusted around other people and animals they need to follow some basic commands from you. For instance, if you take them into public where there will be alot of strangers you don’t want your dog to bite or nip at anyone. And if there is alot of cars and your dog is off the leash, they should be able to sit and stay until you tell them it is safe.

Training your dog also helps develop a stronger bond between you two. Your canine friend will start to see you as the alpha or leader of the pack and follow your lead. You want to be consistent with them but not forceful during your training sessions. Dogs are smart creatures and will learn through repetitive training. And once they pick up on something it will stick with them for their entire lives with you.

Consider A Dog Obedience Class As A Start

There are a couple reasons why finding a local obedience school is a good idea, especially when your dog is just a puppy. They will become accustomed to being around other dogs and learn how to safely interact with them. This will reduce the chances of your dog getting into a fight with others when he is out around town. Proper socialization between your dog and other dogs is an important part of the training program. Additionally, your pup will get used to seeing you around other people. This helps with the human portion of the socialization process.

In addition to the proper social skills they will acquire, they will also learn the basic commands like sit and stay. You as the owner will learn how to teach your dog effectively, further strengthening your bond. And it is much more enjoyable to have a canine that behaves when they are told to.

Most trainers will have you use praising instead of punishment as it has been proven to be much more effective. Scolding a dog makes them associate learning with negative feelings and will over time make them behave worse or even skittish around you. If you praise and reward them when they do what is the correct behavior, they will quickly associate the ‘right’ things with positive feelings. Plus you will be much closer to them since you are not constantly punishing them. Obviously training your dog does have many rewards, and the rewards are even greater if you use the correct methods.

James McDonald writes maintains discount-dog-products.com Discount Dog Products. You can find alot of dog care accessories, as well as information that can help any pet owner. We are always updating our helpful articles so make sure you visit often.