~My Links~

Google
YAHOO!
submandibulargland
erosblog
brickbarbequeplans
portablepotty
erieinsurance
lgphonebattery
creditcardmerchant
totalgym
tungstencarbiderings
arizonacollege
mexicanpharmacy
singingfool
civiccenter
wirelessrouter
naughtynighties
persianjewelry
buggyboard
catamaransforsale
mccormickplace
coronabottle
computerdesksworkstations
loewstheater
raffletickets
pizzafundraising
pressuresores
mirrorbarlowgirl
airforcejets
policeshirts
denmarkclogs
bronchitistreatment
raymondwaites
huckelberryfinn
franklincountycourts
customratrods
commerciallendingsoftware
stoneflooring
medinacityschools
pubertystories
murdersuicide
wilmertexas
rapringtone
djcammie
africankillerbees
carlspackler
woodcarvingsupplies
typicalinterviewquestions
manitobamap
adamaris
twintowersjail
diabetessupplements
houstonrodeo
smallbusinessloan
fabulonfloorfinish
healthspas
cottonslips
tanningbedscancer
bathroomremodelingcost
baseballtrainingaids
chefuniforms
prescriptionassistanceprogram
freepsptubes
laddertreestands
boatpropellers
djembedrums
wirelesssensor
carpetedging
stockmarketpicks
swanlakeballet
toothwhiteningcalifornia
wholesalewristband
bathtubmat
missouriduilawyer
minigolfgame
racquetballracquets
hauntedhouses
porngif
aameetingschedule
rocketigniterspyrotechnics
monalisasmile
dogcollar
promshoes
ashevilletourists
powerplate
differentoccupations
mspublisher
swimmingpooltile
floridaairports
robertgordon
frontierleague
songyeahtoast
naturalblondegirls
createresume
amyvanderbilt
freeebooks
cerebralspinalfluid
griffithuniversityaustralia
tigerlilly
condenaste
resintoiletseat
oatmealmuffins

~Archives~
Thursday, September 6, 2007

~Credits~

Grooming Your Dog
Dogs take care of some of their grooming needs on their own, but still need a helping hand from their owners. Taking the time to groom your dog on a regular basis has its own rewards; it strengthens your bond with her and allows you to notice health problems before they become serious. If you find your dog won't sit still for an ear-to-tail going over, do one task each day.
As she gets used to you handling her, you can begin to combine tasks so that you spend your time more efficiently.
Licking, scratching and shaking are ways dogs keep their coats clean and somewhat free of debris. A good brushing performed by you will keep her fur clean and free from painfully matted hair. Longhaired dogs should be brushed every day, to prevent tangles in their fur. Dogs with shorthair or smooth coats can be brushed once each week. Some dogs love the massage of a good brushing, but others take a while to get used to it. If your dog tries to escape while being brushed, get her used to it in small steps. Start by just running the brush along her coat two or three times while you talk to her in a happy voice. Give her a treat at the end of the session. Each time you work with her, increase the length of time you brush her.
As you brush your dog, run your hands through her fur down to the skin to look for plant debris and fleas. If you notice lots of dark specks on her skin, she has fleas. The specks are flea droppings. A very obvious amount of droppings indicates a flea infestation that should be treated immediately. As you brush the hair on and around her tail, look for rice-like debris. These are usually a sign that your dog has worms of one sort or another. You will need to have her checked by your veterinarian to determine the type of worm and get the proper medication.
Dental problems are common in dogs. To avoid costly veterinary treatments, keep your dog's teeth in top shape by brushing her teeth each day. You can use a child's toothbrush, or a finger toothbrush designed for use on pet's teeth. Be sure to only use toothpaste labeled for use on pets; human toothpaste can be toxic to your dog. In addition to brushing, give your dog rawhide chews to gnaw on-they help keep her teeth and gums healthy.
Some grooming tasks don't need to be done everyday. Ears and nails can be checked weekly and monthly, respectively. Once each week, look inside your dog's ears. If you see coffee-ground-like specks, your dog may have ear mites. You should check your dog's nails at least once each month. If you walk your dog frequently on sidewalks, she is probably wearing her nails down on the concrete. However, it is important to check to be sure they have not grown too long. Dogs with overgrown nails develop physical problems as they shift their weight as they walk to avoid discomfort. You can learn the proper way to clip your dog's nails from a standard pet care book, or your veterinarian.


Dealing With A Dog Food Allergy?
Just as humans allergies can show up as a sneeze or rash, your dog's allergies can manifest as itchiness or even ear infections. In fact, if your dog's allergic to his food, it can cause him to scratch himself constantly, even with no obvious parasite problem.
Dog allergies rarely get solved with medicine, so the best we can do for our four-footed friends is focus on prevention.
Providing the right type of food is essential to stopping your dog's scratching habit.
Many people like to share their food with their dogs or let them help "clean up" the kitchen after a meal. Little do they know, their dogs just may not be able to take the tasty food we love so much, and some breeds (like the greyhound) are extremely sensitive. Even common foods like cheese, beef sausage and tuna may cause allergic reactions in some dogs. So it's best to let dogs enjoy dog food and not human food, even though they clearly adore and want what we're eating! Narrowing Down the Problem To determine the exact ingredients your dog is allergic to, try an elimination diet. Although powerful, it also requires patience. In fact, the elimination diet can call for eliminating specific food for up to 12 weeks before you'll notice the effects. And if you still haven't found the right (and wrong) ingredients, you'll have to repeat the process all over again.
So is there an alternative to the lengthy elimination diet? Yes give your dog a brand or type of food he's never eaten before. But simply changing to a new brand of dog food might not be enough to eliminate his food allergies, since many brands contain similar ingredients. Instead, study the existing ingredients your dog is eating to determine which types of protein source he hasn't been exposed to. Then, hunt for a dog food that doesn't contain any of the ingredients you saw listed. For example, there are many brands of dog food that contains unusual protein sources such as rabbit or venison great for testing allergic reactions to other, more common proteins.
Perhaps the best way for you to get control of dog's allergies is to whip up your own dog food. That way, you'll know exactly what he's getting and what he isn't something that's extremely hard to tell from reading the back of a dog food bag. Making your own food is especially helpful in elimination diets. To start, combine a portion of rice with baby food and lamb so long as your dog isn't already eating lamb and possibly displaying a reaction to it.
Dog food allergies are a special condition that can be frustrating and take patience to solve. Since allergic reactions don't disappear overnight, you'll need lots of time and thoughtfulness to help your dog overcome this problem but his goofy smile and those scratch-free days ahead will probably make it all worth it.


How To Raise A Goldfish
Did you know that your goldfish can live for over 10 years? Under the right conditions he can live even longer but most never make it past the first year! If you want your goldfish to live long and healthy lives, youve got to provide the proper environment.
Its a common misconception that a goldfish can live in a tiny bowl. In order for him to survive for any length of time, youll need to do frequent water changes and cleanings of the bowl thats a lot of work and living in a bowl isnt much fun so its best to keep your fish in a regular tank with a proper filtration system.
The size of your tank depends on how many goldfish you want to keep in it. A good rule of thumb is to allocate about 7 gallons of water per fish, so if you want 5 goldfish a 35 gallon tank is recommended. Its better to keep fish in a long tank that has plenty of surface to air space as goldfish like to have a lot of oxygen in their water. A tall hexagon shaped tank wont be the best tank for these fish.
Goldfish like their water to be a little on the cool side between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit so in most cases a heater is not necessary. You should, however have a thermometer in the tank and take the appropriate measures if the temperature gets above 72 degrees as higher temperatures can make your fish more susceptible to disease. Bear in mind that most other tropical fish like their water on the warm side, so you will have to be careful what fish you put in the tank with your goldfish.
Provide the goldfish tank with a filtration system that is appropriate for the size of the tank. If you are keeping the fancy tailed goldfish, dont use a system that will provide too much current as this can make it difficult for them to swim around. Youll also want to provide periodic water changes as you should with any tank.
One of the main reasons that fish become sick is due to poor water quality. To keep your goldfish healthy, make sure you provide the filtration and water changes but also be careful about overcrowding and overfeeding. Too many fish or too much decaying food and waste will cause the water in your tank to become toxic to your fish.
Keeping goldfish can be a wonderful hobby and with minimal work, you can get a tank up and keep it running with healthy fish.