Pets

When selecting the best dry food for your dog, why is it better to go with the chicken meal than the pure chicken? Chicken meal is simply chicken that has been baked to remove bacteria and other toxins. Chicken is simply pure chicken.

What people dont know about chicken, is that it is made mostly of water. If a label on a bag of dog food says %60 whole chicken, that is quite misleading as that does not take into account how much of that %60 of chicken is left after baking it to remove unwanted substances!

When the label on the bag says %60 of chicken meal, your getting more of the chicken because the product has already been baked to remove unwanted affects such as bacteria.

Explanation:

Converting dry matter basis

This can be the hard part. All pet foods have different levels of moisture. Canned foods can have up to 80% moisture whereas, some dry foods can have as little as 6%. This is important for 2 reasons. The first is that the food is priced by the pound, and when you buy dog food that is 80% water you get 20% food and the rest is water. So the amount of food your pet consumes is small and expensive. The other reason for understanding percent moisture is to help you compare crude protein and fat between brands and between canned and dry. The listings on the label are for the food as it is, not as it would be on a dry matter basis. So without converting both brands of food to a dry matter basis you will not be able to compare them accurately. Fortunately, the conversion is not that complicated.

If a dry dog food has 10% moisture we know that it has 90% dry matter. So we look at the label and check the protein level that reads 20%. Next, we divide the 20 percent protein by the 90% dry matter and we get 22%, which is the amount of protein on a dry matter basis. Does this make sense so far? Good. Now let us compare this to canned food that has 80% moisture. We know that with 80% moisture we have 20% dry matter. The label shows 5% protein. So we take the 5% and divide it by 20% and we get 25% protein on a dry matter basis. So the canned food has more protein per pound on a dry matter basis after all the water is taken out. We can do the same for fat, fiber, etc.

Good luck calculating!

What is a “Dog Whisperer”?

Plenty of people call themselves a dog whisperer, usually for commercial gain. Since the success of Monty Roberts, the Horse Whisperer, it seems to be a title almost anyone can brand themselves with - so long as they are not Horse Whisperers (that one is owned and trademarked by Monty Roberts).

I’m yet to see anyone “whisper” to a dog (or a horse) and have the animal magically do anything that it wasn’t trained to do.

I remember one occassion where some people had bought a horse and were collecting it from the property where we kept our horse. This horse was terrified of being floated (trailered), made all the worse for the desperate new owner’s heavy-handed techniques for attempting to force the horse into the trailer.

In a few minutes I taught the horse to touch my hand, then had it follow my hand into the trailer. Problem solved.

What do you think they called me? A “Horse Whisperer”! I thought it was funny - I was simply using Operant Conditioning, positive reinforcement for the behavior of horse touching my hand with nose in exchange for carrot.

There are also many times I have been faced with a nervous, fearful or aggressive dog. In true “dog whisperer style”, I have been able to approach the cautious canine and befriend it where others have not been able to.

I do not attribute this to any magical powers of animal communication, I simply understand a little (just a little) dog body language and I am able to communicate some of that back to the dog.

Once you understand a little about dog behavior, and can read the outward signs of inward emotional states in canines, you can do much more than someone who does not understand dog behavior and cannot read a dog.

Dog Whispering really comes down to three things:

1. Experience

2. Education

3. Empathy

Experience is nothing without Education, coupled with some clear and critical thinking. The flip-side is that Education is nothing without Experience. A bit of both will greatly enhance your “dog whispering” abilities!

Empathy is necessary. A dog whisperer is not heavy-handed, abusive, or even authoritarian. A dog whisperer is understanding of why the dog is behaving as he is, and seeks to balance the dog’s needs with the owner’s needs in a complementary fashion.

Leadership is the name of the game here, but we’ve moved on a bit from the old “alpha-roll, show ‘em who’s boss” domination style and tended towards a more empathic and co-operative approach. This does not confuse the dog as to who is the leader, in fact, a more predictable and compassionate owner is usually one that is easier and more fun for the dog to follow!

So get out there and learn how to be a dog whisperer. Read books. Watch your own dogs. Go down to the dog park and watch other people’s dogs. Attend seminars. Read articles. Join email lists. Try to understand your dogs. Combine education with experience and empathy and you will be well on your way to becoming a bona-fide dog whisperer!

As traveling with pets becomes increasingly more frequent a practice, the number of pets injured while away from home is steadily escalating. When a cat or dog is unfamiliar with its surroundings, the animal may be more prone to various types of injuries, especially if the animal is particularly curious and overly inquisitive. Common pet travel injuries and illnesses include: insect stings, motion sickness, pet allergies, cuts, scrapes, and swallowing foreign objects. More serious injuries such as poisoning, infection, and broken bones may also occur.

Pet travel will become a much safer and more rewarding experience once pet owners are better equipped to handle emergency situations. Both knowledge of first aid, and the equipment available to facilitate such care are essential to ensure the best possible outcome for an injured pet. It is best to keep in mind the goals of administering pet first aid: first, to prevent further injury, and second, to minimize discomfort until the animal can be safely transported to a veterinarian.

These objectives determine much of what should be included inside a pet first aid kit. A dog or cat with a preexisting condition or illness may require the presence of additional items. The pet owner should decide what tools, medicines, and equipment to add depending upon their pet’s specific needs. All items should be stored in a waterproof container that can be closed securely.

Sample items in a pet first aid kit may include:

- Pet information card with pet’s current health information, veterinarian’s address and telephone number. Also include poison control hotline number.

- Latex gloves, cotton swabs, and hand wipes

- Rectal thermometer, and lubricating jelly pack

- Scissors, tweezers, nail clippers, oral syringe

- Triple antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream

- Sterile eye flush, eyedropper

- Old necktie (for making a muzzle)

- Bandaging materials (gauze squares and bandage tape)

- Clean towel

- Spare collar and leash

- Pet first aid booklet

Remember to package spillable items in leak-proof plastic bags, and rotate items so that medications and ointments do not expire. Store the pet first aid kit safely away from children and pets.

In a perfect world there would be no use for a pet first aid kit, but do not procrastinate. Having the necessary tools and equipment on hand during a critical situation can make a difference in the health and safety of your pet.

Nutrition is probably one of the most important variables that influences an outcome of healthy puppies. I learned the hard way that extra pampering and attention is almost as important, and limit the things you change in the lives of your pregnant shih tzu.

During the first four weeks of pregnancy you should monitor your pregnant shih tzu’s food intake. During this time fetuses don’t have a lot of weight gain, and there is no need for the mother to gain extra weight that may hinder delivery later.

During the last half of pregnancy feed a food that is high in protein and about 8 percent fat. A good pregnant and nursing diet would be HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance dog food and the daily supplement.

Keep your pregnant shih tzu calm and relaxed. Too much stress during pregnancy will have an adverse affect on the puppies. Your pregnant shih tzu needs “extra” attention and nurturing. If the pregnant shih tzu lives under conditions of stress and without the proper love and nurturing she is at higher risk of passing on diseases to her puppies, and even to future generations. Extra pampering is definitely needed.

Moderate exercise is good during pregnancy and for the development of healthy puppies.

Provide a familiar area for your pregnant shih tzu to deliver her puppies where she will not be disturbed. Unfamiliar surroundings or people may cause her to deliver too soon, or interfere with her milk coming in as it should and even adversely affect her maternal instincts. One incident I had with a mother of mine was when I first built an outside cabin for some of my shih tzu to stay in, Tinker was pregnant at the time. I moved her in the cottage. She began labor early. I moved her back into the main the house. She was unsettled and tried to keep changing her spot for delivery. She had delivered several litters in the same area before this with no problem. She seemed confused. She had a hard time nursing the babies. She would take the babies out of the box and move them clear across the room and I would find her on the floor with all of her babies. I lost the entire litter. I felt so bad about it all afterwards, I have tried to since be extra careful with my pregnant shih tzu. They require extra pampering, nurturing and anything you can do for them in the way of attention, warmth and love during pregnancy.

I love cats. I have been around cats my entire life and it seems that no other pet can take their place in my heart. Who wouldn’t love these furry feline balls of fun? Cats are crazy. I guess that is what I love most about them. They are unpredictable, exciting and so darn curious. They are cute and cuddly but, sly. They play games. These games can be played with a toy, a mouse, an insect or your hand. Using your hand? That is, if you are very brave or stupid. Using your hands to play with a cat can be dangerous. That’s part of the fun! I’m kidding, of course. They make these cool cat play mittens for owners although I am not sure how the cat claws don’t go through them. Cats don’t care. Some cats leap on you during their own game of attack the owner. Surprise. Then there are those cats that like to play hide and seek and scare the owner to death. They jump out at you with a “I bet you didn’t know that I was hiding here” look. Cats can be so entertaining. There is the “tidy bowl cat” that likes to play swat the water in the flushing toilet. The “present bearing” cat is always full of surprises, leaving precious presents at your door or in your house. These presents can be mice, dead or alive, birds, insects, snakes and lizards. I call these cats “Indian Jones” cats. They believe their treasures will make your day. These cats keep you on your toes. Cats love adventure. There are the “bird release” cats that like to run into the house with a live bird in their mouths, only to release the captured bird. That’s fun. Then we get to play a game of “how to get the poor bird out of the house alive.” Attitude is what makes a cat a great pet. My cats have the “I eat everything” attitude. Don’t dare leave your plate of scrambled eggs or tuna alone. “What happened to the tuna?” “The cat ate it!” “Where is that piece of pie?” yep, the cat ate it, too. I once left a coconut cake out. They ate the entire thing. Those cats were so full that they did not eat or move for two days. What a mess.

There was coconut everywhere, on the counter, the floor and on them. The look in their eyes said “Groan, I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” I had no sympathy. Yes, they had plenty of cat food, they just wanted the cake instead. It smelled so good, I guess.

I once owned a Siamese cat that liked to meow while eating. It sounded like she was talking. People visiting would swear that the cat had just said “I can’t get this down.” I would tell them” no, that was a meow.”

My cats went through a “I like to go bump in the night” phase. They would wait until the entire household was asleep to investigate. Their investigations consisted of opening and closing a cabinet door, with a loud bang, that would wake the dead. It certainly woke us all up. We finally got used to hearing the loud slam. A prowler could have came in and played the bongo drums, we wouldn’t wake up. We would think it was the cats playing “bang the cabinet” again. Cats can be so daring. The “I think I can” cat is very entertaining to watch. This cat thinks it can leap into a high, tight spot and finds out, at the moment of impact, that it doesn’t have enough room to land. They just had to try anyway. I have a cat that used to leap on the back of any dog that dared to enter the yard. She would ride them to the gate, as they ran off, trying to shake her off their back. The yelping was loud enough to be heard for miles and the dog would not come back into the yard. Ever. Now, that is an “attack” cat. You will not find a more courageous and captivating pet. Cats are a mystery. I hope they adorn your world with delight. They are the floor show in my house.

Aren’t the children always begging for a pet or another pet?

You don’t want a cat – there’s that whole litter box thing. You don’t want to train a puppy, plus what about when you want to go away for the night? Birds make such a mess and can be quite noisy. And then there’s those “rodent” things.

When we found out we were expecting our first child we decided to decorate the nursery in tropical fish decor. Then we thought a fish tank in the room would be perfect for the “white noise” and for a nice little night light. So we bought a 10 gallon tank set that cost about $40 for everything but the fish. We had no clue about caring for fish, so we only got a few fancy guppies that were about $3 each. How cheap!!

Who knew we’d become addicted? Well, me anyways. We learned that guppies are live bearers, meaning that they have “live” babies instead of laying eggs and they can be all sorts of pretty colors. Needless to say, we learned a few things about raising guppies and haven’t spent any more money buying fish (well, except for a few more different colored guppies and a bigger tank to start breeding our own)!

Fish are so easy to take care of and are rather inexpensive to keep. We clean out their tank a little bit each month and spend about $2 on food for them that lasts about 3 months. The kids all love the guppies – their pretty colors and especially watching the babies grow. I love the guppies because they’re cheap, relaxing, neat, quiet and they teach the children about responsibility with having a pet.

So before you jump down their throats about not having a pet, tell the kids to consider some guppies. If you’re looking to do some more research on them, check out www.guppies.com . There are plenty of tips and people there that are willing to answer all of your questions.

For more tips on pets and more money saving tips, visit us at www.MomOnABudget.com.

If your dog shadows your every movement around the house when you’re there, and sleeps on or near your bed, and IF it has trouble doing any different, it may have separation anxiety. Any destructive behavior will occur about 20 minutes to a half hour after you leave, so another way to figure it out is to plan on returning after that time on a few occasions. A dog with separation anxiety will not likely tolerate even being left in a separate room from you with a door closed between you.

Also the things they chew or destroy are most often “escape routes,” such as doors or windows (they believe may lead them directly to you). Also, they may munch items that they associate with you by smell. Although it can seem like a vindictive reaction, I assure you it’s usually more a nervous one.

If you return home to find that your dog pees or poops in a number of different locations in the house, AND they do not appear guilty about it when you return home, they may be manifesting their separation anxiety. The dog in question may be beyond the house training stage, and the fact of the different accident locations is a sign that they are not continually returning to a scent “marked” location and confusing it with an appropriate place to go.

A dog that barks or whines continually when you are away is also admitting – to your neighbors if not to you – that they have a bad case of separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems dogs develop, and is an unsurprising result of our practice of domesticating them. They are social animals, and they crave a pack environment. The good news is there are simple and proven solutions.

Just like we need a nice and comfortable home, your dog also needs one too. Most of us keep our pets inside our room after all we don’t want the poor dog to stay outside wandering around looking for a comfortable place to sleep. But is it healthy? Talk about the mess especially having a puppy around the house. They chew everything, terrorize the poor kitty and bite your valued furniture and you spend the whole day cleaning up the mess. For that matter a dog crate is the solution to your problem. A crate is not a prison to be feeling guilty about keeping your dog in there. Your dog wont feel bad about keeping them in a crate infact they would be delighted to have a room of their own where they feel safe and secure. Stop cringing at the thought of sending your dog to a crate. Your dog needs privacy and you should know that before people started domesticating dogs they lived in dens or small caves. So they still retain some of their ancient instincts.

A crate is a small and cozy home for your dog where they find solace and satisfaction in their own space. It comes in different sizes and shapes. The prices vary from the different qualities of the crate. There are plastic crates which are portable and light weighted and can easily be taken apart for travel or storage. Wire crates are more popular and may be a better purchase than the plastic crate. They offer better ventilation but the only disadvantage is that it isn’t approved for airline use. The quality and style vary greatly so it is important to shop carefully. You don’t have to worry about buying a new crate for each stage of growth because dividers are available for some brands so you can shrink and expand the puppy’s space as needed.

Having a crate for your dog has so many advantages for instance traveling becomes safer for both you and your dog when he’s in a crate. You can easily carry your dog around where ever you go be it by road or by flight. Even some motels nowadays allow -crated- dogs.

You can keep your dog in the crate when you are away from home so that it won’t litter the house. You don’t have to worry about your dog chewing your shoes or furniture or peeing on the carpet because a crate offers a positive solution to house-training and minimizes your headache and destructive chewing becomes easier to control too.

A crate can be kept in any room of the house and you can even decorate it just like the way you decorate your kid’s room. A little training is required for a dog to sleep in a crate at the inception. But with time they become comfortable enough. You can keep toys or rubber balls for the puppies to play with and keep themselves busy. They need a nice and comfortable bed so it is important to keep soft cushions or pillows. Having a crate at home is so much better not only for you but for your dog too.

Dog Crates are available for purchase at Dog Crates and More at affordable prices. We can help you in finding and choosing the correct crate for you and your dog. Please contact us with any specific questions and we will be happy to help.

The Search dog handler who trains on a weekly basis in the same place or rotates a few favorite spots is not presenting an effective training situation for himself or his dog. Use of the same scenarios regularly becomes too familiar for the dog and do not present the challenges necessary to prepare the dog for unfamiliar territory. In order to be mission ready, a search dog must be ready to face new or unusual situations without hesitation. Search dog handlers should make every effort to expose their dog during training to a large variety of different conditions. It is for this reason that a Search dog training “class” often is not the best solution for training a search dog. It is almost impossible to present a “class” which will cover the various terrain areas, climatic conditions and other factors, which should be included in the training of a search dog. The best solution to this training problem is to make sure that the handler has at least ten different locales large enough that he can train on a different one every week and in a different area, for at least ten weeks and that he sets up his scenarios as often as possible for different times of the day and in different weather conditions. Furthermore, the considerations of whether or not the land being used is private or public land where no hunting is allowed and/or where permission has been given to use the land are important considerations and must be taken into account.

When finding suitable terrain to practice on, the search dog handler should expose the dog from the beginning to many different locales. The terrain is what changes the way the scent reaches a dog’s nose, for one thing. A field of alfalfa or a grove of pine trees, for example, present scent fields, which may be so strong as to make it difficult for the dog to discriminate the scent of a human being within the area. For another thing, the “lay of the land” can present difficulties of maneuvering through the area, which the dog must be able to overcome. A search dog should be willing and ready to go through thickets and brambles, up and down steep valleys and narrow ridges, slippery rock surfaces and through creeks and streams, not to mention over, under, or through man made obstacles such as fences. Also the contamination of the land being used, whether or not it is a heavily populated area as far as wild life or as far as human usage, is important, so that the handler knows that the dog has been exposed to the many varied scents of wild animals or areas which are heavily contaminated with residual scents.

Another consideration when training is to present the dog with as many climatic problems as possible. Foggy days, hot and humid days, strong wind conditions, night time versus day time scenarios….all the possible varieties of environmental conditions that you can possibly expose your dog to during the training situation can lead to a higher probability that you and your dog can successfully handle all the possible eventualities which can occur on a mission.

I hate to mention it but the days will soon start shortening, as we’ll all start to want to keep warmer, and that includes our horses and ponies. We might reach for a sweater but they’ll want to be rugged up, but even this simple action has some guidelines that should be observed.

The range of rugs available is getting quite mind boggling. They are becoming the horse fashion accessory of choice these days. But before you rush out and get one or more, let’s see if they really need rugging up.

Native cobs and ponies for example, naturally grow very thick coats, intended to protect them in the severest weather. Providing they are able to take shelter from strong winds and excessive rains they will normally cope well.

When do they normally need to be rugged up

If they are old infirm or injured

If they are underweight or in poor condition

If they have previously suffered from rain rash

If they have been fully or partly clipped

If they are normally stabled overnight and only spend a short time out during the day

If they are thin skinned and prone to the cold

If they are kept in a very confined paddock

Once they are rugged up they shouldn’t be ignored, you should check them at least once a day to make certain that the rug hasn’t slipped, been torn or damaged

Remove the rug if it gets warm, but replace when it gets chilly again

Remove the rug frequently to check that they have no injuries underneath or that its chaffing or rubbing their coat and could cause a skin infection

Make sure that a spare rug is available if you have to remove the one they are wearing for any period of time

So if you have to get a rug, what should you consider

Buy a rug fit for the purpose it is required for, not as a fashion accessory. Consider any ’special needs’ such as a tendency to rub at the shoulders. Some rugs are specially designed for such problems and the fabrics more resilient

When other protective clothing is used e.g. hood, bibs etc, make sure that they complement and fit with the rug, otherwise they may cause an accident that harms the horse

Measure the horse before making the purchase

Before trying on the rug make sure that the horse is very clean, and put a clean sheet over him before trying the new rug on him, this will keep it clean in case you need to change the rug

Horses change shape and grow, their rugs will need to be changed to make sure that they always fit properly

Check the type of fabric that the rug is made of. Some fabrics need to be fully wetted to allow the fibres to swell, so that it is fully waterproof. It will then need to dry off slowly before the horse can start wearing it

At the end of the season the rug will need cleaning and repairing. They are best stored being laid across a rail or thick piece of rope. It is not advisable to store them folded as the fabric may crack along the fold line and such cracks will let water in.

I hope this helps. Buying a rug can be an expensive business and you don’t want to get it wrong. Once you have them they will last for years if you look after them properly.