Pets

Hi,

I’m Janet Combs

My mother bred and raised Bichon Frises for 23 years. I have been a Bichon Frise breeder for 13 years. Between what my mother taught me and my own personal experience I know a little something about Bichons.

The reason I’m addressing this issue is because, over the years I’ve had quite a few people ask me; “How do I stop my Bichon Frise from eating his own poop?”

This is a habit that many dogs (of all breeds) develop.

Well, keep the faith! Help is on the way.

There are a couple of things you can do to break your dog of this nasty habit.

One: Try putting some diced pineapple in with his food. Yes, I said diced pineapple. About 2-3 teaspoons. When the pineapple is digested it produces an enzyme which deters the dog from, you know, doing what we’re trying to make him stop. Some Bichons may not eat pineapple. Our little male, Walker will eat just about anything. But, our female, Annie, is very finnicky. But, I think most Bichons will go for it.

Two: If, for whatever reason, the pineapple doesn’t do the trick, there is a product called “Deter” which has the same effect. Give him 1-2 tablets per day (depending on size) for two weeks. It has been proven to be effective. You can find it at a discount price at www.dog.com.

I hope I have been of some help. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to email me at jennasgifts.cinci.rr.com

Wishing you and your Bichon happiness always,

Janet Combs

Some of the ingredients that end up in commercial pet foods are truly shocking. What’s more, many of these will not appear on the label and others are hidden under umbrella terms such as ‘meat meal’ and ‘meat by-products’. How can this happen? The pet food industry is highly unregulated. As Ann Martin, author of Foods Pets Die For, writes in her article The Pet Food Industry and its Questionable Practices, ‘Governments in the USA and Canada regulate the labeling of the food, the name and address of the company, the weight of the product, and whether it is made for a dog or cat - nothing more.’

The meats used in pet food can be extremely low grade and unfit for human consumption. Summarized as the ‘4 D’s’ (dead, diseased, disabled and dying), these can include roadkill, zoo animals and infected and cancerous meats.

At the rendering plants ingredients are highly heated and processed, destroying nutrients and enzymes, with strong preservatives added which do not appear on the labels. These include fat stabilizers such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytolulene), both of which are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and Ethoxyquin, a suspected cancer-causing agent. Semi-moist dog foods may also contain propylene glycol, a relation to ethylene glycol (anti-freeze), which can destroy red blood cells.

Pets in your pet food

Though reportedly not the case today, it is well recorded that dogs and cats have ended up in dog and cat food. In his 1990 article How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled Into Pet Food, John Eckhouse, an investigative reporter, wrote: ‘Each year, millions of dead American dogs and cats are processed along with billions of pounds of other animal materials by companies known as renderers. The finished products — tallow and meat meals — serve as raw materials for thousands of items that include cosmetics and pet food.’

Doctor of weterianry medicine Wendell Belfield in Foods Not Fit For a Pet (Earth Island Journal, 1996), reports that ‘federal and state agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and medical groups such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association, confirm that pets, on a routine basis, are rendered after they die in animal shelters or are disposed of by health authorities, and the end product frequently finds its way into pet food.’

Toxic Grains

The very use of grains in pet food is questionable as grains are ill-suited to the digestive physiology of carnivores. This is especially so for cats who are obligatory carnivores and meet their glucose requirements through amino acids in their diet. Further, the grains used in dog and cat foods may contain mycotoxins, fungi that can cause chronic conditions and even death in both humans and animals. As the grains used in pet food are low grade, they are dealt with last in the handling process and because of this are often left in storage where insects, mites and mycotoxic molds can grow.

The consumption of dead mites can cause skin allergies. If your pet has skin allergies, change their diet first before turning to steroids which can be seriously detrimental to your pets health.

Alfatoxin poisoning, a common mycotoxin that grows on corn as well as other foods, has been reported for over 50 years. Vomotoxin is another mycotoxin found in wheat products. Where large doses of mycotoxins can cause cancer and even rapid death, small continuous amounts may suppress the immune system and damage organs over time, leading to long-term chronic health conditions.

Just recently at the end of 2005, over 100 dogs were killed in the United States because of alfatoxin found in pet food, with some 19 brands of Diamond dog food being recalled. It is likely there were many more deaths than those reported, and as alfatoxin attacks the liver it is likely surviving dogs may develop chronic liver disease or liver cancer in the future.

Toxic Chemicals

The toxin sodium pentobarbital, a chemical is used to euthanize animals and pets, has been found in commercial pet foods. The US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine performed two studies (1998 and 2000) to test for pentobarbital. Of the 74 samples analysed, over half were found to contain pentobarbital. What’s more, none of the 43 brands and product lines that tested positive warned of its presence on their labels.

The FDA researchers also tested the food for the presence of dogs or cats but reported none present. It was believed the pentobarbital residues were entering pet foods from euthanized, rendered cattle or even horses.

The FDA say the small amounts of the drug found in these foods were harmless, but not all veterinarians agree. Long-term continual doses, even at small levels may be increase the onset of chronic and degenerative diseases.

Aside from the toxins and base ingredients of commercial pet foods, these harshly processed and high-carbohydrate products in no way match the natural diets dogs and cats would have eaten in the wild. They are species-inappropriate and ill-suited to canine and feline physiology. I recommend healthy, homemade, raw diets or optimum natural, holistic alternatives for the health and well-being of your dog and cat. Before embarking on a raw food diet (otherwise known as BARF - ‘biologically adequate raw food’), thoroughly research the area first as nutritional balance is essential.

There are many different types of cat litter boxes, but perhaps the most practical type is the disposable cat litter box. The adaptability of a disposable litter box is proven by enabling even you to easily construct one at home. Various storage boxes that can be procured from nearby hardware stores can be easily transformed into disposable cat litter boxes. The bigger the box is the better and more desirable it is to be transformed into a cat litter box. A storage box with a minimum of twenty-four inches in length and width is ideal as a cat litter box.

The basic structure of a cat litter box is a hard bottom section and elevated side and end walls. You can reinforce the lower portion of the box by placing its lid under the bottom of the litter box. Make sure that the walls are low enough to give your pet easy entry to the litter box. You can also provide for flaps on the upper section; these flaps will cover the litter box, fending off the odor of cat excrement.

Indeed, a disposable cat litter box is a great convenience for you and your cat. But having a cat litter box by itself is not enough to clear up your cat litter problems. The following are the main issues you should consider in utilizing the many-fold features of a disposable cat litter box.

Litter And Food Do Not Go Together

It is difficult to imagine having a six-course candlelit dinner inside your toilet. Same for cats, they definitely abhor having their meals in the same place they discharge waste. Therefore, it is important that you set the disposable cat litter box as far from your cat’s food bowl as possible.

The Litter Box Is Place Of Sanctity

How do you feel when somebody barges into your toilet while you are using the comfort station? Like you, cats like quiet time while using the litter box. So put the disposable cat litter box away from often used doors and noisy places. Privacy is a key consideration so that cats will use the disposable litter box.

Other Tips

If you live in a home with more than one level, it is desirable to set up a disposable cat litter box in every level or floor of your home in which your cat can have entry. This is a great comfort for cats, especially the ones with arthritic problems as they do not have to go down or up the stairs just to do their elimination.

Also, keep your disposable cat litter box away from your carpet. The texture of your carpet is so inviting for your cat. In fact, given a choice, your cat will choose to defecate or urinate on your carpet than to use the litter box.

Finally, cats love familiarity so once you have found the best area on which to place your disposable litter box do not transfer it. If you must move the box to another place in your home, do not do the transfer drastically. Instead move the box on a piecemeal fashion, often going on just inches per day.

Keeping a fish tank is a wonderful and relaxing hobby, but it can turn stressful if your fish start to die off. The most common cause of fish disease is poor water quality so it is vital that you perform regular maintenance on the tank, making sure you do a partial water change periodically and clean out any waste or uneaten food so it does not decay and poison the water.

Many fish disease can be halted if you provide treatment as soon as you see any signs of your fish being sick. Therefore, it is important that you monitor your fish each day to see if there are any signs of illness.

Some common symptoms of disease are listed below.

White dots – sometimes fuzzy looking, almost like grains of salt on your fish. This disease is called Ichthyophthirius), or simply Ich. It is a rather common disease and is caused by poor water quality or can effect your fish when it’s immune system is not functioning up to par due to stress. It can be treated easily if you catch it in time. There is a special solution you can buy at the pet store to medicate your tank and, hopefully, get rid of this problem.

Gray patches on the skin, looks cottony and can be around the gills. This is a fungus also caused by excess fish waste and food decaying in the bottom of the tank. You can buy treatment for it and it should clear up easily unless you have let it go too far. In the future remember to clean the tank each week so you do not have a reoccurrence.

If your fish seem like they are gasping for air, this could be simply due to lack of oxygen in the water and not necessarily a disease. You could add an airstone to see if that helps the problem. Make sure you do not overcrowd the tank with too many fish.

If you see your fish scraping itself agains the bottom of the tank or the decorations, it’s possible that he has a parasite called Flukes. These attack the gills and skin and are rather difficult to get rid of once your tank is infected. Again, poor water quality will make this much worse. They do sell medication for the tank and you may be able to clear it up if you treat the tank at the first sign of trouble.

Rotting fins are sometimes seen if the fish is under stress and also if the water quality is substandard. It is a bacteria that is attacking the fins and you must treat the tank at the first sign of this problem. If possible, isolate the affected fish to another tank to prevent the bacteria from spreading.

To insure that you always have healthy fish, you should keep the tank clean and religiously perform partial water changes. This will not only keep your fish happy but will make for a better looking tank as well!

Training your dog to do tricks can be a fun way to spend time with your dog. The classic “Roll Over & Play Dead” trick has always been a favorite of mine. The key to this trick is to get your dog used to being on her back. You’ll want to make it a game by using a toy or dog treats.

A rollover is basically a down position with a twist to the standing position. To do a rollover, start your dog in the down position. Once she is down, take a look at which way her body is curving. If it is curving more to the left, then you should roll her over on her left side. If she is curved more to the right, then you should roll her over on her right side.

Hold a toy or treat and rotate it near her nose and say “Roll Over”. Rotate her nose until it is stretched over her neck and guide the treat over in the direction that you would like her to rollover. This should rotate her shoulders around and put her on her back. It may be necessary to take a step to the right or left, depending on which way she is rolling over, to gain better leverage as you guide her in the rollover. The momentum of her roll will swing her hind legs around and she will end up in the standing position. She may turn only half of the way over at first, so it might be necessary to help her complete the rollover by nudging her hind legs to make the full rotation.

This is a healthy exercise for you and your dog because it makes her feel vulnerable. She must trust you because she is on her back and exposing her underside. Trust is the key to a successful trainer and dog relationship.

It is possible to train her to play dead as well. Place her in a down position. Use the same rotation with the treat to make her rollover, but when she gets on her back, hold the treat above her to keep her on her back. Try to keep her on her back for a few seconds as you let her taste the treat that is right above her. Say “Bang! Bang!” while the other hand points at her chest as if it were a pistol. Let her eat the entire treat upside down. Allowing her to receive the reward while in this position gives her more time to play dead.

This is a great exercise to use if you are upset your dog for something she has done. Instead of scolding her, keep your voice calm and say “Bang! Bang!”. Your dog will lay on her back and play dead!

Coprophagia - that’s what vets and animal behaviorists call it when dogs eat their own faeces. To us, it’s possibly the most disgusting thing a dog can do. Is Coprophagia harmful? What can we do to stop it? Will it make our dogs sick? Does it mean that something is missing from their diet?

Unfortunately we don’t really know what causes Coprophagia. There could be many reasons. Some dog owners report that their dog is more likely to eat their own stool after a change in diet - usually to a processed food with preservatives. Owners of dogs who eat their own stool can find that dietary changes may end the habit, particularly changes to a higher quality or more biologically appropriate diet.

Some dog owners have found that Coprophagia stops if they add Pineapple to their dog’s diet. It is not known whether the enzymes in the Pineapple address a dietary imbalance or whether it just doesn’t make poo taste very good to a dog!

Coprophagia has been linked to stress and also to boredom. Regular physical and mental activity may decrease Coprophagia by either reducing stress of relieving boredom.

Picking up dog poo regularly will decrease Coprophagia by prevention. If the dog’s living environment is particularly untidy then that may encourage bad habits.

Coprophagia is generally not harmful unless disease, bacteria or worms have colonised the stool and multiplied prior to ingestion. Dog poo does contain toxins which may become harmful in large repeated doses. There is a greater risk when dogs eat the stool of other dogs, and this should be managed carefully.

The biggest problem with Coprophagia is that humans find it disgusting, particularly the smell of doggy breath after ingesting faeces.

If your dog has a bad Coprophagia habit, please seek veterinary advice to ensure that your dog’s health, diet and lifestyle are in order.

The Head:

The show dog judge will ask you to place your Shih Tzu show dog on the table. The Shih Tzu show dog judge will then get the first close look at your Shih Tzu’s expression. He will be looking for proper shape and dark eyes. He will check the length of your Shih Tzu’s nose. He will look for the “correct” slightly-undershot bite. The Shih Tzu show dog judge will evaluate the shape of the top of your Shih Tzu’s head. He will check to see that the hair pulled up in the topknot does not alter the set and placement of the ears (all these things must be exact to the AKC standard for a Shih Tzu show dog to pass). One thing in particular the Shih Tzu show dog judge will not want to see in your Shih Tzu is any sign of fear, or if your Shih Tzu turns its head away. The expressions of fear or turning the head away would indicate “shyness.” “Shyness” would be considered a fault of the AKC show Dog Shih Tzu standard.

The Shih Tzu show dog judge will look at the ear leather. He may raise the ears to check the length and thickness of the neck and to see if the neck is well placed on the shoulders. These are areas also that must be in compliance with the AKC standards of a Shih Tzu show dog. The Shih Tzu show dog judge may trace the angulation of the shoulders with his hands and the placement of the front legs beneath the body is checked. A Shih Tzu show dog judge may lift the dog up gently and let it down to see how well the Shih Tzu lands on its feet. He may check the thickness of the pads of the feet as well.

The Body:

The Shih Tzu show dog judge will check to see if the Shih Tzu is in good weight, not to thin or too fat. The weight is measured on a scale of 9 to 16 pounds as being appropriate for the Shih Tzu show dog. Under or over this weight would be a fault.

The Hindquarters:

The Shih Txu show dog judge will check your Shih Tzu’s tail to see if it is set properly according to the AKC standard for tail set. The tail must be carried over the body to the correct degree. Angulation of hind legs is checked and a check for the strength of the hindquarters is also made at this time. An indication of weakness when the hocks are lightly “twanged” or evidence of cow hocks would be noted as a fault in your Shih Tzu. The hocks should be strong when moved gently back and forth. If your Shih Tzu is a male, this is the point in which the judge will count testicles. There must be two testicles present or the male Shih Tzu will be disqualified.

There are strict standards of correct conformation of the head, body and hindquarters, as well as other aspects of the Shih Tzu that must be met during the Shih Tzu show dog judge’s evaluation. Further information regarding these requirements can be obtained from the American Kennel Club either by writing to them directly or from the AKC official website.

A dog is certainly man’s best friend. This is why you need to take extra care while choosing a dog collar. Today, the market is filled with various varieties of collars for different dogs. It is no longer regarded as a ‘just a strap around the neck’ but an accessory that gives a dog a personality. As a fashion statement dog collars are gaining popularity because owners like their dogs to look as fashionable as they are. Before you go ahead and buy a collar for your dog, spend a little time to find out all you can about the product. This way you can make an intelligent choice, which not only suits your pocket but one, which will be comfortable to your dog.

The most important factor in buying a dog collar is your dog. The kind of collar you buy largely depends on the breed of dog and its quality and color of its fur. Ideally you would want a collar that makes your dog look good. For smaller breeds you have the option of using brighter colors like pink or purple. For large and fiercer dogs, these colors would not compliment the dog’s nature. Therefore, blacks, browns and reds are more popular for larger breeds.

The next important factor to keep in mind is your dog’s temperament. Some dogs are more docile than others. Thus they do not require a high intensity collar. However, dogs in training would probably need pinch or choke collars. You need to be very careful about selecting these collars because extensive pressure can harm the overall health of the dog. The safest dog collars are the ones with buckles and those with a quick release mechanism. They do not cause your dog any discomfort. Owners with more obedient and trained dogs can afford to use these collars.

If you are a beach lover or if you have a pool at home then it is wise to get a nylon collar. It is best suited for dogs that are around water a lot. The most important factor to remember is how well the collar fits on your dog. Ensure that it is not too tight to choke or discomfort the dog. Experts say that there should be atleast two-finger space between the collar and the neck. If the collar is too loose the dog might be able to get it over its head in no time. This defeats the purpose of a dog collar. Today there is a wide choice of products to choose from. Electronic dog collars range from $130 and $1300. You can get a collar and leash set which match in color.

Besides the excitement of getting a puppy, one of the most challenging parts of dog ownership is teaching the dog to be obedient and establishing yourself as the dominant one in the dog-owner relationship. One of the basic obedience training points relevant in this regard is teaching your dog to sit on command.

As with every other dog training procedure, it is important to note that dogs are not humans and thus do not share your language or pattern of communication. It is important to bear this in mind, so that you will appreciate the essence of patience. For any reasonable results with dog training, it is important to be patient and repetitive with the training. Repetitions enable your dog to establish connections between your verbal commands and the action required of it. You should also learn to praise your dog every time he gets it right. Finally, the training sessions should not be boring to either of you. It is a good idea to keep the lessons short to start with and increase the time as you continue.

There are several training techniques to teach your dog to sit on command. Most dog trainers believe that you can start training your dog to sit at around three months old.

The first technique is simple and very good for young puppies. When you see your puppy about to sit, say the command ’sit’ firmly and when your dog sits, praise him for getting it right. In no time, your puppy learns to associate the verbal command with the act of sitting and you can then get your puppy to sit just by saying it.

The above technique might not be that effective for older puppies. With older puppies, you can practice this second technique. With your dog in front of you, hold a tasty treat and pass it across the dog’s nose and continue over his head a few centimeters high. In the process of trying to follow the motion of your hand, your dog assumes a sitting position. As soon as your dog plants his behind on the ground, say the word ’sit’ firmly. If he sits down, reward him for it. Later you will not need the treat to make your dog sit on command.

Getting your dog to remain sitting shouldn’t be as difficult. The idea is that when you command your dog to sit, he should remain sitting until you tell him to leave the sitting position. All you have to do is make your dig sit until you say a ‘release’ word that signifies that he is free to go. When in the sitting position, call your dog’s name and add the ‘release’ word/statement. Your dog should come to you. With time, the dog understands that the word means he can stop sitting. During the training sessions, if your dog gets up before the release word, show him your disapproval and make him sit again. This way, the dog understands that he is supposed to sit until you say the release word.

These are just a few of the several techniques that can help with your dog training. Again, remember that you may not get instant results, but repetition, patience and rewarding your dog every time he gets it right, will work in the end.

Getting the proper amounts and types of lighting in your fish tank is vital to the health of your fish and plants. Even though your fish are in an aquarium inside your home, they still need to experience light as they would in nature so you want to be sure to provide around 12 hours of light a day. Consider using a timer so that you can consistently light the tank, inconsistent lighting may stress your fish which can lead to health problems.

Although most aquarium setups come with hoods that have lights fitted right into them, you can also purchase different types of fish tank lighting to suit your needs. Most beginning aquarists need only to use the lighting that is provided with the aquarium as long as it is flourescent lighting and your tank is for fresh water fish only.

If you want your fish to be their happiest, you should use flourescent lighting. This lighting resembles natural light more closely than incandescent and it will also show off the colors of your fish better. Incandescent lighting also has the drawback of throwing off a lot of heat which can cause the water in your aquarium to become to hot which can harm your fish. If your current setup has an incandescent light you should be able to easily change the bulb out and replace it with flourescent.

For a fish only tank, it is recommended that you have 3 watts of lighting for each gallon of water the tank holds. This ratio can be important when it comes to algae control and if you notice green algae taking over your tank it could be because your lights are too strong. You should plan to replace your lights every 8 months as the lighting will get weaker over time.

If you are planning on keeping plants in your fish tank, then the lighting requirements are a bit different. If you have tried to keep plants in your fish tank only to have them grow weak and die after a few weeks it is simply because you do not have the right type of light. Contrary to what many people think, aquarium plants are not hard to keep alive and should last as long as house plants with the proper lighting. If you want to keep anything other than a basic fern plant, you need a tri-phosphor tube or full spectrum flourescent bulb which will provide the full spectrum of light that plants require.

Aquarium lighting for tanks with plants is different than for all fish tanks. Aquarium plants can last as long as house plants if cared for properly. While you may be able to keep some fern like plants with regular flourescent aquarium lighting, most plants require a full spectrum flourescent bulb or tri-phosphor tubes which concentrate on the red, blue and green spectrum ranges.

If you have a saltwater tank that you plan to keep only fish in then the flourescent lighting you would use in a fresh water tank is probably sufficient. If you want to keep live coral or rocks you will need much more light. Many people start out thinking they only want to keep fish but eventually want to expand their horizons and add live rock and in this case it is wise to get a hood that has fixtures for 2 tubes, that way you can add more lighting as your aquarium grows. Although some corals can survive with 4 watts of light per gallon, most will need 5 - 8 watts to remain healthy and alive.

Keeping a fish tank can be a fun and relaxing hobby and with the proper lighting you can help keep your fish healthy and happy and feeling right at home in their tank.