Archive for the 'Animals' Category

Boost the Dog Health through Proper Dog Care

Owning a pet is perhaps one among the biggest blessings for people at any age. Owners of these pets sometimes treat these creatures as best friends. They can be a food companion and can give an entertainment anyone can’t give. These pets can also make you feel comfortable during your life’s hardest time. Indeed, pets are gifts to humans.

Dog is one among the choices of pets of the people. The owners will learn how to care for their dogs so their pets can be the cleanest and the greatest dogs in the entire world. However, if you want to own a dog you need to be concern about the dog’s health.

You can maintain dog health through proper dog care. It is very important to your dog. By doing the proper health care you will be able to make your dog strong and healthy. The reason why some dogs are neglected is because of selfishness of some dog owners. Only a little time is spent to caring for dogs. If dog owners do not give some of their time, energy, affection and healthy dog habits, this often leads to unhealthy dogs which are prone to allergies and malnutrition.

It is very important for you to feed your dog with healthy foods. Never rely on dog foods that are available on the market. They often contain chemicals that will ruin the health status of your pet dog. Feed your dogs with all natural food like meat and vegetables to naturally improve the quality of health.

Never overfeed your dogs. Overfeeding leads to indigestion. It is never easy for a dog to have indigestion. You will need to bring them to a veterinarian to relieve it. Feed your dog with enough food and always on time.

Proper hygiene care is also important to improve your dog’s health. You do not have to take him to bathing everyday. Twice or trice a week is enough to clean your dogs. Use shampoo for dogs as it contains the right pH level for your dogs. Human shampoo can cause some serious problems like excessive hair fall or allergic reaction. If your dogs got fleas, treat them by using and flea shampoo. Some are not effective so you should choose the ones with the trustworthy name.

Never underestimate the importance of dog health. Follow the simple tips so you can improve the quality of your dog’s health.

Khieng ‘Ken‘ Chho is author and owner of Online Dog Health Resources. For related articles and other resources, visit Ken’s website: http://doghealth.1w3b.net

Published in: Animals | on May 20th, 2008 | Comments Off

Birds - The Emperor Penguin

The Emperor Penguin is the largest penguin in Antarctica, the coldest climate on earth with temperatures as low as 140 degrees. It is very rare to find an Emperor Penguin living outside of Antarctica. . It is 4 feet tall, and it weights 70 to 90 pounds. It has a black head and wings, while its abdomen is white. Baby Emperor Penguins have thick gray feathers, which help absorb heat to keep them warm. The male Emperor Penguin has a broad pouch between its legs and lower abdomen that keeps eggs warm.

They are very sociable creatures that live in colonies from five hundred to twenty thousand penguins; Penguins use a unique way to keep warm in the extremely cold climate, they all huddle close together and the penguin that is in the middle of the group will be the warmest. Once that penguin is warm enough, the other penguins will rotate to let another one take the spot and warm up, away from the icy cold winds. These penguins have well insulated feathers that help keep them cosy in the cold weather.

Unlike other penguins that eat food from the surface, Emperor Penguins like to eat fish from the ocean. They will dive onto the ocean and stay under water for up to 18 minutes and can reach depths of 700 feet or more. Emperor Penguins will swim together, however, they like to catch their food by themselves.

Emperor Penguins are the only creatures that stay in Antarctica when winter arrives in March, while all other species leave. During this time, a female Emperor Penguin will lay just one egg, and then travel out to sea to get food. The male Emperor Penguin will stay with the egg to keep it warm by balancing it on his feet and covering it with his broad pouch which is a very warm layer of feathered skin. The male must stand there for about 65 days though icy temperatures, cruel winds and storms with nothing to eat during the whole time. After the egg hatches, the female penguin returns from the sea with food for the hatched chick, then the male, in his turn, goes out to sea to fish for food, leaving the female to take care of the chick. The mother protects the chick from the extremely cold winds, which could cause it to freeze to death within 2 minutes.

Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Birds
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Published in: Animals | on May 19th, 2008 | Comments Off

Westies for Sale - Avoiding the Perils of Purebred Puppy Purchases

In the purebred West Highland Terrier puppy market, there are few rules or laws governing who may breed dogs, and then advertise Westies for sale. Both ancestry and the breeding environment will affect the quality of the Westies offered for sale, and some breeders are a lot less careful about these details than others. Never buy the first Westie you find, from the first breeder you come across advertising Westies for sale. Take the time to learn about both the breed and the breeder to avoid an expensive mistake, and the heart-breaking loss of a dog due to health problems.

Because of the inbreeding required to produce specific size, shape, talents, and coats, all pure breeds are prone to genetic defects. Westies offered for sale in the purebred market are no different. First educate yourself about the health problems that often occur in Westies, and then be prepared to question the sellers about the steps they have taken to avoid them. Westies for sale from a conscientious breeder will come with clear records of their ancestry up to three to four generations, and will often have undergone genetic testing to find possible defects.

‘Backyard Breeders’ are individuals who purchase Westies with the plan to breed them at home, and then offer Westie puppies for sale to offset their expenses. ‘Puppy Mills’ breed their dogs with the goal of having each bitch produce as many Westies for sale in the least possible amount of time. Neither type of breeder is likely to know or care about the eventual health of the dogs they offer for sale. The Westies for sale at pet stores, or other retail establishments, usually come from one of these sources. All three should be avoided. There are home breeders who are avid hobbyists, and are conscientious about the dogs they breed. There are also respectable kennels that ensure that the Westies they offer are well cared-for. Westies for sale from these sources are what you are looking for.

Westie puppies for sale from a reliable breeder will not be timid or shy, small or sickly, or under eight weeks old. They will have their papers, shots, worming, and be well-socialized. The Westie breeder should provide references, a warranty contract against defects, and even advice about care.

West Highland Terrier Breeders who have been conscientious about the breeding and care of the Westies they offer for sale will not hesitate to let you take the puppy to a veterinarian for a preliminary checkup. They have done their jobs well, and have nothing to hide.

There are many reputable kennels, and knowledgeable hobbyist breeders who love their Westies, and will want the puppies and dogs they offer for sale to go to a good home. Good breeders will ask you as many questions as you ask them. If they want to know if you have a fence, if the Westie will be left alone during the day, or if you have raised other dogs, don’t be offended. These are the breeders who care enough to give your Westie puppy a good start in life.

(Disclaimer: Any information contained in this site relating to various medical, health and fitness conditions of Westies or other animals and their treatments is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing the health of any animal. You should always consult and check with your own vet or veterinarian.)

I do hope that you have found the article of use to you.

Good health and happiness

Jeff Cuckson
webmaster@madaboutwesties.com

Want To Know How To Have The Healthiest,
Happiest and Most Well Behaved Westie You
Have Ever Dreamed Of! Then Visit NOW!
http://www.madaboutwesties.com

Published in: Animals | on May 8th, 2008 | Comments Off

Commercial Dog Food for Your Dog?

What you feed your dog is really SO important for your dog’s ultimate health, susceptibility to illness, and longevity.

You know, if you really want your dog to be as healthy as s/he can be, you should stop feeding ANY of the widely available commercial dog foods.

I’m talking here about the types of dog food commonly found in supermarkets, and even about most of the supposedly superior brands sold in some supermarkets, pet food shops, and even by many vets.

The cheaper the brand, then generally the more full of garbage it is, but even many of the more expensive brands leave much to be desired.

What do you think is an ideal diet for your dog?

  • plump chickens?
  • choice cuts of juicy beef and lamb?
  • maybe a few healthy fresh grains for variety?
  • the odd fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit?

You’d be right.

But how many of the above ingredients do you think go into commercial pet food?

A lot? Only a little? If you said yes to either of these, you’d be dead wrong.

The average commercial dog food bears NO relation to the above list of choice ingredients, despite what pet food manufacturers display in some of their marketing, and despite what the list of ingredients on the pack or can might tend to indicate.

There is very, very little (if any) of the above ingredients in the average commercial dog food, and by the time it’s been overcooked at sustained high temperatures, and sprayed with preservative agents, the resultant “food” can be very harmful to your dog’s health and wellbeing indeed.

Suffice to say that if you’re feeding your dog ANY commercially available dog food, you’re exposing your dog to a source of chemically enhanced, overprocessed, garbage, the meat source for which includes diseased carcasses which have been left for up to 5 days before being processed.

Enough to turn you off for life? It was for me. As you know, I’ve always fed my dogs a diet of mainly raw meat and bones. But I like to give them a little treat in the mornings rather than just feed them once a day (which, by the way, IS all a dog NEEDS). I used to give them a handful of dry dog food each morning, sometimes the cheaper supermarket brands, and sometimes the “brand” names which cost 4 or 5 times as much. Now that I know better, I never give my dogs any of that garbage.

I should say that SOME of the expensive pet foods which are readily available ARE better than the cheaper brands. BUT, most are still far from an ideal diet for your dog, so query whether the extra money is money well spent.

If the product says it’s “with real chicken”, did you know that it only needs to contain 3% of chicken? Neither did I.

If the first item listed is meat or chicken, did you know that this doesn’t mean that’s the main ingredient? Neither did I.

Take a close look at the label. It’s likely to list a meat first, and then 2, 3, 4 or 5 types of grains. This is a very misleading tactic used by the commercial pet food manufacturers. Each of the grains individually may be slightly less in quantity than the meat. But added together? They’re probably nearly 2, 3, 4 or 5 times the quantity of the meat ingredient.

After having looked into this issue in a great deal of detail, I’m convinced that the most healthy diet for your dog is mainly fresh meat, with some fresh veges and a little grain thrown in. And this alone is NOT enough. You need to give your dog a vitamin supplement always, for optimal health.

And for the very best health, there ARE some reputable HEALTHY, wholesome, holistic dog food manufacturers, which really DO provide wonderfully healthy food for our dogs.

(c) 2004, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

About The Author

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free dog health report, click here: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com

For info on HEALTHY dog foods, click here: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/DogFood

Published in: Animals | on April 30th, 2008 | Comments Off

Crate Training Your American Pit Bull Terrier: Will It Help Your Dog?

Crate training is one of the most often misunderstood dog training techniques. Many questions often come up when discussing the topic of crate training such as: “How can I use crate training to teach my dog to behave?”, “What are the pros and cons of crate training?”, and “Is crate training safe to use as part of my overall dog training program?”

This article will definitely help you understand crate training and what it will do to you Pit Bull terrier. After you’re done reading, I’m confident that you’ll have a much better understanding of crate training.

I get many questions from new dog owners on the subject of crate training. Most people really have no idea what crate training is or what purpose it serves. Quite simply, a “dog crate” is an enclosed cage area that prevents your dog from getting into trouble.

You can crate train your Pit Bull both inside the house or outside. You’ll want your dog to have plenty of room to stand up and lay down.

So what are the benefits of you crate training your Pit Bull? There are many few reasons why crate training your Pit is a good idea. One reason is that a crate will prevent your Pit from destroying the inside of your house when you are away. Eventually, you’ll be able to leave your dog loose when leaving the house and he won’t be destructive while you’re gone.

Another example of when crate training can be helpful is when you’re traveling in your vehicle for a long period of time. Allowing your dog to rest in his crate during the trip will ease his fear if he has any issues with traveling.

Lastly, crate training is a vital component to properly house training a new puppy. Using a crate to assist in potty training is a very good idea and will help cut your pup’s learning curve down drastically.

To learn all about raising an American Pit Bull Terrier and training Pit Bulls, visit www.pitbullsrevealed.com/ today.

Published in: Animals | on April 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off