The Importance Of Equine Dentistry
The Importance Of Equine Dentistry
As humans, we all know just how important it is to take care of our teeth. Having a check up once a year goes a long way to providing us with dental health, thus enabling us to stay free from pain and keep our teeth a little longer! Believe it or not, that maxim is no different for horses. They also need a dentist to examine their teeth on a regular basis if their mouths are to stay healthy. Equin
Dog Adoption Tips I Learned From My 2 Dogs
There?s a hole in your life that only a dog can fill. You want a special dog, perhaps just a full-grown adult. Maybe your code of ethics calls for saving a dog?s life ? not buying an expensive purebred.
I?m not a veterinarian or a dog trainer, but I?ve enjoyed two successful adoptions. Here are some tips I?ve picked up along the way.
(1) Clarify your requirements ahead of time.
Once you?re standing in front of a cage, it?s easy to say, ?Well, he?s a lot bigger than I expected, and I really wanted a female, but oh he?s SO cute!? No amount of love or training will help if your dog needs more exercise than you can provide.
(2) Know the difference between shelter and rescue groups.
Most cities have humane societies where you can view dogs and make a choice. Rescue groups typically hold animals in foster care ? which is good, because you can ask the foster mom all sorts of questions. For example, they can say, ?This dog lived with two cats so you know you can trust her.?
(3) Be prepared to pay.
Shelter animals are not free, but you do get value for money. Expect to pay a fee that may include spay/neuter costs, licensing, and/or veterinarian visits.
(4) Consider an older dog.
By the time a dog has turned three or four, she?s as big as she?s going to get. No surprises! You?ll also have clues regarding his temperament.
(5) Plan to confine the dog during a period of transition.
Your new dog doesn?t get it. She was in a loving home (or left alone in a yard all day or even abused). Then she spent a few weeks in a cage, feeling lonely and isolated. Maybe she?s been passed around to multiple homes.
Bottom line, she?s stressed. She may chew, dig, bark, or even lose her house training at first.
Crating the dog prevents destructive behavior. My dogs both looked visibly relieved as they retreated to their crates every day. ?Time to relax,? they seemed to say.
(6) Invest in training.
Most dogs are turned over to the shelter because of behavior problems. If you?re new to the world of dog behavior, take a class or hire a professional. Most behavior can be corrected, even among older dogs. But if you?re not sure, ask a professional. Some behaviors can?t be ?fixed.?
(7) Incorporate large doses of exercise and walks into your day.
Walking together builds your bond and a tired dog is a good dog. Begin the exercise program immediately so you can gain a sense of how much exercise the dog needs ? an important factor in the dog?s adjustment ? and start training for the basics on the way home from the shelter.
Cathy Goodwin, a certfified Dog Fanatic, wrote Arf! Dog Health Comes Home: tips and resources to care for your aging, sick or injured dog. Download from <a href="http://www.dog-health.org" title="http://www.dog-health.org" target="_blank">http://www.dog-health.org</a>
Belgian Malinois - Protector Of Home, Family And Livestock
The Belgian Malinois is a medium/large size dog that weighs between 40-80 lbs and is between 22″ to 26″ in height. Their name is pronounced MAL-in-wah. They are one of four Belgian Sheepdogs and are very work oriented and are protective of home, family and livestock.
The AKC recognizes the Belgian Malinois in the colors of fawn to mahogany to red with a black mask, ears and tips. Minimal white on the chest and feet is permitted. The short, smooth, straight and hard outer coat and dense undercoat require minimal grooming and are very easy to care for. Regular washing is not recommended as their coat has water proofing.
This intelligent, energetic, protective breed is still more of a working dog than companion. They have a strong drive to work. The Belgian Malinois makes an excellent farm dog, watchdog, police dog and herding dog because of their instinct to protect their family, home or whatever else they are trained to protect. They can make a great family pet as well. Early socialization is a must for children, other dogs and pets. In fact, they do best if they are socialized from the time they are born. They can be dominant towards other dogs. Early, consistent, firm but not harsh training is important. They are harder for a novice to train than someone who is more experienced. The Belgian Malinois has a lot of energy and loves to be on the go. They require a yard and plenty of room to run and play. They are not meant to be indoors all day. They enjoy being with their family and are not meant to be left alone for long periods of time as they will get bored and find some way to fill their time.
Originating in Belgium, the Belgian Malinois is one of four Belgian Sheepdogs. Their name comes from the Belgian city of Malines. It is recognize as its own breed by the AKC however, in some countries, all four Belgian Sheepdogs are considered to be one breed. The Belgian Malinois is popular in Belgium and is used for herding, police work and as a search and rescue dog.
A breed with such a strong work drive, protective instinct and high energy makes an excellent watchdog and farm dog. They do best with families that are active and will meet their work and exercise needs. An active, busy Belgian Malinois is a happy Belgian Malinois.
Learn more about the <a href="http://www.deardoggy.com/dog_breeds/belgian_malinois/">Belgian Malinois</a> or discuss <a href="http://www.deardoggy.com/">Dogs</a> with other dog lovers at <a href="http://www.deardoggy.com/">www.deardoggy.com</a>
Trimming Pet's Nails: Take Proper Care Of Your Pet
Most pet owners understand how to take proper care of their pet. Many basic grooming procedures consist of brushing, bathing, and getting their hair cut. Some, however, overlook one of the most important tasks in keeping your pet well groomed. This part involves nothing more than keeping your pet’s nails neatly trimmed. Believe it or not, this is very important for a pet’s health and well being. Several benefits of this process include better mobility, less pain, bonding, and better health. These are all excellent benefits that make this process worth attempting. Granted, trimming a pet’s nails may seem like a difficult job, and it can be because many pets do not necessarily enjoy this and they are not afraid to let their owners know about it. Fortunately, there are some incredible tools available to make the job less painful for both of you. Using them and getting the job done correctly can have many benefits that are too large to ignore. When you keep up with trimming your pet’s nails, you can discover the following benefits:
- Mobility - When a dog’s claws are allowed to grow too long, basic tasks such as running and walking become painful and more difficult. This may even become a problem for very young dogs with a lot of energy. Dogs in particular, enjoy running and playing and by keeping their nails short, you can increase their comfort level while performing these activities. Keeping your pet’s claws correctly and neatly trimmed can help ensure that he never suffers the unnecessary pain long nails can cause.
- Better health - When claws are allowed to grow too long over an extended period of time, health problems can arise. An ordinarily healthy dog can become lame from favoring paws while walking. In some cases, broken nails can be an issue and can even cause infections in the paws. Long nails can cause problems for your pet including infections. These infections are caused by the nail cracking or splitting.
- Increased comfort - If you do not trim a cat’s nails often, they may begin scratching in an attempt to shorten their own nails. They may use a variety of surfaces including your furniture. Unfortunately, this also means that they may scratch you and other objects in your home.
- Bonding - Nail trimming and other routine health care maintenance can be the perfect time to bond with your cat or dog. Try to make the experience as enjoyable as possible and it can pay off for both of you. When you begin the process by calming your pet and finish by giving your pet a treat, he or she may look forward to a weekly claw inspection and trimming. This is a great experience because you can tell that your pet is happy and you know they are healthy too.
Getting the Job Done With Ease If you want to make sure your pet enjoys the benefits of routine claw trimming, you may want to learn how to perform the job yourself. Yes, you can go to a groomer for this, but it can prove costly to keep up with on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. There are several tools and tips for trimming your pet’s nails. To trim a cat or dog’s claws with relative ease, consider the following tips:
- Getting a nail grinder - There are specialized tools for trimming canine and feline claws. Rather than technically cut, they grind. These devices make it easier for you to handle the job and less intimidating for your dog or cat. A nail grinder is a tool that grinds the nails rather than cut them. This can be less painful for your pet because there is a lower chance of cutting the quick.
- Using rewards - Do not overlook the value of rewarding your pet for behaving well during a trim. When you reinforce that a treat is coming after a trim, your pet should respond well.
- Taking it with a grain of salt - If you are new at trimming your pet’s claws and find the job is a little difficult, do not sweat it. Rather than try to trim all four paws in one sitting, do one at a time. If your pet seems distressed, just back off for a bit and come back to the job later.
There are many benefits to trimming your pet’s nails. The main benefits include better mobility for your pet, improved overall health, and less pain. These benefits are worth it and even though your pet may be uncomfortable with the process, you should try to find ways to help them get through it. Rewards are important because they show your pet that your care and they were good during the process. This helps them to behave in a similar manner during the next nail trimming.
Jeremy Foster is a freelance writer who writes about pet care and pet products, focusing primarily on specific pet care products such as <a href="http://www.taylorgifts.com/prodetail~itemNo~29015.asp">Pedi Paws.</a>
Human and Animal Kingdoms
Animals typically don’t re-incarnate in the same sense that we do. Because we have an egoic level that animals don’t have, we can have repeated earth lives. Animals have, rather, an astral aspect, which dissipates into the general pool of astrality. This particular difference could well be shifting now, as the forces of spiritual evolution continue to play on all four kingdoms of life on Earth. One constant, however, is that animals and humans do not “inter-carnate.” Each kingdom keeps to itself. Another important difference between animals and humans is entailed in how animals tend to be specialists, while humans are the generalists. Every animal has either an ability or knowledge, or understanding, in a specialized area, that transcends a human capacity. A horse can out-run us. Birds can fly. Fish can breath under water, and so on. Humans, however, are the generalists. Humanity is able to address many of its lesser abilities by creative invention. We can make things that run faster than horses, or construct a craft that can fly. Although most animals may not yet reincarnate in the same sense as humans, they are still able to devise plans for their incarnations on a soul level, make choices, seek to learn and unfold specific lessons, and set out to accomplish spiritual goals. However, they do so via their group soul aspect, the over-lighting ego of the species, or one of several groupings within a species, more so than on an individual basis. The Spirit of the Bison, for example, is orchestrating plans on this level. (see the Earth Vision article The Return of Bison and Wolf for more on this. The naturo-human interchange is designed for teaching and learning - as a two way street. Ourselves and beings in nature are at once students and teachers of each other. As presented in The Spiritual Ecology of Evolution, we owe a dept to the animals, who have gone before us to help us find our way. This is what comprises the deeper basis in the impulse for stewardship, our responsibility to the animals. Some of the questions that proceed from this article are - do animals inter-carnate among themselves, that is, one species to another? And, in that animals are spiritually evolving, and therefore becoming more egoic, to what extent are some animals at this time actually reincarnating in the classical sense? And, in what ways is the nature-human relationship evolving? The Insight21/Earth Vision projects will be delving into these questions further, and will also be inviting input from readers who may have some experience and/or references toward this end. Further Resources The Return of Bison and Wolf - from the Earth Vision project — www.evsite.net The Spiritual Ecology of Evolution - from Insight21 - www.insight21.net
J Graf is the coordinator of Earth Vision and Insight21 - doorways for the 21st Century - at http://www.evsite.net and http://www.insight21.net
Start the New Year with a New Clean Up For Your Lawn
Spring isn’t quite here yet, but that is even more reason to get a head start on some spring clean up for your garden Winter may not have been harsh from your perspective, but the winds and rains may have done damage to your lawn that will need some fixing up before they can start growing and producing come spring time Some of the things to focus on if you want a great looking yard are: Spring Clean Up, Bed Prep, Turf Prep, and Composting
