Archive for March, 2010

Dog Care Basics – How To Care For Dogs?

Monday, March 29th, 2010

You may be pleased to learn that looking after a small dog isn’t that difficult. Although, some small dogs do have particular requirements worth noting. There are a few things that will need to be carefully considered before you proceed to buy one.

Feeding time:

Some of the standard size food you may provide a larger dog ma not be suitable to a smaller breed. Make sure that your dog gets a kibble which suits his tiny mouth and you could get these along with the premium brand of dog foods. Canned soft foods are also perfectly suitable for tiny canines.

How to contain them:

Most dogs just require a properly fenced in yard for them to be safe – well that’s what the general belief is. Smaller dogs are much more nimble that larger dogs and what might be a secure environment for one is not necessarily for the other. An important safety concern is that no fence would protect your tiny pet from the prying eyes of hawks flying overhead as they are famous for stooping down to snatch away the Lilliputians and smaller puppies. A covered kennel run might better meet your pet’s needs.

Training your dog:

The problem with this is that most tiny dogs are spoilt by their owners even though they should not be any harder to train – according to dog experts. However tiny your dog may be, the small dog is still a follower of pack behavior where the important thing to remember is that you do not lead the pack, the dog does. It may seem like a minor matter but just because they are diminutive and the mess they leave might not be much, it doesn’t mean they do not need to be house trained. According to dog experts, let the dog work for you so that he understands and identifies your demands and rules. If you can train your dog to perform small tricks and other normal things like fetching a stick for example you can then provide them with a small treat afterwards.

Grooming your dog:

Caring for a small dog involves some specific functions to keep him looking good. Firstly, as they do not get the same type of outdoor exercise that a larger dog does whereby their nails are trimmed automatically, tiny dogs require their nails trimmed on a more regular basTiny canines do not get the same sort of regular outdoor exercise on rough surfaces that controls their nail growth like a larger dog so they will need to be trimmed more often. If you want to ensure they have healthy teeth and gums you will have to brush them at least a couple of times each week as their main diet will consist of soft food from a can. As is evident from the above, caring for a small dog is very much the same for any dog of any size. Your pet has special needs that may at first seem minor but if you love them and want them to stay healthy and content, it is worth following these guidelines.

Things You Must Never Feed Your Pet Bird

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Being the owner of a bird is one thing, however taking care of a bird is a different matter, which is the reason that any good bird keeper must know that there are certain things which must never be fed to their bird. The first one on this list of course is chocolate and though it’s a delightful goody it can make a horrifying impact on the bird’s gastrointestinal system. Usually it will cause them to have diarrhea or even vomit, though the problem could then go from their digestive system to their central nervous system leading to death.

Specific fruits must not be provided to birds, which includes pears, apricots, apples, peaches and cherries since the seeds of these fruits have trace volumes of cyanide. Besides cyanide, there could also be other harmful chemicals in those fruit if pesticides were used in help it grow.

One particular fruit which ought to be brought up and not given to your pet bird is the avocado. This is because the skin and the pit of the fruit may create cardiac distress as well as heart failure in certain species.

Certain veggies are harmful too, one being an onion that may create stomach issues. Mushrooms which are a sort of fungus are harmful as well, causing respiratory distress, kidney failure and then death. Though a few vets and pet owners are concerned about giving pet birds certain vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes and other mushrooms, there’s other people who say that it can be given without any harmful issues so long as it’s properly cleaned first.

A few of beverages we as humans take with a grain of salt should not be provided to these pets particularly products that have either alcohol or caffeine content in them. This is because caffeine causes them cardiac malfunction and from time to time, might cause cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, hyperactivity, and increased heartbeat. Alcohol on the other hand depresses your pet’s organs which may be fatal.

Apart from water, it is advisable to offer your pet bird some fresh fruit or vegetable juice which in addition supplies them their nutritionary requisites. Salt or any products that contain it must not be given because this oftentimes leads to dehydration, kidney dysfunction, thirst and even death.

Finally, you should never give your pet bird raw beans since they have a poison known as hemaglutin, therefore if you do give it, make sure it is fully cooked first.

Knowing what these bad foods are would guarantee that your bird can survive for a long time. So what will you feed your bird? Well to be on the safe side, it will be a good idea to provide them foods consisting of seeds and pellets. If an hour passes and there’s still a bit remaining, it is best to take it out and discard it.