Matter of Trust is the name of Californian environmental agency that organizes hair boom for the Gulf Coast Spill. Matter of Trust accepts donations of hair from all over the world and has opened more than dozen warehouses in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida where the hair is shipped. Finding hair as an extremely efficient material for taking in all kinds of oils, the environmental agency organizes fur providing to Bookstone School which then transports it to New Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola. While human hair seems to be most absorbent material, pet fur is thought to aid in spill as well. According veterinarian Hank Hall, the spring hair cut can be also helpful for your pet. He says it will make easier to see any fleas or ticks on your dog or cat and make them prevent on hot spots.
Dog owners wanting to donate dog fur to the Gulf can drop off the fur until Thursday at noon to Bookstone School at Bradley Park drive. Northside Animal Hospital headquartrered in Columbus is  ready to give your pet its spring hair cut. You can call Northside Animal Hospital at (706) 324-0333 for information on adoption. In addition, we should note also, that dog hair donations should be clean and free of trash and debris to make the volunteers avoid from additional work.

1. Many of us often keep our pets outdoors for many reasons. But, in cold weather it is very important not to leave pets outdoors. Outdoors, felines may freeze, become stolen, injured or killed. If nothing else, they may get infected from diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife. So, if are serious about your pet don’t leave it outdoors unattended but invite them in.

2. During the winter, you may have noticed also outdoor cats sometimes sleeping under the hood of your car. It is important to be very attentive before starting the engine in order not to injure or kill the pet by the fan belt. All you need to do is simply give a signal the cat could escape.

3. It is also important to keep a dog on the leash, especially during a snowstorm. The reason is that the dogs lose their scent in cold weather and they may easily become lost. So having a walk with your pet in winter keep in mind that your dog always wears ID tags.

4. As a pet owner you must keep them always clean, especially in winter. It is preferred to wipe of dog’s legs and stomach, when he comes in out from snow. In winter dogs can swallow various potential dangerous chemicals like antifreeze and salt while licking their paws.

5. Other type of a pet protection from cold weather is covering them with burlap or another fibrous cloth. For many dogs this is a regulation winter wear and you are able to choose coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage based from the tail to the belly.

6. If you often take your pet with you during driving, you must not forget to leave him alone in the car for a long time. In cold weather your car can act as a refrigerator and don’t allow the animal escape from freezing to death.

7. If you are a puppy owner, it is not necessary to housebreak him during the winter as you could do with an adult dog. Puppies don’t tolerate the cold in early ages and may become injured or get stick when they are outdoors during cold weather.

8. Many of us also own some types of pets that spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities. What to do in this way? We must only increase his supply of food, particularly protein him keeping his fur- in tip-top shape.

9. Be sure also always keep clean your vehicle and away from any spills like coolant or antifreeze, as they are lethal poison and can easily kill your pet. For more information visit http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/cold-weather-tips.html.

10. And lastly, before going to sleep, make sure your pet is in warm place to sleep, as he is a part of your family. Close all windows and be away from all drafts. A well designed dogs bed is the perfect thing you need now.

Anyone who’s ever owned a pet knows that they like to eat a lot. This fact is true that whether we are talking about ourselves, our dogs or our cats. What all animals eat has a big effect on their health. You must know your pet depends on you to make the right healthy pet food and treat choices when it comes to his or her health and happiness.  So it should come as no surprise that as a pet owner, you’ll meet various brands of pet foods. The pet food market has been dominated in the few years by the acquisition of big companies by even big companies. The growth of the pet foods industry now provides pet owners with better foods for their pets.

The terms ‘’natural’’ dog food and really ‘’premium’’ dog food you’ll notice taking a closer look at some of the labels during the shopping. Premium pet foods have higher standards when choosing the quality of ingredients, formula and nutritional value. Some of the newer scientifically developed premium wellness pet foods meet the ideal criteria while also delivering highly nutritious, balanced wellness diets. The premium dog or cat food can boost your pet’s immune system and give him or her a shinier coat, healthier teeth and gums, and more energy. Real food for dogs can be purchased in prepackaged meals combined to provide nutritional balance, or in separate dishes so that diets can be customized to provide optimum nutrition for individual dogs with individual needs. When speaking about cats, they are obligate carnivores and are very different from dogs in their nutritional foods. However, you may ask how to choose the best brand of premium pet foods, as all the manufacturers have different standards regarding the freshness and quality of their ingredients. When going to shopping, it’s important to know that the star ratings for premium wellness pet foods can be based mainly on four factors:

1) ingredients

2) guaranteed analysis

3)daily cost to feed

and

4) palatability

And lastly, choosing the suitable premium food for your pet you will be surprised that these foods may actually be less expensive and healthier for your pet.

From Wikipedia: “Well into the 20th century, coal miners brought canaries into coal mines as an “early warning signal” for deadly, toxic gases. The birds, being more sensitive, would become sick before the miners, who would then have a chance to escape or put on protective respirators.”

Is it any wonder that with the “pre green” proliferation of chemical laden cleaning and laundry products, building supplies, and monthly flea poison treatments, that our pets are developing cancer at such an alarming rate? In addition to protecting one’s animal from constant exposure to a myriad of possible household carcinogens, our having to negotiate the constant recalls and dangers of an unregulated, processed pet food industry can be an overwhelming and depressing nightmare. But there’s also a deeper issue: when it comes to these everyday toxins that we have become so unconscious about or accepting of, have our cherished, innocent pets become our modern day canaries?

“There are MANY things we can do to prevent our beloved companion animals from ever getting cancer,” says the author of the recently published, THE HEALING ART OF PET PARENTHOOD.
When her 8-year old dog, aka: her adopted daughter, Buttons, was diagnosed with deadly carcinoma and given 6 weeks to live, Nadine M. Rosin launched a massive personal research campaign into the world of holistic medicine. She soon came to learn that “holistic” didn’t mean symptom treating with natural remedies or herbs in lieu of pharmaceutical drugs. Instead, it meant clearing her home environment of all possible toxins, cleansing Buttons’ entire system physically and emotionally, and then giving her the proper nutritional support so that Buttons’ body could do what an unburdened body does best: heal itself.
Buttons went on to thrive for another 11 years. Exactly 1 week before her 19th birthday, she died peacefully of old age in her mom’s loving arms.

THE HEALING ART OF PET PARENTHOOD is an engaging narrative and an easy, interesting way to glean all kinds of valuable information on ways you can help prevent your own 4-legged family members (and maybe even the 2-legged ones) from ever having to deal with this awful disease. This is not dry text, but rather, it reads like a good novel that you will find hard to put down. Rosin’s writing has been called “brave” as she not only reveals herself and her life with radical and refreshing honesty, but as she goes on to describe what many pet parents are hesitant to reveal- her profound, maternal love for one furry beast… her “heart dog.”
“When their time does come to pass on, it is okay to grieve deeply. For pet parents it is NEVER a matter of, “It’s just a dog (cat/etc.),”" Rosin says. In fact, Rosin holds this book as her personal mission- that of removing the words “it’s just a dog(cat/etc.)” from the lips of non pet parents everywhere. So you’re not just going to want to buy a copy for yourself, but one for every person you know who doesn’t understand how much you love your pet.

I invite you to journey with Nadine M. Rosin into the emotional healing and self-awareness she develops over 19 years through the unconditional love of her dog, Buttons. Learn how to give YOUR OWN beloved animal the best life possible by joining them as they explore the world of holistic pet care to successfully treat canine cancer. Experience how Nadine copes with grief and loss, and ultimately discovers a continued spiritual connection with Buttons after death. THE HEALING ART OF PET PARENTHOOD is her story. It is only one version of a story shared by millions of pet parents.

AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY- AT ALL ONLINE BOOK RETAILERS
More information at http://www.TheHealingArtOfPetParenthood.com

As you may well know, potty-training a puppy requires constant effort on your part. The same goes for teaching a puppy new tricks. Puppies learn by repetition; the more they do something, the more likely they are to remember what it is you expect them to do. Don’t give up on your puppy too soon. Just because he isn’t catching on in the first few days of training, don’t assume there is no hope in him learning the tricks. Repetitiveness is the key; keep working on the same trick over and over until he has it mastered. Only then should you consider moving on to a new trick.

It is also important to reward your puppy for his efforts, even if he doesn’t get it right the first time. Your puppy will learn to associate treats with the desired action and will be more keen on “performing” for you if he knows he will be rewarded. As he is learning the new trick, you may want to gradually increase the size of his trick as his performance improves.

Try not to scold your puppy if he doesn’t perform the trick properly. Remember, he is just a baby. You most likely don’t yell at your infant for not walking when you think she should, so why would you yell at your puppy for not catching on to a new trick as quickly as you expect him to?

Keep these few simple guidelines in mind and you will soon find your puppy performing on command.  Remember to be patient and not give up hope; your puppy will learn new things more quickly as he gets older. We really aren’t that much different, you know.

• Make sure your pet enclosures are secure and big enough. A pet likes nothing more than free space to move around and being closed up too tightly can be unhealthy. Also, you wouldn’t want a pet that needs to be closed up exploiting a weakness in the enclosure!

• If it’s storming outside, don’t forget to bring your pets inside. Some pets may not understand weather the same way that humans do, so it can be quite a scare for them.

• Make sure your pets are tagged or collared if they are going to be out of the house. You wouldn’t want someone picking up your pet to call their own. They also run the risk of being taken to the pound if they’re not collared and/or tagged.

• Keep your pets healthy! This is a big one. Keeping your pet healthy is one of the most important things you can do. Make sure you keep your pets free of parasites and common diseases. Be positive that your pets’ vaccinations are up-to-date.

Following these simple steps can assure that your pet remains safe and out of harms way. Keeping a safe, healthy environment is very important for your pet!

]]> http://freepettips.com/2008/10/keep-pets-safe/feed/ 0 http://freepettips.com/2008/08/social-networks-for-pets/ http://freepettips.com/2008/08/social-networks-for-pets/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:22:00 +0000 admin http://freepettips.com/?p=58 Online networks targeting pet lovers are common, but a growing subset is catering to the pets themselves. Your pet can now join one of many social networks built just for them. We are starting a list of all the social networks for your critters to play at. Please post reviews or any that we may have missed in the comments:

Dogster
Catster
Hamsterster
Petster
Fuzzster
Pawspot
MyCatspace
Dogbook

Many dogs will never visually show during a pregnancy, and the ones that do will only show a few days before giving birth.  Instead you should look to the behavior of your dog:

• Changes in appetite – some dogs will eat more, while others will ignore their food altogether.
• Prominent nipples
• Increased sleeping / lethargy
• A clear discharge from the vagina
• A firm abdomen
• “Nesting” behaviors – digging and scratching at bedding, floors, etc.

When your dog is close to giving birth, you will see a decrease in appetite and a increase in nesting, restlessness, and panting.

There are some new products on the market that will help you find out if your dog is pregnant, but they are still out of reach for the home user.  One such project is ReproCHEK, which will determine pregnancy within 15 minutes, but is expensive ($500) and requires the pet owner to draw blood from their pet.

So even in this day and age of technology, intenet knowledge and wonder drugs… the best sure-fire way to find out if your dog is preggers, is to see your vet.