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Neutering and Spaying Prevents Unwanted Dogs

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For those of us which have spent any time at all in an animal shelter, it is heartbreaking to watch dogs, which are put down just because they cannot find a home. There are more than 21,000 pets put down each day in the US alone, which totals 6 to 8 million deaths per year. This is due to the fact, their owners decided they could not or would not keep them.


There is an old belief, that if you let your female dog have just one litter of pups, she will be a calmer and more gentle dog, this is not so. In order to have a calm and gentle female dog, it will take training by the owners and maturating of the dog.

Another belief that we have all heard is, if you spay or neuter your dog they will become overweight, this is not so. By the time your dog is spayed or neutered they are around 6 months of age, by this time they are not growing at such a fast pace and their metabolism is slowing down. If you keep your dog on a healthy daily diet, without an overabundance of doggy treats and they get sufficient daily exercise they will maintain a healthy body weight.

When your dog is sterilized some health issues will be eliminated and it will reduce the risk of other health issues. Sterilization will spare your family emotional and financial stress caused by an illness, as well as sparing your beloved pet the pain of disease.

Spaying eliminates the chance of ovarian and uterine cancer, in female dogs, along with reducing the chance of breast cancer, the surgery needs to take place before the females first estrous (Heat) cycle.

Neutered male dogs will not have the risk of testicular cancer or prostate disease, due to the removal of their testicles.

Dogs which have been spayed or neutered, will make better companions, they are less likely to bite and be aggressive toward humans and other dogs.  You will not have to worry about taking your pet out for their daily exercise when your female dog, does not come into heat.

Before choosing a dog, think about visiting a shelter and checking out their dogs, shelters usually have a varity of dogs to choose from and you might be saving the dog from being euthanized as well.

It is wise to let the whole family be involved in choosing a new dog; it is not uncommon for the dogs in a shelter to choose their new owners. The shelter will have all the information you will need to make sure, the dog you choose will be suitable for your entire family.

Apart from being a veterinarian, Susan Wright is a freelance writer. Find helpful advice on being a caring pet owner and good neighbor on this website.





The Truth About Ticks and Why You Should Protect Your Kids From These Bloodsuckers

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Ticks are pests that plague animals, especially pets, like dogs. We don’t usually think that ticks can bite or harm our children. But ticks are actually pretty harmful. Infected bugs can carry and transmit grave illnesses, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Because ticks suck blood, they could easily obtain infected blood from other sources and transmit this while feeding on an uninfected animal or human. There are some species of ticks that also cause tick paralysis. This condition is not brought about by a harmful virus passed on by a tick. A tick can cause the paralysis because of a certain toxin that it injects as it bites and sucks blood. Luckily, the paralysis is not permanent; but it could last for a few days. Healthy individuals recover quickly. The most at risk are young children.

What to Do When Your Child Is Bitten

When you see a creature that has attached itself to a person’s skin, the image can definitely make your skin crawl. On top of that, the tick does not just bite; it sucks blood. Generally, ticks can bite on any exposed skin. Ticks that cause paralysis are usually those that have attached themselves on the back of the neck.

In case you see a tick on your child’s skin, do not panic. There are several ways to remove the tick. Here are two ways to remove ticks on the skin.

1. Use tweezers or forceps.


Get a pair of firm tweezers or curved forceps. Grip the tick firmly, and then, slowly but steadily pull it off. If you yank or twist, you’ll most likely leave its mouth part embedded in the skin. Furthermore, do not use your bare hands because it’s unsanitary, and you won’t be able to grasp the tiny critter properly as well. In case there are tick parts left on the skin, you can seek assistance from your pediatrician. He can give you instructions regarding removal.

2. Smother the tick with liquid detergent.

Another way is to use liquid detergent to remove an attached tick. First, immerse a cotton ball in liquid detergent. Then, place the cotton ball on the tick. Do not pull or twist. Let the liquid soap smother the tick. After a while, the tick suffocates and then it will release its hold on the skin. If you use this technique, you won’t have to worry about leaving mouth parts on the skin.

After removing ticks, make sure that you dispose of them properly. One way to do this is by preparing a jar or bottle with some alcohol or water in it. Simply drop the ticks inside. The creatures will drown in the liquid. Dispose of the water by flushing it in the toilet.

What about Antibiotic Treatment?

You can put a small amount of antibiotic cream on the site of the bite. But be sure to watch out for infection. In case there’s redness or swelling, consult a doctor. Also, doctors usually do not recommend a full course of antibiotic therapy for kids that have been bitten by ticks. However, if they suspect that a tick may have transferred a virus or disease, they could conduct further tests and also prescribe apt medication.

In order to make sure that the tick that bit your child wasn’t infectious, keep the dead tick in a jar and have this tested. By doing so, you’ll know if the tick was carrying dangerous microorganisms or not. You’ll have peace of mind if you know for sure.

Claire Brent is a freelance writer who regularly writes about common household pests and how to get rid of them using natural methods. She also blogs for Preventive Pest, a dependable pest control company that can take care of various kinds of nasty and damaging creatures.

photo by: Ernst Vikne

Practical Feng Shui for the Home

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Feng Shui for many people is something mysterious and somehow magical. But if you analyze the basic principles of this ancient Chinese art, they are in fact rational whether you believe it or otherwise. This system of beliefs lies on the theory that energy flows through everything. It is the practice of placing objects in such a manner that they allow and not hinder the proper flow of energy. Arranging the home the Chinese way brings luck even to the non-believer. Here’s how:

Doors

Make the flow of chi (positive energy) from the front entrance to the back door continuous and unhindered. Doorways should be cleared – no big furniture or seats should block the way. This makes sense – who wants to hit her shins against a carelessly-positioned chair, anyway? Hang wind chimes outside huge doors to deflect sha, or negative energy. Aesthetic-wise, they make nice accents as well, to break the monotony and massiveness of the wood.

Stairways

Poorly positioned stairways deflect chi that enters from the front door. Stairways that are opposite front doors direct good vibes into the second floor, thus starving the ground floor. In a practical sense, such accessibility also poses danger should anyone break into your house.

Winding staircases – not spiral staircases that seem to bore a hole into the earth – are ideal for the flow of chi.  They are good for small units because they don’t take up so much space.

Dining room

Round tables signify stability and the Earth (and money), so get one for your dining area. Round tables also encourage participation of everyone during dinner conversations.

Kitchen

Your sinks represents water and your stove signifies fire, which are two clashing elements, so these two shouldn’t be placed side by side. Besides, imagine the damage if you accidentally splash water on your electric stove! Remedy with a wooden plank or counter in between (the wood represents earth, which balances the two out).

While you’re at it, paint your kitchen white, a “reflection of purity” – and a color that makes it easy to spot stains.

Toilets in the kitchen are a definite no-no because they produce negative vibes (the flushing action of the toilet represents the flushing down of wealth, which is symbolized by the food in the kitchen). They produce diseases, too.

Bedroom

The Chinese carry their deceased feet first out the door, so never sleep with your feet directly towards the doorway. Besides, you wouldn’t want anyone to look up your nightgown, would you? It is not advisable to hang picture frames on the wall behind your bed as doing so may bring you nightmares and unhealthy results. Do not place your bed too close to the window as well to prevent bad dreams. Your bedroom must not be situated very near to the kitchen as the latter is related to fire which is a symbol that could be very fatal to anyone’s bedroom.

Lastly, placing a mirror right in front of your bed is also a no-no because they are said to be the hiding place of ghosts and other earthly creatures that you don’t want to see.

Keeping these Feng Shui tips in mind can be advantageous especially if you intend to sell the property sooner or later. You might not expect it but there are actually quite a number of people who value this oriental concept in home building. It will be easier to sell your unit as even believers will be drawn in by how your unit’s design agree with the dynamics of Feng Shui. On the other hand, potential clients who don’t really buy this superstition will most likely just shrug it off and not care whether or not the unit’s design adheres to such principle.

Meanwhile, if you are not too sure about the authenticity of this concept, perhaps you just have to decide based on the premise that following the principles of Feng Shui poses no direct harm on your home, the inhabitants, and your budget. It does not necessarily entail a lot of bizarre addition to the home fixtures, nor does it require bigger funds for home building, so you might as well give it a try. While it may or may not directly bring in “luck” and prosperity to the home, it could heighten your earning potential especially if you are building for real estate business.

Cedric Loiselle is an experienced writer who enjoys imparting useful information to many readers. The topics he usually writes about include finance, home improvement, relationships, and health. Looking for a good property manager? He can give sound referrals be it for Louisiana, Baton Rouge, or New Orleans property management.

How to Check if Your Pet Dog is Sick

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Taking care of a pet dog is quite tricky because it is not all about enjoying their company and playing with all the time and making sure they are fed with food at a regular basis. Your pet dog also needs special care and attention especially when they start to feel a little sick. Unfortunately, unlike humans, dogs cannot easily tell us that they are not feeling well so as pet owners, it is our responsibility to take not when our dogs are and are not feeling well.

There are many different ways to gauge if your pet dog is sick and as pet owners, it is your responsibility to know these things in order to help them out. Here are some indications that your dog might be getting sick.

Dogs Sniffs Are Totally Important

You probably notice that your dog’s nose is wet at all times, right? This is because your dog is relatively healthy. When your dog’s nose is wet, this does not mean that your dog has colds and has difficulty in sneezing the mucous out. In fact, it’s actually the other way around. If your dog’s nose suddenly becomes dry, then that can be an indication of sickness.

Eating Habits, Appetite and Dog Sickness

Your dog’s appetite speaks so much of how healthy it is. If your dog is a huge eater and then one day it no longer wants to eat as much, then that should normally be a cause of alarm for you. Just like humans, when dogs lose their appetite, it can be because they are not feeling very well at all.

Healthy Living and Exercising is a Must

Depending on the sickness that your dog has, it can lose interest in its usual daily activities. For instance, if your dog usually loves walking with you in the morning and you find that today’s walk has been a drag, then do not get angry with your dog immediately. Rather, look to see what’s wrong with it.

Allergies Are a Total Health Buster

If you have been taking care of your pet dog for quite some time now and notice these changes immediately too, then check for your dog’s possible allergies. Sometimes, dog allergies can be found on their skin and beneath their layers of fur or can also be found in their tummies, or their paws, and even their faces. When allergy strikes, your dog is also bound to be sick.

Now that you know these things about pet dog sickness, all you have to do is coordinate with your veterinarian to help you out when these problems strike your pet dog. You can also do immediate relief in the comfort of your own home just as long as you know for sure what you’re doing.

This article is exclusively written by Artchee Mendoza for this site. Artchee is a contributing writer for www.paws-unleashed.com who are excellent in dog grooming Charlotte NC.

Pick an Act, Any Act …

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Your company is having an event and you have been delegated to be the party organiser. You want it to be a night to remember  – but for the right reasons, so how do you book an appropriate act to ensure an eventful evening?

Firstly, take a look at your team and company.  Are they sombre types or are they outgoing? Do the grey suits come off and the disco shirts come on after they have had a few? If, they are the former, it might be advisable to avoid booking acts that require high levels of audience interaction and participation. Nothing worse than that sinking feeling which comes when a shy participant refuses to play ball – or with whatever toy or apparatus is thrown at them. If you know your team and know that they like to have fun, then go for the most outrageous act you can. There are loads out there to choose from.

It might be worthwhile having a quick word with your boss. Do they want to maintain the professional reputation of their company or do they enjoy getting down with the rest of them? Does the boss want the team to be dazzled by magic, laugh at a comedy act, reflect on the year ahead by listening to a specialist, or put on a day glo wig, flares and go back to the seventies?

Think of the brand and values of your company. In these austere times it may be unwise to be seen putting on a lavish bash and hiring expensive acts, especially if you work in the financial or social welfare sector. Acts that specifically go against how your company is perceived are a no no: do not book dancing dogs if your work for an animal welfare charity, no matter how cute and happy they look.

Why not do a quick survey with your team and establish if they want to laugh, to dance or to be entertained? The theatre, cabaret and live act circuit is full of unusual and exciting acts that are better experienced live rather than passively stared at on the box. Indeed, some acts only work live so the audience can see there really are no hidden wires or trickery involved in the performance.

Variety acts are currently hugely popular company bookings. Fire eaters, illusionists, sword swallowers can make your event memorable. If you are booking an after dinner event, why not go for a hypnotist, mind reader or illusionist? Cards appear from nowhere, secrets might be revealed, under hypnosis, your company might unleash talent that it didn’t even know it had! So think before booking, and then pick an act, any act…

Steve Hulmes is a professional blogger and stand-up comedian. Steve is regularly found blogging on corporate entertainment ideas.

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