Tips About Pets

If there's one lesson that I've learned well as a dog owner, it's this: Before bringing that new puppy home, you want to puppy proof your home.

Here's how you can do just that.

Identify and remove any toxic plants that could effect your puppy

Many plants that are common to our gardens and homes (including the dead leaves) can be poisonous to our dogs. Here is the ASPCA listing which is an excellent listing and resource: Toxic Plants

Think about toxic human foods – the yummy things that can kill your puppy!

There are human foods that are very toxic to dogs. Chief among them are onions, chocolate, grapes and raisins. It is very important that you make any children in your house AND neighborhood aware of this. For a complete list go to: Bad Food List

Third, here are ten things to do the day before that new bundle of fir arrives.

• Close doors or set up baby gates to rooms you don't want the puppy to get into. Puppies are naturally curious and will explore. It is best to keep them confined to one room or part of a room, and gradually increase their range.

• Get all plant, small pets (gerbils, guinea pigs, fish, lizards, etc.), electrical cords and curtain/shade pulls out of puppy range. Covers for electrical cords are advisable.

• Keep kids' toys picked up and out of puppy reach. Puppies do not know the difference between their toys and your daughter's brand new Barbie doll.

• Remote controls and video game equipment (which are often used and left on the floor) needs to be put in a secure location away from a curious puppy.

• Lift up your wastebaskets! Gross as it sounds, dogs love dirty tissues and other nasty things that are put in wastebaskets! It is like their own disgusting, nose level buffet. My adult dogs are five and ten years old and will still occasionally sneak things out of the wastebaskets.

• Check your fencing – make sure it goes completely to the ground. You would be amazed at how small a gap a puppy can fit through! In fact, I recommend keeping puppies tethered, even if the backyard is fenced, until they are fairly reliable on the recall.

The game of 'Catch the Puppy' is not a good game to be playing with your young puppy. You need to stay in control as much as possible.

• Keep all medications and chemicals securely hidden. Dogs can counter cruise and a simple bottle of pain reliever consumed by a curious pup can have fatal consequences.

• Remember, your puppy is going to grow! What may pass for puppy-proof today may not be adequate in another month or two. Be aware of your pup's ever increasing range and curiosity.

• Bottom line is you have to be watching your puppy constantly. Any thing other than food that they chew and swallow has the potential to make them sick or, worse yet, kill them.

• Don't forget the tail. Not all puppy damage is done by puppy chewing. Make sure all breakable items are above tail level. One good swipe with a happy tail and grandma's crystal vase is shattered.

Finally, have Poison Control Center information handy

If you think your puppy has been poisoned Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center The telephone number is (888) 426-4435. There is a consultation fee for this service.

Use the ideas presented here to prepare your home for your new puppy.

As you may have figured out, horses do not seem to speak our language. That is why we must learn to adapt and speak theirs. Have you noticed the swivel of their ears, the movements of their hips and the expressions on their face? These things are the way horses communicate with each other and us.

In order to understand their language first we must understand what our body language says to them. Waving arms around in a desperate attempt to get the halter on is sure to cause some alarm. Running towards them in a pasture instead of approaching them calmly can give them the image of a surprise attack by a predator. Remember, when it comes down to it, no horse is bombproof so when you are around your horse make sure your body language is slow and calm. Keeping yourself calm is the first step to helping a horse remain calm.

Horses speak with both ends of their body - unlike us humans who speak with only the top half. Not only are the back and front the ends where the signals come from they are also the ends where injuries to humans come from, so watch what they are telling you.

EARS BACK

Almost all horse people know that when a horse has his/her ears laid flat back something is amiss. The horse could be frightened or in most cases angry. This is a time to watch both ends of the horse’s body carefully.

Yet this gesture is not always dangerous. The horse could either be listening to commands or noises coming from behind or just be resting out of boredom. As you come to know your horse you will begin to learn the true difference.

EARS FOWARD

Not really anything to worry about right? Happy horses have their ears forward - sometimes but not always. As a horse directs his or her attention to something its ears usually follow. Also ears sticking up high can be signs of mischief or the horse being very alert. Good time to remind your horse you are in charge if his/her attention span flies around during your ride.

GROOMING

Most people approach grooming as something that just needs to be done and nothing else. In truth grooming your horse establishes a bond with you and that horse just as a horse would bond with other horses through grooming in the wild.

If you treat a horse roughly or only do a quick once over with the brush the horse can only assume you are a rough or harsh handler. Whereas if you spend a lot of time grooming and caring for the horse you create a trusting bond with it.

Some cat owners make the mistake of preventing their cat from eating grass. There are various reasons for this, one being that they think it makes their cat ill or upsets their stomach. This is an incorrect assumption and in fact the eating of grass followed by regurgitation is a perfectly natural behavior for all cats.

Cats do not possess the ability to separate meat from fur bones or feathers before eating like we do so they have to eat the digestible parts along with the indigestible parts. When the cat has finished digesting what he can the rest has to be removed from the system. To try and pass this through the digestive tract could cause obstruction and severe illness so this is where grass eating comes in.

The habit of eating grass triggers the natural process of regurgitation of indigestible foods including its own fur balls which would otherwise obstruct the system. This can appear to us humans as if the cat is being violently ill but this is not the case and in fact is very beneficial to the cat.

What about other plants and vegetables?

Cats cannot produce the enzymes needed to break down plant matter. Even when pureed or powdered, vegetables simply pass through the digestive tract without leaving any of their nutritional content. This alone is not harmful to your cat, but when undigested plant matter mixes with highly digestible food such as meat, indigestion and other complications may occur. Grass is an exception however; some cats compulsively eat grass when you leave them outdoors. This will cause them to regurgitate the indigestible matter, including raw vegetables.

If your cat is unable to get access to grass he may attempt to eat your house plants instead. This could be dangerous because some house plants and flowers are toxic to cats, so if you have a house cat like a Ragdoll cat for example you should provide a regular supply of potted grass to prevent him looking elsewhere. And most importantly do not punish your cat for regurgitating on to you carpet because he will not know why you are punishing him. Regurgitation is an involuntary action of your cat’s stomach so he could not stop it happening even if he tried. Cleaning up after the occasional regurgitation should be an accepted part of being a loving cat owner as they are only doing what comes naturally.