First Coast Pet

Archive for February, 2009

If you are considering a foray into the delightful world of a quirky animal like the Hermit Crab, you’re sure to learn some tips, tricks and techniques that provide you with the insight you need to make your crab feel relaxed, at ease, happy and ultimately healthy and the only place to learn how to make a Hermit Crab pet’s life worth living is herticrabguide.com Here, the guys of this site will give you more vital information on crabs so you not only understand more about their behavior, but more about exactly who they are. In this way you can provide your pet with the best possible home.

But first of all, before you actually change your mind in making them as pets and instead throwing them into the fire for a tasty crab dinner, you have to know that Hermit Crabs are neither hermit nor a crab. This crab’s one of Mother Nature’s one-in-a-million creations. And you probably know of him because he carries that snail shell on his back wherever he roams. And because that hard shell belongs to something else, that is the reason why he is known as Hermit. But even though everyone has heard of Hermit Crab pets, few know that this is really not a hermit at all. He is, honestly, a happy social God’s beautiful creature, enjoying the company of other crabs and of humans, too. And if you give him the chance, he’ll also enjoy interaction with you as well and you might even swear that your crab spoke to you in foreign tongue or something like that. And then, to top it all, he is not a crab. Hermit crabs has solid abdomens. They don’t. They possess soft undersides which are vulnerable to attacks and that explain why it needs a shell house. They should protect themselves from lots of attackers who would like nothing more than to snag themselves a crab dinner. And speaking of protect, as a Hermit Crab owner, you can learn a Hermit Crab care guide on the Internet so you won’t have a hard time looking for one.

About Dove Cresswell

As a Hollywood North dog trainer, Dove Cresswell has trained dogs for TV, film and commercials.

Even though she’s only twenty five, she already has ten years dog training experience for various breeds and sizes. She has also trained other animals including cougars, large reptiles, rodents, birds, and deer.

As a dog trainer for feature films, she is expected to deliver immediate results as time is money in the movie industry. Equally fast results can be anticipated from her audio/video dog training course.

Click here to take a look at this top notch dog training course: Dove Cresswell.

So What Is Covered?

Offered in audio/video format, this online dog training program includes the following seven lessons:

• Puppy Potty Training/Housetraining
• Dog Obedience Training
• Crate Training
• Walking Politely on a Leash: The Informal Heel
• The Recall
• Good Puppy & Dog Manners
• Special Dog Tricks

Useful advice for both large and small dog breeds is included in the puppy house training section.

My Favorite Parts

The sections are fun and waste no time in getting to the point. Well-illustrated slides and clear narration made the dog training techniques easy to understand. The multimedia format definitely has its advantages as dog owners can see the correct positions for themselves and their dogs, plus they can hear the voice tones to be used. This part of the online dog training course is better than an ebook.

Although this program is not as comprehensive as some of the dog obedience e-books in areas such as dog behavior and specific dog breed information, it is crammed with informative and well-presented dog obedience and house training guidance for dog owners.

Dove presents a very interesting and common-sense perspective on paper training. She believes that this is not a good practice as it is confusing for dogs. She explains in a very knowledgeable and easily understood way how puppies can be trained to always eliminate outside.

Free Extras

When you buy Dove Cresswell’s course you will also receive these bonuses and will have the opportunity to e-mail Dove with your individual dog behavior issue:

• Teach your dog to fetch
• Train your dog to play soccer
• Train your dog to play hide ‘n seek
• Information on dog sports
• Choosing the right toys for your dog
• Earning your dog’s respect
• Choosing the right dog food and treats

My Conclusions

My first reaction was one of surprise that only 7 lessons were included in this premium program; however, my opinion quickly changed once I actually listened to the course and discovered the extensive amount of information covered in each lesson. I enjoyed the multimedia format of this online dog training course; so much so that I wished it would have lasted longer. The easily understood lessons allow you model the techniques and successfully train your dog like a professional dog trainer.

The only negative with this course is that it’s only available online so you need an internet connection to be able to view it.  Because of this, I have given it a rating of 4 1/2 stars. If the course was also offered as an e-book, I would have gladly given it 5 stars.

This course would be great for all dog owners wanting a top notch dog training guide, however, I feel that it is especially appealing to people who feel that e-books are boring.  So you know what your getting in advance, you are allowed to take a look at a sample lesson prior to buying the course.

Dove Cresswell’s dog training course is top notch and I recommend that you check it out at Dove Cresswell’s Puppy & Dog Training Online.

So, you want a dog but you don’t want to mess it around with your kids. You readily went for a feline for a pet but you find it all too mysterious. Oh, you like pets that are furry and cute and none of these guys suit your taste so what you need to do now? Well, how about a Dwarf Hamster? Here’s something you need to know about Dwarf Hamsters: They are now one of the most popular pets in the world. Hamsters make good pets for anybody of all ages because of their cleanliness and cuteness, and hamsters are also more or less inexpensive and you can care for it easily. A hamster usually makes an ideal pet for children and helps teach responsibility. The lifespan more or less of a hampster is roughly 1-3 years, and for this reason, many people people claim that caring for this little creature is a more than appropriate way for a kid to eventually learn to overcome with loss.

There are many different kinds of hamsters but this is the main man right here and this little guy can only grow to three to four inches in length. You can put one with other hamsters and they will most of the time get along with each other. Before you decide to buy a hamster, you should buy all the supplies you need such as a hamster cage, water bottle, food, bedding and toys and most of all, it’s important that you should learn about Dwarf Hampster Care. You can invest in any of the stuff you need to prepare for a new pet hamster and also in buying a hamster pet guide by searching the Web.

Now, after you have everything set up, you are ready to buy a pet hamster from a pet shop or from a hamster breeder. The hamster itself is inexpensive, and you already have the hamster cage and other supplies set up and waiting for your hamster, so you shouldn’t have to spend much money at the pet store. Try to make sure that the hamster appears to be clean and well taken care of. But the most important thing of all, you really need to learn some Dwarf Hampster Care so that you can enjoy the company of these cute guys and even your children will get entertained by them for they are animals or pets that can really interact with people.

Cat owners know for a fact that bad cat breath can be downright awful. It isn’t that much different from bad human breath, as both are caused by bacteria found in the mouth that breaks protein down and releases the sulfur compounds out into the air.  Sulfur smells really bad on its own, which is why breath containing it smells bad as well.  The bacterium that causes bad breath with cats is normally associated with a buildup of tartar around the teeth. Tartar is yellow in color, known as a coating of bacteria, food, and minerals.

To cure your cat from bad breath, you’ll need to remove the buildup of tartar.  There are several cat foods out there that are designed to reduce the buildup of tartar, many containing enzymes that will literally dissolve it.  You can also give your cat treats as well, as many of them will help eliminate and prevent tartar.  If the buildup of tartar is bad, you may need to have your cat’s teeth professionally cleaned.  Once the tartar has been removed, the bad breath will go away.

You may be able to clean the tartar off your cat’s teeth at home.  There are several toothpastes available for pets, available in several different flavors.  You’ll need to get a mechanical toothbrush, as the motion is very important for removing tartar buildup.  Toothpastes that contain enzymes will dissolve tartar, helping to cure bad breath.You can really prevent development any type of bad breath, if you start brushing the teeth of your cat regularly.

Some bacteria that lead to tartar can be found in your cat’s diet.  When you feed him, you should always make sure that the food he consumes doesn’t contain a lot of bacteria.  If you shop healthy and feed him only healthy foods, it can help his bad breath a great deal.  When you give your pet a treat, make sure that the treat is designed to help with tartar.Once your kitten has finished eating, you can rinse his mouth or brush his teeth.  This way, you’ll get the bacteria out of his mouth before it has time to build up on his teeth.

Sometimes, cats may have a bad odor in their mouth that doesn’t come from tartar or bad breath in general.  In these rare cases, it can be either liver or kidney disease.  If you notice bad breath and it isn’t tartar, you should take your cat to the vet.  Even though it may be something to do with tartar, it’s better to be safe than sorry.  Your veterinarian can pinpoint the problem, let you know what the cause is – and how you should go about fixing it.

A lot of people think that cats work on their own agenda, not paying much attention to their owner – provided they have clean litter, food, and water.Some times cats might behave in odd manners, which might be really confusing to their owners and make it really hard to find out what the cat wants.  As much as cat behavior can be confusing, there are some ways that you can solve common cat behavior mysteries.

A common behavior that almost all cats do is push their heads into any type of object that will allow them to do it.  You’ve probably seen your cat do this before, probably against table legs, TV stands, or another object.  This can be noticed more when you have other people who own animals or those with allergies over at your house.As a cat notices this, he will usually rub his head against the person.  In doing so, he will put a touch of saliva on the individual.  In a cat’s mind, he owns what he puts his saliva on.

By putting his saliva on something, that object or person will have a familiar scent.  Although this can be very annoying, you have to understand that other people in your home are seen as odd or weird to your cat.  When a cat does this, he is simply trying to make the visitor belong.  When he brushes up against them and puts his saliva on them, he is trying to put his scent on them – which in his mind will mean that they belong in his territory.

Even though marking someone or something with saliva is beneficial to the cat, saliva is one of the most common forms of pet allergies.While anyone wipes the saliva off of them, the scent would be gone and the cat would go back and attempt in order repeat it again.Although it might emerge that cats target those who suffer from allergies, cats are really just trying to make the visitor belong to the house.  If the guest simply cannot take the saliva, allow the cat to rub himself on their pants leg a few times.  Normally, this is all takes for a cat to leave the person alone.

Those of you who an indoor cat should expect the cat to spend quite a bit of time lying near windows.  During this time, you may hear your cat make very strange noises or weird movements.  You shouldn’t fear though, as he is simply acting out his hunting instincts.Either it’s an object or another cat moving outside will trigger your cat to simply run into his native hunting instinct.

As most of us know, cats are fond of playing.They love playing with the toys on most of the occation.  They will pounce on things on occasion, which should always be expected.  If you try to prevent this type of behavior, your cat will take a very negative approach and you’ll end up with a lot of broken things in your home.  You can always play with your cat using a string, as he will love to chase the string around the room. 

The longer you own your cat, the more odd behavior you’ll see him exhibit.  Cats behave in strange ways, although they always have a reason for behaving the way they do.  If you can understand why your cat behaves like he does, you’ll have no problems keeping him healthy and happy.  If you simply pay attention to your cat and the way he behaves at times – you’ll be able to understand him better than ever before.

If you are new to owning a cat, you may be surprised to find that health problems are a common thing.  No matter what breed of cat you own, health problems are to be expected.  Some may be hereditary, while others can easily be prevented.

Worms
No matter what breed of cat it may be, worms are a very common and recurring problem.  Tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms are among the most common that infect cats.  Cats who have problems gaining weight, problems with fleas, or if you find white specks in his stool, you should have your vet test him for worms.Although it is true that they can be treated with appropriate medication, worms can prove to be serious if they are not treated in time.

Hairball
Hairballs are the most common health problem for cats.  All cats groom themselves on a daily basis, normally swallowing the loose hair that comes from their coats.  On occasion, this loose hair will gather into a ball and become lodged in the digestive tract instead of passing through in your cat’s stool.  When your cat starts to cough and hack, he is normally coughing up a hairball.After all it can be rather annoying later as many cats may come out from hairballs without having any problem.

In some cases, a hairball passes into the cat’s intestine, making a blockage.  Blockages are very serious problems, and can be life threatening if they aren’t treated.  If your cat becomes constipated, isn’t eating properly, or has a very dull coat, he could have a blockage.  If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take him to the vet immediately.  You can prevent hairballs and blockages by brushing your cat 2 – 3 times a week to remove loose hair.  You can also feed him food that is designed to control hairballs as well.

Urinary tract infection
Common health problem of cats includes urinary tract infections.  Urinary tract infection is more common with male cats that haven’t been neutered, although females can suffer from this problem as well.  When a cat suddenly stops going to his litter box, this problem is normally the cause.  Another symptom is when the cat’s urine starts to smell really strong.  If you suspect that your cat has a urinary tract infection, you should take him to the vet.Your vet will be able to cure this disease through medication, and recommend suggestins to help you in avoiding this in the future.

Feline leukemia
In the past, feline leukemia was the biggest cause of death in cats. These days however, there are vaccines available that can treat the disease.  To treat the disease, your cat will need to be given the shot before he or she is exposed.  Even though death doesn’t happen immediately, cats that are exposed to feline leukemia normally don’t have a long life span.If you know about the disease feline leukemia in you cat, you should never let the other cats move around him, because the virus is highly infectious.

To protect your cat, you should always make sure that you take him to the vet for his regular check ups.  If you keep him up to date on his vaccinations, he should lead a healthy and productive life. Few health problems can not be avoided, however many of them can be.  You can also keep your cat indoors as well, which will protect him from a majority of health problems.  If your cat is an outdoor cat, regular visits to the vet will keep him healthy.  As long as you take your cat to the vet and keep him healthy – he will be your companion for years to come.

Ringworm is a very common form of skin disease that is found in both dogs and cats.  Although its name makes you think otherwise, this skin disease isn’t caused by any type of worm.  It’s actually caused by fungi known as Dermatophytes that feed on dead tissues found in the surface of the skin, spreading them around the skin of the animal.

With cats, there is a certain type of fungi known as M Canis that is found with nearly 95% of all ringworm cases.Simply, cats would have the ringworm disease through dirty objects including bedding, clippers, or through other animals that already are infected with this disease.  If there are animals in your home or around your house that have the ringworm disease, your cat could very easily contract it this way.

If you have kittens or cats that are under a year old in your home, you should always use precaution, as they are more susceptible to ringworm.  Kittens can easily contract the disease, especially if you allow them to go outside.They can easily aquire infection from another cat which has the disease.  Kittens take a long time to build their immune system up, and in the meantime they are more apt to get common disease such as ringworm.

The most common symptoms of ringworm in cats are rough or broken hairs, or hair loss around the head or the paws.Ringworm is simply identified by a patch of scaly skin on the body that looks itchy and inflamed.  There will also be broken hairs around the patch of scaly skin.This is a very sensitive area, and you should not try ever to touch that, because the cat will get hurt.

If you find any of the symptoms mentioned above in your pet, you should fix an appointment with your vet immediately.  If the vet diagnosis your cat with ringworm, he may prescribe ointment or tablets.  What he describes however, will determine on how serious the ringworm is.  If he prescribes tablets to your cat, you should give them with meals.  Ointment on the other hand, is normally spread into the coat, topically.  You should always use what your vet prescribes on a daily basis, to ensure that your cat heals.  The healing process will take time, normally around six weeks or more.

Cats that have ringworm should be labeled as infectious.  If you have children in the house, you should keep them away from your pet. Whenever you handle your cat, you should always use gloves.  Ringworms are contagious, and you should always use caution.  Even though it’s a mild disease, ringworm can result in serious problems due to the slow recovery time and fact that it’s contagious.

North American are fond of cats.  They are loving pets, capable of providing you years of companionship.  Like other pets, catscan sometimes get sick.  There are several different types of ailments that cats can get, one of which is feline diabetes.Even though it can be treated by a veterinarian, diabetes of feline is a serious disease.

Diabetes is more common with humans than with cats or other animals. The reason for diabetes is really very simple.  Sugar, or glucose, is found in the blood.  The level of blood sugar in the body or the animal is kept under control by hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces.When the insulin is not produced in sufficient quantity by the pancreas, diabetes manifests.

The symptoms of feline diabetes will vary.  The most common symptoms include an increase in urine and an increase in thirst.  Other symptoms of feline diabetes include a loss of appetite, weight loss, and a poor coat.If you find the dish water empty all through the day, it is the sign of increasing the thirst, and may be underlying diabetes.

If you don’t get your cat treated for feline diabetes immediately, the cat will eventually become inactive, vomit on a regular basis, and eventually fall into a coma.On the other hand, if the diabetes is treated in time by your assistance, the cat will lead more normal and healthy life.  Keep in mind that treatment doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time and dedication.

Cats that have feline diabetes will need to be given food at the same time every day. They should be prevented from going outside as well.  If your cat has diabetes, you’ll need to give him insulin shots once or twice or a day.  Once your veterinarian checks your cat, he will tell you how many shots and how much insulin you need to give your cat. 

Before you give your cat his insulin shot, you should always make sure that he has some food first.  If he hasn’t eaten and you give him a shot anyway, he could end up with a hypoglycemic shock.  This can also occur from too much insulin as well.  A hypo can be really dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.  If your cat gets a hypoglycemic shock and you aren’t around, he may end up dying. 

If you have to give insulin shots to your cat due to feline diabetes, you should always keep a watchful eye on him after you have administered the shot.  After your cat has been on insulin for a period of time, your vet may reduce the amount of insulin.  Even though he may have to stay on insulin the rest of his life, he will lead an otherwise healthy life. 

Each one of us, sometimes in our lives, were touched by pets looking innocently with its cute eyes begging for little pat on the head or attention.  They may be in a pet shop that we just passed by or in a shelter. No matter where we found them, once we see “the look”, the next thing we know, this pet is already messing your bedroom floor.

Having a pet at home is a wonderful experience, whether it is for the whole family or for an individual. However, having a pet, more so, adopting a pet to live with us is a big decision. It is important to know first our capabilities in caring for a pet.

The Humane Society of the United States formulated some questions to answer before pursuing any plans of pet adoption. According to them, we would have to consider the reason for adopting. It is important to know why we are adopting, failing to answer or provide a good answer for this could lead to a big mistake.

Pets and animal companions just cannot be ignored. It is essential to find out that if we would have sufficient time for caring for a pet. Pets put up for adoptions are mostly in shelters. Let us remember that these pets were put into shelters because their owners can no longer take care of them.

Pet or animal care is very expensive nowadays. Pets not only require water and food but also they need to undergo training, grooming and other expenses. Let us remember that these pets are not only staying overnight or for a week.  Pets can live with us from 10 until 20 years. It is important to know if we can afford to let a pet into our lives.We need to inquire ourselves about the fact that, weather we can be responsible pet owners or not.

Of course pets, bring the good things in house like love, fun and happiness. But aside from these, pets are also bearers of infestations, damaged furniture, accidents from animals not yet trained and unexpected medical emergencies. Knowing our ability to cope and resolve this issue are important concerns to be addressed to. Meanwhile, if ever you choose to go to a vacation, it Is necessary to look for somebody to take charge of the pets while away.

Research is good thing. It is required to consider facts about the animals which we are interested in adopting. To arrange its accomodation it is required by us to know it’s characteristics.

It is absolutely necessary to know if any members of the family or companions in the house have allergy towards certain breed of pets. If ever there are children in the family, with ages below six, it is important to rethink the adoption. Because pets need some responsible individual it is quite difficult for the children to handle the pet’s on their own.  It is better to let a few years go by before getting another animal.

It is essential to ensure that the new pet will be able to mix up with other animal, if there is already a pet at home. Having a veterinarian is also important in caring for out pet animals.

There are certain places that have rules about the leash use on animals. There are also places that have local provision  about the most number of pet a person can own. Sometimes they even require the owner to have pet licenses.

Whether it is pet adoption or just simple pet ownership, it requires a lot  of patience and  care for our animals. It is important to answer the mention considerations before proceeding in getting pets.

What are the best bird cages? With numerous birds in the market, one of the cages that have shown that it is superior for both parrots and other large birds are the parrot cage designs. These have been made out of cast iron or some other metal to ensure that they are durable and also appealing to those that have to see the cage itself to see the bird.

Many of the newer designs are made out of either aluminum or titanium. Since they are both durable and lightweight, they offer the best of both worlds in parrot cage variants. Many of these are a bit of an investment, but many people see it as a good investment in the long run.

Some of the newer layouts have been made with the cleanup factor in mind. This means that there is less of a chance in having to vacuum around the cage if the parrot is upset and also that the cleaning time with the parrot cage is greatly minimized. These newer styles have been made to make the owner happier with the parrot and also in the cage itself.

In the past the cage was a nightmare to clean and was something that was a burden to move. You had to be constantly concerned with damaging it during the cleaning process. These old parrot cages where huge and usually heavy and were a danger to anyone that moved them.

Many recent models are easy to take apart and some are even becoming modular with the parts. This means that the cage can be disassembled and still have a portion that can be fashioned to contain the bird while the cage is being moved. The light weight material also means that the cages weigh much less than they used to. You no longer need a whole herd of men to move your parrot cage from one room to another.

One thing that you really do need to keep in mind when you’re out picking out a cage is that you’ve got to find one that looks good in your home. You’re probably not going to want to choose a grand gold parrot cage if you’ve got silver accents on all your tables. Choose one that blends into the décor so the thing your guests are noticing is the pretty bird inside the cage, and not the parrot cage itself.

Granted any pet should be viewed as an investment, but they really do quickly become a part of the family. This is especially true of a parrot who will chatter their way right into your heart.