Congratulations! You have brought home a new best friend- a bunny! You will find that your new rabbit companion will bring you much joy, though your vaccum cleaner may not necessarily agree!
Some of the first things you will want to do is set up an area for bunny only. I recommend an area that is easy to clean, such as a floor where you can easily sweep debris straight outside, or, designate an old vaccum for your rabbit area only as you will need to clean up every day, or, at the very least, every other day. Rabbits poop constantly, but luckily, it’s very easy to clean up.
Many people prefer to keep their rabbits outside, however, for this article, I will not focus on that.
When I unexpectedly received my first bunny friend, I hadn’t a clue what to do or how to take care of him. Unfortunately, he was confined in the kids’ bathroom for a few days while I scoured the internet in search of information. Thankfully, this time around, I was a quick study and he was soon permitted the run of our home!
If you choose to keep your rabbit indoors, you can do that relatively inexpensively, and still have a “hoppy” bunny! Here is what you will need; you can find these items for a few dollars or a bit more at a WalMart or a pet store:
BOWLS A water dish that won’t tip, preferably a clay one. Unless you are going to be keeping your bunny in a small cage, you do not need a drip spout water container. Rabbits can drink just like other animals. One or two food dishes which won’t tip over, again, heavy, of the clay or similiar type.
LITTER BOX: You can buy a regular cat box, but do not buy cat litter as it is dangerous if ingested or breathed by bunnies! Hay is an excellent choice. Other types of litter to use are derived from alfalfa, oat, citrus or just plain old paper, though paper will do nothing to take care of the strong urine smell of a bunny. As rabbits are very clean animals, it’s very important to clean their areas often. It’s also important that, once you have arranged their area, to leave it ‘as is’ as much as possible, as rabbits are creatures of habit and like their areas just so.
FOOD: HAY! Hay is very important to a bunnies’ diet! Rabbits are vegans, and therefore must have grass, hay, some fruits and veggies. If you are going to a farmer for hay, you want the square bale hay, not the round bale. The round bale is ‘junk’ hay- the type cows eat. Rabbits’ digestive systems cannot handle that type of hay. You also do not want to offer straw. A moderate amount of pellets are okay as well, unless you happen to have an underweight bunny. They adore carrots, apples, pears, timothy grass. Limit cabbage and lettuce as this can give a rabbit diarrhea.
What we did was have a bag of carrots, pellets, (dried, processed rabbit food), timothy grass and apples always on hand for our rabbit. We let him outside in a roomy cage during the day to eat plenty of fresh grass, clover and some pellets, and at night we gave him free access to pellets, timothy grass, a bit of apple, carrots and pears.
WATER: Rabbits drink A LOT! Always provide fresh water. We have two dogs and two cats, so we change our water several tmes a day. Change your rabbits’ water at least two or three times daily. They all drank from the same bowls, so I wash the bowls every day as well.
SLEEP: Rabbits are nocturnal, meaning, they are active in the early morning and evening hours. They will find somewhere to sleep during the day. My rabbit usually slept under my bed. However, this is not encouraged because rabbits tend to dribble quite often and it’s hard to get under a bed every day to clean up rabbit poop! This is a good time to put the rabbit in its’ own private spot.
Rabbits love to hide, so a small doghouse, a box with windows cut out, or even a chair with a big sheet or a blanket covering it are all good places for a rabbit to hide out and feel secure.
TOYS AND CHEW-THINGS: Rabbits not only love to chew, but they must as well. Their teeth continue to grow, so they must always have something to chew. Good choices, of course, are carrots, fruits, untreated wicker, pine cones, cardboard, and twigs. If you do allow your bunny to have free run of your home, you must bunny proof, which is akin to baby-proofing, as your bunny will chew everything- wires, furniture, and a lot more.
Choose cardboard, baby toys (laugh as they throw these and kitty toys!), phone books, balls of any size. Give too many toys, not too few. If you give too few toys or activities, you will soon find your baseboards, sweaters, wires, furniture, shoes and other things chewed!
Now that you have the basics, settle in for a few days with your new bunny! Keep your bunny in a designated spot for those few days as he or she learns to use the litter box, learns where his or her food is and just learns that you are a friend.
One last thing: Be careful when picking up your bunny- he or she is not a kitten or a puppy! Rabbits are very shy and easily scared creatures, and they are animals of prey, so when you pick them up, let them know you are there, and pick them up from their sides, and carefully- NEVER by their ears, and never from behind as you will startle them and find yourself with some nasty scratches. Earn their trust. If at first, your bunny will not allow you to hold him or her, don’t fret. I will address that issue in another article, as well as a favorite rabbit issue of mine, called grooming.
If your rabbit does approach you in the meantime, talk to him or her softly, scratch him or her behind the ears, under the chin, on the back jaw and on the top of the head.
This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.
As a dog owner, you may find yourself needing to give your dog first aid. Whether a car accident has occurred or your dog has collapsed from health related problems, there are some things you could prepare yourself for. Dogs are curious creatures and sometimes get into dangerous situations. When they get into trouble, it will be your job to help.
Nobody expects you to know everything a veterinarian knows. But, don’t sell yourself short. Many of the problems a dog faces are similar to those of our own. Until you can get your dog to a vet, he or she will depend on you. And, sometimes the care you provide along the way will make the difference when you get to your vet. Having the supplies you need on hand will really help you to be effective.
Having the supplies you need on hand will really help you to be effective. Rolls of gauze and tape are handy to slow or stop bleeding. You can also find some great blood-clotting topical products too. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant. An old clean blanket is essential for wrapping a dog in shock. We frequently give a product called Nutrical to dogs when they appear to have a low blood sugar.
A first aid kit should also include: ammonia water, antibiotic treatment, hydro cortisone ointment, eyewash, and antihistamine. Also, absorbent cotton, gauze rolls or pads, scissors (preferably with rounded tips), tweezers, a rectal thermometer; syringes (without the needle) for giving oral medications, elastic bandages, an enema bag, soap, and a plastic bowl for preparing dilutions.
Take some time to read those books you have in your doggie library. They will help you get familiar with first aid procedures for your dog. But, don’t delay taking your dog to the vet when needed. Keep your vet’s phone number handy in case you need him. If you think your dog may need professional care in the middle of the night or on a weekend, consider calling your vet and advising him. He may have some good advice or instructions to help you reach him.
Alton Hargrave offers advice and resources for those interested in dogs. His website, http://Dog-Daze.net contains honest information regarding all breeds of dogs, diseases of dogs, and how to maintain your dog.
Last week the drug manufacturer Merck pulled their pain relief
medication Vioxx (rofecoxib) from the market due to studies
linking higher incidence of heart attacks and strokes to long
term use of their medication. The highly profitable medicine
was aimed at Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers and others who
weren’t able to stomach aspirin, which is arguably more
effective than Vioxx is for most pain relief.
Top search engine rankings for the trademarked word “Vioxx”
were dominated by Merck-owned web site http://www.Vioxx.com
as of September 30, 2004. The site is likely to keep that
ranking now that hundreds of thousands are flocking to the
search engines and typing in “Vioxx” to learn if they or
their loved ones are at risk of heart attack from taking
the medication.
News organizations are all linking to http://www.Vioxx.com
site from online news stories about the health concerns and
financial repurcussions to Merck of the sudden recall. Merck
has run full page ads in top newspapers nationwide addressing
the sudden action and sending those millions of readers to
the http://www.Vioxx.com site and http://www.Merck.com site
to read disclaimers and learn how to get refunds for the
medication they already have in their medicine cabinets. The
inbound links will soar at a point when they probably want
it most so they can present their case to web visitors.
Taking the second position is the FDA page outlining the recall
and linking to more info at the FDA site
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/vioxx/default.htm
Third place for the single word “Vioxx” also belongs to an FDA
page and fourth and fifth positions are owned by a site that
appears to be a drug index at
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/rofecox_ad.htm
Sixth place is currently held by
http://www.medicinenet.com/rofecoxib/article.htm at a medical
site that dominates for many drug and medical terms due to
extensive discussion boards and informational pages about
thousands of medical conditions and their treatments. Seventh
through tenth position are CNN’s news story on the recall,
then Yahoo News with a similar story, two online pharmacies
with curiously blank pages. Try to sell Tylenol from those
pages guys - don’t waste the traffic with blank pages!
Pay-per-click advertisements were posted by agressive class
action attorneys to run alongside organic search rankings and
appeared immediately on the day of the recall announcement.
The first search for the word Vioxx done at Google on Friday
October 1st brought up an advertisement for
http://www.Vioxx-heart-attack.com as the first result in the
Adwords listings along the right side of the page. The bids
were below a dollar a click on Friday, but are rapidly
escalating as ever more law firms jump into the bidding war.
The real test comes now for organic search engine optimization
firms as they set out to gain top rankings for their class
action attorney clients. Interestingly, I’ve just finished
reading the John Grisham novel, “King of Torts”, about a young
“mass torts” attorney that made over an hundred million
dollars by being the first to run nationwide television ads
seeking clients injured by a faulty drug manufactured by a
giant pharmaceutical company. Although the protaganist in the
story has a web site to collect leads, nothing is mentioned
of PPC advertising nor is it likely to be discussed in novels.
In “King of Torts” nothing is ever mentioned about organic
search engine ranking of his web site either. Settlement seems
to have come faster than would be possible to gain top rankings
for a highly competitive search phrase. It will be extremely
interesting to watch domain name sales related to Vioxx, since
keywords in domain names always help rankings. Some that are
showing up in PPC ads include the previously mentioned
Vioxx-heart-attack.com, Vioxx-side-effects.com, Vioxx-Claim.com
VioxxRecallLawyer.com and Vioxx-Lawsuits.com.
As of October 4th, 2004 the only NON-news related site in the
top organic results at Google that are NOT online pharmacies,
government agency sites, NIH (National Institutes of Health)
or an information site http://arthritis.about.com/od/vioxx/
is a site that emphasizes giant class action lawsuits at
http://www.bigclassaction.com/class_action/vioxx.html which
has a PageRank of 5 as of October 4th at 5pm Pacific time.
The final ranked site of top 30 for the single word “Vioxx”
at Google is the legal information site Findlaw in their class
action section at http://injury.findlaw.com/vioxx/ which asks
your zip code on first visit and must use IP delivery for
robots visiting the first time since there is nothing on that
page about Vioxx if you’ve never visited the page before.
Now we will see what techniques are used by Search Engine
Optimization firms that hurriedly post sites full of links
to gain search position for the word Vioxx in order to sell
more links to those agressive law firms and attorneys (and
they’ll run expensive click-through Google Adsense ads).
Without doubt, the most SEO savvy attorneys will compete at
a fever pitch for top rankings over the next few weeks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Banks Valentine does search engine optimization for
http://www.VioxxLegalHelpCenter.org
Keep informed as new sites dominate the phrases related to
Vioxx, heart attack, stroke, Vioxx recall, class action suit,
Vioxx personal injury claim, Vioxx legal help, About Vioxx at
http://www.RealitySEO.com
One of the things you may, or may not, be prepared for when
getting a new puppy is its desire to chew. Often this can be
quite destructive depending on exactly how you handle this
situation. Instinctively puppies often chew because they need
to- not because they want to destroy your personal items. As
puppies begin to loose their “milk teeth” and get their 42 adult
teeth they chew to help alleviate some of the discomfort they
are experiencing. Overall, the best thing you can do is protect
your puppy from potentially harmful situations and help set him
up to be successful. Below you’ll find several ideas to help
your puppy from being “bad” and to help it through this stage of
development. *Give plenty of exercise and attention to relieve
boredom which often leads to chewing *Crate the puppy if you
cannot watch it *Use commercial sprays to alleviate chewing of
household items- Listerine is also good *Do not give the puppy
old shoes or socks to chew on- it cannot differentiate old ones
from your brand new ones *Give your puppy toys of its own to
chew on- it is also good to give these to your pup when he
begins to teeth on you *Give your puppy one of its toys when it
acts as though it may chew something it should not *Move items
you do not want the puppy to get out of its reach- cover all
power cords, remove pens/ pencils, plants (many are poisonous),
books, etc. With a little bit of planning, patience and caring,
you can help your puppy through this stage. Article written and
reprinted with permission of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com/
Purebred Dogs, Puppies and Dog Breeders - “Your New Best Friend”
Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.
For some getting a dog is the norm. They’ve had dogs before, they know what’s involved, they know what to look for. But what if you’ve never owned a dog before!
This article doesn’t attempt to cover everything that you need to consider before committing to your first dog but gives you insight in to key areas.
Dogs make fantastic pets but it is not uncommon for people to find things don’t work out the way they expected. Sometimes people find they can’t provide the level of commitment required, they may find the dog has serious health issues, they may not be able to control it.
The first thing to ask yourself is ‘why do you want a dog’? Is it because the kids have been pressurising you or because everyone else you know has one. Be honest with yourself - if your going to get a dog YOU have to want it and be prepared to take full responsibility for it. I have had dogs and when our last one was put down I decided to have a break. The kids kept going on about how much they wanted another dog and how they would help walk it, feed it, groom it etc. Eventually I decided it was time to get another dog but it wasn’t because of the kids it was what I wanted and guess what - the kids only walk it under threat of pocket money being stopped and as for feeding and grooming it well let’s just say the agro involved in getting them to do it is not worth the trip!
So you’re getting a dog because it’s what YOU want now’s the time to be realistic about what’s involved.
If you’re going for a puppy then your getting the best of the whole ‘having a dog experience’ but you’re also taking on the biggest challenge. If you want your puppy to mature in to a well adjusted, manageable, well trained dog you need to put work in to achieve it and be prepared for the occasional hiccup such as a shoe being chewed, socks going missing and the inevitable mess! on the floor. If you have kids you’ll remember how they could cause havoc at times while they were growing up well a puppy can be like having a whole gang of kids descend!
Get yourself a good dog training guide or even better see if there is a local group that you can join. Training groups can be great as you can share experiences on what’s working and get help where things aren’t going so well.
Male and female dogs are different and behave differently and you need to think about this.
Male dogs always need to know who’s boss. They have a natural desire to be pack leader so they have to know that at all times YOU and every other member of the family have a higher status than the in the pack and there is no point in them challenging for leadership. This isn’t achieved by being cruel nor is it achieved by pandering to your dogs every desire. It’s achieved by being kind but firm and consistent. For example if you tell your dog to sit and it doesn’t then you enforce it don’t let it pass. Another thing to be aware of with male dogs is they can be prone to wandering/running off particularly if they pick up an interesting scent.
Female dogs on the other hand tend to be more placid and easier to manage. They will however need to be trained and treated consistently just like their male counterpart. One thing to keep in mind if you are a keen gardener with nice lawns - urine from females dogs will turn your lawn in to a green & yellow patch work quilt!
Dogs need company and stimulation. They love to play games, they like and need to get out for exercise and you need to spend quality time with them. If you are going to be out all day at work with no one at home or if you’re not prepared to go out to walk them when it’s cold and wet then don’t get a dog get a goldfish.
Finally you need to consider vets bill. Having a dog like any pet carries a price if you want it to remain healthy and have a long happy life. You will need to take your dog for regular vaccinations and routine checks. You might also find you have to take for unplanned visits due to illness or injury. Pet insurance is available these days and it’s well worth considering.
Ok hopefully this short article has given you some food for thought. I love dogs and would recommend them to anyone for the pleasure and other benefits they bring but you need to go in to it with your eyes open.
If you are interested in finding out more about dogs then check out www.need2knowabout.com where I’m currently in the process of adding a section on pets which will include some free ebook downloads.
Looking for free information on a variety of subjects then visit - http://www.need2knowabout.com.
As a pet owner I’m sure you’d be frustrated at the sight of your pet scratching and suffering from fleas. If you look into the veterinary arsenal you will see that there are a number of products that help you fight the war against fleas. Of all these products, nothing kills fleas faster than Advantage which is a topical solution containing imidacloprid. As in the popular commercials with the singing pets, Advantage keeps your dog or cat flea free and therefore happy. In fact, because Advantage kills fleas so well, it has been referred to as the flea specialist.
Advantage should be THE weapon of choice for all pet owners in the battle against fleas. Veterinarians and pet owners alike trust Advantage, and in turn have made it the most preferred flea control product in the United States, for one reason and one reason only, it kills fleas fast.
Advantage has the label claim that it kills 98-100 percent of fleas within 12 hours. Advantage also kills 100 per cent of re-infesting fleas within two hours. Advantage destroys the nerves and muscles of the flea within 10 to 25 minutes and within the hour all the fleas will be dead. Advantage is a topical solution which localizes the lipid layer of skin on the animal where it remains effective even after bathing or repeated water exposure.
Fleas only need to come into contact with Advantage to receive a lethal dose of the product, it does not have to bite your pet. Advantage may also help to reduce hypersensitivity skin disorders, also known as flea allergy dermatitis.
Advantage is used worldwide totalling more than 150 million doses. Advantage is the most proven flea control product available. Advantage is also a gentle product and can therefore be used on puppies as young as seven weeks and kittens as young as eight weeks.
Advantage is the number one flea control product and is recommended by veterinarians, pet owners recommend to family and friends. Given all these benefits, Advantage is the most recognized flea control product available on the market today. Advantage is manufactured by Bayer, a name known to consumers for some 100 years.
About the Author
If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this live link to: 1 Flea Control
The Swedish Valhund resembles the Welsh Corgi in some respects and there has been much debate as to whether the Corgi or the Valhund came first in the order of the development of this breed. The Valhund in Sweden is certainly one of the older species, having been there historically at least as long ago as the Viking explorations. The word “Valhund” in Sweden means “forest dog” . He is known as a dog of many talents, being not only a cattle drover and herder, but also a watch dog and ratter and general farm dog. At present he is a member of the herding group of the Kennel Club of England and is a member of the Miscellaneous class in the American Kennel Club. When a dog is registered in the Miscellaneous Class of the A.K.C., it is not yet eligible to gain a Championship title.
The Valhund or “S.V”. is long in the back and low to the ground. The relationship of his body to his height should be twice the length of the height. The height should be between 12 and 14 inches. His head is remarkably like that of the Corgi, with prick ears and a wedge shape to the skull. The coat is also similar, double in nature and quite dense. The Swedish Valhund should have “harness markings” of a lighter color than the body saddle, this is a required part of the standard of the breed. The Swedish Valhund should also have a fox like appearance to the face and a lighter color “mask” around the eyes. The coat care is minimal, although he sheds on a regular basis and will need extra brushing at that time, the coat is stiff and stands off from the body somewhat, therefore it does not mat easily.
The breed’s most important function through the years has been that of a herding dog. He is equipped for this capability because of the lay back of his shoulders, which is quite long and gives him the flexibility to move quickly and make sharp turns . Herding cattle requires that a dog be able to move with speed to avoid being kicked by an angry or recalcitrant cow and the Swedish Valhund should be built to accomplish this.
This is a breed that should become popular as a companion dog when he is seen more in the United States in the show ring. He has all the attributes that make a popular pet breed, being small enough to live in an urban environment and having the temperament to fit well into a household. He is anxious to please and a quick learner, very intelligent and trainable. He of course will want to give chase, this is part of his nature and like all herding dogs should always be in a fenced in area or supervised when outside. He already is experiencing some popularity as an Agility dog and does well in the Obedience ring. He has a stable character and should never be vicious, he is also not territorial and should accept other breeds without jealousy.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dogs
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Let’s talk a little about colds. Any living animal can catch a
cold. The same thing can happen to your beloved turtle pet. If
this happens to your turtle than there are many turtle care
methods to treat your turtle.
So a turtle can catch a cold just like humans or other animals.
Let’s check the symptoms of a cold un humans. sneezing is one of
them. A turtle can also sneeze. But if a turtle sneezes this
doesn’t means that she has a cold. Dust in the nose can make a
turtle sneeze too. Also the turtle can have some kind on runny
nose. This is usually caused by allergies or by cold. Because
turtle care is very important when your pet get’s a cold, you
must be sure that the turtle really has a cold. So i advise you
to take the animal to a good veterinarian.
Symptoms could be caused by just by a little cold. But you
should take good care of your turtle because could also be signs
of a serious respiratory infection. If this happens then
medication is needed for the treatment.
What you should know is that a turtle doesn’t get a cold from
being cold. If the turtle is kept to cold then her immune system
weakens. So when the immune system weakens there are more
cohesive for the turtle to catch a cold.
In the most common cases Colds and respiratory infections or
penumonia come from bacteria or viruses causes. If the cold is
from a bacterium then all turtle care advise guides and
veterinarians will recommend antibiotics treatments. In this
case the chances that the pet will recover are high. But if the
cold comes from a virus then things are more complicated because
usually viruses can’t be determined. In this unfortunate case
all you can do is just sit, wait and hope.
The first turtle care advise for any cold symptoms is to keep a
little higher temperature in the turtle enclosure. If the
temperature will raise the immune system will recover a little.
Take care that the turtle will have a very clean environment.
Another turtle care advise for a cold turtle is to take it out
of the water and put it in a heated box but don’t forget to
check the temperature with a thermometer.
If the turtle’s situation doesn’t improves then i advise you to
see a veterinarian.
The real problem is that the colds, respiratory infections and
pneumonia are one of the most common turtle care issues that a
turtle will die from. So if you have any suspicions that you pet
has a cold than i advise you to search for some turtle care
sheets on the net to see what’s happening with your turtle. If
you can’t figure it out and the situation agravates the you must
see a veterinarian.
