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posted by admin on Feb 26

By Bill Knell

While most Garden Buffs can hardly wait for spring and summer to arrive, many pet owners fear this lovely time of year. They know it’s the beginning of flea and tick season. While the exact time when these tiny pests appear en masse to torture pets and humans alike may vary, a wise Pet Owner starts to prepare for their arrival as the snow melts, flowers bloom or the temperatures start to climb.

Preparation can help avoid infestation. Flea and ticks may seem like super-pests that are able to thwart even professional efforts to get and keep them out, but they are not as tough as you might think. In most cases, people actually invite these pests on to their property and into their homes by their action or inaction. They do this by creating a flea and tick friendly environment.

I received a letter from a big city apartment dweller a few years ago. He had a small dog and lived in a clean, well-kept New York City apartment. He took stellar care of his dog, had his place professionally cleaned and always made sure that his pet avoided contact with other animals and areas likely to be infested. Despite all these precautions, his pet always ended up with fleas. Having lived in the Big Apple myself for a number of years, I knew that his problem was a common one. People who live in urban areas or clean suburban neighborhoods fail to understand how their pets get flea and tick infestations. Well, it’s a lot easier than you might think.

During my days in New York City, I watched more then a few people walk their pets near trees. I mean, when a dogs gotta go, they’ve gotta go! The problem is that almost all trees in urban or suburban settings have grass, weeds or some other form of flora near or around them. That grass is rarely trimmed to proper standards. Fleas love tall grass because it’s just a hop, skip and jump to the next animal that happens along to use the nearby tree as an animal restroom. Ticks also have a field day with these areas. Animals free and clear of these tiny pests interact with infested pets and you know the rest of the story.

There are just no shortcuts to preventing flea and tick infestation. It is all about cleanliness, vigilance and making the right choices. Providing a clean and well-kept environment for your pet is the best way to avoid infestation. Problem areas include refuse storage, lawns, trees, plants and bushes. Problem situations include contact with other animals and exposure to environments outside of your residence.

Let’s begin with the garbage. Refuse areas are the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of pests. Keeping the inside and outside of garbage containers clean and making sure they are tightly covered is a step in the right direction. However, you also have to be sure that pets cannot get near or have regular contact with the containers or the area where they are kept. Pets are attracted to the smell of garbage (which you might not even be able to detect). So are other animals. Birds and various animal visitors to your property can bring unwelcome pests. These pests can end up infesting your pets. Refuse areas should be fenced off or placed outside of your pet‘s roaming area. Bird feeders should be placed away from areas where your pet eats, drinks or exercises.

Wild birds carry a number of tiny pests and diseases that can seriously affect the health of domesticated pets. When birds use pet water bowls to drink or bath, they can pass all kinds of health problems along to your animals. A large or concentrated number of bird droppings are also a major problem. While you cannot avoid having birds visit your yard or balcony, you can help limit their access to your pet by not going out of your way to welcome large numbers of them. Feed and water your pets inside. Avoid Bird Feeders if you have pets that eat, drink or exercise nearby. Keep pets inside when you seed your lawn.

The best way to place a NO VACANCY sign on your property when it comes to fleas and ticks is to avoid creating a pest friendly environment. Keep your lawn, trees and bushes trimmed. Use small portable gardening fences or other means of containment to keep your pet away from areas between bushes, small trees, gardens and your house. Purchase flea and tick preventive lawn sprays. These attach to your garden hose and allow the spray to be easily applied to your lawn, trees, plants and bushes. Most of these spray products are available at large pet or department stores. Outside areas should be sprayed once a month from March until October (and later if temperatures remain mild). If your pet has access to a balcony, patio, deck or garage, these areas need to be kept clean as well and may also be treated with anti-flea and tick sprays available in aerosol cans.

Dog Houses, concrete Pet Runs and containment areas can become havens for all kinds of bacteria, pests and disease. Unless you have a specific need to have these artificial areas on your property, don’t bother with them. Your pet is better off without them. These kinds of areas require a huge amount of maintenance and cleaning. Even when properly maintained and cleaned, it’s difficult to keep these structures free of troublesome pests.

Once you get the clean pet area thing down, you have another big hurdle to jump. Spring is the perfect time to take advantage of public picnic and park facilities. We all love to take our pets to the park and show them off. Well, fleas and ticks love that too. As pets meet and mingle, all kinds of pests and health threats rear their ugly heads to threaten your beloved pet. That is why it’s smart to stay away from public areas with lots of other pets, wild animals, tall grass and poorly maintained flora.

If you’ve got Spring Fever, curb your enthusiasm and keep your pet safe. I just cringe when I see people bring their pets out to public areas and allow them to run all over the place unleashed. That’s wrong on so many levels and it is an even bigger problem during flea and tick season. Maybe they watched too many Lassie reruns and have a vision of their dog running across a high grass meadow to save old Mister Hobbs who had a heart attack while plowing his field? Perhaps they saw Free Willy, all the sequels and want to give their pet a respite from the gated existence they endure as domesticated pets? Either way, letting your pet run free in public areas is not doing them or any one else any favors (except fleas and tick, they love you for it).

Another way to help keep your pet free of pests is by keeping the outside from coming inside. During the 1970s, everyone wanted to be Grizzly Adams. My mother loved to go walking out in the country (as long as it consisted of meadows off any one of a number of local expressways, parkways or highways). She brought all kinds of wild plants and berries into the house from those places. My favorite was the time that she decided to make Dandelion Wine, spent a couple of days collecting Dandelions and a couple of months trying to get the vile brew to taste like something someone would actually drink.

After any one of her attempts to get closer to nature, our home quickly filled with wild flora and all kinds of annoying flies, tiny flying insects and other annoying bugs that came along for the ride or were attracted by them. My Mom got really mad at me when I kept insisting that she had caused a fly with a human head to be brought into the house after collecting a bunch of wild plants and ferns from near an old research laboratory. I think the fly kept saying, “Help ME…Help ME!” The object lesson here is to keep inside plants and wild foliage brought in from the outside away from your pets. Trudging around nature and making it welcome in your dwelling can bring many tiny pests into your pet’s environment. May I suggest getting your inside flora from a reputable Nursery?

Because fleas and ticks have become such a big problem, there are now a number of indoor and outdoor chemical treatments available for your pet and their environment. Given the possible repercussions of exposing a pet to any chemicals, I suggestion you ask your Veterinarian for their input on these choices before using any. They are some natural choices that produce the same result.

A natural flea repellent can be produced by cutting up a lemon, allowing it to sit in a spray bottle overnight and then spaying it liberally on your dog. Avoid their eyes, but spray behind their ears. The spray can also be used on your pet‘s environment. A small amount of eucalyptus oil can be added to the final rinse of your pet’s bedding to help keep those tiny varmints away. Fleas hate salt and it can kill them. If your dwelling is really hopping with fleas, apply a thin layer of salt to your floor, carpet and furniture, then vacuum. You will be surprised how effective salt can be against all kinds of annoying pests. Dogs who need a flea bath can be bathed with some Lavender oil. And then there’s the G-Bomb. Dogs hate garlic, but so do fleas and ticks. Garlic can be added to a nice piece of meat or chicken. When you pet sweats, they drop the G-Bomb on pests.

When it comes to fleas and ticks, they always prefer to come into a pest friendly environment. The best way to keep fleas and ticks away from your pet, your housing and yourself is by making sure that you do not put out a WELCOME sign. Keep your pet and their environment clean and well groomed. Pest proof your dwelling. Use common sense when taking your pet outside or away from home. Like poor relatives, it’s much easier to keep these pests out then to make them leave once they have found a nice place to stay.

Read more about Dog Care and health tips at http://doggiestyle.billknell.com Adopt a puppy at http://www.AzToyDogs.com or http://www.ArizonaPups.com

About the Author: Bill Knell Author’s Email: billknell@cox.net Author’s Website: http://www.billknell.com
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posted by admin on Feb 26

By Greg Garner

The world of exotic animal rugs is indeed fascinating. It is impossible not to love those adorable animals and people are constantly on the lookout for the best animal print rugs that display their preference. With a little research, it is not difficult locating the perfect animal rug you love.

The most popular animal print rugs in the market include dog, tiger, panther, zebra, dolphin, cat and orca rugs. Designs also vary to a great extent. For instance, the animal rug may feature the particular animal as a part of the overall design and theme or may just include lettering. Here are 4 tips on choosing the right animal rug for you.

1. Age of User – Depending on who you are buying the rug for, you can choose from a range of photo-realistic prints that offer the picture of the animal resembling closely what you find in the wild. If you are shopping for an animal rug for a small child, you can consider rugs featuring animals in a cartoonish style.

2. Keep Dimensions Handy – You will also find many different sizes and shapes of animal print rugs. If you are looking to match the size of a particular area in your home, you can find just the perfect sized rug. As you go shopping for animal rug, be sure to have the dimensions ready on hand.

3. High Quality Rugs for Safety – By trying to save a few dollars, do not compromise on quality and safety. High quality rugs usually come with a non-skid surface at the bottom. If your home has a hardwood floor, the non-skid surface prevents the rug from moving around. Non-skid bottomed, good quality animal rugs also prevent you from slipping when you step on it. This aspect is vital especially if you have small children and aged in your home.

4. Before you go animal rug shopping for your kids, determine which animal they love. There is no point in choosing a zebra rug just because you think it is attractive for your child who is crazy about dogs.

No matter which type of animal rug you want, you can find a range of rugs either in your local home furnishing store or online. By visiting the local store in person, you can inspect the rugs personally before buying.

If, on the other hand, you choose to buy online, it is recommended to choose only the most reliable sites. Most of the online sites that sell furnishings have a wide range and you can choose the one you want depending on the dimensions, texture and design preference.

Choose attractive animal rugs that reflect the kind of animals you love and impress guests who visit. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the faces of your kids light up with joy as you open and spread out their favorite animal rug in their rooms. Take time shopping around and comparing prices before you purchase a rug that is of great quality offering value for money.

About the Author: For more information please visit our rug website.

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Link: 4 Tips on Choosing the Right Animal Rug

posted by admin on Feb 26

By Adrianna Noton

Throughout time animal research has taken on many roles and has undergone many changes. As late as the 80s many internationally known cosmetic giants were still using animals to test their products on before being released for human use.

Once this practice was made public, it happened at a time when animals had gained a new respect with the general public. Non-profits popped up all over, with a single purpose on their agenda: stop needless animal testing which usually included unnecessary pain and mutilation and ultimately death. These organizations were quick to find photos taken in these labs depicting tortured bunnies and puppies, and these photos soon showed up in local newspapers, shocking animal lovers all over.

Even well into the 70s, a practice known as vivisection was widely used under the auspices of medical research. Vivisection showed a total disregard for the care and comfort of these animals used in research, and operations and all sorts of tests were performed without anesthesia. For animals who even managed to survive, they ended up back in their tiny cases and waited for their next procedure.

Although organizations and legislation have made many successful advances in controlling what amounted to needless torture, animal research does exist, but research facilities have been forced to move to areas where they can’t be monitored on a daily basis. There is still a belief that some research does require the occasional sacrifice of a few animals as further advances are made.

However, groups like PETA make it their business to keep track of who is doing what, to the point that some actually believe that PETA does more harm than good and has turned from animal protection to pure activism. Many people don’t see the difference and back all actions by these groups in the advance of animal protection laws.

Facilities and full fledged labs have all but disappeared from their usual places of businesses, and have been forced to move far away from civilization to take refuge in secure out of the way buildings, away from prying eyes and social activists.

Medical science has finally reached the point where animal deaths are not necessarily routinely necessary as part of their success. Many vaccines, serums and prescription drugs have been invented without the need to perform any type of testing or procedure that could be considered inhumane, although some organizations still feel that simply keeping these animals in cages for the sole purpose of testing is inhumane in and of itself.

One of the latest and most successful advances in medical and animal research is a form of genetic engineering. A type of cloning now allows an animal host to grow tissue, such as new ears or even skin, and have it successful transplanted onto its intended human recipient. Results are well received by patients and the mainstream medical profession; however, once the artifact is harvested from the host, the host (usually a mouse) must be euthanized. Once again, there are some patients who refuse this opportunity because of the necessary death of the host animal.

About the Author: Canada’s top science authority offers vast knowledge on a wide variety of Canadian research topics, including animal research and social science research. Expand your horizons and challenge your notions with space research. Knowledge is power!

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Visit link: Animal Research Through the Years

posted by admin on Feb 26

By Adriana N.

Over the years animal research has gone through many revolutions and changes. As early as the 1980s, leading cosmetic companies were still heavily involved in all sorts of animal research that supposedly was necessary to prove the safety of their cosmetics, from foundations to eye creams.

Organizations sprang up in defense of what was considered totally needless pain and suffering of animals and these companies were almost forced into finding other methods of research to test the safety of their products to make them ready for humans. Pictures of mutilated and blinded little bunny rabbits circulated mainstream media as shocked citizens rallied to their defense. It was ultimately decided that this type of maiming under the guise of product safety testing was needless to say the least.

As late as the 70s, it was an acceptable belief by many that animals were just “animals”, and they deserved no special care or understanding. Some labs didn’t even use anesthesia while performing tests or surgeries on these creatures; they believed in vivisection. Animals, in the name of science, were forced to undergo horrendous procedures without even the benefit of a local anesthetic. If they survived the procedure, they were simply put back in a cage to wait for whatever else was in store for them.

However, medical science is still heavily involved in various aspects of animal research, although they keep most of their experimentation under wraps and away from public eyes. Agreeably, however, that when advances are made in the treatment of deadly diseases, no one argues much as to whether a few chimps may have been sacrificed to achieve these important advances.

Organizations such as PETA keep what some call an overprotective vigil over any company, private and public, that is rumored to be using animals for any type of research. Many of their investigations make the news simply because of their aggressive nature in preventing undo suffering and death to animals whose sacrifice has done little in the advance of whatever the company is trying to prove.

Medical and research facilities have become so concerned about adverse publicity and undo questioning by animal rights groups, they have taken most of their research away from the mainstream hospital teaching facilities and built or purchased property literally in the middle of nowhere to keep prying eyes away as they continue using animals for what they believe is the benefit of medical science.

With advances and cures that have happened over the last decade, medical researchers have apparently been able to successfully reduce the need for animals’ deaths, and have learned to manufacture various serums with antibodies that help treat, prevent and even cure some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

Genetic engineering, however, has become a popular mode of research and because of the cloning that it produces, mice are still sacrificed in one particular procedure where their bodies are used to grow hear replacements for humans. Once the ear has matured, the mouse is euthanized once the ear is harvested. Because of this process, some possible recipients are choosing not to have this surgery.

About the Author: It is without a doubt that animal research will continue in some form or another in the years ahead. Geographic information systems will also be developed and integrated into even more systems that we use in everyday life.

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Read more here: Animal Research – Who Does it Benefit

posted by admin on Feb 26

By Richard Armen

If you enjoy jogging, hiking, camping, or other outdoor activities, you may occasionally be confronted by pet dogs or even wild animals. If you are afraid of such attacks in the wilderness, or even on jogging trails or other suburban areas, consider the following ways to defend yourself against such attacks.

First, do not do anything to attract such animals. Don’t carry food with you; if you are camping, keep it in closed containers that cannot be broken into by animals such as bears. Still, there are stories in the news nearly every week about people or pets being attacked by pet dogs; the point is, you never know what could happen, even if you’re just going on a walk around the block with your dog on a leash.

In all cases of animal attacks, your best course of action is to avoid confrontation altogether. Try not to be alone in the wilderness, especially at night. If you do see an animal, stay away. Do not approach it for any reason, including trying to take pictures or scaring it away from your belongings. Instead, turn and go the other way. If you see a dog while jogging or taking yours for a walk, never pet it or talk to it. Any wildlife you see should be left undisturbed.

If you come near larger wild animals such as bears, be careful if trying to use regular pepper spray against them. You need to be using specially formulated (and large canisters of) bear attack deterrent spray. Similarly, Stun guns, TASER devices and similar methods will have a completely unpredictable effect on wild animals. Even if you are carrying a gun with you, do not try to shoot at the animal. These methods will likely be ineffective, but may irritate the animal and make them even more aggressive. Though some hunters have used pepper spray to stop an attacking bear, this is not a reliable method. Your best course of action is to avoid contact with a bear in the first place, and leave the area if you do spot a bear.

Pepper spray is often a reliable means of self-defense against dogs and other relatively small animals, such as wolves or coyotes. Though there are some spray types made specifically for animals, regular pepper spray is non-lethal, even against small animals, unlike other weapons like stun guns or firearms. Plus, you do not need to be very close to the animal in order for it to work, which is definitely a benefit when dealing with wild animals, especially those that could be carrying rabies or other diseases. Pepper spray can be an effective defense against aggressive dogs. If an animal is trying to attract you, one quick spray from the pepper spray canister will be enough to deter him.

Pepper spray can easily be carried with you, even if you are jogging or camping. Small canisters can be found in nearly any form, including types on keychains or other devices. These devices make a sensible investment for hunters, campers, hikers, joggers, or anyone else who finds themselves outdoors frequently. These simple products are well worth carrying with you to ensure your safety.

About the Author: Resist Attack has a full range of pepper spray to keep you and your family safe. Also check for current specials on our tazers

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Read the rest here: Defending Yourself Against Animal Attacks