What Are These Pet Collars For?

Most of us want to be close with our pets and with that closeness, we figure out that they have various needs like pet collars. In order for pets like dogs to be healthy, they need healthy nutritious food and they must be fed on time using clean and safe feeder. They want the best shelter as well so if you can't afford to buy a ready to install house, try to make a simpler one wherein they can all fit. You also need to comply with their vet's regular checkups and have their vaccines for various diseases. It is never easy to raise pets like dogs and for the highlight, treat them for collars that can be used in different ways.

For Training: Pet collars are among the best training supplies used by trainers. These pet accessories will make way for leashes to be attached so it would be easier to control dogs' movements and behaviors. They sometimes can work without the leashes as long as they electric based and can be automated. There are really training collar options and they are different from those everyday worn. If you are the one handling your pets' training, be gentle and try to be firm with your commands. Do not confuse them. Prepare your training area and equipment before you start with anything and have their lapels ready.

For Easy Pet Identification: After serious trainings with your puppies, you need to give them time to relax, play and sleep. It is not healthy if their whole day is only focused on learning new skills and tricks. If you think they need to be out from their kennels, allow them to roam around the neighborhood but have their attached pet collars. In case some can't find their way home, you can easily look for them. No one can own them for they have their attached identification tags unless those tags are accidentally removed. In this case, always check if their name tags are safely attached so there would be no problem.

For Fashion: Just like other fun pets, dogs too are sociable and smart. Raisers usually organized events like fashion shows so to make knows that animals like dogs are not to be punished and hated but rather, they are to be loved. To complete your pet's costume, attached one of the best pet collars that suits his attire. Fix it well and make sure that you always make him feel that you are there.

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People Spend More On Their Pets Than Themselves

In recent studies, it has been discovered that in our downtrodden economy, people are spending more money on their pets, acquiring new pets and their upkeep than they are themselves. In a study done by Purina Dog Food, it has been estimated based on their current sales for this fiscal year that people all throughout the world will spend a total of $50 billion in pet food alone.

This is a record all-time high. Many people attributing this high cost of pet care and product purchases to the fact that more people are staying at home and focusing on their family lives, which includes pets rather than going on vacations, working long hours and they are staying home a lot more.

American pet ownership is at the highest it has ever been. 72.9 billion people have pets now and most of these families treat their pets better than their children. Since 2001, pet product sales have increased by 5% or more each year. Even animal breeders are surprised at how well the sale of new pets is going. One breeder said that even though her golden retriever puppies sell for $1,000 to $1,500 a piece, she still has to have seven to ten litters a year to keep up with the demand. People don't seem to care that these dogs are expensive; they aren't spending the money on anything else.

This has also been the case in pet care and death. People are paying whatever it takes to keep their pet happy and healthy for as long as possible. However, when their pet does finally pass on from old age or an incurable ailment, they spare no expense on cremation and selecting pet urns that they can keep forever with their pets. One man says that he paid over $5,000 for a solid gold pet urn for his Chihuahua puppy when it died of worms because he loved him so much.

That is nearly double what he paid for his wife's urn when she passed two years before his dog. Many pet cemetery directors also say that they have seen a rise in pet funerals. More than fifty of them a year are occurring all over the United States. It is always impressive to see the turn out says one director. People seem to spare no costs when it comes to their pets; however, loved ones are becoming indigent so families don't have to pay for them.

The author of this article is an expert in pet urns. To purchase your own pet urn, please visit their website http://www.peturns.com/

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Source Quality Pet Supplies From Someone You Can Trust

Typically, before we embark upon our weekly shopping trip we will draw up a scratch list of items that we believe we will need for the coming week or two.

Very often we will list not only the bare basics, such "eggs" or "bread," but also the brands that we have come to recognise as having cemented a particularly close relationship with our taste buds. Just a small, subtle variation in the ingredients used, or the process by which the product was put together, can sometimes make the difference between a product we veritably pine for and one to which we tend towards complete indifference.

Quite often though, having itemised each brand and carefully thought through our own preferred flavours we will round off the list with the catch-all "dog food," intending to track down the best value, lowest priced tin containing something rather mushy that we know the dog will eat if he or she is hungry enough.

And yet each and every requirement that we ourselves have for healthy, nutritional food and a balanced diet is shared by those we call our best friends. Unlike that noisy child, your dog may not have the words with which to tell you, but a pet's body too reacts badly to being repeatedly topped up with the reconstituted scrapings of the more obscure areas of an herbivore's anatomy.

This is the reason that it is just so important to be aware of what is actually contained in the food that we give to our dogs. Being carnivores they already have a more restricted diet than we do, so the quality of the proteins that they take, along with the range of nutrients that they receive, can be highly important factors in a dog's overall health and longevity. That isn't to say at all that they cannot be allowed to enjoy a treat once in a while, indeed the treat itself can help us to provide nutrients whilst keeping your pet happy with a touch of variety. Instead it just means that we should be aware of our pets' needs, and indeed ensure that they are met.

Established providers of high quality pet supplies include Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved and Arden Grange. These suppliers, as well of course as some others, have built their reputations on providing high quality, scientifically endorsed, nutritional food products that have a clear demonstrable benefit to your pet's long-term health and happiness.

When it is considered against the cost of our overall shop adding a few extra pence or cents to our bill each week to make sure our faithful pets enjoy a long, happy and contented life doesn't seem too much of a price to pay.

Mark Richards is a professional writer working for The Middle Man, a business promotion service using its experience and expert knowledge of marketing strategy to generate important new business for its clients at a surprisingly low cost.

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So You're Going to Bring Your Guinea Pig Home

It's an exciting time going to bring your guinea pig home but there should be a few steps before you head off to do that. Take the time to learn and explore a little about the new pet that you are considering. Teach your children and allow them to explore the world of their new pet. Your local library will have books on the subject or you can buy one form your local bookstore. Ask if there is a book you can borrow from school. If you visit our website you will find some interesting articles on general guinea pig care. Visit your local pet supplier a pig rescue station or a friend who has pigs so that you can be exposed to them and learn a little about what it means to have a piggy living at your place.

Look around at cages or runs and see what is available and work out what size cage you need for the number of pigs that you are going to get. Decide where you are going to keep the pigs housed. Guinea pigs cannot tolerate extremely cold weather so are you going to keep your pig cage indoors during winter months or in a garage or shed. If you decide on garage or shed you may still have to consider some sort of heating. Electric heating is the safest and a 60 watt incandescent light globe in a sound safety glass enclosure like a work light. Keep this in the cage and it may supply sufficient warmth. (I'm not too sure if the energy-saving lights will produce sufficient warmth.) Make sure that your pigs can not get at the wiring because they like to chew and I have had one of my piggies eat through one of my computer speaker cables while he was sitting on my lap. I only noticed when my sound stopped.

The first few days that your pigs are in the house will be a settling in time. Guinea pigs are only small animals and we are very large in size compared to them, even children. Allow a little alone time for your piggy to settle in to the new environment. Don't overcrowd it or handle it too much as it will need a little time to get used to the change. You can still pick the pig up and give it a little tender attention but just be aware of the settling in period.

I hope you have heaps of fun with your piggies when they get used to you.

John Evans is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great information, visit my website

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Easy Care Grooming for Guinea Pigs

Brushing
Grooming and brushing your guinea pig on a regular basis is an excellent opportunity for bonding with your piggy. A healthy tasty treat like a piece of apple or a couple of sprigs of parsley will encourage your piggy to look forward to this exercise.

You will want a small brush, a baby's brush would be ideal and a metal comb. If you have a pig of the long=haired variety you should try to brush their coat every day. Brush out any mats or places where your pigs fur has become stuck together. Short haired pigs can be brushed once a week but if they are shedding you may like to brush every other day. Take the opportunity while you're brushing to check for lice, wounds or sores on the skin and take appropriate action to treat them.

Bathing
You can get away with not bathing your guinea pig if you regularly brush it. You may want to bathe your pig if the fur is soiled. You will also want to bathe your pig if you find there is a lice infestation. Lice actually need a guinea pig to survive so once you've cleaned the lice from your pig and cleaned up their cage you should have no further problems. Lice are transferred from other infested pigs or from people who have been handling infested pigs recently. Lice are normally found around the ears, neck head and rump of the pig. They can cause scratching, hair loss and some scabbing in that area.

If your guinea pig is extremely itchy and there is no sign of lice or your piggy may be shedding more than they normally do or there may be excessive dandruff then a parasite or fungal infection may be the problem. You may have to visit your vet or check with your pet store for a solution.

Piggies find bathing a little stressful so take care when you're putting it in water. Use a shallow pan of warm or tepid water. Do not use hot water. If you use shampoo it must be extremely mild. Baby shampoo is excellent. Do not use a medicated shampoo unless told to do so by a vet as medicated shampoos can harm your guinea pig. Only soap or suds your piggy's body and keep the suds away from their head, ears and eyes.

Make sure you rinse your pig well and then pat or rub dry with a towel as well as you are able to. Keep your piggy warm until they are thoroughly dry.

John Evans is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig grooming information, visit my website.

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Choosing a Pet Urn When Its Time to Say Goodbye to Your Pet

Often times, people choose not to have their pets put down until it's far too late. Their pets usually end up suffering because we don't have the ability to let go. Most of the time, it is because of misinformation or because we just don't know better. We are always in shock because we weren't expecting them to go even though we knew they were on their way to passing. Missing the signs of a dying pet is a problem that many of us fail to see.

After taking in your pet to the veterinarian or animal hospital, we are told of a small problem that is harmless to our pet and think that they are just down because of that. Then we find the tragic news after they aren't getting better or they suddenly pass on that our pet was really terminally ill. When this happens, we always ask the obvious questions of why me and how could this have happened when they were well. These are all comforting things we tell ourselves because underneath it all, we already knew that our pet wasn't going to make it. After they pass on, we must make the even harder decision of what to do with them.

While burying your pet in the backyard has been a popular option for many years, pet cremation is now the newest trend. This gives families the option to keep their beloved pet close to them in a pet urn of your choosing so that you can always have them close to you and you can remember them every time you look at their urn sitting on the mantel.

When you choose an urn for your pet, it is important that you choose something that is appropriate for your needs. While nobody can tell you what to get based on likes and dislikes, making sure that the pet urn you choose for your family is important. It should the same amount of cubic inches of ash that your pet weighed, for instance; 12 cubic inches for a 12 pound dog.

Some of these pet urns are created as memory boxes and have space enough for pictures on the outside of the urn and room for your pet's favorite items such as leashes, toys and other trinkets that you don't feel that you can get rid of. Another option you have for a cremation urn is a traditional pet urn that looks like an ornate vase with a lid. No matter which you choose, make sure it is right for you. This is what you are going to see every time you remember your pet.

The author of this article is an industry expert. To learn more about pet urns or to view their selection, please visit their website http://www.perfectmemorials.com/.

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Cooking For Your Dog

Most dog owners would never feed their dogs anything harmful, and most are becoming more informed about the dangers of certain foods. Yet despite several recent cases where commercial dog food has been responsible for the death of dogs, people still continue to feed these products to their pets. Why? Because they don't believe there is any alternative.

If this describes you, read on because in this article I'll provide some useful tips for making your own dog food.

It is pretty much accepted that commercial dog food companies fill their foods with all kinds of junk. Some of these ingredients, like the processed grains used as filler, have little nutritional value and are responsible for a whole range of dog allergies and skin ailments.

And then there are the chemical based colorings and flavorings that have been connected to all manner of diseases, including cancer. Even the meat components contained in these foods are generally extremely low grade and unfit for consumption.

Of course, not all commercial dog foods should be tarred with the same brush. Some, in particular the premium brands, are of much higher quality than what I've described. However, it is doubtful whether they provide the same level of nutrition as a whole food diet, so you may want to consider that for your dog.

Here are 3 quick tips on how to get started;

Quality is important. Feed your dog good cuts of unprocessed meat, fresh vegetables and unprocessed fiber, like brown rice. Avoid at all costs, junk food, table scraps and highly processed foods, like white bread.

Remember that your dog is an omnivore, and needs vegetables as well as meat. As a rough rule of thumb try for a three way split between meat, vegetables and fiber. If you're going to err slightly in any direction, feed more meat because protein is very important in a dog's diet.

Keep it bland and simple. Dogs don't need flavoring and seasoning on their food and highly flavored foods can actually cause diarrhea.

Also remember that not all foods that can be safely consumed by humans, are good for dogs.

Just about everybody knows that chocolate is harmful, but are you aware that there are many other human foods that are dangerous, even potentially lethal, to your pet?

Onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts are just some of the foods that fall into this category. Other things, like table scraps and junk food may not be deadly, but are just as dangerous, causing obesity and a plethora of related health problems.

Something else that not many dog owners consider is that giving bones to dogs can be dangerous. A bone that can be crunched up and swallowed may damage the stomach and intestines, while there is a risk of salmonella poisoning from raw bones.

Feeding your dog a whole food diet based on meat, vegetables and fiber is a wise choice, but have a word with your vet before making the change.

Visit dogsanddogtraining.com for more advice on dog care, plus dog obedience training, dog health and types of dogs.

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How to Handle a Pet Hamster

While it is easy to handle a torpid hamster, this certainly does not apply to an untamed wide-awake individual. It is vital to encourage a young hamster to accept being picked up and handled without showing any signs of resentment. Once these rodents are used to the routine, it should be possible to lift them out of the cage and use both hands to form a restraining cup. Bear in mind, however, that hamsters can inflict a painful bite on the unwary. This can apply when feeding a small titbit, with the hamster wounding a finger by accident.

Although it is possible to wear gloves as a precaution, this may simply encourage the hamster to use its teeth at every opportunity, because it can be difficult to avoid hurting the creature while wearing 'insensitive' gloves. Physical contact with the warm surface of the skin tends to be more reassuring for the hamster. You can restrain even a bad-tempered hamster quite adequately, though, by holding the loose folds of skin along the back, especially near the neck. Do not turn the animal over, however, as this will prove distressing.

Try to avoid hamsters becoming free in a room. Hamsters generally prove difficult to recapture once they have disappeared in a room because, unlike gerbils, they tend to be more timid and will retreat beneath floorboards if an opportunity occurs. Hunger may well encourage the rodent to emerge from its hiding place after dark, however, and you should then be able to recapture it safely. One particularly effective strategy involves using some books and a plastic bucket. Arrange the books so they form steps up to the top of the bucket; remove the handle of the bucket if necessary. Slice an apple and rub the cut moist surface on the books to leave a 'scent trail'. Place a thick layer of bedding at the base of the bucket and tip the cut apple on top. The hamster, attracted by the scent of the food, will climb up to the top edge of the bucket and should fall down inside, uninjured. If you have cats in the home, be sure to exclude them from the room in which your hamster is free until you have safely recaptured it.

Hamsters appear to have little fear of heights, readily plummeting off the edge of a table, for example, possibly with fatal consequences. Whenever moving a hamster, therefore, do ensure that it is adequately supported should it begin to struggle. Do not frighten the animal unnecessarily by grabbing it while it is asleep, as distinct from being in a torpid condition, since this will intensify its natural dislike of being handled.

The author gets all of his hamster cages from legacycages.com. They, also, offer guinea pig cages that work for many small pets.

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Symptoms And Treatment Of Canine Lymphoma

Lymphoma is an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the lymph tissue and is usually terminal if not treated. As lymph tissue is present in almost every major organ, the disease can spread very quickly. It is the most prevalent form of cancer in dogs.

Common Symptoms of Canine Lymphoma

The symptoms of the disease are varied depending on which organs it attacks. The two most common forms of this cancer target either the intestinal tract, or the lungs. Gastrointestinal lymphoma will cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss. With respiratory lymphoma you may notice that the dog has difficulty breathing. The disease can also affect the central nervous system, heart, bone marrow, eyes and the skin.

Diagnosing Lymphoma

If your dog displays any of the symptoms mentioned above it is vital that you seek veterinary help right away. The vet will need to do a series of diagnostic tests. This will usually start with a biopsy of the affected organs and lymph tissue. If this confirms the presence of lymphoma further tests will be needed to determine how far the disease has spread. These may include blood tests, a bone marrow biopsy, x-rays, and ultrasound.

Untreated dogs usually die within 2 months of the initial diagnosis, so it is important to start treatment immediately if the dog is to have any chance of survival.

Treatment of Lymphoma

As with humans, the primary treatment for lymphoma in dogs is chemotherapy. This creates similar side-effects to those suffered by humans. The dog will likely suffer acute nausea and infections, and in severe cases may have to remain in hospital for the duration of treatment. If the disease is first detected at an advanced stage, then chemotherapy may be ineffective, and the focus needs to be on making the dog's remaining time as comfortable as possible.

It has been suggested that fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, may slow the growth of cancer cells, but there is no documented clinical proof to support this.

However, recent studies suggest that in most cases the dog does not die from the lymphoma itself, but rather from liver or kidney failure. Changes to the dog's diet can certainly have an impact on the health of these organs.

Prognosis for Dogs with Lymphoma

In many cases where there is early diagnosis, chemotherapy can have a beneficial effect, adding months, if not years to the dog's life.

Unfortunately, this is a disease that often recurs, and if it does then a second round of chemotherapy will be far less effective than the initial treatment.

The chances of your dog getting lymphoma are very small. However, if it does happen, you want to be able to afford the very best care for your dog. I'd therefore strongly suggest that, if you don't already have a pet health insurance plan, you consider taking one out.

For more advice on dog health, dog training tips, and information on different types of dogs, visit dogsanddogtraining.com.

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