Remember the time, as a kid, you used to go for horse riding in fairs, wishing that you had one at home too! Well if you still are into thinking of buying a horse to pet around and enjoy a ride everyday then better be it, but before you get your horsey home, make sure you have ample space time and resources to take care of your friend. Horses need a lot of attention and maintenance on regular basis, else they might easily fall ill. PetAttack brings to you points to keep in mind and ways to take proper care of you equine friend.

8. Cost

Horses  or ponies, you better buy them only if you can, because here my friends the cost of maintenance will be more than the cost of buying. Yes, the food, space, shelter and medical care are going to cost you a lot more than you think you can think. Never mind if you are cousin of Richie-rich. In the end its all about loving and caring for your friend which can give you as along as 35 years of companionship.

7. Space

You wouldn’t just want to buy that four legged mammal just because you like riding it. It is not a dog or cat or a parrot that you can keep in your home or lap and pet around. A horse needs ample space and when I say ample it literally means a lot. It needs to roam, stride, run and most of all graze whole throughout the day. So unless you are rich enough to have a huge grassland in your backyard or you are one among the bunch of hippies, that move across lands, your friend won’t stay happy in your home.

6. Food

Horses eat a lot. They have got weak digestion so they cant take in and digest two meals a day like we humans do. They simply graze throughout the day. They mostly feed on hay and forage. Grains can be included in their food twice a day along with veggies like carrots and apples.

5. Grooming and Cleaning

Get your brushes out folks, its time you give a little grooming to your friend. If the horse is outside most of the time, don’t groom it too much, that removes the good  natural oils that keep it protected from weather. Grooming is a vital part of keeping a horse. You got to buy curry comb, stiff brush and not-stiff brush. If the horsey fur has got too dirty start with curry comb to brush of the dirt. Use a wet sponge, make your horse shine like a brilliant stallion. Brush the mane and tail with a comb. Try avoid getting kicked and for that don’t stay directly behind the horse. Believe me,you will not regret anything more than standing behind that tall legged creature.

Your horse might keep moving away from time to time while you brush and groom it. Try making them stand still by tying a quick release knot in the lead rope.

4. Hoof Picking

Here comes the most critical part of cleaning, the hoof picking. Probably you might not be knowing it, so please don’t try to do it yourself and hurt the horse or get kicked. It may be possible that your pet can get injured and never be able to run properly, so better contact a professional. A hoof pick is used for picking. Run your hand down his legs, press the fetlock and lift its foot. Be careful with the sensitive area that is the soft part called frog. Remove the dirt and small pebbles from the groove around the frog area.

3. Exercise

Your horse needs regular exercise. Take it out everyday for a ride or run into an open field or paddock. Make sure the fencing of the area where your horse moves around isn’t made of barbed wire else it may be a cause for injuries. After the exercise if it sweats too much don’t let it drink too much water, just few sips would do. Walk it around so that it cools off slowly. Go for the sweaty summer way, ride your horse and make him exercise while during winters keep it warm and don’t go hard on it. Sweat can be removed by wet sponge and again the grooming and cleaning with different brushes. There is no fixed time to groom your horse, do it when you feel like and do it properly and gently all over the body using different combs and curries. There are separate face brushes which can are made for the face, use sponge or cloth to clean the ears, eyes and nose. If you have multiple horses avoid using same wipes to prevent spreading of any infections.

2. Shelter

So you have a got a huge house, a wide backyard, nearby some stretch of fields and a separate paddock for your horsey, but it needs its own house too. A stable, a barn or a shed would do. Covered from three sides, this would be where your horse would take refuge in summers, during cold and in rains. Make sure the place around is clean, stuffed with hay. Make sure the droppings are cleaned regularly and your horse has a clean and dry bedding of its own where it can rest away, even the smell can irritate your pet. Even when the horse is outside the muck should be regularly cleaned.

1. Care

Horses are gentle creatures. They just need your care and patience and they can be your best friends. Buy when only when you think you can fully take care of it. Regular medical checkup is necessary. Horses need to get Tetanus and other vaccinations once in a while and regular veterinary care. On any medical eventuality, the  costs are going to blow you away, so think before you wish to own your equine. Since they graze upon grass regularly, horses are prone to get intestinal worms, hence the deworming is required every six to eight weeks.

Remember a healthy horse is a happy horse.

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What do you do when you really wish to have a pet, but due to some reason or the other, getting a dog or a cat is not an option? The easiest alternative is to get some fish. A dog or a cat requires a certain amount of space, commitment and a lot of time and investment. People might even possibly be allergic to them. Also, more often than not, your guests may not be particularly comfortable with a dog or a cat in the house. Somehow, most guests find the quiet and peace of fish in a fish tank endearing. And in terms of commitment, all that a fish needs is some food, comfortably sized fish tank and a little bit of love and you are good to go. But at the same time, one needs to ensure that their fish tank is cleaned regularly and they are well fed even if the owner is away. To ensure good health, one can also feed them vet-approved medicines.

The most famous, easily available and loved species among fish is the Goldfish. Its small in size and beautiful to look at, hence earning that name. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and most commonly kept aquarium fish. It was first domesticated in China, thousands of years ago with various other species of the carp family. It was originally reared as food fish, but slowly gained favor as a pet. Some of these normally were gray or silver in color, but produced mutations in red, yellow or orange. This mutation was first noticed during the Jin Dynasty (265-420). With time, the breed was then introduced in Japan, Portugal and subsequently to other parts of the world where it quickly became popular. There are many different varieties of domesticated goldfish, but due to their bright colors and long fins, they are likely to perish in the wild. Common and comet goldfish can survive and breed in any climate that can support a pond.

Goldfish are usually small and can survive in small tanks but they can grow fairly large. Goldfish as big as 19 inches have been recorded. A 15 inch goldfish in England was known to weigh 2 pounds. This being a pet fish, it is believed that there are several fish in ornamental lakes that could possibly be much larger in size. A fish was caught in a pond in England 16inches long and weighing 5 pounds. It was assumed that it was probably abandoned as it outgrew its tank. In the wild, goldfish usually feed on crustaceans, insects and plant matter. They can’t willingly stop eating, which can cause damage their intestines. Overfeeding can be diagnosed by excessive waste and faeces produced. Compared to typical fish food, goldfish-specific food has less protein and more carbohydrates. Shelled peas, blanched green vegetables, blood-worms and brine shrimp are a favorite, but goldfish preference vary similar to all other animals. Goldfish have the capacity to distinguish between 4 primary colors-red green blue and ultraviolet, thus making their vision the most widely studied amongst all fish visions.

There are over 300 breeds of goldfish available in China currently, almost all of which have originated there. These breeds have differences in their color, body shapes, and fin and eye configurations. Some extreme versions can thrive only in aquariums and are far removed from their wild counterparts. Goldfish exist in colors like, orange, yellow, silver, black and several combinations of these. The Chinese classify goldfish based on their features. Ce goldfish lack fancy anatomical features. Wen have a fancy tail. Dragon Eye have extended eyes, and Egg have an egg shaped body with no dorsal fin. Goldfish reproduce only when there is enough water, right nutrition and the right temperature. Goldfish are egg layers that typically hatch within 48 to 72 hours. The newborns can take almost a year to develop a mature goldfish color. Some highly bred goldfish can no longer breed due to their altered shape, and hence require artificial breeding, that, if done incorrectly can harm the fish.

Goldfish are some of the most intelligent fish. They have strong associative abilities and social learning skills. Due to their visual acuity they can distinguish between individual humans. They are joyful when they spot their owners, or a known face, but hide and shy away from others. Goldfish rarely harm each other, although they can be extremely competitive when it comes to food. They have a memory span of 3 months. By using positive reinforcement, they can be trained to react to visual stimuli or to perform tricks. They are just as friendly and make a good companion as most pets. Goldfish have a tendency to generate a lot of waste, in the form of faeces and also from their gills. This creates a toxic environment in the fish tank, if it is not cleaned frequently. Certain laws are in place that restrict having goldfish in a fish bowl. This is considering the constricted space available for movement and the dangers of a toxic environment. Ideally a cleaning mechanism should be employed in the fish tank to ensure optimum measures.

Another reason why people prefer having goldfish as pets is its value in terms of feng shui. Feng shui is an ancient art of good living. Goldfish are said to bring good luck in the house. In fact according to certain customs a husband gifted his wife a goldfish on successful completion of one year of marriage.  In fact, placing just a model or image of a goldfish in the house is said to bring good luck in the house.  More often than not, it has been noticed that fish don’t last very long. In spite of their short lifetime, they bring us joy the whole time. No wonder, they are loved by all.

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Why do people keep pets? What is that pushes them to spend their extra time, attention, expense on some random animal? Why people are ready to make a pet a part of the family? Some of the obvious reasons can be to shed boredom, to make their children happy, to establish a status in society owning a pedigree or may be just to get a companion. They don’t speak human yet we try to bind them into an owner-pet bond, which not only provides a love-affection binding but a lot more. Though they are categorized as animals and claimed to not understand human emotions, they still and time and again have proved to be our best friends.

So how keeping a pet helps us live better? Let us have a look.

7. Human needs and Benifits

Pets were basically used to fulfill needs of humans, for domestication. The poultry and dairy pets are kept for wool, flesh, milk and eggs. The horses and donkeys carry our loads. Some are even for leisure and sports. A dog for protection and cats and other small pets are for companionship and leisure. The basic need was to fulfill our own day to day needs that we began petting animals. With time it has developed from a benificial relationship to a good companionship.

6. Routine your Life

Once a pet comes into your life, you get to shed off the procrastination you carry out every day. No matter how lazy you are, you need to get up to feed your pet, clean it up, play with it, may be take it out for walk but overall you will enjoy all of it. With the well on time feeds and walks, regular cleaning and grooming, you will surely end up retuning the clock of your life while doing it for your pet.

5. Increase your social circle

Yes that’s true! When you take your pet out for a walk you will always meet up other owners and tend to interact with them. You meet people in training centers, clubs, pet stores, pet shows and public parks. Believe me, you end up going out and making new buddies when you are out there with your pet, the conversation starting by talking about each others pets and their behavior. You may progress from having a cup of coffee together to being really good friends!

4. Family Bonding

Children love playing around with pets. They can be one of the reasons for your kid’s joyous day to day activities. Kids can learn to develop affectionate and caring nature from the very beginning, by regular petting and pampering their pets. Even the elderly, who sometimes feel lonely and don’t mingle up with other members of family, get to have a companion and to enjoy lives by spending time with pets. A pet generates affection, laughter fun and exuberance among the people it lives around and hence gets the family together.

3. Relieving Anxiety

Touching, petting, pampering, cuddling your pet can reduce stress levels considerably low. Remarkable behavior changes have been observed in prisoners who have been exposed to being with pets. A sense of comfort and satisfaction is observed in spending time with pet. Your pet always tends to divert your mind and attention to pull it towards it. It is scientifically proved that pet owners are less likely to suffer depression than those who don’t have one. There have been many good outcomes of keeping a pet considering health, behavior, fitness stress etc. Also it is very satisfying to take care of another living creature. According to a research, presented in American Heart Association, the stress and blood pressure levels in stockbrokers, who had been on medication, had come down significantly come down, after they took to petting an animal along with medication. The affectionate bond and support can help in reducing stress that is a major contributor to cardiovascular problems.

2. Exercise

Well, not all pets can help you stay fit but most of them can. Take for example of your pet dog or cat. Regular morning and evening walks is good for your pet and healthy for you too. If you are not a regular gym person then make a habit to go for regular walks with your pet or chase your kitty around playfully. That will not only keep you healthy physically but mentally too you will stay off stress and diverted and devoted towards your pet.

1. Companionship

That is one of the most considered reasons for keeping a pet. A new member in family is always welcomed like a guest and so is a pet. Why because you always look forward to develop that bond with your pet. Sometimes even the closest people betray you and you seem alone and lost. But when you have a pet along it gives a sense of comfort and company to be with. A good pet will always try to interact with you or least keep you busy and try building a bond with you if taken well care of.

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Do animals have spirits? Do they also become ghosts after they die as many people believe about humans? Perhaps yes. There are many instances, where humans have experienced or felt their pets, better to say apparition of them, long after they have gone to their heavenly abode. It is believed that owners with strong bond with their pets, who suffered great loss after their sudden death, are often approached by ghosts of their pets to remind them that they are alright wherever they are and not to worry about them. It can be a made up story and hypothetical theory, no one knows. Also there are many contradictory questions to it like can only animal pets return as ghosts or if even insects like mosquitoes can come back as phantom animals from the afterlife. Below is a countdown of stories that make you twitch in your seats and leave you baffled. Have a look.

5. Ghost of Ozzy

This is story about a pet ferret, which had to be put down by the owner because of serious illness. Ozzy used to live in the owners grandmother’s house with another pet cat and both were best buddies. After the ferret’s demise, her grandmother started experiencing certain unexpected activities. She claims that every night she felt something climbing under her covers, near her feet. She even tried keeping the night lights on, stripping the bed covers, suspecting it can be mice, but nothing turned up. Also she noticed the cat’s behavior change as if it was playing with Ozzy, as it used to when the ferret was alive. Though her grandmother’s can’t see anything but she is convinced that their pet is still around them and comes to sleep right next to her feet every night.

4. Bandit came Back

This story might not be easy to believe so does every other ghost story unless it is scary. This begins when the owner’s pet died unexpected death while being treated for some illness which it suffered from past three months. The owner was quite attached to the dog and was devastated on hearing the news of his pet dog. Sad and not able to get over this tragedy, one night he went to bed and woke up out of his body. He sat up and looked around to find his dog’s twin sister sleeping at his feet. The room turned dark and he saw his dog, Bandit against his leg, looking at him. Though he didn’t feel scared but certainly he was taken aback. Bandit looked healthy, fresh and wagged its tail continuously. It jumped down and ran off in distance looking back at his owner and wagging his tail. He then woke up suddenly but the out-of-body experience was so realistic that he made a dash to his brother’s room and told him about it. The dog carried a message to his owner as to not worry for it and that he is happy now.

3. Ghost Friend

In one of the cases the owner’s daughter suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she was 12. Due to this she was in discomfort most of the time. But the strange part was that from the past couple of years she had been telling her mother that a ghost visited her and sat on her bed when she really felt sad. She claimed that it always sat right next to her feet and the mattress would depress right there when it would sit. Suddenly a realization dawned upon her mother who was dead sure now that it was their cat Andy, whom they had lost couple of years back. How? Well, Andy, when alive used to follow the same routine when her daughter would have been sad before.

2. Diabolic Cat

Not satisfied with the above stories? How about a ghost cat lurking around in Washington D.C? Demon D.C is the name given to the cat that haunts the government buildings in Washington D.C. The story behind it begins when cats were brought in the basement tunnel of the building to get rid of the rat menace. As the legend goes, there is a black cat ghost that is seen before and after the presidential elections in Washington D.C. It was spotted by the White House guards, the night before John F. Kennedy’s and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The cat is said enlarge to the size of a tiger and even pounce on its victim and disappear in mid air. In an incident in 1890, one of the guards had fired at it while the other got a heart after seeing it, though it vanished.

1. Out of Ouija

Calley had a pet cat called Princy, which was seven human years when it had died few years back. This story is about two curious friends who played with Ouija Board one night. Dangerous as it is, they tried with the game and started asking question to the spirits like, ‘What is your name?’ and ‘How old were you when you died?’ The thing that frightened them was when the board replied that its name was Princy and it is seven years old. After finishing off the game, strange things started happening day by day. Calley heard moans of cat, the same she had heard when Princy was dying. Often she would here purring sounds in the basement which would often scare her. All this continued for some time but eventually dropped to nothing. Calley thinks it was Princy’s way of saying goodbye to her owner.

The post Ghost Pets: Five fables of phantom Pets appeared first on Pet Attack.

Birds make good pets, but before I begin I would like to add a personal note to it. If you really want to keep birds as pets don’t cage them all the time. They have got wings for a reason. So if you saw your neighbor getting a pair of love birds home and you wish to get a bird friend too, go for a parrot. Parrots are social and intelligent birds. They are trainable and develop very strong bonds with their owners. You can cuddle them; play with them, they simple love interaction, be it with their owners or other parrots. Now that you have decided upon buying a pet parrot, you have got a number of species to choose from.

 Parrots as Pets

There are a lot of things to keep in mind if you have decided to keep a parrot as pet. Some of them include cost, space available in house, interaction and time spent with your pet. Generally parrots’ diet includes a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, sprouts, nuts and seeds. Parrots create a lot of mess while eating; one has to be patient to clean the cage regularly. Be careful when you let the parrot out of cage, usually parrots have tendency of chewing upon things like furniture. Protect your belongings before you let the parrot out of the cage. Parrots need exercise and should be left free to roam around in the house. May be you can make a place to play around. Parrots screech and create lot of noise. The owners should be committed towards the pet, and should give enough time and attention to the pet. Parrots are social birds. They need attention from their owners. They might get irritated and can cause a lot of destruction if not comfortable. If you think you can’t pay required attention to your bird pet, then better by it a companion.

Parakeets

These tiny parrots are about 7 to 12 inches in length. Caring for parakeet involves going for regular round to a veterinarian, even at first signs of illness. Also parakeets shouldn’t be kept with other species of parrots, they don’t along much together. It might lead to behavioral problems. Parakeets are good at learning and can be easily trained. They can be trained to talk, sit on owners shoulder, perform tricks etc. But all of this is only possible if your pet is comfortable with you. A strong bond needs to be built before you start making him learn things. They love petting and pampering. Care need to be taken care as they get ill easily. Proper cleaning of cage, regular change in water, washing of food and water dishes, regular exercise, and proper nutrition needs to be taken care of. The bird’s cage should be placed at some secure place, away from too much noise and direct sunlight.

Cockatiel

They are usually grey or cream yellow in color with blushing cheek patches. The difference between male and female is so undistinguishable visibly that a DNA test needs to be done. Cockatiels require more seeds in their food. Some other food items include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, corn and few fruits like apple, mango, pear and pineapple. Chocolates, ice-creams, pastries etc should be strictly avoided. These birdies require big cages, preferably longer in length than in height. Cockatiels don’t usually learn to talk but males can be made to talk and whistle more likely than females. Patient and soft training sessions can possible earn good results. Breeding is a little difficult and requires time and commitment. It is best practice to delay breeding until your pet is mentally and physically mature enough.

Parrotlets

The most popular parrot species is a beautiful blue colored Pacific Parrotlet as the name justifies. Now several colored mutations have been developed though. These species though puny are bolder than expected on seeing their size. There are different species even in Parrotlets based on their color and size. Green Parrotlets are a little smaller than Pacifics and slightly intimidated by new things while Spectacle Parrotlets, which are similar to Greens in size, turn out to be more curious and inquisitive. The cage size for parrotlets should be 18” in length breadth and height on an average. The cage should be longer than being tall. These species require a lot of food in contrast to their size. This mostly includes fresh fruits and veggies, grains, seeds and high protein foods. Fresh clean water is must for you pet. They bond well with person who spend maximum time with them.

African Grey

Considered to be the most intellegent of  all parrot species, it originally belonging to Africa, is about 12 to 13 inches in length from beak to tail. A big bird, if you have decided to pet it, you should consider having a big cage and spacious living place for your parrot. They will give you company till 50, although some can even live till the age of 70+. These are intelligent beings and that shows in their behavior. They are affectionate towards their owners, but if bored or frustrated it will create havoc. As the name says they have grey feathers, with threads of white over the fur and black beak. They have shiny red tail color in contrast to old grey look. Like other parrots their diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables but they can even be fed pelleted food along with egg, cheese bits and nuts and seeds. They provide a good company and can easily be trained to talk. If properly cared for they develop strong bond with their owners. But care should be taken as to what you speak in front of them as they tend to repeat everything and remember it too all thanks to their high IQ levels. That may land you in trouble later.

Macaws

Macaws are large, colorful parrots named after their feather colors like scarlet macaws, blue and gold macaws, military macaws and hyacinth macaws. There also exist mini-macaws which include species like Hahn’s noble and yellow colored macaws. They reach to a length of 20 – 40 inches depending upon the species. The life span is about 30-50 years though if cared well they live beyond that. They are playful, exuberant, and affectionate and remain happy when they get enough attention from their owners. Yes they screech, they are loud and noisy. They have excellent ability to imitate but not as good as African Grey. Macaws need large cage about 24”x36”x48” for an average size macaw. The cage must be strong enough to withstand their strong beaks. Since they are quite playful, you can get them wooden toys to chew upon and play with and some hangings to climb upon. Their diet can include pelleted food with usual fresh fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.

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A pet is your animal companion and eventually becomes your family as you develop bonds with it. At one point this human-animal bond becomes so strong that it can turn your pet into your protector. There are hypothetical super-humans who risk their lives for your safety. Now let us have a look at super-pets who have pushed the limits of human-animal relationship and emerged as heroes with their extraordinary and unbelievable deeds to protect their owners and family.

Below are few instances where animals have proved themselves to be understanding, protective, heroic and above all a best friend.

1. Protector Pedigree

This incident took place on a fine October day in 2007. Charlotte Svillicic, a 17 month old baby was playing in yard in her Australian home when suddenly their pet Doberman, Khan starting making growling noises. The reason behind his snarl was totally unexpected, as it turned out to be one of the most poisonous snakes of the world, king brown snake, under the house. The dog tried to nudge the baby away but when it realized no avail in doing so, it lifted the baby with the diaper and tossed her few feet behind him. This startled the snake and in the sudden act it struck back at Khan and bit him on the paw. The snake dashed away and the toddler was saved, but the dog was ended up in hospital. Though Khan was given antivenin and he soon recovered but this act of courage got him appraisal and made him ‘hero of the day’.

2.  Parrot Alarm

Megan Howard, who was babysitting 2 year old Hannah Kuusk, heard her pet Quaker parrot screaming at the top of its voice and flapping its wings. Megan was in bathroom at that time and later said that she had never heard such shrill cries of her pet before. When she came out of the bathroom, she saw the toddler had chocked herself and her face had turned blue by then. Immediately Megan performed Heimlich maneuver over Hannah, a series of steps to save people from chocking. Although she saved the little girl but admitted that her pet had been the real life saver. The bird was later presented with the local Animal Lifesaver Award by Red Cross.

3. Lulu to the Rescue

While on a vacation in Pennsylvania woods, Jo Ann Altsman suffered from a heart attack. Lulu, her potbellied pet pig realized that something went wrong with her owner and somehow managed to get out of their mobile home, towards the road. When a car would approach, the petit piggy would lie down in the middle of road to stop the passerby. The times car didn’t stop, Lulu would go back to her owner to check upon her and then run back to the road. This intelligent act of the pig made a motorcycle stop and follow the pig into the woods. There he found the lady and immediately called 911. Such an immediate and surprising act saved by Lulu, saved the owners life.

4. A Meow saveS 3

Keesling family would have died in their sleep, had their cat not woken them up, by nudging and meowing loudly and continuously. A gas-powered water pump started leaking odorless carbon monoxide in the home. Nobody realized it except the cat, who tried her best to wake up her owners. Cathy’s husband and son were already unconscious, when Cathy got woken up by shrilling meows of her cat. Slightly feeling dizzy she called 911 and got help before it was too late.

5. Magic Mare

Animal therapy has long been known for its health benefits. Animals are known to reduce blood pressure and even prevent heart attack.  In a similar incident where horse therapy proved to be a boon to a patient who hadn’t spoken to anyone for three long years in her assisted-living facility. Magic, a beautiful mare with blue eyes used to visit patients, who needed comfort. That included her trips to hospitals, care facilities and group homes. When that patient saw Magic for the first time, she uttered out her first few words after a long time and that were,” Isn’t she beautiful?” Those words made every one come to tears and the lady improved considerably up on her health. This one interaction got Magic AARP’s Most Heroic Pet 2010 award.

6. Taking a bullet

In this heroic act by Lefty, this brave dog dared to cross all bounds when she leaped in front of one of the robbers, who pointed the gun at one of the family members. This incident happened during one night when the family home was broken in by four robbers. The dog took the bullet all by her and ended up getting injured on her leg and her shoulder. She was immediately taken to the nearby veterinary hospital but unfortunately had to lose one of her limbs. The cost of surgery was too much so in order to raise money for her treatment, they shared her story on Facebook. Not only were they able to get enough funds but the family pet became a heroic pup overnight.

7. Fire Fighter

Buddy, a brave German shepherd, received a silver-plated bowl from Alaska State Troopers for his heroic act when he saved his owners home from fire. When Ben Heinrich’s workshop caught fire in 2010, he shouted to his pet for help. Buddy made a dash to the road nearby and led a state trooper to the fire site. With the in-time help and Buddy’s bravery, Ben’s house was saved from flares.

These are just a few stories of bravery and selfless acts of pets towards their owners. These super animals have saved lives in time, with their intelligent and heroic acts. They are not just your friends, they are caring and concerned for you as any family.

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In humans, the pregnancy period is quite a delicate time, so is for animals. Proper attention care is required towards the animal whether it is diet, safety, exercise or meds. First thing to keep in mind is that, you should not breed your pet unless are ready to take up the responsibility of the litter. Just for the matter that your dog/cat should have the experience of having a litter is not a reason enough for breeding your pet. Also if you have already planned for it then you should go to a responsible breeder who has considerable knowledge about your breed. You can also consult the vet first to get the breeding done.

After your dog/cat is in the gestation period, a lot of attention and care is required from your side being an owner. Below are few important points that you should realize while taking care of your pet.

Diet

This is the first and the most important thing that your dog/cat needs good nutrition. Now that she is carrying babies, she needs to intake extra calories, to feed more than one. Improper diet can even lead to death of newborns. After mating and while gestation, you should make sure that your pet eats properly. During the first few weeks dogs eat in normal amounts but as the weeks precede so does their requirement. By the end of the gestation period they tend to eat 1.5 times their initial diets. Same applies to your cat so increase the amount of food you provide to your pet. Give your dog/cat commercial dog/cat food that is high in calories. Also talk to your vet about the dietary habits for your pet and how to make it better. Most importantly provide ample amount of water at all times.

Exercise and Fitness

You dog should undergo sufficient exercises though not vigorous ones. The target should be to ease the complications during delivery and not weight loss. Regular outdoor walks should keep your pregnant dog fit and fine. Cats usually take care of themselves on their own during pregnancy. They may undergo morning sickness like certain behavior changes, not having food on time, vomiting and restlessness. But worry not this is a part of the hormonal changes going inside her body. Sometimes you might not even notice such changes. If the cat doesn’t eat food for a long stretch of time do consult your vet. Weight loss is not recommended for your pet and a lot of rest and sleep is required, so don’t try to tire your pet, in the name of exercise. Again plenty of water is a must.

Discharge

Your pet both dogs and cats experience discharge from genital area during pregnancy. The discharge is often pinkish in color in case of dogs and transparent in case of cats. If the color of discharge differs, it can be pus or blood. You should immediately contact your vet in this situation. In case of cats, if the discharge is pink it is a fungal infection while green discharge indicates bacterial infection.  After delivery discharge is normal in case of cats, which can be thick and either punk or brown in color. This continues for 10 days so no need to worry. Discharge during pregnancy should be taken seriously ignoring certain conditions can even lead to abortion or premature delivery.

Surroundings

To make your dog/cat go through the gestation period comfortably you need to ensure that their surrounding environment is stress free and tranquil. Make separate bedding for your cat, some time before her due date like a box. Provide comfortable bedding or base, by putting a soft towel, blanket or may be an old launder that makes them feel warm and cozy. Place it in a silent location; make it a point to keep it away from other pets and children in the house so that your cat/dog may rest silently without any disturbances. Let her know where the box is kept but don’t force her to be there. She may end up choosing some other location to give birth or may even make changes according to her wish in her newly made space. Keep your pet away for three weeks after parturition so as to prevent transmission of any potential diseases.

After Birth Care

You should make sure that your pet feels comfortable and secure around people in the house. Keep a separate den for the new mommy where she can feed and tender to her litter without any trouble or disturbances. Keep a bowl of water close by, but make sure that pups don’t fall into it by mistake. Change the bedding regularly to avoid smell and maintain hygiene in their resting place. Clean the puppy poop from time to time, although in case of cats, the queen, that’s what the new mommy is called, tends to eat up her baby poop, clean and groom them simultaneously. This behavior is sometimes seen in dogs too and is fairly normal. Ensure that your pet has proper food even during lactation. Whenever you feel any abnormal changes like loss of appetite in your pet, insatiable thirst, discharge etc contact your vet.

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The little puppy has now come home. The little life will be your companion and responsibility. The puppy is like a small infant who has to be molded and brought up in the right way. The only difference here is that the puppy doesn’t understand the human language and thus with a lot of patience and care needs to be taught the right from wrong.

The puppy needs to be firstly given a couple of puppy shots by a vet. The vet will also provide syrups to add to calcium to its food intake. This needs to be given at least till the puppy is a year old. In case of big canines, strong bones are a must to balance out its body weight. So these medicines in the form of syrup need to be either mixed with milk or the puppy food. Also it is extremely important for the puppy to get its timely nutrition adequately. This will help the puppy to develop into a strong and healthy dog in the future.

The first few weeks just let the puppy ease up and get accustomed to the house and the family members. This is a subtle way of saying that the puppy will pee and poop in places it wishes to do so. This can be a little tiring and makes you even want to second guess as to why you had to take up an additional role when you’re already finding it difficult to deal with your life crisis. But trust me, it’s worth it!

It’s a gradual procedure to potty train your puppy. Use the cloth that you wipe the pee with and keep it in the toilet or terrace where the puppy could pee in the house. Once it gets the smell from the cloth the dog will make sure that it has its pee spot intact. Similarly with the pooping part but however it takes longer for them to get accustomed to pooping in one place. Every time you see them going round and round in a particular stop it is a sign they are about to poop. Instead of scrubbing the floor and picking up the poop, you can put a newspaper when it crouches to poop. It’s not advisable to take puppies to gardens at least till they are six months old as they may contract diseases quickly due to their low immunity system. Try taking them for walks below your building at times that suit your schedule. And make sure you put a mouth guard for your puppy. The puppies are usually tempted to eat rubbish and you don’t want them falling ill. Make sure you stick to the similar time everyday and eventually it becomes a habit.

The feeding habits also may vary in the initial few weeks. The puppy may feel lonely a couple of days and may just stick to drinking water. But don’t fret or eat your heart out in the bargain at such incidences. Its quiet normal to do so! Eventually the food intake begins. The vet usually suggests the food to be given to the puppy. The puppy foods are suggested because they are wholesome and give the puppy an all round development. Also foods like boiled eggs, curd rice and milk can also be a part of the routine diet

Training them is another work you have to do in the first few months. Especially because they are teething and have a tendency to rip apart your beautiful furniture and expensive stilettos. The trick of training them is by using firm but affirmative orders and also a little treat never hurts anybody! They usually understand signs better than words, so make sure you use the same word for the action you expect your puppy to do. Its not difficult but you do need to invest some great amount of time and make sure you repeat the drill of using words every day.

When your puppy is chewing on something, use your words and be firm. Say a ‘No’ firm so that the puppy understands from your tone that whatever they are doing isn’t acceptable. If they don’t understand initially stop them from doing it by saying a firm ‘No’. Making them learn tricks like sit, stand, shake hands or paw needs a little bit of treat. Although bribing is a bad thing but it works like a charm and puppies do get motivated. It is important that you acknowledge every little accomplishment and effort put in by the puppy by rubbing his neck or forehead and calling them a good puppy!

The puppies have a lot of irritation when they undergo teething so make sure you have adequate chewable toys for it to nibble upon. Chew sticks are also pretty good although they may take a whole week to chew on it. A more natural substitute would be the tender coconut shell. They enjoy chewing on something so huge and juicy. It also keeps them active and keeps their focus off the home appliances and furniture.

The puppy takes a few weeks to get accustomed to their new surroundings. However, they are fast learners and the willingness to train them would help them learn ever faster. Everybody has a different home environment with a puppy with a different nature. At the end its all a matter of learning through trial and error. I don’t believe in professional trainers because they use some pretty strenuous methods to teach the puppies. Also they are expensive and the puppies become used to the trainers giving commands. So when you try to do the exact same thing as the trainer, you will be surprised to find a little less enthusiasm in doing the tricks.

The more time you spend with your puppy, more is the growth of the bond that you both will share. Its really surprising the things you will also learn in the process of nurturing this little bundle of joy who has nothing but unconditional love to offer. And the world could definitely use some love!

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You can’t expect your dog to never bark, its impossible as it is the only type of the vocal communication they have, expecting him to never bark is like expecting a child to never talk. They have a lot say and they usually do it by barking or some other actions. When you cannot understand why he is barking then your dog may show other actions, for example, if he wants to play then, first he will asked you by barking and if you couldn’t understand then he will try to do other things like showing you his ball, which obivously indicates what he wants to do – Play!
But excessive barking might create a problem for you if your neighbour often complaints. To control his excessive barking problem, you have to find out first why he is barking. Here are some cause of barking :-
1. PROTECTIVENESS :- When a person comes to your dog’s area or adjacent yards whom he considers as territory then it triggers the excessive barking. His barking will be louder as the threat comes closer. They are known as the “Watch – man” and it is natural for him to warn you about the threats.
2. BOREDOM :- They are pack animals if they are left alone then they will get bored and feel lonely. And they will bark in order to show they are not happy.
3. FEAR :- They may be frightened due to noises like thunder or people, objects or other animals. Due to fear, they can bark excessively.
4. ATTENTION – SEEKING :- Your dog often barks in order to gain attention from you. He knows either you will scold him for his excessive barking or pet him, and in order to control his barking, you’ll do whatever he wants like playing. In this case you are rewarding him for his excessiva barking which encourages him.
5. GREETING :- This is usually a happy bark. In this case, this is the way of your dog’s greeting some new people or guests or other dog.
6. PHYSICAL NEEDS :- If your dog is cold, hot, hungry or thirsty then he will bark as it is the way of his communication and he will request you to fulfill one of these needs.

HOW TO TREAT EXCESSIVE BARKING?

Here are a list of some solutions which will help in controlling the excessive barking of dogs. However all of them are useful but will take some time as you cannot expects results overnight. The longer your dog has been facing this problem, the longer it will take time to recover.
The two most things you have to do during treating the barking problem – First is have patience, it might take time but once it is done, it will be worth it. And 2nd important thing is not to yell at dogs, do not react to anything. Now I am telling you some solutions which will help in treating your dog’s excessive barking problem :-
1. EXERCISE :- Take him to walk or play. Always remember that, a tired dog is always a quiet dog so if you want to get rid of the barking problem then you should do him plenty of exercises.
2. DON’T GIVE ATTENTION :- As I said earlier, sometimes dogs bark just to gain attention or demands for whatever he wants. In this case, just ignore him untill he stops barking. The more attention you give, the more his barking problem will increase. Don’t even yell at him as it means you are still giving attention to him so gently command to keep calm and when he stops, give rewards as he will think that behaving well will get him rewards and not barking.
3. MEDICAL PROBLEMS :- Sometimes medical problems can also occur. If you don’t know why he is barking the taking him to the veterinarian is the best idea as he can develop some diseases which must checked and the specialists will give the appropriate solution.
4. BOREDOM :- If your dog is barking because of boredom then you must provide him some toys to play when you left him alone otherwise he will get bored and the neighbours will complaint! You can also adopt other companion for him, also it will provide extra safety to your home.
5. FEAR :- This type of fear is caused by fear or threat. You can control this by lessend by limiting whatever your dog sees. Try to keep him in a closed room as in yards, he will definetly see or hear something so its better to keep him closed with toys.
6.TEACH HIM TO BE QUIET ON COMMAND :- You can teach him to be quiet however it may takes some time. Firstly teach him to bark by saying “Speak”, when he do this, reward him, then slowly teach him to be quiet. Believe me it will be very useful. If your dog will bark uncontrollingly then you can command him by saying quiet.

The post Why Dogs bark? appeared first on Pet Attack.

We are not the sole ones who gets depressed however our dogs can be depressed too. They can not speak in our language but once they get depressed, we can simply check the state of their mind by their actions without any help from veterinary.
We all understand that depression may be a chemical imbalance within the mind and is common in the human beings however it’s not common in pets.
WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION IN PETS :-
There are several things that may trigger the reason for depression. a number of the causes area unit given below :-
1. DEATH :- If another pet in your house or maybe the owner passes away then there are a lot of possibilities of them to urge into depression. Pets create unbreakable bonds with their owners and if they died, they’d feel omitted, even with the death of another pets, are get saddened.
2. DEPRESSED OWNERS :- Dogs needs plenty of your time, attention, affection, care and love from you but if you yourself is depressed then how can you take care of your dogs? so, they will feel amort and may be depressed therefore even if you are sad , try to give time to your dog and believe me, your dog is the way from which you can escape from loneliness.
3. LONELINESS :- If you leave your dog alone whole week in the home and you don’t even take them outside then he is likely to feel lonely. You have made some commitments to your dog which you have to fulfill, otherwise, you dog will feel he is not needed by you and can be depressed. So make a promise to yourself that you’ll take care of your dog and spend time with him, no matter how busy you are.
4. SEASONAL CHANGES – Moods of your pets also can be stricken by the seasonal changes like, in the season of summer, dogs go outside and play as much as they want on the other hand, in the season of winter, they get closed in the home only.
5. CLINICAL CONDITIONS – If nothing is going on to your dog then it can be chemical imbalance. during this case, you should contact to the veterinary as they will be able to prescribed anti – depression medicines to your dog.

SYMPTOMS -

The symptoms of depression in dogs is much like to depression in human beings. The symptoms of depression in dogs are :-
1. CHANGES IN APETITE - There can be a changed apetite in the depressed dogs. Either they will eat more or less. If they’ll eat more, it can lead to weight loss whereas eating more can lead to weight gain.
2. CHANGE IN SLEEP HABITS – A depressed dog may sleep more in order to remove loneliness. Alternatively, some dogs may become restless and couldn’t sleep.
3. BEHAVIOUR CHANGES – A depression dog can different changes in their behaviour. He may show his aggressive behaviour by unneccessarily barking, or he may not utter a single word. He might withdrawn completely from everything like playing, going outside etc.
4. LIMP TAIL – We all know that tails of the dogs reflects the dog’s moods. If you have noticed that your dog’s tail is generally flacid or limp, he might get depressed although a limp tail doesn’t always mean he is depressed, but he might have a disease called limber tail, but both are very serious disease.
5. PEEING OUTSIDE – If your dog is peeing inside your house and he is well trained, then there might be a problem. He may not want to go outside because he is depressed so keep monitoring him.
TREATMENT -:

1. SOCIALIZATION – Socialization is the best way to get out from the depression for pets and even human beings. At first, your dog may not like it to go outside but you have to do it for his sake so take him outside, let him meet new people.
2. BRING COMPANION – You can bring another companion for him which can help in getting rid of depression in your dogs. If you often you leave your dog alone then the new pet would be a great friend for your dog.
3. EXTRA CARE AND ATTENTION – If your dog is depressed then give extra attention and care to him as it might help in making his mood better. You must spend some time with your companion so that your canine friend would not feel alone.
4. EXERCISE – You dog may feel lonely by living at home all day and can become lazy too, so you can take your friend to outside. He might feel food by inhaling fresh air in the park.

5. PRECAUTIONS - If you want to diagnose the depressed dog, make sure to consult veterinarian as they are specialists and can give you valuable suggestions.
Also do not give anti – depressants to your dog without consulting the veterinarians as they are very strong drugs and your dog might get used to it. These drugs should be the last way for diagnosing the depression in dogs.

The post ”We Get Depressed too” – Dogs appeared first on Pet Attack.