December 20, 2011
Diabetes is becoming more common in ‘the man’s best friend’- the dog. Diabetes can occur at almost any age in a dog, from young
dog stage to aging dogs. Diabetes develops due to a lack of an insulin - produced from a hormone in the body. When a dog eats their food, the digestive system begins to break down the food immediately. While breaking the food down, it also breaks down the glucose as well. Everything should work well unless the dog cannot produce enough insulin.
Once a dog has been diagnosed with diabetes, you can help him or her manage the diabetes in several ways.
Tip 1: Make sure that your dog takes their medication as scheduled if it is necessary. You may simply need to regulate their diet and their weight. Other dogs may need to be hospitalised in order to regulate the sugar in their blood. A dog may need to take insulin shots to regulate the blood glucose. Your vet can go over the details with you as well as some of the best treatments available.
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December 13, 2011
Surveys show that in the United Kingdom more than fifty percent of all households have some type of pet in residence. Other studies do not agree on whether the majority of these are cat households or dog households. The preference between them seems to change over time. No other animal comes close to the popularity of these two species. Nevertheless, there seems to be an increasing interest in amphibians and reptiles in recent years. 
With dogs and cats, as always, at the top of the list of popular UK pets; which ones come next? Rabbits are the next closest favorite coming in at about one sixth as many as dogs or cats. The next category has indoor birds, hamsters, horses and ponies, and snakes. Gerbils, turtles and rats fall in below the rest in their popularity quotient.
The most interesting thing about the popularity of certain pets is that several species are desired by both adults and children. The most popular with both is cats. For both adults and children; rabbits, birds, hamsters and rats are also quite popular. These animals are generally thought of as a child’s pet, but adults are becoming more inclined toward smaller, easy care pets as well.
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December 2, 2011
Caring for wild birds is a year round job if you want your feathered friends to continue to visit your property. The birds that do not migrate away in winter actually require more food during cold weather than they do in summer. Bird metabolism is very fast and it takes a lot of food for them to stay warm. Birds also come to depend on you if you feed them, and sometimes they will stay rather than migrate, simply because you do feed them. With no way for the birds to supplement their diet in winter, you should definitely continue to feed them year round.
In winter wild birds need suet or fat balls added to their diet. Suet, which contains fat, assists their metabolism and helps to warm their bodies. There are feeders designed specifically to hold suet as it comes in a block form. The birds still need their seed and fresh water supplies as well. You should keep feed and water containers clean and well stocked. Provide a selection of foods for the wild birds, including, sunflower seeds and peanuts in addition to the usual wild bird mix. The seeds and peanuts are very high in fat, which is what the birds need to remain warm and healthy. The birds should actually be fed twice daily in winter, and you will find that the feeders will empty a lot sooner than they do when you put out the bird food in summer. You can also provide extra treats that are similar to fat balls, but contain raisins and berries, along with meal worms and other insects that are in short supply in winter.
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