First-graders run pet food drive – Sun Shopper

First-graders run pet food drive Sun Shopper, AZ - Dec 16, 2008 When first-grade teacher Melissa Walker organized a pet food drive, Kaylie thought it was a great idea “because it saves animals and I like to care for …

Help for pet owners: HEB and Humane Society give pet food to needy … – TMCnet

Help for pet owners: HEB and Humane Society give pet food to needy … TMCnet - Dec 20, 2008 Humane Society director Del NeSmith said they had about 100 people collect some of the pet food by 11:30 am and expected to give out about a ton of dog food …

A Healthy Dog Food Diet

When choosing a healthy dog diet it can often be difficult and confusing, that is if you let it be. The packaging and marketing of the products you wish to purchase will often blur your perception of it. Your dogs diet is the easiest and best way to keep your pet in good health and happy for the many years you will have together. it is better for you to find a diet that will provide all the essential nutrients that are needed for your pet to thrive rather than merely survive.

So here are some basic guidelines for you to follow when you are selecting the food for your dogs diet. you should know that every dog is different and what is the right diet for your neighbors dog may not be exactly what your pet needs.

The first step should always be when deciding your dogs diet, is to talk to your vet. They will always have your pets interest at heart, just like you. The vets recommendations will help you make the right decision.

What you need to do is find a reputable brand of dog food to be the main ingredient of your dogs diet. It is not impossible to come across a high-quality dog food that you have never heard of or seen before, but a well known and manufacturer provides you with an amount of safety and security about the decision to feed your dog a healthy diet.

Reputable and recognized dog food manufacturers take the time to research animal nutrition. This allows your pet to benefit from the company’s research rather than going it alone.

What you should do is select a dog food that is appropriate for your pets age. With a older that is showing signs of aging, then it is best to consider a dog diet that is specially formulated for senior dogs. On the other hand puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs.

You will need to find a variety of food that meets your dogs needs. Even the breed and size of your pet will make a difference in the type of diet you should feed it. Diets formulated specifically for small dogs and large breeds are readily available. You will want to keep this in mind when selecting your dogs diet.

The activity level and weight are the other factors for you to consider when making the decision of what to feed your dog. When you decide on a diet for your dog, pay attention to the portion size. Obesity is a serious problem in pets. It can lead to hip trouble and take years off your pets life.

Table scraps are definitely not a healthy diet. Your dogs diet should consist of a high-quality food specially designed to meet your pets dietary needs.

Only supplement a high quality diet when recommended by your vet. If you give your pet too many supplements in the dogs diet then this can lead to a poor of health.

Your dogs diet will fuel his health, so choose your dogs diet wisely. You need to select a brand of food that is reputable and suited to your dog. When you find the right diet for your pet it will promote good health and allow your dog to thrive for many years to come.

Do You Have an Aggressive Cat – What causes it?

There are two types of violent behaviors that a cat can show, an aggressive cat can be aggressive towards other cats and they can aggressive towards people. An aggressive cat can bite and scratch but this can easily be handled when you know what is causing the problem. There are several causes of aggressive behavior between cats.  

Territorial Aggression – No Trespassing! 

Cats are very territorial and territorial aggression is very common among cats, they do not like to have strange people in areas that they feel is theirs. This is very common in a household where an older cat is expected to welcome the intrusion of a new cat or kitten. It also happens outside, when a neighbor cat dares to trespass into your cat’s yard. The behavior of an aggressive cat is that they will chase and ambushing another cat, and a lot of hissing and swatting if there is contact between the two.  

Inter-male Aggression – Who’ The Boss  

Inter-male Aggression occurs because of the hierarchy that is natural amid animals. It can be part of a sexual challenge for a female or to raise one’s status in the cat hierarchy. While neutered males are less apt to fight this way, they, too, can have inter-male aggression, particularly if neutered later in life. The behavior seen with this type of aggressive cat is body posturing, staring, howling, yowling, and stalking each other. They two can fight, trying to bite each other’s neck or scratch their underbelly. It can all of a sudden stop – the two will separate and move away a bit – and then happen again right away – or they will just walk away. 

Defensive Aggression – Don’t Hurt Me (Or Even Look Like You Will) Or I’ll Hurt You 

Defensive Aggression is typical of a situation where the cat is trying to protect itself. For example, if you’ve ever tried to catch a feral cat, once it feels trapped it will attack in self-defense. The behavior seen with defensive cat prior to an attack has the cat crouching with the legs under the body, tail tucked in, and ears pulled back. If the danger will not go away, the cat will more often than not attack with nails and teeth. 

I’m Angry At Him, So I’ll Hit You Instead – Redirected Aggression

An aggressive cat can also have redirected aggression this is where it is directed to an animal different than the one that provoked it. A typical type would be a cat who sees another cat out the front window. It can’t get out there and protect its turf, though it wants to, so instead it attacks the other family cat sitting next to it – which hasn’t done anything to warrant the attack.

Benefits of California Natural Dog Food

California Natural Dog Food specializes in dry pet food.  The breakdown of nutritional elements of dog food includes primarily protein, fat and carbohydrates.  Dog foods typically comprise the simplest combination of nutritional elements of any type of dry pet food and the combination designed to produce a product easily digested and utilized by the canine digestive system. Dogs have surprisingly sensitive digestive systems and low grade pet food ingredients that offer protein fillers are not highly recommended. You will not find these low grade proteins included in products produced by California Natural Dog Food.

Lamb, Chicken and More

An overview of some of the products that are produces at California Natural Dog Food.  For each grouping that targets specific levels of nutrition in that composition, you will find available a dry and canned dog food formulation.  For example there is the California Natural Lamb Meal and Rice dry dog food and there is an equivalent canned version of it. It uses 100 per cent lamb meat with brown rice. This has been found to be ideal for dogs that may be allergic to some typical pet food ingredients. Alternately, white and brown rice as well as sunflower oil is a source of energy for the pet dog.

Similar to lamb based, there is a chicken meat based California Natural Dog Food as well. It also is combined with a rice formula, preferably brown rice. This produces a product that has attractive to dogs having proven tasty, nutritious and easily digestible. This product is available as a dry product or as canned food. High quality and balanced nutrition are key qualities exhibited by both formulations.

Lamb and fish such as herring and salmon are also base protein products used to produce California Natural Dog Food.  The lamb meal dry dog food is is highly recommended for less active and overweight dogs.  It contains low fat and leads to lower calorie levels for dogs on a diet. The herring raw material, while easily digestible, supplies appropriate levels of proteins and fatty acids and this product will be found under the label California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato Adult Dry Dog Food.  Added nutrients and fibre are provided by the addition of sweet potato in this formula. Wild salmon and mackerel are also utilized in the production of the canned version.

Another unique product of California Natural Dog Food is the California Natural Health Bars.  They are large bars of wholesome cooked nutritional products which have been claimed even fit for human beings.  This product primarily targets dogs that are allergic to typical pet food ingredients.

Supplement Needed

As with any pet food product on the market, you should look closely at the nutritional value reported from each formulation. Though California Natural Dog Food claims to manufacture one of the best dog foods available, it still may not satisfy the total nutritional needs for all dogs. As is the case in human beings, each dog will have particular needs that relate back to issues such as breed of dog, the age of the dog the environmental conditions it lives in and the typical amount of exercise the dog will expend throughout an average delay.

Dogs actually have digestive system that is normally unforgiving of wholesale diet changes and processes some products easier than others. The pet owners are charged with the responsibility of reading the labels to determine if the product would appear to meet the nutritional needs of his or her dog.  Even the California Natural Dog Food, which is safe, does not guarantee complete nutrition for any and all dogs. It is the responsibility of the owner to determine if supplements to the diet may be required.

Better German Shepherds

Many people associate German Shepherd Dogs with being aggressive watchdogs, but this behavior is the result of training. A German Shepherd Dog will always be protective of his family and will always be wary of strangers, but they are not aggressive by nature.

For me German Shepherds are defined by beauty and soundness of mind and body all come together. Don’t leave the purchase of your German Shepherd to chance. German Shepherds also are prone to pancreas deficiency, which is where the pancreas stops creating enzymes and the animal is unable to pass any faeces. There is medication available, but it is not 100% effective. and also expensive, so be sure you have a proper pet medical insurance.

German Shepherds are double-coated with a coarse, water-resistent outer coat and a heavy, woolly undercoat. They are heavy shedders, especially in spring, and require regular combing. In the former East Germany , German Shepherds adhered more closely to the old prewar standard, marked by a straighter back, a longer and denser coat, and a darker color.

These dogs are now praised for their working ability. Since many German Shepherds have sensitive stomachs, it may be wise to phase in the new diet by mixing it with their existing food until they have adapted. Start by mixing the diet with their existing food in equal amounts. A typical German Shepherd’s body is slightly longer than tall is sturdy but lean. It has a slightly convex forehead, long muzzle, pointed ears and almond-shaped eyes that are set (as opposed to protruding) with an amiable expression. The coloring of the German Shepherd Dog can vary and includes black and tan, sable, and black. The German Shepherd Dog weighs in at 60-80 pounds for females, and 75-100 pounds for males.

The German Shepherd is a herding dog, originally bred from sheep-tending stock in rural Germany. The founder of the breed was Cavalry Captain Max Von Stephanitz, who almost single handedly developed the breed through judicious inbreeding and line breeding, from 1899 to 1936. German shepherd dogs are fearless, eager and alert. Known for their tremendous loyalty and courage. They are not “show dogs”, but they are the best because they are the the most unspoiled and uncommercialized, and the closest to the original German Shepherd Dog of old Germany. That used to be the famous and the first German dogs that you use to read in books.

This is the root of our German shepherd dog breeder program and for the love of the this magnificent breed. Secondary sex characteristics are strongly marked, and every animal gives a definite impression of masculinity or femininity, according to its sex. The correct proportions of height to length and corresponding length of the leg bones results in a ground-eating gait that is low to the ground and imparts an impression of effortless progression. With his head thrust forward and a slightly raised tail, a balanced and even trotter will have a topline that falls in moderate curves from the tip of the ears over the neck and level back through the tip of the tail.

The German Shepherd, these days, is used more as a guard dog. The GSD is also one of the most popular breeds in USA, and the UK. The German Shepherd has a scissor bite, where the upper incisors must meet the lower incisors in a scissor grip. Level bite, overshot and undershot teeth are faulty, as well as widely spaced teeth. Many of us grew up with Rin Tin Tin, or we saw German Shepherds in nightly news reports breaking up riots, or we saw them in neighbors’ backyards protecting children. But that only scratches the surface of one of the most fascinating and confusing breeds on earth. So take care of your German Shepherd, they always need love and a good healthly life. Love them and they will love you back, invest in them, and remember to give them every month frontline plus for dogs and have for them a proper pet health insurance. They deserve it !

Bird Food to Attract Birds

Do you wish you could attract more birds to your garden and home? You might be very surprised to find the variety that is common to your particular area.  Research into birds common to your region can be conducted using the extensive resource of books available. Also the internet shows seemingly limitless websites providing information about birds common to specific regions and will suggest the best bird food to attract birds in your area.  Once you have discovered what species of birds are most likely to be making little stops around your home, select the appropriate food from the list of the different types of bird food most sought by a particular species. This will encourage them to visit more frequently and coax them in closer so that you can better enjoy viewing their activity.

Bird Seed

There are several different types of seed that are commonly used as bird food. However, it is important that you understand that not all birds seek the same type of seed. For example, if you want to attract the larger species of birds to your feeders, your best choice of seed may be the black sunflower seed. Using this type of seed as bird food attracts a wide variety of beautifully plumaged birds, as well as pesky squirrels. They are seeking seeds that produce a higher volume of useable food source for their efforts so the best bird food to attract birds in your area may well be a variety of seeds.

In an effort to attract smaller birds like finches or sparrows, to your bird feeders, it is suggested that you use a combination of smaller seeds like thistle seed, and millet corn in your feeders. This type of combined bird food attracts these smaller birds quite well. These birds require smaller seeds to accommodate their smaller physical attributes. That will prove to be the best bird food to attract birds in your area that are smaller in size. If you fill your feeders on a regular basis, you will be able to enjoy their color and songs throughout the entire season.

Bird Food for Insect Eaters

It is quite likely that many of the birds in your area are not seed eaters. Their diet may primarily consist of insects.  For insect eaters like woodpeckers and nuthatches, a combination of beef suet and peanut butter makes a fine bird food that provides a viable alternative. Keeping these food sources available throughout the entire spring and summer seasons can help to keep your trees and home hole free. The natural presentation most certainly will be preferred and those pretty little woodpeckers won’t be pounding on your fence posts or wood trim.

Sugar Nectar

If you are like many and find yourself intrigued by the hummingbird, then you should make certain that you keep plenty of sugar nectar available for them. The high energy level of these birds requires them to eat a constant diet of high-sugar bird food, usually flower nectar. By keeping several feeders filled with sugar water, you may be lucky enough to have a busy little community of hummingbirds flocking around in warm weather periods. Sugar water has proven to be the best bird food to attract birds in your area if you like hummingbirds. One note of caution, potential mould formations are fatal to hummingbirds and constant cleaning of the feeders is extremely important.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of bird food to choose from depending on the birds you wish to attract to your home. Choosing the right type of bird food, will help to ensure that you can enjoy a feathered spectacle all summer long.

Diamond Brand Dog Food Gets Rave Reviews

In a world where the variety of dog foods available is huge, it can be hard to choose the right food for your best friend. It is helpful if you know what brands are trusted by veterinarians, breeders, and those who show their dogs or participate in sporting trials. Diamond Brand Dog Food is made by one of the nation’s top pet food manufacturers and its quality has been trusted by pet experts for many years.

Which Type Of Diamond Brand Dog Food Is Right For Your Dog?

Diamond brand dog food comes in many forms. The first step in deciding which of the line of Diamond brand dog foods is right for your canine companion is to determine if you dog has any special dietary needs. Is your dog aging? Does he have arthritis? Is your dog overweight? Has your dog been recently ill? All of these questions can help you narrow down the specific type of Diamond brand dog food that is right for your dog.

If you have a puppy, you must keep in mind that the nutritional needs of young dogs are much different than the nutritional needs of older dogs. The first feeding issues puppies deal with is the fact that they don’t have their adult teeth. Typically puppy food comes in much smaller bite sized pieced and has a softer texture than adult dog food.  Puppies are growing at such a rapid rate that they need to sustain their energy by eating a food that is high in protein and even fat. It is important to give them a full bodied puppy food that isn’t full of unhealthy fillers. Diamond brand dog food makes several different varieties of puppy food.

Some dogs prefer hard, dry food over canned food. Other canine companions prefer soft wet food. Diamond brand dog food makes both. Wet food is great for older dogs that have trouble chewing their food and it mixes well with dry dog food to give it a bit more texture. If you are unsure which type of food is best for your breed and age of dog, consult with your vet before you purchase both kinds of food. The best part about Diamond brand dog food is that it is a great value for your money. It has consistently remained a high quality dog food while managing to stay affordable. The price of Diamond brand dog food makes it easy to stick with your budget

The Basic Ingredients in Dog Food Recipes

If you’re like most dog owners, you’re concerned about what your canine is consuming. With the recent pet food recalls, more people are scrutinizing pet food before they scoop some more kibble into the dog’s dish.

We’ve all heard the news reports about dogs that have died because of unsafe additives and the apparently accidental inclusion of lethal toxins in their food. Yet, that isn’t the only reason dog owners are considering alternatives for their faithful companion’s diet. The rising cost of veterinary care makes it important to maintain a dog’s health. An increasingly popular option to insure your dog is eating both safe and healthy food is to check out the many available dog food recipes.

Preparing Dog Food Recipes

If the idea of cooking for your canine seems daunting, don’t despair; most of the dog food recipes are easy to prepare. Many recipes call for ordinary food like lean beef, potatoes and vegetables. If that sounds like food you may prepare for yourself, you’re right; most dog food recipes are created with the idea that dogs have thrived on human fare for thousands of years. It’s only been within the past hundred years that dog owners have been told that food on their table is off limits to their dogs. Yet, a closer inspection of the ingredients on a bag of kibble should convince many dog owners that they could do better in their own kitchen.

No, you don’t have to be a culinary expert to whip up one of these main courses or treats; all you need is a little time and a determination to give your dog the best possible food. Of course, consideration must be applied to determine the vitamin and fat content of any dog food recipe you try.

What are the Basic Ingredients?

The first “ingredient” is motivation. Owners need to have a strong desire to provide a safer and healthier choice of food for their dogs. Using proven dog food recipes gives owners peace of mind concerning the safety of the food. They won’t have to check product recall lists or monitor their dogs for possible adverse reactions to contaminated food. Also, many veterinarians are tracing canine illness and disease to a diet that consists of processed food.

The next ingredient is time. Yes, it does take a little more time to cook for your canine, rather than pour kibble in a bowl. But considering the hours of joy a dog brings us every day, this factor could easily be viewed as a labor of love.

Dynamite Dog Food

If you listen to XM Radio, you have likely heard the testimonials about Dynamite® Super-Premium Diet for Dogsâ„¢. From those customer testimonials you would think that there is nothing better to feed your dogs. Well, the stuff IS awesome, and we feed some to our own dogs almost every day … But, if I am being honest, IT IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO FEED YOUR DOGS!

If you want to give YOUR dogs the VERY best whole dog food there is, you have two other options that beat it out. To help you understand, here is some background:

First, don’t think I am just going to talk about giving them all meat, based on the myth that dogs are “carnivores.” Dogs are not carnivores – they are omnivores. They eat both meat and plants. It is HOW they eat plants. This is what creates the confusion.

If you watch a wild canine make a kill in nature, you will usually see that the first course of the ensuing meal is the stomach, and the contents thereof. This is usually full of partially digested vegetables, and is the “salad” before the entr?e. This provides needed plant-based vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals for the dining canine. To the casual observer who doesn’t think about what is in that stomach, they appear to be just eating meat.

After the stomach is gone, the next course is the flesh and bones—together, if the animal is small enough. If it is a larger animal, the bone is chewed and swallowed a little later, but it is still critical to the proper utilization of the flesh. The flesh is an ACID ASH food, and it must be neutralized with about four times as much ALKALINIZING bone and vegetables in order to maintain the healthy balance of 20% acid, 80% alkaline.

If you would like to learn more about all this, get a copy of Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s books on the B.A.R.F. diet, or “Give Your Dog A Bone.”

For the “real” Billinghurst raw food diet, be certain that you get the original books that he wrote. According to the reviews of some of the people that have read his recent books, he has “sold out” to the processed food industry. I don’t know this as fact, as I have not read his recent books. More likely than having “sold out,” Dr. Billinghurst has probably accepted the reality that very few people will take the time to feed their dogs a raw diet. Few would even take the time to feed their FAMILIES a raw diet, even if they understood how much difference it would make to their health. THIS FACT is why the Dynamite dog foods are so relevant to the health of your dog.

The value of the Dynamite® for dogs is that it is a convenient kibble that doesn’t contain the toxins that are in most ready-to-serve foods. The ingredients are very carefully selected and controlled to assure that the nightmares perpetrated by the mainstream dog food industry are never a factor when feeding any Dynamite product. The food is processed in a plant that never allows any preservatives or toxins through the door, let alone into the food.

But, even that was not good enough for the owners of Dynamite. They dreamed of creating a dog food that was a ready-made, easy-to-feed “BARF” diet. This past year they succeeded in materializing that dream. They have introduced the new “Ultimate Diet for Dogs” — a raw extruded meat and vegetable dog food that is dried into a fine meal. It actually uses fresh-killed whole beef – not “beef by-products.”

The only hooker is that it isn’t ready to just dump out of a bag and walk away from. It is so dry that it needs to be mixed with water, stirred and soaked before feeding, and it is BEST when mixed with fresh, raw vegetables that have been liquefied with water in a Vita-Mix (carrots, spinach, beets, left-over green salad, green beans, etc.). Because of this, most people still prefer to feed the Dynamite® for dogs – a kibble that can just be poured and forgotten, but with a clear conscience.

Although Dynamite® Super-Premium Diet for Dogsâ„¢ might be only third-best, it still stands tall against all of the commercial competitors, and the only commercial food that is better is made by the same company …

Halloween Costumes for Dogs

A Holiday for Man’s Best Friend

 Many people enjoy dressing up their loveable pooch, but have you ever thought that dressing up your dog for Halloween would become a very popular part of the holiday itself. Everywhere you look, you will find Halloween costumes for dogs - in the magazines you get, in the mail to the nearest pet store; people just love to dress up their pets. Because dogs are so friendly and obedient, they are easy to dress up and they still greet you with a wagging tail. You can even make fun doggie treats to hand out to your neighborhood dogs.

 A Variety of Costumes to Choose From

Halloween costumes for dogs come in all shapes and sizes. They come in costumes such as football players, pirates, pigs, frogs, and some of the more extreme costumes that are for the most daring dog owners, like superman, batman, Godzilla, crocodile, Frankenstein, skeleton, and even hippie dog! Dogs can have just as much of a variety of costumes as people, and in some cases ever more. For your cute little princess dog, there are many princess costumes to choose from and for your tuff stuff dog they come in army costumes complete with camo print. Harry Potter fans can even dress their dog up with Gryffindor school robes, or just a magical hat to add that touch of magic.

Where Can I Buy?

You can buy Halloween costumes for dogs at most pet stores, or even at your local shopping center like Walmart or Target. They come in all different sizes, you can choose the perfect one for your dog, big or small, and there is always many choices to choose from. A good way to buy Halloween costumes for dogs is by ordering them directly online, because it is so convenient and the costumes are delivered directly to your home with only a small charge for shipping. And in some cases no shipping rates apply. Most Halloween costumes range in prices from five dollars to fifteen dollars at most pet stores. Though you should always shop around for the best prices, some can be highly overpriced compared with other stores who sell virtually the same item for less. It all depends on your personal preferences as a dog owner.

Popular Costumes

Today there are so many costumes for dogs out there that it can get confusing when trying to buy the perfect one for your dog. But, to make things a little easier, here are some of the top costumes of 2007. The ghost is obviously a popular costume during this spooky holiday, and your dog is sure to look adorable dressed as a little ghost. Other costumes including robots, pumpkins, and other animals such as pigs and even dogs! Yes you heard that right, this Halloween dress your dog up like a dog, Scooby-Doo is a popular choice. Anyway when you dress your dog this Halloween, be sure to give your rover lots of love and treats. And do not forget to keep your pets on a leash at all times! Your dog is sure to enjoy Halloween just as much as kids do on this fun-filled holiday.