Thursday, July 7, 2011

Facts About Dogs: Dander Triggers Asthma More Than Fur

By Brittany Mitchell


If you happen to be a mom of a baby with asthma, then you know how it can be so heartrending not to permit your child to have a furry pet. This is particularly the case when your child by nature loves pets as most kids do.

One such mom had to deal with heartaches having to say no to a child's desire to bring home a pup. She had to wrestle with it for a while until she gave in to the longing, only to cause her baby to suffer awful asthma bouts that took months to recover from. Not only was it testing for the child, it proved to be not easy for the household too because it meant months of wakeful nights (the child's asthma attacks happened during the night time), the child being away more often from school, as well as the emotional frustration to the mom to see the child shedding weight and being more at risk of common ailments.

Thankfully, there are more pet alternatives that may not be very dangerous. From the puppy, this mom and child moved to buying a hamster, then a gold fish, and at the moment are planning to bring home a pair of love birds.

If you're a mother with a child suffering from asthma, then the web can provide a load of information concerning what pets may be best for your child. In actual fact, information you can receive online talks about how a fur is absolutely not the foremost common trigger for bronchial asthma. Dander, or skin flakes, and saliva from dogs trigger bouts more than does the fur.

Consistent with this, web based information further affirm that low-coated puppies present greater risk of bronchial asthma attack as they are more likely to shed dander.

The smartest thing that can be done is to wait until the child can outgrow the asthma before bringing home a dog. It's also possible to search online for alternative pets which are well-known to not trigger bronchial asthma but just the same, can develop your child's emotional growth as she understands how to love and tend for animal pets.




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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

USB Motion Sensor: The Simplest Method To Acquire A Sensor For Your Project

By Mark Sanches


Are you looking for an outdoor motion sensor? Perhaps you need them as a replacement for a broken device such as motion sensor sprinkler, motion sensor light or motion sensor alarm. Do you have a project that needs automation which involves motion detection? If this is the case, then this is the article for you. You will learn here how and where to find these types of sensors.

Outdoor motion sensor devices are easy to find and are readily available in most electrical and hardware store near your area. You can even get them in online auctions like eBay and other online shops like Amazon with free delivery in some cases. You can choose with many different variations in wired and battery-powered type motion sensors.

Unlike the complete unit, outdoor motion sensors only are not commonly available in small electrical shops or hardware stores. So, if you need a sensor replacement for your motion activated device and you don't know where to look for then you will have a problem. Most manufacturers don't supply parts and if the sensor breaks then you have to replace the whole unit.

If you are a do-it-yourself kind of guy and you have good experience in working with control equipments including sensors, and Programmable Logic Controller or PLC and you need a motion sensor for your project, you can avail them in industrial electronics suppliers. These products are used in automation and robotics applications in industrial plants. They are made for precision and reliability thus making them very expensive.

For home use or if you have a limited budget, you can just buy any motion activated device like motion sensor light and utilize the sensor. In order to do this, you need to have a good knowledge in electronics to dismantle and use it for your project. If you have a motion sensor light, you can just replace the light bulb with a solenoid valve or any actuator to move something or a power relay to activate an electric motor.

Heavy duty sensors like the ones used in industrial plants are available in some companies that sell industrial control devices like relays, timers, sensors, PLC and etc. One good example is Omron which specializes in industrial controls. Other companies that sell similar products include Siemens, Festo and Allen-Bradley. When purchasing, you must consider the range, input and output type of the unit and read the specification carefully to make sure that it meets your requirement.




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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Get Rid Of Fleas In Easy Steps

By Kurt Guild


A lot of homes got pets as family members. But there are times when our furry friends invite over fleas, which can multiply really quickly. These tiny parasites live on blood for sustenance, and they could also feed on yours. If not controlled properly, your home can end up with an infestation. That's why on the very first few signs of their presence, you have to get rid of fleas with the following tips.

First, you need to focus your attention on your pets, the source of the problem. Get rid of those creepy crawlers from their fur using a comb designed for such. To kill them, dump them in soapy water. Ask the vet for a safe and effective insecticidal shampoo. Bathe your pets as often as possible using the product.

Douse outside areas where your dogs or cats mostly stay in soapy water to kill those bugs that have nested there. Wash your pets' beddings using warm water and soap, and leave them to dry under direct sunlight as heat can kill off these insects. You may also simply stash them in the dryer. Regularly take your pets to the veterinarian to ensure that they won't end up with an infestation.

Once you're through focusing on the source of these bugs, your next focus should be on your home. Stash into the washing machine your garments, beddings, pillow cases and even drapes. Wash them using soap and hot water to kill off any insect in them. Transfer them to the dryer after washing, using the highest setting that won't damage the fabric.

Go back inside your house and take out your vacuum from storage. Vacuum anything where they could be nesting - carpets, upholstered furnishings, cracks on floors and walls, etc. Afterwards, transfer the vacuum bag inside a plastic bag, seal it thoroughly and place in the freezer to kill those creepy crawlers. If you have a steam cleaner, use it as well on those objects or areas which you have just vacuum cleaned.

These creepy crawlers can also feed on your blood. That's why you and everyone living with you must regularly take showers, making sure to thoroughly scrub each time. If possible, use insecticidal shampoo intended for humans. When you notice some red and itchy small bumps on your skin, it's a sign they have already feasted on your blood.

You can get rid of fleas by following the steps above. But if you believe that the infestation has gotten out of control, it's important that you contact a professional exterminator right away.




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Monday, July 4, 2011

Dog Separation Anxiety - Understanding Why It Happens

By Joe Maldonado


Dog separation anxiety is a condition where your dog displays destructive behaviour when left alone in your house. This kind of condition ranges from a simple case of separation anxiety to extreme case. When we say separation anxiety, it simply means that your dog is missing you and to let you know of his feelings, your dog started to exhibit undesirable and sometimes dangerous behaviour.

However, there are some dog owners who thought that their dog was just showing tantrums and failed to determine that their dog is already suffering from separation anxiety. Thus, to avoid escalating simple cases of separation anxiety to a destructible scenario, dog owners need to early determine whether their dog suffers from such a problem or not.

The best way to know if your dog is suffering from dog separation anxiety, you have to closely observed its behaviour. In fact, there are a lot of problematic behaviours that is associated with separation anxiety. The first symptom is that your dog would get overly excited or worked up when you are preparing to leave. In fact, they might follow you from room to room, whimpering whenever you pick up your car keys and whenever you wear your jacket. When you try to leave, your dog would want to leave with you. When you can successfully close the door, you could still hear him barking, whining and even scratching the door. And when you came back, you can see that your house is in shambles. Household furniture was being chewed, your dog urinates and defecates anywhere, dog scratches were on your furniture, or even worse, your dog would chew upon himself. These are the common scenarios of dog separation anxiety. Thus, if your dog started to behave this way, it is about time that you research on how to cure this problem and save you and your dog from too much stress.

First and foremost, you need to understand why your dog behaves this way. Different dogs of different breeds react differently. Thus, you need to research further on how your dog's breed thinks and reacts. In this way, you could localize your dog's problem. There are dogs that tend to be submissive and this kind of dog tends to become upset when their pack leader leaves. However, if your dog is of the Alpha breed, then he would be upset if one member of his pack leaves without his permission.

Moreover, aside from the traits inherent in your dog's breed, you also need to check the background of your dog. Those dogs from pet shops tends to be upset when you leave, thinking you will abandon him the same way his past owners abandon him. Additionally, a dog that has a traumatic experience has an increased likelihood of developing strong attachments to the owner. Mores instances such as deprivation of early attachment early in their life, if they got separated from the bitch very early in their life, if there is a sudden change of environment, a long-term absence of a family member, and change in the owner's lifetime, which would abruptly end their contact, should also be considered. If your dog has experienced all of the above indications, then they have a high probability of him having dog separation anxiety.




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Sunday, July 3, 2011

A Look At The Benefits Of Using Pet Medicine

By Adriana Noton


All animals have the natural instinct to hide their illnesses or injuries since this allows them to prevent predators from noticing them. For this reason, it is essential to ensure that your pet, whether it is a cat, dog, ferret, bird or other animal is always healthy. You can achieve this in many ways such as visiting the veterinarian regularly, vaccinating against diseases and using pet medicine, which can be either prescription or non-prescription.

Drugs designed for treating domestic animals are safe and they treat many health conditions in addition to preventing others. Your veterinarian can give you an explanation on how the drugs available for domestic animals work and the side effects that are likely to occur when your pet is taking them. It is advisable to find out whether any non-prescription drugs that you want use on your pet are the right choice.

Usually, cats and dogs suffer much from the bites inflicted on them by ticks and fleas. They experience itching, pain and anemia in serious cases. It is essential that you kill these pests by using medications that kill eggs, larvae and adult ticks and fleas. You should use these medications on all the animals that you live with.

Medicines that prevent serious ailments like heartworm, which affects dogs and cats, are also available. You should ensure that you utilize heartworm medications one time every month. They are usually chewable tablets with liver flavor. Treating heartworm successfully is possible if you detect it in its early stages.

Since cats groom themselves for a considerable amount of time every day, they end up swallowing fine fur. This may not be a problem if they swallow only small amounts but it could be a disaster if the amount is high. It could block their digestive systems causing discomfort or even death. Medicines that contain laxatives are a good solution to this problem because they keep the fur from coming together to form balls in their bowels.

The dental health of your dog or cat is also important. You can take care of the teeth of your pet by using products such as dental brushes and canine toothpaste. Even though these products are effective, cats do not like having brushes put into their mouths. In this case, you can consider using dental chews. Cats like their taste and by using them you save the money you pay for cat dental care.

The way an animal behaves is also important and you will find that it is possible to control negative behavior by using medicines. Ensuring that your pet remains healthy is also possible by utilizing alternative medicines. They include alternative therapies such as massage therapy, herbal medicines, acupressure and aromatherapy. Getting additional information about these therapies from your veterinarian is advisable prior to using them.

You can also use homeopathy to treat your animal friend after getting more information from your veterinarian. This is a useful alternative medication for many diseases affecting felines. The best place to buy pet medicine is from online pharmacies since you can get it at cheaper prices. By using medications, the health of your pet will always be good and this will bring about long life.




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Saturday, July 2, 2011

An Apple A Day for Doggie

By Jerry Welsh


Pet parents have the habit of sharing their foods with the pets because dogs are well. A responsible dog owner would make it a point to know the people food that must not be given to the pet. Apples are highly nutritious for humans but is the fruit really dangerous to dogs? Can the dog derive the same benefits humans get from eating apples?

Apples are favorite treats of dogs. These luscious fruit contain phytonutrients that are proven to help in the prevention of some types of cancer. These crunchy treats for the pet is a good source of dietary fiber and vitamins A and C. One of the common ailments of dogs is hip dysplasia and the vitamin C found in apples can help in the prevention of this disease. Apples contain high levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. The nutrients found in apples will help prevent some canine diseases and ensure the good condition of the skin and coat thus pet owner make sure that the fruit is included in the diet of the pet.

An apple a day will keep the vet away. Like humans, dogs too would gain healthful benefits by eating fruits. Some dogs owners though that have heard about the dangerous effects of apples on dogs would prevent the pet from eating these luscious fruits. Dogs are well loved pets thus it is only natural for pet parents to be concerned with foods that can harm the pet. Would you prevent the dog from eating apples or would you include the fruit in the dog's diet?

If I were you I would give the pet apples but - in moderation. Apple is perfectly safe for the dog as long as you do not allow the pet to eat the seeds. The amygdlin, a form of cyanide that is contained by apple seeds is highly toxic to dogs . This substance found in the seeds of apples has the dangerous effect of causing the abnormal functioning of the blood. Dogs that regularly consume apple seeds can suffer from damaged intestinal lining.

Diarrhea would occur if the pet is allowed to eat large amounts of apples. Apples contain naturally occurring sugar. Naturally occuring sugar is different from the processed sugar found in dogs treats. Natural sugar in apples can also cause obesity if the pet is allowed to stuff itself with the sweet fruit.

Dogs would get loads of healthful benefits from this crunchy sweet fruit but owners have to ensure that the apples are cored and that the dog would not be given free access to the fruit so that it would not overeat.




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Friday, July 1, 2011

Dog Obedience Training Schools - Helping To Correct Obedience Problems

By Tiffany Nash


It is not a good idea to wait for signs of bad behavior before you consider taking your dog to obedience training classes. If you have obvious behavioural problems, a dog obedience school is an excellent solution, but you should start thinking about it before obedience problems develop.

When it comes to obedience problems with your dog, they are not always apparent. Chewing, jumping up, and excessive barking can all be signs of a more serious problem and you might even overlook these minor indiscretions.

For you or your dog, these may not be considered as serious obedience problems by themselves but it is the inability to control them that should concern you. Allowing certain bad behaviour can lead to frustration when trying to correct it later on, or when obedience training for other habits. Leading to obedience problems for your dog and a strained relationship between you and your pet is what this frustration can lead to.

If dog obedience problems is what you clearly have, then enrolling in an obedience training class would be in the best interests of both you and your pet. You may know a little bit about training your dog but even so, formal dog obedience lessons will help you as well as your dog in so many ways.

You will, of course, accomplish more even though you will be able to address any particular obedience problem. Forming a basis for future learning between you and your dog is a formal dog obedience class. Your pet will be more confident in everything they do. They will be happier and more eager to please than ever. Most important, obedience training lessons will lead to a better relationship between you and your dog.

However, you need to make sure you choose the right dog obedience school. If you receive the improper obedience training, problems could become worse.

Before developing a plan specifically designed for you and your dog, the dog obedience training specialists at Alpha Paws will assess your dog's obedience training needs. Alpha Paws uses a natural approach in their dog obedience training school that not only results in improved obedience, but it teaches your dog how to learn.




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