Sunday, June 11, 2006

Discount Pet Drug Supplies

By: Kent Pinkerton


The modern urban lifestyle isn?t very suitable for our pets. Pollution, stress, depression, anxiety and unhealthy lifestyles are having a devastating effect on the lives of pets. Behavioral problems become a key issue in today's life, applicable to the owners as well as their pets.

In the same way, physical ailments like diabetes, arthritis, chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, cystitis, kidney and liver disease, skin disorders, obesity, thyroid dysfunction and other problems are becoming more and more common in pets. As most of the pets are much more sensitive than human beings, a recent report says that even melancholy is a big problem in pets (although this is mostly referred to dogs).

Drugs and medications become major concerns if you want your pet to live a happy and healthy life. Just like humans, pets need proper health care to stay happy, healthy, and active. One should have a thorough knowledge regarding the potentiality of pet diseases, and should know more about flea prevention, hot spots, or hairballs. Pet supplies? health-care resources make it easy to find answers to the most common pet health questions.

There are many reasons why one should depend on discount pet drug supplies for a bright healthy life for their pets:

Professionals in this field have solved thousands and thousands of pet health problems and have tried to bring down the prices of these medicines. Discount pet drug supplies allow you to buy more drugs for your beloved pet.

The drugs that these discount suppliers offer are natural remedies, thousands of years of folklore, and the wonders of modern scientific technology applied to solving pet health issues.

Discount Pet Supplies provides detailed information on Discount Pet Supplies, Wholesale Discount Pet Supplies, Discount Pet Drug Supplies, Discount Pet Food and more. Discount Pet Supplies is affiliated with Custom Dog Tags.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Birds Egg Laying Can Kill Your Pet

By: Michael Russell

As I check out articles to post here for you I run across a lot of interesting ones that do not relate to dogs and cats, and I have decided to post them here. After all, it doesn't matter if our pet has fur, or scales, or feathers, or ?

Birds lay eggs; that's what they do. But did you know that this could be deadly for your pet?
My beloved bird is a cockatiel. She's a beautiful bird and a great companion. About twice a year she gets in a mood to respond to her God given natural activity of egg laying. The first time she ever did this it was really cute.

The problem was, the egg wasn't fertilized, so it wouldn't hatch. So after a while of the egg not hatching, she determined the trick was to lay another egg, only to get the same results. This led to more eggs until she had six or seven eggs she was watching over.

When I first got her I did some research on the Internet about cockatiels and bird care. So when this egg laying event was happening, I remembered reading something about it depleting them of calcium. I went back and read more about it. Sure enough, laying eggs depletes them of calcium and that is deadly to them.

I decided I had to take away her eggs. I didn't want to lose her over this. So, away they went. I made sure she watched me do it so she would know it's dangerous to lay eggs in her cage. They won't lay them if they are not comfortable with the nesting area.

That didn't stop her. She started again and I took them away again. After a few rounds of this, I decided to pull the bedding out of the cage, thinking it would make it less 'homey' for her and she would knock of the egg laying. It did stop for the season, but a season later she got the call to lay again and we resumed the battle.

As the days and weeks went by, she insisted she was going to lay the eggs and I insisted she wasn't. But, she was winning, in spite of my removing them. Then it happened...
One day I walked by her cage and there she was, in the bottom of her cage, still and silent and her limbs and head were twisted into a nearly grotesque position and I couldn't tell if she was even still alive. I was devastated; even to the point of not being able to react.

The evidence seemed clear that I would lose her. This was not a goldfish, but a friend. We talked and played every day. We ate and went to sleep at the same time. She sat on my shoulder and cheered me on as I worked at my computer. There would be no replacement bird; no more than you can replace your child.

I couldn't think right so I had to call on a friend. As we raced down the highway towards the veterinarian, I kept talking to my bird hoping to keep her awake and maybe get that little 'peep' to tell me she was going to be okay.

We rushed her into the emergency room and the vet rushed her behind those swinging doors. Had I seen the last of my bird?

They came out and asked me to step back into another room, where I waited to hear the news. I was waiting for the 'bird nurse' to come out and break it to me, when the door opened and I only saw her back. She walked backwards through the door and as she cleared the door she turned around to reveal the white cage I had brought my pet bird in.

Inside that cage was a vibrant, confused and curious cockatiel who saw me and let out a loud chirp as if to ask, "What's up?" My bird was going to make it and doing just fine!

She had gone into a seizure because of calcium deficiency from laying the eggs. They gave her a shot of calcium to revive her. They also gave her a shot that was supposed to keep her from laying eggs. They said it might need to be done every month.

Sure enough, several weeks went by and she was back in the egg laying business. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't keep taking her to the veterinarian every month for expensive shots, but I couldn't go through that again.

I sat looking at her cage one day thinking about how I could make it less desirable for her to lay eggs. Finally, the light bulb went off.

I jumped up, went to the pet store and bought her a cage big enough for a parrot (remember, she's only a cockatiel). The reason I wanted this was because of the big grates on the bottom of the cage. She can still walk around the bottom of the cage, but she cannot nest an egg there because it falls through the grate.

Oh, she tried. She tried one time. She laid that egg and stared at it for days as it lay underneath that grate and she couldn't get to it. That was the last egg she ever laid. She doesn't need the shot either. She's in fine health and we're enjoying each other more than ever.
Isn't that grate (uh, great)?

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Birds

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Cat Care Can Be A Treat For You

By: Bruce Walls
Although the phrase "cat care" may bring to mind thoughts of hard work or obligation, with the right attitude and a little information, cat care can become an enjoyable part of your day. If you do it right, caring for your cat can be something that you actually look forward to.

Helping your cat stay happy and healthy is only as much fun as you let it be, but by learning how to provide the optimum care for your beloved pet, you can make care routines a treat for both of you.

One important part of making cat care fun is taking enough time to enjoy it. If you whip through your care routine with one eye on the clock at all times, you won't be able to fully appreciate the experience of being with your pet. Try thinking of your pet's care as a chance to relax and escape the hassles of daily life.

Put on your favorite CD and relax as you complete care tasks like grooming your pet and playing with him or her to help you both bond and relax. The process of caring for a pet is an inherently satisfying and enjoyable one so long as you allow yourself to have fun while doing it instead of trying to rush through and minimize the time you take for cat care. After all, the time you spend with your cat is quality time indeed.

Another benefit of making cat care a pleasurable activity is education. Teaching yourself a bit more about pet care techniques can help you be certain that you are offering your cat the best possible care. The more you know about your pet's care, the better equipped you will be to keep your cat healthy and happy, and there are few things as satisfying as seeing your cat's health improve because of your love and attention.

If you want the care of your feline friend to be a reward for yourself as well as for your pet, it is important to make sure that you are doing a good job of it. The better you are at caring, the more fun you will have when caring for your cat.

There are few experiences more rewarding than reveling in the knowledge that you have done a job well, and cat care is no exception. When you improve your skills or brush up on your cat care basics, you are taking steps to transform your pet care from a run of the mill experience to something that you can be proud of.

When you provide your cat with the optimum care for his or her personality, age, and type of cat, you will be able to feel a sense of accomplishment in your abilities that is invaluable, and very enjoyable. When you improve your cat care skills, you can look forward to a happier cat, and to a happier you as well.

Bruce Walls is a writer and webmaster at http://www.catcarefacts.com.

Aquariums The Different Kinds

By: Michael Russell

Besides the enjoyment the aquarium can bring to you, just imagine the grand old time your cat could have trying to figure out how to get to the fish.

There are many different types of aquariums. There is pretty much one for each level of enthusiast and not all aquariums are for fish. There are aquatic plant aquariums as well and they are very beautiful.

One of the simplest of aquariums is a fish bowl. A fish bowl can even be part of a table arrangement. When one chooses a fish bowl it should be a big one. At least a gallon. You'll also need a small net and two 1 gallon bottles of drinking water that is not distilled or de-ionized, as tap water isn't safe for your fish. Even if water is treated with water conditioners it still wouldn't be safe. You will also need some floating fish food. You will need to fill your fish bowl 2' form the top of the bowl. Then you will need to cover your bowl with a clean plastic cover. Sometimes a clean lid from a coffee can will do.

You don't want your fish to jump out or another pet jumping in! You will need to replace about 20% of the water twice weekly and you can make your own bottled water by using the following method. Fill a bottle with tap water and leave about 2" of empty space at the top of the bottle. Add about five drops of water conditioner and then replace the cap tightly. You will need to let the bottle of water sit for at least three days before you use it for your fish.

There are also cool water aquariums. These aquariums sit at room temperature and do not require a heater. You need an aquarium and a cover. You should get an aquarium stand as well. You will need a five inch fish net, water conditioner and some food to feed your fish. . Make sure you read all the instructions from your aquarium and water conditioner. Make sure your aquarium is running for at least three days before you add any fish. Only add one fish at a time and wait for at least three weeks between fish. There is a maximum of one 1 foot fish per gallon.

Don't overcrowd your fish.

A Warm Water Aquarium will require more skill to maintain than a cool water aquarium. You'll need an aquarium, an aquarium cover, an stand and a power filter with a BIO-Wheel. You'll also need a 5-inch fish net and a bottle of water conditioner as well as fish food, such as floating flake food and freeze dried blood worms.

One other type of aquarium is the betta fish vase. This has become increasingly popular. Often times buyers of a Betta Fish Vase have been told that the Betta can live by eating the lily roots, this is a mistake. The Betta will eat the roots, but only out of desperation and it will not be a healthy fish.

The Betta should be fed floating food that is labeled for Betta Fish and freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Betta Fish usually do much better in a large fish bowl than in a vase. So if you happen to receive one, your fish may be better off if moved to a bowl. Please think twice before offering one as a gift.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Aquariums