Animals and Scent

As humans we identify each other by numbers, photo id, and face recognition, but animals identify each other in a different way. Unlike humans, animal use scent to identify each other. To animals scent is a very powerful tool. For example, a mother bear uses scent to recognize her cubs, hamsters will kill any other hamster that is added to its pack that smells different, and dogs sniff the urine markings of other dogs to see which one of their friends hung out by the light post that day. What if you met a new person and they sniffed you instead of saying hello. Immediately you would think they were crazy!

With that being said here are some tips to help you utilize scent like your pet:

·         When introducing a new baby to the family dog put a towel or article of the baby’s clothing in their crate so the pet can get the new pack member’s scent.

·         Never leave for an extended period of time without leaving a towel or some article of clothing with your scent on it. This will allow the pet to smell you and it will help them deal with your absence better.

·         Always buy hamsters from the same litter or cage so they will smell the same.

Now you are up to standard on how your pet utilizes scents.

Puppy Potty Training

So it's the summer time! The days of going to the beach, backyard BBQ and adding a puppy to the family. Now that your cute little fur baby is home the joys of pet parent hood settles in when it's potty training time. No need to fear I am hear to give you some quick potty training tips.

Potty Training Tips 

• Keep the puppy on a set schedule for eating, drinking, and potty time
• Always take the puppy to potty in the same spot
• When they are in the crate make sure the crate is small enough where the puppy can't eliminate on one side and lay on another. 
• Give puppy a small area to roam freely in. Once the puppy learns not to  eliminate in that area they gain a little more access to the rooms. 

There are a lot of other details to potty training but those are the most important ones to remember. When potty training remember to be patient with the puppy. Hitting the puppy or screaming at it is not the proper way to train the puppy. This behavior is incorrect and is not beneficial to the both of you! Happy potty training! 

SeaWorld killer whale's severe injury: accident or battle wound?

 

I have always been fond of orcas or killer whales. After watching the movie Free Willy I thought I could get a large in ground pool in the backyard to my pet whale in it. Orcas are really smart fast swimming whales with teeth. They live in life long pods (small groups) and have one blow hole. The orca belongs to the dolphin family, so they simply a big black and white dolphin. I am sure everyone knows orca whales are predators, but did you know they will eat other whales such as the great blue whale.

There has been a recent incident with the orca whale at Sea World named Nakai which is the the first orca conceived and successfully born through artificial insemination. Nakai has a terrible wound on his lower jaw that may have been caused by another killer whale from the Sea World family. Although, it is unclear what happened I believe the predator instinct comes out of killer whales in captivity at random times. I think it is the natural reaction on their instincts after suppressing them for so long.No matter what the pictures show Sea World says it was an pool accident.

Well, I would like to say I admire Sea World for protecting the animals even when it seems like Nakai clearly was attacked by another killer whale. I say Battle Wound! Checkout the article and tell me what you think about this situation.

SeaWorld killer whale's severe injury: accident or battle wound?

Where is Your Mother?

I'm Lost!

This baby raccoon was found alone by some of my friends at their home. The mother was no where around so they tried to feed it. It wouldn't eat which was no surprise. After a while, they felt like it was best to let it go in the woods hoping it would find the mother. 

Apparently, parents in the animal kingdom are just as stressed out as us humans when it comes to parenting these days. Lately, it has been many cases in the news of parents leaving toddlers behind. The parents come back saying they were so focused on other things until the child was forgotten. On the other hand, you have a mama bear trying to get her cub out someone's garage because he thinks the garage is way more cooler then a tree. Wowzers! 

 Check out the Cub Play!

Well, it seems to be getting pretty stressful for animals too. I can see why parents in the wild stress because they have to worry about shortages on food, finding a patch of woods to live in,and they may go out to grab a berry or some worms for the kids to return to a shopping mall or subdivision instead of their home.

Dog Food Recall Alert

 

Recent Dog Food Recalls

 

 

 

Everyone please check your pet's food due to the recent recalls. If your pet's food is affected by this recall return the product to your nearest retailer.

Here are other recalls for pet products:

 

• Pedigree Dog Food Recall (6/30/2012)
• Diamond Issues Yet Another Dog Food Recall (5/18/2012)
• Solid Gold Dog Food Recall (5/8/2012)
• Apex Dog Food Recall (5/7/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Summary (5/6/2012)
• Canidae Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Wellness Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Natural Balance Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Kirkland Dog Food Recall (5/5/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Expands Again (5/4/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Widens (4/30/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall Expanded (4/26/2012)
• Diamond Dog Food Recall (4/6/2012) 

4th Of July Pet Safety

Happy 4th of July pet lovers!! Today we celebrate our countries birthday by cooking out and popping fireworks. More pets get lost on 4th of July than any other day.While your enjoying this holiday here is some safety pet tips to remember:

• Fireworks terrify pets.
• Turn on the TV or radio to mask the sound
• Create a safe haven for your pet in your home with plenty of water.
• Dress your pet in unique patriotic apparel which can be found on one of these sites: http://www.squidoo.com/4th-of-july-dogs or http://www.poshpuppyboutique.com/ 

 

July 5th is the busiest day for animal shelters. To ensure your pets safety please keep the tips given in mind. 

Keep Pets Cool on Hot Days

The dog days of summer are here! It has been a massive heat wave across the south region of our country these past few days. The heat is not only dangerous for us but really dangerous for our pets. A few things to remember:

1.Walk your pet early in the mornings or after sun down.

2. Make sure your pet gets plenty of water.

3. Keep pets inside during the hottest part of the day. 

More fun ways to keep your pet cool is by giving them ice or frozen treats. Also, add ice cubes to their water.  It's fun for your pet to eat and they will stay cool.