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People are not the only ones exposed to numerous health risks. Pets too are in danger of experiencing a variety of health problems. When pets are sick, they usually go through a lot of pain, leaving them stressed and even sleepless at night.  Resting is the most common way of recharging one’s self and doctors always advice patients to take a good rest.  The same advice is given by vets to pet owners. Studies also show that resting, specially sleeping brings a lot of relief and comfort for sick pets.

Since sleeping plays an important role in the pet’s fast recovery, owners must also give importance to their sleeping area.  The cold floor may not be suitable to their aching joints and may worsen their arthritis.  Giving them therapeutic pet beds can help them soothe their body ache as they lay on soft and comfortable mattresses.  There is a wide variety of dog beds and cat beds available today.  Pet supply manufacturers have developed temperature controlled beds that can either perform heating or cooling functions.  A correct body temperature is better for their health in cold or hot environments.  During the cold season, pets would surely love the warmth of heated dog beds and during the hot season, pets would enjoy the cooling effect of cooling dog beds.  Both these products have medicinal or therapeutic benefits to dogs of all ages.

Pets with joint ailments like old and arthritic dogs can take advantage of therapeutic or orthopaedic pet beds. These will save them from excessive moisture, heat, cold and pests. They provide comfort and support to the pressure points like the spine, hips, and shoulders.  Any pet will surely enjoy these cozy and soft foams that perfectly match their weight and shape.

French Bulldogs are usually described as ‘clowns in a philosopher’s cloak’ since their glum faces mask their very comical traits. The popularity of French Bulldog puppies lie in their reputation as companion pets. With their even temperament, easygoing and amiable nature, this breed makes for very pleasant companions for the elderly and children.

Affectionately referred to as Frenchies, this breed is small, muscular with a heavy bone structure and a heavy head. They possess a smooth coat and their small face is trademarked with ‘bat’ ears. French Bulldogs like being couch potatoes as much as they like chasing balls. Although active and alert, they are not good as security dogs. Here are some key facts related to these puppies.

French Bulldog Puppies: Key Considerations

Some major characteristics and concerns with French Bulldog puppies are:

Problems associated with a short face: This breed faces some health problems due to their short face. Hence, you must be sure to:

• Keep this breed away from smoke, chemical cleaning products, allergenic pollen and freshly-cut grass to avoid respiratory problems.

• Veterinarians must be very careful with their treatment. They must be administered only modern anesthetics and their heart and blood pressure must be checked often.

• French Bulldogs must be housed in air-conditioned or cool environments. In hot and humid weathers, they become vulnerable to heatstroke as they cannot pant vigorously enough to keep themselves cool.

• Dog collars must be avoided since it applies pressure on its windpipe and makes it difficult to breathe.

• The folds of its skin must be washed after meals.

General health problems: Poor breeding practices can lead to health problems for French Bulldogs. There are probabilities of joint, heart and eye diseases and spinal cord disorders.

Obstinacy: French Bulldog puppies can be very stubborn and manipulative, especially when they are being trained or exercised. You have to show them consistently that you are the boss. Food is a good motivator to goad them to perform different tasks; however, if they are not exercised properly, they end up being fat and unhealthy.

Dog First Aid Kits are easy enough to create. First you need some kind of container to hold all the medicines, drugs and supplies in such as a tackle box, old lunch box or some other shoe box sized plastic container. It should be water-proof, strong enough to withstand mild pressure and have a clasp of some sort – but not locking.

Label it on all sides with a felt tip marker so that it is easy to read. Something such as “Dog First Aid Kit” or whatever just so you can easily know the difference between your human first aid kit (if you made it yourself as well) and this one for your dog(s) and puppy (s).

Under the lid of your dog first aid kit would be a great place to tape an index card which contains the numbers of your local veterinarian, poison control, and other canine emergency numbers for your dogs (emergency vet, etc).

It would also be a good place to list a description of your dog(s) including color, weight, name, health issues, distinguishing characteristics and a recent photo labeled with the name of each pet. Your dog will thank you in the case of some sort of disaster or emergency when you are not at home for some reason.

Below is a list of several items you should obtain to place within your dog first aid kit and brief explanations as to what each item is for. Remember, your dogs health may depend on it.

Dog First Aid Kit Ingredients

Activated charcoal: for poisonings (1 gram per pound, mixed with water),

Antihistamine tablets: for insect stings and allergic reactions,

Betadine or Nolvasan: cleaning open wounds,

Blankets: several if possible, to help prevent against shock in the event of an accident or injury as well as a good way to transport an injured dog,

Blunt nosed scissors: to cut tape and clip. Keep these scissors with the kit.

Canine rectal thermometer: to take the dog or puppies temperature,

Cortisone ointment: Used as a topical anti-inflammatory,

Cotton balls and swabs: Used mainly to clean wounds,

Eyedropper or dosage syringe: to apply medications to your GSD,

Eyewash: to irrigate the eyes of your GSD,

First-aid cream: to sooth and protect wounds,

Gauze bandage: for wrapping wounds,

Gloves: both thin plastic to avoid contamination and thicker ones if you have a fear of being bitten,

Hand towels: to dry hands, for clean up, etc.,

Hydrogen peroxide (3%): has various uses, one of which is to induce vomiting,

Ipecac: used to induce vomiting (1 teaspoon per 20 pounds),

Kaolin and pectin: to help diarrhea (1 teaspoon per 10 pounds),

Magnifying glass: to help locate any tiny objects

Muzzle: even the best German Shepherd may bite when in extreme pain. If you don’t have one you can also make one from strips of soft long fabric, tube socks, etc.,

Nail clippers: best case scenario, have both human and canine nail clippers,

Non-stick adhesive tape: to help tape bandages in place,

Non-stinging antiseptic spray: to help clean wounds,

Pepto-Bismol , Maalox or Kaopectate: to help relieve minor stomach upsets,

Petroleum jelly: for use with the rectal thermometer, also an aid in constipation (1/2 teaspoon per 10 pounds),

Saline solution: can be used for many things such as irrigating wounds,

Stretch bandages: for wound dressing,

Styptic pencil: to stop minor bleeding,

Tweezers or hemostat: use to pull our splinters or other small foreign objects,

Vegetable oil: for mild constipation (1 teaspoon per 5 pounds, mix it in with food)

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Before we picked up our new Goldendoodle puppy, I had not gotten ready at all. The only thing I had accomplished was buying a crate that was too large, set the pickup time with the breeder, and driven out. On my trip home the Goldendoodle pup had pottied in his crate, gotten it on his fur , and I could tell he had roundworms.

Fortunately, I got the dog in to get seen by the local vet by calling in a favor, because I had not even set up an appointment. After having the Goldendoodle pup washed up, dewormed, and gotten him a few basic vaccinations, I took him back home to our kids. They were ecstatic!

After bringing him home, I thought about some problems. We did not have a place for the Goldendoodle pup to sleep, he was beginning to gnaw on all sorts of things, and he did not even have a name yet. Even worse, he tried to escape every time he could.

After a couple of weeks, life with the Goldendoodle was not going very well. The puppy had chewed up all types of things in the home, was swallowing underwear left on the floor, the housebreaking was going badly, and the obedience training that I was conducting was not enough, because I was away at work all day. If the children had been older, either my spouse or I could have been able to get the training accomplished, but we did not have the ability. With a heavy heart, even though we were sure training him ourselves was the better way to go, we sent the Goldendoodle to a two week training regimen.

We missed him when he was gonen for two weeks. The kids kept asking when he was coming home, and my youngest even cried because she missed him so much. Bringing home the Goldendoodle had obviously been the right choice.

He returned like a new dog! No more chewing on stuff he was not supposed to, and no running away. He did still swallow a few more sets of underwear, though. We still had to work on the potty training, but with some effective odor removers we were able to get that completed also.The training was certainly required. If I had had a little more time, or could not afford the boarding school, I would certainly have purchased a quality obedience training program and gotten it done myself.

Check out the Goldendoodle pictures on our site about Goldendoodle Dogs.

Who is living in your backyard? You might be surprised. Anyone who has ever hung a bird feeder from a tree branch has experienced the delight of watching our natural neighbors as they make their daily rounds. People who live in high-rise apartments and condos or in areas where a bird feeder is not possible have been missing this simple pleasure… until now.

A few years ago the introduction of inexpensive “web cams” made it possible for those of us with computers to capture video and share the results with others. More recently, miniature video cameras, some packed with features like color, infra-red night vision and audio, are so small that they can be placed inside a bird house. Imagine watching as the eggs hatch and the young chicks start peeping and demanding food. These cameras come equipped with 100 feet of cord that jacks right into your television. You can forget the binoculars.

Hospital patients, those living in nursing homes, even office workers can now experience the sense of freedom that comes from “being outside”, even when they are shut in.

But, if you think “nature cams” are only for bird watchers, think again. As evening approaches and the birds go to roost a new and more exotic group of neighbors moves in. My nature cam, the Gray Fox Cam is the Winner of an EarthCam’s TOP 10 CAMS Award. Go check it out. You will be amazed at what you might see. My nightly visitors include Gray Fox (we have 3 that visit regularly each night), raccoons, opossums, and the rare Ring-tailed cats. As I write this there are two beautiful bright yellow American Finches, a bright red male Cardinal, a Tufted Titmouse, and a couple of sparrows. During the summer months this same nature cam captures the antics of the hummingbirds and other daytime visitors.

As mankind encroaches upon the habitat of our natural neighbors, it becomes increasingly more important that we act as good neighbors ourselves by learning something about them. Watching them is a good place to start. I can assure you that they are watching us!

WARNING!

Nature cams are addictive. Once yours is up and running you will find yourself pausing frequently during your busy work day to glance at the screen. When you do, your heart rate will slow, your breathing will even out, and you will return to your task more relaxed. If you are currently addicted to adrenalin and high pressure situations, this feeling that “all is well with the world” may be uncomfortable at first, but who knows? You may just come to love it!

If you, like many others, decide to set up your own nature cam, please share it with the world. A lot of people who may not be fortunate enough to have a back yard like yours will thank you. On the other hand, if you do not have a place for a nature cam in your yard, feel free to use mine. That’s what it’s there for.