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If you are planning on owning a baby ferret, there are some facts that you might like to know.

Female ferrets (or Jills as they are known) have, on average, around 6 – 10 baby ferrets in each litter. A baby ferret is known as a ‘kit’. They are born blind and their eyes only start to open at about six weeks old.

A kit should not be separated from its mother until it is at least 10 weeks old. Parting a kit from its mother before this time is not recommended as in the first few weeks of its life, the kit needs to bond with its mother and is also dependent on her for its food.

Depending on where you bought your young ferret will determine whether or not you need to arrange vaccinations. Typically, an adopted ferret will have had his initial vaccinations already as these can be administered at 9 weeks. Ferrets are normally vaccinated against canine distemper.

A kit needs the right kind of diet to give it the best start in life. Baby ferrets require a high protein diet, so choose a specially formulated ferret food. Avoid giving your kit any cat food as this won’t have the right amount of protein. Aim for a food that has at least 35% protein and 20% fat. Provide fresh water for your kits at all times.

Switching a ferret’s diet quickly can cause problems, so find out what your young ferret was eating before you brought him home and wean him off that and onto what you plan to feed him with.

You can train your new ferret to use a litter tray. It’s a good idea to find out what litter he has been using at the pet store, the breeders or the shelter and use that to start with so that he feels familiar with it. Some litters are dangerous for ferrets, so avoid any of the clumping, silica based ones. Wood shavings are not recommended either. The best type to go for is compressed newspaper pellets or wood pellets. Praise your ferret for using his litter tray and reinforce the desired behaviour. It’s a good idea to keep your ferret’s toilet area well away from the area in which he sleeps.

Ferrets emit a natural odour that’s quite unpleasant. You can help to reduce the intensity of the odour by having your ferret neutered and de-scented.  A young kit may smell more pungent on his first day at home with you for a number of reasons. Firstly, baby ferrets simply have a strong odour. Also, as they get excited the smell can become more intense. If you have had your ferret de-scented and neutered or spayed, the smell will lessen as the ferret gets older.

Ferrets love to play, so make sure you spend some time each day having fun with your new family member. Ensure your home is ferret friendly by hiding any exposed wires (he’ll want to chew them!) and putting away anything your young kit may swallow.

Raising a healthy pig at home commences with the process of bio-security. Bio-security basically is the culmination of precautions taken to minimize the possibility of introducing infections and disease among the animal population, policies and measures taken for protecting a nation’s food supply and agricultural resources and last but not the least, set of preventative measures taken to reduce the risk of introducing or spreading of the disease.

The process of bio-security becomes active and slowly gains momentum when your first purchase your pig and thereafter is an ongoing process. You can protect you pig from contaminating any disease and infections by using sterilized, clean farm specific clothes and boots when tending to the herd. Diseases can also be kept at bay by disinfecting, cleaning and drying the show equipment and vehicles before they are used in succession. Isolating animals that have been purchased or are returning from a show from the healthy or non sick ones also helps to keep the coast clear from any infections.

Pigs also have brighter chances to sustain a healthy lifestyle if you and your animal are in close association of a veterinarian. A veterinarian can do an informative job of guiding you to adapt the bio-security features to the kind of production system that you have at home and also the knowledge of the various diseases in your area. If your pig does get sick, your veterinarian is at close call and can immediately diagnose and treat the disease. Before you decide on your pig’s entry in an exhibition or show, it is suggestive to consult your veterinarian in order to map out a vaccination protocol and bio-security specific program as pigs are commingled and more susceptible to transmitting diseases at such swine exhibitions.

The sanitation process that involves a 3 step procedure of cleaning, disinfecting and eventually drying the show equipment, if implemented religiously, will go a long way in curbing the introduction and transmission of infections. A control on the presence and exposure to wildlife, birds and rodents must be administered as it is an easy medium of transmission of infections by these pests. Preventative measures undertaken to control such pests is cleaning up of any food spills, getting rid of ay debris and disposing off any dead pigs as well. Vehicles too bear the potential of carrying infection onto your farm. Areas that have access to your pig herd must be controlled by designating a specific area to an off farm traffic which is not closely associated with your pigs.

Pigs are prone to infections when they are left scot-free in the open as well. They may feast on garbage where other disease causing micro organisms could be breeding and a vicious cycle would begin hence forth. The pigs with the infection would transmit it to other animals and so on. Measures should be taken to eradicate waste before it piles up and invited unwanted problems. Pigs that need to be exhibited on shows need to be infection free and must be isolated after returning as they too could be carriers of diseases. A pig’s health and security are of equal importance and ample preventative measures must be taken to protect them from unwanted infections that can lead to death.

Human beings are not the only species that can suffer from allergies. Dogs can also have allergic reactions to objects in the home, chemicals and pollutants in the air, dog food, and their own hair and dander. Finding the source of these allergies can be difficult especially if the dog is allergic to a few things. If you have a dog that suffers from allergies, you may notice that they sneeze when around harmful chemicals, vomit after eating, have skin rashes, patches of fur missing, runny nose and eyes, or they may show signs of fatigue or restlessness.

Noticing these signs is the first step to helping your dog lead a normal, healthy life. You should monitor your dog for a month to see how it reacts to its environment, its food, and its own hair and dander. Since dogs need to keep themselves clean, they may be swallowing allergens that can cause an allergic reaction. The best way to combat a hair and dander allergy is to bathe your dog once a month and brushing the dog once a day.

If your dog has a thick undercoating, it will trap allergens and dander and keep it from falling off the body. After a while the dander will build up and fall off or be swallowed. If you have allergies, this could be one of the causes. Brushing the undercoating every day will help remove excess hair before it is swallowed or falls on the floor or carpeting. This will reduce your allergy problems as well.  

Sometimes chemicals in dog food can lead to food allergies. If your dog vomits at least once a day, then they may be allergic to the food they are eating. Hypoallergenic dog food is available. The food contains fewer chemicals while providing your dog with enough nutrition. Try this dog food to see if it will reduce the vomiting. Wet dog food may also help your dog digest their foods easily. If the vomiting does not stop, you should visit the vet to see if your dog has other health problems.

Dogs that are allergic to cleaning supplies, mold, and shampoo may be more difficult to treat. You can switch to natural cleaning supplies that do not contain bleach and other harmful chemicals. This may help your dog breathe a little better. You can also have your home tested for mold, which could be causing your own allergies, and you can switch dog shampoos and try one for hypoallergenic dogs. You should not wash your dog more than twice a month as you could make the dog’s skin dry and flaky, which is why they are scratching and pulling more often than usual.

Taking care of a dog with allergies is easy once you have identified the problem. Asking a vet for advice is a good idea if you do not know where to begin. They will be able to ask the right questions and help you find the answers so you will be able to administer the proper treatments.

When you built your pond, you probably spent a lot of time planning its design. You made sure every plumbing piece was in place. You carefully selected your filter and your pump. Everything seems perfect. While everything mechanical is in place, did you know that you need to plan your fish just as carefully as everything else?

Many experienced fish keepers will tell you that the best way to guarantee long-lived healthy fish is to buy top quality stock from local reputable breeders. This ensures you have fish that have not been overly stressed by transport, carefully bred for quality and grown on the best food.

If you aren’t lucky enough to have a local koi breeder, or you’ve already bought your koi, not all is lost! In fact, most purchased koi are from national-level breeders, have been transported and do not have confirmed breeding standards. This doesn’t mean you can’t have great fish. It just means you need to be extra careful to quarantine and feed high quality food for continued growth.

Quarantining your koi fish is absolutely necessary for koi health. Every time you obtain a new fish (regardless of source), you need to quarantine your new koi for at least 4 weeks before adding it to your existing stock. If you don’t properly quarantine, you risk introducing foreign bacteria and viruses into your stock. There are some fish illnesses, such as bacterial infections, flukes and worms that can kill your stock in one week after introduction.

Proper quarantine means no mixed water, food or contact between your existing stock and your new fish. When quarantining, you need to watch out for signs of stress in your new fish. Signs of stress and illness include a lack of appetite, discoloration on the scales/eyes, torn fins and lethargy. If you notice any such signs, there are several treatment options.

If your fish has torn fins or external lesions, you should treat with antibiotics administered with the fish food. If your fish isn’t eating after several days, you may have internal parasites. Praziquantel (a.k.a. PraziPro) or metronidazole are very effective safe treatments for internal parasites, including gill flukes and worms. We recommend NOT using Potassium Permanganate unless you have exhausted all other options. Potassium Permanganate should never be used on fish with external lesions as it will burn their internal tissues.

After you’ve quarantined your new koi, and all goes well, you can add them to your pond! Depending on your bio-load and the number of fish you add, you may need to up your water changes. Already you should be changing at least 30% of your pond water a week to keep your pH stable and nitrates low. Adding more fish adds more waste to your filter, and it may take some time for new nitrifying bacteria to build up. Water changes keeps nitrites low if you’ve recently added a lot of new fish.

On top of water changes, you should regularly add salt to your pond. This isn’t table salt or anything like that. We’re talking about salt that’s iodine-free and designed for aquarium and pond use. When you add salt to your pond, your koi will build up a thicker slime coat that supports a strong immune system. Pond salt also helps respiration in koi, and is effective in killing many common parasites. You should add 2 – 2.5 cups of pond salt per 100 gallons. You should only add more salt when you perform a water change (it does not evaporate).

For your koi, you should vary their diet instead of feeding the same pellet every day. This ensures they get enough nutrients from a variety of sources. If you have very young koi, it doesn’t hurt to feed them a hearty supply of beefheart so they grow well. Also, it’s okay and encouraged for your koi to eat some plants. This gives them plant fiber which helps prevent bloat.

Koi are beautiful hardy fish that can live for years when they’re given a stress-free environment, good <A HREF=”http://www.naturalenviro.com/sections.php?section=FishFood”>koi food</A> and stable water quality. They’re well worth the effort!

Are you a seasoned dog handler or have you lately received the blessing of a new puppy? If you answered yes to my questions, then where do you seek for answers regarding the most dog related challenges you face on daily basis? I can hear your whisper, and you are darn right! It’s the vet of course. We get more others from friends and relativeswho own dogs too. One of the many questions that dog owners grapple with are mostly centered on diet.

Your vet is one best placed person to answer your questions regarding your pet. He/she can help you establish the best diet for the pet and even suggest brands he deems suitable. He should be your first contact.

Good vets will adequately advice you about the basics of a good dog diet. He may also recommend some dry dog food varieties as the major component of your pet’s diet; this is because dry pet food is good for excellent dental health.

Snacks are also a good point of discussion between you and your vet. You could inquire whether he encourages particular types of treats against others and also what the types of snacks he disapproves.

Dogs like humans are different; you and your vet understand your pet better. When you forge an alliance with your pet, he will help you discover the uniqueness of your pet’s diet as opposed to others, he will also help you identify what needs to be changed in your pet’s diet. You will discover that some breeds of dogs have problems maintaining a healthy and stable weight. Such reasons will have your vet recommend little portions of dog food than the amount specified on the side of the dog food bag.

Your pets vet is a very significant figure in the health of your dog. He will inform you about what best supplements to procure for your dogs, he will suggest the best ones that can boost your pet’s outlook and improve its appearance. Glucosamine is one of the essential supplements likely to be recommended by your pets vet. This nutrient is essential for healthy joints especially for larger breeds.

Remember to carry along your pets diet on your next visit to his office. Discuss with him about diet issues and have him examine your pet to see if weight is an issue, he can conduct weight check to see if weight is an issue with your pet. A fine example could be when a dog has a dull appearance, your vet could suggest a different kind of dog food or he may suggest you add an egg to the pets diet.

In your pets lifespan, your pets diet will have to be changed to accommodate the pets need. Younger dogs and mature dogs could require extra amounts of protein or other essential vitamins and minerals. If you own a bred dog, the vet may recommend specific changes to its diet.

With a lot of hype making rounds about the perfect dog food, do not make your decisions in haste or go over it alone, this could see you select a bad diet. Consult with your vet and learn from him about what’s good for your pet, he will provide plenty of useful information on how to administer these diets. Remember that a well balanced and healthy diet is the secret to longevity. You vet has your dogs best interest at heart and will greatly assist you to ensure that your dog has longer lifespan, and also point towards the best diets for your pet.