Cattle

Posts Tagged ‘sex’

In response to people’s requests for input concerning Spaying and Neutering Animals, I offer this staggering statistic. In the metro nine county area where I live with less than 300,000 human population, the local shelters publish their intake/adoption/euthanized statistics each month in a periodical filled with photos of adoptable animals. Their monthly average of the animals euthanized in over 72 per cent of the animals brought to them for possible adoptions. Over 72%! Personally, I am a soul on my journey through the material world at this point in Kali Yuga who has rescued cat- and dog-bodied souls, and is steward to two rescue cat-souls who live indoors only.

It behooves those of us with human forms to take responsibility for the world we have created by taking proper care of any other being in our care. I’m not going to get into any scriptural discussion here. Just plain common sense, people. Kali Yuga is a challenging time to live for every soul, in every form of body. So, take care of the animal-bodied souls by getting them Spayed and Neutered as soon as you can. Their sex desire is then finished. (that it should be so easy for human-bodied souls!) And the lives of all concerned will be able to focus on facets of life other than “unwanted” animal offspring. Using our common sense is imperative to most of our actions. Humans often forget that they have Common Sense to utilize.

By the way, these two cat-bodied souls who live with me receive temple prasadam salt added to their cat food, and I always greet and talk with them using the Names of Their Lordships. We also listen to kirtan and dance together every day! And they are very appreciative. So, treat these souls as fellow travelers on their Eternal Journey, just as you would wish for them to treat you, if you were the one in an animal body. You may not desire to have any animal-bodied souls to live with you.

Yet, too many so-called devotees treat these souls with disdain, just because of the body they are in. So, who’s on the bodily concept? I have a feeling that this letter will trigger the ire of many so-called brahminical standard-practicing souls. So be it. Just remember that none of us really knows who any other soul is. Nor do we know how Lord Caitanya is using anyone to spread this Harinama Sankirtana movement. Those with a loving heart will understand what I’m trying to say.

We want our dogs to live as long as possible, but the truth is, certain dog breeds live longer than others. If you are in the market for a new pet, following is some information that could help in this decision making process.

From breed to breed, the age of a dog varies, but the average life span of the North American or European dog is about 12 years of age.8 years. For the last 100 years there has been an increase in life span of dogs thanks to better foods and medical care.

Larger dogs like the Saint Bernard live shorter lives than smaller dogs because physically, the bodies of larger dogs are more stressed than the bodies of smaller dogs. Medium sized dogs can live to be between 11 to 14, while very large breeds live only 8 to 12 years. some small dogs can live up to 22 years of age, but the average is from 14 to 22.

The life expectancy of any particular dog is also determined by the stresses in its everyday life – just like humans. of course, this includes physical and psychological stresses, what the dog eats and how well you take care of your dog.

While a Labrador Retriever may live an average of 12.6 years, some people report their Labs having lived much longer. Smaller breeds such as a Lhasa Apso or a Miniature Poodle, have a life expectancy of around 14.8 years of age. Yet there are some poodles that live to be more than 18 years old.

Have you ever tried to add up how old your dog is in “human’ years? In reality, the seven years to one human year is a myth, or a dog that is 20 would be 140 years old. Even basing the lifespan on 100 years, a small dog’s age would roughly be five years to every human year, so five times 20 would be 100 years. No one formula for a dog to human age conversion has ever been scientifically analyzed.

Typically, a one year old puppy that has reached full growth is usually sexually mature, although it might still need to fill out, just like human teenagers. A two year old dog is equal to about another 3 to 8 years in terms of mental and physical maturity, while each year thereafter is equal to around four or five years in human terms.

As a dog gets on in years, it is critical to take good care of the animal, and make it comfortable as it approaches its last days. You will know when your dog stops eating, its breathing becomes difficult, and other pets begin to snap at it or ignore the animal. The time may have come to plan a pet memorial service and think about taking it to the vet to be put down and out of its pain.

When your dog dies, you can help it live forever in the hearts of your family by conducting a pet memorial. Purchasing a dog urn, to put cremains in is one way to remember your friend. Pet urns are each as unique as your pet, and can fit nicely into a home, or be used in an ash spreading ceremony.

Dn’t forget, your pet will live long in the memories of those who truely loved it.

Canine Diabetes, often referred to as “sugar diabetes” is generally speaking, quite a common ailment in dogs, it is not difficult to identify as a simple urine test will reveal the cause of the problem. It is the most common canine endocrine problem and is sometimes believed to be more prevalent in overweight dogs, but it doesn’t stop there, heredity and certain medication may also be the cause. It really is high sugar levels that the dog is not able to naturally break down. It can affect a dog of any sex or age and fortunately, as in humans, we can treat the condition and many dogs lead a completely normal life with treatment.

Symptoms of Canine Diabetes Mellitus include but are not exclusive to:
– A general appearance of being “off” perhaps accompanied with weight loss, appetite generally remains unchanged.
– The dog may be drinking more than normal and/or urinating more than usual
– Poor hair and skin condition
– Vomiting

Treatment involves:
– Visit to the vet and possible stay in the animal hospital to stabilize the condition
– Special Diet
– Blood/urine tests
– Insulin injections
– Regular check ups

There are two types of canine diabetes:
– Type 1- this is caused by the pancreas being unable to manufacture the hormone insulin
– Type 2- is caused by the dogs inability to respond to the manufacture if insulin in the body
– How To Identify Canine Diabetes

It is not a difficult process to identify Canine Diabetes in dogs and in many instances the dog owner, just knows that something is wrong! Being a dog owner myself it is pretty easy to know when your dog is feeling “off”. Any changes in eating or drinking patters immediately alert me. The first thing to do is take the dog to a vet! Common symptoms include drinking more than usual, vomiting, frequent urination, eating more but losing weight, and unexplained loss of condition of the skin and fur.

What Happens When My Dog Has Canine Diabetes?

We have found that canine diabetes is one of the more complicated kinds of endocrine problems in dogs, however it is certainly not a “death sentence”. The veterinarian will check your dog, do a couple of tests, including blood and urine. Once he knows that the problem is canine diabetes he going to ask you if you want to start treatment. The responsibility is with you to decide on treatment. It really is a serious commitment on the part of the owner, but treatment can have a dramatic effect in improving the dog’s quality of life.

What does Treatment Entail?

If your dog is found to have really high glucose levels, and you decide to opt for treatment, he may be kept in hospital for a couple of days to stabilize and establish a treatment protocol. This also applies if he is dehydrated. He will be put on a special diet such as Hills W/D and given insulin injections. Oral medication is available for humans and cats, but not dogs as this point in time. As soon as the dog has been stabilized they will be sent home with special instructions for feeding, testing and medication.

The Dwarf Pencil Fish, the Green Rivulus and the Hunchbacked Limia could be three freshwater fish in your tank. Find out about their behavior, what they look like, water conditions, how to feed them and how to breed them.

Dwarf Pencil Fish – Nannostomus marginatus (Family: Lebiasinidae)

Behavior:
It is a bit timid and likes its fellow dwarfs so its better to have few of them in your aquarium. They will grow to about 3 cms when adult and are slow swimmers so you will have plenty of time to admire them!.

Water and Tank Conditions:
This shy fish will need sheltered areas so make sure there is a well planted area and also a good amount of free space for it to swim around in. Ideally the water should be at about twenty four degrees Celcius.

Features and Colors:
It is not easy to tell the differences between the sexes. The males are thicker than the females and more brightly colored. The fish has three stripes running laterally along its flanks. Dark brown bands are located above and below the central gold one. The back is a golden brown with the body browny gray.

The fins are red around the perimeter and the bottom parts are also red. The Nannostomus genus has a unique characteristic in that its lateral bands change if they get frightened or at dusk. They change to stripes that slope instead.

Feeding:
This fish will eat a wide range of foods but due to its small mouth ensure the food size is sufficiently small.

Breeding Conditions:
Like the Croaking tetra the pencil fish does not readily breed. A shallow depth of slightly acidic water, about 12 cms, is needed for the breeding tank and a temperature of about 24 degrees centigrade. You will need two males to mate with one female and the use of a breeding trap.

Remove the fish once spawning has taken place. Deposited eggs will be found all over the place. It will be a couple of days before the fry hatch. Once hatched feed them infusoria initially followed by fine dry food and as they grow micro-worms, sieved daphnia and flaked foods.

Green Rivulus – Rivulus cylindraceus (Family: Cyprinodontidae)

Behavior:
The green rivulus is a hardy fish, peaceful and good at leaping so keep the cover on! It is is regarded as a bit of joker in the fish world due to its habit of taking up unusual positions and maintaining them for a while. It is best to keep these with fish around the same size.

Water and Tank Conditions:
With respect to plant requirements, have both floating and submerged plant types. For the water, an average temperature of about 22 degrees centigrade will be alright although it can tolerate a fairly wide range.

Features and Colors:
The green rivulus, as its name suggests, is olive-green with spots that are darker green. It also has reddish spots near the back end. This fish is also called the cuban rivulus.

This genus has many species all differing in color but their major characteristics and behavior remain unchanged. One specific characteristic they have is the presence of a spot found adjacent the top area of the peduncle fin and is referred to as a false eye.

Other species you will come across are the eye spot or ocellated rivulus (Rivulus ocellatus), the herring-bone rivulus (Rivulus strigatus), the yellow banded rivulus (Rivulus xanthonotus), the fire-tail rivulus (Rivulus milesi) and Hart’s rivulus (Rivulus harti).

Feeding:
You will notice how these fish become more a lot mmore lively when they are about to be fed. In general they are not fussy about the food they are given.

Breeding Conditions:
The difference between male and female is easy as the female has the large rivulus spot and is not as brightly colored compared to the male. A thickly planted breeding tank at 26 degrees centigrade is required with two females for each male.

They breed easily and once the eggs have been scattered about, take the plants and fertilized eggs to a separate incubation tank. The eggs will hatch after about two weeks and the fry can be fed for the first week on infusoria.

Hunchbacked Limia – Poecilia nigrofasciata (Family: Poeciliidae)

Behavior:
Also known as the Humpbacked limia and the Black-barred limia. These fish are peaceful and females can reach lengths of 6 cms or more. The Poecilia caudofasciata species is smaller and the male and female reach lengths of about 4 and 6 cms respectively.

Water and Tank Conditions:
twenty four degrees Celcius is adequate.

Features and Colors:
They are called hunchbacked because the young fish exhibit an arched back, which becomes greater as they age. The other parameter that also changes with age is the color. The younger are recognized by their olive color, dark vertical bands and yellow underneath.

The older fish has iridescent green spots on the bands, the stomach has a dark border, the dorsal fin is bigger with spines becoming black. Regarding color the male is a lot brighter than the female!

Feeding:
The main diet for the Hunchbacked limia is algae and other vegetable matter with the odd live meal thrown in (literally!).

Breeding Conditions:
The usual process for live-bearing fish can be applied but these fry are more difficult to raise and it will help if the breeding tank is in a position so that sunlight can fall on it.

Now you can have three additional freshwater fish to put in a tank and look after. Before you add more fish, ensure your aquarium can accommodate your newcomers.

Unlike rabbits, guinea pigs are not quiet animals. Guinea pigs make a lot of noise – especially in groups – and are in constant communication with each other and with their owners. As a guinea pig owner, you may be interested in the meaning of some of these sounds.

Loud Squeaking

Loud, piercing squeaking (often referred to as “wheeking”) is generally a cry for food. Your pigs are informing you that they are hungry and asking (actually insisting) that you feed them – NOW. This sound is most often heard around your pigs’ regular feeding time and often starts when your pigs first see you or when they hear the sound of plastic bags “crinkling” or any other clue that sounds like you might be preparing food for them.

Purring

Just like a cat, purring is a soft low-level rumbling sound that generally indicates contentment and comfort. Your pig will often purr when being petted. Listen to the purring for feedback as you scratch your piggy behind the ears or between the eyes. She will tell you when you hit the “sweet spots”.

Rumbling

Rumbling sounds similar to purring but is a deeper, stronger, more intense sound. While purring represents relaxation and contentment, rumbling is more associated with excitement – sexual excitement. You most often hear this sound from male pigs when they are around females who are in season. The rumbling sound is often part of a mating dance commonly called the “rumble-strut” in which the male struts and parades around the female – all the while emitting the rumble sound.

Chattering, Burbling, Muttering

This is a hard sound to describe, but a common one to hear if you own guinea pigs. This is the sound of guinea pig activity. It is kind of like the background din of chatter and conversation you may hear in an office or workplace. You will hear it when your pigs are engaged, active and content. You might hear it when you let your pigs out of their cage to exercise. After they relax and get used to their environment, they often start their low-level muttering as they wander and explore. It often sounds as if they are just muttering to themselves as they focus on different activities.

Teeth Chattering

When your guinea pig is chattering their teeth, it is not a good sound. It is the sound of an angry, frightened or otherwise upset pig. This is the sound of a pig who is annoyed and grumpy. Teeth chattering is a warning. He is saying, “Stay away! Leave me alone!” Two males may chatter at each other as they try to establish dominance over each other. Or your cavy may chatter at you as you try to pick them up – or “annoy” them in other ways.

Guinea pigs are not a silent pet. In fact, their rich, varied and frequent communication is one of the properties that makes them so endearing. The longer you own your pets, the more attuned you will become to the nature and meaning of their auditory messages.