Cattle

Posts Tagged ‘kill’

What are heartworms? Heartworms are large parasitic worms that live in the hearts of dogs, cats, and some wild animals. Heartworm larvae make their way to the heart of the animal within about 70-90 days. Providing both male and female worms are present, they will produce their own larvae within 6-7 months following the initial insect bite. Symptoms Your pet will show no early symptoms once infected with heartworms. Blood tests will return normal results. In mild cases of the disease, the animal will develop a cough. Any abnormal persistent cough should be checked by a veterinarian immediately. As the disease escalates with the growth of the heartworms in both size and number, the symptoms increase as well. In cases of moderate infection, your pet will exhibit a cough, intolerance to exercise, reduced appetite, lethargy, and weight loss. A check up at the vet will show abnormal lung sounds while blood tests will show evidence of kidney and/or liver damage. Once a heartworm infestation reaches the severe stage of disease, the animal is dying. Prevention and Treatment If you own pets in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, seek your veterinarians advice regarding heartworms. Heartworms can be prevented with a once a month chewable tablet that will protect your pet from these as well as other parasites. There are a few options for treatment for heartworms. After the evaluation of heart, kidney, and liver functions to determine if the pet is strong enough for treatment, they are often given an arsenic-based compound to kill the adult heartworms in their system. For advanced infection where the animal is in critical condition, the veterinarian may opt to remove the worms with surgery through the jugular vein. This procedure only removes enough worms to restore blood flow. Following treatment, the animal will be placed on restricted exercise for an extended period of time so the animal’s body has enough time to absorb the dead heartworms without complication. Once heartworm tests return a negative result, then the treatment is considered a success. Conclusion The American Heartworm Society (AHS) states that only 55% of dogs in the United States receive regular preventative care for heartworms leaving 27 million dogs at risk for the disease. Remember, that when it comes to heartworms, prevention is more effective and a lot less expensive than treatment.

Grizzly Bear Description

The Grizzly Bear seems to be among the most common that people recognize by its appearance. They are very large bears and they often have a coat that is chocolate brown in color. Some of them have a white tip to them though as they get older. They range in size from 5 to 8 feet tall with the males being larger than the females. They can weigh up to 800 pounds.

Grizzly Bear Distribution

Grizzly Bears are found in North America and they are often confused with Brown Bears that are also around that same area. They will be found around the rivers of Alaska when it is time for the salmon to run upstream for spawning during the summer months. They have a grand area that they move around in looking for food, with the radius of the male being much lager than for the females. You will also find them in areas of Canada.

These bears can cover many miles every single day. They can also run about 30 miles per hour should they need to. With that type of speed and power is it is very rare that their prey is able to get away from them.

Grizzly Bear Behavior

With the exception of caring for their young, Grizzly Bears are very solitary animals. They are excellent caregivers and they can become very aggressive when humans are around at the same time they have cubs. Females will also battle with male Grizzly Bears in order to protect their young.

Grizzly Bear Diet and Feeding

They are the top of the food chain when it comes to this area. They don’t have to worry very much about becoming food for anything else. They also can take their pick when it comes to foods available. Some of their favorites include nuts, berries, leaves, and roots. They will also feed on a variety of different types of animals. Some of them are very small such a rodents. However, other times they will feed on a moose.

Grizzly Bears consume a high number of fish including salmon. They are very skilled hunters and it is exciting to watch them. They will observe the waters and quickly swipe with their claws when fish come by. Most of the time they will capture their prey, consume it, and continue hunting for more following this same method.

Grizzly Bear Reproduction Grizzly Bears will mate from May until mid July. During this period of time the males will be calling out to the females. The females will leave a stronger scent for them to follow. Courting involves eating together and rubbing up on the sides of each other.

They will part soon after mating and the female will give birth to one or two cubs at a time. The gestation period ranges from 180 days to 265 days. The cubs are about one pound at birth and very vulnerable. The mothers are excellent at caring for them though. When they are two or three years of age they will venture out on their own.

Grizzly Bear Conservation

There are less than 1,000 Grizzly Bears remaining in the wild today. The illegal hunting of them and the destruction of their habitat continues to be a threat. Even with strong conservation efforts in place it is very hard to get their numbers to increase. The fact that so few remain has encouraged zoos to take them in and to help them reproduce in a safe setting. Plans for some of those young to be returned to the wild are in place.

Grizzly Bear Human interaction

Even though the Grizzly Bear is protected in the continental USA, many people still can kill them in Canada and Alaska. They are considered to be huge trophy hunts and with a limited number of them remaining, many want to get one before it is too late. The fact that Grizzly Bears unduly have a reputation of being man eaters means many people don’t care of they are hunted or not.

There are times when a hunter fails to hunt the deer because the deer could sense the danger which is coming. In this article you will find some tips how to approach the deer without sensed by the deer.

I was watching three deer feeding in a field. I was well hidden and there was a slight movement of air from the deer to me. These deer were about two hundred and fifty yards from me and I was waiting for them to come into surer range of my short-range gun before attempting to shoot one of them. While I was watching them, they suddenly stopped feeding, looked in my direction for a short time, switched their tails nervously and walked out of the field into the edge of the nearby woods. I had not heard any sound that could account for their actions, so I looked around to see if I could find what had alarmed them. When I turned my head I could hear voices. There were a woman and child walking along a road about one hundred and fifty yards in back of me. This road was not visible from the spot where the deer had been feeding. Although the voices were indistinct from where I was stationed, the deer had heard and recognized the sound as a possible source of danger and had made a discreet withdrawal. They were not unduly alarmed and were back feeding in the field twenty minutes later. They had heard sounds at four hundred yards that I had failed to hear at one hundred and fifty yards.

A deer’s hearing, like its sense of smell, is affected by the wind and other atmospheric conditions. These conditions should be considered by the hunter who wishes to approach a deer without being heard. Eyesight is a deer’s weak point when it comes to the identification of objects. Deer are supposed to be colorblind. Apparently they are unable to see details of an object at any great distance and they seem to be unable to identify objects by their outline. In spite of this, they are able to detect motion at a considerable distance.

I have stood perfectly still many times while deer looked at me and, unless they detected my scent, they acted as if they were uncertain of my identity. On one occasion, I stood in an open field and a deer passed me at a distance of about fifty yards. He stopped and looked at me for a long minute before he continued his walk across the field. There was no sign of alarm in his actions. He seemed a bit puzzled about me, yet not enough for him to investigate or to cause him to run. I have stalked feeding deer by moving towards them when they were not looking my way and by remaining motionless when they were looking. I have killed a few deer in this manner after they had looked directly at me while I was only partially concealed by small clumps of bushes. On other occasions when I have tried this they became suspicious and left the area.

One time in a canoe I stalked a deer. I crossed a small pond in plain sight of the deer which was feeding on the shore. By traveling slowly and directly towards the deer I created the illusion of a stationary or floating object. By keeping the paddle in the water and only moving it when the deer was not looking, I kept noise and motion to a minimum. The deer became slightly suspicious at about one hundred yards, but never entered the woods until I had more than halved that distance. There was the possibility that the animal was able to detect my scent. This seems to indicate that a deer’s eyesight is not keen and dependable.

The deer’s hearing sense is sharper than that of human. But they could be affected by the wind and other atmospheric conditions. These conditions should be considered by the hunter who wishes to approach a deer without being heard. Eyesight is a deer’s weak point when it comes to the identification of objects. Deer are supposed to be colorblind.

Sometimes it is good to play hide and seek games with the deer while hunting. It is better for a hunter not to be disturbed and make motions or noise when the deer looks at you when they are in disturbed position.

Are you having trouble finding your fish in the fish tank due to cloudy water? There can be several different reasons for cloudy water in a fish tank, so let’s take a look at the most common ones. These are debris from new substrate, bacterial bloom, chemical imbalance, or even floating algae.

Most new rocks and decorations will cause cloudy water. If this is the case then your debris should settle and go away on it’s own in a couple of days. Before adding the next decorations or rocks it best to soak them in separate water to get all the loose dirt off before addingthem to your tank.

Another problem that can come from new fish tanks is a bacterial bloom. This can cause the water to have a haze and look rather gray. This can come from overfeeding the fish or dying plants.

A sure sign of a bacteria bloom is when your water is milky and has a very bad odor. Not all bacteria are bad but some bacteria blooms can be deadly to your fish. When the nutrient levels get extremely high the bacteria go ballistic and multiply rapidly.

Be sure to remove all dead or dying plants if you have a bacteria problem. If you are changing fifteen percent of your water and using a siphon to clean debris, this type of haze will not cause the fish harm. But it is essential that you get in under control quickly.

Another thing to look at is whether or not your fish are being overfed. This can also cause the water to get cloudy. Just check the bottom of the tank for leftover food – that would be a sure sign of overfeeding.

Fixing fish tank problems like cloudy water from algae can be a pain because it will be thick and green. One of the best ways to cut down on the amount of algae in a tank is by adding algae eating fish. Keeping your lights on for long periods will encourage algae growth as well as sunlight shining on the tank so make sure to watch the amount of lighting your tank gets to help prevent algae growth.

If none of the above helps you with fixing your cloudy water problems, you should follow with a test kit. The test kit will be used to check the ammonia and nitrate levels of your fish tank water.

Once you have checked the levels, the reading for a normal level for both the nitrate and ammonia is zero. If you have something other than zero then your water quality is bad.

What causes cloudy water in fish tanks with open or semi-open style tanks? Many times these style of tanks could possibly have a stopped up filter causing debris to cloud up your water.

If you are still not sure what is causing the cloudy water in your fish tank, don’t panic. As long as your water doesn’t seem extremely bad and your fish are acting fine, give it a little time. Sometimes if bacteria is the cause the bacteria will kill itself.

This is definitely not advice for all cases. If you are concerned about your fish you should probably remove them until you get your problem under control. It is extremely helpful to have a quarantine tank just for occasions such as these. Regular maintenance will also help you enjoy your fish tank without concern.

Dogs and Cats. Eternal enemies, right? Through proper dog obedience training you can teach your animals to live together.

The first mistake that most pet owners make when introducing their pet dogs and cats is to allow them to make their own introductions. This is a mistake! As I stated above, these two species are eternal enemies. You can’t just set one down near the other and expect great results. (Ok, I know that can happen and does happen, but my job here is to teach you about dog training. My version of training calls for prevention with dogs and cats rather than creating a problem and then being forced to fix it. As Mom used to say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) There is a good deal of prevention that should be used before allowing your dogs and cats to co-exist.

Whether you are introducing a new cat to a home with a dog or vice versa I want you to start out the same way. Start out by using your trusty dog crate. Put your dog in the crate and allow the cat to be in the same room. There are several possible outcomes to this action :
1. Your dog shows complete indifference. This is ideal. If your dog behaves like this you will have a quick transition.
2. Your dog shows fear. This is not ideal but it will make the transition easier than some other outcomes.
3. Your dog shows nervousness and anxiety. He whines, he paces in the crate, paws at the door of the crate, etc. This behavior tells you that he wants out. There is something about that cat that is exciting and he wants to know what it is.
4. Your dog shows overt aggression. He barks, claws at the door of the crate, and he knows exactly what he wants to do with that cat. This is going to be the toughest dog to train, but it can be done.

For the first few days don’t let your dogs and cats near each other. Keep the dog in the crate. This doesn’t mean you need to keep him in the crate 24/7. When you want him out of the crate just make sure that your cat is shut off in another bedroom to avoid contact. What you hope to accomplish with this action is to train your dog to be indifferent to the cat. You want your dog to view the cat as ‘background noise’. The cat is inconsequential, the cat doesn’t matter, there is nothing interesting or exciting about the cat. In other words, your dog is safely tucked away in the crate and casually observes the cat move around the house. For categories 1 and 2 this will be simple. It will take no more than a day or two for your dog to think of your cat as just another ‘thing’ in the house. Categories 3 and 4 will take more training and time.

For categories 3 and 4 you need to attach a negative association to showing cat aggression. To do this, get a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with either plain water, water mixed with lemon juice, or for very stubborn dogs, water with vinegar. At this point, your dog is still tucked away safely in the crate. The next part of training will be conducted while you are sitting near the crate, ready for action. The instant your dog shows aggression (barks at the cat, claws at the door, whines in frustration, etc.) toward the cat spray him in the face with your spray bottle. Every time he shows aggression spray him with the bottle. When he isn’t showing aggression give him soft praise, “Good boy”.

Make sure that your dog never gets a chance to show aggression toward the cat without having a bad experience. This means that you must always be ready with the spray bottle or make sure the cat isn’t near the dog. If you aren’t vigilant and your dog has the chance to show aggression with no adverse consequence, you are training him to show cat aggression.

If you are consistent with this exercise you will soon notice that your dog will show less and less aggression while in the crate, it just isn’t worth the squirt in the face for him. You are on your way to getting your dogs and cats to co-exist.

When your feel comfortable that your dog is indifferent to the cat move on to the next step. As I said, for categories 1 and 2 this is probably one or two days after beginning the crate training. For categories 3 and 4 get your dog to the point where he is indifferent and maintains that attitude for several days if not a week.

The next step is to get your dog out of the crate and get those dogs and cats together at last! You are going to move slowly, though. Put your dog training collar and leash on your dog and make sure that he is always wearing it around the house. Keep your dog near you and allow your cat to be in the room. If your dog makes any move whatsoever to chase the cat, bark at the cat, or perform any of the stereotypical behaviors that dogs and cats do, give him a very strong correction with the leash. You want this leash correction to be a very memorable one so it must be very strong. You want to form a very negative association toward cat aggression.

Be consistent with this training. If you do this properly you will notice that your dog has less and less of a desire to chase after or bark at the cat. As you notice your dog changing his behavior give him more and more freedom by allowing him to be closer to the cat and further away from you. Eventually you will phase out the use of the dog training collar and leash.

Even if your dog isn’t showing aggressive tendencies, never let him chase after the cat in the house, even playfully.

Even some of the hardest to train dogs will respond to the above method. There exist, however, certain dogs that have such strong prey drive that only drastic measures will cure them of their desire to chase and kill cats. For these dogs I employ an electric dog training collar.

Read the instruction manual on proper fitting for your electric dog training collar. With a stubborn dog that needs an electric collar the method is simple. With the collar on his neck and turned on to a high level of stimulus you are going to correct your dog every time he even looks at the cat. As your dog even sneaks a glance at your cat press the button to deliver the correction. Don’t say ‘no’, don’t react in any way, just correct him for looking at the cat. Do this as many times as it takes. Let’s examine this from your dog’s point of view. He wants to get to the cat, wants to chase, wants to kill. But the very act of looking at the cat causes him pain. You don’t tell him anything so he doesn’t associate the correction with you. He soon will learn to believe that the cat is ‘evil’ and he had better not even look at it because it the act of looking causes pain.

As with all training, you must be very consistent. Your dog must never have a successful chance to even chase or want to chase the cat. Be consistent, though, and soon your dogs and cats will be able to co-exist.