A Golden Retriever - Poem

 A Golden Retriever is a bundle of fluff,

A Golden Retriever is all the right stuff,

A Golden Retriever is always a friend,

A Golden Retriever puts your heart on the mend….

A Golden Retriever loves to swim and to play,

A Golden Retriever will greet you each day,

A Golden Retriever never ever gets mad,

A Golden Retriever will cheer you when you are sad…

A Golden Retriever loves to play ball,

A Golden Retriever will give you their all,

A Golden Retriever will frolic and swim,

A Golden Retriever will lick you on a whim…

A Golden Retriever will lie by your side,

A Golden Retriever will narrow a bed you thought wide,

A Golden Retriever will smile for you each morning,

And yet to intruders, he’ll give you good warning…

A Golden Retriever knows just what you need,

A Golden Retriever is a permanent good deed,

A Golden Retriever will love you each day,

A Golden Retriever understands when you just need to play…

A Golden Retriever warms your cold feet,

A Golden Retriever knows when you’re beat,

A Golden Retriever will always trust you,

A Golden Retriever will always be true…

A Golden Retriever waits patiently till you come in the door,

A Golden Retriever is all this and more,

A Golden Retriever will steal your whole heart,

And once you have one you’ll not want to part !!

Anonymous

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The Highlander Cat

A substantial cat, the Highlander brings together the sweeping grace of the curl eared cats, and the massive size of the lynx. Completely domestic, this massive feline averages a weight of fourteen pounds and is a masterful combination of strength and graceful beauty. The head should be an inverted pear shape with medium to large ears that are firm at the base and flexible at the tips. They should be in a relaxed curl of no more than 90 degrees. Ear furnishings and tufts are ideal. Eyes should be medium to large and wide set, resembling a flattened oval in shape. The body is medium to large in size, rectangular in shape and athletic in appearance. Legs should be medium in length, with back legs longer than front. Feet should be medium to large and round with large knuckles; long coats should have toe tufts. The tail should be short and thick, a minimum of one inch long in adults but not extending past the hock. The coat can be short or long and comes in four colors: solid, tortie, tabby, or silver/smoke.

Despite their regal appearance, Highlanders are definitely the court jesters. This is a highly active breed that loves to play chase. Affectionate, they will be first to greet you at the door and will happily show off to visitors. Relatively quiet, this is a soft-voiced animal with few needs and lots of love.

This is a low maintenance breed of cat. General care should be taken when purchasing any kitten from a breeder to check for hereditary diseases and disorders and potential owners should have any kitten examined by their vet before purchasing. Regular grooming is recommended for long haired cats. There are no special nutritional needs.

This is a new breed to appear on the cat fancy scene. Breed development began in 2004 and it's starting name was the Highland Lynx, a name that easily described the size of the cat that was desired. The breed has been developed from the large domestic gene pool, and though the ears resemble those of the American Curl, the Highlander does not receive its ear curl from that same gene. The Highlander is a TICA recognized breed and was accepted for competition in the New Breed class in May of 2008.

Take care of your Dog - Winter

How Can I Prevent Winter Health Risks to My Dog?

Frostbite. Frostbite begins when the dog’s body gets cold. The body pulls blood from the extremities to the center of the body to stay warm. The dog’s ears, paws or tail can get so cold that ice crystals will form in the tissue and damage it. Frostbite is not immediately obvious. Watch for signs of pale or grey skin as the skin may also turn hard and cold. As frostbitten areas warm, they can be extremely painful. Severely frostbitten skin will eventually turn black and fall off.

Hypothermia. The other very serious winter weather health concern for dogs is hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when a dog spends too much time in the cold, gets wet in cold temperatures or when dogs with poor health or circulation are exposed to cold. In mild cases, the dog will shiver and ears and feet will become cold. As hypothermia progresses, your dog may show signs of depression, lethargy, and weakness. As the condition worsens, the muscles will stiffen, the heart and breathing rates slow down, and will not respond to stimuli. Severe hypothermia is life-threatening.

What Are the Ways in Which I Can Help Protect My Dog During the Winter Months?

Temperature. Some dog breeds are blessed with thick fur that keeps them warm naturally in very cold temperatures, but dogs with thin coats may need to wear a sweater or coat when out for winter walks. A good coat should reach from the neck to the base of the tail and also protect the belly but coats will not prevent frostbite on the ears, feet or tail. Even wearing a warm coat, do not keep your short-haired dog out for too long in freezing temperatures.

Go outside when the sun shines. Try to walk your dog in the late morning or early afternoon hours when temperatures are a little warmer, and avoid early morning or late evening walks. Spend time playing outdoors while it is sunny; sunshine brings the added benefit of providing both you and your pet with vitamin D. Play fetch with toys, not sticks, as sticks can cause choking and other injuries. If your dog wants to chew and chase, bring a Frisbee, ball or other safe toy and play together in the sun.

Indoor pets are happiest. Our family dog needs to be indoors with us. Take your dog out frequently for walks and exercise but your dog should live inside the home. Do not leave pets outdoors alone when the temperature drops. A good rule of thumb is to go out with them and when you are ready to come in, your dog probably is, too.

Warm bedding. Do not let your best friend sleep on a cold floor in winter. Choosing the right bedding is essential to ensure your dog stays warm. Warm blankets can create a snug environment. Elevated beds will keep your dog off cold tiles or concrete, and heated pet beds can help keep the stiffness out of aging joints. Place your dog’s bed in a warm spot away from drafts, cold tile or uncarpeted floors, preferably in a favorite spot where he sleeps every day so that the area does not feel unfamiliar.

Keep your dog away from heat sources. Dogs will often seek heat during cold winter weather by snuggling too close to heating sources. Avoid space heaters and be mindful of fireplaces.  Never leave pets alone near a fireplace or wood stove. Even if your fireplace has a mesh covering or glass doors, pets can still get burns from coming into contact with those hot surfaces.

Moisturize.Your home’s furnace or central air system emits dry heat. This low humidity environment can rob your dog’s skin of necessary moisture, which results in dry, flaky, and sensitive skin. while it is true that your dog’s body continually replaces the layer of damaged skin, however, if left unmanaged, the condition will continue throughout the winter. Damaged skin and your dog’s relentless scratching to relieve her itch can open the door for more serious skin problems.

Do not overfeed. Although dogs may need an extra layer in winter, it should come from the coat and not a layer of fat. Cold temperatures may even bring on lazy behavior and the need for fewer calories. Be attentive to your dog’s activity level and adjust his calories accordingly. A high quality, whole foods, preferably meat-based diet will help ensure a healthy coat and good energy for the cold winter months.

Paw care. Dogs can also suffer from cracked pads just as we can suffer from cracked feet during the winter months. If your dog has furry feet, trim the hair that grows between his pads to prevent ice buildup between the pads. Winter salt on city sidewalks can also burn your dog’s pads and is toxic, so after walks around the neighborhood, rinse or wipe your dog’s paws to remove any salt. If your dog shows signs of discomfort when walking outside on frozen or salted surfaces, consider using dog booties to protect his paws.

Snow removal. Snow can be dangerous for your dog. Snow piled near fences offers your dog escape routes that even well-trained dogs often cannot resist. After clearing snow from your yard, pile it away from fences to prevent your dog from climbing over. Snow and ice often accumulate on rooftops and if the sun is out or as temperatures rise, this accumulation can slide and injure your dog. If you cannot clear the snow from the roof, keep your dog away from the roof overhang to prevent injury.

Never leave your dog unattended in the car, no matter the season. Just as cars can get dangerously hot in summer, freezing cold temperatures are equally dangerous for your dog in winter. Leaving the car running involves additional risks, including carbon monoxide poisoning if the car is parked in a garage. It is best to leave your dog at home when you go out to run errands.

Special care for seniors. Cold weather will often aggravate existing medical conditions in dogs, particularly arthritis. It is very important to maintain an exercise routine with your arthritic dog, but be mindful of slippery surfaces and make sure that your dog has a warm soft rest area to recuperate after activity. If you do not already give your senior dog a natural joint supplement to lubricate the joints and ease the discomfort of arthritis, you may want to talk to your vet about adding glucosamine and chondroitin to your dog’s senior diet.

How Your Dog's Diet Affects Outputs

If you are a computer guru, you may remember the term GIGO.  This term stands for Garbage In.  Garbage Out.  So, what does this have to do with your dog's diet?  Well, your dog may be no walking, wagging, and barking computer, but he or she works in the same way.  What food goes into your pet will eventually come out in the end.

Your dog's diet will affect the outputs considerably.  Other factors play a role such as illness, nerves, and the weather.  You can tell a lot about the health of your hound by the outputs produced.
As any responsible pet owner knows, cleaning up after your pet is not the most pleasant job, but it is a necessary one.  Being choosy and selective about your dog's diet will make cleaning up after your pet much easier.
When your dog is eating a diet high in fillers, your pet will show it.  The excrement will be large in size and often runny and hard to pick up.  You may notice when you give your pet leftovers from the table, he or she is really happy, but you aren't exactly smiling on the next trip around the block.  The outputs of a pet eating an unhealthy diet is just plain messy, stinky, and large.
Even treats such as rawhide bones can change your dog's stool.  Your dog's diet consists of everything your pet eats from treats to mealtime.  Monitor how treats affect your dog's outputs to determine how healthy the snack really is for your pet.

If you choose to feed your dog a balanced diet that is high in quality, you will notice a particular difference in the outputs.  Cleanup may not be placed on the top of your things to-do list, but it will be much easier and more tolerable.  When the dog's diet is healthy and nutritious, you will have less mess in the yard or kennel.

Dog handlers with service animals are educated about the importance of a healthy diet and outputs during training.  It is important, for example, that a guide dog not have an accident while working.  The public would not be highly tolerant of trouble in a restaurant or grocery store.  Take a tip from trainers and keep your dog's diet healthy to avoid these messy situations.

Consult your veterinarian to decide what type of diet is best for your dog.  Look for a dry dog food that lists meat as the first ingredient.  This will help to reduce the amount of fillers your pet will consume.

Feeding your pet on a schedule is important.  When looking at your dog's diet, do not simply focus on what you are feeding your pet, but also focus on when you feed your dog.  If your dog's diet includes consistent mealtimes, you will be better able to predict your dog's potty schedule.  This can play a major role in effective housebreaking technique. 

Helping your pet eat right is the first step to maintaining a healthy diet for your dog.  Your dog's diet, when perfected, will keep things running smoothly.  Minimize outputs and mess with nutritious, scheduled feeding.  Beware of treats in your dog's diet.  Knowing what goes into your pet will reduce the garbage coming out. 

What is the Green Bean Dog Diet

What is the Green Bean Dog Diet?

For some time, people have tossed around the idea of the green bean diet for dogs.  You may have heard of this and considered trying it.  Let's look at the green bean dog diet and discuss some of the pros and cons.

If you choose to feed your dog the green bean diet, you must know that you cannot exclusively feed your pet green beans.  Only supplying your dog with this green vegetable will not be a healthy choice for your dog's diet.  Pet owners will need to find a balance between dog food, for example, and green beans that will produce the desired results.  

The green bean dog diet involves standard kibble for your pet mixed with a portion of green beans.  The green beans are a healthy way to keep your dog full between meals.  For example, your lab may only need two cups of high-quality dog food per day to maintain a healthy weight, but he is always scrounging around and hungry.  Adding some green beans to  the food at meal time will help your dog's diet stay on track and keep your dog feeling full and happy.   

Should all dogs be eating the green bean diet?  Not all dog's need to have green beans added to their meals.   Typically, the green bean dog diet is recommended for dogs who need to lose weight.  After the initial weight loss, many pet owners continue to follow the green bean dog diet to help maintain a healthy weight for their pet.  

Both dogs and owners are often pleased with the results of the green bean dog diet.  Pet owners feel good about supporting the health of their dog.  Also, it is comforting for us humans to see a sizable helping for our pet.  Looking into the dog dish and seeing a few sparse kibbles totaling a half cup does not appear as generous as that same amount of kibble surrounded by a healthy helping of fancy cut green beans.

It is rare that your dog will turn his or her nose up at the green beans.  Your dog's diet is healthy and appreciated.  Dogs feel fuller and will respond with a more pleasant attitude and less scrounging around in search of some grub.

One negative factor to consider when changing your dog's diet over to the green bean diet, is the added fiber.  Some dog's systems react to this, so monitor your pet's outputs.  Begin adding the green beans slowly and gradually increase.  Some pet owners find it beneficial to only add the green beans to the dog's diet at one specific time during the day to keep the dog's potty schedule in order.

If you decide to turn your dog's diet over to the green bean dog diet, there are a few simple tips to keep in mine.  You won't be feeding your dog several cans of green beans a day.  Purchase a resealable lid to cover the open can of green beans for easier storage in the fridge between meals.  Measure the amount of green beans in your dog's diet just as you would measure kibble or treats.

If you notice the store has green beans on sale, by all means, purchase a few cans ahead and stock up.  Although green beans are not particularly expensive, it never hurts to save some cash.

Whenever possible, purchase canned green beans with no added salt.  This is a healthy option for your dog's diet, typically at no additional cost to you.  

The green bean dog diet can have many advantages.  Monitor your dog's intake to prevent unpredictable outputs.  The green bean dog diet helps to properly lose and maintain weight while keeping you and your pet happy.

Aging Cats’ Nutritional Needs Change After Age 11

America’s most popular pet, the cat, lives more than half of its life in the senior years. Although advances in veterinary care, better nutrition and better educated owners have helped improve the quantity and quality of these years, studies reveal that senior cats continue to struggle with weight as the result of reduced activity levels and a steady decline in senses, nutrient absorption and fat digestion.
“One of the most important goals

when feeding senior cats is maintaining an ideal weight and keeping that weight stable,” said Dr. Arnold Plotnick, who developed a senior wellness program to address the special needs of aging cats at his veterinary clinic, Manhattan Cat Specialists in New York City.
Owners of senior cats can help their aging felines maintain an ideal body weight throughout the senior lifestage by feeding a diet that addresses their unique nutritional needs. Purina Pro Plan, for instance, has reformulated its entire line of senior cat foods to address the changing nutritional needs of aging cats in two different phases of the senior lifestage: ages 7 to 11 (mature) and 11 and up (senior).
As cats age, there’s a gradual decline in the body’s ability to repair itself, maintain normal body functions and adapt to stresses in the environment. Disease and weight changes are common throughout the senior lifestage.
Cats are more likely to face weight gain during the mature years when activity level declines and metabolism slows. But around age 11, weight loss becomes a greater concern.
The 11-plus years are particularly problematic for cats because their sense of smell and taste often diminish at this time, which affects their interest in food. The ability to absorb key nutrients and digest fat declines, making eating itself less efficient.
The undesirable result is that more food passes through as waste and less is used for energy, causing a drop in lean muscle mass and body fat that leads to potentially harmful weight loss.
In addition to providing the proper diet, owners of senior cats should pay close attention to their cats’ activity levels, weight, and eating, grooming and elimination habits and report anything new or different to their veterinarian.
Though many of these changes are a normal part of aging, others may signal a more serious problem. Scheduling veterinary visits at least twice a year is good practice during the senior years as many potentially serious conditions are treatable if caught early.

8 Great Reasons to Use a Crate

Learn how to give your dog his own space.

1. House train your dog. Efficient and humane training aids, crates take advantage of the dog's natural tendency to keep its sleeping area clean. However, you should crate your puppy for only as long as it can reasonably control its bladder and bowels.

2. Protect your dog. Crating a dog prevents it from chewing electrical cords or eating poisonous plants, toxic cleaning fluids, or nylon socks (which can tear up your dog's intestines.) These are only a few dangers awaiting new dogs left alone in a home.

3. Protect your property. A crate costs between $25 and $200, depending on its size and where you buy it. That's a bargain compared to the cost of replacing furniture and other belongings your new dog can destroy.

4. Curb and prevent separation anxiety. You love your dog, but you can't spend every minute of every day with him. The crate can help you teach your dog to enjoy spending time alone.

5. Introduce chew toys. A dog engrossed in chewing a toy will stay out of mischief. Give your dog time in his crate with two stuffed chew toys, and he'll become hooked on his crate and stay out of trouble.

6. Give a timeout. A new dog gives you great rewards, but it also can drain you. If your dog becomes excessively excited or starts nipping, use the crate for a brief timeout. Don't do this to punish your dog. (Never use a crate negatively.) Rather, the timeout allows your dog to regain his composure so he can interact appropriately with you.

7. Travel safely. Whether your dog travels by air or car, a crate is one of the best ways to ensure safety. Additionally, when you stay in a hotel, keep your dog in a crate to prevent damage.

8. Provide security. Crates provide your dog with his own quiet place to hang out. This is especially important if you have a busy household and children. To encourage your dog to accept people petting him while inside the crate, praise him and give him tasty rewards on occasion. Also, let children know not to bother your dog while he is inside the crate. That's his quiet time.