Are All Those Pet Vaccinations Really Necessary

Writen by Angela Predhomme

Would you like to save money and have a healthier pet? Let me tell you a story. One day, my German Shepherd asleep, as usual, when suddenly, he started convulsing so intensely that I thought he must be dying. It went on for a few minutes, which seemed like forever. After, I couldn't believe he was OK. It turned out to be a seizure, and it was then that I began to learn about alternative medicine for pets.

The most interesting thing I found out was that vaccinations seem to be a main cause of seizures in dogs, and annual vaccinations are not necessary, possibly causing more harm than good. After that incident, we stopped vaccinating and the seizures became less and less. I'm going to tell you how it's in both your and your pet's best interest to avoid yearly vaccinations. Annual re-vaccination is simply not necessary.

Here is an excerpt from page 205 of Current Veterinary Therapy XI, a reference considered to be the premier resource for the entire veterinary field.

"A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations. ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION THERE IS NO IMMUNOLOGIC REQUIREMENT FOR ANNUAL REVACCINATION. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal."

If you're concerned about not vaccinating yearly, you can get proof of immunity even years after the shot, by a blood test called a titer. Many veterinarians, especially holistic vets, will provide these tests. See http:// www.AlternativesForAnimals.com for a directory of holistic vets.

Overvaccination can even cause more harm than good. This is something that almost all holistic vets agree upon, and some of the top vets in the country attribute many health problems to vaccines.

Dr. Richard Pitcairn, a holistic pioneer and well respected vet who researched immunology extensively, believes that the biggest factor contributing to epilepsy in dogs is yearly vaccinations. (1) Many seizures happen within a few weeks of dogs getting their shots.

According to this theory that overvaccination causes harm, vaccines work with immunity, and overvaccination weakens the immune system. This in turn causes auto-immune problems in cats and dogs like skin problems, hair loss, tumors, and arthritis. A weakened immune system leaves your pet open to all kinds of potential health problems. (2)

Why do almost all conventional vets recommend yearly vaccinations? It's been the industry standard. According to veterinarian Dr. Carolyn Blakey, it accounts for up to 80% of a vet's business. To recommend less frequent vaccination, vet businesses would take a big financial blow.

If it concerns you to avoid vaccinations, are there any alternatives? There are a couple options. Some holistic vets follow a modified program of vaccinations, giving them at less frequent intervals.

Another option is homeopathic. Homeopathic nosodes are a remedy administered to pets that are believed to assist in disease prevention. Nosodes are made from the actual virus, just like a vaccine, but are made differently and are totally safe.

According to Donna Starita, DVM, a leading homeopathic vet, many studies show homeopathic nosodes to be just as effective or more so than conventional vaccines in preventing disease. (3)

Some breeders, such as author Celeste Yarnall, Ph.D., that are interested in more natural methods use exclusively nosodes in place of regular shots. They swear by it's effectiveness and they say their animals are much healthier than earlier generations that got shots. (4)

So, it's OK to question the necessity of yearly pet vaccinations, with their questionable necessity and potential adverse effects on your pet's health. This is the beginning of this movement, and over the coming years, it's my opinion that we'll probably see more movement away from such frequent vaccination. Some veterinary schools are already changing their curriculum to advocate changes in vaccination frequency. In the end, it will save us all money, and we'll have healthier pets.

So next time you get that little reminder card in the mail that your pet is due for their shots, think twice! And switch your pet's care to a vet that is more careful about the use of vaccines.

See http://www.AlternativesForAnimals.com for a FREE online directory of holistic vets.

Sources: (1) Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Pitcairn & Pitcairn (2) The Natural Remedy Book for Dogs & Cats by Diane Stein with excerpt by John Fudens, DVM (3) The Dangers of Vaccinations, and the Advantages of Nosodes for Diseases Prevention by Dr. Donna Starita Mehan (4) Cat Care, Naturally! by Celeste Yarnall

Angela M. Predhomme is the owner and creator of the online holistic pet directory, Alternatives for Animals, http://www.alternativesforanimals.com. Click on this link to find holistic vets and practitioners using alternative medicine for pets, as well as a directory of natural pet products.

Stop Them Destroying Your House Today

Writen by Ian Bramwell

Dog training - dealing with house training issues

The best house training uses the dogs own instincts to avoid soiling its bed to train the dog where and where not to eliminate. That is the basis behind crate training, in which the dog is confined to its crate in the absence of the owner, and den training, in which the dog is confined to a small area of the home. In essence, the crate, or the room, becomes the dog's den. Dogs are habitually amply clean animals, and they try their best to avoid using their dens as toilets.

This type of training usually works very well, both for puppies and for older dogs. Problems with this type of toilet training are usually the result of not understanding the signals the dog is sending, not being consistent with feeding times, or trying to rush the process.

While the house training process can be sped up somewhat by consistently praising the dog and rewarding it for toileting in the proper whistle stop, some dogs cannot be rushed through this important process. It is always best to house train the dog properly the first time than to go back and retrain a problem dog.

If the dog continues to soil the den area after house training, the most likely reason is that the owner has departed the dog in the den for too long. Another reason may be that the den area is too large. In this case, the best strategy is to make the den area smaller or to take the dog to the toilet area more frequently.

If the dog soils the bed that has been provided in the den area, it is most likely seeing the owner has left the dog there for too long, and the dog had an understandable accident. Or it could be that the dog has not yet adopted this area as the bed. In addition, urinary tract infections and other medical conditions can also cause dogs to soil their beds. It is important to have the dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian to rule out any medical doubts.

One other reason for house training accidents that many people overlook is dullness. Dogs who are bored often drink large amounts of water and therefore must urinate more frequently than you might think. If you notice your dog consuming large amounts of water, be sure to take the dog to the established toilet stretch more often, and outfit the dog with toys and spare distractions to eliminate boredom.

Flatness is the rhizome cause of frequent dog behavior problems, not only house training issues. Chewing and more destructive behaviors are also often caused by boredom and separation anxiety.

Fresh dilemmas with house training can occur when the dog's den is not properly introduced. In some cases dogs can react to the den as if it is a keep or a pain. Those dogs may exhibit signs of anxiety, such as whining, chewing and excessive barking. It is important for the dog to feel secure in its den, and to think of it as a home and not a cage.

The best way to house train a puppy or dog, or to re-house mold a problem dog, is to make yourself alive of the dog's habits and needs. Creating a clean, safe sleeping and happiness area for your dog, as well as a well defined toilet area, is important for any house training program.

House training is not always an easy process, but it is certainly an important one. The number one reason that dogs are surrendered to animal preserves is obstacles with inappropriate elimination, so a well structured house training edit can literally be a lifesaver for your dog.

Discover how to get more from your dog and they from you at

http://dogcontrol.blogspot.com

Pet Meds The Natural Approach To Medicating Fido

Writen by Allen Shaw

It's known as many different names: holistic healing, old family remedies, bohemian health and simply natural healing. And now even man's best friend is getting into the herbal remedy craze.

In the past few years, more and more veterinarians are adopting the herbal remedy cure to keep Fido alive longer. And natural medicines are proving more popular every year with owners who grew up in a generation that grew ever more dependent on processed food and cure all antihistamines. And let's face it, dogs survived for a billion years before humans came along. They had to be something right while they were roaming the world. So let's look at some of the most prevalent diseases and health problems faced by today's pampered pooch and the natural remedies that can be used to solve them.

Let's start at the beginning. You bring home your brand new puppy and almost immediately, he gets a bad case of diarrhea. This is caused by the stress of leaving his family and his unfamiliar surroundings. The stress creates a bacterial imbalance in the puppy's stomach. In the past, vets would prescribe an antibiotic to solve this disgusting little ailment. There's a huge with this solution though. Not only does the antibiotic block the bad bacteria, it also blocks the good bacteria. All the antibiotic does is mask the problem for a few days and the diarrhea returns days later. The natural remedy to this problem is simple…Give your dog a probiotic. By using a probiotic, instead of masking the problem like an antibiotic does, you will flood your puppy's system with good bacteria and push the bad bacteria out of the body.

If you are a fan of the breeds whose ears stand straight up, German Shephards being a prime example, you are familiar with the all too common ear infections. Unlike dogs whose ears form a protective flap over the ear canal (Retrievers, Hounds), ear infections is a constant problem. And the symptoms are very easy to recognize. If your own personal Rin Tin Tin is constantly shaking his head to in an apparent attempt to rid himself of imaginary gnats, he likely has an ear infection. To solve this problem in the natural way, CLEAN YOUR DOG"S EARS REGULARLY! Sounds simple doesn't it. Well it is. It's also safer, and cheaper, than what vets have been recommending for years…steroids. While steroids seem to have an immediate and very visible effect, in the long run, steroids may cause liver and kidney problems later in life for your best bud.

Another long-standing problem with a lot of dogs, especially those dogs whose masters enjoy feeding them "people food," is the ever-present problem of gas. Yes, even Lassie had a problem with the toots. The most natural remedy to solve this problem is simple. Feed your dog... now get this... DOG FOOD. Choose a dog food that is heavy in chicken and beef. If the primary ingredient in your dog's food is vegetables, he's going to be a walking symphony.

Most other dog ailments can be solved the "natural way" just as readily as diarrhea, bad breath and the ever-popular anal symphony. Talk to the elder statesmen in your family. Research your dog's ailment on the internet and don't just concentrate on the veterinarian websites. But most of all use some common sense. There has been a rumor flying around the internet in recent years that says dogs are natural "herbivores." WRONG! They are carnivores by nature's intent. They have teeth designed to rip and tear, not grind and mash. Dogs are designed by nature to eat meat, not vegetables. And if you read the ingredients of most dog foods on the shelves today, you will see an overabundance of vegetable ingredients. And instead of solving the problem via a change in diet, some vets are using the "Ritalin" approach to common dog ailments. That's just not natural.

You may use this article on your site as long as the 3 URL's are hyperlinked.

Allen Shaw is a successful author who provides information on dogs, pet meds, and dog health.

"I am the news director at USA News Network and have been working as freelance writer for 2 years. I've been published in a few magazines, newspapers and websites and my specialty up to this point has been movie and music reviews."

Electronic Dog Fences

Writen by Lee Dobbins

Electronic dog fences provide dog owners with an automated, electronic means to make sure their dogs do not go beyond the safety of their homes. It also helps dog owners make sure that their dogs do not do any inadvertent damage to other people's property.

It effectively keeps the dogs within the owner's property and helps dogs learn to know their boundaries. They are trained by the system to automatically stay away from the boundaries of the home. Electronic dog fences have the added advantage of not taking up any property space. They are totally controlled by the dog's collar, and the predefined areas the dog is allowed to stay in.

The great thing about electronic fences is the fact that they can be programmed and wired to protect other areas of your home that are prone to the playful mischief of your energetic dogs. This way you can protect fish ponds, flowerbeds, gardens, and other sensitive areas.

But how do these things work? They are pretty simple, if you come to think of it. Here is a step by step guide to how electronic dog fences are set up and used.

Your Dog's Electronic Fence

1. Area Wiring – First of all, thin antenna wires are buried around the perimeter of the areas you want off limits to your dog. These wires are usually parallel to your picket or perimeter fences that surround your property. These wires are light, not bulky and are pretty easy to install.

They can even be secured in non soil areas by means of normal attachments easily found at any hardware store. Just make sure they are safe from the elements and are not an impediment to your surroundings. These wires can be installed beside your fish pond, other pet cages, and off-limit areas.

The wiring can also be installed inside your home. It should be installed in a way that it does not become cumbersome. It can be laid out like normal cable wire. Just make sure it is secured to the walls or to stable furniture and is beyond the reach of toddlers or your pets. You could even put it under you rug or under your carpet.

2. Pet Collar – Your pet then is made to wear a special collar that can receive signals from the wires you just installed. It is this collar that acts as the fence. Your pet should be wearing the collar for the system to work. Without the collar, the electronic fence will uselessly benign.

The collar works using radio frequency and has a specially installed radio receiver to pick up signals from the antenna wires in your territory.

3. Train Your Dog – the systems sets off a very mild and harmless shock to the dog whenever it crosses the boundaries marked by the wires. The shock is just like static and will cause no harm to your dog. All it does is offer a small irritating 'reminder' to keep your dogs from moving beyond their permitted areas.

Also before it emits the shock, it gives off high-frequency beeps to warn the dog. Whenever the dog hears the beeps it will be alerted to the fact that the shock would come if the warning is not heeded. This ensures that the pet will not have to be reminded physically as much as it will be by audio.

You should also mark the areas off limits by using visual aids such as flags, and other visual aids. As the dog gradually understands and respects the boundaries, it will no longer need these aids to avoid the areas altogether.

Warnings and Conclusions Some owners are not comfortable with the fact that mild static is used to remind their pets of their boundaries. However, it should be noted that it is non-harmful and is a great alternative to cooping up a pet within a dark and dingy cage beyond the dog's comfort. Also electronic fences do not protect your dog against robbers as cages do. Thieves have to work at a cage or a series of gates to get to your dog. Although it keeps your pets from going out too far from the home, it does not keep others away from coming into your home.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://fences.home-webzone.com/ where you can learn more about all aspects of fences for your home.

How To Set Up A Quarantine Tank For Tropical Fish

Writen by Mike Magnum

Do I Need A Quarantine Tank?

Ah, yes, the often dismissed but very necessary part of the tropical fish hobby, the infamous quarantine tank. Do you really need one to be successful in this hobby?

For freshwater fish you may be able to get by without having one. Freshwater fish are generally more suited to captivity because they are usually tank raised and don't seem to break out in disease as readily as their saltwater counterparts. However, if newly acquired fish do come down with something, you will surely wish that you had one ready to go. One newly bought fish that is introduced to your main tank can easily wipe out the entire tank population. Better safe than sorry, right?

For saltwater aquarium keepers, I would say that you definitely need a quarantine tank. Marine specimens are mostly wild caught and not used to being kept in captivity. Their journey to a dealers tank is usually much longer and much more stressful for them. Stressed out fish will usually come down with some kind of disease if they don't simply die from the whole ordeal. Saltwater fish keepers will usually have other things in the main display tank such as invertebrates and live rock, that they don't want to expose to the harsh medicines necessary to treat one or two fish. Some medicines can wipe out all of the invertebrates in a tank, so be sure to research any medicine before using it in your tank.

Quarantine Tank Setup
You don't need to go all out here. A simple 10 - 20 gallon aquarium will suffice for most people. If you have larger fish then obviously you want to get a bigger quarantine tank. All you really need is a bare bones setup with the following equipment:

• Some type of filtration (a hang on the back of the tank power filter will work, just use filter floss without the carbon since carbon will remove medication from the water, being counter productive)
• Heater
• A powerhead and/or an airstone for increased surface agitation
• Test Kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
• Fish Net - don't use the same net for your main tank

Fill the quarantine tank with water from the main tank and then turn everything on in the quarantine tank.

Freshwater & Saltwater Fish Quarantine
For newly acquired fish you will want to acclimate them to the water in the quarantine tank and monitor them very closely for a period of two to three weeks. Monitor the water parameters with your test kits and check for signs of parasites or bacterial infections.

If the newly acquired fish does come down with something you will need to use the appropriate medication and you will need to keep them in quarantine for a further two weeks to make sure that you have indeed treated them effectively. If after a few weeks no problems develop, you can then acclimate them to the main tank water and then introduce them.

If a fish comes down with something while in your main tank, just net them and plop them into the quarantine tank. There should be no need to acclimate them because you used water from your main tank. If you didn't use water from the main tank you will need to acclimate them to the quarantine tank water. Diagnose the problem/disease and treat appropriately. After the disease clears up you will still want to keep the fish in quarantine for a week or so monitoring the water parameters with your test kits the whole time.

More On Saltwater Quarantine
Always have some extra saltwater ready in case you need to perform an emergency water change. Remember, you want to monitor those water parameters frequently (daily or at least once every two days). Many saltwater hobbyists always have saltwater ready just in case. You never want to mix up saltwater and add it right away. Freshly mixed saltwater can be fairly toxic to fish, in turn causing you more problems.

Conclusion
Freshwater hobbyists may get away with not using a quarantine tank, but saltwater hobbyists would be crazy not using one. Save yourself some money, headaches and especially the fish by having a quarantine tank. The fish in your main tank will thank you for it.

For more tropical fish and aquarium information, please visit FishLore.com - Freshwater & Saltwater Tropical Fish & Aquarium Information.

Mike is an editor at FishLore.com. Designed for beginners, FishLore.com provides tropical fish information, how-to guides, articles, fish profiles, FAQs, forums and more!

How To Potty Train Your Dog

Writen by Mike Strawbridge

Dogs have two natural instincts that you can use to your advantage when potty training them. One is that they prefer not to pee or poop where they sleep. They will move to another area if given the chance. Two is that they will pee or poop where there is already the residual smell of a previous pee or poop.

When potty training a dog there are basically two options to use - Indoors or outdoors.

Indoor training:

To train your dog to go indoors, you will need to set up an area in your home where you want him to learn to do his business and give him free access to that area. Make sure it is not the area where he sleeps.

Put some newspaper down on the floor of the area where you want him to go. Carefully observe your dog and the moment you see him starting to urinate or defecate, immediately take him to the papered area. You may leave a trail in the way but get him to the right area.

Praise your dog once he is in the correct area. As you are cleaning up, leave a small trace of the pee or poop on the paper in the area you want him to use. Remember your dog has much keener sense of smell than you do. Just a trace is all he needs to find his way back to the spot.

Now you must carefully and completely clean up any material that may have been deposited elsewhere. You must leave no smell trace that your dog can find on any other part of the house or your dog may return there and think he is doing just what he is supposed to do. Remember again that your dog's nose is much more powerful than yours is. Many pet supply stores have cleaning sprays that help to mask the odor for dogs.

The idea is to use your dog's natural instinct to return to his previous safe spot for each subsequent deposit. Also, to make sure that one and only one spot is made so inviting.

After a couple of weeks, your dog should get the hang of where you want him to go and you will no longer have to save a portion of each deposit to carry the smell over.

Outdoor training:

To train your dog to go outdoors, you will have to develop a communication method so that you and your dog know when it is time to go outside. The frequency is highly variable among breeds and dog size and is also affected by diet.

Just like indoor training you will need to establish a safe spot outside where you want your dog to go. Take him there often so he gets used to the place. Make it as far from his sleep or play area as possible.

If you catch him in the act of going in the house, immediately scoop him up and take him to the outdoor spot. It does not matter if you leave a trail, just get him to the spot. Praise him once he uses the spot.

Leave a small amount of the fecal matter in his safe spot as a scent trace for him to find later. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any indoor traces so that there is not scent trace left.

If your dog is trained to go outdoors, you must be consistent. Make sure that you are available often enough so that he can hold it between trips outside.

You can also hang a bell on a string at the door and ring it each time you take the dog out to potty. Teach the dog to nudge the bell when he needs to go out. This makes a simple and effective communication tool that won't be confused with other behavior. Don't teach him to scratch on the door unless you wanted to buy a new door anyway.

Whichever method you choose be consistent. Don't try to mix indoor and outdoor training, as you will only confuse your dog.

Work with your dogs natural instincts to make this training go much smoother.

To learn more dog training tips and tricks see Mike's blog my-dog-smash.blogspot.com Mike Strawbridge is a contributor to the Potty Training Site where he shares information on potty training human toddlers. www.pottytrainingsite.com

Bast The Beloved Protector Of Cats

Writen by Susanna Duffy

She is the protector of cats, women and children. The ancient Egyptians celebrated her feastday on October 31 with convivial merry making, music, dancing in the streets and drinking with friends - the sort of holiday we would recognise instantly.

A great week-long festival was held in the holy city of Bubastis attracting devotees from all over the country to celebrate along the riverbanks and through the city streets. Herodotus tells of crowds swelling to 700,000. Sadly, Bast and her feast day are overlooked in modern times but you could perhaps say that Hallowe'en was originally celebrated as the Feast of Bast

She holds the mysteries of the cat in her power - those magnetic animals with a strong power to fascinate or repel. Let's face it, all of us will admit that we either love cats or we can't stand the sight of them. Historically, the cat was first endowed with archetypal power in Egypt where it came to be regarded as a Sacred animal. For the cat is identified with Bast and she is most recognised for her portrayal as a woman with the head of a cat. When a cat curls up with its head touching its tail, it forms a circle, the symbol of eternity, the symbol of the goddess in whatever form she has chosen

Bast is the Goddess of the rising sun, the moon, truth, enlightenment, sensuality, fertility, bounty, birth, plenty, the home, music and dance. She was the beloved goddess and the protectress of women, small children, and domestic cats.

Bast was the possessor of the Eye of Horus, the sacred utchat. Over time the utchat became more associated with cats and was often cat shaped. Egyptian women used these cat amulets as fertility tokens, praying to have as many children as cats have kittens

Our modern names for the cat are derived from the word utchat: cat, chat, cattus, gatus, gatous, gato, katt, katte, kitte, kitty, etc. One variation of her name was Pasht, and from this we get the remaining Indo-European words for the cat: pasht, past, pushd, pusst, and puss

The Wildcats of Egypt first lived in the swamps and marshes along the Nile. As time progressed, and the people began to grow grains and other foodstuff and keeping it for longer periods of time, rodents and other vermin began to thrive. The wild cat was venerated for its ferocity and rapacity, qualities it used to keep the rocent population under control, qualities which it also shared with the lion. What a boon was the Wildcat to the Egyptians!

The domestic cats we know today are all descended from the felix sylvesteris, the Wildcat of Africa and friend of the Egyptian farmer. And so began the long domestication process. As the cat was identified with Bast, so then Bast gained enormous popularity from 1000 BCE onward. Feline hunting instincts were honoured, but so was the cat's gentler side as a warm and loving mother to her kittens.

The ancient Egyptians must have truly appreciated the beauty of wild creatures, they took the frightening aspects of animals and turned ferocity into beneficial protection. Their gods possessed animal traits like the precision of the hawk and the strength of the bull. So then, we see in Bast the grace and elegance of a cat, the agility, strength, speed, and the deadly claws. She holds the charm, patience and affectionate nature of a domestic cat, as well as the potential for the raw brute strength of a lioness.

She also has the gift, like all cats, of looking deep into your soul.

And it's easy to see why Bast has been associated with pleasure, music and dancing for millennia. Just think of your own comfort-seeking cat who loves to be stroked and petted. Cats also love to play, with their graceful movements and purring as musical accompaniment, luxuriating in coordination of movement.

Today, ruins mark the joyful city of Bubastis, the once-proud temple is nothing but tumbled blocks. However the name of Bast endures. For at least 5000 years there have been many who praised her name. Many still do so today.

Take a moment to honour this ancient Egyptian goddess. Light a green candle, her sacred colour, and be affectionate to a cat, her cherished animal. When you address a cat, remember you are speaking to a little divinity, and a creature beloved of Bast.

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, grief counsellor and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions, and specialises in celebrations inspired by the divine feminine in A goddess a day