October 28th, 2009 by Peter
Everyone i seem to speak to who owns pet fish seems to have the same problem…’my fish swims upside down!’. This has also happened to my fish when i was younger and left me in tears for days but now i realise it is a pretty common cause.
If this happens to your fish or anyone else you know who’s fish is doing this means that the fish has lost their equilibrium meaning that they are unable to maintain their position. Majority of the times this means that your fish has a swim bladder problem.
It is pretty difficult to treat your fish if it is suffering from a swim-bladder disease but you can try antibiotics that you can buy from an aquarium or frozen peas.
If you know any other tips please share…
October 27th, 2009 by Peter
Winter is very nearly here and the warm evenings are officially over so when you are out walking your dog wrap them up and keep them snug!
Over the past week i have been looking after my friends Yorkshire terrier whilst she is on holiday and every night i wrap him in a little coat. I feel no guilt putting the coat on the dog as he waits at the door until i put it on him and comfortable leg straps meaning that they are not to tight.
A good place to look for dog coats is Pets at Home as they currently have a great selection of coats for dogs of all sizes.
October 26th, 2009 by Peter
I was surprised the other weekend when my auntie came home with a pet turtle it is just one of those pets you rarely here about. We then spent the day learning up on how to care for the turtle so here is some tips if you are considering buying one as your next pet but seriously do take into account the amount of effort that is needed to look after it properly!
Firstly you have to decide on the housing of the turtle, a 20 gallon tank is the best one as the turtle grows in a rapid speed and needs plenty of space to swim in. When you have bought inches the tank make sure you pour the water in to at least 7 inches giving the turtle space to flip over, also make sure you have a selection of smooth rocks as the turtle can not be under the water at all times and needs somewhere to bask.
One thing that has to always be your main priority is keeping the tank clean and i would highly recommend buying a canister filter as turtles produce copious amounts of waste! It is also important is drained and replaced with fresh water daily.
Heating and lighting is a huge part of a turtles life, temperature has to be between 70-80 degrees at all time. If the temperature is to low then the turtle may not eat when it goes into hibernation. This is easily achieved as all you need to do is install a heat lamp and UV light. The expose to the light makes sure the turtle does not get bone disease.
When feeding your turtle go for variety like insects, worms and raw fish this type of food is easy for the turtle to eat and will not decompose in water.
I hope the advice has helped and good luck with your new turtle!
October 25th, 2009 by Peter
If you have a Labrador dog you will know that they need one good bed to cosy up in at night. With Labradors they tend to chew anything plastic so the bend you want to stay clear from is the large plastic baskets and go for a oval wicker dog basket with a braided trim.
Not only will these keep your dog happy at night it will also save you money as you will not need to replace it after your dog gets mischievous and chews the plastic bed to bits and i think that wicker baskets also look more attractive in your house.
You can pick them up online or at most pet shops they are usually well priced and great quality!
September 30th, 2009 by Peter
Just like humans there is an increasing number of dogs becoming overweight, but unlike humans, this is not the dogs fault it is the owners. It is in a dog’s nature to eat whatever food is put in front of it, and as it us that provides this food then many of us are at fault. It is estimated that many owners overfeed their dogs by up to 25%, this includes left overs from our own meals as well as treats and snacks.
The best way to check if your dog is overweight is to check for any excess fat at the tail, ribs, spine and shoulders.
It is important that we as owners help our dogs live happy, healthy lives. Overweight dogs can experience many health issues such as joint ache and diabetes, so do some research, ensure that your dog is eating the right amount of calories and make sure to take them out for regular exercise.
September 29th, 2009 by Lianne
Barking is only natural for dogs but at times it can be excessive and cause annoyance not only in your own home but your neighbours too. There are many reasons why dogs bark such as to convey fear and anxiety. Training your dog to bark only when its appropriate will make both you and your dog happier.
The beauty is that training only need take a couple of minutes every day and involves the repetition of simple verbal commands so that your dog will, in time, learn to follow your instructions.
The first task is to train your dog to bark on command. When your dog follows the command successfully give him a treat. If he then barks without command make your dog lie down and do not reward him with a treat.
This is very simple but effective and the younger your dog is when you start the training the better.
September 24th, 2009 by Sally
We all know that our pets have a big impact on our living space and the environment; but there is no reason why we can’t have pets and keep green. For some tips on how to do this I have included a list below.
- One of the biggest and main issues is to make sure you always clean up after your pets poop. This is what any responsible pet owner should be doing anyway but the best way to help the environment is to use a biodegradable poop bag.
- There are many organic cleaning products on the market which you can use to clean up after your pets. This will help your home to become a safer environmentally friendly place.
- Avoid buying your pets junk food. Read the packet before buying your pets food, as some conventional foods can consist of animal by-products. Instead it is better to choose organic foods where the food was raised in humane ways without any drugs.
There are plenty of ways in which you can stay green and it just takes a little effort. So lets all do our best and keep our pets in a green environment.
September 18th, 2009 by Lianne
If your cat starts spraying in the house, it’s a habit that you will want to stop very soon. But what is it that causes cats to do this in the first place. Well it could be a number of things but one of the main reason is usually due to an addition to your house hold, whether this is another pet or a baby. This can often lead to your pet feeling left out. In this case you will need to make sure that you are paying your pet enough attention and you may just need to give it time for your cat to adjust to new people or animals being in the house.
If you can’t wait that long, then a good technique is to put kitchen foil round the areas where the cat is spraying as they don’t like the sound the foil makes.
Also, when cleaning up after you cat, make sure to use a biological detergent. This is important, because if you clean using ammonia based detergents the cats will recognise it as urine and it will only encourage them to spray again.
September 14th, 2009 by Sally
It can be really difficult and frustrating trying to give your dog its medicine. Sometimes no matter how much you try, your dog simply refuses to swallow the pills it needs to get better. It gets even worse when there is more than one dog in the mix. If one refuses then the others will usually do the same.
You can try and hide the pills in food but you often find that the pill falls out. There is a solution however and it comes in the form of small pill pockets made from real meat. These pockets have a space in the middle ready for you to insert the pill. You can then pinch the ends of the pill pocket and feed it to your dog. The good thing about these pill pockets is that they are small and go down so quickly that the dog won’t get chance to spit it out.
September 13th, 2009 by Peter
So you want a pet but haven’t quite got the space for a dog. Or you live in flat share where a cat would not be appreciated by all. What’s the solution? Well how about buying a fish. They can be inexpensive and easy to look after. They also don’t take up a lot of space so can be great to even keep your room rather than in the main communal rooms of your accommodation.
So what kind of things do you need to think about when going to your local pet shop to buy a fish?
One of the first issues is purchasing the tank. You will need to think what type of fish and how many you intend to keep. With this in mind you need to choose the right size of tank and also think about how much you are willing to spend. You can either buy a tank made of glass or acrylic. Both of them do the same job, but if you’re on a tight budget then glass is often cheaper.
Next you need to look at what type of accessories you want or need for the tank. This will usually include a heater and gravel as well as any decorations you want.
The good thing about keeping fish as pets is that you can do it as cheaply or as expensively as you want dependant on whether you decide to keep goldfish or go for a bigger fish which requires a much larger tank such asOscars.
Whatever decision you make, remember to do your research before visiting the pet shop so that you know exactly what you will need to give your fish a happy home.
