Introducing new fish to an already existing aquarium is not as easy as it may seem. There are a lot of things to think about and prepare before you can safely transfer your new fish to your aquarium. You cannot just buy any aquarium fish you want then dump them in the tank as soon as you reach home.

First thing to check is the quality of your water. It is stressful enough for all the fish involved when new fish are introduced to their number. Do not add to it by making them suffer in poor water quality. The stress in them might reach fatal levels. Make sure that you have the highest possible water quality by testing for the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Do the necessary changes or cleaning before you add the new fish to the aquarium. If you dont like frequent aquarium cleaning, add an EcoBio-Block to your aquarium to give it the beneficial bacteria and trace minerals that can reduce harmful substances in your water and keep it clean, healthy and clear.

When adding new fish to your aquarium set up, choose the kinds that are compatible with the fish that are already in your aquarium. Choose those that will peacefully and comfortably co-exist with your present fish. You dont want them hurting or eating or killing any of your old fish and vice versa. It will be wiser to introduce more than one fish to your aquarium to minimize the chances of the new fish being picked on by the old fish. Also choose those that will thrive in the same water environment that you have in your tank. There are specific pH and water temperature levels that have to be considered when introducing new fish to any water.

One way to avoid conflict among the fish is to rearrange the tank before putting in the new fish. Your old fish are likely to have established regular hiding spots, which they can get territorial with, if a new fish is introduced. Rearrange your plants and other accessories as part of your preparation for that new fish. Give them as many hiding spots as possible to help them steer clear of each other while getting used to the new set up.

One important rule in introducing a new aquarium fish to an established tank is to first acclimatize the fish to its new environment before releasing them into the water. If you dont do this, the shock to their system will surely kill them. The thing to do is immerse the bag of water containing your new aquarium fish, into your aquarium water. Let it stay there until the temperatures are equal and the fish have had the chance to look over their new environment. When a few hours have passed, release the fish slowly into the aquarium.

Ideally, a new tank can be set up for the new fish. This is so you could isolate them first and check them for diseases they may have. You wouldnt want any carry-over sickness to contaminate your aquarium.

Careful preparation to the aquarium, timing of the introduction of new fish, plus proper acclimatizing will ensure a smooth transition with minimal stress to all your aquarium fish.

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Written by Leonard Standeley using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What is dog's Cushing's disease? Dogs Cushing's disease is a common problem that affects senior pets, and is caused by overactive adrenal glands. This condition can easily be confused with premature signs of aging in dogs. Cushing's disease symptoms include:

* weight gain * hair loss * urinating in the house * increased consumption of water * increased urination * increase in appetite

Thankfully, this disease is treatable and once treated your dog can live a much longer and healthier life. This condition can be treated at home using homeopathic remedies.

In dogs, Cushing's disease can look like the debilitating effects of aging, so some pet owners may mistakenly consider euthanasia in order to let their pets go peacefully. It is very important to understand when your dog is truly just aging or if they are suffering from Cushing's disease. Your vet can help you determine what your pet is facing.

In dogs, Cushing's disease is usually found in pets that are around ten years old. Cushing's disease is more likely to strike in miniature dogs and in spayed/neutered dogs. Since it can strike just about any dog and there are very few known predispositions for the disease it is sometimes hard to diagnose. Even the physical signs of the disease can be similar to a variety of other health problems.

Because the symptoms are so much like aging it is important to note the symptoms that are more than common signs of aging. These can be disproportionate drinking(water) as 80-85% of Cushing's dogs will drink 2-10 times their normal amount. Another possible sign is a change in the color of your dog's coat, 85-100% of Cushing's dogs have a change in the skin or coat. 90-95% of dogs will also take on a pot-bellied appearance. By recognizing these signs you can treat the disease and make your dog live longer and more comfortably. Once you suspect the problem, a simple blood test could prove that your dog is suffering from Cushing's.

If Cushing's disease is left to progress without treatment it can lead to even more serious problems such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, failure of the liver and kidneys, and other problems like infections in numerous places on the body. These problems combined with Cushing's disease can prove fatal to your pet. So if you pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms for dog's Cushing's disease and they are over 6 years of age, it is best to take them to a vet right away for a diagnosis.

In dogs, Cushing's disease can be treated at home using natural remedies boost your pet's adrenal function.Click here to find a the solution to Cushing's disease in dogs. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

Written by Kate Rieger using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

To better understand the process of cremating a dog you need to understand the three types of cremation, private, individual, and communal.

Private Dog Cremation " This is typically the cremation process of multiple pets are cremated at the same time this could consist anywhere from 2 pets or more. The pets are each separated so the ashes do not get mixed up. The ashes are moved to a device called a cremation blender where the ashes are ground to a finer quality so the bone fragments are less obvious.

Individual Dog Cremation " This is when only one dog is cremated by itself. And tends to be a bit more speedy then a private dog cremation.

Communal Dog Cremation " This is when multiple pets are all cremated together at once, they are usually taken to a group pet cemetery, or landfill. This is the cheapest way to go for families on a really tight budget. Another step before cremation is choosing out an urn, this can be a much more uplifting distraction from the actual loss of your dog.

Urns come in many different shapes and materials. I would recommend choosing something which you think fits your dog the best.

Some Ideas for a dog urn would be to include your dogs favorite toys, blankets, and extras. Decorate the urn with these things because you know your dog would have liked to be with them. You can also ad pictures of your dog, or have the earn engraved in your dogs name. urns can cost anywhere from 20$ to 500$ depending on what it is made of, along with the work put into it to make it.

Now the actual process of cremation you can expect to go something like this;

Your dog will be placed in the cremation chamber, alone or with other animals depending on the type of cremation in which you had preferred. The chamber will ignite with flames ranging at a temperature of anywhere between 1400 and 1800 degrees. Everything will be turned to ashes with the exception of specific bone pieces, and any metals.

Your dog will be cremated in this chamber for about 1 to 2 hours.

The remains will be removed from the chamber, but sometimes a small access of your dogs ashes will be left inside the chamber this is sometimes unavoidable, and this tiny bit of ash could get mixed with another animals ashes, so there is a chance your dogs ashes could contain a tiny bit of someone else pets also.

You can expect these ashes to weigh anywhere between 1 and 8 pounds depending on the size of your dog.

If you have not already provided the crematorium with an urn ahead of time the ashes will be placed in some sort of storage type container until you do so.

If you have lost a pet and are looking for information on the process of Dog Cremation or if you are looking for picture frame pet urn so that you can honor you pets life then we invite to visit us.

Written by Chad Brooks III using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Canine kidney disease is a very grave illness that affects many dogs. It can become life threatening very quickly and there are a number of things that cause the problem. Below you will find out what some of the usual causes of canine kidney disease are.

Bacteria is a major cause of kidney disease in dogs. It is pretty common for a dog to suffer from urinary tract infections. Infections like this are caused by bacteria that get in through the urethra and make it to the bladder. When these infections go untreated, then the bacteria can get into the kidneys. There, it will cause injury and loss of function which is irreversible.

Trauma is another common cause of kidney failure in dogs. If your dog is hit by a car or kicked hard enough it could cause kidney failure. Fungal infections can also cause trauma to the tissues of the kidney. There are two main fungal infections that often cause kidney damage, and these are blastomycosis and canine valley fever.

Blockages in the bladder or urinary tract can also damage the kidney of your dog. These obstructions are most commonly caused by bladder or kidney crystals. Stones like this are prone to becoming contaminated with bacteria, which then increases the infection risk. When an obstruction blocks the ability for urine to flow freely, then it can become life threatening in only a day or two.

If your dog ingests toxins, this can also cause kidney disease. It is the job of kidneys to filter toxins but when a toxin is too strong, it can cause them to shut down. The most common toxin ingested by dogs is antifreeze, because it has a sweet taste that dogs like. Other things that can cause renal failure if ingested are heavy metals, rat poison, some types of plants and turpentine. Keep all of these things out of reach of your dog.

Some types of medications that your dog must take can cause damage to the kidneys over time. You can avoid this by only giving your dog all natural medications for whatever medical problem they are having.

As you can see, canine kidney disease has a variety of sources. Some of these can be prevented, and others cannot. The most common cause of kidney failure in dogs is old age, and this cannot be treated. However, as long as you take care of your dog, they shouldn't have to get kidney disease for any other reason.

To maintain a good life for your dog keep your eyes and mind open to changes in his activity and behavior. When he is sick he needs your emotional support and strength to help him through the rough times of canine kidney disease. Consider boosting his diet with healing herbs from http://Pet-Natural-Remedies.Com.

Written by Kate Rieger using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Most people have no idea how stressful it can be to have a dog that won't eat. To quickly get your dog eating again, you must first determine whether the problem of your dog not eating is physical or psychological.

Before diving into this problem, if you have a dog with a medical condition, or a puppy, pregnant dog, or nursing dog, you need to take them to the vet immediately. These dogs have certain nutritional requirements that are better if dealt with professionally.

Is this a sudden problem? First, is he listless, or in any type of pain? If so, take him to your vet immediately. If there are no apparent problems, just wait a day or two. Sometimes your dog gets into things that upset his stomach and he doesn't feel like eating. Make sure he has plenty of fresh water and the chance to got outside as needed. If after two days he still doesn't eat, take him to your vet as he may have an internal parasite problem.

If you have ruled out a physical problem that is keeping your dog from eating, then you've got a psychological problem on your hands. Keep these tips in mind when trying to get your dog to eat.

1. Does your dog get enough attention? Some dogs get lonely and bored if they don't get enough attention. When that happens, they will do anything to get attention from you. So they don't eat their dinner - and you freak out! Hey, the attention they desire. This soon develops into an eating problem for your dog. Start interacting with your pet more - play with him and take him on daily walks.

2. What if your dog is not trying to get attention, but is just plain spoiled? Then you need to step up and start acting like the master. Simply put his food bowl down and after 20 minutes pick it up and throw the food away. Do not give your dog any treats at any time during the day. Make his mealtime the only time he gets to eat. If he still has not eaten after 3 days of this, you may want to take him to the vet and make sure there are no physical problems.

3. What is your behavior during dinnertime? Do you watch your dog? Hover over him to see if he eats? If you are anxious about your dog not eating, you may be making him nervous. Your dog is more in tune with your feelings than you realize. You may be telling him to eat, but your dog can tell if you are afraid. You are afraid he won't eat, but all your dog knows is that you are afraid.

Give your dog his dinner, and leave. If he follows you instead of eating, put him in a room with his food and close the door. Do not return for 20 minutes - just let him be. If it doesn't work the first day, try again for a couple more days. Once he senses, or rather doesn't sense, your problems, he may be able to eat.

4. Did you ever think it might just be his dog food that he just doesn't like - plain and simple. If you are feeding an economy dog food, it is pretty much like junk food and fast food rolled into one for your pet. And he may be tired of it. His body needs more. Or there may be a certain ingredient in your current dog food that your dog is allergic to. Take a look at some super-premium or all-natural dog food alternatives. This may be what he needs to start eating again.

Try using these tips and you may solve your dog eating problems. Don't let your dog's dinnertime be a time of anxiety for you or your dog.

If your dog is not eating because he dislikes his dog food, please visit the Healthy Dog Food Blog to learn more about how to find the healthiest food for your dog to stay in optimal health. This article is for informational purpose only and is NOT intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian or pet care professional.

Written by K.C. Jones using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Many times, writing one article will trigger the beginning of another. That is exactly what happened with the most recent article about Martingale collars and half check collars. The article discussed the debate over the various types of choke collars. It mentioned the proper fit and position of these types of collars but did not address it. Indeed, this is a crucial aspect of using a Martingale or Half Check collar.

In summary, Half check collars and Martingale collars are variations of choke collars that are considered to be more humane that the chain choke collar. These two types of collars were originally designed for sight hounds, such as Greyhounds, Whippets, Italian Greyhounds, Bolzoi, Saluki, etc., which are breeds that have necks larger than their heads, but prevents any dog from backing out of a regular collar.

Half check collars, or half choke collars, are typically manufactured of leather or nylon webbing and chain, while Martingale collars are made entirely of nylon webbing. Both collars have a dual-loop design which functions by tightening around the dogs neck when it is attempting to remove its head from the collar, yet it will loosen when the struggling dog stops fighting. The distinctive, restricted closing of the half check collar and the Martingale collar averts it from becoming too snug. Nonetheless, proper fit and positioning is crucial when using these types of collars.

Martingale collars are generally made up entirely of nylon webbing with two loops. A smaller control loop contains a 'D' shaped ring for connecting a dog leash. A larger loop allows the collar to tighten or loosen to fit the dog's neck. Buckles are frequently added so the collar can be snapped around the dog's neck with ease.

Fit and positioning of the Martingale collar is as follows, place it over the dog's neck and position the collar up in back of the dog's ears. While holding this position, make the appropriate adjustments. When tension is applied to the dee ring, the smaller control loop should close. The two pieces of hardware attached to the control loop should not touch. If they do make contact, adjust the collar so that it contracts to a minimum of 2 inches.

The Half Check Collar is comparable to the Martingale except part of this collar is made with chain. Similar to the Martingale, it has two loops which work the same way. The control loop on this type of collar is made of chain. The dee ring is attached to this circle of chain and is used as the attaching point for the leash. The chain is connected to the webbing or leather part of the collar with metal rings

The half check collar is placed in the same location as with the Martingale collar. If the dog tugs or attempts to slide the collar over its head, the chain tightens the webbing around the dog's neck. The chain itself never comes in contact with the dog. The unique chain tightening noise also acts as a training tool as the dog pulls against the collar.

When trying out both of these collars, it becomes apparent how equivalent these two collars really are. Fundamentally, these collars act the same way. More importantly, these two collars are more gentle to your dog while tethered to a leash.

The owner of the dog ought to be educated about the types of collars available and how to use them properly as to not inflict harm to the dog. Jim Witt recommends visiting Country Brook Design to view the wide assortment of custom made Martingale Collars that are available in many sizes and colors.

Written by Roger Bailey using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus Splendidus) is one of the most stunning fishes ever to reach the hobby. It almost looks like a painting with its blue, orange and green lines and patches all across its body. Despite not being a true goby, the name "mandarin goby" seems to have stuck with this fish. A more accurate name for it is the mandarin dragonet.

The mandarin dragonet is heavily collected from the Indo-Pacific. Despite its popularity, they do very poorly in captivity. I will touch on this later.

As far as temperament goes, they are very peaceful fish. They are only aggressive towards conspecifics such as psychedelic and scooter dragonets. If you're interested in a pair of mandarin dragonets, look for a mandarin with an elongated first spine (a male) and look for one without (a female) and put them together.

These fishes can attain lengths of up to 4 inches. A 30 gallon aquarium has enough space for a single specimen, only if they're accepting prepared foods. They don't eat. Copepods in the wild are all they eat. Therefore, it is my recommendation that the minimum sized tank for these beautiful fish be no less than a well established 75 gallon tank with plenty of copepods. This way, you'd never have to feed them. They will live off available copepod populations without wiping them out.

With some time and a lot of effort, mandarin fish can be trained to accept prepared foods, even pellets.You'll need live adult artemia to accomplish this task. They are receptive to live brine shrimp so getting them to eat it is a task that will take care of itself. Next, you're going to mix in some frozen brine shrimp with the live ones during feeding. Once they begin eating frozen brine shrimp you can breathe a sigh of relief, but its not over yet. We need to slowly get them to accept a more nutritious food like mysis shrimp.

As before, introduce some mysis shrimp with the frozen brine shrimp when you feed them. If you can get them on a frozen mysis shrimp diet, you've completed the task. Expand to other foods like a good pellet and krill.

But wait, there's another problem you will likely face with mandarin dragonets. They are extremely slow eaters. It cannot compete with other tank mates for food, its that slow. There are three ways to solve this problem. You could feed a lot more, thereby ensuring some food will be left for the mandarin and in the process, foul up your tank. Or, you can use a pipette to spot feed your mandarin dragonet. Lastly, you can find a plastic soft drink bottle that has a hole only the mandarin can fit through and put some foods there.

Its up to you to choose one or all of these methods.

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Written by Roman Veaila using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It must have happened to you while walking on the beach or the local park. There jumping on and off the walking path is a puppy in the throes of life. You know that such a dog is full of wonder at every little butterfly that flutters. Its non-stop tail movement is evidence that it is truly happy to meet each and every non-threatening stranger.

The high pitched yip yip yip repeated stops you in your tracks and like everyone else in the park, you turn to see what has happened to the joyful puppy. But your turn isn't quite finished before you hear the deeper growl of another dog. Instinctively, you wish the puppy well and hope that the situation can be brought under control. You might even move towards the fracas in an effort to help calm the situation down.

There are a myriad of reasons for what we call bad behavior on the part of canines. Inbreeding, bad upbringing, chronic damage such as poor dental health. Any of these can be contributing factors as to why a dog would suddenly go off in a public area.

I heard an interesting tale as I was stroking the hair of my neighbor's half wolf puppy.

About 12 months ago, he had gone inside the house after tying his puppy to the tail of his pickup truck. He estimated it had about 15 feet of slack on its leash. He claims he was only inside about 10 minutes before he heard a shout and the snarl of a pit bull. He ran to his front door and saw this scene.

A pitbull was running full out at high speed with its owner running behind holding an empty leash. The pit bull crossed his front lawn in the blink of an eye and was airborne before anyone could as much as move a few feet. His own puppy backed up against the vehicle and waited silent and expectantly for the rushing pit Bull.

This all happened at high speed, but when the Pit Bull leaps high for his dog's throat with uncanny speed, his dog was eerily not there anymore. It was airborne and above the pit bull. As the pit bull landed and simultaneously twisted, my neighbor's half wolf clamped its jaws on the Pit Bulls neck and held it motionless while the pit Bull shook itself viciously backwards and forwards.

A very low wolf like growl emitted from my neighbors dog. For a moment the pitBull went slack and the half wolf tossed it about 2 meters.

I am told that the angry pit bull didn't have 3 feet properly on the ground before it promptly launched itself yet again at the half puppy. This time meaning to surprise it. However, everyone was surprised when the puppy itself met the pit Bull midway and without ado simply snapped its neck. There was a kind of silence that one hears when everyone is holding their breath.

The whole thing couldn't have taken more than 5 seconds, both owners were shocked and stupefied. The half wolf puppy backed away from the still body of the pitBull and sank down as its eyes looked around at the by then growing audience.

I don't wish any animal ill, but we were later told that that pit bull was already under probation for having attacked a child the year before. In Ontario, a dog can be put down for that behavior but apparently this happened weeks before some law was passed and the witnesses had differing stories so the pit bull was in its owners care while the case was being decided.

Nature does what nature does, and its sometimes sad when its your dog that has been put down, even though you know it may have been its fault but still...

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Written by Trevor Weir using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dog Pain with injured Paw Pads

Doctor and the dog owner who are treating their dog with paw pad injury are often not giving pain killer to the dog. This is unacceptable because this paw injury cause severe pain to the dog.

If you had injury in foot you know the pain caused by the paw injury. The paw pad holds the mass of the entire dog body, when the paw pad injured the body weight put pressure on the injury which causes severe pain. If you got any cut on you foot and you walk with that injury you feel severe pain. Like this dog also feel severe pain.

Doctor always focuses on your dog injury and not on the pain caused by the injury. They clean the injured place and if necessary he gives the dog antibiotics and a tetanus shot. Doctor prescribe special collar to prevent the dog from licking or biting the injured paw pad. Just think why your dog lick the injured area it's because of pain. Give pain killer to your dog, if you don't want your dog to suffer from pain.

Paw pad injuries can occur in many situations. In an urban area, broken glass is a problem and even if you try to watch out for it, you may not see tiny glass splinters that can injure your dog's paw pad. Ice on the sidewalk can be sharp enough to cut your dog's paw pads. The salt that melts ices on sidewalks and streets in urban and suburban areas can also damage paw pads. Some pet stores have even started to sell snow boots for dogs. However, one doesn't see a lot of dogs walking around in boots. That may be because of the expense of the boots or the hassle of putting boots on dogs.

Dogs can injure their paw pads out in rural areas, of course. In addition to the problems caused by ice, snow, and glass, running on rocky terrain can cause injury to the paw pads of country dogs. Owners of hunting dogs in rocky areas should be cautious about injuries to paw pads. It's a good idea to do some conditioning with short runs at first on the rocky areas to toughen up the dog's paw pads.

For hunting and working dogs good paw pads are very important. This paw pads give good traction when these dogs run in the fields. There is some confusion in the mind of dog owner whether the long nail in the leg give good traction to dog as they ran. But the long nail may cause injury to bones and ligaments. . Thus, owners of hunting dogs need to take care of their paw pads by not running them too long on rocky areas.

When dogs' paw pads are injured, they need the care of a vet as soon as possible or things will inevitably get worse. There is a great chance for infection of injured paws. Dog owners should insist that their doctor to provide pain relief for dogs with injured paws.

To know more about paw pad pain killer for you dog click here

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Written by Derrick Mcgee using tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

White German Shepherd dogs are well known for their distinctive characteristic as being fearless and direct. They are also alert and eager to provide any assistance whenever needed. In whatever circumstance, they are the kind of breed that is always associated with being friendly.

These breed are also known as the American-Canadian White Shepherd which was later developed as a companion dog and as a performer in dog shows. Although they were not qualified to compete because of their color that was associated with albinism, these dogs were later recognized in America. Soon after that, various White German Shepherd organizations emerged.

Because of the white color coat, these dogs were mistakenly associated as Albinos. This was the very reason why they were not qualified to compete in any dog show. But later, these breed that was also known as the American-Canadian White Shepherd was recognized in America.

These dogs share the same features with the ordinary German Shepherd dogs. What makes them unique is the remarkable white coat which is not normal as believed in the early discovery of the white breed. And definitely, the white color is not associated with albinism.

Studies revealed that the white code found in the genes of the White German Shepherd dog is a fundamental part of the entire conformation of its breed color. They also found out that it was never related to albinism or any other abnormalities. The white color is perfectly normal as opposed to what the breeders have feared.

Being fearless and direct is the distinctive characteristic of the White German Shepherd dogs. They are alert and eager to provide any assistance needed. In whatever circumstance, they are always willing to become a companion dog.

The White German Shepherd breed has a very playful personality. Depending on the dog, they can learn various tricks and are considered to be intelligent animals. These breed are very respectful and can be trained to socialize with other pets and children as well.

These dogs also have the distinctive characteristic that can be direct and fearless. However, they are alert and eager to help when needed. Whatever circumstance may demand, White German Shepherd dogs are always willing to serve as a companion or a guard dog.

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Written by Troy Richardson using tags: , , ,