Author: dbdir

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What’s The Scoop On Pet Waste

pet waste

It’s first thing in the morning and the dog wants to go out right NOW, the cats are standing by their litter box waiting for some fresh kitty litter, and your toddler is demanding a trip to the park to feed the ducks. While none of these activities may sound like a major threat to the environment, animal waste is one of the many little sources of pollution that can add up to big problems for water quality and may cause human  health problems as well. While most people connect animal waste problems to agriculture, studies have shown that pets, waterfowl and other urban wildlife waste can cause significant water pollution problems. Animal waste contains several types of pollutants that contribute to water quality problems: nutrients, pathogens and a naturally toxic material, ammonia. When animal waste ends up in a lake or stream it decomposes, using up oxygen and releasing its pollutant load.

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Dog Quotes Of The Day

thinking dog

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole………….Roger Caras

If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them…………….Phil Pastoret

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all.
It’s the best deal man has ever made…………….M. Acklam

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Dog Tires? It Could Be Your pooch.

sleeping dog
You’ve heard that your spouse’s snoring can cause you to lose sleep, but what about your pet’s? John Shepard, M.D., medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, recently asked that question to 300 patients who came to the center for a routine consultation. He found that many people with sleep problems were sharing their bedrooms with their cats and dogs.“The results indicate that 22 percent of our patients are likely to have pets sleeping on the bed with them,” Dr. Shepard says. “That’s a significant number.”

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What Influences The Condition Of A Dog’s Coat?

dog coat

What influences the condition of a dog’s coat? There are many factors that influence a dog’s coat. Below is a list of some of these factors:

• Genetically, a dog can inherit coat quality

• Diet

• Exercise

• Housing and bedding

• Grooming regime

All coats can be improved with effort and consideration of the dog’s individual needs.

Feeding

What you feed your dog does influence the quality of your dog’s coat. It is always advisable to listen to your breeder’s advice about feeding. A reputable breeder is careful to give new puppy owners a diet instruction sheet to follow through from puppy hood to adult age. Excellent breeders will support the new puppy owner and provide after-sales advice throughout the dog’s lifetime.

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Dog Lessons – Pet Food Game

dog eating bone

About 25 years ago I began formulating pet foods at a time when the entire pet food industry seemed quagmire and focused on such things as protein and fat percentages without any real regard for ingredients. Since boot leather and soap could make a pet food with the “ideal” percentages, it was clear that analytical percentages do not end the story about pet food value. I was convinced then, as I am now, that a food can be no better than the ingredients of which it is composed. Since this ingredient idea has caught on in the pet food industry, it has taken on a commercial life that distorts and perverts the meaning of the underlying philosophy of food quality and proper feeding practices. Is health reducible to which ingredients a commercial product does or does not have? As contradictory as it may seem to what I have just said, no it is not. Here’s why.

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