As if being a pregnant teen star isn’t stressful enough, Jamie Lynn Spears’ boyfriend and baby-daddy, Casey Aldridge, “is a serial cheater,” a close friend told the National Enquirer. As if teenage pregnancy and train-wreck big sis Britney weren?t troubles enough, Jamie Lynn Spears can now add a cheating baby-daddy to her list of woes. According to National Enquirer sources, Casey Aldridge strayed from his young love a number of times, even dating another woman days before the 16-year-old ?Zoey 101? star told the world she?s expecting. Two weeks before the unnamed other woman miscarried, Jamie Lynn was said to be back in Casey?s arms with a promise that it would never happen again. News | Politics | World News | Business | Sports | Tech/Science | Entertainment | Travel | Health | Blogs Etc. read more

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Plea not to abandon pets after dog was left to die | NATIONAL | NEWS | tvnz. The SPCA is pleading with the public not to abandon pets over the holiday period as it vows to prosecute the owners of a dog left locked in a house. The puppy, nicknamed Eve, was found on December 24 and would not have survived another day on her own. The 11-month-old pup was found locked under a house with no food or water. But although she is an extreme case, Eve is not alone and cages at the SPCA are full of abandoned animals. Cats also find themselves left out of the holiday spirit and the SPCA gets a lot of kittens. read more

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Connie Limon

Some over-the-counter medications can be used for emergencies in select situations. Always ask your vet before giving any over-the-counter medicines to your injured or ill shih tzu.

3% hydrogen peroxide: Can be used to induce vomiting and for general wound cleaning. Dosage is: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Syrup of ipecac: Can be used to induce vomiting. Dosage is: 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight.

Bismuth subsalicylate: Can be used for vomiting and mild diarrhea. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 15 pounds of body weight. 1 tablet per 40 pounds of body weight (doubt your shih tzu will be taking a full tablet!)

Kaolin-pectin: Use for mild diarrhea. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

Buffered aspirin: Use for fever and inflammation, mild to moderate pain, arthritis, before giving vaccinations. Dosage: 1 adult table (5 grains) per 40 pounds). Ask your vet the correct dosage for your shih tzu.

Diphenhydramine: Use for mild cough, allergies, allergic reactions. Dosage: 1 milligram per pound of body weight.

Vegetable oil: Use for constipation. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds mixed in food.

Epsom salts: Use for constipation, as a soak to reduce swelling and inflammation. Dosage: For constipation, 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight, dissolved in water and given orally; same dilution for soaks.

Milk of magnesia: Use for vomiting, constipation, deactivate poisons. Dosage: 2 teaspoons per 10 pounds of body weight.

Activated charcoal: Use to deactivate poisons. Dosage: 1/2 gram per pound of body weight.

Petroleum jelly: Use for constipation. Dosage: 1/2 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.

About The Author

Connie Limon publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

connielimon@yahoo.com

Following the controversy over measures to control the stray population in the city, Maneka met standing committee chairman Vijender Gupta on Friday in order to work out a viable plan to solve the problem. The number of dogs in each zone, their birth rate, the impact of sterilisation and the number of rabies cases will be ascertained and the information will be posted online. Another imminent measure is to arrange for the incineration of the dead bodies of dogs as the current practice of dumping their bodies in landfill sites has led to pollution. Meanwhile, Gupta reiterated that his remark about sending dogs to Korea had been made in jest and that the civic agency would strictly adhere to the Supreme Court ban on destroying dogs. read more

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A baby girl has died after being mauled by the family dog at Pakenham, south-east of Melbourne. Police say the nine-week-old girl was in her cot at home when she was attacked by a rottweiler. Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokesman James Howe says two intensive care paramedics worked on her girl for an hour and a half, but were unable to save her. Police say the the mother of the baby was at home when the attack happened, but the father is in hospital recovering from a brain tumour. Acting Inspector Trevor Teer says the baby’s mother is being supported by her family. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. read more

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Mark Smith

Fleas are the most common external parasite of pets in North America. Fleas are small wingless insects that use their specialized mouth to pierce the skin and siphon blood from their host. When a flea bites, it injects a small amount of saliva into the skin to prevent the blood from coagulating. Some animals become sensitized to flea saliva and animals that are allergic can have severe itching and scratching from a single bite. Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common disease among dogs.

Current flea control products are primarily either oral or topical systemic treatments. Most of the products may be used for prevention as well as to treat existing flea problems. One group of products control fleas by interrupting their development by killing or stopping the maturation of flea larvae and eggs. These drugs are called Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs). One common oral product used is lufenuron which is found in the Program® line of products which are administered orally in tablet or liquid form. Methoprene and pyriproxifen are also IGRs that are available as sprays or collars. The FDA shares regulation of these products with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Because even the same products from other countries have not been approved by these agencies, it is illegal to purchase or import these products for use in the United States.

Currently the most popular flea control products kill adult fleas (adulticide), are applied topically and work rapidly. Popular topical products utilize fipronil which is the key ingredient in Frontline® Top Spot and imidacloprid which is in Advantage®. The most popular product on the market, Frontline Plus®, utilizes both an adulticide and an IGR. An oral adulticide that is also available is nitenpyram which is in Capstar® and begins to kill fleas in 30 minutes. Frontline Plus also kills ticks which makes it the most popular product where ongoing tick protection is required.

Consult with your veterinarian to determine which flea and tick control products are best for you. The choice of flea control will depend on your climate, environment, your pet’s activities, and potential for exposure. However, with consistent use, it is almost always possible to control your flea problem. Using these products throughout the year typically will eliminate the need for regular insecticidal use. The following provide additional summary information on selected popular products.

Program from Novartis®

Program is available as a once a month pill or oral liquid suspension to be given with a full meal. Adult fleas that ingest Program’s key ingredient, lufenuron, produce sterile eggs. Program does not kill adult fleas so pets remain susceptible to fleas hatching and maturing pupa already present in the environment. Therefore, some time may pass before the all fleas are killed in an environment. In order to stop the life cycle, every animal in the environment must receive lufenuron. Pets should also be sprayed with an adulticide during the first week or two of starting Program.

Advantage from Bayer®

Advantage is applied topically on both dogs and cats and seems to be very well-tolerated by sensitive cats. Advantage kills fleas within 24 hours and 100% protection can be maintained for cats for 21 days and 90% protection can be maintained for dogs for 28 days. Advantage is susceptible to washing off so dogs that are active outdoors and dogs that swim or must be bathed frequently should be re-treated frequently. Up to weekly re-treatment is allowed. The imidacloprid in Advantage does not effect ticks, but K-9Advantix, with permethrin does. K9 Advantix is only labeled for once a month K9 Advantix is ONLY FOR USE WITH DOGS and MUST NOT BE ADMINISTERED TO CATS.

Frontline Spray, Frontline Plus And Frontline Top Spot from Merial®

Frontline Spray, Frontline Plus, and Frontline Top Spot comprise the market leading Frontline flea control product line. The fipronil in Frontline products is a broad spectrum insecticide available as a spray or topical. Fipronil works by binding chemically to the pet’s hair and is absorbed through the follicle by the sebaceous glands. As a spray, fipronil kills fleas at 95% for over 80 days after application on dogs and for 1 month with biweekly bathing. Frontline is labeled for puppies and kittens as young as 8 weeks (10 weeks for Top Spot) and it is not washed off by bathing. Frontline is also affective against ticks. Some cats may show minor adverse reactions with high volume use of the alcohol based spray product which should be applied no more than once a month. Frontline Plus also contains the IGR, S-methoprene which inhibits the growth of immature fleas.

Capstar from Novartis®

Capstar is an oral tablet for dogs and cats that may be administered as young as 4 weeks of age. It offers extremely rapid and complete killing of adult fleas and is safe enough that the tablets may be used whenever fleas are seen on your pet as often as once per day. Capstar may be used in combination with an IGR to kill fleas immediately to compliment the long-term control of an IGR such as Program.

About The Author

(c) VetDepot.com

Mark Smith is a staff writer for http://www.VetDepot.com. Vet Depot offers discount and wholesale brand name pet medications for dogs, cats, horses, and selected products for fish breeders. All over-the-counter (OTC) pet medications are manufactured for use in the United States with FDA/EPA approval. Vet Depot purchases from the same distributors that supply your local veterinarians. All products are Guaranteed fresh.

Chen Yuhua, 65, consults a diary of his struggle against the Beijing municipal government’s regulations barring any dog over 14 inches high. It was a rare — perhaps quixotic — gesture in a country where the power of the Public Security Bureau and Propaganda Department to regulate speech is usually considered absolute, enforced with the threat of jail time. But it was also a sign that, beneath the ever more prosperous surface, some of China’s educated elite may be growing impatient with a one-party authoritarian system in which anonymous bureaucrats decide what movies, plays, novels or social commentaries are safe enough for public consumption. Chen’s posting was an attack on the Beijing municipal government’s regulations barring any dog over 14 inches high and restricting each family to only one dog. As far as is known, Chen’s filing, at the Xicheng District Court in central Beijing, marked only the second time that a Chinese citizen has gone to court over party censorship. Since then, the dog, a male, has mated with a neighbor’s dog and produced a second big hound, which also has become part of Chen’s apartment in the distant suburbs of northern Beijing. read more

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A farmer has been fined for docking a dog’s tail in the first prosecution of its kind using new animal protection laws. Michael Fletcher was fined £135 at a sheriff court hearing in Dumfries earlier this month for removing the tail of a Jack Russell puppy. The vet who inspected the animal said the procedure, outlawed by legislation which came into effect in April, must have left the animal in a great deal of pain. Copyright © 2007 The Press Association. read more

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Adam G. Katz

Dear Mr. Katz:

I have a 4 month old female pup, AmStaff/Boxer (we think - she was a rescue). She responds well to all training, EXCEPT for walking and heeling.

We’ve practiced the loose-leash “turning on a dime” technique described in your book and audio tape at length, but she refuses to cooperate.

It’s not a matter of distraction - when I attempt to train her in this style, she pulls back with all her strength. When the loose leash is snapped, she sits, paws braced, or lays down on her back. These responses are immediate.

I’ve tried instantly righting her, and continuing the training, but she responds as above just as quickly. This can go on indefinitely. I’ve tried correcting her with a low “No,” and praising her if she responds correctly for even an instant. I’ve tried using treats to get her to at least walk with me briefly…… all to no success.

What else should I try?
Thanks,
Geoff

Dear Geoff,

It’s a good question you’ve asked.

First, you DO NOT want to work the dog around distractions at this point in the game.

Second, you should not be telling the dog, “No!” and jerking the leash for this behavior. Instead, you need to simply glue the leash to your belt and keep walking.

Now here’s where your problem will arise: You’ve already inadvertently taught your dog that if she kicks and screams long enough (or rolls on her back and throws a tantrum)… that eventually you will stop walking and come to see what’s wrong.

The only problem is… NOTHING IS WRONG!

It’s like if I take you in a helicopter and drop you off in the middle of the desert and tell you that I’m going to leave you there, but will eventually come back and pick you up in half an hour (or 2 hours, or a whole day!!!) … you will simply sit there and not attempt to remedy your situation, as you know that I’m coming back to pick you up. Eventually, this situation will end and I’ll come back and your problems will be over.

However, if I instead drop you off in the middle of the desert and tell you that I’m never coming back… then all of the sudden you’re in a position where you MUST START TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS TO BETTER YOUR SITUATION.

Maybe you start to look for some twigs you can start a smoke fire with, to draw the attention of an airplane overhead.

Or perhaps you climb on top of a rock, to look for a nearby highway so that you can hitch hike to a nearby pay phone.

But the point is… you start actively looking for a solution because you IMMEDIATELY REALIZE THAT YOUR SITUATION WILL NOT SIMPLY END BY ITSELF.

And this is the same thing you need to teach your dog. And it’s a lesson that will extend beyond this one exercise. Your dog must learn that just because she does not want to do something DOES NOT mean that you will give in and let her not do the exercise.

BECAUSE THIS CREATES A SPOILED DOG.

So… what should you do? The answer is really quite simple. Just keep walking. No matter how much the dog kicks and screams and throws a tantrum, remember: You’re not asking her to do anything she cannot do if she chooses. We’re asking her to SIMPLY WALK WITH YOU.

Now, in light of everything you’ve already taught her (remember, every action you do teaches your dog something)… you may have to keep walking a quarter of a mile before she finally realizes that you’re not stopping and that it’s easier to walk alongside you than it is to be dragged on her rump.

Trust me… it won’t be a pretty scene for your neighbors to look out their window and see you dragging your dog on her rump down the street.

But when you will be able to take that same dog out for a casual stroll later that evening, your neighbors will wonder if you didn’t trade your dog in for a different one and will gasp at how well she walks alongside you on the leash.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below): http://tinyurl.com/4efaq
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!” which you can read more about at:
http://tinyurl.com/4efaq

WITH a $5400 price tag, Mick the kelpie is believed to be the most expensive working dog in the world. The Monks bought Bagalla Mick from the annual Casterton Landmark Working Dog Auction in Victoria 18 months ago. Grant, 21, says Mick will work for either one of the boys or their mother, but "he’s more a one-man dog when Dad’s about". Casterton Kelpie Association president David Levy said Casterton, in western Victoria, was the birthplace of the kelpie and where the kelpie festival and working dog auction was held each year. read more

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