While it is great to unite with friends and family, this is also a time of year that many of us begin to put on weight. This is also true for our pets as well. Pets often are the recipients of endless scraps while their owners are preparing for their parties. While giving pets a treat may seem innocent enough, extra weight on a dog causes numerous issues including joint problems, heart disease, and a reduced lifespan. Of course our pets deserve a special Thanksgiving Dinner just like we all do. Just be more cognizant of all the other treats that are being given while preparing for that special meal.

Be sure to never allow your pet to eat any poultry bones without fail. All poultry bones easily splinter and can become lodged inside or perforate a dog’s intestines. Be certain to discard all bones after carving your turkey and place all bones in a tightly sealed bag. Be sure that the dog will not be able to gain access to the bag so that you can prevent a potential disaster from unnecessarily ruining your holiday plans on Thanksgiving day.

So, why should only humans get to have a special dinner on Thanksgiving? The answer is they shouldn’t! Don’t forget to treat your dog to a great meal as well. The recipe below is also a great way to utilize some of the leftovers in your refrigerator that you might become tired of looking at after a while. This is an easy to make recipe for Turkey Patties.

The first thing you need to do is build the sides of your pen. The finest item to use for this is chicken wire. Note that guinea pigs will chew wood, and while they may gnaw on plastic, they cannot destroy hard plastic very easily. In actual fact think about the supplies that you will use for your guinea pigs pen, and look on the Internet to see the materials and designs that other guinea pig owners have used.

It is very crucial that you not utilize wood for the floor of your pen. Odors, including odors from urine and feces, will soak into the wood, and it won’t take long before you have a smell in your house that you cannot get rid of. Plastic is preferable, because it can be washed, and the odor won’t seep into it.

When your pen is complete, it will need bedding. You must shun bedding that is made of cedar and/or pine shavings, as these can be harmful for your guinea pig. Instead, choose Aspen shavings, newspaper bedding, or pellet bedding. Top this with fresh hay, and be prepared to change the hay at least twice a week, and change the bedding weekly. Bedding can be spread over the entire surface of the pen.

After that, you need toys and other accessories. The imperative thing here is not to place items against the sides of the pen, as this will prevent the guinea pig from running around the interior. He needs to do this for exercise, and he will do it often unless his pen is too crowded for running.

The initial thing to add to your guinea pigs pen is a hiding place. Guinea pigs love to hide, and hiding places can easily be constructed from numerous materials. The best hiding place is a plastic tub, turned upside down, with a little door cut out. Steer clear of using cardboard, as it will have to be replaced often.

Your guinea pig wants more complex hiding places as well, such as tunnels. You can purchase different tunnel systems at any pet store, or make your own using PVC pipe and PVC joints. Make sure that there is plenty of airflow. Finish your guinea pigs home with a ceramic water bowl, a pet bed, a water bottle, a hay hopper, and plenty of toys that he can safely gnaw on.

Firstly you need to make sure that you have all of the necessary equipment that is required for keeping a betta fish. They are not huge fish; however they do need quite a bit of room in order to survive. This means that you will need at least a 5 or 10 gallon fish tank. If you are planning on breeding betta fish, then when it comes to betta fish care it is better to opt for the 10 gallon tank, but if you are only planning to keep one betta, then a 5 gallon tank is more than sufficient. Once you have your fish tank, you might be thinking that you are ready to purchase your betta, but you would be wrong! You need more than just a large fish tank in order to keep a betta fish happy and healthy!

Next, you need a filter for the tank. A filter helps to circulate the water in the tank and it also keeps the tank cleaner for longer. A filter is a must for all fish owners, whether you are purchasing a goldfish or a betta, you cannot do without one of these. You will also need a heater for your betta fish tank. The reason you need a heater is because betta fish need a specific water temperature in order to survive and a water heater is imperative at keeping the tank water at the correct temperature, without a heater your fish might be prone to diseases or it can even perish.

One of the most important pieces of equipment which you need before you start your betta fish tank is water conditioner. This is a must for any fish tank because the chlorine and chemicals in normal tap water is very harmful to fish, especially betta fish and the water needs to be kept at a specific pH level in order for the betta to survive. This means that you need to add water conditioner which you can purchase from any good pet store every time you change the water.

In a typical small town, without high sound barriors, a dogs bark can be heard by 175 neighbors!

A stray dog wanders into your neighborhood. No one can get close enough to catch/rescue him. What do we do? If the stray befriends another dog. They will often trust that dogs owner.

If a dog tolerates you handling it’s feet, it will more than likely be good with children.

Dog Years?? A dog is capable of reproducing when it is only one year old. It is considered full grown when it is 2 years old. In our perspective, the 1st year would be 15 years, the 2nd as 10 years, and each after that as 5 years.

Foods your dog should not eat:

Baby food. Some baby foods contain onion powder, which is very toxic to cats and dogs. Of course, large amounts would leave them lacking proper nutrition.

Bones especially small ones from fish and poultry will cause obstruction or laceration of the dogs stomach.

Dough with yeast expands in the stomach resulting in pain and possible tearing of the stomach.

Nicotine interrupts the digestive and nervous systems. It causes rapid heart beat, convulsions, coma and death.

Caffeine contains a toxic substance that affects the heart and nervous systems.

Citrus oil causes vomiting.

Dairy products. Some adult dogs and cats become lactose intollerent as they age often resulting in diarrhea.