Is The Chihuahua The Perfect Dog For You?

If you want a dog that is loyal, lively, intelligent and you can carry around in your pocket than the Chihuahua might be for you!

This tiny dog that originates from Mexico was actually introduced to the rest of the world by the Chinese. It Can weigh under 2 1/2 pounds and is one of the smallest breed of dogs. Thought to be a sacred dog of pre-Colombian Indians this breed is fiercely loyal and bonds with his owner.

These little dogs can come in almost any color combination and are often seen in a tan and black combination, fawn and brown. One of the more desirable colors is chocolate which is a dark milk chocolate color and they can also be a chestnut color, silver color or a blue as well as multicolored. This dog has a short stout body with a round apple shaped head the dark eyes and the large years that stand erect. One of the interesting aspects of Chihuahua puppies is that their skull plates do meet leaving a hole called a molera. This will eventually closes by the time they become adults but you will need to be careful with your Chihuahua puppy.

The Chihuahua is energetic and loving. Chihuahuas are often seen licking their owners face and while they love to give affection they also love to receive it. Most Chihuahuas will bond with their owner and be wary of strangers and other animals. If you want your Chihuahua to get along good with people and animals you should socialize him from an early age and be sure he's handled by lots of people. Chihuahuas do seem to like other Chihuahuas however, so if you want more than one pet you might consider getting two Chihuahuas! As you might imagine Chihuahuas need to be weary of other moving objects as they are so tiny and can easily be hurt. For this reason Chihuahuas and small children are not a good mix. The Chihuahua, although he may seem feisty, is very delicate and can easily hurt by a small child that doesn't know any better.

Although Chihuahuas are very smart they may be a little difficult to train especially when it comes to housebreaking. Many owners simply paper train them or you could use a dog litter box as they are tiny enough to make this worthwhile. But being as they are intelligent they can learn many tricks and obedience if you take the time to train them with positive reinforcement. Chihuahuas, or any dog for that matter, do not respond well to yelling and hitting and this should never be used as a method of training.

The Chihuahua can be a bit noisy and is also aggressive even for its tiny size. As you can imagine a larger dog may seem very threatening to your tiny Chihuahua but he will stand up to it with great courage. Therefore you should protect your Chihuahua from such threats even if the other dog is friendly.

Although Chihuahuas are tiny and they do make good apartment pets they do need some exercise. Playing with your Chihuahua and taking him for a walk will help him remain fit and in good health. When walking your Chihuahua it's best to use a harness as opposed to a collar said their tiny wind pipes can become crushed with a collar. Just remember, if it is cold out, please dress your Chihuahua in a sweater as these dogs do not take well to the cold.

Chihuahuas are long-lived for small dogs and can live up to 15 years with the proper care. Since their eyes are large care needs to be taken that they don't become damaged and Chihuahuas can also be prone to glaucoma and dryness of the eyes. Due to a short snout the Chihuahua can also be wheezy. You also need to be careful with these tiny dogs that you do not overfeed them and you do not feed them anything that is toxic as a little teeny bit of chocolate or fertilizer or anything toxic can have drastic results. Not to mention that a little bit of overfeeding can result in an overweight and unhealthy dog.

The short coated dogs are easy to groom and care for and shed very little. You should brush your Chihuahua every week or so and give him a bath to keep them smelling great. Make sure to give your dog the appropriate vet care including yearly checkups and immunizations and you will have a loyal and affectionate friend for many years to come.

Lee Dobbins

Pet Passport and PETS

Pets require a passport when they travel from one country to another. The passport has official information about the animal in picture. Pet Travel Scheme or PETS, is a scheme which allows the easy obtainment of the pet passport with out going through quarantine. The animal can easily travel between member countries. Even the issue of passport is expedited through this scheme. They issue passport for even transport of pets. Some of the member countries are countries of the European Union along with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has been famous for rabies control in the past and that is the reason why they require six month quarantine period for imported animals. PETS’ scheme was introduced on October 1st, 2001. The scheme has also been rolled out in countries like the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Pets traveling to countries other than the member countries require a valid passport and rabies vaccination.

The pet passport has multiple forms which are in a small blur booklet or on pink A4 sheet. The passport contains the tattoo number of the animal or a microchip. A certification too is included, which has information about the rabies vaccination, which is signed by a veterinary surgeon that is officially approved. People usually confuse the passport with a purple colored small folder which is a folder that has records of the pet’s complete vaccination history.

Some countries accept this passport alone and others ask for supporting documentations relating to the procedure that needs to be followed. All the documents are checked at the time of boarding and upon arrival, too. The pet can only be taken as cargo or excess baggage and not as a checked baggage.

There are different requirements for different countries. The rules also differ for import and export of the pets. But there are certain specifications which are common. The pet should have a microchip implant beneath the skin. The chip should be according to the ISOP specification. Also, there should be a rabies vaccination certification. And there should be a proof that the vaccination is working, this can be done by taking a blood serology test, which shows that the pet is presently rabies free.

Some countries demand that the pet should be treated for fleas, tapeworms, and ticks. It should be done within forty eight hours. The government certifications are documents which have information about the export of the animal. A letter should also be taken from the vet from whom they confirm the pet’s fitness for travelling. Each individual carrier also has their set of regulations about the export and import of the animal.

Before travelling, the owner should thoroughly research the regulations of the arrival and departure points. The destination’s government website should be checked out because some countries ask for separate certificates for proof, to see whether the pet meets their requirements or not. The county’s consulate should also be contacted for details about the formal procedures. The travel crate should also be approved prior to the travel. The crate should have the appropriate food and water containers.

The owner can apply for the pet’s passport soon after it gets the vaccination certificate. If the rabies vaccination is out of date, the new vaccination must be given, but this will delay the passport procedure. In some cases, booster vaccination can also be given. While travelling, the pet shouldn’t be sedated, because heights can have an adverse affect on medication. Even most of the carriers do not allow sedated animals. The charges of every carrier vary on the type and size of the animal. Also, animals might not be taken by a particular route because of adverse temperatures as that can risk the health of the animal. The authorized travel route must be taken, in this case.

If the required documents are missing the pet will be refused entry o the owner will be asked to put the pet for at least six months in quarantine.

Insurance for Pets

Insurance is taken for pets to cut down on the veterinary costs, especially in case of an accident or when the pet is ill. Other than this, insurance is also available to pay incase the animal is stolen, lost or dead. Insurance is a must, especially in a situation where the condition is serious and the money is less. Such unexpected conditions are known as economic euthanasia. Veterinary expenditure is extremely huge and the bill is really big which might not be easy to pay.

Since pets are being adopted on a large scale and the cost of veterinary medicine are increasing by the day, more and more pet owners are now opting for pet insurance. There are insurances with different policies and schemes. Some of them pay the complete amount, while the others pay a partial amount. In the United Kingdom, majority of the pet insurance pay the complete amount and in United States, pet insurances pay only eighty percent of the fees. In case of an injury or illness, apart from taking care of vet fees, other expenses such as prescription medicines, surgery, and lab tests are also dealt with.

Usually, the pet owners pay the vets their fees and then send a claim form to the insurance company, who then sends back the reimbursed amount. But if the bill is very big, some vets also give the leniency of paying the fees after the money has been claimed from the insurance company. Some insurance companies have policies wherein the vet is paid directly, if it is according to the vet agreement. Such types of pet insurance are known as Direct Line Pet Insurance.

Most of the pet insurances do not pay for preventative veterinary care and elective veterinary care, for example vaccination, neutering and declawing. They pay for unseen costs and these costs are already known in advance. But now some insurance policies are reimbursing for routine care treatments such as annual teeth cleaning. Insurance cannot be also bought for an already existing medical condition. If the pet is already sick, the insurance policy will certainly not cover it. So the best time to buy a pet insurance for the animal is when it is young and free of any kind of illness.

Other than health issues, pet insurances exists which give money for boarding cost. In case, if the animal is lost, the insurance company pays for finding the animal as well as it pays for the reward after the pet has been found. Some insurance policies even pay money if the owner has cancelled a trip because of the pet's ill health or if the pet has died.

Third party liability insurance is also available. Suppose if the pet is the reason of a car accident, in which one car damages other car, insurance companies do pay for the repair of the damage car. Global Pet Insurance is tailored pet insurance plan, where the pet owner can select desirable plans.

Every insurance company has a different plan. Before deciding over a particular insurance policy, all the other available policies in the market should be studied carefully. Some policies give a list of selected vets, while others give the freedom of choosing any vet from the trade. Pet insurance can be bought for dogs, cats, birds, apes and many other exotic animals.

Leash Training for your Pets

Initially pets don’t like to be held by anything; exception can be when they are being fed they will allow to be held against. If they are held by force, they will retaliate by biting, spinning, clawing or jumping. One of the reasons can be that because they weren’t used to such kind of affection, this alien action will actually scare them. Another reason can be because of the lack of trust; they won’t let a stranger hold them.

During this period of time it would also be difficult to put leash on the pet. They will be very restless and will try to get away. Adding to this, they will be quite young and playful. They will look at the harness as a hanging toy and will play with it. And even if the owner is successful in leashing his pet, there will be more challenges waiting ahead. When the animal feels the tug of the leash, it will jump, try to bite the leash or claw it, roll over its back, etc. In the beginning, the animal can feel short of breath, at such times, the animal should be given a break from walking. He should be also shown affection by patting its back or stroking its fur. It helps the pet to accept things more easily and early.

With the progress of time, the number of breaks will decrease so will the struggle with the leash. But actually holding the animal in the arms will take a longer time than him getting trained to the leash. For this the pet should be lapped and held regularly. During the whole process, the owner can get bruises on his arms a lot. A prevention that can be taken is that the pet can be wrapped in a blanket and then held in the arms. The owner should let go till the animal completely until it calms down. After that it should be patted on its

Frequent fondling and lapping of the animal should be done when it is young and small in size as the task will become almost impossible once it starts getting bigger. But once this initial bond is formed the next step would be to actually hold the animal when it is wearing the leash. Again there will be struggle, as the situation will be completely different. The pet should not be held tight by the hands, instead the leash should be held very near to the harness. After the animal gets tired and calms down, he should be released. By this the animal will learn that the only way of getting released is by holding still. After sometime, the pet won’t struggle at all, when being held in arms wearing the leash. The time period of holding the pet can then be increased slowly.

Leash training is very essential part of overall pet discipline. Also, since the animals have the natural instinct of roaming freely in the wild, they need to be taken out on regular walks, in order to maintain their physical balance. And when pets meet other strangers on the street, it should be trained not to get anxious. Also leash training helps in ensuring that the pet is not lost or stolen when you take it for a walk or to market.

Keeping Cats as Pets

Cats are low maintenance pets when compared to many other domestic pets. They are also attention seekers. They like to get lots of affection from their owners. If all the family members work full time, another cat should be brought in the family so as to provide company for the first one. Especially, young cats should not be left alone for long periods as that will affect the psychological growth of animal. Cats can also get bored easily. They always want a companion to play with.

Cats should be left outside. They are very inquisitive by nature and like to wander outdoors. Cats, which are kept indoors, develop obesity and tend to eat more out of boredom. But according to a research, cats that are kept indoors all their life have a longer life span. This is because they are not at all exposed to germs, dogs, cars, or other cats, which can harm them when living in wild habitat. Cats shouldn’t be let out unsupervised. Before doing so, the dangers should be evaluated. Some cats even go into the neighbor’s plot and dig out soil or flowerpots. They can even litter and the owner can be fined for that.

Cats that are allowed outside frequently should be checked regularly for any injuries or scratches. They can even receive bites from stray cats, if they get into a fight. The injuries should be treated immediately otherwise the infection can spread to other areas of the body and become dangerous. Cats, which have been declawed or have some kind of disability, should never be allowed to go outside alone. An individual should always accompany the cat, since they have lost their weapons of natural defense, they cannot protect themselves in case of an attack.

Cats are carnivorous and need high amount of proteins that too from meat. Commercial food is available in the market, which can be given to the cat, with consultation from a veterinary. There are many diets designed for them depending on the needs of the individual cat. Along with food, water should be available to them all the time. Cats that have long hair need to be groomed everyday to avoid the hair getting matted. Cats with short hair can be brushed once a week to remove shedding hair.

Before a cat is bought as pet, they should be vaccinated and neutered. Cats that aren’t neutered show some behavioral problems. Cats that are weaned are the best choice. But cats that are as young as one day or one month old should be cared off otherwise their health will be endangered. The young ones need to be fed every four hours and should be kept warm. Cats whether big or small are fond of warmth and that is the reason why they cuddle up and sleep.

The kitten must be taken to the vet when it turns two weeks old. They should be given their first shots and even checked for parasites. Booster shots should be given to them from time to time. Litter box training can be given to them when they grow two weeks old, because young cats learn really fast and easily. A small box can be filled with litter at first. Whenever the kitten starts scratching the surface, it can be left in the box and that is how it will understand that it has to use the litter box when nature call comes.

A problem for many of the cat owners is that they scratch the furniture around the house. They do it to sharpen their claws and they even react to the owner’s scent coming from the furniture. The cats, which are made to stay indoors most of the times, develop this problem as the cats which live outdoors most of the time can claw on tree bark, fence, etc. Cats that have this problem can be provided with a scratching post or even with a log of wood. Cats get really attached to the family members. The more it is fondled and played with, the easier it is train, put in crate, give medicines, etc.

Mellowing down a Wild Pet

Orphaned animals which have been rescued from the wild will have wild natural instincts, no matter what their age is. Even when they play, it’s rough which involves lots of biting and clawing. The same is true with exotic pets. They will have a more wild side when compared to the domestic ones. It would be unfair to generalize this principle for all, but it is true in most of the cases. The biggest challenge faced by the new owner will be limit the usage of teeth and claws by the pet. Teeth are the more dangerous of the two, because wild and exotic pets bite really hard, even while playing, until they aren’t given proper training. Even if the owner tries to pat the pet, it will show its affection by biting. The owner must not consider this act as an aggressive one, but it should be amended in early stages otherwise this habit will turn into a permanent one.

The owner must never consider declawing, defanging as the first resort or even as the last resort. The pet undergoes a lot of pain during and after the surgery. Many owners swear that their pets had undergone total personality change after declawing. They also turn violent as their means of natural defense is lost. And no quantity and quality of training can undo this negativity. Also, it certainly doesn’t mean that the animal will not bite after its canines have been removed. Even after defanging the animal, it can still bite and hurt with its molars.

A very easy and recognized method is slightly tapping on the nose of the pet when it bites really hard. But this won’t apply to all and worst of all it can even encourage the animal to bite even more. They take it as a challenge and make more rough play. It will back off for a while and then sneak attack. But it does work for some pet owners and above all there is no harm in practicing this technique. It should only be practiced till the positive outcome is achieved. If negative results begin to come, the practice should be stopped immediately. Whenever the pet bites, hold that body part still. This will bore the cat and it will treat it like a toy to play with.

When the pet prepares to attack, another easier thing which can be done is raising up the hands. The pet will bounce off and will give up at some time, seeing the disinterest of the person. But it would be a mistake to over react to the situation like making noises, yelling or pushing the pet. The pet will assume that the person is enjoying the play and participating in the act and will increase its enthusiasm even more. Animals play rough games and getting a rough response from the owner makes them assume that they are participating in their rough act. Other tactics like pinning down the pet or grabbing will just aggravate the pet’s wild habits.

Biting can also be stopped by giving a toy to the animal which they can chew upon instead of hurting the family members by pouncing on and biting them. Most of them like toys which are squishy, rubbery, soft and easily chewable. The toy can then be tied to a rope and wiggled and the animal cannot only pounce on it but also chew it. The toy can be carried along all the time and when the pet prepares to attack any family member, the toy can be wiggled at him and he will pounce on the toy instead. But extra care to be taken in this regard is that some animals can tear up the toy and eat it. Those pieces can block up their intestines which can make them ill and sometimes might even lead to death. The animal will sometimes vomit or excrete the foreign objects, but sometimes it will require an expensive surgery. Pets should be constantly supervised when they are playing with toys.

Peafowl

Peafowl belongs to the Phasianidae Pheasant family. There are two species of peafowl, the Green Peafowl and The Indian Peafowl. The Green peafowl is native to Myanmar, Thailand, and China and the Indian Peafowl or blue peafowl is native to India. The males, called Peacock, especially are famous for their glamorous tail and the crown on their head. The females are known as Peahen and are grey and brown in color.

Green peafowl are on the verge of extinction because of the massive hunting and depletion of their natural habitat. They further have three subspecies called P. M. muticus, P. M. imperator and P. muticus. Some breeders say that there are more subspecies of Green Peafowl. Green fowls are more expensive as they are not available on a large scale and they are very temperature sensitive. The Indian peafowl are hardy and are less expensive. They are also famous with breeders and are also found in North America.

When in full plumage, the tail of the peacock is a beautiful sight. It does this to attract females and they also call out to the female in a unique vocal. The feathers of the peacock are sold all over the world. The bird is also fancied for its meat. But when turkeys were domesticated for meat, peacocks were only kept as pets. They were kept as pets first in China and after few years in Europe, as exotic pets. Peacocks have been symbol of pride and gook luck for many.

Pet owners who have bought the peahen just because of their display of their beautiful tail, they should certainly pair it with a peahen. In only that case they will spread the tail. Peacock has a plumage or train which is green or blue green colored. The Green peafowl have a plumage of more brilliant green and golden color, but the upper feathers are short. The upper feathers are very elongated and there are series of eyes which look very beautiful when the tail is fanned. Peafowl are very easily to maintain. They do not develop diseases easily because they have natural resistance to many diseases. But peafowl certainly cannot be kept in extreme temperatures like below zero. They are habituated to live in temperate climates. They should also be saved from extreme heat exhaustion in hot months.

Peafowl are omnivorous and feed on mixed grains, flowers, green leafy vegetables, and game bird crumbles. In the wild peafowl are known to hunt and eat insects, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods. When on a healthy diet they can live for many years. They usually are allowed to roam in an open garden. For a healthier breeding, they should be given freedom of movement. They can be even kept in pens with closed tops. In captivity, they need lots of room to roam about, which is a kind of exercise for them. Another reason is that they are inquisitive pets, so they need lots of space to kill their curiosity. The pen can have facilities for warming and it should be insulated, incase if temperature drop. Peafowl should be left on their own with minimum human interference. They can be mixed with other poultry as they are very safe pets. They do not attack any bird, animal or human. But cats and dogs can attack the peafowl.

Peahen nests on the ground, although they stay on low raised braches most of their lives. Peahens take care of the peachicks for only sometime after which they drive them away. The peachicks can then be brought up in an electric brooder like any other poultry. Because of their hardiness and intelligence, when compared to other bird pets, they are very easy to be bred and raised. Peafowl are also known as urban guard dogs because they make warning cries when they see strangers approaching the premises. But their high pitched vocals can sometimes be disturbing in a closely inhabited area.

Pet Allergies and their Causes

People can become allergic to pets because of proteins from animal hair, urine or saliva. Pets which can cause allergies are dogs, cats, chicken, mice, rats, cows, horses, hamsters, guinea pig and birds. Allergic reaction can attack the respiratory system, eyes which can result in hay fever, urticaria, asthmatic symptoms, eye symptoms or eczema.

Hay fever makes the patient develop itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezes. Asthmatic symptoms are wheezing, prolonged expiration, rapid breathing, over inflated chest, and fast heart rate. Urticaria, nettle rash, hives or uredo is a skin condition where the skin develops raised red welts. They can appear on any part of the body. The welt can badly itch, burn or even sting. Eye symptoms include watering and itching of the eyes. Eczema or atopic dermatitis is an atopic skin disease. Young children are more prone to getting this disease. The skin becomes hypersensitive when the allergens touch the body parts and becomes flaky and starts itching very badly. It also turns red and can also get further affected with bacteria.

Allergens from pets are proteins. They either contact the skin directly or also by breathing in. This contact triggers an allergic reaction and makes the body to produce histamine. This histamine irritates and swells the airways, which results in asthmatic symptoms and hay fever. The condition can worsen if the person is exposed to tobacco smoke, polluted air, car fumes or environmental allergens. Some people can also be allergic to the food the pet eats. The allergy worsens when asthma worsens; symptoms include insomnia, cold, and ear infections.

The allergens come from direct contact with an animal, or even from people who have been in direct contact with the animal. In most of the cases, people are allergic to pet because of hereditary reasons. Also kids having asthmatic bronchitis and which grow with pets such as cats are more prone to be allergic to cats as adults. Furless cats produce low allergens.

People allergic to pets should be extra careful when renting a new house. There can be a possibility that the previous occupants have had pets. The allergens present in the environment can trigger allergic reactions and it will take more than a year to reduce the effect of the pet allergens. If a person suspects allergic reactions because of pet allergens, they can test it by staying away from home for more than two weeks. If the symptoms still continue, pet allergens aren’t responsible. Also a doctor should be contacted immediately who can conduct test and diagnose the condition. Blood and skin tests should be taken to confirm the diagnosis. The doctor can then prescribe medicine for controlling the allergy. Patients can also take vaccination against the allergen.

Pet owners should also participate to help other people with pet allergies. They should bathe their pets regularly. They should be dried completely after that. Researches have proved that monthly baths decreases the pet allergens in the house. Guinea pigs and rabbits have allergens in their urine. These animals should be shifted outside, if they have been living within the house. Anti-allergen filters are also available in the market which helps to purify the air of allergens. Pets should be strictly kept out of bedrooms so as to not to be become pet allergen carriers, pet owner’s can wash their hands soon after contact with the animal.