Free sample of dog or cat food

Get a free sample of dog or cat food from Flint River Ranch. Flint River Ranch dog and cat food contains only human-grade, natural ingredients that are slowly oven-baked under carefully controlled conditions, resulting in a food that is easily digested, and has a high degree of assimilation of important vitamins and minerals.

Click here to order your free sample. For more information about Flint River Ranch, click here.

Dog vaccines

We have been hearing a lot about vaccines lately, whether it is on the television or in the papers. The main question asked is if you vaccinate your pet. The media has brought to our attention that over-vaccination is a new and unneeded epidemic. Personally, I only do the 3-year Rabies vaccine for my dog Marina. Marina is an 11-year-old Belgian Malinois who does not visit dog parks or play with many other dogs. We also do not have any ponds or standing water on our property. These are my reasons for not doing the other vaccines available such as Canine Distemper, Lyme, Lepto, or Bordetella. For pet owners that take their animals to dog parks, have property with standing water and thick brush around, or for the pets that can’t go on vacation with the owners and usually are boarded in a kennel, you definitely need the list of vaccines below to protect your pet.

Canine distemper is a paramyxovirus, which look very similar to the paramyxovirus causing human measles. The virus in the dog can affect a wide range of organs including the skin, brain, eyes, and intestinal and respiratory tracts. The virus is transmitted through the air in addition to body secretions such as urine. Dogs of any age can be affected, however, most are puppies less than 6 months of age. The common signs for canine Distemper are nasal and eye discharge, diarrhea, coughing, vomiting, and seizures. This is sometimes misdiagnosed as Kennel Cough and some dogs may also develop pneumonia.

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi is the predominant cause of Lyme disease in the United States. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. This bacterium is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected hard ticks. Early manifestations of the infection may include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans, which is also referred to as the “Bullseye" rash. In a majority of cases, symptoms can be eliminated with antibiotics, especially if diagnosis and treatment begin early in the course of illness. Late, delayed, or inadequate treatment can lead to "late stage" or "chronic" Lyme disease that can be disabling and difficult to treat.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira that does affect humans and a wide range of animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The urine of an infected animal transmits leptospirosis. Dogs may lick the urine of an infected animal off the grass or soil, or drink from an infected puddle. In animals, the incubation period (time of exposure to first symptoms) is anywhere from 2 to 20 days. In dogs, the liver and kidney are most commonly damaged by leptospirosis. The symptoms are as follows: vomiting, fever, failure to eat, reduced urine output, unusually dark or brown urine, and lethargy. Stopping the causing agent and the use of supplements and antibiotics can treat leptospirosis.

Bordetella is bacteria that causes kennel cough in dogs and has been know in rare cases to cause whooping cough in humans. Transmission occurs by formites, direct contact, or via respiratory aerosol droplets. The symptoms are similar to those of the common cold with a hacking cough and most cases will go away over time. Treatment can consist of antibiotics and cough suppressants. Sometimes your vet will just give cough suppressants and allow the infection to work its way out naturally.

As always, please consult your vet prior to making decisions on what vaccines to give or not give to your dog.

We would like to hear your opinions, thoughts or even experiences that you have had with vaccines.

Create your own bird sanctuary

If you want to attract a wide variety of birds to your yard you will want to provide several types of feeders, with varying heights, locations, and food. Here are a few things to consider.

Feeder Style
There are several styles of feeders and you need to use the correct style for the type of bird you are trying to attract.

Tube feeders are perfect for smaller birds such as chickadees and finches.
Platform feeders are ideal for feeding ground feeders, such as doves, juncos, cardinals and jays.
Post mounted or hanging feeders attract birds that feed at branch level.
Nectar feeders attract hummingbirds and orioles.
Insect feeders attract bluebirds, robins and purple martins
Suet feeders attract woodpeckers, nuthatches and creepers

Perches and ports
The ports must be the appropriate size to allow the seed to flow through. For example, a thistle feeder has very small ports which will not accommodate other types of seed. Birdseed with nuts and dried fruit need a bigger port so the seed can flow through the opening. Feeders with perches attract chickadees, titmice, grosbeaks and grackles. Feeders without perches attract woodpeckers, finches and nuthatches.

Many birds will feed from several styles of feeders, so these are just some general guidelines to follow. You will see a variety of birds eating from each feeder you provide in your bird sanctuary.

Please share some of the things have you have tried to attract more birds to your yard?

Playing with your cat

Playing with your cat is a lot of fun, but it is also beneficial to your cat’s well being.

Here are some of the benefits

Exercise from playing helps your cat maintain a healthy weight.
Cats release negative energy, stress or aggression while playing.
Playing with your cat strengths the bond between you and your cat.
Playing can help a shy cat gain confidence.
Playing with our cat helps increase his natural hunting skills, which is great if you ever get a mouse in the house!

How to play

Let your cat set the pace of the play and don’t over do it. Rotate the toys for your cat. Most cats will get bored with the same toy if it is left out all the time. Some of the best cat toys are your fingers, a piece of string, a box, and the top of a milk carton. Your cat likes to win, so make the game challenging enough to keep his interest, but easy enough that he gets to win.

Peak your cat’s interest with movements. Let your cat hunt for the toy. Try peaking a toy around the corner or under the covers and watch your cat try to catch the toy.

One of my cat’s favorite toys is a feather on a string. He loves to chase and capture it.

What kind of games do you play with your cats?

Keeping your dog cool in the summer heat

As the warmer days of summer are quickly approaching, it is important to remember to help keep your dog cool so he doesn’t over heat. There are several things you can do to protect your dog and make him more comfortable.

Make sure you have plenty of drinking water available.
Provide a shaded area where your dog can get out of the sun.
Provide a little pool for your dog to cool off in. Plastic kiddie pools work great. Make sure to keep the water very shallow for smaller dogs. You can also spray him with a hose to help him cool off.
Groom thicker haired dogs to help them stay cool.
Limit the amount of exercise and outside play time.
If possible, keep your dog inside with the air conditioning on during the hottest hours of the day.

Lighter haired dogs and dogs with thin hair are at a higher risk of getting sunburned. Watch for discolorations or sores on their ears, eyelids and nose. Contact your vet immediately if your dog shows any signs of heat stoke or stress.

Keeping your dog cool during the summer can be a challenge, but with proper planning you can make your dogs summers more enjoyable and safe.

Savings on dry dog food

It is important to feed your dog quality food to keep your dog happy and healthy, which can be hard with the rising cost of gas and groceries. Check out this $5.00 off coupon from Iams ProActive Health dog food.

Iams ProActive Health helps promote 7 signs of healthy vitality. Click here for your $5.00 coupon.

Hand feed Hummingbirds

Most of us enjoy watching Hummingbirds come to our feeders, but did you know you can teach Hummingbirds to land on your finger to feed?

It may take a lot of time and patience, but you can teach your Hummingbirds to land on your finger for their feeding.

Pick a comfortable place to hang a feeder where it will be easy for you to hold the feeder when you are ready to try feeding your Hummingbirds. This will get the Hummingbirds used to coming to the location for feeding. Once your Hummingbirds have found the feeder and are using it regularly it will be much easier to get them used to your presence. While you are getting them used to the feeder, watch the feeding times of your Hummingbirds, usually the heaviest feeding times are at dawn and dusk.

When the Hummingbirds are regularly using the feeder, it is time to get them used to your presence. Wear a bright shirt, red would be the best, and wear the same shirt each time you sit with the Hummingbirds so they get used to how you look. Changing outfits may make the Hummingbirds think that a different person is there and you will have to start the process over each time.

Start off by sitting close to the feeder while they eat and do your best not to move (think statue). Move closer to the feeder every time you go out for feeding time. The goal is to end up sitting right next to the feeder while they eat. Hummingbirds are very curious and will come to check you out, but it may take several days before they decide that you are not a threat, so be patient and keep trying. Once they start feeding in front of you it is time to try to feed them.

Sit right next to the feeder and hold the feeder in your hand. Remember, think statue and don’t move for the best chance of success. Your Hummingbirds should start using the feeder after a few attempts at holding the feeder. Once you successfully have them eating from the feeder, put your finger up next to the feeder as a perch. With a lot of patience, you will have your little friends eating from your hand!

Please share your Hummingbird stories with us; we would love to hear them!