Don’t Think Just Because Your Dog Has Fur That You Can Leave Him Out In The Cold
A common misconception among dog owners is that just because their dogs have a coat of fur; it’s ok to let them spend the winter outside. While it is OK to let your dogs out in the winter, there are important precautions to take.
Be aware of exactly how cold it is, including the wind chill factor. A dog house is good to have but may not protect them from frostbite on their extremities. Be sure to bring your pet in out of the cold. Put down a warm blanket for them to sleep on, since tiles can be cold. You can also purchase beds made for dogs at your local pet store
Another misconception is that snow is a substitute for fresh water. Make sure that your pet always has fresh water available to drink, regardless of the weather conditions.
Fur can provide a measure of warmth for your pet, but fur that is long can also pick up clumps of snow and ice, making it uncomfortable for them. Trim the areas around the paws to keep this from happening. Dogs with short hair don’t get the same level of warmth as dogs with long hair. Buy them doggie sweaters or knit one yourself. They will keep your dog warm and make them look even more adorable.
Many areas salt icy streets to provide traction. This salt or deicer can be painful to dogs, if they get into cracks in their paws. By rubbing a thin film of petroleum jelly on the bottom of their paws, it will lessen the amount of salt that sticks to them. When you get back home, be sure to clean their feet so that they will always be able to walk comfortably.
Damp fur can be uncomfortable for your pet. When coming back from a walk in rainy or snowy conditions, be sure to dry them off, preferably with a blow dryer.
There are other winter hazards for your pet that you should take care to avoid. When adding antifreeze to your car, be sure that there is no spillage that can be lapped up by your pet. It is poisonous to them and could cost them their lives. It is especially dangerous because they enjoy the taste, so make sure that you keep the bottles where they can’t get to them.
The winter holidays also can pose dangers for your pets. Chocolate is bad for your dog, so keep the Halloween candy where they can’t reach it. Be sure to put the poinsettia up on a table or a shelf, since they are poisonous to a dog and be careful of the tinsel that you use to decorate your Christmas tree. This can also be harmful, so opt for bright ornaments instead of tinsel. Your tree will still be bright and attractive and your dog will be safe.
Gregg Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dont-think-just-because-your-dog-has-fur-that-you-can-leave-him-out-in-the-cold-52919.html
Tagged with: Antifreeze • Blow Dryer • Chill Factor • Clumps • Common Misconception • Dog House • Dog Owners • Extremities • Frostbite • Paws • Petroleum Jelly • Short Hair • Snow And Ice • Snowy Conditions • Spillage • Thin Film • Warm Blanket • Weather Conditions • Wind Chill Factor • Winter Hazards
If you don't eat as much as you should, will it weaken your immune system?
I was just randomly wondering that because back in February (’07) I was literally sick for the whole month. The 31st of Jan. I got a mild case of the flu, but it left me with an upper respiratory infection (That I didn’t know about, I just thought it was a lingering cough) and then close to Valentine’s Day, I had to leave school early because of a nasty cold that I had gotten (I STILL had a nasty cough) and then, about a week later, over the weekend I believe, I got a NASTY, PAINFUL ear infection and I ended up having to go to the ER because my eardrum had ruptured (I had the stomach flu at the same time) And so I’d be bent over the toilet and blood would run down my face from my ear (quite nasty actually….nice mental image isn’t it?) And so the doctor said that I had fluid built up in my ear that was probably caused by an upper respiratory infection (note the ‘nasty cough’ that I had) And it was only when I got put on meds did I get better…
I hadn’t eaten regularly at all before the whole thing started. I would eat only a LITTLE dinner every night, maybe, and I had been dealing with depression and was suicidal for much of the year before if that makes any difference…I still am, but I haven’t really been sick since, unless you count it being because of meds you have to take…but I got that figured out. So I was just wondering…thanks for your time!
And I guess I should add the fact that this past school year, I missed more days because of being sick than any other year combined, it’s usually 1 or 2 days. I’m a senior in high school (07-08 school year) in case you were wondering…
You’re right. Not eating right, whether it’s too much of the wrong kinds of foods, or too little food altogether, will definitely weaken a person’s immune system.
I sure hope you have a better year, this year.
References :
Sorry about your horrible time in being sick.
The quantity of food is important, but not as important as quality of food. The quality food plays a major factor in keeping our cells healthy and our immune system strong. Food not only provides energy to your body, but all the nutrients that are essential for a healthy immune system.
Lack of good nutrition is only one of many things that make your immune system weak. When your body lacks nutrition, you will have a weak immune system.
Since our bodies can not produce nutrients needed for optimal health, quality food plays a major factor in keeping our cells healthy and our immune system strong. Food not only provides energy to your body, but all the nutrients that are essential for a healthy immune system.
Here are some other possible reasons for a weak immune system.
Toxins: Most people today have excess accumulation of toxins and waste material in their bodies causing their body to be acidic and adding stress to their immune system function. The two main reasons for this is
1) People are putting huge amounts of toxins (mostly unknowingly) in their bodies on a regular basis and
2) their elimination channels are clogged, slow or sluggish.
3) toxins like "junk" food, medications(drugs), sugars, excess alcohol, allergens all stress your immune system, thus making it weak and unable to fight the germs when exposed to them.
Lack of drinking healthy water:
Dehydration means the cells just simply do not have enough fluid. Dehydration cause medical problems including pain, arthritis, asthma, and allergies, among other medical issues. It can affect your energy and your sleep, and the ability to get toxins/waste material out of the body.
Lack of physical activity:
Lack of regular, moderate exercise appears to slow down cleansing the body of certain toxins and waste products
Lack of sufficient rest:
lack of sleep will stress your immune system and thus increase the risk of catching a bug.
The good news is that I think you can help control or reverse your condition by doing as many as possible of the following list.
Chronic stress
People who are under chronic stress have lower than normal white blood cell counts, are more vulnerable to colds and other viruses and take longer to recover from them. They are more likely to experience more severe symptoms than people who are not under a great deal of stress.
The good news is you can strengthen your immune system by doing as many of the following list as possible….
1) keep practicing good personal hygiene care, wash your hands! The great plague of 1918 could have been avoided by practicing good personal hygiene.
2) get plenty of rest. During deep sleep, our body release potent immune-enhancing substances that strengthen your immune system function. By not allowing our body sufficient rest, the immune system will sputter, and as a result, not function at full capacity. We then are more likely to become ill with common illnesses. A healthy, deep sleep allows our body to release a significant amount of growth hormone that boost the immune system and aids in the growth and repair of the body.
3) get moderate and regular exercise
An increase in blood flow associated with moderate exercise helps to circulate antibodies along with white blood cells necessary to fight infection more quickly. As a result, this provides our bodies with an early warning system to ward off potentially damaging germs. In addition, the increase in body temperature as a result of physical activity may aid in inhibiting the growth of bacteria; thus allowing the body to fight infection more effectively.
4) Receiving a Regular Body Cleansing.
Body cleansing is essential because our bodies need to properly eliminate the toxic build up that has formed in our intestines (colon), which may lead to sickness and disease. Our body organs and tissues must be free of toxins for the immune system to function optimally thus enabling our bodies to receive the essential nutrients our bodies need.
5) Boost immune system by drinking plenty of filtered water.
Water is essential for all living things and keeps our immune system operating optimally while improving the way we feel, look and live. Without sufficient amounts of water, you may experience routine fatigue, dry skin, headaches, constipation, and a decrease normal bodily function which may lead to your body unable to fight off diseases. Without water we would literally dehydrate which could result in the shutting down of vital organs and ultimately end in death.
6) Eliminate all sugar and allergens from your diet.
Just a small amount of sugar has been proven to impair white blood cells up to 50% for very short periods of time. By discovering what our personal food allergies are, then eliminating or desensitizing them will help strengthen your immune system. By removing these triggers, our immune cells are strengthened in order to combat other invaders such as influenza rather than the allergen. The elimination of sugar from your diet can also strengthen immune system.
7) Eat nutritiously
Good foods to eat include organic fruits and vegetables, chloretta, medicinal mushrooms like maitake, shiitake, reishi, or turkey tail. Besides water, wheatgrass juice, aloe vera juice, or green tea are good drinks. My favorite is MonaVie juice.
Supplements are needed because our bodies can not produce the nutrients necessary to maintain optimum health. There are many nutrients needed in order to maintain a strong immune system. It is very challenging in the world we live in to obtain sufficient nutrition with the foods available to us. They are over processed and void of many essential nutrients. Additionally, food is grown in soils that have been over-planted and saturated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Vitamin and mineral deficiency subjects us to more diseases, aging, sickness, and the weakening of our immune system.
Best herbs include echinacea, goldenseal, garlic, olive leaf extract, elderberry, or astragalus.
Best vitamins include Vitamin A, C, or E. These are a good source of antioxidants, which will boost your immune system.
The minerals zinc and selenium also help with boosting your immune system.
As you can see, there is no one magic cure, one supplement, or one way to help build up your immune system, but there are many things you can do to prevent you getting sick in the future. The problem is that many don’t want to change their lifestyle and follow some of these common sense ways to boost their immune system..
More details can be found at the website in the source box.
References :
http://www.immunesystemremedies.com