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Dog Training - How NOT To Train Your DogJust about every dog owner truly wants to train their dog well.If the dog backs up do the technique near the couch or a fence where he has nowhere to go. But if these are not the results you desire, be prepared to change YOUR behaviour, before you try to alter the dog's. For the slow learner or assertive dog, it may be necessary to use a collar and short leash - two to four feet is best - 'Sit' the dog and kneel down facing him. We can wsh it were so but it's not and never will be! Though the average grown dog has a mental development someplace approximately on the level of a human two year old, there are more deviations than there are similarities. So, here's how NOT to train your dog:- Forget that your dog has a nature unlike yours. Watch and catch them in the middle of sitting and say 'sit' and gesture. Talk to them like they were a human child. Simultaneously, gently take both the dog's forelegs and pull toward you, issuing the voice command. So, the dog hasn't evolved to understand why you're hitting them. It instills fear, not trust. You want the dog to associate the position with good feelings - his and yours. Don't be harsh, but don't give up easily either. Punish them for not behaving the way you want.At first the dog will have no idea why you're so happy. And never let him train you. At completion praise lavishly and reward.Make the hand gesture, issue the voice command and move a treat or toy from the dog's chin to the ground while pulling gently on the leash. But they can be easily distracted, or fail to associate today's case of 'come' with yesterday's
Wikipedia on dog breeds
Cat food is formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats. Although cats are obligate carnivores, most commercial cat food contains both animal and plant material, supplemented with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. An important nutrient is the amino acid derivative taurine, as cats cannot synthesize the compound. Cats fed a taurine-deficient dog food may develop retinal degeneration and go blind, for example.
Diet and disease
Food allergy
Food allergy is a non-seasonal disease with skin and/or gastrointestinal disorders. The main complaint is Pruritus, which is usually resistant to treatment by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The exact prevalence of food allergy in cats remains unknown. There is no breed, sex or age predilection, although some breeds are commonly affected. Before the onset of clinical signs, the animals have been fed the offending food components for at least two years, although some animals are less than a year old. In 20 to 30% of the cases, cats have concurrent allergic diseases (atopy / flea-allergic dermatitis). A reliable diagnosis can only be made with dietary elimination-challenge trials. Provocation testing is necessary for the identification of the causative food component(s). Therapy consists of avoiding the offending food component(s).
Malnutrition
Cats fed exclusively on raw, freshwater fish can develop a thiamine deficiency.Those fed exclusively on liver may develop vitamin A toxicity. Malnutrition has been seen in cats fed "natural", "organic", or "vegetarian" diets produced by owners with good intentions, and most published recipes have been only crudely balanced (by computer) using nutrient averages. Because the palatability, digestibility, and safety of these recipes have not been adequately or scientifically tested, it is difficult to characterize all of these homemade diets. Generally, most formulations contain excessive protein and phosphorus and are deficient in calcium, vitamin E, and microminerals such as copper, zinc, and potassium. Also, the energy density of these diets may be unbalanced relative to the other nutrients. Commonly used meat and carbohydrate ingredients contain more phosphorus than calcium. Homemade feline diets that are not actually deficient in fat or energy usually contain a vegetable oil that cats do not find palatable; therefore, less food is eaten causing a calorie deficiency. Rarely are homemade diets balanced for microminerals or vitamins. Owner neglect is also a frequent contributing factor in malnutrition.
Recalls
The 2007 pet food recalls involved the massive recall of many brands of cat and dog foods beginning in March 2007. The recalls came in response to reports of renal failure in pets consuming mostly wet pet foods made with wheat gluten from a single Chinese company, beginning in February 2007. After more than three weeks of complaints from consumers, the recall began voluntarily with the Canadian company Menu Foods on March 16, 2007, when a company test showed sickness and death in some of the test animals. Soon after, there were numerous media reports of animal deaths as a result of kidney failure, and several other companies who received the contaminated wheat gluten also voluntarily recalled dozens of pet food brands.
By the end of March, veterinary organizations reported more than 100 pet deaths amongst nearly 500 cases of kidney failure, with one online database self-reporting as many as 3,600 deaths as of April 11. As of April 8, Menu Foods has confirmed only about 16 deaths. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration refuses to estimate the amount of sick or dead because there is no centralized government records database of animal sickness or death in the United States as there are with humans (such as the Centers for Disease Control). As a result, many sources speculate that the actual number of affected pets may never be known and experts are concerned that the actual death toll could potentially reach into the thousands.
Overall, several major companies have recalled more than 100 brands of pet foods, with most of the recalled product coming from Menu Foods. Although there are several theories of the source of the agent causing sickness in affected animals, with extensive government and private testing and forensic research, to date, no definitive cause has been isolated. As of April 10, the most likely cause, according to the FDA, though not yet proven, is indicated by the presence of melamine in wheat gluten in the affected foods. The Chinese company behind the contaminated wheat gluten has initially denied any involvement in the contamination, but is cooperating with Chinese and American investigators.
In the United States, there has been extensive media coverage of the recall. There has been widespread public outrage and calls for government regulation of pet foods, which had previously been self-regulated by pet food manufacturers. The United States Senate held an oversight hearing on the matter by April 12. The economic impact on the pet food market has been extensive, with Menu Foods losing roughly $30 Million alone from the recall. The events have caused distrust of most processed pet foods in some consumers.
References
- ^ Aquirre, GD (1978). "Retinal degeneration associated with the feeding of dog foods to cats". J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 172 (7): 791-796.
- ^ Little Big Cat
- ^ Funaba, Masayuki; Tetsuji Tanaka, Masahiro Kaneko, Tsunenori Iriki, Yoshikazu Hatano, Matanobu Abe (2001). "Fish Meal vs. Corn Gluten Meal as a Protein Source for Dry Cat Food". J. Vet. Med. Sci. 63 (12): 1355-1357.
- ^ Funaba, M; C Matsumoto, K Matsuki, K Gotoh, M Kaneko, T. Iriki, Y. Hatano, M. Abe (2002). "Comparison of corn gluten meal and meat meal as a protein source in dry foods formulated for cats". Am. J. Vet. Res. 63 (9): 1247-1251.
- ^ Funaba, Masayuki; Yuko Oka, Shinji Kobayashi, Masahiro Kaneko, Hiromi Yamamoto, Kazuhiko Namikawa, Tsunenori Iriki, Yoshikazu Hatano, Matanobu Abe (2004). "Evaluation of meat meal, chicken meal, and corn gluten meal as dietary sources of protein in dry cat food". Can. J. Vet. Res. 69 (4): 299-304.
- ^ Buffington, CA; DJ Chew (1999). "Calcium oxalate urolithiasis in cats". J. Endourol. 13 (9): 659-663.
- ^ Yellow Fat Disease Merck Veterinary Manual
- ^ Susan Little, DVM (2001). Non-obstructive Lower Urinary Tract Disease in the Cat. Winn Feline Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
- ^ Tony Buffington. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorders. Veterinary Information Network. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Joseph W. Bartges, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SA IM), DACVN. Nutrition and Chronic Renal Failure. Veterinary Information Network. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
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Edinboro, Charlotte H.; Scott-Moncrieff, Catharine; Janovitz, Evan; Thacker, Leon ; Glickman, Larry T. (3 2004). "Epidemiologic study of relationships between consumption of commercial canned food and risk of hyperthyroidism in cats".
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, JAVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association, AVMA)
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(6): 879-886. doi:10.2460/javma.2004.224.879. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
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